POSITIVE ADDICTION #10: RELENTLESS INSPIRATION AND EMPOWERMENT
No matter how positive or relentless you are, we all need inspiration now and then. We all need a kick in the pants. We all need a spark, a burst of energy. We all need to supercharge our vision of success. You must set aside time to read and watch and listen to inspiring stories. It’s just a necessary part of doing business. We all need to put fuel in the tank from time to time—otherwise we’re running on empty.
We all must set aside time to improve ourselves, educate ourselves, empower ourselves, and inspire ourselves. How do you do that? By reading, listening to, or watching stories of great people who made their dreams come true.
Read. I recommend reading books or listening to audio books about great business, political, and military leaders. These stories will inspire and motivate you to do great things. They will also keep you motivated, committed, and relentless when the going gets tough. They’ll inspire you to be creative when facing failure—and give you ideas for turning lemons into lemonade.
Read Bios. I credit the biography of a great Hollywood movie tycoon with giving me the courage and kick in the pants to leave a dream job at Financial News Network to start my own business. That was the scariest decision of my life, and when I look back I still can’t believe I did it! If I hadn’t read that book, I never would have found the courage.
Don’t give me the excuse that you have no time to read books. That’s nonsense. I’m one of the busiest men in the world and I still find time to read five to ten books per year—mostly while on airplanes.
Read Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. I also read business publications on a regular basis. I’d recommend two in particular: Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. I read Forbes every month and the Wall Street Journal every day. They are the Bibles of business. The ideas in the WSJ and Forbes aren’t just valuable, they are priceless. On a side note, Steve Forbes has become a friend of mine. When you meet a brilliant and fine human being like Steve, you suddenly understand why his magazine is the #1 arbiter of “success” in the world. He is among the smartest and classiest CEOs I’ve ever met in my life. Steve Forbes defines more than success and wealth. He defines class.
When it comes to Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, you’re either staying up to date with business trends, or you’re being left behind.
As far as politics (the love and passion of my life), most of my best political and economic ideas and opinions have been formed from reading the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal for the past thirty plus years. I met a wealthy CEO when I was in college. He gave me one piece of advice. He said, “For the rest of your life, be sure you read the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal every single day. Make those opinions your opinions. Follow those opinions and you will attain wealth and success.” As President Calvin Coolidge once said, “The business of America is business.”
Attend. I recommend attending business events dedicated to success and motivation several times per year. Yes, some might seem a bit on the “hokey” side. But you need the excitement and motivation these events produce. You will return home inspired, with a refreshed outlook on life and a kick in the pants. I’d choose an overly enthusiastic employee every time over one who is too intellectual and cynical to get excited about what we’re selling.
Watch. I recommend watching DVDs and webinars dedicated to teaching you traits and skills that lead to success. We can all learn something new every day.
Surf. I recommend surfing websites dedicated to success, and taking online education courses.
The Robb. Finally, I recommend one specific monthly magazine—the Robb Report. The Robb is the magazine for the super wealthy and successful people of the world—and more importantly, for those who want to become super wealthy. It features articles, stories, bios, and advertisements that will inspire you to greatness. Almost every single photo I have cut out to paste in my “dream book” photo album for the past thirty years has come from The Robb. This amazing magazine has been my inspiration since I was a kid without two cents to my name.
The point of this “Positive Addiction” is nonstop immersion in success . . . positivity . . . inspiring stories . . . and creative ideas that you can use to empower your career or business. As long as you live, you can and should aim to relentlessly educate, empower, improve, and inspire.
If you do stop, and your competition keeps learning new tricks, you’ve just lost the battle.
Here are just a few of my favorite books of all time—that will inspire, empower, and motivate you to greater heights:
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Enthusiasm Makes the Difference by Norman Vincent Peale
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Billy Graham: Just As I Am by Billy Graham
Billy Graham: His Life and Influence by David Aikman
My Journey: From an Iowa Farm to a Cathedral of Dreams by the Reverend Robert H. Schuller
If It’s Going to Be, It’s Up to Me: The Eight Proven Principles of Possibility Thinking by the Reverend Robert H. Schuller
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater
Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership by Laurie Beth Jones
Moses on Management: 50 Leadership Lessons from the Greatest Manager of All Time by David Baron
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 by David Bishop
Joshua Chamberlain—A Hero’s Life and Legacy by John J. Pullen
The Real Custer: From Boy General to Tragic Hero by James S. Robbins
General Patton’s Principles for Life and Leadership by Porter B. Williamson
Robert E. Lee on Leadership by H.W. Crocker III
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart by Jeffry D. Wert
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
Reinventing You: The 10 Best Ways to Launch Your Dream Career by Lisa Lockwood
The Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
An American Life: Ronald Reagan by Ronald Reagan
Reagan on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Great Communicator by James M. Strock
Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered by James Martin
Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
Churchill: A Biography by Roy Jenkins
Churchill on Leadership by Steven Hayward
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn by John L. Smith
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
One shameless plug . . .
The Murder of the Middle Class and The Ultimate Obama Survival Guide by Wayne Allyn Root (yours truly)
And of course . . .