Principles of Epic Growth

Why is Southwest Airlines so successful when so many other airline companies struggle? The short answer is the leadership of the founder and CEO Herb Kelleher was a significant contributing factor to the success of SWA. Herb led with a love for his people. There was a decent amount of humility in his leadership which allowed him the ability to accept input and ideas from others. He allowed for unorthodox but effective practices within is industry. He was a master at breaking the script (see The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath). Herb Kelleher obviously had a belief in himself. Much like David Goggins has taught the world, that once when you remove self doubt the things you thought were only possible become inevitable. In this podcast we learn some basic principles in leading with power.

Every New Year provides a fertile breeding ground for people to wake up and set goals. However, most fail. In fact 8 out of 10 new year’s resolutions go un met. So many people fail that it seems more common to not even set them any more.   Why do people fail? What is the best formula for reaching goals? These are the important principles we discuss in this podcast. Also – there is nothing really that special about a “New Year”. Why not have that same focus and drive every day?   Here is another important question for you: Can you actually articulate your goals to anyone who asks as quickly and easily as you would tell them your phone number or home address? Get to the point where your goals are so present for you that you can rattle them off like your saying own phone number. Live with them in your face every day.

Persuasion vs Force – The Power of True Leadership   The power of true leadership is in willingness and eagerness for your people to follow your lead. This is only achieved through the principle of persuasion. Force can never create it. Leadership by coercion or force isn’t leadership at all, but rather an unsustainable temporary path to a goal that likely results in unmet achievements, resentment, and long term failure.   In this podcast we break down some of the basic principles and ingredients persuasion and how it is truly a powerful and authentic leadership style yielding long term success.  

Superb leadership demonstrated by the legendary conductor Brandon Stewart is fueled chiefly by what we experienced as a Relentless Commitment to Excellence. In this podcast Erik Huso and Ben Dodge discuss the powerful and incredible effect of Brandon Stewart's leadership style through the MCO organization. Through this organization Brandon has been able to command the ultimate performance, respect, and standard of excellence in a most amazing performance experience. Whether you are a member of the organization or a lucky attendee of one of his concerts, you will forever be changed by the experience of it all. This experience is a direct result of Brandon's leadership and its powerful impact. We break it down into understandable principles you can apply to your life and business. Start implementing them now and experience what lies ahead for you! You can also check out more here on their website about any upcoming performances: http://www.millennial.org/about-mco/.

The Power of a GOOD Mentor Don’t take financial advice from a person on welfare??? Some truth to that, but that ignores so many people that you can learn from. Just because someone is a great performer doesn’t mean they are a great coach either. Some highlights from this podcast: Without growth, there is no joy. Transformation vs. information. Don’t get stuck in always needing to learn more. Get into action. Action brings inspiration. It primes the pump. Coaching isn’t easy. Addresses fears head on. Avoidance. Coaches won’t let you quit. Coaches won’t believe your self-imposed limitations. Help see that the impossible is possible. A good coach will connect you to your mission, your purpose, what you are truly committed to. A great coach will demonstrate leadership, not just talk about leadership. They are seeking to grow themselves as much as they are helping you to grow. If you feel a burning desire to accomplish something more or alternatively feel like life is flat and frustrating without purpose- then you may be ready for a professional mentor. Take action and affect epic changes in your life.

Servant leadership is all about serving the needs of others, helping others become their very best. Servant Leaders are distinct from any other leadership style by their remarkable and sustainable results. Authoritarian and dictatorship styles may have a short term sense of effectiveness, but they are not sustainable nor really that effective. “The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”—Robert Greenleaf Characteristics of a servant leader: authentic listener, empathetic, persuasive, integrity, committed, humble, awake and emotionally intelligent. Your character is the source of your power as a leader. Your growth as a person is tied to your influence as a leader. Persuasion is the tool of the servant leader. Never force. “Humility is the litmus test of leadership, whether a person is a master or a charlatan.”—Mark Devine In the opinion of thought leader Brendon Burchard, servant leadership is the only kind of leadership. The title is duplicitous. You don’t say a “two-wheeled bicycle.” Redundant. Similarly , servant and leadership are one in the same. “Servant leaders are true leaders. As a matter of fact, I don’t see any appreciable distinction between true leaders and other kinds. You don’t say, ‘This is a true bicycle’; it is or it isn’t a bicycle. Likewise, a person is or isn’t a leader.”

Reduce and Eliminate Fear in Your Life Fear doesn't have to be such a controlling influence in your life. Understand and implement the Circles of Fear to target your anxiety and then rid yourself of it’s limiting and negative influence in your life. Start with identifying your real fears. Look introspectively and ask enough “why” questions to understand what you’re really afraid of. Then apply the “Circle of Fears” and determine how you can rid your life of fear, or at least the impact and influence of it. Check out an in depth blog article on The Circle of Fears here: http://affectepic.com/the-circles-of-fear/  

The Power of Gratitude - Grow Yourself & Grow Your Possibilities   Gratitude is not a noun. Yet, every dictionary sees it as a noun. It is so much more than something you can possess. There is a higher law of Gratitude and that higher law is all VERB. It is an action and something you experience. It can and should become a part of your very way of being. Being grateful is different than having gratitude. Know the difference and see how the power of gratitude can influence your life and the lives of those around you.

The Power of Respect. There is power in understanding, possessing, commanding, and demonstrating respect. Do you even know how to define it? Most do not. Understand the principle of respect. Understand how to cultivate your own respect. Know more about the judgments you are passing on others, including yourself.

This isn’t about working more, or working harder. This is about a paradigm shift, to see things differently. This is about seeing work as a tool to leverage your power. Is work powerful or non-powerful in your life. Is it useful or not useful in your life. Is it creating epic results in your life or not? It goes without saying that hard work is necessary for any significant or epic achievement. In many instances missing the element of hard work is the difference between something not even happening at all, and in many other cases it is the difference in that thing happening well.   Principles of WORK. Hard work is Powerful work: Work Ethic is a pathway to Excellence Own Your Work Powerful Work is driven by Purpose, Clear Intention, and Commitment Powerful Work can be Enjoyable Powerful Work porvides Challenge and Variety Work is a Pathway to You becoming a Person of Character Every Vitrue has a Counterfiet  

Faith as a principle of power   Lets be clear that we do not mean faith in the context of religion (although it applies there as well). We mean faith in the context of belief that propels action. Strong character increases your capacity to exercise faith and as you act in faith, you fortify your character. Faith and character are inseparable.   You can create your world around you or be created by the world around you. You are a creator. Constantly creating. This requires clear intentions and much commitment, but it all starts with FAITH/BELIEF.   Faith/Belief is the foundation of creation. Without faith, you won’t create. Faith/Belief is the foundation of change. Faith is a foundation of the growth mindset that your brain, talents and abilities can grow. Faith is the foundation to self-mastery. Faith is the foundation to leadership, inspiring others to follow your actions and believe your words. Faith is a foundation of motivation, believing that you are capable of doing and being. Motivation comes from feeling, not knowing. We all “know enough”. What we lack is motivation to act, and at the root of that is a lack of faith. Faith gives you the ability to look past the challenges of the moment and into the future of powerful creation. Faith is all about the future. It is built on the past, but doesn’t live there. It lives in the future. Faith is the great moving power that changes lives.

GOALS   There is no such thing as accidental success. We must be very intentional. Success is manifested by those who set and work towards goals.    Goals are really an Evolutionary Experience. Feel the journey and take in the experience.   "Put a deadline on your dreams and they become goals." If your goal is achievable then you probably didn't dream big enough. Dream big, dream massive - then take even more massive action towards your goals. This is the experience of goals. This pursuit is incredibly powerful and intrinsically motivating. The action is key, the pursuit is everything. Start thinking of goals like this: GOals. GO and do. GO take massive action. Engage in the pursuit of a dream.   Just before you reach your goal you should ratchet it up to the next level and continue in the pursuit. Stay in teh fight. Stay engaged. This is where the joy really is. We all know those "one and done" sorts of people who are only results oriented and once they reach a goal their joy is so fleeting then they go back to their miserable life focusing only on the results.   Live better. Set GOals like a champion. Be a dreamer. Be better today than you were yesterday. #AffectEpic  

Interview with Navy Seal Dan Cerrillo. In this epic podcast we had the privilege of interviewing navy seal Dan Cerrillo. Dan is an incredible human being with an incredible amount of experience. His insight into some of the tough questions of life is founded in his Seal team training and experiences. We are proud to have had the opportunity to learn from him and discuss together such topics as Mental Toughness, BUDS, Teamwork, Commitment, Determination, leadership and more. Dan is also a successful businessman committed to his family and his businesses. Listen to his comments, answers and insights to our questions through this podcast. We are positive you will listen to this episode multiple times – we already have and we learn something new each time! Thank you Dan for spending some time with us and for sharing with our listeners your incredible insights.

Winning the Battle Against Depression   In this podcast episode Ben Dodge and Erik Huso discuss the power of the principles of Affect Epic and how they can help you win the battle of depression. Depression is very common. It is one of the most, if not most common mental illnesses in the U.S. According to a recent study the most severe sort of depression labeled a major depressive episode is experienced by an estimated 16.2 million adults in the U.S. and 3.1 million adolescents. The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25. And women were more than 2x more likely to experience depression. (See https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/guide/ and https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml#part_155029).   These principles will help you reduce and even eliminate depression in your life. Living authentically, retaining your power of choice, living in integrity, staying clear on your commitments, managing the If Then mindset, the power of belief, the power and choice of hope, and more. Live liberated and win your battle against depression. In many cases these principles can even help prevent depression from setting in.

Most of the complaints that we have about them is our fault, the way we raised them, the way we coddled them, helicopter them, and enabled them. We’ve wanted to shield them from all the challenges made a strong, and in so doing, in some cases have weaken their ability to cope with difficulties and trials.   On the other hand, millennials are giving us a great gift if we would just open our eyes and stop judging them. They are less motivated by extrinsic factors. Carrots and sticks don’t drive them. When they identify a cause greater than themselves they jump all in. They are willing to sacrifice their personal life, their emotional health, positions of power or money. They can teach us a lot about what matters most.   Fundamental attribution error leads us to a fixed mindset, and limits our influence with young people.     So how do we lead, inspire, connect with and motivate millennials who in a few years will make up 3/4 of the workforce?     Give them meaningful work.   Honor their desire to balance personal and professional life.  Most aren't going to be committed to work.  Find out what they are committed to and help them be aligned with those commitments. Inspire them and coach them to accomplish what they are committed to.  They will either leave your organization or they will be all in for you.   Don't insult them with carrots as motivators.  What drives them isn't money.  As long as the money is in the ballpark, more money won't motivate them.   Have career conversations with them so you know what their professional goals are.  If they are in alignment with their skillset and your organizations needs, you can provide them with growth opportunities.   Old school control won't work.  They are resistant to authority.  You must authentically care about them and relate with them.  They will embrace accountability if they are aligned with the mission of the organization and they know that you care about them.  Culture is huge--what words describe your company culture?  Does it align with your workforce?  What are your organizations values? Are there inconsistencies with what you've declared as your values and what your employees experience?  Authenticity, integrity are huge here.   Acknowledge them.  Specific acknowledgments in the way they want to be acknowledged.  They are unique individuals.  Some will want to be acknowledged publicly and others will cringe at it, preferring to work behind the scenes.   

If you think you can build strength in character during your trials and hardships you are gravely mistaken. Hardship doesn’t build character it reveals it. Hardship can strengthen what you already have or blow up and expose the weaknesses you struggle with. What you forge through adversity is really fought and won before your adversity has even started.   The secret to demonstrating incredible strength of character, commitment, and determination is to be Intentional, possess clear commitments, and live authentically and in alignment with them long before you step foot on the battleground of adversity. Then and only then will the adversity make you whole and strengthen what you have already built. Otherwise, you step onto the battlefield ill prepared, mentally weak, and you will crack wide open when it finally gets hard enough.   Commitment is doing whatever it takes. How committed are you? Are your commitments clear? Do you keep them unfettered from distraction? Do you slump into a self pity party and victim mentality when it gets too hard? Most of us do. Now is the time to shore up your character. The phrase “prove yourself in battle” is intentional about demonstrating what you already have built up… not a invitation to build the strength you now need while out there.   Find your legacy within you. Know your “why” and be willing to do whatever it takes to demonstrate it when necessary. Build it now through clear commitments and precise intentional conduct according to your commitments and in alignment with them and your life’s purpose. Then you will have the strength of character needed to endure the hardships that await.

Are  you committed to your spouse?  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to create an epic relationship?  Are you coming to the relationship with integrity? At the root of infidelity, at the root of poor communication, at the root of financial distress and at anything else that results in failed relationships are a lack of commitment, acting out of integrity, having unmet expectations, a lack of relating, being out of alignment or living inauthentically.  Listen in for how these powerful principles can strengthen any relationship.   The article we reference that outlines common reasons for divorce can be found here:   https://www.marriage.com/advice/divorce/10-most-common-reasons-for-divorce/   

One of the greatest struggles that successful people experience is balancing their commitment to their professional life and their family life.  We discuss the principles that will help you create excellence professionally and personally, without sacrificing either one.  Like creating a recipe, balancing a checkbook, or conducting an orchestra, with clear intention and commitment you can leverage time to create an epic life, personally and professionally.   Video referenced in podcast of woman balancing the feather:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSDGaQO4ssk 

Commitment literally means doing whatever it takes. Many of us struggle with being committed. In this podcast we dig deeper into the powerful principle of commitment. Specifically we deal with the issues of prioritizing commitments and how to handle competing what appears to be competing commitments and conflicts in commitments. How committed are you? Are you able to balance your various commitments effectively without sacrificing them? Live committed. Prioritize your commitments and live a life of liberation.

If your name was in the dictionary, would it be followed by a (v) or a (n)? How do you change from a verb to a noun? Simple! It is all about the power of choice. Make decisions, take action. Those people in the world who do not make choices, who do not take action are often those who also struggle with a victim mentality. Or in other words, they give up their individual power of choice to others, or to the circumstances they perceive as defining them and/or their current status in the world. Never give up your power of choice. Retain it for your self. Make decisions, even if they are bad decisions you can learn from them. Refuse for the world or those around you to create you by their choices. Make your own choices and discover and grow in the power of choice.

Don't allow your own belief in what you are worthy of be dictated by others. Center your self worth (i.e. self esteem - or in other words, your relationship with yourself) in the pursuit of your commitments. Self Confidence must be used or it will be lost. Flex it, use it, strengthen it. The building bocks discussed in this podcast  are incredible tools and fundamental to understanding how to develop and strengthen your self confidence. The real secret is to be constantly engaged in the pursuit of your clear commitments. This and other important building blocks of Self Confidence and it's close cousin Self Esteem are unfolded in this episode. Self Confidence is trusting your own abilities, capacities, and judgments – a belief that you can successfully face day to day challenges and demands (psychology dictionary online). Self Esteem is your belief about your own self worth. It is your relationship with your self. Your value through your own eyes. It can be made up of self respect, or the belief that we are deserving of happiness, love, and success (Nathaniel Branden). Self confidence is not arrogance. Arrogance is an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogance). Thank you for your comments, your shares, and your questions. We LOVE our listeners. Have an epic day.

Our intention is to help you achieve epic performance in your life and your relationships.  Today's podcast on forgiveness discusses a principle that if ignored will have a negative impact on your possibilities.     Why do we need to forgive?  To live free, to live liberated, to maximize your performance and your influence.  Not forgiving is like running a race carrying burdensome weight.  It slows you down and limits your performance.  Forgiveness of yourself is absolutely paramount.   Forgiving requires deep humility, the humility seen in Level 5 Leaders (see Good to Great by Jim Collins).  Forgiving is a manifestation of the growth mindset, believing that people can grow, improve and change.  If you find it challenging to forgive coworkers, employees, a boss, or family members, it may be an indication of having a fixed mindset.     Failure is our most efficient teacher.  Forgive yourself over and over again.  We don't penalize children learning to walk or ride a bike for falling and failing.  Similar applications can be made as we deal with our own shortcomings and the weaknesses of others.     Honoring the Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz) with yourself will facilitate forgiving others: 1.  Be impeccable with your word.   2.  Don't take anything personally. 3.  Don't make assumptions. 4.  Do your very best   These four agreements will free YOU from unjust judgments you've made about yourself and others.     So how do we start?  If you want to change a relationship, you must first change your context or paradigm.  You must remove the glasses that you see that person through.  Every individual we have a relationship has a unique lens we see them through, created on our past experiences we've had with them, and/or the lens others have shared with us based on their experiences or the lenses others have shared with them.  Forgiving others requires us to remove these lenses and see people with fresh eyes.  This is best done by making the attempt to see the world through their eyes, without judgment.  Seemingly impossible, the effort, the attempt is what creates the new context and the possibility to change the relationship.     Be free.  Liberate yourself.  Forgive!  

The world thinks Integrity is "doing the right thing when no one is looking." Everyone typically makes the mistake of thinking integrity is a moral and ethical issue. While it can very well be an ethical issue, Integrity is much better understood by Harvard Professor Michael Jensen: “Integrity is a matter of a person’s word – nothing more and nothing less.” A person’s word can mean so much. It can be something you understand as implied behavior in a given context. Of course it is doing what you say you will do. It is also doing what is expected of you even if not explicitly communicated. Integrity is all about workability. If you operate and live with a high level of integrity then you are powerful. You have a magnetic power where you are counted on and relied upon and what you say really goes. And what you stand for really is important. People and business are drawn to integrity because it is workable. In this podcast we discuss real life examples people and businesses who are IN integrity and those who are OUT. You are always in or out. There is no grey area with integrity. When you live and operate with a high level of integrity you will feel free from the chains of a life lacking integrity. For example, there is no such thing as a time management problem – only an integrity problem. Be careful and intentional as to what you give your word to and then honor your word. You will then find that you don’t have time management problems any more. You have the same 24 hours in a day that every uber successful titan of business ever had. Live and operate with integrity. Feel the difference. Feel the liberation and the power of life with integrity. Link to Michael Jensen's incredible and groundbreaking article on integrity: http://affectepic.com/live-and-operate-with-integrity-feel-the-difference-feel-the-liberation-and-the-power-of-life-with-integrity/

Accountability requires extraordinary humility and courage. Accountability - or put in a better way, a character trait where people can count on your abilities. Accountability creates power and influence. It allows you to live free and unafraid. We explore the real life examples of how all of us fall short somewhere in accountability. We discuss some principles from the book Extreme Ownership. Increasing your self worth through Integrity will increase your willingness to seek feedback. You can get to a space where you want more and more feedback and are not threatened by it. Ask yourself: 1) When is accountability hard to swallow for you? 2) Where ar eyou underperforming in your life? 3) What excuses are you making for your lack of performance?

An entitlement mentality is a state of mind in which an individual comes to believe that privileges are instead rights, and that they are to be expected as a matter of course (Adopted from Conservapedia). An entitlement mindset can be seen in attitudes such as: A lack of appreciation of sacrifices for others, a lack of personal responsibility, an inability to accept that actions carry consequences, and this goes on an on. The difficult reality is that we all have some areas of our life where an entitlement mindset has been established. You are limiting your potential when you view the world through this lens. Any time you catch yourself feeling or thinking anything that starts off with: "I deserve..." you are feeling entitled. Don't go and justify why you feel you deserve _______. Be awake to the fact you feel this way and do the work necessary to not be entitled. The more powerful way of being, or in other words the better way of living is to not concede your life to the decisions of others. For example, if you feel you deserve a raise and you don't get one then you may feel resentment towards your boss and coworkers. How does this help? A better way is to recognize you don't deserve any thing and instead create the circumstances on your own to get that raise, that promotion, that faster car or bigger house, etc. The world is your oyster. Go create your pearl.

Scientists have confirmed that habits form and operate from an entirely separate part of the brain responsible for memory. You can literally make unconscious choices without having to remember your decision making process. In other words you can be unengaged, not present, subconsciously doing whatever you are doing. THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE. For example, how many times have you exited the freeway at the wrong exit because of habit? Learn how even good habits are limiting your potential. What do you do when acting out of habit? You are simply surrendering control to what is comfortable. Never be comfortable. That’s right, we are telling you that you should want to be uncomfortable. You should always retain choice and choose something uncomfortable that requires you to be present and fully engaged. This is how you start reaching for the stars. If you are acting out of habit and already reaching the stars then wake up and start reaching for other galaxies. Be present and consciously choose what you will be doing, thinking, and how you will behave in every situation. This is the power of intentionality. Even Good Habits are killing you right now. They are stunting your growth. Notes from this podcast located on our blog: http://affectepic.com/the-world-has-habits-completely-wrong-how-even-your-good-habits-are-making-you-mediocre-discover-a-better-way/

What is a growth mindset? How do I know if I have a fixed or growth mindset? How do I create a growth mindset in my culuture at work, home, etc.? How do I help my children have a growth mindset? How do I create a marriage that thrives and grows over time? “Becoming is better than being.” Fixed mindset doesn’t permit you the opportunity to become—you must already “be”. People with a fixed mindset are afraid of challenge and minimize effort and work. With a fixed mindset you worry more about what other people think of you. You are constantly being judged. They are always out to prove themselves worthy, and are overly sensitive to being wrong, to not looking good, making mistakes and failing. You are looking for validation. And sadly you are blind to it. You would never see yourself as a “non-learner”. But the fear of not being good enough, not being smart enough, has blinded you to the fact that you are not growing, not becoming. Ben Dodge and Erik Huso jump head first into a discussion about the Growth Mindset and utilize concepts from best selling author Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset, by Carol Dweck. Some raw and authentic moments from each as they reflect on some early childhood experiences that have shaped their views and how different their childhoods were. “People have more capacity for lifelong learning and brain development than they ever thought.” (5) Growth mindset doesn’t mean that anyone can be anything, that I could be as great as Mozart, Einstein or Michael Jordan. It does mean that my true potential is far beyond the limits I have placed on myself, and that it is both unknown and unknowable all that I could accomplish if I continue on a pathway of growth, with perseverance, effort, commitment and grit. (7) Was it Mozart’s natural born talent or practicing until his hands became crippled? Was it Jordan’s athleticism, or his drive to improve daily, manifested in being the first one to practice and the last one to leave? (63) Ben Dodge completely and respectfully disagrees with the above - anyone can absolutely be as great or better than these examples. It is a simple formula: given a enough time and determination you will be the absolute best at whatever you set out to do. If you die before reaching the desired outcome then you died a happy person, but the formula remains true; give me enough time and I'll apply enough determination to be the best in what ever sphere I choose. Talent is created not inherited at birth. Neither genetics nor circumstances you are born into are more important than determination and time. This is what a growth mindset really looks like. This is how it feels to live without limits. Embrace it and stop making excuses for yourself based on your genetics or family circumstances. “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” (6) Check outmore here; Notes for this podcast with book references are here: http://affectepic.com/exploring-the-growth-mindset-podcast-notes/

What is a culture and why is it so important? Building culture starts with two questions: 1. What are we committed to? What do we value? You are creating a culture whether you know it or not. As the leader of your own life you can own any culture you belong to, and can influence it regardless of title or position. “Leaders often do not fully recognize the extent to which “who they are” affects virtually every aspect of their organization….If a leader has unimpeachable integrity, a standard is set that others feel drawn to follow. If a leader treats people with respect—associates, subordinates, customers, suppliers, shareholders—that tends to translate into company culture.” (254) –Nathaniel Brandon, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. When hiring new employees- scare people with sincerity. Tell them outright at the end of the interview that being humble, hungry and smart are requirements for the job. If a candidate didn’t fit the description, they’d be miserable working there. (idea credit to Patrick Lencioni).

Happiness isn’t sitting and staring at a wall. That’s what boring bored people do, and most HATE being bored. People are happiest when they are appropriately challenged, trying to achieve goals and objectives that are hard, but attainable. People blossom when challenged. Determination is something you possess; it is the fire in your belly. It is more than just a state of mind. Itis something you can feel. You can even feel it from others when you observe them demonstrating it! Determination is the substance that allows you the power to stay committed. Determination is the vehicle through which you can demonstrate that you’re committed. Determination is that moxie, that umph in your thinking that results in unflinching action. It is an absolute resoluteness or a firmness of purpose. What is your purpose? At work? Home? Etc. Understanding and being in alignment with your purpose can foster the growth of your determination. The more authentic your commitments the easier it is to find and develop your determination. Determination by itself is not enough, nor is commitment. You need both. You need to be clear on your commitments and then apply the firmness of purpose (i.e. determination) to them. This is how winning is done. This is how massive action takes place. This is how you happen to life instead of life happening to you. Learn more at www.affectepic.com.  

“At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you.”—von Goethe. Every movement is intentional and creates an intended result. Are you running up life's escalator or are you standing still? Intention is the difference between accomplishing everything you desire or simply living a life of regret. There is no middle ground. Wake up. Live with intention. Be intentional. Your desires are not your intentions. Intention requires action. Your commitments clarify and illuminate your desires - are they in alignment? When you are clear on your commitments you can allow your desires to give birth to clear intentions. This is living powerfully! Intention is whatever you say it is when you wake up. You have to create it fresh every day. And the good thing about that is that you are the author. No one “finds” their purpose. That would be boring. Create your purpose. –Steve Chandler The Japanese word for purpose is Ikigai, and embodies the idea of having a clear intention, meaning “a reason for being; a reason to get up in the morning.” Imagine if every teacher, every day asked, “Is what I am doing in the classroom today powerful or non-powerful as it relates to my intention?” Magnifying glass. When I’m not focused on my attention, I’m like the sun, shining on everything and everyone. I shine on everyone, but at the end of the day, there is no fire. When I have a clear intention on who I am committed to serving, then you create fire. –Steve Chandler Numbers and goals don’t drive people. People with a purpose drive people who achieve numbers and goals. Motivation is driven from within. It is driven by intention and purpose, not extrinsic rewards like numbers, rewards and goals. Goals can provide a short term temporary burst of motivation, but aren’t sustainable over time without commitment. Without commitment or intention, you either quit, or go through the motions.—Jeff Gordon Listen in and take some action when Ben and Erik invite you to make some small and simple changes to your way of being. Intention is the key to every great success.

The most efficient model for achieving EPIC success, and I mean success on an EPIC level is to create a team of incredible people who are each individually expert in his/her own right- who also share your vision and commitment. Why be average when you have such incredible potential? Reach for the stars, dream big, smash life, smash business, become who you are meant to be! This is living life ALL IN! The only way to do it is to create your team. Build your team around you with intention and watch your dreams become a reality.

Authenticity is not only a vital and primary principle to experiencing epic growth, it is a powerful way to live free. Living authentically is powerful. If you live authentically you won't have to chase down new clients or new business, it comes to you. Authenticity is powerfully magnetic. It is synergistic. Whether you are an incredibly important CEO, or an athlete, or a stay at home parent - living authentically is the only way to live free. Liberate yourself from the burden of trying to be the person you think others want you to be. Experience the success, freedom, and epic growth from authenticity.

Living a life "In Alignment" is living with ultimate freedom. Freedom because you are no longer distracted by other options. Liberate yourself from the feelings of overwhelmed, out of control, "not enough time in the day," and so much more. Being in alignment to what you have declared you are committed to, frees you to focus, removes the fear of ‘missing out’ (FOMO), and makes decisions natural. The results are limitless freedom and a happy in control optimistic outlook of everything. Take the challenge to get yourself more in alignment. What things, people, activities, groups, clubs, employment, and so on are not in alignment with your core values and commitments?

Ben Dodge and Erik Huso discuss the principle of integrity. Simple - you are either living IN integrity or you are not. The power to influence comes from within your own discipline to your integrity.

Ben Dodge and Erik Huso break down the principle of Commitment and how it leads to epic growth. What is commitment? Are you over committed? How to you develop stronger commitment. Real life personal examples and stories from their consulting clients are used to illustrate how commitment will put you on a path for real growth.