142: How to Unlock the True Power of Your Mind and Potential with John Assaraf

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is John Assaraf. John probably needs no introduction as one of the world’s leading mindset experts and authors on human performance, but if you haven’t heard of him, here’s a little bit about him.

John is a serial entrepreneur, brain researcher, and the CEO of NeuroGym. In the last 25 years, he has grown 5 multi-million-dollar companies in real estate, internet software, brain research, life and business coaching - and consulting. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books: “Having It All” and “The Answer.”

And he has a brand-new book called “Innercise: The New Science to Unlock Your Brain’s Hidden Power” which I couldn’t put down because it covers a subject so near and dear to me – becoming aware and learning to control your thought patterns. To truly choose your mindset and have it work for you to deliver the results that you deserve. So, I’m very excited for our discussion in this episode.

www.IgniteMyBrain.com

www.JohnAssaraf.com

www.MyNeuroGym.com

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John took his life’s “mess” and turned it into his message. His parents were divorced, and he moved from Israel to Montreal when he was 5. He had trouble because he didn’t know English or French, only Hebrew. For the first 3 years of school, he was so far behind that the teachers thought he had a learning disability. He ended leaving school after 11th grade and went to work in the shipping department of a computer company where he was miserable.

He felt there needed to be something more. His brother set up a meeting for him with a successful entrepreneur in May of 1980. The man asked him what his goals for his life were and John’s response was basically just to be able to pay for basic needs. The man challenged him in that he was capable of so much more. John didn’t have any bigger goals. After lunch, the man gave him a set of goal setting documents to him. John watched the show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and decided to go for it. When they met again, he told John it was awesome and “way to dream.”

Then he asked a very unique questioned. He asked, “Are you interested in these goals or are you committed? John asked what the difference was and the mentor told him, “If you are interested you’ll do what is convenient. You’ll allow your past, stories, and current beliefs to drive your behavior. You’ll come up with excuses and reasons why you can’t. If you are committed, you upgrade your stories, your skills, your habits to become the person who can achieve these goals. Once you’re committed things start to happen.”

At 19 years, the man, Alan Brown, committed to mentor John in real estate and help him to get on the path he took to get where he is today.

What else did you learn from Alan and along the way through your career?

• One lesson is the importance of planning. Not just having a goal but planning and the specific behaviors needed to get the goal.
• Next was understanding the mindset and mental game needed to overcome the challenges and how to use the power of your brain in addition to behavior.
• If you have an inaccurate map of reality and behaviors, you will not get the results you want.
• You must be truthful with yourself to make progress.
• You must take responsibility for your results or lack of results.
• Your self- esteem and self-worth are critical to your success
• You must be aware, responsible, and that you can change your results by changing the way you think and behave.

At the 17 min mark, John answers the question, “How does the brain work when it comes to our conditioning and automatic responses?”

• Our brain is not an organ, it’s an organism. Every day it is creating new patterns of thinking and believing. It is living and changing all the time.
• As the brain learned and is influenced by sources in our lives (parents, friends, school, family, etc.), it begins to make connections and associate them with other things. And the brain creates meanings to give things.
• As we grow, we go into the next phase outside of imprinting from sources in our younger days. At this point the patterns begin to cause our actions in our lives.
• It is in this stage that the brain begins to choose reactions in which it shies away from fear and then energy conservation second. So anything that the brain perceives is harmful or will consume a lot of energy – it will push us away from.
• The next factor is whether our outside and inside worlds match. If the outside world doesn’t match what you feel you deserve, your brain will sabotage you until they come into alignment at the internal level. A good example of this is the average lottery winner going broke within 5 years.
• You have to become who you want to be on the inside before it can happen on the outside.
• When we are in conflict between the conscious brain which is what we want and the subconscious brain which is what we have been conditioned to expect, then there is neural chaos or dissonance.

We have to learn how to create harmony between our goals, our vision, and our desires and our subconscious patterns. We can do both at the same time.

Most people have to goal and the dream, but they don’t do anything to focus on the subconscious patterns. There are actually only 5 things that get into people’s way of doing this. Innercise leads to this.

• Innercise came from the fact that our brain is a muscle that can be exercised.
• The brain is moldable and plyable. You can create and design new patterns.
• As such there are techniques to work the brain and practice building your core neuro-muscles.
• You can upgrade your beliefs, habits, and perspectives to new levels.
• The brain is the most powerful tool in the known universe.

Neuroplasticity is a result of clinical work that realized our brain is consistently making new connections. When you see something new, your brain creates a new connection of that thing. It takes mental pictures of what the senses felt in that experience. These connections become the automatic self that acts without us having to think. If you repeat something enough it becomes an automatic response and habit of our brain. But, you can change it – even though the brain doesn’t like change.

What are the Innercise exercises for how to change our thinking?

• Ignitemybrain.com
• Innercise #1 - Take 6 Deep Breaths to Calm the Circuits. Take 6 breaths focused with your breath coming out of your mouth like blowing through a straw. This deactivates the fear or stress response center in the brain. If you do this every hour, you actually reset the brain to get everything in sync.
• Innercise #2 – AIA. Awareness. Intention, Action. Awareness is what gives us choice and choice gives us freedom. When you take time become aware of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. and then ask “what is my intention” for the next (30 mins, hour, etc.) and get that intention. You can then ask, “What is the most important action I need to do to fulfill that intention.”
• Focus on who you want to become and then what beliefs are needed to reinforce it, you have created the basis for moving to your next level.

“Most people are living in a reactive state instead of a deliberate, responsive state because they haven’t learned how to truly tap into the power of their mind…”

What is the one thing people can do right now, today, to start taking control of their thoughts?

• Emotions drive your behavior. Start recognizing your emotions such as fear and other disempowering emotions.
• In recognizing them, you can be aware to them and start to decide how you want to respond them – instead of automatically reacting to them.
• This is a habit that can and should be developed by everyone.

What is your best advice for an entrepreneur starting our today?

• It’s really hard…
• We already know how to grow a business. We know all the how, but what most entrepreneurs fail to understand is that there is a huge difference between having an idea/product/service that you love and growing a business.
• Growing a business is a skill that must be learned.
• You will need to figure out which role you should be playing and fit best, then fill the other roles. You can be the owner of the team and still play one of the roles.

“Most entrepreneurs don’t fail because they run out of money. They fail because they run out of hope. They don’t understand the complexities of the game and don’t seek the help needed to play the game at the highest level.”

What is the biggest lesson that business has taught you about life?

• Business is a great game to play with ups/downs/highs/lows.
• If you give up for the wrong reasons, you are selling yourself short.
• The battle scars in business create and help shape your character.
• You don’t have to know it all yourself – seek and let other people help you. Asking for help is a strength.

Why do we always feel like we have so much more potential, but in many cases don’t reach it?

Human “being” is just as important as spiritual “being.” There will always be a part of us that yearns and wants for more. That is absolutely OK.. But, if you want more, are you willing to become more?

 

Best Quote: "Are you interested or are you committed?"

 

John's Misfit 3:

1. You can retrain your brain to achieve higher levels of results and performance in every area of your life.
2. Having a vision, goals, and plan is scientifically proven to get your brain to actually take the actions required to achieve your goals.
3. Lift as you climb. Help each other achieve the goals you have and you will reach them faster.