7 Things Every Entrepreneur DOES

The word ENTREPRENEUR is an interesting one.

It implies being an innovator.
A risk taker.
A dreamer.
A doer.

When someone claims to be an entrepreneur, it's almost as if they're saying "I'm a professional at challenging the status quo."

Deep down, I believe everyone has an entrepreneur hidden inside them.

But years of society molding everyone to fit into their way of thinking has held back many dreamers from rolling up their sleeves and getting started on their own personal journey.

So today I want to talk about 7 Things every Entrepreneur DOES.

1. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Knows what they want. And what they don't want.  People everywhere talk about what they don't want, but spend little to no time really asking themselves what they DO want. An entrepreneur has a clear vision for what they want and use that as a compass to guide them.

2. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Knows WHY they want it.  Ask any entrepreneur why they do what they do, and they'll share with you their soul.  Their burning desire.  And it's never about "more money". It's about figuring out how they can serve others with their God given talents and resources in order to make a difference in people's lives.

3. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Understands the cost of following their dream. It might mean leaving the (false) sense of security of a job. It means long, sleepless nights.  Battling the inner and outer voices that tell them it can't be done. It means being broke, maybe homeless, and if needed, selling everything they own to fund a project or get a business off the ground.  But the entrepreneur is willing to take that risk because they've visualized the reward.

4. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Fails. And fails. And fails. And fails. But each time they do, they don't view themselves as failures.  Instead, they ask "what can I learn from this?" When, after the invention of the light bulb, Edison was asked "how does it feel to have failed 10,000 times?" his response was "Why I haven't.  I've just found 10,000 ways that didn't work."

5. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Invests in themselves.  They read personal development books.  They attend seminars.  DVDs. Audios/podcasts.  Have mentors/coaches/advisors. The average person stops studying either after high school or after a college degree.  An entrepreneur knows that self study never stops and is a life-long learner.

6. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Is a fighter. A warrior.  They know what needs to get done, and they do it.  As one might say, "You're either in, or you're in the way." Getting in the way of an entrepreneur and his/her goals is like trying to stop a lion from eating a zebra.  Good luck.

7. EVERY ENTREPRENEUR...
Is a mental ninja.  The difference between "dreamers" and "entrepreneurs" is that a dreamer will dream, only to let those dreams get shut down by the thoughts, words, and opinions of others.  An entrepreneur is resilient and can withstand all the naysayers and doubters, because in their mind, their creation has already taken shape.  It just needs to be seen to completion.

I hope to have inspired you to start your journey.  And if you're already along the way, hopefully I've sparked a little motivation to keep pushing.  Because there's no job lonelier than that of an entrepreneur.  But, as the great actor/comedian Jim Carrey said:

"It is better to starve to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what's left?"

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead lives of success, happiness, and personal fulfillment.  To learn more about how Mark can help you live on purpose, e-mail him at thatninjamark@yahoo.com or follow him onFacebook.

How To Become A Time Wizard

Some time ago, I came across a magical little secret from some magically larger than life people.

TODAY WE SHALL CALL THEM TIME WIZARDS.

They claimed they could do something magical.

Mythical.

Miraculous.

a bit redundant but you get the point.

They claimed that while the world was trying to MANAGE time, they were doing something completely different.

They were bending it.

These mentors somehow managed to live within the same 24 hour day that I had, but somehow managed to get an ASTOUNDING amount of work AND play done.

They traveled the world.
And ran multi-million dollar companies.
And published books.
And hosted massive seminars.
And took their family to baseball games.
While still working out every day, reading an hour a day, and getting plenty of sleep.

And did so before the age of 40.

I HAD TO KNOW THEIR SECRET.

And after hundreds of hours of reading, and attending events, and investing ridiculous amounts of money I prefer not to discuss in order to learn what they knew

I GOT IT.

Or at least I'm getting it.

So today I share with you the 5 basic principles of TIME BENDING.

TIME WIZARDRY.

TIME OWNERSHIP.

1. Repeat after me. TIME IS MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY.
Some people will say "time is money.", but that's not true. Time is MORE VALUABLE than money.
Money can and will be made and spent every day of your life.  Not so with time.  So that goes to say that every single second from this moment forward, you MUST take 100% control of your time.  Spend it with your loved ones.  Spend it helping others. Spend it building relationships. Spend it with people you love, doing things you love doing.  I'd prefer to be on my deathbed with $100 to my name and a lifetime of love than have $100 million and a life of emptiness and regret. (Time Wizards have an abundance of money and love).

2. What you spend your time on is 100% YOUR CHOICE 100% OF THE TIME.
I don't care what you think otherwise.  Don't give me the bull of "but I have to" or "but what about" NO.  No one puts a gun to your head and forces you to do anything.  (And even if someone did, you'd still have the choice to listen to them or not).  You CHOOSE to do things because the consequences of NOT doing them are greater than the consequences of choosing otherwise. Also, because you value certain things over others.  So next you skip a workout because "your boss made you stay late", it's not their fault.  It's that you value your job more than you value your health and the perceived consequences of not listening to your boss are greater than your missed workout. (Time Wizards work out and GSD).

3. Become massively goal oriented.
Decide what you want to do, where you want to go, who you want to be, and be absolutely relentless in the pursuit of them.  Make sure to take the well rounded approach.  Set spiritual goals.  Set relationship goals. Set financial goals. Set personal goals. Then, as you create your life by your own design, make sure you're doing one thing every day to get you closer to each goal. (Ask a Time Wizard what their goals are and they'll show you their calendar.)

4. Guard your time with your life.
Each Sunday, write down the most important things that need to get done for the week ahead in order to move closer to your goals.  Each night, write down the 3-5 most important things that need to get done for the day ahead.  Then, git'r done. If it doesn't get done, put it in for the next day. And if someone tries to steal your time, karate chop them in the throat! (Just kidding. Time Wizards decline politely.)


5. Understand the law of the compound effect.
Do you know what the difference is between someone who exercises and eats healthy every day for 5 days versus someone who doesn't is? Not much. The difference between someone who exercises and eats healthy every day for 30 days versus someone who doesn't? A bit different, but nothing crazy.  The difference between someone who exercises and eats healthy for 25 years versus someone who doesn't? 6-pack abs at 60 compared to diabetes, obesity, and in a wheelchair. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle.  If it's worth doing, do it every day. (Time Wizards are hot.)



Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead lives of success, happiness, and personal fulfillment.  To learn more about how Mark can help you live on purpose, e-mail him at thatninjamark@yahoo.com or follow him on Facebook.

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How To Stop Being Stupid, Fat, and Ugly

"You're fat."

"You're stupid."

"You're ugly."

If someone else hasn't told you this before at some point in your life, YOU have certainly told yourself this.

IT HURTS. IT'S OFFENSIVE. IT'S WRONG.

AND THERE'S ONLY ONE THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

This one thing is so simple.

NOT EASY.

simple.

It must be understood fully.  It must be practiced daily.  It must become a habit for LIFE.

And in doing so, it will free you from a lifetime of hurt and give you the peace and happiness YOU DESERVE.

and it's this...

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.

Everyone sees the world through their own eyes.  What I see and how I see the world is completely different from you.  We each have our own problems that we deal with, and most of the time they are internal problems. Problems we have with ourselves.  Fears.  Inadequacies.  Disappointments.

And from those internal battles in our mind come our words and actions.  And because I can only see the world through my eyes, I can only speak in terms of my view of the world.

SO NOTHING THAT I SAY, OR ANYONE SAYS, IS BECAUSE OF YOU.  IT'S BECAUSE OF THEM.

US.

ME.

If someone calls you fat.  Or stupid. Or ugly.  It's not because they have a problem with you.  It's because they have a problem with themselves.  They have hate, anger, jealousy in their heart, and the only way they know how to ease their suffering is to try and pass it on to you. Their mind is poisoned and they are trying to pass some of that poison on to you.

And on the same token, if someone tells you  you're beautiful. Smart. Talented.  It's not because of you.  It's how they see their own world.

YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THEM.  YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO. IT'S UP TO YOU!

But know this...

You CANNOT believe anything anyone says as true.  

Because everyone lies to THEMSELVES.

You know you're smart.  

You know you're beautiful.  

You know you're talented. 

You know you have an unlimited potential to do anything and everything you put your mind to.

You don't need anyone to tell you that.  You don't need anyone to tell you otherwise. 

YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY EVER AGAIN.

And what can we gain from all this?

By practicing this habit every single day, we can live our lives how we want, without the pain of other people's hurtful words.

Without needing the opinions and assurance of others.

Because WE KNOW we can be exactly who we want to be and not care what others think.

we can be free to live life how we choose, regardless of how anyone else judges us.
their opinions don't matter.
because they only see the world through their eyes.
not yours.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 

It is our light, not our darkness

That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? 

You are a child of God.

Your playing small 

Does not serve the world. 

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 

So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 

As children do. 

We were born to make manifest 

The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; 

It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

As we're liberated from our own fear, 

Our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson

You can learn more about 
the agreements you make 
with yourself in Don Miguel Ruiz' 
amazing book 
"The Four Agreements"

Mark Lopez blogs about leadership and personal development in order to strengthen his own leadership skills.  As a Christian, father, husband, and CEO of his own life, Mark looks to empower others so they can lead lives of success, happiness, and personal fulfillment.  To learn more about how Mark can help you live on purpose, e-mail him at thatninjamark@yahoo.com or follow him on Facebook.

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