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1/2/2008 12:05:12 AM Getting What You Want in 2008 through the power of synchronicity You have the opportunity to do something extraordinary to kick off 2008 — something that could make the difference between working through another mediocre year and making it the most profitable and fulfilling year of your life. When I say profitable and fulfilling, I’m referring to the three P’s: Purpose, Prosperity, and Peace of Mind. And all of them can be yours — in abundance — through the power of synchronicity. Synchronicity Breeds Speed I have often said that the difference between success and failure is much smaller than most people might suspect. For example, a right or wrong turn in the road can sometimes be the deciding factor in a person’s life. But there are many other things that can be responsible for that small difference as well. Experience has taught me that one factor, in particular, plays a major role in how one’s life turns out. The factor I am referring to is synchronicity — achieving long-term success by getting all areas of your life in synch. I realize that it’s theoretically possible for a person to be financially successful even though one area of his life may be in disarray. But it is my contention that it’s much easier to succeed when you have an across-the-board synchronicity in your life. Take, for example, a lack of self-discipline when it comes to eating — an area with which I am all too familiar. Not only did I find that being grossly overweight made it more difficult to succeed in other areas of my life, I finally realized that I might not be around long enough to enjoy whatever success I managed to achieve. The same is true with regard to circadian sleep rhythms. To the extent you get to bed early, sleep soundly, and rise early, it gives you a big edge over those who suffer from sleep deprivation. And, of course, the same is true of exercise. What I’m saying here is that, based on years of empirical evidence, I am convinced that the fastest way to get from where you are now to where you want to be in life is to get all areas of your life in sync. Why? Because synchronicity breeds speed. Simply put, the quickest way to change one thing is to change everything. And that doesn’t happen by working longer and harder at your business. It’s a result of working hard on yourself. When all aspects of your life are on track, financial success follows almost automatically. The Pushup that Wasn’t When I was in my late twenties, I found myself at the bottom of a very deep financial ravine. If you’ve read Looking Out for #1, you already know my tale of woe … no income … no friends … no connections … no prospects … and living on a Ryder truck! Those were pretty grim times. I haven’t been asked about those dark days for many years, but early in my career as a bestselling author, a number of television talk-show hosts inquired about my climb from the financial abyss to fame and fortune. I vividly recall one of my appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, when Merv (who, by the way, was a great guy and a fabulous interviewer) asked me, “How in the world did you go from living on a Ryder truck to a sprawling beach-front home in Malibu?” It was the first time I had ever publicly discussed the gory details of my miraculous turnaround, and my answer was direct. I explained to Merv that by selling off some of my furniture and other belongings that were on the truck, I was able to raise enough money to move into a seedy little apartment. Surprisingly, I have fond memories of that wretched little abode, because it’s where I bottomed out. I not only was broke, I was grossly overweight, I was out of shape, and I had no real plan for changing things. Then, one night, I fell asleep on the floor in front of my black-and-white television set. When I awoke, I did something that puzzles me to this day: I tried to do a pushup … just one little pushup. It was an impulsive act, but an act that turned out to be a major turning point in my life. Notwithstanding my youth, I could not push myself up off the floor — not even once! I cannot tell you what an impact that had on my psyche. The next step, I thought to myself, was a heart attack … followed by a trip to the poor folks’ cemetery. The X Factor With great effort, I managed to get up off the floor and onto my feet. Then, as though I were on autopilot, I walked to the bathroom, turned on the light, and looked in the mirror. To put it mildly, I did not like what I saw staring back at me. Truly, it was an epiphany moment in my life. I was immediately conscious of the fact that the guy in the mirror was responsible for my predicament. There was not a question in my mind that he was the one who had destroyed my life. Sure, there were a lot of unscrupulous characters along the way who had added to my misery, but they were nothing more than enablers. The sorry soul in the mirror was the one who had always been at the controls. I then did something that forever changed my life: I ran my right index finger over a bar of soap that was on the sink, then made an X with it on the mirror — right through my face. It was a symbolic act, meant to signify that I was striking the Robert Ringer in the mirror from my life. That single act opened the door for the new Robert Ringer to emerge. While staring at that X on the mirror, I made a vow. It wasn’t a vow to get rich. It was a vow that I was going to change everything about my life. It was an instinctive thought. I suddenly realized that the only way I could hope to change anything was to change everything. And it was the only way I could ever hope to have everything — including purpose, prosperity, and peace of mind. From that point on, through the power of free will, the most important decision I made was to employ relentless self-discipline in everything I did. Self-discipline translates into habits, habits translate into consistency, consistency translates into speed, and speed translates into results. Everyone experiences a certain degree of success for some length of time. In extreme cases, it may be only for a few days. But when we use the term successful person, we are usually referring to someone who has experienced a high level of success over a long period of time. Such a person doesn’t just do the right thing now and then. Rather, he develops habits that consistently and quickly move him in the right direction. I became an exercise fanatic, lifting weights three days a week, jogging virtually every day, and doing 600 sit-ups each morning and a second set of 600 in the evening. I became Arnold before there was an Arnold. I focused on productive thinking. I focused on creating value. I focused on efficiency. I focused on character issues. Above all, I focused on the relationship between self-discipline, habits, consistency, and speed. My epiphany moment had given me great clarity. I had a vivid picture of where I would be in a year … two years … and beyond. Back to the Future Getting my life in synch paid immediate and huge dividends to me in virtually everything I did. A little over a year later, when Time magazine did a feature story about me, my sister called and asked, “Well, how does it feel to see your picture in Time magazine?” Without giving it a conscious thought, I answered, “In all honesty, I don’t have much feeling about it at all. I’ve pictured it for so long that it wasn’t a surprise to me.” Don’t get me wrong. I felt really good about the publicity, but it was like being caught in a time warp. For me, it had already happened a long time ago. It all started with that soapy X that I had drawn on the mirror. Not long after the Time article, while sitting in the host’s chair on The Tonight Show and playfully blowing cigar smoke in McLean Stevenson’s face, I experienced the exact same feeling. As the audience roared with laughter, I felt as though I had already been there. I was completely at home sitting in Johnny Carson's chair … no nervousness whatsoever. Best of all, I met my wife — the most beautiful woman in the world, both inside and out — shortly thereafter. When you’re in sync, you are able to detach yourself from results, and that’s precisely what I did. Within months after I had completely detached myself from finding the woman of my dreams, I met the woman of my dreams. It was an amazing experience. Now, here’s the most important point I want to share with you: If my goal had just been to make a lot of money, I don’t think any of these incredible things would have happened to me. I believe they were a result of my getting all areas of my life in sync. As I said, the quickest way to change one thing is to change everything. I am 100 percent certain that my success was a result of the synchronicity in my life. The Joy of Teaching Neil Diamond once said that “the stage she is the damnedest lady you ever did see.” With those words, it was clear that he was referring to the exhilaration he gets from being in front of an audience and bringing people to their feet. I can relate to his words. The money that comes from being a bestselling author is great, no doubt about it. But I have always said that I define my success by how many people I’ve touched. Every one of the thousands of letters and emails I’ve received over the years is important to me. Let me make it absolutely clear that I’m not talking about altruism here. You might say that I’m talking about rational selfishness. It makes me feel good to know that I’ve played a major role in helping others succeed. It’s a high that’s hard to explain. It is confirmation that my purpose in life is sound and that my efforts produce value in the marketplace. I don’t claim to be a miracle worker. What I am is part writer, part entrepreneur, part philosopher, and, above all, part teacher. Teaching, which has been my main occupation for the past three decades, is the one thing I have enjoyed above all others. One of the reasons I enjoy teaching so much is because when I teach others, I learn a lot myself. Learning is, in fact, one of the great bonuses to teaching. The more you teach, the more you learn. I’m still amazed at how often my own teachings catalyze new ideas that impact my life in one way or another — sometimes in major ways. And even when teaching doesn’t bring about new ideas, just the repetition of teaching reinforces in my own mind the concepts, principles, and techniques that I share with others. Where do you want to be a year from now? Take, for example, one of the three P’s — prosperity. I’m constantly reminded through my teachings that the key to great wealth lies in the nurturing of intangible assets — things that cannot be taken from you. In other words, assets that make you immune to the state of the economy and other external factors. First and foremost in this regard is your mind-set. Before you can become prosperous, you have to make the decision to become prosperous. And a prosperous mind-set can be developed. I know, because I did it. I’m not talking about corny positive mental attitude stuff here. What I’m referring to is a totally realistic, sober view of the world … an understanding of human nature … an ability to grasp reality. ------ Robert Ringer has arguably helped more people transform their aspirations and goals into reality than perhaps any other author in history. For more than two decades, Ringer’s works have stood alone as the gospel when it comes to conveying worldly wisdom that translates into tangible results. Ringer is the author of three #1 bestsellers, two of which have been listed by The New York Times among the 15 best-selling motivational books of all time. All of his books combined have been read by more than 10 million people worldwide. Robert Ringer has appeared on numerous national talk shows, including The Tonight Show, Today, Good Morning America, The Montel Williams Show, ABC News Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show. In addition, he has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times. |
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