Why your external drive is not enough. What’s inside of you?

Most people get depressed when they reach their goal because there is nothing more to obtain and hope dies.

Kevin Ham

Michael Phelps set the record for most gold medals in an Olympic game with eight golds. His dreams were more than realized. Then depression hit hard. He had worked all his life for this moment: 23 golds, 28 total medals. After the 2004 Olympic golds, he felt the post-Olympic blues and often felt suicidal, and this became more pronounced the more medals he won. Why?

Dopamine momentarily surges to new heights after we achieve a goal and then after the joy and excitement fades, it drops… It drops below the baseline. Mood plummets. This is the science behind postpartum depression and after other goals and dreams are realized.

While there is a goal and a drive to obtain that goal, what happens after the goal is accomplished?

Is More Better and Does More Make You Happy?

The day you discover less is more is the day you start living.

Dr. Kevin Ham

What is the goal? More... Success? Money? Fame? Power? Status? Happiness? Health? Joy? Peace?

Simon Sinek's famous three circles point out the obvious. Most people focus on the What, then the How, and perhaps the Why. Instead, we should focus deep within and focus on the Why, then the How, and then the What.

Simon Sinek’s Three Circles

Our focus on the Whats drive us to seek after more and more--even after getting one big What.  What is your purpose? What is your Why? The reason to be? Whether personal or professional.

I've often pondered my drive for more, even after much success. What is driving me. Why do I feel so alive when I am starting something new, something big and all the while, I know just how much time and energy it will take in the remaining time I have left?

Harper Lee published one novel, which became a hit, winning the Pulitzer Prize: To Kill a Mockingbird. She never published another book, opting to stay out of the spotlight. She told the story of moral courage amid racial injustice. She told her story and the stories of so many throughout history, as she saw growing up in Alabama.

The same goes for Margaret Mitchell and Gone with the Wind. Neither of these authors felt the need to win another Pulitzer Prize or write best-sellers to define themselves. Their why had been accomplished, and it was enough.

These days, in my mid-50s, I am driven much more by purpose and meaning than the Whats. In 2007, I was on the cover of a business magazine I adored and on the front pages of many international newspapers. I had tasted great success, but I let it melt, not speaking with any reporters or venture capitalists, even as they clamoured all around me.

Everyone is Remembered By a Sentence

The man who freed the slaves and held America together during its darkest hour.

The man who wore simple clothes, walked in silence, and brought down an empire by starving, without lifting a sword.

Do you recognize each person above by what they did? Can you tell who they are by what they did? Can you tell why they did what they did?

Abraham Lincoln saw an enslaved person in chains when he was young and thought that if he ever had the power to free such enslaved people, he would.  Born into poverty and raised with little formal education, he rose through perseverance, self-study, and deep moral conviction. As a lawyer, debater, and eventually the 16th President of the United States, he fought for liberty, for a nation  "conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Gandhi was a lawyer educated in the UK, but when he travelled to South Africa, he was thrown off the train for being Indian, even though he had a first-class ticket. That injustice shaped his life. His life mission was to "Awaken the soul of a nation and lead by example--with humility, truth and love," He didn't wish for power. He wanted people to realize their own power--the power of truth, moral courage and peace. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

What is your one sentence?

Life Question:

Who am I?

I am a spiritual being living in a human body, not a human body with a spirit.

Bob Proctor

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Gandhi

You are not your body. You are in your body.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Next week:
Why Multitasking Makes You Ordinary

Even an hour of deep, focused work a day can produce extraordinary results.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

The Seven Great Lacks that Limit Your Greatness

What you lack is faith and hope, not lack of anything at all.

The biggest thing we lack is vision. Even though blind, Helen Keller saw and heard from her heart. John Milton wrote Paradise Lost while he was blind. Beethoven wrote his last great symphonies deaf.

We came into this physical world with nothing but the warm embrace and bosom of our mothers. With our first breath, we declared our entry. And ever since, we have not lacked breath, water or food to the point of despair. These are the essential matters of life.

But when it comes to our souls, we discover that we lack much as we see others who are older, more skilled, more experienced, or more gifted. We start to compare ourselves to others rather than to ourselves. With the media, this gap between others and ourselves becomes like grand canyons, as the world celebrates the accomplishments of the few who dedicate their lives to doing what no other person has ever done before.

Where does this drive, this motivation to be great, the best, to stand out come from?

Wealth Starts Within You

The engines of wealth reside deep within us. The deeper we go, the more powerful the engines.

Dr. Kevin Ham

As I watched my immigrant parents, who came to Canada from South Korea in the late 1960s, struggle to make ends meet, I decided that I would use my intellectual wealth to do something worthy for Canadians. This thought propelled me to think beyond my incapabilities and lack of experience and instead seek to learn.

I realized that wealth starts from within me and will one day, perhaps, express itself outside of me. I have developed my intellectual wealth and my spiritual wealth, and the outcome has been external wealth in terms of money and things.

We have survived, but most people want to thrive. While we want our bodies to survive and thrive, our souls have a deeper thirst and hunger for intellectual and spiritual growth. When our soul dies, our drive for life dies, and we merely exist.

When we attend a loved one's funeral, we are reminded of just how precious life is, each day and each second we are alive. But we have a voice inside we wish to express, an idea we want to birth into the world, a talent to be shown, a poem, a thought, a book, a movie, a business, a craft.

But amid so many others who have crafted their desires and talents over time, throughout history, around you, you wonder how you can even have a second of the spotlight. And do I really matter?

This has been my question since I was young: What can I do that matters to me and perhaps to some others? How can I make my mother and father proud? How can I be a good example to my younger siblings?

I felt extremely unworthy. I had very low self-esteem and self-worth and, therefore, no self-confidence. I was one of the shortest in my grade (second shortest), I was a minority, and I was extremely shy. But I was very bright, excelled at math and science, and was pretty good at art and music. Instead of only seeing the negative side of life, I clung to the little things that brought me joy, light, or some ray of hope.

What is your vision?

Are you a Historian, a Carpe diemer, or a Futurist?

Separate your past, romance your present and marry your future.

Dr. Kevin Ham

You are either living in the past, the present or the future. Where do you spend most of your thinking? A pessimist remembers their hard past and projects it into the present and future. An optimist remembers the good. A realist remembers the present.

Which quadrant do you spend most of your thoughts in?

I am an optimist and a futurist, climbing the peaks of many mountains, but I anchor myself in the harness of the dangers and risks of the past so I can take my next step more safely as I ascend the mountain.

Once I had a vision of something bigger than my fears and my lacks, I had something to strive for. Then, when I got very ill, I envisioned being a doctor, a medical missionary, an entrepreneur, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in three entirely different businesses, and a philanthropist. 

My vision of my future self has kept me driven to make my dreams a reality for decades.

What vision or visions do you have? 

Life Question:

What is the deep vision in your heart for yourself?

The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Proverbs 20:5

• If your vision is unclear, it resides deep within you, like gold in a mine deep underground. As you grow your awareness, seek it out, and mine it out, it needs to be refined to be pure gold.

• Write your vision or many visions, even if they are still faint. Reflect and add a sentence describing it, a time you wish for it to become real, and a plan of the next five steps you can take to move towards your vision.

Next week:
Why your external drive is not enough. What’s inside of you?

Most people get depressed when they reach their goal because there is nothing more to obtain and hope dies.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Are you willing to pay the price to get what you want?

Every great accomplishment in life requires a sacrifice.

This is a great question to ask yourself every time you want something. The greater the goal or desire, the more you'll likely have to sacrifice. We want to obtain, but we don't want to give up what is precious to us: our relationships, our time, our money, our thinking power and our energy.

Give, then take. Plant, then harvest. Invest, then sell. Pain, then gain. Learn, then grow.

But what is your definition of Sacrifice?

Without sacrifice neither gain nor fulfillment will suffice.

Dr. Kevin Ham

My mentor Bob Proctor defined sacrifice as giving up something of lesser value now for something of greater value later. That really struck me. I would also add something for the greater good. We should think not only about the physical and financial world but also about matters of the soul and spirit.

The greater the value or good that you desire to create, the greater the sacrifice you must be willing to make.

For what would you sell all that you have? For what would you sacrifice your life? More importantly, for who? For country, for family, for love, for money? And, I stress, for health.

We often forget the important stuff in our busy lives and exchange them for tangible things. We focus on what rather than who, on money rather than meaning. It's hard to discern the sacrifices in life where we trade time for money. As we get older and time seems to be more limited, like the remaining sands in an hourglass, we start to focus on purpose, meaning, and people.

For what would you sell all that you have?

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:44

Just imagine all your possessions. For what or who would you sell all that you have? Oskar Schlinder anguished over why he didn't sell his car and his ring to save more people during the Holocaust. A gold ring was gifted to him by the Jewish people he saved in his factory. They inscribed, "Whoever saves one life saves the entire world."

We often hear of entrepreneurs who put everything they have into their businesses. We forget that we do this quite often for our families. We make big sacrifices for our faith. We pay 30-50% of our income to our country. We have soldiers who dedicate their lives to our country.

The fear of loss is greater than the joy of gain

We fear loss so much because we define ourselves by what we have and not by who we are.

Dr. Kevin Ham

We focus on our fears and our losses instead of having faith in that which we hold dear and seek. This stems from our desire to survive and not lose our lives. We define our lives by the things we obtain, and such loss feels like we are losing a bit of ourselves. This gives rise to the endowment effect, a cognitive bias that makes us value things we own much higher than what others would value them at. 

We accumulate and dream of acquiring so much that it will not matter how much we lose because we have so much. This has been my philosophy since I was young--make much more than I will ever lose.

But there are only 3000 billionaires in the world. They have as many problems as you do. They may have physical luxuries, but those only soothe the body and not the soul or the spirit.

Even if you accumulated all the world's riches to your heart's desire, you would conclude, as King Solomon did in his writings in the book of Ecclesiastes, that all is vanity and striving after the wind. He is touted to have been the richest king in history. Have a read of it? Pure wisdom.

I ask myself, "Why am I so ambitious?" It stems from my fear of poverty since I grew up poor, the church's constant need for money for missions and my desire to make my father proud, as he always strove to live the Canadian dream.

I hope that I can say like Job, "Naked I came into this world and naked I shall go. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away."

Live your life and trade things for those of lasting value. Live in the hearts of people. If you trade your time for money, use your time in the service of people to light them up and put a smile in their hearts. Though they may not remember your name, they will remember you.

If you wish to find and live your Magnum Opus, walk the path set before you. You know which fork in the road to take deep in your heart.

Joy can only be real if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.

Leo Tolstoy

Life Question:

For what or who would you sell all that you have?

We often forget what and who is truly important as life flies by.

Dr. Kevin Ham

• Write the Top 5 Most Important Whats and the Who's down in priority.

• Send them a written note, email or text expressing how important they are to you.

• Do something that shows it, though things can never truly express the love in your heart.

Next week:
The Seven Great Lacks that Limit Your Greatness

What you lack is faith and hope, not lack of anything at all.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Do you value your own thoughts and opinions enough?

Don’t let fear of criticism prevent you from doing what is in your heart

What do you think?

Honour your own thoughts and heart first.

Dr. Kevin Ham

This may be one of the oft-asked questions you ask your friends, family and coworkers. A more critical question is to ask yourself, "What do I think?"

"Cogito, ergo sum." "I think therefore I am." declared Rene Descartes in the early 1600s as he pondered how he existed. Such doubt gave rise to thought, and this thinking declared his existence.

When we have a thought, an idea, an opinion, or a philosophy, why do we tend to doubt its veracity? As we develop our intuition, insight, and inspiration--all that comes from our heart or spirit--we need a logical way of expressing these in words and stories to bypass the logical guards in others' minds before making their way into their creative hearts.

We grow up with wonder and creativity, but over time, we are hammered into thinking mostly logically and scientifically. Without signs or proof of an intangible, an invisible insight or idea does not have merit until it is proven or if we can show it another's vision. This is why so many contrarian ideas seem foolish in foresight but obvious and genius in hindsight.

We become afraid to express those thoughts and ideas that spring up from our hearts--the ones that inspire us--because they are so quickly and easily discarded as being foolish by others. The filter on most people's minds is that of logic, proof, fitting in and conformity. So much so that unless one conforms or fits into the norm or the regulations, they are also quickly discarded as crazy and their idea as pie in the sky.

If I liked to wear bright turquoise or pink pants, many would consider me eccentric. I have been called crazy for so much of my life because many of my thoughts and ideas are contrary to what is the norm. I question why things are the way they are and how they can be reinvented or improved upon. For instance, why does the traditional school system focus on teaching children information rather than empowering them to question things and learn from first principles? Why don't we praise failures when experiments are conducted to find truths and gather insights instead of solely praising good grades? Almost all great discoveries, innovations, businesses and growth have resulted from a series of failed experiments that guided us to a version of the truth.

I think therefore I am. Your thoughts may be foolish, but with continued thinking about your thoughts, words, and actions, your thoughts can one day become wise. We are learning, growing, and loving beings. The moment we cease to do these three things, we diminish as human beings.

As You Think So You Are

Each of us is literally what we think, our character being the complete sum of all our thoughts.

James Allen

Deep in our hearts, we may feel and believe one thing, but outwardly express something that is superficial or contrary to our hearts. We call such a person 'calculating'. This proverb was written by one of the wisest kings in history, King Solomon, who demonstrated his wisdom when two harlots claimed a baby as their own. He ordered the baby to be cut in half and one half given to each mother. The real mother asked out that the baby be given to the other. The false mother asked that it be done, as she had accidentally smothered her baby to death while sleeping and did not want the other mother to have a child. The Hebrew word in this proverb, translated as 'thinketh' can also be translated as 'inwardly calculating'.

James Allen pondered this Proverbs 23:7 and wrote 7 chapters on it in a book entitled by the proverb, "As a Man Thinketh" in 1902. In it he expresses, "Each of us is literally what we think, our character being the complete sum of all our thoughts. Action is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruit. We are the masters of thought, the moulders of character and the makers and shapers of condition, environment and destiny."

If our thoughts shape our character, condition, environment, and destiny, we should really think about our thinking. The thoughts and opinions of others about our thoughts and ideas should be like mirrors to us, but what is truly important is our deep understanding of our own thoughts. This is presaged by the age-old wise oracle to "Know thyself."

Criticism is but a Different Perspective

Since everyone is unique, each will have their own perspective. This difference is what we perceive to be criticism.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Even the most popular book has its lovers and its haters. If you don't have any thoughts or opinions, there is nothing to love or hate. If you express no thoughts, what is your existence? The moment you have an idea you want to express, consider to whom you are expressing it. If you express it to experts, you may gain a valuable perspective and insight. If it's to people without any expertise or experience in the matter, what they have to offer is likely a mere matter of opinion.So then the question is how deeply have you thought about what you have just expressed?

I've started many businesses. I've failed many times, but I've succeeded many times too. The great home run hitters were also the ones who struck out the most. I go for home runs in my ventures. I value customers' perspectives, but as Henry Ford said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." As in the scientific method, I should have a hypothesis that I believe to be true, craft out my assumption that I must disprove, gather the relevant data and conclude if my hypothesis has merit. We call this agile experimentation. I believe this works in almost every field, not just science and business. What we assume to believe, we need to experiment first through thought experiments as Einstein did, then through real experiments as quickly as we can. This is a skill and secret of life.

I've come to a personal conclusion for myself regarding criticism. Take it all in, and consider it deeply. Discard what is not useful, adopt what is helpful, and give yourself space between the criticism and the response with a statement like, "That's interesting. Let me ponder that a bit. Thanks." When people tell me how I should name or run my business, I consider if they've built a startup and how seriously I should take their criticism of the name or idea of my business. If they are a customer who would pay money, I will listen more carefully.

1000 True Fans and 1 True Friend

I only really cherish a small number of people. My heart can only hold so many.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Credit: Emmanuel Lafont

I heard that if you sell 10,000 books, you would be in the top 1% of all authors for all time. 90% of books sell less than 1000 copies. I've contemplated why this is. Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist proposed that a person has 150 meaningful relationships. This consists of just five loved ones, followed by 15 good friends, 50 friends, 150 meaningful contacts, 500 acquaintances and 1500 people you can recognize. So if all your friends and acquaintances bought your book, it's still hard to sell 1000 copies. When I started my Linkedin following, it was hard for me to get 1000 followers from my existing real-life relationships. I now have 45,000 followers, but most of them I do not have a bidirectional meaningful relationship with.

I hope to publish books in my sixties and sell over 10,000 copies :). When it comes to business, your goal should be to get 1000 true fans. This implies the quality of the relationship is more important than the quantity. It allows you to find your target niche and those whom you service and how. When it comes to life, your goal should be to have five true friends. Lifelong friends. There are friends for a reason, friends for a season. But lifelong through all the ups and downs is special.

Why is this important? With true fans and true friends, you can express yourself and your ideas and have believers give you true feedback that you would not be defensive about because you have built such a strong foundation of trust. Criticism by those who aren't within your inner circles of trust then needs the circle of expertise.

Upon this foundation, you can figure out product-market fit for business and character-life fit for personal.

I gave the opportunity for 100 friends and family to invest in my new AI startup. 80% invested, saying they believed in me and that I would figure it out. They knew it was high risk and could lose their investment but were betting on me to hit it out of the park. This is more valuable to me than all the money they have invested, close to $10 million USD. It fuels me and inspires me while giving me deep accountability.

Life Question:

Do you really think about your thinking?

• What are your five most important thoughts? 

• Write them down now. 

• Think about them deeply, three to five layers deep

Next week:
Are you willing to pay the price to get what you want?

Every great accomplishment in life requires a sacrifice.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Did you squeeze your lemon to the last drop?

Are you truly living your life?

Every man dies, not every man really lives.

William Wallace (Braveheart)

These words echoed in the heart of Cha, as she eulogized her late great father, Rob Thompson.

As Cha graduated high school, Rob asked her, "Did you squeeze your lemon?" Cha replied, "What do you mean by that?" "Each experience is a lemon. Did you squeeze your lemon to the last drop?"

Every experience is a lemon. Rob had these one-line euphemisms and proverbs. Since he had so many wealthy clients, I asked him a lot about his philosophy on life, wealth, and passing on financial and intellectual wealth to our next generation.

• "Dishwashers work hard. You should work smart."

• "People may think you're an idiot if you are silent, but if you speak, they'll know you're an idiot."

• "All wealthy people want their kids to turn out well, but unfortunately, most don't."

• "Never give them so much that they self-destruct or don't have to work. By 35, their character and values are established, so give them enough to have optionality."

• "Money gives you optionality, but it doesn't solve the essential issues of life."

• "I am part of all who I've met." — from the poem 'Ulysses' by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

• "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." He was a great storyteller.

• "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?" — His take on a quote from Hillel the Elder, a 1st-century Jewish scholar.

• "I married up." When I met Rob's wife, Anita, yesterday, I understood what he meant.

I was so excited to have lunch with Rob on Monday, Feb 10. 12:15 pm, to be exact. I showed up at noon, deciding to wait for him for once, as I always run late. At 12:18pm, I texted him, "Hi Rob, at lunch at Oshi Nori. Do you want me to order a sushi set for you? Everything ok?" He was never late. Every time the door opened, I expected to see his smiling face. By 12:45, I ate by myself, wondering what was wrong. At 3:24, "Dear Rob… I hope you are ok. Let me know for peace of mind or anything I can do to help if you are in Vancouver."

Rob had climbed the Matterhorn just 18 months prior. He was so physically fit. He regularly ran 10 miles up mountains. He was training for his next mountain summit that Monday morning. A sudden heart attack while on his elliptical ended his beautiful life before he could hop on the plane from San Francisco to Vancouver and embrace our intellects and hearts in our latest venture together. Ten days earlier, he and his family had invested a large sum in my new startup, How.com. "Really excited about joining you in this opportunity. Look forward to our journey on this together."

His beautiful wife, Anita, in Rob's celebration of life just this past Sunday in San Fran, said, that catharsis is a greek word, a concept to express our hearts together, so that the emotions of grief and loss can be shared and have an outlet. Most people can maintain up to 150 close relationships. She said that Rob had 10 times that number of deep relationships. Rob was a mighty man, one of my great friends.

We met in 2012 as he wanted to introduce his prestigious investment bank, Goldman Sachs, to me. We became instant friends at that first meeting. Later that Summer, when I returned from Paris, I shared with him that I wanted to make epic movies in 10-20 years. He said he had just met Harald Ludwig, the Chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment. "Really? Can you introduce him to me?" He laughed and said that Harald wanted to meet me. I was confused. "How does he know about me?" I asked. "I told him about you." Harald and I have also become good friends. Every time Rob visited Vancouver, we would all have a meal together. We were so engaged in our deep conversations that I realize now that while it is customary for me to take lots of photos when I am with people, I had no photos with Rob—just the image of his smiling face, full of wit and wisdom, inscribed in my heart.

I could never have imagined Rob dying of a heart attack. I thought I had decades more with him. I implore everyone in their 40s and up to get a calcium heart scan and carotid ultrasound now. Just that Monday night, I visited my friend Yen in the hospital; who had a heart attack on Saturday, had two emergency stents put in and two days later, an additional two coronary stents (quadruple heart vessel disease).

Rob lived a full life at the highest level in both his professional and personal life. For you Rob, I dedicate How.com and our journey together will live on in my heart. But how I wished for two things. First, I wish I had talked to you much more about health; second, I wish I had shared the gospel with you. I will be bolder yet humble, with both going forward. I love you, buddy. May God have mercy and grace on your soul and give strength and peace to your dear family.

This week, I wanted to write about my friend Rob and also share a health and life message. I wonder why God allowed Rob to leave so early. I am still grieving him. I wish this would not happen to anyone without warning.

If you wish to read my three health principles, read on. I pray that they will give you a decade or two more of a vibrant, healthy, wholesome life.

My 3 Health Principles:

Seek God, then love, then wisdom, then health, then wealth, in this order.

Dr. Kevin Ham

My first love was to become a medical doctor since age 14. I became a beloved physician at 30. Now I do health as philanthropy. I have three principles of health that I try to abide by.

Health Principle #1: Prevention is the key to health

While we all combat disease throughout our lives, and one day, our lives will end, the truly great health leaps in longevity have not only been treatments but more so with basic preventative health measures: clean water, clear air, good nutrition, good sewage, good hygiene, immunizations, good fitness, and good relationships with people and nature.

Heart disease is a metabolic disease, triggered mainly by diet but also lifestyle. It is caused by the oxidation of fats in the blood, such as oxidized LDL. What causes this oxidation? Chronic stress, inflammation, heated vegetable oils, and the glycation (sugar) of these fats and proteins, forming advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

The first vegetable oil was introduced in 1911 by Proctor and Gamble, a candle and soap company. As electricity and high costs threatened the candle business, they hired a chemist to make synthetic fats from seeds to reduce the costs of buying animal fats that were used to make the soaps and candles. They used cotton seed and turned it into oil, which they branded as Crisco (crystallized cotton seed oil). They touted it as a healthier alternative to animal fats and introduced it into the food system. Then came a slew of replacements for beef tallow, lard and ghee (animal fats). Margarine replaced butter. Canola, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed oils replaced olive oil (which is more stable but not as stable as coconut oil). If you must eat fried foods, please consider the use of animal fats, which are the most stable.

The first documented heart attack in the US was in 1912. Dr. William Osler, a Canadian physician in Toronto, co-founder of the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital in the US, and also having practiced in Oxford, England, had never seen a heart attack in these three major cities, even until his death in 1919. Heart attacks were very rare. My mentor, who is now in his early 80s, was a doctor in the biggest hospital in Seoul, Korea and only saw a few heart attacks a year in 1975. American fast foods only entered South Korea in the early 1970s.

Removing these vegetable oils, refined sugars, and modern wheat would eliminate heart disease. If you look at the ingredient labels of any packaged foods, you will see sunflower oil, safflower oil, and canola oil in almost all of them. These are processed in factories that look like oil refineries. Inside these oils are trans fats and many oxidative compounds that, when heated again, increase and then oxidize the fats in your bloodstream, leading to inflammation and thickening of the arteries.

From age 55, your muscle mass and bone strength start diminishing faster. At age 75, it takes a drastic turn. You must increase your weight bearing and strength to decrease this loss. I have my 89-year-old father do 100 squats a day (20 squats every hour, five times a day). He can barely walk now as he lay in bed for three years during the Covid years and lost a lot of muscle mass. I will start doing some weights to increase my muscle mass so that if I live to 100, I have enough to be mobile and independent, God willing.

Keep fit, strong, and safe. The Venn of these three things is health:

Health Principle #2: Do no harm

This is part of the Hippocratic oath. Non nocere. We live in an era where money trumps health. Everyone now knows that smoking causes cancer and heart disease. The cigarette packaging warns this, yet we still allow its sale. Meanwhile, selling raw milk in Canada and half of the US is illegal.

Another example of this is fried food — French fries, fried chicken — or foods laden with highly refined sugars. These are recipes for the current heart disease epidemics and cancers.

Herbicides and pesticides like Roundup (glyphosate) have metabolic and hormonal effects on the body. Choosing organic foods is a simple principle to eliminate these from your diet. But organic does not necessarily mean healthy. Foods should be regarded as nutrition and the building blocks for the cells and systems of your body. Monocrop agriculture leads to mineral-deficient soils and, therefore, foods. Many people are deficient in magnesium, selenium, and copper. Magnesium and copper are essential for healthy mitochondrial function, which produces ATP, your body's energy source.

Just like a cast prevents further harm to a fractured bone, what "cast" can you put around your mouth and body that won't allow further damage and toxicity? And let the natural healing ability of your immune system to work. The first cast is health education, which is knowing the difference between real food and fake food (what we call junk food).

The marketing machines of the food industry lead you to believe that this fake food is real and tasty and cheap and convenient, infiltrating your body. This leads to inevitable disease, much earlier onset and severity. Most civilized countries have succumbed to the laws of economics rather than the laws of health.

Health Principle #3: Empower your body to heal

When illness strikes, let your body fight and heal. Just as a fracture heals as part of your remarkable body's repair and rejuvenation system, your body needs the nutrition or micro and macro nutrients to do so. Most people are nutritionally deficient. Medicine doesn't give too much heed and emphasis to these measures. Most lack the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A, D, E and K2. Typically, these vitamins are found in animal fats. We don't need a lot. Magnesium, zinc, and iron are better absorbed with healthy fats and proteins. When your body has all the necessary nutrition, as well as sunlight, proper rest and good relationships (you only really need one or two really good ones), your body will heal itself.

I liken illness or disease to a fire on the stove. If it is caught early, it can be extinguished with a bit of water, but if left to burn, it will turn into a wildfire that requires waterbombers to put it out. Prevent forest fires by putting them out when they are small — your body can do this. But when it is left to rage, it starts to affect multiple systems; then, it becomes very difficult to manage as it cascades. This is the same for cancer. An early detected cancer is curable. It's easier to kill 1 billion localized cancer cells (typically 0.5 cm in size) than 100 billion cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body.

Life Questions:

Embrace each day of life full of gratitude and opportunistic eyes

Dr. Kevin Ham

1. How long do you want to live? (quantity)

• The average is ~ 78 to 80 years.

• Do you want to be above average? 

• If so, what will you do daily for Health Principles #1, 2 and 3?

• Start small and let your good habits compound over time. You will be amazed at what changes you see in three months, six months, one year, three years, five years, and a decade.

• I pray for 100 years of life. I want to do a handful of things in my remaining time. I am turning 55 this year. Rob lived for 58 years.

2. How do you want to live your life? (quality)

• Will you squeeze each lemon you are given fully?

• What lemons do you want to squeeze?

Next week:
Don’t let fear of criticism prevent you from doing what is in your heart

Honour your own thoughts and heart first.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Why Fear of Failure is Preventing Your Success

Your failures are the stepping stones to your success.

Failures are only truly failures when you give up on your way.

F. Failure. I failed. Another great F word, next best after Focus.

No matter how many times you fail, you are not a failure. Please reread this sentence and engrave it into your memory. Why? Because the world, your parents, teachers, coaches, and peers all seem to engrain and espouse the opposite: that failure is bad and that when we fail, we are failures.

In my first year of university, I failed all of my midterms. I had never failed so badly in school before. Why did I fail? Because I didn't study. I thought I could cram as I had in high school, but these university exams were much harder. Being unprepared and not doing my best were my failures. I was a student. It was my duty to study. This I did not do. But even though I had failed miserably, I knew I was not a failure. I decided to study a minimum of two hours every day. By Christmas exam time, my lowest mark was 92, and my highest was 98. But even if I had failed again, I would not have felt like a failure.

As we age, we stop trying new things because we become afraid of failure. If we don't try to learn new things, we can't fail, but our circle of knowledge, experience, and influence remains stagnant and limited. The law of life is growth and experience. 

Failure Lays the Foundation for Success

The repeated pains of failure harden the cornerstones of success.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Sara Blakely was told during her family dinners that failure should be celebrated and embraced. This, along with seeing her best friend dying, gave her the courage to do what she believed in. By embracing failure, she created the billion-dollar clothing business called Spanx.

If you think about how you became good at anything you do, it is through practice. Practice makes perfect. Hidden inside this statement lies dozens, hundreds, if not thousands of failures to gain perfection. Playing a song? Playing a sport? It's the amount of repetitions multiplied by the intensity that leads to your result. So, when someone says they practice medicine or law, it means they are making mistakes along the way. It's human. 

# of Repetitions x Intensity x Intention = Level of your Result

Larry Bird, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history took 500 free throws every morning before school. My youngest son started practicing three-pointers daily during the Covid pandemic. You raise the level of how many times, then change a few variables. 500 free throws at 90% success in 1 hour, jumpshots, eyes closed …

What Matters is Not Whether You Win or Lose

Whether you win or lose, you can be proud when you’ve given it your all and your best.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Life is not a scoreboard of wins and losses. Every day you are alive, you are in the game of life. The game is not about how much money you can make or how many titles or awards you can get.

What is the scoreboard, then? What is the purpose?

Look around you. Look at how the ants, the bees, the birds, and the butterflies live. They propagate life. 

We are alive this day and each day to enter our cocoon. It's a unique cocoon, just for you to transform anew and be reborn in your mind and heart. Have you ever marvelled that what constitutes you came from just 46 chromosomes? But these body parts are not the real you. Your philosophies, values, beliefs, dreams, and purpose are your core. 

Are you being you?

Thrive on Failure

Just a reminder:

You are allowed to fail. Really.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

Are you truly being you?

Dr. Kevin Ham

Just be you.

Next week:
Why Fear of Criticism is Stifling You

Your confidence is made either of sand or bricks. You determine which.

There is a time to listen to others and a time to listen to your heart.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Leave Your Mark in This World

Timeless relevance in a world where it’s hard to stand out

Paradise Lost was missing its mate, Paradise Regained, as blind John Milton saw Paradise in his darkness.

From the age of 12, John Milton dreamed of writing an epic story like Homer's Iliad. He believed he would and could. He trained himself in the works of the great writers throughout history, learned all the classical languages and dreamed of the epic he would one day write. Then, in his early 40s, he lost his eyesight. He lost all hope, believing that his dream had died with his blindness. He even wrote a sonnet, "On his blindness." Then, a flash of light arose in his heart; perhaps he could memorize his book and dictate it to his daughters to pen for him. In his blindness, he could imagine worlds beyond their mere physical appearance. He regained his belief that he could write something epic, something so transcendent that the world had never seen before.

Paradise Lost was his labour of love for the next 13 years. In his 10,000-word epic, he coined the term pandemonium. He combined his love of God, and the fall of man into a mesmerizing poem of epic proportions. He is one of my big role models, alongside Bach, Handel, Beethoven — who composed his last symphonies while deaf (listen to Symphony No. 5 and No. 9 full blast) and Helen Keller — though blind, deaf and mute from a young age who could see better than all of us (read a selection of her writings.)

In Your Weakness lies Your Strength

Most people believe their weakness is their weakness, but within your weakness lies your greatest strength. Thus it has been throughout all the ages.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Because I was bedridden with an autoimmune disease at age 14, I have always appreciated each day of health. This drove me to become a medical doctor. This past week, I was bedridden again from a itty bitty virus. It reminded me once again of just how weak and fragile I am. A little virus could wreak such havoc upon me in a short time. 

The martial arts of Judo show us that another person's strength can be powerfully leveraged against them, and their weakness can be even more so. When I separated my left shoulder in Judo, I had to protect my left side a lot, so I attacked my opponent's left side, which was typically a person's weaker side. I won a lot of matches this way--as I was a right-handed fighter fighting like a left-handed person.

But when it comes to life, your deep desires and dreams arise from some essential deep need. Out of sickness, I sought health. Out of poverty (my parents were immigrants with very little), I sought to be wealthy. Out of weakness, I sought to be physically strong and fit. I've discovered that I can be in the top 1% through simple discipline, starting with just one sit-up per day.

What do you really desire deep down inside? Ask yourself why. It may be rooted in one of the six great fears of humankind:

1. Fear of poverty

2. Fear of loss of love

3. Fear of criticism

4. Fear of loss of health

5. Fear of old age

6. Fear of death.

(...Or maybe it is rooted in one of 7 great faiths--a topic for another time).

We tend to overcompensate for what we are weak in as we seek to complete ourselves. We want to be whole, holistic beings. But we all know that we each have an expiration date upon which we must return back to where we came from. And that which we fear the most is death, for upon that day, which we do not know, we cease to be. And so, deep down, we wish to leave our mark in the world so that we may live on.

We Exist Beyond This Present Time

That which is, will always be, forever and ever beyond the passage of time

Dr. Kevin Ham

We are blessed with life each day. And each day has enough of its own troubles and worries. We often wish that all the troublesome and hard things could forever go away and we just be left with the good. But we know that life teaches us that before joy there must be suffering. It is shown with the labour that birthed you, and so it is with every labour of love.

We must remind ourselves that what the world teaches us about success is not truly success. It is good to define what words truly mean to you. I used to think success meant fame, riches, high positions, titles, and awards. I have received many of these, but they have never fulfilled me for very long. But I am very fulfilled when I think of my loved ones and deep relationships. However, I also have a strong internal drive to accomplish my Magnum Opus. Like Milton wrote his Paradise Lost, his true Magnum Opus was Paradise Regained. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is epic but not as much as his No. 9. And what of all the works that led up to these? 

Success is doing what you were meant to do or believe you were meant to do.

Only you can define what this is. To know thyself is great work only you can do. Just as Milton displayed that even blindness could not prevent his Magnum Opus when he believed it was possible to accomplish his great works, even so, it is with faith and perseverance you do your Magnum Opus to transcend time. Do not let time, space, criticism or any other constraint prevent you. With faith comes miracles.

I want to say a huge thank you to those who reply to this newsletter and let me know your thoughts and heart. Thank you dearly.

Bet on You

Just a reminder:

You are such a unique individual. No one will truly understand you 100%. Seek to understand yourself as deeply as you can. That is your insight. That is your true power.

I had a realization last week. I told my daughter why I love hugging her so much, and it is because I do not recall being hugged by my parents. Lately, I have been hugging my father, but he still doesn't hug me back :). He is 89.

My daughter has freely hugged me since.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

What truly lights you up?

Dr. Kevin Ham

Lean into this 100%, over and over again.

Next week:
Why Fear of Failure is Preventing Your Success

Your failures are the stepping stones to your success.

Failures are only truly failures when you give up on your way.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Don’t Miss Your Window of Opportunity

Timing is everything and your best decisions discern time, place and person.

Timing is the gateway to all opportunities. That gate is passed by far too often.

I was completing my final year of medical residency in 2000, at the height of the dot com boom. Then, suddenly, it all came crashing down — a monumental crash where Amazon fell 95% in months, and so many dotcom promises got buried in the avalanche of fear. I knew then that this was my golden window of opportunity to be a part of the Internet. My choice was between practicing medicine, a dream since age 14, or jumping into the waters and grabbing ahold of Internet real estate and domain names, as people had given up on the Internet as a fad. Most people thought I was crazy, but I felt that it was my one big opportunity of a lifetime. Looking back, I see that I've had many such opportunities. I just didn't recognize them as such because they looked like danger. Even when these opportunities cried out to me loudly, I was deaf to many of them. How about you? 

What opportunities have you passed up?

How to Recognize Opportunities

When your heart stirs, that is your opportunity. Take it or it evaporates like the clouds of time.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Just as life sparks when sperm meets egg, there is a moment when opportunity implants into your heart and moves you to act. But this is before logic prevails. It is your heart's essence that stirs, deeply inspired and feeling moved to act. It will likely not make any sense. It will require an act of faith. All the great works of mankind begin in this way. The seed of opportunity begins, but unless the heart of fallowed ground is ready, the seed will not take root. 

We are taught to decide by logic and reason. Life teaches us otherwise: to live by faith and listen to your heart. The heart is deeper and knows more than the mind. The mind plans and sequences the steps, organizes and adapts, but the heart moves before any semblance of plan.

It is with the eyes of your heart that you can discern the times, the hearts of others, and the opportunities that are crafted uniquely for you. We call these dreams of our hearts, our heart's desires. Most never heed these calls, and so they die unplanted, the heart never prepared.

Spend an hour or half an hour just daydreaming or writing freely from your heart. Imagine. Dream. All the works of art, which are but creations of the heart, are born by removing oneself from reality, from the opinion of others, from the bureaucracy and order of the world. After birth, then the order comes forth like the placenta.

The Sands of Time Fall in the Hourglass

Most people are unaware of how much sand they have left in their hourglass.

Dr. Kevin Ham

There was a King named Hezekiah, who was told by the prophet Isaiah that he would die. Hezekiah prayed that he might be given more life so that he could praise God more. Isaiah came back and told him that God had heard his prayer and granted him fifteen more years.

When I was 14, I thought I was dying. I had an autoimmune disease. I vowed that if I lived, I would become a doctor and help people with their health. At 30, I became a doctor and knew I had to be part of the Internet. At 37, I was on the cover of my favourite business magazine. The title? "The Man Who Owns the Internet." How did that come to be?

In 2007, I was unknown, but I asked God to make the unknown known and knew it would happen. I had no plan. It manifested, and I recognized the opportunity when a reporter, Paul Sloan, approached me at a domain conference in Vegas.

I have this thought, an ask, a prayer, about a potential next cover article, "The Men Who Own the Internet." It is not out of vanity that I ask or pray. If it were so, I would not dare pray. "Humility comes before honour" (Proverb 18:12) is a proverb I love dearly.

Some people think I have the gift of prophecy because I have a great vision of the future. While my eyesight is near blind, my heart sees clearly at times, far into the future.

I thought that if I lived until 40, I would have lived a long life. I am turning 55 this year. I wonder, how I got so old so quickly? Each day, each year, is bonus time for me. When will the last sands of my life fall in my hourglass? I do not know. But I have a handful of things left to do in my life and complete my Magnum Opus. It is very clear to me what they are. But how to do them is very unclear and unknown to me. So I pray, I ask, I seek and I knock continuously so that I may discern the opportunities and grab ahold of them.

At this time, I have delegated almost everything so that I can focus on my one calling this year- How.com. Each day, I discover the steps I must take. I constantly match the hand dealt to me and see if it pairs with my heart. When it does, I call it and grab ahold of it. Each day I awake, I search eagerly for that match. Each day I go to bed, I ponder, pray, and ask whether I missed it. There is less sand in my hourglass each day.

Steve Jobs passed at age 56 in 2011 from pancreatic cancer. Walt Disney died at age 65 in 1966 from lung cancer (he was a smoker). What could they have done to add more sand to their hourglass to allow them to grow the dreams in their hearts for longer?

What can you do today to add more sand to your hourglass?

If you want a list of 3 health principles you can act on today, reply to this email with the subject line "Health Principles."

Crisis is Your Opportunity

The word Crisis consists of two words: Danger and Opportunity. These are the two sides of life that travel with you.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Most do not recognize their opportunity because it is covered with danger and risk. Most flee. It's natural, instinctual. The poor odds and the risk outweigh any great benefit.

They say the fear of loss and pain is ten times greater than the courage to gain. I've learned how to ask and pray for wisdom to guide my feet and my hands so that such fear is overcome by faith—and by faith, to derisk those fears and potential losses. 

I lose as much as I gain when I am not vigilant of both sides. When I am too fearful, I have little to gain. But when wisdom prevails and de-risks the pains and levers the gains, I have gained considerably beyond measure and imagination. My power is my faith and constantly seeking wisdom because I know I am foolish.

When crisis comes upon you, take a profound moment to see what opportunity has also come to you. Take courage. Do not fear (too much). A little fear. A lot more faith. That's the formula if there ever was one.

Never Give Up on You

Just a reminder:

1. Each time you have had a crisis, you have had the opportunities of a lifetime.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

What is the great opportunity of each of your life stages?

Dr. Kevin Ham

Your life transitions in seven-year stages, just as the moon becomes full each month and the year marks the earth's annum around the sun.

Next week:
Leave Your Mark in this World

Timeless relevance in a world where it’s hard to stand out

Paradise Lost was missing its mate, Paradise Regained, as blind John Milton saw Paradise in his darkness.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Becoming a Renaissance (Wo)Man

You are made to unify wisdom from all walks of life liberally.

You are neither just reason nor just rhyme. You are an epic poem in time.

To my dear friend, Rob T.,

When you didn't show up for lunch on Monday, I knew something was wrong. Something was so gravely wrong that I felt profoundly sad all day Monday and Tuesday. Today, I heard what happened.

When your business partner called me this morning, I knew my intuition was right. He told me you passed away in your home in San Francisco before your flight up to Vancouver. Just the day before, on Sunday morning, you texted, "Great…. Looking forward to it. See you then." You were such a wonderful person. I will miss you so much. You were only 58 and so full of life.

What is life when such moments come upon you? Each breath is so precious, and each life is ever more precious.

---

You are whole. You are human. You are soul. You are spirit. The psyche is the mind. You have two sides to you: logic (with sense and reason) and creativity (with imagination and innovation). Most people are right-handed, so the left of their brain, the logic side, develops more. We say, "It makes so much sense." "That's reasonable."

But we are creatures, creative beings who dream, imagine, make these dreams reality, and innovate. We aspire to what might not make sense, be reasonable, or be logical. This is the heart of the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial spirit.

Which side do you lean on? I believe that we should develop both sides to realize our full potential. Those who do this are called "Renaissance men and women."

What is Renaissance?

Renaissance means rebirth. You must be reborn, like a caterpillar from its cocoon to a flying monarch adorn.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Leonardo da Vinci was trying to find a job when he was young. For ten paragraphs, he touted his engineering abilities to design bridges, waterways, cannons, buildings, and military engines. In the eleventh paragraph, he wrote, "Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible." Da Vinci is the perfect example of a Renaissance Man who mirrored the "infinite works of nature" that knit together the world in a tapestry of wonderful mathematical patterns with beauty and creativity.

You, too, have this within you. Both a scientific and engineering mind and a creative, artistic mind. The left and the right. Imagine if you were taught to use both the left and right hand to write? The left hand taps and develops the right creative side of your brain, and the right hand develops your brain's logical, scientific side. It is not that we are incapable; we haven't developed these two sides of ourselves evenly or with intention and practice. Even now, you can develop these parts within yourself to a much higher level.

I grew up with a creative mind and a musical spirit. Still, when I received a C+ in art, I decided to no longer take any courses in the arts that might affect my grades, as I believed at that young age it was essential to focus on mastering the sciences so I could get into medical school. Looking back, I wish I had a liberal arts education as an undergrad, as medical school was all science, logic, and process, with very little invention, art and creativity. I have this strong internal desire to excel in music and develop some musical and artistic masterpieces, even though I am a novice in these fields, having only played the piano for ten years.

The Generalist is the Specialist

Go deep like a microscope and see far like a telescope.

Dr. Kevin Ham

I had to decide whether to be a specialist or a generalist. I loved all the specialties as they delved deeper into each part of human health. Pediatrician if I wanted to work with children. Maybe a Geneticist, as I loved genetics. Surgery is known for its fast pace and immediate outcomes for patients. Oncology was interesting because cancer was/is such a devastating disease. Ophthalmology because the eye made an impression on me. However, I chose family medicine because I could learn about everything and meet so many people with so many different types of health issues. It allowed me to think about the whole person. Not just the body but also their soul and their spirit. About nutrition, exercise, the environment, family history, and genetics.

Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class he wasn't even enrolled in. This led to his love of typography and fonts, which became core to the beauty of the Apple computer. What if he hadn't taken this class? What would Apple products look like?

Which Voice Should You Listen to?

Which Voice Should You Listen to?

Prayer is the voice of the heart asking to be heard.

Dr. Kevin Ham

A Renaissance person is a holistic person, with a big worldview, with multiple points of philosophy that may seem to be opposing but fit in the construct of the imagination. Sometimes, the path that does not seem reasonable or make sense is the path that should be taken. That is the voice of the human heart. The voice of the logical mind cannot make rhyme or reason of such voice. So, which voice do you listen to?

In such times, I ask to "sleep and pray on it before making a decision." My logical mind and past experience already lead me to a decision, but I wish to give time and space to my heart to hear her voice, which quietly whispers and feels. People are often surprised because I follow my heart, which does not seem rational at that moment, but after the heart's decisions are all laid out in plain sight, it usually makes sense.

The senses operate from logic and avoid risk and danger.

The heart operates from love, compassion, generosity and grace and is willing to sacrifice itself.

Never Give Up on You

Just a big reminder:

• You are one of life's greatest creations. You are here for many reasons. Cherish life.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

Of all life’s beauties, there is none more beautiful than your human heart.

Dr. Kevin Ham

1. What can you do to develop your heart and mind more fully?
   • Choose one thing:

   • Heart: love, generosity, compassion, meekness, humility, kindness, or nobility.

   • Mind: Reason, memory, perception, imagination, intuition or will.

Next week:
Don’t Miss Your Window of Opportunity

Timing is everything and the best decisions discern time, place and person.

Most times things don’t make sense, but it is the right moment in time to embrace the irrational and follow your heart.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Resilience in Adversity

Every journey to Your Magnum Opus involves brutal setbacks and adversity.

Resilience is the mind to get back up even when everyone believes you can’t.

There comes a moment when you feel like giving up when it's just too hard, and you feel so trapped. You are about to throw in the towel and let life take you into the ground, but then a spark of resolve arises, whispering, "It's not the end yet. There is hope. You can live."

Have you ever had that moment?

This is the resilience in your heart, imploring your mind beyond reason that there is a purpose for you in this world. You just haven't discovered it fully yet. The setbacks, obstacles, adversities, and humbling blows push you down and drown you, but…

Adversities Are Your Mentors

We often seek mentors we admire, but the great mentors of our lives are the great adversities in which wisdom lies hidden.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Without resistance, there is no need for force to push forward. Without gravity, there is no dream to push upwards into space. If there is no adversity, what will shape your character, integrity, or resolve?

Just as weights, lifting reps heavier and heavier, tear and build new muscle and blood vessels, the weights of life come like waves, bigger and stronger as you confront them. If you are not pushed back, it will be difficult to develop your core values, mindset, and skillsets. These hardships are your mentors, just like coaches make you practice above and beyond your current abilities and capabilities.

I call this the "Hill Principle". I used to be very scared of riding up big hills. I once saw a cyclist fall because her chain snapped on the very hill I was about to ride up. After that day of riding, my knees hurt so much I could barely walk. This was a charity ride for cancer I was doing for my good friend Elliot Koo, who got a devastating cancer, sarcoma, at age 28 and died a good life at 30. I started riding up hills without fear when I thought of Elliot battling cancer. I could not imagine such a fight.

Now, I ride up large mountains, steep 25% hills, not merely to train my body but more so to train my mind and conquer my fears of the impossible. I started to ride standing up to generate more power up these 25% hills. Then, I developed the courage to ride up these steep hills sitting on my bike seat. Then I decided to ride up in the bigger, harder gear standing. Then, sitting, thinking that I would fall over. I got stronger and faster, climbing up the hills this way. They are still super hard, but now my body and mind are stronger.

The Hill Principle. Embrace it in everything that signals fear and conquer it by confronting it in bite-sizes until you can climb up that mountain of fear, pedal stroke by pedal stroke.

Resilience is the Hard Path to Your Magnum Opus

Life is just a series of setbacks to a dream placed deep in your heart that upon accomplishing it, you are ready to go onto the eternal stage of life.

Dr. Kevin Ham

The more you dream of doing your Magnum Opus, the more setbacks you will encounter, and they will become harder as you dream bigger. Each setback will either make you fall or make you stronger. 

When I read the story of how God allowed the tribes in the land of Canaan to remain in order to train the younger generation in battle, as they had not yet experienced battle, it made me reflect on all the adversities I have had in my life. There were times when I was depressed, in despair, and sometimes suicidal. Still, looking back, I see how they made me resilient and full of grit — a tenacity to relentlessly overcome obstacles in different ways to advance to my dream.

Never Give Up on You

Just one big reminder:

When you think it's over, remember that it's not — you are just in the cocoon stage, and when you eventually emerge from your cocoon, you will be bestowed with a life-changing transformation. And unlike a butterfly, you will have many cocoon experiences that will transform you.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

What great mentor did you not see because she was dressed as Adversity?

Dr. Kevin Ham

1. What big hills do you still need to face?
   • A hill that is not confronted will repeat in various forms (patterns) until you face it and eventually climb that mountain.

2. Reflect upon the cocoons of your life.

Next week:
Becoming a Renaissance (Wo)Man

You are made to unify wisdom from all walks of life liberally.

You are neither just reason nor just rhyme. You are an epic poem in time.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Relentless Iteration to Mastery

Greatness is a process of relentless iterations from failures to insights.

I used to wonder how people did great things and became great. What is greatness?

Greatness is the relentless pursuit of improvement and progress toward your vision, even in the face of failure, pitfalls and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. To achieve your Magnus Opus, your great work, you must embrace experimentation and its many iterations by learning, pivoting, and refining your mind and actions toward your Magnum Opus.

Relentless Iteration Cycles

Greatness is inspired by greatness and what is greater than the heavens and the earth. The grandness of the sky and oceans, the majesty of the mountains, the ardour of the trees and plants and the preciousness of life and our fellow humans.

Dr. Kevin Ham

1. Set Clear Goals Just Outside Your Comfort Zone

Going through life without a clear goal or target is like driving without a destination. Give your mind a clear goal to accomplish, and it will work day and night, even while you sleep, to figure out a path to that goal. An achievable goal that you know how to do is rote. 

Map out the 5 or 10 steps to your Magnum Opus and make them just out of reach. This will force you to think bigger, and for that, you need to step just outside your comfort zone. Then, break down your first step into 3-5 smaller steps and make those steps happen.

Do you feel a little stressed? Perfect! Don't know how to accomplish your goal exactly? Perfect!

2. Embrace Failure as Learning Feedback

Every failure is just a lesson in disguise. It provides hints on what not to do and how to figure out a better path to take. It provides deeper insights into first principles, the insights into your own human nature and those around you. It allows you to push your boundaries beyond the limits of what you think is possible into the impossible.

This is how you make the impossible possible.

As I started raising money for our big AI idea on How.com, our first friend said he would pass. It felt like a heartbreak at first. But then it became our resolve to make our vision bigger and grander. It also became the fuel that lit our hearts on fire. Sixty of our friends and family have since invested, and we've raised over $8m USD with more to come. We are printing and putting this rejection on our wall as our reminder that rejection is a gift.

3. Continuous Iterations to Improve

Your goal in continual iterations is to improve and figure out the best path to reach your Magnum Opus. This is the compound effect in motion each moment, each day. 1% better daily is 38 times better in a year. In two years an astounding 1500x. Simple in principle, but takes intention, action and providence relentlessly.

4. Persist through setbacks

Life is just fractals of setbacks and forward momentum. Each setback positions you to slingshot forward as you solve or gain insights from each setback. As you solve each setback, the compounding solutions and insights become your foundation to spring forward.

For six years we tried to get approval to get the dot.co wildcard deal with the country of Columbia, gaining approval by 90% but unable to get the last 10%. We then pivoted to working with Cameroon to get the dot.cm wildcard deal. It was done in 3 months as we had figured out most of the deal points from Columbia. This was to get the data for all domains in the dot.com, which was to assist us in predicting the traffic from any given domain, allowing us to predict the revenue for any domain name. This put me on the cover of one of my favourite business magazines and on the front page of almost every major newspaper in the world. It was just an idea as one way to overcome many setbacks.

5. Embrace Insights and Wins

Instead of celebrating the final big victory, revel even in the small insights, the small wins. They may be the hope of something better, the realization of an insight or experiment. These become your stepping stones so that when you look back, you can see these moments that set your foundation as you step to the next level of your Magnum Opus.

We just received our first wire transfers. $30,000 USD and $100,000 USD. Before this, we received our first signed investment agreements.  We just got our latest of 60 investors signed at $10,000 USD but even though the amount is smaller, we value our relationship with him, coming from the VC world, family office world and a great product guy.

Your Mindset to Relentlessly Iterate

The heart should rule the soul and the soul should rule the body. But why does it often go the opposite way?

Dr. Kevin Ham

There are many mindsets to iterate relentlessly, but what stops us are four key mindsets. The hardest of these is patience and resilience. I think of the tortoise as my role model in these two as well as ants, as I watch them relentlessly plod along in endeavour for the colonies.

The other two are humility and open-mindedness. Humility allows you to connect and help others, who in turn wish to help you, according to the law of reciprocity. Being open-minded allows you to connect more deeply, understand things and people, and ask curious questions that can unlock insight into their hearts and into the fabric of life.

1. Patience

2. Resilience

3. Humility

4. Be Open-minded

Be Relentless

Just two big reminders:

1. Those closest to you will either support you dearly or, out of concern and sometimes envy, be resistant to you going for your Magnum Opus.

2. Be contrarian and make it right for you. You don't have to be right with the world. You have to make it right for you.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

Being relentless means also pondering what direction you are going and whether that connects with your ultimate destination.

Dr. Kevin Ham

If you haven't been relentless yet, what is the tiniest-while-still-being-relentless step you can take this week to follow through?

You'll come to realize that you gain confidence as you relentlessly figure out each step and gain insight and ability. It's like how you learned to walk and talk. Now walk and talk your vision step by step.

Next week:
Resilience in Adversity

Every journey to greatness involves brutal setbacks and adversity.

Resilience is the mind to get back up even when everyone believes you can’t.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

The Courage to Your Magnum Opus

Greatness requires bold action and willingness to stand alone.

Your Faith

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther

Deep in your heart, you feel you have something of note, something important to do in this life you are granted. Perhaps that is buried so deep in your soul that you have forgotten what that might be. When you were younger, did you dream of doing something, of being somebody?

I used to stare at the sun, seemingly so close yet far away — an apt analogy to the dreams in my heart — so near, yet so distant. I pondered my life. I felt extremely depressed at the ripe age of 11. I felt some hope, but I felt more despair. I thought about the struggles of life and felt it was too hard. Perhaps I could make it all disappear if I stepped out into busy traffic. But I didn't want to make my mom sad or disappoint her. So, I thought about what I could do in life to make it meaningful.

The answer came to me at 14; I became so ill that I could not walk or move, and at that point, I resolved to become a medical doctor. I knew. I believed I was going to be a doctor right then and there. Nothing was going to stop me.

My faith drove me from age 14 until I became a doctor at age 30. Even though I failed to get into medical school immediately after my undergraduate degree, I still believed I would eventually get in—even if it took another four years. The failure fueled me to think, act, and pray even harder. I was accepted a year later.

Find your faith in life, and you will conquer any fears or doubts.

Your Vision

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

What visions have you had?
What visions have become deeply embedded in your heart?

• In 1984, at age 14, I saw that I would become a medical doctor.

• In 1993, at age 23, I saw thatI would become an Internet entrepreneur.

• In 2000, at age 30, I saw that I would build a great media company in 20-30 years.

• In 2017, I saw that crypto would be a big trust layer of the Internet.

• In 2018, I saw that NVIDIA would be an essential part of singularity and traded my Google stock for NVIDIA.

• In 2018, I also saw that I would make a Broadway musical and movie in 10 years.

• In 2019, I saw that I would be co-owner of a pro cycling team, helping Canadian riders.

• In 2024, I saw that I would create a great AI company.

• What do I see in 2025? That is the question I ask, think and pray about in January.

What do you see for your life?
What visions do you have?
How strongly do you believe in your visions?

Alfred Hitchcock visualized all of his movies. Then, he wrote the scripts and described the visual scenes on paper. Then he shot the film.

Jordan Peele said the same thing for his movie ‘Get Out’. He visualized it every night.

What do you visualize and see for your life?

What Edison Visualized

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

Thomas Edison

Many people know Thomas Edison, who was sent home from school because he had learning difficulties. His mother told him, "Your teacher says you are a genius, and this school is too small for you. They don't have the resources to teach someone as brilliant as you, so I will teach you at home."

But his teacher's note said that he was 'addled,' meaning he was mentally deficient and not fit for the school. His mother homeschooled him and fostered his sense of curiosity and love of learning.

Learning implies that failure or not knowing is essential, and curiosity eventually reveals the truth.

In 1877, at 30, Edison had a vision for a recorder that could play back telephone messages.

"I want to record the human voice and have it speak back."

How determined was he?

"I am going to invent a machine that will record and reproduce sound, and I will do it if it takes the rest of my life."

Amazingly, it took him less than a year, but he resolved to do it, even if it took him the rest of his life.

After that, he went to work on the light bulb.

Edison said he found 10,000 ways that won't light up the light bulb. He didn’t say he failed. He was determined to find a way. How many more times was he willing to ‘not succeed’? How did he have the courage to continue?

He had a great vision and great faith that he would find a way. He had great courage to continue to learn and experiment.

And what was his vision? He saw a city of lights. In an era where candles were the only source of light at night, he saw an electrical system. It became his quest to deliver on his vision of a city of lights that inspired him to invent the light bulb.

"We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles."

Do you have the vision, the faith and the courage to dedicate your life to your dream?

Courage is sacrifice and acting despite your doubts and fears.

The courage to act comes from the roots of your faith and your vision.You must stand and believe in yourself and what you dream in your heart.

Faith requires steady, consistent actions to make your dream a reality. A miracle is just speeding up the time to be miraculous, and time is sped up with faith, vision, and action.

Visualize Your Vision

Just two big reminders:

1. Your heart is your soul's eyes. Look and see from your heart.

2. Have faith in you. Have faith in your vision. This faith is in your heart and not in your head.

See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.

Today’s Life Question:

See your life from your heart, not your eyes and your current reality. This is how greatness is born. It's born in your heart and then seen in the world.

Dr. Kevin Ham

What are the visions of your life?

• Every night, dream and visualize it.

• Upon waking, daydream, visualize and pray about it.

• Write them down in your notebook.

• Write them down in your Notes on your mobile phone.

• Just one or two sentences like Edison did.

Next week:
Relentless Iteration to Mastery

Greatness is a process of constant refinement from failure to discovery.

Step by step walk the thousand-mile road.

Miyamoto Musashi

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

The 10 Obstacles Holding You Back From Your Magnum Opus

These 10 Obstacles to Greatness hold you back from your Magnum Opus.

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.

C.S. Lewis

(The trials of life shape the character needed to complete great work.)

Your Magnum Opus

Good is the enemy of Great.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great.

Have you ever felt like you were meant to do something GREAT..? And you've been searching for what that might be? You thought it would be this, that, but you felt ill-equipped, untrained, not good enough, not worthy, or someone told you it was a bad idea? Self-doubt, lack of confidence, lack of courage, lack of self-belief … And the list goes on why you cannot do something GREAT.

It's just a handful of things that truly hold you back from your GREATNESS.

I went to a Hans Zimmer concert. He's the guy who puts great music to movies, like Batman and all of Christopher Nolan's movies, like Interstellar, as well as the soundtrack to Gladiator and Dune. I love his music. He said that he's been trying to do his great work (his Magnum Opus) and almost obtained it with this song. He started to play his Interstellar and played on the church organ. It was mesmerizing and beautiful. But he's still seeking to play his Magnum Opus song. 

Hans is 67. He's received 12 Academy Award nominations and won two for Lion King and the recent Dune movie. He's still on his quest for ultimate greatness.

What's preventing him still?

Welcome to week 2 in our 12-week series on "The Journey to Your Greatness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Your Magnum Opus."

Many fail to realize their Magnum Opus, their life's great work, because of Ten Common Obstacles that derail their journey.

Let's uncover these 10 obstacles to greatness.

10 Obstacles to Greatness

Visualize your Magnum Opus as if it was the only purpose of your life. And ask God for the eyes to see from your heart.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Solve these 10 Obstacles:

Creating a magnum opus — a defining work of greatness — requires a rare combination of overcoming three big fears and seven significant lacks. This requires vision, persistence, courage, and opportunity. Most people never achieve theirs for these key reasons:

---

The 3 Great Fears:

We had great faith when we were young, but we placed an emphasis on avoiding our fears as we grew older. Embrace faith once again. Believe in yourself and your mission.

1. Fear of Failure

• Barrier: Fear of failing, being criticized, or not meeting expectations prevents people from even starting. We never had this fear of failure when we were young. You learned to walk, talk, and do so many things without fear of failure. Why now?

• Root Cause: You are taught not to take risks. Society often discourages risk-taking, promoting "safe" choices instead.

• Example: Michelangelo faced enormous pressure while painting the Sistine Chapel but embraced the challenge. Many avoid similar risks, fearing they might fall short. Aim for greatness.

2. Fear of Judgment

• Barrier: The desire to fit in and avoid criticism leads people to conform rather than push boundaries. This can come from the people who care most about you.

• Root Cause: Pursuing a magnum opus often requires going against the grain, which can attract skepticism or hostility.

• Example: Vincent van Gogh was ridiculed in his lifetime but persisted. Many fear rejection and abandon their ambitions.

3. Fear of Sacrifice

• Barrier: Achieving a magnum opus often requires significant sacrifices—time, relationships, resources—that many are unwilling to make. 

• Root Cause: People prioritize short-term pleasures or stability over long-term legacy.

• Example: Newton spent years in isolation during the plague, developing his revolutionary ideas in Principia Mathematica. Many aren't willing to endure similar solitude or effort.

The 7 Great Lacks

We think we lack, but we lack nothing.

1. Lack of Vision

• Barrier: It's hard to have vision until you see it. Ask, and you shall receive. Ask what the vision of your Magnum Opus may be. There will be a revelation.

• Root Cause: Don't get caught up in the day-to-day grind or settle for mediocrity, never asking, What is the one great thing I want to leave behind?

• Example: Einstein envisioned a unified theory of the universe over ten years, doing thought experiments.

2. Lack of "Why"

• Barrier: Without a deep sense of purpose, most struggle to sustain the energy and passion needed for a magnum opus.

• Root Cause: People often pursue external validation (money, fame) instead of an internal drive to create something meaningful and personal.

• Example: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was driven by a profound desire to express the human spirit, even though he was deaf. A shallow "why" cannot sustain such efforts.

3. Lack of Focus

• Barrier: Most people live in a constant state of distraction and cannot dedicate focused, deep work toward a single vision. Even an hour of deep work per day can produce remarkable results.

• Root Cause: The modern world encourages multitasking and shallow work over sustained, focused effort.

• Example: Isaac Newton spent years obsessively focused on a few key problems, producing Principia Mathematica. Most people never dedicate themselves fully to one pursuit.

4. Lack of Discipline

• Barrier: A magnum opus requires relentless focus, hard work, and time—qualities many struggle to maintain.

• Root Cause: Modern distractions (e.g., social media, entertainment) and an inability to delay gratification derail long-term projects.

• Example: Kobe Bryant spent countless hours refining his craft, getting an extra practice in at 4 a.m. just to practice three times instead of the pro's two practices a day. Most people aren't willing to sacrifice comfort or leisure for such dedication.

5. Lack of Resilience

• Barrier: Setbacks, criticism, and failure often deter people from pursuing their goals. This, perhaps, is the most common obstacle.

• Root Cause: Most people lack the mental toughness to persevere through challenges and rejection.

• Example: Walt Disney faced bankruptcy and countless rejections before creating Snow White and Disneyland. Many give up after their first few failures. Edison said he failed 10,000 times in the creation of the light bulb. Wow.

6. Lack of Mastery

• Barrier: People often attempt greatness without first mastering the fundamentals of their craft. You cannot break the rules if you don't know the rules.

• Root Cause: Focusing on shortcuts and impatience prevents the years of effort needed to build expertise.

• Example: Bach composed over 1,000 pieces before his Mass in B Minor. Many lack the patience to invest in such rigorous preparation. This mindset does not bow down to time but lets time ferment mastery.

7. Lack of Drive to the Finish

• Barrier: Settling for "good enough" prevents people from striving for greatness.

• Root Cause: Once people achieve modest success, they often stop pushing themselves, mistaking comfort for fulfillment.

• Example: Steve Jobs was never satisfied with "good enough," which drove his constant innovation. Most lack this drive. Why? Observe the ants the wisest King Solomon pleas to you.

How to Overcome These Obstacles

1. Define Your Vision: Ask yourself, What do I want my legacy to be?

2. Embrace Failure: Recognize that failure is part of the process and a sign of growth.

3. Cultivate Discipline: Build habits that prioritize long-term goals over short-term gratification.

4. Seek Mastery: Invest time learning and refining your craft before attempting greatness.

5. Find Your Why: Connect your work to a purpose larger than yourself.

6. Build Resilience: Treat setbacks as stepping stones, not dead ends.

7. Eliminate Distractions: Create environments and routines that foster deep, focused work. Start with just 10 minutes daily. Then, increase as you build momentum. Think about doing it for a month, a quarter, a year, two years, three years and keep going. You cannot but progress with such a tortoise and ant mindset. Don't be the hare.

---

Make Your Legacy

Just two big reminders:

1. You do not lack. In time, you will gain all that you need. This is an incredible journey, adventure and purpose of your life.

2. Pursue faith over fears.

Most people never create their magnum opus because they let fear, complacency, or distractions hold them back. Greatness requires a clear vision, relentless effort, and a willingness to sacrifice comfort for impact. Those who overcome these barriers—like Newton, Einstein, Michelangelo, and Kobe Bryant—leave legacies that inspire generations.

Today’s Life Question:

There is often a big bottleneck in your life. Figure out what that is and flow through life.

Dr. Kevin Ham

What is your main constraint or obstacle for your Magnum Opus to be?

• Start with the one that holds you back and work through them one by one until there are no more obstacles.

• Write them down and figure out how to overcome each obstacle one by one.

Next week:
The Courage to Your Magnum Opus

Greatness requires bold action and willingness to stand alone.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther

A timeless expression of trust and courage in the face of uncertainty.

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Unlocking Your Greatness: Your Journey to Your Magnum Opus (Your Great Work)

Patterns of Greatness do have reason and rhyme. Follow them and you rise to your Great Magnum Opus.

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Your Magnum Opus

Do great things, for you are destined for greatness.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Welcome to the first edition of 2025 in our 12-week series on "The Journey to Your Greatness: Achieving Your Magnum Opus."

Each week, we will delve into the lives of extraordinary individuals who achieved their magnum opus — and their contemporaries who fell short — to uncover the patterns of greatness we can apply to our own lives.

Achieving your Magnum Opus revolves around seven patterns of greatness — universal traits that drive success. Many fail to realize their Magnum Opus, their life's great work, because of seven common obstacles that derail their journey.

Let's first uncover the seven patterns of greatness.

Seven Patterns of Greatness

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

Pablo Picasso

(Sharing your magnum opus with the world is one of your life’s great purpose.)

Achieving your Magnum Opus requires mastering these seven patterns:

1. Vision Beyond the Immediate: Visualize a bigger picture and work toward a purpose greater than themselves. 

• Steve Jobs envisioned computers as tools for creative empowerment, not just machines.

2. Relentless Iteration To Mastery: Greatness is a process of constant refinement from failure to discovery. 

• Marie Curie spent years isolating radium; even when progress was slow, setbacks pushed her back, and obstacles seemed insurmountable.

3. Resilience in Adversity: Every journey to greatness involves brutal setbacks and adversity. 

• Walt Disney faced bankruptcy and repeated failures but persevered to create an empire of happiness, imagination and magic.

4. Courage to Act: Bold decisions define legacies. 

• Steve Jobs risked everything to return to Apple in 1997, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, and radically transformed it when others thought it fruitless.

5. Synthesis of Diverse Disciplines: Innovators integrate knowledge and wisdom from many fields. 

• Da Vinci combined science, engineering and art to revolutionize art and human thinking.

6. Mastery of Timing: Understanding when to act, balancing patience with seizing opportunities at the right moment. 

• Walt Disney delayed the opening of Disneyland until his vision aligned with the necessary resources and technology, ensuring its monumental success.

7. Timeless Relevance: A Magnum Opus endures across generations.

• Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 Ode to Joy remains a masterpiece.

Today’s Life Question:

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Walt Disney

(A magnum opus begins with a vision that dares to dream beyond the ordinary.)

What do you wish for your Magnum Opus to be?

• Walt Disney envisioned a magical kingdom of happiness for families.

• Steve Jobs envisioned making a dent in the world by creating innovative products that push humanity beyond the status quo.

• Martin Luther envisioned freedom from religion and state.

• What dream of greatness has been set in your heart?

  • Being a great father, mother, son or daughter?

  • A great teacher? A great doctor? A great author? A great entrepreneur? A great athlete? A great reader? A great thinker? A great driver? A great friend? A great lover? A great poet?

  • A great _____ by doing ______?

Next week:
The 7 Obstacles Holding You Back From Your Magnum Opus

Just as the 7 Patterns of Greatness lead to success, the 7 Obstacles to Greatness hold you back from your Magnum Opus.

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.

C.S. Lewis

(The trials of life shape the character needed to complete great work.)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Just do it. Just Start.

It may be a saying but it’s also a philosophy of how to live.

When I make a film, I am hoping to reinvent the genre a little bit. I just do it my way. I make my own little Quentin versions of them... I consider myself a student of cinema. It's almost like I am going for my professorship in cinema, and the day I die is the day I graduate. It is a lifelong study.

Quentin Tarantino

1. Just Do It

You cannot unremember the simple command to ‘Just Do It’, but you must just do it when you are reminded of it.

Dr. Kevin Ham

In 1988, Nike needed a bold message to revive its brand. Dan Wieden found inspiration in an unusual source: the chilling last words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore. Facing a firing squad in 1977, Gilmore grimly said, "Let's do it." Wieden adapted this phrase into "Just Do It," infusing it with determination and universal appeal. The slogan debuted with an ad featuring 80-year-old Bill Bowerman, Nike's co-founder, legendary track coach, and innovator of the modern running shoe, showing that athletic spirit knows no age. This blend of grit and simplicity resonated deeply, transforming Nike into a cultural icon and inspiring millions to face challenges and chase their dreams.

It's a simple phrase that captures time and gives you the impetus to decide in your heart right now. Just do it!

How many times in your life have you felt the urge in your heart to say something or do something, but you lose that moment, and then days, weeks, years, and decades pass? That path you would have stepped into could have altered your life, the people you would have met, and the experiences you would have had.

Just do it. Now. In 2025.

2. Just Start

Take your first step. Determine to do it, knowing that it will open a whole new world filled with valleys, peaks and adventure that set your heart on fire.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Paired with 'Just Do It' is the shorter, more powerful phrase, 'Just Start!'

By starting, taking the first step, you can open a whole new world of possibilities. Just imagine you decide to take a new path. As you walk down this path, you start to see new things. You meet new people and have new experiences compared to the traditional path you always travel. This spawns new insights, possibilities, and relationships that, in turn, open new doors and windows of opportunity.

In December 1998, during my last shift at Pediatric Emergency at Victoria Hospital in London, Canada, I decided to start an Internet business. I registered HostGlobal.com on January 10, 1999. By June 2000, when I finished my medical residency, I was making $30,000 USD/month. I decided to spend another six months on my business. It's now been 25 years, and I love it.

My Life Question:

Unpack the seeds in your heart and sow it into the world to take root and bear fruit today.

Dr. Kevin Ham

What will you start now?

• Set your vision (your what, what success looks like)

• Determine who you must become as you set on your journey.

• Determine your dominos or milestones for each year, each quarter, your first month, and your first day. 

My Life Lessons:

Success is doing what you love, loving how you do it, for who you love to do it for.

Dr. Kevin Ham

Many of life’s most important lessons are repeated to us until we heed them, think about them, dream about them and act on them.

1. Planting the seed in the heart is great, but you must envision the fruit that comes to bear for you and others.

2. You are uniquely purposed to do something in your life. That seed is in the package of your heart. Unleash and plant that seed.

3. Do what you love, how you love to do it, and for those you would love to do it for.

Next week:
The Power of Reflection

It's not only seeing where you are heading but reflecting upon the path you have already taken that can set your direction correctly.

We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.

John Dewey (1859-1952)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

The Power of the Compound Effect

Become great with small steps and actions over time

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

1. Seeing the Compound Effect

Here’s the bottom line: You already know all that you need to succeed. You don’t need to learn anything more. If all we needed was more information, everyone with an Internet connection would live in a mansion, have abs of steel, and be blissfully happy. New or more information is not what you need—a new plan of action is. It’s time to create new behaviors and habits that are oriented away from sabotage and toward success. It’s that simple.

Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

You may have heard of the Compound Effect by reading such books as “The Compound Effect” or “The Slight Edge”. All great. I lead by intuition but follow through with data, logic and reason and the compound effect is mostly the latter.

The power of the compound effect is described by Einstein as, “The most powerful force in the Universe is compound interest.” This is only one application of the compound effect in the world of finance. The compound effect is a power law that can be in every facet of life.

A mathematical mind would see this as:

This is exponential growth. Can you predict the compound growth in years and in decades? Can you see it?

If you can, then it’s hard to unsee the power of the compound effect.

This is the power of the compound effect over time.

But what most people don’t realize is that there are both powerful applications of positive and negative compound effects.

Let me explain the positive first. The negative in another newsletter.

2. The Power of Positive Compound Effect

Instead of writing down what you’re going to do (chances are you’ve been doing that your whole adult life anyway, and it doesn’t make you any better at doing them), write down at the end of the day what you did do that day.

Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness

Most people recognize that doing something consistently over time, improving continuously, like the practice of kaizen, eventually makes one great.

Medical students practice medicine for four years and become doctors. My friend, Kim Mijung, practiced judo for five years and won Olympic gold in Barcelona 1992. You practice proving a hypothesis and you become a Ph.D in five years. Bruce Lee practiced martial arts and became a master.

There was a young 11 year old from Italy, who moved to Philadelphia. His father was a NBA basketball player. He wanted to make his dad proud and joined the summer league. He didn’t score a single basket all season. His dad said, “Son, whether you score 0 or 60 points, I will always love you.”

He determined he would score 60 points one day and dedicated two hours of basketball practice every day when others were playing every other day. The next season he scored 20 points. The season after that he became the best player in the league. He became the youngest player drafted in the NBA at 18. He then woke up at 3 am to practice three times a day, starting at 4 am, in order to get in one more practice than every other player. Within five years, he was one of the best players in the NBA.

3. Starting Small with the Compound Effect

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

Improving 1% compounded daily leads to remarkable results:

• 2.5 times better in 3 months

• 6 times better in 6 months

• 38 times better in a year

• 1400 times better in two years

• 54,000 times better in three years

• 2 million times in four years

• 77 million times in five years

Warren Buffet, hailed as the greatest investor, applied the compound effect by investing in companies that were value priced. He became a billionaire when he was 56 years old. His long term investments have yielded dividends (literally) and great compounding wealth. He’s now 94 and worth $150 billion.

But simply knowing this is different than applying the power of the compound effect to your life.

Let’s ask and ponder how you can leverage the Compound Effect in your life.

My Life Question:

The great Baseball Hall-of-Famer Tom Seaver put it perfectly: In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted; if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.

Jeff Olson

What do you wish to be great at in a decade?

1. Determine your outcome result. Think exponentially, not linearly.

2. Determine the smallest first step.

3. Determine interval goals, either monthly or annually.

4. Scale your time horizons long and short and choose one that feels right for you.

5. Start acting on your first step now.

My Life Lessons:

Each morning, write down three things you’re grateful for. Not the same three every day; find three new things to write about. That trains your brain to search your circumstances and hunt for the positive. Journal for two minutes a day about one positive experience you’ve had over the past twenty-four hours. Write down every detail you can remember; this causes your brain to literally reexperience the experience, which doubles its positive impact. Meditate daily. Nothing fancy; just stop all activity, relax, and watch your breath go in and out for two minutes. This trains your brain to focus where you want it to, and not get distracted by negativity in your environment.

Jeff Olsen

1. When you start to think in decades and centuries, the compound effect becomes fascinating.

2. What can you do in one, two, three decades?

3. I try to envision when I am 100 years old, what I would have liked to accomplish and the person I’d like to be then.

   • Memorizing the entire 31 chapters of Proverbs. I memorize them in their original form in Hebrew.

   • Riding 100 km on my bike. I do monthly, sometimes weekly century rides

   • 10 pullups. I currently do 15 pullups daily and plan to increase to 30 pullups over the decades

   • Touch my toes. Maybe even do the splits. I touch my toes daily.

   • Speak three or more languages. I am learning Hebrew.

Next week:
Just do it! Simple but Powerful

It may be a saying but it’s also a philosophy of how to live.

When I make a film, I am hoping to reinvent the genre a little bit. I just do it my way. I make my own little Quentin versions of them... I consider myself a student of cinema. It's almost like I am going for my professorship in cinema, and the day I die is the day I graduate. It is a lifelong study.

Quentin Tarantino

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Your Sixth Sense

This is your intuition, the silent voice that whispers WISDOM.

Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.

Jonas Salk (1914-1995)

Do you recall the first 11 Secrets of Success?

1. A Desire or a goal that you envision to be real. A dream you deeply desire.

2. Faith in the attainment of that desire beyond all doubt.

3. Use Autosuggestion to deeply embed the faith in your desire into your subconscious.

4. Specialized knowledge allows you to master what aligns with your purpose—the cornerstone of your impact.

5. Imagination allows you to build your desire in the workshop of your mind, creating a blueprint with all the details.

6. Organized Planning organizes this living blueprint, bringing each step closer to reality.

7. Decision empowers you to take swift unwavering action. It sets you in motion from the inside out.

8. Persistence gives you the resolve to continually pursue your goal, even when the obstacles seem insurmountable.

9. The Mastermind principle is about surrounding yourself with individuals who challenge and uplift you, creating a synergy that elevates everyone in the Mastermind.

10. Your Subconscious Mind is part of your soul (psyche), where your beliefs, desires, and actions converge. It stores every thought and ultimately guides your actions and reactions.

11. The Brain is not just a physical organ but a transmitter of thought. When you harness it, you can connect with the collective ideas of others, drawing inspiration from the world around you.

These final two secrets complete and make everything exponential.

12. The Sixth Sense

The Door to the Temple of Wisdom

Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007)

The sixth sense is intuition, the "inner knowing" that guides decision-making beyond logic. It's the silent voice that whispers wisdom.

Jobs often spoke of intuition guiding his best decisions, from product design to company culture. His gut instinct was a silent but powerful force behind Apple's success, enabling him to innovate in ways others couldn't anticipate.

Application: People think I lead and make decisions based on data, but I only use data to give credence to my deep intuitions, which have faithfully guided me most of my life. Data allows you to tell the story of your intuition to 'unbelievers.' Some people call these pipe dreams pie in the sky, moonshots. But even without such data, faith in intuition has led to marvellous inventions and discoveries of humankind. I believe this intuition is what connects the soul (psyche) to the spirit. When in tune, intuition whispers the secrets of wisdom into your heart and soul and drives you to act on them. You waver between reason and logic and intuition. Follow your intuition. Looking back on life, you'll see that intuition has always been a faithful steward.

Wisdom: Trust the whispers of intuition, for they often reveal the most profound insights. Let your sixth sense guide you, seeing truths beyond the visible.

13. The Mystery of Sex Transmutation

Channeling Physical Energy into Creative Energy

Sexual energy is the creative energy of all geniuses.

Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)

This one is often censored or omitted due to the word sex. But it is a very real and necessary part of our success. Sex transmutation involves redirecting powerful physical and emotional energies into creative and productive outlets. Harnessing this intense energy can fuel creativity, focus, and productivity. 

For innovators like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, or Walt Disney, this principle means transforming intense passions into artistic or entrepreneurial pursuits. Jobs, for instance, channelled his energy into designing products with almost obsessive attention to detail, creating devices that are both functional and beautiful. Musk similarly channels his intensity and drive into world-changing ventures, from electric cars to space exploration.

Application: When soldiers go into war, if they hold and channel their sexual energies into physical and mental combat, it can mean the difference between life and death. When athletes channel the sexual energy within and around them, they can be in the zone and perform at the highest level. Fans and cheerleaders fuel this energy. Sexual energy is not just in the realm of sex but also adoration, and loving support. This energy transmutation is one of the most powerful energies in the world. Kingdoms rise and fall by this. For the love of a woman. For the love of a person. For the love of a nation. For the love of a gold medal or championship.

Wisdom: Learn to recognize and harness intense energies within yourself. Redirect them into pursuits that align with your highest aspirations, turning primal energy into creative power that drives you toward greatness.

My Life Question:

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

What is Success to me? (ask yourself and answer wisely)

1. This answer will change how you view yourself and live your life.

2. I believe success is not a "what" but a "who" or many "who's".

3. Success is how you have impacted people, not how much you have in things.

4. I devote my life to the well-being of others. In the 'ministry' given to me, I wish to help relieve humanity's suffering. That is, as a doctor, a father, an entrepreneur, and a Christian.

My Life Lessons:

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

1. Developing your sixth sense, i.e. your intuition is listening to your heart.

2. Leveraging and practicing these 13 principles of success will make you grow as a person. It requires you to fully develop and understand who you are and who those around you are.

3. Vibrate at the highest frequency of truth and faith in your mission and vision, anchored well by your values and virtues.

Next week:
The Power of the Compound Effect

Become great with small steps and actions over time

Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Connect Your Dream to Reality

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
To Connect Your Dream to Reality

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.

Carl Jung (1875-1961)

Do you recall the first 6 Secrets of Success?

1. A Desire or a goal that you envision to be real. A dream you deeply desire.

2. Faith in the attainment of that desire beyond all doubt.

3. Your subconscious mind does not know imaginary from reality, nor right from wrong (the realm of your conscience), so you can use Autosuggestion to embed the faith in your desire into your subconscious deeply.

4. Specialized knowledge allows you to master what aligns with your purpose—the cornerstone of your impact.

5. Imagination allows you to build your desire in the workshop of your mind, creating a blueprint with all the details.

6. Organized Planning organizes this living blueprint, bringing each step closer to reality.

7. Decision empowers you take swift unwavering action. It sets you in motion from the inside out.

8. Persistence gives you the resolve to continually pursue your goal, even when the obstacles seem insurmountable.

9. The Mastermind principle is about surrounding yourself with individuals who challenge and uplift you, creating a synergy that elevates everyone in the Mastermind.

These next two energize inside and all around you, making things happen that seem almost miraculous.

10. The Subconscious Mind

The Connecting Link

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition will one day become a reality.

Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

Your subconscious mind is part of your soul (psyche) where your beliefs, desires and actions converge. It stores every thought, ultimately guiding your actions and reactions.

Steve Jobs used his subconscious to a high level. His perfectionism and unrelenting pursuit of excellence, simplicity and elegant design for human interaction and beauty were rooted in his subconscious beliefs that nothing less than the best for humanity would do.

Application: I believed I would become a doctor at age 14. I believed I would be a part of the Internet in 1992. I believed I would be gifted with business wisdom and great wealth as a result and that I would have my Magnum Opus in three different businesses in three different fields. I believed I would help Canadian riders become pro cyclists. A couple of months later I was invited to be a partner of a pro cycling team, Israel Premier Tech. Chris Froome, four time Tour de France winner is a good dear friend and I’ve ridden at the Tour with him and Michael Woods, a Canadian runner turned pro cyclist. I just adore them and the pro cyclists. Their hard work and dedication are inspiring. And my partners on the team, Billionaire Sylvan Adams, Ron Baron and Jean stand for greatness.

Wisdom: Program your subconscious with your highest ideals. Trust that it will guide you toward the actions you need to take, allowing your dreams to manifest through aligned effort. I believe when your subconscious mind is aligned with the Spirit of God, what is in your heart will manifest in powerful ways, but oftentimes in ways you do not quite expect or understand at that time.

11. The Brain

A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought

The brain is wider than the sky.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

The brain is not just a physical organ but a transmitter of thought. When you harnes it, you can connect with the collective ideas of others, drawing inspiration from the world around you.

When Elon Musk mired his brain with visions of space travel, robots for the good of humanity and a fair financial social network, he would call X. It was much too early and so X merged with Paypal and eventually sold to eBay. He has created SpaceX to go to Mars by developing reusable rockets, Tesla to build autonomous electric vehicles that are energy efficient and give back to the grid ultimately and robots that would serve humankind.From learning physics to engineering, he asks big questions to allow his brain to think and intuitively piece together solutions that are executable.

Application: My mentor Bob Proctor said most people don’t think. 95% of people don’t really think. I thought about that and realized it is hard to think, think deeply for a long time. So I started to ask myself questions and then think about the possible principles and concepts and elegant solutions based on different industries and walks of life.

I am fundraising for how.com. It’s the first time ever I have fundraised since I first started business in 1999. The vision is so big. We believe it will reinvent how travel is booked, how shopping is done, how people feel and how companies will operate. We valued it at $50 million, hoping to raise $4m and then invite strategic investors to invest more to have strategic investors upon launch. We are already oversubscribed. Then I thought of all the people who helped me and invited them and more than half were interested and of them, more than 70% are investing. Then I thought of more people who helped me along my life way. Then I saw all of my network. My family. My friends. My domain network. My business network. My logistics network. My cycling network and so many more. I had this belief with domains, with crypto, with my investment in NVIDIA in 2018, and now with how.com. I believe it will be an important fabric of the Internet and society. If you are interested, email me :) I also failed a lot, but I learned a lot to get to this point to make this one of my Magnum Opus.

This is my third swing at AI. My first was in 2007 when I acquired a company with semantic technology Visual Knowledge and invested $10m. It was not fast enough nor good enough. I was too early. Then in 2015 I built a mobile app that would listen to you as you played the piano to teach you but also turn the pages as you played. One of the developers was fresh out of University of Toronto. He went to intern at Microsoft in 2017 and then Google Brain. In 2019 he founded a company called Cohere and is CEO. It’s currently valued at $5.6B. Congrats Aidan! This will be my third swing and I believe the timing is perfect. It’s now an execution risk and a game of speed and reinvention!

Wisdom: Tune your mind to the frequency of greatness. Allow your brain to receive inspiration from up above, picking up signals (what I call insight and downloads) that manifest your dream.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.

Henry Ford (1863-1947)

My Life Question:

Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

How can you live your Magnum Opus?

• You have a purpose and have a magnum opus, a great work, that only you can do. What is it?

My Life Lessons:

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

1. Everything has significance. Everything is connected. We just have to connect those dots forwards and backwards. It is easy to see those dots when we look backwards, and more difficult to see them looking forward. Thinking and the Subconscious mind can help you past to future and understand your present starting point.

2. Thinking is the key. You must plan in your heart but leave the outcome to God. You cannot just leave the outcome without planning, which is deeply tied to deep thought and your subconscious mind.

Next week:
Your Sixth Sense
This is your intuition, the silent voice that whispers WISDOM.

Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.

Jonas Salk (1914-1995)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

Making Your Dreams Real

Dreams die because of these three things or lack thereof.

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy dream.

Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

Do you recall the first 6 Secrets of Success?

1. A Desire or a goal that you envision to be real. A dream you deeply desire.

2. Faith in the attainment of that desire beyond all doubt.

3. Your subconscious mind does not know imaginary from reality, nor right from wrong (the realm of your conscience), so you can use Autosuggestion to embed the faith in your desire into your subconscious deeply.

4. Specialized knowledge allows you to master what aligns with your purpose—the cornerstone of your impact.

5. Imagination allows you to build your desire in the workshop of your mind, creating a blueprint with all the details.

6. Organized Planning organizes this living blueprint, bringing each step closer to reality.

These following three secrets keep your dreams alive when plans fall into the valley of despair.

7. Decision

The Mastery of Procrastination

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.

Maimonides (1138-1204)

What is the opposite of procrastination? 

Decision making. Making decisions empowers you to take swift, unwavering action.

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, after being fired from his own company in 1985, he decided to reduce 220 products into just four product lines that would become the cornerstone of Apple. A 2x2 matrix of Personal/Enterprise in Desktop/Mobile. He said "No" to the many mediocre and focused on just a handful of "Yeses" for his team of 8,000. The first was the new iMac, then the iPod, then the iPhone and iPad, paired with software. It catapulted Apple into the #1 company in the world. Steve has been gone since 2011, but Apple remains a standard of excellence for its simplicity and beautiful products. Apple is his most significant innovation, and from that comes innovative products.

Application: I had 300,000 great domains but decided to sell 95% and keep the top 5%. Now, I am focused on the Top 100 of 11,000 domains—domains like How.com, Mother.com, VC.com, Git.com, God.com, Vancouver.com, and Bots.com. I am partnering with top entrepreneurs in this world of AI.

Wisdom: Cut through doubt with wise decisions that simplify and remove complexity and clutter. Trust your vision to say no to distractions, knowing that each decision shapes your final masterpiece.

8. Persistence

Sustained Effort Despite Setbacks

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.

Walter Elliot (1888-1958)

Persistence is the continued relentless pursuit of your desire and vision, even when obstacles appear insurmountable. It's the force that keeps the dream alive.

When Elon Musk was on the verge of collapse with both Tesla and SpaceX, trying to launch Electric vehicles in a world of gas autos and reusable rockets when he didn't quite know how, his Persistence to figure out the constraints and innovations his companies required allowed him to break through, especially when everything was on the line.

Application: My mentor Bob Proctor told me that he read the chapter on Persistence in the book "Think and Grow Rich" every day for 30 days each year for 30 years. That means he read it 900 times. Wow. His reminder that Persistence was crucial to his great goals answered his question: "What do you really want?" He had one key desire a year that extended into decades.

Wisdom: Remain steadfast and persevere in the face of setbacks and obstacles. There is always a way, sometimes many ways. Let Persistence become your superpower, as each setback becomes the FUEL for the next one.

9. The Mastermind

The Coordination of Knowledge and Effort

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Henry Ford (1863-1947)

You may have heard of the term Mastermind. The mastermind principle involves surrounding yourself with people who challenge and uplift you to a high frequency (energy) level, creating a synergy that elevates everyone in the Mastermind.

I found this Mastermind principle hard to grasp but realized its power. It is how everything in the world succeeds, including families, communities, companies, and institutions. However, it starts to fail once there is no "mastermind."

Application: Disney created a mastermind in his studio, gathering artists, engineers, and visionaries who dreamed and brought ideas to life. His Mastermind fostered creativity, where the combined talents of his team far exceeded those of the most talented individuals. You can start with just two or three people, the 'Trinity' of visionary (the architect), operator (the executor) , and controller (finance and planning).

Wisdom: Seek a mastermind that complements your strengths and inspires your imagination. Build a mastermind of passionate individuals to create an unstoppable force for innovation and execution.

My Life Question:

How do you make the best decisions?

• When I think of decisions, I think of another D word: Discernment. How do you discern the best decisions when you don't have all the information or the context?

• When the stakes are high, this discernment is even more critical.

• I often ask for time to "sleep on it" or to "pray about it" so I can have the wisdom to discern rightly.

• Having a timeline for decisions is also essential. Another D word: Deadline.

• I often think of Decision Trees for the worst-case scenario, the likely one, and the best scenario. I plan for the best but also mitigate for the worst. 

My Life Lesson:

Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

1. Persistence is what I call Relentless Pursuit. I believe this is a quality that separates the great from the rest. It also means focus—someone who is persistent over a long period, like the tortoise. I have engraved the Tortoise principle as my own path. I am a tortoise who plods along to my destination.

2. It's essential to know my destination. I have to be clear about this, even though I may not see the path or way to my destination. We travel around in circles, taking wrong paths and exits, but eventually, we can arrive at our destination if we persist. This is Odysseus's journey to his destination, which is ultimately home.

3. Where is your home? Your true destination, where your heart feels at home?
   

Next week:
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind To Connect Your Dream to Reality.

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.

Carl Jung (1875-1961)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.

How to Set Your Dream into Motion

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Do you recall the first 3 Secrets of Success?

1. A Desire or a goal that you envision to be real. A dream you deeply desire.

2. Faith in the attainment of that desire beyond all doubt.

3. Your subconscious mind does not know imaginary from reality, nor right from wrong (the realm of your conscience), so you can use Autosuggestion to embed the faith in your desire into your subconscious deeply.

These are the three cornerstones of success, but the next three set it into motion, bringing heaven to earth and the imaginary to reality.

4. Specialized Knowledge

Personal Experiences and Insights

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

Plutarch (46-119 CE)

General knowledge is superficial, but specialized knowledge is rare and valuable, and it catalyzes success insights. Seekexperts or pioneers in your field and continually refine your specialized knowledge.

I wove together the insight that the Internet was going to be the biggest revolution in history with the physical real estate analogy for domain names. Now, layered with mobile and blockchain, I believe this revolution will only accelerate with AI.

Application: I invested in specialized knowledge about domain names, investing in hundreds of thousands of them and still hold 11,000 premium domains. I sold 80% of my Google stock in 2018 and bought NVIDIA at $60, believing GPUs in blockchain, followed by AI would make NVIDIA a very valuable company. They are #1 right now.

Wisdom: Don't seek to know everything. Instead, master what aligns with your purpose.

5. Imagination

The Workshop of the Mind

If it’s a good movie, the sound could go off, and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980)

Imagination is where ideas are born. It's the workshop of the mind, where the intangible is forged and refined until it's ready to be realized. It is the blueprints of design.

Application: I am inspired by the idea that Hitchcock visualized almost every scene of his movies before he made them, even the shadows on the faces of the actors. This thinking doesn't just apply to movies, but also to businesses and your life. The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  You, yourself must still imagine and plan.

Wisdom: Let your imagination roam freely without constraints, unrestricted by today's limitations. Build a workshop in your mind and visit it daily. Craft, tinker, experiment and redesign the world in your mind before making it real. 

6. Organized Planning

The Crystallization of Desire into Action

Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again.

Walt Disney (1901-1966)

A dream without a plan is only a fantasy, never realized. Organized planning takes desire and crafts it into actionable sets… Today.

Application: For the past twenty years, I have visited Disneyland every year to inspire my family to dream and bring out the child in our hearts. Walt Disney meticulously planned every theme and detail of Disneyland before it ever came to life. Each attraction, path, and performance was mapped out in advance. He organized his vision into a plan that captured every magical element he imagined. I am trying to do this (with my team) for CampHowdy.com.

I call this an executable plan, and I typically have three phases, mirroring the caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly phases. Hence the quote from Emerson on an acorn seeding a thousand forests. I think in days, but I also think and plan for decades.

Wisdom: Organize your vision into a living blueprint, where each step makes your vision closer to reality. Plan not just for the outcome but also for the experience, ensuring every detail aligns with your highest purpose. Think, think, think deeply and envision it all like a movie in your mind.

You are the director.

If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it.

Walt Disney (1901-1966)

My Life Question:

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

Zig Ziglar (1926-2012)

What is Your Organized Plan?

• For your role, your business, your health, your family, your faith, or your life?

• My blueprints are at most a page and typically half a page. They are simplified to a flywheel cycle with 3-5 main points (I call them dominos).

• For my physical health, at 100 years old, I will do 10 pull-ups, ride 100 km on my bike, and do the splits (it's going to be a hard one 🙂).

My Life Advice:

In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)

1. While I believe that God created the heavens and earth, I also believe that I must think, imagine, gain wisdom, plan, and prepare with all my heart, mind, and body for something to come from just a thought or idea.

2. The imaginary world is not bound by constraints, but the physical world is. Finding an elegant solution between your ideas and your reality is magical. 

3. You are given riddles of life where the answers lay in the problems and questions you encounter. Solve them and free your soul and others. These are your life missions if you choose to accept them rather than run away from them.
   

Next week:
Making Your Dreams Reality

Dreams die because of these three things or lack thereof.

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy dream.

Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

See you next Thursday!

Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.