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1 1 The 5 AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders #179: The Obstacle is the Way November 28, 2016 Introduction [Play Double Stoker ] This rockin episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast is being brought to you by State and Liberty. State and Liberty designs beautiful men s dress shirts with athletic performance fabric. These are my new favorite dress shirts and I m sure you will love them too! You can save 10% anytime by simply using the coupon 5AM at checkout. Visit StateAndLiberty.com today! Do you constantly fight with obstacles on your way to success? That may seem like an obvious question, but this week I share why obstacles are actually NOT holding you back, and, in fact, may be the thing you were looking for the whole time. [Fade Out Music]

2 2 This is The 5 AM Miracle - Episode #179: The Obstacle is the Way [Intro Song] Good morning and welcome to the 179th episode of The 5 AM Miracle. I am Jeff Sanders and this is THE podcast dedicated to dominating your day before breakfast. Every Monday morning my goal is to help you bounce out of bed with enthusiasm, create powerful lifelong habits, and tackle your grandest goals with extraordinary energy. Here on The 5 AM Miracle Podcast we discuss early mornings, and we dive deep into topics like healthy habits, personal development, and rockin productivity! This week I discuss a few of my favorite philosophies and insights from Ryan Holiday s popular book, The Obstacle is the Way. In the Tip of the Week segment I will share why you need to add a funeral to your calendar this week. But first, I want to help you be more productive. I have created a self-assessment that is designed to

3 3 highlight amazing things you are already doing PLUS provide dozens of new strategies you can put to use right away. This quick, and yet thorough, quiz is titled: 47 Strategies to be Insanely Productive: A Rockin Self-Assessment to Get More Done To learn how you can be insanely productive today, visit 47Strategies.com. Now, let s begin with this week s feature segment! [Fade Music Up and Out] I recently finished listening to an audiobook t hat challenged me more than any other I have heard in years. This book forced me to dig deep and truly analyze the way I approach challenges in my own life. I am even going back now and reading the hardcover version one step at a time because I don t want to miss anything. The book is The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. Today, I m going to share some lessons, ideas, and philosophies that stood out most to me. Hopefully, these concepts will stir up some ideas in your life and, if you d like to dig even deeper, you

4 4 can read the book for yourself as well. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday 1) The Obstacle is the Opportunity You will come across obstacles in life -- fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and time again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure. You will learn that this reaction determines how successful we will be in overcoming -- or possibly thriving because of -- them. Where one person sees a crisis, another can see opportunity. Where one is blinded by success, another sees reality with ruthless objectivity. Where one loses control of emotions, another can remain calm. Desperation, despair, fear, powerlessness -- these reactions are functions of our perceptions. You must realize: Nothing makes us feel this way; we choose to give in to such feelings. 2) Do Your Job and Do it Well

5 5 Wherever we are, whatever we re doing and wherever we are going, we owe it to ourselves, to our art, to the world to do it well. That s our primary duty. And our obligation. When action is our priority, vanity falls away. An artist is given many different canvases and commissions in their lifetime, and what matters is that they treat each one as a priority. Whether it s the most glamorous or highest paying is irrelevant. Each project matters, and the only degrading part is giving less than one is capable of giving. 3) Will: The Power Within Will is the discipline of the heart and the soul. The will is the one thing we control completely, alway. Whereas I can try to mitigate harmful perceptions and give 100 percent of my energy to actions, those attempts can be thwarted or inhibited. My will is different, because it is within me. Will is fortitude and wisdom -- not just about specific obstacles but about life itself and where the obstacles we are facing fit within it. It gives us ultimate strength. As in: the strength to endure, contextualize, and

6 6 derive meaning from the obstacles we cannot simply overcome. Read the Book There are so many more gems of wisdom in this book. I can only implore you to read it. It s a great read and well worth your time to take it slow and absorb every bit you can. [Fade In Spring in My Step ] The holiday season is here, and I know that guys can be hard to shop for, which is why Harry s Razors can be the perfect gift. I personally get a great shave from Harry s, as their products are both practical and productive (as they can save you time and money). Even my wife Tessa tried shaving her legs with a Harry s razor and she loved it too! If you haven t heard of them before, Harry's was started by two best friends Jeff and Andy who were fed up with being overcharged for razors, so they started their own razor company to give people

7 7 what they deserve: a great shave at a fair price. This Holiday, Harry s is offering a limited edition shaving set. A chrome razor handle 3 of Harry s German-engineered 5-blade cartridges Foaming shave gel All in a beautiful gift box that is available for just $30 As a special offer for fans of the show, I have partnered with Harry s to give you $5 off your order when you enter code 5AM at checkout. Free shipping ends on December 9 th, so ACT NOW. Go to Harrys.com and enter code 5AM at checkout for $5 off. That s Harrys.com, code 5AM. If you haven t yet taken the plunge to try out State and Liberty, now is a great time. State and Liberty creates men s dress shirts that are crafted from athletic performance fabric. That means these beautiful dress shirts are both comfortable and stretchy, just like your favorite workout shirt! I own 5 of their dress shirts and I love them!

8 8 In fact, about a month ago I wore a few of these shirts to a conference and was complimented every single day because of these shirts. Total strangers stopped me in the hallway and asked where they could get one of these amazing shirts. Well, it s simple. Go to StateAndLiberty.com and use the coupon code 5AM to save 10% off your order. Once again, that s StateAndLiberty.com, using the coupon code, 5AM. [Fade Out Music] This week s Tip may seem a bit odd, so hang with me here. I want you to schedule a funeral on your calendar this week That s right, a literal funeral. Here s why. Story : cutting up credit cards Now, what are the things in your life that deserve a funeral, or a final goodbye. Maybe it s a bad habit you just haven t fully kicked yet. Maybe it s a person in your life that you haven t been able to let go.

9 9 Maybe it s an addiction, a recurring annoyance, or simply a negative attitude. Whatever it is, let it go. Conduct your own funeral and say goodbye for good. [Opening Night Music] Action Steps: #1 Read Ryan Holiday s book, The Obstacle is the Way. It s hard for me to describe the many reasons why obstacles are the answer, but Ryan does a phenomenal job in this book. It s not an easy read. It will be a slow process, but that s the point. Let the book be an ongoing source of wisdom and guidance for challenges you have both now and in the future. #2 Think of an obstacle that s bugging you at this very moment. Now ask yourself: how could this obstacle actually be an opportunity? How could this challenge serve to improve your life? How could this endeavor make you stronger, wiser, or more capable for a future challenge?

10 10 Those are the kinds of questions to ask if you want to supercede the obstacles that lie in your path. It s not easy, but it s worth it. #3 Schedule a funeral. Maybe you quit something a long time ago, but never quite let it go completely. Or, maybe you need to walk away from something right now and the best solution is to host a literal funeral. Say your goodbyes now and forever. Schedule it on your calendar and make it happen. [Fade In Music] As always, if you would like to see the complete list of the links I mentioned in this episode, please visit the show notes page at JeffSanders.com/179, as in Episode 179. Finally, on the podcast next week I will be interviewing Melanie Curtis, a former professional skydiver and current life coach, who will share a few of her tactics for overcoming fear and accomplishing enormous goals.

11 11 Well, that's it for this episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast. Until next time remember, you have the power to change your life, and the fun begins bright and early. [Fade Music Up and Out]

#107: Your ONE Thing That Matters Most: An Interview with Jay Papasan. July 13, 2015

1 #107: Your ONE Thing That Matters Most: An Interview with Jay Papasan July 13, 2015 Introduction How many priorities do you have today? How many do you think you should have? My guest today would argue