Are You Building The Life Of Your Dreams or The Life You THOUGHT You Wanted?

Ed Mylett100 minutes read

Top personal development app Growth Day offers techniques, courses, and live speeches, with speakers sharing journeys of self-realization and authenticity, emphasizing perseverance in pursuing dreams and personal growth. Individual stories highlight the significance of humility, empathy, and self-reflection in achieving success, with advice on eliminating external voices, embracing fear, and taking practical steps towards dreams to keep pushing forward.

Insights

  • Pursuing dreams without a backup plan is emphasized, advocating for full commitment and sacrificing time to achieve passion without a safety net.
  • The importance of facing past hurts and disappointments to move forward in life is highlighted, with success and greatness requiring resolution of unresolved issues.
  • Kindness combined with bravery can transform bad days into manageable ones, showcasing the value of facing challenges without fear and helping others.
  • The significance of taking practical steps towards dreams, such as creating profiles, submitting auditions, and promoting work, is underscored, encouraging individuals to embrace fear and uncertainty in fully committing to their aspirations.

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Recent questions

  • How did the speaker transition from pursuing acting to motivational speaking?

    The speaker initially chased her childhood dream of becoming an actress but found it unfulfilling, leading to a period of self-discovery. After losing her show and relationship, she delved into personal development through affirmations, eventually securing a book deal with Hay House. Reflecting on her father's support, she found fulfillment in motivational speaking, emphasizing perseverance in pursuing dreams.

  • What advice does the speaker offer for pursuing dreams without a backup plan?

    The speaker advises individuals to fully commit to their passion without a safety net, sacrificing time and staying faithful to their dreams. Emphasizing the importance of perseverance and taking small steps daily, she encourages trusting that the dots will eventually connect, highlighting the significance of starting and persisting in the pursuit of dreams.

  • How did the individual transition from a $3 to a $60 million business?

    The individual lived modestly, saving money and investing in tech stocks to establish Vayner Media at 34 with minimal resources. Working tirelessly from 7 am to 10 pm daily, he built the business, emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success. Despite facing challenges in entering his father's business due to lack of credit, he determinedly built a successful business from scratch.

  • What does the speaker recommend to clear mental clutter and focus on pursuing dreams effectively?

    The speaker recommends sobriety to clear mental clutter and focus on pursuing dreams effectively. By eliminating external voices that shame one's dreams and ensuring aspirations are truly personal, individuals can take practical steps towards their dreams, embracing fear and uncertainty as part of the process.

  • How does the speaker advise dreamers to handle setbacks and doubts?

    The speaker emphasizes the value of humility, continuous self-improvement, and stretching one's identity to ensure that results align with personal worth. Offering advice to pursue dreams despite setbacks or doubts, he highlights the importance of facing past hurts and disappointments to move forward in life.

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Summary

00:00

Personal Growth Journey: From Actress to Speaker

  • Growth Day is recommended as the top personal development app, offering high-performance techniques, courses, accountability, journaling, and live speeches from influencers.
  • The speaker shares her journey of initially pursuing acting as her dream but realizing it wasn't truly aligned with her authentic self.
  • Despite her childhood dream of being an actress, she found performing around the country not fulfilling, leading to a realization about her true desires.
  • She unexpectedly landed a job in heavy metal music, despite not being a fan, which led her to question her authenticity and brand image.
  • Feeling out of alignment and exhausted from maintaining a false persona, she eventually lost the show and relationship, leading to a dark period of self-discovery.
  • Introducing personal development through a book given by her mother, she started with affirmations, gradually pulling herself out of her struggles.
  • The speaker's journey culminated in a book deal with Hay House, a successful publishing house in personal development, tying back to the initial affirmation that sparked her transformation.
  • Reflecting on her father's unwavering support throughout her acting career, she finally found fulfillment in speaking engagements, realizing the purpose behind her past experiences.
  • Encouraging perseverance in pursuing dreams, the speaker emphasizes the importance of staying faithful, taking small steps daily, and trusting that the dots will eventually connect.
  • The conversation concludes with a reflection on the speaker's journey from a struggling actress to a motivational speaker, highlighting the significance of starting and persisting in the pursuit of dreams.

12:25

"From Dream to Reality: The Weight Loss Journey"

  • The individual shared a dream of becoming the "Ty Pennington of weight loss" during an early conversation with a friend who was a casting producer.
  • Following a conversation with the friend's boss, they drove to LA to discuss the show concept on a whiteboard, making multiple trips within a few weeks.
  • The individual, not a trainer at the time, attended meetings to protect their friend from financial troubles and business decisions.
  • The show was sold to ABC, with the individual unexpectedly becoming the host, leading to initial shock and disbelief.
  • The individual's friend, Chris, struggled to accept that his success with transformations was due to providing love and care, not just physical training.
  • The moment of feeling unprepared for the new role was seen as a sign of stepping into one's dream, emphasizing the importance of pushing beyond comfort zones.
  • The individual promoted a personal development system called Growth Day, offering various resources for forming new habits and achieving goals inexpensively.
  • The conversation shifted to identity remaking after significant life changes, such as divorce or career shifts, highlighting the process of finding a new purpose and calling.
  • The individual shared their journey of exploring various avenues post-baseball, including sports radio, network marketing, acting, and attempting a baseball comeback.
  • Advice was given on pursuing dreams without a backup plan, emphasizing the importance of sacrificing time and fully committing to one's passion without a safety net.

24:12

Embracing Humility and Practicality for Success

  • Uncertainty about the future is acknowledged, with a focus on the need for humility and practicality.
  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of not flaunting material possessions excessively.
  • Concern is expressed for the impact of flashy displays on impressionable individuals, especially children.
  • Personal experiences are shared to highlight the fleeting nature of material possessions in providing lasting happiness.
  • The speaker advocates for self-reflection on the motivations behind seeking external validation through material possessions.
  • A shift towards valuing practicality and personal enjoyment over external validation is encouraged.
  • The speaker reflects on past experiences to illustrate the evolution of their perspective on material possessions.
  • The importance of humility, empathy, and concern for others in sustaining long-term success is emphasized.
  • Personal growth is highlighted through a shift from prioritizing external validation to valuing the process and personal development.
  • The significance of empathy, articulation skills, and strong work ethic in achieving success is recognized and praised.

37:03

From Modest Beginnings to Entrepreneurial Success

  • Individual faced challenges in entering father's business due to lack of credit despite being knowledgeable.
  • Determined to build a successful business for father, starting from scratch.
  • Transitioned from a $3 to $60 million business without external financial support.
  • Lived modestly, saving money and investing in tech stocks.
  • Established Vayner Media at 34 with minimal resources.
  • Worked tirelessly, from 7 am to 10 pm daily, building the business.
  • Emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success.
  • Acknowledged the difference in entrepreneurial perception now compared to the past.
  • Highlighted the need for patience and understanding individual aspirations in entrepreneurship.
  • Encouraged recognizing personal gifts and utilizing them for the benefit of others.

50:10

Pursuing Dreams: Overcoming Doubt and Achieving Success

  • The speaker shares a personal experience of visiting a doctor for an MRI after an injury and recommends using the Zocdoc app to find and book top-rated doctors.
  • The speaker reflects on how people often face skepticism when sharing big dreams with their families, but emphasizes the importance of not letting discouragement deter them.
  • Growing up in a small town with limited opportunities, the speaker decided to pursue a seemingly outlandish dream of becoming a wrestler, fueled by a strong work ethic instilled by their parents.
  • The speaker credits their parents for instilling a belief that they could achieve anything they set their mind to, which empowered them to pursue their dream despite skepticism.
  • Unlike their friends who had backup plans or different priorities, the speaker never considered a plan B and put all their focus on achieving their dream.
  • The speaker acknowledges the conflicting messages from their parents, who encouraged them to dream big but expressed doubt when they pursued those dreams.
  • The speaker highlights the importance of being obsessed with one's dream and staying dedicated to it, regardless of external skepticism or setbacks.
  • Stepping into their dream, the speaker realizes that the journey and the process of pursuing the dream are more significant than reaching the end goal.
  • Despite fears of losing their dream, the speaker expresses satisfaction with their accomplishments and a willingness to embrace whatever comes next in life.
  • The speaker emphasizes the value of humility, continuous self-improvement, and stretching one's identity to ensure that results align with personal worth, offering advice to listeners to pursue their dreams despite setbacks or doubts.

01:02:28

Overcoming setbacks with bravery and kindness.

  • Falling down is not a setback but an opportunity to get back up, showcasing bravery as the ability to face challenges without fear.
  • Kindness, when combined with bravery, can transform bad days into manageable ones.
  • Assess the reasons behind your dreams, ensuring they align with your well-being and personal growth.
  • Sobriety is recommended to clear mental clutter and focus on pursuing dreams effectively.
  • Helping others, even strangers, can provide instant gratification and deter self-destructive behaviors.
  • Eliminate any external voices that shame your dreams, ensuring your aspirations are truly your own.
  • Take practical steps towards your dreams, like creating profiles, submitting auditions, and promoting your work.
  • Procrastination can be a valuable part of the journey, building the necessary skills and determination.
  • Embrace fear and uncertainty as part of the process, pushing past doubts to fully commit to your dreams.
  • Start from where you left off or quit before, reclaiming lost opportunities and reigniting your passion to move forward.

01:16:00

Overcoming Past Hurts to Achieve Success

  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of facing past hurts and disappointments to move forward in life.
  • Success and greatness are not easily achieved and require going back to fix unresolved issues.
  • The speaker values the challenging nature of his relationship with Brenda, highlighting her role in pushing him to be better.
  • The dynamic between the speaker and Brenda is a significant aspect of their relationship, with Brenda consistently challenging him to improve.
  • When asked about giving the football to a quarterback in the last two minutes of a game, the speaker chooses Tom Brady for his ability to make crucial plays.
  • The speaker advises dreamers and underdogs to not let their circumstances define them and to always strive for more.
  • Dreamers are those who constantly seek improvement and growth, not letting past successes or failures define them.
  • The speaker shares his journey from banking to entrepreneurship, highlighting the pivotal moment when he decided to resign and pursue his startup dream.
  • Despite not having a clear idea or much capital, the speaker's former boss became an investor in his startup, leading to further investments from Angel Investors.
  • The speaker encourages taking risks and going all in, even without a fully formed plan, as demonstrated by his successful startup funding journey.

01:28:02

Creating Global Certification for Risk Managers

  • A young entrepreneur and his boss decided to create an exam for Risk Managers after realizing no certification existed for the role. They established a not-for-profit association to accredit the exam, despite initial skepticism from others.
  • They set up a website, announced an exam date in New York City, outlined exam topics, and requested a $500 fee for registration. Surprisingly, 34 people sent in checks totaling $177,000, prompting the entrepreneurs to quickly develop the exam content.
  • After weekends of work, they administered the exam to 34 individuals, graded the papers, issued certificates to passing candidates, and eventually expanded the exam's reach to over 50 countries, with thousands of participants worldwide. The success of this venture highlighted the importance of taking bold steps towards a vision, even without a fully formed plan.
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