he’s an american motivational speaker
author and Minister his speeches have
been widely viewed and are popular on
YouTube LeBron James has credited him as
part of his inspiration for winning the
2012 NBA championship he’s Eric Thomas
and here are his top ten rules for
success
if you can’t dangle something in front
of my face this I don’t want that and
many of you are taking anything if you
don’t know what you want and so if I can
do one thing for you when you leave this
room I don’t want nothing from you but
for you to leave this room and know what
you want what do you want in your
marriage what do you want with your son
and your daughter what do you want in
your health what do you want financially
like how much money do you want to make
a year what do you want to try how do
you want to live stop just waking up
like an accident what do you want and
then once you find out what you want
spend the rest of your natural life
waking up and going after it the reason
why I speak with so much passion et why
do you speak with so so much authority
because I’m talking about my life not
something that I read I ate out of trash
cans I had no business in are the trash
cans I lived in abandoned building I had
no business living in abandoned
buildings but et your daddy was in your
life your mom was a teenage mother you
you grew up come on eat look at your
shirt that’s not an excuse there is no
excuse for not living up to your fullest
potential no excuse work on my gift I
realize that all of us are born with a
gift but you got to hone it you know it
is just not you’re not gonna become
great and we talked about the school of
greatness you know we talked about um
you know greatness is upon you and I
realized that my gift wasn’t going to
create itself my gift wasn’t going to
nurture itself my gift wasn’t going to
perfect itself that was something I had
to do and so man before you know it we
did a video that went viral I think it’s
got over 50 million hits now and we turn
our passion into on profit total man
yeah love it turn our passion enterprise
you want you know what’s so funny we
want people to make guarantees to us but
we’re not willing to make guarantees to
ourselves
now for all my said again like you
somebody get you a guarantee $30 30-day
guarantee in 30 days and if you don’t
make what they told you it’s going to
make in 30 days you got attitude you
want your money back but you’ve never
demanded your money back from yourselves
you’ve never looked at yourself in the
mirror and said you let you down until
you get to that point you let you down
you’ve never you’re not brave enough you
want to put it on somebody else the
reason why I’m not successful is because
of my boss have you ever looked at
yourself in the mirror and said I’m not
getting up on time I’m not going to work
on time I’m not putting in 120% when I’m
at work I let me down and when you get
to the point where you can say you let
you know I don’t can’t listen to me no
disrespect I don’t care about Glen
that’s not why I do what I do and I love
Glen I don’t come here and do what I do
so Glen can affirm me so he can give me
a pat on my back I care more about me
than I care about what Glen things about
me I have standards I have values I
don’t care how much you pay me if I
speak at an elementary school for $300 I
chose to do that for $300 if I chose to
speak out of prison for free I chose to
do that and I will not go in there give
those prisoners less than when somebody
pays me a hundred thousand why because I
value myself enough to give 120% or
don’t do it that’s the problem with some
of you you always want to blame other
people you always wanna you want to hold
other people to the fire but you’re not
holding yourself to the fire you just
say are you giving 50 percent you owe
you an explanation you owe you an
explanation you need to look at yourself
in the mirror and say why are you only
giving 50 percent what’s wrong with you
you need to put yourself on punishment
you need to tell you no more TV no more
snacks no more deserts no more no we
working out now
no no more alcohol not right now not no
I can’t handle it right now you need to
tell you that you owe you something
stop going back to you keep going to the
mall with the receipt this is what y’all
said it was Glen you didn’t do what you
say he was gonna do what you didn’t do
what you were supposed to do so how am I
gonna do what I’m supposed to do for you
you walk out of this room you owe
yourself I didn’t get here making
excuses so what my father wasn’t in my
life the truth of the matter is he ain’t
never come into my
so what I’m away for the rest of my life
for my man had come he ain’t coming I
live in America I’m an african-american
male they don’t treat us the same in
something called racism I ain’t gonna
cry about it it’s probably gonna be
racism to the day I die
but I’m not gonna cry about it I’m still
gonna be a millionaire I’m still gonna
be one the top motivational speakers in
the world
no I didn’t grow up on that side of the
town no my mama don’t have no network no
I don’t know a whole lot of people no
I’m not at a country club no I don’t
play golf and I don’t plan on playing no
time soon but I’m still gonna be
successful I’m still gonna get you where
they are why cuz I owe it to myself and
can’t nobody stopped me but me you need
to get rid of them excuses you just stop
pointing fingers at people and you start
pointing fingers at yourself what did
you not doing a guy asked me about two
months ago he said et if there’s one
mistake you made what’s that one mistake
you made
I saw be honest with you my values are
not in alignment with my dreams he said
what do you mean by that I said I want
to tell you a story I got a good friend
of mine who you know a good friend of
mine he came to me say Eric my marriage
is not where my marriage needs to be I
need to make some adjustments I see you
and your wife I see how much time you
spend with your wife how much time you
spend with your children and I just I
want that you buy your wife roses
regularly you’re always taking her out
to eat like a I’m watching you you
spoiler et but I just what can I do and
so I told him what to do and guess what
he started doing god he started doing
the exact same thing I started doing
he said Erica’s not working like I’m
doing exactly what you’re doing but it’s
not working I said he said why isn’t it
working on so you know why it’s not
working because your values and your
dream you say you say you want a better
marriage but I told you you need to I on
your wife’s clothes you know what he
told me after why so I’ll be honest with
you I know you told me the iron coming
to wash he told me to cook but where I
come from something beyond here when I
do that I feel like a punk and I said
that’s why you’re having a hard time
doing it because your value system says
a man is not supposed to iron a man is
not supposed to cook a man is not
supposed to wash dishes that’s what your
value system said so you’re doing one
thing but you’re going against your own
value system the reason why I’m having
such an easy time wash and closing
cooking and
irony you know why because nothing is as
important to me as my marriage and I
would rather be happy I would rather be
happy than they say I ain’t no pump let
make me a bunk I want to be a bunk a
happy pump real no friend of Mines he
came to my house and I didn’t have a mop
and so I was on the ground and I was
mopping the floor with a child and he
says eat heated hiphop breathe you’re on
the ground and you’re mopping I said
yeah he says your wife got you whipped I
said you didn’t know you just found that
out I’ve been doing a terrible job I’m
sorry I am with and after 23 years you
should be if you’re not it’s a problem
so listen to me there those of you said
I want to be a millionaire I want to be
the best that this company right but
your value system says you believe in
sleep more than you believe in grinding
your value system says you are a
consumer and not a producer that you’re
spending more money than you’re making
why because you’re concerned with you
you’re reading all the books and you’re
saying everything the books are saying
but those books are not in alignment
with your values if you’re going to go
to the next level your values are going
to have to change I think what people
get confused is you know they’re
grinding with a goal and I’m not saying
you should have gold
but you should be grinding for Briony
and said you know you should grind
because that’s what you do you’re
passionate about what you do you know
until your waking up every day with this
concept of I have 24 hours and they’re
mine this 24 hours belongs to me
right and whatever I doing this 24 hours
will determine where I’ll be tomorrow
and the next day I think that’s what
people need to focus on like get off of
this I want to make six figures I want
to try this car I want to live in this
out I think what people should be
focusing on is I have 24 hours like
Oprah only has 24 Bill Gates only has 24
like Warren Buffett only has 24 hours
and in that 24 hour period
I can either break my life or make my
life nothing and I’m not saying you
should have goals no I just think that
goes for people is too high on the
priority list and I think what should be
on the priority list is going to bed so
you can wake up the next day and you
grind it out and I’m just a dude that
believes you reap what you sow so if
you’re grinding or money grind it on
Tuesday grinding on Wednesday if you’re
grinding six seven days a week for four
span of five or six years something’s
got to come out of that here but if
you’re only grinding you know on Monday
you fired up Wednesday you’re back and
sleeping in Thursday you got the funk of
the world is like like I’ve heard people
say I’m dead hump it what is her every
day is how dead like what’s Wednesday is
hump day like Monday update truth is
I’ll say like every day is okay and I
think we would spend more time on what’s
my goal you know and meaning what do I
need to accomplish in this day to live
this lifestyle and you go after it then
I think I think more you will be
successful
I just ran across a quote the other day
that says education is the great
equalizer and I was like oh so no matter
where you are if you feel like you
started at the bottom you know if you
feel like you started at the top but you
want to preserve the top because just
because you’re at the top that mean
you’ll be at the top forever I mean you
look at great football players you know
great football teams I mean you’re not
you’re not going to automatically win
because of your name you have to keep
performing year after year so if you’re
at the bottom and you’re like man I’m at
the bottom
Eric and I want to live life like
everybody else I want to fly first-class
like I want to see the world you know I
don’t want any limitations then reading
is not not okay so I’m using the word
reading but what I’m saying is education
being enlightened being informed and I
had to realize for myself being a high
school dropout like you can’t use that
excuse forever where I was born and
where I was raised you can’t use that
forever and so to me you liberate
yourself Malcolm you talked about
Malcolm Malcolm liberated himself and
most people don’t know Malcolm was not
born wearing glasses like Malcolm had
20/20 vision but it was in prison when
Malcolm learned to take reading serious
and he read with a dim light at night
that’s how he eventually lost his sight
but he lost his sight but he gained his
vision you know he lost his sight but he
gained his vision
boy so I would say the young people who
are watching us that is not optional the
more you read the more liberated you are
and the more you are educated of to me
the more you can experience a life like
the people that you’re probably looking
at and saying I wish I could live like
that person yeah but sure why
hey if I don’t get y’all nothing else
you better start that what’s your why
you know why I do what I do when I do it
so passionate cuz my grandfather was a
high school dropout my father was a high
school dropout I was a high school
dropout and we bout to break the cycle I
do what I do so my son won’t have to go
through what I went through when I was
at the football game my old do one with
me I saw other kids with a fire I said
that’ll never happen to me I do what I
do because my daughter says she going to
Hartford it even about y’all I’m about
to come here and blaze y’all why cuz I’m
trying to get you all the NFL I ain’t
bout to miss this opportunity this is
the first NFL team I’ve ever done in my
life and I’m about to lick it I’m about
to give everything I got and I will know
if I won’t get another gig it won’t
happen to do with the fact that I didn’t
put everything on the field what’s your
why why do you wake up in the morning
why do you put on that Jersey why do you
go out and practice why I have a ritual
where even if you’re my closest friend I
have boundaries hmm so just because it’s
my company it doesn’t mean I can take
calls all day right I have boundaries so
you can’t call me in a certain time why
I’m working so I’m on the phone all day
and I’m saying to entrepreneurs because
one of the gaps and we’ll talk about
this later in the show but you got to
find the gaps and one of the gaps with
entrepreneurs is that they feel like
because they own their day they can
spend it like they want you cannot spend
it like you want to you thought you were
working for IBM or you’re working for
for where are you working for you could
be on the phone all day at a major
corporation talking on a pole so so why
do you allow yourself to talk on the
phone with your business now the fact is
yours you should probably you should
make sure there’s no phone calls board
over your business so one of my rituals
is when I get started there are no
interruptions when I get started I don’t
care if it’s my wife
children they know that from a certain
timeframe I’m going all in and I can’t
go all in answer the phone I can’t go
all in watching TV in distress I can’t
go in with the distraction and so some
entrepreneurs are like why am I not
blowing up because you don’t you’re not
in abstraction you don’t have that that
that moment of your day I don’t care if
it’s two hours four hours where you shut
the entire world out no Twitter no
Facebook no you know it no Instagram
don’t we love my friends touch the
ground
we love that in Samoa so we’re just the
two hours I’m going in and once I come
out then we can do Instagram and I’ll be
honest your content probably would be
stronger if you had that that time of
isolation of solitude where you give
yourself a chance to think you give
yourself a chance to go in and when you
go in you go 120 percent so yeah that
like that I think what’s so unique about
you know my presentation is that it
comes from the heart that I speak from
the heart and I’m not afraid to be
transparent I’m not afraid to talk about
my failures I’m not I’m not afraid to
talk about my fears you know I’m not I’m
not afraid to open up my life and give
my story to the world so if you want to
make six figures you can’t just be
talking about you want to make six
figures you hear what I’m saying you
tonight if you do the three things I
tell you to do tonight I guarantee
whatever it is you want to do in life
you’ll be able to do you will be able to
accomplish whatever you want to
academically financially relationally
whatever so three things all right I’m
going to tell you the story I got to get
out of here and the stories about you
guys have probably heard about this
before it was a it was a young man who
you know he wanted to make a lot of
money and so he went to this guru right
and he told the Guru you know I want to
be on the same level you are and so the
Guru said if you want to be on the same
level I’m all I’ll meet you tomorrow at
the beach at 4:00 a.m. he liked the
beach I said I want to make money I
don’t want to swim guru said if you want
to make money I’ll meet you tomorrow
4:00 a.m. so the young man got there
4:00 a.m. he all ready to rock and roll
got on the suit he should have wore
shorts
man grabs his hand said how bad you want
to be successful he said real bad he
said walk on out in the water so he
walks out into the water watch this when
he walks out into the world it goes
waist-deep so he like this guy crazy up
a dream like I want to make money he got
me out his swimming I didn’t ask to be a
lifeguard I want to make money he got me
in so he said come on a little further
once I looked further then he had it
right around this area let’s throw the
area so it’s only crazy you making money
but he crazy said come on out a little
farther he came a little further it was
right at his mouth my man like I’m about
to go back in here this god is mine so
the old man said I thought you said you
wanted to be successful he said I do he
said walk a little further he can’t drop
this head in held him down hold him down
my man getting scratching hold him down
I got you I know you brushed it out but
I got you
you had him held down I need you for
illustration
you had him held down just before my man
was about to pass out he raised him up
he said I got a question for you
somebody answered the question for me he
said when you were under water what did
you want to do Lee I’m looking for a
different word doesn’t live what’s that
were said I wanted to breathe he told
the guy he said when you want to succeed
as bad as you want to breathe then
you’ll be successful I know how many
y’all got asthma here today but if you
ever had an asthma attack before you
sure to breath sob shortness of breath
you wheezing the only thing you trying
to do is get some air you don’t care
about no basketball game you don’t care
what’s on TV
you don’t care about nobody calling you
you don’t care about a party the only
thing you care about when you’re trying
to breathe is to get some fresh air
that’s it and when you get to the point
where all you want to do is be
successful as bad as you want to breathe
then you’ll be successful and I’m here
to tell you number one that most of you
say you want to be successful but you
don’t want it bad you just kind of want
it you don’t want it badder than you
want a party you don’t want it as much
as you want to be cool you most of you
don’t want success as much as you want
to sleep some of you love sleep more
than you love
success and I’m here to change a if
you’re going to be successful you’ve got
to be willing to give up sleep you got
to be willing to work off for three
hours of sleep two hours if you really
want to be successful some days you will
have to stay up three days in a row
because if you go to sleep you might
miss the opportunity to be successful
that’s how bad you gotta want it you got
to go days without listen to me you got
to want to be successful so bad that you
forget to eat Beyonce said once she was
on the set doing her thing three days
had gone by she forgot she didn’t eat
because she was engaged I never forget
when 50 cent was doing this movie I
didn’t look research on 50 and 50 cent
that when he wasn’t doing the movie he
was doing the soundtrack and they said
when do you sleep fifty sleep he said
sleep sleep is for those people who are
broke
I don’t sleep said I got an opportunity
make a dream become a reality
football players how many football
players I got anybody like football in
here raise your hand anybody like
football Emmitt Smith I used to be a
cowboy fan before they did my boy Tom
Landry wrong I used to be a cowboy fan
and why said there was a commercial
Emmitt Smith had won his first Super
Bowl and he had this commercial when he
was lifting weights I don’t know if you
saw the commercial when he was lifting
and he said he said he said you know
what I won the Super Bowl so I can rest
now here doing this benchpress so he
said I want a super bone so I can rest
now
so he throws about 325 boom and he rests
for about two seconds and he
boom-boom-boom just see that he’d
already won a Super Ball he said I think
I’m gonna take a rest and he rests for
how long
one second most of you won’t be
successful because when you’re studying
and you get tired you quit and I’m here
to tell you today if you got it somebody
carry my office the other day crying I
said look don’t cry to give up cry to
keep going don’t cry to quit you already
in pain you already hurt get a reward
from it don’t go to sleep until you
succeed listen to me I’m here to tell
you today that you can come here you can
jump up you can do flips you can be
excited when we give away money but
listen to me you will never be
successful and I’ll have to give you a
dime to do what you do you won’t be
successful until you say I’ll need that
money
cuz I got it in here so listen to me
Emmitt Smith said this at the end of the
commercial Emmitt Smith said all men are
created equal some work harder and
pre-seasoned i’ma say it again because
you might have missed it all men are
created equal some work harder and
pre-seasoned so that means that there
are some people who are going to see the
professor going to see the TA and even
when the professor says I don’t meet
with you my TA meet with you you say I
want to talk to your TA I don’t pay the
TA I pay you to teach me so you won’t
have to find some time to meet me if I
got to meet you at the mall if I got to
meet you at your house you are going to
see me listen to me all men are created
equal some work hard in pre-season when
I went to college guys were waiting
smarter than me for point OS 3.0 they
went to the Ivy League high schools came
to Oakwood from these great high schools
most of them are not doing what I’m
doing why because it’s not about where
you come from it’s about heart you come
to a place where you know being smart
enough you got to have heart that’s
number one what’s number two number two
catch number two I wrote it down I want
to make sure you got it
it says to be watch this watch this
we’re talking about sacrifice now the
important thing is this you’re writing
why I’m saying it because I only have
about three more minutes listen to me
the most important thing is this to be
able at any
moment to sacrifice what you are for
what you will become
that’s the number two thing you’ve got
to catch that one to be able to listen
to me at any moment some of you you can
make sacrifices when Monday Night
Football is not all you can make a
sacrifice but when the game come on for
some reason you just attach to it for
some of you when your favorite show come
on you can be you can make sacrifices on
Sunday when they not going on but when
your favorite show comes on Monday BAM
some of you you focus into the phone
ring and you like I got an answer if I
don’t answer the phone I’m gonna die I’m
saying to you today that there are some
of you if you give up your cell phone
you would be successful but your cell
phone is more important to you than your
success
I’m gonna say it again I’m gonna hurt
somebody I’m gonna hurt somebody some of
you need to give up your cell phone
because the time you spend on your cell
phone could be used for your success the
time you could be using to be successful
you’re using on the cell and the cell
phone is not bringing you nothing but a
bill and somebody has told you you
couldn’t live without it I’m sorry going
deep not giving up stuff watch what it
says to be able at any moment to
sacrifice what we are for where we could
be I don’t do well in math you’re right
you had never studied I’m not good in
writing because you have never written
before but I dare you to fail in writing
for a whole year to see if you can get
to the end I dare you to fail I did you
take that same class over and over guys
I dare you stop dropping classes like
you saw
always want to give up I’m dropping why
are you dropping I’m so grateful that
the slaves didn’t drop and quit say I’m
just don’t stop I’m a slave I’m just
gonna be a slave
imma quit listen to me the slave said we
will live because one day we will become
thank you so much for watching I made
this video because Sam Mandy Massa asked
me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you
me too profile next leave it in the
comments below and I’ll see what I can
do
I’d also love to know which of Eric
Thomas’s top ten rules hit you the most
leave it in the comments and I’ll join
the discussion thank you so much for
watching continue to believe and I’ll
see you soon
and we’ll beat you to the spot I’m gonna
beat you to the spot that’s what it’s
all about right but those of us who play
basketball those of us who play football
sometimes it’s not about being it the
greatest talent it’s about beating a
person to the spot so if I beat you to
the spot and I got an open shot it
doesn’t mean I’m the greatest but I beat
you to the spot right I created my own
shot I created my own space that’s what
the crossover is about the crossover is
about creating your own shot creating
your own space and the way I have become
a millionaire and the way I become one
of the top motivational speakers in the
world on my new I was 6 7 years ago it’s
not creative space I created space I’ve
given myself an advantage that others
don’t have and is it hard no not really
if you just wake up earlier you should
take that university right so it doesn’t
you understand the entire day but it
does mean you have to get to the spot
before everybody else we cheer you’re up
I’m not I’m not from New Zealand guys
come on listen to me very closely I’m
not from New Zealand but I know about
what let me say it this way so I can
help you I know about what team I’m not
never seen it I’ve never seen All Blacks
I play a day in my life I’ve never been
to the stadium where’s the stadium help
me out where’s the stadium okay I’m
going to see right you said you did I’ve
never been to the stadium you like Eric
the stadium that’s Hobbit that way here
that’s not the stadium the stadium is
this way
I’ve never been there a day in my life
and if you watch some of my videos I
have all blacks in my video why cuz
they’re what that winners and when
you’re a winner you don’t even stay in
your own little town when you were a
winner winnings friends so everybody I
got videos where I’m like y’all I don’t
really know how to show my passion
somebody said get door blacks
ah I’m like yep that’s what I need All
Blacks
yup yup I need the All Blacks I need to
up why because they say what I’m saying
they just said it in rugby I don’t I
don’t have nothing I’m like woo that’s a
violent sport that passion is all over
there why it’s winners win I can’t
explain it to you but you better stop
making excuses and find a way to win
because once you start winning you go
from 1,500 to 3,000 to 5,000 to 7,000
you remember see from 7 to 10 nothing
changed we’re still in the basement we
don’t have a building we still use the
garage for all of our products we don’t
have business cards we don’t have a
five-year plan we don’t have a
three-year plan how do you do it the eve
we wake up and grind
winners win I focus more on winning and
I focus on structure I focus on winning
and when you become a winner they start
seeing you with winners
author and Minister his speeches have
been widely viewed and are popular on
YouTube LeBron James has credited him as
part of his inspiration for winning the
2012 NBA championship he’s Eric Thomas
and here are his top ten rules for
success
if you can’t dangle something in front
of my face this I don’t want that and
many of you are taking anything if you
don’t know what you want and so if I can
do one thing for you when you leave this
room I don’t want nothing from you but
for you to leave this room and know what
you want what do you want in your
marriage what do you want with your son
and your daughter what do you want in
your health what do you want financially
like how much money do you want to make
a year what do you want to try how do
you want to live stop just waking up
like an accident what do you want and
then once you find out what you want
spend the rest of your natural life
waking up and going after it the reason
why I speak with so much passion et why
do you speak with so so much authority
because I’m talking about my life not
something that I read I ate out of trash
cans I had no business in are the trash
cans I lived in abandoned building I had
no business living in abandoned
buildings but et your daddy was in your
life your mom was a teenage mother you
you grew up come on eat look at your
shirt that’s not an excuse there is no
excuse for not living up to your fullest
potential no excuse work on my gift I
realize that all of us are born with a
gift but you got to hone it you know it
is just not you’re not gonna become
great and we talked about the school of
greatness you know we talked about um
you know greatness is upon you and I
realized that my gift wasn’t going to
create itself my gift wasn’t going to
nurture itself my gift wasn’t going to
perfect itself that was something I had
to do and so man before you know it we
did a video that went viral I think it’s
got over 50 million hits now and we turn
our passion into on profit total man
yeah love it turn our passion enterprise
you want you know what’s so funny we
want people to make guarantees to us but
we’re not willing to make guarantees to
ourselves
now for all my said again like you
somebody get you a guarantee $30 30-day
guarantee in 30 days and if you don’t
make what they told you it’s going to
make in 30 days you got attitude you
want your money back but you’ve never
demanded your money back from yourselves
you’ve never looked at yourself in the
mirror and said you let you down until
you get to that point you let you down
you’ve never you’re not brave enough you
want to put it on somebody else the
reason why I’m not successful is because
of my boss have you ever looked at
yourself in the mirror and said I’m not
getting up on time I’m not going to work
on time I’m not putting in 120% when I’m
at work I let me down and when you get
to the point where you can say you let
you know I don’t can’t listen to me no
disrespect I don’t care about Glen
that’s not why I do what I do and I love
Glen I don’t come here and do what I do
so Glen can affirm me so he can give me
a pat on my back I care more about me
than I care about what Glen things about
me I have standards I have values I
don’t care how much you pay me if I
speak at an elementary school for $300 I
chose to do that for $300 if I chose to
speak out of prison for free I chose to
do that and I will not go in there give
those prisoners less than when somebody
pays me a hundred thousand why because I
value myself enough to give 120% or
don’t do it that’s the problem with some
of you you always want to blame other
people you always wanna you want to hold
other people to the fire but you’re not
holding yourself to the fire you just
say are you giving 50 percent you owe
you an explanation you owe you an
explanation you need to look at yourself
in the mirror and say why are you only
giving 50 percent what’s wrong with you
you need to put yourself on punishment
you need to tell you no more TV no more
snacks no more deserts no more no we
working out now
no no more alcohol not right now not no
I can’t handle it right now you need to
tell you that you owe you something
stop going back to you keep going to the
mall with the receipt this is what y’all
said it was Glen you didn’t do what you
say he was gonna do what you didn’t do
what you were supposed to do so how am I
gonna do what I’m supposed to do for you
you walk out of this room you owe
yourself I didn’t get here making
excuses so what my father wasn’t in my
life the truth of the matter is he ain’t
never come into my
so what I’m away for the rest of my life
for my man had come he ain’t coming I
live in America I’m an african-american
male they don’t treat us the same in
something called racism I ain’t gonna
cry about it it’s probably gonna be
racism to the day I die
but I’m not gonna cry about it I’m still
gonna be a millionaire I’m still gonna
be one the top motivational speakers in
the world
no I didn’t grow up on that side of the
town no my mama don’t have no network no
I don’t know a whole lot of people no
I’m not at a country club no I don’t
play golf and I don’t plan on playing no
time soon but I’m still gonna be
successful I’m still gonna get you where
they are why cuz I owe it to myself and
can’t nobody stopped me but me you need
to get rid of them excuses you just stop
pointing fingers at people and you start
pointing fingers at yourself what did
you not doing a guy asked me about two
months ago he said et if there’s one
mistake you made what’s that one mistake
you made
I saw be honest with you my values are
not in alignment with my dreams he said
what do you mean by that I said I want
to tell you a story I got a good friend
of mine who you know a good friend of
mine he came to me say Eric my marriage
is not where my marriage needs to be I
need to make some adjustments I see you
and your wife I see how much time you
spend with your wife how much time you
spend with your children and I just I
want that you buy your wife roses
regularly you’re always taking her out
to eat like a I’m watching you you
spoiler et but I just what can I do and
so I told him what to do and guess what
he started doing god he started doing
the exact same thing I started doing
he said Erica’s not working like I’m
doing exactly what you’re doing but it’s
not working I said he said why isn’t it
working on so you know why it’s not
working because your values and your
dream you say you say you want a better
marriage but I told you you need to I on
your wife’s clothes you know what he
told me after why so I’ll be honest with
you I know you told me the iron coming
to wash he told me to cook but where I
come from something beyond here when I
do that I feel like a punk and I said
that’s why you’re having a hard time
doing it because your value system says
a man is not supposed to iron a man is
not supposed to cook a man is not
supposed to wash dishes that’s what your
value system said so you’re doing one
thing but you’re going against your own
value system the reason why I’m having
such an easy time wash and closing
cooking and
irony you know why because nothing is as
important to me as my marriage and I
would rather be happy I would rather be
happy than they say I ain’t no pump let
make me a bunk I want to be a bunk a
happy pump real no friend of Mines he
came to my house and I didn’t have a mop
and so I was on the ground and I was
mopping the floor with a child and he
says eat heated hiphop breathe you’re on
the ground and you’re mopping I said
yeah he says your wife got you whipped I
said you didn’t know you just found that
out I’ve been doing a terrible job I’m
sorry I am with and after 23 years you
should be if you’re not it’s a problem
so listen to me there those of you said
I want to be a millionaire I want to be
the best that this company right but
your value system says you believe in
sleep more than you believe in grinding
your value system says you are a
consumer and not a producer that you’re
spending more money than you’re making
why because you’re concerned with you
you’re reading all the books and you’re
saying everything the books are saying
but those books are not in alignment
with your values if you’re going to go
to the next level your values are going
to have to change I think what people
get confused is you know they’re
grinding with a goal and I’m not saying
you should have gold
but you should be grinding for Briony
and said you know you should grind
because that’s what you do you’re
passionate about what you do you know
until your waking up every day with this
concept of I have 24 hours and they’re
mine this 24 hours belongs to me
right and whatever I doing this 24 hours
will determine where I’ll be tomorrow
and the next day I think that’s what
people need to focus on like get off of
this I want to make six figures I want
to try this car I want to live in this
out I think what people should be
focusing on is I have 24 hours like
Oprah only has 24 Bill Gates only has 24
like Warren Buffett only has 24 hours
and in that 24 hour period
I can either break my life or make my
life nothing and I’m not saying you
should have goals no I just think that
goes for people is too high on the
priority list and I think what should be
on the priority list is going to bed so
you can wake up the next day and you
grind it out and I’m just a dude that
believes you reap what you sow so if
you’re grinding or money grind it on
Tuesday grinding on Wednesday if you’re
grinding six seven days a week for four
span of five or six years something’s
got to come out of that here but if
you’re only grinding you know on Monday
you fired up Wednesday you’re back and
sleeping in Thursday you got the funk of
the world is like like I’ve heard people
say I’m dead hump it what is her every
day is how dead like what’s Wednesday is
hump day like Monday update truth is
I’ll say like every day is okay and I
think we would spend more time on what’s
my goal you know and meaning what do I
need to accomplish in this day to live
this lifestyle and you go after it then
I think I think more you will be
successful
I just ran across a quote the other day
that says education is the great
equalizer and I was like oh so no matter
where you are if you feel like you
started at the bottom you know if you
feel like you started at the top but you
want to preserve the top because just
because you’re at the top that mean
you’ll be at the top forever I mean you
look at great football players you know
great football teams I mean you’re not
you’re not going to automatically win
because of your name you have to keep
performing year after year so if you’re
at the bottom and you’re like man I’m at
the bottom
Eric and I want to live life like
everybody else I want to fly first-class
like I want to see the world you know I
don’t want any limitations then reading
is not not okay so I’m using the word
reading but what I’m saying is education
being enlightened being informed and I
had to realize for myself being a high
school dropout like you can’t use that
excuse forever where I was born and
where I was raised you can’t use that
forever and so to me you liberate
yourself Malcolm you talked about
Malcolm Malcolm liberated himself and
most people don’t know Malcolm was not
born wearing glasses like Malcolm had
20/20 vision but it was in prison when
Malcolm learned to take reading serious
and he read with a dim light at night
that’s how he eventually lost his sight
but he lost his sight but he gained his
vision you know he lost his sight but he
gained his vision
boy so I would say the young people who
are watching us that is not optional the
more you read the more liberated you are
and the more you are educated of to me
the more you can experience a life like
the people that you’re probably looking
at and saying I wish I could live like
that person yeah but sure why
hey if I don’t get y’all nothing else
you better start that what’s your why
you know why I do what I do when I do it
so passionate cuz my grandfather was a
high school dropout my father was a high
school dropout I was a high school
dropout and we bout to break the cycle I
do what I do so my son won’t have to go
through what I went through when I was
at the football game my old do one with
me I saw other kids with a fire I said
that’ll never happen to me I do what I
do because my daughter says she going to
Hartford it even about y’all I’m about
to come here and blaze y’all why cuz I’m
trying to get you all the NFL I ain’t
bout to miss this opportunity this is
the first NFL team I’ve ever done in my
life and I’m about to lick it I’m about
to give everything I got and I will know
if I won’t get another gig it won’t
happen to do with the fact that I didn’t
put everything on the field what’s your
why why do you wake up in the morning
why do you put on that Jersey why do you
go out and practice why I have a ritual
where even if you’re my closest friend I
have boundaries hmm so just because it’s
my company it doesn’t mean I can take
calls all day right I have boundaries so
you can’t call me in a certain time why
I’m working so I’m on the phone all day
and I’m saying to entrepreneurs because
one of the gaps and we’ll talk about
this later in the show but you got to
find the gaps and one of the gaps with
entrepreneurs is that they feel like
because they own their day they can
spend it like they want you cannot spend
it like you want to you thought you were
working for IBM or you’re working for
for where are you working for you could
be on the phone all day at a major
corporation talking on a pole so so why
do you allow yourself to talk on the
phone with your business now the fact is
yours you should probably you should
make sure there’s no phone calls board
over your business so one of my rituals
is when I get started there are no
interruptions when I get started I don’t
care if it’s my wife
children they know that from a certain
timeframe I’m going all in and I can’t
go all in answer the phone I can’t go
all in watching TV in distress I can’t
go in with the distraction and so some
entrepreneurs are like why am I not
blowing up because you don’t you’re not
in abstraction you don’t have that that
that moment of your day I don’t care if
it’s two hours four hours where you shut
the entire world out no Twitter no
Facebook no you know it no Instagram
don’t we love my friends touch the
ground
we love that in Samoa so we’re just the
two hours I’m going in and once I come
out then we can do Instagram and I’ll be
honest your content probably would be
stronger if you had that that time of
isolation of solitude where you give
yourself a chance to think you give
yourself a chance to go in and when you
go in you go 120 percent so yeah that
like that I think what’s so unique about
you know my presentation is that it
comes from the heart that I speak from
the heart and I’m not afraid to be
transparent I’m not afraid to talk about
my failures I’m not I’m not afraid to
talk about my fears you know I’m not I’m
not afraid to open up my life and give
my story to the world so if you want to
make six figures you can’t just be
talking about you want to make six
figures you hear what I’m saying you
tonight if you do the three things I
tell you to do tonight I guarantee
whatever it is you want to do in life
you’ll be able to do you will be able to
accomplish whatever you want to
academically financially relationally
whatever so three things all right I’m
going to tell you the story I got to get
out of here and the stories about you
guys have probably heard about this
before it was a it was a young man who
you know he wanted to make a lot of
money and so he went to this guru right
and he told the Guru you know I want to
be on the same level you are and so the
Guru said if you want to be on the same
level I’m all I’ll meet you tomorrow at
the beach at 4:00 a.m. he liked the
beach I said I want to make money I
don’t want to swim guru said if you want
to make money I’ll meet you tomorrow
4:00 a.m. so the young man got there
4:00 a.m. he all ready to rock and roll
got on the suit he should have wore
shorts
man grabs his hand said how bad you want
to be successful he said real bad he
said walk on out in the water so he
walks out into the water watch this when
he walks out into the world it goes
waist-deep so he like this guy crazy up
a dream like I want to make money he got
me out his swimming I didn’t ask to be a
lifeguard I want to make money he got me
in so he said come on a little further
once I looked further then he had it
right around this area let’s throw the
area so it’s only crazy you making money
but he crazy said come on out a little
farther he came a little further it was
right at his mouth my man like I’m about
to go back in here this god is mine so
the old man said I thought you said you
wanted to be successful he said I do he
said walk a little further he can’t drop
this head in held him down hold him down
my man getting scratching hold him down
I got you I know you brushed it out but
I got you
you had him held down I need you for
illustration
you had him held down just before my man
was about to pass out he raised him up
he said I got a question for you
somebody answered the question for me he
said when you were under water what did
you want to do Lee I’m looking for a
different word doesn’t live what’s that
were said I wanted to breathe he told
the guy he said when you want to succeed
as bad as you want to breathe then
you’ll be successful I know how many
y’all got asthma here today but if you
ever had an asthma attack before you
sure to breath sob shortness of breath
you wheezing the only thing you trying
to do is get some air you don’t care
about no basketball game you don’t care
what’s on TV
you don’t care about nobody calling you
you don’t care about a party the only
thing you care about when you’re trying
to breathe is to get some fresh air
that’s it and when you get to the point
where all you want to do is be
successful as bad as you want to breathe
then you’ll be successful and I’m here
to tell you number one that most of you
say you want to be successful but you
don’t want it bad you just kind of want
it you don’t want it badder than you
want a party you don’t want it as much
as you want to be cool you most of you
don’t want success as much as you want
to sleep some of you love sleep more
than you love
success and I’m here to change a if
you’re going to be successful you’ve got
to be willing to give up sleep you got
to be willing to work off for three
hours of sleep two hours if you really
want to be successful some days you will
have to stay up three days in a row
because if you go to sleep you might
miss the opportunity to be successful
that’s how bad you gotta want it you got
to go days without listen to me you got
to want to be successful so bad that you
forget to eat Beyonce said once she was
on the set doing her thing three days
had gone by she forgot she didn’t eat
because she was engaged I never forget
when 50 cent was doing this movie I
didn’t look research on 50 and 50 cent
that when he wasn’t doing the movie he
was doing the soundtrack and they said
when do you sleep fifty sleep he said
sleep sleep is for those people who are
broke
I don’t sleep said I got an opportunity
make a dream become a reality
football players how many football
players I got anybody like football in
here raise your hand anybody like
football Emmitt Smith I used to be a
cowboy fan before they did my boy Tom
Landry wrong I used to be a cowboy fan
and why said there was a commercial
Emmitt Smith had won his first Super
Bowl and he had this commercial when he
was lifting weights I don’t know if you
saw the commercial when he was lifting
and he said he said he said you know
what I won the Super Bowl so I can rest
now here doing this benchpress so he
said I want a super bone so I can rest
now
so he throws about 325 boom and he rests
for about two seconds and he
boom-boom-boom just see that he’d
already won a Super Ball he said I think
I’m gonna take a rest and he rests for
how long
one second most of you won’t be
successful because when you’re studying
and you get tired you quit and I’m here
to tell you today if you got it somebody
carry my office the other day crying I
said look don’t cry to give up cry to
keep going don’t cry to quit you already
in pain you already hurt get a reward
from it don’t go to sleep until you
succeed listen to me I’m here to tell
you today that you can come here you can
jump up you can do flips you can be
excited when we give away money but
listen to me you will never be
successful and I’ll have to give you a
dime to do what you do you won’t be
successful until you say I’ll need that
money
cuz I got it in here so listen to me
Emmitt Smith said this at the end of the
commercial Emmitt Smith said all men are
created equal some work harder and
pre-seasoned i’ma say it again because
you might have missed it all men are
created equal some work harder and
pre-seasoned so that means that there
are some people who are going to see the
professor going to see the TA and even
when the professor says I don’t meet
with you my TA meet with you you say I
want to talk to your TA I don’t pay the
TA I pay you to teach me so you won’t
have to find some time to meet me if I
got to meet you at the mall if I got to
meet you at your house you are going to
see me listen to me all men are created
equal some work hard in pre-season when
I went to college guys were waiting
smarter than me for point OS 3.0 they
went to the Ivy League high schools came
to Oakwood from these great high schools
most of them are not doing what I’m
doing why because it’s not about where
you come from it’s about heart you come
to a place where you know being smart
enough you got to have heart that’s
number one what’s number two number two
catch number two I wrote it down I want
to make sure you got it
it says to be watch this watch this
we’re talking about sacrifice now the
important thing is this you’re writing
why I’m saying it because I only have
about three more minutes listen to me
the most important thing is this to be
able at any
moment to sacrifice what you are for
what you will become
that’s the number two thing you’ve got
to catch that one to be able to listen
to me at any moment some of you you can
make sacrifices when Monday Night
Football is not all you can make a
sacrifice but when the game come on for
some reason you just attach to it for
some of you when your favorite show come
on you can be you can make sacrifices on
Sunday when they not going on but when
your favorite show comes on Monday BAM
some of you you focus into the phone
ring and you like I got an answer if I
don’t answer the phone I’m gonna die I’m
saying to you today that there are some
of you if you give up your cell phone
you would be successful but your cell
phone is more important to you than your
success
I’m gonna say it again I’m gonna hurt
somebody I’m gonna hurt somebody some of
you need to give up your cell phone
because the time you spend on your cell
phone could be used for your success the
time you could be using to be successful
you’re using on the cell and the cell
phone is not bringing you nothing but a
bill and somebody has told you you
couldn’t live without it I’m sorry going
deep not giving up stuff watch what it
says to be able at any moment to
sacrifice what we are for where we could
be I don’t do well in math you’re right
you had never studied I’m not good in
writing because you have never written
before but I dare you to fail in writing
for a whole year to see if you can get
to the end I dare you to fail I did you
take that same class over and over guys
I dare you stop dropping classes like
you saw
always want to give up I’m dropping why
are you dropping I’m so grateful that
the slaves didn’t drop and quit say I’m
just don’t stop I’m a slave I’m just
gonna be a slave
imma quit listen to me the slave said we
will live because one day we will become
thank you so much for watching I made
this video because Sam Mandy Massa asked
me to so if there’s a famous
entrepreneur that you
me too profile next leave it in the
comments below and I’ll see what I can
do
I’d also love to know which of Eric
Thomas’s top ten rules hit you the most
leave it in the comments and I’ll join
the discussion thank you so much for
watching continue to believe and I’ll
see you soon
and we’ll beat you to the spot I’m gonna
beat you to the spot that’s what it’s
all about right but those of us who play
basketball those of us who play football
sometimes it’s not about being it the
greatest talent it’s about beating a
person to the spot so if I beat you to
the spot and I got an open shot it
doesn’t mean I’m the greatest but I beat
you to the spot right I created my own
shot I created my own space that’s what
the crossover is about the crossover is
about creating your own shot creating
your own space and the way I have become
a millionaire and the way I become one
of the top motivational speakers in the
world on my new I was 6 7 years ago it’s
not creative space I created space I’ve
given myself an advantage that others
don’t have and is it hard no not really
if you just wake up earlier you should
take that university right so it doesn’t
you understand the entire day but it
does mean you have to get to the spot
before everybody else we cheer you’re up
I’m not I’m not from New Zealand guys
come on listen to me very closely I’m
not from New Zealand but I know about
what let me say it this way so I can
help you I know about what team I’m not
never seen it I’ve never seen All Blacks
I play a day in my life I’ve never been
to the stadium where’s the stadium help
me out where’s the stadium okay I’m
going to see right you said you did I’ve
never been to the stadium you like Eric
the stadium that’s Hobbit that way here
that’s not the stadium the stadium is
this way
I’ve never been there a day in my life
and if you watch some of my videos I
have all blacks in my video why cuz
they’re what that winners and when
you’re a winner you don’t even stay in
your own little town when you were a
winner winnings friends so everybody I
got videos where I’m like y’all I don’t
really know how to show my passion
somebody said get door blacks
ah I’m like yep that’s what I need All
Blacks
yup yup I need the All Blacks I need to
up why because they say what I’m saying
they just said it in rugby I don’t I
don’t have nothing I’m like woo that’s a
violent sport that passion is all over
there why it’s winners win I can’t
explain it to you but you better stop
making excuses and find a way to win
because once you start winning you go
from 1,500 to 3,000 to 5,000 to 7,000
you remember see from 7 to 10 nothing
changed we’re still in the basement we
don’t have a building we still use the
garage for all of our products we don’t
have business cards we don’t have a
five-year plan we don’t have a
three-year plan how do you do it the eve
we wake up and grind
winners win I focus more on winning and
I focus on structure I focus on winning
and when you become a winner they start
seeing you with winners
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