Three years ago, my business partner Josh and I drove down the Pacific Coast and through the heart of Malibu. We passed several exotic car dealerships and cruised through multiple, multi million dollar beachside communities. Halfway through, we stopped for coffee at a small, hole in the wall cafe and talked about "living the dream". We sat outside, kicked our feet up, and soaked in our environment. It was picturesque. The sunset swirled the sky's many cloud formations with shades of red, orange, and pink like Picasso did his artwork. The ocean's waves crashed rhythmically against the shore like Beethoven's fingers did against the keys of his grand piano. The city's wealthy were out to play. The synchronous sound of exotic car exhausts trumpeted through the evening air like an orchestra does a symphony hall with it's unique array of instruments. Can you hear it? The mild breeze, the 70 degree temperature, and the moist beach air culminated to amplify an already amazing experience... And Josh and I were on cloud nine. This is where we wanted to be. But like a dream, the thought of it actually happening seemed far fetched and out of our reach. Or so we thought.
Josh and I thought like most human beings do. That wealth was some mysterious thing that only a select few could have. As if a magical wizard had to sprinkle money dust on our heads for us to succeed. Silly, right? Believe it or not, but most human beings actually think this way. That is, we fall into the all too familiar pattern of accepting what we have, and view that as the limitation to our potential. If you own a twenty thousand dollar car for long enough, then, over time, you begin to feel incapable of owning your ninety thousand dollar dream car, and so on. You succumb to your lackluster expectations and work only as hard as is necessary to maintain your current status, or in this case, to keep your twenty thousand dollar car. You fall victim to your self fulfilling prophecy, and the cycle continues until you alter your mind. Sound familiar?
Your mind is the gateway to your success. You must first think that you can accomplish something before you can believe in your ability to make that something happen. From there, you can generate and chip away at a logical and systematic plan to bring your dreams into fruition. Once you open up your mind to the possibility of your success, then your capabilities skyrocket. Success's path follows a non-negotiable chain of events that begins internally, with your mind. If you can genuinely picture yourself "living the dream", and are hard working, motivated, and consistent, then you have already overcome your biggest hurdle. But that initial hurdle eludes many, and breaks dreams faster than Channing Tatum did necks in his hit film, "Magic Mike".
I did not fully understand the power of the mind until I launched my own personal training business in March of 2014. I had just graduated from college, and decided to leave the corporate training scene to start my own venture. I contacted one of Chino's top trainer's, Nray Lavitrungsima, and began training clients out his facility not too far from where I lived. One night after the gym's normal operating hours, him and I had a heart to heart conversation that forever influenced the way that I think. At that time, an ex buddy had just signed on with one of the industry's top supplement companies and purchased my dream car, a 2014 Nissan GTR Black Edition. I remember it distinctly. I was sitting in Nray's office scrolling through Instagram, when I came across a picture of him sitting behind the wheel of his new supercar. Out of jealously, I commented, "Must be nice. This dude is living the dream". Nray asked, "Who", and I told him about my buddy's sponsorship opportunity. He responded, "You know, the mind is a powerful thing. If you think that you can do something, then, if you work hard enough for long enough, you more than likely will. With the right mindset, that supercar can be yours".
From that moment on, I forced myself to think differently. I stopped questioning my value, and I started valuing my worth. After several months of retraining my mind, I am confident. It is no longer a matter of "if" I will accomplish my dream, but "when", and I am slaving away at my carefully drawn out action plan to make that three year old dream a reality. Now, the very thought of me sitting behind the wheel of my dream car is all too real. I can feel the power of my GTR's twin turbo'd motor quake the ground beneath it's wheels. Am I there yet? No. But will I get there? You bet!
Your success is ultimately a reflection of both what you think you can achieve, and the amount of work that you are willing to put in to make those thoughts your reality. You initiate the process with a thought. Your thoughts compile, and you start to believe in your vision. You develop confidence, generate momentum, and, like a steam roller, crush every obstacle separating you from your dream. That is the millionaire's mindset, and that is what you are after... One positive, goal-oriented thought at a time.
