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From the age of 13, I knew I wanted to grow up to be an entrepreneur. In fact, after I graduated as an engineer from the University of Michigan, I applied to a multitude of MBA schools. ⠀ But got rejected from every single one because I didn’t have the grades. ⠀ So I had to look for other mentors who would teach me the art of running a business. Ironically, although I was rejected from every MBA program I applied to, I was lucky enough to befriend and get one of the top MBA teachers in the world to mentor me. He's the famous Srikumar Rao who has taught at Kellogg, Columbia, and other major MBA institutions. 🚀 ⠀ Rao doesn't teach traditional business though. Through him what I've come to realize is that while traditional business skills are important, they're not the most important thing entrepreneurs need to master... ⠀ Rather, Rao has guided me and thousands of his other students through the philosophies of stoicism from teachers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, philosophies derived from ancient Buddhist and Hindu beliefs from teachers like Gautama Buddha and Ramana Maharshi, and philosophies from Christian mystics like St. Francis of Assisi and Father Anthony de Mello. ⠀ What do these philosophies have to do with business? ⠀ Turns out, plenty. ✨ ⠀ The weaving of these philosophies into modern business gives you the qualities that make the best entrepreneurs. Among these qualities are being able to become completely resistant to feeling overwhelmed, to live in states of ‘flow’ where stress dare not touch you. ⠀ To be able to juggle complexity and make the right decisions and most of all, to override all the natural human tendencies towards failure and success. Instead, to see them all as simply surfing various waves and to be in peace whether you're above or below the water. ⠀ So my conversations with Rao that I sometimes do live for Mindvalley members have become strikingly popular. Our 90-minute conversations would be attended by thousands and would instantly shift lives. And today I'm going live with this great mentor of mine once again. ⠀ The conversation I'm having with Rao today is going to be open to the public. ⠀ Link to the Zoom call in my bio. ☝️
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Steve Jobs famously said “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?” ⠀ Jobs was one of the greatest entrepreneurs who ever lived and an inspiration for me. While I love the way he produced amazing products, I would not choose that life if it meant giving up my health, relationships, or connections with my loved ones. Which is why I also seek advice from business philosophers like the man with me in this photo, Srikumar Rao. ⠀ Srikumar Rao was a leading MBA professor at schools like Columbia and London Business School. His class on Creativity and Personal Mastery was so legendary that there would be queues to get into these classes and those who experienced it had such great breakthroughs that they would form alumni groups. 💯 ⠀ He became one of the first people to be featured on the homepage of ted.com for a speech he gave outside of the Ted platform. Imagine that. ⠀ It’s for these reasons that I’ve asked Rao to be one of my mentors. You’ll recognize this name because I’ve peppered his quotes throughout my books, like The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, and The Buddha and the Badass. ⠀ In the midst of this global upheaval, it’s more important than ever for entrepreneurs to have the right tools so that they can build legendary businesses, make a dent in the universe and change the world, but do it while retaining peace of mind, health, relationships, balance and all the good stuff that makes day-to-day life blissful, enjoyable and loving. 🚀 ⠀ So I’ve teamed up with Rao to produce a 3-day seminar that will be delivered online. It’s called Dent The Universe. ⠀ Rao’s ideas have touched me so deeply and have helped me in my entrepreneurial journey that I want to bring them to more entrepreneurs. What’s great about this seminar is that it brings the philosophies of many great thinkers like Marcus Aurelius, Lao Tzu, and Seneca. ⠀ If you’re interested, join me and Rao in a live conversation through Zoom (link in bio ☝️). The call is happening on April 15th, 9am (PDT), 12pm (ET). ⠀ I can promise you like every conversation with Rao, this 60 minutes with us will make a deep impact on you.
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"Your soul isn’t here to achieve. Your soul is here to grow. Most people get this wrong. They become seduced by success and broken by failure. They add great meaning to what is essentially meaningless. The true reality is that success and failure are illusions. The only thing that matters is how fast you’re evolving. Your journey is about removing all the barriers that hold you back from Self-Actualization.” ⠀ Excerpt From: “The Buddha and the Badass.” ⠀ When you make personal growth your number one priority in life, everything else gets better. ⠀ Save this as a reminder to keep evolving. 💪
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I've learned many things from @michaelbbeckwith, but this idea is one of the most profound. ⠀ It was May of 2019, and Michael and I were having breakfast in Algarve, Portugal, the location of my transformational festival that year, A-Fest. ⠀ I asked Michael, “It's been 20 years since you've been in The Secret. What are some new things that you've learned about the law of attraction?” ⠀ He told me, “What I want people to know is that it's not about the law of attraction. Rather, It's about the law of resonance.” ⠀ “Resonance?” I asked, “What do you mean?” ⠀ “You see, Vishen,” he said, “The universe will not give you what you want, but it will reflect to you who you are. This is the secret of the law of resonance.” ⠀ That's when I realized that the Universe acts as a mirror. It reflects back to you, what you are. The miracle of this, is that you can shift your identity and the world will obey. ⠀ I thought I'd share this quote because inspiration from Michael was so impactful in my life that he was the teacher I referenced most in my #1 Wall Street Journal book last year, The Buddha and the Badass. ⠀ If you find this idea interesting, join me in a Masterclass with Michael we filmed in Portugal that very same day. ⠀ The Masterclass is free and we're going to go deeper into this idea. (👆Link in bio)
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When I was 26, I was vice president of a budding silicon valley startup. ⠀ My office was in swanky New York Chelsea Market. Now, home of YouTube Studios. I felt on top of the world. ⠀ But, I had a problem. ⠀ I dreaded going to work. My job simply didn’t fulfil me. ⠀ So I decided to quit and do something that did fulfil me. Namely, teach meditation. 🧘♂️ ⠀ My well-meaning friends told me I was mad. How are you going to make money in meditation? They asked. ⠀ If I had listened to that advice, I would never have been in the position that I am in today, as the founder of @mindvalley. ⠀ Rather than trying to fit in and be another cog in the machine, it's more important to find work that fits in with your values. ⠀ Work that fulfils you. ⠀ Work that helps you grow. ⠀ That trifecta is a recipe for success. ⠀ I’m glad that I stumbled upon my career. Mindvalley is deeply ingrained with my values of human unity and personal transformation. ⠀ It fulfils me because I love what I get to create every single day. And it helps me grow because I am a product of my product. ⠀ I’m super grateful that this year in Estonia, my new home, Mindvalley was awarded the Startup Bootstrap Badger Award for incredible revenue growth without taking a single drop of investment. ⠀ And I'm grateful to receive the Foreign Founder of 2020 Award from the president of Estonia. Even though it was given to me on Zoom, it was still an honour. ⠀ My advice is to do work that nourishes your soul. ✨
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Back from the Maldives and the first big holiday in over a year. For me it was all about updating my Lifebook and bonding with the kids. My big win was teaching Eve how to snorkel. 🐠 The girl is so good she must be part-mermaid.