Now I am the voice.
I will lead, not follow.
I will believe, not doubt.
I will create, not destroy.
I am a force for good.
I am a leader.

 

I had never seen him in action before. I had heard about him of course. And I read one of his books before. Unlimited Power. Back in the late 80s.

And firewalking. I do remember Tony Robbins and firewalking. I guess he still does that sort of thing at his seminars.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. He was giving a keynote at one of the sessions that I attended last week.

No topic.

Just Tony and lots of energy.

He started off by describing himself not as Mr. Positive rather as Mr. Why.

Why are some people successful and others not?

He has spent his life looking at patterns. Understanding patterns. All human beings are patterns. Whatever people do, they do for a reason and if you know the pattern, you can understand the reason.

The ultimate resource is human emotion and you cannot lead others if you cannot lead yourself.

There was a lot of kinetic energy on display. He had people jumping, clapping, yelling. I was definitely the odd person out as I watched all of this drama unfold. The actions of the crowd were not all that different than from what I have seen at hockey games or at rock concerts. More primal than rational. Emotion produced by motion.

After twenty minutes or so of this activity, he calmed the crowd down by asking a key question:

What is a magnificent life?

Tony believes that a magnificent life is a life lived on your own terms. And that happens when you master the science of achievement and the art of fulfillment.

Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure in life.

Many outwardly successful people learn how to achieve. It is almost a mechanical exercise. If you follow a certain protocol you will achieve a certain outcome. Not always the case mind you. Success often relies on a few other factors.

Fulfillment or contentment is much harder to achieve.

Tony used Robin Williams as an example. Outwardly successful and inwardly tormented. Williams could not see a way to be fulfilled.

Tony thinks that we should spend every minute of every day guarding against those stories that limit our lives. Be mindful of our emotional and mental states. Those are the most important things in life.

Most people have a highway to stress and a dirt road to happiness.

That pattern can and should be changed.