Principles of Epic Growth

Faith as a principle of power  

Lets be clear that we do not mean faith in the context of religion (although it applies there as well). We mean faith in the context of belief that propels action. Strong character increases your capacity to exercise faith and as you act in faith, you fortify your character. Faith and character are inseparable.

You can create your world around you or be created by the world around you. You are a creator. Constantly creating. This requires clear intentions and much commitment, but it all starts with FAITH/BELIEF.

Faith/Belief is the foundation of creation. Without faith, you won’t create. Faith/Belief is the foundation of change. Faith is a foundation of the growth mindset that your brain, talents and abilities can grow. Faith is the foundation to self-mastery. Faith is the foundation to leadership, inspiring others to follow your actions and believe your words. Faith is a foundation of motivation, believing that you are capable of doing and being. Motivation comes from feeling, not knowing. We all “know enough”. What we lack is motivation to act, and at the root of that is a lack of faith. Faith gives you the ability to look past the challenges of the moment and into the future of powerful creation. Faith is all about the future. It is built on the past, but doesn’t live there. It lives in the future. Faith is the great moving power that changes lives.

GOALS

There is no such thing as accidental success. We must be very intentional. Success is manifested by those who set and work towards goals. 

Goals are really an Evolutionary Experience. Feel the journey and take in the experience.

"Put a deadline on your dreams and they become goals." If your goal is achievable then you probably didn't dream big enough. Dream big, dream massive - then take even more massive action towards your goals. This is the experience of goals. This pursuit is incredibly powerful and intrinsically motivating. The action is key, the pursuit is everything. Start thinking of goals like this: GOals. GO and do. GO take massive action. Engage in the pursuit of a dream.

Just before you reach your goal you should ratchet it up to the next level and continue in the pursuit. Stay in teh fight. Stay engaged. This is where the joy really is. We all know those "one and done" sorts of people who are only results oriented and once they reach a goal their joy is so fleeting then they go back to their miserable life focusing only on the results.

Live better. Set GOals like a champion. Be a dreamer. Be better today than you were yesterday. #AffectEpic

GOALS

There is no such thing as accidental success. We must be very intentional. Success is manifested by those who set and work towards goals. 

Goals are really an Evolutionary Experience. Feel the journey and take in the experience.

"Put a deadline on your dreams and they become goals." If your goal is achievable then you probably didn't dream big enough. Dream big, dream massive - then take even more massive action towards your goals. This is the experience of goals. This pursuit is incredibly powerful and intrinsically motivating. The action is key, the pursuit is everything. Start thinking of goals like this: GOals. GO and do. GO take massive action. Engage in the pursuit of a dream.

Just before you reach your goal you should ratchet it up to the next level and continue in the pursuit. Stay in teh fight. Stay engaged. This is where the joy really is. We all know those "one and done" sorts of people who are only results oriented and once they reach a goal their joy is so fleeting then they go back to their miserable life focusing only on the results.

Live better. Set GOals like a champion. Be a dreamer. Be better today than you were yesterday. #AffectEpic

Interview with Navy Seal Dan Cerrillo.

In this epic podcast we had the privilege of interviewing navy seal Dan Cerrillo. Dan is an incredible human being with an incredible amount of experience. His insight into some of the tough questions of life is founded in his Seal team training and experiences. We are proud to have had the opportunity to learn from him and discuss together such topics as Mental Toughness, BUDS, Teamwork, Commitment, Determination, leadership and more.

Dan is also a successful businessman committed to his family and his businesses. Listen to his comments, answers and insights to our questions through this podcast. We are positive you will listen to this episode multiple times – we already have and we learn something new each time!

Thank you Dan for spending some time with us and for sharing with our listeners your incredible insights.

Winning the Battle Against Depression

In this podcast episode Ben Dodge and Erik Huso discuss the power of the principles of Affect Epic and how they can help you win the battle of depression. Depression is very common. It is one of the most, if not most common mental illnesses in the U.S. According to a recent study the most severe sort of depression labeled a major depressive episode is experienced by an estimated 16.2 million adults in the U.S. and 3.1 million adolescents. The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25. And women were more than 2x more likely to experience depression. (See https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/guide/ and https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml#part_155029).

These principles will help you reduce and even eliminate depression in your life. Living authentically, retaining your power of choice, living in integrity, staying clear on your commitments, managing the If Then mindset, the power of belief, the power and choice of hope, and more. Live liberated and win your battle against depression. In many cases these principles can even help prevent depression from setting in.

Most of the complaints that we have about them is our fault, the way we raised them, the way we coddled them, helicopter them, and enabled them. We’ve wanted to shield them from all the challenges made a strong, and in so doing, in some cases have weaken their ability to cope with difficulties and trials.

On the other hand, millennials are giving us a great gift if we would just open our eyes and stop judging them. They are less motivated by extrinsic factors. Carrots and sticks don’t drive them. When they identify a cause greater than themselves they jump all in. They are willing to sacrifice their personal life, their emotional health, positions of power or money. They can teach us a lot about what matters most.

Fundamental attribution error leads us to a fixed mindset, and limits our influence with young people.

So how do we lead, inspire, connect with and motivate millennials who in a few years will make up 3/4 of the workforce?  

1. Give them meaningful work.  

If you think you can build strength in character during your trials and hardships you are gravely mistaken. Hardship doesn’t build character it reveals it. Hardship can strengthen what you already have or blow up and expose the weaknesses you struggle with. What you forge through adversity is really fought and won before your adversity has even started.

The secret to demonstrating incredible strength of character, commitment, and determination is to be Intentional, possess clear commitments, and live authentically and in alignment with them long before you step foot on the battleground of adversity. Then and only then will the adversity make you whole and strengthen what you have already built. Otherwise, you step onto the battlefield ill prepared, mentally weak, and you will crack wide open when it finally gets hard enough.

Commitment is doing whatever it takes. How committed are you? Are your commitments clear? Do you keep them unfettered from distraction? Do you slump into a self pity party and victim mentality when it gets too hard? Most of us do. Now is the time to shore up your character. The phrase “prove yourself in battle” is intentional about demonstrating what you already have built up… not a invitation to build the strength you now need while out there.

Find your legacy within you. Know your “why” and be willing to do whatever it takes to demonstrate it when necessary. Build it now through clear commitments and precise intentional conduct according to your commitments and in alignment with them and your life’s purpose. Then you will have the strength of character needed to endure the hardships that await.

Are  you committed to your spouse?  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to create an epic relationship?  Are you coming to the relationship with integrity? At the root of infidelity, at the root of poor communication, at the root of financial distress and at anything else that results in failed relationships are a lack of commitment, acting out of integrity, having unmet expectations, a lack of relating, being out of alignment or living inauthentically.  Listen in for how these powerful principles can strengthen any relationship.

The article we reference that outlines common reasons for divorce can be found here:  

https://www.marriage.com/advice/divorce/10-most-common-reasons-for-divorce/   

One of the greatest struggles that successful people experience is balancing their commitment to their professional life and their family life.  We discuss the principles that will help you create excellence professionally and personally, without sacrificing either one.  Like creating a recipe, balancing a checkbook, or conducting an orchestra, with clear intention and commitment you can leverage time to create an epic life, personally and professionally.  

Video referenced in podcast of woman balancing the feather:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSDGaQO4ssk 

Commitment literally means doing whatever it takes. Many of us struggle with being committed. In this podcast we dig deeper into the powerful principle of commitment. Specifically we deal with the issues of prioritizing commitments and how to handle competing what appears to be competing commitments and conflicts in commitments.

How committed are you? Are you able to balance your various commitments effectively without sacrificing them? Live committed. Prioritize your commitments and live a life of liberation.