Success Magazine has been an integral part of my personal development strategy for many years. I look forward to getting the new edition each month and a subscription is one of my favorite things to gift to those brave enough to show me their potential. When they recently created a new opportunity for learning and connection it was an easy choice to say yes.

Success Live. A single day. Just one block on the calendar. Something to look forward to as much (or perhaps more) for the break in routine as for attending the actual event. An easy yes but frankly not really a star on the page. In all candor, that was how I thought about it. Until I experienced it.

I had forgotten the power of new perspectives.  I had forgotten the energy boost of being in the room. The virtual world is a good thing. It has enriched my life enormously but there is still something to be said for being in the room. When I look back over the past few years, it is clear my most significant personal and professional breakthroughs had their genesis in events I’ve attended in-person.

This conference was different however from most in terms of format. Fourteen speakers. In one day. Seven before lunch. Seven after lunch. And lunch was the only break. You really had to engage to keep up. No time for a wandering mind. If you stopped paying attention you would miss something. And from the very first speaker what you knew without a doubt was that you did not want to miss anything.

Time tested principals and philosophies were front and center. But with fresh voices and life stories demonstrating their continued relevance for all of us.

Here are a few highlights from my notes:

From Brendon Burchard we heard again from Aristotle, who also influenced Will Durant’s writings in his book The Story of Philosophy (1926). He spoke about the science of habit. If you want to know how extraordinary people achieve that status – this is how:

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Motivation may be what gets us started, but it is habit in the end that gets us to the finish line. We don’t make a difference by what we start, we earn that influence by what we repeatedly do.

Listening to Tom Bilyeu (co-founder of Quest Nutrition) I was reminded of David Bayer’s work which I discovered at a conference last year. Tom’s work also includes the interview series Impact Theory which is rich beyond measure for those of us seeking to understand mastery of our thoughts and self-discipline. His interview with Lewis Howes, another presenter at this event is well worth the listen.

Tom’s presentation was especially valuable to me as this is where I’m spending a great deal of time in self-reflection right now – the idea of keeping our promises to ourselves and installing the right disciplines to help us reach our full potential.

His signature statement for me was this: “Do and believe that which moves you to your greatness.”

It really comes down to these two questions:

• Who do you want to become?
• What price are you willing to pay to get there?

Another speaker that has stayed with me was Jonathan Fields. This was a lesson for me in staying open. I wasn’t familiar with his work and his presentation was later in the day. I was nearing capacity for taking in information. What I can share with you is that I have very few notes from his presentation. He drew me in from the start and I didn’t want to interrupt the experience even with notes. It was the presentation in a day of excellence that moved me the most. Since then I have been living with his voice in my head and I’ve been studying his thoughts through his books and other resources. His story is so powerful. His book Uncertainty is what I’m currently reading. There is no question that my future endeavors and writings will be influenced by what I’m learning from him.

A day of reflection and questions. Questions that we need to be asking ourselves continuously to ensure that we are always striving to live our best life and be of optimal service in the world.

These were the challenges I took home with me:

• What decision have you been unwilling to make?
• What action have you been unwilling to take?
• What connection have you been unwilling to initiate?
• What goal have you be unwilling to set?

Giving ourselves permission to face these questions is where the process begins.  Empowering ourselves to take the next action as we answer these questions is where the transformation begins. Continuing to ask these questions is where our gifts can reach their highest possibilities.

I trust that what I brought home with me also resonates with you. Always remember that there is more value in the rest of your story than you ever dreamed possible. Live today in the belief that you are creating the tomorrow that will transport you beyond achievement to joyous fulfillment.

Live well.

P.S. There is another Success Live event coming up in September.  If you’re looking to capture this experience for yourself, take advantage of the early bird registration. You won’t be disappointed.