3214: 9 Beliefs You Need to Succeed at Anything by Marc Chernoff of Marc and Angel on Personal Development

[00:00:00] Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep. Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep.

[00:00:11] Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting. They can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

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[00:00:38] This is Optimal Living Daily, episode 3214, Nine Beliefs You Need to Succeed at Anything, by Mark Chernoff of MarkAndAngel.com. And I'm Justin Malik, the guy reading to you every single day of the year with permission from the authors.

[00:00:54] With that, let's get right to another post and start optimizing your life. Nine Beliefs You Need to Succeed at Anything, by Mark Chernoff of MarkAndAngel.com. The foundation of success is not a set of achievements or a combination of external factors. It is a mindset.

[00:01:18] Success is an attitude that comes from a framework of powerful beliefs and empowering thoughts. Because what you think and believe about your life largely determines how you feel your attitude, what actions you take, your behavior, and what you achieve, the end result.

[00:01:36] I'm fortunate enough to know a number of remarkably successful people. Regardless of their profession or life passions, I've noticed they all share nine common beliefs. And they act on these beliefs every day. Number one, the problems I face are opportunities.

[00:01:57] The problems and challenges you face are not there to stop you. Their purpose is to bring your commitment to the surface where it can come wholly and forcefully to life. The challenges that are most difficult are often the ones that create the greatest positive difference.

[00:02:14] Situations with the most formidable problems are where you unearth your greatest opportunities. The only question is, are you willing to do what it takes? Read Think and Grow Rich. Number two, what's important is creating value. Do something you're proud of.

[00:02:34] Instead of struggling to get one up on everyone else, raise your awareness to the point where the competition becomes insignificant. Get in the habit of creating real value and you won't feel the need to take anything away from others. To be truly effective, be sincere and helpful.

[00:02:53] Find satisfaction and fulfillment in making a difference and pulling all of life forward with you. Number three, I can't anticipate everything and that's okay. There's a difference between being prepared and being scared.

[00:03:10] There's much you can gain by planning and preparing, by anticipating what is most likely to happen and being ready for it. Yet there's no reason to be paralyzed by overthinking and endless worry because you have what it takes to handle even the most unexpected setbacks.

[00:03:27] No matter how well you plan, not everything can be anticipated anyway. That's actually a good thing. Sometimes when a roadblock forces you in a different direction, you cross paths with the opportunity of a lifetime. Number four, my fears are often an indication that something is worth doing.

[00:03:48] Do not be afraid of your fears. Your fears are not here to scare you. They're here to let you know that something you're thinking about and considering is worth doing. If you always feel afraid, it means there are lots of things worth doing.

[00:04:02] Lots of worthy options called opportunities. It's time to pick one and take a chance. Number five, passions and goals must be self-set. Just because someone tells you that you can't do something doesn't mean you have to let their opinion become your reality.

[00:04:21] If you spend too much time reacting and responding to everyone else, you will lose your direction in life. These other people's opinions, problems and wants will end up setting the course for your life. So take a stand right now and say this to yourself out loud.

[00:04:39] Is OK for me to think about and identify what I want for myself? If you live by this statement, remarkable things will take place in your life. Number six, my time is sacred. Maybe you can afford to procrastinate. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow.

[00:04:59] Maybe for you there's a thousand tomorrows or ten thousand or more. Maybe you have so much time ahead of you that you can afford to spend it frivolously and foolishly without losing sleep. There's a whole lifetime worth of minutes you can waste, maybe. But maybe not.

[00:05:17] For some of us, perhaps for you or someone you love, there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know. Read Eat That Frog. Number seven, positive results are the outcome of positive daily actions.

[00:05:34] Your real religion is how you spend the majority of your time, what you do and think about on a daily basis long after the sermon has ended. Do something that makes you proud. Start walking the talk. Make your strategic plan. Doing things that matter.

[00:05:53] You don't need a new year to make a change. All you need is today. Make this the moment you start changing your life. Number eight, perfection is a fantasy.

[00:06:05] Understanding the difference between healthy striving and striving for perfection is critical to laying down unnecessary weight and picking up your life. Perfectionism hampers happiness and success. It's the path to depression, anxiety, addiction and life paralysis. And this is true for your relationships as well. Judge less, love more.

[00:06:30] Flaws are features. You don't know a single perfect person. They don't exist. Who you do know are a bunch of flawed people who are still worth appreciating and loving.

[00:06:41] If you try to avoid people for their little idiosyncrasies and shortcomings, this world will be a lonely place for you. Read Personal Development for Smart People. And number nine, I'm 100% responsible for my life. It's easy to blame someone else for your troubles, but it doesn't resolve anything.

[00:07:03] Sure, at first it might seem reasonable to expect your problems to be solved by those who helped create them. But stop and think about it. Do you want to give the people who created past problems for you any additional control over your future?

[00:07:18] To move your life forward, you must be willing to take full responsibility for it. That means moving past what's easy and accepting that you're going to have to do things for yourself. Perhaps life has given you a burden you don't deserve.

[00:07:34] Instead of seeing this as an excuse to give up, see it as an opportunity to take charge and give it all you've got. You are stronger and more capable than you think.

[00:07:49] You just listened to the post titled, Nine Beliefs You Need to Succeed at Anything by Mark Chernoff of MarkAndAngel.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Mark.

[00:08:01] Perfection is definitely something that I have struggled with over the years, especially with my own work and when releasing it to the public. With school, maybe not as much, a little bit. But with this podcast, for example, I've really had to train myself to let things go.

[00:08:20] I mean, I was making edits of milliseconds and removing every tiny mouth noise or redoing things if I thought I heard something that sounded even slightly off.

[00:08:30] Luckily, I have a business partner who's good at letting go and over time beat it into me that he doesn't notice those types of edits. And maybe 1% of people do because you're likely listening to this while doing something else.

[00:08:44] Most people are doing something like walking, showering, driving, working out while listening to podcasts, probably not just sitting and listening very, very closely, which is how I edit. So I've needed to learn to let go of certain things.

[00:09:01] And I think that letting go has helped me in other ways, too. And that's just me. Maybe one or some or all of these that Mark listed related to you, too. Lots of great beliefs to think about today. So thank you to Mark for this one.

[00:09:17] And thank you for coming back to listen every day. It means a lot. And I'll see you back here again tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.