As Soon As Humanly Possible
If you could wave a magic wand to give kids 5 of your most powerful concepts or strategies so that they could have the same level of impact to the world that you have, what would those 5 be?
In a recent email I opened up by Ippei, this advice from Dan Pena is amazing.
I have several Dans I like: Dan Pena and Dan Lok. Both their candor and straightforwardness is the bomb.com. I wish friends growing up had this honesty and keeping it real vibe like they do.
Favorite Daniels? Daniel Ally and Daniel Dipiazza.
Other favorites off the top of my head: Fawn Weaver, Tai Lopez, Ramit Sethi, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Richard Branson. My mom.
Willie Mandrell, Div Turakhia, Joan Grande, Janice Bryant Howroyd, Bernt Ullmann, Steve Sims.
Jack Ma.
I know there’s many others I forgot to mention in this post lol.
In Jen Sincero’s you are a bad ass everyday (some of my entrepreneur friends love this book, some hate it, no in-betweens) a few messages stuck out:
Lesson 1: You are the artist, and your masterpiece is your life. As long as we are alive and have blood running through our veins, we are able to create and take a shot. Out of all the humans that was born, and existed, there is and there will only be one you. Appreciate, celebrate and love this. Also, don’t waste your one and only chance to be the real you by letting people talk you out of it, and making excuses when you have the power to create whatever life you want.
Revel in the spectacular unique essence that is you and only you. Out of the billions and humans coming and going over time, there is, was, and will only be one you. That is worth appreciating. That is worth loving
Like Dan Pena said, just f**** do it.
This also can be called staying in your comfort zone, staying in bad, ho-hum sucking situations to because it’s because it’s more comfortable than going into unknown territory.
Your world is the canvas. Your desires and ideas are the sketches. Your thoughts, words, attitudes are the paint. Your body is the brush. Your actions are the strokes. Your beliefs are the skills you use to apply to the paint. Your faith and gratitude determine how extraordinary your work of art is.
“There is no riskier risk than refusing to risk at all”
Lesson 2 (Not in any particular order) : We all have countless things all around us at every moment to be grateful for. We just have to pay attention.
Lesson 2a: Whatever we got on repeat becomes our reality. THIS IS SO FREAKEN TRUE.
I remember thinking and knowing that I was going to be an actress signed to several talent agencies and have successful businesses despite the situations I was dealing with in school. I believed in myself.
I was acting as if I was a millionaire beforehand.
What we look at every day, what we tell ourselves, our thoughts, what we read, what we listen to.
I didn’t tell my friends or family (and I still don’t). Many of them still don’t understand what I do, or why I don’t settle. But seeing me different places they wonder how I do it.
I usually post funny food photos instead.
This repetition is reality concept is the reason that repeating affirmations is so effective. Why looking at your vision board over and over is so powerful. Why hanging out with kick ass people talking about kick assery is so important; why being diligent about being grateful is transformative, why putting Post-it notes all over your house that say I’m special, I am loved, I am worthy"
I don’t run through the house ripping them down. If my friends don’t like my affirmations, too bad.
Take stock of what you got on auto-loop, and upgrade anything that’s not supporting in your quest for greatness.
Which basically meant 3/4 of my school friends. They are great to go out with and reminisce with, but they don’t propel me towards business goals. Which is why I have a whole circle of entrepreneur friends. You don’t dump your old friends because they are on a different life path, you just accept them as they are (but don’t let them talk you out of your goals and pursuits either.)
Lesson 3: When you commit to transforming your life, you also commit to getting very uncomfortable over and over again. The discomfort means that you are almost there. Befriend the unfamiliar as soon as humanly possible.
Lesson 4: I remember being punished harder in mistakes in school than my peers. I always felt like people had a different standard for me because 1.) as a black person, they expect you to be 10 times as perfect to get the respect. 2). Honestly as much as I’m tired of bringing up race, when I really start reading the writing on the wall, you realize that they are using something you have no control over against you.
This one was one of my favorite takeaways: Start seeing your low points and temporary failures as starting points. Instead of giving the many mishaps in your life the power to destroy you with disappointment, instead of labeling yourself loser who will never get it right, instead of hightailing it out of there by any means possible (including self-destructive, unsustainable and unhealthy means), hang around for a minute and appreciate the architecture of the fail. Learn from it. Be curious about it. Be impressed by how colossally gigantic of a fail it was. Then with a robust sense of humor, plot a new and better way up and out. With a clean slate to start from, we have nothing to lose.
When it comes to the stuff that really matters to you , why settle for fine when fabulous is also on the menu?
Lesson 5: The Universe requests the honor of your presence at the raging cosmic bender through time, space, and infinite possibilities otherwise known as your one and only life. What are you bringing to the party: your drab old pile of sob stories or your dancing shoes?
This quote is the exact reason why I never overly talked about all the bad things that happened to me in college with my friends. When I saw them, I asked them how they were doing instead, and just told them to take me out to bars that night instead of being a debbie downer. Or weekend. No one wants to hear your sob stories all the time, no matter how much your ship is sinking.
Lesson 6: Remember to stop and smell the roses as often as you can.
As Ferris Bueller says, time does go by fast. For some strange reason, sometimes I feel like it’s 2012. Don’t ask me why. It’s almost like I ran flip back to the year like it happened yesterday.
M
I’m. F****. Doing This. REGARDLESS.
Now, on with the email.
What 5 concepts will it be?
He gives a pretty eye opening answer.
He says, “it won’t be 5 things, it’ll just be one advice that I wish I knew long time ago….”
“Just F@#cking Do IT”
wow….
Out of all the things he knows…
73 years old, Dan Pena with over 25 years of experience coaching high performance individuals, that’s the #1 advice he has for the kids.
Very profound imo.
Dan Pena says: A Man (Or Woman) Who Procrastinates in His Choosing Will Inevitably have His Choice Made for Him by Circumstance!
Because what’s the consequence of prolong procrastination?
Hating on others doing the shit that you wish to do.
Going to your grave with dreams unfilled
Not being able to go after your dreams.
Failing to reach your true potential.
It means a life filled with regrets.
“What if’s” & “What could’ve been”
See the 5 regrets of the dying for more details.
“Man’s greatest burden is his or her unfulfilled potential” -Dan Pena
“If you run from your fears, they will follow you. If you run straight at your fears, they will get the hell out of your way. Fears hate it when you do that.
Second part of the video, Dan tells a story of his friend that went into cardiac arrest & dropped dead during her son’s rehearsal dinner, night before the wedding. Miraculously was brought back to life 20 minutes later after the paramedics, in their futile efforts, gave her continued jolts to the heart.
Dan Pena eagerly asked her, “Mary when you were dead what did you see?”
“I didn’t see any light Dan, so if there is, I guess I’m not going up there…”
“I saw a dark grey.”
“One of the things that you told me, that I didn’t believe…”
“I had regret.”
The truth is always revealed in time, you may be able to fool others for a long time but there’s someone you can never fool & that’s the guy/gal in the mirror. Not even death can relieve the soul from regret.
We came into this life to be all that we can be.
When is it a good time to go after your dreams?
“As soon as humanly possible.” -Dan Pena
Many of us are already behind schedule.
If you’re still on the fence about starting a business… let me just say this.
Choosing to stay where you’re at, is also a risk.
The risk of an unlived life.
Because one thing is for sure, time is not a renewable resource.
We only get 1 life. & Tomorrow is never promised for anyone.
We’re all heading towards the same ultimate destination. So while I’m healthy & able I’m going to choose to go for it. To live a life of no regrets. Push myself to be all that I can be.
This is much bigger than money. Aren’t we all spiritually obligated to fulfill our purpose & potential?
I don’t know if you noticed, but life will deal with those that remain on the sidelines with second hand, scraps.
If you do not take the action to invest in yourself & in your skills today, then someone will gladly hire you with a monthly capped salary so that you can be leveraged to help accomplish their dreams.
What has caused people to so easily put their dreams up for sale?
Watch this video of Dan Pena now to let this lesson sink in.
“My mission is to reduce the amount of regret in the world”
“Setting goals 3, 4, 5 years out? That’s horse shit, don’t ever put time limit on your goals.”
“Its as soon as humanly possible” -Dan Pena
Additional Tips From Paris Dean:
The power of write offs.
If you make $1,000,000 but are clever in claiming massive losses totaling lose to or more than you made (even if you didn’t actually lose anything) due to asset depreciation and expenses, you’ll pay nothing in taxes.-From Like A Caucasian Himself
*****Don’t commingle funds. If you have a small business, please open up a business checking account.
****Holding companies should always be set up as far in advance as possible and the spouse/significant other doesn’t need to know.
Call To Action
Since it’s 2020 (and it’s about to be 2021), a new decade 🔥🙌 I’ve decided to slightly change how I sign off.
If you like what you’ve read, please recommend it so others can read it as well. Please tell me what you want me to write about here!
Interested in having my Medium stories sent to your inbox? Sign up here!
Interested in what I done? Check out my LinkedIn profile I barely use lol. I’ll update it to add the new current businesses I’m working on one of these days.
