Once upon a time, I used to work out a LOT. I could bench 200 pounds and you could iron a shirt on my stomach (haha yea right I wish). But yes, I used to work out a lot and it showed.

Working out is not just to lose weight - there are a lot of other benefits!

=> I had incredible energy
=> I felt great
=> I was getting exercise
=> I ate a lot more!

For the last year or so, I stopped working out for many reasons. I’m not going giving excuses, yes, I did get lazy too. But, mostly…

=> I started traveling a LOT…
=> Business became very demanding
=> Most of all…I got LAZY

But, now that’s over. I’m publicly declaring it’s time for a change. I’m building accountability not only to the world, but to a great friend Jimmy.

BTW, my friend Jimmy lost over 100 pounds in the last year - amazingly impressive. But the dude literally walks around with a food weighing scale. I’m not saying I’m ready to go that far, but we had an amazing work out last night.

So…you ready to see Buff Fighter? Well get ready.

And…lesson for today - join me. Even if you just go for a walk or something. Get up. Move. You need the physical exercise to live a more fulfilling life.

Popularity: 8% [?]

This past weekend was my 26th Birthday. In the past I always plan huge parties; restaurants, hotels, VIP at the top clubs, etc…

However, this year…things changed.

Not sure if I was just lazy, emotionally exhausted, tired of planning all the time at work…but I REFUSED to plan anything. My friends asked over and over what I was planning and I had no idea until 4PM on Friday.

My plan?

I decided on the CITY to go to and told everyone to just meet there after 10 PM. “We’ll figure out where to go once we get there…let’s WING IT!”

What Happened?

Actually, Friday night was not that great. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends, but nothing “eventful” happened. Most of the time when I “wing it” - I’ve had an amazing time.

Either way, I didn’t give up on the idea…

Saturday night - I wung it again. This time, instead of having my usual 40+ people for my birthday, I had 4.

The Result?

I think I had the best time of my life!  It was awesome. We had no idea where we were going till 9PM that night. We never even ended up at the original bar we intended to.

The night ended with me up-rooting many bushes from the ground, placing them on a friend’s car (honest mistake) and much more!

Why Am I Telling You This?

Because you need to do it. It’s refreshing.

You spend all your life “planning” things. Do this. One night, one day, one weekend - any time…just leave the house with absolutely NO PLAN.

See where you end up.

It will revive you like nothing else. Do it, I dare you.

Popularity: 7% [?]

This must have been the funniest thing I’ve seen this year - I’m not kidding.

I was at the airport yesterday waiting for a friend to arrive from India. It was like being at a zoo. There must have been 15 international flights coming in. What made this entertaining was that there was a big mix of cultures.

With the mixture came many *interesting* “meeting rituals.” I saw everything, songs being sung, balloons, signs, screaming, stomping, yelling, shouting, crying, hugging - you name it…

But, nothing took the prize like this one…

A Guy and a Girl Emerge…

Probably mid 20s…European. They come around the corner form Customs with their 1,345 pound bags and BAM - their “peeps” saw them and started shouting bloody mary.

The minute the guy and girl were in reach, the “welcoming” friends BURST out of their line and ran towards them.

What am I expecting?

A jump into their arms…a hug…maybe even the “European” double cheek kisses…but oh no…

The welcoming guy (probably mid 20s as well) runs up to the visiting guy - winds back and *SMACK* - he slaps him fair and square right across the face.

The smackEE simply laughs, hugs and they start jumping up and down spinning in circles.

If A Guy Ever Slaps ME…

…he’s getting punched in the face

EVERYONE that was there waiting burst out laughing. Listen, when I say SLAP - I mean SLAP. He made a jealous 17 year old teenage girl look like chop sticks.

This just goes to show…we all have our own rituals with our friends.

This one…well, I will remember it for a long time. I had not laughed so hard in months.

Popularity: 14% [?]

“I’ve had it…I’m going crazy…” - first words uttered when I picked up the phone 4 hours ago. It was a good friend and clearly he was in a jam.

Before I could ask “what happened,” he was already half way through the story. Here’s the basics…

1. He had lost his job a few months back.
2. He just screwed up big time at his new job.
3. He’s been very ill the the last 3 weeks…
4. The girl he was chasing cut the leash
5. His parents are sitting on his neck…
6. He got a really horrible score on his recent GMAT

All that and you know what finally made him snap?

“I think you should eat some rice…”

Yes, his mother told him to eat rice and the dude snapped. He went bazerk. Obviously, the question: Why?

It’s like the old saying: “The straw that broke the camel’s back…”

His mom telling him to eat rice was the straw. If you look at it from the 40,000 foot overview, it’s pretty damn funny.

But, I can see his perspective.

Basically his mom insists on giving him unsolicited and unwanted advice. He’s mentioned it almost every day for the last 10 years. He’s tried every trick in the book to get her to stop…

No go…

She insists on treating him like a stupid child and give him senseless advice (…that does nothing but make his blood boil).

He hates rice. He didn’t want rice. He was stressed and just wanted to be tired. But she kept persisting.

Bottom line - the dude snapped. He lost it because it was the last draw.

I also feel equally bad for his mom, the poor lady got the full wrath of his failed job, illness and crappy girl crush.

So, what did he want from me?

Advice. He wanted to know what to do.

My advice? Get away from EVERYONE - take some time to yourself. Get inside your head and work through all the problems.

This is a model example of when someone needs “alone time.” There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be alone for a few days. It’s healthy - I personally do it all the time.

Going the other way, here’s some advice. If someone around you is feeling overwhelmed - ask to help them ONCE. If they say no or more importantly “I want to be left alone,” LEAVE THEM ALONE.

That’s not there way of saying “I’ll only tell me if you ask 63 more times.” Unless you want to become the target of all their frustrations - slowly step away and make no sudden movements on your way out!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Here you go! One of the best interviews I’ve ever done. We shared our stories with using Mind Aerobics and also Allen explains EXACTLY how Mind Aerobics works…

The “Noble Prize” Winning technology behind it!

Just Click The Image Below To Start Playing The Interview…

Click Here To Download The File (Right Click & Save-As…)

If you want to try Mind Aerobics for FREE for 30 Days - Click Here!

Popularity: 20% [?]

A couple of months ago, I was confronted by a friend. Initially I was really taken back, even a bit upset. Here’s what happened…

I work hard, right? So does everyone around me! Our team is down-right amazing - hands down. But, having a stellar team does two *bad* things…

1. You get spoiled…start to think that’s just normal and expect it.

2. Sometimes, you even expect more (because you’re so used to it)…

I’ve always treated everyone around me with nothing but respect. Especially for my team, I give them everything they ever ask for, period. It’s a family and I am willing to make ANY sacrifice for my family.

We’re all so busy working and working and building our empire, that we’re always on the GO. Especially this year with all my travel, before one thing is done, I’m on to the next 5 things…

What Happens In All This?

I forget to take a minute to really appreciate and thank my team. No, it’s not enough to just “be there for them” - people are people. They need to hear that you DO see their effort.

Most “A players” don’t need to be told every day or even every month. But, in the end, EVERYONE has their points.

Bottom line is this. Consider it the BIGGEST flattery if someone is looking for appreciation from you. Mostly it means they really respect you and want to impress you!

But, if you go a long time without doing it - it can be the biggest de-motivation.

I found that this was the BIGGEST weakness in my style of leadership. I’m seriously working on it now and I can’t appreciate my friend enough for bringing it up.

It not only makes the person feel good - it makes ME feel good.

Try this:

EVERY DAY - Try appreciating someone. Anyone. Even the cashier at your lunch cafeteria. How about just saying…

“You know Sam…you’re always really pleasant…I appreciate you for that - thank you” or…

“Sam, you make a killer cheese sandwich man - just wanted to say, I really look forward to it everyday!”

Think about it - the last time someone said something nice to you - didn’t it make you feel great?

How would you feel if you can make at least one person feel that way every day?

It’s very powerful.

Popularity: 22% [?]

I’ve always known what “burnout” means and even what it feels like.

It’s when you do too much and get psychologically tired. You lose motivation. You lose interest and things get boring.

Everything I knew about burn-out was emotional or psychological. I’ve had it before. The kind of burnout where you can’t stand the thought of getting out of bed.

It’s been a long time since I felt that way. Lately things have been nothing but amazing.

=> Business has been booming
=> Our team is growing with amazing people
=> I’ve been traveling the world…
=> I bought a home
=> etc…

Well, just last week, for the first time, I experienced a new kind of burn-out - physical burn-out.

All My Travel Screwed Me…

I’ve been traveling a lot for over a year now. However, I’ve always stuck to a very tight routine when I travel. It’s a routine that many think is ridiculous or lavish but I discovered to be necessary. I’ve actually had a friend say “you just do all that to show off…”

I’m talking about things like…

- Traveling business when I can (I almost never have to pay for it though)
- Staying in the best hotels
- Eating in the hotel
- Having a car ready to pick me up at airports…

I can certainly understand how these things can be looked upon as lavish - even I started to convince myself that they were excessive. I made changes and boy did it hurt.

Combined with my medical conditions, these new changes I made to cut costs really impacted me negatively.

All the strain, stress and lack of nutrition led to my entire blood balance to getting messed up. The more and more I traveled outside my routine, my body started to just get physically exhausted.

Remember, Your Body Can Only Take So Much…

I’ve finally learned what Physical burnout is. My body gave in the last couple of weeks. I’m just now recovering. The lesson I learned?

Stick to what works for you. Don’t let others influence what’s working. Take care of your body first. Maybe you can take it psychologically, but don’t forget your physical restraints!

I’m now starting to see a direct connection between physical health and great success. Success requires HARD work and tons of dedication - all of which puts a lot of physical strain on your body.

I guess it’s back to the gym for me!

Popularity: 20% [?]

I finally have the honor to invite Allen Koss, the owner of MindAerobics.com to a LIVE webinar tomorrow night, Monday @ 9 PM ET. We’re going to talk about Mind Aerobics and the technology behind it that SAVED my life. Yes, even when I was on the death bed.

The most popular post on this blog is my post about Mind Aerobics - have a read!

Click Here To Register For This Webinar Right Away!

We have a VERY SPECIAL Deal Coming For You…

I’ve convinced Allen to do something AMAZING just for the Fighter readers - a VERY special pricing. But, before you even think about buying this CD, you’ve got to listen to how it works.

=> Saved me from bankruptcy (twice)
=> Saved me in the ICU from my death-bed
=> Helped me start my business with $100

I’m NOT exaggerating.

I owe my entire LIFE to this simple 20 Minute CD and we’re going to spend an hour explaining exactly how this CD worked and how it made such an impact on my life.

Click Here To Register For This Webinar Right Away!

If you want to TRY Mind Aerobics for FREE For 30 Days - Click Here!

Popularity: 38% [?]

I credit a lot of my success to mentors. Since I’ve revealed this on stage, the #1 question I get is:

“How Do I Find a Mentor?”

Ironically, it’s a tough question for me to answer, but I’m going to try.

Let’s first understand what a mentor is.

A mentor is not someone who teaches you everything about everything. Usually I have more than one mentor at a time. I currently have more than 3 just in the world of business.

A mentor is someone who has “been there and done that.” They know the ropes and are willing to guide you. They are your lead advisor.

Here are some ground-rules when it comes to finding a mentor:

1. Do not PAY for the mentor. Anyone you are paying is likely not truly a mentor.
If you pay them, do it be because YOU want to. If they have an up-front fee - forget about it.

2. It is OK to surpass your mentor.
I have surpassed many of those who taught me in the past. It’s not offensive, it means they did a great job.

Luckily, my mentors today are way ahead of me so I have some running to do.

3. Find a mentor for your specific situation.
Just because you already have a “business mentor” does not mean you cannot get another one in a more specific role.

My example/

I am currently looking to write a book. My mentor has not written one before. So, what did I do?

I found someone who has, he has written many. He is well connected and cares about my success.

(We already had our first consultation call and no, he did not charge me nor ask for any money).

4. You need a personal relationship.
Don’t go around asking people to “be my mentor.” That’s not how it works. A mentor comes out more naturally. You need a personal relationship with them.

A great mentor becomes a great friend and even a part of the family. They have to do it for the pure joy of teaching - no other side-benefit.

5. Mentoring relationships GROW…
Again, you don’t walk in, sign a contract and walk out with a mentor. Mentorship is not a business deal, it’s a relationship.

My best mentors “just happened.” A better way of saying that is that they started off slowly and as our relationship grew, so did the amount of advice.

================
The Mentors In My Life
================

My Parents - Had it not been for the great discipline my father instilled, I would not be who I am today. He stressed education and forced me to always be ahead.

I am who I am today because of my parents.

Copywriter - I learned copywriting and the essence of selling through words from a very popular and generous man.

Not only did I not pay him - he paid ME for the work I did for him. I am forever grateful to him.

Salesmanship & Business - An amazing man who I happened to re-connect with a few days ago! He taught me how to speak on stage, sell a customer and built my confidence.

He was the main reason I had the guts to leave my pre-medical studies and enter business.

Big Business - After graduating from College, I connected with a brilliant and wise man (only old enough to be my brother)! He has expanded my vision and taught me how to run a “big business.”

He’s become a great friend, part of my family and a trusted confidant.

Top Selling Author - As of today, my mentor helping me write my first book.

** There have been many others along the way, the above are the ones that made the biggest impact on my life.

How Did I Find Each of These?

Copywriter - Connected through a random friend. He was impressed with my work online and offered me a part-time virtual (work at home) job.

I earned 3 times my friends and learned 100 times as much.

He started as a boss and quickly became a mentor.

Salesmanship & Business - I joined a company as a Financial Planner at 18 and he was my Marketing Director.

In this case he was “forced” to forge a relationship with me. I was awed with his success and knowledge. He and I became friends immediately and slowly I began turning to him for all of life’s advice.

Big Business - He was my professor in Entrepreneurship 101. Luck would have it, he was also the Director of a business incubator program I got admitted to.

Again, he was “assigned” to help me by the University. However, our relationship went way beyond the 9 to 5 day. He soon saw potential in me and found great joy in helping me.

Top Selling Author - He fell into this role as a friend. He and I travel in the same business circles for the last three years.

I needed help and he offered. One day, he may need help and I’ll be there for him.

The Steps To Finding a Mentor:

==================
Step 1 - Build Relationships
==================

Be in as many places as you can be and BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. Treat everyone as if they can teach you something (because they really can).

Treat everyone as a potential mentor, the right one will emerge automatically.

================
Step 2 - Ask Questions
================

I have news; you don’t know it all. Actually, you barely know anything.

The best thing you can do is admit that today - your rate of growth will go up exponentially.

The good news is that you don’t NEED to know it all or anything at all for that matter. Use your network. Ask questions.

The more questions you ask, the more answers you will get. Watch who answers your questions and look for patterns - your mentor emerges before you.

=============
Step 3 - Give Back
=============

Never take, take, take. Learn about your mentor and show respect. Give back to them (any way you can) and show them you appreciate them.

This is where the relationship building takes off.

==============
Step 4 - Show Results
==============

The quickest way to lose a mentor is to never listen.

If you ask, ask, ask and never implement their guidance - you’re 2 skips away from losing them.

The biggest reward a mentor can have is to see their student succeed after implementing their advice.

Never ask the same question twice!

=========
In Summary
=========

Finding a mentor is a process, not an over-night practice. It’s not easy, but that is what makes it worth it.

Get out there, build relationships, ask questions and give back. Every day you do this, you’re 10 steps closer to finding your perfect mentor.

But, remember, mentors are useless if you are not ready to take action. So, really, making sure you’re ready should be step 1.

Popularity: 46% [?]

Ok, how many of you have heard the whole “secret” technique or the “law of attraction.” It has many names, but basically it’s…

“You attract whatever you want. Think about it, believe in it, feel it and you’ll attract it.”

This works for the good and the bad. If you’re negative and afraid something will happen, well…it’ll happen.

If you’re positive and can really truly imagine something good happening…well…it’ll happen!

Honestly, it sounds like a bunch of silly *self help* mumbo jumbo…

Yes, I hear ya. I didn’t believe it for a while too. The natural argument is…”well, great, I’m thinking…Lamborghini…oops, opened my eyes, where is it?”

Ok..seriously…if you’ve ever done that - what are you, in 3rd grade? Cut it out…

It works…it’s amazing

I’ve been teasing my team the last few months that it seems that WHATEVER we ask for or WHOEVER we ask for (to add to the team), just minutes/hours/days later, it plops in our laps.

I’ve been seeing this the last few months on my professional AND personal side and it’s got me real confused, but Im not complaining.

Today, someone said to me “Everything Just Works Out For You…”

Ooo if they only knew my life and back-story. But, I’ll agree with them right now. If you look at my life from the outside, it really DOES feel like “everything just works out for me and that I’m lucky…”

I don’t think it has anything to do with luck. I just think that after years of work, I’ve finally aligned my brain-waves with the Universe and am able to control my own destiny!

…No I have not lost my head, I really do believe this.

Let me give you an example - the Free Car I won…

Ok, you read the last post right? You saw that I won a free car recently…

You probably won’t believe this. Just a WEEK before I won this car, I was in Atlanta at a seminar and I was speaking to my friend Russell Brunson.

Russell was the first one who ran an affiliate contest where he gave away a Free Hummer H3 (car). In those days, I didn’t have the capacity to truly compete. Today, I can!

So, I spent the entire 3 days with him bugging him to run another contest for a free car, any car - I told him “I’ll do anything it takes, but I’m going to win that car.”

…And…

Less than a week later, the Universe provides me precisely what I had been looking for. An affiliate contest that had a free car giveaway!

This is just one example…

There are many more…

I wanted a VP of Marketing - 1 week later the perfect candidate contacted ME.

I wanted to travel the world - 2009, I’ve barely been home.

I’ve wanted to meet celebrities and bollywood stars for years - Now, when I’m in Mumbai, I see them regularly (weekly almost) and we even dine at the same restaurants. I know people that have LIVED in Mumbai their entire lives and not had the same success.

Make The Universe Your Best Friend…

I haven’t exactly figured out how to do this yet, but I’m working on it.

To start, get rid of negative thoughts right away - you’re attracting all the bad things you think about.

Next…anything you want - IMAGINE yourself already having it. Close your eyes, feel it, smell it, taste it - really embed yourself in the fantasy and convince yourself you have it.

…just like little kids do with their invisible friends…

** I noticed that I do this a lot (imagine myself having it already) and I feel pretty confident that it’s the main reason I’m starting to get whatever I ask for.

Beware of your own thoughts…

Yes, the next time you think anything - you better be careful. Put it through a filter and stop your nega tive thinking.

You’re actually shooting yourself in your own foot every time you think negatively.

So…cut it out “Mr. Glass Half Empty!”

Popularity: 48% [?]