​Success must be earned. You have to pay upfront and you have to pay in full. You can’t get success for NOTHING. The necessary work must be put in. Because of this, the road to success can be long, frustrating, difficult and even lonely.
 
For those of you about to take this journey, or if you’re already on this journey and thinking about getting off, let me give you a perspective…
 
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HARD!
 
You’re not on the wrong path and the “success gods” aren’t sending you signs that you’re doing the wrong thing. Common sense should say that if this was easy, you would see a lot more successful people. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
 
There’s not 1 successful person walking this planet that hasn’t struggled in some way. There’s not 1 successful person that hasn’t had setbacks. There’s not 1 successful person that hasn’t been rejected, gotten discouraged and even lost something along the way.
 
I’ll give you just a few examples:

• Take Oprah Winfrey. She was demoted from her news anchor job. She was even blatantly told that she, “wasn’t fit for television,” a criticism that makes us laugh now.
• Steve Jobs was 30 when he was fired from the company he founded. This sent him into a state of semi-depression before he bounced back.
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. This hurt him so deeply that he locked himself in his room and cried most of the night.
• And everyone is familiar with Colonel Sanders, whose secret chicken recipe of 11 herbs and spices was rejected HUNDREDS of times. How many of us could face nearly 1,000 rejections and still persevere?

​These are just examples from people who have been extremely successful. There are millions of smaller success stories we’ll probably never hear about. But they’re all relevant because they all show the focus, drive and determination that are inside us. It just needs to be tapped into – it needs to be activated.
 
I don’t like feeling like I'm losing. It’s a terrible feeling. But there are times when that’s going to happen. How we bounce-back is what matters. Only when we choose NOT to get back up is when we truly lose.
 
This simple reality makes some people cringe. They want things easy. They want things handed to them. They don’t want to struggle and fight. And these are the people who don’t reach success because they don’t put themselves in the position to EARN it.

​How DEDICATED and COMMITTED are you? How much are you willing to sacrifice for your success? Are you willing to turn off your television and other things that waste your time? Making better use of your time is just 1 way you have to pay for your success.
 
Stop waiting and looking for the easiest and fastest way. Success is NOT about finding the easiest and quickest route, but rather continuing through the hardships and scary moments. Where you put your time and energy TODAY determines what happens TOMORROW.
 
So, is there a secret to success? From my person al study and experience along with nearly 15 years of speaking with successful people from every walk of like, I’ve come to the conclusion, there is. But, it’s not what you may think.
 
From my perspective, here’s the “secret” to success (which really isn’t a secret at all):
(1) DECIDE clearly about what you want;
(2) DISCOVER how to make it happen – form a flexible plan;
(3) Repeatedly make the SAME decision every day. You have to COMMIT.
 
Sound too simple? Well, if you have a job, what do you do to earn your paycheck? You’ve decided to get the job, you know what you have to do to keep it and you make the decision to go and do what’s expected of you. And you make that same decision every day you have to work.
 
Want to lose weight? Decide on a realistic goal weight. Research how you can exercise and eat better to obtain that desired weight. Then make the SAME DECISION to exercise and eat better EVERY DAY.
 
Want to increase productivity? Decide what needs to be accomplished. Write out a flexible list of what needs to be done and how to get it done. Wake up and commit to doing it every day.
 
Want to start a business? Clearly decide what business you want to do. Research what to do and how to do it. Commit to putting work into your business every single day.
 
So, if this is so easy, why did I say success is supposed to be hard?
 
It becomes hard when people are not CLEAR about what they want, they’re too lazy or scared to make things happen and they abandon their commitment when there’s any form of struggle.
 
If you’re not willing to go through setbacks, frustrations and growing pains, your chances of success are minimal. You didn’t pay the price, so you didn’t earn it and you honestly don’t deserve it. Think about it.
 
Until next time…

It never ceases to amaze me what can inspire a series of thoughts. The morning before I wrote this, the sky was overcast and pouring down rain. I watched as the drops hit my window and rolled down ever so nonchalantly. Going off appearances, I would have said we were in for a long rainy day. But as the hours rolled on, the rain slowly stopped and the clouds dispersed.
 
By 1pm the sun was shining brightly and the sky was literally clear blue. I couldn’t spot a single cloud anywhere. That drastic weather change made me think about life and that old cliche of, Weathering the Storm.
 
We all have our share of “bad-weather”. When things just seem out of our control and even unfair. Many people feel like a victim the worse things get. As if some unseen hand is tormenting them – making what they touch turn to ashes. It’s an absolute feeling of POWERLESSNESS. No matter what we do to make things better, the effort just seems futile.
 
But just like the rain storm I described, all of that “bad weather” could be gone in a short amount of time. Things can take a turn for the better and next thing you know, you’re riding in the seat of positive momentum. The rain stops, the clouds dissipate and the sun shines in its full glory.
 
Around this time last year things for me were rough and slowly getting worse. I survived just fine, but not without some very careful navigation. I made a number of sacrifices with only the hope of a beneficial return. I was operating in the unknown – trying to bring order out of chaos.
 
I never blamed anyone else for my circumstances, I just kept in motion. I kept moving toward things that would put me in a better position. Without trying to sound preachy, I just KNEW that EVENTUALLY the rain would pass. And it did. Things didn’t get better many months but all my efforts started paying off. In some ways, I’m in a BETTER position now than I was over a year ago when things slid downhill.
 
For those of you that take the time to read my blog and my books you know I constantly say that, “Life is a series of problems that must be solved,” and we all have our share of problems. Some serious, some minor but none-the-less, still problems. Life continues to throw them at us for our entire stay here in this world.

I advocate self-empowerment but that doesn’t mean my life is perfect. The reason I teach a lot of what I do is because I’ve been in situations where I had to make use of what I knew. If it DIDN’T work, I found out quickly. If it DID work, it didn’t take long to discover that either.
 
Yes I study, I read, I sit and contemplate on life’s grander meaning (at least my life), but at the end of the day I do analyze the results of my actions and take responsibility for the outcomes. Whether good or bad.
 
I think on some level we’re all are very quick to covet the good. When we succeed at something, we immediately claim it. It fills us with sensations of pride and accomplishment. It just feels damn good to say, “Yes! I did that!” But, every coin has 2-sides. While we ALL claim the good, FEWER of us claim the bad. When we make a mistake, we don’t always own up to it. When we make a terrible decision, we’re not so quick to state it. When we destroy something fragile, like a relationship, we don’t go around telling our friends about it. We’re either ashamed or running from the truth. And part of that truth is, we’re not as perfect as we would like to believe. We don’t always have it all together. In fact I would go so far to say that we screw up MORE than we don’t. It’s the human way.
 
To reach a level of self-empowerment (and I do mean a state where you actually feel powerful) you have to do a few things:
(1) Own both your successes AND failures;
(2) You have to accept all your strengths and all your weaknesses – the good, the bad and the ugly;
(3) Not only that but you also have to make peace with them too;
(4) After that, you have to work on your weaknesses because you can only be as POWERFUL as your weaknesses.
 
Weaknesses are your limits because you can’t OUT PERFORM them. Don’t take my word for it. Try to get someone frightened by public speaking to give a speech in front of 5 strangers. If you can even get them to try, watch how poorly they perform.
 
Many of our weaknesses are rooted in our FEARS. And most fears only exists as imaginary movies we play in out in our minds. Many times, they’re not based in reality. So “bad weather” in your life is only as bad as you make it – it’s only as bad as you PERCEIVE it to be. It will eventually pass. Why not get an umbrella to weather the storm and prepare for the sunshine to follow?

Like you, I’m a constant work in progress. I’m both a student and a teacher because there’s always more to learn. I would never claim to be better than anyone else. I will say however, I don’t THINK like everyone else. Most Hustlers don’t. Every so often I get asked, “Why do you think the way you do?” Well, there are a few straight-forward answers to that question:

1. I wanted to be above average;
2. I sought out men and women much wiser than myself;
3. I was willing to make mistakes and fail in order to learn how to do something right. I became a scientist of sorts.

​Curious about the Game? Subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Adviser – Higher level Game to help take YOUR Game to the next level. Also receive news, discounts on future books and products along with early access. Join now by clicking [HERE].

I wanted to leave you with something that will challenge you this week. For those of you that will take this exercise seriously, I think you’ll find it enlightening. Maybe even shocking.
 
Some people are hesitant to learn about themselves. For some it’s painful, a reminder of how much we don’t ‘have it together’. Another group of people would rather examine and judge others live's but seldom look at their own.
 
If the above IS NOT you, then you may appreciate this simple exercise. If you’re honest with yourself, you may discover that possibly you’ve been lying to yourself – perhaps for many years. A small percentage of you will discover that you’re on track; even if you veer off from time to time. The best part? This exercise only takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Some people can finish in 2.
 
Ready? Simply follow along.

• (1) Find a quiet place where you'll be undisturbed for about 10 minutes. Turn off the television (or radio) and put your phone on silent. You’re about to do a little thinking and the quieter, the better.
• (2) Grab a blank sheet of paper and something to write with.
• (3) Grab a seat with your paper and writing utensil and get comfortable.
• (4) Now, image this scenario:

You have just won the Grand Prize of a sweepstakes! What’s your prize? They’re going to give you an all-expenses paid vacation. We’re talking an ENTIRE YEAR at a resort on a private island. You don’t have to pay for anything - everything you need will be provided for you. Also, there’s no need to worry about your job because you’ll still get paid your full year’s salary and your employer can’t fire you (I know, we’re stretching it but just stay with me).

​So, there’s a catch (surprise right?)... During your year in paradise you have to study ONE TOPIC of your choice. Only one! You must choose it before you get to the island and you cannot switch it once you’ve chosen it.
​

• (5) So here’s the question. What one thing would you commit to studying for a full year? What’s something that would be that meaningful to you? What could hold your attention that long? Take your time to think about it then write down your answer.

 
Did you come up with your answer? If you COULD NOT then that should tell you something. It should show you that you have yet to find a PASSION in your life. That’s a huge realization because passion is important. Once your passion is identified, you can make plans and goals to change your life. You can move in a direction that is exciting and fulfilling. You may not really know what you want at this time, but there’s always time to correct that.
 
And what if you DID come up with an answer? Well, your answer should tell you that not only do you have an interest in the topic, but it excites you and you’re passionate about it. A year of studying only one thing is a long time. It requires focus and dedication.
 
So, if you came up with an answer, I have another question for you: Is what you answered a MAJOR part of your life? And I don’t mean a hobby or something you dip in and out of when you have time. I mean is this a very central part of your life?
 
For example, would you study interior design on our fictitious island, but the only thing you designed in real life was an art project in sixth grade? Would you study medicine but in real life you went to culinary school? Would you study music but in real life you work on an assembly line?
 
How far are you removed from your passion? Do you think about it often but keep pushing it aside for ‘more important things’?
 
The point I want to drive home is: Have you been LYING to yourself about what you really want from life? Have you settled on something just because it was convenient or easy? Are you sincerely happy with the direction your life is going in? And if not, when are you going to do something to change it?
 
Be brutally honest with yourself! When it’s all said and done, the longer you continue to lie to yourself the further your dreams drift away from you.

Until next time...

​Curious about the Game? Subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Adviser – Higher level Game to help take YOUR Game to the next level. Also receive news, discounts on future books and products along with early access. Join now by clicking [HERE].