Has anyone told you that being different is probably your biggest asset? The truth is, I didn’t get the memo.

A long, long, long time ago, way back when I had more hair, I remember struggling because I hated being different. Believe it or not, I was a nerdy, shy, introvert who loved playing Nintendo while listening to the soothing sounds of Slayer. The perfect child, right?

Sure, I had my gang of nerdy friends, but somehow I got this stupid idea that in order to succeed I needed to go with the flow and be more like the crowd (boy, was I fucking wrong).

For once I wanted to be liked, popular and accepted. So what did I do? I hid my personality and I tried to become someone else. For about 20 years I wore a mask that kept me safe from rejection and criticism.

Yes, I was one of the guys.

But at what cost?

Sure, I went to parties (rarely danced though), I commented on the latest trends, I followed the money trail, I commented on same stupid things, and I did what everyone else thought I should do with my life. The result was that I became depressed and frustrated with my directionless existence, and both my body and my soul knew it.

It wasn’t until I decided to be myself that I began to see the results that I wanted.

¿So what does it mean to be “yourself”?

To me, being yourself is….

…knowing who you are.

…knowing exactly what you want.

…knowing your core values.

…understanding your likes and dislikes.

…making your own damn decisions.

…expressing your own passions.

…taking full responsibility for your life.

…picking and choosing who or what goes or stays.

…loving and accepting who you really are.

Let me make something very clear here: if you’re an asshole, please DO NOT BECOME A BIGGER ONE. Being yourself is learning to be a better version of you. It means learning when to say no or when to ignore the things that just don’t matter. In this case, being a bigger dick won’t turn you into a porn star, so be a better human instead.

Do you really wanna live inside someone else’s shoes? Are you willing to let others think for you? Isn’t it time to cut the umbilical cord, again? Growth only happens when you move outside the known, and the part of the unknown is getting to rediscover and appreciate your unique skills, knowledge and personality.

Loving yourself is about looking into the mirror and saying, “hey motherfucker! ¡Yea you! You are fucking awesome! Now let’s go and make this shit happen.” Then watch how the magic starts to sprinkle the good stuff in every area of your life.

Take time to be with alone with your thoughts (god knows there’s too much noise around). Get to know yourself (again) and turn your weaknesses into strengths, and your strengths into the life that you’ve always wanted to have.

Juancho

Juantemotiva.com

Wow. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 6 years since I wrote my first blog. I still remember how hard it was to put ideas to paper. Like many new writers, it’s a constant mind battle between what you really wanna say vs what your mental third grade teacher says you should say.

I hated using proper words to appease the linguistic elite. Until one day I said “Fuck that! I’m not Dr. Phil, and don’t plan to be.  It wasn’t easy but I believe that creative expression starts giving ourselves permission to be outspoken, authentic and weird.  

And it al starts with a feeling….

Have you ever felt like you have something to say or do? You know it. You sense it. It keeps you awake at night with questions like “what if I tried this or that?” You wanna release your creative juices, and I believe it’s your mission to do that.

So let’s say that you love drawing and have a passion for tattoos. The problem is that you’re afraid to leave the 9-5 desk job that pays the rent.

Does it mean you can’t do it? Nope.

Do you have to quit your job? No (at least not for now).

First you need to decide to become a highly successful tattoo artist. Then you find a way to start practicing and studying in your spare time. Baby steps are the key here. You can work with a mentor or you can volunteer at a tattoo shop or maybe watch YouTube videos. You model the best always letting your creative juices flow and if you do your part eventually you’ll go from student to apprentice to the artist.

These principle also apply in the business world. Whether it’s in marketing, in sales, in management, or entrepreneurship, today’s market needs tons of new ideas. Ideas that make life better for everyone from supervisors to employees to the customer.

Here are a few ideas that’ll help you express your creative mojo.

⁃ Identify your Desires

What do you enjoy doing? What do you do that inspires new ideas? What would you do for free? The activating key is Positive Emotion. Find out what drives you no matter if you’re 7 or 70.

⁃ Get Busy

Creativity won’t come out by itself; it needs your participation. Listen to my pal Les Brown and start from where you are with what you have. My son started at 5 with just a pen and whatever scrap paper he could find. Today he’s 14, he has better tools (many bought with his allowance/BDay money) and he’s constantly refining and expanding his drawing skills at way higher levels than his pears. He’s growing because he’s getting busy. So try a new approach. Notice the feedback. Practice. Do whatever you gotta do to express this desire.

⁃ Learn the Best

Did you hear the news? Someone out there is already great at what you love. What a concept…

Having a mentor or a role model will save you years of aimless hard work. Find them. Study them. Buy their their books. Go to their seminars. See their videos. Find their biographies. Write to them. Imitate them while you develop your own style. Notice their persistence, dedication, discipline and patience. Use them as motivation.

⁃ Be You

At first you may here a lot of discouraging voices around you. Ignore them. Your inner voice is much more influential than them. Tell your overprotective mind to chill out; You’ve got this. Remember you have a mission, a purpose, a goal. Listen to your emotional GPS. Is your excitement bigger that your fears? Can you feel satisfaction just imagining what you can accomplish? Follow the signs. Dance at the pace of your own music. Shine away and embrace your weird self.

⁃ Use it All

I love music, so I purposely use inspirational stories from the rockstars I admire. I’m also a huge fan of controversial standup comedians like the late Gregg Geraldo. Thats why I like using dark humor and bad language. So why not spice up your talents with other interests? Bruce Lee mixed self defense with philosophy. George Carlin used comedy as an outlet for social commentary, injustice and to call out on people’s day to day bullshit. That’s what made them different.

Juancho

Hello. My name is Juan Santiago. And I stopped giving a fuck a looooooong time ago…

I don’t give a fuck about chain messages. I don’t give a fuck about Trump, the Kardashians, or bitcoins. I don’t give a fuck about haters and critics. I don’t give a fuck about the news. And I certainly don’t give a flying fuck about filling anyone’s expectations of who I should or shouldn’t be.

Now that I got that of my chest, let me give you 3 good reasons why you too could benefit from this “not giving a fuck” attitude.

But before I start, let’s make something clear: “Not giving a fuck” is NOT a license to be an pretentious, self centered asshole. It simply means that from now on, you will only devote your time, your attention, and your energy to thing, events and people that improve your life.

Reason #1: It Keeps You Goal Focused

Creating your dream life isn’t easy. You need to stay laser focused. But if you behave like most people – whining about what they don’t have, worrying about shit that might never happen, playing with their cellphone – you can bet your ass that you’ll never get there.

Focusing on problems will not make you help you solve them. So fuck that and keep all your attention on possibilities that can get to where you wanna be.

Reason #2: It Builds Confidence

Before I accepted my awesome, weirdo self I was always trying to fit in with what I though was the cool crowd. This never made me happy. So I ditched them and I found other weirdos who liked me for being me.

Understand that real confidence starts with one huge step: Self Acceptance. This means not giving a fuck about being different. You are supposed to be different. That’s how God made you. So never, ever dilute yourself; It dishonors your true powerful self.

Reason #3: You gain Emotional POWER

A true Master has complete control of his or her emotions. On the other extreme, the losers overreact to everything. No wonder they’re so annoying.

Become a true master by not giving a fuck about things that aren’t under your control. Things like criticism, the weather, global events, tragedies, your boss’s childish tantrums, failures, rejections, non of these things matter. What changes your life is what you fucking do about it. Period.

Juancho

I’m hardly what you can call the typical “spiritual person.”

I don’t believe in horoscopes. I curse a lot. I’m not into mystical crystals or magnets. I don’t pray (at least not in the usual way). My chakras haven’t been aligned since grunge hit the 90’s. I’d rather have a beer with Axle Rose than sit and meditate with the Dalai Lama. Don’t care about colors, races or sexual preference. Love tattoos. I eat meat. And I love life’s crazy diversity.

Yea, that’s me.

Now to my journey…

For a long time I doubted what society taught me about spirituality or religion. Non of it made sense. And no one ever gave me a straight answer. They just repeated what they heard, and followed these instructions like good little boys and girls regardless of how they really felt about it.
Questions like, Will I go to heaven? Does hell exist? Will I simply croak and become a ball of compost and worm food? Does listening to Slayer make me a bad person? What about Taylor Swift? Is God a man, a woman, an alien? And if he, she, it is so wise and powerful, why the hell doesn’t he simply appear and tell us what’s up?

Also. Is it true that he only likes you if you’re constantly thanking him? You know, like rappers receiving trophies at the MTV music awards. Doesn’t this sound more like a human dictator than an all wise being who loves you no matter what? Then what’s with all the scare tactics?
Believe it or not, questions like these kept me awake at night. Only after years of soul searching did I see that the more I understood myself, the more I understood spirituality.

The God Question 

Do I believe in God? Yes I do! Just not in the big guy-in-the-sky-with-the-nasty-temper version. That one needs serious help.

I believe that god is much more than a bipolar, ego thirsty dude that craves constant attention. If you notice, these are human traits that ancient people used to explain behaviors and natural events. Not to mention the benefits of crowd control. To me, God, Jehovah, Krishna, Source, is this loving and wise “energy” that permeates matter from here to the ends of the universe.

It lives within our every cell. It’s in the trees. Even your stupid cat is made from it. It doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, good or Trump. It’s always there, present, supportive, and nonjudgmental.
Because you’re here to serve a purpose, It’s always guiding you through intuition, people, books, mistakes, events, and other synchronicities that no human could’ve orchestrated.

You can feel it walking in the beach, through meditation or by helping a person in need. You are never, ever alone, even if you think you are. It’s imposible.

The spiritual Way

As I said, spirituality is discovering who you are: your strengths, your weaknesses, your desires, your talents. Its learning and unlearning until you find your truth. It’s understanding that we are all in this crazy ride together. It’s realizing that each person (including you) is born for a purpose – something that only you can do.
No begging or blood sacrifices are required. Sex is permitted. You can love whomever the fuck you want. You don’t have to kill your kid to prove your devotion. Oh, and there’s no fiery pit of doom playing Despacito. Although, if you fuck with people, life will definitely fuck-you-up until you get your shit together. In other words, you punish yourself.

What about religion? 

In essence, I do have a religion: LOVE. Every day I ask myself, Am I doing this from fear or love. Am I being authentic?

I do not hate religion, not even the really weird ones. Most of the people that I love support a religion. It’s improved their lives greatly, and that’s what matters. Who am I to judge how or through whom this knowledge comes from? Universal force flows through everyone, and it doesn’t care if you wear a funny hat. These are the people who understand the lessons behind the metaphors.
Sure, some may feel outraged about what I’m saying. It’s ok. I know that everyone is not ready for this. These are not the people that I’m speaking to today. My people either get it or are in the process of getting it. I’m just the messenger who believe that our punishments or rewards are a direct result of who we are and what we do.
Do I have all the answers? Hell no! Are my beliefs the “right” ones? I don’t know. At least for me they are. All I know is that my life has only gotten better since I awakened.

To you, I say keep asking, studying and applying until you find your own truth. Once you have it, your days will become brighter. Your quality of life will improve in all areas. You’ll feel connected to everything and everyone. Inspiration will flow like crazy. And your purpose will be cristal clear.

Juancho

Girl sitting in wheelchair in school corridor against desk

Do wanna know the secret behind every inspirational success story?

Here it is…

“The secret is that they all started with people (some probably no smarter or talented than you) who focused on a crystal clear vision of what they wanted to have, do or become.”

Before we start, let me explain the difference between a vision and a fantasy.

Fantasizing is simply imagining stuff that you don’t believe in.  (Like when I fantasize about winning the lottery or maybe dating one of those sexy Kardashians). I could imagine it, but I don’t really expect them to occur any time soon. That’s why I don’t buy lottery tickets or move to Miami to search for my soon-to-be wife.

A vision, on the other hand, is an image infused with a strong sense of “knowing” telling you that that someway, somehow you will make this happen. Personally, I’ve seen how clear visions tend to acts like a mental treasure map that’s pointing towards a better future, regardless of your past or your present situation.

In a way, it’s as if you are being given a peak at what your life could look like if you are willing to follow your instincts and move.

For example, Stephen Hawking started out as a brilliant young man with a huge vision of becoming a well-respected theoretical physicist. He did sports, he went out with his friends, he studied, he dated, and he loved solving life’s biggest questions about the Universe. Then one day after suffering from health issues, his doctor diagnosed him with ALS – a degenerative neurological condition that eventually paralyzes the patient from head to toe. Even though they gave him only 2 years to live, Stephen didn’t give up.

It’s been over 50 years since his first diagnosis and Mr. Hawking is not only alive; he also has 3 children, he became a world famous physicist and cosmologist, he does lectures all around the world, and he continues sharing his knowledge through books, seminars, studies and articles. Well, apparently he didn’t get his doctor’s memo because he’s done with his illness than most of his “healthy” colleagues.

Identify Your Vision

What is your grand vision for the next couple of months or years? What level do you want to reach in your career? How much money will you earn? Will you help your community in some way? Can you see yourself living fitter and healthier? Do you dream about turning into a strong, confident person? Are you finally getting that degree? Do you envision yourself with a loving partner? Do you see yourself being happy and successful?

The truth is that people without a positive vision rarely get to design a life that they want. In fact, most of them are so focused on “what is” that they end up creating more of the same.

Instead, why not show God, nature or the universe a clear picture of the changes that you want to experience? After all, you do create your reality. Just look at life; it’s always willing and ready to help you by bringing in the right situation, the right person or the best idea, just as long as you show it/him/her what you want. Make your vision big, bright and as real as you can.

Keep in mind that just like a jigsaw puzzle, your dreams can be put together if you have an image that helps you place the pieces.

Excessive worry con appear in different forms for different people. Some worry about catching some horrible disease, others about getting fired, and some worry about dying in a tragic airplane accident. All I know is that we can waste too much time worrying about stuff that will probably never, ever happen.

But what if you could live without that annoying and excessive worrying?

What would you be, do or have if fear didn’t keep you stuck?

Can you imagine how liberating and powerful you would feel to get started on your dreams?

That’s why I decided to share with you the same “30 Day Worry Free Challenge” that released me from these stupid ideas.

What’s in it for you?                                                                       

It’s scientifically proven that constant worrying affects every aspect of your life, especially your mental and physical health. By producing constant stress your immune system slows down while your blood pressure speeds up, slowing down recovery time and leaving you wide open to disease.

Extreme worry also promotes anxiety, depression, confusion and other brain disorders. Because of this, your creativity and your positive mental attitude basically turn to shit, hindering your God-given ability to come up with solutions for your problems.

In simpler terms, “constant worry can literally turn your life into a living hell!”

So here’s the challenge: “Can you go a full 30 days without worrying about the same old issues that are keeping you stuck?”

Here are a couple of tips that’ll help you get started.

1-Practice “Having-A-Vision”

Excessive worry, just like television, is extremely good at one thing: “Keeping you fucused on the image in front of you.”

Is it a positive vision or a negative one? Is it both? Which one do you focus on more?

Cancel out those fearful images by having a huge, crystal clear vision that’ll inspire you to move in the right direction. Then start taking small steps until you reach it, no matter how many obstacles you have to face during your journey.

2- Haters and setbacks: “Your initiation to Mastery.”

First, when you’re trying to achieve something big you’ll  inevitably gain attention from a lot of insecure people. Consider this your initiation into greatness, not a roadblock.

Everyone has their own opinion depending on how they see the world. So don’t take it personally.

Second, setbacks are the best way to learn from real world experience. Mistakes, failures, rejections, they all come with the territory. You either learn from them or you risk falling in the same hole.

3-Avoid useless sensationalism  

Unless you or your family is in real danger you don’t need to read, watch or listen to today’s toxic news. Have you noticed how they love talking about tragedies, disease and injustice, but rarely give you a positive solution? Off course; fear and worry is how they get you hooked into wanting to know more. The same goes for crappy reality shows and gossip programs.

4- Feel your fears and do it any way

There are moments in your life were you’ll just have to say “Ahhhhh Fuck it!”.  Show your fears who’s boss by moving towards them with conviction.  For example, if you’re afraid to talk to a cute girl, suck it up and approach them anyway. The same goes for a difficult client or to ask for a promotion. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Or better yet, what’s the best…? But if you never try you’ll never know.

5-Take your daily shot of blessings

How many times a day do you bless what you have? Can you eat 3 times a day? Bless it. Are your kids healthy? Bless them. Does your crummy job pay your bills? Bless it. Does your horrible boss inspire you to want something better? Bless that S.O.B.

Being thankful can become a great habit that’ll serve you well, especially during hard times.

6-Teach your Mind to “Chill Out”

There are a couple of ways to relax your mind, but in my opinion, meditation is still the best way to go. It’s easy. It’s free. And you don’t need a prescription to use it. Just tap in “guided meditation” on YouTube and try the one you like.

Quieting your mind from mental chatter increases your creativity, your drive, your energy, and it helps your body heal from stress. It also raises your level of intuition and overall awareness, turning you into a great problem solver. Your emotions also become more balanced helping you sleep better, make better  decisions, and relate better to others.

If meditation isn’t your thing you can also go to the beach, go to church, walk in the park, go dancing, listen to your favorite uplifting music, do Yoga, or go jogging.

Remember the last time someone told you that you can’t do what you want? Kind of makes you wanna knock them out, doesn’t it?

In the past, negative comments and haters made me furious and insecure to the point that I was just about to throw out my dreams.  That is until I heard a great teacher say that we don’t need everyone’s approval in order to succeed.

So now I’m here to help you overcome hateful criticism by giving you these 3 Important Rules that’ll transform any stupid comment into your fuel for success.

You ready? Here we go…

Rule #1- Turning the Negative into Positive

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” William Shakespeare

Sadly, some folks limit their capabilities to what others think of them. That’s why there’s so many talented people settling for things (jobs, relationships, businesses, etc.,) that don’t suit them. Maybe they don’t know it yet but their need to be accepted by the “tribe” is exactly what’s keeping them from excellence. So they join the circus and do whatever everyone else is doing.

Do you know what highly successful people and you have in common? Almost all of them started out being criticized and ridiculed for wanting to follow a great vision. Sure at the beginning most didn’t have all the talent or the resources but after years of study, preparation and patience they eventually made it.

Did you know that Steve Jobs built his company, Apple Computers, from his dad’s garage?  A lot of potential prospects dismissed him because they only saw a couple of scruffy kids with a home made computer and a huge vision. Did it matter what others thought of him? You tell me.

You too can turn any negative “opinion” into a positive mantra that’ll keep you focused on what matters: your goal!

Rule #2- Look for the Positive Feedback

I may be stepping on my own shoes here, but not all criticism is bad. Constructive criticism is a useful way to get great feedback that may inspire you with new ideas and help you make improvements in your performance and/or service.

Personally, I’ve benefited a lot from great people who’ve shared great ideas on how to reach more people or improve my message. This shortened my learning curve and it taught me how to become efficient at what I love to do.

Rule #3- Bless those haters

Malcolm X once said, “If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success.”

I believe that people who love to criticize you are like signposts on your way to greatness because they show you the mindset that you must avoid. They don’t know it yet, but their attitudes keeps them living as spectators while they watch you become the player that they come to watch. They may yell at you from the bleachers but you are still the one playing.

A friend once told me that nothing says “I don’t give a f**k” like a huge smile in the face of ignorance. So smile away and bless these haters for letting you know that you are on your way to bigger and better things. Bless them every single day and hope that they too can get inspired to change their lives for the better.

Its finally that time of the year were we can finally say goodbye to 365 days full of happiness and sorrow, successes and failures, new relationships and breakups, and all those interesting things that makes life so freaking interesting.

No wonder most people consider the New Year as chance to erase the past and start over with a clean sheet, or so they say.

So forget about whatever happened last year and focus on what you can do to make this new year completely different (in a positive way) than the past. Let me help you not only know what you want (anybody can do that), but also teach you the secrets that will let you to reprogram your life for positive and permanent results.

Let me remind you that there’s no book, article, program, seminar, or guru who can transform your life if you don’t: 1- Take responsibility for your results. 2- Change your attitude from negative to positive. 3- Take action and apply the information learned.

So here are my 3 Secrets that’ll certainly help you achieve your New Year’s resolution.

Secret #1: Your Resolution must be clear and specific

Imagine that you get in a taxi, and when the driver asks you, “So, where do you wanna go?” you go and answer, “Me? Just take me anywhere.” Really…., what do you think will happen? Besides giving the poor taxi driver mental diarrhea you also run the risk of ending up either in the same place or some other place where you don’t want to be.

In other words, the same way that the taxi person needs clear and specific instructions in order to take you where you want to go, your powerful mind also needs for you to tell it exactly what it is that you want. And if you don’t do these you run the risk of repeating the same lame results that always leave you feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Still don’t believe me? Just look around at all those people who start the year saying, “This year I will lose some weight” or “I will make more money.” Then they get confused and angry when they lose only 3 ounces and make an extra 15 cents. Ignore this superficial strategy and go BIG by deciding exactly what it is that you will achieve next year.

Secret #2: Visualize the Result

Look, it really doesn’t matter how hard you work at what you want, because if you can’t see yourself already achieving it, it will always seem like a struggle to reach the goal.

Every famous artist, sports star, and other successful people from all walks of life know that a clear mental vision comes before producing any results. Even Albert Einstein knew that imagination is more important than reason. Why? Because your creative mind has no limit to what it can envision, regardless of external limitations.

So forget about circumstances and visualize yourself with your desired body, changing careers, completing your studies, o just expressing your ideas to others with clarity and confidence. Take at least 15 minutes a day to relax and imagine how it will look like to fulfill your New Year’s resolution, while holding a real sense of faith that this mental picture or movie will eventually become your new reality.

I’m not going to get into details with how your brain can literally readjust itself through the right use of your imagination, so just do like I did and put your visualizing power to the test. Once you start noticing how things seem to flow better when you do it you will understand that success really does start from the inside out.

Secret #3 Follow only those who Know

Did you know that the wheel was already invented? So why not make achieving your goal for next year that much easier by searching for other people who already did what you want to do? Its only when you start taking the right steps when results start to happen. And if their method doesn’t fit you, just try another and another until you find a strategy that’s good for you.

Drill into your mind that in life there are no failures, only results. I also believe that for every big goal there are almost a required number of setbacks and obstacles that you need to face in order to make it. For example, if you wanna lose 25 pounds and 5 inches in 3 months, then you should go out and look for people, diets and programs that do that.

Don’t think about your past failures and see that your dissatisfaction with “what is” is just life’s way of motivating you into something better. Take things at your own step, but never stop working and dreaming about your goal until you make it.

Here’s some additional important information:

1- Write your resolution on a notebook, cellphone, diary, visualization board, o wherever you want to put it. This will help you stay focused the end result.

2- Put an end date to the goal. Understand that a dream without a date is just a fantasy.

3- Don’t tell your New Year’s resolution to anyone. Unless you wanna get infected with other people’s fear and insecurity virus, just keep your desires to yourself. And if you do feel the need to tell someone, talk to a pet, your pillow, or better yet, talk to God. There’s a reason why “Seeking approval from others” isn’t Secret #4.

4- DO NOT GIVE UP!

**********

Cogratulations! You are now closer to making this next year one of the best you’ve ever had. And although you can’t always be positive (believe me, I’m not) you can always work on being optimistic and courageous against whatever obstacle is stupid enough to get in your way.

And before I forget………… Happy New Years!!!! I love you from here to infinity. J

~Juancho~

Way back at the end of the 1800’s, a really smart and passionate dude named Thomas Edison decided to perfect the lightbulb in order to illuminate our lives.

It is said that to achieve this insane goal he literally had to repeat the bulb making process over 2000 times! “That’s some super f***ing patience batman!!!”

Can you imagine him working day and night for months without getting a positive result? Thankfully, stopping wasn’t an option because he knew that it would all come together in time. 

Did he get angry or frustrated during the process? I bet he did. But what made him great was his insistence on doing what needed to be done.

Sure, you might be saying, “But Juancho, you don’t understand, I don’t have patience.” Don’t worry little grasshopper. Thankfully, patience is a learnable skill. I know because I did it.

Chill out. Focus on the process.

Developing patience is important to your success. Period. It helps you gain experience, knowledge and you gain mental muscles from your mistakes. In other words, creating awesome results takes time.

And another thing, stop comparing your results with other people. I’ve seen very talented people do some really stupid sh*t, so why be like them. You are different and special, so focus on doing your best.

For example, if you are looking to become a doctor, your journey could take between 6 and 12 years depending on your specialty. If you’re not up to it, then it probably isn’t your calling.

Even in metaphysics there’s a law called, The Law of Gestation, which explains how every living thing goes through a growth process. Some take longer than others but it’s always the perfect time for them.

When Steven Spielberg worked on his blockbuster movie, JAWS, the robot that controlled the shark broke down during every scene. In the end, this experience showed him that it’s better to imply that there was a shark instead of showing a fake one that convinced no one.

Look, my friend, whatever you want to have or do in life, you’ve got to first analyze what it takes to make it. Then you can decide if the practicing, the waiting, the learning, and even the failing are worth the effort.

Statistics say that a big reason why great employees leave their companies is because of bad management.

The saddest part is that those who stay behind are often so demoralized by their incompetent superiors that they will only do the minimum required to keep their crummy jobs, eliminating the company’s ability to keep positive, energetic and creative employees who help them grow.

The ugly truth is that bad management doesn’t only affect you; it can affect the business, it’s clients, and it produces large amounts of stress on everyone involved often leading to more sick-days. And as you probably know, excessive stress can steer you towards making more mistakes. I won’t lie to you, terrible bosses are a pain in the a**. But just like any other challenge it is possible to overcome them and succeed.

So what can you do when you’re stuck with a boss who could’ve been Hitler’s second in command?

The first thing is to “never take anything they say or do personally.” Everyone has a different way of doing things depending on how they see the world. This means that when they spit out some stupid remark it’s really about them, not you. In other words, terrible bosses will be angry, cynical, and egotistical with or without your help; they are mentally wired this way.

Could a terrible boss change its evil ways? Off course they can. But unless you are their coach or shrink it is not your job to try and fix them. In my opinion the best thing that you can do for any toxic person is to set a better example by the person you become and pray that they catch on to it.

When you don’t take their shit personally you take away their power to hurt you. Just ignore their mind viruses and eventually they’ll have no other option than to go and infect someone else. If they see the benefit in your behavior they will adopt it. If not, it’s their loss.

The second thing is to keep your mind busy on doing your job. Don’t give them a reason to mess with you and do the best that you can at whatever your task is. All these people want is for you to screw up so they can enjoy hammering you into the floor. Do not let them!  So don’t just meet their expectations, exceed the hell out of them. Step up and become a respected leader within your division or group.

If they get pissed off, at least you will have the pleasure of knowing that it’s because you intimidate them. Look at other successful stories and you’ll notice that positive minded people who give their best never stay in that toxic situation for long. So give it your best and keep your eyes and ears open for new positive growth opportunities.

Third, focus on your where you want to be. I am sure that you have talents that need to be develop and dreams that want to be fulfil, and no one can keep from them. Just keep your mind in the direction of where you want to be and don’t make the mistake of believing that where you are is all there is, because it’s not. Inside every problem there is an equal lesson to be learned that’s designed to help us grow. Use your terrible boss as your main motivation to move into something better.

Let your imagination take you into a world of new possibilities and make a plan that can get you there. Get emotionally involved with the idea that you were born to make a living while loving what you do. There is really no excuse good enough for you to tolerate mediocrity and abuse in any area of your life. You can, and you will eventually leave your terrible boss right where he or she belongs: as a distant memory from the past.

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