My wife had a friend over recently. In the midst of chit-chat (you know how much I like that), I probed for more meaningful conversation. I asked, “How are you and John doing? How’s your marriage? She replied, “It’s OK, I guess.” “You guess?” I asked. “How could you not know for sure?”

She responded with an oh-too familiar scenario…

She explained, “Well, we are both doing our part. I am taking care of the kids, the house and my elder parents, and he is working long hours providing for the family. He shows up for dinner and soccer games, so I think we are doing fine.” I responded, “Sounds like you are both performing your roles as domestic partners, but what about your relationship? How is that going?” “Well, life is so busy I think we are doing the best we can,” she said.

“That’s dangerous,” I warned. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Then I drew out this diagram on a napkin. “There are three ‘people’ in your marriage. One is you, the other is him and the third is the relationship.” (see figure.)

“Here is what happens if you don’t realize there is a third ‘person’ that needs to be cared for. Both of you are doing your part and you do it for 10, 20 or more years. You are living together, raising a family, ‘doing your part’ just fine, but this third entity is never (or rarely) cared for, fed, nurtured or nourished. It gets weak and in many cases withers and dies. You wake up 20 years later. While you are good roommates and you might genuinely care for each other, your romantic relationship has starved…  to death. All the while you thought you were ‘doing fine.’ ”

I explained further, read more »

I saw something absurd the other day. A highly engineered and specially designed high-performance race car stuck on a 35-mile-an-hour downtown street.

That is not what that car was made for. That is not what its creator (Enzo Ferrari) envisioned for it.

This 6-speed, F140 Aluminum V12, 4700cc engine with 660hp was built to go 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and race at 217 miles an hour (2010 specs). But here it is… stuck.

I see this absurdity every day.

But not only in the streets—in office cubicles, conference rooms, huddled behind computer screens, and dragging luggage through airports.

People who were specially engineered and designed with special talents, skills and abilities who are traveling down the wrong road, with their potential stuck in first gear; trapped and unable to race.

That is not what their creator had envisioned for them either.

Are you…

1. Stuck. Traveling down the wrong road? Are you in a job, company or business that has you boxed in on the slow lane? Is it keeping you from being able to get out of first gear and challenge your greater abilities?

Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the road the car is on.

2. Traveling with Pintos? Are you going slow because you are keeping pace with ordinary cars, when you were designed for racing?

Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the cars it travels with.

3. Are you even aware that you are a race car? You were specially engineered and designed for speed… to race. You were built for greatness. I’m not kidding. You are a miracle of machinery. Yes, you… the one reading this. It’s likely you have never even experienced half of what your top speed is.

Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the one given the responsibility to drive it.

If you ever really gripped the wheel, braced your neck and punched the pedal with all your might… the awesomeness of your innate potential will shock and exhilarate you.

Punch it. NOW!

Who else do you know has greater innate potential than they might realize or be utilizing? Forward this post to them: http://darrenhardy.success.com/2010/07/are-you-stuck/

So, are you stuck? Are you on the wrong road, traveling with the wrong people, unaware of your true greatness? In the comments below share with everyone what you are going to do to “punch it” in your life, starting now.

John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is his real name.

John sells exclusively on a single street called South Pointe Drive, located in an exclusive area called SoFi (South of Fifth). His sales territory consists of six über-luxury high-rises along the cruise ship waterway and Miami Beach front.

In the past 15 years, John has sold more than $3 billion in real estate on this street (do the math on 3 percent commission—that’s almost as much as the other John Lennon made!).

John took Georgia and me to lunch a couple days ago to give us an update on our property and the market. I took the opportunity to try and pry out the secret to his extraordinary success.

I found it! And now I will pass it along to you too… read more »

I’m in the Dallas publishing office this week assisting the world’s finest magazine staff put the finishing touches on the September issue of SUCCESS. Another issue you won’t want to miss—Michael Dell on the cover—very cool story!

While here, I’ve been revisiting emails, voicemails and blog comments with your inspiring feedback on my new book, The Compound Effect. Your stories of how the principles in the book have already made a remarkable difference in your relationships, health and income performance are awe-inspiring! WOW!

Just five minutes ago in fact, I opened up personal letters from Rudy Giuliani, Jim Collins and Dr. Kenneth Cooper on how the book affected them. How cool is that?!

Yet, I’m bummed. You see, we launched the book offering signed copies to the first 200. They went so fast (some snuck in the system before it was even officially released!) that even most of the early birds missed out. I am seeing some of those notes now.

That sucks. I want to fix it.

We had a corporate client (thank you, Nevada State Bank) pay extra to get 150 signed copies (they’re giving a copy to their best customers . . . great idea!), so I am signing them while I am here.

Since I already have the Sharpie flying, thinking of you (and some of you being bummed), I had the warehouse bring up a few hundred more.

So here’s the deal. If you buy the combo of the book and audio program (it’s my strong recommendation to have and study both!), the book will come signed! If this is valuable to you, then please hurry so you don’t miss it.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS NOW

Even if you have a copy of the book already, give that one to someone whose success you care about and keep the signed one for yourself. Or order the signed book for a valuable customer, friend, family member, employee, etc.

Okay, I hope that makes the world right again. Be sure to send me your stories on how your life is impacted by the tools shared in the book and the extra insights shared in the audio program!

Your ally in success,
Darren Hardy

P.S. Help me help others. Here are 10 ways you can help spread the word about The Compound Effect. Thank you for your help!

Feeling stuck? Or fired? Or inspired?

Today’s “best of times, worst of times” economy offers the perfect opportunity to take stock of your life and your business. One thing is certain… maintaining the status quo is not an option.

You may be one of the millions who were forced out of a comfortable (but perhaps, unfulfilling) career. If so, your best option and only real choice may be to reinvent yourself.

Or it could be you feel compelled to reinvent yourself or your business in order to seize an unexpected opportunity. Either way, the August issue of SUCCESS will prove invaluable.

August issue of SUCCESS is on newsstands today! Magic Johnson on the cover. Timing? Yes, we knew Lakers would win the Championship, ya sure. Incredible reinvention story–inspiring, enlightening and tons-o-takeaway value. Great feature! Grap your copy off the newsstands before they are hoarded. Better yet: SUBSCRIBE. You are a subscriber, right?! Geez.

Reinvention has resulted in some of the world’s greatest business success stories. Companies that launch with the intention to do one thing often end up finding their grand opportunity lies in a completely different direction. Taking advantage of the opportunity requires a reinvention of thought and strategy—and the effort pays off. For instance, as a startup, Flickr was an online game project and chat room. When its founders realized how much read more »