“Everyonceinawhile,youreadabookthatchangesthewayyoulookatlife.Butitissoraretofindabook that changes thewayyou liveyour life.TheMiracleMorning does both, and faster than you everthoughtpossible.IhighlyrecommendHalElrod’slatestbook.”

—TIMSANDERS,NYTimesbestsellingauthorofTheLikabilityFactor

“TheMiracleMorningisliterallytheONEthingthatwillmakeimmediateandprofoundchangesinany—oreveryareaofyourlife.Ifyoureallywantyourlifetoimprove,readthisbookimmediately.”

—RUDYRUETTIGER,theNotreDamefootballplayerwhoinspiredthehitHollywoodmovieRUDY

“AtfirstIthoughtHalhadlosthismind—whyonearthwouldanyonegetupsoearlyonaregularbasis?!?!Iwasskeptical…untilItriedit.WhenIimplementedHal’sstrategiesInoticedanimmediatedifferenceinmypersonalandprofessional life.TheMiracleMorningwill showyouhow to take controlofyour life,regardlessofyourpast.Ihighlyrecommendit.”

—JOSHSHIPP,TVshowhost,author,andteenbehaviorexpert

“ToreadTheMiracleMorningistogiveyourselfthegiftofwakingupeachdaytoyourfullpotential.It’stimetostopputtingoffcreatingthelifeyouwantanddeservetolive.Readthisbookandfindouthow.”

—DR.IVANMISNER,NYTimesbestsellingauthorandFounderofBNITM

“IloveHalElrod.Heisapowerfulteacher,andamanofgreatinsightandhighintegrity.Readinghisfirstbook,TakingLifeHeadOn!completelychangedthewayIliveeachday,andI’vebeenwaitingpatientlyforhisnextbook.All I can say is thatTheMiracleMorningwasdefinitelyworth thewait.Hal gives us theblueprintforcreating thesuccess,happinessandprosperity thatmayhaveeludedus,andhe’smadeitsosimplethatanyonecanturntheirlifearound—nomatterwhattheircircumstances.”

—DEBRAPONEMAN,Co-authorofChickenSoupfortheAmericanIdolSoulandFounderofYestoSuccess,Inc.

“The Miracle Morning truly changed my life. It has allowed me to finally start tapping into my fullpotential, which ultimately led me to a path of expanded consciousness that continues to reveal newopportunitiesandabilities.ItistheONLYwaytostartyourday,therightway.”

—NICKCONEDERA,FilmDirector,SHARP:TheWorld’sFinestMovie

“TheMiracleMorning is themost game changing, paradigm-shiftingbook sinceThe4-HourWorkweek.Hallivesandbreathesthehabitsthatheinstillsinothers,andthisbookwillshowyouhowtotakeyourlifeandbusinesstothenextlevelandbeyond.”

—BRADWEIMERT,CEOofEasyPayDirect,www.EasyPayDirect.com

“Asaspeaker,author,andbusinessmarketingconsultant,Iseethebiggestthingholdingpeoplebackfromachievingthesuccesstheywantisnotthattheydon’tknowwhattodo;it’sfindingthetimeandmotivationtodowhattheyknow.HalElrodhasliterallysolvedthisproblem.TheMiracleMorninggivesyouthetimeandmotivationyouneedtocreatethesuccessyouwant,nomatterhowbusyyouare.Ihighlyrecommendit.”

—JAMESMALINCHAK,featuredonABC’shitTVshowSecretMillionaire,co-authorofChickenSoupfortheCollegeSoul

andfounderofwww.MillionaireSpeakerSecrets.com

“Ifyouare ready to leavemediocritybehindyouandmaximizeyourpotential, read thisbook,plainandsimple.TheMiracleMorninggivesyouthekeytounlockyourpersonalpowerandtapintotheabilitiesthatallowordinarypeople tobecomeextraordinary.Ihighlyrecommendyoulearnfrommygoodfriend,HalElrod,anddiscoverTheMiracleMorningforyourself.”

—GAILLYNNGOODWIN,Founder&AmbassadorofInspirationatwww.InspireMeToday.comandvotedoneof2009’s

Top25MostInspirationalPeopleOnTwitter

“TheMiracleMorningisapersonalgrowthsavior.It’stheonetoolthatwillallowyoutoputalltheothersin their place. I wouldn’t take life, Hal, or yourself too seriously... But TheMiracleMorning deservesintenseconsiderationasyour#1weaponagainstfailure.”

—JONBERGHOFF,NationalSalesManager,Vitamix

“TheMiracleMorningissensational!Itprovidesfreshinsightsintohowwecanchangeourlivesbysimplychanging how we wake up each day. Hal has created something very special here that will no doubttransformmanylivesandenableyoutofulfillyourpotential.”

—BENGAYIII,best-sellingauthorofTheClosersIandTheClosersII

“Ican’tdecidewhat’smoreinspiring—HalElrodorhisMiracleMorning.WhatIcantellyouisthatifyouwanttochangeyourlife,thereisnoonebettertoshowyouhowthanYoPalHal,andnosinglestrategywillgetyoutherefasterthanTheMiracleMorning.Butdon’ttakemywordforit,experienceitforyourself.”

—ADAMSHEPARD,authorofScratchBeginningsandTheBestFourYears

THEMIRACLEMORNINGREALLIFESUCCESSSTORIES&RESULTS

»JustReadaFew,toSeeWhat’sPossibleforYOU…

“Iamonday79ofTheMiracleMorning,andsinceIbegan,Ihavenotmissedasingleday.Honestly,thisistheFIRSTtimeI’veeversetouttodosomethingandhaveactuallystuckwithitformorethanjustacoupleofdaysorweeks! Inowlookforwardtowakingupeveryday.It’s incredible,TheMiracleMorninghascompletelychangedmylife.”—MelanieDeppen,Entrepreneur(Selinsgrove,PA)

“Afewmonthsago,IdecidedtotryTheMiracleMorning.MylifeischangingsofastIcannotkeepup!I’msuchabetterpersonbecauseofthis—andit’sinfectious.Mybusinesswasstruggling,butafterIstartedTheMiracleMorningIwasamazedathow,justbyworkingonmyselfeveryday,Iwasabletoturnitallaround!”—RobLeroy,SeniorAccountExecutive(Sacramento,CA)

“After beginningTheMiracleMorning inDecember, 2009, as a college student atUCDavis, I noticedprofoundchangesimmediately.Iquicklybegantoachievelong-desiredgoalsmoreeasilythanIwouldhaveever expected. I lostweight, found a new love, attainedmybest grades ever, and even createdmultiplestreamsofincome—allinlessthantwomonths!Now,yearslater,TheMiracleMorningisstillanintegralpartofmydailylife.”—NatanyaGreen,YogaInstructor(Sacramento,CA)

“EverydaythatIdoTheMiracleMorning,notonlydoIfeelamazing,butIhaveactuallylost25lbsonTheMiracleMorning.Ihaveneverbeenhappier,healthier,andmoreproductive!InowgetmoredoneinadaythanIeverthoughttobepossibleinthepast.Oh,anddidImentionthatI’velost25pounds?”—WilliamHougen,DistrictExecutive(Gresham,OR)

“TheMiracleMorningmakeseverydayfeellikeChristmas.Literally.NowIevendoitontheweekends.”—JosephDiosana,Realtor(Houston,TX)

“When I first heard aboutTheMiracleMorning, I thought tomyself, ‘this is so crazy that it justmightwork!’Iamacollegestudenttaking19unitsandworkingfulltime,sothatleftmewithzerotimetoworkonmygoals.BeforeIlearnedTheMiracleMorning,Iusedtowakeupbetween7-9ameveryday—becauseIhadtogetreadyforclass—butnowIconsistentlywakeupat5am.Iamlearningandgrowingsomuchthroughdailypersonaldevelopment,andIamLOVINGTheMiracleMorning!”—MichaelReeves,CollegeStudent(WalnutCreek,CA)

“I’vebeenusingTheMiracleMorningfor10months.Sincethen,myincomehasmorethandoubled,Iaminthebestshapeofmylife,andneverhaveIbeenmorepresenttocreatingbettermemorieswithfamilyandfriendsthanIhavesinceafterIstarted.Needlesstosay,IamaHUGEfan!”—MikeMcDermott,RegionSalesManager(Davis,CA)

“I don’t really knowwhat to say, other than thatmy days are 100 times betterwhen I doTheMiracleMorning.”—JoshThielbar,BusinessDevelopmentConsultant(Boise,ID)

“I’monmy83rdconsecutivedayofTheMiracleMorningandjustwishIhadknownaboutitsooner.ItisamazinghowmuchclarityInowhavethroughouttheday.Iamabletofocusonmyworkandothertaskseachdaywithsomuchmoreenergyandenthusiasm.ThankstoTheMiracleMorning,Iamexperiencingarichermoreabundantwayofliving—bothinmypersonalandprofessionallife.”—RayCiafardini,DistrictManager(Baltimore,MD)

“After implementingTheMiracleMorning for only 3 weeks, I was able to quit taking medication forenergythatI’vebeentakingforover3years!TheMiracleMorninghaschangedmylifeinmanyways,andI’msureitwillchangeyours.”—SarahGeyer,CollegeStudent(Minneapolis,MN)

“TheMiracleMorning startedmeonawholenewchapter inmy life. Itcando thesameforyou.Thankyou,Hal!”—AndrewBarksdale,Entrepreneur(Vienna,VA)

©2012HalElrodInternational,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,mechanicalorelectronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems,without permission inwriting from the author or publisher (except by a reviewer,whomay quote briefpassagesand/orshowbriefvideoclipsinareview).Disclaimer:Theadviceandstrategiescontainedhereinmaynotbesuitableforeverysituation.ThisworkissoldwiththeunderstandingthattheAuthorandPublisherarenotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservices.NeithertheAuthornorthePublishershallbeliablefordamagesarisingherefrom.Thefactthatanorganizationorwebsiteisreferredtointhisworkasacitationorapotentialsourceoffurther information does not mean that the Author or the Publisher endorses the information that theorganizationorwebsitemayprovideor recommendations itmaymake.Further, readers shouldbeawarethat internetwebsites listed in thisworkmayhavechangedordisappearedbetweenwhen thisworkwaswrittenandwhenitisread.

CoverDesign:LesHeifner,RedRattler.co

EditingandInteriorLayout:JoelDandSueCanfield,SomedayBox

Thisbookisdedicatedtomyfavoritepeopleintheworld—myfamily.Mom,Dad,Hayley,mykind,loving,supportivewife,

Ursula,andourtwochildren—SophieandHalsten,IloveyouallmorethanIcanputintowords.

Thisbookisalsoinlovingmemoryofourangel,mysister:AmeryKristineElrod

»ANotetoYou,theReaderNomatterwhereyouareinyourliferightnow—whetheryou’recurrently

succeeding at the highest level you’ve ever imagined, or you’re struggling tofindyourway,thereisatleastonethingIknowwehaveincommon(probablyalotmorethanone,butonethatIknowforsure).Wewanttoimproveourlives,andourselves.Thisisnottosuggestthatthereisanythingwrongwithusorourlives, but as human beings we were born with the innate desire and drive tocontinuouslygrowand improve. Ibelieve it’swithinallofus.Yet,mostofuswakeupeveryday,andlifeprettymuchstaysthesame.

Asanauthor,keynotespeaker,andsuccesscoach,mylife’sworkistoteachpeople how to fulfill the unlimited potential that is within each of us. As adedicatedstudentofhumanpotentialandpersonaldevelopment,Icansaywithabsolute certainty, that The Miracle Morning is the most practical, results-oriented, and life transformingmethod I have ever encountered for improvingeveryaspectofyourlife.

Forhighachievers,TheMiracleMorningisatotalgamechanger,allowingyou to attain that elusive next level and take your personal and professionalsuccess far beyond what you’ve achieved in the past.While this can includeincreasingyourincome,growingyourbusiness,sales,orrevenue,it’softenmoreabout discovering new ways to experience deeper levels of fulfillment andbalanceinareasofyourlifethatyoumayhaveneglected.Thiscanmeanmakingsignificantimprovementswithyourhealth,happiness,relationships, finances,spirituality,oranyotherareasthatareatthetopofyourlist.

Forthosewhoareinthemidstofadversity,enduringtimesofstruggle—beitmental,emotional,physical,financial,orrelational—TheMiracleMorninghasproven time and time again to be the one thing that can empower anyone toovercomeseeminglyinsurmountablechallenges,makemajorbreakthroughsandturntheircircumstancesaround,ofteninaveryshortperiodoftime.

Whether you want to make significant improvements in just a few keyareas,oryouarereadyforamajoroverhaulwhichwillradicallytransformyourentire life—soyourcurrentcircumstanceswill soonbecomeonlyamemory—you’vepickedup the rightbook.Youareabout tobeginamiraculous journeyusing a revolutionaryprocess that is guaranteed to transformany—or every—areaofyourlife…allbefore8:00a.m.

TheMiracle Morning has already transformed the lives of thousands of

people around the world (including my own), and it can absolutely be thecatalysttotransformyours.Iconsideritagreathonortosharethiswithyounow,andIhavedoneeverythinginmypowertoensurethatthisbookwilltrulybealife-changing investment of your time, energy, and attention. Thank you forallowingmetobeapartofyourlife,amiraculousjourneytogetherisabouttobegin.

Withloveandgratitude(always).

“YoPal”Hal

CONTENTS

ASpecialInvitation:TheMiracleMorningCommunityIntroduction:MyStory,andWhyYoursIsTheOneThatMatters1.It’sTimeToWakeUpToYourFULLPotential2.TheMiracleMorningOrigin:BornOutofDesperation3.The95%RealityCheck4.WhyDidYOUWakeUpThisMorning?5.The5-StepSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategy(FortheSnooze-aholics)6.TheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-SixPracticesGuaranteedToSaveYouFromaLife

ofUnfulfilledPotential

6.1LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-SisforSilence6.2LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-AisforAffirmations

6.3LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-VisforVisualization

6.4LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-EisforExercise

6.5LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-RisforReading

6.6LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.-SisforScribing7.The6-MinuteMiracle(ForTheBusyPeople)8.CustomizingYourMiracleMorningToFitYourLifestyleandAchieveYour

HighestGoals&Dreams9.FromUnbearableToUnstoppable:TheRealSecretToFormingHabitsThat

WillTransformYourLife(In30Days)10.TheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge(andFastStart

Kit)ConclusionAnEssentialBonus:TheEmailThatWillChangeYourLife

AcknowledgementsAbouttheAuthor

—ASPECIALINVITATION—

Fans and readers of The Miracle Morning make up an extraordinarycommunity of like-minded individuals who wake up each day on purpose,dedicatedtofulfillingtheunlimitedpotentialthatiswithineachofus.Ascreatorof The Miracle Morning, it was my responsibility to create an online spacewhere readers and fans could go to connect, get encouragement, share ideas,support one another, discuss the book, post videos, find an AccountabilityPartner,andevenswapsmoothierecipesandexerciseroutines.

Just go towww.MyTMMCommunity.com to joinTheMiracleMorningCommunityof inspired, like-mindedmiracle makers and achievers. Here youcanconnectwithotherswhoarealsopracticingTheMiracleMorning—manyofwhomhavebeendoingitforyears—togetadditionalsupportonyourjourney.

I’llbemoderatingtheCommunityandcheckinginregularly.Ilookforwardtoseeingyouthere!

If you’d like to connectwithme on Twitter, follow@HalElrod, and onFacebook at Facebook.com/YoPalHal. Please feel free to send me a directmessage,leaveacomment,oraskmeaquestion.Idomybesttoanswereverysingleone,solet’sconnectsoon!

Thereareonlytwowaystoliveyourlife.Oneisasthoughnothingisamiracle.Theother

isasthougheverythingisamiracle.—ALBERTEINSTEIN

Miraclesdonothappenincontradictionwithnature,butincontradictionwithwhatweknowaboutnature.—SAINTAUGUSTINELifebeginseachmorning.

—JOELOLSTEEN

INTRODUCTION:MyStory,andWhyYoursIsTheOneThatMatters

December3rd,1999—lifewasgood.No,itwasgreat.At20yearsold,myfirstyearofcollegewasbehindme.Ihadspentthelast18monthsbecomingoneofthetop-producingdistributorsfora$200-millionmarketingcompany,earningmoremoney than I had ever imagined Iwould be at that age. I had a lovinggirlfriend, a supportive family, and thebest friends aguy could ask for. Iwastrulyblessed.

YoumightsayIwasontopoftheworld.TherewasnowayIcouldhaveknownthatthiswasthenightmyworldwouldend.

11:32p.m./Driving70mphSouthboundOnHwy99We’dleft therestaurant,andourfriends,behind.Itwasjust thetwoofus

now.Mygirlfriend,tiredfromtheevening’sevents,wasdozinginthepassengerseat.Notme. Iwaswide-awake—eyes glued to the road in front,wavingmyfingerintheairlikeabatonasIquietlyconductedthemelodiesofTchaikovsky.

Still in a state of euphoria from thenight’s events, sleepwas the furthestthing frommymind.Rocketingdown the freewayat70milesperhour inmybrandnewwhiteFordMustang,Iwasonlytwohoursremovedfromgivingthebestspeechofmylife.Ihadreceivedmyfirststandingovation,andIwaselated.Infact,Idesperatelywantedtoshoutoutmyfeelingsofgratitudetoanyonethatwould listen, but my girlfriend was asleep, so she was no use. I consideredcallingMomandDad,butitwaslate;theymightalreadybeinbed.Should’vecalled. But I simply had no way of knowing that moment would be my lastopportunitytospeaktomyparents—oranyone—forquitesometime.

AnUnimaginableRealityNo,Idon’trecallseeingtheheadlightsofamassiveChevrolettruckcoming

directly at me. In an instant of perverse fate, the full-size Chevy pickup,traveling at an estimated 80 miles per hour, smashed head on into myundersized,andunder-matchedFordMustang.Thefollowingsecondsplayedoutinslowmotion,Tchaikovsky’scommandingmelodiesorchestratingourwickeddance.

Themetalframesofourtwovehiclescollided—screamingandscreeching

astheytwistedandbroke.TheMustang’sairbagsexplodedwithenoughforcetorender us unconscious. My brain, still traveling at seventy miles-per-hour,smashedintothefrontofmyskull,destroyingmuchofthevitalbraintissuethatmadeupmyfrontallobe.

Uponimpact,thetailendofmyMustangwasshovedintothelaneonmyright,makingmydriver’s-sidedooranunavoidabletargetforthecarbehindme.ASaturnsedan,drivenbya16-year-old,crashed intomydoorat70milesperhour.Thedoorcollapsedintotheleftsideofmybody.Theframeof themetalroofcavedinonmyhead,slicingopenmyskullandnearlyseveringmyleftear.The bones of my left eye socket were crushed, leaving my left eyeballdangerously unsupported.My left arm broke, severing the radial nerve inmyforearmandshatteringmyelbow,whilemyfracturedhumorousbonepiercedtheskinbehindmybicep.

My pelviswas given the impossible task of separating the Saturn’s frontend from my car’s center console, and failed. It fractured in three separateplaces. Finally, my femur—the largest bone in the human body—snapped inhalf, andoneend speared through the skinofmy thighand tore ahole inmyblackdressslacks.

Bloodwaseverywhere.Mybodywasdestroyed.Mybrainwaspermanentlydamaged.

Unable towithstand the immensephysical pain,mybody shut down,mybloodpressuredropped,andeverythingwentblackasIplungedintoacoma.

YouOnlyLive…Twice?What happened next was nothing short of incredible—what many have

calledamiracle.

Theemergencyrescueteamsarrived,and,usingthejawsoflife,firefighterscutmybloody body from thewreckage.When they did, I bled out.Myheartstoppedbeating.Istoppedbreathing.

Clinically,Iwasdead.Theparamedics immediatelyputmeon the rescuehelicopter andworked

determinedlytosavemylife.Sixminuteslater,theysucceeded.Myheartstartedtobeatagain.Ibreathedcleanoxygen.Thankfully,Iwasalive.

Ispentsixdaysinacoma,andwoketothenewsthatImightneverwalkagain. After seven challenging weeks of recovery and rehabilitation in the

hospital, learning towalk all over again, Iwas released tomyparents’ care—backintotherealworld.With11fracturedbones,permanentbraindamage,anda now ex-girlfriend who broke up with me in the hospital, life as I knew it,would never be the same.Believe it or not, thiswould turn out to be a goodthing.

While coming to grips with my new reality wasn’t easy, and at times Icouldn’t help but wonder—why did this happen to me?—I had to takeresponsibilityforgettingmylifeback.Insteadofcomplainingabouthowthingsshould be, I embracedhow thingswere. I stoppedputtingenergy intowishingmylifewereanydifferent—intowishingbadthingsdidn’thappen tome—andinsteadfocused100%onmakingthebestofwhatIhad.SinceIcouldn’tchangethe past, I focused on moving forward. I dedicated my life to fulfilling mypotentialandachievingmydreamssoIcoulddiscoverhowtoempowerotherstodothesame.

And, as a result of choosing to be genuinely grateful for all that I had,unconditionallyacceptingofall that Ididn’t,andaccepting total responsibilityforcreatingallthatIwanted,thispotentiallydevastatingcaraccidentultimatelybecameoneof thebest thingsthateverhappenedtome.Hingingonmybeliefthateverythinghappensforareason—butthatitisourresponsibilitytochoosethemost empowering reasons for the challenges, events and circumstances ofourlives—Iusedmyaccidenttofuelatriumphantcomeback.

2000Ayear thatbeginswithmelying inahospitalbed—broken,butnotdefeated—endsquitedifferently.Despitenothavingacar,evenlessofashort-termmemory,equippedwitheveryexcusein theworld tositathomeandfeelsorryformyself,IreturnedtomysalespositionatCutco.Ihadthebestyearinmy career, and finished #6 in the company (amongst over 60,000 active salesreps). All this, while still recovering—physically, mentally, emotionally, andfinancially—frommywreck.

2001Having learned some invaluable life lessons frommyexperience, itwas time to turnmy adversity into inspiration and empowerment for others. Istarted speaking and sharing my story at high schools and colleges. Theresponses from students and faculty were overwhelmingly positive, and Iembarkedonamissiontoimpactyouth.

2002Mygoodfriend,JonBerghoff,encouragedmetowriteabookaboutmy accident, to further inspire others. So, I started writing. As quickly as Istarted,Istopped.I’mnowriter.Essaysinhighschoolwerechallengingenough,letaloneabook.After repeatedattempts thatalwaysendedwithmestaringat

mycomputerscreen,frustrated,itdidn’tlooklikeabookwasinthecards.Idid,however,finishinCutco’sTop10forthe2ndyearinarow.

2004 To try my hand at management, I accepted the position as SalesManagerfortheSacramentoCutcooffice.Ourteamwentontofinish#1inthecompany and break the all-time annual record. That fall, I also reached myhighest personal salesmilestone andwas inducted into the company’s hall offame. Feeling that I’d accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish withCutco, it was time to pursue my dream of becoming a professionalkeynote/motivational speaker. I might even write that book that had beenswimming around inmy head the last couple of years. I alsometUrsula.WewereinseparableandIhadthisfeelingthatshecouldbetheone.

February 2005 Sitting in the audience at what I intended to bemy lastCutco conference, I came to a painful realization: I’ve never fulfilled mypotential.Sure, I’dwon someawards andbrokena few records, butwatchingfrommy seat as the two top performers collect the highest annual award thatCutcooffers—thecovetedRolex—Irealized that I’dnever fullycommitted, atleast,not foranentireyear. Iwouldn’tbeable to livewithmyself if I left thecompanybeforefulfillingmypotential.Ihadtogiveitonemoreyear,butthistimeIhadtogiveitmyall.

2005Despitethelatestarttotheyear,Isetagoaltonearlydoublemybestsales year ever. Iwas terrified, but committed. I also concluded that I had anobligation towrite thatbookandsharemystorywith theworld. Iworked365daysstraight,sellingandwriting,withalevelofdisciplinewhicheludedmethefirst25yearsofmy life. Iwas fueledbypassion todowhat Ihadneverdonebefore: to venture frommy painfully comfortable realmofmediocrity—fromwhich Ioperatedmyentire life—into the spaceofbeingextraordinary.By theyear’s end, I reached both ofmy goals,more than doublingmy previous bestsalesyearandcompletingmyfirstbook.It’sofficial:anythingispossiblewhenyouarecommitted.

Spring2006Myfirstbook,TakingLifeHeadOn: How toLove theLifeYou Have While You Create the Life of Your Dreams hit #7 on the Amazonbestseller list. Then, the unthinkable happened.My publisher fled the countrywith 100% of my best-selling royalties and was never heard from again.Myparentsweredevastated;Iwasnot.Ifthere’sonethingthatI’velearnedfrommycaraccident, it’s that there isnopoint indwellingonor feelingbadabout theaspectsofourlivesthatwecan’tchange.So,Ididn’t.I’vealsolearnedthat,byfocusingonwhatwecanlearnfromourchallengesandhowweusethemtoadd

value to the livesofothers,wecan turnanyadversity intoanadvantage.So, Idid.

2006 Without almost zero knowledge of what the profession entails, IaccidentallybecamealifeandbusinessSuccessCoachwhenaforty-somethingfinancialadvisoraskedmeifIwouldcoachhim.Iagreed.Iendeduplovingit.My first client saw measurable results in his life and business, and I waspassionate about helping others, as their coach. At just 26, the odds of mesucceedingasaprofessionalcoachwereprobablyslimtonone,butit’ssoinlinewithmypurpose in life, Iwent for it anyway.Mycoachingbusiness tookoff,and I went on to coach hundreds of entrepreneurs, salespeople, and businessowners.

Shortlyafter,IgavemyfirstpaidspeechwhenIwashiredbytheBoysandGirls Clubs of America to be the featured keynote speaker at their nationalconference.AlthoughI’dbeenspeakingtolargebusinessaudiencesmadeupofprimarilysalespeopleandmanagers,since1998,withmyspikyhair,(somewhat)youthfulappearance,andnickname“YoPal”Hal,impactingyoungpeoplewasthewaytogo.Istartedspeakingandsharingmystoryatlocalhighschoolsandcolleges.

2007 The year my life fell apart. The United States economy crashed.Overnight,my incomewas cut in half.My clients couldn’t afford coaching. Icouldn’tpaymybills,includingmyhousepayment.Iwas$425,000indebt,anddevastated.Mentally,physically,emotionally,andfinancially—Ihitrockbottom.NeverinmylifehaveIfeltsohopeless,overwhelmed,anddepressed.Atalossforhowtofixmylifeyetagain,Idesperatelysoughtanswerstoinsurmountableproblems. I read self-help books, attend seminars, even hired a coach—butnothingworked.

2008Theyearmylifebegantoturnaround.Ifinallyconfessedtoaclosefriendhowbadthingshadgotten(whichIhadsuccessfullykeptasecretupuntilthispoint).Hisquestion:Areyouexercising?Myanswer:Icanbarelygetoutofbedinthemorning—so,no.“Startrunning,”hesaid.“It’llhelpyoufeelbetterand thinkclearer.” Ugh, Ihaterunning. Iwasdesperate, though,soI tookhisadviceandwentforarun.TherealizationsIhadon thisrunbecamea turningpointinmylife(detailsinChapter2:TheMiracleMorningOrigin–BornOutofDesperation),andIhadtheinspirationtocreateadailypersonaldevelopmentroutinethatIhopedwouldenablemetodevelopintothepersonIneededtobetosolve my problems and turn my life around. Incredibly, it worked. VirtuallyeveryareaofmylifetransformedsofastIcalleditmy“MiracleMorning.”

Fall2008IcontinueddevelopingmyMiracleMorning,experimentingwithvarious personal development practices and sleep schedules, and researchinghowmuchsleepwereallyneed.Myfindingscompletelyshatteredtheparadigmsand perceptions held true bymost people, includingme. Loving the results, Ishared itwithmycoachingclients,who loved it just asmuch.They told theirfriends,family,andco-workersaboutit.Unexpectedly,IbeganseeingpeopleI’dnevermetpostingonFacebookandTwitterabouttheirMiracleMornings(moreonthatlater).

2009 My best year yet. I married the woman of my dreams. We gotpregnantandgavebirthtoourdaughter(canIsay“we”oristhatmoreofashething?)Mycoachingbusinesswasthriving;Ihadawaitinglistforclients.Myspeaking career took off. I was giving talks and keynote messages at highschools, colleges, and corporate and non-profit conferences. The MiracleMorning spread likewildfire. Igotemailseveryday frompeople tellingme itwas changing their life. I knew it was my responsibility to share it with theworld,and thatwritingabookwas thebestwaytodo that.Slowly, Ibegan towriteagain.Makenomistake,I’mstillnowriter—butIamcommitted.Asmygood friend Romacio Fulcher always says, “There is always a way… whenyou’recommitted.”

TakingYOURLifeHeadOnIsharemystorywithyoutoofferevidenceofwhatcanbeovercomeand

achieved,nomatterhowdifficultyourchallengesare.IfIcouldgofrombeingfounddead,toldIwouldneverwalkagain,goingbrokeandfeelingsodepressedthat I didn’twant to get out of bed in themorning, to creating the life ofmydreams,therearenolegitimateexcusesforyounottoovercomeanylimitationsthathaveheldyoubackfromachievingeverythingyouwantforyourlife.None.Zip.Nada.

Ibelieveitiscrucialforustoembracetheperspectivethatanythinganotherpersonhasovercomeoraccomplished issimplyevidence thatanything—andImean anything—you need to overcome or want to accomplish is possible foryou,nomatterwhatyourpastorcurrentcircumstances.Itbeginswithacceptingtotal responsibility for every aspect of your life and refusing to blame anyoneelse.Thedegreetowhichyouacceptresponsibilityforeverythinginyourlifeispreciselythedegreeofpersonalpoweryouhavetochangeorcreateanythinginyourlife.

It is important tounderstand that responsibility isnot the same as blame.Whileblamedetermineswhoisatfaultforsomething,responsibilitydetermineswho is committed to improving things.Thinkingback tomyaccident,while Iwasn’t at fault for the crash, I was responsible for improving my life—formakingmycircumstanceswhatIwantedthemtobe.Itreallydoesn’tmatterwhoisatfault—allthatmattersisthatyouandIarecommittedtoleavingthepastinthepastandmakingourlivesexactlythewaywewantthemtobe,startingtoday.

It’sYourTime,ThisisYourStoryKnowthatwhereveryouareinyourliferightnowisbothtemporary,and

exactlywhereyouaresupposedtobe.Youhavearrivedatthismomenttolearnwhatyoumustlearn,soyoucanbecomethepersonyouneedtobetocreatethelifeyoutrulywant.Evenwhenlifeisdifficultorchallenging—especiallywhenlife isdifficultandchallenging—thepresent isalwaysanopportunity forus tolearn,grow,andbecomebetterthanwe’veeverbeenbefore.

You are in the process of writing your life story, and no good story iswithoutaheroorheroineovercomingtheirfairshareofchallenges.Infact,thebiggerthechallenges,thebetterthestory.Sincetherearenorestrictionsandnolimits towhereyour storygoes fromhere,whatdoyouwant thenextpage tosay?

Thegoodnewsisthatyouhavetheabilitytochange—orcreate—anythinginyourlife,startingrightnow.I’mnotsayingyouwon’thavetoworkforit,butyoucanquicklyandeasilyattractandcreateanythingyouwantforyourlifebydevelopingintothepersonwhoiscapableofdoingso.That’swhatthisbookisabout—helpingyoubecomethepersonyouneedtobetocreateeverythingyouhaveeverywantedforyourlife.Therearenolimits.

GrabaPenBeforeyoureadanyfurther,pleasegrabapenorpencilsoyoucanwritein

thisbook.Asyou read,markanything that standsoutwhichyoumaywant tocome back to later.Underline, circle, highlight, fold the corners of pages andtake notes in the margins so you can come back and quickly recall the mostimportantlessons,ideas,andstrategies.

Personally,Iusedtostrugglewiththis,becauseIamabitofanobsessive-compulsive perfectionist, and anal about keepingmy things looking clean and

neat.ThenIrealizedthatIneededtogetoverit,becausethepurposeofabooklikethisisnotforit toremainuntouched,butrathertomaximizethevalueweextractfromit.Now,ImarkupallofmybookssoIcanrevisitthemanytimeandquicklyrecaptureallofthekeybenefits,withouthavingtoreadtheentirebookagain.

Okay,withyourpeninhand,let’sgetstarted!Thenextchapterofyourlifeisabouttobegin…

—1—

It’sTimeToWakeUpToYourFULLPotential

“Life’stooshort”isrepeatedoftenenoughtobeacliché,butthistimeit’strue.Youdon’thaveenoughtimetobebothunhappyandmediocre.It’snotjustpointless;it’spainful.

—SETHGODIN

You’vegottowakeupeverymorningwithdeterminationifyou’regoingtogotobedwithsatisfaction.

—GEORGELORIMER

Whyisitthatwhenababyisborn,weoftenrefertothemas“themiracleoflife,”butthengoontoacceptmediocrityforourownlives?Wherealongthewaydidwelosesightofthemiraclethatweareliving?

Whenwewereborn, everyoneassuredus thatwecoulddo,have, andbeanythingwewantedwhenwegrewup.So,nowthatyou’vegrownup,areyoudoing, having, and being anything and everything you’ve ever wanted? Orsomewherealongtheway,didyouredefine“anythingandeverything”toincludesettlingforlessthanyoutrulywant?

I recently read an alarming statistic: The average American is 20 lbs.overweight,$10,000indebt,slightlydepressed,dislikeshisorherjob,andhasless than one close friend. Even if only a fraction of this statistic is true,Americansneedsomeseriouswakingup.

Whataboutyou?Areyoumaximizingyourpotentialandcreatingthelevelsofsuccessthatyoutrulywant—ineveryareaofyourlife?Orarethereareasofyour lifewhereyou’resettlingfor less thanyoureallywant? Areyousettlingfor less thanyou’recapableof, and then justifying that it’sokay? Orareyoureadytostopsettling,soyoucanstartlivingyourbestlife—youknow,thelifeofyourdreams?

CreatingYour“Level10”Life

Oneofmy favorite sentiments ever shared byOprahwaswhen she said,“Thebiggestadventureyoucanevertakeistolivethelifeofyourdreams.”Icouldn’tagreemore.Sadly,sofewpeopleevercomeclosetolivingthelifeoftheir dreams that the phrase itself has become cliché. Most people resignthemselvestoalifeofmediocrity,passivelyacceptingwhateverlifegivesthem.Even peoplewho are highly successful in one area, such as business, tend tosettle formediocrity in another area, such as their health or relationships. Asbestselling author, Seth Godin has so eloquently put it, “Is there a differencebetweenaverageandmediocre?Notsomuch.”

There isnothing that saysyouhave tosettle for less thanyou trulywant,justbecauseeverybodyelsedoes.Youcanbecomeoneof the fewpeople thatactuallylivetheextraordinarylifeallofusdeserve.Happiness.Health.Money.Freedom.Success.Love.Youreallycanhaveitall.

Ifwe’remeasuringsuccess,satisfaction,andfulfillmentinanyareaofourlivesonascaleofonetoten,weallwantLevel10,right?I’venevermetanyonewhosaid,“Nah, I justwantLevel7health. Idon’twant tobe toohealthyandhave too much energy.” Or, “You know, I’m really okay with a Level 5relationship.Ilikefightingwithmysignificantother,enjoynothavingmyneedsmet,anddon’twantustobetoohappy.”

What if I told you that creating your best life—your Level 10 life—andtakingyourlevelsofsuccess,happiness,health,andfinancialprosperitybeyondwhatyouhaveeverexperiencedbeforeisnotonlypossible,it’ssimple?

WhatifI toldyouthat itallstartswithhowyouwakeupinthemorning,andthattherearesmall,simplestepsyoucanstarttakingtodaythatwillenableyoutobecomethepersonyouneedtobetocreatethelevelsofsuccessyoutrulywantanddeserve—ineveryareaofyourlife?Wouldyougetexcited?Wouldyou even believe me? Some won’t. People have been jaded. They’ve triedeverythingunder the sun to fix their lives, their relationships, and they’re stillnot where they want to be. I understand. I’ve been there. Then, over time, Ilearned a few things that changed everything. I’m offering youmy hand andinviting you to the other side, the side where life is not only good, it’sextraordinaryinawaywehaveonlyimagineditcouldbe.

ThisBookBuildsThreeImperativeArguments:§ You are just as worthy, deserving, and capable of creating and sustaining

extraordinaryhealth,wealth,happiness,love,andsuccessinyourlife,asanyotherpersononearth.Itisabsolutelycrucial—notonlyforthequalityofyour

life,butfortheimpactyoumakeonyourfamily,friends,clients,co-workers,children,community,andanyonewhoselifeyoutouch—thatyoustartlivinginalignmentwiththattruth.

§Inorderforyoutostopsettlingforlessthanyoudeserve—inanyareaofyourlife—andtocreatethelevelsofpersonal,professional,andfinancialsuccessyoudesire,youmustfirstdedicatetimeeachdaytobecomingthepersonyouneed to be, one who is qualified and capable of consistently attracting,creating,andsustainingthelevelsofsuccessyouwant.

§ How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof)dramaticallyaffectsyour levelsof success inevery singleareaofyour life.Focused, productive, successful mornings generate focused, productive,successfuldays—whichinevitablycreateasuccessfullife—inthesamewaythat unfocused, unproductive, and mediocre mornings generate unfocused,unproductive, andmediocredays, andultimatelyamediocrequalityof life.Bysimplychangingthewayyouwakeupinthemorning,youcantransformanyareaofyourlife,fasterthanyoueverthoughtpossible.

ButHal,IamNOTa“MorningPerson”Whatifyou’vealreadytriedwakingupearlier,andithasn’tworked?“I’mnotamorningperson,”yousay.

“I’manightowl.”“There’snotenoughtimeintheday.”“Besides,Ineedmoresleep,notless!”

Thatwasall trueforme, too,beforeTheMiracleMorning.Regardlessofyourpastexperiences—evenifyou’vehadtroublewakingupandgettinggoinginthemorningforyourentirelife—thingsareabouttochange.

TheMiracleMorningworksforeveryone’s lifestyle(I’llbreakitdowninChapter8:CustomizingTheMiracleMorningToFitYourLifestyleandAchieveYour Highest Goals & Dreams) and you’re going to be blown away by howmuchmore energy,motivation, and timeyou’re going to have,with increasedproductivity,significantlylessstress,improvedhealthandwaymorevitalityandjoy. I know this because thousands of people around the world have alreadytransformed their lives using The Miracle Morning. The ripple effects I’veexperienced in my life, and observed from countless Miracle Morningenthusiasts,arejaw-dropping.

Thesenewbie“earlyrisers”—fromentrepreneurs,salespeople,andCEOstostay-at-homemoms,highschoolandcollegestudents,andeveryoneinbetween—aresoexcitedabout theprofound,positivechangesthey’veexperiencedthatmanyareevenpostingvideosabouttheirresultsonYouTube,andthensharingthemwiththeirfriendsonFacebookandTwitter.

HowWillTheMiracleMorningTransformYourLife?I’vereceivedhundredsofemailsandmessagesfrompeopleabouthowThe

MiracleMorning has completely changed their life. For some, it has allowedthemtotapintoadeepersenseofpurposeandmeaningintheirlives.Forothers,it’s meant increased productivity, less stress, greater happiness, and increasedincome.Formost,it’sgiventhemmorepurposeful,pricelesstimetopursuetheirdreamsandtheprojectsthey’vebeenputtingoffforfartoolong.

JustreadafewoftheSuccessStoriesintheopeningpagesofthisbook,andyouwillseetheprofoundeffects.You’llseereal-liferesults,suchas,“Mylifeischanging so fast, I can’t keep up… My business was struggling, but after IstartedTheMiracleMorning, Iwasamazedathow, justbyworkingonmyselfeveryday,Iwasabletoturnitallaround.”And,“I’monday79ofTheMiracleMorningandhaven’tmissedasingleday.ThisistheFIRSTtimeI’veeversetouttodo somethingandactually stuckwith it longer thana fewdaysorweeks.”Even,“SincestartingTheMiracleMorning10monthsago,myincomehasmorethandoubledandIaminthebestshapeofmylife.”Andoneofmyfavorites:“Ihavealready lost25poundsusingTheMiracleMorning!” Increased income,improvedqualityoflife,morediscipline,lessstress,andevenweightloss—it’sallhere.

I’mblown awayby it, frankly, and humbled to be the luckyguy to havestumbled onto something that can so quickly and profoundly transform everyareaofyourlife.Itdoesn’tmatterif,untilnow,you’vesettledforlessthanyouenvisionedforanyaspectofyourlife.Evenifyou’vestruggledincertainareas,Ibelieveyou’rereadyforaprofoundshift—abreakthroughtothenextlevel—oryouwouldn’tbehere.

Inthenextchapter,I’mgoingtowalkyouthroughhowIusedTheMiracleMorning to transformmy entire life, starting frommy lowest point—a failingbusiness,buriedin$425,000ofpersonaldebt,deeplydepressed,andphysicallyintheworstshapeofmylife—tobuildingmultiplesuccessfulbusinesses,payingoff100%ofmydebt,morethandoublingmyincome,andachievingmydreamsofbecomingan internationalkeynote speaker,havingmystory featured in the

bestsellingChicken Soup for the Soul book series, being interviewed on radioand TV shows across the country, and performing atmymental and physicalpeakbycompletinga52-mileultra-marathon—allinlessthan12months.You’llalso discover some “not-so-obvious secrets” that will make your successvirtuallyguaranteed.

The Miracle Morning is not only empowering, it’s simple and fun,something you’ll soon be able to dowithout effort—for the rest of your life.And,whileyoucanstillsleepinanytimeyouwant,youmightbesurprisedtofindyounolongerwantto.Ican’ttellyouhowmanypeoplehavetoldmethatthey now wake up early—even on the weekends—simply because they feelbetterandgetmoredonewhentheydo.Imaginethat.

TimeandtimeagainpractitionersofTheMiracleMorningcomparewakingupeverydaytothefeelingtheyhadasakid,wakinguponChristmasmorning.Itfeelsthatgood!Imaginehowgreatitwillbetostarteverydaylikethat.

Hereareafewofthemostcommon,yetprofoundbenefitsyoucanexpecttogainfromTheMiracleMorning:

Ö Wake up every day with more energy, feeling excited andempoweredwiththetoolstofulfillyourpotential.ÖImmediatelyloweryourstresslevels.Ö Quicklyovercomeanychallenges,adversityorlimitingbeliefsthathavebeenholdingyouback.Ö Improveyouroverallhealth,loseweight(ifdesired),andgetinthebestphysicalshapeofyourlife.ÖIncreaseyourproductivityandenhanceyourabilitytomaintainlaserfocusonyourtoppriorities.ÖExperiencemoregratitudeandlessworry.ÖSignificantlyincreaseyourabilitytoearnandattractmoremonetarywealth(ifdesired).ÖUncoverandbeginlivingyourlifepurpose.Ö Stopsettlingforlessthanyoutrulydesireanddeserve(inanyareaofyourlife)andstartlivinginalignmentwithyourvisionforthemostextraordinarylifeyoucanimagine.

Iknowtheseareboldclaimstomake,andthis listofbenefitsmighteven

soundlikeabitofoverpromising—alittle toogoodtobetrue, right? Iassureyouthere isnohyperbolehere.TheMiracleMorningwillgiveyoupurposefulblocks of intentional, focused and uninterrupted time each day to invest inachievingyourmost importantgoalsanddreams(especiallythoseyou’vebeenputtingoff.)Youcan improveanyareaofyour life.You’ll beblownawaybyhowquicklyyouseeresultsandmakeprogresstowardsyourhighestwantsandaspirations.Don’tbesurprisedwhenyourfriends,family,andco-workersbegintonoticeyourpositivetransformationandaresuddenlymoredrawntoyou.

I’m also going to give you the Life S.A.V.E.R.S.—six powerful practiceswhichcombinetomakeupTheMiracleMorningandareguaranteedtosaveyoufrommissingoutontheextraordinarylifeyoudeservetolive—theonewhich,statistically,95%ofour societywill sadlyneverexperience.Withyourhelp, Ibelievewecanchangethatstatistic.

Finally, you’ll be ready to embark onTheMiracleMorning 30-Day LifeTransformationChallengewhichwilldevelopthemindsetandcementthehabitsyou’ll need to easily and continuously attract, create, and sustain the levels ofsuccessyoudesireanddeserve,ineveryareaofyourlife.Neverforgetthatwhoyouarebecomingisthesinglemostimportantdeterminingfactorinyourqualityoflife,nowandforyourfuture.

Whether you consider yourself to be a “morning person” or not, you’regoing to learn how to make waking up every day easy, and you will beginforminghabitsofwakingupwithmoreenergyandmotivationthanyou’veeverhadbefore.Bytakingadvantageoftheundeniablerelationshipbetweensuccessand early rising, you’ll find that how you spend the first hour of your daybecomes the key to unlocking your full potential and creating the levels ofsuccessyoudesire.You’llquicklyseethatwhenyouchangethewayyouwakeupinthemorning,youchangeyourentirelife.

—2—

TheMiracleMorningOrigin:BornOutofDesperation

Desperationistherawmaterialofdrasticchange.Onlythosewhocanleavebehindeverythingtheyhaveever

believedincanhopetoescape.—WILLIAMS.BURROUGHS

Tomakeprofoundchangesinyourlife,youneedeitherinspirationordesperation.

—ANTHONYROBBINS

I’vebeenfortunatetohitwhatyoumightcall“rockbottom”twice inmyrelativelyshortlife.IsayfortunatebecauseitwasthegrowthIexperiencedandthelessonsI learned—duringthemostchallengingtimesinmylife—thathaveenabledme tobecome theperson I’veneeded tobe tocreate the life that I’vealwayswanted.Iamgratefultousenotonlymysuccesses,butalsomyfailures,tohelpothersinawaythatcanempowerthemtoovercometheirownlimitationsandachievemorethantheyeverthoughtpossible.

My1stRockBottom:DeadattheSceneAsyouknow,myfirstrockbottomwasalmostmylastwhen,atage20,I

washitheadonbyadrunkdriveranddiedatthesceneoftheaccident.(Iwrotein detail about how I bounced back from my seemingly insurmountableadversity, aswell as the8 lessons I learned thatwill immediately improve thequalityofyour life, inmyfirstbook,TakingLifeHeadOn: HowToLove theLifeYouHaveWhileYouCreatetheLifeofYourDreams.)

My2ndRockBottom:DeepInDebtandDeeplyDepressedMysecondplungeintothedepthsofdespairwasmoredifficultthandying

inacaraccidentwas.

It was 2008. The United States economy was in the midst of the worst

recession since the infamousGreatDepressionof the1930s. In theyearsaftersurvivingmycaraccident,despitebouncingback tobuildahallof famesalescareer, launch a six-figure success coaching business, and write a bestsellingbook, Iwas again challenged.This time itwas a completemental, emotional,andfinancialbreakdown.

Seeminglyovernight, thesuccessfulenterprisesIhadbuiltwerenolongerprofitable.Overhalfofmymonthlyincomedisappeared.Iwassuddenlyunabletopaymybills.Ihadjustboughtmyfirsthome.Iwasengagedtobemarried,andwewereplanningourfirstchild.Buriedindebt,behindonmymortgage,forthefirsttimeinmylife,Ibecameseverelydepressed.

I was at the lowest point in my life. Could things have been worse?Probably.Butwasthistheworsttheyhadeverbeenforme?Absolutely.Ihadhitmyrockbottom.

WhyDebtWasWorseThanDeathIf youwere to askmewhichwasmore difficult,my car accident ormy

financialstruggles,Iwouldn’thesitatetotellyouitwasthelatter,byfar.Mostpeople would assume that being hit head on by a drunk driver, breaking 11bones, suffering permanent brain damage, dying for six minutes, and wakingfromacomatofacethenewsthatyoumayneverwalkagainwouldbehardtotop. It’s a fair assumption that the physical, mental, and emotional pain fromsuchahorrificwreckwouldbethelowestpoint inanyperson’slife.However,thiswasn’tthecaseforme.

You see, after my car accident, I had people taking care of me. In thehospital,myfamilyneverleftmyside.Iwasconstantlysurroundedbyvisitors—friendsandfamilycomingbydailytocheckonmeandshowermewithloveandsupport.Ihadanincrediblestaffofdoctorsandnursesoverseeingeverystepofmycareandrecovery.Myfoodwaspreparedanddeliveredtome.Ididn’tevenhave the everyday stresses of having to work and pay the bills. Life in thehospitalwaseasy.

Thatwasn’t thecase the second timearound.Nobody felt sorry forme. Ididn’t have any visitors. There was no one there to oversee my care andrecovery.Nobodybroughtmeanyfood.Iwasonmyownthistime.Peoplehadtheirownproblemstodealwith.

A domino effect led to struggles in every area of my life. Physically,mentally,emotionally,andfinancially—younameit—Iwasamess.

IhadsomuchfearanduncertaintythattheonlycomfortIfoundeachdaywasmyownbed.Aspatheticas itmaysound,whatgotme througheachdaywas the peace of mind from knowing I could eventually crawl into bed andtemporarilyescapemyproblems.Thoughtsofsuicidecircledmyminddaily.NotthatIwouldeverhaveactuallyfollowedthroughwithit.Suicideisnotonlyoneof the most selfish decisions someone can make (as it hurts so many otherpeople),butdeepdown,Iknewthatnomatterhowbadlifegets,thereisalwaysa way to turn it around. But the thoughts were still there. I just didn’t see asolutiontomyfinancialcrisis.Icouldn’tthinkofanythingelsethatwouldputanendtomyemotionalpain.

TheMorningThatTurnedMyLifeAroundThen, in a single morning, everything changed. I woke up feeling

depressed,asIhadbeenforweeks,butthismorningIdidsomethingdifferent.Itook a friend’s advice and went on a run, to clear my head. Now, make nomistake,Iwasnotarunner.Infact,runningforthesakeofrunningwasoneoftheonlythingsIcanhonestlysaythatIdespised.However,mygoodfriend,Jon,toldmethatwheneverhewasfeelingstressedoroverwhelmed,goingforarunenabled him to thinkmore clearly, lifted his spirits, and helped him come upwith solutions to his problems. I was desperate. I had nothing to lose. I wasgoingtogoforarun.

So,thatmorningIlacedupmyNikeAirJordan®basketballshoes(ItoldyouIwasn’tarunner),grabbedmyiPodsoIcouldlistentosomethingpositive,andheadedoutthefrontdoorofmysoon-to-bebank-ownedhome.Ihadnoideathat,onthatrun,Iwouldhaveoneofthemostpowerful,profound,life-changingbreakthroughsinmyentirelife.

Listening to a personal development audio from Jim Rohn, he saidsomethingthatalthoughIhadheardbefore,Ineverreallygotit.Youknowhowsometimes you hear something over and over again without actuallyimplementingit,butthenonedayitfinallyclicksforyou?Itjusttakesyoubeingin therightstateofmindtoreallygetit?Well, thatmorningIwas in therightstateofmind—astateofdesperation—andIgotit.WhenIheardJimproclaimwithcertainty,“Your levelofsuccess,willrarelyexceedyour levelofpersonaldevelopment, because success is something you attract by the person youbecome,”Istoppedinmytracks.Thisonephilosophywasgoingtochangemyentirelife.

TheSuccessParallelAll of a sudden, it hitme! Itwas like a tidalwave of reality that came

crashingdown,andIbecamepresenttothefactthatIhadnotbeendevelopingmyselfintothepersonIneededtobetoattract,create,andsustainthelevelofsuccessthatIwanted.Onascaleofonetoten,IwantedLevel10success,butmylevelofpersonaldevelopmentwasataboutatwo—maybeathreeorafouronagoodday.

Irealizedthisistheproblemforallofus.WeallwantLevel10success,inevery area of our lives—health, happiness, finances, relationships, career,spirituality,younameit—butifourlevelsofpersonaldevelopment(knowledge,experience,mindset,beliefs,etc.) inanygivenareaarenotataLevel10, thenlifeisalwaysgoingtobeastruggle.

Ourouterworldwillalwaysbeareflectionofourinnerworld.Ourlevelofsuccessisalwaysgoingtoparallelourlevelofpersonaldevelopment.Untilwededicatetimeeachdaytodevelopingourselvesintothepersonweneedtobetocreatethelifewewant,successisalwaysgoingtobeastruggletoattain.

Iranstraighthome.Iwasreadytochangemylife.

OurFirstChallenge:FindingTimeIknewthatthesolutiontoallofmyproblemswasthatIhadtocommitto

makingpersonaldevelopmentapriority inmydaily life.Thiswas themissinglink that would enable me to become the person I needed to be able toconsistently attract, create, and sustain the levels of success that I wanted.Simpleenough.

However,mymainchallengewasthesameasanyone’s:findingtime.Iwassobusyjusttryingtosurvivemylifeandpaymybills,thattheideaoffinding“extra” time for my personal development seemed almost impossible.Maybeyoucanrelate?

Ilovewhatbestsellingauthor,MatthewKellysays:“Ontheonehand,weallwant tobehappy.On theotherhand,weall know the things thatmakeushappy.Butwedon’t do those things.Why?Simple.Weare toobusy.Toobusydoingwhat?Toobusytryingtobehappy.”

So,Igrabbedmyplanner,satdownonmycouch,andcommittedtofindingtime—making time—for my daily personal development. I considered theoptions:

MaybetheEvening?Myfirst thoughtwas thatmaybeIcouldmake time in theevenings,after

work,ormaybelateatnight,aftermyfiancégoestobed.ButthenIrealizedthattheeveningwasreallytheonlytimeIhadtospendwithherduringtheday.NottomentionthatlateatnightisrarelywhenI’matmybest.I’musuallysotiredthatfocusingisevenmoreofachallengethanitusually is. Infact, I’mhardlycoherent, let alone in an “optimum” state of mind for personal development.Eveningwasnotgoingtobetheoptimumtime.

PossiblytheAfternoon?MaybeIcouldscheduleitinthemiddleoftheday?Possiblyonmylunch

break,orsomewhereinbetween,Icouldjustfindsome“extra”time.Well,thatextratimejustdoesn’tshowupandthedayusuallygetsawayfromus.

Aw,Comeon–NotintheMorning!Then,Iconsidereddoingitinthemorning—butIresisted.TosaythatIwas

not a morning person was a gross understatement. The fact was, I dreadedgetting up in the morning, particularly waking up early, almost as much as Ihatedrunning.ButthemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreafewthingsstartedtomakesense.

First,bycommittingtomypersonaldevelopmentinthemorning,itwouldgiveme a positivemotivational kick-start tomy day. I could learn somethingnew in the morning. I’d likely be more energized, more focused, and moremotivated for the rest of my day. I remembered a blog post that I read onStevePavlina.com, titled The Rudder of the Day. Steve, also the author ofPersonalDevelopment for Smart People, stated: “It’s been said that the firsthouristherudderoftheday.IfI’mlazyorhaphazardinmyactionsduringthefirsthourafterIwakeup,Itendtohaveafairlylazyandunfocusedday.ButifIstrive tomake that firsthouroptimallyproductive, the restof theday tends tofollowsuit.”

Nottomention,bydoingpersonaldevelopmentinthemorning,Iwouldn’thaveallof theexcuses thataccumulateduring theday (I’mtired, I don’t havetime,etc.)IfIdiditinthemorning,beforetherestofmylifeandmyworkgotintheway,Icouldguaranteethatithappenedeverysingleday.

Finally, I just didn’t really see any better time to do it. Executing mypersonal development first thing in the morning was looking to be the most

advantageousoption,butitwasalreadyhardenoughtodragmyselfoutofbedeverydayat6:00a.m.—becauseIhadto—sotheideaofgettingupat5:00a.m.seemed absolutely insane to me. Feeling frustrated and a bit defeated, I wasabouttoclosemyplannerandforgetthewholeidea,whenIheardthevoiceofmymentor,KevinBracy,inmyhead.Kevinalwaystoldme,“Hal,ifyouwantyourlifetobedifferent,youhavetobewillingtodosomethingdifferentfirst!”

Damnit.IknewKevinwasright,butthatdidn’tmakewakingupearlyanyeasier.Committedtomakingachange,Idecidedtoovercomemyself-imposed,life-long limiting belief that I was not a morning person and wrote into myschedule that I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning to do my firstpersonaldevelopmentroutine.

OurSecondChallenge:DoingWhat’sMostImpactfulThenIencounteredanotherchallenge—whatwasIgoingtodoforthathour

thatwasgoing tomake thebiggest impact and improvemy life the fastest? Icould read, but I’d done that before, and I wanted this to be special. I couldexercise, but again, that wasn’t getting my juices flowing. So, I pulled out apiece of blank paper and Iwrote down all of themost life-changing personaldevelopmentpracticesthatIhadlearnedovertheyears,butneverimplemented—atleastneverconsistently.Activitieslikemeditation,affirmations,journaling,visualization,aswellasreadingandexercise.

IchosethesixactivitiesthatIthoughtwouldhavethemostimmediateanddramaticimpactonmylife,assigned10minuteseach,andplannedtotryallsixthenextmorning.The interesting thingwas, lookingat this listgotmefeelingmotivated!AllofasuddentheideaofwakingupearlywentfromsomethingIdreadedtosomethingmoreandmoreappealing.Thatnight, Icouldhardlyfallasleep,Iwassoexcitedforthemorningtocome!

Whenthealarmclockwentoffat5:00a.m.,myeyesshotwideopenandIsprung out of bed, feeling energized and excited! It was effortless, it wasinvigorating, and it reminded me of being a kid, waking up on Christmasmorning.Therehadbeennotimeinmylifewhenwakingupwaseasier,whenIfeltmoreenergizedandexcitedaboutmyday,thanIdidasakidonChristmas…untiltoday.

TheMorningThatTransformedMyEntireLifeTeethbrushed,facewashed,andaglassofwaterinhand,Isatupstraight

onmylivingroomcouchat5:05a.m.,feelinggenuinelyexcitedaboutmylife

for thefirst time ina long time. Itwasstilldarkoutside,andsomethingaboutthat felt very empowering. I pulled out my list of life-changing personaldevelopmentactivitiesIhadlearnedovertheyearsbutneverimplemented.Onebyone,Iimplementedeachone.

SilenceSittinginsilence,praying,meditating,andfocusingonmybreath,for10minutes.Ifeltmystressmeltaway,felt asenseofcalmcomeovermybodyandeasemymind.Thiswasdifferentfromthetypicalchaosofmyhecticmornings.Forthefirsttimeinalongtime,Ifeltpeaceful.

ReadingHavingalwaysmadeexcuseswhyIcouldn’tfindtimetoread,IwasexcitedtomaketimethismorningandstartwhatIhadalwayshopedcouldbecome a lifelong habit. I grabbed Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think and GrowRich, off the shelf. Likemost ofmy books, itwas one that I had started, butnever finished. I read for ten minutes, and picked up a few ideas that I wasexcited to implement that day. I was reminded that it only takes one idea tochangeyourlife,andIfeltmotivated.

AffirmationsHavingneverbeforeharnessedthepowerofaffirmations, itfeltamazingtofinallyreadtheself-confidenceaffirmationfromThinkandGrowRichaloud.Theaffirmationwasapowerfulreminderoftheunlimitedpotentialthat was within me—and within each of us. I decided to write my ownaffirmation. I jotted downwhat Iwanted,who Iwas committed to being, andwhatIwascommittedtodoingtochangemylife.Ifeltempowered.

VisualizationIgrabbedtheVisionBoardoffmywall.IhadcreateditafterwatchingthemovieTheSecret.Irarelytooktimetolookat, letaloneuseitasthe visualization tool itwas intended to be.For tenminutes,my focus shiftedfromimagetoimage,pausingateachonetoclosemyeyesandfeel,witheveryfiber ofmy being,what it would be like tomanifest each intomy life. I feltinspired.

JournalingNext,IopenedoneofthemanyblankjournalsIhadpurchasedovertheyears.Likealloftheothers,Ihadfailedtowriteinformorethanafewdays—aweekatthemost.Onthisday,IwrotewhatIwasgratefulforinmylife.Almost immediately, I feltmy depression lifting, like a heavy fogwhich hadbeenweighingme down. Itwasn’t gone, but it felt lighter. The simple act ofwritingdownthethingsIwasgratefulforliftedmyspirits.Ifeltgrateful.

ExerciseFinally,Igotupoffthecouch,rememberingwhatI’dheardTonyRobbinssaysomany times: motioncreatesemotion. IdroppeddownanddidpushupsuntilIcouldn’tdoonemore.ThenIflippedoverontomybackanddid

asmanysitupsasmyout-of-shapeabswouldallow.Withsixminutesleftontheclock, I inserted one of my fiancée’s Yoga videos into the DVD player, andenjoyedcompletingthefirstsixminutesofit.Ifeltenergized.

It was incredible! I had already experienced what was one of the mostpeaceful,motivating,empowering,inspiring,grateful,andenergizingdaysofmylife—anditwasonly6:00a.m.!

NothingShortofaMiracleFor the next fewweeks, I continued towake up at 5:00 a.m. and follow

throughwithmy60-minutepersonal development routine.Then, so incrediblyhappywiththewayIwasfeelingandtheprogressIwasmakingasaresultofmymorningroutine,Iwantedmoreofit!So,onenightwhilegettingreadyforbed,Ididwhatwasunthinkableatthetime;Isetmyalarmclockfor4:00a.m.Fallingasleepthatnight,IwonderedifIwasoutofmymind.

Surprisingly,itwasjustaseasytowakeupat4:00a.m.asitwas5:00a.m.,andwakingupateithertimewastentimeseasierthanwakinguponanydayinmypast,whenIresistedwakingup.

Mystresslevelsdroppeddramatically.Ihadmoreenergy,clarity,andfocus.I feltgenuinelyhappy,motivated,and inspired.Thoughtsofdepressionwereadistantmemory.YoucouldsayIwasbacktomyoldselfagain—althoughIwasexperiencing so much growth, so rapidly, that I was quickly surpassing anyversionofmyselfthatIhadeverbeeninthepast.Andwithmynewfoundlevelsof energy,motivation, clarity, and focus I was able to easily set goals, createstrategiesandexecuteaplantosavemybusinessandincreasemyincome.LessthantwomonthsaftermyfirstMiracleMorning,myincomewasnotonlybacktothelevel ithadbeenatbeforetheeconomycrashed, itwashigherthaneverbefore.

IknewthispowerfulmorningpersonaldevelopmentroutinewassomethingIwouldeventuallystartsharingwithmyprivatecoachingclients,soIneededaname for it. Considering that the transformation I was experiencing was soprofound and happening so fast—having gone from broke and depressed tofinancially secure and excited about life, in less than twomonths—that it feltlikeamiracle,theonlyappropriatenamewasTheMiracleMorning.

Hey,IfKatieCanDoIt…A fewweeks later, Iwas on a coaching callwithKatiewhen she asked,

“Hal,howdoyoustartyourmornings?”AlthoughIbeamedasItoldheraboutTheMiracleMorningandthebenefitsofwakingupanhourearlierthannormal,sheresisted.“Idon’tknowifIwanttowakeupanyearlier,Hal.Trustme,Iamnotamorningperson!”

However,Katie isalwaysagoodsport.Shecommitted towakingupat6a.m.—onehour earlier thannormal—andgivingTheMiracleMorning a try. Iofferedhersomeencouragementandwishedherluck.

Onhercoachingcalloneweeklater,Katiewasonfire! WhenIasked ifsheactuallywokeupat6a.m.everydaytodoTheMiracleMorning, Igotanunexpectedreply.“Nope.Iwokeupat6a.m.thefirstday,butyouwereright—IhadsuchanawesomemorningthatIwantedtodoitevenearlier!SoIwokeupat5:00a.m.therestoftheweek!Hal,itwasamazing!”

Wow.Ihadtotellmyothercoachingclientsaboutthis.Withinafewshortweeks,dozensofmyclientsweresharingwithmethat

theywereexperiencingthesametypesoflifechangingbenefitsduringtheirownMiracleMornings.Someofmyclients told their friendsandco-workersabouthowTheMiracleMorningwaschangingtheirlife.Itspreadthroughtheonlineworld like wildfire. People start posting about The Miracle Morning onFacebook, tweeting about it on Twitter, and even proudly posting videos ofthemselvesonYouTube,upearlyanddoingTheMiracleMorning.

Crazy,right?

WhoIntheHellIsJoe?I started to realize there was something to this wholeMiracle Morning

thing.IwasonYouTubeTMonedaylookingforoneofmyvideos,andIputmynameinthesearch.(Don’tjudge—youknowyou’veGoogledyourselfbefore.)

Avideopoppedupthatwastitled“MiracleMorningatJoe’s.”It’sofsomeguy that I’ve never seen before in my life. My first reaction was not verypositive: “Who in the hell is Joe and who does he think he is copying myMiracleMorning?”Igotalittledefensive—notoneofmyfinermoments.Ijustdidn’tknowwhattothink.Boy,wasIabouttobepleasantlysurprised.

IhitplayonthevideoandthisiswhatIsaw:“Hello,it’syourfriend,JoeDiosana.Let’slookatthetime…”(Joeshowshisalarmclock,whichreads5:41a.m.)“Itis5:41inthemorning,onSunday,andyoumustbewondering,‘Dude,Joe,what in theworldareyoudoingupat five-forty-one in themorningona

Sunday?’ Well, check out miraclemorning.com. That’s miraclemorning.com.Lookat the informationanddownload (the freeaudio). It feels likeChristmastome,honestly,andI’vegotalotofenergy.It’slikeChristmaseverydaynow.Checkitout,andIhopeyourlifewillbeblessed.”(YoucanseeJoe’sinfamous43-second video now at TheMiracleMorning.com—just click on “SuccessStories.”)

AsIsatstaringatmycomputerscreen,mouthopen,Iwasinawe,almostintears. This is the moment I realized that The Miracle Morning is truly life-changingandIhadtoshareitwiththeworld.Itbecamecleartomethat,whileIneverintendedforittobeanythingmorethanmylittlemorningroutine,IhadaresponsibilitytoshareTheMiracleMorningwithasmanypeopleaspossible,soitcantransformtheirlivesthewayitdidforme.Although,atthispoint,Istillhavenoideajusthowbigit’sgoingtobe.

AMovement?OrisitanAwakening?It’s been nearly five years since I toldKatie aboutTheMiracleMorning

andsinceIwatchedJoe’svideoonYouTube.Icontinuetoreceivehundredsofemailsfrompeople,allovertheworld,expressingtheirgratitudeandenthusiasmforwhatTheMiracleMorninghasdonefortheirlives.TheMiracleMorninghasbecomeaworldwidemovement—aglobalawakening—madeupofindividualsranging from corporate executives to stay-at-home moms, all dedicated towakingupeverydayandgivingthemselvesthegiftofpersonaldevelopment.Inowseethebiggerpicture,howTheMiracleMorningcanimpacttheworldbyenablingeachofusbecomewhoweneedtobetocreatethelivesthatwewant;topositivelyinfluencethelivesofothers,andchangetheworldaroundus.

I’m passionate about this mission: to empower people to transform theirlives, their families, theircommunities,and theworldbywakingupeverydayand transforming themselveswithTheMiracleMorning.Everyday,more andmore people are joining the awakening. Whether it’s by simply sharing theMiracleMorning.comwebsitewiththeirfriendsandfamilysotheycangettwofree chapters of The Miracle Morning book (plus the free video and audioprograms) or by inviting them to join The Miracle Morning Community atwww.MyTMMCommunity.com.Iamstillamazedathowmanylivesarebeingsodeeplyaffected.

ManyareevenfollowingJoe’sleadandrecordingvideosofthemselvesupearly,livingTheMiracleMorning(whichusuallyincludesaproudshotoftheiralarmclock—proving that theyareupearly). Iwas inspiredby Joe’svideo to

start recordingmy ownMiracleMorning video blogs, which, to my pleasantsurprise, have become very popular and are being viewed by thousands ofpeopleonTheMiracleMorningchannelatYouTube.com/TheMiracleMorning.

Iamhonoredandextremelygrateful tohave theopportunity toshareTheMiracleMorningwithsomanypeople,insomanydifferentcapacities.Infact,TheMiracleMorninghasevenbecomeoneofmysignaturekeynotemessagesand workshops, helping corporations, non-profits, salespeople, teachers, andhighschoolandcollegestudents to increase theirproductivity,motivation,andperformance.Theworkshop is a fresh approach that helps employees increasetheirproductivitywhileimprovingtheirhappinessandattitudeintheworkplace.Asyoumightguess,TheMiracleMorning workshop isappropriatelydone inthemorning,usuallybeforetheactualconferencebegins.

This book is an invitation and an opportunity to become the person youneedtobetocreateeverythingyouwantforyourlife.Itwillgiveyoupurposefultimetowork towardsyourmost importantgoals.Bystartingnow,andmakingconsistent, daily progress towards the life you truly want and deserve, yoursuccess—andthelifeofyourdreams—isinevitable.

—3—

The95%RealityCheck

Oneofthesaddestthingsinlifeistogettotheendandlookbackinregret,knowingthatyoucould

havebeen,done,andhadsomuchmore.—ROBINSHARMA

Thestoryofthehumanraceisthestoryofmenandwomensellingthemselvesshort.—ABRAHAMMASLOW

Everydayyou and Iwakeup,we face the sameuniversal challenge: toovercomemediocrityandlivetoourfullpotential.It’sthegreatestchallengeinhuman history—to rise above our excuses, dowhat’s right, give our best andcreate theLevel10 lifewe trulywant—theonewithno limits, theoneso fewpeopleevergettolive.

Most people never even come close. Approximately 95% of our societysettles for far less than theywant in life, wishing they hadmore, livingwithregret and never understanding that they could be, do, and have all that theywant.

AccordingtotheSocialSecurityAdministration,ifyoutakeany100peopleatthestartoftheirworkingcareersandfollowthemforthenext40yearsuntiltheyreachretirementage,here’swhatyou’llfind:only1willbewealthy;4willbe financially secure; 5 will continue working, not because they want to butbecause theyhave to;36willbedead;and54willbebrokeanddependentonfriends,family,relatives,andthegovernmenttotakecareofthem.

Monetarily speaking, that’s only 5% of us who will be successful increating a life of freedom, and 95%whowill continue to struggle their entirelives.

Sothecrucialquestion—theonethatwemustexploreandfindtheanswerto—isthis:whatcanwedonowtoensurethatwedon’tendupstruggling,likethe95%majoritywill?

RisingAboveMediocrityandJoiningtheTop5%Thefactthatyou’rereadingthisbooktellsmethatyou’rereadyforthenext

levelinyourlife—thatyou’renotokaywithsettlingforlessthanyoucanhave,be,anddoanymore,justbecausenearlyeveryoneelsedoes.

Herearethreesimple,yetdecisivestepstoriseabovemediocrityandjointhetop5%:

Step#1:Acknowledgethe95%RealityCheckFirst, we must understand and acknowledge the reality that 95% of our

societywillnevercreateandlivethelifetheyreallywant.Wemustembracethefactthatifwedon’tcommittothinkingandlivingdifferentlythanmostpeoplenow,wearesettingourselvesuptoendurealifeofmediocrity,struggle,failureandregret—justlikemostpeople.Realizethatthiswillincludeourownfriends,family,andpeersifwedon’tdosomethingaboutitnowandsetanexampleofwhat’spossiblewhenwecommittofulfillingourpotential.

Beingaveragemeanstosettleforlessthanyoutrulywantandarecapableof,andtostruggleforyourentirelife.Everyday,mostpeoplesettle,andmostpeople struggle on almost every level. Physically, mentally, emotionally,relationally, financially—you name it—most people wake up each day andstruggle to create the levels of success, happiness, love fulfillment, health andfinancialprosperitythattheytrulydesire.

ConsidertheFollowing:Ö Physically—Obesityisanepidemic.Potentiallyfataldiseaseslikecancerandheartdiseaseareontherise.Theaveragepersonisexhausted,theirphysicalenergylevelsatanalltimelow.Mostcan’tseemtogenerateenoughenergytomakeitthroughasingleday without consuming a few cups of coffee or a 5-HourEnergy®drink.Thesuccessofthatproductisfurtherevidenceofthedegreetowhichpeoplearestrugglingphysically.Ö Mentally and Emotionally—More prescription drugs arebeingconsumedeverydayinanattempttocombatdisorderslikedepression, anxiety, and countless other mental or emotionalillnesses.RarelydoyouturnontheTVwithoutseeinganadforsome prescription drug. There’s usually some good lookingmiddle-aged couple, flying a kite on the beach with their dog.

Thenamanwithadeepvoicestartsspeakinggently,rattlingoffsymptoms,followedbya listofpotentialsideeffects: “Doyouever feel tired, sad, lonely, depressed, overweight, or anythingelse that you’d be willing to pay money to not feel anymore?Great,you’reinluck—XYZdrugcanhelp!Warning:maycausesideeffectssuchasbloating,constipation,diathermia,dizziness,drymouth,dandruff,insomnia,narcolepsy,andmanyotherthingsfarworse thanwhat it’sactually supposed tohelpyouwith.So,don’twait—callthenumberonyourscreentoday!”Ö Relationally—It’s well known that there is an epidemic ofdivorce inAmerica,with one in twomarriages failing. In otherwords, over half of those deeply in love couples, who standbefore their friends and family and commit their lives to eachother—throughthegoodtimesandthebad,mightIremindyou—struggle tomake itwork.Aftermore than30yearsofmarriage,two of my favorite people—my mom and dad—recentlydivorced. I’m very present to the pain of this all too commonrelationalstruggle.Ö Financially—Americanshavemorepersonaldebtthanatanyothertimeinhistory.Mostpeoplearen’tearningnearlyasmuchmoneyasthey’dliketobeearning.They’respendingtoomuch,notsavingenough,andstrugglingfinancially.

It’snosecretthatmostpeoplearelivinglifefarbelowtheirpotential.Oncewecanacknowledgethat,it’scrucialthatweexplorewhatcausesmostpeopletostruggleandsettleformediocrityintheirlives.

Step#2:IdentifytheCausesofMediocrityOncewe’ve acknowledged that 95%ofour society is settling for far less

thantheyarecapableof,struggling inalmosteveryarea,andnotexperiencingthe levels of success, happiness, and freedom that they really want, the nextcrucialstepistounderstandwhy.Topreventitfromhappeningtoyou,youmustknowwhatcausestheaveragepersontoenduplivingalifeofmediocrity.

If you were to ask the average person in this country—40-50 years old,settlingforlessthantheywant,andstrugglingtobehappy,paytheirbills,etc.—ifyouweretoaskthemifthiswastheirplan,theirvisionfortheirlife,whatdoyou think they would say? Do you think they envisioned their life being astruggle?Ofcoursenot!Andthat,myfriend,isthescarypart.

If95%ofoursocietyisnotlivingthelifethattheywant,wemustfigureoutwhattheydidwrongorwhattheydidn’tdoright,sothatwedon’tenduplivingalifeofmediocrity.

Wedon’twantourlivestobeastruggle.Iwantalifeoffreedom,whereIgettowakeupanddowhatIwant,whenIwant,withwhomeverIwant.Iwanttogetoutofbedeverydayandtrulylovemylife.Iwanttolovemywork,andIwant to love the people I get to share my life and work with. That’s mydefinitionofsuccess.Thatkindoflifedoesn’tjusthappen.Itmustbedesigned.Ifyouwant to live anextraordinary life asdefinedanddesignedbyyou, thenyoumustidentifythefundamentalcausesofmediocritysoyoucanpreventthemfromrobbingyouofthelifeyouwant.

The following are what I believe to be the most relevant causes ofmediocrityandunfulfilledpotential—theonesthathavemadeandwillcontinuetomakethebiggestimpactonyourlife—andwhatyoucandotodefeatthem:

CausesofMediocrity(andImmediateSolutions):ÖRearviewMirrorSyndrome

One of the most crippling causes of mediocrity in life is aconditionIcallRearviewMirrorSyndrome(RMS).Oursubconsciousminds are equipped with a self-limiting rearview mirror, through

which we continuously relive and recreate our past. We mistakenlybelieve that who we were is who we are, thus limiting our truepotentialinthepresent,basedonthelimitationsofourpast.

Asaresult,wefiltereverychoicewemake—fromwhattimewewillwake up in themorning towhich goalswewill set towhatweallow ourselves to consider possible for our lives—through thelimitationsofourpastexperiences.Wewanttocreateabetterlife,butsometimeswedon’tknowhowtosee itanyotherway thanhowit’salwaysbeen.

Researchshowsthatonanygivenday,theaveragepersonthinkssomewherebetween50,000and60,000thoughts.Theproblemisthatninety-five percent of our thoughts are the same as the ones wethought the day before, and the day before that, and the day beforethat.It’snowondermostpeoplegothroughlife,dayafterday,monthaftermonth,yearafteryear,andneverchangethequalityoftheirlives.

Like old, worn baggage, we carry stress, fear, and worry fromyesterdaywithus into today.Whenpresentedwithopportunities,wequicklycheckourrearviewmirrortoassessourpastcapabilities.“No,I’veneverdoneanything like thatbefore. I’veneverachievedat thatlevel.Infact,I’vefailed,timeandtimeagain.”

Whenpresentedwithadversity,wegobacktoourtrustyrearviewmirrorforguidanceonhowtorespond.“Yep,justmyluck.Thiscrapalways happens to me. I’m just going to give up; that’s what I’vealwaysdonewhenthingsgettoodifficult.”

If you are to move beyond your past and transcend yourlimitations,youmuststoplivingoutofyourrearviewmirrorandstartimagining a life of limitless possibilities. Accept the paradigm: mypastdoesnotequalmyfuture.Talktoyourself inawaythat inspiresconfidencethatnotonlyisanythingpossible,butthatyouarecapableandcommittedtomakingitso.It’snotevennecessarytobelieveitatfirst. In fact, you probably won’t believe it. You might find ituncomfortable and that you resist doing it. That’s okay.Repeat it toyourselfanyway,andyoursubconsciousmindwillbegintoabsorbthepositiveself-affirmations.(MoreonhowtodothisinChapter6:The

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.)

Don’t place unnecessary limitations onwhat youwant for yourlife.Thinkbigger thanyou’veallowedyourself to thinkupuntil thispoint. Get clear on what you truly want, condition yourself to thebeliefthatit’spossiblebyfocusingonandaffirmingiteveryday,andthenconsistentlymoveinthedirectionofyourvisionuntilitbecomesyour reality. There is nothing to fear, because you cannot fail—onlylearn,grow,andbecomebetterthanyou’veeverbeenbefore.

Alwaysrememberthatwhereyouareisaresultofwhoyouwere,butwhereyougodependsentirelyonwhoyouchoosetobe,fromthismomenton.

ÖLackofPurposeIfyouasktheaveragepersonwhattheirlifepurposeis,youwill

get a funny lookor a response like “Gee, I dunno.”What if I askedyou?Whatwouldyou say?The averageperson can’t articulate theirlifepurpose—thecompelling“why”thatdrivesthemtowakeupeverydayanddowhateverittakestofulfilltheirmissioninlife.

Rather,theaveragepersontakeslifeonedayatatime,andhasnohigher purpose beyondmerely surviving.Most people just focus ongetting through the day, taking the path of least resistance, andpursuing short term, short-lived pleasures along the way, whileavoidinganypainordiscomfortthatmightcausethemtogrow.

Duringthecourseofmyseven-yearcareerindirectsales,despitehavingbrokennumerouscompanysalesrecords,Ispentthefirstsixofthose seven years fighting the uphill battle ofmediocrity, and losingmoreoften thannot.Myresultswere inconsistent, and Iconsistentlyacceptedfarlessthanmybest,untilIfinallyfiguredoutthesecrettoovercomingmediocrity:livealifeofpurpose.

Afterbeinginductedintothecompany’shalloffame,itwastimetomoveonandpursuemydreamsofbecominganauthor,speaker,andcoach. However, I had never achieved my full potential with thecompany. I was about to leave the company with the mediocrity

monkeyonmyback. Itwas sure to followme intomynext ventureunlessIdidsomethingaboutit.

Upuntilthen,Ididn’thaveacompellinglifepurposethatgotmeup in themorning evenwhen I didn’t feel like getting up. I had nopurpose that droveme to get on the phone and call prospects, evenwhenIdidn’tneedmoremoney.Idecidedinthatmomentthatmylifepurposeforthenext12monthswouldbe:tobecomethepersonIneedto be to create the success, freedom, and quality of life that I trulywant. Icombined thiswithmyother lifepurpose (yes,youcanhavemorethanone),whichwastoselflesslyaddvaluetothelivesofothersbyassemblingateamof16othersalesreps.Iledweeklyconferencecoachingcallstosupporttheminreachingtheirgoals,freeofcharge,forthenext46consecutiveweeks.

Living every day in alignment with my two life purposes—constantly,consciouslyaligningmythoughts,wordsandactionswitheach purpose—not only did I have my best sales year ever (a 94%increaseovermypreviousbest),butIalsoledmorerepstosurpassingthehighestperformancelevelthanatanyothertimeinthecompany’s50-yearhistory.

Todefeatthiscauseofmediocrity,youneedalifepurpose,whichcanbeanypurposeyouwant. It canbeanything that resonateswithandinspiresyoutowakeupeverydayandliveinalignmentwithyourpurpose.Now, I totally understand that asking you to come upwithyour life’s purpose right now may sound a bit overwhelming. Justremember that you get to make it up, and this first one can besomethingsimple,evensmall.(e.g.“I’mgoingtosmilemoresothatIcanbringalittlemorehappinesstomylifeandtothosearoundme.”Or,“I’mgoingtoaskeverypersonImeetwhatIcandotohelpthem,sothatIcanaddvaluetomorepeople’s lives.”) Itwillbeyourfirststeptowardsabiggerlifepurpose.

Keepinmindthatyoucanchangeyourlifepurposeatanytime.As you grow and evolve, sowill your purpose.What’s important isthatyouchooseapurpose—anypurpose—andstartlivingbyit,now.You can even borrow one of the purposes I just shared with you.(Manyofmycoachingclientshave.)

Keepinmindthatyou’renotsupposedto“figureout”whatyourpurposeis,yougettomakeitup,createit,decidewhatyouwantittobe. In his bestselling book The Rhythm of Life, Matthew Kellyenlightens us to a universal life purpose that I believewe should allliveby:tobecomethebestversionofourselves.Inotherwords,focusongrowingandbeingthebestyoucanbe,pursuingyourdreamsandinspiringotherstodothesame.That’syourpurpose.

Schedulesometimethisweektothinkaboutandarticulateyourlifepurpose.Writeitdownwhereyou’llseeiteveryday.Infact,you’llhavetimetodothisduringyourMiracleMorning.

Alwaysrememberthatwhenyouarecommittedtoalifepurposethat is bigger than your problems, your problems become relativelyinsignificantandyouwillovercomethemwithease.

ÖIsolatingIncidentsOne of the most prevalent, yet not-so-obvious causes of

mediocrity is isolating incidents. We do this when we mistakenlyassumethateachchoicewemake,andeachindividualactionwetake,isonlyaffectingthatparticularmoment,orcircumstance.Forexample,youmay think it’snobigdeal tomiss aworkout, procrastinateon aproject,oreatfastfoodbecauseyou’llgeta“do-over”tomorrow.Youmake themistakeof thinking that skipping thatworkoutonlyaffectsthatincident,andyou’llmakeabetterchoicenexttime.Nothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.

Wemustrealizethattherealimpactandconsequenceofeachofour choices and actions—and even our thoughts—is monumental,because every single thought, choice, and action is determiningwhowearebecoming,whichwill ultimatelydetermine thequality of ourlives. As T. Harv Eker said in his best-selling book Secrets of theMillionaireMind,“Howyoudoanythingishowyoudoeverything.”

Everytimeyouchoosetodotheeasy thing, insteadof therightthing,youareshapingyouridentity,becomingthetypeofpersonwhodoeswhat’seasy,ratherthanwhat’sright.

Ontheotherhand,whenyoudochoosetodotherightthingandfollow through with your commitments—especially when you don’tfeel like it—you are developing the extraordinary discipline (whichmost people never develop) necessary for creating extraordinaryresultsinyourlife.Asmygoodfriend,PeterVoogd,oftenteacheshisclients:“Disciplinecreateslifestyle.”

For example, when the alarm clock goes off, and we hit thesnooze button (the easy thing), most people mistakenly assume thatthisactionisonlyaffectingthatmoment.Therealityisthatthistypeofaction is programming our subconscious mind with the instructionsthatitisokayforustonotfollowthroughwiththethingsweintendedtodo.(Moreonthatinthenextchapter:WhyDidYouWakeUpThisMorning?)

We must stop isolating incidents and start seeing the biggerpicture. Realize that everything that we do affects who we’rebecoming,whichisdeterminingthelifethatwewillultimatelycreateandlive.Whenyouseethebigpictureyoustarttotakethealarmclockmoreseriously.When thebuzzergoesoff in themorningandyou’retemptedtosnooze,youstartthinking,Wait—thisisnotwhoIwanttobecome—someonewhodoesn’tevenhaveenoughdisciplinetogetoutofbedinthemorning.I’mgettingupnow,becauseIamcommittedto__________(wakingupearly,hittingmygoals,creatingthelifeofmydreams,etc.)

Always remember that who you’re becoming is far more

importantthanwhatyou’redoing,andyetitiswhatyou’redoingthatisdeterminingwhoyou’rebecoming.

ÖLackofAccountabilityThe link between success and accountability is irrefutable.

Virtually all highly successful people—from CEOs to professionalathletestothePresidentoftheUnitedStates—embraceahighdegreeofaccountability. Itgives them the leverage theyneed to takeactionandcreateresults,evenwhentheydon’tfeel like it.Without it,we’dhave a lot more pro-athletes skipping practice, and CEOs spendingtheir days playingWordsWith FriendsTM on their iPhones. I’m suresomeare alreadydoing that (I’mguiltyof it occasionally), butwe’d

havealotmore.

Accountabilityistheactofbeingresponsibletosomeoneelseforsomeactionorresult.Verylittlehappensinthisworld,orinyourlife,without some form of accountability. Virtually every positive resultyou and I produced from birth to age eighteen was thanks to theaccountability provided for us by the adults in our lives (parents,teachers,bosses,etc.)Vegetablesgoteaten,homeworkwascompleted,teethwerebrushed,webathedandgottobedatareasonablehour.Ifitweren’t for the accountability provided for us by our parents andteachers, we would have been uneducated, malnourished, sleep-deprived,dirtylittlekids!Nicewaytoreframeit,right?

Accountabilityhasbroughtorder toour lives andallowedus toprogress, improve and achieve results we wouldn’t have otherwise.Here’s the problem: accountability was never something you and Iaskedfor,butrathersomethingthatweenduredaschildren,teens,andyoung adults. As it was forced upon us by adults, most of usunconsciously grew to resist and resent accountability altogether.Then,whenwe turned18,weembracedeveryounceof freedomwecouldgetourhandson,continuingtoavoidaccountabilitylikeitwasthe plague, perpetuating a downward spiral into mediocrity,developingdetrimentalmindsetsandhabitssuchaslaziness,deflectingresponsibility,andtakingshortcuts—hardlyarecipeforsuccess.

Now thatwe are all grown up and striving to achieve worthylevels of success and fulfillment, we must take responsibility forinitiating our own systems for accountability (ormove back inwithour parents). Your accountability system could be a professionalcoach,mentor, even a good friend or familymember. The reality isthat, statistically, 95% of the people that read any book don’timplement what they learn, because no one is holding themaccountabletodoso.Thereisawaytochangethat.

[HighlyRecommended]GetanAccountabilityPartnerHaveyoueverhadadaywhereyouintendedtoexerciseorgoto

the gym, but didn’t go because you didn’t feel like it? Sure, we allhave.Whataboutwhenyouknowsomeoneiscountingonyoutomeet

thematthegym,orontherunningtrail—aren’tyoumuchmorelikelyto follow through when you have someone else holding youaccountable?

IstronglyrecommendteamingupwithanAccountabilityPartnerwhile you read this book.This can be a friend, co-worker or familymemberthatyousimplyshareTheMiracleMorningwithbysendingthem to MiracleMorning.com so they can get a Miracle Morning“CrashCourse”(2freechaptersof thisbook,aswellasTheMiracleMorningvideoandaudioprograms—allforfree.)Thatway,youhavesomeonewho is also committed to taking his or her life to the nextlevel,andthetwoofyoucansupport,encourage,andholdeachotheraccountable.

YoucanevenpostaninvitationonyourFacebookwall,ortothehighly supportive members of The Miracle MorningCommunity atwww.MyTMMCommunity.com.Youmightpostsomethinglike:“I’mlooking for someone who wants to improve their life to be myAccountability Partner for The Miracle Morning 30-day LifeTransformationChallenge.Checkoutwww.MiracleMorning.comandlet me know if you’re interested.” Keep in mind that anyone whorespondstothisisthetypeofpersonyouwanttohaveinyourcircleofinfluence!

I’durgeyoutomakeacommitmentnowtocall,text,oremailafriend today, inviting them to join you on your Miracle Morningjourney, read thebookwithyou, andbeyourAccountabilityPartnerforThe Miracle Morning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge inChapter 10. Or, visit The Miracle Morning Community atwww.MyTMMCommunity.com to connect with fellow MiracleMakersandfindyouridealAccountabilityPartner.

ÖMediocreCircleofInfluenceResearchhasshownthatwevirtuallybecomeliketheaverageof

the five people we spend themost timewith.Who you spend yourtimewithmaybethesinglemostdeterminingfactorinthepersonyoubecome and in your quality of life. If you are surroundedwith lazy,weak-minded, excuse-making people, you’ll inevitably become likethem. Spend time with positive, successful achievers and inevitably

theirattitudesandsuccessfulhabitswillreflectonyou.You’llbecomemoreandmorelikethem.

This is true in every area—success, health, happiness weight,income. If all of your friends are generally happy and optimisticpeople, then you are going to naturally become more happy andoptimistic just by being around them. If all of your friends aresuccessful and earn over $100,000 a year—even if you enter theircircle earning far less—youwill automatically be pulled up by theirlevelofthinkingandinfluencedbythehabitsthey’veestablishedtobesuccessful.

On the contrary, if most of the people you associate with areconstantly complaining and focused on the negative side of life, theodds are youwill be too. If your friends are not striving to improvetheirlives,orifthey’restrugglingfinancially,thenthey’renotgoingtochallengeorinspireyoutodoanybetter.

Unfortunately,therewillbealotofpeoplewhoaretryingtogetaheadinlifebutkeepgettingpulleddownbythepeoplearoundthem.Thiscanbeespeciallydifficultwhenthosepeopleareyourfamily.Youmust be strong andmake sure you spend less timewith peoplewhodon’tencourageandchallengeyoutobecomethebestyoucanbe.

Seek out peoplewho believe in you, admire you, and can helpyougetwhereyouwanttogoinlife.Youmustactivelyseekoutsuchpeople to improveyourcircleof influence—theyrarely justshowupbychance.Herearesomewaysthatyoucandothat:

§ YoucanjoinanonlinecommunitysuchasMeetup.com,whereyoucanconnectwithlike-mindedpeopleinyourareawhohavesimilarinterests.YoucanjoinanexistingMeetupgroup,orstartyourown.§ Ifyouareabusinessowneroraprofessionalwhomarketsanyproducts or services, you can join a business networking andreferral marketing group, the largest of which is BNI(www.bni.com.) I was a member of BNI for many years. Ithelped me grow my business and I always recommend it to

others.§ Ifyouare a student—high school, junior,high,or elementaryschool student—I highly recommend that you look into joiningBoys&GirlsClubsofAmericabyfindingoneoftheir4,000localClubs at www.bgca.org. It is one of the best organizations foryoungpeopletosetyourselfontheroadtosuccess.Theirmissionis: To enable all young people, especially those who need usmost, to reach their full potential as productive, caring,responsible citizens, and former Club members include DenzelWashington, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez, and ShaquilleO’Neal. Those aren’t bad footsteps to follow if youwant to besuccessful.§ As I’ve mentioned, we have an exceptionally positive,supportive, and highly proactive community you can join atwww.MyTMMCommunity.com. There you can connect andnetwork with all types of people—from executives andentrepreneurstostudentsandstay-at-homemoms.

It is often said that “misery loves company”, but so doesmediocrity. Don’t let the fears, insecurities, and limiting beliefs ofothers limit what’s possible for you. One of the most importantcommitments youwill evermake is to proactively and continuouslyimprove your circle of influence. Always seek people whowill addvaluetoyourlifeandbringoutthebestinyou.Andofcourse,bethatpersonforothers.

This isanotherreasonthat it’ssovaluableforyoutocommit toinviting a friend, co-worker or family member to be yourAccountabilityPartner anddo theMiracleMorningwithyou.You’llbe adding value to that person’s life by helping them increase theirlevelofpersonaldevelopment,whichinturnwillmakethemabetterinfluenceonyou.

ÖLackofPersonalDevelopmentJimRohnhasbeenoneofmygreatestmentorsandhastaughtme

many life-changing philosophies. In my opinion, none was greaterthantheideathatourlevelsofsuccesswillrarelyexceedourlevelofpersonaldevelopment,becausesuccessissomethingweattractbywho

we become. In otherwords, your level of success—in every area ofyour life—will rarely exceed, and usually parallel your level ofpersonaldevelopment(i.e.yourknowledge,skills,beliefs,habits,etc.)

Wetouchedonthisearlier,but let’scheckinagain.IfyouandIaremeasuring our levels of success in any area of our lives (health,finances, relationships, etc.) on a scale of one to ten—webothwant“Level10”success,agreed?Okay,good.

Now, theproblem is thatmostofus aren’t investing timeeachdayintodevelopingourselvesintothe“Level10”peoplethatweneedtobethatarecapableofattracting,creating,living,andsustainingthelevelsofsuccessthatwesaywewant.Asaresult,westruggletoattainthelevelsofhealth,happiness,energy,love,personalandprofessionalsuccessthatwetrulydesire.

During The Miracle Morning 30-Day Life TransformationChallenge (in Chapter 10) you’ll be given access to The MiracleMorning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge “Fast-Start Kit”whereyou’llbeguided through theenlighteningandsurprisingly funprocess of assessing your levels of success in each area. Then, afteryou’vegainedaheightenedlevelofclarityandself-awareness,you’llbeabletoclarifyyour“Level10”visionforeachareaofyourlife,andthenestablishyour“NextLevel”goalsforeacharea,sothatyoucanimmediatelybeginmakingsignificantprogresstowardsyourLevel10vision.

Themostextraordinary lifeyoucan imagine isavailable toyouno matter what’s happened in your past; just waiting for you todevelop yourself into the person you need to be to be able to easilyattract,create,andlivethatlife.

TheMiracleMorning will enable you to become thatLevel 10person you need to be to easily and consistently, attract, create, andsustainLevel10success thatyouwant inevery—yes,every—areaofyourlife.

Always remember thatwhenwe fail tomake time for personaldevelopment,we are forced tomake time for pain and struggle.TheMiracleMorning will give you that time for extraordinary personal

development.

ÖLackofUrgencyArguably the single most significant cause of mediocrity and

unfulfilledpotential,whichprevents95%ofoursocietyfromcreatingandlivingthelifetheytrulywant,isthatmostpeoplehavenosenseofurgencytoimprovethemselvessotheycanimprovetheirlives.Humannature is to live with a “someday”mindset and think life will workitselfout.How’sthatworkingoutforeverybody?

This someday mindset is perpetual, and it leads to a life ofprocrastination,unfulfilledpotentialandregret.Youwakeuponedayandwonderwhat the heck happened; how did your life end up likethis?Howdidyouenduplikethis?

Oneof the saddest things in life is to livewith regret, knowingthatyoucouldhave,be,anddosomuchmore.

Remember this truth: nowmattersmore thananyother time inyour life, because it’swhat you are doing today that is determiningwho you’re becoming, and who you’re becoming will alwaysdeterminethequalityanddirectionofyourlife.

If you don’tmake the commitment today to start becoming thepersonyouneedtobetocreatetheextraordinarylifeyoureallywant,what makes you think tomorrow—or next week, or next month, ornextyear—aregoingtobeanydifferent?Theywon’t.Andthat’swhyyoumustdrawyourlineinthesand.

Step#3:DrawYourLineIntheSandYou’ve acknowledged and embraced the reality that 95% of society is

struggling—andthat ifwedon’tcommit to thinkingandlivingdifferentlythanmostpeople,wewillendupstruggling,likemostpeople.You’veidentifiedthecausesofmediocrityyouabsolutelyneedtoremainawareofandavoid.The3rdstepistodrawyourlineinthesand.Makeadecisionastowhatyouaregoingtostartdoingdifferentlyfromthisdayforward.

Nottomorrow,notnextweek,ornextmonth.You’vegottomakeadecisiontodaythatyou’rereadytomakethenecessarychangestoguaranteethatyouwill

beabletocreatethelifeyoureallywant.Totakeyourpersonalandprofessionalsuccesstothelevelthey’veneverbeenbefore,youhavetobewillingtocommitat a level you’ve never been committed before. Are you ready to make thatcommitment?

Yourentirelifechangesthedaythatyoudecideyouwillnolongeracceptmediocrityforyourself.Whenyourealizethattodayisthemostimportantdayof your life. When you decide that now matters more than any other timebecauseitiswhoyouarebecomingeachdaybasedonthedecisionsthatyouaremakingandtheactionsthatyouaretakingthatisdeterminingwhoyouaregoingtobefortherestofyourlife.

Thepossibilityofmediocrityexists foreveryone,becausebeingmediocresimplymeanschoosing—whetherconsciouslyorunconsciously—tobethesameasyou’vealwaysbeen.Mediocrityhasnothingtodowithhowyoucomparetootherpeople;it’ssimplyaresultofnotmakingthecommitmenttocontinuouslylearn,grow,andimproveyourself.Whereasbeingextraordinary—whichleadstoextraordinary levels of success—is a result of choosing to learn, grow, andbejustalittlebitbettereachdaythanyou’vebeeninthepast.

We’veallexperiencedthepainofregret—asaresultofthinkingandtalkingourselves intobeing,doing, andhaving less thanweare capableof.Mediocredaysturnintoweeks.Weeksturnintomonths.Monthsinevitablyturnintoyears,and ifwedon’tchangewhowearenow,ourself-created fatewillbea lifeofmediocrityandunfulfilledpotential,accepting less fromourselves,andforourlives,thanwetrulywant…anddeserve.

The reality is that ifwe don’t changenow, our life won’t change. If wedon’tgetbetter,ourlifewon’tgetbetter.Andifwedon’tconsistentlyinvesttimeintoour self-improvement, our lifewill not improve.Yet,mostofuswakeupeverydayandstaythesame.

Ithinkyouwantmoreforyourlife.IknowIdo.Ifyou’rebeingcompletelyhonestwithyourself,you trulywant to liveanextraordinary life.Thatdoesn’tnecessarilymeanbeing richor famous.Everyone’sdream isdifferent.What itdoesmeanislivingyourdefinitionofanextraordinarylife.Alifewhereyougettocalltheshots,andlivelifeonyourterms,withthefreedomtodo,be,andhaveeverything you’ve ever wanted for your life. No excuses. No regrets. Just anincredible,meaningful,andexcitinglife!

Asstatedso truthfullybybestsellingauthor,RobinSharma: “Oneof thesaddest thingsinlifeis toget totheendandlookbackinregret,knowingthat

you could have been, done, and had so much more.” While this is the self-imposedfateofthemasses,itabsolutelydoesnothavetobeyours.Todayyoucan draw your line in the sand. You can decide that mediocrity is no longeracceptableforyou.Youcanclaimyourgreatness.Youcanchoosetobecomethepersonyouneedtobetocreatetheextraordinarylifethatyoutrulywant.Yourlifecanbefilledwithanabundanceofenergy,love,health,happiness,success,financial prosperity, and everything else that you’ve ever imagined having,doing,orbeing.TheMiracleMorningcangiveyouthatlife.

Butfirst,animportantquestion.

—4—

WhyDidYOUWakeUpThisMorning?

You’vegottogetupeverymorningwithdeterminationifyou’regoingtogotobedwithsatisfaction.

—GEORGELORIMER

Yourfirstritualthatyoudoduringthedayisthehighestleveragedritual,byfar,becauseithastheeffectofsettingyourmind,andsettingthecontext,fortherestofyourday.

—EBENPAGAN

Whydidyouwakeup thismorning?That’s aquestionyou’veprobablyneverbeenasked,but thinkabout it fora second—whydoyouwakeupmostmornings?Whyleavethecomfortofyourwarm,cozybed?Doyoudoiteverydaybecauseyoureallywantto?Orisitbecause,foronereasonoranother,youhaveto?

If you’re like most people, you wake up to the incessant beeping of analarmclockeachmorningandreluctantlydragyourselfoutofbedbecauseyouhave to be somewhere, do something, answer to—or take care of—someoneelse. Given the choice (do you have a choice?) most people would continuesleeping.

Sonaturally,werebel.Wehitthesnoozebuttonandresisttheinevitableactofwakingup,unawarethatourresistanceissendingamessagetotheuniversethat we’d rather lie there in our beds—unconscious—than consciously andactivelyliveandcreatetheliveswesaythatwewant.Mostofushaveresignedourselvestoacertainlevelofmediocrityandunfulfilledpotential.Wedon’tlikeit.Wedon’tfeelgoodaboutit.Weknowthatthereisabsolutelyanotherlevelofsuccess, achievement and fulfillment that’s possible for us, butwe feel stuck,andwedon’tknowwhattodotogetourselvesunstuck.

YouSnooze,YouLose:TheTruthAboutWakingUpTheoldsaying,“YouSnooze,YouLose”mayhaveadeepermeaningthan

anyofusrealized.Whenyoudelaywakingupuntilyouhaveto—meaningyouwait until the last possible moment to get out of bed and start your day—

considerthatwhatyou’reactuallydoingisresistingyourlife.Everytimeyouhitthesnoozebutton,you’reinastateofresistancetoyourday,toyourlife,andtowaking up and creating the life you say you want. Think about the kind ofnegative energy that surrounds youwhen you begin your daywith resistance,whenyourespondtothesoundofthealarmclockwithinternaldialoguealongthelinesof,“Ohno,it’stimealready.Ihavetowakeup.Idon’twant towakeup.” It’s as if you’re saying, “I don’twant to livemy life, at least not to thefullest.”

Manypeoplewhosufferfromdepressionreportthatthemorningtimeisthemostdifficult.Theywakeupwithdread.Sometimesitisbecauseofajobtheyfeelobligatedtogoto,orduetoarelationshipthatisfailing.Somepeoplefeelthisway simply due to the nature of depression and its ability toweigh on aperson’smind,emotions,andheartwithoutneedingaspecificreason.Thetoneof our morning has a powerful impact on the tone of the rest of our day. Itbecomesacycle: wakingupwithdespair,spending thedaycontinuing tofeelthatway,going to sleep feelinganxiousordepressed, then repeat the cycleofmelancholythenextday.

Not only are people missing out on the abundance of clarity, energy,motivation, and personal power that comes from waking up each day onpurpose,buttheirresistancetothisinevitabledailyactisadefiantstatementtotheuniverse that theywould rather lie inbed, unconscious, than to create andlivethelifetheydesire.

Ontheotherhand,whenyouwakeupeachdaywithpassionandpurpose,you join the small percentage of high achievers who are living their dreams.Most importantly, you will be happy. By simply changing your approach towakingup in themorning,youwill literallychangeeverything.Butdon’t takemywordforit—trustthesefamousearlyrisers:OprahWinfrey,TonyRobbins,Bill Gates, Howard Schultz, Deepak Chopra,WayneDyer, Thomas Jefferson,BenjaminFranklin,AlbertEinstein,Aristotle,andfartoomanymoretolisthere.

Nooneevertaughtusthatbylearninghowtoconsciouslysetourintentiontowakeupeachmorningwithagenuinedesire—evenenthusiasm—todoso,wecanchangeourentirelives.

Ifyou’rejustsnoozingeverydayuntilthelastpossiblemomentyouhavetohead off to work, show up for school, or take care of your family, and thencominghomeandzoningoutinfrontofthetelevisionuntilyougotobed(thisusedtobemydailyroutine),I’vegottoaskyou:Whenareyougoingtodevelopyourself into the person you need to be to create the levels of health, wealth,

happiness,success,andfreedomthatyoutrulywantanddeserve?Whenareyougoing to actually live your life instead of numbly going through the motionslooking foreverypossibledistraction toescape reality?What if your reality—yourlife—couldfinallybesomethingthatyoucan’twaittobeconsciousfor?

Thereisnobetterdaythantodayforustogiveupwhowe’vebeenforwhowe can become, and upgrade the lifewe’ve been living for the onewe reallywant.Thereisnobetterbookthantheoneyouareholdinginyourhandstoshowyou how to become the person you need to be who is capable of quicklyattracting,creatingandsustainingthelifeyouhavealwayswanted.

HowMuchSleepDoWeReallyNeed?Thefirstthingexpertswilltellyouabouthowmanyhoursofsleepweneed

isthatthereisno“magicnumber.”Theamountofsleepthatisidealvariesforevery individual, and is influenced by factors such as age, genetics, overallhealth,howmuchexerciseapersongets,andmanyothers.Whileyoumaybeatyourabsolutebestsleepingsevenhoursanight,someoneelsemayclearlyneedninehourstohaveahappy,productivelife.

AccordingtotheNationalSleepFoundation,someresearchhasfoundthatlong sleep durations (nine hours or more) are also associated with increasedmorbidity (illness, accidents) and even mortality (death.) This research alsofound thatvariablessuchasdepressionweresignificantlyassociatedwith longsleep.

Since there is suchawidevarietyofopinions fromcountless studies andexperts,andsincetheamountofsleepneededvariesfrompersontoperson,I’mnotgoingtotakeascientificapproachhere.Instead,I’mgoingtosharemyownreal-world results, from personal experience and experimentation, some ofwhichmaybesomewhatcontroversial.

HowToWakeUPWithMoreEnergy(OnLessSleep)Throughmyownexperimentation—aswellas thatofmanyotherMiracle

Morning enthusiastswhohave tested this theory—I’ve concluded that, for themostpart,weneedasmuchsleepaswebelieve thatweneed. Inotherwords,I’vefoundthathowwefeelinthemorningwhenwewakeup—andthisisaveryimportantdistinction—isnotbasedonhowmanyhoursofsleepwegot,asmuchasit’sbasedonhowwetoldourselvesweweregoingtofeelwhenwewokeup.

Forexample,ifyoubelievethatyouneed8hoursofsleeptofeelrested,butyou’re getting into bed at 12:00midnight and have to wake up at 6:00 a.m.,you’re likely to tell yourself, “Geez, I’m only going to get six hours of sleeptonight, but I need eight. I’m going to feel exhausted in themorning.” Then,whathappensassoonasyouralarmclockgoesoffandyouopenyoureyesandyourealizeit’stimetowakeup?What’sthefirstthoughtthatyouthink?It’sthesame thoughtyouhadbeforebed! “Geez, Ionlygotsixhoursofsleep. I feelexhausted.” It’s a self-fulfilling, self-sabotagingprophecy. If you tell yourselfyou’regoingtofeel tiredinthemorning, thenyouareabsolutelygoingtofeeltired.Ifyoubelievethatyouneed8hourstofeelrested,thenyou’renotgoingtofeelrestedonanythingless.Butwhatifyouchangedyourbeliefs?

Themind-bodyconnectionisapowerfulthing,andIbelievewemusttakeresponsibilityforeveryaspectofourlives,includingthepowertowakeupeverydayfeelingenergized,regardlessofhowmanyhoursofsleepweget.

I’ve experimentedwith various durations of sleep—from as little as fourhourstoasmanyasnine.TheothervariableinmyexperimentationwasactivelytellingmyselfhowIwasgoingtofeel inthemorning,basedontheamountofhoursIslept.First,Itriedeachdurationofsleep,tellingmyselfbeforebedthatIwas not getting enough sleep, and that I was going to feel exhausted in themorning.

Onfourhoursofsleep,Iwokeupfeelingexhausted.Onfivehoursofsleep,Iwokeupfeelingexhausted.

Onsixhoursofsleep,youguessedit—exhausted.Sevenhours….Eighthours…Ninehours…ThehoursofsleepIgotdidn’t

changehowI feltwhen thealarmclockwentoff in themorning.As longas ItoldmyselfbeforebedthatIwasn’tgettingenoughsleep,andthatIwasgoingtofeeltiredinthemorning,that’sexactlyhowIfelt.

Then, I again experimentedwith each duration—from nine hours to fourhours—this time reciting a bedtime affirmation and telling myself that I wasgoingtowakeupfeelingenergized inthemorning:“Thankyouforgivingmethesefivehoursofsleeptonight.FivehoursisexactlywhatIneedtofeelrestedandenergizedinthemorning.Mybodyiscapableofmiraculousthings,theleastofwhichisgeneratinganabundanceofenergyfromfiverestfulhoursofsleep.IbelievethatIcreatemyexperienceofreality,andIchoosetocreatewakinguptomorrowfeelingenergizedandexcitedtotakeonmyday,andI’mgratefulforthat.”

What I foundwas thatwhether Igotnine, eight, seven, six, five,or evenjustfourhoursofsleep,aslongasIconsciouslydecided,beforebed,thatIwasgetting theperfectamountofsleep—that thehoursweregoing toenergizemybodytofeelwonderfulinthemorning—IconsistentlywokefeelingbetterthanIever had before. However, don’t take my word for it. I encourage you toexperimentwiththisyourself.

So,howmanyhoursofsleepdoyoureallyneed?Youtellme.

TheSecretToMakingEveryMorningFeelLikeChristmasThinkbacktoatimeinyourlifewhenyouweregenuinelyexcitedtowake

upinthemorning.Maybeitwastocatchanearlyflightforavacationthatyouhadbeenanticipatingformonths.Maybeitwasyourfirstdayatanewjob,oryourfirstdayofschool.Maybeitwasyourweddingday,oryourlastbirthday.Personally,Ican’tthinkofanytimeinmylifewhenIwasmoreexcitedtowakeupinthemorning—regardlessofhowmuchsleepIgot—thanwhenIwasakid,everyyearonChristmasmorning.Maybeyoucanrelate?

Whatevertheoccasionshavebeenthathavehadyouexcitedtowakeupinthemorning,howdidyoufeelwhenthosemorningsarrived?Didyouhavetodrag yourself out of bed?Doubtful.Onmornings like these,we can’twait towakeup!Wedosofeelingenergizedandgenuinelyexcited.Wequicklyheavethecoversoffandspringtoourfeet,readytotakeontheday!Imagineifthisiswhateverydayofyourlifewaslike.Shouldn’titbe?Itcan.

TheMiracleMorningislargelyaboutrecreatingthatexperienceofwakingupfeelingenergizedandexcited,anddoingitevery-single-dayofyourlife—fortherestofyourlife!It’saboutgettingoutofbedwithpurpose—notbecauseyouhave to, but becauseyougenuinelywant to—anddedicating time eachday todeveloping yourself into the person you need to be to create the mostextraordinary, fulfilling, and abundant life you can imagine. The MiracleMorning is already doing just that for thousands of people around theworld.Peoplejustlikeyou.

—5—

The5-StepSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategy(FortheSnooze-aholics)

Ifyoureallythinkaboutit,hittingthesnoozebuttoninthemorningdoesn’tevenmakesense.It’slikesaying,‘Ihategettingupinthemorning—soIdoitover…and

over…andoveragain.’—DEMETRIUSMARTIN

I’dlikemorningsbetteriftheystartedlater.—UNKNOWN

First, letme just say that if itwasn’t for this strategy that I’m about tosharewithyou,Iwouldstillbesleeping—orsnoozing—throughmyalarmclockeverymorning,andwhat’sevenmoredetrimental,Iwouldstilladheretomyoldlimitingbelief,claimingthatIwasnota“morningperson.”

It’sbeensaidthatnobodyactuallylikeswakingupearly,buteveryonelovesthe feeling of having woken up early. Kind of like exercising—many of usstruggletogetourselvestothegym,butallofuslovethefeelingofhavinggonetothegym.Wakingupearly,especiallywhendonewithpurpose,alwaysstartsyouofffeelingempoweredforyourday.

IncreasingYourWake-Up-Motivation-Level(WUML)Formostofus,whenthealarmclocksoundseachmorning,wearewoken

fromadeadsleep.Leavingthecomfortofourbedsistheleastappealingthingtodo.Ifyouweretorateyourlevelofmotivationas itpertainedtowakingup—a.k.a.yourWakeUpMotivationLevel(WUML)—atthemomentthealarmclockstartsincessantlybeeping,onascaleof1-10(“10”beingreadytowakeupandembrace theday, and “1”meaningyouwant nothingmore than to goback tosleep),mostofuswouldprobablyrateourWUMLclosetoaoneoratwo.It’sperfectlynatural,whenyou’restillhalfasleep,towanttohitthesnoozebuttonandkeeponsleeping.

The challenge is, how do you give yourself the motivation you need towakeupearlyandcreateanextraordinaryday,whenyourWakeUpMotivation

Levelisonlyataoneortwowhenyouralarmclocksounds?Theanswerissimple:onestepatatime.Herearemyfivesimple,snooze-

proofstepstomakingwakingupinthemorning—evenearly inthemorning—easierthaneverbefore.

Step#1:SetYourIntentionsBeforeBedThe firstkey towakingup is to remember this: Your first thought in the

morningisusuallythelastthoughtyouhadbeforeyouwenttobed.Forexample,we’veallhadnightswherewecouldhardlyfallasleepbecausewearesoexcitedaboutwakingupthenextmorning.WhetheritwasChristmasEve,oryouweregoingonvacation,orstartinganewjob—assoonasthealarmclocksounds,youopenyoureyeswithenthusiasmtogetoutofbedandembracetheday.

Ontheotherhand,ifyourlastthoughtbeforebedwassomethinglike,“Ohman,Ican’tbelieveIhavetogetupinsixhours—I’mgoingtobeexhaustedinthemorning!”thenyourfirstthoughtwhenthealarmclockgoesoffislikelytobe something along the lines of, “Oh my gosh, it’s already been six hours??Nooo!Ijustwanttokeepsleeping!”

So, thekey is toconsciouslydecideeverynight toactivelyandmindfullycreateapositiveexpectationforthenextmorning.Forhelponthisandtogettheprecisewords to say before bed to create your powerful intentions, downloadTheMiracleMorning“BedtimeAffirmation”freeatwww.TMMBook.com.

Step#2:MoveYourAlarmClockAcrossTheRoomIfyouhaven’talready,moveyouralarmclockacrosstheroom.Thisforces

you to get out of bed and engage your body in movement. Motion createsenergy,sowhenyougetupandoutofbeditnaturallyhelpsyouwakeup.

Ifyoukeepyouralarmclocknexttoyourbed,thenyouarestillinapartialsleep-statewhenthealarmgoesoff,anditmakesitmuchmoredifficulttowakeyourselfup.I’msureyoucanprobablyrelatetorollingover—stillhalf-asleep—and turning thealarmclockoffwithoutevenrealizing that itwentoff. Iknowthat onmany occasions I’ve even convincedmyself thatmy alarm clockwasmerelypartofthedreamIwashaving.

Simply forcingyourself togetoutofbed to turnoff thealarmclockwillinstantlytakeyourWakeUpMotivationLevelfromaWUML-1,toaWUML-2orWUML-3.However,you’llstilllikelybefeelingmoresleepythannot.So...

Step#3:BrushYourTeethAssoonasyou’vegottenoutofbedand turnedoffyour alarmclock,go

directlytothebathroomsinktobrushyourteeth,andwhileyou’reatit,splashsomewarm(orcold)wateronyourface.ThissimpleactivitywillincreaseyourWakeUpMotivationLevelfromaWUML-2or3toaWUML-3or4.Nowthatyourmouthisfresh,it’stimeto…

Step#4:DrinkaFullGlassofWaterIt’s crucial that you hydrate yourself first thing everymorning.After 6-8

hours without water, you’ll naturally be mildly dehydrated, and dehydrationcausesfatigue.Oftenwhenpeoplefeeltired—atanytimeoftheday—whattheyreallyneedismorewater,notmoresleep.

Startbygettingaglassofwater(oryoucandowhatIdo,andfillitupthenightbeforesoit’salreadythereforyouinthemorning),anddrinkitasfastasiscomfortableforyou.Theobjectiveistorehydrateyourbodyandmindasfastaspossible,toreplacethewateryouweredeprivedofduringthehoursyouslept.

When you drink a glass of water and hydrate yourself, yourWake UpMotivationLevelgoesfromaWUML-3toaWUML-4orWUML-5.

Step#5:GetDressedorJumpIntheShowerThefourthstephastwooptions:Option#1istogetdressedinyourexercise

clothes,soyou’rereadytoleaveyourbedroomandimmediatelyengageinyourMiracleMorning.

Option#2istojumpintheshower.Personally,Iliketojustchangeintomyexerciseclothes,sinceI’llprobablyneedashowerafterwardsanyway,butalotofpeoplepreferthemorningshowerbecauseithelpswakeyouupandgivesyoua“fresh”starttotheday.It’sreallywhicheveryouprefer.

Regardlessofwhichoptionyouchoose,bythetimeyou’veexecutedthesefive Simple Steps, you should be at a WUML-5 or WUML-6, and then itrequires very little discipline to stay awake for yourMiracleMorning. If youweretotryandmakethatcommitmentatthetimeyouralarmclockwentoff—while youwere at aWUML1—itwould be amuchmore difficult decision tomake.

Here’s a quick review of the 5-Step Snooze-Proof Wake Up Strategy tosignificantlyincreaseyourWakeUpMotivationLevel(WUML):

1. SetYourIntentionstheNightBefore.Thisis themost importantstep.Remember:yourfirstthoughtinthemorningisusuallythelastthoughtyouhadbeforebed,sotakeresponsibilityforcreatinggenuineexcitementforthenextmorning,everynightbeforebed.2.KeepYourAlarmClockAcrosstheRoom.Remember:Movementcreatesenergy!3. Brush Your Teeth. Use an antiseptic mouthwash to add extraumph!4.DrinkaFullGlassofWater.Hydrateyourself,ASAP!5.GetDressed.Orjumpintheshower.

MiracleMorningBonusWakeUpTipsKeep in mind that although this strategy has proven to be work for

thousandsofpeople,these5-stepsarenottheonlywaytomakewakingupinthemorning easier. Here are a few other tips I’ve heard from fellow MiracleMorningpractitioners:

ÖTMMBedtimeAffirmations:Ifyouhaven’tdonethisyet,besureto take amoment now to go towww.TMMbook.com and downloadthe re-energizing, intention-setting Miracle Morning BedtimeAffirmations,forfree.

ÖSetatimerforyourbedroomlights:OneofourMiracleMorningcommunitymemberssetshisbedroomlightsonatimer(youcanbuyan “appliance timer” online or at your local hardware store.)As hisalarmgoesoff,thelightscomeonintheroom.Whatagreatidea.It’saloteasiertofallbackasleepwhenit’sdark,sohavingthelightscomeon tellsyourmindandbody that it’s time towakeup.Regardlessofwhetherornotyouuseatimer,besuretoturnyourlightonfirstthingwhenyouralarmgoesoff.ÖSetatimerforyourbedroomheater:AnotherfanofTheMiracleMorning said that in the winter, she kept a bedroom heater on anappliancetimersettogooff15minutesbeforeshewokeup.Shekeptit cold at night, but warm for waking up so that she wouldn’t betemptedtocrawlbackunderhercoverstoavoidthecold.Shesaidthismadeahugedifference!

Ö MyWakeUPCallTM (Motivational Alarm Clock Messages):While doing research for this book, I came across an extraordinarywoman with a really cool idea—Robin Palmer, President and Co-founderofMySuccessables,Inc.andthecreatorofMyWakeUPCallTMMotivational Alarm ClockTM Messages. These are unique, pre-recordedmotivationalmessagesdesignedtowakepeopleuppositivelyeach day. Every morning, you start your day with patented, five-minute,motivatingmessagesfromfamousauthors,likeJackCanfieldandMarciSchimoff.Youcandownloada few free samplemessagesforatwww.mywakeupcalls.net.

FeelfreetoaddtoorcustomizeyourSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategy,andifyouhaveany tipsyou’reopen to sharing, I’d love tohear them.Please feelfreetocontactmedirectlythroughmyblogatwww.MiracleMorningBlog.com,oratwww.MyTMMCommunity.com.

It’s all about having an effective, pre-determined, step-by-step strategy toincreaseyourWakeUpMotivationLevelinthemorning.Don’twaittotrythis!StarttonightbyreadingtheMiracleMorningBedtimeAffirmation,movingyouralarm clock across the room, setting a glass ofwater on your nightstand, andcommittingtotheothertwostepsforthemorning.

—6—

TheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.>SixPracticesGuaranteedToSaveYou

FromaLifeofUnfulfilledPotentialSuccessissomethingyouattractbythepersonyoubecome.

—JIMROHN

Anextraordinarylifeisallaboutdaily,continuousimprovementsintheareasthatmattermost.

—ROBINSHARMA

Stressed.Overwhelmed.Frustrated.Unfulfilled.Blah.These are a few unpleasant words that provide a rather unfortunate, but

fairlyaccuratedescriptionofhowtheaveragepersonfeelsabouthisorherlife,fartoooften.

YouandIareundoubtedlylivinginoneofthemostprosperous,advancedtimes in human history,withmore opportunities and resources available to usthaneverbefore.Yetmostofusaren’ttappingintotheunlimitedpotentialthatiswithineverysingleoneofus.I’mnotokaywiththat.Areyou?

ThePotentialGapHaveyoueverfeltlikethelifeyouwanttoliveandthepersonyouknow

youcanbeare justbeyondyourgrasp? Doyouever feel likeyou’re chasingyour potential—you know it’s there, you can see it—but you can never quitecatchit?Whenyouseepeoplewhoareexcellinginanareathatyou’renot,doesitseemlikethey’vegotitallfiguredout—liketheymustknowsomethingthatyoudon’tknow,becauseifyouknewit,thenyou’dbeexcellinginthatareatoo?

Mostofusliveourlivesonthewrongsideofahugegapinourpotential,agap which separates who we are from who we can become. We are oftenfrustratedwithourselves,ourlackofconsistentmotivation,effortandresultsinoneormoreareasoflife.Wespendtoomuchtimethinkingabouttheactionsweshouldbetakingtocreatetheresultsthatwewant,butthenwedon’ttakethose

actions.Weallknowwhatweneedtodo;wejustdon’tconsistentlydowhatweknow.Canyourelate?

Thispotentialgapvariesinsizefrompersontoperson.Youmayfeel likeyou’reverynearyourcurrentpotentialandthatafewtweakscouldmakeallthedifference.Or youmight feel the opposite—like your potential is so far awayfromwhoyou’vebeen thatyoudon’tevenknowwhere to start.Whatever thecaseisforyou,knowthatitisabsolutelypossibleandattainableforyoutoliveyourlifeontherightsideofyourpotentialgapandbecomethepersonyouarecapableofbecoming.

Whetheryouarecurrentlysittingonthewrongsideofthegrandcanyonofyourpotential,wonderinghowyou’regoing toget to theotherside,oryou’vebeenworkingyourwayacrossthecanyonbutarestuckataplateauandhaven’tbeenabletoclosethatgapandgettothenextlevel—thischapterwillintroduceyoutosixtoolsthatwillenableyoutogofromwhereyouare—acceptinglessfromyourselfthanwhatyouknowispossible—todevelopingyourselfintothepersonyouknowyoucanbecome.

YourLifeIsNotWhatYouThinkItIsMostofusaresobusytryingtomanage,maintain,orevenjustsurviveour

life“situation”thatwedon’tmakethetimetofocusonwhat’smostimportant—our life. What’s the difference? Our life situation is the set of externalcircumstances,events,people,andplacesthatsurroundus.It’snotwhoweare.Wearemorethanourlifesituation.

Your life iswhoyouare at thedeepest level.Your life ismadeupof theinternalcomponents,attitudes,andmindsetsthatcangiveyouthepowertoalter,enhance,orchangeyourlifesituationatanygivenmoment.

YourlifeismadeupofthePhysical,Intellectual,Emotional,andSpiritualparts that make up every human being—or P.I.E.S. for short. The Physicalincludesthingslikeyourbody,health,andenergy.TheIntellectualincorporatesyourmind, intelligence, and thoughts. TheEmotional takes into account youremotions,feelings,andattitudes.TheSpiritualincludesintangiblessuchasyourspirit,soul,andtheunseenhigherpowerthatoverseesall.

Yourlifeiswhereyourabilitytocreatenewfeelings,perspectives,beliefs,and attitudes in your “inner” world lies, so that you can create or alter thecircumstances,relationships,results,andanythingelseinthe“external”realmofyourlifesituation.Asmanysageshavetaughtus:ourouterworldisareflection

of our inner world. In other words, by focusing time and effort each day ondevelopingyourP.I.E.S.,andconstantlybecomingabetterversionofyourself,yourlifesituationwillinevitably—almostautomatically—improve.

I can assure you that throughmy own transformative journey—from thedepths of mediocrity, justifying my excuses and living most areas of my lifesomewhereinbetweenmediocreandaverage,toachievinggoalsthatatonetimeseemed impossible for me—your commitment to daily personal developmentwillbeasinstrumentalforyourtransformationasitwasformine.

TimeToSaveTheLifeYouDeserveToLiveFor toomany people, the extraordinary, fulfilling abundant life that they

reallywant—ourLevel 10 life—eludes them because they’re so overwhelmedandoverrunwiththeirday-to-daylifesituation.Theirlifesituationiseatingupalloftheirtimesothattheirlife,andwhatmattersmost,isn’tgettingattendedto.

InordertosaveyourLevel10lifefrombeingneglectedandlimitedbythedemands of your life situation—which ultimately leads to a life of regret,unfulfilled potential, and even mediocrity—you must prioritize and dedicatetime eachday to your personal development.EnterTheMiracleMorningLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.—a set of six simple, life-enhancing, life-changing daily practices,eachofwhichdevelopsoneormoreofthephysical,intellectual,emotional,andspiritual aspects of your life, so that you can becomewho you need to be tocreatethelifeyouwant.

Remember,whenyouchangeyourinnerworld—yourlife—thenyourouterworld—yourlifesituation—willimproveinparallel.

TheFirst“S”ofS.A.V.E.R.S.Nope,it’snot“sleep.”Sorry.WhileIknowmanypeoplewouldloveit if

theycouldsleeptheirwaytosuccess,unlessyouhavebeencryogenicallyfrozenandare awaitinga large inheritance at the timeofbeing thawedout—life justdoesn’tworkthatway.

Herearesixpowerful,provenpersonaldevelopmentpracticesknownastheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S. thatyou’lluse togainaccess to thepowerful forces—alreadywithinyou—thatwillenableyoutoalter,change,ortransformanyareaofyourlife.Let’s lookateachof thesixpersonaldevelopment tools thatmakeup theLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.andhoweachwillhelpyoubecomethepersonyouneedtobeto easily attract, create, and live the most extraordinary life you have ever

imagined.

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.SisforSilence

Intheattitudeofsilencethesoulfindsthepathinaclearerlight,andwhatiselusiveanddeceptive

resolvesitselfintocrystalclearness.—MAHATMAGANDHI

Youcanlearnmoreinanhourofsilencethanyoucaninayearfrombooks.

—MATTHEWKELLY

SilenceisthefirstpracticeoftheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.andmaybeoneofthemost significant areas for improvement for our noisy, fast-paced and over-stimulatedlifestyles. I’mreferring to the life-transformingpowerofpurposefulSilence.“Purposeful”simplymeansthatyouareengaginginaperiodofSilencewith a highly beneficial purpose in mind—not just for the heck of it. AsMatthewKellysoeloquentlystatesinhisbestsellingbookTheRhythmofLife,“Youcanlearnmoreinanhourofsilencethanyoucaninayearfrombooks.”That’sapowerfulstatementfromaverywiseman.

Ifyouwanttoimmediatelyreduceyourstresslevels,tobegineachdaywiththekindofcalm,clarity,andpeaceofmindthatwillallowyoutostayfocusedon what’s most important in your life, and even dance on the edge ofenlightenment—do the opposite ofwhatmostpeople do—start everymorningwithaperiodofpurposefulSilence.

The life-enhancing benefits of Silence have been well documentedthroughouttheages.Fromthepowerofprayer,tothemagicofmeditation,someofthegreatestmindsinhistoryhaveusedpurposefulSilencetotranscendtheirlimitationsandcreateextraordinaryresults.

HowDoYourMorningsUsuallyBegin?Doyouinvesttimeincenteringyourselfandcreatinganoptimumstateof

mindtoleadyouthroughtherestoftheday?Ordoyouusuallywaittowakeup

untilyou’vegotsomethingtodo?Dothewordscalm,peaceful,orrejuvenatingdescribeyour averagemorning? If theydo, congratulations!You’re already astepaheadoftherestofus.

Formostofus,words likerushed,hectic,stressful or evenchaoticmightbestdescribeourtypicalmorning.Forothers,slow,lazy,andlethargicmightbea more accurate description of how the morning begins. Which of thesescenariosbestdescribesyouraveragemorning?

Mornings, for most of us, are typically pretty hectic and rushed. We’reusuallyrunningaroundtryingtogetreadyfortheday,andourmindsareoftenplaguedwith internalchatteraboutwhatwehave todo,wherewehave togo,whowe have to see,whatwe forgot to do, the fact thatwe’re running late, arecentargumentwithoursignificantotherorfamilymember.

Forothers,wehave trouble justgettinggoingonmostmornings.Wefeelsluggish, lazy,andunproductive.So,forthegreatmajorityofus, themorningsare either stressful and rushed, or slow and unproductive. Neither of theserepresentstheoptimumwaytostartyourday.

Silence is one of the best ways to immediately reduce stress, whileincreasing your self-awareness and gaining the clarity that will allow you tomaintainyourfocusonyourgoals,priorities,andwhat’smostimportantforyourlife,eachandeveryday.

HerearesomeofmyfavoriteactivitiestochoosefromandpracticeduringmyperiodofSilence,innoparticularorder,followedbyasimplemeditationtogetyoustarted:

ÖMeditationÖPrayerÖReflectionÖDeepBreathingÖGratitude

Some mornings I do just one of these activities, and other mornings Icombinethem.Allofthesepracticeswillrelaxyourmindandbody,calmyourspirit,andallowyoutobetotallypresentandopentoreceivingthebenefitsthatwillcomefromtheremainingLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.whichmakeuptherestofyourMiracleMorning.

It isveryimportantthatyoudon’tstayinbedforthis,andpreferablythat

youleaveyourbedroomaltogether.Theproblemwithstayinginbed—oreveninyourbedroom,whereyourcomfybediswithinyourlineofsight—isthatit’stooeasytogofromsittinginSilence,toslouching,tofallingbackasleep.Ialwayssitonmylivingroomcouch,whereIalreadyhaveeverythingsetupthatIneedformyMiracleMorning.My affirmations, journal, yoga DVD, the book I’mcurrentlyreading—everythinghasitsplaceandisreadyformeeachdaysothat,in themorning, it’s easy to jump right in andengage inmyMiracleMorning,withouthavingtosearchforanything.

MeditationSincethereareplentyofgreatbooks,articles,andwebsitesthatconcentrate

onmeditation,Iwon’tgointotoomuchdetailindescribingtheprovenbenefitsandthevariousapproachestomeditating.Instead,I’lljustmentionafewofwhatI believe are the most significant benefits, and give you simple step-by-stepmeditationthatyoucanbeginimmediately.

The essence ofmeditation is simply silencing or focusing themind for aperiod of time. Youmay ormay not be aware of all the extraordinary healthbenefits of meditating. Study after study shows that meditation can be moreeffective than medication. Studies link regular meditation to changes inmetabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other mind and bodilyfunctions. It can alleviate stress and pain, promote sleep, enhance focus andconcentration, and even increase lifespan. Meditation also requires very littletime.Youcantakeadvantageofthebenefitsofmeditationinjustafewminutesaday.

Well-known celebrities, CEOs and highly successful people like JerrySeinfeld,Sting,RussellSimmons,Oprahandmanymorehavepublicallystatedthatregular,oftendaily,meditationhasbecomeaninvaluablepartof their life.TupperwareTM CEO Rick Goings told The Financial Times that he tried tomeditateforat least20minuteseveryday,stating,“Forme, it’sapracticethatnotonlyburnsoffstress,butgivesmefresheyestoclarifywhat’sreallygoingon and what really matters.” Oprah told Dr. Oz that TranscendentalMeditationTMhashelpedher“connectwiththatwhichisGod,”accordingtotheHuffingtonPost.

Therearemanygenresandtypesofmeditation,butgenerallyspeakingyoucan divide them into two categories: “guided” and “individual” meditations.Guidedmeditationsarethoseinwhichyoulistentoanotherperson’svoiceandreceive instructions to help guide your thoughts, focus, and awareness.

Individualmeditationsaresimplythoseyoudoonyourown,withoutassistancefromanyoneelse.

MiracleMorningMeditationHereisasimple,step-by-stepindividualmeditationthatyoucanuseduring

yourMiracleMorning,evenifyou’venevermeditatedbefore.§ Beforebeginningyourmeditation,it’simportanttoprepareyourmindsetand

setyourexpectations.Thisisatimeforyoutoquietyourmindandletgoofthe compulsive need to constantly be thinking about something—eitherreliving the past, stressing or worrying about the future—but never livingfully in thepresent.This is the time to letgoofyour stresses, takeabreakfromworryingaboutyourproblems,andbefullypresentinthismoment.Itisa time to access theessenceofwhoyou truly are—togo deeper thanwhatyou have,what you do, or the labels you’ve accepted as “who you are”—whichmostpeoplehaveneverevenattemptedtodo.Accessingthisessenceofwhoyou trulyare isoften referred to as “justbeing.” Not thinking,notdoing,justbeing.Ifthissoundsforeigntoyou,ortoo“new-agey”that’sokay.Iused to feel thesameway. It’sprobably justbecauseyou’venever tried itbefore.Butthankfully,you’reaboutto.

§Findaquiet,comfortableplacetosit.Youcansitupstraightonthecouch,onachair,onthefloor,orsitonapillow,foraddedcomfort.

§Situpright,cross-legged.Youcancloseyoureyes,oryoucanlookdownattheground,approximatelytwofeetinfrontofyou.

§ Beginby focusingonyourbreath, taking slow,deepbreaths. In through thenose, out through themouth, and be sure to breathe into your belly, ratherthan your chest. The most effective breathing should cause your belly toexpand,andnotyourchest.

§ Now,startpacingyourbreath; in slowlyonacountof3 seconds (one,one-thousand,two,one-thousand,three,one-thousand)…holditinfor3seconds(one, one-thousand, two, one-thousand, three, one-thousand)… and thenbreathe out slowly on a count of 3 seconds (one, one-thousand, two, one-thousand, three, one-thousand). Feel your thoughts and emotions settlingdownasyoufocusonyourbreath.Beawarethatasyouattempttoquietyourmind, thoughtswill still come in to pay a visit. Simply acknowledge them,thenletthemgo,alwaysreturningyourfocustoyourbreath.

§ Remember, this is a time for you to let go of your compulsive need to

constantlybethinkingaboutsomething.Thisisatimetoletgoofyourstressandtakeabreakfromworryingaboutyourproblems.Thisisthetimetobefully present in this moment. This is often referred to as just being. Notthinking,notdoing,justbeing.Continuetofollowyourbreaths,andimagineinhaling positive, loving, peaceful energy, and exhaling all of yourworriesandstress.Enjoythequiet.Enjoythemoment.Justbreathe…Justbe.

§ Ifyoufindthatyouhaveaconstantinfluxofthoughts, itmaybehelpfulforyoutofocusonasinglewordoraphrase,andrepeatitoverandoveragaintoyourself, as you inhale and exhale. For example, youmight try somethinglike: (Onthe inhale)“Ibreathe inpeace…”(Asyouexhale)“Ibreatheoutlove... I breathe in peace…” (inhale)… “I breatheout love...” (exhale)…Youcanswapthewordspeaceandlovewithwhateveryoufeellikeyouneedbringmoreofintoyourlife(confidence,faith,belief,etc.),andwhateveryoufeellikeyouwanttogivemoreoftotheworld.

§Meditationisagiftyoucangivetoyourselfeveryday.Ittrulyisanincrediblegift.My time spentmeditating has becomeone ofmy favorite parts ofmyday.Itisatimetobeatpeace,toexperiencegratitude,andatimeoffreedomfrom our day-to-day stressors and worries. Think of daily meditation as atemporary vacation from your problems.While your problemswill still betherewhenyou finish your dailymeditation, you’ll find that you aremuchmorecenteredandbetterequippedtosolvethem.

FinalThoughtsOnSilenceThere’s no single right way to spend time in Silence. You can pray,

meditate,focusonwhatyou’regratefulfor,orevenengageindeepthought.Forme, sitting in Silence—especially meditating—was at first rather difficult,probablybecauseIhavewhatdoctorshavediagnosedasADHD.Idon’tknowthatIagreewiththeirdiagnosisorevenwiththeideathatADHDisa“disorder”(that’sanotherconversationforanothertime),butIcanattestthatit’sdefinitelyachallengeformetositstillandquietmymind.Thoughtstendtoraceinandout,bouncingaroundlikeapinball,almostnonstop.

SoeventhoughIwouldsitinSilence,myminddidn’tstopracing.ThefactthatsittingstillandclearingmymindwassodifficultformewaspreciselythereasonwhyIhad tocommit tomastering it. It tookme threeor fourweeksofpracticing Silence every day before I felt competent. I got to a placewhere Iwould allow thoughts to come in, I’d peacefully acknowledge them, and thenquietlyletthemdriftawaywithoutgettingfrustrated.Sodon’tbediscouragedif

spendingtimeinSilence,ormeditating,isatfirstachallengeforyou.

As for how long to do your period of purposeful Silence, I recommendstartingwithfiveminutes,althoughin thenextchapterI’ll teachyouhowyoucanexperiencethelife-enhancingbenefitsofSilenceinaslittleas60secondsaday! When I began this practice, I’d sit in Silence, calm and relaxed, say aprayer,meditate,ponderwhatIwasgratefulfor,andjustbreathedeeply,forfiveminutes.It’ssuchapeaceful,perfectwaytostarteachday.

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.

AisforAffirmations

It’stherepetitionofaffirmationsthatleadstobelief.Oncethatbeliefbecomesadeepconviction,thingsbegintohappen.

—MUHAMMADALI

Youwillbeafailure,untilyouimpressthesubconsciouswiththeconvictionyouareasuccess.Thisisdonebymakinganaffirmation,whichclicks.

—FLORENCESCOVELSHINN

“Iamthegreatest!”MuhammadAliaffirmedthesewordsoverandoveragain—and then he became them. Affirmations are one of the most effectivetoolsforquicklybecomingthepersonyouneedtobetoachieveeverythingyouwantinyourlife.Affirmationsallowyoutodesignandthendevelopthemindset(thoughts,beliefs,focus)thatyouneedtotakeanyareaofyourlifetothenextlevel.

Itisnocoincidencethatsomeofthemostsuccessfulpeopleinoursociety—celebritieslikeWillSmith,JimCarrey,SuzeOrman,MuhammadAli,Oprah,andmanymore—haveallbeenvocalabouttheirbeliefthatpositivethinkingandtheuseofaffirmationshashelpedthemontheirjourneytosuccessandwealth.

Whetherornotyourealizeit,incessantlytalkingtoone’sselfisnotjustforcrazypeople.Everysingleoneofushasaninternaldialoguethatrunsthroughour heads, almost non-stop. Most of it is unconscious, that is, we don’tconsciouslychoose thedialogue.Instead,weallowourpastexperiences—bothgood and bad—to replay over and over again. Not only is this completelynormal, it isoneof themost importantprocesses foreachofus to learnaboutand master. Yet, very few people take responsibility for actively choosing tothinkpositive,proactivethoughtsthatwilladdvaluetotheirlives.

Irecentlyreadastatisticthat80%ofwomenhaveself-deprecatingthoughtsaboutthemselves(bodyimage,jobperformance,otherpeople’sopinionofthem,

etc.)throughouttheday.I’msurethatmendoalso,althoughitmaybetoalesserextent.

Your self-talk has dramatic influence on your level of success in everyaspect of your life—confidence, health, happiness, wealth, relationships, etc.Youraffirmationsareeitherworkingfororagainstyou,dependingonhowyouare using them. If you don’t consciously design and choose your affirmationsyou are susceptible to repeating and reliving the fears, insecurities, andlimitationsofyourpast.

However,whenyouactivelydesignandwriteoutyouraffirmationstobeinalignment with what you want to accomplish and who you need to be toaccomplish it—and commit to repeating them daily (ideally out loud)—theyimmediatelymakeanimpressiononyoursubconsciousmind.Youraffirmationsgotoworktotransformthewayyouthinkandfeelsoyoucanovercomeyourlimitingbeliefsandbehaviorsandreplacethemwiththoseyouneedtosucceed.

HowAffirmationsChangedMyLifeMyfirst real-lifeexposure to thepowerofaffirmationscamewhen Iwas

livingwithoneofmymostsuccessfulfriends,MattRecore.Nearlyeveryday,Iwould hearMatt shouting from the shower in his bedroom. Thinking he wasyelling forme, I would approach his bedroom door, only to find that hewasshoutingthingslike,“Iamincontrolofmydestiny!Ideservetobeasuccess!IamcommittedtodoingeverythingImustdotodaytoreachmygoalsandcreatethelifeofmydreams!”Whataweirdo,Ithought.

The only previous exposure I had to affirmations was through a popular1990s spoof on the hit TV show SaturdayNight Live, in which Al Franken’scharacterStuartSmalleyusedtostareintoamirrorandrepeattohimself,“I’mgoodenough,I’msmartenough,anddoggoneit,peoplelikeme!”Asaresult,Ialwaysthoughtofaffirmationsasajoke.Mattknewbetter.AsastudentofTonyRobbins,Matthadbeenusingaffirmationsand incantations foryears tocreateextraordinarylevelsofsuccess.Owningfivehomes,andoneofthetopnetworkengineersinthecountry(allbyage25),IshouldhavefiguredMattknewwhathewasdoing.Afterall,Iwastheonerentingaroominhishouse.Unfortunately,it tookme a fewmoreyears to realize that affirmationswere oneof themostpowerfultoolsfortransformingyourlife.

My first first-handexperienceusingaffirmations camewhen I read abouttheminNapoleonHill’slegendarybook,ThinkandGrowRich(whichIhighlyrecommend, by the way). Although I was skeptical that the repetition of

affirmations was really going to make any measurable impact on my life, Ithought Iwould give it a shot. If itworked forMatt, itmightwork forme. Ichose to target the limiting belief I had developed after suffering significantbraindamageinmycaraccident:Ihaveahorriblememory.

Ifyoureadmyfirstbook,TakingLifeHeadOn!,youknowthatmyshorttermmemorywasalmostnon-existentfollowingmycaraccident.Whilethisledto some pretty comical incidents, my memory was so poor that friends andfamilywould spendhours visitingwithme at the hospital, take a quick lunchbreak,andthenreturntohavemegreetthemasifIhadn’tseentheminyears.

Facingsucharealphysicallimitationduetoatraumaticbraininjurycausedme to constantly reinforce the belief that I have a horriblememory. Anytimesomeoneaskedmetorememberorremindthemofsomething,Iwouldalwaysrespond,“Iwould,butIreallycan’t—Ihavebraindamageandahorribleshort-termmemory.”

Ithadbeen7yearssincemycaraccident,andwhilethisbeliefwasbased

onmyrealitythen,itwastimetoletitgo.Maybemymemorywassohorrible,atleastinpart,becauseIhadnevermadetheefforttobelieveitcouldimprove.AsHenryFordsaid,“Whetheryouthinkyoucan,oryouthinkyoucan’t,you’rerighteitherway.”

If affirmations could changewhatwas, tome, themost justified limitingbelief that I had, then they could probably change anything. So, I createdmyfirstaffirmationwhichread: Iamlettinggoof the limitingbelief that Ihaveahorriblememory.Mybrain isamiraculousorganismcapableofhealing itself,andmymemorycanimprove,butonlyinproportiontohowmuchIbelieveitcanimprove.So,fromthismomenton,IammaintainingtheunwaveringbeliefthatIhaveanexcellentmemory,andit’scontinuingtogetbettereveryday.

I read this short affirmation every day, duringmyMiracleMorning. Still

programmed with my past beliefs, I wasn’t sure it was working. Then, twomonths after my first day reciting my affirmation, something occurred thathadn’toccurredinoversevenyears.Afriendaskedmetoremembertocallherthenextday,andIresponded,“Sure,noproblem.”Assoonasthewordsleftmymouth, my eyes widened and I got excited! My limiting belief about myhorriblememorywaslosingitspower.Ihadreplaceditandreprogrammedmysubconsciousmindwithmynew,empoweringbelief,usingmyaffirmations.

From that point on, having also added the belief that affirmations reallywork,notonlydidmymemorycontinueto improve,butIcreatedaffirmationsforeveryareaofmylifethatIwantedtoadvance.Ibeganusingaffirmationstoimprove my health, finances, relationships, overall happiness, confidence, aswellasanyandallbeliefs,mindsetsandhabitsthatneededanupgrade.Nothingwasofflimits.Therearenolimits!

How’sYourProgramming?We’veallbeenprogrammed—atthesub-consciouslevel—tothink,believe,

and act the way we do. Our programming is a result of many influences,includingwhatwehavebeentoldbyothers,whatwehavetoldourselves,andallofourlifeexperiences—bothgoodandbad.Someofushaveprogrammingthatmakes it easy for us to be happy and successful, while others—possibly themajority—haveprogrammingthatmakeslifedifficult.

So,thebadnewsisthatifwedon’tactivelychangeourprogramming,ourpotential will be crushed and our lives limited by the fears, insecurities, andlimitations of our past. We must stop programming ourselves for a life ofmediocritybyfocusingonwhatwe’redoingwrong,beingtoohardonourselveswhenwemakemistakes, and causingourselves to feel guilty, inadequate, andundeservingofthesuccesswereallywant.

Thegoodnewsisthatourprogrammingcanbechangedorimprovedatanytime.Wecanreprogramourselvestoovercomeallofourfears,insecurities,badhabits, and any self-limiting, potential-destroying beliefs and behaviors wecurrentlyhave,sowecanbecomeassuccessfulaswewanttobe,inanyareaofourliveswechoose.

Youcanuseaffirmationstostartprogrammingyourselftobeconfidentandsuccessfulineverythingyoudo,simplybyrepeatedlytellingyourselfwhoyouwanttobe,whatyouwanttoaccomplishandhowyouaregoingtoaccomplishit.Withenoughrepetition,yoursub-consciousmindwillbegintobelievewhatyoutellit,actuponit,andeventuallymanifestitinyourreality.

Putting your affirmations in writingmakes it possible for you to chooseyournewprogrammingsoitmovesyoutowardsthatdesiredconditionorstateof mind by enabling you to consistently review it. Constant repetition of anaffirmationwill lead to acceptanceby themind, and result in changes inyourthoughts, beliefs and behaviors. Since you get to choose and create youraffirmations,youcandesignthemtohelpyouestablishthethoughts,beliefs,andbehaviorsthatyouwantandneedtosucceed.

5SimpleStepsToCreateYourOwnAffirmationsHereare5simplestepstocreateyourfirstaffirmation,followedbyalink

whereyoucandownloadfreeMiracleMorningaffirmations:

Step1:WhatYouReallyWantThe purpose of a written affirmation is to program your mind with the

beliefs,attitudes,andbehaviors/habitsthatarevitaltoyourbeingabletoattract,create,andtosustainyourideal levelsofsuccess—Level10 success—ineveryareaofyour life.So,youraffirmationmustfirstclearlyarticulateexactlywhatyouwantyourideallifetobelike,ineacharea.

You can organize your affirmations according to the areas that youmostwant to focus on improving, such as Health/Fitness, Mindset, Emotions,Finances,Relationships,Spirituality,etc.Beginwithclarifying,inwriting,whatyoureallywant—youridealvisionforyourselfandyourlife—ineacharea.

Step2:WhyYouWantItAsmygoodfriendAdamStock,PresidentofRisingStock, Inc. once told

me, “The wise begin withwhys.” Everyone wants to be happy, healthy, andsuccessful, but wanting is rarely an effective strategy for getting. Those whoovercomethetemptationsofmediocrityandachieveeverythingtheywantinlifehaveanextraordinarilycompellingwhy that drives them.Theyhavedefined aclear life purpose that ismore powerful than the collective sumof their pettyproblemsandthecountlessobstaclestheywillinevitablyface,andtheywakeupeachdayandworktowardstheirpurpose.

Includewhy,atthedeepestlevel,allofthethingsyouwantareimportanttoyou. Being crystal clear on your deepestwhys will give you an unstoppablepurpose.

Step3:WhomYouAreCommittedToBeingToCreateItAsmyfirstCoach,JeffSooeyusedtosay, this iswhere therubbermeets

the road. In otherwords, your life gets better only after you get better. Yourouter world improves only after you’ve invested countless hours improvingyourself. Being (who you need to be) and doing (what you need to do) areprerequisites forhavingwhatyouwant tohave.Getclearonwhoyouneed tobe,arecommittedtobeing,inordertotakeyourlife,business,health,marriage,etc.tothenextlevelandbeyond.

Step4:WhatYou’reCommittedToDoingToAttainItWhich actions will you need to take on a consistent basis to make your

visionforyourideallifeareality?Wanttoloseweight?Youraffirmationmightsaysomething like: Iam100%committed togoing to thegym5daysaweekand running on the treadmill for a minimum of 20 minutes. If you’re asalesperson, your affirmation might read: I’m committed to making 20prospectingcallseveryday,from8am-9am.Themorespecificyouractionsare,thebetter.Besuretoincludefrequency(howoften),quantity(howmany),andprecisetimeframes(whattimesyou’llbeginandendyouractivities.)

It’salsoimportanttostartsmall.Ifyou’regoingtothegym0daysaweekfor0minutes,goingto5daysaweekfor20minutesisabigleap.It’simportanttotakemanageablesteps.Feelsmallsuccessesalongthewaysoyoufeelgoodanddon’tgetdiscouragedbysettingexpectationstoohightobeabletomaintain.Youcanbuilduptoyouridealgoal.Startbywritingdownadailyorweeklygoalanddecidewhenyouwillincreaseit.Afterafewweeksofsuccessfullymeetingyourgoalofgoingtothegym2-days-a-weekfor20minutes,thenmoveitupto3-days-a-weekfor20minutes,andsoon.

Step5:AddInspirationalQuotesandPhilosophiesIamalwaysonthelookoutforquotesandphilosophiesthatIcanaddtomy

affirmations.For example,oneofmyaffirmations comes from the bookWhatGotYouHereWon’tGetYouTherebyMarshalGoldsmith.Itreads,“The#1skillofinfluencersisthesincereefforttomakeapersonfeelthatheorsheisthemostimportant person in the world. It’s one of the skills that Bill Clinton, OprahWinfrey,andBruceGoodmanused tobecome thebest in their fields. IwilldothisforeverypersonIconnectwith!”

Another reads: “Follow Tim Ferris’ advice: To maximize productivity,schedule 3-5hourblocks orhalf-days of singularly focused attention onONEsingleactivityorproject,ratherthantryingtoswitchtasksevery60minutes.”

Anytime you see or hear a quote that inspires you, or come across an

empoweringphilosophyorstrategyandthinktoyourself: Man,thatisahugeareaof improvement forme, add it toyour affirmations.By focusingon theseevery day, you will begin to integrate the empowering philosophies andstrategiesintoyourwayofthinkingandliving,whichwillimproveyourresultsandqualityoflife.

FinalThoughtsOnAffirmations§ Inorderforyouraffirmationstobeeffective,itisimportantthatyoutapinto

your emotionswhile reading them.Mindlessly repeating a phrase over andoveragain,withoutfeelingitstruth,willhaveaminimalimpactonyou.Youmust take responsibility for generating authentic emotions and powerfullyinfusing thoseemotions intoeveryaffirmationyou repeat toyourself.Havefunwithit.Ifyou’reexcitedaboutanaffirmation,itdoesn’thurttodanceandshoutitfromtherooftops!

§Itcanalsobebeneficialtoincorporateapurposefulphysiology,suchasrecitingyour affirmationswhile standing tall, takingdeepbreaths,making a fist, orexercising.Combining physical activitywith affirmations is a greatway toharnessthepowerofthemind-bodyconnection.

§ Keep in mind that your affirmations will never really be a “final” draft,becauseyoushouldalwaysbeupdatingthem.Asyoucontinuetolearn,grow,andevolve,soshouldyouraffirmations.Whenyoucomeupwithanewgoal,dream,habit,orphilosophyyouwanttointegrateintoyourlife,addittoyouraffirmations. When you accomplish a goal or completely integrate a newhabit into your life, youmight find it’s no longer necessary to focus on iteveryday,andthuschoosetoremoveitfromyouraffirmations.

§ Finally, youmust be consistentwith reading yourdaily affirmations. That’sright, you must read them daily. Saying an occasional affirmation is aseffective as getting an occasional workout. You won’t see any measurableresultsuntilyoumakethemapartofyourdailyroutine.That’slargelywhatTheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge (inChapter9)isallabout—makingeachoftheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.ahabitsoyoucandothemeffortlessly.

§ One more thing to consider: reading this book—or any book—is anaffirmation to yourself.Anything you read influences your thoughts.Whenyouconsistently readpositive self-improvementbooksandarticles,youareprogrammingyourmindwiththethoughtsandbeliefsthatwillsupportyouincreatingsuccess.

Visitwww.TMMbook.comto:§Gethelpcreatingandperfectingyouraffirmations…§Seeasampleofmyownpersonalaffirmations…§ View and download highly effective Miracle Morning affirmations on

everythingfromlosingweight,improvingyourrelationships,increasingyourenergy, developing extraordinary self-confidence, making more money,overcomingdepression,andmuchmore…

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.

VisforVisualization

Ordinarypeoplebelieveonlyinthepossible.Extraordinarypeoplevisualizenotwhatispossibleorprobable,butratherwhatisimpossible.Andbyvisualizingthe

impossible,theybegintoseeitaspossible.

—CHERIECARTER-SCOTT

Seethingsasyouwouldhavethembeinsteadofastheyare.—ROBERTCOLLIER

Visualization, also known as creative visualization ormental rehearsal,referstothepracticeofseekingtogeneratepositiveresultsinyourouterworldby using your imagination to createmental pictures of specific behaviors andoutcomes occurring in your life. Frequently used by athletes to enhance theirperformance,visualizationistheprocessofimaginingexactlywhatyouwanttoachieveorattain,andthenmentallyrehearsingwhatyou’llneedtodotoachieveorattainit.

Many highly successful individuals, including celebrities, have advocatedthe use of visualization, claiming that it’s played a significant role in theirsuccess. Such stars include Bill Gates, Arnold Schwarzenegger, AnthonyRobbins,TigerWoods,WillSmith,JimCarey,andyetagain,theoneandonly,Oprah.(Hmm…couldtherebealinkbetweenOprahbeingoneofthesuccessfulwomenintheworld,andthefactthatshepracticesmost,ifnotallsixoftheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.?)

TigerWoods, arguably thegreatestgolferofall time, is famous forusingvisualizationtomentallyrehearseperfectlyexecutionofhisgolfswingoneveryhole.Anotherworld champion golfer, JackNicklaus, has said: “I never hit ashot,noteven inpractice,withouthavingaverysharp in-focuspictureof it inmyhead.”

Will Smith stated that he used visualization to overcome challenges, and

visualized his success years before actually becoming successful. AnotherfamousexampleisactorJimCarrey,whowrotehimselfacheckin1987intheamountof10milliondollars.Hedateditfor“Thanksgiving1995”andaddedinthememoline,“Foractingservicesrendered.”Hethenvisualizeditforyears,and in 1994 hewas paid 10million dollars for his starring role inDumbandDumber.

WhatDoYouVisualize?Mostpeoplearelimitedbyvisionsoftheirpast,replayingpreviousfailures

andheartbreaks.CreativeVisualizationenablesyoutodesignthevisionthatwilloccupy your mind, ensuring that the greatest pull on you is your future—acompelling,exciting,andlimitlessfuture.

Here’s a brief summary of how I use Visualization, followed by threesimple steps foryou to createyourownVisualizationprocess.After I’ve readmyaffirmations,Isituprightonmylivingroomcouch,closemyeyes,andtakea few slow,deepbreaths.For thenext fiveminutes, I simplyvisualizemyselfliving my ideal day, performing all of my tasks with ease, confidence, andenjoyment.

Forexample,during themonths that Ispentwriting thisbook(okay,whoamIkidding—it tookyears), Iwould first visualizemyselfwritingwith ease,enjoying the creative process, free from stress, fear, andwriter’s block. I alsovisualizedtheendresult—peoplereadingthefinishedbook,lovingitandtellingtheir friendsabout it.Visualizing theprocessbeingenjoyable, free fromstressandfear,motivatedmetotakeactionandovercomeprocrastination.

3SimpleStepsForMiracleMorningVisualizationDirectly after reading your affirmations—where you took the time to

articulateandfocusonyourgoalsandwhoyouneedtobetotakeyourlifetothenextlevel—istheprimetimetovisualizeyourselflivinginalignmentwithyouraffirmations.

Step1:GetReadySomepeople like to play instrumentalmusic in thebackground—such as

classicalorbaroque(checkoutanythingfromthecomposerBach)—duringtheirvisualization.Ifyou’dliketoexperimentwithplayingmusic,putitonwiththevolumerelativelylow.

Now,situp tall, inacomfortableposition.Thiscanbeonachair,couch,floor,etc.

Breathedeeply.

Closeyoureyes,clearyourmind,andgetreadytovisualize.

Step2:VisualizeWhatYouReallyWantManypeopledon’tfeelcomfortablevisualizingsuccessandareevenscared

tosucceed.Somepeoplemayexperienceresistanceinthisarea.Somemayevenfeel guilty that they will leave the other 95% behind when they becomesuccessful.

ThisfamousquotefromMarianneWilliamson’sbestsellingbook,AReturnTo Love, may resonate with anyone who feels mental or emotional obstacleswhenattemptingtovisualize: “Ourdeepestfear isnot thatweare inadequate.Ourdeepestfearisthatwearepowerfulbeyondmeasure.Itisourlight,notourdarkness that most frightens us.We ask ourselves,Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous,talented,fabulous?Actually,whoareyounottobe?YouareachildofGod.Yourplayingsmalldoesnotservetheworld.Thereisnothingenlightenedaboutshrinkingsothatotherpeoplewon’tfeelinsecurearoundyou.Weareallmeanttoshine,aschildrendo.WewereborntomakemanifestthegloryofGodthatiswithinus.It’snotjustinsomeofus;it’sineveryone.Andasweletourownlightshine,weunconsciouslygiveotherpeoplepermissiontodothesame.As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberatesothers.”

The greatest giftwe can give to the peoplewe love is to live to our fullpotential.Whatdoes that look likeforyou?Whatdoyoureallywant? Forgetaboutlogic,limits,andbeingpractical.Ifyoucouldhaveanythingyouwanted,doanythingyouwanted,andbeanythingyouwanted—whatwouldyouhave?Whatwouldyoudo?Whatwouldyoube?

Visualize your major goals, deepest desires, and most exciting, would-totally-change-my-life-if-I-achieved-them dreams. See, feel, hear, touch, taste,andsmelleverydetailofyourvision.Involveallofyoursensestomaximizetheeffectiveness of your visualization.Themore vivid youmake your vision, themorecompelledyou’llbetotakethenecessaryactionstomakeitareality.

Now, fast forward into the future to see yourself achieving your idealoutcomesand results.Youcaneither look towards thenear future—theendofthe day—or further into the future, like I didwhilewriting this book,when I

visualizedpeoplereadingit,lovingit,andrecommendingittotheirfriends.Thepointisyouwanttoseeyourselfaccomplishingwhatyousetouttoaccomplish,andyouwanttoexperiencehowgooditwillfeeltohavefollowedthroughandachievedyourgoals.

Step3: VisualizeWhoYouNeedToBeandWhatYouNeedToDo

Once you’ve created a clear mental picture of what you want, begin tovisualize yourself living in total alignmentwith the person you need to be toachieveyourvision.Seeyourselfengagedinthepositiveactionsyou’llneedtodo each day (exercising, studying, working, writing, making calls, sendingemails,etc.)andmakesureyouseeyourselfenjoyingtheprocess.Seeyourselfsmilingasyou’rerunningonthattreadmill,filledwithasenseofprideforyourself-disciplinetofollowthrough.Picturethelookofdeterminationonyourfaceasyouconfidently,persistentlymakethosephonecalls,workonthatreport,orfinallytakeactionandmakeprogressonthatprojectyou’vebeenputtingoffforfar too long.Visualizeyourco-workers,customers, family, friends,andspouserespondingtoyourpositivedemeanorandoptimisticoutlook.

FinalThoughtsOnVisualizationInaddition to readingyouraffirmationseverymorning,doing this simple

visualization process every day will turbo-charge the programming of yoursubconsciousmind for success.Youwill begin to live in alignmentwith youridealvisionandmakeitareality.

Visualizing your goals and dreams is believed by some experts to attractyourvisionsintoyourlife.Whetherornotyoubelieveinthelawofattraction,therearepracticalapplications forvisualization.Whenyouvisualizewhatyouwant,youstirupemotionsthatliftyourspiritsandpullyoutowardsyourvision.The more vividly you see what you want, and the more intensely you allowyourselftoexperiencenowthefeelingsyouwillfeelonceyou’veachievedyourgoal,themoreyoumakethepossibilityofachievingitfeelreal.

Whenyouvisualizedaily,youalignyour thoughtsandfeelingswithyourvision. This makes it easier to maintain the motivation you need to continuetakingthenecessaryactions.Visualizationcanbeapowerfulaidtoovercomingself-limitinghabitssuchasprocrastination,andtotakingtheactionsnecessarytoachieveyourgoals.

I recommendstartingwith just fiveminutesofvisualization.However, inthenextchapterThe6-minuteMiracleMorningI’mgoingtoteachyouhowyoucangainthepowerfulbenefitsofvisualizinginjustoneminuteperday.

[TMMBonus]CreateYourVisionBoardVision Boards were made popular by the bestselling book and film The

Secret.AVisionBoard is simply a poster boardonwhichyoupost imagesofwhatyouwanttohave,whoyouwanttobecome,whatyouwanttodo,whereyouwanttolive,etc.

CreatingaVisionBoard isa funactivityyoucandoonyourown,withafriend,yoursignificantother,orevenyourkids.ItgivesyousomethingtangibletofocusonduringyourVisualization.Ifyou’dlikedetailedinstructionsonthisprocess,ChristineKanehasanexcellentblogonHowToMakeAVisionBoardaswellasa freeeBook titledTheCompleteGuideToVisionBoards.Bothareavailableonherwebsiteatwww.ChristineKane.com.

Keepinmindthat,althoughcreatingaVisionBoardisfun,nothingchangesinyourlifewithoutaction.IhavetoagreewithNeilFarber,M.D.,Ph.D.,whostated inhisarticleonpsychologytoday.com,“Visionboardsare fordreaming,

actionboardsareforachieving.”Whilelookingatyourvisionboardeverydaymay increaseyourmotivation andhelpyou stay focusedonyour goals, knowthatonlytakingthenecessaryactionswillgetyoureal-timeresults.

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S./p>

EisforExercise

Ifyoudon’tmaketimeforexercise,you’llprobablyhavetomaketimeforillness.

—ROBINSHARMA

Theonlyexercisemostpeoplegetisjumpingtoconclusions,runningdowntheirfriends,sidestepping

responsibility,andpushingtheirluck.—UNKNOWN

Morning exercise should be a staple in your daily rituals. When youexercise for even a few minutes every morning it significantly boosts yourenergy, enhances your health, improves self-confidence and emotional well-being, and enables you to think better and concentrate longer. Too busy forexercise?Inthenextchapter,I’llshowyouhowtofitinaworkouteveryday—inaslittleas60seconds.

Irecentlysawaneye-openingvideowithpersonaldevelopmentexpertandself-made multi-millionaire entrepreneur, Eben Pagan, who was beinginterviewedbybestsellingauthorAnthonyRobbins.Tonyasked,“Eben,whatisyour #1 key to success?” Of course, I was very encouraged when Eben’sresponsewas, “Start everymorningoffwithapersonal success ritual.That isthe most important key to success.” Then he went on to talk about theimportanceofmorningexercise.

Eben said, “Everymorning, you’ve got to get your heart rate up and getyourbloodflowingandfillyourlungswithoxygen.”Hecontinued,“Don’tjustexerciseattheendofthedayoratthemiddleoftheday.Andevenifyoudoliketo exercise at those times, always incorporate at least 10 to 20 minutes ofjumpingjacksorsomesortofaerobicexerciseinthemorning.”

Thebenefitsofmorningexercisearetoomanytoignore.Fromwakingyouup and enhancing yourmental clarity, to helping you sustain higher levels of

energythroughouttheday,exercisingsoonafterrisingcanimproveyourlifeinmanyways.

Whetheryougo to thegym,go for awalkor run, throwonaP90XTM orInsanityTM DVD, what you do during your period of exercise is up to you,althoughI’llsharesomerecommendations.

Personally, ifIwereonlyallowedtopracticeoneformofexercisefor therestofmylife, Iwould,withoutadoubtchooseyoga. IbeganpracticingyogashortlyafterIcreatedTheMiracleMorning,andhavebeendoingit—andlovingit—eversince. It’ssuchacomplete formofexercise,as itcombinesstretchingwith strength training with cardio with focused breathing, and can even be aformofmeditation.

MeettheOneandOnly…DashamaI can’t talk aboutyoga (or exercise for thatmatter)without talking about

myfriendDashama.Afewyearsago,oneofherstudentsintroducedmetoherwork as one of the world’s leading yoga instructors. Dashama is the mostauthentic,spiritual,practical,andall-aroundmosteffectiveyogateacherIhaveevercomeacross.Iaskedhertoshareheruniqueperspectiveonthebenefitsofyoga (and Ihighly recommendgettingher freeYoga trainingvideos,availablethroughwww.TMMbook.com.)

FromDashama:Yogaisamulti-facetedsciencethathasapplicationsforthephysical,mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of life. That being said, when Hal asked me tocontributeashort introductory toyoga, for thisbook, I felt itwas inperfectalignmentwithTheMiracleMorning.Iknowfrompersonalexperiencethatyogacanhelpyoucreatemiraclesinyourlife.I’veexperienceditinmineandalsowitnesseditincountlessotherswhomIhavetaughtaroundtheworld.

Theimportantthingtorememberisthatyogacantakeplaceinmanyforms.Whetheritissittinginsilentmeditation,breathingtoexpandyourlungcapacityorbackbendingtoopenyour heart - there are practices that can help every aspect of your life. The key is to learnwhichtechniquestopracticewhenyouneedaremedyanduseit toyouradvantagetobringyourselfintobalance.

Awell-roundedyogapracticecanenhanceyourlifeinsomanyways.Itcanhealwhatisoutofharmonyandcanmovestuckorblockedenergythroughyourbody,creatingspacefornew fluidmovement, blood flow and energy to circulate. I encourage you to listen to yourbodyandtrysomenewsequencesasyoufeelready.Tolearnmoreandseeinstructionalyogavideos,feelfreetovisitmywebsiteatpranashama.com.

BlessingsandLove,Dashama

FinalThoughtsOnExerciseYou know that if you want to maintain good health and increase your

energy,youmustexerciseconsistently.That’snotnewstoanybody.Butit’stooeasytomakeexcusesastowhywedon’texercise.Twoofthebiggestare“Ijustdon’thave time”and“I’mjust too tired.”There isno limit to theexcuses thatyoucanthinkof.Themorecreativeyouarethemoreexcusesyoucancomeupwith,right?

That’s thebeautyof incorporatingexercise intoyourMiracleMorning; ithappens before your daywears you out, before you have a chance to get tootired,beforeyouhaveanentiredaytocomeupwithnewexcusesforavoidingexercise.TheMiracle Morning is really a surefire way to avoid all of thoseexcuses,andtomakeexerciseadailyhabit.(Moreontheeasywaytoimplementpositivehabitsintoyourlife,likeexercise,inChapter9:FromUnbearableToUnstoppable – The Real Secret To FormingHabits ThatWill Transform YourLife(In30Days)whichwillenhanceyourqualityoflifeforyearstocome.)

Legal disclaimer: Hopefully this goes without saying, but you shouldconsult your doctor or physician before beginning any exercise regimen,especiallyifyouareexperiencinganyphysicalpain,discomfort,disabilities,etc.Youmayneedtomodifyorevenrefrainfromyourexerciseroutinetomeetyourindividualneeds.

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.

RisforReading

Apersonwhowon’treadhasnoadvantageoveronewhocan’tread.

—MARKTWAIN

Readingistothemindwhatexerciseistothebodyandprayeristothesoul.Webecomethebooksweread.

—MATTHEWKELLY

Reading, the fifth practice in the Life S.A.V.E.R.S., is the fast track totransforminganyareaofyourlife.Itisoneofthemostimmediatemethodsforacquiring the knowledge, ideas, and strategies you need to achieve Level 10successinanyareaofyourlife.

Thekey is to learn from the experts—thosewhohave alreadydonewhatyouwanttodo.Don’treinventthewheel.Thefastestwaytoachieveeverythingyouwant is tomodel successfulpeoplewhohavealreadyachieved it.Withanalmostinfiniteamountofbooksavailableoneverytopic,therearenolimitstotheknowledgeyoucangainthroughdailyreading.

Irecentlyheardsomeonesayinamocking,I’mtoocoolforthistone,“Uh,yeah, Idon’t read ‘self-help’books,”as if suchbookswerebeneathhim.Poorguy.I’mnotsureifit’shisegoorjustlackofawareness,buthe’smissingoutontheunlimitedsupplyofknowledge,boundlessgrowthandlifechangingideashecouldgainfromsomeofthemostbrilliant,successfulindividualsintheworld.Whointheirrightmindwouldchoosenottodothat?

Whateveryouwantforyourlife,therearecountlessbooksonhowtogetit.Want to becomewealthy, rich, amulti-millionaire? There are plenty of bookswrittenbythosewhohaveachievedthepinnaclesoffinancialsuccesswhichwillteachyouhow.Hereareafewofmyfavorites:

§ThinkandGrowRichbyNapoleonHill

§SecretsoftheMillionaireMindbyT.HarvEker§TotalMoneyMakeoverbyDaveRamsey

Wanttocreateanincredible,loving,supportiveandromanticrelationship?Thereareprobablymorebooksonhowtodoexactlythatthanyoucouldreadinadecade.Hereareafewofmyfavorites:

§TheFiveLoveLanguagesbyGaryD.Chapman§TheSoulMateExperiencebyJoDunn§ The Seven Principles For Making a Marriage Work by John M.GottmanandNanSilver

Whether you’d like to transform your relationships, increase your self-confidence, improve your communication or persuasion skills, learn how tobecomewealthy,orimproveanyareaofyourlife,headtoyourlocalbookstore—ordowhatIdoandheadtoAmazon.com—andyou’llfindaplethoraofbooksonanyareaofyourlifeyouwanttoimprove.Forthosewhowanttominimizeourcarbonfootprintorsavemoney,Ialsorecommendutilizingyourlocallibraryorcheckingoutoneofmyfavoritewebsites,www.paperbackswap.com.

Foracompletelistofmyfavoritepersonaldevelopmentbooks—includingthose thathavemade thebiggest impactonmysuccessandhappiness—checkouttheRecommendedReadinglistlocatedatwww.TMMbook.com.

HowMuchShouldYouRead?Irecommendmakingacommitmenttoreadaminimumof10pagesperday

(although five is okay to start with, if you read slowly or don’t yet enjoyreading).Let’sdosomemathon this fora second: reading10pages readperday isnotgoing tobreakyou,but itwillmake you.We’reonly talking10-15minutesofreading,or15-30minutesifyoureadmoreslowly.

Lookat it thisway. Ifyouquantify that, reading just10pagesadaywillaverage3,650pagesayear,whichequatestoapproximatelyeighteen200-pagepersonaldevelopment/self-improvementbooks!Letmeaskyou,ifyouread18personal development books in the next 12months, do you think youwill bemore knowledgeable, capable and confident—a new & improved you?Absolutely!

FinalThoughtsOnReading§ Beginwiththeendinmind.Beforeyoubeginreadingeachday,askyourself

whyyouarereadingthatbook—whatdoyouwanttogainfromit—andkeepthatoutcomeinmind.Takeamomenttodothisnowbyaskingyourselfwhatyouwanttogainfromreadingthisbook.Areyoucommittedtofinishingit?Moreimportantly,areyoucommitted to implementingwhatyou’re learningand taking action,by following throughwithTheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallengeattheend?

§ ManyMiracleMorning practitioners use their Reading time to catch up ontheirreligioustexts,suchastheBible,Torah,oranyother.

§ Hopefullyyou took theadvice Igaveandyou’vebeenunderlining,circling,highlighting,foldingthecornersofpages,andtakingnotesinthemarginsofthisbook.TogetthemostoutofanybookIreadandmakeiteasyformetorevisitthecontentagaininthefuture,IunderlineorcircleanythingthatImaywant to re-visit, and make notes in the margins to remind me why Iunderlinedthatparticularsection.(Unless,ofcourse,it’salibrarybook).ThisprocessofmarkingbooksasIreadallowsmetocomebackatanytimeandrecaptureallof thekey lessons, ideas,andbenefitswithoutneeding to readthebookagain,covertocover.

§ Ihighlyrecommendre-readinggoodpersonaldevelopmentbooks.Rarelycanwe read a book once and internalize all of the value from that book.Achievingmasteryinanyarearequiresrepetition—beingexposedtocertainideas, strategies, or techniques over and over again, until they becomeengrainedinyoursubconsciousmind.Forexample,ifyouwantedtomasterkarate, youwouldn’t learn the techniquesonce and then think, “I got this.”No, you’d learn the techniques, practice them, then go back to your senseiand learn them again, and repeat the process hundreds of times in order tomastera single technique.Mastering techniques to improveyour lifeworksthesameway.Thereismorevalueinre-readingabookyoualreadyknowhasstrategies that can improve your life than there is in reading a new bookbefore you’vemastered the strategies in the first.Whenever I’m reading abookthatIseecanreallymakeanimpactonanareaofmylife,Icommittore-reading thatbook(orat least re-reading theparts I’veunderlined,circledand highlighted) as soon as I’m finished going through it the first time. IactuallykeepaspecialspaceonmybookshelfforthebooksthatIwanttore-read.I’vereadbookslikeThinkandGrowRichasmanyasthreetimes,andoftenreferbacktothemthroughouttheyear.Re-readingrequiresdiscipline,because it is typicallymore“fun” to readabookyou’venever readbefore.Repetition can be boring or tedious (which is why so few people ever“master” anything), but that’s even more reason why we should do it—to

developahigherlevelofself-discipline.Whynottryitoutwiththisbook?Commit to re-reading itassoonasyou’re finished, todeepenyour learningandgiveyourselfmoretimetomasterTheMiracleMorning.

LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.SisforScribing

Whateveritisthatyouwrite,puttingwordsonthepageisaformoftherapythatdoesn’tcostadime.

—DIANARAAB

Ideascancomefromanywhereandatanytime.Theproblemwithmakingmentalnotesisthattheink

fadesveryrapidly.—ROLFSMITH

Scribing is the final practice in the Life S.A.V.E.R.S. and is really justanotherwordforwriting,butpleaseallowmetokeepitreal—Ineededan‘S’forthe end of Life S.A.V.E.R.S. because a ‘W’ wouldn’t fit anywhere. ThanksThesaurusTM,Ioweyouone.

JournalingMy favorite form of Scribing is journaling, which I do for 5-10minutes

during myMiracleMorning. By getting your thoughts out of your head andputting them inwriting,yougainvaluable insightsyou’dotherwisenever see.TheScribingelementofyourMiracleMorning enablesyou todocumentyourinsights, ideas, breakthroughs, realizations, successes, and lessons learned, aswellasanyareasofopportunity,personalgrowth,orimprovement.

While Ihadknownabout theprofoundbenefitsof journaling foryears—andIhadeventrieditafewtimes—Ineverstuckwithitconsistently,becauseitwas never part ofmy daily routine.Usually, I kept a journal bymy bed, andwhen I’d get home late at night, nine times out of ten I would find myselfmakingtheexcusethatIwastootiredtowriteinit.Myjournalsstayedmostlyblank. Even though I already had many mostly blank journals sitting on mybookshelf, every so often I would buy myself a brand new journal—a moreexpensiveone—convincingmyselfthatifIspentalotofmoneyonit,Iwould

surelywrite in it. Seems like a decent theory, right? Unfortunately,my littlestrategy never worked, and for years I just accumulated more and moreincreasinglyexpensive,yetequallyemptyjournals.

That was before The Miracle Morning. From day one, The MiracleMorninggavemethetimeandstructuretowriteinmyjournaleveryday,anditquicklybecameoneofmyfavoritehabits.Icantellyounowthatjournalinghasbecomeoneof themostgratifyingandfulfillingpracticesofmylife.NotonlydoIderive thedailybenefitsofconsciouslydirectingmythoughtsandputtingtheminwriting,butevenmorepowerfularethoseIhavegainedfromreviewingmyjournals,fromcovertocover,afterwards—especially,attheendoftheyear.Itishardtoputintowordshowoverwhelminglyconstructivetheexperienceofgoingbackandreviewingyourjournalscanbe,butI’lldomybest.

MyFirstJournalRe-viewOn December 31st, after my first year doing The Miracle Morning and

writinginmyjournal,IbeganreadingthefirstpageIhadwrittenthatyear.Daybyday, I started to review and relivemy entire year. Iwas able to revisitmymindsetfromeachday,andgainanewperspectiveastohowmuchIhadgrownthroughouttheyear.Ireexaminedmyactions,activities,andprogress,givingmeanewappreciationforhowmuchIhadaccomplishedduringthepast12months.Most importantly, I recaptured the lessons Ihad learned,manyofwhich Ihadforgottenoverthecourseoftheyear.

Gratitude2.0–Ialsoexperiencedamuchdeeperqualityofgratitude—inaway that I had never experienced before—on two different levels,simultaneously. It was what I now refer to as my first Back to the Futuremoment. Try to followme here (and feel free to pictureme asMartyMcFlysteppingoutofa1985DeLorean).AsIreadthroughmyjournal,mycurrentself(whichwasalso the future selfofwho Iwasat the time Iwrote those journalentries) was now looking back at all of the people, experiences, lessons, andaccomplishmentsthatItooknoteofbeinggratefulforthroughouttheyear.AsIwas in that moment reliving the gratitude that I felt in the past, I wassimultaneously feelinggrateful in thepresentmoment forhow far I had comesincethattimeinmylife.Itwasaremarkableexperience,andabitsurreal.

AcceleratedGrowth–Then,IbegantotapintothehighestpointofvalueIwouldgainfromreviewingmyjournals.Ipulledoutasheetofblankpaper,drewalinedownthemiddle,andwrotetwoheadingsatthetop:LessonsLearnedandNew Commitments. As I read through my hundreds of my journal entries, I

foundmyselfrecapturingdozensofvaluablelessons.This process of recapturing Lessons Learned and making New

Commitments to implement those lessons aided my personal growth anddevelopmentmorethanalmostanythingelse.

Whiletherearemanyworthwhilebenefitsofkeepingadailyjournal,afewofwhichI’vejustdescribed,hereareafewmoreofmyfavorites:

§GainClarity–Theprocessofwritingsomethingdownforcesustothinkthroughitenoughtounderstandit.Journalingwillgiveyoumoreclarity,allowyoutobrainstorm,andhelpyouworkthroughproblems.§ CaptureIdeas–Journalinghelpsyounotonlyexpandyour ideas,but also prevents you from losing the important ideas that youmaywanttoactoninthefuture.

§ReviewLessons–Itenablesyoutoreviewallofthelessonsyou’velearned.§ AcknowledgeYourProgress – It’swonderful to go back and re-readyourjournalentriesfromayearagoandseehowmuchprogressyou’vemade. It’s one of themost empowering, confidence-inspiringandenjoyableexperiences.Itcan’treallybeduplicatedanyotherway.

Gap-Focus:IsItHurtingorHelpingYou?In the opening pages of this chapter, we talked about using the Life

S.A.V.E.R.S. to close your “PotentialGap.” Human beings are conditioned tohavewhatIcallGap-focus.Wetendtofocusonthegapsbetweenwhereweareinlifeandwherewewanttobe,betweenwhatwe’veaccomplishedandwhatwecould have or want to accomplish, and the gap betweenwhowe are and ouridealisticvisionofthepersonwebelieveweshouldbe.

TheproblemwiththisisthatconstantGap-focuscanbedetrimentaltoourconfidenceandself-image,causingustofeellikewedon’thaveenough,haven’taccomplishedenough,andthatwe’resimplynotgoodenough,oratleast,notasgoodasweshouldbe.

High achievers are typically the worst at this, constantly overlooking orminimizing their accomplishments, beating themselves up over everymistakeandimperfection,andneverfeelinglikeanythingtheydoisquitegoodenough.

Theironyisthatgap-focusisabigpartofthereasonthathighachieversarehighachievers.Theirinsatiabledesiretoclosethegapiswhatfuelstheirpursuit

ofexcellenceandconstantlydrives themtoachieve.Gap-focuscanbehealthyand productive if it comes from a positive, proactive, “I’m committed to andexcitedaboutfulfillingmypotential”perspective,withoutanyfeelingsof lack.Unfortunately, it rarely does. The average person, even the average highachiever,tendstofocusnegativelyontheirgaps.

Thehighest achievers—thosewhoarebalancedand focusedonachievingLevel10successinnearlyeveryareaoftheirlives—areexceedinglygratefulforwhat they have, regularly acknowledge themselves for what they’veaccomplished,andarealwaysatpeacewithwheretheyareintheirlives.It’stheduelingideathatIamdoingthebestthatIcaninthismoment,andatthesametime, I can and will do better. This balanced self-assessment prevents thatfeelingoflack—ofnotbeing,having,doingenough—whilestillallowingthemtoconstantlystrivetoclosetheirpotentialgapineacharea.

Typically,whenaday,week,month,oryearends,andwe’reinGap-focusmode,it’salmostimpossibletomaintainanaccurateassessmentofourselvesandourprogress.Forexample,ifyouhad10thingsonyourto-dolistfortheday—even if you completed six of them—your Gap-focus causes you to feel youdidn’tgeteverythingdonethatyouwantedtodo.

Themajorityofpeopledodozens,evenhundreds,ofthingsrightduringtheday,andafewthingswrong.Guesswhichthingspeoplerememberandreplayintheirmindsoverandoveragain? Doesn’t itmakemoresense to focuson the100thingsyoudidright?Itsureismoreenjoyable.

Whatdoes thishave todowithwriting ina journal?Writing ina journaleachday,withastructured,strategicprocess(moreonthatinaminute)allowsyou todirectyour focus towhatyoudidaccomplish,whatyou’regrateful for,andwhat you’re committed to doing better tomorrow.Thus, youmore deeplyenjoyyour journeyeachday, feelgoodaboutany forwardprogressyoumade,anduseaheightenedlevelofclaritytoaccelerateyourresults.

EffectiveJournalingHere are 3 simple steps to get started with journaling, or improve your

currentjournalingprocess.

1.ChooseaFormat—DigitalorTraditional.You’llwanttodecideupfrontifyouwanttogowithatraditional,physicallinedjournalorgodigital,suchasanonlinejournal,journalingsoftware,orjournalingapp, such as The Miracle Morning app for the iPhone, iPad, and

Android (which has the built-inMiracleMorning Journal.) Havingused both traditional and digital, there are advantages anddisadvantages tobothformats (whichI’lladdress inaminute),but itreallycomesdowntoyourpersonalpreference—doyouprefertowriteby hand, or would you rather type your daily journal entries. Thatshouldmakeitarelativelysimpledecisionastowhichformattouse.2. GetaJournal.When it comes toa traditional journal,while justaboutanythingcanwork(youcanevenusea99centspiralnotebook),sinceyou’reprobablygoingtohaveitfortherestofyourlifethereissomething to be said about getting a nice, durable journal that youenjoy lookingat.Get a journal that isnotonly lined,but alsodated,withroomtowriteforall365daysoftheyear.I’vefoundthathavingapre-designated(dated)spacetowritekeepsmeaccountabletofollowthrougheachday, since I can’thelpbutnoticewhen Imissadayortwo,becausethey’reblank.Thisusuallymotivatesmetogobackandmentally review thosemissed days and catch upmy journal entries.It’salsonice tohavedatedjournalsforeveryyear,soyoucaneasilygo back and review any time in your life, and experience thosebenefits Ipreviouslydescribed inMyFirstJournalRe-view. Oneofmy favorite lined, dated journals is The Winners Journal(www.TheWinnersJournal.com), which I used from 2007-2009, andwas very pleased with the results. In fact, it’s what inspired me todesignandcreateTheMiracleMorningJournal(whichisavailableonAmazon.com).YoucanevendownloadafreesampleofTheMiracleMorningJournalatthewebsitelistedafterthesethreesteps.

Whenitcomestoadigitaljournal(whichIusedbeforeIcreatedthe TMM Journal), there are also many choices available. Ienjoyedusing theDayOne iPhoneapp lastyear,and theonlinejournalatwww.penzu.comisverypopular.Again,itreallycomesdowntoyourpreferenceandwhichfeaturesyouwant.Just type“onlinejournal”intoGoogleor“journal”intotheappstore,andyou’llgetavarietyofchoices.AsImentioned,Ialsohadadated,lined Miracle Morning Journal iPhone/iPad/Android appcustomizedandcreated.

3. DecideWhatToWrite.Thereareinfiniteaspectsofyourlifethatyou can journal about, and countless types of journals. Gratitudejournals,dreamjournals,foodjournals,workoutjournals,etc.Youcanwrite about your goals, dreams, plans, family, commitments, lessons

learned,andanythingelsethatyoufeelyouneedtofocusoninyourlife. My journaling method ranges from being a very specific,structured process—listing what I’m grateful for, acknowledging myaccomplishments, clarifying what areas I want to improve on, andplanningwhichspecificactionsI’mcommittedtotakingtoimprove—tobeingprettytraditional,justadatedentrywithasynopsisofmyday.Ifindbothtobeveryvaluable,andit’snicetomixitup.

To get a free sample of The Miracle Morning Journal, go towww.TMMbook.com.

[TMMBonus]DoYouWantToWriteaBook?AccordingtoasurveydonebyUSAtoday,82%ofAmericanswanttowrite

abook,but the#1obstaclepreventing them? Youguessed it—theycan’t findthe time. If you have ever wanted to write a book, you can use theMiracleMorningtodojustthat.Infact,rightnowIamwritingthisat6:03a.m.,duringmyMiracleMorning.

I believe that everyone has a book inside of them containing their ownunique value to offer to the world. In fact, I’ve recently started coachingmyprivateclientsonhowtostart (or finish) their first (ornext)book,andhowtobecomeabestsellingauthor.Ifyou’dlikehelpstarting,completing,ormarketingyour book, feel free to send me an email with tohelpmewithmybook@miraclemorning.com, and include a brief description ofwhatyou’dlikemyhelpwith.

I’malwaysexcitedtohearyourstoryandwhatyouarepassionatetowrite—Imean,scribe—about.

CustomizingTheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.InChapter 8: Customizing The Miracle Morning To Fit Your Lifestyle,

you’lllearnhowyoucanpersonalizeandcustomizenearlyeveryaspectofyourMiracle Morning to fit your lifestyle. For now, I want to share a few ideasspecifically towards customizing theLife S.A.V.E.R.S. based on your scheduleandpreferences.Yourcurrentmorningroutinemightonlyallowyoutofit ina20or30-minuteMiracleMorning,oryoumightchoose todoa longerversionontheweekends.

Here is an example of a fairly common, 60-minute Miracle Morningschedule,usingtheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.

ThesequenceinwhichyoudotheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.canalsobecustomizedtoyourpreferences.Somepeopleprefer todo theirExercise first, as away toincreasetheirbloodflowandwakethemselvesup.However,youmightprefertodoExercise as your last activity in the Life S.A.V.E.R.S. so you’re not sweatyduring yourMiracle Morning. Personally, I prefer to start with a period ofpeaceful,purposefulSilence—sothatIcanwakeupslowly,clearmymind,andfocusmyenergyandintentions.IsaveExerciseformylastactivity, thatwayIcanjumpdirectlyintotheshowerandproceedwiththerestofmyday.However,this is your Miracle Morning—not mine—so feel free to experiment withdifferentsequencesandseewhichyoulikebest.

FinalThoughtsOnTheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.Everything is difficult before it’s easy. Every new experience is

uncomfortable before it’s comfortable. The more you practice the LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.themorenaturalandnormaleachofthemwillfeel.Rememberthatmyfirsttimemeditatingwasalmostmylast,asmymindracedlikeaFerrariandmy thoughts bounced around uncontrollably like the silver sphere in a pinballmachine.Now,Ilovemeditation,andwhileI’mnomaster,I’dsayI’mdecentatit. Similarly,my first timedoingyoga, I felt like a fishout ofwater. Iwasn’tflexible, couldn’t do theposes correctly, and felt awkwardanduncomfortable.Now,yogaismyfavoriteformofexercise,andIamsogratefulthatIstuckwithit.

I invite you to begin practicing the Life S.A.V.E.R.S. now, so you canbecomefamiliarandcomfortablewitheachofthem,andgetajump-startbeforeyou begin The Miracle Morning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge inChapter10.Ifyourbiggestconcernisstillfindingtime,don’tworry,I’vegotyoucovered.Inthenextchapter,you’regoingtolearnhowtodotheentireMiracle

Morning— receiving the full benefits fromall six of theLife S.A.V.E.R.S.—inonly6minutesaday.

—7—

The6-MinuteMiracle(ForTheBusyPeople)Ontheonehand,weallwanttobehappy.Ontheotherhand,

weallknowthethingsthatmakeushappy.Butwedon’tdothosethings.Why?Simple.Wearetoobusy.Toobusydoingwhat?Toobusytryingtobehappy.

—MATTHEWKELLY

Idon’thavetimetowakeupearly.—UNKNOWN

Oh,you’rebusy?Weird.Ithoughtitwasjustme.

Probablythemostcommonquestion—orconcern—IgetaboutTheMiracleMorningisregardinghowlongitneedstobe.WhenIfirsthadthebreakthroughrealizationabouthowourlevelsofsuccess(andfulfillingourpotential)ineveryarea of life are being limited by our insufficient (or non-existent) level ofpersonal development, my biggest challenge was finding time to act on thisrealization.

As I’ve developed and sharedTheMiracleMorning over the years, I’vebeenveryawareoftheneedtomakeitscalablesothateventhebusiestamonguscanmake timeforourMiracleMorning. IdevelopedThe6-minuteMiracleMorningforthosedayswhenyou’reextrabusyandpressedfortime,aswellasforthoseofyouwhoaresooverwhelmedwithyourlifesituationrightnowthatjustthinkingaboutaddingonemorethingstressesyouout.

I think we can all agree that investing a minimum of six minutes intobecomingthepersonweneedtobetocreatethelevelsofsuccessandhappinesswe trulywant in our lives is not only reasonable, it’s an absolutemust, evenwhenwe’repressedfortime.Ithinkyouwillbepleasantlysurprisedinthenextfewminutesasyoureadandrealizehowpowerful(andlife-changing)thesesixminutescanbe!

Imagineifthefirstsixminutesofeverymorningbeganlikethis…

MinuteOne…Envisionyourselfwakinguppeacefullyinthemorning,withabigyawn,a

stretch,andasmileonyourface.Insteadofrushingcarelesslyintoyourhecticday—stressedandoverwhelmed—you spend the firstminute sittingquietly, inpurposefulSilence.Yousit,verycalm,verypeaceful,andbreathedeeply,slowly.Maybe you say a prayer of gratitude to appreciate the moment, or pray forguidance on your journey. Maybe you decide to try your first minute ofmeditation. As you sit in silence, you’re totally present in the now, in themoment.Youcalmyourmind, relaxyourbody,andallowallofyourstress tomeltaway.Youdevelopadeepersenseofpeace,purpose,anddirection…

MinuteTwo…You pull out your dailyAffirmations—the ones that remind you of your

unlimitedpotentialandyourmost importantpriorities—andyouread themoutloud from top tobottom.Asyou focusonwhat’smost important toyou,yourlevel of internal motivation increases. Reading over the reminders of howcapable you really are gives you a feeling of confidence. Looking over whatyou’recommittedto,whatyourpurposeis,andwhatyourgoalsarere-energizesyoutotaketheactionsnecessarytolivethelifeyoutrulywant,deserve,andnowknowispossibleforyou…

MinuteThree…Youcloseyoureyes,oryou lookatyourvisionboard,andyouvisualize.

YourVisualizationcouldincludewhatitwilllookandfeellikewhenyoureachyour goals. You visualize the day going perfectly, see yourself enjoying yourwork,smilingandlaughingwithyourfamilyoryoursignificantother,andeasilyaccomplishingallthatyouintendtoaccomplishforthatday.Youseewhatitwilllooklike,youfeelwhatitwillfeellike,andyouexperiencethejoyofwhatyouwillcreate…

MinuteFour…Youtakeoneminutetowritedownsomeofthethingsthatyou’regrateful

for,whatyou’reproudof,andtheresultsyou’recommittedtocreatingforthatday.Indoingso,youcreateforyourselfanempowered,inspired,andconfidentstateofmind…

MinuteFive…Then, you grab your self-help book and invest one miraculous minute

readingapageortwo.Youlearnanewidea,somethingyoucanincorporateinto

yourdaywhichwillimproveyourresultsatworkorinyourrelationships.Youdiscover something new that you can use to think and feel better—to livebetter…

MinuteSix…Finally,youstandupandspend the lastminutemovingyourbody for60

seconds. Maybe you run in place, maybe you do a minute of jumping-jacks.Maybeyoudopush-upsor sit-ups.Thepoint is that you’regettingyourheartrateup,generatingenergyandincreasingyourabilitytobealertandfocused.

Howwouldyoufeel if that’showyouutilized thefirst6-minutesofeachday?Howwouldthequalityofyourday—yourlife—improve?

Idon’tsuggestyoulimityourMiracleMorning toonlysixminuteseveryday, but as I said, on those dayswhen you’re pressed for time,The 6-minuteMiracleMorning provides a powerful strategy for accelerating your personaldevelopment.

—8—

CustomizingYourMiracleMorningToFitYourLifestyleandAchieveYourHighestGoals&Dreams

“TheMiracleMorning is amazing. It has provided new levels of clarity, focus, and energy to my life.What’sgreatisthatitcanbeadifferentroutineforeachperson,dependingonyourgoalsandschedule.Forme,asabusinessownerandmotherofaoneyearold,ithasbeenatimetoreflect,pray,focusonmygoalsanddreams,exercise,andde-stress.Italsogivesmevaluabletimetobethankfulforthepeople,events,andblessingsinmylife.Weallhavethesame168hours inaweek;sostartusingTheMiracleMorningandyou’llfindmiraclesinyourlifethatyouneverknewexisted!”—KatieHeaney,owner,HedgehogGroup(SaintLouis,MO)

Upuntilthispoint,we’veprimarilybeenfocusedontheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.model to accelerate your personal development during yourMiracleMorning.However,TheMiracleMorning is 100% customizable. Everything from yourwake-uptimetothetotaldurationofyourMiracleMorning towhichactivitiesyoudo,aswellas thedurationandorderofeachactivity—there isno limit tohowyourMiracleMorningcanbepersonalizedtofityourlifestyleandhelpyouachieveyourmostsignificantgoals,fasterthaneverbefore.

Here I’ll cover allof theabove, aswell aswhen (andwhat) to eat in themorning,howtoalignTheMiracleMorningwithyourmajorgoalsanddreams,what to do on the weekends, a tip on overcoming procrastination, and muchmore.

WakeUpandStartTimeThismaysoundcompletelycounterintuitive,butstickwithme.Youdon’t

actuallyhavetodoTheMiracleMorninginthemorning.Huh?Of course there are undeniable advantages to early rising and getting a

proactive start to your day. However, for some, their unique schedule andlifestylesimplymaynotallowit.Obviously,someonewhoworksthegraveyardshift,orevenlate-nights,isgoingtohaveadifferentwakeuptimethansomeonewhoisinbedby9:00p.m.everyevening.Consideringthatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentschedules,theessenceofTheMiracleMorningremainsthatyousimplywakeupearlier thanyounormallywould(typicallyby30-60minutes),sothat

you can dedicate time every day to improving yourself, so you can transformyourlife.

When,Why,andWhatToEat(IntheMorning)Upuntilthispoint,youmayhavebeenwonderingwhentheheckdoIgetto

eat duringmyMiracleMorning?! I’ll cover that here. Besideswhen you eatduringyourMiracleMorning,whatyouchoosetoeatisevenmorecritical,andwhyyouchoosetoeatwhatyoueatmaybemostimportantofall.

WhenToEat–Keepinmindthatdigestingfoodisoneofthemostenergy-draining processes the body goes through each day. The bigger themeal, themore foodyougiveyourbody todigest, themoredrainedyouwill feel.Withthatinmind,IrecommendeatingafteryourMiracleMorning.Thisensuresthat,foroptimumalertnessandfocusduringtheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.,yourbloodwillbeflowingtoyourbrainratherthantoyourstomachtodigestyourfood.

If you feel like youmust eat something first thing in themorning,makesure that it’s a small, light, easily digestible meal, such as fresh fruit or asmoothie(moreonthatinaminute).

WhyToEat–Let’stakeamomenttodiscusswhyyoueat thefoods thatyou do.When you’re shopping at the grocery store, or selecting food from amenuatarestaurant,whatcriteriadoyouusetodeterminewhichfoodsyouaregoingtoputintoyourbody?Areyourchoicesbasedpurelyontaste?Texture?Convenience?Aretheybasedonhealth?Energy?Dietaryrestrictions?

Mostpeopleeatthefoodstheydobasedmainlyonthetaste,andatadeeperlevel,basedonouremotionalattachmenttothefoodswelikethetasteof.Ifyouweretoasksomeone,“Whydidyoueatthaticecream?Whydidyoudrinkthatsoda?” Or, “Why did you bring that fried chicken home from the grocerystore?”Youwouldmost likelyhear responses like,“Mmm,because I love icecream!Ilikedrinkingsoda.Iwasinthemoodforfriedchicken.”Allanswersbasedon theemotionalenjoymentderivedprimarily from theway these foodstaste.Inthiscase,thispersonisnotlikelytoexplaintheirfoodchoiceswithhowmuchvaluethesefoodswilladdtotheirhealth,orhowmuchsustainedenergythey’llget.

Mypointisthis:Ifwewanttohavemoreenergy(whichwealldo)andifwe want our lives to be healthy and disease-free (which we all do) then it’scrucial that we reexamine why we eat the foods that we do, and—this isimportant—start valuing the health benefits and energy consequences of the

foodsweeatasmuchasormorethanthetaste.InnowayamIsayingthatweshould eat foods that don’t taste good in exchange for the health and energybenefits. I’msaying thatwecanhaveboth. I’msaying that ifwewant to liveeverydaywithanabundanceofenergysowecanperformatourbestandlivealong,healthylife,wemustchoosetoeatmorefoodsthataregoodforourhealthandgiveussustainedenergy,aswellastastinggreat.

WhatToEat–Beforewetalkaboutwhattoeat,let’stakeasecondtotalkaboutwhat todrink.Remember thatStep#4of the5-StepSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategyistodrinkafullglassofwater—firstthinginthemorning—soyoucanrehydrateandreenergizeafterafullnightofsleep.Next,ItypicallystartmyMiracleMorningbybrewingacupofhighqualitytea(myfavoriteisanythingfromwww.TeaGarden.com).Iactuallysetmyalarm15minutesearliereachday,togivemyself timetomakemyteawithout intrudingonmyMiracleMorningtime.Ifyou’reacoffeedrinker,feelfreetobrewyourfavoritecupofcoffee.

Asforwhattoeat,ithasbeenproventhatadietrichinlivingfoods,suchasfreshfruitsandvegetableswillgreatlyincreaseyourenergylevels,improveyourmentalfocusandemotionalwellbeing,keepyouhealthy,andprotectyoufromdisease. So, I created The Miracle Morning Super-food Smoothie thatincorporates everythingyour bodyneeds in one tall, frostyglass! I’m talkingabout complete protein (all of the essential amino acids), age defyingantioxidants,Omega3EssentialFattyAcids(toboostimmunity,cardiovascularhealth,andbrainpower),plusa richspectrumofvitaminsandminerals…andthat’sjustforstarters.Ihaven’tevenmentionedallthesuper-foods,suchasthestimulating,mood-liftingphytonutrientsinCacao(thetropicalbeanfromwhichchocolate is made), the long-lasting energy of Maca (the Andean adaptogenrevered for its hormone-balancing effects), and the immune-boosting nutrientsandappetite-suppressingpropertiesofChiaseeds.

The Miracle Morning Super-food Smoothie not only provides you withsustainedenergy,italsotastesgreat.Youmightevenfindthatitenhancesyourability tocreatemiracles inyoureveryday life.Youcanget the recipe freeatwww.TMMbook.com.

Remembertheoldsayingyouarewhatyoueat?Takecareofyourbodysoyour body will take care of you. You will feel vibrant energy and enhancedclarityimmediately!

AligningTheMiracleMorningWithYourGoals&DreamsMostMiracleMorning practitioners and high achievers use TheMiracle

Morning to enhance their focus on their immediate goals and their mostsignificantdreams.Thisisespeciallytrueforthosethey’vebeenputtingoff,orhaven’t beenmaking time for—such as starting a business orwriting a book.TheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.areidealforimprovingyourabilitytostayfocusedonyourgoalsandacceleratingtherateatwhichyoumakeprogresstowardsyourdreams.

Forexample,whenyoucreateyouraffirmations,makesurethattheyareinalignmentwithyourgoalsanddreams,andthattheyclarifywhatyouwillneedto think, believe, and do to achieve them, so they reinforce your unwaveringcommitment to follow through.Reading them dailywill keep you focused onyourhighestprioritiesandthestepsyouneedtotaketoachievethem.

When you are doing your morning Visualization, visualize yourselfeffortlesslyenjoyingtheprocessofachievingyourgoals(likeIdidwhilewritingthis book) and keep a clear picture of what it will look like once achieved.Remembertoinvolveallofyoursenses—see,feel, taste,touchandevensmelleverydetailofyourvisionandyouridealoutcomes.Themorevividyourvisionis,themoreeffectiveitwillbeinincreasingyourdesireandmotivationtotakethenecessarystepstowardsyourgoalseachday.

OvercomingProcrastination:DotheWorst,FirstOneofthemosteffectivestrategiesforovercominghabitualprocrastination

andmaximizingyourproductivityistostartworkingonyourmostimportant—orleastenjoyable—tasks,firstthinginthemorning.

In his bestselling bookEat That Frog, the legendary productivity expertBrian Tracy shows how getting things done in the morning leads to mentalrewardsthatcantakeustogreatheightsinourlives.Itistheideathatdoingthehard task first (“frogeating”)andgetting itoutof thewaycreatesmomentumandmakestherestofthedaymoreproductive.

The purpose of The Miracle Morning is more about waking up withpurpose—combiningthebenefitsofearlyrisingandpersonaldevelopment—andisn’t somuchconcernedwithwhichactivitiesyoudo,as longas theactivitiesyouchooseareproactiveandhelpyouimproveyourinnerworld(yourself)andyourouterworld(yourlife).

InthisshortchapterI’llgiveyousomeideasandstrategiesforhowyoucandesignyourMiracleMorningandadjustittofityourlifestylesoitaddsvaluetoyour life and helps you achieve your most important goals. I’ll also includeexamplesofdifferentreal-lifeMiracleMornings,designedbyindividuals—from

entrepreneurstostay-at-homemoms,tohighschoolandcollegestudents—tofittheiruniqueschedules,prioritiesandlifestyles.

TheMiracleMorningOnWeekends“WakingupearlyonSaturdaygivesmeanedgeinfinishingmyworkwith

averyrelaxedstateofmind.Thereisafeelingoftimepressureonweekdaysthataren’t there onweekends. If I wake up early in themorning, before anybodyelse, I can plan the day or at leastmy activitieswith relaxedmind.”—OprahWinfrey

I couldn’t agree with Oprah more. When I first created The MiracleMorning Ionlydid itMonday throughFriday,and I took theweekendsoff. Itdidn’ttakelongformetorealizethateverydayIdidTheMiracleMorningIfeltbetter,morefulfilledandmoreproductive,buteverydaythatIsleptin,Iwokefeelinglethargic,unfocused,andunproductive.

Experiment for yourself. You may start, as I did, by doing TheMiracleMorningduringtheweekandtrytakingtheweekendsoff.SeehowyoufeelonthoseSaturdayandSundaymornings,sleepingin.Ifyoufeel,likemanypeopledo, thateveryday isbetterwhenyoubegin itwithTheMiracleMorning, youmightjustfindthatweekendsareactuallyyourfavoritetimetodoit.

KeepingYourMiracleMorningFresh,Fun,andExciting!Over the years, myMiracle Morning continues to evolve. While I still

practice theLifeS.A.V.E.R.S. daily and don’t foresee any reason Iwould everstopneedingthebenefitsofthosesixpractices,Idothinkit’simportanttomixthings up and keep variety in yourMiracleMorning. Like a relationship, youalwayswant tokeepa little funandexcitement in themix,so thingsdon’tgetboringorstale.

Forexample,youmightchangeupyourmorningexerciseroutineevery90days, or even monthly. You could try different meditations, either through asimple Google search or by downloading various Meditation apps on yourphone.Youcouldcreateavisionboardandupdateitregularly.AsImentionedduring the section on Affirmations: you should always be updating youraffirmationstostimulateyoursensesandtobeinalignmentwithyouralways-evolvingvisionforwhoyoucanandwanttobe.

I also adjust my Miracle Morning on the fly, based on my changingschedule,circumstances,andprojectsI’mworkingon.WhenI’mpreparingfor

an upcoming speech or seminar that I’ll be presenting, I allocate more timeduringmyMiracleMorningtopracticeandrehearsemyperformance.WhenI’mtraveling, to give speeches for colleges or corporations, and I’m staying inhotels,IadjustmyMiracleMorningaccordingly.Forexample,ifI’mscheduledtogivealatenightkeynoteorworkshopataconference,Iwillmovemywakeupandstarttimealittlelater.

Anotherexampleofmakingadjustmentsbasedonmycurrentprojectshasbeenduring thispast fewmonths, asmyMiracleMorning has ironicallybeenheavily focused on completing this book. I’ve still maintained the LifeS.A.V.E.R.S.—I’vejustdoneashortenedversion,soIcanfocusmoreofmytimeonwriting.

Asyoucansee,youcanalwaysdesignandcustomizeTheMiracleMorningtofityourlifestyle.

FinalThoughtsOnCustomizingYourMiracleMorningHumansneedvariety. It’s important that youkeepyourMiracleMorning

feeling fresh and new. As one of my first mentors once told me whenever Icomplainedaboutmyworkasasalesrepgettingboring,“Whosefaultisitthatit’sboring?Andwhoseresponsibilityisittomakeitfunagain?”Thisisagreatlesson that I’venever forgotten.Whether it’sour routinesorour relationships,it’sourresponsibilitytoactivelyandcontinuouslymakethemthewaywewantthemtobe.

Remember, the moment you accept total responsibility for everything inyourlifeisthemomentyouclaimthepowertochangeanythinginyourlife.

—9—

FromUnbearableToUnstoppable:TheRealSecretToFormingHabitsThatWill

TransformYourLife(In30Days)Successfulpeoplearen’tbornthatway.Theybecome

successfulbyestablishingthehabitofdoingthingsunsuccessfulpeopledon’tliketodo.Thesuccessfulpeopledon’talwayslikedoingthesethingsthemselves;theyjustgetonanddothem.

—DONMARQUIS

Motivationiswhatgetsyoustarted.Habitiswhatkeepsyougoing.

—JIMROHN

It’sbeensaidthatourqualityoflifeiscreatedbythequalityofourhabits.Ifaperson is livingasuccessful life, then thatpersonsimplyhas thehabits inplacethatarecreatingandsustainingtheirlevelsofsuccess.Ontheotherhand,ifsomeoneisnotexperiencingthelevelsofsuccesstheywant—nomatterwhatthearea—theysimplyhaven’tcommittedtoputtingthenecessaryhabitsinplacewhichwillcreatetheresultstheywant.

Consideringthatourhabitscreateourlife,thereisarguablynosingleskillthatismoreimportantforyoutolearnandmasterthancontrollingyourhabits.Youmustidentify,implement,andmaintainthehabitsnecessaryforcreatingtheresultsyouwantinyourlife,whilelearninghowtoletgoofanynegativehabitswhichareholdingyoubackfromachievingyourtruepotential.

Habits are behaviors that are repeated regularly and tend to occursubconsciously. Whether you realize it or not, your life has been, and willcontinue to be, created by your habits. If you don’t control your habits, yourhabitswillcontrolyou.

Unfortunately, ifyou’re like the restofus,youwerenever taughthow tosuccessfully implement and sustain (aka “master”) positive habits. There’s noclass offered in school calledHabitMastery. There should be. Such a coursewould probably bemore important to your success and overall quality of lifethanalloftheothercoursescombined.

Because they never learned to master their habits, most people fail atvirtuallyeveryattempt tocontrol them, timeand timeagain.TakeNewYear’sResolutions,forexample.

HabitualFailure:NewYear’sResolutions(NYRs)Every year, millions of well-intentioned people make New Year’s

resolutions,butlessthanfivepercentofussticktothem.ANYRisreallyjustapositivehabit(likeexercisingorearlyrising)youwanttoincorporateintoyourlife,oranegativehabit(likesmokingoreatingfastfood)youwanttogetridof.Youdon’tneedastatistictotellyouthat,whenitcomestoNYRs,mostpeoplehavealreadygivenupandthrowninthetowelbeforeJanuaryhasevencometoaclose.

Maybeyou’ve seen thisphenomenon in real time. Ifyou’veevergone tothe gym the firstweekof January, youknowhowdifficult it can be to find aparking spot. It’spackedwithvehiclesownedbypeoplewithgood intentions,andarmedwithaNYRtoloseweightandgetinshape.However,ifyougobacktothegymclosertotheendofthemonth,you’llnoticethathalfoftheparkinglotisempty.Notarmedwithaprovenstrategytostickwiththeirnewhabits,themajoritycontinuetofail.

Why is it so difficult to implement and sustain the habitswe need to behappy,healthy,andsuccessful?

AddictedToTheOld:ChangeIsPainfulYes,weare,atsomelevel,addictedtoourhabits.Whetherpsychologically

orphysically,onceahabithasbeenreinforcedthroughenoughrepetition,itcanbe very difficult to change. That is, if you don’t have an effective, provenstrategy.

One of the primary reasons most people fail to create and sustain newhabitsisbecausetheydon’tknowwhattoexpect,andtheydon’thaveawinningstrategy.

HowLongDoesItReallyTakeToFormANewHabit?Dependingonthearticleyoureadorwhichexpertyoulistento,you’llhear

compellingevidence that it takesanywhere fromasinglehypnosis session,21days,orevenuptothreemonthstoincorporateanewhabitintoyourlife—orgetridofanoldone.

The popular 21-day myth may come from the 1960 book Psycho-Cybernetics:ANewWayToGetMoreLivingOutofLife.WrittenbycosmeticsurgeonDr.MaxwellMaltz,hefoundthatamputeestook,onaverage,21daystoadjusttothelossofalimb.Hearguedthatpeopletake21daystoadjusttoanymajor life changes. Some would argue that how long it takes for a habit tobecometrulyautomaticalsodependsonthedifficultyofthehabit.

Mypersonalexperienceandthereal-worldresults I’veseenworkingwithhundredsofcoachingclientshas ledmeto theconclusionthatyoucanchangeanyhabitin30days,ifyouhavetherightstrategy.Theproblemis,mostpeopledon’t have any strategy, let alone the right one. So, year after year, they loseconfidence in themselves and their ability to improve, as failed attempt afterfailedattemptpilesupandknocksthemdown.Somethinghastochange.

Howcanyoubecomeamasterofyourhabits?Howcanyoutakecompletecontrolofyourlife—andyourfuture—bylearninghowtoidentify, implement,andsustainanypositivehabityouwant,andpermanentlyremoveanynegativehabit?You’re about to learn the right strategy, onemost people knownothingabout.

One of the biggest obstacles preventing most people from implementingand sustaining positive habits is that they don’t have the right strategy. Theydon’t know what to expect and aren’t prepared to overcome the mental andemotionalchallengesthatarepartoftheprocessofimplementinganynewhabit.

We’ll start by dividing the 30-day time frame necessary to implement apositivenewhabit(orgetridofanold,negativehabit)intothree10-dayphases.Eachofthesephasespresentsadifferentsetofemotionalchallengesandmentalroadblockstostickingwiththenewhabit.Sincetheaveragepersonisnotawareofthesechallengesandroadblocks,whentheyfacethem,theygiveupbecausetheydon’tknowwhattodotoovercomethem.

[Days1-10]PhaseOne:UnbearableThefirst10daysofimplementinganynewhabit,orriddingyourselfofany

oldhabit,can feel almostunbearable.Although the first fewdayscanbeeasy,andevenexciting—becauseit’ssomethingnew—assoonasthenewnesswears

off,realitysetsin.Youhateit.It’spainful.It’snotfunanymore.Everyfiberofyour being tends to resist and reject the change.Yourmind rejects it and youthink:Ihatethis.Yourbodyresistsitandtellsyou:Idon’tlikehowthisfeels.

Ifyournewhabit iswakingupearly (whichmightbeausefulone togetstartedon,now),during the first10daysyour experiencemightbe somethinglikethis:[Thealarmclocksounds]OhGod,it’smorningalready!Idon’twanttogetup.I’msooootired.Ineedmoresleep.Okay, just10moreminutes.[Hitsnoozebutton]

Theproblemformostpeople is that theydon’trealize that thisseeminglyunbearablefirst10daysisonly“temporary.”Instead,theythinkit’sthewaythenewhabitfeels,andwillalwaysfeel,tellingthemselves:Ifthenewhabitisthispainful,forgetit—it’snotworthit.

As a result, 95% of our society—the mediocre majority—fail, time and

timeagain,tostartexerciseroutines,quitsmoking,improvetheirdiets,sticktoabudget,oranyotherhabitthatwouldimprovetheirqualityoflife.

Here’swhereyouhaveanadvantageovertheother95%.See,whenyouarepreparedforthesefirst10days,whenyouknowthatitisthepriceyoupayforsuccess,thatthefirst10dayswillbechallengingbutthey’realsotemporary,youcan beat the odds and succeed! If the benefits are great enough, we can doanythingfor10days,right?

So,thefirst10daysofimplementinganynewhabitaren’tapicnic.You’lldefy it. You might even hate it at times. But you can do it. Especiallyconsidering,itonlygetseasierfromhere,andtherewardis,oh—justtheabilitytocreateeverythingyouwantforyourlife.

[Days11-20]PhaseTwo:UncomfortableAfter youget through the first 10 days—themost difficult 10days—you

begin the 2nd 10-day phase, which is considerably easier. Youwill be gettingused to your new habit. You will also have developed some confidence andpositiveassociationstothebenefitsofyourhabit.

Whiledays11-20arenotunbearable,theyarestilluncomfortableandwillrequire discipline and commitment on your part. At this stage it will still betemptingtofallbacktoyouroldbehaviors.Referencingtheexampleofwakingupearlyasyournewhabit,itwillstillbeeasiertosleepinbecauseyou’vedone

it for so long. Stay committed. You’ve already gone from Unbearable toUncomfortable, and you’re about to find out what it feels like to beUNSTOPPABLE.

[Days21-30]PhaseThree:UnstoppableWhenyouenterthefinal10days—thehomestretch—thefewpeoplethat

make it this far almost always make a detrimental mistake: adhering to thepopularadvicefromthemanyexpertswhoclaimitonlytakes21daystoformanewhabit.

Thoseexpertsarepartlycorrect.Itdoestake21days—thefirsttwophases—toformanewhabit.But the third10-dayphase iscrucial tosustainingyournewhabit, long term.The final 10days iswhere youpositively reinforce andassociatepleasurewithyournewhabit.You’vebeenprimarilyassociatingpainanddiscomfortwith it during the first 20days. Insteadofhating and resistingyournewhabit,youstartfeelingproudofyourselfformakingitthisfar.

PhaseThree is alsowhere the actual transformation occurs, as your newhabitbecomespartofyour identity. It transcends thespacebetweensomethingyou’re trying andwhoyou’rebecoming. You start to see yourself as someonewholivesthehabit.

Backtoourexampleofwakingupearly: yougofromhavinganidentitythat says I amnot a “morning person” to I am amorning person! Instead ofdreadingyouralarmclockinthemorning,nowwhenthealarmgoesoffyouareexcitedtowakeupandgetgoingbecauseyou’vedoneitforover20daysinarow.You’restartingtoseeandfeelthebenefits.

Too many people get overly confident, pat themselves on the back andthink: I’ve done it for 20 days so I’m just going to take a few days off. Theproblem is that those first twenty days are the most challenging part of theprocess.Taking a fewdaysoff beforeyou’ve invested thenecessary time intopositivelyreinforcingthehabitmakesitdifficulttogetbackon.It’sdays21-30whereyoureallystartenjoyingthehabit,whichiswhatwillmakeyoucontinueitinthefuture.

ButIHateRunning“I’m not a runner though, Jon. In fact, I hate running. There’s noway I

coulddoit.”

“Comeon,Hal—it’s to raisemoney for theFrontRowFoundation,” Jon

Berghoffresponded.“Look,Ididn’tthinkIcoulddoamarathoneither,butonceyoucommittoit,you’llfindawaytomakeithappen.AndI’mtellingyou,itistrulyalifechangingexperience!”

“I’llthinkaboutit.”

TellingJonIwouldthinkaboutitwasreallyjustmywayofgettinghimoffmyback.Don’tgetmewrong, Iabsolutelybelieved inandsupported the life-changingworkdonebytheFrontRowFoundation.Ihadbeendonatingmoneytotheorganizationforyears,butwritingacheckwasalittleeasierthanrunningamarathon.UnlessIwasbeingchased,Ihadn’tintentionallyrunsomuchasablockinthe10yearssinceIgraduatedhighschool.AndevenbackthenIonlyrantokeepfromfailingPEclass.

Besides,eversincebreakingmyfemurandpelvisinthecaraccident,backwhen Iwas 20, I was always afraid ofwhatmight happen if I put toomuchpressureonmyleg.Infact,everytimeIwentsnowskiing,Icouldn’thelpbuthavevisionsofmetrippingandtakingahardfall,thenhavingthemetalrodinmylegbreakthroughtheskinofmythigh.It’sagruesomethought,butbreakingyourlimbsandbeingtoldyoumayneverwalkagaincandothattoyou.

AweeklateraftermyconversationwithJon,oneofmycoachingclients—KatieFingerhut—completedhersecondmarathon.“Hal,it’ssoamazing…IfeellikeIcandoanythingnow!”

Between Jon andKatie’s enthusiastic testimonies formarathon running, Iwasstartingtothinkmaybeitwastimeformetoovercomemylimitingbeliefaboutnotbeingarunner,andjuststartrunning.Likeeverythingelseinlife, iftheycoulddoit,thensocouldI.SoIdid.

The next morning, intent on completingmy first mile onmy journey tocompleting a marathon, I put on my basketball shoes (sound familiar?) andheaded out the front door ofmy house. I was actually looking forward to it!(Remember,thefirstfewdaysofanynewhabitareoftenexciting.)

DownthedrivewayIhustled,motivatedandinspired.OntothesidewalkIran.AsIsteppedfromthesidewalktothestreet,myankletwistedonthecurbandIcollapsed.Lyingonthepavement,writhinginpainandgrippingmyankle,Ithoughttomyself,everythinghappensforareason,soIguesstodaywasn’tthedayformetostartrunning…I’lltryagaintomorrow.SoIdid.

30Days:“FromUnbearableToUnstoppable”

ThatnextdayIofficiallybeganmymarathontraining.Myexcitementonlylasted for a few blocks, as the physical pain began to remind me of what Ibelievedforsolong:Iamnotarunner.Myhipsached.Myfemurwassore.ButIwascommitted.

Icompletedmyfirstpainfulmile,butIrealizedIneededhelp—Ineededaplan.Idrovetothebookstoreandpurchasedtheperfectbookforme:TheNon-Runner’sMarathonTrainer,byDavidWhitsett.NowIhadaplan.

[Days1-10]The first 10 days of running were both physically painful and mentally

challenging. Every single day, I fought a constant battle inmy headwith thevoiceofmediocrity,tellingmeitwasokaytoquit.Butitwasn’t.

Dowhat’sright,notwhat’seasy,Iremindedmyself.Ikeptrunning.Iwascommitted.

[Days11-20]Days11-20wereonlyslightlylesspainful.Istilldidn’tlikerunning,butI

didn’t reallyhate it anymore. For the first time inmy life, Iwas forming thehabitofrunningeveryday.ItwasnolongerthisscarythingIonlywatchedotherpeople doing on the sidewalk while I was driving my car. After nearly twoweeksofdailyrunning, itwasstartingtofeelnormalformetowakeupeveryday,andjustgoforarun.Iremainedcommitted.

[Days21-30]Days21-30werealmostenjoyable.Ihadalmostforgottenwhatitfeltlike

tohaterunning.Iwasdoingitwithoutmuchthought.Ijustwokeup,putonmyrunningshoes(yes,Ihadinvestedinapair),andloggedmymileseachday.Thementalbattlewasgone,replacedwithrecitingpositiveaffirmationsorlisteningto self-improvement audios while I ran. In just 30 days, I had overcome mylimiting belief that I couldn’t run. I was becoming what I would have neverimaginedinamillionyears…Iwasbecomingarunner.

TheRestoftheStory:“52MilesToFreedom”Just30daysafterbeginningthehabitofrunning—somethingthathadbeen

soforeignandunpleasant tomeformyentire life—Ihadcompleted50miles,culminatinginmyfirst6-milerun.IcalledJontocelebrate.Hewasexcitedfor

me, and always looking to helpme raisemy own standards, he presentedmewithachallenge.JonknewmewellenoughtoknowthatinthepeakemotionalstateIwasin,Iwouldlikelyacceptanychallenge.“Hal,whydon’tyourunanultra-marathon? If you’re going to run 26miles, youmight aswell run 52.”OnlyJonwouldsuggestsuchlogic.

“I’llthinkaboutit.”

Thistime,whenItoldJonIwouldthinkaboutit,Iactuallymeantit.Iwasintriguedbytheideaofpushingmyselfevenfurtherandrunning52consecutivemiles.MaybeJonwasright.IfIwasgoingtorun26,Imightaswellrun52.Imean, shoot, if I could go from running zero miles to being able to run 6consecutivemiles in just fourweeks,andIstillhadsixmonthsuntil theFrontRowFoundation’sannualRunfor theFront charity run,whynot set thebar alittlehigherandgofor52? SoIdid. Iwasevensomehowable toconvinceafriendandtwoofmybravecoachingclientstodoitwithme!

SixmonthslaterIhadlogged475miles,includingthree20-mileruns,andhadtraveledacrossthecountrytomeetwithtwoofmyfavoritecoachingclientsJamesHillandFavianValencia,andlongtimefriend,AliciaAnderer,sothefourofuscouldattempttorun52milesduringtheAtlanticCityMarathon.Jonevenflewout to showhis support.Therewas just one logistical challenge though:AtlanticCitywasn’tsetupforany“ultra”marathonrunners.So,weimprovised.

Wemet on theBoardwalk at 3:30am.Ourgoalwas to finishour first 26milesbeforetheofficialmarathonbegan,thencompletethesecondhalfwiththeregularmarathonrunners.Themomentwassurreal.Theenergybetweenthefourofuswasablendofexcitement, fear,adrenalineanddisbelief.Werewereallygoingtodothis?!

WemighthavebeenabletoseeourbreathinthechillOctoberairhadthemoonlightbeenbrighter.Nevertheless,ourpathwaswellenoughlit,andsowebegan.Onefootinfrontoftheother,onestepatatime,wemovedforward.Weallagreed thatwas thekey toour success thatday—keepmoving forward.Solongaswedidn’tstopputtingonefootinfrontoftheother,aslongaswekeptmovingforward,wewouldeventuallyreachourdestination.

Sixhoursand fiveminutes later, largelydue to thecollectivesupportandaccountabilityofourgroupworkingtogetherasoneunit,wecompletedourfirst26miles.Thiswasadefiningmomentforeachofus.Notbecauseofthetwenty-sixmileswehadbehindus,butbecauseofthementalfortitudeitwasgoingtotaketogetourselvestorunthetwenty-sixmileswehadaheadofus.

The excitement which permeated every fiber of our being just six hoursearlierhadbeenreplacedwithexcruciatingpain,fatigue,andmentalexhaustion.Consideringthephysicalandmentalstatewewerein,wejustdidn’tknowifwehaditinustoduplicatewhatwehadjustdone.Butwedid.

Atotalof15½hoursfromthetimewestarted,James,Favian,Alicia,andIcompletedour52-milequest…together.Onefootinfrontoftheother,andone-stepata time,we ran, jogged,walked, limpedand literallycrawledacross thefinishline.

On theother sideof that linewas freedom—thekindof freedom thatcannever be taken away from you. It was freedom from our self-imposedlimitations.Althoughthroughourtrainingwehadgrowntobelievethatrunning52 consecutivemileswas possible, none of us really believed in our heart ofhearts that itwasprobable.As individuals, eachof us struggledwithourownfearandself-doubt.But themomentwecrossed that finish line,wehadgivenourselves the gift of freedom from our fears, our self-doubt, and our self-imposedlimitations.

ItwasinthatmomentIrealizedthatthisisagiftoffreedomnotreservedfor the chosen few, but one that is available to each and every one of us themomentwemake thechoice to takeonchallenges thatareoutofourcomfortzone,forcingustogrow,toexpandourcapacity,tobeanddomorethanwehavebeenanddoneinthepast.Thisistruefreedom.

AreYouReadyforTrueFreedom?TheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge (in the next

chapter)willenableyoutoovercomeyourownself-imposedlimitationssoyoucan be, do, and have everything you want in your life, faster than you everthoughtpossible.TheMiracleMorningisalife-changingdailyhabit,andwhilemostpeoplewhotryit,loveitfromdayone,gettingyourselftofollowthroughwith it for 30 days—so you can make it a lifelong habit—will require anunwaveringcommitmentfromyou.

On the other side of the next 30 days is you—becoming the person youneedtobetocreateeverythingyou’veeverwantedforyourlife.Seriously,whatcouldbemoreexcitingthanthat?

—10—

TheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge

Anextraordinarylifeisallaboutdaily,continuousimprovementsintheareasthatmattermost.—ROBINSHARMA

Lifebeginsattheendofyourcomfortzone.—NEALEDONALDWALSH

Let’splaydevil’sadvocateforamoment.CanTheMiracleMorningreallytransformyourlifeinjust30days?Imean,comeon—cananythingreallymakethatsignificantofanimpactonyourlife,thatquickly?Well,rememberthatitdidforme,evenwhenIwasatmylowestpoint.Ithasforthousandsofothers.Ordinarypeople,justlikeyouandme,becomingextraordinary.

Inthelastchapteryoulearnedthesimplestandmosteffectivestrategyforsuccessfullyimplementingandsustaininganynewhabitin30days.DuringTheMiracle Morning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge you’ll identify thehabits you believe will have the most significant impact on your life, yoursuccess,whoyouwanttobeandwhereyouwanttogo.Then,you’llusethenext30days to form thesehabits,whichwillcompletely transform thedirection ofyourlife,yourhealth,yourwealth,yourrelationshipsandanyotheraspectthatyou choose. By changing the direction of your life, you immediately changeyourqualityoflife,andultimately,whereyouendup.

ConsidertheRewardsWhen you commit to TheMiracleMorning 30-Day Life Transformation

Challenge,youwillbebuildingafoundationforsuccess ineveryareaofyourlife, for the rest of your life. Bywaking up eachmorning and practicingTheMiracleMorning,youwillbegineachdaywithextraordinarylevelsofdiscipline(the crucial ability to get yourself to follow throughwith your commitments),clarity(thepoweryou’llgeneratefromfocusingonwhat’smostimportant),and

personaldevelopment(perhapsthesinglemostsignificantdeterminingfactorinyoursuccess).Thus, in thenext30daysyou’ll findyourselfquicklybecomingthe person you need to be to create the extraordinary levels of personal,professional,andfinancialsuccessyoutrulydesire.

You’llalsobetransformingTheMiracleMorningfromaconceptthatyoumaybeexcited(andpossiblyalittlenervous)to“try”intoalifelonghabit,onethatwillcontinuetodevelopyouintothepersonyouneedtobetocreatethelifeyou’ve alwayswanted.You’ll begin to fulfill your potential and see results inyourlifefarbeyondwhatyou’veeverexperiencedbefore.

In addition to developing successful habits, you’ll also be developing themindset you need to improve your life—both internally and externally. Bypracticing theLife S.A.V.E.R.S. each day,you’ll be experiencing the physical,intellectual, emotional, and spiritual benefits of Silence, Affirmations,Visualization,Exercise,Reading, and Scribing. You’ll immediately feel lessstressed, more centered, focused, happier and more excited about your life.You’llbegeneratingmoreenergy,clarityandmotivationtomovetowardsyourhighestgoalsanddreams(especiallythoseyou’vebeenputtingofffartoolong).

Remember, your life situation will improve after—but only after—youdevelop yourself into the person you need to be to improve it. That’s exactlywhatthesenext30daysofyourlifecanbe—anewbeginning,andanewyou.

YouCanDoThis!If you’re feeling hesitant, or concerned aboutwhether or not youwill be

able to follow throughwith this for 30 days, relax—it’s completely normal tofeel thatway.This isespecially true ifwakingup in themorning issomethingyou’ve found challenging in the past. Remember, we all suffer from RMS(RearviewMirrorSyndrome).So,it’snotonlyexpectedthatyouwouldbeabithesitant or nervous, but it’s actually a sign that you’re ready to commit,otherwiseyouwouldn’tbenervous.

It is also important that you take confidence from the thousands of otherpeoplewhohavealreadygonefromlivingonthewrongsideof theirpotentialgap to completely transforming their liveswithTheMiracleMorning. In fact,I’dliketotakeamomenttorevisitandreviewahandfuloftheSuccessStoriesthatweresharedintheopeningpagesofthisbook.Ireallybelievetheexampleofotherscanshinelightonwhat’spossibleforus.

I was so inspired by the transformation that Melanie Deppen, an

entrepreneur from Selinsgrove, PA shared with us: “I am on day 79 of TheMiracleMorning,andsinceIbegan,Ihavenotmissedasingleday.Honestly,thisistheFIRSTtimeinmylifethatI’veeversetouttodosomethingandhaveactuallystuckwith it formorethanjustacoupleofdaysorweeks.Inowlookforward to waking up every day! It’s incredible, The Miracle Morning hascompletelychangedmylife.”

I couldn’t help but wish I had known about The Miracle Morning incollege, or even high school, after hearing the difference itmade forMichaelReeves, a student from Walnut Creek, CA: “When I first heard about TheMiracleMorning,Ithoughttomyself,‘thisissocrazythatitjustmightwork!’Iamacollegestudenttaking19unitsandworkingfulltime,sothatleftmewithzerotimetoworkonmygoals.BeforeIlearnedaboutTheMiracleMorning,Iusedtowakeupbetween7-9ameveryday—becauseIhadtogetreadyforclass—butnowIconsistentlywakeupat5am. Iam learningandgrowingsomuchthroughdailypersonaldevelopment,andIamLOVINGTheMiracleMorning!”

Speaking of college students,NatanyaGreen—now a yoga instructor in

Sacramento, CA—began fulfilling her potential with the help of The MiracleMorningwhileattendingaCaliforniaUniversity:“AfterbeginningTheMiracleMorning in December, 2009, as a college student at UC Davis, I noticedprofound changes immediately. I quickly began to achieve long-desired goalsmore easily than Iwouldhave ever expected. I lostweight, foundanew love,attainedmybestgradesever,andevencreatedmultiplestreamsofincome—allin less than two months! Now, years later, The Miracle Morning is still anintegralpartofmydailylife.”

HowcouldyounotbeimpressedbytheextraordinarylevelofcommitmentshownbyRayCiafardini,aDistrictManagerfromBaltimore,MD:“I’monmy83rdconsecutivedayofTheMiracleMorningandjustwishIhadknownaboutitsooner.ItisamazinghowmuchclarityIhavethroughouttheday,now,thankstoTheMiracleMorning. Iamable to focusonmyworkandallother taskseachdaywithsomuchmoreenergyandenthusiasm.ThankstoTheMiracleMorning,Iamexperiencingarichermoreabundantwayof living—inbothmypersonalandmyprofessionallife.”

Finally,IwasblownawaybythepowerfulstoryfromRobLeroy,aSenior

AccountExecutiveinSacramento,CA:“Afewmonthsago,IdecidedtotryTheMiracleMorning.MylifeischangingsofastIcannotkeepup!I’msuchabetterpersonbecauseofthis—andit’sinfectious.Mybusinesswasstruggling,butafterIstartedTheMiracleMorningIwasamazedathow,justbyworkingonmyselfeveryday,Iwasabletoturnitallaround!”

TheseSuccessStoriesarefromnormal,everydaypeople,justlikeyouandme.PeoplewhowerelivingbelowtheirpotentialandusedTheMiracleMorningto finally close the gap and achieve the success they trulywant, and deserve.Now is a good time to be reminded of one of the most important successprinciplesforyouandItoliveby:Iftheycandoit,socanwe.

Step1:GetTheMiracleMorning30-DayLTCFastStartKitVisitwww.TMMbook.comtodownloadyourfreeMiracleMorning30-Day

Life Transformation Challenge Fast Start Kit—complete with the exercises,affirmations, daily checklists, tracking sheets, and everything else youneed tomakestartingandcompletingTheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallengeaseasyaspossible.Pleasetakeaminutetodothisnow.

Step2:PlanYourFirstMiracleMorningforTomorrowCommittoandscheduleyourfirstMiracleMorningassoonaspossible—

ideallytomorrow(yes,actuallywriteitintoyourschedule)—anddecidewhereitwilltakeplace.Remember,it’srecommendedthatyouleaveyourbedroomandremove yourself from the temptations of your bed altogether. My MiracleMorningtakesplaceeverydayonmylivingroomcouchwhileeveryoneelseinmy house is still sound asleep. I’ve heard from people who do theirMiracleMorningsittingoutsideinnature,suchasontheirporchordeck,oratanearbypark.Doyourswhereyoufeelmostcomfortable,butalsowhereyouwon’tbeinterrupted.

Step3:ReadPage-1oftheFastStartKitandDotheExercisesReadtheintroductioninyourMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformation

ChallengeFastStartKit, thenplease follow the instructions, andcomplete theexercises.Likeanything in life that’sworthwhile, successfullycompletingThe

Miracle Morning 30-Day Life Transformation Challenge requires a bit ofpreparation.It’simportantthatyoudotheinitialexercisesinyourFastStartKit(whichshouldn’ttakeyoumorethan30-60minutes)andkeepinmindthatyourMiracleMorningwillalwaysstartwiththepreparationyoudothedayornightbefore to get yourself ready mentally, emotionally, and logistically for TheMiracleMorning.Thispreparation includes following the steps inChapter5:The5-StepSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategy.

Step3.1:GetanAccountabilityPartner[Recommended]InChapter 3: The95%RealityCheck,wediscussed theundeniable link

between accountability and success. All of us benefit from the support thatcomes from embracing a higher level of accountability, so it’s highlyrecommended—but not required—that you get a like-minded accountabilitypartner to join you in The Miracle Morning 30-Day Life TransformationChallenge.

Notonlydoeshavingsomeonetoholdusaccountableincreasetheoddsthatwewill follow through, but joining forces with someone else is simplymorefun! Consider that when you’re excited about something and committed todoingitonyourown,thereisacertainlevelofpowerinthatexcitementandinyourindividualcommitment.However,whenyouhavesomeoneelseinyourlife—a friend, familymember, or co-worker—and they’re as excited about it andcommittedtoitasyouare,it’smuchmorepowerful.

Call, text,oremailoneormorepeople today,andinvite themto joinyou

forTheMiracleMorning30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge.Thequickestway to get them up to speed is to send them the link towww.MiracleMorning.com so they can get free and immediate access toTheMiracleMorningCrashCourse:

»TwoFREEChaptersofTheMiracleMorningbook»TheFREEMiracleMorningVideotrainingprogram»TheFREEMiracleMorningAudiotrainingprogram

Itwill cost themnothing,andyou’llbe teamingupwith someonewho isalso committed to taking their life to the next level, so the two of you cansupport,encourage,andholdeachotheraccountable.

IMPORTANT:Don’t wait until you have an Accountability Partner onboardtodoyourfirstMiracleMorningandstartthe30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge.Whetherornotyou’vefoundsomeonetoembarkonthejourneywithyou,IrecommendschedulinganddoingyourfirstMiracleMorningtomorrow—nomatterwhat.Don’twait.You’llbeevenmorecapableofinspiringsomeoneelse todoTheMiracleMorningwithyou ifyou’vealreadyexperienceda fewdaysofit.Getstarted.Then,assoonasyoucan,inviteafriend,familymember,or co-worker to visit www.MiracleMorning.com to get their free MiracleMorning“CrashCourse.”

Inlessthananhour,they’llbefullycapableofbeingyourMiracleMorningAccountabilityPartner—andprobablyalittleinspired.

AreYouReadyToTakeYourLifeTotheNextLevel?What is the next level in your personal or professional life?Which areas

need tobe transformedinorderforyoutoreach that level? Giveyourself thegiftofinvestingjust30daystomakesignificantimprovementsinyourlife,onedayatatime.Nomatterwhatyourpasthasbeen,youcanchangeyourfuture,bychangingthepresent.

—Conclusion—

LetTodayBeTheDayYouGiveUpWhoYou’veBeenForWhoYouCanBecome

Everyday,thinkasyouwakeup,‘TodayIamfortunatetohavewokenup,Iamalive,Ihaveaprecioushumanlife,Iamnotgoingtowasteit.Iamgoingtouseallmyenergiestodevelopmyself,toexpandmyheartouttoothers.Iam

goingtobenefitothersasmuchasIcan.’—DALAILAMA

Thingsdonotchange.Wechange.—HENRYDAVIDTHOREAU

Whereyouareisaresultofwhoyouwere,butwhereyouendupdependsentirelyonwhoyouchoosetobefromthismomentforward.

It’syourtime.Don’tputoffcreatingandexperiencingthelife—happiness,health,wealth, success,and love—thatyou trulywantanddeserve foranotherday.AsmymentorKevinBracyalwaysurged:“Don’twaittobegreat.”Ifyouwantyourlifetoimprove,youhavetoimproveyourselffirst.GetTheMiracleMorning 30-Day Life Transformation Fast Start Kit today atwww.TMMbook.com.Then,withorwithoutanAccountabilityPartner,committoyour firstMiracleMorningandbeginningyour30-DayLifeTransformationChallengetomorrow.Youknow,tomorrow—thedayyoubeginyourjourneytocreatingthemostextraordinarylifeyouhaveeverimagined.

IfthereisanythingIcandotosupportyouoraddvaluetoyourlifeinanyway,pleaseletmeknow.

ContactMeAnytimeI’malwaysgratefultoconnectwithlike-mindedfolks,andfinditespecially

cooltohearfrompeoplewhohavereadmybooks,seenmyvideos,orattendedmyspeeches.So,ifyouhaveanyquestionsorwouldjustliketosayhello,goto

www.YoPalHal.com and click on the “Contact” tab to sendme amessage. Ilookforwardtohearingfromyou,andexploringhowIcanaddasmuchvaluetoyourlifeasIpossiblycan.

Let’sKeepHelpingOthersMayIaskyouaquickfavor?If thisbookhasaddedvaluetoyour life, ifyoufeel likeyou’rebetteroff

afterreadingit,andyouseethatTheMiracleMorningcanbeanewbeginningforyou to takeany—orevery—areaofyour life to thenext level, I’mhopingyou’lldosomethingforsomeoneyoulove:

Givethisbooktothem.Letthemborrowyourcopy.Askthemtoreadit.Orbetteryet,getthemtheirowncopy,maybeasabirthdayorChristmasgift.Cometo think of it—what better book to give someone forChristmas than the onlybookthatmakeseverymorningfeellikeChristmas?!

Oritcouldbefornospecialoccasionatall,otherthantosay,“Hey,Iloveandappreciateyou,andIwanttohelpyouliveyourbestlife.Readthis.”

Ifyoubelieve,asIdo,thatbeingagreatfriendorfamilymemberisabouthelpingyourfriendsandlovedonestobecomethebestversionsofthemselves,Iencourageyoutosharethisbookwiththem.

Pleasespreadtheword.Thankyousomuch.

—ANESSENTIALBONUS—

Everybodyneedsfeedback,andit’saheckofalotcheaperthanpayingatrainer.

—DOUGLOWENSTEIN

Askforfeedbackfrompeoplewithdiversebackgrounds.Eachonewilltellyouoneusefulthing.

—STEVEJOBS

Itwas2o’clockinthemorning.Icouldn’tsleep.StillrentingaroomfromMatt,Iwassittingatmycheapimitation-pinedesk,crammedintomy12’x12’living space. This sucked. Something had to change. Or maybe I needed tochange.

Staring at my laptop and feeling frustrated with my life, I suddenly gotinspired. I don’t remember exactly what prompted it, but I opened up a newemailandstartedaddingaverydiversegroupofpeopletotheTo:field.Closefriends,family,co-workers,formerbosses,acquaintances,thegirlIwasdating,and even—believe it or not—my ex-girlfriends. You name it, I was ready tomake some radical changes inmy life. Iwas ready for a quantum leap inmypotential,andIfelttheonlywayformetogetanaccurateassessmentofwhoIwas,howIwasshowingup inmylife,andwhereIneeded to improvewas tosolicithonestfeedbackfromthepeoplewhoknewmebest.

IstoppedwhenIgotto23emailaddresses,because,well,IamahugefanofMichael Jordan and have amild obsessionwith the number 23. I began tocomposeanemailtothesepeople,whoeachknewmeindifferentcapacitiesandtovaryingdegrees, explaining that Iwanted togrowpersonally, tobe abetterfriend, son, brother, and colleague, and that the only thing to do was to getfeedbackfrompeoplewhocouldsee thingsaboutmethat Icouldn’tseeaboutmyself.Iaskediftheywouldpleasetakeafewminutestoreply,attheirearliestconvenience, sharing what they believed were the three biggest areas that Ineeded to improve. Iasked that theybebrutallyhonest,andassured themthatthey would not hurt my feelings. In fact, the only thing that would hurt my

feelings was for them to hold back, because doing so would only limit mygrowth.

I’dbelyingifIdidn’tadmitthatthiswasthemostnerve-rackingemailI’veevercomposed.Ialmostchickenedout.Iconsidereddeletingit,andjustgoingtobed.ThankGodIdidn’t.No,I tookadeepbreath,andIclickedsend.Then, Iwenttobed,fellasleep,andawaitedtheirresponses.

Sixhourslater,Iwokeup.Wait,didIreallysendthatemailat2o’clockinthe morning, or was that just a dream? I logged intomy email. Nope, not adream.Idefinitelysentit.AndIalreadyhadtworeplies.OnewasfromMom,andtheotherwasfromJ.BradBritton,awell-respectedRegionManageratthe200milliondollarcompanyIworkedfor.Ohboy,heregoes…Ipausedforasecondandremindedmyselfthatthepurposeofthisexercisewasformetogrowandimprove,sonomatterwhatanyonesaidinhisorheremail,Iwasgoingtokeepanopenmindandnotgetoffended.Easiersaidthandone.

IopenedMom’semailfirst.Heyson,Igotyouremail.(ReallyMom?Ihadnoideathatyougotit.)Well,youknowIthinkyou’reperfect!ButifImustgiveyou some constructive feedback, it’s that you should call your mother moreoften!Iknowyou’rebusy,butitwouldbenicetohearfromyoueveryonceinawhile.Anyway,Iloveyou!Comevisitsoon…Love,Mom.Iopenedupablankdocument onmy computer and titled it “Constructive Feedback andMyNewCommitments.”#1.CallMomatleastonceaweek.

ThenIopenedtheemailfrommyRegionManager,J.BradBritton.J.BradissomeoneIadmiredandhadlearnedagreatdealfrom.Nottomention,hewasoneofthemostpositivepeopleIknew.Althoughweonlysaweachotherafewtimes throughout the year at conferences and on company trips, he knewmewell,atleastinaprofessionalcapacity.MyPalHal!Iloveyouremail.However,Iamonlywillingtogiveyouthe3piecesof“constructive”feedbackyouhaverequestedifyouletmefollowitupwith3thingsIlikeaboutyou.Deal?Okay,heregoes…

J.Bradproceeded toenlightenme toa fewofmyprofessionalandsocial

“blindspots,”allofwhichcaughtmebysurprise.Tobehonest,myfeelingsdidgetabithurt.Ifeltalittledefensive.That’snottrue.I’mnotreallylikethat.Heobviouslydoesn’tknowmeaswellasIthoughthedid.Then,itoccurredtomethatitdidn’tmatterhowaccurateeachofhiscriticismswere,becausethatwas

howIwasshowingupforhim—andprobablymanyothers.ItwasimportanttomenotjustthatIknewwhoIreallywas,butthatIwaslivinginalignmentwithmyvalues,andcongruentinallofmyrelationships.

Emailresponsescontinuedtopourinoverthenextfewdays.Bytheendoftheweek,17ofthe23recipientshadrepliedwiththeirthoughtfuland(mostly)constructivecriticisms.Ihadaddedalottomy“ConstructiveFeedbackandMyNewCommitments” document sincemaking a note ofmymom’s request formorefrequentcontact.So,whatweretheresults?

Let’sjustsaythatIgainedmoreself-awarenessandgrewmoreinaweekfromreadingthoseresponsesthanIhadgrownintheprevious5yearscombined—andpossiblymyentirelife.Itwasincredible.Itwasn’teasytoputmyselfinsuchavulnerablepositionandlookatallofmyflaws—butitwaslife-changing.Itwascareer-advancing.Itwasrelationship-improving.AnditwasallaresultofmusteringupenoughcouragetosendwhatisprobablythemostimportantemailthatIhaveeversent:TheEmailThatWillChangeYourLife.

BeforeIgiveyouTheEmailThatWillChangeYourLifebelow,word-for-word—soyoucancopy,edit,andsendittoyourcircleofinfluence—I’dliketotake a moment to share some positive feedback with you from one of mycoaching clients. She sent this to me after she had sent The Email ThatWillChangeYourLifetohercircleofinfluence:

[FromTrudy,oneofmyVIPSuccessCoachingclients]:

Hal, I can’t believe how effective that email you gave us, the one for requesting personalfeedback, has been forme so far. Every reply I’ve received addressesmyweaknesses andstrengthsfromthedifferentrespectiveanglesofmyfriends,coworkers,andfamilymembersthatknowme.Thishaspresentedmewithamorecompletepictureofmyself,andI feelsorespectedtoreceivethehelpfromeveryone.Not tomention, theemail isalsofounduniqueandwaswell-receivedbyeveryonewhoreceivedit!

Thankyou,Hal,forhelpingmesomuchwithyourV.I.P.SuccessCoaching.

Withgratefulness,Trudy

Problem: Feedback avoidance. Most people don’t enjoy negativefeedback, so they completely avoid asking for feedback. This prevents themfrom gaining invaluable data about their strengths and weaknesses, thuspreventingthemfromcapitalizingontheformerandsignificantlyimprovingthelatter.

Solution: Actively seeking and learning from the honest feedback ofpeoplewho know you (in various capacities) is one of themost effective andfastestwaystogainanewperspectiveandaccelerateyourpersonaldevelopmentandsuccess.

Instructions: Type the following text intoanemail (feel free toedit andpersonalizetheemailsothatitsoundslikeyou.)Senditto5-30people(themorethebetter)whoknowyouwellenoughtogiveyouanhonestassessmentofyourstrengthsandweaknesses.Thismayincludefriends,family,colleagues,mentors,teachers,formeremployersormanagers,customers,yoursignificantother,andifyou’rebraveenough…waitforit—yourex-significantothers.(Seriously.)

Important:BesuretoputtheoutgoingemailaddressesintheBCCfieldoftheemail,sothateachrecipientdoesn’tseeeveryoneelseyou’resendingit to.(Or,youcancopyandpaste,thensendtheemailtoeachpersonindividually.)SubjectLine:Thismeansalot…OrWouldlovetogetyouropinion…

EmailText:Dearfriends,family,andcolleagues:

Thankyousomuchforreadingthisemail.Thisisn’taneasyoneformeto

send,butitisextremelyimportanttome,soIsincerelyappreciateyouinvestingyourvaluabletimereading(andhopefullyrespondingto)it.

Thisemailisgoingouttoonlyaselectgroupofpeople.Eachofyouknowsmewell,andI’mhopingwillgivemehonestfeedbackaboutmystrengthsandmostimportantly,myweaknesses(aka“areasofimprovement.”)

I’veneverdoneanything like thisbefore,but I feel that formegrowandimproveasaperson,IneedtogetamoreaccuratepictureofhowI’mshowinguptothepeoplethatmattermosttome.InordertobecomethepersonIneedtobetocreatethelifeandcontributetoothersatthelevelsthatIwant,Ineedyourfeedback.

So,allI’maskingisthatyoutakejustafewminutestoemailmebackwithwhatyouhonestlythinkaremytop2-3“areasofimprovement.”Ifitwillmakeyoufeelbettertoalsolistmytop2-3“strengths”(I’msureitwillmakemefeelbetterJ),youaredefinitelywelcometo.That’sit.Andpleasedon’tsugarcoatit

orholdbackanything.Iwillnotbeoffendedbyanythingthatyoushare.Infact,themore“brutally”honestyouare, themore leverage itwillgiveme tomakepositivechangesinmylife.

Thankyouagain,andifthereisanythingelseIcandotoaddvaluetoyourlife,pleaseletmeknow.

Withsinceregratitude,

YourName

FinalThoughtsOnTheEmailThatWillChangeYourLifeThat’s it! I hopeyouwill joinme,Trudy, andmyhundredsof otherVIP

Coachingclientswhohavemusteredup thecourage tobevulnerableandsendthisemail.Someofthelife-changingrewardsyoucancountonwillbeincreasedself-awareness, deeper understanding of one’s self, and clarity on the changesyoucanmaketoquicklytakeyourselfandyourlifetothenextlevel.

Withloveandgratitude,always…

“YoPal”Hal

—ACKNOWLEDGMENTS—

»Makesureyouatleastreadthelastparagraph(It’stoYOU)

Thismaybethemostchallengingpartofwritingabook.NotbecauseIamshortonpeopletoacknowledge—quitetheopposite.Therearesomanypeoplewhohavetouchedmylifeandmadeasignificantimpactthatitwouldsimplybeimpossible to thank them all in the next few pages. In fact, doing so couldprobablytakeupanentirebookitself.Thesequeltothisbookcouldbetitled:The Miracle Morning ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. I don’t know that too manypeoplewouldbuyit,butIwoulddefinitelyenjoywritingit.

First,Ihavetogivedeepthankstothewomanwhocarriedmearoundfor9½monthsandgaveme themiracleof life—Mom. I loveyousomuch.Thankyouforalwaysbelievinginme,anddiscipliningmewhenIneededit.Istillneedit.Oh,andyouneedtocomevisitmoreoften!J

Dad,ofallmybestfriends,youaremybestfriend.IamthemanIamtodaybecauseofthefatheryouhavebeenformemyentirelife.Youhaveinstilledsomanyvaluesandqualitiesinme,whichIamevenmoregratefulfornowthatIknowIwillbepassingthemontomychildren.Iloveyou,Dad.

To Hayley, you’re the best sister ever. Hands down. No competition.However,notonlyareyouagreatsister,you trulyareoneofmybest friends.You are authentic, supportive, kind, and you’re almost as funny as I am!Seriously,IamsogratefulthatYOUaremysister—Icouldn’timagineabetterone.

To the real-lifewoman ofmy dreams—Ursula.You are everything that Ihaveeverwantedinawife,andsomanythingsIneverknewIneeded,butnowcould never live without. I still marvel at how perfect you are forme, and Icouldn’tbemoregratefultobecreatingandsharingourlivestogether.Andhow‘boutthemcutekidswemade,huh?ThankyouforblessingmewithSophieandHalsten.Withyouat thehelm, Iknowour family isdestined for a lifetimeofloveandhappiness.

ToSophieandHalsten,Iknowyoucan’treadthisyet,butIloveyoubothso much. Thank you for each being everything I ever wanted in a child. Icouldn’t bemore grateful for the joy and happiness that you bring tomy life

everyday.Tomy aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, I am so thankful for the

immeasurableamountoflovethatyouhavealwaysshownme.IloveyouallandIwill alwayscherish the timeswe’ve shared together. I look forward tomanymore!

To my in-laws—Marek, Maryla, Steve, Linda, Adam, and Ania—I amgratefultobeapartofyourfamily.

Tomy best friends—my circle of influence—any guywould be lucky tohave any one of you in his life, and I somehow ended upwithALL of you!We’vesharedALOTofgreattimestogether,butbeyondthat,itiswhoyouarethatmakesmestrivetobebetter.Ifitistruethatwearetheaverageofthefivepeoplewespendthemosttimewith,I’vegotnothingtoworryabout!Foryourlifelongfriendship, I loveyou: JeremyKaten,JonBerghoff,MattRecore,JonVroman, Jesse Levine,BradWeimert, Ruth Fields, JohnRuhlin, PeterVoogd,TonyCarlston,TeddyWatson,LarryRodriguez,AlexHayden,andBrianBedel.To my many friends that I may not have mentioned here, know that it’s notbecauseIdon’tloveyou.Ido.

TomyextendedfamilyatCutcoandVector——Ican’t thankyouenoughfortheincredibleopportunityyouworksohardtoprovideforpeople,everyday.To the Presidents, Bruce Goodman, Al DiLeonardo, and JohnWhelpley, andExecutiveVP,AmarDavé—Ithinkit’ssafetosaythateachpersonIthankfromthis point forward is able tomake the impact theydo largely because of yourleadership.Thankyouforyourextraordinaryinfluenceandtheimpactyouhavemadeinmylife.TotheRegionLeaders—JeffBry,EarlKelly,ScottDennis,P.J.Potter,LoydReagan,andMikeMuriel,aswellastheDivisionManagers,thankyouforhelpingtoshapemycharacter,andcontinuingtogivemeopportunitiestopositivelyimpactyourpeople.

TomyfriendsontheCutcoandVectorExecutiveteams:JeffKunkel,FredGlaeser,JohnKane,StevePokrzyk,TrentBooth,AdamJester,andScottGorrell—your selfless efforts positively impact the lives of thousands of people,includingmyown.Isincerelyappreciateeachofyou.IwouldalsoliketothanktheStittfamilyforprovidingthefoundationforallthatisgreataboutCutco.

Thankyou to the leadersandmyfriendsatVectorCanada—JoeCardillo,AngieMacDougall,RhanchaConnell,SherrieDickie,MichaelSmith,andMikeMcDonald.JoeandAngie,it’sbeenyearssincethefirsttimeyouinvitedmetospeakatoneofyourconferences,andIrememberbeingsoexcitedthatIcould

finally officially call myself an “international” speaker! You are always sogenerous, and I hope the trendof speaking at your events continues formanyyearstocome.

Thankyoutomywritingandeditinggurus—JoelDandSueCanfield.Youwerethecatalystthatfinallygotmewritingagain.Thisbookwouldn’texistifitweren’tforyourexpertiseandaccountability.

TomybrilliantfriendandthecreatorofBookMama.com,LindaSivertsen—youare so talented andhave such agift formaking any author’sbook ideaintoabestsellingmasterpiece.Thankyouforcontributingyourgiftstothisbook.

To Gail Lynne Goodwin, Ambassador of Inspiration atInspireMeToday.com. You are simply one of the nicest, most generous andinspiringpeopleIhaveevermet.I’mgratefultohaveyouinmylife,andIcan’twaittogosailingwithyou.

To thementors, teachers, and authorswho continue to lead through yourexample of courage and selflessness, and from whom I’ve learned so much:Robin Sharma, Brendon Burchard, Tony Robbins, Dave Durand, Tim Ferris,MatthewKelly,RudyRuettiger,Anthony“AB”Burke,JeffSooey,WayneDyer,Bill andSteveHarris, JamesMalinchak,StephanieChandler,RogerCrawford,Kevin Bracy, Will Bowen, John Maxwell, T. Harv Eker, Eckart Tolle, DaveRamsey,AndrewCohen,KenWilber,SethGodin,DerekSivers,ChrisBrogan,JonathanSprinkles,JonathanBudd,andMichaelEllsberg.

To Kevin Bracy, you deserve significant credit. I was sitting in yourseminar just days beforemy firstMiracleMorning, and yourwordswere thecatalyst for me to overcome my limiting belief that I was not a “morningperson.”Youremindedme,“Ifyouwantyourlifetobedifferent,youhavetobewillingtodosomethingdifferent,first.”Imayhaveneverattemptedtowakeupat5AM—letalonewrittenthisbook—ifitweren’tforyou.Thankyou.

To James Malinchak, you also deserve significant credit here. When IsharedTheMiracleMorningwithyouforthefirsttime,yougotexcited,andyouexpandedmyvision:“Hal,Idon’tthinkyouevenseehowbigthisisgoingtobe,andhowmanypeoplethisisgoingtoimpact!”Youhavepersonallyinspiredtensofthousandsofauthors,speakers,andcoachestobelieveintheirmessage,seeitbigger,andimpactmorepeople.Youdidthatforme,andIcan’tthankyouenough.

ToJ.BradBritton,youtaughtmeoneofthemostvaluablelessons,whichIcontinuetolivemylifebyandsharewithanyonewhowilllisten—dotheright

thing,nottheeasything.Youdon’tjustteachit;youliveit.

ToAdamStock,thankyouforalwaysaddingvalueandwisdomtomylife.Yourprofitabilitycoachinghasbeeninvaluable!

Tomyassistant,Linda:youworksohardtoensurethatourclientsarewelltakencareof.Thankyousomuchforall thatyoudo,andallof thevalue thatyouaddtomylifeandtomyfamily.

Tothestudents,teachers,counselorsandadvisorsateverycollegeorhighschoolthatIhaveeverspokenat:thankyouforallowingmetheopportunitytolivemypurposethroughaddingvaluetoyourlives.

To my private and VIP Success Coaching clients: I consider it a greatprivilegetobeyourCoach,andI thankyouforallowingmetosupportyouinachieving your goals and constantly becoming better versions of yourselves.Whether or not you realize it, I learn asmuch from you as you do fromme.Again,thankyouforallowingmetobeyourCoach.

Toeveryonewhosupportedthelaunchof thisbook,yourselflessnessandcommitment topaying forward thebenefitsyou’ve received fromTheMiracleMorninghaveleftmespeechless.First,IhavetothankTMMLaunchTeam—what ablast itwasworkingwithyou topromote this book. Iwill foreverbegratefulandindebtedtoyou.SpecialthankstoKyleSmith,IsaacStegman,GeriAzinger, Marc Ensign, Colleen Elliot Linder, Dashama, Mark Hartley, DavePowders, Jon Berghoff, Jon Vroman, Jeremy Katen, Ryan Whiten, RobertGonzalez,CareySmolenski,RyanCasey,andGregStrine.

Finally,toyou,thereader:thankyouforallowingmetobeapartofyourlife. Let’s keep connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and through The MiracleMorningCommunity.Pleaseletmeknowhowyou’redoing,andifthereiseveranything I cando to addvalue to your life or support a causeyoubelieve in,please don’t hesitate to let me know. All right, now stop reading and startcreating.Neversettle.Createthelifeyoudeservetolive,andhelpotherstodothesame.

—ABOUTTHEAUTHOR—

Hal Elrod is living proof that we all have the ability to overcome anyobstacleandcreatethelifeofourdreams.Atage20,Halwashitheadonbyadrunk driver, and found dead at the scene. Despite suffering permanent braindamageandbeingtoldhewouldneverwalkagain,hehasgoneontobecomeanall-timerecordbreakingsalesrep,halloffamebusinessachiever,ultra-marathonrunner,bestsellingauthor, internationalkeynote speaker andhip-hopartist (hisnewmotivationalrapsong“TheMiracleMorning”canbefoundoniTunes.)Hehasdedicatedhis life to helpingothers overcome their challenges so that theycanfulfilltheunlimitedpotentialthatiswithineachofus.Heistheauthorofthebestsellingbook,TakingLifeHeadOn:HowToLovetheLifeYouHaveWhileYou Create the Life of Your Dreams—one of the highest rated and mostacclaimed books onAmazon.com. (Read a fewof the reviews, and you’ll seewhy.)

Hal is also one of the top-rated keynote andmotivational speakers in thecountry.While corporations and non-profits regularly bringHal in to speak attheir conferences and fundraisers, he has a passion for positively impactingyoung people. For more than a decade, “Yo Pal” Hal’s presentations haveimpacted over 100,000 audience members throughout the United States andCanada,withapproximately80,000ofthoseindividualshavingbeenhighschoolandcollegestudents.

He has appeared on dozens of radio and television shows across thecountry,andhe’sbeenfeaturedinnumerousbooks,includingTheEducationofMillionaires,Cutting Edge Sales, Living College Life in the Front Row, TheAuthor’sGuideToBuildingAnOnlinePlatform,The800-PoundGorillaofSalesandthebestsellingChickenSoupfortheSoulseries.

TocontactHalaboutmediaappearances,speakingatyoureventoronyourcampus,or ifyou justwant to receive free trainingvideosand resources,visitwww.YoPalHal.com.

To connect with Hal on Twitter, follow @HalElrod, on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/YoPalHal, and throughTheMiracleMorning Communityatwww.MyTMMCommunity.com.

ReadHal’sfirstbestsellingbook,TakingLifeHeadOn!HowTo

Love the Life YouHaveWhile YouCreate the Life of YourDreams.Justglanceatafewofthe50+5-StarReviewsandyou’llquicklyseewhy it’s one of the highest rated and most acclaimed books onAmazon.com.

OneofHal’schildhooddreamscametruewhenhisfirst“motivational”rapsongdebutedoniTunes!ListentoitonHal’swebsiteat

http://TheMiracleMorning.com/I-Never-Thought-This-Dream-Would-Come-True/orbuyitoniTunesat

www.MiracleMorningRap.com

TableofContentsPraiseTHEMIRACLEMORNING™REALLIFESUCCESSSTORIES&RESULTSDedication»ANotetoYou,theReader—ASPECIALINVITATION—EpigraphINTRODUCTION:MyStory,andWhyYoursIsTheOneThatMatters—1—It’sTimeToWakeUpToYourFULLPotential—2—TheMiracleMorning™Origin:BornOutofDesperation—3—The95%RealityCheck—4—WhyDidYOUWakeUpThisMorning?—5—The5-StepSnooze-ProofWakeUpStrategy(FortheSnooze-aholics)—6—TheLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.™>SixPracticesGuaranteedToSaveYouFromaLifeofUnfulfilledPotential

—7—The6-MinuteMiracle(ForTheBusyPeople)— 8 — Customizing Your Miracle Morning™ To Fit Your Lifestyle andAchieveYourHighestGoals&Dreams

—9—FromUnbearableToUnstoppable:TheRealSecretToFormingHabitsThatWillTransformYourLife(In30Days)

—10—TheMiracleMorning™30-DayLifeTransformationChallenge—Conclusion—LetTodayBeTheDayYouGiveUpWhoYou’veBeenForWhoYouCanBecome

—ANESSENTIALBONUS——ACKNOWLEDGMENTS——ABOUTTHEAUTHOR—