After a childhood brain injury leaving him learning-challenged, he overcame it by creating strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance.
Jim have since dedicated his life to helping others unleash their own brain-power, and serve as a coach to many of the world’s leading CEOs and Celebrities, including Elon Musk, Will Smith, and the cast of X men. _
________ About London Real:
Founded by Brian Rose in 2011. London Real is the curator of people worth watching. Our mission is to promote personal transformation through inspiration, self-discovery and empowerment.
We feature interesting guests with fascinating stories and unique perspectives on life. We aim to take viewers on a journey through the lives of others and ultimately inspire them to embark on one of their own.
How you define Stephen Duneier depends on how you came to know him. Some define him as an expert institutional investor, while others know him as a large scale installation artist, avid outdoorsman, professor, decision strategist, coach, business leader, mindfulness extremist, author, speaker, daredevil or Guinness world record holder. In his talk, Stephen explains that what truly defines him aren't titles, but an approach to decision making that transformed him from someone who struggled with simple tasks to a guy who is continuously achieving even his most ambitious dreams.
For thirty years, he has applied cognitive science to investing, business and life. The result has been the turnaround of numerous institutional businesses, career best returns for managers who have adopted his methods, the development of a $1.25 billion dollar hedge fund and a rapidly shrinking bucket list.
Mr. Duneier teaches graduate courses on Decision Analysis in UCSB’s College of Engineering. His book, AlphaBrain is due for release in early 2017 from Wiley & Sons.
Through Bija Advisors, he helps business leaders improve performance by applying proven, proprietary decision-making methods to their own processes.
His artwork has been featured around the world and is represented by the Sullivan Goss Gallery. As Commissioner of the League of Professional Educators, Duneier is using cognitive science to alter the landscape of American education. He is the former Head of Currency Option Trading at Bank of America and Emerging Markets at AIG International.
That’s right: Luck has nothing to do with it, as some allegedly "fortunate" people say. And in this case, "it" doesn’t just mean confidence.
It means life. Life as you'd like it to be. And the life that we see someone leading, when we immediately consider them "lucky".
See, whenever someone seems to reap all the rewards in life, we tend to think of them as "fortunate" or "lucky", yeah?
Well, would you believe me if I told you that ascribing "luck" to anyone or anything is potentially harmful to us?
What exactly is luck anyway? Many people would probably define it as something like, "when things coincidentally fall out to your advantage". But is it really just that?
And more importantly, would we need more than merely coincidence to receive the gifts of life?
(SPOILER ALERT: Yes. Yes it does.)
When Michael Jackson recorded the "Thriller" album, did it sell millions because of "luck"? Or was it because he had spent his entire childhood and adolescence working his derrière off, meticulously honing his craft and gathering a hugely talented team of producers, songwriters and A&R people behind him?
When Steve Jobs released the first iPhone, did it become hugely successful because of "luck"? Or was it because he dared to take chances, push the envelope, fulfil the needs that his customers had -- even ones they didn’t realize they had -- and amass an army of professional developers and marketers behind him?
Sure, Michael Jackson was probably as close to being the proverbial natural talent as they come. And Steve Jobs, according to many, was a natural visionary who simply thought outside the box and dreamt big.
But what good would that have done them if they hadn’t put in the work, insisted upon their dreams, and kept at it for years and years? Luck has nothing to do with it because "it"doesn’t happen without taking action.
Here’s another thing:
Have you ever seen "Forrest Gump"? If not, it’s a fine movie, and you should see it at least once.*
Forrest Gump, our titular protagonist, is clearly slow-witted, but likeable. And he somehow manages to walk through life and attract all kinds of success and fortune as he cluelessly goes along. Only he never realizes it. Because success and fortune simply doesn’t resonate with his humble mind.
Let’s pause here for a moment. Now, think about your own life.
Have you ever learned a new word, and then in the following days and weeks you saw and heard that word everywhere?
Or have you ever been unemployed and looked for jobs, and all of a sudden job applications are everywhere?
I know, right?
The key word here is awareness.
Forrest Gump doesn’t consciously experience fame and fortune, because his awareness is on a different level. When we’re consciously aware of something, we’re gonna find it.
Not because there’s more of it, but simply because we’ve become aware of it. Like a hunter who deliberately ignores anything but the potential sights and sounds of his prey. Luck has nothing to do with it, because what good would all the coincidence in the world do us if we weren’t aware of it?
"But wait a minute! What was that thing you said about how ascribing luck to anyone could be "harmful"??"
Yeah, see, that’s because it’s something that non-fident people tend to do. Which is rarely beneficial.
It’s when we’re non-fident that we tend to think in terms of "luck" — and "bad luck". Specifically, we tend to think that other people get all the luck, and that we’re victims of unfortunate circumstances.
This is a conveniently easy way of thinking, because it takes the responsibility for our lives out of our hands. And for the same reason, it’s also a dangerous way of thinking.
But when we allow ourselves to go for the life we want, consistently taking action and raising our awareness will make sure that we get it.
Some people might be born with certain advantages, yes. But imagine how many people never put that advantage to any use. Either because they never see the possibilities and/or because they’re simply too shy to act on it.
And now, think of all the famous media persons who obviously wouldn’t recognize talent even if it came out of nowhere and took away all their limelight.
Think of all the wealthy corporate leaders who got where they are by being uncompromising, cold as ice, playing the game and doing what’s best for the company no matter what.
Think of all the powerful politicians, all the Frank Underwood’s of the world, who got to where they are by lying, manipulating, and probably worse. Really, luck has nothing to do with it. But being aware of our opportunities, and taking consistent action towards them has everything to do with it.
ACTION ITEM:
This week, take up learning something new. Something you've been wanting to get into, only you couldn't find the time (or whatever excuse you made for yourself).
Set aside 1/2 hour every night, monday through friday, for working on that thing only. Nothing else. This means, turn off your phone. No phone; no social media or other distractions. Just you and your new challenge.
Getting into this sort of habit will eventually prove to us that luck has nothing to do with it. -- And that practice, consistency, and focus are the keys to accomplishing pretty much anything.
* Yes, I know it’s originally a book. So are a lot of great movies.
Video description from the maker. You are a Badass How To STOP doubting your greatness - Chapter 1
Great book to help you become the best version of you! It will help you unleash the power within you to kick some serious booty!!! I hope you find the value you need in this audio to help you succeed and follow your life long dreams!!!! Jen Sincero is an amazing author!
I originally began this audio to help our team that wasn't able to sit down and read the book because I felt so strongly that they needed to hear this amazing message and I am glad that others have also been able to find value from it!!
YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON'T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT. In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bitesized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before. By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.
Two years is nothing, but at the same time a lot can be accomplished in two years. You can try a sport you've always wanted to start, and become great at it. You can start a morning routine and affect your mood and stress at a deep level. You can meditate for a few minutes per day, become more self-aware and change the way you react to problems. You can start a business and make it a big success.
We’ve all had days where nothing seems to get done, no matter how good our intentions are. Those days that seem to stretch on forever, wondering how such a long day could still leave you feeling so unfulfilled The cause of our sudden slumps may be related to stress at work, difficulties in our personal lives, illness or injury, financial issues, or even just a lot of small mistakes or mishaps that have added up to a lasting feeling of demotivation that only becomes harder and harder to shake.
Watch this video to find out how you can stay motivated in any situation!
Few hours of the day are more important than the early morning hours. These hours when you first wake up set the tone for the rest of the day, affecting your mindset and productivity during all the hours that follow them. In this video Brian talks about the importance of these early morning hours is the reason why some of the world's most successful people carefully craft morning routines designed to help them start the day off right and make the most of the hours that follow. If you would like to start each day in the best way possible, consider implementing some of these proven morning routines into your morning schedule.
Benjamin Hardy is the number one writer at Medium.com. His work has been read of 50 million times. He is nearing the completion of his PhD, in organizational psychology. His book, Willpower Doesn’t Work comes out March. He and his wife have been the foster parent of 3 kids for 3 years.
What do you do when you find yourself in a listless, unmotivated rut? I've found myself in this situation at several points in my life, so today I'm going to cover three strategies that never fail to help me get out of it.
.@TonyRobbins will be down by my neck of the woods (@ExCeLLondon ) in April! I wonder if I will smell the burning (feet) of desire. It would be a Grand Experience to go!
ENTREPRENEUR, BEST SELLING AUTHOR, PHILANTHROPIST, AND THE NATIONS #1 LIFE AND BUSINESS STRATEGIST
A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations and organizational turnaround, he has served as an advisor to leaders around the world for more than 38 years.
Author of five internationally bestselling books, including the recent New York Times #1 best-sellerMONEY: MASTER THE GAME, Mr. Robbins has empowered more than 50 million people from 100 countries through his audio, video and life training programs. He created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time, and more than 4 million people have attended his live seminars. Mr. Robbins is the chairman of a holding company comprised of more than a dozen privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $5 billion a year. He has been honored by Accenture as one of the “Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World”; by Harvard Business Press as one of the “Top 200 Business Gurus”; and by American Express as one of the “Top Six Business Leaders in the World” to coach its entrepreneurial clients. Fortune’s recent cover article named him the “CEO Whisperer,” and he was most recently named in the top 50 of Worth Magazine’s 100 most powerful people in global finance.
In his mission to continually impact the lives of millions, Robbins has made headlines by partnering and lending his voice to disruptive companies in the financial services arena. His company America’s Best 401k, a full service 401k solution, is making waves by providing free side-by-side fee comparisons to business owners to see just how much they are really paying in fees. They are also pioneering unique guaranteed income solutions for plan participants entering retirement.
Mr. Robbins is also a major advocate for Portfolio CheckUp, a service that is disrupting the brokerage industry by providing a free online analysis of your investment accounts and then connecting you to a fee based fiduciary advisor that is required by law to put client’s best interests first. He is also the founder of Global Accounting Advisors, which provides much needed outsourced CFO for small business owners in 8 countries around the world.
As a philanthropist, Mr. Robbins feeds 4 million people per year in 56 countries. He has also initiated programs in more than 1,500 schools, 700 prisons, and 50,000 service organizations and shelters. He provides fresh water to 100,000 people a day in India in order to fight the number one killer of children in that country-waterborne diseases. Last year he raised the stakes: In order to honor those who helped his family during tough times, he personally provided 60 million meals to people in the USA, and matched funds to feed 100 million in 2015 alone through his partnership from Feeding America
What is the answer to the life long question of how to be happy? The answer's actually right in front of you in the way you react to the things around you.
