Landmark Education a Cult? (Not Even Close)

The all famed, Landmark Education Cult Question…

So you have heard about the Landmark Forum, and you’re curious to find out what it’s all about. When you start to type it into google, it autofills to “Landmark Education Cult”. Now you’re even more curious, a little worried, not to mention a small bit of skepticism has begun to creep in, to add to what was probably already there.

You click on the autofill that Google suggests of “Landmark Education Cult” and here you are, ready to read!

Look…

You are certainly not alone in your skepticism and your curiosity. I was once invited to an intro to the Landmark Forum 5 states away by my crying mother, and the event was less than 24 hours away on a Tuesday night. Odd behavior to say the least.

I too used Google to try to figure out what this whole Landmark thing was about, and was met with some interesting stories, and descriptions.

So in this article, I’m going to cover everything you need to know about The Landmark Forum, detailing my experiences, both good and bad, having been through two of the four Landmark Courses, and I’ll explain to you where this strange stigma of Landmark Education being a cult comes from.

By the end of this post, you will be able to make an educated and informed decision on whether or not the Landmark Forum is for you, and you’ll be able to plainly see that not only is it clearly NOT a cult, it doesn’t resemble one in any way, shape, or form.

So What is Landmark Education?

Landmark Education is a personal growth course consisting of four segments, which together form what they refer to as The Curriculum for Living.
The four segments are:

  1. The Landmark Forum
  2. The Landmark Seminars
  3. Landmark Advanced Course
  4. Self Expression and Leadership Program (SELP)

I’ll tell you everything that you want to know about Landmark Education. I completed the Landmark Forum in July 2017 and the advanced course in December 2017 with my amazing wife Michelle.

Both my parents have completed the entire Curriculum for Living.

I have extended family that have also completed numerous Landmark Education courses.

First things first…

Let’s Get the FAQ’s Out of the Way

How much is it? Price varies slightly from city to city, but the Forum is $600

How Long is it? 9am to 9pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 7pm-9pm Tuesday.

That seems intense… It is. You think that changing the course of 100-200 people’s lives is anything BUT intense? Nope. It’s heavy. It’s intense. And it’s incredible.

Is it Worth it? HELL YES. Not only that, they should charge more.

Wait, it’s really that impactful?? Yes…YES…yes.

So what’s it about? It teaches you how to live a life that you love, instead of surviving life in general.

But I have a good life already… Of course you do! That’s because you HAVE A LIFE. That in and of itself is amazing! Landmark teaches you how to live it FULLY and POWERFULLY.

So is it a cult? I googled it and… We’re getting to that. Be patient 🙂

So what is The Landmark Forum then? I’m Glad you asked!!

What to Expect (The Mechanics)

You’ll be in a meeting room for roughly 12 hours for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s a minimalist set up. There is two chalk boards, four TVs, and two banners hanging from the ceiling with some wording on it that you’ll learn about. There is a stage that the Forum Leader will be on most of the course, and at the back of that stage there will be a table with an orchid on it, a yellow rag in a white bowl, a dictionary, and a glass of water.

The layout of the room depends on the location. I attended the Landmark Forum in Houston, TX where there is large windows on either side of the room.

Behind the participants in the course is the Landmark Staff. They do all the behind the scenes set up, and time keeping. They will be a mixture of Landmark employees and volunteers that have participated in the course already.

You will be given a white name badge, that has your first and last name on it in black letters.

The chairs are pretty typical for a classroom style presentation. Some cushion…some.

You will be asked to not take notes, and the reasoning is sound. You can take notes if you want to, but I suggest you trust the process and don’t.

There aren’t too many breaks. A short 30 minute lunch, a longer 90 minute dinner break, and a few short little breaks in between.

So You Sat In a Room for 12 hours Straight?

What’s that like?

It’s fine. Truly. There are moments that are uncomfortable, but the content of the course is highly engaging, so you won’t notice it too much.

On Sunday night I was actually disappointed to not be going to the course the next day!

I do have two HIGHLY VALUABLE suggestions to help you with sitting for 12 hours…

Be in an open mind-state. Be ready to learn, be positive, and get ready for some concepts that are counterintuitive, but trust that it will all make sense.

Bring a lot of gum. Also, if you are a fidgeter, bring some toothpicks too. It will give you something to do.

What am I Going to Learn? (Your Breakthrough)

What are you going to learn? That’s up to you, and it’s unique to you. Like I said before, the over reaching concept of Landmark Education is to teach you how to live a live that you love.

You may learn that you have harbored resentment against people who you want to love you, and that resentment has cost you the very love that you crave.

You may learn that you isolate yourself as a way to avoid the rejection that you think is coming, even though you love people and are very lonely.

You may learn that you have had a great life and that you have a great support system.

Or maybe you learn that YOU are a great support system for others.

The clear point here is that this list could go on and on. Everyone comes out with their own distinctions and breakthroughs.

I’ll Give You a Little Insight into What I Got….

I discovered that the traits that I THOUGHT I was supposed to have, we’re all made up in my head. I’m perfect just the way I am, but I didn’t even know who I was.

Going into the Landmark Forum I was very excited. I had visions coming out of the course as the incredible engaging, outgoing person that I’d always pictured myself as. This smiling, hand shaking, charmer that lights up rooms when I walk in.

Coming out, admittedly, I was quite a bit torn, because not only did this not happen, I actually felt like I got quieter.

Now, when I was in groups, I listened to others, and sometimes said very little. This was not only unlike me, but unlike what I thought I was supposed to be!

I’m a deep thinker, and a deep learner. It leads my brain to be a bit of a “slow learner”. Not in the sense of “being slow”, but in order for me to learn, I have to take it apart, reflect on the pieces, and then put it all back together. It can take a while.

So I remained in this confused state for a month or so.

For the record I did feel AMAZING though! Like some emotional baggage was lifted, but almost like I didn’t get my breakthrough. Like my experience was mediocre in comparison to others.

Then all the sudden I started to put the pieces back together…things began to open up…I started to figure it out. Figure ME out.

I’m can be introverted. Hence the deep thinker. Hence the analytical nature. Hence my highly outgoing wife! (Opposites attract ya know).

Ok so…

Here’s My Breakthrough (And it’s Profound)

All the behavior that I have modeled from leaders that I look up to was in direct opposition to my strengths.

To say that differently…

Since I was a child, I was trying to be something, more accurately SOMEONE, that I wasn’t. I thought to be the leader I needed to be loud and charismatic. Engaging and persuasive. What I call “the mayor” in all situations.

I still can’t figure out where I picked this up from…

But my nature is to actually sit back and analyze. Listen, and talk when I have some expertise in the matter, not talk to make sure others hear me talk.

I have years worth of regret from leaving social situations thinking that I didn’t make an impact, or that I wasn’t “on” tonight. Like I had “failed” the event.

So Two Things Came from the Breakthrough…

The first is by far the most profound.

Since I now who I am know, I can be me.

Do you have ANY IDEA how freeing of a feeling that is? Especially since I didn’t know that I wasn’t already being myself to begin with. I thought I was being me, and that I was working at being more outgoing.

I actually thought that outgoing people had to work at being outgoing. Like it was a skill, not a personality trait.

Now, as I have gotten in tune with myself, I can go to dinner with friends, and actually be at dinner with my friends. I’m not constantly wondering if I made a lasting impression or if I was funny enough, of if I portrayed myself as a leader…I can just be me.

The best part about this whole thing, and this still astonishes me…

People are more engaged with me. They enjoy my company more now, than when I was trying to make sure they enjoyed my company.

I also don’t care if I didn’t meet everyone at the party either. Before enrolling in Landmark Education, if I passed by a person, and didn’t talk to them, I thought I was a bad networker for not going out of my way to make conversation. Now, I can just hang out. They didn’t talk to me, I didn’t talk to them, and it means nothing at all.

Simply incredible.

I used to have an anxiety when there was something social coming up because I had to muster up so much energy to be outgoing and try to be the “life of the party”.

Now, I can just go somewhere, hang out, let people come to me, and be totally relaxed.

The Second Breakthrough (Strengths Finders)

Now, since I actually found my strengths them instead of trying to create them, I can work on developing them.

At the time of attending the Landmark Forum I worked for a large company that had a remarkable culture of investing in its employees. Every fall, we had a meeting that is catered to teaching us something new, and guess what fall 2017’s meeting was called?

Strengths Finders. Not kidding.

Best timing ever or what?

So I take the Strengths Finders questionnaire, I get my packet at the meeting, and my #1 strength is looking me in the face, and I have to be honest, I was surprised. It was “Learner”.

It describes me as someone who loves the journey of learning, but the end result of the journey is not that important.

It’s not about “knowing” things, it’s about that act of obtaining the knowledge.

Then when I’ve learned something, I can tend to leave it alone, or just seldom use it as I switch gears and start learning something new.

AKA I get bored after I master something.

This is so true, and something that I always (not kidding here either) thought was a weakness. It drove me crazy that I would spend all this time, effort, and sometimes money to learn this thing that was going to “take me the top” and then when I master it, I’d lose interest. I’d use the experience to help guide me, but I wouldn’t LIVE IT anymore. I couldn’t no matter how hard I tried.

Notice, more of me trying to be someone that I’m not.

And believe me, I’d MASTER things to where I could recite it backwards and forwards…just to rarely use it.

It left me always chasing the past. Trying to get back to something that I used to do, instead of chasing the new thing to learn.

Now that I know this, I actually work less on the mastery, and instead I just enjoy the ride. Relish in the research and the thinking and hypothesizing and the debating of pros and cons. I find joy in the learning now.

I’m an Infinite Learner…and I love it.

What Came Out of My Breakthroughs?

Well, a lot actually. But let me take you through the tangible stuff…

Largest activity or behavior that came out of the Landmark Forum; I’m a writer.

I’m a Writer and I Don’t Really Write Much

I actually always have been a writer. I’m good at it. I enjoy it. But I never cultivated it, or did anything with it.

Now I have the courage to do it.

It started with a Journal that I bought. I pulled off the interstate in a courageous state to buy it, and was unsure of following through with the purchase all the way to the register. You can read that story that HERE.

That journal then spilled online, and became a blog. And here we are, hanging out together!

Maybe the Most Important Change From Landmark Education

Happiness. Straight up.

I was in a prominent leadership position with the company that I used to work for, and I was able to actually start working on developing my leadership style.

As in MY leadership style.

It’s been so fun and so liberating.

I don’t worry about anything to do with human interaction any more. I just interact with people the way that I interact with people.

Many aspects of this self discovery still continues to open up as time goes on, and as I uncover more and more traits that make me, me.

The Last Behavior Change…Openness

Now I’m not very open by nature, so this is a huge one. I’m still not anything NEAR the “open book” type, but as time passes I am getting a little more open.

I can tell when I’m being open because I get two funny feelings.

The first is when I’m being open, and sharing my experiences or feelings, it’s so liberating! It’s crazy that sharing personal things, or things that I KEPT personal, causes so much joy for myself, and so much gratitude from others. Powerful stuff. (Learned that at the Landmark Forum)

The other funny feeling is that later on, after I act in an open way, I get this nagging feeling of remorse that’s almost the same feeling that I used to get the night after partying hard, when you know you drank a bit too much and did or said something that was out of line. Why this one happens I don’t know, but I have begun to train myself that it’s now a great feeling, not one to be regretted. Try to think of it as the age old advice “Do one thing per day that gets you out of your comfort zone”.

I also find humor in the fact that I used to be so closed off that I actually feel guilty now for being open!

Ok, so those are all the things that you can possibly expect from the Landmark Forum, so now I want to address the things about Landmark that I don’t love…

The Downsides to Landmark Education

So obviously it’s not ALL magic and breakthroughs.

There are some things about Landmark that I don’t particularly care for, and this is not unique to me. You’ve read this far, so you can clearly see that the good FAR outweighs the bad, but let’s get into it.

The Lingo

There is a ton of words and phrases that Landmark Education uses, and some of them are very unique. When the Forum Leader is using them, they fit perfectly into the context and flow of the conversation. Then when someone in the course tries to use them, it’s often forced into an area that it doesn’t really fit into. It can be clunky.

It’s like the 13-year-old that just started using swear words, and he can’t seem to get it right yet. “Don’t be such a stupid damn head.”

Then you have the Landmark Lingo Junkies. These are the people who have been incredibly impacted by the course, have fallen in love with what Landmark can do for others, and have since “created themselves as a possibility” at least 100 times since Sunday night. They can be challenging to be around because they try to talk like the forum leaders, but they don’t have anywhere near the experience using these new phrases.

It’s like that same 13-year-old that is new to swearing, and he’s now obsessed with using swear words, but does so in just the same awkward way above.

The Chosen Ones

There are a select few that I was in a Landmark course with that use the Landmark Language masterfully! They are talking with these new phrases intertwined into the conversation like they are a Form Leader! I think they are like the chosen ones. They were made to spread the Landmark message, and they are very inspiring to be around.

The other thing about the language that Landmark uses is that it can be confusing at times. They can use three syllable words when a one syllable word would have done just fine. And those big words are so close to being out of context that it can get confusing.

I actually made the joke that we could start a separate company that translates the Landmark content into regular english and make a ton of money!

The Integrity (Or the Integrityholics rather)

So a HUGE part of Landmark is based on integrity. They have an incredible take on it, and it’s not linked to anything moral or righteous. It’s about honoring your word (not keeping your word). I’m not going to get into the particulars here, but how they approach integrity is awesome.

The Forum Leaders use the concept of integrity in a masterful and inspiring fashion.

Then what do we do? We abuse it. We turn everything into an integrity issue, and we run around restoring integrity with every person that you made even the lightest commitment with.

You’ll hear, “I’m out of integrity with you and I want to restore it. I was 1 minute late in calling you and I promise that next time I’ll call you on time.”

Dude, it’s 1 minute. Just say my bad, or I’m sorry. We don’t need to go through the WHOLE integrity schpeel every time there is a tiny crack in the integrity.

The lesson here is that the lingo is ACTUALLY awesome. But once it’s passed on to us “normals” we kinda butcher it and tarnish it’s meaning. FAST. Leave it to the pros folks!

The Hard Sell (Recruiting)

Now, as a salesman by trade, this doesn’t bother me. Landmark Education is a business. They need more people to sign up so they can make money. That requires recruiting. Simple.

Also of note, the sales pitches are so good that most miss them entirely. Serious.

Of course, there are cynics that not only catch it, but they dwell on it. They think it’s the most egregious thing ever and they just can’t seem to understand it (there are plenty of articles about it on Google, non of which will be linked from this blog post!).

Honestly, some of these sales pitches add some serious value, and many of them are almost a review of what you’ve already learned.

Just know that it’s coming, it’s really well thought out, and part of the program. If you simply can’t stand it, go use the bathroom when one starts, and take a deep breath…it’s really not that big of a deal.

Inviting Others to the Forum

Full disclosure here, this was hard for my wife and I because we took all of our Landmark courses in Houston, TX, and we live in New Orleans, so we only knew one person in Houston.

I did personally invite five people to the introduction to the Landmark Forum in Houston, TX, even though they lived in California, Utah, and South Dakota respectively. My one buddy from Houston did come with his wife (who we’re now also friends with).

During the Forum, you will want to invite everyone you know to enroll in this program. It’s life changing, and to be surrounded in your life by other landmark graduates truly incredible.

For me, the inviting of others during the Advanced Course got to a level that I would describe as “peer pressure”. If you didn’t invite anyone to Tuesday night, you we’re almost judged. It was intense…but the wrong kind of intense.

So, is it a Cult Then or What?

That’s a question that I hoped by now to have answered with an obvious and resounding NO, and not to just do it as TELL YOU that it’s not a cult, but tell stories that clearly illustrate that it’s not anything that even resembles a cult.

But just in case…

I’ll be blunt.

Landmark Education is Not a Cult.

Not even remotely close to a cult, nor does it have anything to do with anything cult-like.

So why do people think it’s a cult then?

Good question.

There are a few factors that lead the conversation to the topic of cults. I’ll list and explain them here…

People Are REALLY Happy After The Forum

This is the largest factor no doubt. People are changed after having gone though the Landmark Forum, and the change is often profound. The Forum takes place over a weekend. You leave work on Thursday the normal you, and then when you come back to work on Monday, you are a totally different person. Mood changes, outlook is positive, and you give off a sense of POWER that you never had before. It’s far outside of normal, and people will no doubt notice.

Landmark Forum Grads Can’t Explain It

This comes right after the happiness that you will portray. When you change that much over a weekend, people are going to ask… “What the hell happened to you??” To which you’re going to reply something like this;

“I took this course…it’s like this personal development thing…and it was AMAZING. It was the most impactful thing in my life. It opened my eyes to the fact that we’re all living lives that we are just getting through! I learned about these things called winning formulas, and mine is that act better than people, and since I realized it I found out that I’m out of integrity with you and I want to restore it, but that’s a conversation that we can schedule for at lunch today. I have to tell you all about this Landmark thing…but I don’t even know how to describe it…it’s like…well it’s incredible and I think you should come with me to the final class tomorrow night. I can invite anyone I want, and I want to invite you…but I want you to know you don’t need it. No one needs it. In fact you’re perfect just the way you are. But you should come with me! You will get so much out of the course, and what you get is different than what I get. It always is! I know I sound crazy. Just trust me. It’s incredible, just trust me. Trust me…”

See how that conversation can cause someone to think that you have gotten in to something weird?

Recruiting Others to Join

Once you experience this new openness that you discover in the Landmark Forum, you want others to have the same thing. You will be a recruiting maniac, but not for any other reason than because you want others to have what you have.

There is no tracking of recruits, or commission on who you get into the program. You just want to share this with others!

This concept is odd in our society… “You mean you just want me to be happier?”

Yep. That’s it.

The Three Factors Together

You see how those three things go right in order?

The whole thing is cyclical…they ask questions about it, you can’t explain it, then you invite them to come to a Landmark event with you to learn about something they don’t understand, and they just have to trust you.

It gives way to what I call “The All-Famed Landmark Education Cult Question.”

  • People change over the course of a weekend
  • They can’t explain their changes in any terms that others understand
  • They recruit others to take the course

One More Small Factor (Landmark Education Brainwashing Accusations)

So there is one more factor that can lead people to make the “cult” accusation, and it has actually also been assumed that Landmark Education is brainwashing the participants.

This accusation, like the “cult thing”, is totally silly…

Here’s what that last small factor is…

Strange Language

So as I said, you leave work on Thursday evening the “you” that everyone knows.

The course runs Friday morning to Sunday night, and then you return to work on Monday morning totally different.

One of the major areas of change will be in how you talk. You will start using words in new ways, describing events with adjectives that are not typical. You have just learned all this new language, so as I said earlier, it all sounds a bit clunky coming out of your mouth.

This CAN lead people to think that you “drank the Kool-aid” and are a member of some new covenant.

And it can lend itself to people throwing words around like “brainwashing”

None of it true. None of it based in reality.

Alright, so here it is….

The Big Reveal (A New Game)

Here’s the crowning moment of this whole post, and the best way that I can describe what changes, or “opens up for you” as you enter the world after having gone through the Landmark Forum…

You are playing a new game in life.

It’s not better, or worse, or changed. It’s a whole new approach to living your life that puts you in a place of power with yourself and others.

The old game was just to survive. Get through.

This new game is to be the author of a life you love. To write a life that you want, and create new possibilities for yourself that connects you to the world, and to the community in new ways.

So Let’s Close it Like This….

Landmark Education is an amazing company that is focused on teaching people how to live a more powerful life.

That’s it.

There are no sinister actions. No ulterior motives. No great hidden secrets.

They take money in exchange for their services, just like every other business on the planet.

There are some participants that have a bad experience, some that don’t like it, and some that decide to take that negative experience and post it in places to see.

There are far more that have had great experiences, changed their lives, started their own businesses, reconnected with loved ones, etc, because of what they learned at the Landmark Forum and in the rest of the Curriculum for living.

As with most things in life, the ones that love it just go forth and conquer.
The ones that don’t like it, complain about it in public places.

As a writer now, I thought that I could do my part as a Landmark Grad to spread the positive word, and encourage some people that may be on the fence about enrolling to tip the way of courage, and go.

Go to the Forum. Have a weekend that will start something amazing for you!

I’m going to open myself up for any and all questions about all of Landmark Education’s services. I have been to the Landmark Forum, the Landmark Advanced Course, and am enrolled in the Self Expression and Leadership Program in February 2018, but commuting 6 hours to Houston for SELP proved too difficult for Michelle and I (She was pregnant at the time too!)

My wife Michelle has done all the courses right along with me.

My parents have both completed the entire Curriculum for Living.

Thanks for reading 🙂

-NG

Related: What I Got Out of the Landmark Forum and What you Can Expect

work life balance is a myth the seesaw of balance

The Seesaw of Balance (Work Life Balance is a Myth)

The Seesaw of Balance

Work Life Balance is a myth.

If you try to achieve it, you will either fail, or live a life of mediocrity.

Achieving “balance” is a fool’s errand.

You think Tom Brady is balanced?
You think LeBron is balanced?
You think Ronaldo is balanced?

NOPE.

In order to be great, you have to put in too much work to be “balanced”.

Think about the word.

Balanced means you have something held perfectly in the middle so no part of it falls.

You can’t be an amazing father living in the middle.

You have to put your phone away and jump on the trampoline, blindfolded, chanting “Mummy, mummy come alive”.

You can’t be a high achiever at work living in the middle.

You have to wake up before dawn to grind on that big project, day after day, until it’s done and you crushed it!

Here’s Why Work Life Balance is a Myth (and how to actually win big)

It’s less about balance and more about appropriate pressure.

You don’t go hard at work 24/7 and you don’t jump on the trampoline 24/7. You pick and choose the times when you will go balls to the wall!

This, admittedly, is a concept that I have struggled with my whole life.

I tend to be HIGHLY unbalanced, running to one end of the seesaw, staying there shouting about how amazing it is, until it eventually it starts to wear on me and I burn out.

The way to do it correctly is to go to one end of the seesaw, DOMINATE, then head back to the middle.

When another opportunity comes your way, you head to that end of the see-saw for a bit, DOMINATE AGAIN, and then head back to the middle.

Repeat.

Don’t work for harmony.
Pick your moments and WIN BIG.

-NG

Everything is My Fault

Learn to take personal accountability for everything in your life = you making shit really happen in your life.

You’re in control of 100% of your life.

Yes, there are things that happen to you that you’re not in control of…

But no matter what you always control your reaction to them, and you control your mindset.

You decide if you are going to…

Play defense (complain).

Or

Ply offense (attack)

It’s no surprise that the humans that shape or worlds play offense!

-NG

Nick Glassett nick_o_glass origin leadership

The Way You Do It Isn’t Right

The way you do it isn’t right. It also isn’t wrong.

The way you do it is the way YOU do it.

That’s because there is no RIGHT. Only right for YOU.

So don’t judge others for the way they do it, because that is THEIR right.

But more importantly, don’t judge yourself.

You’ll see someone that you look up to doing a Youtube video and WISH you could talk like that on camera, or you see an Instagram post and with you could take pictures like that…this silly list goes on and on.

Rest assured

You are doing it the right way for you…

IF YOU’RE DOING IT!

Don’t get caught measuring your success vs others, because it’s CREATIVE KRYPTONITE.

Nothing will stop you in your tracks faster than comparing your work to someone else’s.

Go do what’s right for you. And that’s going to take some testing, but you’ll never know until you do it!

Ready, set MAKE IT!

Love,

-NG

The Internet Will Pay You (But You Gotta Hustle)

The internet is here, and it’s ready to start paying you.

So is it easier, or harder than getting a regular job?

I guess that depends on you!

So in this blog post, I’m going to give you the framework to get going and start earning. Let’s go!

It takes a lot of work to get good at something, but once you are good at it, I can 100% guarantee you there’s someone out there that will PAY YOU to do that that thing, rather than learn it themselves.

That’s the way ALL business works.

You need groceries, and you are willing to pay more to have it all in one place: Walmart.
You need your lawn cut, and you might be willing to pay to NOT have to do it. Landscaper!
You need your car fixed, and learning to do it yourself is DAUNTING, so you pay a mechanic.

So how the hell do you make money on the internet?

My first suggestion, and this is a key component here, is to start trying.

Novel idea, I know. But…

The more you talk about it, and the more you think about it, and the more you ponder it and contemplate it, and dread the fact that you don’t know how to do it, is just longer until you make it happen.

So do a fast brainstorm, and figure out what you are amazing at that other people are less amazing at.

Just make the damn list!

Once you do, ask you best friend, and your significant other, and your mom what’s missing from the list.

You’ll be shocked how many things your amazing at.

Ok next suggestion, make it a side hustle. Seems obvious, but I’m not saying that as a means to communicate to you NOT to quit your job, no.

I’m saying that with emphasis on the word HUSTLE. After all, what did you think this would be easy?

If you want to make it work, you have to STOP watching Netflix. You have to STOP sleeping in.

You need to be working at your job from 9 to 5 and then working on your side hustle from 5 to 11.

Here’s the punchline: You have to figure out how to turn that list of talents into a business, and then you have to get people to want to hire you for your service that you will provide.

Not easy, but well worth it!

And finally, my last suggestion, and maybe the most surprising thing you might expect me to say, but I mean it 100%…is to go join an MLM. That stands for Multi Level Marketing, or the dirty name it goes by is “a pyramid scheme”.

Joining an MLM isn’t something that you should take lightly, meaning, find one that you will enjoy and believe in the product.

Here’s why…nothing can teach you more about what’s called “Internet Marketing” faster than a good MLM. When you join, there person that enrolled you makes money off your sales, and that means they want you to succeed!

You will learn how to sell. You will learn how to communicate. You will learn to read other people, and you will have to hustle and get out of your comfort zone.

Yes, I am in an MLM and my wife is actually in two of them! It’s great! We earn some money from it, and we believe in the products and use them daily, and were learning a ton too!

Bottom line, if you want to do it, fucking do it…the side hustle I mean. Just be sure that you’re ready to hustle!

I’m in an MLM that I really like, hit me up if you want the details. I also have this blog as a side hustle, and yes, I have hobbies and a family. I’m starting our podcast soon, and we also have a live cooking show that we do on FB.

It’s all work, and it’s all totally amazing!

Happy hustling.

Love,

-NG

imaginary haters Nick Glassett origin leadership origin leadership.com

The Reason You Haven’t Accomplished Something Special (Yet)

The other day I wrote post called Imaginary Enemies where I talked about loving negative stuff like “haters” holding you down.

I didn’t know this at the time of writing it, but “imaginary haters” is a thing!! When I googled it I found a tons of memes!

imaginary haters Nick Glassett originleadership.com origin leadership

Now, I don’t happen to agree with all the memes, cause they are kind of mean!

But I do have larger opinions on this “haters” thing…

The Parade Without The Work

Anyone that says “Haters” are holding them back are people that want to have something special without working for it.

They’re talking about other people to distract you from the fact they aren’t doing anything.

There is no group of evil villains that twart your efforts to succeed.

You just don’t want to put in the work.

The poster child for this behavior is Johnny Manziel.

He wanted to be great, and he wanted to win and make an impact, but he didn’t want to practice. He didn’t want to watch film. He didn’t want to grind.

He wanted to Super Bowl Parade but didn’t want to have to work for it.

And guess what, he talked about haters too, and that means all he really wanted to do was TALK, TALK, TALK, and not do SHIT.

And in the end, he didn’t do anything but get labeled a BUST.

If you Think About Your “Haters”

I’m not trying to be mean, promise.

I actually spent a large portion of my life talking about things others should do, or what someone else should do to improve my situation.

I never talked about haters, but I surely talked more than I took action. I woke up to this fact after attending an amazing self development seminar called the Landmark Forum.

It was a sobering realization that I wait for others to do things, and I don’t take action myself!

It caused me to be a complainer honestly.

So…

I’m writing this hoping that someone will read it and can wake up to the fact that they are being a coward.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is taking action is the presence of fear.

If you want to do it, go do it.

If you’re not going to go do it, then stop talking about it. (That’s a message to you and me both!)

Thinking is NOT doing I post this because I struggle with it, not because I’ve mastered it and not because I’m immune to it. . . . Thinkers are brilliant people but we can sometimes get bogged down by over analyzing. Or like in my case, I think that because I asked a great question that it will do something. It won’t. That’s because THINKING IS NOT DOING. . . . The secret to success lies in ACTION. And that sounds obvious, but ponder the amount of great ideas that you’ve had that you didn’t do anything with…Invention, app, website, business, GOING TO THE GYM… . . . Every second matters. So waste none, take action, get started!! Employee Motivation Quotes

It’s not the Haters you gotta worry about.
It’s using the “haters” as a scapegoat that holds so many back!

Go do what ever it is you’ve been talking about! Go accomplish something that you’ve been thinking about!

Take action today!

Love you 🙂

-NG

Slay That Dragon (A Lesson In Problem Solving)

Good morning!

We all have problems, and we all need to solve them. As a matter of fact, it could be argued that the meaning of life is actually solving problems!

Read: How to Solve All Your Crummy Little Problems (and Truly Make a Difference) 

I have an analogy that I use to teach active problem solving; I liken it to slaying a dragon.

The Dragon is Born

Now, the important part of this analogy is the timing of WHEN you slay your dragon.

Generally, when something starts off as a problem, it’s starts off small.

It can be the check engine light in your car, an employee showing up 5 min late, your significant other not doing something you asked, or even a boss saying something that you don’t agree with.

Now here is where problems and dragons really start to resemble one another…when they’re ignored.

You let that check engine light go, or your boss does something that drives you crazy and you bottle it up…it starts to turn into REAL problem.

As it continues to go unaddressed, it gets bigger and bigger. By ignoring it, you’re actually feeding it.

Then your frustrations start feed it, and your ego continues feeding it.

Now He’s a Real Dragon, All Grown Up and Angry

Pretty soon your dragon is 30 feet tall, has 3 heads, breathes fire, and lives in a dark dirty cave.

The very thought of taking on that dragon is so threatening that you would rather talk about it with every person that you know versus deal with it.

By the time you’re FORCED to do battle, you have to wear a suit of armor, take your sword and shield, and venture into that nasty cave to take on the beast!

Instead…

If you act in the moment the problem is born, and address it (yes, with a tad bit of confrontation) the resolution of the problem will be very small.

Like slaying a dragon when it’s only 2 inches high!

You just swat it with your hand, and BOOM, it’s gone.

Heres a short 1 minute video of me teaching the concept to someone over the phone.

Slay your dragons when they are small, and you’ll free yourself up to help others slay their larger dragons!

-NG

There’s No Right Way Only Right For You (How I Keto/Low Carb)

To be a strong leader, you have to be in good health. To be in good health, you need to eat well and exercise.

In this post, I’m going to teach you how to eat! (Or rather, how I eat and how to get started on a Keto or Low Carb diet).

I was recently asked by a relative via facebook if I’m sponsored by Keto because I’m so passionate about it! The answer is NO I’m not a paid spokesman for Keto/Low Carb living, I’m just very driven about it because of how much it improved my life.

There is no “RIGHT WAY” to eat, there’s only the “RIGHT WAY” for you. This is how I eat Low Carb/Keto. This is to help you get started or stay motivated. It’s not YOUR blueprint, but it can be your outline so you can JUST START ALREADY 🙂

I PERSONALLY think that humans largely aren’t supposed to eat wheat, corn, potatoes etc.

Why?

Because we have only been eating them since we figured out how to grow them 10,000 years ago. We can’t evolve to shift the diet from “caveman” to 90% carbs in only 10,000 years.

This is in the form of an email to a relative that reached out, but you can act like it’s written to just you!! 

Please, questions are not just welcomed, but ENCOURAGED! Enjoy.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What’s up Bryan!!

Sorry this took longer than expected. I was in SLC helping plan my sisters wedding and then this email ended up way longer than anticipated! Lol.
I guess I have more to say on this subject than I thought.
Ask all the questions! Don’t be shy.
1st Things 1st
Low carb is not a diet. It’s a lifestyle.
You will be eating different than 99% of the ppl you know.
Half of those people will tell you that they could never do what you do, and the other half want to but don’t have the motivation to start. Enjoy living differently than everyone else 😎
 

 My View of Keto

I tell people I’m on Keto because it’s quicker than explaining the hybrid custom way that I eat.
Keto, to me, is a hardcore diet for losing a massive amount of weight.
If you wanna drop 20+ lbs get on Keto and love every second of eating better than anyone you know.
Once you get to your goal weight, don’t fall off the wagon!! But you should adjust appropriately so you can keep your progress and lifestyle going.
I eat this way because it makes me feel amazing vs lethargic and tired.
It could be from less gluten.
It could be because humans haven’t evolved to eat wheat (that’s my personal opinion)
It could be that carbs are sent by the devil to kill us all.
Who knows.
I’m not trying to lose weight, I’m out here trying to WIN and no bread and potatoes puts me in the best possible form, both mind and body, to do that.
Main Advice
Ok so larges pieces of advice…
1. JUST START. Don’t research, don’t stress, don’t count macros, don’t read blogs, or DL apps…just GO and then along the way you can adjust.
2. If you’re at a party or an airport and there’s no safe food in sight no matter how far you look, don’t eat. You won’t die, you’ll just be mildly uncomfortable for a while. In fact…
3. Do intermittent fasts regularly. Google intermittent fast to see what it is and do it the way you like. Tim Ferriss plans his and documents the times etc. I don’t. I skip a meal and cut the grass hungry. Bottom line, fasting is really really good for you.
4. Eggs are your friends. Eat them like a maniac and buy them at Costco. Lol
5. Once your body burns through all the carbs left in it (hopefully no keto flu lol) you’ll start to lose your love affair with food and you’ll stop caring what you eat to a really large degree. I eat canned chicken like crazy and it’s dry and not good at all, but I don’t really care. I just need protein. Haha.
6. Eat a TON of vegetables. Figure out what you like and Eat them like crazy.
Snacks
This was a huge thing for me to figure out quick.
-Almonds are the best, I eat a lot of Cashews which are not AS good but like I said on FB I’m not strict because I’m already scrawny 😂.
-Cheese. Love me some tillamook cheddar
-Lunch meat (watch the sodium!) I go salami as much as I can because it’s delish
-Atkins makes low carb bars that are OK in a rush
QUEST BARS AND QUEST COOKIES FOR LIFE
Meals
Breakfast is the most important for me because I eat a massive protien meal and it gets my day rolling!
4 eggs
4 bacon slices or sausage patties
Misc veggies that I have in the fridge
Coffee (sometimes bulletproof)
Some Keto folks will do the opposite of me and do just a bulletproof coffee
Coffee in the morning.
  • Bullet Proof Coffee – 10-12oz coffee with TBSP of coconut oil and tablespoon of butter mixed in a blender. It’s freaking delicious. And since your body will be starting to run on fat instead of carbs/sugar the oil and butter is all you need. 
Lunch is tough because everything outside your house is carbs. Everything. It’s insane. I eat a shit load of salads with full fat dressing and hamburgers with no bun, and fajitas with no tortillas. That’s about all that is safe!
Dinner is easy b/c Keto and low carb recipes are easy to find on Pinterest! If you don’t use Pinterest, start. Not only for recipes but it’s actually badass and not just for chics 😂
Heres a few good recipes:
Get good at cooking cauliflower 32 different ways. Lol. It’s the Swiss Army knife of low carb. Pizza, rice, mashed potatoes, and then I actually make them into cauliflower grits for breakfast.
Fat head pizza dough is mega legit. Google it it’s easy to find.
Michelle has made keto bagels that were good. Keto donuts that were pretty good and then I’ve made keto bread a couple times that was OK.
Some of the Keto-Fakes are great and many are lame. Just have fun cooking it and see what happens.
That’s kind of what Michelle and I do with our FB lives. The Keto chicken and waffles were pretty good!
Recipe:
Cheats
I suggest having one cheat day where you can drink a keg and eat a loaf of bread covered in sugar and 10 snickers bars if the urge moves you.
If you want to pair back your cheat day after a while do it, but it’s important to have that day to splurge so you will stay disciplined the other days. Make sure to go nuts and eat donuts and ice cream for breakfast in the beginning!
After a while I went way more conservative on my cheat day because I felt like shit the whole day, almost hung over.
Now I don’t have a cheat day, but will have a cheat meal or 2 on the weekend.
You just have to figure out what works for you though because once your body has that sugar and bread it goes nuts and thinks you need it more and more more and when you start to feel shitty from eating bad, your brain makes you eat worse. It’s a slippery slope!
Keto Cheats
These are my favorite versions of cheats that are actually Keto friendly.
-I eat Keto Waffles with peanut butter and sugar free Syrup for breakfast Sun-Thursday. I make a big batch for breakfast Sunday and then warm them up Mon-Thurs in the microwave. Sometimes I even have them for dinner!
I also have a Keto cookie recipe that’s really good that I have dialed in. They come out really crumbly and will firm up when they cool so be careful moving them off the baking sheet!
Michelle used to make “Fat Bombs” that we’re cream cheese based little balls that had peanut butter in them. she really loved those. They were too cream cheesy for me though.
Find Some Inspiration for Discipline 
Discipline is a fickle bitch. As is motivation and inspiration.
If you wanna do it right, you’ve got to have them all so when discipline runs low, you can lean on your motivation.
Or when motivation is GONE, and there’s a churro stand 10 ft away, you can dig in and have the discipline to stay clean.
-My discipline reminder comes from Jocko Willink. “Stay on the path”
-My inspiration comes from messages in my DM on Instagram and FB messenger of other people asking me questions (like you did 😇)
-My motivation is to crush today. I can’t do that when I feel like I need a nap from eating French fries.
In Closing
The reason I said not to track shit on the beginning is because THAT is the best excuse to not start.
Ignorance is the best excuse of all time.
Once you’re rolling and have thrown away all the shitty food in your house and are on a roll and committed to this, then you can research, and track macros, and get into Ketosis etc.
Good luck, and ask all the questions you can think of! If I don’t know, I have great resources etc where I will get every answer I promise.
Thanks!

NG

 

EGO & Your Life As A Community

Those who have subdued their ego understand that it doesn’t degrade you when others treat you poorly. It degrades them.” –Ryan Holliday

I’ve been thinking a lot about EGO lately, and it fits into my theory that most of the world is counterintuitive.

When we push to beat other people at things, when we compete, it’s actually a zero sum game, There is a winner and a loser, thus, no value is added. It’s was just moved from person to person.

Our EGO needs that win to validate us, yet we never feel validated. Never feel like we got what we were owed.

Once you realize something, it will shift how you see the world, and in turn shift how the world sees you, and more importantly reacts to you.

That realization is…

You can just stop competing.

Stop doing things to win. Stop measuring success against others. Stop egging on competition among teammates. Quit chasing that next rush for your EGO to soak in.

And guess what happens?

All the “stuff” that you’ve chased for years will start falling in your lap.

All the things that you’ve struggled to author will start being co-authored by others around you.

All that shit that you’ve wanted “credit for” will feel differed now because you don’t need credit for anything, because you’re not doing anything to receive credit.

Start seeing life differently. Feel it as a community, not a competition. Every single conversation is adding value and nudging your community in a specific direction. Every single interaction adds value to your community.

It’s not you against anyone. There are no “haters”. It’s you potentially changing someones world.

Your life as a community is part of a much larger community of your area, your state and of the world!

When we think of it like that, and you add value to someone, it adds value to the community, and in turn adds value right back to you.

Parkinsons Law Glassett Origin Leadership

I Don’t Need More Time. What I Need Is a Deadline (Parkinson’s Law)

So I’m currently unemployed.

Yes, it’s amazing in many ways, especially because I’ve worked over 50 hours every week since I was 19 years old (save for vacations of course) and worked over 60 hours per week since I was 25 years old.

I’m now 34.

I’m decompressing and trying to discover who I actually am without Journeys to define me.

And I’m learning something very interesting about myself…

What I have learned about myself over the last 3 weeks of having no job is…

I’m damn close to the person that I thought I was!

I was told that I’d have identity crisis. Or that I’d have to find my self or my personality…

NOT TRUE.

Of course, some things in my head and in my actions are slightly different; I’m happier. Much more relaxed! 1000% more present in the moment without work to “worry” me or a work phone with never ending notifications nagging for my attention.

But all in all, I’m the same dude.

Still not super outgoing, but highly engaging once I’m in conversation.
Still not THAT funny, but kinda funny.
Still my same super power of sitting down at a table one-on-one with someone and having them ask me advice (an interview essentially).
Still a thinker.
Still a doer to the same level as before.

Maybe I’m more self-aware than I thought?

Maybe I’m more secure in who I am?

Shit, maybe I haven’t totally found myself yet and I will be someone different than I always thought? Who knows…

But what I will tell you is this…

Work Will Expand to Fill the Time Available for it’s Completion

It’s called Parkinson’s Law.

Basically, if you have 8 hours to do something, it’s going to take 8 hours.

If you have 8 hours to accomplish 2 things, it’s going to take 8 hours.

I have a quote that I got from somewhere a long time ago that has always been one of my favorites…

I Don’t Need More Time. What I Need Is a Deadline.

You know how that works! Your teacher in high school gives you 2 months to do a project, and what do you do? Wait until 3 days before it’s due to start.

As you struggle to finish, you say “I need more time!” and then your teacher (annoyingly) reminds you that the project was assigned 2 months ago.

That has become my life!

Now, I am for sure accomplishing more now than when I worked 60 hours per week, and the house is cleaner and I take the time to walk my son Boston to the bus stop every morning at 7:50am…

But I can’t finish as many things as I thought I could with all this free time! It’s been crazy!

Solving for Parkinson’s Law

I’m looking for the “life hack” to either overcome Parkinson’s Law, or how to add more things into the “time available for completion“.

I’m trying To Do Lists. They are getting more organized and robust, and that is going well.

I’m working on getting a LOOSE routine in place (mainly because routine drives me nuts).

I’m setting my alarm for 5:30am tomorrow and when that phone goes off, I’m GETTING UP.

This morning I set the stage so when I woke up, I had no pajamas to put on, only work out clothes. And Thursday is usually my rest day because I play indoor soccer on Wednesdays…But I put those clothes on, and then worked out once the fam was gone. I learned that trick from Jocko Willink.

It’s just odd not having any deadlines now!

Be interesting to see how this evolves 🙂

Thanks,

NG