The Motivation Movement | Inspirational Quotes, Daily Advice, Lifestyle Design, Personal Development

Leadership is more than a position. Being a leader requires taking action and setting an example. There comes a time in everyone's life where you’re intentionally or randomly thrusted into a position of leadership. Whether you’re leading a team, a project, an entire organization, or a meeting, you consciously or unconsciously are implementing one or a mix of a few different styles of leadership.

There are many factors that help to mold one’s leadership style: life experience, personality, organizational culture, environmental influences and beyond.

It’s very common to think about leadership, and leaders, as simply GOOD or BAD. Leadership goes beyond GOOD or BAD though. It’s not always that straightforward.

“One of the most important things for any leader is to never let anyone else define who you are. And you define who you are. I never think of myself as being a woman CEO of this company. I think of myself as a steward of a great institution.” – Virginia Marie "Ginni" Rometty

For leaders, or those aspiring to be leaders, understanding the numerous approaches to leadership is very important. Identifying the successes and shortcomings of your leadership methodology and analyzing why it does and doesn’t work in certain situations, is equally important.

Through learning about the FIVE different styles we’re going to discuss today, you should be able to become more flexible in your management strategies and adapt to the different obstacles leaders often face.

1) Autocratic

2) Authoritarian

3) Democratic

4) Laissez Faire

5) Transactional

Not everyone is a natural-born leader, but practice makes perfect. It may seem difficult to change leadership styles, or develop your signature style, but it’s WORTH it if the success of your organization, project, or team is truly important to you. Authenticity is contagious and inspiring; dishonesty and deception isn’t. Your followers can smell your BS from a mile away.

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Imagine the leaders you have been inspired by in the past or are currently inspired by today.

How did you respond to these various styles of leadership? Which style naturally spoke to you the best?

The principle we are going to examine today, the different FORMS OF POWER, could be what influences you to respond to, and hopefully be motivated by, a particular person’s influence.

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.” - Chris Hadfield

NUMBER ONE . . . Legitimate power is probably the most recognized form of power and style of leadership.

NUMBER TWO . . . Reward power comes from an authority figures ability to compensate another for being compliant and following orders.

NUMBER THREE . . . Expert power is based on an individual’s level of skill and knowledge. In layman’s terms, think of karate, the experts all have black belts.

NUMBER FOUR . . . Referent power is a bit superficial; it could be the results of one’s perceived worthiness and/or attractiveness. It’s seemingly power that is not a result of any special or particular reason. Referent power is sometimes though of as an “x-factor” of sorts.

Finally, NUMBER 5 . . . Coercive power is sourced from the ability to punish others for being disobedient. A leader who uses coercive power strategically withholds rewards as a punishment; it is the opposite of reward power.

With great power comes great responsibility. Some leaders leverage their power to make a positive impact, while others have more sinister and/or selfish intentions. If you find yourself in any type of leadership role, you need to understand the best strategy to keep your team, your family, your class, WHOEVER, motivated to be their best, to achieve great results, and to produce at the highest possible standard. Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others.

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YOYO! This is your host, Michael Russo, AKA mRuddo. This is Episode #044 of The Motivation Movement podcast, titled “The Healing Power of Forgiveness”

Forgiveness is a seemingly universal principle that spans across different religions and philosophies. We traditionally view the act of forgiving as an acceptance or acknowledgement of someone’s wrongdoing against you, a symbolization of your readiness and willingness to move on and grow from the situation, but, self-forgiveness is a concept that is just as important.

Whether it is forgiving yourself or someone else, I am sure we can all relate and recall an experience we had with forgiveness. What many of us do not know is that forgiveness is good for our health, as holding grudges ACTUALLY takes a serious physical toll on us. 

Maybe it is bitterness surrounding a past dispute with a loved one. Maybe it is long history of animosity with someone you once considered a close friend. You could be blinded from realizing and welcoming new opportunities because you are hanging onto the agony and anguish of a troubling situation that occurred in your past. When you’re constantly, or even predominantly stuck in a state of anger and pain, you’re pretty much stuck in a state of adrenaline, which is consequential for your health. You’re more likely to experience high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and a weakened immune system. 

Today’s quote is from Mr. Bryant McGill, who is a thought leader in human potential, international bestselling author, activist, and social entrepreneur. 

“They caused the first wound, but you are causing the rest; this is what not forgiving does. They got it started, but you keep it going. Forgive and let it go, or it will eat you alive. You think they made you feel this way, but when you won’t forgive, you are the one inflicting the pain on yourself.” Bryant McGill

It may sound selfish, but you need to realize that forgiveness benefits YOU more than anyone or anything. Forgiveness is very much an internal process, it’s more than just exchanging apologies with your friend, ex, or whoever! The truth is, the other person, or people, may never know about your forgiveness. BUT, forgiveness as a mental health practice, as a tool, can lighten the load on your body and on your spirit. 

As always, there’s a self-examination that needs to take place here. What are your beliefs on forgiveness? Do you mistakenly associate forgiving with forgetting?! What in your mind is deemed as absolutely UNFORGIVABLE?! What are you willing to forgive someone for? How much is too much?! Where and when does someone’s actions cross the line for YOU?

Forgiveness isn’t a quick and easy process. Forgiveness takes time and effort. You don’t just brush the dirt off your shoulder and say, “OH, WELL, I’m over it.” It’s okay to be pissed off. It’s okay to be angry. It’s not okay to let those emotions control you and eat you alive. Forgiveness is very much a personal matter, but it’s always great to speak with trusted friends and/or family.

In our last episode, we spoke at length about regret, and how to use it as a motivational tool. Like I said the other day, embrace your ability to make a change in your life. You’re going to regret not forgiving someone, or not forgiving YOURSELF, later in live. You’ll be upset with yourself because not forgiving prevented you from experience new possibilities, and from sharing more of your journey with the person you never reconciled your differences with.

One of my favorite Gary Vee stories is where he talks about how it’s important to speak with the elderly more often, not just your elder relatives either. In Gary’s experience, he said all of the people he spoke with had a common answer when they were asked about regret . . . the commonality between their responses was they had REGRET about the THINGS they didn’t do, not the things they did do. Regret is POISON. I tend to agree.

You learn from forgiveness; you can’t learn when you’re held back by emotions like regret and anger that are a direct result of NOT practicing forgiveness. I know it’s hard to forgive, it’s even harder to forget. I recognize people have experienced truly traumatic life events that can’t be fixed by listening to a FIVE minute podcast. This won’t minimize everyone’s pain, but it helps to try and understand the perspective of the other person involved, or understand your state of mind at the time of the event you’re trying to forgive yourself for. 

In conclusion, my final thought for the day, is that FORGIVENESS requires action, it doesn’t just magically occur one day after a given amount of time. Forgiveness isn’t easy, that’s why there is actually a practice mental health professionals apply called “forgiveness training,” which is a combination of behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques. 

If I had to boil down the forgiveness process to a few sweet and simple principles, I’d say Step 1) is VALIDATION, Step 2) is RELEASE and Step 3) is EVOLVE.

Ackno

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Hindsight is 20/20 . . . We’ve all taken the time to contemplate on how different our lives would be IF we had taken a different path.

We, as humans, have a habit of looking back on missed opportunities, and fantasizing that, had we seized the moment, it could have set our lives off on an extraordinarily amazing alternative course . . .

Nonsense, OF COURSE. If you don’t honestly examine the reasons and actions that led to your feeling of regret, you’ll never be able to come to grips with your current reality.

Regret is a POWERFUL emotion and can be used as a source of inspiration.

“I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations - one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it - you will regret both.” - Kierkegaard

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Woulda, coulda, shoulda syndrome affects all of us differently. Regret totally drains some of us, it slows us down, while others thrive from regret, and are excited to become better from the emotion.

When you’re inundated with regret, ask yourself the following questions: What emotions are you feeling right now? Why are you disturbed by this feeling? How could you have handled the situation better? What will you do to never let this happen again?

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YOYO! This is your host, Michael Russo, AKA mRuddo. This is Episode #042 of The Motivation Movement podcast, titled “Uniquely Unusual Meditation Strategies.”

I’ve personally struggled with consistently meditating over the past 7 or 8 years. I really got into meditation during my sophomore year of college, where MEDITATION was my required ONE credit physical education class. When I had an organized class, every week, the structure really helped me remain persistent in my meditation practice. I generally would walk out of meditation with a cleared, quiet mind, and I felt relaxed, physically.

Meditation is an amazing tool that be used anywhere, at any time, by anyone. Meditation is not a one size fits all practice though. There is a HUGE variety in terms of different meditation techniques, that each offer their own unique path to inner peace and relaxation.

Meditation is not a practice reserved for hippy, carpe diem, want-to-be Zen masters, it’s for everyone. Like many of the concepts we explore on The Motivation Movement, meditation, when practiced consistently, has legitimate health advantages such as reduced anxiety and sensitivity to pain, boosted immune system and helps prevent stress. Meditation doesn’t have to just be deep breathing, while sitting down on a fluffy cushion with your legs crossed and eyes closed.

Today’s quote is from Andy Puddicombe, a Buddhist monk turned entrepreneur, who’s the co-founder of Headspace, an online platform which allows people to learn about and experience the benefits of meditation.

“There is no good or bad meditation — there is simply awareness or non-awareness. To begin with, we get distracted a lot. Over time, we get distracted less. Be gentle with your approach, be patient with the mind, and be kind to yourself along the way. Clarity dictates our perspective, and our perspective dictates our experience. Get more clarity in your life.”

The goal of today’s podcast episode is to help you find a meditation strategy, a method, that works for you and helps you gain even a little bit of clarity and focus in your life. We’re going to go over a few different techniques here, beginning with GAZING meditation. This type of meditation is the practice of staring at a physical object to focus inwards. My first experience with GAZING meditation utilized a small candle, placed 3-6 FT in front of me. I stared at the flame for a few minutes, focusing ONLY on the flame, and then eventually closed my eyes. I was still able to envision the flame in my mind, and it was helpful to convince myself that any distractions that I let into my bubble could potentially put out the fire. It was a very sublime experience to only focus on that internal flame, the balance, especially in a world where there are a million different outlets battling for our attention.

This next technique is very interesting to me, and explains why I’ve seen so many stacks of neatly organized rocks at the beaches out east on Long Island . . . Cairn (KERN) building is the balancing of stones, an old Zen technique of examining the mind. Flat shaped stones work best for this exercise, where you start with the largest ones on the bottom and build your way up, slowly, and mindfully breathing throughout the process. The KEY element of this meditation is mindfulness for two reasons, (1) so, that you are present in the moment and careful of the specific structure you are building, but also POINT (2) which is the broader, higher level, almost UNIVERSAL mindfulness of the interconnectedness of your structure within the whole environment or ecosystem.

The third and final meditation technique I’d like to discuss today is labyrinth tracing, which assuming you do not have a real labyrinth nearby to go walking through, will be completed with your finger. This finger labyrinth is similar to a full-sized labyrinth you would walk except it is on a much smaller and personal scale. Print one out online by Googling FINGER LABYRINTH. Before beginning the labyrinth, you meditate or think on a question or issue that is on your mind. Leaning on a bit of hand eye coordination, this meditation technique is great for folks who have trouble staying in one spot for too long or not fidgeting when attempting to meditate.

The most important thing to remember is there is no right or wrong way to meditate. As you enter a meditation, just be yourself. Open your mind and your heart and receive the richness that may come from your meditation. Expectations often get in the way of one's experience. Don't attempt to control your meditation. Let go of all preconceived notions as to what is "suppose" to happen. These preconceived notions could get in the way of your experience. Your experience will be different from the experience of others.

That is all for today’s episode folks! Let me know what y’all think using #TheMotivationMovement on social media, tag @mRuddo and don’t forget to visit my new website, mRuddo.com! I want to hear your raw, uncut

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We use animals to examine certain features of ourselves. We imagine ourselves being as strong as an ox, as fierce as a lion, as smart as a dolphin, or we have the memory of an elephant.

"We patronize the animals for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other Nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth." - Henry Beston

Determination, team-work and forgiveness are the TOP THREE lessons we can learn from animals.

Thinking like an animal, suspending ourselves from all of the social constructs us humans have created, we realize what’s important in our lives.

It becomes easier to focus on the basics like health, rest, caring for our families, eating, etc., and in general, to let go of attachments. The playful nature of some animals allows us to not take life so seriously, it reminds us to be vulnerable and have fun.

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I’m going to try and keep this one mostly motivational, and not too scientific, but the data is in, and it clearly shows that gratitude can improve general well-being, strengthen social relations, increase resilience and reduce stress.

Gratitude is just being appreciative of the non-monetary related aspects of life; you can be grateful about your health, family, friends, pets, celebrations, etc.

“To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” - Albert Schweitzer

If you take nothing for granted, if you seek the good in the unlikeliest of places, if you are actively expressing your gratitude, you will find or achieve happiness and peace much sooner.

In terms of the psychological benefits, gratitude encourages positive thoughts and emotions, more awareness and alertness, and increased self-satisfaction.

For physical benefits, studies suggest you develop a stronger immune system, less body pains and aches, and optimum blood pressure and cardiac functioning.

Finally, the social benefits include better communication, more likeability among peers, more interest and involvement as a team member and beyond.

You need to actively CULTIVATE and foster gratitude.

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Whether you would like to acknowledge it or not, everybody is a salesperson.

You are selling yourself when asking for a raise, or for more responsibility at work.

You are selling to your team members on a strategy when you propose a new idea or campaign.

You are selling to your kid when you are bartering with them to do their chores.

We are also constantly being sold to, so we in essence all engage in negotiations on a daily basis as well.

When politicians are campaigning for our votes, when a new restaurant in town runs a great deal to drum up new customers, when the pastor at the congregation is preaching, when our significant other is trying to eat chicken for dinner when you want a burger . . .

SALES IS EVERYWHERE, you can’t hide from it.

Now, you may not be the great salesperson to ever grace the earth, but I challenge you to develop your sales skills because there are few other skills as universally useful as sales.

“The purpose of a pitch isn’t necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you.” - Daniel H. Pink

Have integrity, meet a need and solve a problem. Once your perspective shifts to “How can I serve?”, VS “How can I sell?”, you’ll feel much better about being labeled a salesperson.

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YOYO! This is your host, Michael Russo, AKA mRuddo. This is Episode #038 of The Motivation Movement podcast, titled “Locus of Control (Personal Agency)”

By definition, LOCUS OF CONTROL is the degree to which people believe that they, as opposed to external forces, have control over the outcome of events in their lives.

This is one of those concepts that once explained, most people innately understand, but they would not know the meaning just by hearing the phrase, locus of control. I sure as hell did not know what the hell it meant until I started researching it more in-depth.

When faced with obstacles in life, do you feel that you have power over the situation?

Or, do you believe that you are at the mercy of external forces?

As the world around you changes, you can either ascribe the positives and negatives to factors you have control over or pin them on happenings outside of your influence.

According to Julian Rotter, who originally investigated how people’s attitudes affected the outcomes of their lives, whichever orientation you chose, internal or external, has a direct relationship to long-term success.

Today’s quote is from Og Mandino, American author, writer of the best-selling book, “The Greatest Salesmen Alive.”

"Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces."

The fault-finding component of this quote struck me most.

No brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business.

It’s SO easy to blame your shortcomings on external forces.

You are unable to accept failure and ultimately learn and grow from that failure, because you believe that something or someone else was conspiring against you, and/or you are just very unlucky.

This concept of locus of control is usually broken down into two categories . . . as explained by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in his 1985 book Psychology and Life:

“A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation)."

People with internal control orientation often display the following characteristics:

(1) they take responsibility for their actions

(2) they’re less influenced by the opinion of others

(3) feel confident in the face of adversity

(4) usually have a strong sense of self

On the other hand, people with external control orientation typically:

(1) feel hopeless or powerless in the face of adversity

(2) don’t believe they can change their situation or make a difference

(3) credit luck or chance for any successes.

At a very high level, folks with internal control orientation use phrases like:

“I know it’s up to me to make this work,”

“I have to make a conscious effort to become more successful,”

“I have the power to change my situation.”

The internals CLEARLY believe that luck, fate, and circumstance have no bearing on their lives.

There are plenty of online tests that will help determine if you have an internal or external orientation. Most of us lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, as this isn’t an all or nothing concept, there is plenty of gray area.

Here are a few examples . . . Jot down if you agree with Statement A or B?

STATEMENT A: There are some people in this world that will not like you, no matter what you do.

STATEMENT B: If you have good interpersonal skills and know-how to get along with others, then getting people to like you is not difficult at all.

STATEMENT A: Bad luck is what leads to many of the disappointments in life.

STATEMENT B: Disappointments are usually the result of mistakes you make.

If you agree with Statement A on these (2) questions, you definitely lean towards a more internal orientation.

For those of you who are leaning towards Statement B, you have a more external orientation.

There is evidence to support the idea the internal control orientation is in your DNA, it’s a born trait.

There is also evidence that ironically suggests that childhood experiences influence your orientation.

In conclusion, my final thought for the day is that balance is important in all aspects of life, and having a balanced locus of control is no different.

When you have a strong internal locus of control, you probably feel like you have COMPLETE control over every event that occurs in your life.

You’re self-motivated and very focused on achieving your goals, that’s great.

I highly encourage you to believe in yourself and your dreams.

Don’t be fooled though, no one can CONTRO

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YOYO! This is your host, Michael Russo, AKA mRuddo. This is Episode #037 of The Motivation Movement podcast, titled “Positive Affirmations Are NOT Bullsh*t.”

Positive affirmations are easily digestible, simple phrases, or statements that challenge negative internal dialogue. People utilize positive affirmations to motivate themselves, encourage growth, and boost self-esteem levels. You are creating a pattern in your subconscious thought when you continually and routinely repeat positive affirmations to yourself.

The goal is for your positive affirmations to become a self-fulfilling prophecy through neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.

Our quote today is from prominent American author, Betty Eadie, who writes novels on near-death experiences. Her most noteworthy book was New York Times best-seller, Embraced by the Light. The quote goes like this:

"If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive."

Our thoughts have power, as do our words. As the old adage goes, we are what we think.

That’s why the most effective positive affirmations are phrased in the present tense as if what you are declaring about yourself is already true. FAKE IT TIL’ YOU MAKE IT! The most effective positive affirmations in my experience are short and SWEET:

I was made with divine intention. I can, I will, I do, END OF STORY. I am adventurous, I overcome my fears by following my intuition. I am in charge of how I feel today, I feel happy. I am enough. I am whole. I have the power to create change. I have the power to make a difference.

Books like The Secret, The Power of Now, Think and Grow Rich, The Law of Attraction, and The Alchemist all discuss the correlation between your thoughts and how the universe conspires to bring them to fruition in your life. But, this is more than just a theory about motivation . . .

Behavioral scientists and psychologists explain that when engaging in self-affirmation, you’re building self-integrity, confidence, and a better understanding of self, which allows you to be more reasonable and rational.

This leads to increased problem solving and critical thinking abilities, which play a major role in mental performance and decision making.

These ideas are building upon numerous studies that highlight that thinking about self-preferences activates the brain’s neural reward pathways.

This has positive effects on health, happiness, hopefulness, and lessens the likelihood of cognitive impairment.

Do positive self-affirmations work for everyone? No, obviously not.

For people who have naturally high levels of self-esteem, this may have little to no effect on your state of mind.

For those who seriously low self-esteem issues, positive affirmations may be one component of a larger mental health plan.

It’s important to understand why you have a negative internal dialogue in the first place, it’s necessary to understand WHY your story is the way it is before you can begin to flip the script of your personal narrative.

We will discuss this at length in another episode, but a better starting point for some may be interrogative self-talk.

This is a strategy used to inspire creativity in your inner dialogue. This idea challenges you to challenge your own assumptions of yourself through questioning, rather than making broad, present tense, positive declarations like we have discussed in this episode.

My final thought for today is that any type of self-affirmation, positive, introspective, or negative, helps to build your internal and external self-identity.

It’s clear that all affirmations have an effect on cognitive restructuring.

Do you want your brain to be rewired with inspiring and uplifting thoughts in mind or the opposite?

Positive affirmations produce a feeling of optimism that can be particularly powerful. Harness the power of your internal voice, wield it carefully.

Focus your internal values and morals on positive ideas, and continually, persistently reaffirm them with yourself.

That is all for today’s episode folks! Let me know what y’all think using #TheMotivationMovement on social media, tag @mRuddo, and don’t forget to visit my new website, mRuddo.com!

I want to hear your raw, uncut, and unfiltered feedback.

DO NOT HOLD BACK. I’m not too sensitive, I can take, and I appreciate the constructive criticism.

If you come across a great quote you’d like to hear me talk about, SHARE IT! Tune in for new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Oh, yea . . . Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast!

Again, this is your host, Michael Russo, thanks for tuning in

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Everyone always tells us to “stay in your damn lane,” “embrace yourself, embrace your talents,” and “focus on your strength and double down on it . . .” BLAH, BLAH, BLAH . . .

Why are we so obsessed with this idea of having a super sharp focus and tunnel vision? You MISS out on a lot of opportunity when you don’t pay attention to what’s in the peripherals!

People take even greater umbrage when they hear themselves labeled with a common noun. The reason is that a noun predicate appears to pigeonhole the with a stereotype of a category rather than referring to them as an individual who happens to possess a trait. - Steven Arthur Pinker

Just because you’re a great salesperson, doesn’t mean you can’t be a great graphic designer.

Just because you’re a great photographer doesn’t mean you can’t be a great personal trainer.

Don’t deny yourself from embarking on new endeavors. Don’t define yourself strictly by the one thing you’ve always been so focused on. Don’t limit yourself to what you’ve done in the past.

There’s no need to self-impose a label that restricts you from becoming who you potentially might be.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, but be excited about what’s to come, about what’s around the corner. This could be your chance to make a bigger impact, make a new name for yourself, make more money, whatever your ambition is.

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YOYO! This is your host, Michael Russo, AKA mRuddo. This is Episode #35 of The Motivation Movement podcast, titled “Talk to YOURSELF to Build Confidence & Self-Esteem.”

Where does one begin on the journey of trying to feel better about themselves, be more decisive, more confident, have higher levels of self-esteem? POSITIVE INTERNAL DIALOGUE. The days of being crazy for talking to yourself are LONG GONE.

ASK YOURSELF: What are the triggers that have you feeling down? Do you keep finding yourself in stressful situations at work, school and/or at home? What are your thoughts like when you find yourself in one of these predicaments? Is your self-talk generally positive or negative? These questions I pose are a good starting point to understanding why you’re confidence and self-esteem levels are fading away. This is an effective method of pinpointing what it is that is degrading your self-esteem and confidence.

Let’s hear what the experts have to say about this topic!

Today’s quote is from Mr. Alan Cohen, the Author of 22 popular inspirational books and CDs, including the best-selling “The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

“Wouldn’t it be powerful if you fell in love with yourself so deeply that you would do just about anything if you knew it would make you happy? This is precisely how much life loves you and wants you to nurture yourself. The deeper you love yourself, the more the universe will affirm your worth. Then you can enjoy a lifelong love affair that brings you the richest fulfillment from inside out.”

I love this quote . . . I challenge you to flip the script on your life story. Maybe you’ve had doubts about your potential in the past, but today is the day you can begin to love yourself, then let the ripple effect re-build your confidence and self-esteem.

There are probably a few totally baseless thoughts about your person that you’ve convinced yourself of, like “I’m a loser,” “I’m worthless,” “I’m never going to amount to anything,” OR “I have NO HOPE . . .”

NO WAY! Be nice to yourself, take care of your mental. Recite short and sweet positive affirmations OFTEN, like “I’m a WINNER,” “I AM WORTH IT,” AND “I am GOING TO MAKE IT . . .”

If you recite a particular idea to yourself frequently enough, you’ll eventually convince yourself. It’s like positive version of when someone says, “this guy lies so much, he’s starting to believe his own bullshit,” except in this case, you’re not lying to yourself . . . Don’t let your positive thoughts fade away if you have a few off days here and there either, self-esteem and confidence are situational. You may thrive in social situations, but feel slightly off when you’re alone, or vice-versa. You do not have to feel 100%, 100% of the time.

An article I read on PsychologyToday talked about the compare and despair rabbit hole. As the old adage goes, “comparison is the thief of joy.” Psychotherapist Kimberly Hershenson talks about practicing self-acceptance and why it’s important to avoid comparing yourself to others.

Especially in today’s day and age, where we scroll through social media and see our friends, our co-workers, whoever, seemingly living these extravagant lives with lots of money, big boats, happy happy happy. People only show what they want to show on social media. Don’t let people’s appearance of having a perfect life fool you, it’s not even worth your time to compare your life to someone else based on an Instagram post.

My final thought for today is this . . . be very careful when negative thoughts do infiltrate your internal dialogue, do not mistake them for FACTS.

Just because you feel like a loser, does not mean you actually are a loser. We tend to be very critical of ourselves, very harsh, it’s only constructive to a certain degree.

We even go so far as to construe up negatives out of the positives in life. When we do accomplish something significant, we tell ourselves that we got lucky, or barely made it out alive.

Give yourself more credit than that. Don’t be boastful, but do reward yourself once in awhile when you succeed at something you’re working towards. Encourage yourself more. Remember, it’s okay to have negative thoughts, just don’t react to them so drastically, don’t let them take over. Notice the patterns in your confidence and self-esteem levels. Double down on the situations, settings, and people that make you feel good, and avoid the ones that make you feel like shit!

That is all for today’s episode folks! Let me know what y’all think using #TheMotivationMovement on social media, tag @mRuddo and don’t forget to visit my new website, mRuddo.com!

I want to hear your raw, uncut and unfiltered feedback. DO NOT HOLD BACK. I’m not too sensitive, I can take, and I appreciate the constructive criticism.

If you come across a great quote you’d like to hear me talk about, SHARE IT! Tune in for new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Oh yea . . . Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast!

Again, this is your host,

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To become great, you must give up the good. To become extraordinary, you have to sacrifice the ordinary. To live a life you love, you temporarily have to let go of the interests you like. To realize the dream you are pursuing, you ironically may have to forego a few hours of beauty sleep.

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What’s on the flip side of suffering and sacrifice? Creativity. Success. Freedom. Empowerment.

Owning your struggles, taking responsibility for your situation, is the product of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. You can let suffering overcome you, or you can overcome your suffering.

There are countless stories of extraordinary individuals who’ve invested their last pennies into an idea, spent time away from their families for work, had to pick up an extra side job, skipped meals to feed their children . . .

People make sacrifices and endure struggles every day in all different facets of life. Everyone’s sacrifice and struggle is unique and relative to their situation.

Giving up what feels comfortable, what feels secure, to ultimately be even more comfortable and more secure, is what sacrifice is, at its core.

mRuddo.com | #TheMotivationMovement | @mRuddo

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Yo, yo! This is your host Michael Russo, aka mruddo. This is episode number 33 of The Motivation Movement titled, “Self-care - I'm Treating Me!”

We're all busy. We're all HUSTLIN’, we're all grinding.

Honestly, what the fuck does self care even mean?

When the hell do I have the time to think about a self care strategy, let alone actually physically take care of myself?

So this episode is definitely a direct follow up to last episodes where I spoke at length about BURNOUT, and how to avoid burnout, and what are the signs of burnout.

Launching a company…

Launching a brand…

Putting together your personal content calendar...

Starting a new job…

Taking on a new project…

Whatever it is, you're looking to get motivated about. It's no doubt a very stressful undertaking to the serial hustlers out there who've seamlessly gone from idea to idea, success to success.

The constant roller coaster grind seems like a normal state. The cycle of ups and downs becomes your typical expected lifestyle. A break of vacation seems like a foreign concept. And when you do attempt to rest and relax, it just seems impossible.

You can't take your mind off the grind...

You can't take your mind off the hustle…

You can't take your eyes off the prize…

Not even for a SECOND.

Trust me, I feel you!

Self Care is a consistent, persistent process.

Self Care isn't a vacation to the Bahamas, like I said in last episode.

Self Care is taking care of yourself for 10 to 20 minutes per day versus once a year taking a week long retreat from the project you're working on today.

This quote is from Mr. Andrew Matthews of Australia. He's an international motivational speaker and self help author. The quote goes like this...

“A healthy self love means we have no compulsion to justify ourselves or others why we take a vacation, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why do we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing the things which add quality and beauty to life.”

So at its core, what this quote means to me is self care is ANY purposeful intention, act or decision that places yourself, your needs, at the forefront of your mind!

It's creating “ME” time in your daily routine.

For some, me time is exercising upon waking up, taking an extra 10 minutes with your morning coffee to soak in the moment, or even reading a book before bed.

Self Care is an investment in yourself - a healthy body, a healthy person is essential to a healthy mind. To be at our absolute best, we need to feel good, we need to feel confident both inside and out.

Making social connections, having people to express your struggles and successes too, is a form of therapy.

It's definitely a form of self care. It's very easy to isolate yourself and work in a vacuum as an entrepreneur, especially as someone pursuing their passion full time.

Living in an echo chamber without feedback and without outside perspective is not a good form of self care.

You can quickly become wrapped up in your own thoughts and get trapped in a spiral of bad thoughts or emotions.

You need friends, you need family to call you out on your shit when you're screwing up and to praise you and acknowledge your successes.

When you're on the right track, you need that positive reaffirmation.

So my final thought for the day:

Stress, lack of self care - it's contagious.

Observe the people around you.

If your co-workers, your friends, family, even your pets, if they're anxious and tense and walking on the edge around you all the time, the truth is, it's probably you!

It's probably you that's the cause of their tension, especially when you're in a leadership role, or just a role model to folks in general.

When you are on a roll, taking care of yourself feeling good, feeling motivated, it's like a ripple effect.

The people around you will be at their absolute best. Positivity is contagious. It spreads rapidly.

Take care of yourself and watch those around you also take care of themselves and be their best selves.

That is all for today's episode. Folks, let me know yout thoughts and #themotivationmovement on social media. Don't forget to tag @mruddo and visit my new website mruddo.com.

Please do not hold back. I want to hear your raw, uncut and unfiltered feedback. If you come across a great quote you'd like to hear me talk about, share it!

Again, this is your host, Michael Russo.

Thank you for tuning in.

More motivation.

More hustle.

More LIFE!

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I’ve felt the heat from BURNOUT, from too much HUSTLE, TRUST ME, but I’ve always managed to avoid falling into the FLAMES!

We have to be cognizant of what sacrifices we make in the name of the HUSTLE, as neglecting certain aspects of life can have dangerous consequences to your mental and physical health.

“That's the great irony of allowing passionate people to work from home. A manager's natural instinct is to worry that her workers aren't getting enough work done. But the real threat is that they will wind up working too hard. And because the manager isn't sitting across from her worker anymore, she can't look in the person's eyes and see burnout.” - Jason Fried

Utilizing small blocks of free-time, momentarily investing in your well-being, is one easy way to avoid BURNOUT! It’s all about taking control of your schedule as best as possible. Optimize the time in your day that you do have control over.

To avoid BURNOUT, you need to work SMARTER, not harder. Being a workaholic isn’t cool, unless you’re really out there saving the world and able to somehow still take care of yourself!

Being stressed, being super busy all the time, doesn’t equate to being productive. It’s possible to be highly effective and efficient without sacrificing your sanity.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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You may be thinking what in the hell does pita bread have to do with any of this, but PITA is also code for pain in the ass.

You need to be extremely persistent in the pursuit of your goals. The art of the follow up, better yet, the art of the follow through is an art form worth studying.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge

Being persistent isn't just about constantly and strategically working on your project, working on your craft. It's also super important to be persistent in your thinking, in your vision, in your mind state.

Motivation comes and goes really quickly. Sometimes, when you lose that sense of drive mentally, that's when you need to push through and stick to the plan. Don't take your eyes off of the prize.

You need to tackle your goals in time blocks in bits and pieces, but attack them consistently and persistently leverage inspiration when it strikes.

Do not forget to take care of yourself. Be persistent about your health and wellness. As persistent you are towards your dreams and ambitions.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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In my experience, how often you say yes or how often you say no depends on where you're at on your journey in life.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1000 things." - Steve Jobs.

In life, tons of shiny objects are flashed in front of us. They're usually very enticing, but typically end up being smoke and mirror like distractions that don't actually help guide you towards your ultimate goal and deter you off of your path.

So, what are a few activities that we should start saying no to right off the bat? All of the uninspiring shit! Say no to wasting time with negative people, say no to working excessively long hours, but don't be lazy and entirely unproductive. Say no to wasting time endlessly scrolling through Tik Tok videos and bingeing on Netflix shows.

Saying no can be a bit uncomfortable. No one enjoys being rejected or rejecting someone. You don't have to apologize for or feel bad about saying no either. Saying no to protect your time to protect your dream is your right as an individual. It's the ultimate, ultimate form of self respect in my opinion.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement #mRuddo

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How do you define success in your own life? Have you ever wondered what makes a person successful? What are the common personality traits amongst the most successful individuals throughout history?

Successful people often have very clearly defined aspirations, strong drive, a whole lot of patience, a willingness to learn and very strict discipline.

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that's how you grow. When there's that moment of, ‘Wow, I'm not really sure I can do this’ and you push through those moments - that's when you have a breakthrough.” - Marissa Mayer

Successful people always go the extra mile, even when they feel like there's absolutely no gas left in the tank.

Luck is a result of dedicated hustling. It's not a force that's generated when you stumble upon a four leaf clover or see a rainbow in the sky. Luck is the product of calculated risk.

How much time did you spend creating content on social media last week versus consuming it? For real? I'm asking you to keep track of how much time you're spending, audit yourself every week. Keep track of your actions.

@mRuddo #TheMotivationMovement mRuddo.com

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Why do we always try so hard to strive for perfection? Perfection is the ultimate killer of productivity and an absolute destroyer of results.

It's very problematic in my eyes because it leads to extreme obsessiveness and inefficiency. The perfectionists that I know are often the greatest procrastinators because they're so, so sharply focused on the minor details that they never actually get to a finished product.

What comes out of failure is the opportunity to become better; the opportunity to become the best you.

I quite frankly don't think perfection exists. And if it does exist, it exists as a collection of your mistakes. It exists as an actualization of the learning experience that you've had over time.

#TheMotivationMovement @mRuddo mRuddo.com

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Yo, yo, this is your host Michael Russo, aka mruddo.

This is episode number 27 of The Motivation Movement Podcast, titled “Disrupt - Break the Mold”.

So why is disruption such a hot buzzword these days? It's typically reserved for transformative business ideas like Uber, Fiverr, Tesla, Apple etc.

But it's pretty simple, disruption drives innovation. Continuous innovation drives long term success.

Disruption as a strategy in life, not only in business can be effective in attaining and maintaining happiness, health and beyond.

When you feel like you've hit that plateau and you've stalled out, it's all about how do you break through to the next level.

My advice is to not waste time fighting the old, just press on and create the new.

So it’s time to disrupt your life, it's time to break the mold.

To kick off today's episode, I chose a quote from the legendary Maya Angelou.

“Lift up your eyes upon this day breaking for you. Give birth again to the dream. Women, children, men, take it into the palms of your hand molded into the shape of your most private need, sculpted into the image of your most public self. Lift up your hearts. Each new hour holds new chances for a totally new beginning.”

So why do we put pressure on ourselves to live such cookie cutter lives?

Why is it that when we're unhappy, it's so hard to lift yourself up out of that funk?

Why does society tell us that we need to follow the same damn path that everyone else has taken?

It's time to forcefully step in the direction of your truest self, in the direction of your dreams.

It's time to consciously break those bad habits you've been dreaming of freeing yourself from.

Make today different than yesterday. Just follow your innermost desires.

Sounds so simple, right? How do we do it though?

No more should and a lot more did.

On a Friday, you want to be able to look back on the week and think, “Damn, I crushed it! I did everything or mostly everything I said I would do.”

There's no better feeling than truly believing you gave it all you could, and you left your mark on the week.

Whatever other people or whatever society is saying you should do is based off of their experiences and their beliefs.

Not to say they're wrong, but they're not your experiences or your beliefs.

Take the time to analyze what you're focused on in life, whether it's an art project, a new business, venture, fitness journey, etc. And really deep dive into what you're doing because you want to vs. what you're doing, because someone else told you you should.

Now this isn't easy, and it doesn't happen overnight.

Making a change requires you holding the strong belief and strong conviction that you can do it.

You need to trust that you're on your own unique path for a reason.

Again, you need to have courage. Conviction in your own actions. And even if you're afraid of what could go wrong, consider this.

You might be an inspiration to others who also want to mold and shape their lives, but feel scared or discouraged from doing so because of what people are going to say, or what people are going to think.

So in conclusion, my final thought for the day.

If you've ever felt alone on your path, realize that you're in very good company, because almost all of the greatest people throughout the course of history chose to break the mold and they chose to walk on their own path.

Starting right now, I challenge you - everyone listening - to walk your own path, and don't compromise your beliefs for anyone else.

Take the first step and never ever turn back.

Well, that is all for today's episode, folks.

Let me know what y'all think using #themotivationmovement on social media.

Don't forget to tag @mruddo and don't hold back.

I want to hear your full, uncut, raw and unfiltered feedback. If you come across a great quote that you'd like to hear me bullshit about to share it.

Again, this is your host, Michael Russo. Thank you for tuning in.

More motivation. More hustle. More life.

Let's go!

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