I haven’t pressed the snooze button in 28 days. I wake up and practically leap out of bed feeling energized. Then I stretch, journal and read. No phone, no email, no work. And I don’t miss my old night owl, snooze-addicted ways.
By taking the morning for myself before starting my workday, I’ve shifted my mindset from having to wake up to getting to wake up. I finally achieved what I haven’t been able to do since middle school—I can wake up and feel happy about it. This is The Miracle Morning.
Twenty eight days ago I attended Best Year Ever Blueprint (BYEB), December 7–9, 2018 in San Diego, an event inspired by Hal Elrod and his international bestselling book, The Miracle Morning. More than 500 attendees arrived eager for more tactics coupled with a likeminded community in order to experience their best year ever.
It’s only a few days into 2019, and I’m already moving in a more intentional and productive direction. I created a personal branded website and finally launched the podcast I had been working on over the last three months called Find Your Passion Career.
BYEB sparked something within me that’s been there all along. And the people I met further confirmed it. It’s the feeling that anything is possible. Somehow that message had disappeared in my life. I’d love for you to experience that same spark and start living more intentionally. While I can’t send every College Magazine reader to BYEB, I can tell you to 1. Get The Miracle Morning, 2. Read the 10 most inspiring takeaways below and 3. Get your ticket to BYEB 2019.
10 Most Inspiring Messages that will spark your Best Year Ever
1. “How do I want to be?” –Emily D. Baker
Emily Baker encouraged us to consider how we want to show up in life. We often prioritize determining our occupation over our own character. When we choose the latter, that’s when the other pieces fall into place. Baker encouraged us to choose three terms that represent how we want to be. My terms were boss, inspirational and real. How do you want to be?
2. “Show up generous” –Jon Berghoff
This message seeped into my heart. “Wow,” I thought, “if only every other conference and event began with this advice. Perhaps we all would have made even deeper connections.” When you show up generous you start to ask the people you meet how you can help. This action helps you learn the unique strengths you have to offer. It also gives you an opportunity to fully understand the other person and their story. I learned that I was able to help a new friend with his public speaking. Through this experience, we both learned a lot about one another and sparked a meaningful friendship.
3. If you eliminate self-doubt, all you’ll see is possibility – JJ Virgin
JJ Virgin, celebrity nutrition and fitness expert and four-time New York Times best-selling author shared the advice she learned from her mentor: Wear a rubber bracelet and every time you have a self-limiting thought, snap it. Once you eliminate these thoughts, Virgin explained that all you see is possibility. And that was the beginning to building her personal brand and achieving big visions, starting with “how do I start earning enough to not have to get a job” to “how do I impact one million people” to “how do I help one billion people get healthy?” JJ Virgin always sees possibility. Because of this, she is always innovating.
4. “Become somebody’s favorite” –Chris Ducker
Chris Ducker, virtual CEO and dynamic speaker, filled the room with laughs, positivity and the inspiration to build our own personal brands. By launching the brand of YOU, you can authentically determine the benefits and outcomes you have to offer, learn to serve first and sell later, design your perfect customer and cultivate real relationships. That’s when his message, “become somebody’s favorite,” reverberated and landed onto my notepad. When you share your authentic self through your brand, you will attract the people you were meant to serve.
5. “Focus on what you can give not what you can get” –Dan Casetta
Casetta asked us, “What if you know that someone you met today would have a significant impact on your life?” It happens all the time, but we often forget to treat potential new relationships this way. Casetta, a business and life coach and speaker, shared how we can level up our network with the most impressive people we know. But first we must focus on building powerful personal connections by focusing on what we can give. It goes back to message #2, showing up generous, but drives it home with the second part. How many of us fall into focusing what we can get? If we can recognize this, then we can shift our mindset to what we can give from giving our time to supporting others causes. Imagine how this will change every relationship in your life.
6. “When nobody will bet on your potential, you have to” –Chris Lochhead
Christopher Lochhead is a “Top 30” rated podcaster, best-selling author and advisor/investor to over 50 Silicon Valley startups and CMO of his former public company. Did he bet on his potential? Damn straight he did. If you listen to Lochhead’s podcast you’ll experience his no-nonsense advice as he zones in on how to embrace what makes you different. Lochhead said, “We live in a world that tells us to be the same. Follow your difference. What makes us different makes the difference.” This isn’t easy to do—as any change maker will tell you—which means you’ll need to be your #1 cheerleader.
7. “Play big” – Dr. Sean Stephenson
“You know there’s something bigger for you. You are playing small. PLAY BIG.” Dr. Sean Stephenson rolled up like a boss in his wheelchair with a simple yet powerful message. He’s a therapist, motivational speaker and author of the international best-selling book, Get Off Your “But.” He also beat the odds of survival at birth from a rare bone disorder that stunted his growth and caused his bones to be extremely fragile. I laughed and leaned in, furiously taking notes as Stephenson empowered us all of us to play big and be unstoppable by focusing on what we want, what we have and what we like.
8. “No level of success will change how you feel about yourself” –Patricia Moreno
Imagine a workout tied with warrior poses and chanting positive affirmations. You know that fitness makes you feel good, but Moreno takes that feeling to the next level. She’s the creator of The intenSati Method, a life transforming workout that combines her expertise in fitness, dance, martial arts, yoga, meditation and spiritual practices. At Best Year Ever we learned how to change the way we feel about ourselves in that moment by experiencing her workout. Through the movements and affirmations, my body and mind felt stronger. And as someone who strives for success every day, Moreno’s words left an imprint on my heart. I can’t let my success or struggles in success affect how I feel about myself, and I hope that message resonates with you too.
9. “Are you living your legacy?” –Garrett Gunderson
Gunderson is living his legacy and wants you to start living yours. He’s The Chief Wealth Architect of Wealth Factory, a speaker and author of the New York Times bestseller Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity. Gunderson shared that financial freedom is a mindset and if we can fully embrace our value proposition we will be wealthy. The wealth mindset is one of abundance. He asked us to think about our existing resources that can already be profitable in order to “win first” vs. the old adage “play to win.” Now how will you start living your legacy?
10. “Never underestimate the power of the people you surround yourself with” –Alex Hayden
Hayden experienced a radical transformation in his own life, losing 80 lbs. and turning his personal life around. Today he helps others improve their health through Real Results Academy, his transformational health coaching practice. He shared how we start seeing radical changes in our own lives through exercise, gratitude, community and forgiveness. Hayden’s message to surround ourselves with people who challenge and lift us up resonated with me most. In fact, it was the power of the people, including meeting with Hayden himself at Best Year Ever Blueprint that made the strongest and lasting impression of the weekend. How will you start getting intentional about the people you surround yourself with?
It wasn’t easy choosing 10 messages. Find your 10 takeaways at next year’s Best Year Ever Blueprint while you dance into the new year with music by Brotha James. In the meantime, start your own Miracle Morning routine after reading Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning to jump-start the new year with a new mindset.
