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Want more happiness, freedom, and time in your life?

Then here’s a simple formula.

Say NO three times for every YES.

Yep.

For every time you say, “Yes” to something, say “No” to three things.

I first read this in James Altucher’s book, The Power Of No, where his entire book makes the point that saying NO to more things in life is the key to more freedom and happiness.

I’ve tried it and it really does work.

Here are a few very important tips on saying no that I accidentally left out of the video:

When saying no, always be TRUTHFUL. Every time that I’ve lied about not wanting to go somewhere or do something, not only did I feel guilty (which defeats the purpose of saying no in the first place), but it’s also come to bite me in the butt a few times. Just tell the truth. The other person or party will actually appreciate the honesty more (they can usually see through a fake excuse)
Don’t make excuses or feel guilty about it. Say no with pride! Do what makes you happy and never feel guilty about it. If saying no gets you one step closer to fulfilling your mission and purpose in life, then be happy about it. If you spend your life doing what other people want you to do, you’ll end up deflated and miserable (and probably full of regrets).

Find out more about the power of NO the video below.

How Saying 3 No’s To Every Yes Leads To Happiness [EPISODE 36]

Conclusion

Saying NO is incredibly powerful.

It can create more freedom, time, and happiness in your life.

So often we end up saying yes to WAY too many things, we’re constantly on the run, and we never feel like we have time for ourselves or for our personal goals.

If you ever feel like you are trying to do too many things and you never have enough time, then it’s time to start saying NO more often.

Give the 3-to-1 ratio a try.

It’s worked for me every time I consciously did it.

This subject of saying no and pursuing your mission in life is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post Why Saying THREE No’s To Every ONE Yes Can Lead To More Happiness appeared first on Joe Simonds.

So which one comes first?

Confidence then Success?

or…

Success then Confidence?

For those of you who have ever said, “I’ll be more confident when ________” then you probably already know the answer…

If you are waiting for some sort of success to make you confident, then you will most likely be waiting forever.

Confidence always comes before success.

Always.

But there is something that comes before both of them that is critical to the equation.

Find out in the video below.

What Comes First? Confidence Or Success? [EPISODE 35]

Conclusion

Here’s the formula.

Failure leads to Confidence which leads to Success.

If you look back on pretty much anyone who has seen a lot of success in life, this is the pattern that shows up time and time again.

Even though no one enjoys failing, it is part of the learning curve to confidence, which ultimately leads to success.

So what do you think?

Do you know of any scenario when success came before confidence?

Let me know in the comments.

This subject of sharing happiness is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post What Comes First? Confidence or Success? appeared first on Joe Simonds.

Want to have your own video recording studio but don’t know where to start?

Then you came to the right place.

I’m now on my 3rd video room (from moving 3 times), and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

I’ve had full green screen walls, I’ve had all kinds of different light fixtures, and I’ve pretty much tried it all.

The great news is that I will share my latest setup (which also happens to be the simplest)

Here is a view of my current video room:

Here is a list of everything that I use today in my room:

Pure white paint from Home Depot (1 gallon will cover a standard 12ft wall) – I do NOT recommend going with a green wall as you’ll quickly realize that you don’t need to edit in backgrounds as much as you think you do. The pure white is safe for pretty much most videos where you are the focus
Foldable table from Home Depot
Canon XA20 Professional Camcorder (see it here on Amazon)
Sennheiser EW 111 G3-A Lavalier Mic (see it here on Amazon)
3-pack set of box lights  (see them here on Amazon)
Tripod (just make sure whatever tripod you get can support the weight of your camera)
I use both Camtasia and Final Cut Pro for editing videos
And then batteries for the mics and a memory card for the camera

Enjoy the video below.

Your Own Video Recording Room [EPISODE 34]

Conclusion

It’s not as hard as it sounds to have your own video room.

After years of doing videos (and three different video recording rooms), I’ve realized that simple is best.

Not to mention, trying to do too much with the room makes it inoperable for anything else.

What I like about my current room is that I can easily move everything out of the way really quickly, I can do podcasts in the same room, and I can even turn it into a bedroom.

So what do you think?

Have any questions about making your own video room?

It’s a great way to share your skills, story, and happiness.

This subject of sharing happiness is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post Everything You Need To Make Your Own DIY Video Recording Room. appeared first on Joe Simonds.

Want to look and feel younger?

Would you believe that a 1-week retreat could make you look and feel 3 years younger?

Yep.

Back in 1979, Ellen Langer conducted a very out of the box experiment where she had a group of 75-year-old men spend a week on a private retreat to see if she could turn back the hands of time.

What did she do?

She asked these 75-year-old men to pretend that it was 20 years earlier for an entire week.

And not just pretend, but really live like it was 20 years earlier.

She gave them badges to wear with pictures of them from 20 years ago, they had newspapers from 20 years ago, and they even had to talk like it was 20 years ago.

Just wait until you see what happened after a week!

Enjoy the video below.

How To Feel Three Years Younger In One Week [EPISODE 33]

Conclusion

Pretty powerful to know that our minds can fool our bodies (and even our appearance).

It’s no wonder that so many self-help books are written about the mind.

It truly does control your ability to think, feel, and accomplish anything you want in life.

This subject of happiness and the power of the right attitude is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post How These 75-Year Old Men Became “3 Years Younger” In ONE Week! appeared first on Joe Simonds.

If a magic genie granted you the ability to do everything 20% faster, would you take it?

I’m betting most people would.

I know that just a few years ago, I would have jumped all over that deal.

But it turns out that pretty much every single person in America doesn’t need to do things faster…

In reality, we need to focus only on what’s really important (aka critical and needle-moving in life) and do that BETTER (not faster).

Trying to do MORE is what causes so many of us to burn out, to lose focus of our big goals, and to go through life wondering where the time went.

Enjoy the video below on the subject of doing things smarter, not faster.

The Pros & Cons Of Doing Things Faster? [EPISODE 32]

Conclusion

Pretty powerful when you think about an average day, huh?

I know all too often I am wishing I had more time while being bogged down with tons of irrelevant things that are taking away from my main focus in life.

For me, it’s about taking a step back, slowing down, and pinpointing exactly what is important (and what can wait – or be ignored completely).

Are there some things in your life that need slowing down?

This subject of happiness and focusing on what’s really important in life is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post If You Could Do Everything 20% Faster, Would You? Here’s Why It Could Be A BAD Idea. appeared first on Joe Simonds.

You’ve heard of an exit strategy in business, right?

Well, the same thing applies in life.

And NO, I’m not talking about death.

I’m talking about having a plan to EXIT anything that doesn’t line up with your goals and mission in life.

Here are some examples of things you need to have an exit strategy in place for:

If you find yourself in a job you hate
If you find yourself in a relationship that isn’t healthy
If you find yourself in a location (where you live) that isn’t ideal
If you find yourself in any situation in life that isn’t ideal…

It still blows me away how many people whine and complain about their situation in life, yet they never do anything about it.

It’s a pretty simple two-step process to dig yourself out of any bad situation, job, relationship, etc.

Map out your exit strategy
Take action on it every day!

That simple.

Enjoy the video below with more details on creating your exit strategy in life.

Do You Have An Exit Strategy? [EPISODE 31]

Conclusion

So what do you think?

Are there some things in your life that need an exit strategy?

Just remember, an exit strategy is only as good as the action you put behind it.

It’s critical that you take small steps every single day!

This subject of happiness and the power of taking action is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post Do You Have An Exit Strategy In Life? Here’s Why You Should! appeared first on Joe Simonds.

“Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.”

This is one of the many amazing quotes from Mark Manson is his top-selling book, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*** (see it here on Amazon)

Here are a few reasons I loved this book by Mark Manson:

1. Mission/Values

Mark does an excellent job of making the reader focus on what really matters in life (aka your values).

What are your values? What is really important to you?

Why do we all get so caught up in trivial things that have little to no meaning or real influence on us?

Once you know what you are living for and what you stand for, it makes it a WHOLE lot easier to never give a f*** about all of the fluff around us (like someone saying something you disagree with on social media for instance).

2. Solve Problems

The more problems you solve, the happier you are.

The more obstacles you overcome, the more fulfilled you are.

The harder the problem and obstacle you solve/overcome, the happier you are.

3. Take Action

Without action, nothing happens.

Mark really hammers home that action is the catalyst for all happiness.

If you don’t take action to solve problems that tie into your values, you might as keep sitting on the couch hoping happiness magically hits you in the face…

Take action!

Enjoy.

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*** [EPISODE 30]

Conclusion

Awesome book by Mark!

I loved how he tied in the importance of having values, not getting distracted by unimportant issues and social media BS, and then taking action to make changes in your life.

Certainly a must-read book this year.

This subject of happiness and the power of taking action on your values is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*** appeared first on Joe Simonds.

What could go down as the worst featured image of all time (the pink brain above) could be one of my favorite (and most powerful) subjects to talk about.

The brain.

Did you know that your brain CANNOT multitask?

That’s right, your brain might be one of the most powerful and intricate things ever created, but it can only focus on and concentrate on one thing at a time.

And if you’ve even been silent for a while (like the first time you try to meditate), you know that your brain liked to be thinking about something.

In fact, if you aren’t putting an idea or thought into your brain to focus on, it usually finds something to think about.

I really loved the trick that Mo Gawdat (author of Solve For Happy) shares on how he tricks his brain into being happy.

He has even been able to use this trick to overcome the pain of losing his son.

Find out how he does it (and how you can do it too) in the video below.

Enjoy.

How To Trick Your Mind Into Happiness [EPISODE 29]

Conclusion

As you saw in the video, the mind can be easily tricked into happiness.

All you have to do is train it to start thinking about things that make you happy so it can substitute any negative feelings into positive ones.

Over time, your brain will automatically start looking for the positive in everything.

This stuff really does work!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

This subject of happiness and the power of the mind is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post How To Trick Your Mind Into Happiness (Anytime, Anywhere) appeared first on Joe Simonds.

Will you have any regrets when you die?

If you are like most people, there will be some things you wish you had done differently.

In particular, wishing you had spent less time in the office and more time with your loved ones.

Spending more time with family was one of the top regrets that people had on their deathbeds (you can see all 24 top regrets here).

One thing you will never hear anyone regret on their deathbed was not spending enough time in the office… yet, so many of us get caught in the rut of putting out jobs and careers over things that don’t matter as much.

Are you focused too much on things that don’t really matter that much in the big scheme of things?

Watch the video below to find out.

Powerful stuff.

Related Post: Top 24 Things People Regret On Their Deathbed

Will You Regret This When You Die? [EPISODE 28]

Conclusion

Life is too short to lose sight of what’s really important…

It’s also too short and put such an emphasis on our jobs while neglecting our loved ones.

I recall trying to explain to my wife the reason I was working so many crazy hours and flying all over the country was so that I could eventually spend time with my wife and daughter…

I didn’t see the irony until later. I didn’t need more money to spend time with my wife and daughter. I just needed to adjust my goals and priorities.

Be more like the Mexican fisherman who knew exactly what he wanted in life (see the hard-hitting Mexican fisherman story here)

This subject of love, the power of relationships, and chasing the right things in life is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post Will You Regret This When You Die? appeared first on Joe Simonds.

Home Plate.

Home plate has been 17 inches wide since baseball began.

Regardless if you are a baseball player in the Little Leagues, in high school, in college, or even in the Major Leagues, the one thing that never changes is the size of home plate.

And if a pitcher can’t consistently throw a ball over home plate, he doesn’t get exceptions.

For instance, you’ll never hear a baseball coach or umpire go up to a pitcher and tell them they are going to extend the plate to 20 inches…

The 17 inches is set in stone.

It’s more than a rule, it’s law.

Well, you’ve got to hear how this 78-year-old baseball coach shocked a crowd with his analogy of America and the home plate in baseball.

Enjoy.

America’s Home Plate

In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt,

and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate.

Seriously, I wondered, who is this guy?

After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage.

Then, finally …“You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility.

“I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.”

Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?”

After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches?”, more of a question than an answer.

“That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth’s day? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?” Another long pause.

“Seventeen inches?” a guess from another reluctant coach.

“That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?”

“Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident.

“You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?”

“Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison.

“Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?”…………“Seventeen inches!”

“RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?

“Seventeen inches!”

“SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls.

“And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello !” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter.

“What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. You can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’”

Pause. “Coaches…” pause, “… what do we do when our best player shows up late to practice? When our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him? Do we widen home plate?”

The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold.

He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows.

“This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline. We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We widen the plate!”

Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag.

“This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?”

Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross.

“And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves! And we allow it.”

“And the same is true with our government. Our so called representatives make rules for us that don’t apply to themselves. They take bribes from lobbyists and foreign countries. They no longer serve us. And we allow them to widen home plate and we see our country falling into a dark abyss while we watch.”

Powerful stuff.

We Moved Home Plate [EPISODE 27]

Conclusion

Have you “moved home plate” with anything in your life?

If you are anything like me, there are probably a couple of things we’ve let get extended, over-extended, and perhaps even seem unrecognizable to the rules you originally had in place.

This can be from anything to your morals, values, weight, spending/saving habits, time with kids, time with family, religion, and everything in between.

If you look around, it usually won’t take long to discover at least one thing in your life where home plate has been moved and could use some adjustment.

I know I sure have a few…

This subject of choosing happiness and chasing the right things in life is one of my favorite chapters in the ultimate book on happiness called, “Fishing For Happiness.”

Definitely, pick up a copy for yourself if you haven’t done so already.

In the meantime, what is holding you back from a happier and more fulfilling life?

Let me know in the comments.

Want to hear my full story of overcoming cancer, anxiety attacks, and alcohol abuse along with what I learned on my journey to find more fulfillment in my life?

Then pick up a copy of Fishing For Happiness – the only book on happiness that curates over 300 top personal development books (and also comes with a money-back guarantee).

Click here now to see what people are saying about the book on Amazon.

P.S. – If you think your friends or networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

The post What’s Really Wrong With America Today… We Moved Home Plate appeared first on Joe Simonds.