29 Jan My 68 Most Powerful & Painful Business & Personal Lessons of 2013 (+ Costa Rica Photo Essay)
“There are no failures, only lessons.” – The Creed of Living Legends
Time Sensitive Note: We will be opening up our private How to Connect With Anyone course and community to a small number of new members starting on February 11th.
Enrollment will only be open for a few days and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. All of our past three CWA classes have sold out, so if you want to surround yourself with the people who won’t let you fail in 2014, be sure to get on our Early Access Insider’s List.
The power of surroundings was my single biggest lesson from 2013. I can’t wait to share that with some of you. Oh and next week we’ll be doing a fun contest to win a CWA Scholarship, so keep an eye out!
Now for the rest of the lessons…
*****
If You’re Learning, There Is No Failure
That’s the beauty of life.
Which is why every Monday morning, as part of my weekly planning process, I spend a few minutes writing down any big lessons from the past seven days.
Then each January, as part of my annual goal setting and planning process, I go through each week’s lessons to be sure I live accordingly the following year.
It’s wild to see how much education a year of living can produce.
But if we don’t keep track and assimilate the lessons, it’s all for nothing. And making the same mistake twice sucks.
So I thought I’d share mine with you today.
But before I go through the lessons of each week or year, I always start with what I’m most proud of. Most of us tend to under-appreciate or forget to celebrate all that’s amazing – plus, starting with your wins puts you in a damn good state for building upon the future.
So here are a few of the fun things that are hard to believe happened last year:
- Our community tripled in size to nearly 60,000 members.
- We created Live Your Legend LOCAL and you all started hosting monthly events all over the world – 150 cities in 48 countries and counting!
- I shut down my investment fund to go all in on our Revolution here. I also shut down my stand up desk project and have gotten more comfortable saying no.
- I wrote the biggest check of my life – and it was to our partner charity impossible2Possible. We donate 5% of our income to support their amazing cause.
- We did a massive update to our Live Off Your Passion course, turning it into its own members-only website.
- Our revenue grew by over 300%!
- I finally got some help! The team at LYL has grown to 14 paid rock stars (most are part-time) as well as a ton more volunteers. 18 months ago, it was pretty much just me. Thank you all for making this possible!
- We launched group coaching for Connect With Anyone and Live Off Your Passion, and it has caused members to get more dramatic results than any other single thing we’ve done.
- I ran (more like hobbled) my first 50 mile ultramarathon.
- I got to explore some amazing parts of the world, including Thailand, South Korea, The Kamchatka Peninsula (Eastern Russia), Mexico, Montreal, Boston and Kona, Hawaii – and used those trips to take my photography a little more seriously. This pics in this post are all mine 🙂
- Our TEDx talk somehow managed to break through 1,000,000 views and is currently #17 of over 37,000 talks on YouTube.
- Thousands of you took the leap to start building things you actually cared about, and on top of that, over 500 started blogs and adopted a consistent writing and creativity habit. I love seeing that, because it’s where it all starts!
I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to list the above.
This list reminds me of something I learned from Tony Robbins a while back. It went something like this…
We Overestimate What We Can Do in a Day, but Drastically Underestimate What We Can Do In a Year
And even more so, we underestimate what we can do in a lifetime. Remembering that always helps when things don’t seem to be moving quite as fast in the short term as I’d like (which they never seem to do!).
Now, onto the lessons.
Since the list is rather comprehensive, I’ve decided to make this a bit of a photo essay as well – from my adventure in Costa Rica over the past few weeks. If you don’t have time to read all the lessons just stick to the parts in bold and the photos.
Enjoy…
My 68 Most Powerful & Painful Business & Personal Lessons of 2013
On the Business Side…
1. The right people can (and will) change everything. This goes for business partners, friends, your spouse, you name it. The people around you will either kill your dreams or make them not only possible, but probable. That’s why connections are the core of what we do at LYL. And it’s why I’ve poured my heart and soul into our Connect With Anyone course and community that’s opening for the fourth time on February 11th. If you want to be guaranteed a spot (and early access), click here to get on the Insider’s List.
2. Character matters. It’s better to surround yourself with great people who have good businesses than not-so-great people who have great businesses.
3. Hanging around inspiring, accomplished people can inspire insane possibility. But it can also make you feel small, like you have nothing figured out. Let other living legends serve your progress, not hurt it.
4. Don’t worry about how much work you’re doing compared to others. Someone might spin their tires 80% of the time and work twice as much as you. That doesn’t mean you should feel pressured to waste your time the same way. Comparing yourself to anyone but yourself is almost always useless.
5. There’s a big difference between not doing your part and not doing the same amount of work. Always do your part. That’s the only amount of work that matters.
6. The more you succeed, the more you have to lose, and the more you might fear of it not working. It seems counterintuitive that success can create more fear.
7. Strive to spend your time on one of two things: what you’re incredibly good at or what you absolutely love. Ideally, they are one in the same. Find team members who enjoy the rest – and are awesome at it.
8. There are people who can help your community a lot more than you can in certain areas. Find them, swallow your pride and share their expertise with those who trust you.
9. You may think you know your audience, but you don’t. Don’t assume. Always ask and interact and expect to be wrong. Then build what you learn.
10. Keep learning and growing as if you’re just starting out. After all, everyone is always just starting out…
11. An awesome way to help people “above” you is to offer to mentor and help their kids with your area of expertise or passion.
12. Focus is the key to the world!
13. Take time to step away from the emotional and reactionary part of business (and life) to slow down and see the full picture of what you’re building. Do this each day, month, quarter and year.
14. Have fun with the ups and downs of business. Know there will be a lot of both, and don’t bitch during the slow times.
15. Stop letting stats and metrics control your life. Even if you do the right thing, they won’t always go up. Don’t let that frustrate you from staying committed to a process you know is consistent with results.
16. Measure success by how well you stick to the process – not the day’s outcome. Or as the surfers say, learn to love the paddle…
17. The biggest difference between lasting and successful business and movements and everything else is the quality of the systems and processes in place.
18. Nothing beats genuine, in-person connection. Nothing. Reserve time and money to attend a few relevant events and conferences each year.
19. You have to match and mirror in every situation. If you want to genuinely connect, you must show up on the level of the person on the other side.
20. One of the biggest reasons people don’t buy or do things is because they forget. Find courteous and clever ways to remind people to do things they already know are important to them.
21. Business is not about getting all you can out of someone else. Don’t charge for everything just because you can. Business is really about adding unbelievable value to the community you serve and finding a way to be fairly rewarded for it.
22. Make more decisions about what people want and need, instead of what’s best for the business. This way of making decisions feels so much better.
23. Even though we chase money, the money is not what we’re after. It’s the feeling we believe the money will produce.
24. When you do too much, you get lost in checking the boxes and lose site of the intangibles and the bigger vision – the stuff that actually matters.
25. Find a specific, hands-on way of helping people. Don’t be a generalist. For LYL, this was when we went beyond helping people find and do work they love, and focused more specifically on building the genuine connections with the people who make it possible.
26. Most people and especially new community members are not at the same place I am. Go back and cover the basics from time to time.
27. Everyone needs something to do – autopilot income does not create fulfillment. And passive income really is a myth.
28. Recognize the pattern of doing too much. It’s natural to keep doing new things because at first you have to so you can see what works. But once something starts to get momentum, you have to start calming down and decide to focus where all the action is – and where you can have the biggest impact.
29. As sad as it is, honesty, integrity and trust can become your most powerful differentiators. Hopefully that won’t always be the case. I’d much rather trust be the rule, not the expectation.
30. I get excited when I have a good potential solution to something. I get anxious when I have no potential solution. When overwhelmed with a project, step back, lay out a plan and start problem solving.
31. Engagement is everything. Study and practice ways to engage the people you want to serve and move them to action. Become an unbelievable storyteller.
32. My single most powerful action of my career was being on stage, giving an 18-minute talk. Notice your 80/20 outputs and give them attention.
33. Don’t expect everyone to “get you” and your approach. When taking the road less traveled, most people won’t. That’s why your core tribe is even more important.
34. Spend some of your profits on giving back to your customers, who are the people who make it all possible. We’ve given thousands of dollars of books, prizes and gifts to our community, and we plan to do a lot more in 2014. Include a scholarship to CWA next week!
35. Everything I learned at World Domination Summit in 2013.
36. Spend time promoting the tools and content you already have. It’s not all about constantly creating new things. Be sure your best stuff gets seen by the people who need it most.
37. When dealing with decisions that could possibly have huge results with very little risk, just say yes. Do them. Sure they might turn out to be a waste of time or money, but it’s worth finding out. Take good bets. But probably not this one…
On the Personal Side…
38. I want my life and this community to be about adventure, exploring and discovery. That guides my daily decisions.
39. Giving to people and causes you believe in feels amazing. Find a cause you believe in and find a way to help them grow. Our relationship with impossible2Possible has been incredibly rewarding. I’m constantly thinking about what I could do to prop them up.
40. There are two sides to EVERY story – often, two very different sides. I don’t care how much you know and respect the person on one of the sides. Find the other story. Understand it. Then do your best to be objective.
41. Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them – not as you want them to do to you.
42. I’ve recently discovered one foundational secret to life: Never be in a hurry, but always live life knowing that it’s incredibly short. Yes, I know – much easier said than done.
43. Happiness = Reality – Expectations. Have high standards and expectations for yourself but low expectations for the things you can’t control. You’ll be happily surprised to see how things work out.
44. Changing your expectations does not have to mean lowering them. Those are two VERY different things.
45. Don’t confuse complacency with contentment. Avoid complacency at all cost, but if you link happiness and contentment to complacency, then you’ll be unhappy with happiness. Talk about a mess!
46. Stop getting frustrated when someone is consistently negative or pessimistic. It’s their pattern. What else can you really expect?!
47. Travel hacking is so worth it – and a ton of fun! It encourages travel and adventure and makes so much more possible. Plus, the experience of flying Business Class for 20% the price of coach is pretty unbelievable. I’m actually writing this from seat 1E on a flight back from Costa Rica as I drink a free glass of red wine next to a bunch of consultants and business folks who quite possibly paid the full $5-8k fare for their ticket. 😉 Chelsea and I paid only $92 each for our business class flights.
48. If you get creative, cost is not an excuse for not traveling. I’m so glad I met Travis Sherry, my travel hacking ninja, who’s helped make this stuff incredibility simple. You’ll hear a lot more from him this year as he helps us plan our around-the-world trip for 2015. This is the best table ever btw…
49. The goal does not always have to be to improve. It can just be to do it and be. Embrace and build upon what you have right in front of you.
50. Work out because you enjoy moving and breathing, not because you want your body to look a certain way. It all comes back to process over outcome.
51. Do whatever you can to avoid losing momentum. So many people focus on how to regain momentum, but if you find a way to keep the snowball rolling (however much it may slow down at times), the compounded progress becomes unreal. There’s also a ton less resistance.
52. Things almost always take longer than expected. Plan accordingly.
53. It’s one thing to have all the time, freedom, flexibility, resources to do anything you could ever want, but another thing to live life without feeling rushed, stressed, anxious and pressured. That is the real mastery.
54. The number one biggest cause of my stress and discomfort is not feeling that I have enough time to do the things I have to do or want to or feel I need to do. I can control that with better planning and expectations.
55. Stress is one of the biggest causes of disease and illness. Having a supportive community and loving your work are two of the biggest cures. Thanks to Lissa Rankin for writing Mind Over Medicine – the book that woke me up to how deadly important it is to get a handle on stress.
56. Almost nothing is worth worrying about. NOTHING. Except for the health of you and those around you. The thought of death removes any reason to be concerned about anything else. Just charge forward and make your damn impact.
57. It’s not always about what’s next. Everyone loves to ask that. What’s next for me is giving deeper focus to what I’m doing right now. We don’t have to always be looking ahead. All the good stuff is usually right here anyway.
58. Starting with someone else’s point of view tends to help a person open up and allows for a deeper connection.
59. Help first. The rest follows.
60. Use freedom wisely. Endless planning, doing and traveling cripples me, stresses me out and runs me down. No one can do it all. And that’s a good thing.
61. The key to balance and focus is not on doing more of something, but just bypassing distractions and having space.
62. Celebrate EVERYTHING. Pat yourself on the back. Do a happy dance. Hardly anyone gives themselves the credit they deserve.
63. Just follow the trail of excitement and energy and keep building upon things.
64. When I have energy, excitement and inspiration, life is WAY better and I feel unstoppable. And that can change in an instant with my thinking or a new idea. No matter how challenging something might feel, it’s incredibly empowering to know it can change immediately and that it’s often more in my control than I’d like to admit.
65. Not standing firmly for things I believe in kills my energy. If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
66. Confidence is at the root of fulfillment, happiness and enjoyment. Without it, it’s tough to be fired up to do anything and be who you really are. Oh and be sure to smile…
67. You can almost always take another step, whether it’s an actual step that’s 13 hours into a 50-mile race or a metaphorical one in the pursuit of what matters.
And finally…
#68. Relentlessness is what gets results.
There’s not some specific technique that always works – it’s just persistence. Dedication is the best and only real technique worth practicing.
It blows my mind the difference a year can make.
And more than that, it’s amazing to see what’s possible when tens of thousands of people from every country in the world come together to stand behind a common belief: That we can all do work that makes us come alive and embrace work that actually matters – to us and to the world. With the right tools and surroundings, it’s not only possible, but incredibly likely.
You all created this. I have you to thank for what this Revolution has become.
I saw the below sign as I walked out of a surf bar in Nosara. Together we are making these words so much more real for so many people…
Now how about you?
Tell us one of your big lessons in the comments. We all have at least one!
There’s so much to experience – so much to learn – so much adventure to be had.
The future looks bright, my friends –
-Scott
P.S. Remember, Connect With Anyone opens its doors in 12 days. If you think you might want to check it out, be sure you get on the early access list here.
My 68 Most Powerful & Painful Business & Personal Lessons of 2013 - Introverts Power
Posted at 13:26h, 29 January[…] I wrote the biggest check of my life – and it was to our partner charity <a target=_self href="https://liveyourlegend.net/help-someone-do-the-impossible-lyl-partner-charity-impossible2possible/" …read more […]
Robert
Posted at 13:49h, 29 JanuaryWow, Scott – what an amazing story and what an incredible blog post. I have to read this again and then again, and again… I’ve never got that much inspiration and that many life lessons from one single blog post – thanks a lot.
#13: “Focus is the key to the world” really struck me, because I guess this was my biggest lesson in 2013. In the past I did all sorts of activities in parallel without really focusing on anything. The result was, I didn’t really get anywhere in any field. Towards the end of 2013, I decided to completely change my work approach and to focus only on 1 “well, sometimes 2) key areas and it starts already paying off.
So, yes, Focus is really the key to everything!
Scott
Posted at 22:59h, 29 JanuaryThat is where it really starts to get magical Robert! And actually, that was my dad’s quote… he’s my chief strategist 🙂
Pip D
Posted at 14:43h, 29 JanuaryAwesome post Scott! Thank you so much. One of the biggest lessons I have learnt is to fully show up and trust the universe with the rest. Sometimes it feels like the steps being taken are too small to count. If you trust that as long as you are moving forwards, at whatever pace, you will eventually get there, it eases the fear and anxiety and the crazy future tripping. Something I tend to have to remind myself of on a daily basis!
Scott
Posted at 23:01h, 29 JanuaryYou nailed it! Show Up was for sure a top lesson from 2012 and before. It’s crazy the things that start to happen when you knock on a door, make a call, or decide to do just about anything else proactive. The world comes together when you show up!
Kyah
Posted at 15:17h, 29 JanuaryI love everything about this post, thank you!
Scott
Posted at 23:01h, 29 JanuaryWell thank you Kyah!
Kurt Swann
Posted at 16:24h, 29 JanuaryEnjoyed the post Scott! I’ll have to read it again to make sure I didn’t miss anything because there’s lots to think about. What I’ve gotten better at in the past year is a feeling of “relaxed striving.” Creating new opportunities or adventures while still being able to appreciate what my life as it is today. All the best in 2014! Kurt
Scott
Posted at 23:02h, 29 JanuaryNow that’s the ultimate balance Kurt. Something I think a lot about too. Sorry to blow you up with such a long post, but you’ve probably come to expect it by now ;). And believe it or not I trimmed about 10 lessons off the list!
Mercedes Calcano
Posted at 18:17h, 29 JanuaryPowerful summary Scott, so many ‘Truths” here. I am very happy to see how much LYL and CWA have grown, but most of all how they seem to move smoothly to the “core”, that requires mastery, artistry and you understand it. Thanks you for your genuine concern about people and their needs. Keep inspiring!. I am here to help with our new members too.
Hermosas fotografi’as, buen trabajo amigo!
Y que continuen los e’xitos.
Smiles.
Scott
Posted at 23:04h, 29 JanuaryMuchas gracias amiga mia! And awesome to have a CWA alumni here to welcome our new crop of members in a couple weeks. That makes all the difference! Thanks for being such a huge part of so much of this. It means more than you realize.
charlene
Posted at 18:51h, 29 Januaryloved this post! thought provoking for sure…
i loved that you used your own photos vs stock photography. My husband “recovers and recharges” through the eyes of a lens. May you use your lens to slow down and focus in a new way through your photography. check out his work if you have time:
http://www.worldviewphotography.com
Scott
Posted at 23:06h, 29 JanuaryGorgeous pictures! I’d love to be able to take shots like that one day. And yup, I decided a few months ago that I’d like to go 100% my own pictures on LYL. It gets my ass out on more adventures to be sure I have something good to show you all!
Stephanie
Posted at 20:19h, 29 JanuaryI spent a lot of last year being unwell with post viral fatigue. I am fortunately on the road to recovery now.
I learned that people and health are the only things that really matter and that stress is not something you can just keep pushing through. Although it’s been frustrating and difficult I have really gained a new perspective on what really matters.
Scott
Posted at 23:07h, 29 JanuarySorry to hear about the tough times Stephanie, but so glad to see you’ve found some meaning in it. The stress topic has been such an eye-opener for me in the past few months. It’s my #1 priority now.
Stephanie
Posted at 20:21h, 29 JanuaryP.S. Hope your world tour includes Scotland!
Scott
Posted at 23:07h, 29 JanuaryYou bet it does!
Stephanie
Posted at 23:56h, 02 FebruarySplendid!
Joy
Posted at 20:23h, 29 JanuaryThank you for sharing an empowering/inspiring article full of insights. *Focus* seems to be an essential part of this journey – it keeps coming into my space in the last few days.
Something I learned that changed the feel of “stretching” in my business is to thank my self for the steps I have taken in that day/creative experience instead of always thinking ahead to the next steps to be taken. Making the time to stop and pour appreciation into the experience seems to open energetic doors and the process runs more smoothly than it would have had I continued simply list making and “stretching”.
Scott
Posted at 23:09h, 29 JanuaryLove the idea of stretching Joy! And I could not feel more strongly about the importance of celebrating all things big and small. Makes it so much more fun!
Gavin Leonard
Posted at 00:16h, 30 JanuaryHi Scott,
Thanks again for all your enthusiasm. Lot’s of great stuff in this post as always.
However, I have a problem. Specifically with Lesson 47. “Travel hacking is so worth it – and a ton of fun!”. Travelling (a way of exploring), don’t we all pay a huge hidden price for particular modern forms of this? And isn’t this really important?
Travelling is great in so many ways, I’m convinced. Broadens the mind, creates connections, etc, etc….. But shouldn’t we actually be paying for it?? Maybe even a lot more than we already are? Increasing the incentives to travel long distances increases the damage to the environment. Considering that aviation emissions account for possibly 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change (IPCC), I am surprised by the disconnect between the promotion of travel and the care for the environment by ethical people. Every time we get on a cheap flight, yeah we may be getting great value to explore and discover, but mother earth is paying the real price.
What’s your thoughts on this, Scott, or anyone else? How can we justify promoting more and easier long-distance travel?
Cheers,
Gav
Scott
Posted at 22:39h, 30 JanuaryIt’s a great point Gav and something Chelsea and I constantly struggle with. In fact we were talking about it on a walk tonight. Travel is so important to us and in just about every other part of life, we do damn well with our carbon footprint, but I know how bad air travel is for the environment. One way we try to offset it is to be gone for longer so we aren’t taking a ton of flights while we’re out there and instead making our way around the country other ways. And the way I see it, I’ll be traveling either wait – it’s the most powerful self discovering tool I’ve ever seen and I think it makes you a much better citizen of the world allowing you to have a lot bigger impact. So I’ll be traveling either way, and I figure I might as well travel in style. I’ll be getting some type of benefits through things like credit cards either way. I just choose to use them for travel instead of other things.
It’s indeed an important topic. I’m just not sure there’s a great solution right now if you want to get out and experience the world. It’s constantly on my mind though. I’d be curious to see a way to quantify the benefit the world experiences as a result of there being more well-traveled and cultured citizens among it. It’s certainly not a trivial benefit.
Gavin Leonard
Posted at 19:14h, 31 JanuaryThanks for responding honestly to this, Scott. I appreciate that you are aware of the pros and cons involved. I guess as you indicate it can be a balancing act of maximising the pros and minimising the cons.
Awareness is possibly the key as I can see it entirely possible to travel extensively and keep your eyes completely shut. Travel from one tourist destination to another, exploit whatever takes your fancy and be as clueless as you may have been in your home of origin. Real gratitude and appreciation of how you got to wherever you are, whether it be to a distant country or nowhere of geographical significance at all, seems to me to be what’s an important part of real “travel”. It’s the travel in our heads.
So for me, I get inspiration from your approach. Concentrating on sustainable ways to make a lifestyle and prioritising experience over material collection. It’s comforting to know that awareness of what you’re relying on to get you there is key for you too. It’s seems in other forums there is an ignorance of what people or resources need to be exploited in order obtain “experiences”. Whether it’s a privileged background, globalisation or nonrenewable resources of any kind. Even acknowledging this stuff can be a thing to even enhance the “experience” as it can create a greater sense of gratitude and minimise the “entitlement” thing we can easily fall into.
Thanks as always, Scott.
Gav
Randall Pitts
Posted at 00:18h, 30 JanuaryGreat post Scott!
So much to think about in just one post, but number 68 sums it all up. Relentlessness implies vision, focus, passion, belief, confidence and, well, everything that is important for succeeding in life. That is what I’m focussing on this year and I’m looking forward to the results. By the way, it would make a good LYL T-shirt: LYL Relentlessly.
Thanks for sharing.
Scott
Posted at 22:40h, 30 JanuaryHa – we just got new t shirts! And perhaps that will make it onto a future one… I like the ring of it :). I continue to be blown away with how powerful focus is!
Jeremy
Posted at 04:33h, 30 January16. Measure success by how well you stick to the process.
I like that one a lot. Forming the right habits and being consistent with it is really the key. Plus in doing so, you are already achieving success from the person you become from it. Great one.
Scott, you know one thing I noticed about all your posts is that they are ALL so epic. You produce great content all the time, it really blows my mind! So inspiring. I’m still just a 2-month blogger, but I really hope to change lives with it.
Scott
Posted at 22:44h, 30 JanuaryThat means a lot Jeremy. I pour a lot into these. That’s another reason I usually stick to only one post a week :).
Muffadal Saylawala
Posted at 08:47h, 30 JanuaryGreat post! Every week at Experience Institute we have a habit of sharing what we learned, so I especially appreciated this post. One of the big lessons I’ve been getting acquainted with is seeing the world through a lens of opportunity > problem. I’ve learned that all problems are really just opportunities in disguise. The more I focus my attention on opportunities, the more opportunities I find myself presented with. Good stuff happening in life becomes inevitable.
Scott
Posted at 22:46h, 30 JanuaryI love this Muffadal – and you’re in great hands with Victor and his team. I love what they’re up to. Awesome to hear you’re a part of it!
Joanne
Posted at 10:53h, 30 JanuaryI learnt that it is OK to tell people that the project I am working on is an experiment. This took (and is still taking) a huge amount of the pressure to be perfect off me. And interestingly it seems to have attracted my type of customer too!
Scott
Posted at 22:47h, 30 JanuaryFun how that works, eh? As far as I’m concerned, it’s all an experiment. That’s the best part!
Melissa
Posted at 12:22h, 30 JanuaryFantastic, Scott! You seem to have made some of the same revelations I have had this year.
Lately, my mantra has been this: Peace, patience, perseverance.
Find peace within yourself, within your home, within your community. If you can manage to do that, you set yourself up for a positive and productive day. People you don’t enjoy will no longer bother you; the endless amount of work that’s staring you in the face seems no different than any other day; you’ve taken enough action to prepare yourself for the day, and you feel liberated and accomplished. There’s simply nothing like it.
Have patience when things seem tough, when you want to quit, when you feel hopeless. The bird doesn’t get frustrated and go home simply because the worm got away; instead, it continues to try, waiting for the right moment. Because it’s hungry, and because it knows that something will come along. All you can do is wait.
Persevere through adversity. You can do it – you can ALWAYS do it. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t! You were given the same tools as everybody else in that brain of yours, even if you use them differently. And if you want something in your life enough to make a decision to reach it, then it’s absolutely worth the push. If you just can’t bring yourself to keep going, then maybe it wasn’t where you’re supposed to be.
Melissa
Posted at 12:24h, 30 JanuaryAnd I give you permission to use that, if you’d like!
I can come up with it all day. Hah (:
Scott
Posted at 14:06h, 30 JanuaryGreat post Scott!
Also loved the pics…I read Guiones on that boat on the beach shot which gives away your location…Nosara!
If I had know the live your legend legend was up there I would have made a trip to throw back an Imperial with you!
Next time go South to my stomping grounds…Dominical and points southward to the Osa Peninsula. Where the wild Costa Rica still resides.
Pura Vida,
Scott
Sherrie Cope
Posted at 18:44h, 30 JanuaryHello Scott — I love the inspiring and amazing information, personal thoughts and feelings that you share with the world. Thank you. One of the big lessons in life I haveI learned is to fully believe in yourself. You cannot listen to negative remarks from others, but to truly put yourself in the path of inspiring people. I was told by a high school math teacher, a university professor and a university tutor that “I was too stupid to learn” I believed them — for 25 years I believed them. Two years ago I returned to college and graduated in April as an honor student. I learned, I believed, I understood. I am a single mom and I started my own business while in college selling in my dad’s pancake and waffle mix that he sold until his death five years ago,. I am on my way to learn, grow and see success. Thank you!!!!!! Sherrie from Utah
January 2014 Rundown: 441 Links | Programming Life
Posted at 07:58h, 01 February[…] My 68 Most Powerful & Painful Business & Personal Lessons of 2013 – liveyourlegend.net […]
Joel Zaslofsky
Posted at 11:44h, 01 FebruaryWow, Scott. You nailed 67 out of 68 lessons! Not bad.
I won’t split hairs over an inspiring post, but the world needs generalists (see: #25). And some of the generalists I know are insanely focused and relentless.
All the same, I sure as heck am glad the world has fellas like you going all-in on what you do, know, and love best! 🙂 I’ll be hoisting a drink to you and LYL in three days at our fourth LYLLocal event in Minneapolis.
jennifer errasta
Posted at 00:36h, 04 FebruaryThanks for sharing this article. Honestly, I’m not familiar with some of the lists and I will research more about them soon. Do you have a favorite from the lists you’ve mentioned?
Jeffrey Friend
Posted at 10:02h, 04 FebruaryI really like the idea of continuously writing down lessons throughout the year. It makes reflection so much easier when you can actually remember what happened! haha
I’m so happy you had a good time in Costa Rica. I’ve been living here for 2 1/2 years now. I’m about 10 minutes outside of San Jose, so I get out to the different areas as often as possible to disconnect from the city and reconnect with nature. Such an amazing country.
#12 – Focus is the key to the world. This is what I am working on this year. When you can focus all of your energy into one or two places, so much can be accomplished.
Biggest lesson: Looking at what’s missing from the wrong perspective.
It’s very easy to look around our lives and point out the things we don’t have that we would like to have (love, money, nice things, etc.). It’s also very easy to look around our lives and be grateful for the things we do have (love, money, nice things, etc.).
But we rarely ever acknowledge and give thanks to the things we don’t have in our lives that we don’t want (because they’re often outside of our radar), such as being thankful we aren’t sick with a serious disease, not stressed out over finding love, not going hungry, not worried about where we’re going to sleep tonight, etc. It’s easy to forget that those are huge deals, and instead worry about the small stuff.
Man, I have no idea if that even made sense. Just something I’ve been thinking about lately.
Great photos too btw. I love photography too, and Costa Rica is anything but short of amazing places to shoot.
Jeffrey Friend
Posted at 10:03h, 04 FebruaryOh yeah, and PURA VIDA MAE!!!
Stephen Anderson
Posted at 12:28h, 05 FebruaryBusiness is not about getting all you can out of someone else. Don’t charge for everything just because you can. Business is really about adding unbelievable value to the community you serve and finding a way to be fairly rewarded for it.
This I love. Your entire post is awesome, but this one part called to me. I have seen so many people overcharge themselves out of business, figuring that because they can charge for something then that is what they should do.
There is plenty of money in the world and you can get more for yourself if you want often by giving away your best.
Mike
Posted at 09:21h, 06 FebruaryScott
Thank you for these insites. It is great to look back, to reflect, learn and progress. 2013 was one of my toughest years. I lost my dad, a couple of friends, and my business (which was my legend and passion). All that said, I still search and try to focus on the good. I am looking forward to a great 2014. Your LYL local was a great start down a path. Thank you for all the work you are doing. It is inspiring me to move forward, and focus on how to start a new business based on honesty, integrity, and trust. One that will help my community and bring bennifits to those who share my passion.
Carol
Posted at 16:34h, 07 FebruaryThis post was incredibly inspiring. I moved to a new state alone about 2 years ago and it’s amazing to think back about how much has changed. Not all of the changes have been good, but a lot of them have been. I visited Costa Rica a few years ago (Osa Peninsula). It was the most breathtaking and gorgeous place I had ever been. I’d like to have my honeymoon there. Anyway – #53 really hit me. If I could find some way to not feel rushed, stressed, and anxious all the time my happiness would increase so much. I’m working on it.
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Posted at 08:18h, 11 March[…] My 68 Most Powerful & Painful Business & Personal Lessons of 2013 […]
Rafael
Posted at 11:13h, 22 MarchThank you, Scott! Your articles are really a shot in the arm!
My big lesson last year was to allow yourself to love your partner a 100 percent. Be free to show your emotions and be totally open and honest to your spouse and yourself. If you feel you have not the right partner, make it clear and be consequent. Nothing is as bad and paralysing as an “inbetween” relationship.
My girlfriend and I went through deep pain because I held back deep emotions because I didn’t want to “tie myself down”. Eventually we separated in order to find a relationship based on true, unconditional love. And we both have found it. The weird thing is, I fell in true love with the same girl, and she felt the very same! And we now have moved together. One of my best decisions. 🙂
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