Maxwell D.'s Key Ideas from The Motivation Manifesto
by Brendon Burchard

When it comes to life, we have choices to make every day, choices that require action. However, many of us let fear take over and make those decisions for us. We become worried about what people will think, about failure, or many other factors. 

Then, we get disappointed with our decisions and feel as if it’s too late to change them. In such situations, our freedom feels inhibited and we become frustrated. 

Without personal freedom, we can’t grow or develop as people. Therefore, the only way to live your dream life and gain personal freedom is to take charge of your life and overcome fear.

Ambition is the fuel that makes us go further and farther in life, always looking to improve it. Without it, setting and achieving goals is impossible.

Ambition drives our imagination to wander and create new, exciting scenarios and goals in our minds. Then, motivation comes in. However, this one is hard to maintain. To do that, you must set a routine and be disciplined about it.

Although some days you won’t feel like getting up and doing the work, pushing through will be worth it in the long run, as you’ll become motivated once again when you notice yourself not giving up.

As children, our job was to explore the world and laugh as we did so. As we grow up, the task doesn’t change, it just becomes more challenging to fulfill, and so we lose our ability to keep our eyes on what’s most important – living our life.

As we grow older, we learn more and more about the world, leaving behind old practices and upgrading our mindset. However, there are certain things in life that we should unlearn, or never let go of in the first place. What I mean by that is, you should reconnect with your inner child and remember how it feels to live in the moment.

Don’t let negative thoughts ruin your days. For example, if you feel like taking on a new project or doing something out of the ordinary, don’t let your fear of failure and over-realistic mind ruin it for you.

Similar to a child, keep your curiosity and motivation alive, and listen to your gut. More often than not, it will guide you to your purpose and your source of happiness, unlike your well-trained, rational mind, who likes to follow patterns and society’s rules.

Whatever your definition of success and fulfillment looks like, it’s time for you to pursue it and do everything in your power to achieve it. Whether you’re dreaming about becoming a world-renowned artist, traveling to every country on earth, or building your own house and starting a family, go for it. Life is too short to fear living it.

The key is to focus on what you’re passionate about. If you’re still trying to figure out what your burning desires are, try asking your friends or family for their opinion. When they think of you, what is it that they consider you’re great at? Discovering your talents in relation to your passion is particularly important, as it dictates the path you should take in life.

1. Meet life with full presence and power.
2. Reclaim your agenda. 
3. Defeat your demons. Don't be a slave to fear.
4. Advance with abandon. We must not lose the urgency of the moment.
5. Practice joy and gratitude. 
6. Do not break integrity. 
7. Amplify love. The ultimate act of courage is when we stand emotionally open and give our hearts without expectation of reciprocity or fear of hurt.
8. Inspire greatness. We can and must do better. Mediocrity and narcissism must not replace virtue, progress and selflessness.
9. Slow down time. Life is meant to be a growing mosaic of long, meaningful moments.  

1. Honesty. We must be uncompromising with truth and expect the same from others.
2. Responsibility.
3. Intelligence. We must learn, explore, think critically.
4. Excellence. We must strive for the highest levels in everything we do.
5. Courage. We must not let words substitute for effort.
6. Respect for others.
7. Vigilance. We must focus on the things that matter.
8. Service. We must direct our talent, energy and knowledge to make a difference on one another’s lives.
9. Unity. We must have and inspire in others tendencies toward tolerance, bonding and community.