How to Live a Fantastic Life
aka… What they don’t Teach You in College
presented by
Mike Hrostoski
Ground Rules
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Be present
Unplug from the world
Take notes on sheet provided
Ask questions any time
Challenge me on anything
A Quick Disclaimer
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I am not a professional public speaker.
I’m not wealthy, famous, or wildly successful.
I don’t have all the answers in life.
I’m a student, just like you.
“Why are you Qualified?”
• Early in life, I got hooked on personal
development. “Why not make a better me?”
• Read dozens of books on the subject
• Full fellowship, 3.9 GPA, MBA class president,
four case competitions, won $50,000 at Wake
Forest, picked to teach BA499.
• I get awesome service everywhere, I always
find a parking spot, things always go my way.
• I have a fantastic life.
• Because I choose to.
Today’s Topics
• 10 Attitudes for Fantastic Living
• How to Get an A in Every Class
• 25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
Everything in life is negotiable
• If you’re not negotiating, you’re leaving money
on the table.
• Cable bill, phone bill, insurance, travel, credit
card rates, a car, a job offer. Anything really.
• Talk to the decision maker and be creative.
• YOUR business is valuable.
• Grades are negotiable.
• What’s the worst that could happen?
“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” - John F. Kennedy
I ask for what I want
• Most unhappy people today simply do not ask for
what they want
– Boss, parents, significant other, teammates
• It is up to you and only you to make sure that your
needs are taken care of.
• Accept rejection as part of life. Keep moving and
keep asking.
• Balance this with a spirit of giving. Or else you’ll
just turn into a big jerk.
“What I point out to people is that it's silly to be afraid that you're not going to get
what you want if you ask. Because you are already not getting what you want.
They always laugh about that because they realize it's so true.” – Marcia Martin
The world is my playground
• Have you ever watched children play?
• It’s ok for you too. You create your own reality.
– Stop caring what other people think. Have fun!
– Do silly stuff just because you feel like it
– Don’t take yourself too seriously
life
"The greatest fear in the world is the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd
you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom."
My integrity is all I have
• As the world gets smaller and more
interconnected, the stakes for unethical
behavior get higher and higher.
• Whether you’re a “good person” or not, play
by the rules.
• Doing bad things may be fun, but it’s stressful.
• Doing good things feels good, it raises your self
esteem, and you get great results.
“There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.” - French Proverb
Everyone is a human equal
• We all have the same basic needs and desires.
• This is what diversity is all about.
• Get to know people in all levels of the
organization. Reach out to those in need.
“Everyone is a human equal.” – Larry Inks
I am the luckiest person ever
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Thoughts influence chance
Law of Attraction, “The Secret”
“Ask, believe, receive”
Personal experiences
– Winning competitions
– Finding rockstar parking spots
– Getting picked to do cool stuff
– Right place at the right time
“Luck is believing you’re lucky.” – Tennessee Williams
My health is my most valuable asset
• Represent Fame, Fortune, Family, and Friends by
the numeral 0. Represent health by the number 1.
• If you have the 1 and put it first, every added 0
will increase your wealth. Without the 1 first, you
have nothing!
• Exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, drink lots of
water, stay away from junk food (and drunk food).
• Everything else in your life will improve with good
physical health.
10000
Today is the most important day of my life
• Don’t dwell on what did or didn’t happen in
the past. Let go.
• Don’t think about how great things will be in
the future.
• Learn to be in the here and now, and
experience life as it’s happening, and
appreciate the world for what it is, right now.
• Practice makes perfect with this crucial skill.
“Yesterday is already gone, Tomorrow is not yet here. Today is the only day available to
us. Today is the most important day of our lives.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
I have everything I need already
• As a society in whole, we want too much
– Too much food, too much money, too much stuff
• Impulse spending destroys thousands of lives
– Clothes when you don’t need them
– Gadgets just to have them
– Ordering stuff online cause it’s easy
– Buying that shiny new SUV
• Be especially careful when you graduate!
“In Jeet Kune Do, one does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily
decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” – Bruce Lee
Life is all about relationships
• Relationships are the cornerstone of life.
• We can’t go anywhere or do anything that doesn’t
involve other people.
• Your ability to succeed primarily depends on your
ability to understand and interact with others.
– Go out of your way to make someone smile every day.
– Use social networking tools to manage your networks.
– Read books on emotional intelligence, love and
relationships, conflict management, social styles, etc…
“Our greatest joy and our greatest pain comes in our
relationships with others.” - Stephen R. Covey
10 Attitudes for Fantastic Living
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Everything in life is negotiable
I ask for what I want
The world is my playground
My integrity is all I have
Everyone is a human equal
I am the luckiest person ever
My health is my most valuable asset
Today is the most important day of my life
I have everything I need already
Life is all about relationships
How to Get a A in Every Class
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Show up
Show up on time
Smile, nod, act engaged, speak up in class
Sit in the front couple rows
Make a connection with your instructor early
Get to know who’s smart, then work with them
Do the assigned reading and assignments
Study in groups (but stay on task!)
“Grading is subjective, take advantage of It.”
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 1. Start and maintain a
profile.
• 2. Get a credit card with points/cash back and
put everything on it. Pay it off every month.
– Get paid to spend money on an interest free loan
– Research at www.creditcards.com
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 3. Turn off your television.
• 4. Pull away from the Internet.
When 200 University of Maryland students
were asked to give up all media for a full day,
after 24 hours many of them exhibited druglike behavior, cravings, withdrawal, anxiety
and an inability to function. Worst was going
without texting, email and Facebook.
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 5. Talk to old people.
• 6. Play with children
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 7. Savor food. Don’t just eat it, really enjoy it.
• 8. Clean your room. Declutter your desk/car.
• 9. Apologize to a friend or
family member that you
wronged a long time ago.
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 10. Take a multivitamin before you go out
drinking. When you get home, pound water.
• 11. Invest in a flask.
– 5 drinks a night x
– 5 dollars a drink x
– 4 nights a week x
– 4 weeks a month = $400 dollars
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 12. Start a monthly challenge.
• 13. Do an audit on your Facebook account.
– Privacy settings (only friends)
– Inappropriate pictures, groups
– Personal information
– Album settings
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 14. Give up magazines for books or blogs.
• 15. Throw sick parties.
– Build relationships
– Refine organization skills
• 16. Break up with someone you don’t like.
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 17. Learn to understand the opposite sex.
• 18. Slow down.
• 19. Get outside more often. Don’t let yourself
be shut indoors.
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 20. Get involved in student organizations.
– Don’t spread yourself too thin
– Reach out for leadership roles
• 21. Do something creative.
– Paint, write, dance, act, sing…
• 22. Stop drinking caffeine.
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 23. Start saving for your retirement now.
– Max your Roth IRA, 401K = you will be a millionaire
– Google “Roth IRA twenties”
• 24. Set and pursue goals.
– Monthly or weekly, whatever works for you
– Use some sort of template or a journal
– For example…
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
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Health:
Fun:
School:
Work:
Books:
Family:
Leadership:
5 Action Items for June/July 2009:
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1. No internet after 10pm
2. Go to bed by 11pm every night
3. Meet 50 people at DHL this month
4. Run at least a mile a day
5. Read Talent on Demand, Logic of Life and Breakfast of Champions
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
• 25. Read these ten books (and others like them)
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Think and Grow Rich – Napolean Hill
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss
The Power of Optimism – Alan Loy McGinnis
The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey
Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John Maxwell
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
As a Man Thinketh – James Allen
“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people
you meet and the books you read.”
25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness
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1. Start a LinkedIn profile.
2. Get a credit card with points.
3. Turn off your television.
4. Pull away from the Internet.
5. Talk to old people.
6. Play with children.
7. Savor food. Really enjoy it.
8. Clean your room. Declutter.
9. Apologize to someone you
wronged a long time ago.
• 10. Take a multivitamin before
you go out. Drink water after.
• 11. Invest in a flask.
• 12. Start a monthly challenge.
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13. Audit your Facebook account.
14. Give up reading magazines.
15. Throw sick parties.
16. Break up with someone.
17. Understand the opposite sex.
18. Slow down.
19. Get outside more often.
20. Get involved in student
organizations. Leadership roles.
21. Do something creative.
22. Stop drinking caffeine.
23. Save for retirement now.
24. Set and pursue goals.
25. Read these ten books.
It’s all over! :(
• Thank you for sharing this time with me.
• Feel free to use me as a resource, for whatever.
• Stay connected
– www.facebook.com/hrostoski
– www.linkedin.com/in/hrostoski
– www.twitter.com/hrostoski
• Email me if you want a copy of this PowerPoint
• Put your notes on your fridge/desk to remind you
that you are now on the road to your fantastic life
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth;
not going all the way, and not starting.” - Buddha
Go Therefore and Be Fierce!