When I think about it, what has influenced my life the most is my own thinking. I attribute my identity, station in life, flamboyancy, accomplishments, and success (or lack of it) to my thinking. We become what we think about all the time. Every accomplishment is a result of an idea or thought. Failures are due to wrong thinking and wrong influences because one is not clear and able to think for themselves. How strong are you mentally? I have listened to audios nearly every day of my life to build my knowledge base, confidence, attitude and creativity and it influenced me! I love that because I can probe the minds and learn from all the smartest people in the world without taking any time. I do it while I run, work out, drive, fly, run errands, etc. It’s the only thing that I have found where you can truly do two things at once without really being on shuffle or rotation from thing to thing. So I am the person who most influenced my life. Sorry, but it’s true and I submit to you that I believe it is true for most people. We need to be careful of what we want because we are sure to get it. Most people wish rather than decide, accept and believe with expectation in gratitude; therefore they receive the state of wishing, but not the manifested reality.
This is best stated in what I refer to as the Entrepreneur and Dream Seeker’s creed:
“You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences and the people you attract—therefore the only foolproof way to know what you really want is to see what you have. There are no victims—only students. The length of time of materialization between what you want and what you have is determined by your BELIEF AND ACCEPTANCE, but eventually what you have is the real measurement of what you really want. So, by passionately believing in what doesn’t exist, you create it. And what we call the non-existent simply has not been sufficiently desired!”
That being said, let me answer the question quickly more in the way you expected it to be answered. Consistent with what I discussed above, I have to ask myself who most influenced my thinking and positive attitude. I believe this internal circuitry is developed early in life as children for most people. That’s why they need a lot of love! So I would have to credit my father, but really, my mom and Dad for a great childhood, lots of love, reasonable discipline, and encouragement without criticism). My father was a legendary football coach who built championship teams and dynasties and is in the High School Football Hall of Fame. He coached in a high school located in a poor oil refinery town where he would take troubled kids and turn them into winners and responsible citizens. He also was one of those teachers that you remember for the rest of your life because they love to teach and made it interesting, as well as taking a personal interest in their students. I know this because I have run into hundreds of people who come up to me and tell me how he impacted their lives. As a little guy, I would go to the practices, games, coaches meetings and I was even in the halftime pep talks. What an experience to see the power of positive thinking and motivation. It definitely impacted me. I remember he even use to play tapes by Bob Richards in the locker room. Remember him? He was a pole-vaulting Olympic champion, the first Wheaties spokesman, and was also a great motivational speaker.
Then there were several people’s works that greatly influenced my thinking early in my career: Earl Nightingale’s audio The Strangest Secret, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, Roy Eugene Davis’s Success Through Superconscious Power, and Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. Back then there was not a plethora of self-help and positive thinking materials. While in college I went on a quest to figure out the meaning of life for myself and went to a liberal arts College requiring Religious study. Then I was onto ashrams, retreats and meditation centers and studied the Bible, Ghita, Koran, Sanskrit Sutras, Buddhist suttas, Talmud, Siddhartha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Kabalistic teachings and religions and philosophies of the world and figured it out for myself. To eliminate speculation or controversy, I am Christain-Messianic Jewish by choice, but a Universalist spiritually. But, undoubtedly this is a foundation I rely upon and has influenced my thinking to be enlightened and insightful (humbly). Then, early in business I read Ayn Rand’s, Atlas Shrugged and that solidified my thinking as a capitalist and entrepreneur.
Most directly, I have been inspired and influenced by my incredible wife and partner Loren, my daughters, and the team around me. They are examples of students becoming what they study and learn and therefore becoming the teacher. I learn more from them today than I teach them now. I could not have cloned a better COO than Marc Ashley. I often wonder where I would be or what I would be like if these people had not joined me and followed me in life. I have been inspired by the resolve of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and framers of the Constitution (the lost grail in the US); the greatest modern day inventor, Thomas Edison; Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for changing the world with computerization, Ronald Reagan for leading with decisiveness, clarity and humor (forget the politics for a minute please) and Reagan, Gorbechev and Thatcher for tearing down the Iron Curtain over drinks, friendship and a handshake; and Rich Devos for being a true leader with integrity and pioneering direct sales. Is that enough? I bet you are sorry the question was asked by now. So back to the beginning, the person who most influenced my life is me because of my thinking and I continue to do so! I believe we are responsible for our thinking and where we are in life, as well as everything that happens to us. It’s the joy of the journey. What about you?
Keep growing!
I believe in you,
JR
