Jordan Harbinger, once referred to as “The Larry King of podcasting,” is a Wall Street lawyer turned talk show host, social dynamics expert, and entrepreneur. After hosting a top 50 iTunes podcast for over a decade that enjoyed nearly four million downloads a month at its zenith, Jordan has embarked on a new adventure: The Jordan Harbinger Show, where he deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people on earth and shares their strategies, perspectives, and insights with the rest of us. Jordan’s business sense, extensive knowledge of the industry, and contemporary approach to teaching make him one of the best and most sought-after coaches in the world. Favorite Success Quote “Fortune favors the bold” ~Latin Proverb Key Points 1. Find the Silver Lining  Sh*t happens. It’s an inevitability of life. Things will not go your way. Partners will leave you. Employees will steal from you. Friends will betray you. This isn’t a pessimistic outlook on life, it’s simply the reality of the world we live in. As such, the question is not if these events will happen but how you will respond when they do.  In every negative situation, every layoff, divorce, breakup, and failure, you have one of two choices. You can throw yourself a pity party, whine, moan, and cry that your life isn’t where you want it to be. Or you can find the silver lining and move forward with your life. Every door that closes opens up a new one. Every failed endeavor frees up your time and resources to pursue a new one. Everything that you currently think sucks has a silver lining… If you’re willing to look for it. Learn to make the best of any situation and use adversity to your advantage and you will become unstoppable in your business, relationships, and life. 2. Dig the Well Before You’re Thirsty  There is an old proverb that states, “Dig the well before you are thirsty”. And truer words have yet to be spoken. In every area of life, you must learn to cultivate a proactive attitude instead of a reactive one. In your finances, set aside money each month and invest in your future so that when the unexpected happens, you are prepared. In your relationship, create your own social circle and build your own life so that, even if your partner leaves you, you aren’t left out in the cold. In your business and career, learn to cultivate powerful relationships with people when you have no agenda so that, if and when something happens (like a layoff or bankruptcy) you have a network of friends who will come to your aid and support you. Take preemptive action in your life to avoid and recover from tragedies before they happen. As I’ve already said, it’s not a matter of if something bad will happen, it’s a matter of when.  Plan for these crises and prepare for them before you need to. Your future self will thank you. 3. Don’t Wait on Other People  Whether it’s a business partner, spouse, or friend you can never allow your momentum in life to be dictated by another person. Don’t wait for someone else to get on board with your mission and vision. Simply take action and move forward. If your business partner or significant other is dragging their feet and screwing around with regards to your vision and important goals, fine. Take action without them and move forward on your own. You can spend years or even decades waiting for someone else to come through, all the while missing opportunities and possibilities in your own life. Don’t let this happen to you… Chart your own path and move forward whether the people around you are on board or not. 4. Don’t Sacrifice Success for Other People’s Comfort  In many relationships, people will avoid having difficult conversations with their partner because they don’t want to hurt the other person. For example… A wife might avoid talking to her alcoholic husband about his drinking problem because she doesn’t want to upset him. A man might avoid talking to his girlfriend about her lackluster work ethic and spending problem because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. A business partner might avoid calling his team out for laziness because he doesn’t want to be seen as overly critical or negative. Stop! In all of these situations, the uncomfortable conversation is necessary. Unless you are willing to step up, make other people uncomfortable, and call them out on their b.s., they will never change. You will never move forward in life and eventually, the relationship will implode. Be willing to take a stand for yourself and let other people know when they’ve violated a boundary or acted in a manner that is unacceptable. Otherwise, you will live in a constant fairytale and fail to achieve the life you want. 5. Do the Things Today that Your Future Self Will Thank You For  Every day, you have a choice. You can either choose to live for the moment or the future. While it’s all fine and dandy to be present, it’s even more important that you are acting in a way today that your future self will thank you for. What would make your future self-smile? Eating that piece of cake or eating a salad? Skipping the gym because you’re tired or staying commited to your training? Talking to that cute guy/girl or letting fear hold you back from the relationships you want? Working hard on your side hustle or goofing off with YouTube and video games? You have a choice to create the life that you want. The only question is, “What choice are you going to make?” Next Steps You can learn more about Jordan and follow his new podcast at jordanharbinger.com or click the following link to get Jordan’s Free Networking course. We’re on a mission to impact a million men with powerful life changing content. If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends on your preferred social network on the left. I spent a ridiculous amount of time creating this article for you and with your support, we can impact the world together. Do you want my help? Then click here to join my elite community of 800+ high-performing men and get access to powerful coaching to close the gap from where you are now to where you want to be, The Secrets of the Top 1% of Men. Not only will you get tapped into your own “band of brothers”, but you’ll also have access to the best damn content and training available for men as well as weekly group calls with my team of transformative coaches. No whiny boys, complainers or dabblers, for serious men only. If you’re ready to push the boundaries of what’s possible in your life and become the man you’ve always wanted to be. This is the fastest way to do it.

Nate Broughton is an internet marketing veteran of 17 years who specializes in lead generation and client acquisition. He’s built and sold four companies and been involved in several acquisitions with private equity firms. He’s now the leader of a movement and company called The Opt Out Life which teaches people all over the world how to design an amazing lifestyle centered around fun and experiences… While still making fantastic money in an industry they love. Favorite Success Quote “Lifestyle before money. But money also.” “If there’s a will there’s a way” Key Points 1. Focus on Lifestyle First and Money Second  Money is a tool. In the right hands, it can serve as a force multiplier to help you live the life of your dreams, enjoy wild adventures, and create a lasting legacy. However, when it’s your sole aim and purpose it will overtake your life and lead you down a dark and lonely road filled with regrets. As such, Nate’s motto and entire company (opt-out life) is built on the ethos of “Lifestyle first but money also.” In life, you will often be presented with two options. The lucrative option The lifestyle option For example, Nate was offered an executive position with a multiple six-figure salary, a significant amount of equity, and great benefits. The only problem is that the position required him to drive 60 minutes to and from work five days a week, sacrificing time with his young children and wife. He turned it down in less than a minute. Money is great and you should always seek to expand your income and create passive assets. But it’s not everything. If you find yourself working 80 hours a week to make multiple six figures you need to take a step back and ask yourself, “Is this really worth it?” Is this how you want to live your life? 2. Get Creative to Achieve Your Dreams  Where there’s a will there’s a way. Cliche, I know. But it’s true. Whatever goal you want to achieve, whether it’s making a certain amount of money, improving your body, or finding the partner of your dreams, is ahievable. IF you’re willing to get creative and find unconventional roads to success. A great example that Nate shared in the interview is how his business partner moved his family from an inexpensive inland suburb to the exclusive coast of Lajolla. Even though his partner couldn’t afford the mortgage on the house he wanted, he got creative, found a property with a guest home and then rented the home out while simultaneously renting the casita in the back yard. The result? He cut the rent payments in half and ended up spending roughly the same amount as his previous mortgage. If you’re willing to get creative, there’s nothing that you can’t do, be, or achieve. But you must be willing to think outside of the box and cut yourself off from any possibility of failure. 3. Know When to Hold ‘Em and When to Fold ‘Em  You are going to have to make tough decisions in life. It’s simply a part of the human existence. And oftentimes, the most important decision that you will make is not whether or not you should start something, but whether or not you should stay with something. Whether it’s a relationship, career, business, or just a boring ‘ol workout program, you must understand when a particular endeavor has run its course and when there is still something of value to be gained. Nate has grown and sold several businesses, and he’s found that there’s a critical tipping point in each business (typically when it hits $5,000,000 in revenue) where he begins to burn out and lose interest. Instead of fighting this, he’s adopted the “Serial Entrepreneur” approach and will sell his equity or the entire business, once a project passes a certain revenue threshold. Here’s the deal… Life is short. And there are thousands of things that we all want to try out and we have no way of knowing if they’re worth our time until we step up to the plate and swing. But once you’ve been in the game for a while, you need to honestly evaluate your pursuits and ask yourself the simple question, “Is this serving me at the highest level?” If the answer is “No” then cut your losses and move on… IMMEDIATELY. 4. Understand the Seasons of Life (And How they Impact Your Priorities)  It’s funny to me how often I have young men reaching out to me in their early 20’s bemoaning the fact that they have no money and no clue what they want to do with their lives. I always have to chuckle at these messages, because these guys are missing the point. You aren’t supposed to be super wealthy and on purpose right out of the gate!  Your 20’s are a season in life for pursuing your passions, seeing what sticks, making LOTS of mistakes, and learning as much as you can. Life isn’t supposed to be this massive and nonstop upwards growth curve. It’s a long and bumpy ride filled with different seasons. And one of the biggest keys to success is learning how to capitalize on these seasons and use them to your advantage. For example, your 20’s are a high energy season that is best used to learn marketable skills, live super frugally while building a war chest, and to figure yourself out along the way. Your 30’s are a season that should be devoted to mastery of your chosen craft and the creation of passive income streams that will create lasting wealth and freedom. And once you have that? Your 40’s and beyond are for doing whatever the hell you want. 5. Develop a High-Value Skill Set and Turn It Into Passive Income  It’s been said that passive income is worth 10x working income. And truer words have yet to be spoken. No matter where you are in life today, one of your top priorities should be the creation and expansion of passive income. Money is simply a tool to buy freedom. And when you escape from the race of trading your time for dollars and create sustainable passive income, you will have freedom for life. Imagine going to bed and waking up with an extra $500 in your bank account. What would that do for your life? How would you spend your days differently? What hobbies would you pursue? What relationships would you invest in more deeply? How would your life change if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were going to be ok when the 1st of the month rolled around? I can tell you from personal experience… It’s one of the most liberating feelings a man can have. Get to work on building passive income streams NOW and your life will forever change because of it.

Lewis Howes is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach, author and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete. Lewis hosts The School of Greatness podcast, which has received millions of downloads since it launched in 2013. Lewis was recognized by The White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. He is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur and Yahoo.com and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Men’s Health, The Today Show and other major media outlets. Favorite Success Quotes “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care” Key Points 1. Show that You Care  As men, we have a pathological need to feel important, to feel special, to feel powerful. To fill this need, most of us walk through our lives searching for ways to make other people see how important we are. We work ourselves to death at jobs that we hate so that we can afford to buy things we don’t need. We stay in relationships that we should have left years ago because the person that we are dating is attractive and popular. We live our lives for the approval and validation of others while forgetting one obvious truth. No one cares. Seriously… No one cares about how much money you have, how hot your girl friend is, or how many horsepower your car has. The people in your life are struggling with plenty of trials and struggles as it is, do you really think they’re going to care that you bought a “Luxury Class” Mercedes instead of a Standard? What people want and desperately need isn’t another person who’s caught up in their own lives.. What they need is someone who cares, someone who listens, someone who is real. The people in your life are dying to connect, they are dying for someone who is real, they are dying for someone who genuinely cares about them and is willing to listen and be present. If you really want to impress someone (which shouldn’t be your focus to begin with), then show them how much you care, don’t show them how much you have. 2. Vulnerability is the Key to Freedom If you are reading this right now, then chances are good that you’ve been hurt. Some of you have been hurt so deeply and so profoundly that you have never shared your pain with another living soul. And it sucks… When you’ve experienced trauma and pain in your life, it’s easy to get stuck in your head, to become isolated and believe that you are alone or that no one would love you if they knew the truth. In an effort to protect yourself and others, you put up a wall between yourself and the people that you love, closing yourself off from the people who care for you the most. And then you let the pain sit inside of you and simmer. Until one day, that simmer turns into a boil and you find yourself exploding in ways that you never thought possible. Until one day, the wounds have become so deep and so painful that they change who you are. This is the path that most men take… Most men refuse to seek help, guidance of support in times of trauma and suffering. They think they have everything figured out and do their best to act the part. But I’ll let you in on a little secret…. You are killing yourself and you are killing your relationships. The past only has power over us so long as we allow it to. When you are willing to embrace vulnerability, trust the people in your life, and open up about your deepest fears, regrets, and experiences, your whole life will change. For Lewis, this meant opening up about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child. For nearly 25 years, he’d kept the pain bottled inside until one day, it all came out on a basketball court and he got into a vicious fight with another player. The encounter shocked and humbled him and made him realize that he needed to talk to someone and he needed to get help. And so he did, he opened up to a select group of people about what had happened to him as a child and, much to his surprise, the response he received was nothing but love. People told him that they could trust him more, that they felt more connected, and that they respected him on a deeper level because of the pain and trauma he experienced. As time went on and he shared his truth with more and more people, he eventually arrived at a point in his life where he could share his story without feeling the pain in the same way. Through sharing his authentic truth and being vulnerable, he healed the wounds of the past. But what about you? What are you holding onto that you need to let go? What pain has been keeping you back and weighing you down? I want you to write that thing down right now and commit that before the day is over, you will find someone to talk to, even if it’s a professional. I promise that if you are willing to take this scary leap, your life will never be the same. 3. Why Are You Doing What You’re Doing?  One of the biggest mistakes that we as men make is that we detach our what from our why.  We spend all of our time pursuing goals, dreams, and opportunities but we never really know why we do any of the things that we do. We hustle and grind all day long and for what? For most men, it’s for the paycheck or the status, but as many of you have already realized, this is never enough. You must have a strong and deep why for what you are doing that extends beyond yourself. If you want to live a truly extraordinary and exceptional life, then you must live your life for the greater good and not just yourself. Find ways to serve and love and improve the lives of others and your own life will be filled with joy, and love, and opportunities that you could never imagine. It might seem cliche and worn out, but there’s a great deal of truth to the adage that “Living is giving”. So let me ask you… What are you giving and why? 4. Pause, Breathe, and Smile  You can read all of the books that have ever been written on the topic of emotional control, masculinity, and mastering yourself and, unfortunately, there will still be instances where you want to explode and rip someone’s head off. It’s just human nature. While you cannot control the initial flood of emotions that happens in these circumstances, you can control your reaction. When you start to feel these negative thoughts and emotions creeping into your mind and body, take a step back and notice them. Acknowledge them and be aware of them… Don’t try to fight them. Once you are aware of the internal dialogue and the reason for your emotional response, take 10 deep breaths and mentally detach yourself from the situation, doing your best to look at things through the lens of an objective observer. Then, once you have regained your center, look around you and smile. You are blessed and you have a lot to be grateful for. Smile and remember this. 5. It’s All About Finding the Balance  In a world that seems to be driven by the “Hustle and Grind” mentality, it’s easy to lose balance and start living a life that is completely and utterly consumed by your work. When this happens, it’s important to take a step back and regain your inner balance. Life is seasonal. There are times where you will need to hustle, grind, and push forward. There are times where you need to take a step back and rest. Learn to differentiate between the two and your entire life will transform before your eyes.

Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan’s teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his books and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world. Dan’s seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, “Peaceful Warrior,” starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan’s first book, based upon incidents from his life. Much of Dan’s time is devoted to writing and speaking. His keynotes, seminars, and workshops span the generations to influence men and women from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts. Dan and his wife Joy live in Brooklyn, NY. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren. You can connect with him and learn more at peacefulwarrior.com Favorite Success Quote “Success is making progress towards a meaningful goal” “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” Key Points 1. Seek Excellence Not Success One of the most common mistakes that people make in their pursuit of happiness is that they seek success instead of seeking excellence. Let me break down what this means… Most people, especially the kinds of people who listen to this podcast and read this blog, are future and goal oriented. We are laser-focused on the attainment of something, on the accomplishment of something sometime in the distant future. But what we often forget is that these accomplishments for which we are striving are made up of individual pieces. For example, no one can “Build a Business”. A business is built by doing hundreds, maybe even thousands of small things well. You don’t “Build” your dream body by doing one thing once. You build your dream body by doing thousands upon thousands of reps with perfect form. And that is where your focus should be. Yes, you must have compelling goals that push you forward and encourage you to perform at your best. But you must always remember that every worthy goal is comprised of thousands and thousands of micro-actions that you must take in the present moment. They are the product of committing to excellence in the present moment and maintaining that commitment year after year after year. Focus on doing things with excellence and success will inevitably follow. 2. The Quality of Your Moments Becomes the Quality of Your Life  In the same way that many people mistakenly pursue success instead of pursuing excellence, many of us devote our lives to the pursuit of the “Good Life”. We hustle, grind, and sacrifice so that, one day, we can finally be happy and enjoy a high quality of life. We give up the things that are most important for an uncertain future that may or may not bring joy and fulfillment into our lives. And by doing this, we forget to live our lives as they are happening. We fail to realize that the “Good Life” is nothing more than a life filled with “Good Moments”. If you want a good life, you must have good years. To have good years, you must have good months, weeks, and days. And to have good days, you must have good moments. You must learn to embrace where you are right now and enjoy the moment for all that it is. Because the present moment is everything. It’s all that you have. There is no future. There is no past. There is only now. So live in the now. Cultivate those small moments of joy, happiness, and excellence. If you do this, I promise you that you will look back on your life with a smile, knowing that you lived it well. 3. Trust the Process of Your Life Unfolding  This if the 400th interview that I’ve conducted on the Knowledge for Men podcast and, after almost 4 years of interviewing top achievers, thinkers, and performers, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern. Success, happiness, and fulfillment almost always exist on the other side of pain. Grant Cardone was struggling with a drug addiction, broke, and unemployed before he found his future in sales and real estate. Ryan Blair was involved in the most dangerous L.A. gangs almost sentenced to a decade of incarceration before he fell in love with entrepreneurship. Bedros Keulian was literally digging through dumpsters to find food before he created the 8-figure fitness empire that he now owns today. Yet these men trusted the process (admittedy they may have done so unconsciously). They were willing to take a leap of faith and trust the process of their life unfolding. They were able to accept that, as Steve Jobs said, “You will never connect the dots looking forward, only looking backward. So you have to somehow trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” And you must do the same. Trust the process of your life unfolding. Live in the present moment. Have faith in yourself and in the universe and realize that life is an adventure that is meant to be lived… Not avoided. 4. Anticipation is One of the Greatest Sources of Suffering  One of the most sinister and seemingly innocuous sources of suffering is anticipation. Think about it like this… Imagine that there is a co-worker whom you cannot stand. The kind of person who makes your skin crawl and your stomach turn into a knot. Imagine that later today, you have a meeting and you know that this particular co-worker will be in attendance. In anticipation of the event, you imagine all of the possible outcomes in your head, forcing yourself to live in an unpleasant and mentally exhausting reality that hasn’t even happened yet! You bring yourself into a state of dissatisfaction and discomfort because you are living in future pain even though the present moment is completely tranquil! How differently could this scenario be if you simply allowed yourself to live in the moment. To know that you will have to face your peer but… Not yet. To give yourself permission to say “I am not in that situation in the present moment so I am going to live life now and cross that bridge when I get there.” 5. We Are All Just Humans  At the end of the day, we are all human beings on this journey together. We have different views, beliefs, personalities, and desires, but we are all people. We all experience deep emotions, we all have dreams and desires, and we all have struggles to overcome. Even the seemingly invincible characters like Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk, or Bradd Pitt have problems. We are all humans. No one person is inherently better or worse than anyone else. We are all in this race together. So why can’t we start acting like it? Instead of judging others and blaming them for their shortcomings, seek to understand and empathize with their struggles. Instead of acting superior to your fellow man, remember the times in which you acted and behaved in unscrupulous or unsatisfactory ways. Instead of pretending that you are on this journey alone, remember that we are all in this together. Man, woman, black, white, gay, straight, republican, democrat… We are all in this together. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we will unlock our specie’s true power. Influential Books 1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 2. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse 3. Constructive Living by David Reynolds   Next Steps We’re on a mission to impact a million men with powerful life changing content. If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends on your preferred social network on the left. I spent a ridiculous amount of time creating this article for you and with your support, we can impact the world together. Do you want my help? Then click here to join my elite community of 800+ high-performing men and get access to powerful coaching to close the gap from where you are now to where you want to be, The Secrets of the Top 1% of Men. Not only will you get tapped into your own “band of brothers”, but you’ll also have access to the best damn content and training available for men as well as weekly group calls with my team of transformative coaches. No whiny boys, complainers or dabblers, for serious men only. If you’re ready to push the boundaries of what’s possible in your life and become the man you’ve always wanted to be. This is the fastest way to do it.

Steve Harvey is a media conglomerate personified in a man whose career began doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a stand-up comedian eventually led to a long stint as host of It’s Showtime at the Apollo. His stand-up success has also led to multiple TV shows and movies, serving various roles on some projects acting, hosting, writing and producing, and his career has continued to flourish, becoming a top-rated radio host, fashion entrepreneur, best-selling author, popular game show host on Family Feud, and 2013 People’s Choice Award winner as “Favorite New Talk Show Host” for his new daytime show Steve Harvey. Harvey just recently renewed deals in January 2013 for his daytime show and radio show. 1. Real Men handle their Responsibilities Being a man is simple. No, you don’t have to ride a motorcycle, hunt wild bears, or shoot bad guys in the face. All that you have to do to be a real man is to take care of your responsibilities. If you can do that, then you are a man. If you wake up every morning, go into the world and earn your living, and then come home and provide for your wife and children then you are a man. If you are single, then it is your responsibility to prepare for the family that you will one day have. This isn’t rocket science. Just do the work and handle your responsibilities. That’s it. 2. Men Need More Mentors and Fathers  One of the most pervasive diseases that is facing the modern man is the disease of the absent father. Men are growing up without a clue, wondering what it means to be a man and getting all of their guidance from rappers, movie stars, and friends. This is a tragedy. If more men grew up with fathers who loved them, supported them, and taught them what it truly meant to be a man, how much better would the world be? What would that do for society? As a man, it is your responsibility to be there for your children, no matter what. 3. You Are Ready for a Relationship When You Are Tired of the Revolving Door  Have you ever woken up next to a beautiful woman after a one night stand and thought to yourself “Is this it?” If so, then you are ready for a relationship. Most men are not ready for monogamy and commitment until they have been stuck in the revolving door for quite some time. We need to get it out of our systems. We need to experience different women, to figure out what we want, and to learn about how the fairer sex works. Once this becomes a chore, once you no longer get excited at the prospect of being with another girl and instead you fantasize about building a life with someone… then you are ready for a real relationship. 4. Men Need Love, Loyalty, and Support  As a man, you must look for three qualities in your woman. You need a woman who will love you, a woman who is loyal to you, and a woman who will support you. That’s it. If your woman truly loves you, remains loyal to you when times are hard, and she is willing to support your dreams and ambitions, then you have found a woman worth keeping. But if she lacks even one of these qualities, then you must cut your losses and move on, because you will not be able to force what isn’t there. 5. Provide, Protect, and Profess  As a man, your job is simple. You must provide, protect, and profess your love for your woman. That’s it. If you are providing her with everything that she needs to have her needs met. If you are protecting her physically and emotionally from the danger of the world. And if you are professing your love for her on a regular basis, then you have done your job as a man. Connect with Steve Harvey http://www.steveharvey.com/ Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man   Next Steps We’re on a mission to impact a million men with powerful life changing content. If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends on your preferred social network on the left. I spent a ridiculous amount of time creating this article for you and with your support, we can impact the world together. Do you want my help? Then click here to join my elite community of 800+ high-performing men and get access to powerful coaching to close the gap from where you are now to where you want to be, The Secrets of the Top 1% of Men. Not only will you get tapped into your own “band of brothers”, but you’ll also have access to the best damn content and training available for men as well as weekly group calls with my team of transformative coaches. No whiny boys, complainers or dabblers, for serious men only. If you’re ready to push the boundaries of what’s possible in your life and become the man you’ve always wanted to be. This is the fastest way to do it.

Mark Manson is a blogger, author, and entrepreneur. He specializes in writing personal development advice that doesn’t suck. His website MarkManson.net is read by over 2 million people each month. He has written two best-sellers Models: The Art of Attracting Women Through Honesty and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. markmanson.netYou can connect with him and learn more at Key Points 1. There is No Such Thing as a Problem Free Life Life is not easy, anyone who tells you otherwise is full of crap. Life can suck sometimes and that is just the reality. However, you should not see this as a bad thing, in fact, you should appreciate it. If life is going to be painful no matter what, this means that you have a choice to choose what kind of pain you want to endure. You can endure the pain of failure or you can endure the pain of struggling to achieve success. 2. Pain Isn’t Always Bad Pleasure Isn’t Always Good  Something that most people misunderstand is that pain is not always a bad thing and pleasure is not always a good thing. You can achieve pleasure by purchasing mounds of cocaine and heroin, but that would not be expedient for achieving your goals and living the life that you want. You can also be in pain by pursuing your goals and trying to achieve greatness but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Accept the fact that life is not about being in a constant state of euphoria, it is about overcoming challenges and living a life of meaning. 3. Your Behaviors Dictate Your Values Whenever you ask people what they value they will tell you all sorts of things and about how they value family, fitness, or personal growth. However, their actions say otherwise. They say that they value family but they spend all of their time working. They say they value health but workout only once a month and treat their body like sh!t. Maybe they even say that they don’t value their sex life and yet they are out every week trying to get with a new girl. If you want to know what you truly value, take a look at your actions. Be willing to examine yourself and your life without any bias or judgment and make changes accordingly. If you don’t you will spend your whole life spinning your wheel and accomplishing very little. 4. A Constant Pursuit of Happiness Leads to Dissatisfaction Most self-help movements in the modern world seem hell bent on helping people achieve this constant state of euphoria. But the sad fact is, by pursuing happiness, you actually make yourself less happy. In every moment, you are always wondering “Am I as happy as I could be right now? What more could I be doing?” and you end up feeling depressed and frustrated because you are not happier. The same is true with your physique, bank account, and game. If you are constantly trying to be the absolute best, you will never be able to appreciate where you are. Learn to just accept that you may not be the richest, best looking, or most charismatic man in the room and work with that. Accept yourself for who you are and work to improve in the areas that are truly lacking. Otherwise, you will be like a dog chasing its tail and end up living a miserable life. 5. You are Going to Die  This is one of the most important things to remember in your life. No matter what you achieve, not matter how much money you make, who you marry, or how many people’s lives you affect, at the end of the day you are going to die. There is no way around it. Death is the only constant in every human being’s life. But this should not depress or scare you. It should liberate you. The inevitability of death means that you can free yourself from the expectations of others, the drama of daily life, and the fear that accompanies big decisions. If you are going to die, then all that matter is the legacy that you leave behind you. Remember this and live life to the fullest. * If you liked this article then you’ll love my formula that, if followed, will give you everything you need to develop your masculine spirit, find your deepest calling, deepen your purpose and character, and become the strong Grounded man you were born to be. Introducing The Dating Playbook for Men. It’s my life’s work and the culmination of more than 10-years of experience, 400 expert interviews, and more trial and error than I care to remember. I’ve devoted more than a year of my life to writing, editing, and revising this book, and I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is the solution you’ve been looking for to meet, attract and keep the woman of your dreams.   Get your copy of The Dating Playbook for Men on amazon! Do you want my help? 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Of the hundreds of podcast interviews I’ve done, few are more potent and powerful than my discussion with Kamal Ravikant. An infamous Silicon Valley entrepreneur, eclectic millionaire, and paradoxical human (who is equal parts hustler and mystic), Kamal Ravikant’s book, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It, transformed my life and helped me achieve unprecedented success and fulfillment. And in our interview, he will flip your world upside down, change everything you ever thought you knew about success, and reveal why self-love is the key to…well, everything. Let’s dive in. Who is Kamal Ravikant? Kamal Ravikant is one of the world’s most interesting entrepreneurs, whose initial success was found in the Silicon Valley. In addition to his entrepreneurial success, Kamal has also trekked the Himalayas, meditated with Tibetan monks in the Dalai Lama’s monastery, served in the US Army Infantry, and walked 550 miles across Spain. He is also the author of Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It, Live Your Truth, and Rebirth. Favorite Success Quote “Destiny favors the committed.” “Hater’s gonna hate!” ~Taylor Swift Key Points from my Interview with Kamal Ravikant 1. Commit To Yourself  Making and keeping a commitment to oneself is the ultimate measure of a man’s success. We live in a society full of liars and fakes. And I do not mean that people are maliciously seeking to manipulate their way to the top or intentionally putting on a facade of success and gravitas. We live in a society where the greatest lies that are told are the ones that we tell ourselves. “This time it will be different.” “This is the year that I will quit smoking/doing drugs/watching porn/standing on the sidelines” “This is the year where I will take control of my life and start my own business.” We live in a society that lies to itself to sedate the pain of staying the same. But what if things could be different? What if we were able to make commitments and follow through on them? What if we valued ourselves and our own word so much that the very thought of backing out of a commitment that we made to ourselves was unthinkable? It is possible. But it starts by learning to value yourself and the commitments that you are making. It starts with integrity, with giving a damn about your word and your own personal dignity. And more importantly, as we will discuss in a minute, it starts by loving yourself. 2. Execution, not Ideation is the Key to Success Everyone has a great idea. Everyone has an idea that could make them a billionaire (or at least much wealthier than they already are). So why are there so many broke and impoverished people? Especially in a country like the U.S. where there are so many opportunities? Because ideas  are not worth a damn thing. Only execution is. The greatest investors in the world never bet on the idea, just the team behind it. If you want to succeed, stop worrying about what you are going to do, and start worrying about how you are going to do it and who you are going to become so that you can achieve your goals. Forget all of your ideas. Instead, worry about transforming yourself into the kind of person who can execute and bring ideas to life. 3. Loving Yourself is Selfless So often people read the titles of books like “Love Yourself” and “Choose Yourself” and they think “Wow! What selfless a-holes these people are” But what they never stop to realize is that the greatest narcissists in the world are the people who loathe themselves. If you love yourself and take care of #1, then you enter into the world from a place of peace, joy, and love and therefore you are able to pour out into others and be the light that others can follow. If you do not love yourself, then you enter the world from a place of scarcity, fear, and anxiety, ensuring that the only impact you have is to negatively affect and drain those around you. What is more selfless? Making sure that you are taken care of so that you can take care of others? Or focusing all of your energy on others until you are burnt out, angry, and depressed? 4. If I Loved Myself at a Level 10 What Would I Do? As you face different challenges and choices in your everyday life, you should view every trial, question, and challenge through one lens and one lens only. “If I loved myself at a level 10 of 10, what would I do?” This question simplifies even the most complicated of questions and makes it very easy for you to figure out the best solutions. If you loved yourself at a 10/10 would you smoke that cigarette or abstain? If you loved yourself at a 10/10 would you watch another porn flick, wasting your day and poisoning your sex life, or would you find more constructive ways to spend your time? If you loved yourself at a 10/10 would you stay in that toxic relationship or bite the bullet and move on to someone who loves and appreciates you? If you loved yourself at a 10/10 would you continue living a sedated, numb life, doing just enough to get by, or would you stand up and pursue your dreams, leave “desire” on the sidelines and be a man of action? If you loved yourself at a 10/10 what would you do? Self love is the epitome of groundedness and your first step to becoming the man you need to be. 5. Vulnerability is Where True Power Lies We are all broken. From Bill Gates to Warren buffet to Kamal to Me. No one is perfect and no one has everything figured out. We are all on this journey called life together, and we are all blessed to be faced with different challenges and different successes. And it is your privilege, no… your responsibility to share the story of your challenges and triumphs with the world. You never know when one simple blog post, when one video, or when one conversation that you have will change someone’s life. Opening up, being vulnerable, and sharing your story could be the difference between a friend committing suicide and a friend radically changing their life and pursuing their dreams. Some of you may feel a bit uncomfortable sharing your story and being vulnerable with the people in your life. But you have to remember that your story has power. It has the power to attract people into your life who can help you on your journey and it has the power to reach people you may never know and radically transform their journey. Do not live a life that is so selfish that you deprive yourself of the joy you will experience by impacting the world with your vulnerability.

If you’re looking to upgrade your “money mindset”, create an abundance of financial and spiritual wealth, and finally achieve your lifelong goal of financial freedom, this interview with T. Harv Eker might be the most important podcast you ever listen to. In our hour-long conversation, Harv and I dive deep into the psychology of the wealthiest people on the planet. He reveals the most common mistakes that hold people back from achieving true wealth, why your financial “vehicle” doesn’t matter, and why you’ll never get rich…unless you fix your financial “blueprint”. It’s an eye-opening and wildly practical conversation and I promise, if you apply the lessons inside of it…it will change the trajectory of your financial future forever. Let’s dive in. Who is T. Harv Eker? Using the principles he teaches, T. Harv Eker went from zero to millionaire in only 2 1/2 years! He combines a unique brand of ‘street-smarts with heart’. Eker’s high-energy, ‘cut-to-the-chase’ style keeps his audience spellbound. T. Harv Eker’s motto is “talk is cheap” and his unique ability is getting people to take “action” in the real world to produce real success. Eker is the author of the best-selling books, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and SpeedWealth. He has also developed several highly-acclaimed courses such as The Millionaire Mind Intensive, Life Directions, Wizard Training and Train the Trainer. He is also the producer and trainer of the world-famous Enlightened Warrior Training. During his years of struggle, Eker vowed that should he ever get rich, he would help others do the same. He has kept his promise. He has already touched the lives of over 1.5 million people, helping them move closer to their goal of true financial freedom. Favorite Success Quote “This is it.” – T. Harv Eker Key Lessons from My Interview with T. Harv Eker 1. Stop Chasing Money and Start Solving Problems If you want to get rich, then you need to do something that is completely counter-intuitive. STOP chasing money. If you are constantly chasing money, then you are focused entirely on the wrong things. Getting rich requires that you solve problems, period. There is no shortcut to riches, no easy way to wealth, and no true success that can be had without a maniacal focus on finding problems and providing solutions. If you want to make a million dollars, then you need to find a million-dollar problem and solve it. If you want to make ten million dollars, then find a ten million dollar problem and solve it. Money flows to the people who are solving problems and providing value… not to the people who are just trying to make a quick buck. When you chase money, you’ll be quick to fall prey to a myriad of vices…from substance abuse (think Wall Street Bankers using Adderall and cocaine to “get the edge), to unethical practices (think: Wolf of Wall Street), to workaholism. But when you set out to solve a problem…specifically a problem you are passionate and excited about…everything else falls into place. 2. Forget Finding the Right Vehicle for Wealth  You will never find the right vehicle to achieve financial success until you become the right driver. Why is it that thousands of people get involved in network marketing, real estate, and social media, but only a handful of those people achieve real financial success? It’s clearly not the vehicle. History has irrevocably shown us that it is possible to become immensely wealthy by using any of the industries mentioned above. Hell, some of the richest people in the world built their fortune in industries as mundane as concrete, gravel, and solar panels. The real problem that prevents people from achieving financial freedom is that they are not showing up as the person they need to be to achieve success. If your mind is not wired for success, if you have not clearly and intentionally trained your subconscious to find opportunities and take advantage of those opportunities to their fullest capacity, then you will never be successful no matter how fast of a vehicle you find! When you lack the right habits, when you lack commitment, work-ethic, and thick skin, when you bounce from shiny object to shiny object…you will fail. I know people who become millionaires in less than a year with Social Media or real estate, and I know people who can’t make a frigging dollar! The only difference is that the person who made millions had done the self-work necessary to achieve success in that industry and the person who ended up broke had not. 3. If You Want to Get Rich You Must do What Rich People Do  Why is it that so many people think that the laws for becoming wealthy are different from all the other laws governing our universe? I mean think about it. Everyone knows the laws for physical success. Eat according to your goals (muscle gain or fat loss), exercise regularly, and give your body enough time to recharge. No one will argue with that. On one level or another everyone knows the laws to create successful relationships. Spend quality time with your partner, express gratitude and appreciation, resolve problems elegantly, and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Again… most people will not argue with that. But there are laws that will make you wealthy and laws that will make you broke too and most people are unwilling to take responsibility for their lives and accept that their current financial situation is in direct correlation to their adherence to those laws! If you want to be rich, then do what rich people do. Spend less than you make, make your money work for you, invest in yourself and in appreciating assets, don’t get into too much debt, train your subconscious for money mastery, and quit wasting time on pointless activities. Find rich people who you admire and then do what they do. It’s that simple. 4. Thought is the Mother of all Results If you want to change your results, you cannot start by changing your actions. You have to start by changing your thoughts. If you have been programmed to believe that money is the root of all evil then no amount of hardwork or hustle will help you earn the money that you want. You have to change your thoughts around money first for your actions to start aligning with your desired outcomes. Start taking the time to really dig deep and figure out what thoughts you have and what subconscious patterns your mind has been conditioned to believe, and then get to work on changing those thoughts. Because once you change your thoughts you can change your actions. Once you change your actions, you can change your results. And once you change your results you change your whole life. 5. Why Aren’t You Rich Yet? Let me ask you a question… Why aren’t you rich yet? Really… Why aren’t you? Some of you might say it’s because you’re too young, too inexperienced, too old, too blah blah blah! All of your excuses for your lack of financial abundance are invalid. If you look at the world around you and can find just one person who was given the same circumstances as you and ended up wealthy, then you know that your excuse has no merit. If you want to get rich, then you need to realize that you have no excuses for your current state of financial lack. It’s entirely up to you to make the changes that you need to make to achieve your dreams of wealth. Cut the crap, forget the excuses, and you will find a way to get rich.

Grant Cardone is an international business and sales expert. He has authored 4 business books and customized sales training programs for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, success-minded individuals and entrepreneurs. Cardone, a dynamic, highly sought after international speaker, captivates audiences with his down-to-earth, entertaining speaking style as he tackles timely topics regarding sales, marketing, branding and entrepreneurship, outlining what people need to do to thrive in the new global economy.. In Grant’s second appearance on the Knowledge for Men show, we delve deeper into how to create a successful life and business and what mindsets and philosophies you need to make 2015 your best year ever. Key Points 1. Perfection is Just an Excuse for Inaction So many people claim to be perfectionists. They say that they don’t want to publish any content until it’s perfect, they can’t write that book, release that podcast, publish that website, until it’s absolutely perfect. The cold reality is that perfectionism is simply an excuse for inaction. No, you’re not a perfectionist, you’re just not taking action. You don’t have writers block, you just aren’t writing. You don’t have any excuse to be sitting on your ass! Realize that you will never be perfect, the content you create will never be perfect, nothing you do will ever be quite perfect. But you must take action anyways! Imperfect action is better than no action, and the only thing you can do worse than the wrong thing is nothing. So get out there and start creating, start selling, start whatever has been on your heart and be willing to work through imperfection until you achieve success. 2. You’ll Never Make a Shot You Don’t Take  A huge fear that prevents many entrepreneurs from taking action is the fear of failure. What they don’t realize, however, is that the greatest failure is inaction. It is impossible to succeed at something you do not try. If you attempt a new job, business, relationship, or take some big risk and “fail” you have learned something and moved closer towards the life of your dreams. If you sit on your ass, not taking any action; you have seen nothing, done nothing, and achieved nothing. If you want to be a success, you have to be a massive action taker, get out there and tear it up! Feel the fear and do it anyways. Start that business, ask that girl out, move out and travel the world. Life is too damn short to live in fear of failure. You must make the fear of regret greater than any fear of failure could be. 3. Success Takes Persistence and Determination Grant spent over half of his life in the single minded pursuit of success. Along the way, he failed countless times. By his own estimation, he has made hundreds of thousands of sales calls, and only succeeded at a rate of 20%. But that 20% has allowed him to make hundreds of millions of dollars and become one of the world’s leading authorities on sales and business success. Realize that if you want to succeed, it will take time. It may take ten years, it may take 20, it takes however long it takes. While this may seem like a big sacrifice, the simple reality is that the true sacrifice is living a mediocre life for those 10-20 years. If you want to be successful, if you want to wake up every day with a smile on your face, a beautiful women next to you in bed, a full bank account and a happy life, it will take hard work. But it will be worth it. 4. Never Abandon Your Purpose  Many men (especially men with family’s) believe that it is a somehow noble gesture to give up on their hopes, goals, and dreams for their family. They believe that it is somehow a worthy life to forgo everything you have ever wanted to create and be remembered for for the sake of your wife and kids. While this may sound selfless and chivalrous on the surface, you have to dig deeper to realize the more sinister implication. If you wake up every day, miserable and angry about the job you have to work so you can provide for your family, how do you think that will affect your relationships at home? If you come home every night, so exhausted that you barely have to energy to lay on the couch and watch TV, much less spend time with your kids, how do you think this will affect your family’s view of you? They don’t see the hours worked so they can lead their comfortable lives, they only see a father who is too tired and miserable to truly invest in his kids. If you abandon your dreams and desires for a steady paycheck, what lessons are you teaching your kids, especially your sons? What will their outlook on life be when they see their father, their role model grinding through an existence that he doesn’t enjoy for a salary that still isn’t enough? Now let’s flip the script. Imagine that instead of giving up on your dreams, you grabbed your balls and jumped off the deep end. You went for it! You would spend a while (years possibly) in financial risk (likely no more than you already have in a 9-5), investing tons of hours into a business that may or may not succeed, giving up time with your friends, wife, and children. But there is a light at the end of this tunnel. After you have put in your time, after you have invested the blood, sweat, tears, and heartache into your dream, it will finally pay off. Your financial worries will be gone, you will have boundless energy, waking up every day to a life that inspires and excites you, and you will have more free time than you ever could doing something that you hated. How would your family view you now? They would see a strong man who had dreams and goals and took action on them despite obstacles. You would have more time to spend with them, more money to take vacations and have adventures with and most importantly, more joy, because now you are building an incredible life in all areas, and you aren’t sacrificing anything. If you want to live a happy, fulfilled life, you have to make this mental shift. You are not doing your family any favors by giving up on your dreams. If you want your children to live the happiest, most successful lives possible, then you will lead by example and teach them to go after life with all that they’ve got and not to waste one second on dull, uninspiring and unfulfilled work.

William H. McRaven is a former United States Navy admiral who last served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command from August 8, 2011, to August 28, 2014. Since January 2015, he has served as the chancellor of The University of Texas System. McRaven previously served from June 13, 2008, to August 2011 as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and from June 2006 to March 2008 as Commander, Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR).  In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces. Admiral McRaven retired from the Navy on August 28, 2014, after more than 37 years of service. Favorite Success Quote If by Rudyard Kipling Key Points 1. Focus on Doing Your Duties Now  Success in life doesn’t come from focusing on what you are going to do in the future. It comes from focusing all of your attention on the tasks that are in front of you right now. Yes, you should have goals, dreams, and aspirations. However, do not allow these dreams and aspirations to rule the present moment. Instead, focus on the now, focus on what is right in front of you, focus more on the next 24 hours and less on the next 24 years. The quickest way to achieve success (whatever your definition of success might be) is to have a plan and then execute on that plan, day in and day out. Do your duties now and allow tomorrow to take care of itself. 2. You Can’t Make it Alone  Many men like to think that they are an island, they like to believe that they are the Alpha and Omega of their lives. Until one day, they are struck by the very harsh reality that they are not. No man, regardless of size, intelligence or other capability has ever “made it” on this planet by themselves. We were designed for community and teamwork. One of the fastest ways to achieve your mission, whether that is in business, in your health, or in your relationships is to surround yourself with amazing, like-minded individuals who can help support you and push you along the journey. With a tight-knit circle of influence, you will be able to accelerate your results, find your blind spots, and receive help when you are outside of your comfort zone. And more than that, you will have more fun! Life is a team sport, it’s meant to be played with other people. So eradicate the erroneous notion that real men do it alone. Build your tribe and have a blast doing it. 3. What Are You Really Made of? So often in our modern society, we are quick to judge others (and ourselves) on external factors like height, weight, attractiveness, financial success, and social capital. But we forget that our worth is defined by how much heart we have, not how much money or muscle we have. A person’s worth is defined by what’s inside. Admiral McRaven illustrates this point perfectly in his book when he shares the story of Thomas Norris, a Navy Seal who was awarded the congressional medal of honor. During training, nearly all of his classmates assumed that Tom would fail. He was short, skinny, and out of shape compared to the other men. However, Tom had a level of internal fortitude, mental strength, and heart that few men in the world display. And his bravery was exemplified repeatedly on the battlefield, especially during the infamous rescue mission that lead to his Congressional Medal of Honor. Like Tom, many of you might not be what comes to mind physically when people think of an “Alpha” or a “Real Man”. But that isn’t what matters. What are you made of? Who are you? What is your character like when everything goes wrong and your life is spiraling out of control? That is what determines your worth as a man. 4. You Are Going to Fail Read that again. You are going to fail. I don’t care how good you are, how smart you are, or how strong you are. Life will kick you to the curb and beat you senseless at some point in your existence. This isn’t a speculation. It’s fact. You are going to fail! You might not face the catastrophic failures that come to mind when you hear the word, but at some point in your life, you will be faced with a situation, a business deal, a relationship, or a physical challenge that you simply cannot surmount. So get over it. Stop letting this fear of failure rule you and accept that failure is inevitable. Failure is a sign of life, it is a sign that you are trying to push the envelope forward and a sign that you are growing into the man you need to be. So get used to failing. If you do anything of worth in this life, it is going to become a pretty common occurrence. 5. Your Bank Account Doesn’t Determine Your Success Many men operate under the flawed ideology that the more 0’s they have in their bank accounts, the more successful they are. This simply isn’t true. Yes, money is important, and you should certainly strive to earn enough to enjoy your life, be comfortable, and have enough left over to share. But it is not the end all be all to success. Who are you? How is your character? How do you treat others? How is your marriage? These are the things that determine a man’s success. If you are surrounded by good friends, have a happy, loving relationship with your wife, are in good health, and positively impact the world on a regular basis, then congratulations… You have achieved success.