Growth Mindset University

Jordan smiling with a book in each hand.

3/17/18

The Growth Mindset Philosophy in 50 Bullet Points

3/18/18

Don't Block Out Negative People

Everyone has bad moments sometimes. We can't fault others for this. If you block out everyone who has negative energy, you'll probably be left on an island, all alone, talking to an avocado. added 8 years laterContradictionInstead, pick up on peoples' emotional patterns and consciously choose to spend more time with the people who tend to have a healthier energy. (caption id="attachment_1054" align="alignnone" width="300") This post is brought to you by Storm. He likes plastic.(/caption)

3/20/18

The Relationship Master

Self sacrifice is not noble. "I'll do for you IF you do for me" is selfish. Instead, "I'll take care of me for you and you take care of yourself for me". That's noble. Personal development is noble. Let's ADD to the amount of value we can give to the world and our relationships by developing ourselves, not SUBTRACT value from our relationships by sacrificing. This is the philosophy of the Relationship Master. added 8 years later(not very)Powerful.

3/21/18

Raise Neccesity

We don't always get what we want. In the same way, we don't always do the things we should do. Rather, we get the things we must have and we do the things we must do. When asked how they did it, the most successful people in the world admit "they had to do it". On a macro level, people do remarkable things when their level of necessity is high. On a micro level, many people wait until the last minute to get things done because this is when necessity is the highest. The question becomes: How can I raise my level of necessity so that things I want to do become things I must do?

Jordan looking directly at the camera in a purple checked shirt.

3/28/18

Grounded In the Roots of Purpose

What is it that you believe? What is your purpose? Your cause? What do you stand for? Why do you exist? What are you here for? Whatever your answers may be, ensure that you ground yourself firmly into the roots of that purpose, cause, or belief before you start each day. Find a podcast that supports what you stand for. Create a morning routine that embodies what you stand for. Find anything supports your cause, do it first thing in the morning, then go out in the world to advance that cause. Wake up, drink your damn passion, then go create shit. Simple. What good is a belly without fire in it? Don't even go right for the phone or to check email. added 8 years later100% GOAT ruleNo phone for the first hour of the day. Don't let whatever brain candy that happens to pop up first dictate your day. added 8 years laterlolI wish you could feel the adrenaline and passion in my blood flowing throughout my body as I type this. Maybe it comes through in my writing, but I don't know. All I know is that I'm responsible for the feeling I've created inside myself because I ground myself in my own purpose every morning.

3/30/18

added 8 years laterTony Robbins all the wayThe Level 10 Experience

What would it take for you to have a level 10 (out of 10, of course) experience in whatever you're doing today? I'm serious, what would it take? Even if it's something you really don't enjoy, what would have to happen to make this activity a level 10 experience? On a macro level, this empowering question shapes the quality of all our experiences and our lives. On a micro level, this empowering question can change the way we look at food. It certainly did that for me. For instance, how can we make the experience of eating BROCCOLI a level 10 experience? Honestly, that's quite simple. Even though your usual experience of eating broccoli may only be a 3, we can get it to 10 easily. What would it take for you to get that number to 5? Well, you might say you'll just put some salt on it and that would do the trick. Next... What would it take to get that number to a 7? Well, you might remember that your doctor told you to eat more vegetables and that this would be a healthy thing to do, so you feel a bit better about eating the broccoli. What would it take to get that number to a TEN? Well, then you might think of it being fresh hot, maybe with black pepper, the salt, and some olive oil AND then you imagine the ripped abs you could have and the way this broccoli would make you feel after you ate it and the pounds you could lose... and at this point, the level 10 experience, you freaking love this broccoli. Pretty soon, you start linking pleasure to eating broccoli and it becomes a level 10 experience every single time because you imagine all the fantastic things it is doing for you. On the flip side, you might be at a 10 for a burger with fries. To get it to a ZERO, you might think of all the negative long-term health effects, you might imagine your arteries getting clogged up, and consequently, a heart attack. You might imagine the drugs, the antibiotics, and the abuse of cows that were involved in the making the burger. Pretty soon, you'll start linking immense pain to eating a burger and fries and it becomes unbelievably easy to cut the junk food and eat the healthy stuff, because you've utilized the power of linking pain to the things you shouldn't do and linking pleasure to the things you should do. For reading, whatever number you are at, to get to a level 10 you might imagine all the knowledge you can acquire and the amazing ways you can change the world when you couple this knowledge with action. You might imagine the lives you'll change. When this happens, intense pleasure will be linked to reading. You can even transform your day at work: Let's say you're average experience is a 5. In your car, before you go into work, ask yourself what it would take to get to a 7 or an 8. You might say that it would get there if you felt productive, which means you know you want to get this project, that presentation, and that email done. Ok, great. What would it take to get to a level 10? You might say that it would be a 10 if you were cheerful, friendly, and said good morning or hello to your co-workers. Maybe you'll even start up a meaningful conversation with someone and maybe that co-worker turns into a friend, who knows? This would feel pretty good and you know this is what would make your day at work enjoyable. You've set the intention, you know what you want to feel and you know what must be done. You've designed your eating and health habits. You've designed your day. And the best part? You can design your entire life like this too

4/2/18

The Definition of Easy

I've got this thing stuck in my head all day everyday and I wanted to share this with you because I believe it is a fantastic philosophical view. It's from one of Jim Rohn's great seminars. He says...

Don't wish for a better wind. The key is to wish for the wisdom to set a better sail. Utilize whatever wind that blows to take you where you want to go. That is the philosophy I picked up at age 25, and it revolutionized my whole life. Here's what I found. I found it was easy. I became a millionaire when I was 31, and I found it was easy. Here's my definition of easy: It was something I could do. I figure that if it's something you can do, it's easy. But here's a little parentheses. I worked hard at it. I made sure my disciplines were in line. I made sure my habits were good. I made sure I did all that I could. I found something that I could do, but I worked hard at it. I got up early and stayed up late and worked hard from age 25 to 31. But what I did was easy, meaning it was something I could do. "Well," you say, "Mr. Rohn, if it was so easy, how come during those six years all those other people around you didn't get rich?" Here's why. It's easy not to. How else would you describe it? That's it! It's easy to keep doing the things that don't work. It's easy to keep bad habits. It's easy not to develop the disciplines. It's easy not to. So, how come I got rich and they didn't? Here's a philosophical phrase: the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do. That's the difference between success and failure, between daydreams and ambitions. Here's the key formula for success: a few disciplines practiced every day. And those disciplines have to be well thought out. What should you spend your time doing? Don't waste your time on things that aren't going to matter. But a few simple disciplines can change your whole economic future — future with your family, future with your business, future with your enterprise, your sales career, your management career. A few simple disciplines, a few simple habits, good habits, repeated every day. Here's the formula for failure: errors in judgment repeated every day. All you've got to do is have a few errors in your judgment, and repeat them every day. I'm telling you — they'll spin out of control in 10 years. You'll end up driving what you don't want to drive, wearing what you don't want to wear, living where you don't want to live, earning what you don't want to earn. A few errors every day, bad habits every day — it's disastrous. Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, remember that good habits are hard to form but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with. Examine your habits, and make some decisions today about which habits you should be changing or dropping altogether. Second, develop the disciplines that are guaranteed to make you successful in life. Start a little earlier, work a little harder, stay a little later and never give up.

Fantastic.

4/4/18

added 8 years laterMark MansonThe Inevitability of Problems

Problems, problems, and more problems. We all have problems. You are no different. I am no different. We never really get rid of these problems either. Some things are always going to suck. That's reality. And the reality isn't all that bad. Allow me to put this in perspective. Striving to achieve a life free of problems and struggle is the beginning of delusion because, as mentioned, we don't get rid of problems. The person who eats like crap suffers from health and image problems while the person who does eat healthy suffers from the problem of missing out on pizza and french fries. Maybe you're single and the problem is that you feel lonely and the various complexities of the single life (I know this well!). Loneliness may indeed be a problem for some. But if you think you won't have a whole new set of problems when you meet your partner, then you may be sorely mistaking. With a newfound partner, we may now complain of not getting enough sleep at night, having to eat out too much, coming up with new date ideas each week, and if we are really delusional (and most of us are) we might complain of not having enough alone time. There are plenty of people that simply do not have the opportunity to go to school. These peoples' problem is that they lack opportunity. But people that go to school have problems too. They complain of pointless busywork that does not apply to the real world, professors grading unfairly, and losing sleep to studying all night. Entrepreneurs have far different problems from people who work for someone else. Vastly different, yet they both still have problems. However, I've chosen the problems of an entrepreneur because those problems are more fulfilling for me. I like the challenge. I like the struggle. I like that set of problems better. In short: 1. The unhealthy person has problems. So does the healthy person. 2. The single person has problems. So does the person in a relationship. 3. The uneducated have problems. So do the educated. 4. People who work for someone else have problems. So do entrepreneurs. Some sets of problems are better than others though. Some problems are more fulfilling than others. Challenges are part of life. Knowing that we cannot evade problems, all we have to do is choose which set of problems we want.

Life without problems would be boring anyway.

In any case, life ain't all sunshine and rainbows, added 8 years laterGreat Gatsbyold sport. Choose your struggle wisely.

4/6/18

A Special Statement About Happiness

The one who is happy has no need to tell himself, "I am happy." The one who is happy simply is happy. Just something to consider. That is all.

4/7/18

What Happened to That Big Food Experiment?

Back in December, I had the grand idea of eating like crap for a few weeks and comparing blood tests from before and after in an effort to show people just how much food is affecting them. I've read tons of research that supports what I believe, but I thought it would be helpful to experience it all for myself. I posted this on Facebook announcing my experiment: People were intrigued. Some of my fellow Men's Health friends were genuinely concerned. My friends were excited to finally go out to eat with me. Overall, people were eager to see the results. I was excited to take on the experiment. A few days later, I got my blood tests done, proceeded to eat like crap over the next 24 hours, and I updated everyone with another post. But I stopped after day one. What gives? Well, I noticed that I was feeling sad and conflicted. My top value, which is health, had been breached. I couldn't do it any longer than a day because eating healthy supports my values, my vision, and my entire lifestyle. What makes it funny is that a friend texted another one of my friends betting that I wouldn't last more than a day. Moral of the story: Always ensure your actions align with your affirmations and values, or you may be left feeling sad and conflicted, as I was. added 8 years laterTo be expected for a 20-year-oldP.s. I did get my "before" blood tests back though, and the results were to be expected when following the LIFE Diet: fantastic.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck | Book Review | 8/25/26

I want to start sharing what I'm reading with you all. I've been hearing about this book for a while and I finally put it on my up next list. I finished it this morning. It was an awesome, quick, easy read. I found myself laughing out loud by myself at some points and emotionally touched at others. Mark Manson is too real. For a completely new and fresh perspective apart from every other self-help book, I'd recommend this. This is a must-read.

My top 3 takeaways:

1. The "Do Something" Principle - Don't just sit there. Do something. The answers will follow. Action isn't just the effect of motivation; it's also the cause of it. 2. The Backwards Law - The more we pursue feeling better, the less satisfied we become because pursuing something only reinforces what we lack. 3. Defining Good and Bad Values - Good values are reality-based, socially constructive, immediate and controllable. Honesty is a good value. Bad values are superstitious, socially destructive, and not immediate or controllable. Popularity is a bad value. I had so many great takeaways from this book and I could write all day about it, but it would be much more beneficial to you and me if you grabbed a copy over on Amazon.added 8/25/26 · 8 years later I would later go on to interview Mark Manson on my podcast.

The orange cover of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.

4/8/18

F*ck Motivation

Motivation is fuel. Fuel runs out. We have to stop to fill up every few days, and it's expensive. When our brains run on motivation, we're just like everyone else, or any old car. These cars have thousands of moving parts. They are complex. With a high number of moving parts, the likelihood of something going wrong is high. Being purposefully compelled is different. To be compelled by our higher purpose is efficient. It's electrifying. It's like a Tesla. Tesla cars have almost 100 times less moving parts as compared to a regular car fueled by gasoline. They are simple. added 8 years laterIncomplete ideaWith such a low number of moving parts, the likelihood of something going wrong is low.

As a Man Thinketh | Book Review

As a Man Thinketh is a self-help book by James Allen that was published over 100 years ago back in 1903. This book is only 20 pages, yet that is not indicative of the sheer amount and superior quality of knowledge you can extract from this book, nor does it mean that this is an easy read. The language is tough. This is one of the most powerful books I've read in quite some time. I would say that it is as powerful, if not more so, than Tony Robbins' Awaken the Giant Within (the book that changed my life), which is over 400 pages.

Here were my top 3 takeaways:

1. We are where we are in life by the law of our being; the thoughts built into our character have brought us there. We did not land there by chance, rather it is the result of our law of being which never fails. 2. Thoughts and character are one. Our lives will always be found to be harmonious with our inner state. 3. We cannot choose our circumstances, but we may always choose our thoughts, which indirectly shape our circumstances. Not only is this book only 20 pages, but it's just $2.49 on Amazon, so why not take a flier on it? My rating for this book: 5/5 "The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors, which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your ever-moving thoughts." - James Allen, As a Man Thinkethadded 8/25/26 · 8 years later As a Man Thinketh has been one of the most impactful reads of my life to this day. I've since read it over 20 times.

4/11/18

What's the Point of Growing?

Andrew Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the 19th century. In 1901, he retired, selling his company to J.P. Morgan for a whopping $480 million (which is equivalent to about $14.35 billion in 2017). Carnegie was 66 years old at the time. He could have kept all that money to himself to play with, and he may have felt alright about his overall quality of life by the end of his time. But Carnegie was different. He wanted to become a philanthropist, which he took to the extreme, basically making his full-time occupation giving away money. In 1902, he founded a scientific research institution. Then he created a $10 million pension fund for teachers. Since Carnegie was a big believer in reading and learning, his next move was to give money to towns to build over 2,000 public libraries at a time in which America did not have free public libraries. Next, he gave $125 million to schools. Carnegie also believed greatly in world peace, so he established an endowment for international peace and funded a building called The Hague Palace of Peace, which now houses the International Court of Justice. By 1911, just ten years after retirement, it’s estimated that he had given away nearly 90 percent of his fortune to charitable causes that meant the most to him. Simply put, the causes of education and peace meant far more to Andrew Carnegie than money ever did. He believed that the sole purpose of making money was to give it all away. In 1919, he passed away. I think we should all strive to replicate his model of prosperity: spend half your life accumulating wealth, then spend the last half giving it all away. We can all leave this world with prosperity when prosperity doesn’t mean monetary riches. We can leave wealthy and prosperous in terms of love, contribution, and fulfillment. This is how one of America’s most successful and fulfilled human beings lived his life, and I believe it would be a great mistake not to emulate this lifestyle in our own way. Below are some of Mr. Carnegie’s most powerful statements:

“No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”

“The man who dies rich, dies disgraced.”

“Do real and permanent good in this world.”

“Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.”

So, what’s the point?

The point is to enrich others, to give value to the world, to uplift others, to empower others, to give like the giving tree and notice the fulfillment in doing just that. The point of living is to learn and the point of growing is to give.

Jordan standing between the branches of a leafy tree.

4/19/18

When Is It a Good Day to ... Die?

In the past year, several of my peers at school have passed away suddenly in the most unlikely of car accidents, seemingly every month. It makes me realize I could be next. We always think it'll never happen to us, until it does. None of us, including the kids that passed away, leave the house thinking, "Hmm, I think I'll get into an accident today." Everything can be over in the blink of an eye. If that's the case, let's at least make it a good day to die; let's give everything our all, and let's take those risks because our future selves won't be glad we played it safe. Our future selves will be glad that we truly lived.

At the end of life, will you have lived fully, loved openly, and truly mattered?

When the answer to all three questions is a resounding yes, only then is it a good day to die. If not, then what can we do to flip the script?

5/6/18

Innovations, Everywhere

It's that time of year again for me–my annual multi-week work/play trip to Los Angeles. It's my favorite time of year, and it's my favorite place to be. This year is a bit different though. The price of rent has gone further through the roof, I am running a health and fitness studio by myself, and there seem to be some new innovations abound this year.

But why is it that LA is usually the first to see these innovations?

Well, two reasons I think: 1. LA has one of the largest economies in the world. 2. LA seems to be more densely populated with "early adopters," whereas a place like Fort Myers is more densely populated with laggards. I've been here two days now, and here are some innovations I've stumbled upon: 1. Bird - Bird is an electric vehicle sharing company that has placed electric scooters that go about 20 MPH all around the city. You just need to download the Bird app, scan the scooter you find wherever, and start riding. I just scooted across Westwood. In previous years, I would have had to call an Uber, wait five minutes for it to arrive, then pay $7 to travel two feet in a span of ten minutes. Or I could have walked ten minutes or more. Now, I pick up a scooter, pay $1.50, and reach the same destination in two minutes. Oh, and it's fun. 2. The Halo Top Storefront - Not really an innovation, but super cool. They even have soft serve... ok, soft serve Halo Top... maybe that is an innovation. Then they put the ice cream in pink and blue waffle cones or tacos. They don't even offer cups or bowls, which reduces waste. 3. Amazon Bookstore - Amazon has a bookstore in the century city mall. I saw it and was intrigued as I wondered if the prices would be like a normal bookstore. They were the same as a normal bookstore until I got to the register, where I could enter my Amazon Prime email and receive Amazon Prime prices... amazing. Instead of $30 for a hardback in a bookstore, I got it for $18.

The Innovation X-factor

What makes an innovation an innovation? Well, in Uber's case, it was not cars nor people driving cars that were innovative. Rather, it was the manner in which these cars were utilized in the name of convenience. Similarly, it is not an electric scooter that makes Bird so innovative. In fact, I rode electric scooters when I was five years old, 15 years ago. And it's not books that are innovative. Instead, it is the way Amazon distributes them that disrupts the entire industry. So, it's the manner in which these scooters are utilized in such a vast and crowded city that makes them so convenient and innovative. The innovation x-factor lies in the distribution of something already in existence, not all the time, but at least some of the time. It's like a quarter of a twist to the left on something.

5/10/18

"Superstars"

Superstars, in the form of humans, do not exist.

In a universe where we have discovered over 100 BILLION galaxies, with that number set to double as telescope technology improves in the years to come, there are no humans who are superstars. Not to mention, we're only alive for roughly 80 out of the 13.5 billion years the universe has existed. We're just small particles, insignificant life forms, many of whom think they are "superstars." The only superstars that exist are thousands of light years away, at a minimum. For example, VY Canaris Major is a star that has a diameter 155,000 times the size of Earth, and like a billion times the size of one human. That is a real superstar. You may say, "alright, whatever Jordan" because these numbers are tough even to comprehend. But here's the whole key: I don't matter. You don't matter. We don't matter, the richest and most famous people in the world don't matter. This is not harsh, but freeing. It allows us to hold our egos lightly, to face our "fears," and to laugh at ourselves and enjoy life.

This, I call The Universal Perspective.

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in lov e, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” Lol @ people who actually think they’re “superstars” — JP 🚀 (@J__Paris) May 10, 2018

5/11/18

Why the Reason We Get Together is the Reason We Break Up

When we are initially attracted to someone, there is something we really like about them. Maybe we like that they are hard-working, and thus, successful. Great. After a while, this gets boring if the person is one-dimensional. If all they are is hard-working, it gets boring. In the same way, this is why some nice guys get hurt, because all they are is nice, and that gets boring. The game changes, though, when someone is both hard-working and adventurous and joyful. In the same way, the nice guy changes the game when he is both nice and has a bit of a wild side. For example, the guy dances with the girl at the club all night, then he calls an Uber at the end of the night, puts the girl in there, and says "get home safe. I'll call you in the morning."

Oh crap. Multi-dimensional. The game has changed.

5/20/18

Think About It

We contemplate about contemplating the contemplation of our own thoughts.

That's tough to contemplate. We are pretty advanced species.

5/21/18

Law of Accumulated Prosperity

Continual growth and development is the key to happiness. Continual growth and development is the key to health. Continual growth and development is the key to wealth. Continual growth and development is the key to fulfillment. Continual growth and development is the key to prosperities of all kind. A prosperous life is yours for the taking if you can master the art of investing in yourself every single day. That’s the whole key to a prosperous life: Find a few simple ways to invest in yourself that make sense for you and do it every single day. I'd like to emphasize every single day, as we discussed that it’s not about the things you do only some of the time, but instead it's about the things you do consistently because building a lifestyle is cumulative. Remember when we discussed how you couldn't just go to the gym one time and be fit for life? You must go to the gym consistently. Well, growth works similarly. It accumulates and accumulates and accumulates, eventually turning into a life of prosperity. I can't tell you the exact day that your life is going to become prosperous, but I can assure you that it will happen eventually. It's a process. Trust it. It's the same with going to the gym; I can't tell you the exact day you will get into shape, but I can assure you that you will get into shape if you go to the gym every single day. We've proven that scientifically. I call this the Law of Accumulated Prosperity, which states the following: The result of consistently investing in one’s self is a prosperous life, and it’s those consistent acts that matter more than any one act of intensity. It's a pretty simple law. You might even say that it's common sense, and I wouldn't disagree with you.

5/22/18

Law of Accuracy

We all think we are right, which brings us to the next law, the Law of Accuracy:

We are all wrong.

Remember when people thought cigarettes were not unhealthy? Remember when we thought Santa was real? Remember when we thought the world was going to end all those times? Those assumptions were all wrong, at least I think the last one was wrong (you and I are still here). “There are no facts, only interpretations.” ―Friedrich Nietzsche Ordinary people and scientists alike have been predicting different dates that the world will end for thousands of years. All have been wrong so far. There are plenty more predictions in the years to come that all claim such precise things will happen, which make them seem so unlikely. For example, there are multiple claims that asteroids between three and ten kilometers wide will impact Earth and wipe everything out in the next billion years. Then there are supposedly gamma-ray bursts that will occur 300,000 years from now and 550 million years from now. Then there is apparently a supervolcanic eruption that will happen one million years from now. It is also speculated that dramatic drops in carbon dioxide levels of our atmosphere will make Earth uninhabitable in 500 million years and, if not at that time, then again in 1.3 billion years. Between one and five billion years from now, the sun is supposed to end its current phase of development and become 632 times larger than it is right now, which will either consume Earth or at least scorch it. In 3.3 billion years, there is a claim that Jupiter's gravity could make Mercury collide with Venus, which could also lead to a collision into Earth. The entire universe is supposed to end in 22 billion years, but only if a model of dark energy where w = 15 proves to be true (whatever that means, I don’t know what “w” is either). In 10 duotrigintillion (a "1" followed by 100 zeros, or simply "googol") years from now, there is a scientific theory that the universe diminishes to a state of no thermodynamic free energy (again, whatever that means), in which case the entire world will no longer sustain motion or life. I’m no scientist, but most of that is probably wrong in one way or another simply because humans were the ones that figured this stuff out with human-engineered technology, but I guess that makes me wrong for stating these claims are wrong (oh boy, I’ve taken this too far). But hey, even if some of this stuff happens, there is no way some human figured it out so precisely as to determine the exact year or size of an asteroid or whatever. I just refuse to believe it. In one way or another, it will be wrong. Every theory of the world ending has been wrong so far and they will likely continue to be.

5/24/18

Law of Wisdom

There is a considerable joy to be found in being wrong about everything, however, because continually learning, growing, and improving is a fun challenge for us humans. If we knew it all, life would be boring anyway. Let's embrace the wonders of not knowing. And let's take it a step further by continually challenging the beliefs and assumptions that we already hold because it would only make sense that doing so would add to the fun. Even better, you'll accumulate a wider variety of perspectives, which will make us wise.

This is the Law of Wisdom:

Since we are all wrong and there is an infinite number of things that can be true for any given person (Law of Infinite Truths, to be explained in the next post on 5/26/18), the only path to wisdom is an accumulation of different perspectives. When we stop to ask ourselves, "How could I be misinterpreting (insert topic here)?", and, "What would it mean if I was wrong?", We open ourselves up to an immense opportunity to expand our minds beyond the level of thinking we currently have. Remember what Albert Einstein said? We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. Similarly, the same level of thinking that got us here will not get us to where we want to go. Therefore, it is necessary to challenge our own assumptions and open ourselves up to new perspectives, which leads to further possibility. There is a great joy to be found in this sort of challenge. “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” —Maya Angelou

Jordan smiling at the camera in a pale green shirt.

5/25/18

A Collection of the Worst Advice Ever

Conventional wisdom doesn't always make for sound advice. Below are some of the worst pieces of advice I have ever encountered. 1. "Fake it til you make it." - What about being real until you make it? Being fake won't get you anywhere, and even if it does, you won't trick people for long before they catch on. Be real, because that's refreshing in a world of masks. Thr refreshment of realness will naturally propel you to your destiny, even if it takes a little while. 2. "If you want to be successful, then you have to work all night and sleep less." - False. If you want to maximize productivity and prolific quality output (producing meaningful stuff), then you're going to have to get eight hours of sleep every night because lack of sleep is the quickest way to depression and suffering states. Nothing good is produced in suffering states. 3. "Respect your elders." - Age is a number that signifies, well, how old someone is, and it does not double as an indicator of respect deserved. Feeling that you inherently deserve respect simply because you are older than someone is a form of entitlement. Respect is earned. 4. "Be a man/Stay Strong - Feel your emotions, get in touch with them, learn from them. Hiding your emotions for the sake of "staying strong" is a sure path to long-term misery. This is especially true for men because society tells us to "be a man" and we are not expected to show our emotions. This why men are 3.53 times more likely to commit suicide than women. 5. I'd rather hustle 24/7 than slave 9 to 5." - You don't have to hustle 24/7 to avoid slaving 9 to 5. By the way, geniuses are lazy, and so am I. I optimize my life to be as efficient as possible with my time. If you're going to hustle, hustle intelligently.

5/26/18

Law of Infinite Truths

As we read a variety of different books, we may find that one author says something that completely contradicts what an author of a previous book we read may have said. What gives? Well, it’s the Law of Infinite Truths: Two opposing statements can be true for different people. For example, what is true for you may not be true for me. Nevertheless, it is true for someone. Therefore, all statements can be true. One statement can be true for you while the opposing statement can simultaneously be true for me. Human beings are not one size fits all. Everyone has their own unique truths and principles that guide them along the journey of life. Every pair of contradictory statements can be true for different people, thus resulting in an infinite amount of truths. You just have to find the truths of your own life through exploring the wide-ranging spectrum of truths from various perspectives and minds through the books that are available to all of us.

5/28/18

Growth Mindset Equations | Notes from a Friend

1. Clarity of vision = Excitement and a prosperous life 2. No vision = No excitement and no prosperity 3. Quality questions = Quality answers and a quality life 4. Poor quality questions = Poor quality answers and a poor quality life 5. Problems = Progress 6. Time learning + time celebrating + time with friends + time alone = A balanced life 7. Backloaded stress = a mess 8. Frontloaded stress = success For context and clarity, explore the Growth Mindset University book, available on Amazon.

5/29/18

Stressed for No Reason

Hey, it happens, we're stressed sometimes, but we don't know why. In fact, I'm writing this blog right now because I notice this is how I'm feeling at the moment. Then we get stressed about feeling stressed, that is, we get shoot ourselves in the foot for shooting ourselves in the foot. Now we've shot ourselves twice when only one time was necessary. Perhaps a better way to deal with these situations would be to accept the feeling, and trust that it is part of the process. Then go a bit further: PAUSE. Take a few minutes to step back, out of the immediate environment, close your eyes, and dig deeper to gain clarity on what's really bugging us. There's almost always a reason, even if we don't want to believe it.

5/30/18

Growth Mindset University Principles

5/31/18

To Be or To Do?

We can paint rosy pictures of ourselves, or better yet, post them on Instagram and Facebook. We can set audacious goals, then project them onto our peers. We can make big announcements and status updates before ever actually completing an ounce of work. We can tell ourselves and others that we are readers, or that we plan to become avid readers, tomorrow for sure.

This is "to be."

But you know what? Most of these people who talk never follow through and do what they say they are going to do. They rarely even put any effort forth. They never bridge the gap between affirmations and actions with discipline and hard work. This is a sure sign of the ego talking big, because the ego wants to be big and great, while doing little to nothing at all to back up the big talk. However, there are some people who put their heads down, with mouths shut, and work diligently. This is "to do." These are life's champions, although they never view themselves as such. They have no large ego, nobody to perform for, just work to be done. I guess this makes our answer quite clear: To do, while it may be the path less traveled, it is the path most worthy of traveling.

6/1/18

Joy, Now

“Success does not lead to happiness; instead, happiness leads to success.” ―Chade-Meng Tan Yes, there is a lot to learn, there is a ton to achieve, and there is an endless amount of room for growth. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy right now.

Don’t fall prey to the trap “I’ll be happy when I get/do ______.”

Years ago, I was waiting to be happy. I thought “I’ll be happy when I get this Porsche.” Here are my thoughts on that now: fuck that! I realized I would probably be happy for all of five minutes anyway if I went and bought it, and I would soon return to my previous level of happiness. It might sound cheesy, but if we can appreciate and notice the things we already have, the people in our lives, the things we have gone through, the little things in our day, the opportunity we have, the breathe that fills our lungs, the adventure in a smile, then we can live joyfully today . No need to wait. Let’s meditate on these things, and notice the joy in them.

If we can learn to strive and grow joyfully, we’re in for a good, balanced life.

Jordan in front of a blue mural reading Live Life.

6/5/18

Thanks

Today, I'd like to give my thanks to you. For what?

Well, thanks for reading my blog.

Thanks for opening my sometimes weekly/sometimes daily emails, I know I am annoying and inconsistent. Thanks for sticking with me even when I mess up and send out a blank mistake email once or twice per year. Thanks for sticking with me after I make bold, totalistic statements. Thanks for filtering out the garbage messages to get to the good ones. Thanks for taking that one minute it takes to read my messages, as we only have a limited amount of time here on Earth. This blog, and writing in general, is the love of my life, and it means the world to me when you read what I take time to meticulously craft. Even if nobody read my content, I would still write because it brings me peace, joy, and growth. Readers, like yourself, are added bonuses that leave me feeling unbelievable grateful and fulfilled. By reading, you've made a profound impact on me. I'm thankful, and I want you to know that. I'm not the best, but that isn't my goal. My goal is to be unique, so I hope I've done that.

6/7/18

Beware of the Trap

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” —Ernest Hemingway Once we think we know it all, we’ve peaked. Once we think we’re better than others, we’ve peaked. Once we think our problems are more important than others’, we’ve peaked. Once we think we are larger than life itself, we’ve peaked. A steady decline follows this peak, no matter who you are.

6/8/18

How to Stop Feeling Down

It can't be done. We all have down moments. This is inevitable. Stop thinking everything should be perfect; it's not and never will be. But perhaps we can accept this fact, come to terms with it, and maybe even find peace in it. By accepting that we will feel down, likely in the near future, we can make the sucky moments, well, a little less sucky.

6/9/18

When to Recommend a Book and When Not To

Most of us get tons of book recommendations and even gifts.

I'm a huge advocate of recommending/gifting books, as I write in my own book. The only problem here is that, for most of us, our reading lists are already so long. So, we should consider putting a few rules into play. 1. Only recommend/gift a book if you are an avid reader yourself - If you read regularly, then you reserve the right to share some of your favorites with people because you are a seasoned reader, which enables you to distinguish a good book from a bad one. On the flip side, if you read just one book and think it's the greatest thing ever because you have nothing to compare it to, you probably shouldn't thrust your opinions on to others saying, "you have to read this." You aren't a seasoned reader, and you cannot yet distinguish a good book from a bad one. 2. Do not gift someone with a book you have not read and enjoyed yourself. When you share a book that you read and enjoyed, you come across as a person of good taste and generosity. However, when you blindly recommend a book you have not read it comes across as you just fulfilling an obligation to give a gift, or even careless.

6/10/18

Blog Post #100: Throwback to Post #1

Blog post #100 has come, so today I wanted to flash back to the very first post back on December 2, 2016. It sucks, and it's embarrassing, so enjoy: "It's a Lifestyle" Over the course of the past year, most people who I meet want to know about everything I do to look and feel the way I do. More recently, I have been encouraged by my mentor and celebrity trainer Steve Jordan to share my knowledge and start blogging. At school, I have been asked countless times by my peers what my “diet” is like on a daily basis, what I do to “workout”, and how I have become so strong mentally to never slip up. The reality is that I do not “diet” and I do not “workout”. Rather, I nourish myself and I train. I live. I maximize my potential. This is a lifestyle and I am super excited to spread my positive energy and knowledge with all of you. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and like us on Facebook!

A review of the first 100 posts:

I can't believe I've been doing this for a whole year and a half. When I first started writing, I viewed it as a burden, and I evidently wasn't any good (my second post was even worse). Now I LOVE writing, and (I think) I've gotten much better (and more candid, real, vulnerable). The central message around my blog has changed several times from post 1 to post 100–we started out with formal, science-based, long articles, then shifted mostly to "motivational and inspirational" short posts, now the past few months have been mostly philosophy and success habits.

What to expect from 101-200:

Well, I'd like to teach people how to start their own blogs at some point in the next 100, so look out for that (if you are interested in this, then express it please). In any case, we'll reach post 200 by the end of 2018, for sure. So, please enjoy, or not. What I'm most excited about are the new contributors I've added to my team, the first of whom you will be introduced to in tomorrow's post (he's been a trainer at the White House, trained Jordan Belfort, Spiderman, and even Arianna Huffington!). These contributors will compensate for my weaknesses (writing about health, fitness, nutrition, and business) in an effort to sustain a more well-rounded blog. Post #2 ↓

The Mind-Body Relationship: A Dancing Act

If you want to maximize your health, realize that the mind-body relationship is real and potent. A very basic example that some may have noticed before is the difference in the amount and odor of sweat when you are stressed versus when you are not stressed. This is no coincidence. According to Pilar Gerasimo on experiencelife.com, the emotions we experience on a daily basis trigger the release of information-containing molecules known as peptides that link up with receptors throughout the body to deliver messages that directly impact our physiology, which is the way a bodily part functions. The power we hold over our physical bodies is simply astounding. We all have the power to heal through positive thinking. Research has shown that breast cancer survivors who practice mindfulness meditation maintain the length of their telomeres – the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes – while they shorten in survivors who do not meditate. It is also widely known that cancer patients with positive outlooks have higher chances of survival than those who take on a defeatist attitude. If you want to heal, you can, you just have to believe it. Notable physiological changes have been noted in people with depression. It is known that it can weaken your immune system as well as cause various aches and pains. More severe, depression causes blood vessels to constrict, which, in turn, leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, if you’re suffering from depression, you may be wondering, “what can I do?”. The solution is simple: MOVE. Go for a run, go to the gym, use physiology to your advantage to create the positive energy and emotions to dig yourself out of the hole. Movement is medicine for the body and the soul. The mind-body relationship works both ways; Not only can our emotions impact our physiology, but our physiology can impact our emotions. The script can be flipped. It is known that exercising is one of the best treatments for depression. Don’t feel like exercising? Even doing something as simple as smiling inspires feelings of happiness. Make a conscious effort to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. Additionally, the way you move during the course of a day impacts how you feel. Our motions are a guide to our emotions. As Tony Robbins, one of the nation’s leading psychologists, suggests in his book Awaken the Giant Within, we should “create patterns of movement that create confidence, a sense of strength, flexibility, a sense of personal power, and fun.” Ask yourself, “in order to feel this way, how would I walk, talk, and breathe?” The mind-body relationship and the biochemistry involved is a crazy dancing act. The door swings both ways in terms of emotions and physiology. We all have the power to take control of our lives. We can control how we feel at all times by taking advantage of our own physiology, or, vice versa; we can control our physiology through our emotions. Realize also that you are the source of your emotions and can control them at any time. So don’t worry, be happy, and harness this great power we have been given. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and like us on Facebook! Onward and upward, Jordan Paris, NASM CPT

6/14/18

PSA: Let the Good Times Roll

When the ball is rolling, it's easy to keep it rolling. The hard part is when the ball isn't rolling. When the ball isn't rolling, there is no momentum, so it's hard to get it going. This is life. Anyone can keep rolling for at least a little while if they are already rolling. After all, there's a saying that goes "let the good times roll." This implies that little to no effort goes into keeping things rolling when they are currently rolling, which I'd say is true. You don't have to be talented to keep things rolling. Life can get tough, though, when the ball isn't rolling. It's tough to build up a head of steam again. It's like a car; if you watch the real-time miles per gallon gauge as you accelerate from 0 to 60, you'll notice that the number hovers around 8 to 12 miles per gallon even if you accelerate slowly. However, once you reach 60 miles per hour, and hover around that number, you'll notice that your car easily stays at 20 to 40 miles per gallon, far more efficient than during the acceleration process. This is because it's easier to keep steady than it is to accelerate; it's easier to keep things rolling than it is to start rolling. As I sit here writing this, half-paralyzed by fear, fingers trembling, and heart racing due to the mistakes I've made on my blog, emails, and overall writing quality over the past week since I hit post #100, I cannot help but describe what I am currently going through in this way. Maybe you didn't notice the errors, maybe you did. In any case, things are, evidently, not rolling for me right now. Many different things hit me all at once this week, stopping my momentum, stopping my roll, in its tracks. That's ok though because I've realized this is part of the process, and I have great friends to remind me of this as well. Sometimes ... actually, many times ... there are traffic lights that turn yellow and red when you least expect/want them to do so. After the stoppage, it's time to accelerate again, even though it might be a rigorous process.

This is where I'm at; it's time to get the ball rolling again.

On a side note: This blog, the love of my life, is, in a way, a publicized journal. In this way, it will not be perfect, and it has never been. It's rough, and some of the entries suck, but that's part of it. It exists, first and foremost, to sort through my own thoughts and be held accountable for them. Secondly, it exists to deliver the occasional relatable golden nugget to someone, somewhere; it might not always be your turn to relate to an entry, but if you're patient, you might receive a golden nugget one day. If you are looking for perfection and are turned off at the most unsightly errors, please unsubscribe (it would bring me great comfort to know that the people receiving these don't give one fuck about my mistakes) because my journal entries will continue to be rough (but hopefully not as rough as they've been in recent days). Also, if you have not seen the errors and have no idea what I'm talking about, then carry on, there is nothing to see here! To getting the ball rolling again, and to constant and never-ending improvement, Jordan Paris

6/17/18

Run Your Own Race

Often, a story from one of my teacher's, Simon Sinek, bubbles to the surface of my mind. It goes something like this: Simon spoke at an education summit at Microsoft, and then at an education summit for Apple. At Microsoft's education summit, 80% of their powerpoint slides centered around "how to beat Apple." Afterward, they gave Simon their new Zune, which was essentially their version of the iPod back in the day. He said he couldn't use it though since it didn't work with iTunes, but that's another story. At Apple's education summit, 100% of the people spent 100% of the time talking about how to help teachers teach and how to help students learn. One of these companies is focused on their purpose, while the other is focused on their competition - Guess which one feels intense frustration. After the Apple event, Simon shared a cab with an Apple executive, who he turned to and said, "You know, Microsoft gave me the new Zune and it is SO much better than your iPod." The Apple executive said in response, "I have not doubt." Conversation over. Apple is focused on beating themselves while Microsoft is focused on beating everyone else, "being the best", and "winning." Winning by what agreed upon units of measurement? Units sold? "Quality"? Features? Some other arbitrary number or combination of numbers? What? There is no winning in life, only improving upon ourselves. There is no race to run against others, only a race against ourselves. I find it funny when people say they will become the "best" at whatever they want to do. Then and there, I know they are headed down a path of frustration, or at least delusion. I'll expand upon the delusion part: Everyone can have their "moment in the spotlight" or their time "on top" if they use arbitrary metrics. This is why most people who have written a book proclaim themselves a "bestselling author." What does "bestselling" mean? What universally agreed upon metrics define "bestselling"? Sure, if the author is listed on an official list, like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, then maybe that could constitute as bestselling. But hey, there are 1.8 million books on Amazon, so if I'm in the top 25,000, then does that mean I'm a "bestselling author"? Well, if I'm using my own metrics, then sure; I'm in the top 25,000 bestselling, so I can call myself a bestselling author in my own world of delusion and arbitrary metrics. I won't bore you, but I guess what I'm coming to is this:

Forget the competition, and run your own race.

6/22/18

Man's Search for a Voice

Think of those who publicly display their strong opinions on Twitter. Think of that kid in your 10th grade English class who always raised her hand to read or volunteer. Think of all those times you feel the need to vent to people. All of these instances are a display of what I believe is one of our species' most basic needs: the need to have a say in things, the need to have a voice, the need to be heard, the need to be understood. All our lives, we search for our voices to relate to others, to let our thoughts into the great big world, and ultimately to be heard, understood, and believed in, in the way we so long to be heard, understood, and believed in. This is why the love of my life is writing books, writing daily blogs, recording podcasts, and creating beautiful art. And I believe so firmly that everyone should write a book, start a blog, start a podcast, and paint a masterpiece with their lives. I know these things are not easy to start, so I'm going to be releasing The Ultimate Blogging Course, The Ultimate Book Writing Course, and Man's Search for a Voice Course. Not today, no, I haven't even finished my last project, but sometime this year, for sure. If this is something you are interested in, then let me know, so that I feel a sense of urgency.

A silver microphone standing in the corner of a room.

The silver microphone on its original stand.

6/24/18

Ponzi and His Scheme, Crypto, and "Forex", Oh and Bernie Madoff too

Skip the reading, listen to this post (scroll to end) Charles Ponzi moved from Italy to the United States in the early 1900s. He needed a quick way to make some cash. So, he began trading postal stamps (something people could do back in the day), which could turn a nice profit if timed correctly with fluctuating rates. This was perfectly legal. However, Ponzi got greedy. He started recruiting investors with promises of 50% returns within a matter of days. Ponzi got the promised returns to his investors, so everyone involved was happy and word of his financial wizardry spread quickly, which garnered even more investors. Soon enough, Ponzi had employees all over the world recruiting investors for him. At his peak, he was making between $250,000 and $1,000,000 per day (numbers I have seen vary). Unfortunately, his "business" was not as fundamentally sound as it was propped up to be. The math did not add up. There simply were not enough postal reply coupons circulating the world for all of this to work. There would have had to be 160 million postal reply coupons in circulation for everything to add up when in reality there were only 27,000. However, since Ponzi had a constant surplus of new investors, he easily paid off the older investors. In other words, people were giving him more money than he was returning. Theoretically, this could go on forever. Eventually, people caught on, and Ponzi went to prison on fraud charges. Upon starting new schemes, he was deported to Italy where he died in poverty in 1949. You may think, "How could anyone fall for this?" Well, maybe 100 years ago people were a bit more naive about schemes like these. Oh, and people still do fall for this stuff, even a century later. Bernie Madoff tricked investors for decades, promising that if they gave him their money, then he would invest it for them with steady returns of 12% per year for the rest of time. Unfortunately, the market is never this steady for eternity, and he never actually invested the money... it just went straight into his bank account, but since people were giving him more than he was returning, it worked perfectly fine... that is, until the recession in 2008 when many pulled their investments. It was then that he ran out of money to give back, and his investors lost something crazy like a combined $20 billion. Many of them killed themselves, including one of his sons, and Madoff is currently 80 years old with 141 years left on his prison term. Something tells me he won't make it out alive. Again, you may think, "I would never fall for this!" But perhaps you already have, and if you have not, you surely know someone who has. The Ponzi/Madoff schemes of today come in the form of "Initial Coin Offerings" (ICO's), "Cryptocurrency," "and "iMarketsLive." All of these lures us with the possibility of unusually large returns.

Initial Coin Offerings

"An initial coin offering (ICO) or initial currency offering, a type of crowdfunding using cryptocurrencies, is a means of raising capital that has been prone to scams and securities law violations." Enough said.

Cryptocurrency

Nobody really knows where this money is going, quite like Ponzi and his scheme, and don't even try to tell me you have crypto figured out because .000001% of people do, and perhaps those are the ones facilitating it all. It is also worth considering the definition of the word "Crypto." Crypto (as an adjective) - secret or hidden. Here is the sentence that Dictionary.com uses for the word: "A crypto Nazi." Cryptocurrency is secret currency. Sketchy. I must admit though, the lure of huge returns lured me early on. In fact, I invested a large sum in Litecoin and I pulled everything out when I had tripled my money. Not bad, I got lucky by getting in early. A nice short run winning, but had I kept everything in, I would already be down money, and I would surely have lost everything in the long run.

iMarketsLive

Even the name sounds dumb. iMarketsLive deals with foreign exchange (aka "forex"). The CEO's stated goal "is to build a global army of traders (emphasis mine) who reach is their desires of financial Independence and become educated on the principles of success, both technically & mentally. " I pulled that straight from the homepage of their website, and yes the grammatical error is theirs (who reach is their desires). The worst part of iMarketsLive is the CEO's "desire to educate on the principles of success," which essentially means they make their students pay for pointless crap like seminars and other "materials," while simultaneously lining the head honcho's pockets. Virtually everyone who falls for this stuff is down money almost instantly because of this "education." In fact, iMarketsLive prominently features on their homepage "YOU WON'T WIN EVERY BATTLE, BUT YOU'LL WIN THE WAR." Funny. This is their way of saying, "You're going to lose money initially, and then again, and again, and again, but (maybe) one day soon you will 'win big,' whatever that means." Oh, and the recruiters of iMarketsLive are spammy, scammy, and just will not quit. It is painfully obvious that there is alterior motive. I even feel a bit of second hand embarassment for them. Of all the schemes, this one is eerily similar to Ponzi's original scheme.

Social Security

Didn't see this one coming! Social security is like a Ponzi scheme and all the other schemes, except it is mandatory. We have to pay social security taxes. It is great for those who got in early (1930s), but for people my age (20), we have a better chance at spotting a UFO than getting our social security checks. After 2034, the Social Security Trust Fund is expected to run deficits every year for the rest of time.

The Moral of the Story

For those that invest early, all of the above schemes are actually a good deal. Unfortunately, those that come along later are deluded with false hope and always get the short end of the stick. Success, monetary riches, relationships, other prosperities, and all of life is a long game, not a short game. Instead of focusing on finding the next plug to fill the hole or the next quick fix, focus on building the next ship. Building the ship might take longer, sure, but it is definitely worth it in the long run. Ponzi scheme, Bernie Madoff, iMarketsLive, Bitcoin, Litecoin, FILL IN THE BLANK. It's all the same. They are all playing the same short game, and you will likely feel the pain from them in the long run. We keep falling for this stuff, it all seems so rosy. We all need to get better at not being tricked and deluded. The goal, then, is not to try to jump to the top of the Empire State Building (because it simply is not possible), but to build something that matters and evolves over time, inch by inch, brick by brick, and one day reach similar heights.

The goal is to play a long game.

6/26/18

Self-Help Books Don't Help

Self-help books don't help.

6/27/18

Heroes Evolve

Over time, heroes evolve.

When I was a young boy, I loved baseball, and I wanted to be a baseball player. Derek Jeter, whose career was just taking off, was my hero at that time. I began to own his famous fist pump and turnaround jump throw from the hole in shortstop. Then, it was Alex Rodriguez with his 54 home runs in 2007. I even copied his high socks. But my added 8 years laterI'm not sure I resonate with the word "needs" in this context anymore, but I actually like this piece.needs evolved, and so did my aspirations. I was in a tough spot, and after reading Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins, he became my hero. At a very young age, I leveraged neuro-linguistic programming to my advantage. Now, my needs and aspirations have evolved once again. I love writing, and I love doing it every day. So, naturally, my hero is a man who has written a blog every day for nearly 20 years (7,000+ posts), in addition to 17 books, many of them bestsellers. His name is Seth Godin, and all you have to do is read one of his posts to realize that he may be one of the smartest people in the world. His writing is so effective because he teaches in parables. As our needs and aspirations evolve, so do the very people we look up to, our heroes, and by extension, sometimes our actions evolve right along with them.

6/28/18

The Mindset Needed to Write Your Book in 29 Days

It is estimated that 81% of Americans want to write a book and even feel they have a book in them (1). That's about 263.8 million people. Of those 263.8 million, only 45,300 are published authors (2), which is 0.00017%. Not to pump myself up, but I'm in that 0.00017%. Sorry, it's true. I'm also 20 years of age. With that, I have some insights into the state of mind necessary to write a book and do it in 29 days. It's also more than likely that you want to write a book. So, here are some of my journal entries from the middle of the writing process. It seems the common denominator is JOY. My friend (21 years old) is writing a book. He started last week and has over 100 pages already. The common denominator has been the same with him as well. Producing outstanding results is all about putting yourself in a joyful state. It's going to very hard to produce outstanding results if you are in a miserable state of mind. So, I guess that begs the question, "How do I get into a joyful state of mind?" Fair enough. Well, the act of writing itself is conducive to a joyful state of mind, and even peace (3). So, my answer is this: Just start. Write down bullet points of everything you would like to include in your book, then just start writing. Stop thinking so much, damn it, just do it. Are you going to be in the 0.00017% who can say they did it or the 99.99983% who want to but die with nothing to leave behind? To further supplement a joyful state of mind: 1. Read at least 15 pages of a book per day (this will also improve your writing (4)) 2. Exercise 3. Eat clean 4. Listen to podcasts 5. Meditate on gratitude, ideas, and solitude This is all stuff I did while writing my book in 29 days, and it ended up being the best time of my life (thus far). To learn more, my book Growth Mindset University, after all, is about thinking better to live better, and thus, producing outstanding results. Additionally, in the chapter resources that come with the book comes a detailed "how to" overview of the writing and publishing process.

Jordan holding Growth Mindset University above the New York rooftops.

6/29/18

My Funniest Journal Entry

On February 24, 2018, I made an interesting entry into my journal that I just have to share: I'm currently basking in a lovely buzz on the top floor of Margaritaville. I've had 15 pieces of pizza in the last 4 days ... (insert dorky drawing of a weird face here). Yikes. I worked on my website for another 3 hours today. Then I realized, all of a sudden, that I have over half of it done. Wow. I'm looking at the sand meeting the sea right now ... such a beautiful contrast of colors. Dorky and all over the place, yet appreciative of life. Sounds like me.

6/30/18

Length Doesn't Matter

Length Doesn't Matter The Art of War by Sun Tzu is 62 pages. Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins is 400+ pages. Both have been bestsellers. Poke the Box by Seth Godin is 95 pages. Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore is 227 pages. Both are huge hits. Mark Manson writes blog posts that take 40 minutes to read. Seth Godin writes blog posts that take one minute to read. Both have millions of readers. My first book was 184 pages, and that may be the longest book I ever write because length doesn't matter. Is it possible, then, that if we cannot explain it simply (and in fewer words), then we do not know it well enough? There may be something to that because one of the most impactful books I have read, As a Man Thinketh, was no more than 25 pages.added 8/31/26 · 8 years later I heard it said of some famous writer, something to the effect of "as he grew older, his writing got shorter." The truth is simple. Less is more. Any fool can overcomplicate a subject. It takes embodied wisdom to boil it down. Even one word is enough to express the truth of some things.

7/2/18

Less Generic, More Specific

added 8/31/26 · 8 years later The universe thrives on specificity. The more you hold a vision in your mind, the more likely it is to come into being. And the more specifically you think about that vision - that is, the more detailed it is in your mind - all the more likely it is to come into being. Exponentially more likely, in fact. This is also highly relevant to a new product my team and I are building right now called House. The old model of project management systems: you sign up for Airtable, ClickUp, SmartSuite, or Monday.com, and then you spend weeks or even months engineering it to be something close (but never quite) what you need it to be. You see, the old model is build it for everyone, and in the end nobody is more than 80% happy with the solution because it wasn't built for them. Now that building software has been democratized in the age of AI, we no longer have to bow and scrape at the feet of the software elite, just taking whatever they are willing to give us - our overlords. Well, overlords no more. You no longer have to rent from them. You can own the house with a custom solution that is made for you (even by you). That's what we're doing with House. It's a project management system built specifically for Email Marketing and Retention Agencies for Ecommerce Brands. It has everything that type of agency needs, and nothing they don't.Everyone wants to appear on the first page of Google's first page of search rankings. It's the dream of businesses small and large. Gangster Vegan is a great vegan cafe I go to from time to time. Everyone loves it. With two locations, they are a very small business. Ranking #1 for the keywords "vegan" or "vegan cafe" is near impossible unless hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent to get there. Gangster Vegan will likely never rank anywhere near the top for these keywords, perhaps not even the top 20 pages. It's because these are generic keywords. But guess what? If you type in "gangster vegan," you'll find them. In fact, they are the only result you'll see for almost 10 pages. It's because this is a specific keyword.

To be found, you'll more than likely have to be less generic and more specific.

It's the same principle in all of life. There are over seven billion people on Earth, so, if you want to be noticed, you have to be different, you have to be an oddball, you have to be specific. Be specific, and you'll be worth talking about, which will lead to people seeking you out and searching for you in terms of the specific.

7/5/18

2 Types of People

There are 2 types of people.

One walks into a room and says, "I'm here." The other? The other walks into a room and says, "there you are." One absorbed by ego. The other absorbed by love, love of life and love of others. People need not walk into a room for you to make this distinction. Instagram posts make it easy to tell.

In any case, surround yourself with the other.

7/6/18

An Identity Crisis is Looming

When people get sick of and stop using Instagram in perhaps a decade (or less), what will teenagers and college kids of today have left of their identity? The answer is not much. We (myself included) place far too much weight in our online identities. We're largely judged for how we appear on Instagram rather than how we appear in real life. At least subconsciously, young people know this. So, we only show our best sides, building up this online identity. But what does this online identity mean without online platforms? The answer is nothing. added 8 years laterCloser to reality was that an identity crisis was looming for myself in my mid 20s.An identity crisis is looming for young people.

7/7/18

Inventing Things to Do

I'm on a little vacation in Long Beach Island, NJ. So, I set aside most large projects for the week so that my brain could catch a break. I cleared my to-do list. In theory, this sounds great. Unfortunately, being the workaholic I am, I have been inventing things to do all week. That is, I have been finding small, insignificant, meaningless things to work on. I have been finding "busy work." For instance: 1. Spending over an hour in photoshop to create my new Twitter cover photo 2. Spending multiple hours implementing a new emoji reaction software for posts (i.e. you can now click on a face at the end of posts in your browser that communicates "happy," "unmoved," "amused," "excited," "angry," or "sad"). (see example screenshot here) This sort of busy work is the enemy of productivity. It's like being a lion that chases after small field mice instead of the more satiating antelope. It's funny because only last week I put a notecard on my desk that reads, "Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?"

7/10/18

The Emotionally Grateful Soul

Today, I cried on the plane while listening to a sweet song that brought some memories to the surface of my mind (it's ok though, I had the whole row to myself!). I do this sometimes, but I'm not an emotional mess.

I'm an emotionally grateful soul.

That's what it is. In his ESPY speech just over a month before his death, Jimmy V said, "To me, there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think -- spend some time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's a heck of a day.” Many of us do number one. Sadly, not all of us do number two, but a fair amount do. Number three? Cry, that is, be an emotionally grateful soul? Rarely do any of us do number this. Perhaps it's "embarrassing." Well, I think embarrassment will fade away in the face of death. It doesn't matter in the end. Just cry.

Jordan and his grandmother raising a glass together.

7/13/18

Are You Depressed or Are You Miserable? Here's the Difference

The more I reminisce about my experience as a high schooler, I am beginning to realize that maybe I wasn't depressed at all. I think I was just miserable. "What's the difference?"

Well, I believe the difference between depression and misery is this:

1. Depression is not a voluntary state. It is not a choice. People who are depressed don't feel sorry for themselves. 2. added 8 years laterIt's almost always this.Misery, on the other hand, is a voluntary state. It is a choice. People who are miserable cry, "poor me, look at how bad my life is." In my case, I think I chose to be miserable. I chose to host my own pity party. In the same way, I chose to pick up the pieces, live freely, love openly, and do something that matters.

7/14/18

My Second Birthday

On December 2, 2016, I was born again.

On that day, I wrote my first blog post, and it marked the beginning of my thinking life.added 8/31/26 · 8 years later Yes, that day was certainly a leap in consciousness for me. Looking back, what I now attribute to the beginning of my thinking life, was the day I picked up Tony Robbins' Awaken the Giant Within at 17. I still remember the moment. I have a picture of it in my head: In the bedroom I grew up in. On my bed. Page 4. Looking at the page. Briefly looking up. My brain turning on, literally like the flipping of a switch. I don't think it's a stretch to say that I became conscious in this moment, the moment I realized my destiny.I feel as if I was hardly a conscious being before that day, as I had never written anything besides school papers before. That is, I never had to think. That's what writing does, it makes you think and expand upon your ideas in a way that you would never have done had you not begun writing. It's awesome, and I think everyone should experience this. Start a blog, write a book, or at least do something that makes you think. added 8 years laterAnd now it's been nearly a decade. Compounding is cool!It seems crazy that I've only been thinking for a year and a half, but it's true, and I'm excited to see what is to come with the next year and a half of my thinking life, and even the next 20 years.

7/15/18

Never Read My Posts Again Thanks to Amazon Polly

It's true, Amazon is taking over the world. They're involved in seemingly every industry and their technology is truly innovative. And guess what? With Amazon Polly's lifelike artificial intelligence, you no longer have to read any of my blog posts ever again if you don't want to; you can now listen to them in the player embedded at the top of this post. I like the voice because it sounds almost exactly like Ray Dalio (click for Audible audio sample from his book), the billionaire investor. What's even better? All of these audio tidbits stream right to iTunes in podcast format immediately after they are posted. Maybe you're even listening to this in iTunes right now. So yeah, go ahead and subscribe to my new podcast I guess. Please rate it too, as this helps tremendously. The best part? I don't have to do any extra work. Yes, the setup was for the more technologically advanced, but now that I have it set up, everything is done and automated, like most of my operations. Oh, and Polly is free for 5 million characters typed and converted per month. To put that in perspective, my 184-page book is 183,236 characters. In other words, I'll never pay for Polly. Whether we like it or not, we're moving rapidly towards streamlined automation and added 8 years laterwow, I had no idea 'artificial intelligence' was in my vocabulary at this timeartificial intelligence. Thanks, Amazon.

7/22/18

The Test of Greatness

Right before we are about to achieve our dreams, life throws us a curveball. This is when we encounter the most resistance. We are tested on everything we have learned along our journey. But life is not cruel in this way. Instead, it is smart. This test enables us to master the lessons we have learned. Unfortunately, at this point—the darkest hour of the night—most people quit. This test of resolve is what separates the good from the great. Let's make our decision upfront to not quit when things get tough. Decide right now. If we can make this choice, then we're in luck, because the darkest hour of the night comes just before dawn.

When faced with this inevitable Test of Greatness, Don't give up.

added 8/31/26 · 8 years later The Alchemist speaks of people dying of thirst just as the palm trees appear on the horizon.

7/25/18

Give Freely

I give to others a ton, and I'm learning that I shouldn't be keeping score when I give to others. I used to keep a scorecard, but I'm committing to not using them anymore. "I'll give to you if you give back to me" isn't giving. This is an exchange. This a transactional relationship, which, in time, becomes a toxic relationship. Instead, give freely. Give without expectation of return, and this will result in healthy, rewarding relationships. Give freely to others, and others will give freely to you as well. If they don't, it will at least return to you in your heart.

7/29/18

The Owner's Manual for My Brain

Writing a book about your principles and your truth is cool because you can always go back to it to hit the reset button when you get off track. That's what I'm doing right now–I'm re-reading my book for like the seventh time. It always makes me feel good and it gets me back on the track I was beginning to stray from. After all, it's the owner's manual for my own brain, and I think everyone should construct an owner's manual for their brain.

8/7/18

How to Get What You Want

Here's the 5-step process to getting what you want. It's quite simple, really.

1. Identify what you want. 2. Identify who has what you want. 3. Evaluate yourself. 4. Evaluate who has what you want. 5. Close the gap between yourself and who has what you want.

8/8/18

How to Heal Your Emotional Pain

For most of my life, I would feel devastated whenever I got dumped. It happened every time without failure, no matter the length of the relationship. The first time I got dumped, in freshman year of high school, I unnecessarily fell into a pit of misery for multiple years. Every relationship that ended after that still put me in dark places emotionally, although it never lasted more than a month or two. However, in my most recent relationships, I've wised up to something funny, and that is the fact that all events are neutral. Events are not inherently positive or negative by nature. What makes these events positive or negative is the way we interpret the events. Meaning matters most. And we will never heal from any troublesome event unless we change the meaning that we attach to it.

8/15/18

Wise Laziness

Geniuses are lazy. This is not a bad thing, however. Laziness is precisely what makes a genius, well, a genius. Geniuses want to do as little work as possible, which essentially forces them to discover the most efficient ways to do things. So, be lazy.

8/17/18

The Universal Perspective | Official Book Unannouncement

Superstars, in the form of humans, do not exist.

In a universe where we have discovered over 100 BILLION galaxies, with that number set to double as telescope technology improves in the years to come, there are no humans who are superstars. Not to mention, we’re only alive for roughly 80 out of the 13.5 billion years the universe has existed. We’re just small particles, insignificant life forms, many of whom think they are “superstars.” The only superstars that exist are thousands of light years away, at a minimum. For example, VY Canaris Major is a star that has a diameter 155,000 times the size of Earth, and like a billion times the size of one human. That is a real superstar. You may say, “alright, whatever Jordan” because these numbers are tough even to comprehend. But here’s the whole key: I don’t matter. You don’t matter. We don’t matter, the richest and most famous people in the world don’t matter. This is not harsh, but freeing. It allows us to hold our egos lightly, to face our “fears,” and to laugh at ourselves and enjoy life.

This, I call The Universal Perspective.

I wrote this exactly a week before my first book, Growth Mindset University, came out. I was gearing up to write this new book, The Universal Perspective. I started writing it May 18, the day after my book was released. I wrote about five pages and said publicly in podcast interviews that I was releasing this new work in Fall 2018. I even designed a beautiful cover and ordered a physical proof of it. But, unlike my first book, it was merely speculative. There were no actions to be taken from this book, no lifestyle changes to be made. I realized that this sort of speculatory book would merely be a waste of peoples' time, much less my own time. So, I trashed it. No Universal Perspective book. People knew I was writing another book, and what's funny is that I got a letter from a reader in mid-summer saying, "... congrats on your first book as you are probably done you're second one by now (LOL)." Far from it. The lesson here is nothing new: Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Just stop making announcements on social media and elsewhere and simply take action. Only after the successful completion of a task, it should be announced, if at all. Less talking, more doing. Work hard, stay humble.

10/17/18

Video: Nearly 10 Million Americans Consider Suicide Every Year

Nearly 10 million Americans consider suicide every year, and ... well, I've been there. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S and 2nd among people ages 10-34. 44,965 Americans die by suicide every year, and this has climbed nearly 30% in the past 19 years. For every suicide, 25 attempt. Men commit suicide 4x more than women (because many think they should "man up" and not show their true emotions and struggles). Mental health is a real problem, and (anti)social media is definitely a big contributor to it ... because we (myself included) post about how AMAZING our lives are even though we are depressed. We post only the best of the best of our pictures (and not one of us crying alone in bed), only our biggest accomplishments (and not our failures), only our best friends (and not our enemies). This is no fault of our own ... it's natural. I'm not saying we should post our worst stuff. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't be so afraid to talk about it. In the past, when people would ask me, "how are you?" I would always give my default, "I am well/great/fantastic!" even if it wasn't true. But recently, I've been opening up. If I feel lonely, I say it. If I feel sad, I say it. And more often than not, people have reciprocated, confiding in me, saying that they feel similarly. What would have been a 5-second conversation becomes an enriching 20-minute conversation. And the relationships that have developed and strengthened from these vulnerable and honest conversations have been profound. Friends, we need each other. Open up. Be honest. It's ok to feel like this, just don't make it part of your identity. There is no such thing as darkness, only the light inside us. The "darkness" we speak of is only an absence our light. A darkness is not an object. A light, though, is an object. Let's turn the light on.

10/18/18

Video: Not Only Is It OK to Get Help ... It's Responsible

Seeing a mental health counselor doesn't mean we are weak, broken, or inadequate. Seeing a mental health counselor means we are committed to continual growth and development, it means we are getting healthier, it means we are doing all we can to become all we were created to be. No matter what it looks like from the outside, my life is not perfect. I have sticking points in my life, things that are missing, areas of my life that are not yet up to par. And for years, I refused help because it wouldn't fit the image I had for myself. I was cocky enough to think I could fix things all by myself. But we need each other, we need to open up to other people, and talking to a professional can put us on the right path. I was in counseling for an hour the other week, and I'll be back next week, not because something is wrong with me, but because I know I have a higher self inside me. And by the end of my life, I want to be able to look that man in the eyes, shake his hand, and have the sense that I really know him ... because I am him. It would be a great tragedy for that man to seem like a stranger, and as long as I stay static in my growth, that's the path I'm headed down. By going to counseling, I'm becoming more of my higher self. Part 1 (Nearly 10 Million Americans Consider Suicide Each Year): http://jordanparis.com/suicide

10/24/18

Is the Search for Meaning a Meaningless Search?

(bctt tweet="Life can't always be enjoyed, so you have to find and attribute meaning to your trials and tribulations and figure out how that contributes to your longitudinal happiness." username="PatSoIcey") I asked a silly question on the podcast: Is the search for meaning a meaningless search? And the answer is no, it is absolutely not meaningless. It's just that in the good times we don't need our meaning or purpose at the forefront of our thoughts. In this way, meaning is much like the practice of meditation. We feel the need to meditate more in the difficult times than when things are going perfectly. Meditation, in tough times, is like a life jacket keeping us afloat, protecting us from drowning in our negative thoughts. Meaning, in tough times, is vital. Without it, we will never be able to endure challenges. Without meaning, we will never stay afloat in a sea of disease, heartbreak, financial troubles, etc. Has your meaning/purpose kept you going through the toughest of times? Watch the 2-min excerpt Listen to the full 2.5 hour conversation

12/16/18

The Jack of All Trades Is The Master of None

Some people tell me I'm a jack of all trades. They think it's a compliment. It's not. It's the furthest thing from a compliment. In fact, it's a warning sign. Because...

If you're a jack of all trades, then you're a master of none.

And I'm into mastery. The most successful people have their "thing." That one thing they master. And that's why they're successful... because they mastered that thing. As Tony Robbins says, “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” Don't dabble; Master. If someone calls you a jack of all trades, then it may be time to look in the mirror and evaluate. Focus in on that thing. Mark Metry is someone I see mastering key skills - podcasting and LinkedIn marketing. Justin Nguyen and Ava Wettrick are becoming masterful in guiding young students through their careers. Dr. Joel Kahn is a master of whole-food plant-based eating. Steve Jordan is the movement master. Chris Williams is the master of balance What are you mastering? Let me know (bctt tweet="The Jack of all trades is the master of none" username="J__Paris")

12/21/18

Neutrality is the Enemy

People want everyone to like them... So they stay neutral and optimize for everyone with the hope that everyone will like them. People write books for everyone. People try to market to everyone. But if you try marketing to everyone, you're marketing to no one. If you're neutral, nobody talks about you. People are "ehh" about you. That's the response you get by staying neutral. "He's ehh. She's OK." Middle of the road. Average. For me, NEUTRALITY IS MY ENEMY. I say outlandish things that I believe in and are totally me and I'm not afraid to break social rules... And I turn off plenty of people, sure. But I turn on a whole lot more. By not staying neutral, by picking a side, you FIND YOUR TRIBE. Draw your line in the sand. Hone in on you to find where you truly belong... and if you're yourself, you'll find it a lot faster.

12/31/18

2018: Year In Review

I want to say 2018 was the best year of my life, but I fear that I am falling prey to the effects of the recency bias by saying so. "Recency bias" is the phenomenon of a person most easily remembering something that has happened recently, compared to remembering something that may have occurred a while back. 2018 is the year that is freshest in my head, far fresher than 2017 and the years that precede it. Therefore, to say 2018 was the best year of my life may be a judgment best reserved to make a few years from now. Anyhow, 2018 was incredible because I... 1. Read 31 books (click here for all 31) 2. Wrote a book 3. Launched a badass podcast and fell in love with the process of producing it 4. Produced 56 of the aforementioned podcast episodes 5. Came up with the concept of Growth Mindset University altogether 6. Experienced some of the adventures of a lifetime in Tulum, Exuma, Los Angeles and (currently) The Keys 7. Swam with sharks 8. Swam with pigs 9. Made plenty new friends 10. Was featured in my first print magazine 11. Was featured in Men's Health online twice 12. Re-launched my web development business 13. More than doubled my income while working 1/8 the number of hours compared to the year before It was a ton of fun, and there is no shortage of victories and hard lessons learned alike that I am grateful for. Since you're reading this, I want to arm you with some learning materials in an effort to create a benevolent army of learners in 2019! 14. Again, here are the 31 books I read in 2019 15. Here is a page dedicated to 49 books that I most recommend 16. Here is a collection of the best podcasts we've produced this year with the top 5 episodes below 17. Dr. Joel Kahn on Eating Too Much Protein, Heart Health, and Longevity 18. Don’t Listen to This If You Hate Money | Learn Marketing from Amazon #1 Bestselling Author Allan Dib 19. How to Write a 184-Page Book In 29 Days (15 Small Steps, No Guesswork) 20. How to Create a Badass Website with WordPress 21. Learn LinkedIn marketing and podcast growth with 21 y/o iTunes top 100 podcaster Mark Metry 22. LinkedIn is the place to hang out online right now because people are blowing up on this platform the way people blew up on YouTube 5-10 years ago. Here is an all-encompassing lecture I gave on the Why's, How's, and What's of LinkedIn at FGCU. I'm confident these resources will serve you the way they served myself and others. So, please enjoy, and stay tuned for plenty more to come in 2019. Cheers, to a joyous and peaceful New Year, Jordan

1/20/19

Podcast University

Looking for the new and free video course on How to Become a Rockstar Podcaster? Click the button below to gain access now! Enroll in Course for FREE Are you ready to become a rockstar podcaster? This post will solve for many of the unknown variables you are unsure of surrounding the software and hardware you should use to create a blockbuster podcast. To keep it simple, mixers and USB interfaces are excluded. The tools that I use myself will be in bold.

Microphones

1. Blue Yeti USB Microphone ($110) and Mudder Mic Cover Foam Microphone Windscreen for Blue Yeti ($7, required for this mic) 2. Rode smartLav+ Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone for iPhone and Smartphones ($57, for my live presentations) 3. Audio-Technica ATR2100 and a foam screen

In-Person Interview Setup

4. Recorder: Zoom H5 Four-Track Portable Recorder ($279) 5. Mics: 2 of Audio-Technica ATR3350 Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone ($29.99 each) 6. Adapter: TISINO 3.5mm to 1/4 Mono Adapter, 3.5mm (1/8 Inch) Stereo Female to 6.35mm (1/4 Inch) TS Male Plug Metal Gold Plated Audio Adaptor Audio Connector - 2 Pack ($6.99) 7. Headphone splitter ($8.99) 8. Duracell rechargeable AA batteries - 4 count ($11) 9. Duracell battery charger ($23) 10. Energizer LR44 1.5V Button Cell Battery 20 Pack 11. 256 GB iPhone XS Max and Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter ($29.99) to record video with audio from Zoom H5

Headphones

I have no problem plugging my old Apple headphones into my Blue Yeti mic or Zoom H5. Podcast equipment snobs might scoff at this, but it gets the job done. However, if you insist on investing in better headphones, here are a few options: 12. Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone ($79) 13. Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones ($49) 14. Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones ($69)

Recording Remote Interviews/Anything Over the Internet

15. Squadcast.fm ($20/month) - Records in lossless WAV, separate tracks recorded locally for each guest which results in impeccable audio quality, HD video, up to 3 guests, backups, friendly and responsive support. Worth way more than $20/month. (bonus: Squadcast doubles as a great tool for small video conferences. I use it for business meetings) 16. Zencastr (free to use up to 8 hours per month, $20/month after that) - Personally, I have not used Zencastr, but I know people who do and the audio quality is impeccable here as well. It's a pretty robust software. Benefits include separate tracks for each guest, records in lossless WAV, a soundboard for live editing, automatic postproduction, and Dropbox integration. As much as I want to use this tool, I can't because I find it extremely difficult to use and there is no video at all which makes it harder for me to establish and build rapport with my guests. I used to record on Zoom with no video in the beginning and, with my own anecdotal evidence, I have found that the difference is this: I don't usually become friends with my interview subjects beyond the interview while the people I have interviewed with video have almost all become my friends. Maybe it's just me though. 17. Warning: Only use Zoom (free) if you want to sound like a robot. The audio quality is bottom of the barrel and miscellaneous noises are hard to edit out because both guests are recorded on the same track. As of episode 66, I switched from Zoom to Squadcast and it has been one of the best decisions I've made for the podcast. Listening to my episodes recorded with Zoom is like nails on a chalkboard now.

Editing

18. Audacity with Lame MP3 Encoder and FFmpeg import/export library 19. Auphonic.com - Automatic Postproduction 20. MelodyLoops.com - Royalty free music

Branding Assets

21. Smartmockups.com ($9-$14/month) - Create awesome mockups (like the featured image for this post and this, this, and this). 22. Write a book - Learn how to write a book with these 15 steps. 23. Photoshop or Canva to create featured images for each episode. 24. Headliner.app to create transcribed video clips for LinkedIn and Instagram stories for your guests to share, and thus, grow your show.

Scheduling

25. Calendly - Do your guests and yourself a huge favor and eliminate needless back and forth while agreeing on a time by using Calendly. There is a free version, but I insist on upgrading to Pro for $12/month.

Podcast Hosting

26. Anchor (free) - Pros | Pros + Cons + Summary 27. Simplecast, for the professional podcaster ($15-$85/month)

Website Hosting

Use https://www.who-hosts-this.com/?s= if you are curious as to what host a certain site uses. 28. Cloudways (fast, what I use for some of my other sites) 29. SiteGround (faster, what I use for this site)

Website CMS

Use https://whatcms.org/ if you are curious as to what CMS a certain site uses 30. WordPress.org (powers over 30% of the internet, for people who are serious about their brand) - Use https://www.themedetect.com/?s= if you are curious as to what WP theme a certain site uses. 31. Wix.com (the easy way out, highly unlikely to ever be found in search engines, for people who aren't serious).

Website Development

32. The WordPress Rocketeer - The WordPress Rocketeer is focused on developing creative websites to launch your dreams to infinity and beyond. Leave it to the professionals to develop a website that looks, feels, and functions like that of a fortune 500 company (click or email JP@TheWPRocketeer.com) 33. Click here to learn how to create a WordPress site on your own (10-minute podcast) Need me to bail you out and help you gain clarity on how to create a blockbuster podcast, personal brand, and website? I'll take care of you:

Jordan holding a laptop beside a microphone on a wooden stool.

3/30/19

Why I Started Growth Mindset University (Video)

People always ask me when and why I decided to start the Growth Mindset University podcast. I actually have no clue when or why I started it. There was no "aha" moment. I simply decided without hesitation. I took imperfect and started growing as I was going. I believe making decisions without hesitation is critical to success because the Goddess of Good Luck favors men and women of action (from The Richest Man In Babylon). The more time I have to think about something, the more likely I am to overthink it and probably blow it if I haven't already talked myself out of it. When I decide to approach someone I want to talk to and get to know, I do so without hesitation. Years ago, when I decided to start a blog site, I did so without hesitation. When I decided to get my NASM certification, I did so without hesitation. When I decided to write a book, I did so without hesitation. When I decided to master how to develop a website with WordPress, I did so without hesitation. Are you utilizing your power of decision to the fullest extent or are you waiting for the stars to align before you embark on the work of your life? Is the Goddess of Good Luck favoring you? Check out this video.

The original Growth Mindset University podcast artwork.

5/14/19

Don't Ride the Highs Too High nor the Lows Too Low

This is one of my happy moments. I would be lying if I said this is me all the time. We are so rarely photographed in moments of despair. I haven't had a picture taken of myself while crying in nearly two decades, but I still cry. Sometimes life is difficult. It seems like everything is going wrong all at once. But those moments come and go. Sometimes life is good. Everything is going right. People are going out of their way to do things for you. You feel like your on top of the world, like you can do anything. These moments, too, come and go. But, as I've done more and more inner work and personal development on myself over the years, I have found that the tough moments become fewer and farther between, and the happy moments are becoming increasingly prolonged. added 7 years laterI really wish I knew what the picture was. Lost in the files of time.This picture was taken on Friday. Last night, Monday night, I felt like I hit a low point in life and even business. I felt like a complete loser. I wondered, "Why am I even trying?" The feeling sucks, the worst ever, like I want to crawl away and hide, perhaps in some foreign country where there is less pressure (yes, for real). Again, life is not pure enjoyment all the time, but life is here for us to enjoy as much as we can.

Don't ride the highs too high nor the lows too low.

Enjoy the gift of today.thread to When there is nothing to do but just be · 9/21/25thread to Tomorrow never comes. · 9/29/25thread to I’m just happy to be here · 9/29/25thread to Presence is always here · 9/30/25thread to The Journey (with no destination) · 10/4/25thread to The search is over · 9/20/25thread to There is nothing to do. · 9/20/25connected 7 years later

6/17/19

Struggling with Phone Addiction? Try This

Let's be real: Unless you're using your phone to listen to the Growth Mindset University podcast, you're wasting your time. I kid, I kid. On a serious note, while some of the time spent on our phones can be productive, much of it is a tragic waste of time. I'd consider many of my LinkedIn posts, especially the ones about my podcast, relatively productive. After all, I put in so much time and energy to reach out to the guests and prepare for the interview, so why wouldn't I share it with my audience? Fine. I make a post. Then what? Well, I watch the likes, comments, and messages roll in, replying to every comment and message as soon as I see it. Then I go to Twitter, then Instagram, then Facebook, then email, then back to LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram... OH, LET ME SEE WHO VIEWED MY STORY... Facebook, email, and on and on in a hellish loop. Approximately 10% of the time I spend on my phone is necessary. The other 90%? A bigger waste of time than college (and that's saying something). So, what to do... There's this guy named Naval Ravikant (future guest?) who is the CEO of AngelList and seems to have the answer for everything under the sun. I always trust his input. If he told me to jump off a cliff, I might just do it. He is incredibly wise and enlightened, though he insists he is not. He is shockingly humble for someone worth billions of dollars and extremely eloquent in the way he conveys ideas, as evidenced by some of his quotes: 1. "Signaling virtue is a vice." 2."Retirement starts when you stop sacrificing today for some imaginary tomorrow. You retire by saving up enough money, becoming a monk, or by finding work that feels like play to you." 3. "You want to be rich and anonymous, not poor and famous." After months of struggling with phone addiction, wasting copious amounts of time and getting more fed up by the day, I had one of my best ideas ever: I'll just ask Naval. See exhibit A below:

i also would love to hear the answer to this
— Jeremy Miller 🚀 (@jjeremymiller) June 16, 2019

Yes! It would only be a matter of hours, maybe even minutes before I solved my problem! Even my friend Jeremy Miller was eager to hear the answer. For a few hours, it seemed like my entire life depended on Naval's response. I knew Naval was going to hit us with something we had never heard before that would change the way we live. He is so well-rounded in every area of his life, he must have this phone addiction thing figured out. We waited. We got a response:

Honestly, I need a Twitter detox.
— Naval (@naval) June 16, 2019

"Honestly, I need a Twitter detox," he said. Damn. Not even Naval had the answer. I couldn't believe that someone as strong-minded as him struggles with the same addiction many of us struggle with. What to do... There I was, back at square one. In the spirit of Dr. Seuss, I thought left and thought right and thought low and thought high. Oh, the thoughts I can think up if only I try! Well, I tried, and I got somewhere. Something came to my mind that I had deliberated doing for months but hoped (hope is not a strategy, however) that I would never have to do this. I took both my iPhones and locked them in the glove box of my car. I walked back up to my apartment, locked myself out of the internet on my computer for four hours with Leechblock, and was left with me, myself, my books, and a few online course sites I still had access to. What is one to do without social media and hardly any internet access? Read, write, learn, and enjoy the world I say! Believe it or not, you adapt to your new environment without a phone. The uninterrupted solitude was refreshing, my productivity was pulsing, and the freedom of no longer being chained to my phone was exhilarating. I read Kamal Ravikant's (Naval's brother, future guest?) small 55-page book, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It, I read more of Mark Manson's (episode 99) Everything Is F*cked, a bit of Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans, meditated, and progressed through two of Mark Manson's courses: The Blogging & Writing course and the Dating & Relationships course (fascinating to hear the psychology of relationships, by the way). That was yesterday. Today, I read more of Mark Manson's Everything Is Fucked, started reading his first book, Models: Attract Women Through Honesty (judge me for caring about the quality of my relationships, I don't give a f*ck), went through more of the same courses, and then sat down to write for a few hours. Oh, what fun! I can feel my brain changing and it's only been two days. FAQ Q: How long do you keep your phone in the car? A: Yesterday was 2:45 PM to 8:15 PM. Today it was 1 PM to 7 PM. I plan on starting earlier and going longer as time goes on. Q: What if there is an emergency and someone needs to reach me? A: Many of our "emergencies" are actually false emergencies that somehow magically disappear if we do not tend to them right away. It really is magic. Or, perhaps, it is someone hitting the panic button and coming to you to solve the problem. What ends up happening, if you have boundaries and don't answer it right away, is the "emergency" disappears.

6/27/19

2 Ways to Find a Mentor

2 ways to find a mentor: Method 1: Don’t find a mentor, attract one. This is a long game. 1. Put yourself out there. Get in front of the camera multiple times per week to post one-minute videos on LinkedIn. Be a guest on podcasts. Create a podcast and bring on leaders in your industry. 2. Be different. 3. Be vulnerable. 4. Be consistent. 5. Build a life, not a resumé. 6. Plant seeds. Connect with leaders in your industry using LinkedIn's search function. Message. Help. Don’t ask for anything. Dig the well before you’re thirsty. Treat everyone like they can get you a cover story on Forbes Magazine. 7. Commit to the long game. You won’t see results tomorrow, not the next day, not even next month. Rather, your results will begin to compound, and opportunities will be abundant. Method 2: Find a mentor. This is a short(er) game. 1. Start a podcast. 2. Connect with your heroes. Comment on all their posts. Email them (use the Hunter . io chrome extension to find emails). Message them. 3. Dig the well before you’re thirsty.. build rapport before you go in for the ask, which is.. 4. “Can I interview you on my podcast?” 5. Interview them. Continue the relationship. Identify an aspect of their business/social presence that you can help them improve. Tell them the plan.

The interview seen over Jordan's shoulder, with James across the table.

Jordan and James Altucher holding each other's books.

7/6/19

A List of What We Should Be Learning In School But Don't

College teaches us hardly anything of relevance in 2019. Here's what we should learn in school but don't: - Persuasion - Human behavior and human nature - Body language and all that has to do with being a talented communicator - Human connection and vulnerability - The psychology of relationships - How to build a process-driven business/repeatable excellence - How to run a small business - Delegation + How to find the right people to delegate to - How money works - How to make money online - How to travel the world while making money online - The psychology of investing - Understand true suffering by visiting a 3rd world country - How to build good habits and break bad ones - How to become more aware of our psychological blindspots - Health and nutrition: what works and what doesn't - How to do nothing (Meditation? Yes and no) - Storytelling - Content marketing - Internet marketing that is actually relevant in 2019 - How to shake a hand - How to remember someone's name - How to build skills as opposed to memorizing (factual information is now irrelevant because we can look it up.) What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments here. Does this sound good? Subscribe to Growth Mindset University in Apple Podcasts and Spotify now so that you can learn how to succeed in this progressive new age of business with in-depth interviews of James Altucher, Mark Manson, Dan Lok, and other luminaries.

7/8/19

How to Sell Without Asking with Josh Steimle (Video)

Someone in my inbox selling me: "Hi! Thanks for the connection, I'm delighted to have you in my network. If you're interested in what we do and how we help build additional leads for our clients feel free to drop me a message or head over to (website) for a bit more background to what I do daily. Looking forward to possibly working with you." I'm not interested in what she does and I'm not looking forward to working with her because I don't have time for phone calls with strangers and I likely generate leads better myself anyway. Plus, how do I know she is any good? I don't. What if, for a change, this person put out content every week with tactics on how to get more leads to grow your business? .. Blogs, podcasts, social posts, case studies with measurable results, genuine offerings for help w/ no strings attached in my DMs .. What if, over time, I and others took a liking to the above content and, because she led with value and education, we now trust her immensely and know she gets results. We know that for every dollar we spend with her, she is going to get us X amount of leads and generate us X dollars in revenue. Does this change things? You bet. People will now come to her. Today's guest on the Growth Mindset University podcast, Josh Steimle, knows this well.

7/16/19

Why Formal Education Is A Huge Scam (8 Videos, 1 Podcast)

This is an emotionally charged cause for me, one that's gained incredible traction over the course of 2019 and has been featured in LinkedIn's News story, "Is a degree still worth it?" Some disagree, but the overwhelming majority agree that education must evolve. What doesn't need to evolve? Entire species have died out because they did not evolve or adapt. For example, the dodo bird never learned to fear humans, so they became extinct. If someone from 1900 were to time travel to 2019, the only thing they would recognize is our education system. Should education be exempt from the need to evolve and adapt? I think not. A college degree is merely a receipt. It is proof of conforming to societal norms. Young adults are saddled with more student loan debt than ever ($37,000+ on average). Total student loan debt is up to $1.6 TRILLION. As a result, young adults nowadays are having fewer kids and buying homes less often, even though they want to do these things. Colleges are richer than ever, constructing tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new buildings, stadiums, and rec centers (sound familiar, Florida Gulf Coast University?). This is funded by our student loan debt. The material and syllabi are decades outdated. Grades are an illusion. Cheating is rampant. Many (not all) of the professors have not done the thing they are teaching (or merely reading word for word from McGraw-Hill's generic, outdated, cookie-cutter slides). Schools are teaching worthless degrees (liberal arts, gender studies (!), entrepreneurship, etc.) and charging six figures for them, preparing us for jobs that either don't exist or won't exist very soon (robots are becoming the new middle class). Here is what we should be learning in school (LinkedIn post). Hear my full case for why formal education is a huge scam on the Screw The Naysayers podcast with my friend Tim Alison. Also, this topic has been discussed on the podcast countless times. Here are a few videos: https://youtu.be/UlSOCK6sy0U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byRn1zC3z8I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc5GpumHMGw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6SIFVA-fkk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgoZTC8HKm8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grKEYRPWwcc&t=759s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFh784R8gI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-zHRhEmIGE

Jordan and James Altucher speaking into microphones, seen from the audience at Stand Up NY.

7/22/19

Can Humans Live Forever? | Naveen Jain

Can humans live forever? Billionaire Naveen Jain, my guest on the Growth Mindset University podcast, thinks so. Imagine if being "old" becomes a thing of the past. There is a possibility that nanobots that constantly repair us and have the ability to kill cancerous tumors by cutting off their blood supply will be flowing through our body by 2030. Naveen argues, with these nanobots, our bodies will be just as healthy as they were in the teenage years throughout the lifespan. By replacing and restoring our bodies perpetually, we could (theoretically) live forever. Living forever sounds like a great idea, but it comes with a new set of challenges. Mark Manson (episode 99 of GMU) writes in his new book that living forever could be a psychological disaster. "For one, if you remove death, you remove any scarcity from life. And if you remove scarcity, you remove the ability to determine value. Everything will seem equally good or bad, equally worthy or unworthy of your time and attention, because . . . well, you would have infinite time and attention. You could spend a hundred years watching the same TV show, and it wouldn’t matter ... You could justify every indulgence, every diversion, with a simple 'Well, it’s not like it’s going to kill me,' and get on with it." I guess, then, the question becomes, "Should we live forever?" Hear my full conversation with Naveen on Growth Mindset University at JordanParis.com/ep124. https://youtu.be/Ox5-3lbyeBc

8/5/19

Change Your Language, Change Your Life

Change your language, change your life! Is it better to say "MY depression" or "THE depression"? When speaking about anxiety, depression, disease, or sickness, never use possessive words that make these things a part of you or someone else. Distance yourself from these things. Do not give them power over you. My guest on Growth Mindset University today is Josh Perry, a BMX superstar who survived multiple brain tumors. Hear the full conversation at https://JordanParis.com/ep127. https://youtu.be/WUzWZ2s3bSs

8/16/19

Science Says You Suck At Multitasking

"I'm really good at multitasking" is a self-serving bias. Multitasking kills your productivity. When switching from one task to another, your attention doesn't immediately follow. A residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task. Sophie Leroy, a business professor at the University of Minnesota, coined the term "Attention Residue." In her research, she found that "people experiencing attention residue after switching tasks are likely to demonstrate poor performance on that next task." As Cal Newport writes in his brilliant book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In A Distracted World, "It might seem harmless to take a quick glance at your inbox (or LinkedIn notifications) every ten minutes or so. ... That quick check introduces a new target for your attention. Even worse, by seeing messages you cannot deal with at the moment (which is almost always the case), you'll be forced to turn back to the primary task with a secondary task left unfinished. The attention residue left by such unresolved switches dampens your performance." Scheduling uninterrupted blocks of intense focus on single tasks like #1 NYT Bestselling Author Mark Manson and Mogul CEO Tiffany Pham reduces the harmful effects that attention residue can have on our work. Hear Mark Manson on Growth Mindset University: https://JordanParis.com/ep99 Hear Tiffany Pham on Growth Mindset University: https://JordanParis.com/ep85

8/29/19

Beware of False Vulnerability

People can see through BS messaging from marketers. If you're broke and newly unemployed, just start using words like "authentic," "transparent," and "vulnerable" and then become a life coach! While broke and unemployed, people craft a "vulnerable" message to get new life coaching clients. These are snake oil salesman and this is false vulnerability! Good thing nobody falls for it. These messages are becoming stale, don't you agree? I absolutely loved my conversation with the Healthy and Fit Natalie Jill- AGE IN REVERSE (47 years young) on Growth Mindset University: https://JordanParis.com/ep133

8/30/19

Money: For Better and For Worse

Asking for a friend: Is it possible to drive a Porsche or Ferrari and not feel like you are better than other people? David Meltzer's net worth was in excess of $100 Million before it all came crashing down over a decade ago. He had all the cars, homes, boats, etc. He got a bit too cocky and was humbled when he lost it all. Now, having rebuilt his career and bank account over the several years, I was shocked to hear that he drives a Chevy Volt! Money is a powerful force. It can be a force for good if we buy the right things. If we buy the wrong things, it can be an intoxicating force for the worse. What do you think - Is it possible to drive a Porsche or Ferrari and not feel like you are better than other people? My second episode with David Meltzer on Growth Mindset University is out now at https://JordanParis.com/ep132.

9/5/19

Lies That Digital Marketers Tell

Digital marketers tell plenty of lies and my guest Phillip Stutts sheds light on them in episode 134 of Growth Mindset University. Phillip is a genius in terms of marketing and I'm going through this episode right now taking notes! Hear it at JordanParis.com/ep134.

3/23/20

added 6 years laterThis shit was so dumb and I'm embarrassed I put out such a low T post.15 Things to Do While Quarantined

added 6 years laterLow testosteroneIt is vital to the greater good of humanity that we practice social distancing to nip this virus in the bud! added 6 years laterIt took me about 2 and a half months to start living my life again and about 5 months before I realized just how misguided we all were, to say the least. I became very pessimistic.Social distancing and quarantining might sound miserable, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, we can come out of it better. Take Sir Isaac Newton for example: During the Great Plague of London in 1665 and 1666, Newton had to practice social distancing. It was during this time that he discovered calculus. He was only a student. He returned to Cambridge in 1667 with his theories. He was made a fellow six months later, then a professor two years later. We can do this. But, while hope is important, hope itself is not a strategy. So, here are 15 things to do while quarantined. I forgot a few easy ones like taking a walk, playing board games, and taking time to think. What would you add to the list in this document? DOWNLOAD PDF

5/16/20

How Coffee Can Actually Make You More Tired (Video)

People are loading up on coffee but are constantly tired. Why? Well, the average American drinks 3 cups of coffee per day, and each of those cups is, on average, 9 ounces. That's about 320 mg of caffeine per day. The half-life of caffeine is about 6 hours. Many people are drinking coffee all throughout the day, but to simplify the math, let's say they drink it all at 10 AM. If you have 320 mg of caffeine at 10 AM, then 6 hours laters (4 PM), you'll still have 160 mg of caffeine buzzing around in your system. 6 additional hours later, at 10 PM (when we should be going to bed), there is still 80 mg of caffeine buzzing around in your system. 6 more hours... at 4 AM, way past the middle of the night, you still have 40 mg of caffeine buzzing around... And because of all that caffeine in your system, your body is in deep sleep for less time and the quality of your sleep is poorer than it would be without the excess caffeine. So, you wake up feeling restless, which makes you want to throw down even more caffeine, and this vicious cycle continues day after day. Are you a coffee drinker? How much do you have? For more of my explanation on this, watch here.

7/29/20

Why You Shouldn't Listen to What People Say About You Online

If someone says something bad about you online, who cares? It’s not like they are talking about the real you anyway. They’re talking about the few paragraphs you wrote or the picture or video you posted. They don’t even know the real you. They merely made a judgment about who you are from how that post portrays you. Take their judgments as a grain of salt. And the great thing is that if too many people are responding negatively to you online, then you can always change up how you are portraying yourself. We all choose what to show people and what not to show people online. We are masters of impression management. It’s within our control. Don’t like the reactions? Switch it up. By the same token, if people are raving about you and praising you excessively online... take that as a grain of salt too. Because, again, they don’t know the real you. They judged you not by who you really are but by what you decided to say in your post. No matter how positive or negative, take what people say about you on the internet as theory, not fact.

8/6/20

How I Broke Out of My Shell and How You Can Too

Nothing captures the essence of my teen years better than this post on my Facebook Wall 8 years ago:

"TBH... u go to my camp and u dont talk at all. but otherwise ur relly nice."

And the ironic part is that now I talk for a living! Thanks to Vanessa Van Edwards for literally teaching me how to talk to people! How I went from wallflower to a social butterfly (when I want to be one lol) and how you can too: Awareness: ID the problem and know you need to change Learn: Seek out resources from people who ought to know Test: Test what you've learned out in the field that is life Lifestyle: Get your lifestyle in check. Perhaps your awkwardness is a symptom of a larger problem (drinking, money, etc.). If your life is a mess, your interactions and relationships will also be a mess. Dress to impress: Look good, feel good Say it: Stop second-guessing yourself and just say it Own it: See the way people treat you as largely flowing through you; you can control it Relax: You don't need to be "on" all the time It's funny that many people assume I am an extrovert nowadays. Not true. I'm still very much an introvert... most of the time. The only difference between Jordan Paris 2012 and Jordan Paris 2020 is that I now have the ability to switch into extroversion on a dime, which makes me an "ambivert." Are you an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert (both)? Download my "How I Went From Wallflower to Social Butterfly" PDF for free: https://jordanparis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Wallflower-to-social-butterfly.pdf Download

8/7/20

Read Fewer Books

Read fewer books. In 2018, I took part in this reading challenge by Goodreads. I tracked every book I read. After finishing books, I would mark them as done in the app. It became like a game to me. And I was running up the score... all the way up to 31 books finished by the time 2018 was over. After that, I decided to stop tracking how many books I read. Here's why: 1. Once I was around page 30-40, I couldn't wait to finish the book so I could run up the score and move on to the next. Reading became less enjoyable. 2. I was not getting much out of the books because (a) I tried getting through the books as fast as I could with little regard for comprehension and (b) I did not take the time to apply what I learned. So, now I read fewer books.. but more deeply. I take my time. No "speed reading." Sometimes I read books two or three times. Sometimes I listen to it on Audible then read the physical book. Sometimes I take notes. And I've made the transition from voracious consumer of self-help/business books to actually applying the principles I've learned in my business every day. For this reason, I read far less than I did a few years ago, but my results in business and life have been far more favorable. So, read fewer books, but more deeply. Which books have you read twice?

The Growth Mindset Philosophy in 50 Bullet Points

Don't Block Out Negative People

The Relationship Master

Raise Neccesity

Grounded In the Roots of Purpose

added 8 years laterTony Robbins all the wayThe Level 10 Experience

The Definition of Easy

added 8 years laterMark MansonThe Inevitability of Problems

Life without problems would be boring anyway.

A Special Statement About Happiness

What Happened to That Big Food Experiment?

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck | Book Review | 8/25/26

My top 3 takeaways:

F*ck Motivation

As a Man Thinketh | Book Review

Here were my top 3 takeaways:

What's the Point of Growing?

“No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”

“The man who dies rich, dies disgraced.”

“Do real and permanent good in this world.”

“Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.”

So, what’s the point?

When Is It a Good Day to ... Die?

At the end of life, will you have lived fully, loved openly, and truly mattered?

Innovations, Everywhere

But why is it that LA is usually the first to see these innovations?

The Innovation X-factor

"Superstars"

Superstars, in the form of humans, do not exist.

This, I call The Universal Perspective.

Why the Reason We Get Together is the Reason We Break Up

Oh crap. Multi-dimensional. The game has changed.

Think About It

We contemplate about contemplating the contemplation of our own thoughts.

Law of Accumulated Prosperity

Law of Accuracy

We all think we are right, which brings us to the next law, the Law of Accuracy:

We are all wrong.

Law of Wisdom

This is the Law of Wisdom:

A Collection of the Worst Advice Ever

Law of Infinite Truths

Growth Mindset Equations | Notes from a Friend

Stressed for No Reason

Growth Mindset University Principles

The basics of the Growth Mindset University principles:

Principle 1: Adopt a growth mindset and drop limiting beliefs.

Principle 2: Feed the mind or fall behind.

Principle 3: Develop your purpose.

Principle 4: Work harder on yourself than anything else.

Principle 6: Start viewing setbacks as setups and trouble as transportation.

Principle 7: Forget what others think and get after your dreams today.

Principle 9: Live to learn. Grow to give.

Principle 11: Take responsibility, give away credit.

Principle 12: To make an impact, define impact, then make it happen.

To Be or To Do?

This is "to be."

Joy, Now

Don’t fall prey to the trap “I’ll be happy when I get/do ______.”

If we can learn to strive and grow joyfully, we’re in for a good, balanced life.

Thanks

Well, thanks for reading my blog.

Beware of the Trap

How to Stop Feeling Down

When to Recommend a Book and When Not To

Most of us get tons of book recommendations and even gifts.

Blog Post #100: Throwback to Post #1

A review of the first 100 posts:

What to expect from 101-200:

The Mind-Body Relationship: A Dancing Act

PSA: Let the Good Times Roll

This is where I'm at; it's time to get the ball rolling again.

Run Your Own Race

Forget the competition, and run your own race.

Man's Search for a Voice

Man's Search for a Voice

Ponzi and His Scheme, Crypto, and "Forex", Oh and Bernie Madoff too

Initial Coin Offerings

Cryptocurrency

iMarketsLive