#103 - Word is Bond

Link to image

Can you imagine if "Promises Avenue" and "Reality Way" were the same road? 

On every level from the presidents and politicians who make beautiful promises only to get into office and break them, down to our friends, siblings and even partners there are very few people who do exactly what they say they will. 

How many people do you know that consistently keep their word? Out of all the people you know, how many can you truly rely on?

I now believe we are only as strong as our word and the sad thing is most of us probably break our word to ourselves more than anyone else. In Mike Hernacki's Forgotten Secret to Phenomenal Success he states that this is the forgotten secret to true success: keeping your word. He says that each time we keep our word our integrity grows stronger and with it our self-respect. We trust and value ourselves more, we get stronger. People realise we are reliable and give us more responsibilities and opportunities. Each time we break our word the opposite happens.

It's something I am working on and one positive result I've already noticed is that I make far less promises now. I used to say yes to too many things trying to please everybody and I'd end up resentful because I'd taken on too much stuff. 

Sometimes I'd forget the things I agreed to or I wouldn't follow-through and I didn't even feel bad because everyone else seemed to be even more flaky. Then I started using 'maybe' as my default answer because that was non-committal and gave me the freedom to decide later. Now I tend to just say no unless I am absolutely sure I will do it. 

"If its not a hell-yes then it's a hell-no."
Jack Canfield. 

"When you keep your word to yourself, you harness a great power. When there is integrity – an entirety, a wholeness – in what you say and do, you are consciously resurrecting the incredibly powerful success mechanism you used instinctively from the time you first came to be."
Mike Hernacki

Recommended Reading

Forgotten Secret to Phenomenal Success by Mike Hernacki (Links for Amazon UK & USA)

#102 - Jennifer Bricker: "Can't Is Not Part of Your Vocabulary."

"If you are never given limits, then you think: I can do anything." Jennifer Bricker

Link to image

I dedicate this to all the parents and all the children...

This is what happens when your parents teach you to never say the word can't:

YT Link

Who would YOU be if you never used the word "can't"?

#101 - Finger Pointers

Link to image

"I am also a firm believer that we ultimately shape who we are, and we can choose to blame "factors" or we can get on with our lives and be the people we wish to be. Obviously we have to take into account emotional and mental illnesses, and also appreciate the proportion of people with experience of these problems, but that notwithstanding, it seems that an awful lot of people use perceived "issues" as an excuse to be utter dropkicks, and to totally abnegate any responsibility for their actions."
Gaz Evans

#100 - How Do You Keep Score?

I was trying to find an image for the hundredth post but they were mostly boring or cheesy - this one actually made me smile.

Link to image

I've often thought that you can be winning but feel like you are losing depending on how you are keeping score. Is your glass half-empty or half full? I was speaking with a friend of mine a few days ago and it was interesting because she made me realise that I was looking at the glass as half-empty. I was focusing on things I've screwed up and things I haven't done rather than what I am doing and where I am going. 

I write every day now and apart from blogging I'm also working on a book and developing as a speaker. I also have a good relationship and some amazing, supportive people around me. My circle is small now but it seems to be getting stronger as I get stronger. At this point I'm wiser, happier and healthier than I have ever been but instead of feeling grateful I was feeling self-critical. 

How about you - is your glass half-empty or half-full?

And how do you keep score?

#99 - It's a Man's World...(Maybe That's the Problem)

Link to image

A good friend of mine shared this video of Emma Watson's speech at the United Nations with me via Facebook a few days ago:

YT Link

I love how listening to her breathing you can hear how much adrenaline is going through her but she still delivers a powerful message. This speech reminded me how easy it is to ignore prejudice when it doesn't affect you. A female friend once told me that men don't see sexism because it is not in their interest to see it, because they actually benefit from it. She compared it to racism and white privilege and that comparison really hit home. 

Sometimes think about how virtually all the quotations I use and books I reference come from men and I intend to make this blog more balanced. And then I forget. A little while back I had a few female friends write guest pieces and that's something I am going to follow-up on. 

I had the idea of doing a post which was dedicated to women, but actually I could see how condescending that might seem. While I like the idea of celebrating women with a post, it wouldn't be necessary for me to do so if they were already represented fairly and consistently would it? A bit like Black History month methinks...Henceforth I will be making an effort to quote, reference and read more women. 

Much of our problems today come from too much yang and not enough yin, too much knowledge and not enough wisdom, too much doing and not enough being, too much technology and not enough nature.

As Emma says this imbalance hurts everyone. 

"Know the masculine, but keep to the feminine."
Tao Te Ching

Peace
D.

#98 - Whatever it Takes

Link to image

What are you committed to?

There are many things I still want to do or achieve but the only things that I get done consistently are the things I'm committed to. Everything else seems to be optional or on and off.


“All you have to do is FIX THE OBJECTIVE CLEARLY IN YOUR MIND and COMMIT TO ACHIEVING IT.”
Mark Hernacki

"Love means to commit yourself without guarantee."
Anne Campbell

"You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers."
Les Brown

What are you committed to?

#97 - 5 Minutes a Day To Change Your Life

When I was playing basketball as a teenager I used visualisation a lot. I knew Michael Jordan spent 30 minutes before the teams came out to warm-up visualising what he would do in games so I started doing this to give myself an edge playing against those who were naturally bigger and stronger. 

It definitely helped. I think it accelerated my learning and there were times where it worked so well it almost felt like I had deja vu in some games. I found I visualised less as I got older but have still enjoyed some interesting successes. There are countless books which talk about the power of visualisation but whether you're reading about visualisation in personal development, metaphysics, law of attraction, magick, hypnosis or even religious literature I think there is one key element that is crucial to its effectiveness. 

Emotion. 

I believe visualisation without emotion is like a car without an engine, it won't get you very far. This excerpt from Mike Dooley's "Infinite Possibilities" explains this very well, it inspired me and I hope it inspires you too:

Book on Amazon UK

Book on Amazon USA

pg 12

Unfortunately for me, my first three months with Price Waterhouse (P.W) were a nightmare. I couldn't do anything right. Everything I touched seemed to unravel.

#96 - You Are Appreciated (Thank You)

Hello, Hallo, Bonjour, Ciao, Hola, Ni Hao, Salam, Priveat

The w0nd3r's monthly views have tripled in the past few months and passed 5000 views this weekend. I know this is not a huge number but as a friend reminded me I haven't promoted, advertised or marketed it so its circulation so far has been purely due to its content and readers sharing it. 

So to all of you reading from the United Kingdom to the United States and from China to Canada:

Link to image

#95 - The Day the Music Died

This is a song by Canadian emcee Shad, a great artist consistently producing amazing work.

YT Link

[Hook 1: Shad]
Bye-bye Miss American Pie
Drove a block to that shop with the liquor inside
Singing "Gin and Juice", drinking whiskey and rye
Thinking "This'll be the day that I..."

#94 - We All Fall Down

Changing yourself is hard, but I had a bit of an epiphany a few days ago. It was inspired in part by the video below (shout out to Ping Pong Studios). 

On many occasions I've attempted to change something or create a new habit. Often I'd persist with it for a while maybe a a few days, a few weeks or even a few months before stopping. Whenever I realised I'd fallen down or "failed" I'd feel bad about it and judge myself negatively. This negative judgment would result in me feeling discouraged from trying again. The internal conversation would be something like:

"Ah typical...what's the point in even trying? You're not going to stick to it anyway."

I've just realised though, that getting up and starting again is everything. That being the case, considering unsuccessful attempts as "failures" isn't particularly productive is it? It results in pain. How many failures can you endure before you give up because it's too painful? Or maybe you just don't attempt in the first place to avoid that pain? I have n idea how many times a baby falls down before it learns to walk but imagine if parents viewed each of these falls as a failure - or worse still if babies defined each unsuccessful attempt at walking as a failure and felt crap about it? There would probably be billions of us moving around like this gentleman:

Link to image

#93 - The Revolution Will Not be Televised

"Mass communication, radio, and especially television, have attempted, not without success, to annihilate every possibility of solitude and reflection."
Eugenio Montale

Link to image

Average Daily TV Viewing Time in Selected Countries 2012
(stats from Statista.com)

USA 293 mins (4h 53mins)
UK 241 mins (4h 1min)
Spain 246 mins (4h 6mins)

Italy 255 mins (4h 15mins)

Ireland 203 mins (3h 23mins)

Germany 222 mins (3h 42mins)
France 230 mins (3h 50mins)
China 164 mins (2h 44mins)

A few things came to mind looking at these stats:

#92 - Into the Abyss

I've learned that success is quite simple really, it just requires a clear objective and commitment. That's it. We can have wishes, wants and/or goals but it's what we are committed to that gets done. How about you? What are you committed to?

"When you walk to the edge of all the light you have  and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,  you must believe that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly." 
Patrick Overton

Link to image

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#91 - When Road Rage Goes Wrong

This was too funny to not share...

Link to video

The w0nd3r on Facebook

#90 - Contacting Your Inner Oracle

"The only real valuable thing is intuition." Albert Einstein

Link to image

It's 7am and I'm half-asleep, I'm floating in that delicious state between asleep and awake. My girlfriend is anxious about a delicate situation she has to deal with today and wants my advice. It's an important question and normally I'd give her my opinion but I know she has a strong sense of intuition and I want her to trust it. An intuition exercise I read in a book last night flashes into my head and I decide to give it a try from memory:

"Close your eyes." I say, and ask her to take a few deep breaths.
Once she has relaxed I continue:

#89 - Book Review of Jan Phillips' The Art of Original Thinking by Paul Jones [+ FREE BOOK]

Link to book

Paul was so excited about this book I challenged him to write a review of it. He agreed, but when a few gentle nudges failed to get said review to materialize I had to bring out the big guns - it turns out that a simple question plus Training Day Denzel looking at you sideways is a powerful combination...

"Where's that book review my brother?"

Book Review of Jan Phillips' The Art of Original Thinking by Paul Jones

What's good people? It's my bosses' favourite pain in the ass passing through again!  I've never written a book review before.

#88 - 10 Proven Ways Your Body Instantly Changes Your Brain

The following 10 tips are taken from Dr Richard Wiseman's book Rip it Up. The book is an exploration of the "act as if" principle, how changing our behaviour changes our minds. The following ten tips from the conclusion of the book are based on the findings of various research studies. 

Link to book

1) Motivation: Pull - Push
Pushing something away from you actually makes you dislike it.
Pulling something towards you makes you feel more positive about it.
Next time you are tempted by something sugary/chocolatey you'd like to resist push the  plate away and the temptation will fade.

2) Eating less: Non-dominant hand
If you eat with your non-dominant hand it will feel unusual, as a result you will be more conscious when you eat instead of eating unconsciously. As a result you will eat less.
*this is a form of mindful eating - a friend and I recently ate lunch blindfolded, we ate much more slowly with full awareness and due to this awareness ate less than usual

3) Willpower: Tense Muscles
Contracting your muscles boosts your willpower. Next time you need extra willpower eg to resist cake or something unhealthy make a fist, tense a bicep or press your thumb and index together.

4) Presistence: Sit up Straight & Cross your arms
There have been many experiments where volunteers have been given complex problems to work through. Those that sit up straight and fold their arms persist for almost twice as long as the others.

5) Procrastination: Make a (Small) Start
Act as if you are interested in what you have to do. Spend just a few minutes

#87 - John P Morgan - 3 Good Questions

I went to an excellent talk with coach John P Morgan earlier this year. The talk was entitled "The Hero's Journey" and provided plenty of food for thought.

Among the gems he shared with us were the following 3 questions:

"What would you do if you knew what to do?"

"What would you do if you didn’t give a ****?"

"Are you willing to accept the possibility that you may succeed?"

Link to image

John P Morgan Personal Coaching for Leaders Website

#86 - Are We Eagles or Chickens?

Link to image

Eagles

-Free, independent
-Fly
-Live in high places, cliffs, mountains
-Hunters: go for what they want
-Revered, symbols of power and majesty;
-Usage: eagle images used by persons and organisations due to their innate power and status, a kind of “branding by association”

Link to image

Chickens

-Dependent
-Walk
-Live on the ground, cooped up together
-Workers: take what they are given
-Perception: synonymous with fear and cowardice, “chicken” is a term of derision
-Usage: a resource that is used (often exploited) and consumed

Link to image

Link to image

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#85 - Getting Uncomfortable

I grew up on a housing estate in South London and one of my neighbours was a Nigerian family of four. The two sons were around my age, one a little older, but they never hung around with the other kids in the neighbourhood. We laughed at the fact they played in their back-garden and concluded they were either the prisoners of evil parents or the family was just arrogant; it was several years before I became friends with them. 

The older of the two was studying medicine at the time and one day when I joked that 7 years of study sounded hellish he told me:

"I'd rather be uncomfortable for 25 years and be comfortable for 60 than be comfortable for 25 years and then have to struggle for 60."

He is now a heart surgeon at the Royal Brompton and his little brother works for Mars in Chicago - he recently posted a picture on Facebook of himself with footballer Danny Wellbeck at a pool-party in Florida :)

One of the things I love about public speaking is the adrenaline I feel every time I stand up in front of an audience. I've learned how to channel it now, to transform fear into fuel but there is always an element of the unknown there and that equals some discomfort. I love feeling myself grow as a speaker and a person each time - it feels like one person stands up to speak and a different person sits down. However, I now know that rather than reaching a level of comfort the future will be just the opposite for me. With each step forward the bar just gets higher, I won a speech contest on Monday but that now means competing at a higher level in two weeks. I've also received offers to teach and speak which will again mean new challenges to face, new fears to conquer. 

I have had similar experiences with boxing, the better I got, the better the fighters that wanted to spar with me until I even had a few pros asking me to work with them. The better I got the harder it got. My guess is that the people who are the most successful and fulfilled are actually those that feel fear the most often because they are constantly growing. Constantly getting uncomfortable.

#84 - Your Last 3 Questions

"The great tragedy is not death, it's what we allow to die inside us while we live. When you are on your deathbed, you're not thinking about how much money you have or what you have accomplished. The questions people generally ask on their deathbeds are:
1. Have I lived wisely?
2. Have I loved well?
3. Have I served greatly?" 
Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#83 - Do You Have Dreams?

...or do your dreams have you?

Link to image

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#82 - The Path of Excess

"The path of excess leads to the palace of wisdom."
William Blake

I gave a speech yesterday which I opened with the above quotation - I then spoke about the yin/yang sign:

Link to image

I then touched on the idea that one of the ideas behind this symbol is that anything which becomes too yin or yang automatically becomes its opposite and illustrated this principle with a surreal story from an excessive weekend of partying many years ago. 

I'm not sure why things often have to go to an extreme before we commit to changing but it seems that rather than learn from the mistakes of others most of us prefer to learn from our own. Maybe it's the fact that while we can understand something intellectually it's the emotional learning that really sticks. 

Perhaps it's not so much that change takes a long time as it sometimes takes a long time to get to the point where we're ready to change. At that point change happens in an instant. 

On the bright side I would argue that where difficult times are concerned the worse things are the more likely we are to take positive action, when they're just relatively annoying we're more likely to suffer them indefinitely. 

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#81 - Closing Loops

Link to image

Earlier this year I attended a book-writing seminar by coach and author Raymond Aaron. One of the things he touched on was the importance of closing loops (he actually used the term "cycles" but I prefer "loop"). An open loop is anything you have started but not finished. It could be a project or something as simple as a phonecall you have said you would make. Raymond said that open loops takes up a certain amount of space in our brains and rob us of energy - when we close these loops we free up massive amounts of energy. 

Interestingly the published authors I met at the seminar all seemed to confirm that writing a book closed a huge loop for them, freeing up space for new ideas and projects to come through.

He challenged the audience to pick one loop and close it today. 

I'd like to pass that challenge on to you, what loop could you close today?

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#80 - Who Are Your Mentors?

Link to image

On the audiobook version of Ryan Holiday's The Obstacle is the Way there is a great interview where Tim Ferris (4-Hour Work Week, 4-Hour Body) fires 20 questions at him. Ryan says that he defines a mentor as anyone that he learns from and one of the best ways to scare a mentor away is to actually ask them to be your mentor. While the traditional idea of a mentorship is a very formal agreement nowadays it can be as simple as a short email with a few questions every 6-8 weeks. This is not a huge demand on someone's time and I've found that most successful people operate from such an abundant mindset that they are usually happy to help out. 

He advises that you keep the questions clear and concise as successful people are usually quite busy.

This was probably the biggest lesson I took from the book and it has helped me a great deal in recognising my teachers.

"Call forth your team, but make sure they are people you can learn from."
Ona Brown


Recommended Reading

The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Mastery by Robert Greene 

the w0nd3r on Facebook

# 79 - 10 Benefits of NOT Sleeping 8 Hours

Link to image

"Working a... shifty hour like a burglar..."
Redman & K-Solo, It's Like That

DISCLAIMER:
I am sharing my recent learnings and experiences. In no way am I proposing how much you or anyone else should or should not sleep and I accept no responsibility for what you choose to do with your sleep patterns. These are the specific benefits I have experienced since changing my own sleeping habits recently. 

Up until two weeks ago if I had any less than 8 hours sleep I'd usually stumble around in a disorientated stupor not feeling fully human till mid-morning. Even when I do get 8 hours sleep I often feel lethargic, any more and I'd feel worse.

In the chapter on Sleep & Dreams in Seth Speaks it is suggested that we would function better if our sleep was split into two periods such as 6 + 2, 5 + 3 or even 3 + 3 instead of one long block of 6-8 hours. The book also suggests that it's necessary to give yourself suggestions to recuperate fully.

I am a nocturnal creature anyway so I decided to give it a crack. That magical night I went to bed at 3:45am and woke up at 7:30am. Initially I felt a little groggy but then my energy quickly lifted I felt full of energy until the afternoon. After experimenting with this for the past few weeks I have I settled into a rhythm of sleeping around 5 hours at night and having a short siesta of about 90 minutes in the late afternoon/early evening. 

I have noticed several benefits so far:

1. High energy: Instead of feeling lethargic for the first few hours of my day I hit the ground running. The transition from asleep to fully awake is very fast. As a result I'm much more productive right away and maintain a high energy level throughout the day. 

2. Graveyard Shift: Instead of trying to go to bed at 10 to be an early-riser I now embrace my Dracula ways. I work till late without feeling like I should be sleeping. And I get quiet time.
  
3. Less sleep: I function best on six and a half hours sleep now, not 8. 

4. Inner balance: I am more in harmony with my body's natural rhythms. 

5. Best of both worlds: I can go to bed late and still get up early. 

6. Better eating habits: because I sleep less I don't wake up starving hungry. As a result I find I am eating several light meals throughout the day instead of 2-3 large meals. 

7. Conscious/unconscious connection: I have a stronger connection to my unconscious processes (dreams, intuition, creative ideas etc). 

8. Psychology: My mind is clearer and I am happier. 

9. Better quality sleep: I fall asleep quicker, sleep more deeply and wake up without an alarm clock. 

10. More time: an extra 90 minutes per day to work my magic
90 minutes per day x 365 = 32 850 minutes = 547.5 hours = 23 days per year = 3 wks 2 days
(If the average working day is 8 hours that's the equivalent of an extra 68 days of work)

The Western habit of sleeping through the night in one long block seems to have come about first and foremost because it was safer. The fact is before the Industrial Revolution and before towns and cities were so well-lit it was common for sleep to be split into two periods. I may elaborate on this in a future post. 

Perhaps some of the people who suffer from insomnia do so because they're natural rhythm doesn't fit into the prescribed 8-hour pattern. 

"Let the night teach us what we are, and the day what we should be."
Thomas Tryon

Recommended Reading
Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul by Jane Roberts
At Day's Close: A History of Night Time by Roger A Ekirch 
The Ultimate Guide to Waking Up Early by Gordon Sharp 

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#78 - Reverse Psychology

Link to image

I don't know about you, but I find the voice in my head is not to be trusted. While its aim seems to be to maintain the status quo, to ensure I don't have to endure any short-term pain it doesn't seem to take into account the long-term effects of its advice. 

Unfortunately short-term ease often equals long-term pain and on the flipside there is no growth without discomfort. 

So what happens when I do the opposite of what that voice in my heads says? 

Growth, usually.

the w0nd3r on Facebook

#77 - Make Lists!

Link to image

God bless Larry Winget. 

The self-proclaimed "Pitbull of Personal Development" is a breath of fresh air and his video series "Ask Larry Anything" is equal parts helpful and hilarious. 

I've been using Trello for a little while now to organise lists and found it really helpful so I was going to do a post to recommend it. Then I came across this hilarious video (Vol 14. LW#151) where Larry answers a question about lists and it was too perfect. 

Other than that I can only say enjoy this video and make lists...or Larry might come and get you.

YouTube Link

#76 - p = mv

Link to image

In Brian Tracey's book Eat that Frog, he speaks about speed, how working fast results in numerous benefits including: more energy, more self-respect and of course more productivity. Larry Winget echoes this idea and added that when you work with a sense of urgency you're more likely to follow your intuition because there isn't time for your thinking mind to second-guess you. For some reason that distinction really worked for me and I find I'm entering flow-states more often now as a result. 

p = mv

Momentum = mass x velocity

Link to gif

"What are you waiting for? You're faster than this, don't think you are, know you are."

The Matrix

#75 - Q&A no.1: Patience

This post is a response to a comment from Jess on #72 What Can I Do For You? 

Firstly I'd like to say thank you for your 'W0nd3r' posts. They are always thoughtful and inspiring. Something that I'm constantly being tested on is Patience. Patience with others, myself, and all areas of life. I'd like to hear your views on this topic?

Thanks

Dear Jess,

First of all thanks again for your kind words and your excellent question.

It's interesting that you asked this because I am not a very patient person :)

I believe each one of us has specific life lessons we have to face, things which keep coming back again and again in different disguises until we see the patterns and learn the lessons. Patience is DEFINITELY one of my life lessons. 

If I had to answer your question with one word it would be this: ACCEPTANCE 

#74 - Thames Memorial

Link to image on Thames Memorial Facebook Page

On Christmas Eve 2003 I found out that my dad had passed away. I was starting a new job on 2nd January so I basically put any feelings related to it in a box and went to work. We weren't close but there were things I'd wanted to say to him and I knew he was very sick and I had limited time. But I procrastinated until the decision was out of my hands. What I realised many months later was that this marked the beginning of a downward spiral into an epic "party" which lasted many years. I think if I'd had some kind of closure and mourned properly I'd have handled the whole thing a lot better instead of going completely off the rails.

This summer I met Clare Newton, inventor and designer and achiever of awesome things including: Guinness World Record for Longest Photograph and British Female Inventor of the Year. Clare told me about her vision, The Thames Memorial. An average of 1 person dies each week in the River Thames. For those they have left behind there is no funeral, no burial site to visit and for many, no closure. When I heard about this project it reminded me of my father passing and I thought about how hard it must be for a family to have a member just disappear one day, particularly in those instances where it is not possible for the person to be recovered from the river.

Clare's plan is to raise funds to build a memorial which will be stationed on one of the banks of the River Thames. The idea is to engage local schools in creative projects related to the project too so that the memorial will not only honour those who have passed and serve their families and friends but also become a focal point that unites the local community.

I think it sounds like an excellent project with a lot of possibilities and I'm happy to support it.

Clare has organised two fundraising events in the coming months and is offering a 60% discount to readers of the w0nd3r so if you are interested give me a shout and I will give you the magic code:

Link to September 18th Heart Centred Business Conference  
Link to Oct 9th Women in Business Conference

Here are more clickable links:

Thames Memorial Website
Thames Memorial Facebook Fan Page
Clare Newton Portfolio

#73 - A Swift Kick In The A**

Link to book UK
Link to book USA

Larry Winget is a beast. I first heard of the self-proclaimed "Pitbull of Personal Development" a few years ago but perhaps I wasn't ready for his brutal honesty at the time. Ironically it was after giving a friend of mine some "tough love" last week that I found myself drawn to checking out Larry's work. 

Within a few minutes his no-nonsense take on things blew me away and cleared out a lot of cobwebs. Larry has read 4000 books in 20 years which is an average of almost 4 books per week, marry that to a personality which he describes as "caustic and irreverent" and it's easy to see how he is able cut to the core like Miyamoto Musashi with a katana.

His style is not to everyone's liking, in fact it has actually earned him 3 death threats in the past year. His philosophy is simple, take total responsibility, do what you say you are going to do and work hard and be excellent. Some nuggets from Mr Winget:

"You only need one good idea for a book to be a great book...Read the book looking for that one good idea you will be willing to act on."

"Success comes down to two things: hard work and excellence."

"A good divorce is always better than a good marriage."
"There are not haves and have-nots there are wills and will-nots."

"Your children are your own damn fault."

"The only thing that stands between you and what you want is what you are not willing to do."

It could be argued that much of what he says is common sense but if common sense were actually common then he probably wouldn't have worked with 400 of the Fortune 500 companies or be inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame. I think Larry is spot-on with a lot of things and his refusal to be politically correct is refreshing. Many of us like to complicate things which gives us the perfect excuse for getting poor results.

He really gave me a wake-up call and forced me to face up to some things, things which I may elaborate on later :)

If you too need a kick in the rear end I'd recommend him and his work highly. 

Larry's website
Larry's Facebook Fan Page
Interview w/Larry
the w0nd3r on Facebook