Speech of the Year

On Saturday, September 8th, 2012, in a nondescript meeting room of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, my friend Bedros Keuilian launched into the “Speech of the Year.”

Everyone there wished we had recorded it.

Unfortunately we didn’t. But at least my friend Julian was kind enough to send me his detailed notes on this powerful moment.

It all started with a question from Jay, one of our Info Mastermind members. After I gave some initial thoughts, Bedros launched into his speech…

Here is Julian’s summary:

Jay: “I’ve reached some success in my business and I’m making $10,000 per month. But sometimes I find myself struggling to find the motivation to keep going and keep striving for that next level.

I’m comfortable where I am. I’ve reached my original goal. I’ve got a better than average life. How do I push myself and strive for more? I find myself bored when I’m not working.”

Craig then replied:

“Start making friends that are rich. Hang around others that are at that next level. They will bring out the best in you, and give you ambition.”

Then it was over to Bedros for even better advice…

Bedros:
“You can’t compare yourself to the ‘regular’ people out there. Everyone in this room and in the Mastermind group are cut from a different cloth.

“The rest of the world will always be preaching this idea of ‘balance’. But high achievers, like you and everyone in this group, are not people that need or want balance.

“You are producers. You like work and achieve happiness by achieving success and creating.

“When I go on vacation I go stir crazy because I’m always thinking about work. I can really only take 4-day vacations and even then I work early in the morning.

“I’m always thinking and wanting to achieve more even though I’m set financially. I’ve got a great home, several rental properties, nice cars, and a good education for my kids, etc.

“But that it’s not about that anymore.

“Now I’m focused on giving back to charities and creating Fit Body Bootcamp to change the world.

“So Jay, you need to change what you’re striving for and who you’re trying to help.

“In my mind, I’m battling to beat Justin Timberlake and give more money to the Shriner’s Hospital, a charity that we both support.

“You have to find competition from something and use that as your new ‘set point’.”

Bedros “The Legend” Keuilian in San Diego at Lou & Mickey’s steakhouse Not to be outdone…

Craig concluded: “When you hold back on taking action, you are selling yourself short.  Listen, there are people out there that are struggling and need your solution. But if you don’t take action then they are going to miss out just because of your laziness and inability to push yourself to the higher levels.”

The room was buzzing after Craig and Bedros said their piece.

Julian’s then summed it up well in his report by saying: “I think the lesson here is that as a lot of you (if you haven’t already) start to reach your goals and find the success you work so hard for you begin to rest and take it easy because you feel like your ‘done’.

“This happened to me about 4-5 years ago when I made a bunch of money I pretty much took 2 years or so off from ‘striving’ and just traveled the world and stopped growing and pushing myself.

“It was good in the respect that I was able to see some cool things and learn about the world, but it definitely didn’t satisfy my deepest desires and wasn’t my ‘purpose’.

“Although I continued to read some books and stay pretty disciplined with diet and fitness there was a missing element of working towards something outside of myself. So that was a good lesson for me.

“You have to dangle another carrot in front of your nose so you keep going for it and doing big things.

“You have to recreate your purpose, find the competition in something and challenge yourself.

“I think everyone in this group will understand what I’m trying to say and it will make sense to you.

“A few of you might be saying to yourself, “well I want to work hard so I can relax.” Trust me it’s not what it’s cut out to be. Go sit on a beach for a week and come tell me if you want to stay on that beach for another week.

“I promise you that your brain and your “motor” won’t allow you to sit there and be happy doing that stuff.

“The idea of living the “4 hour work week” is an idea for the regular people out there that deep down are lazy and selfish. Try it for yourself. It’s not that cool.

“You’re cut from a different cloth.”
***
Exactly.

What a meeting that was.

I’ll never forget it.

By the way, if you want to be at our next Mastermind meeting, just send an email to Bedros’ assistant Frankie@Keuilian.com for more info and he’ll hook you up.

That was all very well said,
Craig Ballantyne

“You have only one life, and no one else will live it for you. Shouldn’t you take the time right now to figure out what that life is all about?” – Harry Browne