Today the world lost a treasure of a man in Mr. Jim Rohn, who lost his 18-month battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

When the concept of personal growth was introduced to me, I scoffed at it. I thought is was silly, contrived, and reserved for desperate people who needed a “guru” to tell them how to think and how to live.

But once I dropped my arrogant nearsightedness, and actually began working on myself, I felt the transformation start to take hold. In fact, one of the first teachers I really connected with was Jim Rohn.

One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes is, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” What a beautiful and relieving message. This was the concept that allowed me to start really thinking about shedding the shackles of employment, and start looking to entrepreneurship as the vehicle with which I would realize my dreams.

I used to listen to Jim Rohn in my car on the way home from work when I was still on active duty in San Diego, California. If you have ever lived in San Diego, you know the traffic can be atrocious. I heard Mr. Rohn refer to a car as a “rolling university”, whereby the time “wasted” in traffic could be used to expand one’s mind

What a concept.

On one particular drive, creeping along at a snail’s pace with hundreds of angry drivers all around me, Jim soothed me, and gave me one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned. “Set a goal to become a millionaire for what it makes of you to achieve it.”

WOW!

I was on fire! I loved that quote so much I was roaring with enthusiasm in my car! People were looking at me like I was on drugs, but it didn’t matter because all the stress of striving for my lofty dreams were lifted.

Right then I KNEW my success was assured. Right then I KNEW I couldn’t fail IF that message stayed ingrained in my mind.

My friends, I could go on for ever on Jim Rohn’s effect on me. You will no doubt see tons of tributes to Jim on lots of different people’s blogs, websites and video channels and I encourage you to read as many as you can.

It is rare that a person can have as profound an effect on humanity as Jim Rohn has. Get Jim Rohn’s wisdom and influence in YOUR life. Visit the Jim Rohn Tribute Site here. I promise it will change who you are, and catapult you closer to your dreams

Thank you, Mr. Rohn. I am a better person for having learned from your wisdom.

Jim Rohn, September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009
~JT

Last night Tony Robbins appeared on “Larry King Live” with Magic Johnson and Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. The topic was “Finding Your Passion”, placed conveniently in a discussion about the economy.

I was intrigued by a few key points made by the panelist. Tony Robbins pointed out that now is “not the time for positive thinking, it is the time to be real…”

That is powerful.

A lot of people are caught between the widening canyon of “positive thinking” and “facing reality”. For most, it is hard to stay upbeat and positive when the chips are down.

But that is not what I heard Robbins say. The message I took away was that now is the time to start making it better, rather than hoping it gets better. NOW is the time to redesign your life and chose the path you really want to pursue…and to do something you are TRULY passionate about.

But this is the time of opportunity.

Times like these are the most profitable times for creating businesses:
-Big players are no longer in control
-”Little guys” can shake things up with better products, services and value
-Resources, equipment, materials can be had at a discount as quitters sell
-Needs of the consumer can be met through niche products from small businesses

So many iconic companies have been born in recessions.: Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft, CNN, MTV, even General Electric. Will the next great brand be born in this recession? Will YOU be the entrepreneur who builds it?

Chase your passion and take your dreams OFF hold. Act now and create the life you want, and do what you are excited about!

~JT

Check out this passage from Steve Siebold, mental toughness expert and one of my favorite speakers:

“Mental toughness allows you to live life on your terms. When you’re laser focused on sucking the marrow out of life and you’re tough enough to endure the critics who scorn you, you’re going to get what you want eventually. Whether you wish to become a millionaire, raise a phenomenal family or discover a cure for cancer, mental toughness is the answer. Motivation and positive thinking are a good start, but they’re insufficient for world-class success. Because the minute you begin to transcend the boundaries of the middle-class mindset, you’ll be attacked for the attempt. They’ll discourage you for trying and laugh at you for believing. They’ll tell you you’re unrealistic and your dream is foolish. The only thing that will save you is mental toughness. It’s when you finally realize you can have or do anything if you’re willing to overcome the addiction to caring about what other people think.”

Steve Siebold, author, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class

Why did I share this with you today? Well, there are a lot of reasons.

First, Steve is right. Not only is he right, but his message is SO important, because the study of mental toughness is not highlighted enough in today’s society. Most success or business training focuses on boosting the bottom line. How can you boost sales? How can you increase revenue? How can you best analyze business or financial opportunities?

The key to any measure success in ANY endeavor is mental toughness.

Most people think mental toughness is saved only for discussions of feats of incredible achievement: winning championships, climbing Mt. Everest, overcoming overwhelming injury or illness, etc.

But where Steve has it right is in pointing out that mental toughness dictates the course of any endeavor in life: marriage, parenthood, weight loss, education…even something as simple as plain happiness. With it, you are nearly guaranteed success. Without it, you are assured to fail

Business and wealth creation are tremendously dependent on mental toughness. I have met a lot of successful people in the ares of business and wealth, and ALL of them are mentally tough.

My charge to you is to begin focusing on your own mental toughness. Reflect on how you have handled adversity in the past, and how you handle it now.

Ask yourself a few questions:
-How do I respond to adversity when I am happy and excited about life?
-How do I respond to adversity when I am down, tired, hungry, discouraged?
-What is my first mental response to a setback? Is it one of excitement for the challenge, or one of frustration or fear?
-How to I view others who are mentally tough? (Do you even recognize it when you see it?)
-Do I see MYSELF has mentally tough?

Ask these types of questions, come back to this blog often, and definitely get Steve Siebold’s book 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class.

Be World-Class Today!
~JT