A new study shows happiness is a key factor in success. So, we found 5 ways – each backed by research – to get more happiness in your life.
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Does success bring more happiness to your life, or does happiness bring more success?
Did you know that a study of Nobel Prize winners showed one thing in common…they all have a hobby! Learn about the benefits a hobby can do for you.
Click the player to listen to this episode of The BIGG Success Show Podcast. Below is a summary of our discussion.
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Like most of us, you face pressure to meet deadlines at work, fulfill family commitments, give back to your community, and so on and so on …
With all that going on, it’s easy to forget about yourself.
On today’s show we’ll talk about how to prevent that from happening.
It’s not what you make that really counts; it’s how much you keep. We base that on studies that show how millionaires became millionaires. Sure, they’re always trying to earn more, but they really watch what they spend. That’s one of their secrets to success in many cases.
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We were recently at a birthday party for our friend, Tim. His wife had a really cool cake for him. It’s the picture you see with this post.
We were talking with Tim about his Porsche. He’s one of our regulars here at BIGG Success and he commented about how we’re always talking about frugality. A Porsche may not be consistent with that mindset.
But BIGG success is life on your own terms. If your terms include having a Porsche parked in the garage, then more power to you!
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That’s one of the things we love about our definition of bigg success – it’s not judgmental. I can’t tell you what’s best for you. Just like you don’t know what’s right for me. Heck, sometimes I don’t even know what’s right for me!
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That’s the beauty of life on your own terms. When you’re living it, you don’t judge other people because you think, “Oh, that’s life on their own terms.”
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We try to report what works – what research shows helps you get to that next level of success in your life. But we can’t tell anyone what the right choice is for them. You decide because you’re the one who lives with it.
We hope we provide some additional insight to help you with your decisions, but ultimately you’re the entrepreneur of your life. You’re in charge.
For our discussion on passion today, we talk with one of the most awesome people we’ve met since we started BIGG Success: Jim Bouchard. He’s a black belt turned motivational speaker. He does a great job helping you get in touch with your personal power. Recently, Jim turned the table on us – instead of us being the interviewers, we were the interviewees!
But that doesn’t mean we didn’t take the opportunity to send a few questions Jim’s way – we love to hear his fantastic insight! So today we thought we’d share some of the highlights with you.
Let’s check into the conversation as we talk with Jim about passion …
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There’s a lot of rhetoric about getting into a business that expresses your passion. The business I’ve been involved with for a long time is the martial arts business. Most martial artists will go into business – start a school – because it’s our passion, but it’s not always the best way to make money. I think that’s a very important, and often overlooked, factor when entering an entrepreneurial life. Passion is necessary, but it’s not the only ingredient that’s necessary.
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That’s a great distinction. It’s the old story – I have a hobby I love that I turn into a business. Now I don’t love my business or my hobby. Think about your hobbies, but also reflect on the elements of that hobby that you really enjoy. Teaching has been my hobby, because I had my businesses full-time. What I got out of it was the joy of helping people and seeing the light bulb come on. Bigg Success fulfills me in the same way.
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That’s what people really need to look at. When you open these doors, you find passions that you never knew existed. I didn’t set out to get into the speaking business. I did always have the ambition to write a book at some point, but I never thought I’d go out into the speaking world. Like you, George, I found it was just a natural extension of the teaching that I liked to do – in my case within the martial arts world.
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You’re such a great presenter, Jim. How did that happen for you … that you ended up getting into the speaking business?
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That’s a great question – it actually came from some of my martial arts students. I was sharing the martial arts philosophies that helped me create an anchor and a sense of value and worth in my life. They found themselves applying these philosophies to their business and personal life. A few of them encouraged me over the years to take my message to a different audience – not everybody wants to learn how to punch and kick, but everyone wants to learn how to develop their personal power, their capacity to act effectively. That’s how it got started. Then one of my mentors told me that I was already presenting every day anyway – I went on the floor and taught! So for me, it was a very natural transition. But I’m going to mark it this way … one of the greatest gifts that I learned from the martial arts was the idea of beginner’s mind. The whole world is open as a learning experience for us and we should never stop to pat ourselves on the back too long. Perfection is not a destination … it’s a never ending process. So I’m going through the same process as a speaker that I went through as a martial artist. I want to learn, I want to grow, and I want to be a better presenter every day. And I know you guys feel the same way!
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Absolutely, Jim! The thing that strikes me from your story – you said some of your students made a suggestion. With that one little suggestion, and you listening carefully and then processing it, you found this opportunity. That’s something we all need to be aware of – opportunity doesn’t hit you like a train. In most cases, it’s very subtle. But that’s where you’ll find that thing that you really want to do!
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(Image from ThatBlackBeltGuy.com)
By Bigg Success Staff
05-21-08
Personal Branding
Why are race car drivers able to drive so fast? Because they’re all professionals who have been trained to drive their cars that way. So they can pretty much count on every other driver to behave in a certain way.
If you want to move up fast in your career, you need to learn how other people rose to their position. The best way to do that is to get to know them so you can find out first hand how they did it.
So how do you get to know these movers and shakers? Network your way to them!
How do you do that? Here’s a six-step plan to meet the right people.
#1 – Who are they?
You may know this already. If you don’t, it’s the first thing you’ll want to do – determine who you should get to know. Who has succeeded at what you want to do? Who are the people at the top of your chosen craft?
#2 – Do some research
What can you learn about the person you want to meet? What has been written about them? Have they written anything about themselves? What is their particular area of expertise? What are their concerns about the industry? Where do they see the opportunities? What are their strategies? How did they get where they are?
The internet is a wonderful tool for finding the answers to these questions. But don’t stop there – check out trade magazines and other industry sources that may not be fully archived on line.
#3 – Who do you know who knows them?
Once again, the internet comes into play. Are they on any social media sites? If so, do you have any common connections? If this doesn’t work, ask the people you know. Be patient and keep networking.
#4 – Ask for an introduction
Once you find someone who knows them, ask them to introduce you to the person you want to meet. This can be done in any number of ways, but most likely it will be in some form of electronic communication. Of course, if you can meet them in person (e.g. at a conference), that’s even better.
| Bonus tip #1: Industry functions are a great way to meet movers and shakers. They’re leading discussions or are participating on panels about the important issues faced by your industry. Approach them after the session and exchange business cards. |
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#5 – Follow-up
Now you’re ready to contact them. Here’s what you want to do with this initial communication …
Make it a question about something in which you know they’re interested. Ask for their advice. Keep it short. Make sure it doesn’t require a lengthy answer, but does beg for something more than a “yes” or “no”. By doing this, you start a conversation that can be ongoing.
#6 – Impress them
When they respond to you, the most important thing you can do is to thank them for their help. Then give it some time and report back on what you’ve learned by taking their advice or studying the issue you questioned some more.
Once again, keep it short. And ask them another question to keep building the relationship.
| Bonus tip #2: If there is something you learn they’re interested in (e.g. their hobby) and you find an interesting article, pass it on to them. And keep it at that … no business on this go-around. |
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Want to be a mover and shaker? Then get to know the movers and shakers in your field.
Hear today's lesson and laugh on The Bigg Success Show.
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Bigg Fun 26
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