ACT AS IF ONLY YOU ARE THE BEST - Jim Rohn Motivation

ladies and gentlemen imagine for a moment that you are the best in the world at what you do picture yourself Standing Tall confident and unbeatable that's not just a Daydream it's the mindset you need to adopt every single day of your life today we're going to talk about acting as if you are the best because let me tell you something no one is better than you now I know what some of you might be thinking but I'm not the best there are so many people out there who are more talented more successful More Everything well

let me tell you a little secret those people the ones you think are better than you they started by believing they were the best too success is not just about skill or Talent it's about attitude it's about how you carry yourself how you approach challenges and how you view your own potential when you act as if you are the best you start to become the best let me share a story with you years ago I met a young man who worked as a janitor at a large corporation every day he would come in mop the

floors empty the trash and go home but he did not just see himself as a janitor oh no he saw himself as the CEO of clean he treated that building like it was his own company he took pride in every shiny floor and spotless window and you know what happened the actual CEO noticed within a year that young man was promoted to facilities manager within 5 years he was running his own cleaning company all because he acted as if he was the best janitor in the world now I'm not saying you should be arrogant or

look down on others that's not what this is about it's about recognizing your own worth your own potential it's about understanding that you have something unique to offer the world something that no one else can bring to the table quite like you can think about it there are over 7 billion people on this planet and not a single one of them has your exact combination of experiences skills and perspective you are quite literally one in 7 billion so why would not you act like you are the best but here's the catch acting like you are

the best does not mean sitting back and resting on your laurels no sir it means working harder than everyone else it means constantly striving to improve to learn to grow because the best never stops getting better let me give you another example I once knew a Salesman who was terrible at his job he could not close a deal to save his life but every morning he would look in the mirror and say I am the best salesman in this company and then he would go out and act like it he would study the top performers

ask for feedback practice his p pitch until he could do it in his sleep and you know what within 6 months he was outselling everyone else in the [Music] office That's The Power of acting as if you are the best it's not about pretending you're faking it it's about setting a standard for yourself and then doing everything in your power to live up to it now I can hear some of you thinking but what if I fail what if I act like I'm the best and then fall flat on my face well let me tell

you something failure is just part of the journey to becoming the best every great success story is built on a foundation of failures think about a baby learning to walk that baby falls down hundreds of times before taking their first real steps but do they ever think well I guess walking just is not for me of course not they keep getting back up keep trying keep acting as if they are meant to walk and eventually they do that's the attitude you need to have fall down seven times get up eight act as if failure is

just a temporary setback not a permanent condition cuz let me tell you the only true failure in life is giving up now some of you might be wondering is not it a bit arrogant to act like I'm the best and to that I say is it arrogant for a lion to act like the king of the jungle is it arrogant for an eagle to soar Above the Clouds of course not they are just living up to their potential and that's exactly what you are doing when you act as if you are the best acting like

you are the best is not just about how you see yourself it's about how you treat others too the truly great ones the ones who are really the best at what they do they lift others up they Inspire they lead so when I say act like you are the best I'm not just talking about strutting around like you own the place I'm talking about being the best version of yourself the best friend the best colleague the best member of your community because here's a little secret when you act like you are the best you inspire

others to be their best too it's like a ripple effect your confidence your drive your determination it's contagious people want to be around someone who believes in themselves who's striving for great they want to catch some of that energy that enthusiasm so by acting like you are the best you are not just improving your own life you are improving the lives of everyone around you you are raising the bar for your entire circle of influence now I know some of you are sitting there thinking that sounds great but how do I actually do it how

do I start acting like I'm the best well I'm glad you asked let me give you a few practical tips start with your appearance I'm not talking about buying expensive clothes or anything like that I'm talking about carrying yourself with confidence stand up straight make eye contact smile these simple things can make a world of difference in how you are perceived and more importantly in how you perceive yourself speak with authority even if you are not sure about something do not him and ha state your opinion clearly and confidently if you turn out to be

wrong no problem the best are not afraid to admit when they have made a mistake but more often than not you will find that speaking with confidence makes people more likely to listen to and respect what you have to say set high standards for yourself the best do not settle for mediocrity they are always pushing themselves to do better to achieve more so big goals Dream Big Dreams and then work your tail off to make them happen surround yourself with Excellence you have probably heard the saying you are the average of The Five People You

spend the most time with well if you want to be the best you need to surround yourself with the best seek out mentors join Mastermind groups attend conferences and workshops where you can learn from Top performers in your field this is crucial always be learning the best never stop growing never stop improving read books take courses try new things the moment you think you know it all is the moment you stop being the best and finally act with Integrity the truly best people are not just successful they are respected they are admired not just for

what they have achieved but for how they have achieved it so always do the right thing even when no one's watching treat others with kind and respect keep your promises be someone others can count on now I want to address something that might be on some of your minds you might be thinking but what about humility is not it important to be humble and you are absolutely right humility is incredibly important but here's the thing true humility is not about thinking less of yourself it's about thinking of yourself Less in other words acting like you

are the best does not mean constantly bragging about your accomplishments or putting others down it means having the quiet confidence to know your Worth to pursue Excellence without needing constant validation from others think about it this way a tree that bears the most fruit is often the one that bends its branches lowest it's not ashamed of its abundance it's simply sharing its wealth with others that's the kind of best you want to be not arrogant not boasting ful but confident in your abilities and generous with your gifts now let's talk about fear for a moment

because I know that for many of you the idea of acting like you are the best is scary you are afraid of being called out as a fraud you are afraid of failing you are afraid of what others might think but here's the truth fear is just a sign that you are stretching yourself that you are growing the best athletes in the world still get butterflies before a big game the best performers still feel stage fright the best Business Leaders still get nervous before a big presentation the difference is they do not let that fear

stop them they use it as fuel they channel that nervous energy into performance they act as if they are the best even when they are scared out of their minds so do not wait until you feel ready do not wait until you have conquered all your fears act as if you are the best right now today because the secret is there's no such thing as ready there's only now let me share another story with you I once met a woman who dreamed of starting her own business she had a great idea she had the skills

but she was paralyzed by fear what if I fail she kept asking what if people laugh at me so I asked her what would you do if if you knew you could not fail if you were guaranteed success how would you act she thought for a moment then her eyes lit up she started describing all the Bold moves she'd make all the risks she'd take all the Big Dreams she'd pursue great I said now go do exactly that she looked at me like I was crazy but I'm not guaranteed success she said no I replied

but by acting as if you are you are giving yourself the best possible chance and you know what she did it she started that business and yeah she faced challenges yes she had setbacks but she kept acting as if she was the best entrepreneur in the world and today her company is worth millions why cannot you do it you can do it 100% you can do it that's the power of acting as if you are the best it's not about pretending you do not have fear fears or doubts it's about acting in spite of those

fears and doubts now I wanted to address another objection I often hear but what if I'm just starting out what if I'm not even close to being the best yet to that I say everyone starts somewhere even the greatest Masters in any field were once beginners the difference is they acted as if they were destined for greatness from day one think about a martial arts student putting on a white belt for the first time that white belt symbolizes the beginning of the journey but the student who will one day become a master does not Shuffle

into the dojo with their head down thinking I'm just a beginner no they walk in with their head held high thinking I'm going to be the best Marshall artist this Dojo has ever seen that attitude that belief in their own potential for greatness is what carries them through the long hours of practice the painful failures the moments of doubt it's what keeps them going when others give up so whever you are on your journey whether you are just starting out or you are already at the top of your game act as if you are the

best act as if greatness is your destiny consistency because acting as if you are the best is not something you do once and then forget about it's a daily practice it's a way of life think about it like this if you were truly the best in the world at what you do how would you approach each day would you hit the snooze button five times and drag yourself out of bed at the last minute or would you leap out of bed excited for the opportunity to hone your craft would you do the bare minimum at

work counting the minutes until you can clock out or would you constantly be looking for ways to innovate to improve to excel would you spend your evenings mindlessly scrolling through social media or would you be reading learning strategizing preparing ing for even greater success tomorrow the best are not just the best when the spotlight is on them they are the best in all the small unseen moments too they're the best when no one is watching so I challenge you zero start acting as if you are the best in every area of your life be the

best spouse the best parent the best friend be the best at your job whether you are the CEO or the intern be the best in how you take care of your health your finances your personal growth because here's the thing Excellence is a habit and the more you practice acting as if you out of the best the more it becomes your reality now I want to address something that might be bothering some of you you might be thinking but what about competition if I act like I'm the best or not I setting myself up for

disappointment when I encounter someone better than me and that's a great question but here's the truth TR when you are truly acting as if you are the best competition becomes irrelevant because you are not competing against others you are competing against yourself the truly great ones they do not worry about being better than everyone else they focus on being better than they were yesterday they are constantly pushing their own boundaries raising their own bar think about the great athletes do you think Michael Jordan was worried about being better than the other players on on the

court no he was focused on being better than Michael Jordan was the day before so when you encounter someone who seems better than you do not get discouraged get inspired learn from them use their Excellence as motivation to raise your own game because here's the secrects there's always going to be someone who's better than you at something but there's no one who can be a better you than you your unique combination of skills experience is and perspective means that you have something to offer that no one else can so focus on being the best version

of yourself not on being better than others when you start acting as if you are the best you are going to fail a lot and that's okay in fact it's more than okay it's necessary failure is not the opposite of success it's part of success every great achievement is built on a mountain of failures think about a baby learning to walk they fail down hundreds of times before they take their first steps but do they ever think well I guess walking just is not for me of course not they keep getting back up keep trying

keep acting as if they are meant to walk that's the attitude you need to have fall down seven times get up eight act as if failure is just a temporary setback not a permanent condition because here's the truth the only real failure in life is giving up everything else is just learning so when you fail and you will fail do not take it as a sign that you were not the best take it as an opportunity to learn to grow to become even better remember the best are not the ones who never fail they are

the ones who fail the most because they are constantly pushing themselves constantly taking risks constantly striving for greatness when we discuss success and being the best and that's Joy because if you are not enjoying the journey what's the point acting as if you are the best does not mean being stressed all the time constantly pushing yourself to the brink of burnout it means finding joy in the pursuit of Excellence think about a master Craftsman they do not grudgingly drag themselves to their workshop each day they approach their craft with excitement with passion with a sense

of play that's the attitude you need to cultivate find joy in the process of becoming the best celebrate your victories no matter how small laugh at your failures they are just stepping stones on your path to greatness because here's the thing life is too short to be miserable in pursuit of success if you're not enjoying the journey you are doing it wrong so act as if you are the best yes but also act as if you are the happiest the most grateful the most alive because true greatness is not just about achievement it's about living

a life of purpose passion and joy now as we start to wrap up I want to leave you with a challenge for the next 30 days I want you to act as if you are the best in every area of your life act as if you are the best employee the best spouse the best parent the best friend act as if you are the healthy the most disciplined the most positive person you know do not wait until you feel ready do not wait until you have conquered all your fears and insecurities start right now today

because here's the truth you do not have to feel like the best to act like the best in fact it's the other way around when you start acting like the best you start feeling like the best and when you start feeling like the best you start becoming the best it's not going to be easy there will be days when you doubt yourself when you want to give up when it feels easier to settle for mediocrity but I want you to push through those moments I want you to remember that you have greatness within you that

you are capable of so much more than you realize and most importantly I want you to remember you are unique there has never been and will never be another person exactly like you you have have gifts talents and perspectives that no one else can offer so do not rob the world of your Greatness by playing small do not dim your light to make others comfortable shine bright Stand Tall act as if you are the best because in your own unique way you are remember this is not about ego or arrogance it's about recognizing your inherent

worth and living up to your full potential it's about honoring the gifts you have been given by using them to their fullest extent think about it this way if you had a million dooll racehorse would you keep it in the barn of course not youd train it nurture it and let it run well you are far more valuable than any racehorse so why would you keep your talents hidden why would you hold back acting as if you were the best means showing up fully in every moment it means bringing your whole self to everything you

do whether it's a big presentation at work or washing the dishes at home it means setting audacious goals and then working tirelessly to achieve them it means refusing to settle for less than you are capable of in any area of your life it also means being kind to yourself along the way the best are not perfect they make mistakes they have bad days but they do not let those setbacks to find them they learn they grow and they keep moving forward so be patient with yourself celebrate your progress no matter how small and remember that

becoming the best is a journey not a destination the impact you can have on others when you start acting as if you are the best because here's the thing your attitude is contagious when you carry yourself with confidence and purpose it inspires others to do the same think about the people in your life your family your friends your colleagues how might there lives change if you started showing up as the best version of yourself every day how might you inspire them to reach for their own greatness when you act as if you are the best

you give others permission to do the same you create an environment of Excellence around you you raise the bar not just for yourself but for everyone in your sphere of influence and that's how real change happens in the world it starts with one person deciding to be their best with which inspires another and another until we've created a ripple effect of Excellence that can transform entire communities so I want you to think Beyond just your own success I want you to consider the positive impact you can have on the world when you fully step into

your greatness because here's the truth the world needs you at your best we're facing unprecedented challenges as a society and we need people who are willing to step step up to innovate to lead we need people who are not afraid to dream big to take risks to push boundaries we need people who believe in their own potential for greatness and are willing to act on it and that's where you come in by acting as if you are the best you are not just improving your own life you are contributing to the betterment of the world

around you now I know some of you might be thinking but what if I'm not in a position of power or influence how can I make a difference and to that I say every position is a position of influence every interaction is an opportunity to make a positive impact whether you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a stay-at-home parent you have the power to influence others through your actions and attitude think about the last time someone's positive energy brightened your day maybe it was a cashier who greeted you with a genuine smile

or a coworker who encouraged you when you were feeling down those small acts of kindness and positivity can have a ripple effect that extends far beyond the initial interaction now imagine if you approached every interaction with that level of positivity and Excellence imagine if you treated every task no matter how small as if it were the most important thing in the world how might that change the energy you bring to your relationships your work your community That's The Power of acting as if you are the best it's not just about achieving great things although that's

certainly part of it it's about bringing your best self to every moment every interaction every opportunity it's about living with intention and purpose knowing that your actions no matter how small have the power to make a difference so I challenge you to think bigger do not just aim to be the best in your field or your community aim to be the best human being you can possibly be strive to make a positive impact in every life you touch because here's the thing true greatness is not measured by how much money you make or how many

accolades you receive it's measured by the positive impact you have on others it's measured by how much you grow how much you give how much you love and when you start acting as if you are the best in all these areas not just in your career but in your relationships your personal growth your contribution to the world that's when you start living a truly extraordinary I know that for many of you the idea of acting as if you are the best brings up a lot of fear fear of failure fear of judgment fear of success

heaven but I want you to understand something fear is not your enemy fear is a sign that you are growing that you are pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and that's exactly where greatness lies the best is not absence of fear they feel the fear and act anyway they understand that courage is not the absence of fear but rather the Judgment that something else is more important than fear so when you feel that fear creeping in that voice that says who do you think you are to act like you are the best I want you

to thank it thank it for showing you where you need to grow thank it for pointing out the areas where you can become even better and then act anyway act as if that fear does not control you act as if you are bigger than your doubts and insecurities because you are remember every great achievement in history was once considered impossible every breakthrough every Innovation every Leap Forward was once just a crazy idea in someone's head but those people the ones who changed the world they acted as if their ideas were not only possible but inevitable

they acted as if they were the best even when the world told them they were crazy and that's the attitude I want you to adopt I want you to act as if your dreams are not only possible but inevitable I want you to act as if the only question is not if you will achieve greatness but when you are capable so much more than you realize you have potential within you that you haven't even begun to tap into and the only way to unlock that potential is to start acting as if you are the best

right now today do not wait for permission do not wait for someone to tell you you are ready do not wait for the perfect moment because it will never come start now start where you are start with what you have but start active as if you are the best employee your company has ever seen act as if you are the most loving partner the most devoted parent the most low friend act as if you are the healthiest most disciplined most positive person you know act as if success is your duty your responsibility your obligation act

as if greatness is not just a possibility but your Birthright when you start acting this way the world starts treating you differently opportunities start appearing doors start opening people start believing in you supporting you cheering you and most importantly you start believing in yourself you start seeing yourself as capable of greatness and that belief that confidence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy now I want to be clear acting as if you are the best does not mean pretending to be something you are not it does not mean faking it or putting on a show for others it

means aligning it your actions with your Highest Potential it means making decisions based on who you want to become not who you have been in the past it means treating yourself with the respect and care that you would give to someone you consider to be the best in the world it means holding yourself to high standards not out of perfectionism or self-criticism but out of self-love and a desire for growth and here's the beautiful thing when you start treating yourself this way you naturally start treating others better too you become more patient more understanding more

compassionate because when you recognize the greatness within yourself you start seeing it in others as well so as we come to the close of our time together I want to leave you with this final thought you are here for a reason you have gifts talents and experiences that are Uniquely Yours the world needs what only you can offer so do not hold back do not play small do not let fear or doubt or past failures hold you back from becoming the best version of yourself act as if you're the best starting right now act as

if your dreams are not only possible but inevitable act as if you have the power to change the world because you do remember greatness is not something you were born with it's something you choose every single day in every single moment so make that choice choose greatness choose Excellence choose to act as if you are the best not just for your own sake but for the sake of all the lives you have the power to touch and transform because when you become your best self you inspire others to do the same and that's how we

create a better world one person one choice one act of greatness at a time so go forth from here with confidence and courage act as if you are the best because in your own unique Way You Are [Music]