One of the most discussed concepts in personal development is passion. People discuss passion as if it’s a principle of success. In fact, in my first book, Love Your Life and It Will Love You Back, I use the word passion quite often. However, my understanding of passion has changed and evolved over time. 

 If you look at the definition of passion, it is an uncontrollable emotion. I believe one of the principles of success is having as much emotion discipline as possible. Let’s face it. Sometimes you don’t feel like putting in work. Sometimes you have other issues in the back of your mind.  Sometimes you don’t feel like getting out of bed, dealing with people, going to the gym, sitting in traffic, disciplining children, starting any conversation with “we need to talk,” or firing people.  Ah… the joys of life.  All these activities need to be done by somebody and unless there’s something wrong with you...

Traditionally, when people want to achieve a goal they point to working harder or being more disciplined or developing will power. One of the keys to success is upgrading your environment.  There are two parts of any environment. First, there is a physical environment. This includes any tool that you need to accomplish your goals, including a computer for a writer, a calculator for an engineer, even workout clothes for an athlete. The second is the people that you need to accomplish the goals.

We are in a rush to accomplish our goals without first setting up our environment. Goal achievement is a lot easier when you have the tools at your fingertips and the people around you who can help you make decisions or just have your back. You need to be a chef with sharp knives, a full fridge of ingredients, and an amazing sous chef who has your back no matter what.  Any job or any goal needs the proper environment.

Every goal needs consistent habits that need to be done for a long...

It’s a brand-new year, and last year was unique to say the least.  We dealt with brand new challenges while simultaneously living our lives.  Dealing with the pandemic meant something different to everyone.  It looks like it’s going to take several months to get back to normal. However, I want to give you the mindset that you need to get through these times and put yourself in position for success after we get through this period.

 Dealing with a pandemic is like dealing with a broken leg for a couple of months.  Your goals should be to heal while also fulfilling your personal and professional obligations.  Last year and a good chunk of 2021 is a glorified version of having a broken leg.

Mindset is simply the way we live our lives, go about our goals, deal with challenges, or even how we go about our day.  I developed Sourena’s 5 Keys to an Amazing Mindset as a guide to help anyone develop the mindset needed to be successful.

1. ...

This year has been one of the most unique years in our lifetimes. Whoever thought that we would be in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century? We all want to turn the page and move on. We also had to deal with a rambunctious election and issues dealing with race.  Instead of wanting to turn the page, just accept the fact that this period of time is part of our life experience.

 Over the years and dealing with my disability, I have learned that challenges need to be accepted and dealt with, not avoided. Some have dealt with it by denying it or blaming others or other countries. I look at the pandemic as a once-in-a-century occurrence and, for a couple of decades, the experts warned us that something like this could and probably would happen.

 Although my lifestyle changed a lot this year by not traveling, by not watching sports at my local watering hole, by not being able to go to the mall, I choose to focus on the blessings in my life.  This year was one of...

We are still in the thick of dealing with the coronavirus, and we all want to get back to some semblance of normalcy.  Unfortunately, some people have just gotten tired of trying.  There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, but only if we all do the work.

One concept that I learned about and have really embraced is that in order to deal with my disability, I must weave my challenges into whatever I want to do.  When I want to do anything in my life, I must plan around my challenges.  I must do this in everything in my life.  I had to weave in my challenges when I went to college, when I started a family, even when I went to out on the town.  It’s frustrating.  It’s not fair.  But, it’s necessary.

The big ole wrench called the coronavirus has been thrown in all of our lives.  For at least the next few months we must live life assuming that this virus is going to alter our lives.  It might be personally or...

Every year, many people set New Year’s resolutions, and, despite the pandemic, this year should not be any different. This year, our lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus. Unfortunately, we have a way to go before life returns to normal.

 Instead of being a victim, I would like you to take control of your life and put yourself in a better position. This means no more jokes about what day it is or no more jokes about not taking a shower. It was cute for about two weeks, but not now.

 As we enter the holidays, it’s tempting to miss life, but I want you to shift your focus to the future. Take December to plan out your future life. Take the time that you would spend traveling, going to Christmas parties, or shopping in the mall to really become productive.

1. Clarify your goals. The first step in achieving your goals is clarifying them. The clearer your goals are, the more direction that you have. Saying that you want more money or that you will get fit does...

We are at a critical junction with regards to the coronavirus and many people just accept that this is going to be our reality for a while.  There are two sides to looking at the word acceptance.  One side is being complacent and the other side is empowering.

 I live and understand both sides of the acceptance dilemma. I always accepted the fact that I will probably live with my disability and the ramifications of it for the rest of my life. What I never accepted was the fact that I could not have an amazing life. Every day I fight and claw for the chance to live an amazing life. I want to create a loving family, a business that inspires me, the ability to work and serve amazing people, and amazing experiences. In order for the latter to happen, I needed to accept the former. I spent countless days wondering if my disability was too much to deal with. However, I was always focused on creating an amazing life.

 We are well into dealing with this pandemic and most...

Every year I write a blog about gratitude. It’s one of my favorite topics because I believe it is a principle and a tool for success.  It’s more than a feel-good concept.  In order to move forward in your life, it’s important to see the blessings in your life and use the tools at your disposal.  This is especially true in challenging times, and boy, 2020 is uniquely challenging.

 Let’s face it, 2020 has not been the year that we imagined.  We all have had our lives disrupted by the pandemic.  I had to change the direction that I was going in.  I was working on some exciting business ventures that would have been life changing and downright fun.  I had to postpone two big family trips and a couple of trips with friends.  Yet, my life is still amazing, and I view part of the year with a smile.  I spend a lot of time watching my kids well… be kids.  I have gotten gooder with my writing.  It...

Part of being clear about your life is managing expectations. For you to live out an amazing life, you must manage your expectations while simultaneously being aspirational. Where people get into trouble is when their expectations are not met. People measure their lives and their happiness based on their expectations.

 For example, if I promised you that I would give you $100 in a week and I give you $75, you are going to be disappointed.  However, if I promise you $50 and give you $75 you’re going to be ecstatic. The end result is exactly the same. The only thing that changed were the expectations.  Much of stress and frustration are born out of misguided expectations. When I was a kid and a teenager, my experiences were not that different. After all, all kids needed rides from their parents. Most of my friends were schoolmates and lived in my neighborhood and I had a pretty normal and great experience as a youth. My assumption was that if I kept on living my...

Our lives are not independent of outside factors. We are dependent on the actions of others.  We are part of an ecosystem with other human beings. One characteristic of human beings is that we are not perfect beings. We all have different emotions, different mindset, and different experiences.  

 One component to an amazing mindset and an amazing narrative is personal responsibility.  With so many factors and so many random occurrences, it’s often challenging to decipher what we are and are not responsible for. In addition, with so many random occurrences coming at us, it’s often challenging to make sense of it all and to take personal responsibility for it. It’s even more challenging when you were born into a worse situation than someone else.

 My own personal mantra is my disability is not my fault, but it’s my responsibility. I am disabled because of a doctor’s negligence. However, I am responsible for making the best...