Page 12 - January 2021: Hustle Mama Magazine

What are some of the things you do to wind down and relax after grueling events and preparations for them?
I usually don't have to wind down to them. Just content when I finished it. If I am over emp, sometimes I do a 7-day training over training trainers I've always built into that another day at the hotel where I make it a spa day. Get a massage; I'll sit in the sun, I'll sit in the sauna and things like that and chill and go out for dinner that night and relax. I mean relaxing. I'm a big fan of massages.
My wife and I are a professional masseuse, and I took a massage training course once to do that. We trade messages, and that's another way of winding down, but again, I play ping pong, we have a pool table, playing scrabble, watching series, we finished watching the queen, gambit, another one called the undoing and the crown and so we watched those at night. It's our way of chilling out as well.
What is your definition of peace? What is your definition of success?
I used to think that success could create any result you wanted in life. Being able to do whatever you want, wherever you want, as much as you want. But, ten years ago, I changed that to success is fulfilling your soul's purpose.
Suppose we go back to the idea that we each have a sense if we fulfill that whatever that is to be an artist, to be a great chef, to a mother of two kids and raise healthy kids, to start a business, to the right a wrong in the world like social justice issue you take on, to be a great teacher in a school. I know a lot of readers are entrepreneurs.
So entrepreneurs are people that figure out how to solve a problem in the world and get paid for it and so whether it's solving someone's need for fashion or solving someone's need for a cure for a disease or bringing things to people more cheaply and more quickly, distributing stuff in the world or producing products, doing coaching and therapy.
Whatever it is, if you're doing that fully then you are fulfilling your purpose, then you are successful. I mentioned to my children none of them are wealthy in doing what they do, but they are all delighted. One is a hip-hop singer, and he has a studio in his condo, and he's making music all the time, and he's also a DJ.
Another one is a drummer of a band, and another one is a singer, and my stepdaughter is also a singer and an artist, and they're always making music, performing, etc., and they love what they do. Whether or not they ever reach the status of Billy Joe or a Lady Gaga, it's not essential. It's there having fun doing it, and they're fulfilling their purpose that they were right.
To make music, entertain people, and sometimes challenge them with their words and for doing that whatever it is that you are drawn to do, and you're fulfilled by it, you are successful.
What type of legacy do you wish to leave?
Two legacies. One of the books is over 200 chicken for the soul books now and sold over 500 million copies worldwide.
So I'm thrilled with the impact that it made in opening people's hearts and helping them believe that everything is possible, helping them connect with people with love, and overcoming the obstacles that usually stop them from achieving their goals.
Also, the work I do with the success principles of trainers. We now have over 3000 certified trainers in 170 countries globally, so that's very fulfilling for me. Now, I'm throwing out huge numbers, and it could be intimidating for some people. The fact is it's taking me years and years and years to reach those numbers for the first chicken soup for the soul book was turned down by 144 publishers then when it was finally published, it took 14 months before we had the best sale list, but once we deal, we climbed up to #1 in the New York times and stayed there for three years.
Eventually, we had seven books on the New York times list, but each one of those books took us about a year to write, so after several years, we started writing 4 to 5 books a year by working with co-authors, and then eventually, we end up to 200.
It took us 15 years to get to that level, and so we just worked at it and keep working and keep working and keep visualizing and keep being observers and keep responding to the feedback. I think you can leave a great legacy.
Finally, we started developing a curriculum for schools. Teaching the success principles. So, I desire to see the staff taught in school, so we learn it through podcasts and webinars and seminars.
Still, we realize it is growing up that there will be a class like self-science just like we have science and math and history, but we should be starting yourself on how to be successful. Those were the legacies I want to leave.