The Day That Reshaped My Life | Jim Rohn Motivation

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1:00There are moments in life when everything changes. Sometimes these moments come unexpectedly. A meeting, a conversation, a thought, an event. Something that catches you by surprise. And in that moment, everything is different. The day your life changes is not always something you can predict. But you can prepare for it. Let me say that again. You can prepare for the day when everything will be different. I want you to think about something. Have you ever had a moment where you realized I'm never going back? I'm never going to live life the same way again. That's what we're talking about today. It's about that pivot point in your life. Maybe you've already had one or two of these. Or maybe it's just around this and then the corner.

2:05Either way, the beauty of it is this. Once your life changes, once you make a real, lasting change, it's like setting off on a new path, a better path with new possibilities. I think back to one of those moments in my own life, I was 25 years old, working on a farm, broke with pennies in my pocket and nothing to show for my efforts. I was at that point where you start wondering, is this it? Is this what life is all about? But then something happened. I had a conversation with a man named Mr. Shof and that conversation changed everything. Sometimes the day your life changes starts with a mentor. Someone who has what you want. Someone who's been down the road you're about to travel. And Mr. Shof said to me, Jim, if you want things to change, you have to change. If you want your life to be different, you have to do things differently.

3:09That might sound simple, but I'm telling you, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was blaming everything outside of me for why I wasn't successful. I was blaming the economy, the government, my circumstances. But Mr. Shof made it clear. My life wasn't going to change until I took responsibility for it. And that's where I want to start today. The day your life changes is the day you take responsibility for where you are and where you're going. Now, some people don't like to hear that. We all like to think that our circumstances are somebody else's fault. It's easier that way, right? It's not my fault. It's the economy. It's not my fault. It's my upbringing. It's not my fault. I didn't get the right opportunities. And I understand that. I've been there.

4:11But I'm telling you, as long as you hold on to those excuses, nothing is going to change. See, here's the thing. We all start at different places. Some people start life with more advantages than others, and that's the reality of it. But what matters more than where you start is what you do with where you are. There's a great quote that says, it's not what happens to you that determines your future. It's what you do about what happens. And that's the truth. The day your life changes is the day you decide to be the driver, not the passenger. You've got to take the wheel, take control, and decide that you are going to steer your life in a new direction. The day you stop waiting for things to happen, and you start making things happen,

5:11that's the day everything changes. Ask yourself, are you waiting? Are you waiting for someone to come along and change your life for you? Are you waiting for the perfect opportunity, the perfect time, the perfect conditions? Because I've got news for you. That perfect time is never going to come. If you're waiting for everything to line up before you take action, you'll be waiting forever. You've got to decide that today is the day, and you've got to work with what you have. There's another important idea here. The day your life changes is the day you start working on yourself, more than you work on anything else. Score more with the college branded Venmo debit card and earn up to 5% cash back with Venmo stash. Got paid back? With the Venmo debit card, you can instantly access your balance and spend on what you want, like game day snacks, gear, tickets, and more.

6:13The more you do, the more cash back you can earn. Plus, there's no monthly fear minimum balance. Sign up now at Venmo.com slash college card. The Venmo mastercard is issued by the bank court bank NA. Select schools available. Venmo stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash stash terms. Max $100 cash back per month. You see, I had this idea when I was younger that success was something you pursued. You had to go out and chase it. Run it down. Grab it before someone else did. But that's not how it works. Success isn't something you pursue. It's something you attract by the person you become. I'll say it again. Success is something you attract by the person you become. So, if you want your life to change, you've got to change. You've got to start developing yourself, building your skills, expanding your mindset.

7:13It's not about waiting for the world to change so you can get ahead. It's about making yourself better, so that you're ready when opportunity comes, because it will come. The question is, will you be ready for it when it does? Now, that brings me to something else. The day your life changes is also the day you decide to set real meaningful goals. Now, I don't mean vague wishes or day dreams. I'm talking about specific concrete goals that you write down, plan for, and work toward every day. You see, without goals, life can just drift by. You get up, go to work, come home and repeat. But there's no direction, no purpose. In my early days, I met a man who was incredibly successful, financially in his health and his relationships

8:14in every area of life. And I asked him, how did you do it? How did you create this amazing life? And he said something I'll never forget. He said, Jim, I learned a long time ago that if I didn't design my own life, someone else would design it for me. And I'm telling you, they don't have much planned for you. That was powerful for me. He was right. If you don't set your own goals, your own course, you'll end up living someone else's plan. And that's no way to live. The day your life changes is the day you take control of your own future. You decide what you want, you set a plan, and you go after it with everything you've got. Now, you might be thinking, but Jim, I've tried setting goals before, and it didn't work.

9:17I didn't stick with it. And I understand that. Most people don't stick with their goals. You know why? It's because they don't have a big enough reason why. See, if your goals are just about what you want, that's not going to be enough. Your goals have to be connected to a deeper purpose. Something that moves you, something that gets you up in the morning with energy and enthusiasm. The day your life changes is the day you find your reason why. It's the day you stop being motivated by what you think you should do, and you start being driven by what you must do. A young man once came to me and said, Jim, I want to make a million dollars. I asked him, why? And he said, well, because I think it would be nice to have that kind of money.

10:19Now, I told him, that's not a strong enough reason. You've got to have something more. What will the money do for you? Who will you help? What kind of life will you create? Why is it a must, not just a wish? And that's the key. You've got to have a big enough reason why. Otherwise, when the challenges come, and they will come, you'll quit. The day your life changes is the day you find that deep driving reason that keeps you going no matter what. Here's another thing that happens on the day your life changes. The day you stop letting fear hold you back. Fear is one of the biggest things that keeps people from changing their lives. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown. But here's what I've learned.

11:19Everything you want is on the other side of fear, everything. There's a story about a man who lived his whole life afraid to step outside his comfort zone. As unpredictable. But you can flare less with epglysss. A once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four and ten people taking epglysss, achieved itch relief and glare are almost glare skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more glare at one year with monthly dosing. Epglysss, LibriKizumap, LBKZ. A 250-milligram per 2-milliliter injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Epglysss can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to epglysss. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with epglysss.

12:19Before starting epglysss, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask a doctor about epglysss and visit epglyss.lily.com or call 1-800-LilyRX or 1-800-545-5979. He stayed in the same town. Worked the same job. Had the same friends. And one day, he realized that he'd spend his entire life playing it safe. Never taking any risks. He looked back and saw all the things he could have done. But he didn't because he was too afraid. And he said, I wish I'd had the courage to live a bigger life. So, are you living a big life? Or are you playing it safe? The day your life changes is the day you decide to stop letting fear run your life. You decide that yes, you might fail. Yes, things might not work out the way you planned. But you're going to try anyway.

13:21Because the worst thing is not failing. The worst thing is never trying. The day your life changes is the day you embrace failure as part of the process. You see, failure isn't the opposite of success. It's a part of success. Every successful person I've ever met has failed. In fact, they've probably failed more times than they've succeeded. But they didn't let failure stop them. They used it as a stepping stone, a learning experience. So, when you fail and you will, don't see it as the end. See it as a lesson. Ask yourself, what can I learn from this? How can I use this to get better? Have you ever met someone who's always waiting for the perfect time to take action? They say, I'll start my business when the economy is better.

14:23Or, I'll work on my health when things slow down at work. Or, I'll focus on my goals when everything in my life is just right. You know the type. Always waiting for the stars to align. But here's what I've learned. The perfect time never comes. If you wait for everything to be perfect, you'll be waiting forever. The day your life changes is the day you stop waiting and start acting. Now, why is that important? Because life doesn't wait for you to get ready. Life keeps moving. The opportunities are there, but they won't sit around waiting for you to feel prepared to feel brave or to feel like you've got everything figured out. Here's something that I've come to understand.

15:23Life rewards action. Not intention, not ideas, not good thoughts, but action. The day your life changes is the day you take a step forward, even if it's a small one. Even if you're not entirely sure what the next hundred steps will look like. That's okay. You don't need to see the whole path to start walking. Most people are paralyzed by the need for certainty. They think, I'll start when I know how it's all going to work out. But the truth is, you'll never know exactly how it's going to work out. You have to move in faith, trusting that as you go, as you act, the path will unfold. When I first met Mr. Shof, I didn't know where it would lead. I had no idea that one conversation with him would change my entire future. But it did because I took the first step.

16:23I listened. I applied what I learned. So, if you've been sitting on an idea, a goal, a dream, waiting for the stars to align, this is your reminder that the stars don't need to align. What you need to do is make a decision. That's the day your life changes when you decide to act in spite of uncertainty. You've got to ask yourself, what's one thing in your life that you know you should be doing, but you've been putting off? Maybe it's a project you've been thinking about starting. Maybe it's a relationship you know you need to work on. Maybe it's your health. Whatever it is, I want you to think about what's holding you back. Is it fear? Is it a lack of clarity? Or is it that you're waiting for the perfect time?

17:25The perfect time is now. When you want your spring break to feel like and your kids pool day to feel like and your hotel bed to feel like ooh and room service to feel like because at Hilton, hospitality feels like a band is ready. Would you like fresh towels? It matters where you stay. Book now at hilton.com. Hilton for this day. The day your life changes is the day you realize that the only time you truly have is right now. And if you waste today waiting for tomorrow, you're giving up your most valuable resource. Time. Time waits for no one. So stop wasting it waiting for the perfect conditions. Get moving with what you have. And along the way, you'll figure out the rest.

18:27Here's one of the most important things about the day your life changes. It's the day you stop making excuses. I mentioned earlier that for years I blamed everything outside of myself for why I wasn't where I wanted to be. The economy, my upbringing, my lack of connections, you name it, I blamed it. But then I had a revelation. As long as I kept blaming everything outside of me, nothing inside of me was going to change. The day your life changes is the day you stop making excuses and start taking full responsibility for your life. Now this isn't about beating yourself up or feeling guilty. It's about empowerment. Because the moment you take responsibility for your life is the moment you realize that you have the power to change it. As long as you're blaming other people or circumstances

19:29or bad luck, you're giving away your power. You're saying, I can't change because it's out of my control. But the truth is, while you can always control what happens to you, you can always control how you respond. What's an excuse you've been holding on to? What's the story you've been telling yourself about? Why you can't succeed? Why you can't move forward? Why your life isn't where you want it to be? I want you to think about that for a moment. And then I want you to ask yourself, what if I took full responsibility for this? What if instead of blaming outside factors, you asked yourself, what can I do to change this? What steps can I take right now? That's the shift that changes everything. When you stop looking outside of yourself and start looking inside,

20:32the day your life changes is the day you realize no one is coming to save you. You have to save yourself. Now that might sound harsh to some of you, but I'm here to tell you, it's the most freeing realization you can have. Because when you understand that you're responsible for your own life, it means you have the power to change it. You're not at the mercy of circumstances. You're not a victim of your environment. You are the captain of your ship. Now that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Change is hard, growth is hard, but I'll tell you what's harder, staying stuck, waking up every day, knowing that you're not living up to your potential. That's hard. And the pain of regret is far greater than the pain of discipline.

21:34So if you're going to experience pain, and let's be honest, we all will at some point, choose the pain that leads to growth, choose the pain of taking responsibility, choose the pain of stepping outside of your comfort zone. Because that pain is temporary, but the rewards are lasting. The day your life changes, it's the day you stop comparing yourself to others. Now this one is big. Too many people get caught up in what everyone else is doing. They look at someone else's success, someone else's journey, and they start feeling inadequate. They start feeling like they're behind. But I'm telling you, you are on your own path. Your journey is your journey, and it's not supposed to look like anyone else's.

22:35The day your life changes, is the day you stop measuring your progress against other people's lives, and start focusing on your own growth. I'm telling you why this is important. When you compare yourself to others, you're always going to feel like you're lacking in some way. You'll always find someone who's doing better. Does it ever feel like you're a marketing professional just... Speaking into the void! But with LinkedIn ads, you can know you're reaching the right decision-makers, a network of 130 million of them, in fact. You can even target buyers by job title, industry companies, seniority skills, and did I say job title? See how you can avoid the void and reach the right buyers with LinkedIn ads. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Get started at LinkedIn.com slash campaign, terms and conditions apply. You're the new in some area of life. But what you don't see is their struggle.

23:38What you don't see is the hard work, the failures, the setbacks that they've had to overcome to get where they are. And even if they are ahead in some ways. So what? That has nothing to do with you. Here's the truth I've come to learn. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is the person you were yesterday. The day your life changes is the day you decide that your competition is not the person next to you. It's the person you see in the mirror. If you can focus on being better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you are today, you're winning. Where have you been comparing yourself to others? And how has that been holding you back? What would happen if you focused all that energy on your own progress instead? You see, comparison is the thief of joy.

24:41It robs you of the satisfaction of your own journey. But when you focus on your own growth, when you measure your progress against yourself, that's when real fulfillment happens. Stop chasing success and start focusing on contribution. Now, I know this might sound counterintuitive, especially in a world that's always telling us to go after success to chase our dreams. But here's the thing. Success, real success, isn't something you chase. It's something you attract by the person you become and by the value you provide to others. The day your life changes is the day you realize that it's not just about you. It's about what you can give. It's about how you can serve. Because here's the truth. The more value you bring to the marketplace, the more successful you'll become.

25:41The more you contribute to the lives of others, the more your own life will improve. I'm telling you, some of the most successful people I know are the ones who have shifted their focus from how can I get more to how can I give more. They understand that their success is a byproduct of their contribution. And the day your life changes is the day you start thinking the same way. When you stop asking what's in it for me and start asking how can I make a difference? That's when real success, real fulfillment, starts to flow into your life. Years ago I met a man who built a successful business. He started out focused on making money and while he did okay, he wasn't truly thriving. Then one day, he had a shift in his thinking.

26:41He realized that if he wanted to grow his business, he needed to focus on providing more value to his customers. He stopped worrying so much about his bottom line and started asking himself, how can I serve my customers better? How can I help them solve their problems? The result is business exploded. Why? Because when you provide value, people respond. When you focus on serving, success follows. So, where in your life can you contribute more? Where can you bring more value to others? Maybe it's in your business, maybe it's in your relationships, maybe it's in your community. Whatever it is, the day your life changes is the day you shift your focus from getting to giving. And here's something else that happens on that day. The day your life changes is the day you start focusing on what you can control

27:43and you stop worrying about what you can't. So many people spend their energy stressing over things they have no control over. The weather, the economy, other people's opinions, none of that is within your control. But what is within your control is how you respond. What is within your control is your effort, your attitude, your choices. The day your life changes is the day you stop wasting energy on things you can't change and start focusing on what you can do. You can't control the economy but you can control how much value you bring to the marketplace. You can't control what other people think of you. This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd, or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in. With a full lineup of non-alcoholic beer styles, you can enjoy bold flavors all game long.

28:45No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half. Stuck the fridge for tip off with a variety of non-alcoholic craft styles available at your local grocery store or online at athleticbrewing.com. Near beer, fit for all times. But you can control how much effort you put into becoming the best version of yourself. Tell me, what's something in your life that you've been stressing over? But that's outside of your control. What would happen if you let go of that stress and focused on what you can do right now with what you have? That's a powerful shift. And when you make it, your whole perspective changes. The day your life changes is the day you realize that most of life is about perspective. It's about how you choose to see things. You can choose to see challenges as obstacles. Or you can choose to see them as opportunities for growth.

29:45You can choose to see setbacks as failures. Or you can choose to see them as lessons. You can choose to see life as something happening to you. Or you can choose to see it as something happening for you. That shift in perspective. That's when everything changes. Because when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. How are you seeing your life right now? Are you seeing it through the lens of limitation? Or are you seeing it through the lens of possibility? The day your life changes is the day you choose to see your life as a series of opportunities waiting for you to step into. And let me leave you with this. The day your life changes is not a one-time event. It's a decision you make every single day. Every day you have the choice to act, to grow, to take responsibility,

30:45to contribute, to be better than you were yesterday. Every day you can choose to make today the day your life changes. So, what will you choose today? President Barack Obama. Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to raid the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. But you can stop them. By voting yes, by April 21st. Help put our elections back on a level playing field and let voters decide not politicians. Vote yes, by April 21st. Paid for by Virginians for fair elections.

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