Motivation Archives - Page 2 of 5

Autobiography by Portia Nelson

September 10, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

Guru’s seem to love talking about the power of meditation.

But is it really the act of sitting idly, fighting to control the primal urge to do anything but?

Or is the ability to control and direct one’s thoughts?

Or is it the simple ability to do it every day, consistently, that yields power over time?

At some level, it must also be the ability to self-reflect, to learn from one’s actions, to control and direct our lives.

So perhaps, beyond the act of meditation, the real lesson is to constantly self reflect. When we look deep within ourselves, we find answers to what lies on the surface.

[Read more…]

The Impact Theory Belief System

August 20, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

I remember seeing Tom Bilyeu of Impact Theory at Santa Monica during a little talk called, “The Entrepreneur’s Mindset.” It was powerful (the word ’empowering’ is not welcome on this blog – we create our own power), leading me down a long road exploring each of his talks on YouTube.

There is immense value in listening to stories of how successful people reached their pinnacle.

Many times you will find that successful people were once regular people.

They went from ordinary to extraordinary by cultivating a deep belief in themselves and then by taking massive action in spite of the nagging naysayers.

Embedded within each episode of Impact Theory is a key to becoming powerful. You are what you think and you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with, but you can’t always surround yourself with the best thinkers and doers.

That’s why podcasts and shows like Impact Theory are so critical, they can give you the environment that you need using technology. [Read more…]

Quiet Professional by Rob Shaul

July 2, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

I heard Rob Shaul talking about the Quiet Professional on an Art of Manliness podcast and I have since been consumed with this approach to life.

The term comes from the Special Forces community but Rob builds the idea into a holistic message that coveys several big ideas.

It is a craftsman mentality — go to work and chase perfection. [Read more…]

You and Your Research by Dr. Richard W. Hamming

May 26, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

I stumbled onto this interesting speech from 1986 by Dr. Richard W. Hamming of Bell Labs. From his more than 40 years of experience, he asks the question, “Why do so few scientists make significant contributions and so many are forgotten in the long run?”

The speech was part of a colloquia series intended for other scientists, but it is applicable to any person in any industry.

The speech is based on his personal study into why some scientists were better than him. He kept asking “why,” and he studied and read and worked. He realized that a scientist must decide to do first-class work. It must be intentional, despite what society may say and despite what other scientists may think. [Read more…]

Tribe of Mentors: Terry Crews

January 15, 2018 by Tony Francisco Leave a Comment

Tim Ferriss’ new book Tribe of Mentors is a compilation of advice from some of the best in the world.

They come from the most diverse backgrounds, including CrossFit Games champions (both male and female winners), authors like Steven Pressfield, bloggers like Tim Urban, ultra-successful investors like Ray Dalio, and performance psychologists Michael Gervais and Jim Loehr. Not to mention Jimmy Fallon, Tim McGraw, and Tony Hawk.

Several years of interviewing has led Tim to craft a series of 11 questions meant to prompt actionable advice. Tim has sequenced each question in a way meant to yield deeper responses each time, hoping to “tease out” the tidbits of information that have propelled these individuals to the top of their fields.

This is not an easy endeavor, because high performers are masters of doing and even Pressfield, who authored one of the most popular creative self-help books of all-time, struggles to describe the journey that took him from unemployed screenwriter to master of craft.

You’ll notice immediately that the process is different for everyone. But if you look below the surface, you will notice that there is always a process, borne out of necessity and self-awareness. [Read more…]