WHAT WILL YOU BECOME? – Incredible Speech (Watching This Will Change Your Life)

here’s the big challenge of life you can
have more than you’ve got because you
can become more than you are that’s the
challenge and of course the other side
of the coin reads unless you change how
you are you’ll always have what you got
I have found in my experience that
income does not far exceed personal
development
now sometimes income takes a lucky jump
but sure enough unless you grow out
where it is it’ll usually come back
where you are life has strange ways if
somebody hands you a million dollars
best you become a millionaire quickly so
you get to keep the money otherwise sure
enough it’ll disappear somebody once
said if you took all the money in the
world divided it up equally among
everybody it would soon all be back in
the same pockets incredible success is
something you attract not something you
pursue success is looking for a good
place to stay so instead of going after
it you work on yourself
personal development see the major
question to ask on the job is not what
are you getting the major question to
ask on the job is what are you becoming
– the big question is not what am I
getting paid here the big question is
what am i becoming here
because true happiness is not contained
in what you get happiness is contained
in what you become so that’s our major
subject for tonight personal development
of all the assignments mr. chef gave me
at age 25 this was probably the most
difficult in fact I’m still working on
this one I think it’s an unending
challenge to see what you can become the
next subject is called basic laws and
it’s good to study the basics
and I call these basics primarily
because they come from the Bible now I’m
not a theologian or a minister and
that’ll be apparent but mr. shelf taught
me that the Bible was a good textbook
for ideas and stories and success
equations how to live the better life I
found out that was true he also taught
me that the Bible is as practical as it
is spiritual and I found out that’s true
if you look at your bank account and
your income and you’re not happy there
are several places in the Bible to check
to see what the heck’s wrong so you can
make the changes and we’re gonna cover
some of those tonight called basics okay
the next subject is my favorite setting
goals mr. shell taught me how to set
goals what a favor that was one morning
at breakfast shortly after I met him he
said Jim let me see your current list of
goals and let’s go over them and talk
about him he said maybe that’s the best
way I can help you get a better
direction started and I said I don’t
have a list
he said well is it out in the car or
home somewhere I said no sir I don’t
have a list anywhere he said well young
man that’s where we got to start he said
I can tell you right now if you don’t
have a list of your goals with you he
said I can guess your bank balance
within a few hundred dollars which he
did
and that got my attention I said you
mean my bank balance would change if I
had a list of goals he said drastically
that day I became a willing student how
to set goals and sure enough learning
how to set goals changed my life and I
often wondered why no one had ever
taught me how to set goals up until age
25 I went to high school but if they
offered it I missed it I went to college
for a year never heard it I work for
Sears really and to my knowledge Sears
never taught it alright how to set goals
so here I am age 25 married my family
starting I’ve been to college I’m
working and I still don’t know how to
set goals but fortunately when I was 25
I met the man who taught me how and it
revolutionized my whole life
economically socially personally it’s
incredible so I want to share with you
tonight what mr. Show shared with me how
to set goals it can be a life changer
okay the next subject is the negative
part of the seminar life is part
negative so we got to talk about the
negative and this subject is called
diseases
of attitude diseases of attitude there’s
a lot of things that can wreck your
chances to do well we live in a rather
dangerous world so you got to be not
only wise you got to be careful now
attitude diseases are just as bad as
physical diseases right high blood
pressure heart trouble I mean a lot of
things lace your chances to do well so
you’ve got to be careful and attitude
diseases are deadly I mean they’ll
destroy all the good things you start
okay so we’ll go through those attitude
diseases how to spot them how to look
for them what they are and and the cure
and I’m a pearl on these because I’ve
had them all so I can give you excellent
advice on these now the last subject
we’re going to consider tonight is
called the day that turns your life
around the day that turns your life
around and under this subject we’re
going to talk about the emotions that
can change your life human beings are
emotional creatures and emotions are
powerful for life change now of course
the emotions are so powerful they can go
either way on you the emotions can
either build or destroy so you really
have to employ emotions properly we call
civilization the intelligent management
of human emotions if you can
intelligently apply your emotions in the
right direction no telling what can
happen could turn your life around one
day would be sufficient so we’ll talk
about those okay now that’s a lot to
cover in one evening but we’ll keep at
it here and see if we can’t get it all
done
I’d like to have you now jot down the
theme of the seminar every seminar
should have a theme I guess we’ve got
one it’s on some of our literature if
you happen to notice it but if you
didn’t for your notes here it is the
theme of the seminar goes like this the
major key to your better future is you
that’s the theme of our seminar tonight
the major key to your better future is
you and I’d like to have younger line to
words just to give it some added punch
underline the word major and the word
you so that it reads the major key to
your better future is you now my first
suggestion is transfer this to a card or
something where you can put it up where
you can see it every day
preferably put it up where you can see
it at the beginning of the day before
you go off to put the day together this
is a good phrase just to glance at to
keep in mind as you’re putting the day
together it’s called the silent seminar
if you’ll just let this talk to you
during the day I found it to be
tremendously helpful the major key to
your better future is you for a big
share of my life now I didn’t have this
one quite figured out among a lot of
things I didn’t have quite figured out
many things just to puzzle me back in
those early days I used to wonder why
two people could work for the same
company one make twice as much money now
see that used to puzzle me and maybe
they were the same age graduated from
the same school
live in the same community work for the
same company with the same products in
the same services they’ve got the same
traffic the same problems and one makes
a thousand a month the other one makes
two thousand a month
now that was my puzzling question why
would this long list be the same and the
money twice as much I asked what’s the
difference between a thousand a month
and two thousand a month and I don’t
mean a thousand a month right I can
figure that out
but what makes the difference why would
one person do twice as well three times
as well speaking economically now I know
there’s more than one way to do well I
understand that but in this little
narrow area called compensation what’s
the difference well back then with my
faulty thinking I’m trying to reason it
out I thought well maybe time makes some
of the difference right some people do
better because they have more time I
used to say Harold ought to be able to
do well he’s got a lot of time if I had
all of Harold’s time I could do well now
that’s got to be done right number one
you can’t get somebody else’s time a guy
says to me one time he says you know if
I had some extra time I could make some
extra money I said then forget it
there isn’t any extra time hey when the
clock strikes 12:00 midnight that about
wraps it up right I mean you can look
around the gong here for a little more
but it’s over you say to the guy what
are you doing is I’m looking for extra
time see they’ll come and take you away
right there isn’t any more time now if
you can’t get more time which you can’t
what could you get more of that would
make a difference in economic results
and here’s the key word make it a part
of your notes we’re going to consider it
tonight the word is value
and I have a little phrase for your
notes value makes the difference in
results value makes the difference you
can’t get more time but you can create
more value
now here’s the first lesson of economics
everybody should learn it from the time
they’re old enough to understand what a
dollar means how to earn one how to get
one how to keep one what to do with it
first lesson of economics we primarily
get paid for value that’s lesson one
bringing value to the marketplace that’s
how you get paid you don’t get paid for
the time I know it takes time to bring
value to the marketplace but you get
paid for the value not the time now
since that’s true here’s one of the key
questions of the evening is it possible
to become twice as valuable at the
marketplace and make twice as much money
in the same time could you become three
times as valuable make three times as
much money in the same time is that
possible
the answer is yes if and it’s always if
right life is known as the big if
Harry Truman once said life is iffy how
true and here’s the big if we’re gonna
consider it tonight it’s possible to do
much better at the marketplace if you go
to work primarily on yourself and that’s
the theme of our seminar tonight
learning to work primarily on yourself
people have asked me for the last 24
years how do you develop and above
average income and the answer is become
an above-average person develop an
above-average handshake some people want
to be successful they don’t even work on
their handshake as easy as that would be
to start on they let it slide they don’t
understand develop an above-average
smile develop an above-average
excitement develop an above-average
interest in other people develop an
above-average intensity to win see
that’ll change everything probably one
of the most frustrating experiences in
life is looking for an above-average job
with above-average pay without becoming
an above-average person it’s called
frustration
and mr. shelf gave me probably the
greatest clue he gave me when I first
met him he said Jim if you want to be
wealthy and happy the rest of your life
just learned this lesson well he said
learn to work harder on yourself than
you do on your job
then mr. shelf gave me probably one of
the most important clues among so many
things he taught me but this was in
those early days
mr. shelf is very kind but he was also
very abrupt and he had these interesting
questions to ask I’m giving him a little
run day run down one day on how things
hadn’t worked out for me he said mr.
Owen I’ve got the answer for you if you
will listen carefully and listen
carefully I did that day and for the
next five years
if somebody’s wealthy and happy you’ve
got a list
he said Jim I’ve only known you a short
time but he said it’s already my honest
opinion that for things to change for
you you’ve got to change that wasn’t
quite the answer I was looking for but
that’s the answer he gave me and I pass
it along to you on this warm summer
evening in Anaheim California 1981 for
things to change for you you’ve got to
change otherwise it isn’t gonna change
before I met mr. shelf I used to say I
sure hope things will change right that
seemed to be my only hope if it isn’t
going to change I’m in serious trouble
and then I discovered it isn’t gonna
change so I’m in serious trouble
see I can tell you what the 80s are
gonna be like you have dropped into the
right place I did a seminar one time for
standard oil executives and management
in Honolulu and we’re having a
conference one day on this big
conference table and one of them said to
me mr. Owen you know some fairly
important people halfway around the
world what do you think the eighties are
gonna be like I said gentlemen I do know
the right people I can tell you so they
all listen very carefully and I said
gentlemen based on my wide experience I
can really honestly say to you in my
opinion in the 80s it’s gonna be about
like it’s always been
aren’t you glad you came that’s inside I
don’t pass that around just everywhere
now of course I said that to make a
point but I also said it because it’s
accurate it’s gonna be about like it’s
always been
it isn’t gonna change the tide comes in
and then what it goes out for six and a
half thousand years that we know of
recorded history and probably long
before that so it is not gonna change
it gets light and then what it turns
dark six and a half thousand years see
it’s not likely to change
and we’re not to be startled by that if
the Sun Goes Down the guy says what’s
happened what’s happened it means he
hasn’t been here long I guess right it
always goes down about this time the guy
says well I don’t like that arrangement
well you got to talk to somebody besides
me right it gets light then it turns
dark in rotation the next season after
fall is what winter pray tell how often
does winter follow fall every year
regularly for the last six-and-a-half
thousand that we know of see it is not
going to change now some winters are
long and some are short and some are
hard and some are easy but they always
come right after Falls it isn’t gonna
change sometimes you can figure it out
sometimes there’s no way to figure it
out sometimes it goes well sometimes it
gets in a knot sometimes it sails along
sometimes it gets in reverse see that’s
not gonna change
the last 6,000 years reads like this
opportunity mixed with difficulty that’s
how it reads it isn’t gonna change the
man says well if it isn’t gonna change
how will my life ever change answer when
you change
and whether I’m talking to high school
kids or business executives my message
is always the same and it goes like this
the only way it gets better for you is
when you get better
let me give you the four major lessons
in life to learn here’s four majors it’s
good to study the majors in our weekend
seminar we teach some people don’t do
well because they major in minor things
you’ve got to be on the lookout at the
end of every weekend of every month you
got to check make sure you’re not
spending major time on minor things
hey we go through that whole series
majors and minors
now let me give you two phrases before
we get to the four majors this will set
it up and you’ll see where I’m going to
key phrases for your notes here’s the
first word life and business is like the
changing seasons that’s the first phrase
life and business is like the changing
seasons one of the best ways to describe
life it’s like the seasons
Frank Sinatra sings life is like the
seasons now here’s the second phrase
very important you cannot change the
seasons but you can change yourself you
can’t change the seasons but you can
change yourself and see that’s how life
gets better for you not by chance but by
change now here’s the four major lessons
in life to learn I’ve got my first book
finished came out a couple of weeks ago
this is in it the four major lessons in
life to learn here they are number one
learn how to handle the winters that’s
lesson one they come right after Falls
with regularity
some are long and some are short and
some are hard and some are easy but they
keep coming you must learn to handle the
nights they come right after days you
must learn to handle difficulty it comes
right after opportunity you must learn
to handle recessions they always follow
progressions for the last 6,000 see it
isn’t gonna change the lesson you must
learn is how to handle it and there’s
all kinds of winters right the winter
when you can’t figure it out the winter
when it all go smash the winter when it
turns belly up the winter when it won’t
work when you’ve run out of money and
you’ve got a broken heart
see those are winter times there’s all
kinds economic winters social winters
personal winters when your heart is
smashed in a thousand pieces and the
nights are unusually long your players
seem to go no higher than your head it’s
wintertime
barbra streisand sings it used to be so
natural to talk about forever but used
to bees don’t count anymore they just
lay on the floor until we sweep them
away
you don’t sing me love so and you don’t
say you need me and you don’t bring me
flowers anymore a song of winter but see
the disappointments come those are
normal that’s part of life but the
question is how do you handle it how do
you handle the coming winters and the
disappointments and the down times well
you can’t get rid of January by tearing
it off the calendar but here’s what you
can do you can get stronger you can get
wiser and you can get better the winters
won’t change but you can and that’s how
life changes for you see before I
understood when it was winter I used to
wish it was summer I didn’t understand
when it was hard I used to wish it was
easy I didn’t know and then mr. chef
gave me a part of his very unique
philosophy when he said don’t wish it
was easier wish you were better see that
triggered my whole life change don’t
wish for less problems wish for more
skills don’t wish for less challenge
wish for more wisdom
[Music]
that’s the key
so that’s lesson one learn how to handle
the winters here’s lesson to learn how
to take advantage of the spring that’s
the second one
spring is called opportunity and spring
follows winter what a great place for it
if you were gonna put it somewhere
that’d be the place to put it right
after winter and pray tell how often
does spring follow winter every year
with regularity 6000 you can almost
count on it see opportunity always comes
days follow nights isn’t that terrific
opportunity follows difficulty but
here’s what you must learn to do
underline these two words in that key
phrase take advantage underline those
two you must learn to take advantage of
the spring see just because spring rolls
around is no sign you’re gonna look good
come fall you got to do something with
it in fact you have to get good at one
of two things in life planting in the
spring or begging in the fall or get
somebody to do it for you see those are
about the only alternatives now here’s
what else you must do take advantage of
the springs quickly because there’s only
a few just a handful of Springs have
been handed to each of us they don’t
come forever life is fairly brief so you
got to read every book you can get your
hands on and what to do with your
Springs while they’re here and take
advantage they soon run out
the Beatles wrote life is so short and
for John Lennon it was extra short but
life is brief Elton John sings she lived
her life like a candle in the wind it’s
brief so whatever you gonna do with your
life you got to get at it don’t just let
the springs pass pass pass here’s the
third major lesson in life to learn
learn how to protect your crops all
summer you got to take care of what you
start sure enough as soon as you’ve
planted your garden in the spring the
busy bugs and the noxious weeds are out
to take it and here’s the next bit of
truth they will take it unless you
prevent it and that’s the third major
skill to learn you’ve got to learn to
prevent the intruder from taking all the
good you start it’s one of the
challenges
here’s two key phrases on the number
three first one all good will be
attacked upon this planet maybe not the
next one we get to but on this one
all good will be attacked every garden
will be invaded not to think so
is naive and here’s the second phrase
all values must be defended political
values social values community values
family values marriage values friendship
values business values every garden must
be tended all summer third major lesson
now here’s number four fourth major
lesson in life to learn learn how to
reap in the fall without complaint
learn the reap come harvest time without
complaint
take full responsibility for what
happens to you it’s one of the highest
forms of human maturity accepting full
responsibility it’s the day you know
you’ve passed from childhood to
adulthood the day you accept full
responsibility in another note learn to
reap in the fall without apology without
apology if you do well and without
complaint if you don’t that’s maturity
I used to have that long list of reasons
why I wasn’t doing well to explain you
got to explain right otherwise you’re
gonna look bad I used to have this funny
list called reasons for not looking good
I used to blame the government I mean
you can believe that or not it was at
the top of my list I had a lecture
second-to-none the government that was
on my list I used to blame taxes look
what you got left after they take
everything and they expect you to do
well that was on my list their prices
that one’s easy right you walk into the
supermarket with $20 come out with a
little half bag I had that on my list I
used to blame the weather I blamed the
traffic I used to blame my car I blamed
the manufacturers I used to blame the
company I blamed company policy I used
to blame the training program
I blame my negative relatives they were
always putting me down I blame my
cynical neighbors they’re just selfish
looking out for themselves won’t loan
you money they were on my list I used to
blame the economy I blame the community
that’s a pretty good list for not doing
well isn’t it I thought it was good I’ll
never forget one day mr. shelf is very
kind but he was also very blunt and this
was no exception and I’m glad he was
blunt there’s a lot of things I’d have
missed if he hadn’t have been blunt one
day with sort of a curious look on his
face he said Jim just out of curiosity
tell me how come you haven’t done well
up until now
excellent question
I thought well so I won’t look too bad
I’ll go through my list and this list I
just gave you I put that on him and he
was very patient he let me go through
the whole thing the government the
weather I went through this whole thing
when I finished he looked my lists over
very carefully he said mr. own big
problem with your list you ate on it how
brilliant when I went to work for him a
few months later I learned very quickly
to tear up my list reasons for not doing
well and I threw it away and I got me a
fresh piece of paper and I put one word
on it me there’s a black heritage
spiritual that says it’s not my mother
nor my father nor my brother nor my
sister but it’s me O Lord standing in
the need of prayer see I used to blame
everything outside and then let me give
you a little philosophy that helped turn
my life around
for your notes here it is it’s not what
happens
that determines the quality or the
quantity of your life it’s not what
happens and the reason is because what
happens happens to about everybody no
different the Sun went down on all of us
last night a common event a happening
and I found out that the same things can
happen to two different people one gets
rich in one stays poor why is that it’s
because it’s not what happens but rather
it’s what you do that changes everything
so that’s a key phrase it’s not what
happens it’s what you do what happens is
about the same you might put that in
parentheses here same what people do
that’s what’s different
anything can happen right everything can
happen I’ve heard all the stories I’ve
been one of the stories
hey we could all tell stories all night
long right happenings anything can
happen
have you heard of Murphy’s laws anybody
here heard of Murphy’s laws okay most of
you have Murph had these laws one of
them was if anything can go wrong it
will
that’s one of Murphy’s laws he was not
one of the great positive speakers of
the day but anyway it’s still true
though right anything can go wrong
everything can go wrong for sure I’ve
fallen out of the sky so many times once
to the teen of a couple of million
devastating took me a while to survive
that one now I wasn’t all that much but
it was all I had I mean that’s when it’s
much right well that’s all you got if
you got three to go you got one left you
ain’t looking that bad but when it all
goes has anybody been there when it all
went anybody come on the rescue liars
okay hey we’ve all been there right when
it all went of course used to be a long
time ago right when you ran out of money
got to zero you were all through hick
now you can whistle right on by zero
they will bury you that’s what they will
do
let’s see those are the happenings right
everything can happen anything can
happen but it’s not the happenings it’s
what you do about it somebody says yeah
but you don’t understand the
disappointments I’ve had come on
everybody’s had their share
disappointments are not special gifts
reserved for the poor everybody has them
the difference is what you do about it’s
not the weather I used to blame the
weather and I discovered it rains on the
ridge so see that won’t help
two men wake up one morning there’s a
rainstorm on one of them looks out his
window sees the rainstorm and he says
wow what a storm with weather like this
they can’t expect you to go out and make
sales he stays home same morning the
other guy looks out his window sees the
same storm says wow what a storm but he
says you know what with weather like
this what a great day to go out make
sales most everybody will probably be
wrong especially the salesman
see that’s the difference in how your
life works out it’s not what happens
it’s what you do so here’s one of the
key questions of the evening
starting tomorrow what are you going to
do that’ll make a change in your life
stir good question what are you going to
do starting tomorrow that’ll make a
difference now see if you don’t do
something starting tomorrow that’ll make
a difference guess what it’s gonna be
the same and see that way you can guess
what the next five years are gonna be
like look at the last five because the
next five are gonna be like the last
five unless you made your key tomorrow
change it all or change a little or
change something or don’t change its
choice time you can do whatever you want
but it’s nice to know any day you wish
you can change your whole life
what can you do starting tomorrow
that’ll make a difference good question
what can you do with economic chaos
massive disappointment what can you do
with a broken heart what can you do and
it won’t work good question so if I had
a word with you tonight one on one just
you and me I think my personal advice to
you would be this year 1981 reached down
inside of you and come up with some more
of those remarkable human gifts they’re
there waiting to be utilized and then
change anything for you you want to
change and I challenge you to do that
because you can change if you don’t like
how it is for you change it if it
doesn’t suit you change it if it doesn’t
please you change it if it isn’t enough
change it and I challenge you to do that
because you can change see you don’t
ever have to be the same again after
tonight only by choice
if you don’t like your present address
change it you’re not a tree
[Music]
now let me give you three steps to
personal development let’s get down to
the nitty-gritty what does it take to
really make the changes starting
tomorrow it takes more than
philosophical pronouncement I know that
[Music]
it also takes more than enthusiasm I
know we’re hearing a lot about
enthusiasm these days but see that just
won’t do the job we’re still here on the
old cliches of the 30s right to be
enthusiastic
you must act enthusiastic let’s see
that’s not going to help
after you have leaped about there are
some things you got to do or it isn’t
gonna change
[Music]
so you can get all excited about lifting
200 pounds till you get to the gym and
then you need a new excitement and the
new excitement is called disciplined
major step to human progress discipline
if there’s one thing to get excited over
that’s it get excited over your ability
to make yourself do the necessary things
what did you make yourself do starting
tomorrow that would change it all no
tell now see that’s exciting on any
given day you can massively change the
direction of your life
murder is a clear example that any one
person on any given day can forever
alter the course of their life it just
happens to be a negative act but just as
sure as you can commit a negative act
you can also commit a positive act and
forever
alter your life whenever you wish now
that’s exciting
and whatever that act might be the
changes your life
the guy finally takes a shotgun to his
car and blows out every window destroys
every tire puts a hundred rounds in this
shabby old thing and he says I have
driven this embarrassing thing for the
last time and not only will I I’d never
drive it again nobody else will ever
drive it again
and he lets that shuddering thing stand
there for a while as a monument to the
day he said today my life changes now
who can do that anybody when can you do
it whatever day you pick
[Music]
now here’s the key to discipline start
with the little disciplines get excited
over the little disciplines and get
right on those because those will lead
to the big ones you can’t handle the big
challenges in life unless you take on
the little ones make a list of all the
things you can do get right on those
discipline yourself for those both for
the results and for the muscle and for
the practice so that when life hands you
some big challenges you’ll be ready
you’ll have the muscle but see if you
don’t handle the small ones you can’t
take care of the big ones
okay here’s what else it takes for life
change self motivation key phrase self
motivation I don’t know why we call it
self motivation it’s really the only
kind there is you got to motivate
yourself because I found out you can’t
change people they can change themselves
but you can’t change them lord knows
some I’ve tried but see it won’t work
people have to change themselves I
learned some of those lessons early I
built a little sales organization way
back in those early days I’m 25 and I
had some nice people I said I’m gonna
make these people successful if it kills
me
I almost died I mean you can’t do that
see I’ve discovered this good people are
not trained they’re found you find good
people you don’t make them good you find
them good training really is for the
purpose of finding good people you don’t
need much instruction for a good person
but too much training probably means you
got the wrong peep
so you got to find the right people
that’s the key to getting a good job
done one of the major things we learn in
management management lesson one don’t
send your ducks to Eagle school
[Laughter]
[Music]
because I won’t help I mean I’m telling
you I won’t help no matter how good your
school is and the little Eagle badge and
little Eagle hat I’m telling you it
won’t help it won’t help you can tell
whether your school’s done any good
right is when it’s over right the duck
goes for his first rabbit and makes him
a friend you say no no anyway so it
takes self motivation to really alter
your life and you don’t want to give
self motivation away to somebody else
and make it somebody else motivating you
the guy says boy if somebody just come
by and turn me on what if they don’t
show up see you’ve got to have a better
plan for your life okay you know if
you’re excited and you’re ready to
change let me give you three steps to
start life change that can change your
life your personality your lifestyle
everything can change here’s the steps
number one find out how things
work the first key to doing betters find
out to change your life really you need
ideas
there isn’t anything an idea can’t
change and shelf taught me the major
problem is lack of an idea not a problem
at first I didn’t have any money I said
to mr. show I don’t have any money he
said that’s not a problem now see you up
until then I always thought it was right
I was confused he said no no the problem
is lack of an idea on how to create
money and wealth
it isn’t lack of money it’s lack of
ideas so if you get the idea see you can
change anything now to get ideas you
need a constant study of finding out now
Shoaf also said when you find out
something that works put the information
in your journal don’t use your head for
a filing cabinet put it in your journal
so that you can do the next best thing
repetition repetition repetition go over
it and if you repeat it go over it sure
enough some days some mysterious day the
idea takes root starts to grow and shows
up in your bank account and your dress
and your personality and your lifestyle
but capture the ideas in your journal
find out how things work
chef’s gave me this word for my life
changed he said study great word if you
wish to be successful study success if
you wish to be happy
study happiness if you wish to be
wealthy study wealth don’t leave it to
chance
make it a study some people just go
through the day with their fingers
crossed see that won’t do it you’ve got
to study the things that can change your
economic social spiritual personal life
now here’s the qualifying phrase and
we’ll have several of these qualifying
phrases throughout the seminar here’s
the first one you may not be able to do
all you find out I understand that you
may not be able to do all you find out
but you should find out all you can do
see you don’t want to wind up at the end
of your life and discover that you’ve
lived only 1/10 of it and the other
nine-tenths went down the drain not for
lack of opportunity for lack of
information so that’s number one find
out how things work now here’s the best
human virtue for finding out curiosity
make a note of that curiosity be curious
you might add a word to it that’ll help
childish curiosity
what will kids do if they want to know
something bad enough bug you that’s the
phrase they can ask a thousand questions
you think they’re through they got
another thousand they’ll drive you to
the brink it’s a virtue when you got an
O be like a child in fact Jesus the
master teacher said unless you can
become like little children you might as
well forget it you don’t have a prayer
excellent advice you got to be like
children for ways in my opinion to be
like a child number one’s curiosity
number two is excitement
get excited like a child over your
ability to make yourself do anything for
change
third is faith have faith like a child
adults are too skeptical and fourth is
trust Trust is a childish virtue but the
rewards are incredible so be like a
child now if you’re curious let me give
you three ways to find out how to change
anything any life direction any
dimension here’s three ways to find out
how to change anything number one is to
read become a good reader all of the
successful people I know and work with
around the world they’re all good
readers curiosity drives them to read
they got to know they just read read
read read read read read read read
become a good reader now that’s my
opinion
listen to the other lecturers and listen
to me and make up your own mind don’t be
a follower be a student okay I say
really for life change you got to read
one way to learn is from your own
experiences but another way to learn is
from other people’s experiences see one
book might save you five years if you
read
did you know there’s books on how to be
stronger more decisive be a speaker be a
leader have a better effect on other
people develop your personality did you
know there’s books on that and people
don’t read them how would you explain
that and they can read did you know that
hundreds of successful people have
written their stories in books and they
wrote down how they did it and people
don’t read it how would you explain them
the guy’s busy I guess
you know you get tied up the guy says
well yeah you work where I work but the
time you struggle home it’s late you got
to eat by the supper watch a little TV
get to bed you can’t sit up half the
night read and read and read and reading
and the guys behind on his car payment
good worker hard worker sincere but you
got to be better than sincere and work
hard otherwise at the end of your life
you’ll wind up cold stony broke you’ve
got to be better than a good worker you
got to be a good reader the whole world
is governed by laws the universe in fact
laws we call it the law of electricity
we call it the law of gravity there’s
mathematical laws there’s physical laws
speed and velocity laws agricultural
laws there’s all kinds of laws now that
we find ourselves on the spinning planet
you just have to learn what I call the
setup learn the setup life’s setup
now we didn’t set it up but we’re here
so you got to learn it and we should
learn the setup for two basic reasons
number one to keep from getting hurt
it’s one of the major reasons for
learning so you won’t get hurt the
economically socially personally you can
get hurt just not knowing ignorant is
not bliss ignorance is poverty ignorance
is tragedy you got to know or you’re
gonna get hurt
it’s good to know not to walk out the
10-story window that’s excellent
information now what if a guy didn’t
know and he walks out no he’s dead at
the bottom somebody says well the poor
guy didn’t know you got an O or you’re
gonna get hurt okay now here’s the
parentheses you don’t have to like the
setup I don’t ask you to like how it is
that’s not what’s important but it is
important to learn how it is okay so you
don’t have to like it but you should
learn it that’s what I tell the kids
right make sure you get the information
what you think about it that’s up to you
what you’re gonna do with it that’ll
soon be up to you but make sure you get
it see there’s nothing worse than being
stupid
I mean being broke is bad but being
stupid is awful and what’s really bad is
being broken stupid right
that’s about the end of the world I mean
there isn’t anything much worse than
that
unless you’re sick sick broken stupid I
mean that is it right there’s nowhere
else to go so make sure you get the
information it’s key you don’t have to
like it but learn it if this big
monstrous thing lifts up in the sky
hangs there for a little while
cuts loose comes crashing down boom
shakes the ground for five months and
then this big monstrous thing lifts back
up in the sky hangs there for a little
while
cuts loose again comes crashing down
boom shakes the ground for five months
it just keeps doing it this big
monstrous thing lifts it up and then
crashing down boom
now you might come along one day and say
that’s got to be a stupid arrangement
which is okay you’re entitled to your
opinion but the first thing you should
learn to do is get out from under it
that’s number one you might have a great
moral argument you might want to shake
your finger at the sky but do it from
over there right so you don’t get
smashed it’s called your basic smart so
number one learn so you won’t get hurt
whether you like it or not learn now
here’s the second reason for learning
the setup to benefit it’s called the
plus of life and that’s what life is
right both minus and plus the minus is
tragedy heartache misery failure
unhappiness but life is also happiness
prosperity good feelings so here’s the
key learn to get on the good side of the
way things work
now here’s two of the basic laws and
we’ll take our break chef’s taught me
these they come from the Bible now again
I’m an amateur okay when it comes to the
Bible I’m not a pro so you’ll sort of
have to take my way of putting it but
here they are the first one is the law
of use the law of use and it goes
something like this whatever you don’t
use you lose lack of use causes loss
on this planet maybe not the next one
but on this one if you tie your arm to
your body leave it there long enough
you’ll never use it again it’s over for
the arm now may not be over but it’s
over for the arm the only way to keep
the use of this arm is what keep using
it if you quit you lose automatically
they don’t bring it up for a vote
you lose automatically when you quit now
the same thing that goes for your arm
goes for your brain mentality the same
thing goes for all the human virtues
ambition unused declines strong feelings
unused diminish it doesn’t grow it
diminishes faith unused decreases it’s a
law vitality unused diminishes energy
unused decreases the guy says well I’m
going to save up my energy you can’t do
that that’s like trying to save today
put it on the end of the year see you
can’t do that they’ll come take your way
if you don’t use today what it’s lost
the guy says well I’ll work twice as
hard tomorrow to make up for it see
that’s foolish you could have done that
anyway today unused is lost a talent
unused is lost and ability unused is
lost so here’s one of the key
expressions of the evening take a new
inventory of yourself
starting tomorrow new project take a new
inventory and make sure that all of your
talent and ability and mentality and
ingenuity and vitality and strong
feelings faith courage make sure that
all you’ve got being used otherwise you
lose now one of the best illustrations
of the law of use is a Bible story
called the parable of the talents
the talent story interesting story if
you haven’t read it in a while just
review it it’s a good story an ancient
story it says there was a master with
three servants he got him together one
day and he said to the three I’ve got
these talents and in those ancient days
the talent was a measure of gold and he
said to the three service take these
talents and see what you can do with him
while I’m gone
he said I’m taking a journey and I’ll be
gone for a while when I come back we’ll
get together go over the book see how
you did he said here’s five of these
talents for you five here’s two of them
for you two and here’s one for you what
the master said take those talents see
what you can do with him when I come
back we’ll get together we’ll go over it
all the servant said okay master takes
off according to the ancient story the
master comes back from his trip when he
gets back he gets the three servants
together and as he said he would he asks
how did it go with those talents you’re
five what happened that servant said
well I took the five talents you gave me
and I put him to work a little shaky at
first but he said things finally got
rolling and he said I poured it on and
he said my talents grew to seven eight
nine ten he said I doubled my talents
from five to ten books will show master
said
one heck of a job or something like that
he said I gave you two tenets what
happened that servant said about the
same thing happened to me I put those
two talents to work poured it on they
grew to three and then to four he said I
doubled my talents from two to four
books will show Master said well done he
said I gave you one talent what happened
that servant said well I took the talent
you gave me and I carefully wrapped it
and I dug a hole and buried it and
camouflaged it I suppose
so nobody would steal it and he said
fortunately nobody got it and he said I
knew you were gonna be here today so I
dug it up here it is safely wrapped I
did not lose it while you were gone
according to the ancient story the
master said take that talent away from
him and give it to the man that’s got
did now you might say well I don’t like
that arrangement the poor guys only got
one talent he’s already got two it ought
to be more
bremer I didn’t ask you to like it but
this one I would ask you to learn
because it simply means whatever you do
not employ you forfeit it’s a law so
learn well the law of use now here’s the
second one and we’re gonna take our
break second law from the Bible this one
we’ve heard since we were small
I’m sure it’s called the law of sowing
and reaping in fact we’ve probably heard
it so often we could quote it it says
whatever you saw what you shall reap
fairly blunt hopefully clear here’s my
first suggestion on the law of sowing
and reaping don’t try to beat it you
might as well try sitting on the Sun in
the morning keep it from coming up
you’ll have better luck whatever you sow
you reap now for a fair share of my life
I’m a bit mixed up on how all this
applies among a lot of things I was
mixed up on I knew I wasn’t reaping too
good that I understood it my problem was
I was confused about what was causing it
remember me with the funny list
I thought those are the reasons why it
isn’t working out well and then mr. chef
gave me the clue that helped me figure
it all out he said mr. Owen I have
another answer for you there’s another
way to quote this law that’ll show you
where the problem is so you can go to
work on the right away all you need to
know is where the problem is then you
can go to work on it so he quoted me the
law another way and I found out what my
problem was
here’s the way you quote the law
whatever you reap is what you’ve sown
now I knew what my problem was
whatever you reap is what you’ve sown if
you don’t like the crop who do you look
up answer whoever planted it and where
do you find who planted your crop answer
in the mirror what I finally learned to
do come fall was to go to the mirror
that’s where you go and if necessary you
say a few skinny carrots I got to be
unimpressed where were you last spring
asleep didn’t you read the books did you
break your hole let me give you seven
key points to the law of sowing and
reaping let’s tick right down through
the list of seven and it’ll be break
time seven points to sowing and reaping
here’s part of the philosophy that
really helped me to make some changes in
life direction number one the law of
sowing and reaping is negative that’s
number one which simply means if you’re
so bad you reap bad now this is kind of
third grade but it doesn’t hurt to go
over the basics if you plant thistle
seeds you don’t get pumpkins honest no
use looking for pumpkins John says how
come no pumpkins
come on John the laws negative that’s
outcome now here’s number two the law is
positive which simply means if you’re so
good you reap good if you plant pumpkin
seeds you don’t get thistles not from
pumpkin seeds
mother nature won’t pull tricks on you
were in the corner snicker and pushed
nude thistles new plantain pumpkin seeds
she won’t do that you will get pumpkins
from pumpkin seeds and the reason is
because the law is positive now here’s
number three I got excited when I found
out the full dimension of this see you
do not reap what you sow but rather you
always reap much more than what you sow
so the third key word is more you don’t
get back what you put out you get back
much more than what you put out and it
works both positive and negative on the
negative side it said if you sow to the
wind you reap the whirlwind so you’ve
got to get ready for that or you will be
naive see anybody can whether you will
or not see that’s the question and
here’s a good question to ask we are all
buying somebody’s plan the question is
who’s who’s got you talked into doing
what you’re doing who’s got you talked
into your present plan see 10 years from
now you will surely arrive the question
is but see anybody if you want to can go
searching for a good plan pick it and
start working it and sure enough as the
time passes as it surely will five years
from now ten years from now then you’ll
be winding up wearing what you want to
wear driving what you want to drive
living where you want to live become
what you want to become but now is the
time to fix the next 10 years and who
can
here’s number six the sixth key to
sowing and reaping this is leveling with
you now as we promised to do there’s one
thing better than the truth and that’s
the whole truth and here’s part of the
whole truth of the law of sowing and
reaping number six is you could lose
there are times when you just lose no
matter what you do it’s that kind of
planet you reap what you sow yes but
what does that mean yes but well the
farmer plants his crop in the spring
takes care of it all summer loves his
family works ten 12 hours a day six
seven days a week is an honorable man
come fall he’s got a beautiful crop and
he deserves every bit of it but the day
before he sends the combines into the
field a hailstorm comes along and beats
it all in the ground which means you
lose somebody says well what did he do
wrong answer nothing it’s just that kind
of planet sometimes it’s gonna hail on
your crop and rain on your parade so you
got to get ready for that or you will be
naive that’s just part of the life
arrangement and don’t piss me why I was
not in on some of the original decisions
here so I don’t know how it got set up
but there’s just time sometimes you lose
that’s part of life but now here’s
number seven the seventh key to sowing
and reaping and it goes like this it’s
just another way to quote the same law
and it goes like this
if you don’t sow
that’s just another way to quote the law
if you don’t so what you don’t reap you
don’t even have a chance so if you
looked at your game plan tomorrow you
might come to the quick conclusion I got
to get some sewing going how true get
you some soul and going and remember
you’ve got plenty of time you’ve got all
the time there is some people spend
enough TV time to make a fortune
the latest article on television
watching in this country according to
the latest article the average
television is on in this country in
every household 7 hours a day called the
big 7 I asked a guy one time what his TV
cost
he said about 450 dollars I said you
forgot to look at the price tag he said
what do you mean I knew he was a TV
watcher I said that television cost you
in my opinion at least $12,000 a year to
watch it not to own it all minutes cheap
watching it is what’s expensive and I
said hey 12,000 years too much to pay to
watch TV that’s too much pay a little
but not 12,000 and he’s the guy that
said I hope a TV never comes
okay we’re trying to cover an awful lot
tonight I realize that but my time
schedule is such that we just have to
sort of give it all to you and let you
sort the rest out I wish we had plenty
of time for questions and answers and
that whole thing but our time is just
limited but we are trying to go through
an awful lot I realize that but it looks
like everybody’s getting it it’s about
the note-taking his crowd I’ve seen in a
long time
incredible does anybody have five pages
yet anybody Oh fantastic incredible
okay maybe you heard the story about the
preacher down in Texas southern part of
the country he was an evangelist back in
the horse and buggy days and he was very
good at being an evangelist and a lot of
people used to come and hear him preach
and one day he put up his tent in one of
these Texas towns and expected a big
crowd as usual come here and preach and
he got their first night of the tent
revival walked in 7:30 time to start and
to his surprise the tent was empty he
thought well something must be
drastically wrong so he waited till
quarter date nobody showed up
eight o’clock zip finally 8:15 one lone
cowboy wandered up on his horse tied his
horse off outside came in sat down on
the front bench right waiting for
something to happen
the preacher thought well at least I
better go down and talk to the cowboy so
he walks down talks to the cowboy and he
says cowboy I’m the preacher and he said
I don’t know what to tell you
something’s gone wrong he said this tent
was supposed to be full of people
he said I’m embarrassed he said you’re
the only one that showed up and he said
I really don’t know what to do and the
cowboy said well I’m not a preacher so I
really can’t tell you what to do you
know he said I’m just a cowboy but he
said I know this if I went out to feed
my cattle and only one showed up I’d at
least feed it
the preacher thought hey the cowboy is
right if you’ve got a good idea to share
you should share it if there’s one or a
thousand so he got kind of inspired by
this conversation and he jumped up on
the platform started to preach as if the
tent was full of people just exploded
and he went for an hour hour and fifteen
minutes just kept rolling finally he
quit and when he finished he came down
off the platform and talked to the
cowboy again says well cowboy what did
you think I’m a sermon and the cowboy
said well I’m not a preacher so I really
can’t tell you know he said I’m just a
cowboy but he said I know this if I went
out to feed my cattle and only one
showed up I’d feed it but I wouldn’t
dump the whole Lobo so anyway if it
seems like we’re dumping the whole load
tonight I guess we are but gosh
everybody’s doing well I’m having a good
time
I appreciate the response here tonight
okay the next subject is setting goals
let me show you what turned my life
every way but loose mr. chef dropped
this idea on me changed me completely
setting goals here’s what can easily
happen if you don’t set goals it’s easy
to let life deteriorate into making a
living instead of designing a life and
we all have a choice make a living or
design a life
it’s easy to get trapped by economic
necessity and settle for existence
rather than substance that’s easy but
the best advice I can give you on how to
break out of that trap is to learn how
to set goals
mr. shelf put it to me this way he said
Jim if you had enough reasons you could
do the most incredible things I never
forgot how he put that if you have
enough reasons see reasons will change
your whole life
[Music]
mr. shelf said to me said mr. own I
think you’ve got plenty of intelligence
you’ve got plenty of talent you’ve got
plenty of ability probably what you lack
is plenty of reasons he said I don’t
think your current bank balance is a
true indication of your level of
intelligence I was happy to hear that he
said I think you’re much smarter than
your present bank balance indicates and
that turned out to be true I was much
smarter but of course my first question
was well then why isn’t it bigger and he
said you don’t have enough reasons
you’ve got enough intelligence but not
enough reasons so see reasons can change
your life here’s what else I found out
reasons come first answers come second
you don’t get the answers to do well
till you get the reasons life has a
mysterious way of hanging onto all the
answers and only gives them up to the
people that are inspired by reasons so
reasons make the difference in how your
life works out now what are some of the
reasons for doing well let’s go through
a quick list called reasons for doing
well
first is personal reasons some people do
well for recognition some people do well
for respect some people do well for the
way it makes them feel they love the
feeling of being a winner those are good
reasons I have some millionaire friends
that keep working 1012 hours a day
making more millions and it’s not
because they need the money it’s because
they need the joy and the satisfaction
and the pleasure that comes from being a
constant winner and see it’s not just
the money anyway it’s the journey not
the money once in a while somebody says
to me boy if I had a million dollars I’d
never work another day in my life that’s
probably why the good Lord sees to it
they don’t get their million okay they’d
quit they’d quit okay next is family
reason some people do extremely well for
other people and that’s powerful human
beings can greatly affect each other
sometimes we will do things for somebody
else we will not do for ourselves we’re
made that way
I met a man one time who said mr. own to
do all the things I want to do with my
family around the world he said I got to
have at least a quarter of a million
dollars a year
I thought incredible could a guy’s
family affecting that much and the
answer is of course how fortunate are
the people that find themselves greatly
affected by somebody for personal
achievement and we are affected the
writer of a recent song said if not for
you the winter would hold no spring
couldn’t hear a Robin sing I just
wouldn’t have a clue if not for you so
we can be affected that might be one of
the most stimulating reasons to do well
finding somebody when Andrew Carnegie
died the wee little Scotsman had built a
big steel industry when he died they
opened up his desk and in one of the
desk drawers they found a slip of paper
on that piece of paper mr. Carnegie had
written his goal for his life and he
wrote it when he was in his 20s
and on that piece of paper it said I’m
going to spend the first half of my life
accumulating money I’m going to spend
the last half of my life giving it all
away what a goal he got so inspired by
that goal that the first half of his
life he accumulated four hundred and
fifty million dollars and the last half
of his life he gave it
good question tonight what’s got you
turned on what’s got you bombed outta
sight to get up early and stay up late
and hit it all day next question what’s
got you turned off when I found the
answers to those two questions my life
exploded into change I finally found out
what had me turned off and I got that
cured and then I got me a long enough
list of reasons to turn me on and once
the lights went on for me
age 25 they’ve never gone out I’ve
fallen out of the sky a few times but
I’ve never lost that drive to make
something unique out of my life
see reasons altered my whole life now
there’s another list of reasons called
nitty gritty
hard little reasons sometimes those
little reasons are the most powerful
reasons that can change your life
sometimes it doesn’t take much I now
carry several hundred dollars in my
money clip it’s only a few hundred
dollars but it was one of those reasons
turned my life around
just before I met mr. shelf I heard a
knock at the door I go to the door and
there’s a little girl standing there
about this tall selling girl-scout
cookies and she gave me one of the
finest sales presentations I’ve ever
heard special deal several flavors this
whole package is done two dollars and
with a big smile she very politely asked
me to buy and I wanted to big problem
I’m broke I don’t have to doll and to
this day I can remember the pain and the
embarrass I’m a father I’m a husband
I’ve been to college I’m working and 25
I don’t have to and I didn’t want to
tell her that for some reason
so I did what I thought was next best I
lied I said hey look I’ve already bought
lots of Girl Scout cookies I’ve still
got plenty stacked in the house which
was not but it seemed to get me off the
hook for the moment she said well gosh
that’s wonderful thank you very much and
she went away when she left I closed the
door and that was the day I said to
myself I don’t want to live like this
anymore I’ve had it with Lyon and I’ve
had it with bein broke I’m never gonna
let this happen to me ever again
I promised that day I would work as hard
as possible and would always carry
plenty it took me a little while but now
I do it was one of those reasons and I
guess I carry plenty for two reasons one
is the way it makes me feel but also in
case I bump into another Girl Scout
selling cookies right I’m ready I walked
out of the bank of America one time up
in Saratoga California where I used to
live two little girls selling candy
right outside the bank good place some
girls organization they’re working for
right I come walking out of the bank
this first little girl walks up to me
she said mister would you like to buy
some candy I said I probably would what
kind is it
she said it’s Almond Roca I said my gosh
that’s my faith
she said wonderful I said how much is it
she said it’s just two dollars
I thought incredible I said how many
boxes of that candy have you got she
said five and her little friend was
standing there she was selling candy to
I said how many boxes have you got she
said I’ve got four I said that’s nine
I’ll take them all they said really I
said yeah it’s my favorite I’ve got some
friends I’ll pass them around they got
so excited put all his candy together I
reached in my pocket gave me $18 when
I’ve got the candy and they’ve got the
money that first little girl looked up
looks up at me she says mister you are
really something how about that can you
imagine only spending $18 and have
somebody look at you in the face and say
you are really now you know why I carry
heavy hey I’m not gonna miss any more it
was just one of those reasons help to
change my life one of my nitty-gritty
reasons was budget finance budget
finance used to grind my soul way back
in those early days I had fallen for one
of those consolidation loans where you
take all your little hard to pay bills
put them into one big impossible to baby
alright I would get four or five
payments behind this one guy used to
call me day and night I don’t think
they’re allowed to do that anymore
harassed me threatened to run me in
front of the judge threatened to ruin my
credit trying to embarrass my family one
day he said we’re gonna come get your
car drag it rear end up down the street
in front of your neighbors the guy even
called me a flake
and back in those days I’m broke I’m
pitiful there’s nothing I can do about
it but I never forgot how the guy
treated me and when I met mr. Show and I
got my life started straightened out and
the money started to flow that was one
of my first projects budget finance I
poured it on day and night I finally put
all the money together I owed him which
was considerable
I picked a day for the payoff and when
the payoff day came I put the money in
small bills in a big briefcase and I
walked into the budget finance office on
Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles
the guy who harassed me so often his
desk was about three back I walked right
up to his desk startled him he wonder
what I was doing there it was the first
time I’d been there since I’d borrowed
the money right without saying a word
I opened up this briefcase dump this
pile of money all over his desk I said
count it it’s all there I will never be
back and I turned around and stormed out
no that might not be Noble but if you
haven’t tried it you’ve got to one time
[Applause]
it can be the day that turns your life
around all you need is a reason that
turns you on
one of my dear friends Robert de PUE
Bobby used to be a schoolteacher in
Lindsey olive capital of the world
Bobby taught school several years got a
little weary teaching school one day
decided he wanted to get into sales so
without telling anybody he’d just up and
quit his job teaching school and jumped
into sales when he did his brother made
fun of him
laughs that put him down said Roberts
lost his mind had a good job teaching
school now he thinks he’s a safe he’s
gonna go down the drain lose everything
just put him down something fierce Bobby
said the way my brother acted when I got
into sales he said that made me so mad I
decided to get rich
and my question for you tonight is is it
possible to get that man course wealth
is not a matter of intelligence it’s a
matter of inspiration today Robert
happens to be one of my millionaire
friends Bobby’s rich Frank Sinatra said
one time the best revenge is massive
success
hey get you along enough list of reasons
so that after tonight you never lack for
inspiration you might not have all the
answers right away but you can get the
answers if you can get the reasons now
let me give you a little simple formula
for goal-setting okay we take two two
and a half hours on the weekend for the
whole ten year plan we don’t have time
for that tonight but let me get you
started with a little simple formula mr.
chef gave me and maybe this will be
helpful first of all I’ve divided goals
into two parts first is long-range
long-range goals that’s your dreams your
dreams for the next 3 5 10 20 30 40
years actually the rest of your life
your dreams you’ve got to keep dreaming
Ronald Reagan presidents said to the
joint session of Congress a few weeks
ago the Republic is a dream and if we
don’t keep dreaming we will lose the
Republic your better future is a dream
for yourself and for your family where
do you want to go what do you want to do
what do you want to be what do you want
to see you’ve got to dream dreams
there’s a Bible phrase that says without
dreams and visions people perish you’ve
got to have something to go for that
inspires the heart and the soul dreams
from the children of Sanchez it says
take the crumbs from starving soldiers
they won’t die take the bread from
hungry children they will cry but
without dreams we all will die you’ve
got to dream don’t lose your dream for
yourself for your future for your family
the dreams of love and enterprise and
travel and doing things becoming
something unique on your journey here
don’t lose your dreams do some dreaming
that’s a long-range goal
you got to have those so that’s number
one here’s the second part of goals
short-range short-range goals that’s
your goals for tomorrow this week this
month this year the immediate future we
call these confidence builders because
if you set up something short-range go
for it get it last
flex onto it work hard accomplish it
that starts building your strong
feelings to go for your dreams
now I’ve divided goals into three
categories here they are number one is
economic
that’s your goals for money income
business profits production economics
make sure you’ve got your economics
well-planned
economics plays a major role in
everybody’s life economics is major
which means it ought to be meticulously
well planned for tomorrow this week this
month this year long range what if you
ask somebody tomorrow if you could see
their meticulously well planned list of
economic goals
what would they probably say they say
you some kind of a nut you must be weird
hey I found out what success is success
is doing what the failures won’t do
[Music]
make sure you’ve got your economics well
planned it’ll put you in the top 5% one
of the key little subjects we talk about
on the weekend is the seven fundamentals
for wealth and happiness and that’s one
of them well-planned economics it’s a
fundamental if you want to do well join
the top 5% anybody in this room can join
the top 5% if you will now here’s the
second category of goals things make a
list of the things you want and on my
list of things now I put everything
little things as well as major things it
doesn’t matter how small it is it goes
on the list I used to just put major
things cars homes I don’t do that
anymore
I now load my list with everything
everything and the reason is part of the
fun of having a list is checking it off
that’s it boy at the end of the day if
you can go got it got it got it got it
got it got it whatever it is right you
get into the habit so load up your list
the things you want now when you check
off something major celebrate that’s an
important point to make celebrate your
achievements live it up have a party
when you reach something you’ve worked
for for a while see we all grow from two
experiences one is called the pain of
losing the other one is called the joy
of winning we need both of them amplify
them as much as you can which also means
make losing painful if you set up
something food around didn’t get it put
it on yourself on the other side if you
did get it congratulate yourself self
congratulations is a sign of maturity
seeking congratulations is a sign of
immaturity
but hey winning and losing see that’s
what it’s all about
that’s the name of the game
now some people lead such mediocre lives
at the end of the day they don’t know
whether they’re winning or losing they
got no clue guys just going through the
day with his fingers crossed there’s a
better way okay here’s the third
category of goals personal development
but those goals together personal
development goals that’s your goal is to
be stronger more decisive be a speaker
be a leader learn a language all kinds
of skills okay the whole weekend seminar
was designed to improve all your skills
so that you walk away more skillful and
that’s what you want the personal
development skills that’s what attracts
that’s what brings good things to your
life the person you’d become more
skillful now this is quite a package to
work on economics things personal
development for tomorrow this week this
month this year long range okay that’ll
get you started now here’s the simple
formula for setting goals it goes like
this a work on your goals that’s step
one work on them and I put the word work
there deliberately setting goals is
plain hard work I don’t want the kids
you haven’t come here tonight the kid
each other it’s work I know it’s work
that’s why a lot of people just let it
slide it’s work many people work hard on
their job but they don’t work hard on
their future they just let that slide
and the work involved is making plans I
know most people don’t I understand that
but don’t let that be you guy says well
yeah you work for I work but the time
you struggle home it’s late you got to
eat a bite of supper watched a little TV
get to bed you can’t sit up half the
night plan plan plan and the guys be
good worker hard workers sincere but
you’ve got to be better than sincere
working hard you’ve got to be better
than a good worker you got to be a good
planner somebody once wisely said the
people who failed to plan are planning
to fail well sit so work on your goals
here’s step 2 write your goals down
that’s so important I teach my staff
around the world
put your goals in your journal because
one of the major people you want to
study is yourself say here’s the list of
goals I put together three weeks ago
here’s the list of goals I put together
two years ago here’s some of the changes
I made rearrange me of my priorities I
scratched these off I put these on I’ve
gotten these study your accomplishments
study what your desires are put them on
paper write them down here’s another
reason for writing your goals down it
shows you’re serious about doing better
and to do better you got to get serious
you don’t have to be grim but you must
be serious everybody hopes things will
get better everybody hopes poor people
hope that ought to tell you something
it means the future does not get better
by hope it gets better by plan I used to
have the affliction called passive hope
it’s an affliction it’s bad probably
what’s even worse than that is happy
hope now that is really bad that’s bad
happy hope the guy’s 50 and he’s broke
and he still smiled see that’s not good
so get serious about your goals put them
on paper write him down there’s all
kinds his goals her goals their goals
business goals financial goals financial
independence goals family goals I mean
there’s so many things to work on on
this that if you don’t get busy and work
on it sure enough the time will pass and
sure enough five years from now you will
wind up where you don’t want to be
wearing what you don’t want to wear
driving what you don’t want to drive
being what you don’t want to be now is
the time to fix it now here’s the third
step to your goals check the size of
your goals and the kinds of goals how
big they are what kind they are affects
you
and here’s one of the important phrases
of the evening your goals aren’t
affecting you whatever they are your
goals affect your handshake your goals
affects your attitude personality your
goals affect the way you walk the way
you talk the way you dress all day long
we’re being affected by our goals now
some people have goals but they have
such lousy goal the effect is bad I
asked a guy one time what are your goals
for this month the guy said look if I
could just scrape up enough money to pay
these lousy bills I’m not saying it
isn’t a goal it’s a goal but it’s such a
lousy goal the effect is bad you don’t
jump out of bed on Monday morning and
say oh boy another chance to go out and
scrape up the money to pay my lousy
bills so you don’t do that usually you
say oh not another Monday
and some people have so given up on life
they have joined the thing God it’s
Friday
how sad
surely those are the same people when
life is over for them we’ll say thank
God it’s O
let me give you a Bible philosophy that
teaches how to get whatever you want
that’s the title of the next set of
notes how to get whatever you want from
the Bible
now again I’m an amateur when it comes
to the Bible I’m not a pro but this I
can quote and I think that’ll be
sufficient how to get whatever you want
here’s what it says if you’re ready it
says ask
that’s it
end of notes
ask
if there’s one art in life to learn
extremely well that’s got to be one of
them the art of asking what does ask
mean ask means what do you want and the
formula staggering it says ask and what
a guy ought to look into that
he says yeah but you work for I work but
the time you struggle home it’s late you
got to eat a bite of supper watch a
little TV TV get to bed you can’t sit up
half the night ask ask ask and the guys
be see you’ve got to be better than a
good worker you’ve got to be a good a
skirt now let me give you three key
points on asking and receiving this can
do it number one asking is the beginning
of receiving asking starts a unique
process mental and emotional I don’t
even know how it works all I know is it
works it’s like pushing a button and all
this machinery starts working I don’t
know how it just works there’s a lot of
things you don’t need to know how just
welcomed some people are always studying
the roots others are picking the fruit I
mean it depends on what end of it you
want in on asking is the beginning of
receiving so start the process here’s
number two receiving is not the problem
receiving is automatic now if that’s
true receiving is not the problem what’s
the problem
failure to ask might be one of your
major problems I don’t know check it out
the guy says oh now I see it I got up
last year and hit it every day but
there’s not a scrap of paper with my
gold
good work poor ass
so you got to change that here’s number
three receiving is like the ocean
there’s plenty especially in California
success is not in short supply
it isn’t rationed and you stepped up to
the window and it was all gone no no no
it’s like an ocean here now if that’s
true what’s the problem well some people
go to the ocean with at ease have you
got the picture see what you want to do
in view of the size of the ocean is
trade your TSP for at least a bucket and
you’ll look better down to the kids
won’t make fun of you
okay now there’s two ways to ask and
we’ll wrap up goal setting two ways
here’s number one ask with intelligence
it didn’t say ask intelligently but I’m
sure it meant that don’t mumble you
don’t get anything by mumbling be clear
be specific intelligent asking means how
wide how high how soon when what size
what color
how much define what you want and
describe what you want that’s powerful
in the weekend seminar we teach goals
become like a magnet they pull you that
direction and the better you describe
them the more they pull so ask
intelligently here’s number two ask with
faith
that’s the childish part of the equation
believe you can get what you want like a
child
not an adult adults are too skeptical so
the formula really reads make plans like
an adult and believe in unlike a child
and the most incredible things will
happen just try it for 90 days just try
it you can always go back to the old
ways just try up just 90 days 90 days
now here’s the last qualifying phrase on
goal-setting as we promised to qualify
everything and it simply goes like this
remember you won’t get everything you
want
and we’ve already studied the reason for
that simply sometimes it hails on your
crop and rains on your parade it’s that
kind of planet so you won’t get
everything you want but if you will work
this goal-setting formula you can get
plenty for wealth and happiness okay
that’s goal-setting we use it around the
world we recommend it
now maybe it won’t work as well for you
as it has for me I don’t know maybe not
but what if it did you’ve got to try
okay here’s the last subject the day
that turns your life around let me just
quickly give you a list of four emotions
that can change your life in one day
emotions are powerful sometimes it
doesn’t take much to alter your whole
life direction
okay here they are number one disgust
powerful emotional disgust says I had
headed see that could be the day the day
you can say I’ve had it and whether
you’ve had it was something small or
something major the day you can say I’ve
had it may not be the day it ends but
the day it begins that’s what I said
when that little girl scout left my door
when I’m 25 I give her the big lie she
leaves I say I don’t want to live like
this any more I’ve had it with lyin and
being broke powerful day
the man’s finally had it with mediocrity
he’s had it with being a loser he’s
finally had it with those awful sick
feelings inside knowing his wife is at
the grocery store looking at two cans of
beans one mark 37 cents one mark 39
cents and the guy’s sick inside knows
his wife’s gonna buy the 37-cent can and
she doesn’t even like the brand do you
know why she’s gonna buy the 37-cent can
just say to the guy stick inside finally
says I’ve had it being on my knees and
the dust looking for pennies we’re not
living like this any move could be the
day that turns your life around the day
you can say I’ve had it
he walks into his closet and rips
everything in it to shreds and says I’ve
worn this embarrassing stuff for the
last and not only will I’d never wear it
again no one else will ever wear that
you commit an act that says here’s the
next one decision and decision-making is
powerful and it’s emotional that’s those
knots in the pit of your stomach right
waking up in the middle of the night in
a cold sweat trying to decide we
sometimes call it inner civil war what
shall I do well for progress you must
decide the best advice I can give you
came from a wealthy friend of mine who
said if it’s easy do it easy if it’s
hard do it hard just get it done if you
went home tonight and in the next few
days cleaned up a whole list of
decisions that might furnish enough
inspiration for the next ten years I
found this out many times after you’ve
decided getting on with it is easier
than deciding sometimes decision is the
toughest part here’s the next emotion
desire wanting too bad enough and I
don’t know how to tell you to want to
that’s something you’ve got to come up
with there’s two things I know about
desire number one it comes from inside
not outside you don’t send off for it
number two I know desire can be
triggered by something who knows what it
might be sometimes desire waits and
sleeps for something to happen maybe
it’s a book maybe it’s a song maybe it’s
a sermon maybe it’s a lecture a seminar
maybe it’s the conversation of a friend
a happening an event who knows
the best I can vice I can give you is
what I give my staff it goes like this
welcome every human experience you never
know which one is gonna turn it all on
even the bad experiences sometimes from
the bitterest experience comes the
greatest awakening so let down the
barriers take down the walls the same
wall that keeps out disappointment keeps
out happiness let life touch you don’t
let it kill you but let it here’s the
last one
this one’s powerful resolve resolve says
I will two of the most powerful words in
the language
I will Benjamin Disraeli once said
nothing can resist a human will that
will stake even its existence on the
extent of his purpose shortly put I’ll
do it or die
see that’s powerful that could be the
day that turns your life around the
world has a strange way of stepping
aside when somebody says I’ll do it or
die
the man says I will climb the mountain
they’ve told me it’s too high it’s too
far it’s too rocky it’s too difficult
it’s never been done before but it’s my
mountain I will climb it pretty soon
you’ll see me waving from the top or
dead on the side because I ain’t coming
back
the best definition I ever got from the
word resolve came from a little junior
high girl in Foster City California
up north I’m talking to the Junior High
kids one day I love to ask kids
definitions they come up with beauties I
got to the would resolve and I asked who
can tell me what resolve means and I got
several hands and they were all pretty
good but the last one was the best
little girl about three girls back don’t
look right here she said mr. rule mr.
Rooney I think I know what resolvement I
said darling what do you think it means
she said I think it means promising
yourself you will never give up I said
that yeah
Webster stand aside that is the
definition promised yourself you will
never give up I asked the kids how long
should a baby try to learn how to walk
how long how long would you give you
average baby before you set him off how
long see any mother in the world would
say you’re crazy my baby’s gonna keep
trying until it learns how to walk what
a magic formula now let me show you what
triggers all emotions into activity that
brings results and results is the name
of the game here it is action finally
you must do something about how you feel
Jesus the master teacher said dog just
be listeners be doers the world admires
the doers
whatever it takes to get you to try
harder read more set your goals and go
for it here’s the next attitude disease
over caution some people never will have
much they’re too cautious now you can
also be too reckless but you can also be
too cautious this is called the timid
approach to life and my caution was
always the risk risk used to drive me
right up the wall
I used to say what if this happens it’s
called the language of the poor what if
this happens and on top of that if this
was to happen look at the fix I be and I
better not try I could always ace my
self out then I’ll tell you what changed
my whole life when I finally discovered
it’s all risky the minute you were born
it got risky if you think trying is
risky wait till they hand you the bill
for not trying if you think investing is
risky wait till you get the tab for not
investing see it’s all risky get married
is risky having children is risky going
into business is risky investing your
money is risky it’s all risky I’ll tell
you how risky life is you’re not going
to get out alive
that’s risky the Englishman says well if
that’s the way it’s gonna work out let’s
give it a go
right that’s what it’s for give it a go
somebody says yeah but I’m looking for
safety and security
fine then huddle in a corner we’ll cover
you with a sheet bring you three meals a
day and we’ll protect you
feed you look after you care for you we
won’t let anything happen to you and
you’ll probably live to be 100 the guy
said well yeah I’d live to be 100 but
what a way to live right what a way to
live safe and secure don’t ask for
security ask for adventure better to
live 30 years full of adventure than 100
years safe in the corner and see it’s
not important how long you live what’s
important is how you live here’s the
next attitude disease we’re almost
through with this motley list in fact
we’re almost through hang on the next
one is pessimism
[Music]
pessimism the deadly disease of always
looking on the bad side the problem side
the difficult side checking all the
reasons why can’t be done the poor
pessimist leads an ugly life he doesn’t
try to figure out what’s right he tries
to figure out what’s wrong he doesn’t
look for virtue he looks for faults and
when he finds him he’s delighted how
this is the poor guy looks through the
window doesn’t see the sunset he sees
the specks on the wind and this is the
poor guy right who rushes up take such
leave of his senses
this guy rushes up and he says I’ve got
five good reasons why it won’t work he’s
so dumb he doesn’t know all he needs one
he’s got five – the pessimist the glass
is always half-empty – the optimist the
glass is half-full why would the same
measure affect people two different ways
answer it all depends on how you look at
it our lives are mostly affected by the
way we think things are not the way they
are the way we think they are affects us
most there’s a subject we don’t have
time to get into tonight called better
thinking habits one of the major things
shoved taught me when I met him he said
poor thinking habits keeps most people
poor not poor working habits most people
work hard but they don’t think hard and
so taught me that the mind is like a
factory on mental factory and whatever
you think about all day long pours
ingredients into this mental Factory and
that’s what builds the economic social
financial fabric of your life
he quoted me a Bible phrase that says as
you think so you become how awesome when
he talked about poor thinking habits he
had me I used to start the day reading
the morning newspaper I mean you can
believe that or not I’d get a cup of
coffee and read the paper I’d load up on
wars and riots and murders and stabbings
and killings and bank robberies and
muggings and car wrecks and tragedies
I’d even read the back pages I seem to
like that stuff for some weird reason
I’d load up on all that and then I start
the day you can imagine the kind of days
I used to have you walk around on your
financial knees they call you economic
Pewee the guy says I want to be a great
leader wonderful the first thing we do
is following to his house when we get
there we walk in and check his library
number one somebody says well I check
his library the reason is because what a
man reads pours massive ingredients into
his mental factory and the fabric of his
life is built from those ingredients you
would not believe what some people have
got in their house to read you would not
believe one of the best dressed up words
I know for a lot of it is trash can you
imagine dumping a bale of trash into
this mental factory every day and coming
out with a rich dynamic positive life it
can’t be done
you might as well try making a cake with
cement the kids back in Danbury
Connecticut high school they’re asking
me questions one day I’m talking to the
kids kids got good questions these days
one of them said to me mr. Owen how do
you build the good life I said it
simple it’s not easy but it’s simple
here’s how you build anything select the
right ingredients keep out the wrong
ingredients and it starts with thought
everything starts with thought so you
must be wise and careful what you think
about because that starts everything you
gotta be wise and careful I asked the
kids what would happen if somebody
dropped sugar in my coffee they said
well you’d be okay I said what if
somebody dropped strychnine in my coffee
they said well you’d be dead
I said correct lesson 1 life is both
sugar and strychnine you gotta be
careful I said what if my worst enemy
drops in the sugar they said will you be
ok I said what if my best friend even by
accident drops in the strychnine they
said well you’d be dead
I said correct lesson 2 watch your car
you got to be careful see it doesn’t
matter who hands you the bad stuff it
doesn’t matter where you get the bad
stuff it’ll still do its damage on your
bank account wherever you get it
mr. shelf gave me one of the greatest
phrases when I first met him when he
said gym every day stand guard at the
door of your mind how important stand
guard at the door of your mind and you
decide what goes into your mental
factory don’t let anybody just dump
anything they want to in your mental
factory because you’ve got to live with
the results okay here’s the last disease
and we’re through with this list
in fact we’re almost through hang on the
last subject is very brief
the last disease but this one is deadly
engage in this one indulge in it even
slightly and you might as well forget
the future because it’s gonna forget you
complaining crying whining griping a
Bible word called murmuring see that’ll
ace your future spend five minutes
complaining and you have wasted five and
you may have begun what’s known as
economic cancer of the bone surely they
will soon haul you off into a financial
desert and there let you choke on the
dust of your own regret I hope I said
that well so you won’t forget it’s a
deadly disease if you don’t think it’s
bad ask the children of Israel of Old
Testament fame typical of us all their
story just happened to get in the book
story says children of Israel were
slaves God performed a series of
dazzling miracles and got him out and
now they’re heading for the Promised
Land remember the story
heading for the Promised Land tragedy of
the story they never got their reason
from day one they started to complain
they griped about the water they griped
about the weather they find and cried
and griped about the food they griped
about the leadership they’ve whined and
cried because it was too far too cold
too hot too difficult too miserable I
mean they wired and whined and cried for
years finally God said I’ve had it trip
canceled
or something like that the story says
they died in the desert never got to the
promised which I think means two things
indulge in this long enough you get your
future canceled and I guess it also
means even God Himself can only take so
much
[Music]
just be on the lookout of the things
that can destroy all the good you start
the war is on and this evening tomorrow
mentally personally socially
economically you got to make sure you’re
winning the war and this is part of it