The Motivation Movement | Inspirational Quotes, Daily Advice, Lifestyle Design, Personal Development

Unfortunately, much of society appears to be built on a scarcity focused mentality. It's a philosophy that leads people to believe that there is a deficiency in their life, and that opportunity is VERY DIFFICULT to stumble upon.

Contrary to popular belief, we live in the most PROSPEROUS AND INNOVATIVE TIME in the history of MANKIND. But, again, all we hear about is DOOM, DESTRUCTION and MISERY. Just turn on the news and listen for yourself!

Most of the conversation is unfortunately revolves around . . . I or WE don’t have ENOUGH . . . I don’t have enough money to pay my student loans. I don’t have enough good luck to ever achieve my dreams. We don’t have enough resources to feed the poor. I don’t have enough time to work on my business. 

There is NO shortage of money, health, success, resources, opportunity . . . There’s a shortage of the SKILLS, DEDICATION and MINDSET to achieve and/or manifest these material and immaterial items. 

Quote: “A great many years ago, I purchased a fine dictionary. The first thing I did with it was to turn to the word ‘impossible,’ and neatly clip it out of the book. That would not be an unwise thing for you to do.”- Napoleon Hill

Once you view a challenge as impossible, your brain begins to compound all of the reasons why the problem cannot be solved. You must be disciplined to be solution oriented in the face of adversity. Tackle the obstacle HEAD ON. Confront your FEARS! Fears = Limits . . . 

People who are serious about abundance value Collaboration OVER Competition. The complainers, the people who focus on what’s lacking in their lives are often suspicious and skeptical of others. Opportunity isn’t shrinking when others succeed, and you don’t. 

A scarcity mindset believes that if one person wins, another loses; as if life is a ZERO-SUM GAME, it’s not. THINK IN ABUNDANCE. ACT IN ABUNDANCE. BE ABUNDANT.

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Our sleep quality is extremely important, often cited as a more important factor than diet and exercise as it relates to overall health. For your physical and mental wellbeing, there is no process in your body that isn’t ENHANCED by sleep. On the flip side, the effects of NOT sleeping enough are extremely damaging to the welfare of your brain and body. 

It’s inevitable that we will encounter situations where we have to pull all-nighters to meet a deadline or rush to the aid of a loved one, shit happens, but, becoming aware of ALL the insanely amazing health benefits of fostering a consistent sleep routine is WILDLY important.

Quote: Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care / The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath / Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course / Chief nourisher in life’s feast. ~ William Shakespeare, Macbeth

If you’re a CHRONIC anti-SLEEPER, and you have lofty goals related to physical fitness, academics, personal relationships, breaking bad habits and work performance, I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD. The level of difficulty in making true progress in these areas of your life is going to be dramatically exacerbated without a proper, healthy sleep routine. 

First, it’s important to realize what DOESN’T HELP YOU SLEEP. Nightcaps, AKA a shot of whiskey or glass of wine before bed, DOESN’T AID in RESTFUL SLEEP AT ALL. Smoking and/or ingesting marijuana has similar negative effects on your sleeping patterns. Caffeine and nicotine are others addictive drugs that have harmful effects as well. My advice is to save the coffee for the morning and ditch the cigarettes permanently.

Quick, NO Bullsh*t, ACTIONABLE Tips to Sleep Better: Be consistent with your sleep schedule. Don’t nap too close to bedtime. Have a pre-slumber ritual in place, take the time to properly wind-down at night. Avoid light disruptions. Make sure to exercise during the day for at least one hour. Make sure your sleeping environment is comfortable and distraction free. Meditate, listen to soothing tunes and/or read before bed! 

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Even as humans progress into advanced ages, the brain has an amazing ability to evolve and adapt as time passes. This capability, which we’ve discussed on The Motivation Movement before is known as neuroplasticity. 

You can utilize the brain’s innate power of neuroplasticity to enhance your cognitive skills, boost your capacity to absorb knowledge, and develop your memory. 

Everyone has flashes of forgetfulness, particularly when life gets hectic. While this can be an entirely normal incident, having a shaky memory can be infuriating. A powerful memory depends on the strength and vitality of your brain. 

When specific groups of neuron clusters in your brain are re-activated, that’s when memories are recalled. Fortifying or weakening these synapses makes the neuronal activity more or less likely to take place. Synaptic plasticity makes all of this possible. 

Today’s quote is from Kevin Horsley, who is an International Professional Speaker, Grandmaster of Memory, and World Record Holder. He is the author of the Wall Street Journal Bestselling book. Unlimited Memory. The quote was stated as follows:

Quote: Your memory is the glue that binds your life together; everything you are today is because of your amazing memory. You are a data collecting being, and your memory is where your life is lived. - Kevin Horsley

Science is continually finding new relationships amongst simple tasks and activities we accomplish each and every day; very easy and practical concepts which can greatly improve our general ability to memories facts, ideas and experiences. Today, we’re going to discuss just FIVE natural methods to maximize your memory . . . 

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Today’s episode is a true story about my business, Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. My current role at the company is Chief Marketing Officer. 

Wild Bill’s has been in business since 2002. For the longest time, Wild Bill’s was regionally focused in the Northeast, servicing traditional, outdoor fairs and festivals with our western themed soda saloon activation. 

The concept is super simple: buy a stainless-steel mug, drink unlimited olde fashioned soda pop ALL DAY. We produce WILDY unique flavors like Sarsaparilla, Birch Beer, Root Beer, Vanilla Cream, Orange, Grape, Butterscotch and beyond. 

My business partner, who’s a Navy Veteran, and I became involved in 2017. It was our mission to use Wild Bill’s as a platform to provide meaningful employment opportunity to America’s Heroes, our Veteran’s, who all too often face serious unemployment and under-employment issues. 

At the height of our operation, in 2019, we had 50 full time and part time employees, with about half of them being Veterans. FAST FORWARD TO 2020, we were on a run-rate to service 400 events and $10 MM in revenue. Then, COVID happened. 

Quote: “But in practice master plans fail – because they create totalitarian order, not organic order. They are too rigid; they cannot easily adapt to the natural and unpredictable changes that inevitably arise in the life of a community.” – Christopher Alexander

The natural and unpredictable changes that inevitably arise; talk about perfectly summing up the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. We always had contingency plans in place, but no one in their right mind could have expected a situation like we’re currently experiencing. 

Small, medium, and especially LARGE gatherings were cancelled nationwide. Our core business at Wild Bill’s came to an abrupt, grinding halt. We were ABSOLUTELY DEVISTATED. 

We had to figure something out, and figure it out FAST. 

Pivoting from being an event-based business, to an e-commerce business has NOT been easy. Our expertise was in experiential, not digital. The options we had were clear, GO DARK and hope for the best, or take action, and adapt to the current predicament. We opted for the latter. 

WildBillsSoda.com #GetYourMugOn @WildBillsSoda

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In eastern philosophy, yin and yang stands for the synergistic relationship between two apparently opposing forces. In a similar regard, the human brain also is viewed with a similar sense of duality. The right hemisphere being the YIN, the left hemisphere being the YANG.

According to the left-brain, right-brain dominance theory, popularized in the 1960’s by psycho-biologist and Nobel Prize winner Roger W. Sperry. The right side of the brain is best at emotional and imaginative tasks. The left-side of the brain is better suited for tasks involving reasoning, language, and analytical thinking.

Researchers set out to challenge out this hypothesis, publishing the results of their project in August of 2013. The findings of their research show no evidence to support the notion that people who use the right side of their brain are more creative and subjective, or that people who use the left side of their brain are more logical and objective.

The two sides of the brain are linked together by networks of nerve fibers, creating an information highway of sorts. The two sides do function differently, but they are synergistic, imagine a careful balancing act VS an active and passive relationship. 

Quote: When a person has access to both the intuitive, creative and visual right brain, and the analytical, logical, verbal left brain, then the whole brain is working...And this tool is best suited to the reality of what life is, because life is not just logical-it is also emotional. - Stephen Covey

Whether you’re performing a logical or creative function, you’re collecting input from both hemispheres of your brain. For example, the left brain handles statistical calculations, but right brain aids with comparisons and rough estimates. The left brain is credited with basic language, but the right brain assists you in understanding tone, mood, and context. 

While the idea is most certainly over-hyped, over-sensationalized, over-generalized and overstated, understanding your strengths and weaknesses can help you develop better ways to absorb information and develop new skills.

For example, employers who struggle to find creative ways to inspire their employees (a right-brain characteristic) could benefit from implementing more team building exercises. Entrepreneurs who are extremely innovative and inventive, yet have trouble diving into the analytics and operations of their business, could benefit from taking an online course in accounting and/or finance, building their so-called left brain capabilities. 

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We informally are gauging the personality of ourselves and others every single day. In a similar, yet much more systemic and scientific manner, psychologists utilizing psychometrics aim to better understand the way in which individuals respond to various situations based on their personality type. 

There are two basic types of personality tests: self-report inventories and projective tests.

Self-report inventories are a kind of objective test used to assess personality. They typically use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, which represent a range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Projective tests generally involve presenting the test-taker with a vague scene, object, or scenario and then asking them to give their interpretation of the test item. One well-known example of a projective test is the Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Quote: We cannot safely assume that other people's minds work on the same principles as our own. All too often, others with whom we come in contact do not reason as we reason, or do not value the things we value, or are not interested in what interests us. – Isabel Briggs Myers

Have you ever heard someone refer to themselves as an INFJ or an ESTJ and wondered what those random letters could mean? It’s not a secret cheat code to a video game . . . What these people are describing to is their personality type based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

16Personalities.COM, which offers a free MTBI based personality test, breaks down the results into four categories of personalities: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels and Explorers! 

Analysts are Intuitive (N) and Thinking (T) personality types, known for their rationality, impartiality, and intellectual excellence. Diplomats are Intuitive (N) and Feeling (F) personality types, known for their empathy, diplomatic skills, and passionate idealism. Sentinels are Observant (S) and Judging (J) personality types, known for their practicality and focus on order, security, and stability. Explorers are Observant (S) and Prospecting (P) personality types, known for their spontaneity, ingenuity, and flexibility.

NOT all personality tests are created equal. When it comes to examining the validity, accuracy, and reliability of personality tests, some have better psychometric properties than others. 

Still, I’m a firm believer that personality tests can have a positive impact on your personal and professional progression. Really, it’s a relatively easy way to become more aware of yourself and have a higher EQ as it relates to your level of emotional intelligence.

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Today’s episode is going to be slightly different compared to the usual script. Today’s episode is a dedication to Matthew “Spiffy” Smith, who unexpectedly passed-away on August 18th 2020, at the very young age of 25. 

Spiffy and I go back about 11 or 12 years; we grew up in the same town, went to the same school and were at all the same parties. Spiffy and I weren’t super tight, we weren’t best friends, we didn’t talk every month . . . BUT, over the years, we always kept in touch, we always encouraged each other in the pursuit of our dreams, and we always just checked in on each other. 

Though we had very different ambitions, Spiffy as a musician, me as an entrepreneur, it felt like we were somehow running on parallel paths. Spiffy and I had a mutual respect of each other’s hustle, each other’s craft.  

Quote: Give yourself more credit. Recognize your accomplishments and achievements. Think twice before you speak. Listen. Spread love. Give thanks. Appreciate. Be up for the challenge. Never make the same mistake twice. If you miss someone, tell them. Stop being so hard on yourself. If it bothers you, say something. Losing your enthusiasm is like losing your happiness. Watch good movies, listen to good music. Do something about it. Read and write. Always be willing to learn something new. Eat right and exercise. Save your money. Get to know your family better. If you don’t, someone else will. You can’t give up. There is always room to grow. Follow your heart. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Be the change you would like to see in the world. Do you. – Matthew “Spiffy” Smith

Have you ever taken the time to really write down your beliefs? Have you ever tried to put into words your mission statement or your why? It’s very empowering to pen your thoughts on how to life a fulfilling and joyful life. By writing a personal credo, you're forced to clarify your beliefs in the context of your own experience. Focus creates meaning and provides direction that acts as a moral compass in an insanely distracting world, and helps you align your actions with your beliefs.

Personally, for me, I was inspired by his dedication and ambition. Spiffy motivated me to keep perfecting my craft and chasing my dreams no matter what other people had to say. It takes conviction, confidence, and guts to be yourself. Spiffy paved his own path, unapologetically, and that’s special. Rest in Power Spiffy, I love you dawg! 

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Grit and perseverance are the real key performance indicators to measure in the pursuit of success, whether it be in business, education, relationships and/or health. Intelligence and skill ONLY GO SO FAR. You can’t do much about the DNA you were created with, but there is a LOT you can do to develop resilience and become stronger MENTALLY.

The American Psychological Association defines Mental Resilience as: “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.” When unexpected and stressful situations arise, how do you respond?

How do certain individuals repeatedly strive in the direction of their ambitions failed attempt after failed attempt while others give up after their first try? How do those individuals remain so humble, focused and determined when there is seemingly a VERY low probability of success, when there’s no CLEAR light at the end of the tunnel?

Quote: The only way you gain mental toughness is to do things you're not happy doing. If you continue doing things that you're satisfied and make you happy, you're not getting stronger. You're staying where you're at. Either you're getting better, or you're getting worse. You're not staying the same. – David Goggins

Being uncomfortable in new situations with a fresh set of challenges is what helps fortify your mental strength. PUSHING THE LIMITS is what helps fortify your mental strength. 

Mentally tough individuals are more consistent than others. 

Mentally tough individuals practice meditation and reflection. 

Mentally tough individuals don’t let their emotions get the best of them, they’re able to channel their anxiety when uncomfortable situations arise. 

Resilience, and mental fortitude, doesn’t mean avoiding struggle and stress, it means managing it and not letting it deter you from accomplishing what you’ve set out to achieve. 

Resilience and mental fortitude isn’t about burying your emotions and not dealing with the surprises life has in store for us. It’s about confronting that negative internal dialogue and those obstacles head on, conquering them, learning from the process, and continually becoming stronger and stronger. 

Like building a muscle, fortifying your MENTAL STRENGTH takes time, dedication and perseverance.

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Isn’t it unbelievable how incredibly persuasive certain individuals can be? Is it possible for all of us to achieve such a high level of influence? Persuasion is a potent force in business, personal relationships, politics, the media, and society (as a whole). 

Persuasion skills can and SHOULD be LEARNT; they’re integral to accomplishing your goals and actualizing your dreams. How often have you needed to persuade others to do something? 

The truth isn’t the truth until people believe you, and they can’t believe you if they don’t know what your saying, and they can’t know what you’ve saying if they don’t listen to you, and they won’t listen to you if you’re not interesting, and you won’t be interesting until you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly. - William Bernbach 

The ability to organically and genuinely persuade and influence others is second nature to a lucky few, but incredibly difficult and uncomfortable for most.

Persuasion isn’t a zero-sum game like manipulation is. Persuasion aims to result in a win-win situation for both parties that are involved.

As today’s quote of the day explained, you must have a VERY interesting value proposition to persuade others. The person or people you’re aiming to persuade obviously must be INTERESTED in what you have to say. How do you captivate the subject’s attention?! 

Relating to a common interest is helpful, but allowing them to speak about themselves, their experiences, wants, and needs is an even better starting point. People are often VERY interested in talking about themselves! We all love to brag about ourselves a little bit.

Persuasion is often a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to not lose faith and enthusiasm after a failed attempt to influence people or outcomes. The point is that PERSISTANCE PAYS OFF.

Communicating clearly is ESSENTIAL to effective persuasion. Keep it SIMPLE stupid. Spare the details, features and benefits, GET TO THE POINT. Simplicity is king.

Gentle, kind and genuine persuasion is a clear winner in comparison to the severity of force, over-assertiveness and bitter words.

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Cultivating new information to inspire CREATIVITY is vital in the chasing of our dreams and ambitions. Great ideas are a result of your existing base of knowledge constantly being fed by new sources of learning material. 

While the traditional, formal education system may provide you with the framework of a complete educational experience, the bulk of the knowledge your absorb is simply THEORY. Self-education is taking that framework, and consistently building up the structures and strengthening the foundation. 

The phrase “KNOWLEDGE is POWER” is thrown around very liberally as a caption on social media and in inspirational speeches from self-help coaches, but the truth is that APPLIED KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

Quote: “If you meet at dinner a man who has spent his life in educating himself – a rare type in our time … you rise from table richer, and conscious that a high ideal has for a moment touched and sanctified your days. But Oh! my dear Ernest, to sit next to a man who has spent his life in trying to educate others! What a dreadful experience that is!?”– Oscar Wilde

There’s just SOMETHING about rooting for the underdog; the ones who self-educated, the ones who sacrificed sleep to learn as much as they could about their passion, the ones who worked their asses off at becoming an expert in their craft. Ya know what I’m saying?!?!

Constant learning makes you more confident in your knowledge and abilities. 

The information is out there. There’s NO EXCUSE not to practice self-education weekly, even if you’re already a GENIUS. The mark of a GENIUS is constantly seeking out new information and asking questions to further your learning.

LACK of discipline is a real RISK-FACTOR in the journey that is self-education. Both self-learning and traditional education have their pros and cons, benefits and shortcomings. Do both, do one or the other, but DON’T DO NEITHER. 

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