The PULSE: Darren Hardy Blog

The Law of Leverage

If it could be hard or easy, which would you choose?

Seem like an obvious or even a stupid question to ask?

Maybe not since most of us end up choosing to do things the hard way.

We continue to mash our head against the wall wishing it were a door and complaining about the headaches and the blood running down our face.

I recently saw the movie Way of the Peaceful Warrior from a favorite book of mine by Dan Millman. Of all the good messages intertwined in the story, I found one particularly compelling as it is not often how we assess our approach to life and situations.

The scene is where Socrates (ironically and perplexingly played by Nick Nolte. Who hasn't seen this mug shot after his drunk driving arrest? Not exactly the shining example of a personally developed Zen-like guru – what was the casting director thinking??)

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This is the money line: "The wisdom of life is learning to apply the right leverage in the right place at the right time"

Here are a few ways to think about how to leverage the law of leverage:

1. Don't respond to force with force.

I know I am the poster child of this mistake. I tend to meet force with force. If I run into barriers, blocks or resistance, I fight harder. Sound familiar? This has been the cause of some of my biggest foibles and heartaches.

I am wiser now (most of the time! :-)) I am a believer in persistence and determination, but I have found there is a balance between healthy persistence and bludgeoning your head against a dead end.

I see many goal obsessed people also make this mistake. They become too fixed on obtaining their arbitrary goal... many times at sacrifices far too great.

Decide what is important to you, what your core values are and what direction you want your life to go in, then be flexible and pay attention to what shows up.

I have seen people miss out on bigger opportunities and richer experiences in life because they were too fixed on their original goals.

Set your intentions, move in that direction and pay attention to what shows up and find ways to leverage it and propel you into achievements and happiness you never even imagined during your goal writing session.

2. Find and use your internal leverage.

What are your unique talents? What is easy for you to do that is typically difficult for others? What knowledge or insight do you have that others don't? Are you using that leverage? Are you in a business or profession that is utilizing your personal gift (your leverage)?

You have an advantage in life. There is something you do better than most people. That is your unique leverage. Problem is most people are in jobs or businesses that aren't centered around or focus on that particular strength.

This is a really important point. It is easy to mixed up in all sorts of tantalizing ventures or investments that you should probably not be wasting your time or money in.

Once you get clear on what your unique talents are, what your personal leverage is, don't bother unless you get leverage – your personal leverage.

If it is hard for you, it is probably not for you. Start focusing on what is easy for you - that is where your leverage lives.

3. Use external leverage.

We have all heard the principles OPM (Other People's Money), OPT (Other People's Time), OPE (Other People's Effort), but there are sorts of external forces that can give you unique leverage in your business or personal life. Pay attention and leverage them when they show up:

Technology changes
Government regulation/policy changes
Economic changes
Social trends, shifts in attention
Environmental changes/influences
Competitive, capital market changes
Etc.

There are hundreds of examples of people and companies that get called "lucky" being "at the right place at the right time". Well, there were hundreds or thousands of others who were also there at that time, but weren't paying attention and did not act on this new found leverage. Constantly be looking for leverage.

The magic is paying attention and finding your leverage in life. Then knowing how to apply it to the right places at the right times.

That is the path to making great achievement and grand happiness easy, rather than hard - leverage.

See more Success Lessons from the Movies

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Movies - Inspiration and Success Lessons

From the movie Coach Carter...

Our deepest fear is...

Click play below or CLICK HERE to watch

What is your deepest fear?

Will you overcome it?

Will you finish what you've started?

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Movies: Inspiration and Success Lessons

One of the all time great inspirational speeches from the movies... and once again delivered by the great Al Pacino in the Oliver Stone's movie Any Given Sunday.

After much team in-fighting and personal conflicts, this is the coaches final speech before heading into their championship game.
Warning: Some colorful words. Don't blame me, blame Mr. Stone ;-)

Click the play button below or CLICK HERE

Great success lessons in this clip:

Life is a game of inches.

The inches of life are all around us and presented to us all day every day.

Will you fight for every inch?

Will you claw with your finger nails for that inch?

Are you willing to die fighting for that inch?

Because to fight for it, is to LIVE!

Ah, now that is beautiful! ~ Darren Hardy

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Movies - Inspiration and Success Lessons

My wife came home from Blockbuster with the movie Fearless by Jet Li. I growned because I am not a big fan of the exaggerated Kung Fu type movies that spend an hour-plus of my time dancing around like a high wire act. My wife was assured by the Blockbuster clerk that this was a very good movie, an indeed it was.

Beyond the action (that was very well done using very little wire theatrics), the movie had a great philosophical base.

In this clip below Jet Li is having tea with his final competitor in earning the title of World Champion. In this chat Jet Li explains some very profound concepts of life. You might want to watch it a couple of times to be sure you get it.

Click play below or CLICK HERE to watch

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Here is how I get this:
Tea is being used as a metaphor for people and life.

People spend a lot of time judging other people to tell their differences and life to determine if it is good or bad. Jet Li points out that all "teas" are grown in nature and they are all the same, there is no point in judging them. The difference to how they "taste" has to do with YOU and the mood you are in. Or the difference from which you experience life or other people has less to do with them - they are all from nature and relatively all the same, the difference is YOU and your attitudes (mood) when you experience them.

The last part of this segment is even more profound. We all practice "life". Some of us have developed different level of skils and we compete (put ourselves through many challenging circumstances) so that we can DISCOVER OURSELVES.

Good stuff! ~Darren Hardy

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Movies - Inspiration and Success Lessons

Death... an Inspiration to the Living.

You can think of countless writers, movie makers, poets, artists, leaders of movements of great causes, Nobel Peace Prize winners did what they did because they were struck by a travesty, hardship, debilitation, injury or major set back.

For many of them it wasn't until this pain that they had the circumstances and inspiration to accomplish their greatest work and major contribution to humanity.

Think about some of the obstacles you have had in your own life. Your failures sculpt you as much as your victories. In fact, it is how you respond to your failure tha characterizes you the most.

The lesson here - let travesty, failure, obstacles instruct you and push you into the limelight of your greater potential. Maybe even death can be your inspiration to living your full potential.

The below movie clip comes from City Hall with Al Pacino. This is one of the most moving speaches I can recall from the movies...

Al Pacino is the Mayor of New York and is administration has been accused of ignoring the problems of the City and criticism is especially high from the African American community. He is warned he could be in danger in attending and addressing the audience at this funeral. Yet it is the event where he draws his greatest strenght and inspiration.

This is the speech he delivers at the funeral - powerful! Click play below or go HERE to watch.

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Movies - Inspiration and Success Lessons

Ever feel like you Can't do it?

You have a choice. Will you come out of the shadows?

Watch this clip taken from The Legend of Baggar Vance (great movie if you haven't seen it!). Hit play below or Click Here

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Remember Your Swing.

Strike that Ball. Don't hold nothing back!

NOW is the time!!

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Movies: Inspiration and Success Lessons

Another great clip from The Dead Poet's Society...

Click play button below or CLICK HERE to watch

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What verse will YOU contribute to life's play?
What are you passionate about? Contribute THAT!

Movie Recommendation: Invincible

Over the holidays I saw a movie I really enjoyed called...

Invincible: Dreams are not lived on the sidelines.

This is a true story of the real life “Rocky”, Vince Papale (played by Mark Wahlberg), a 30-year-old Eagles fan who is down on his luck (to say the least). He gets laid off from his teaching job, is forced to tend bar part-time and his wife leaves him unannounced in the middle of the day, leaving a brutal blow in the form of a note (included in the clip below).

The three pieces I selected from the movie that can be one of the biggest obstacles for us all – those closest to us, even with good intention, try to get us to give up on our dreams. First his dad, who he thinks is protecting him, tells him to give it up before he fails, then the vicious note from the wife and finally his good friend.

This will be a good set-up to encourage you to rent the movie to see how Papale overcomes these naysayers and goes on to achieve the unthinkable.

Let this movie be your inspiration, and insulation, as you pursue your big goals in 2007.

Be Invincible!

Click play below or CLICK HERE to watch clip

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Movie Rental Recommendation

I saw a great movie last night that I give two enthusiastic thumbs up for- "Goal! The Dream Begins"

Plot Synopsis: Like millions of kids around the world, Santiago harbors the dream of being a professional footballer. However, living in the Barrios section of Los Angeles, he thinks it is only that--a dream. Until, one day an extraordinary turn of events has him trying out for Premiership club Newcastle United.

Amazon.com Review: You'd have to be a heartless curmudgeon to dislike a movie as enjoyably sincere as Goal! The Dream Begins. Yes, the corny title tells you all you need to know about this rags-to-riches soccer tale, but like Hoosiers and Rudy, this conventional sports drama rises above its familiar plot with an engaging cast and some pleasant surprises along the way.

Here is a one-minute clip that has something to say. Play below or CLICK HERE to see.

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So, are you still letting the ghosts in your head tell you what to think?

Who tells YOU if you are good enough?

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Movies - Success Lessons and Inspiration

This clip comes from the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance"

Here is a "lesson" on how to find your true gifts and personal passion.

Watch by hitting play button below or CLICK HERE

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• What is your true authentic swing (passion)?
• Has the world robbed you of it?
• Have you forgotten what it was like?

Keep swinging that club...

- Darren Hardy

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