"I Should Quit."

That was the thought screaming in my head as I sat alone at the bar of the Conrad Hotel in Nashville last week. Why am I even trying to help and inspire people? I’m a loser. Tomorrow, I’ll fly home, quit speaking, and live an uncomplicated life selling insurance in Pomona, CA.

I was in Nashville for Impact Eleven Bootcamp, an event for professional speakers and thought leaders making a profound impact on the world. On day one, I was surrounded by some of the most brilliant, inspiring humans you can imagine:

In 2015, I found myself sitting at the bar of the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale. I had a seminar the next day and was sipping a glass of Pinot Noir while tweaking my PowerPoint slides. The atmosphere was relaxed—one of those evenings where everything feels perfectly in place, a seamless blend of luxury and comfort thanks to the world-class hospitality training of the Ritz-Carlton.

Then, I heard a voice beside me:

“I like your laptop case.”

But giving and generosity aren’t just behavioral hacks—they’re deeply rooted truths emphasized in sacred texts. As the Saint Francis prayer so beautifully reminds us, “It is in giving that we receive.”

Yet there’s one type of giving that transcends all others. It’s transformative, healing, and profoundly magnetic.

Some might call it "giving on steroids." But as with most powerful forms of growth, it’s also the hardest to implement.

So, what is this type of giving?

Have you guessed it yet?

Miranda believed she wasn’t enough, and that belief seeped into her business, keeping it small and limited. She held back, giving her business “not enough” effort, “not enough” attention, like a garden she wanted to bloom but kept under-watered and under-sunned to match her self-image. How can someone who feels they’re “not enough” create anything more than that?

Our businesses, our relationships, our lives—they’re all reflections of how we treat ourselves. The way we care for people, places, and things mirrors our own self-care. It always starts with you! If Miranda wanted a thriving, rockstar business, she’d first have to become a rockstar herself.

Living in LA offers a unique lens on wealth. A single 20-minute drive reveals two extremes: poverty and luxury, side by side. My kids notice this contrast, too, and they’ve already made it clear where they want to end up when they’re older—they want to be rich. And who could blame them? But here’s the thing: my role as a father isn’t about teaching them how to “get rich” like some bad infomercial from the ’80s. My job is to show them how to be profitable.

Here’s what I believe: If all the money in the world were divided equally among everyone, within five years, most of it would end up back in the hands of a small minority. Why?

Because people with bad relationships to money push it away, while those with good relationships attract it like a magnet.

I didn’t have a healthy relationship with money. I’ve spent most of my life with a poverty mindset—I mistakenly believed I was poor. This mindset runs deep in my family, passed down for generations. The thing about believing you’re poor is that even when you’re not, you still think you are.

I’ve made a lot of money in my life—more than most—but having more money didn’t cure my poverty mindset. Being rich doesn’t fix the “poverty disease.” Why do you think 70% of lottery winners go bankrupt within a few years?

One of the biggest myths that caused me a lot of suffering was the belief that I had to muscle my way through life to get what I wanted.

Hustle, push, grind—make sh*t happen. That's what I grew up believing, coming from a long line of "musclers."

But muscling through life doesn’t work. I’ve lived it, seen it. I was lucky enough to wake up to this reality before it was too late, though life had to knock me down a few times to teach me.

I made changes. Real ones. So I won’t end up with scotch tape holding my eyelids open—and if I do, at least I'll be able to afford duct tape. I’d like to share the changes I made because I think they’re important for anyone to hear. But first, let’s talk about the two core beliefs that lead to dis-ease and poverty.

Self-suasion is about convincing yourself that you deserve to live the life of your dreams. The secret? What you wish to hear from the world, you must first hear within. It’s about aligning your inner dialogue with your deepest desires and thinking from your wish fulfilled rather than just thinking of it.

Persuasion is really about speaking the language of humanity. Yet, it's often reduced to tricks and tactics to squeeze a "yes" out of someone.

So, here’s my take: these principles aren’t meant to be used; they’re meant to become a part of who we are. It’s about being magnetic—not chasing a "yes," but being "yes." Just like an apple tree doesn’t try to grow apples; it simply does.

Ever noticed how certain things catch your eye for no apparent reason? Like a painting, a book, or even a rock? These objects speak to you because they're a reflection of something deeper inside.

Fear and anxiety have followed me for as long as I can remember. By my 20s, it wasn’t just occasional worry—it was full-blown panic attacks that stopped me in my tracks. For years, I white-knuckled through life, trying to manage fear. But that approach only lasts so long. Recently, I’ve taken a deeper dive into confronting fear and anxiety. I’ve learned lessons I now share with my son, hoping to end this cycle for good. If my story resonates with you, I’d love to share what I’ve learned, including a step-by-step daily exercise at the end that has been the most effective way for me to confront fear.

Today, I want to share a powerful tool that can transform how you relate to others and improve your relationships. This tool helps you recognize your role in situations, take ownership, and keep your side of the street clean. It builds self-awareness, allowing you to identify your triggers and respond intentionally, rather than reacting emotionally.

These insights come from my studies with brilliant minds in human potential, including time spent with a Shaman in Peru. By blending universal laws with modern behavioral science, neurolinguistic programming, and the wisdom of ancient scriptures, I’ve crafted a method that I believe leads not just to achieving "yes" but to becoming a "yes."

I've trained over 20,000 people in negotiation, studied with top behavioral scientists, and learned from some of the world’s greatest philosophers. Today, I want to share one of the most impactful lessons I've learned—one that I promise can significantly boost your success in both business and life.

I know you’ve probably heard a million success tips, but the principles I’m about to share aren’t your run-of-the-mill advice. You won’t find them in trending LinkedIn posts or your typical MBA curriculum. These are universal truths that apply whether you’re in Tanzania, Oklahoma, or the jungles of Peru.

There are four lucky paths to success. Today, I’ll share how to use this framework to achieve the success you desire by creating one of these types of luck.

Let's dive in…

I once had a romantic relationship with a woman whose two kids I couldn't stand. But I would lie and say, "I love your kids because I love you," because I was scared of hurting her feelings and didn't want to rock the boat.

How do you run that 10K you’ve been dreaming of for years?

How do you finally save enough money to cover your bills in case of emergency?

How do you start that business you’ve been talking about for months?

How do you lower your cholesterol levels and keep them there?

Reflecting on his life, I’ve learned many valuable lessons. Here are the three most important things he taught me. I hope these insights inspire you to be bold and creative while also serving as warning signals to avoid the wrong path. If my father’s life can make you pause and reflect on your own, then the time spent writing this article was well worth it.