Tim Ferris’ Ten Questions In Tribe of Mentors – Dare To Try?

What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? 

I’ve talked about this a number of times, but Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success” was the turning point in my paradigm.  I understood the art of clothing, pleasing personality, self-confident, habit of saving (although I already established that a decade ago) and so many other life-changing principles that most people need to read.  After that, Jack Canfield’s ‘Success Principles’ was another massive plateau, followed by Dale Carnegie’s ‘How To Stop Worrying And Start Living.’

What purchase of 100$ or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?  

I’m going to increase that to 300$, because if it wasn’t for my Bose Noise Cancelling headphones, there’s no telling if I would’ve made it out of America, or even Australia (noise disturbances from housemates, to slummy African American communities – lol).  Extremely grateful for them – and only now I realize that it was on a flight from Seoul, South Korea to Singapore where I found myself in a depressive state because the battery’s life ran out of the Triple AAA battery I had in my headset.  DAMNIT!

How has a failure, or an apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?

The story of the 2005 Nevada Sunrise Regional Track & Field Championships resonates and always will.

If you could have one gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it – metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions – what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. 

Love is everywhere.

Or….

Follow your bliss.

What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?

Other than my Bose headphones, my soundlink was also a firm investment.  This would take away a lot of the ambient noise (security guards laughing and singing outside my window) where I live.  On top of that, I can literally put a podcast like Gary Vee on in the morning, clean my house, prepare everything and do the morning routine.  This established a very good morning routine for myself.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

Rocking while listening to music.  (Story in the podcast). I’m not ashamed of it, either!

In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

My morning routine dictates how a day will turn out.  For instance, if I wake up looking at trashy media, I will have a trashy morning, which will then spill over into the afternoon and evening.  However, on days, such as today, I can wake up and bang out three pre-recorded podcasts and five blogs.  It all comes from establishing a sound morning routine that involves exercise, priming, meditation and making a gratitude list.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”?

What do you REALLY want? Not what society tells you to want?

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise? 

“You’re not very academic.  You need to become more academic.”

This is the silliest shit (excuse my French) I’ve ever heard in my life.  How about Elon Musk, Mark Zuck, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mohammad Ali – were they “academic?”  Historical teachers and historical mindsets are a thing of the past.

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to?

People who want something from me without giving me a damn thing.

Podcast