Pete Balles

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@KingJames Hey Bron FU! Weather has been awesome here! You’re a douche!

[Anthony Vicino @AnthonyVicino]

Storytelling is a superpower.

Steve Jobs said:

"The most powerful person is the storyteller."

Unfortunately, most people don't know how to tell a good story.

So they are at the mercy of those who do.

Let's change that:

Here's 5 principles for telling an amazing story:

1. The Hook

This is THE most important part of your story.

It's what gets people invested enough to come along on the journey.

A great hook does two things:

• Plants a Seed of Intrigue
• Compels the Audience Forward

Best way I've found to accomplish both is through Open Cognitive Loops.

But, before I break down how to Open Cognitive Loops, let's talk about the second principle:

2. The Image

The power of story is that it unlocks something inside each of us:

A blank canvas upon which your words can paint.

Each brush stroke must be placed with intention.

Each detail crafted with care.

Get this part right and you can design worlds and characters in your audience's mind that they feel more connected to than the drab reality of their day-to-day lives.

3. The Lesson

Have you ever told a story that started strong but petered out midway 'cause you couldn't figure out how to wrap it up?

So instead, it just ends on a blech note with something like:

"Yeah, I guess you just had to be there."

Oof... I feel ya.

We've all been there.

The problem?

You committed the most deadly of Storytelling Sins:

You told a Story without giving it MEANING.

When most people tell a story, they're simply reciting events in a chronological order and then leaving it to the audience to imbue it with meaning.

Great storytellers don't leave this to chance.

They tell you exactly WHY this story is so important and WHAT they want you to take away from it.

Here's an example from a story I told the other day about my cat nearly dying:

“The next morning we were scheduled to put him down.

I remember feeling so impotent and shallow because I’d put a dollar value on the life of a loved one.

Now, I get it…

Sparta is just a cat.

But that’s not the point.

Because it’s about the larger truth:

I wasn’t in a position to help if my dad, or my partner, or my siblings, were ever to fall sick.

I resolved at that moment, money would never again be the reason I couldn’t help a loved one in need.”

Alright, so what should you do if you're not sure what the meaning of your story is?

Easy...

Don't tell it.

Seriously.

A story without meaning is just a list of events.

Nobody's life has ever been changed by a list.

4. The Two Journeys

Every great story has a character striving to achieve a goal.

Frodo must destroy the Ring.

Harry must kill Voldemort.

Luke must redeem his Dad.

You must get a loaf of bread from the grocery store.

(not all stories are epic)

Now, within the struggle to achieve these goals, our character is actually on TWO journeys.

1. The External
2. The Internal

The stories I listed above are The External.

These are easy to visualize and the one that most of us think about when it comes to storytelling.

However, The Internal struggle is the journey our character must go through in wrestling with who they are in relation to the world.

THIS journey is the one that imbues our story with deep resonance.

Without it, if we merely focus on The External struggle, we end up with a Michael Bay movie like The Transformers where everything is blowing up and yet nobody gives a shit.

Let's take a step back to my Sparta-story...

The External struggle is that Sparta is dying and needs surgery I can't afford.

The Internal struggle is realizing I hate myself because I've put a price on my loved one's life.

The key to telling a great story lies in your ability to resolve both the External and Internal Journey.

If you can master this, you can make an impactful story out of anything...

Even something so small as picking up a loaf of bread from the grocery store.

5. Closing Loops

At the beginning of this post I said that great stories plant a seed of intrigue and compel the audience forward.

To accomplish this I said we Open Cognitive Loops.

But I didn't tell you what an Open Cognitive Loop is...

Instead, I showed you (by opening one).

Seriously, go back and look to see how I did it.

See, an Open Cognitive Loop is simply a question that needs answering.

One of the ways to keep your audience on the edge of their seat and invested in the story is to keep opening and closing cognitive loops until the very end.

But the truth is, ending your story is often the hardest parts.

So here's a trick:

Next time you find yourself meandering lamely towards an ending and can't figure out how to wrap things up...

Use these words:

"I share this with you because..."

And then tell them exactly why you shared it with them.

This is called The Tie Down.

It brings everything full circle and gives a sense of closure (which is a story in and of itself for another day).

Here's how it works in real time:

I share these five principles of storytelling with you because I believe every single one of us has a story inside...

A story with the potential to change the world if only we knew how to tell it better.

I believe Storytelling is a Superpower...

And I can't wait to see what you do with yours.

Yo, if you want more stories about business, investing, and personal development, give me a follow @AnthonyVicino .

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@nathaliejacoby1 Yes

[Chris Boettcher @chrisboettcher9]

Here’s an easy 4-step morning routine for maximum energy, health, and vitality:

Step 1 - Drink Water

When you wake up, you've gone 7-8 hours without water.

Dehydration causes poor cognitive function and low energy throughout the day.

So it's essential to kickstart the rehydration process as soon as you can when you wake up.

Start the day on a good foot by drinking 20-32oz of water right after waking.

Plus, it's a great way to wake you up.

*Pro-tip 1: Sprinkle a bit of quality salt in your water to replenish electrolytes and up your mineral intake

*Pro-tip 2: Set out your glass of water before you go to sleep at night. much easier to remember when it's already prepared

Step 2 - Get Outside and Move

We want to get outside and move first thing in the morning for a few reasons:

A) Sun

Viewing morning sunlight has phenomenal health benefits.

Getting in the sun:

- regulates hormone production - kickstarts your 24-hour circadian rhythm
- signals to your brain it's time to be alert and awake

B) Movement

Getting the body into "limbic motion" has similar benefits to viewing the sun:

- raises energy levels
- improves cognitive functioning
- kickstarts metabolism and digestion

By combining a walk and sunlight, you're priming your brain and body to start the day with energy and focus.

Step 3 - Eat a Protein-Dominant Breakfast

The days of carb-loaded breakfasts like cereal, bagels, and grains are out.

The carb and blood sugar crash leaves you needing another couple of coffees and starving a few hours later.

You avoid this by focusing on protein for breakfast.

You want to base your first meal around protein for a few reasons:

- Stabilizes blood sugar
- More satiety and less cravings
- Puts you on track to hit your protein goals

When you opt for a breakfast rich in protein – think eggs, meat, Greek yogurt, or a protein smoothie – you're setting your day up for success.

Step 4 - Delay Caffeine 60-90 Minutes

While it may be tempting to reach for that morning coffee right away, consider delaying your caffeine intake by 60-90 minutes.

Why?

Because you're disrupting two natural functions of your body.

A) Adenosine

Adenosine is a molecule that's responsible for making you feel tired and fatigued.

After you wake up in the morning, it takes around 90 minutes for adenosine levels to reset to baseline.

But when you shock your system with caffeine, the adenosine never gets a chance to reset, and so you end up with a mid-day crash once the caffeine wears off.

B) Cortisol

Cortisol, the stress hormone, naturally peaks within the first hour of waking.

This hormonal surge provides a natural wake-up call.

By waiting a bit before your caffeine fix, you're working with your body's internal clock, rather than against it.

This can help your caffeine hit harder and last longer when you do indulge in that cup of coffee.

...

Incorporating these four steps into your morning routine is a simple yet powerful way to kickstart your day with maximum energy, health, and vitality.

To recap:

- Drink water
- Get outside and move
- Eat a protein-heavy breakfast
- Delay caffeine intake 60-90 minutes

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@Wealthnationx Health Power Breakthrough

[𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 💰 @Wealthnationx]

First Three

[Ted Ryce @ted_ryce]

You're never too old to get fit.

But most people don’t know where to start.

I've spent 25 years studying the top 1% of trainers in the fitness industry.

Here are 5 powerful exercises to help you lose fat (even if you're over 40):

[Andrew Lokenauth @FluentInFinance]

Never let a job steal your life — Here are 20 tips on retiring earlier and building more wealth (with a high rate of return):

1) According to many, being “rich” looks like:

• Mansions
• Sports cars
• Designer clothes
• Luxury vacations

But, true wealth really is:

• Health
• Time freedom
• Location freedom
• Financial freedom

Money is a tool, so use your income to buy assets.

2) The financial freedom roadmap:

• Avoid lifestyle creep
• Create a budget to cut expenses
• Max out your Roth IRA & 401k match
• Pay off high-interest consumer debt
• Establish a 3-6 month emergency fund
• Increase your income with investments, side hustles, or side business

3) Consider opportunity cost when making large purchases. If you make $20/ hour:

• A night out isn't $300, it's 15 hours of your time (or 2 days of work)

• A car isn't $50,000, it's 2,500 hours of your time (or 357 days of work)

Time is your most valuable asset, use it wisely

4) Your network will determine your net worth, so surround yourself with mindsets to help you grow, not hold you back.

Surround yourself with those who lift you higher and let go of those who don’t.

Create a network that discusses opportunities to make money, not only spend it.

5) Schools won't teach you this, but you'll be working for money your whole life unless you start making money work for you.

Every dollar is an employee & needs to be given a job.

Use your salary to invest in passive income so that passive income replaces your salary.

6) If want to build wealth, you must learn as much as you can about:

• Taxes
• Investing
• Real Estate
• Personal Finance
• The Stock Market
• Financial Planning

Money may not buy happiness, but money will eliminate the stress & anxiety that not having money creates.

7) Who you choose to marry will be one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.

A mistake can cost thousands, including time, peace, and legal fees.

The right decision will help you reach your highest potential and live a happy and fulfilling life.

8) It doesn't matter if you've invested $100 or $1,000 or $10,000,

What's important is that you're doing something to improve your future and build generational wealth.

Investing for 20 years may seem hard, but being old and broke will be a lot harder.

Choose your "hard".

9) If you don't know where to start investing, buy an Index Fund that tracks the S&P 500.

You can have over $1.3 million when you are 60 if you invest $100 a week ($400 a month) into an S&P 500 index fund at 25, which historically earns about 11% ear year, on average.

10) You can't “save” your way to wealth, you must invest.

Each day your money sits in a bank, you're losing money due to inflation. You must invest in assets to protect your cash.

The richest 10% of Americans own 90% of all stocks, and the bottom 90% only own 10% of all stocks.

11) Health is wealth

Many costly medical problems are caused by poor sleep, lack of exercise, or bad nutrition.

Medical bills can be very expensive and can add up over time.

Take care of your health now to avoid high expenses in the future.

12) Everything in life is negotiable:

Negotiating is a very skill when it comes to building wealth.

Whether you're negotiating a raise for work, the price of a car or home, or the interest rate on a loan, learning to negotiate will help you save money and increase your wealth.

13) Teach your child about money:

Warren Buffet has a children’s cartoon with 26 episodes where he teaches:
• Wealth
• Money
• Investing
• Business
• Personal Finance

4 Board Games to teach kids about money:
• Payday
• Monopoly
• Cashflow 101
• The Game of Life

14) Hire your kids tax-free:

If you own a business & have kids under 18, you can pay them $13,850 tax-free & deduct it from your taxable income.

Your child will owe $0 in taxes & you legally avoided tax on $13,850.

They can invest $6,500 of that in a tax-free ROTH IRA.

15) Make your child a millionaire by 25:

• Invest $150/week in an S&P 500 index fund when they are born & nothing more

• By the age of 25 this should grow to over $1 million due to compound interest

*based on an 11% return after the S&P 500's historical average over 96 years

16) Maximize your employer 401k matches so "free money" can compound:

a 401k match is free money from your employer, which grows tax-free until you withdraw it.

This will result in a substantial amount of money over time due to the power of compound interest.

17) Maximize your Roth IRA contributions for retirement:

A Roth IRA can make you a tax-free millionaire, it's the ultimate tax loophole.

Investing $100 a week into your Roth IRA with an S&P 500 Index Fund will change your life

Aim to contribute the maximum, $6,500 per year

18) A car is a depreciating asset (a new car loses ~20% of its value the minute it's driven off the lot)

Don't overspend on an expensive car, just to drive it to a job you hate.

If your car payment is higher than your credit score, you don't need it.

19) Recognize lifestyle creep

Making more money won't fix poor spending habits.

Just because you start making more money, doesn’t mean you should spend more.

Increasing your lifestyle expenses without increasing your income will cause your expenses to build up in the long run.

20) Not negotiating your salary will cost you thousands over the course of your career.

Most employers have flexibility when it comes to salary.

If you don't negotiate your salary, you are leaving money on the table that you could have had if you had just asked.

[Codie Sanchez @Codie_Sanchez]

People don’t care what you’re doing unless you answer their real question:

“What’s in it for me?”

19 other uncomfortable business truths:

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@Fickells_Vest JJ Watt

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@Theholisticpsyc Agreed

[Misha @mishadavinci]

There are 1.13 billion sites on the internet.

Most are a waste of your time.

THESE could change your future (for free):

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@IKE_Packers @packers 99.99999

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@BraelonAllen How about these also!!!

[Pete Balles @aretejames]

@BraelonAllen I bet!

[JACK BLY @TheJackBly]

23 tips to get in the best shape of your life in 2023:

1. Alcohol is poison. Minimize at all costs.

[Colby Kultgen @thecolbykultgen]

7 investments you'll never regret making:

[Alex & Books 📚 @AlexAndBooks_]

I asked, "What’s the best book you read in 2022?"

I received 1,000+ responses.

Here are 20 of the most popular replies:

[Dr. Nicole LePera @Theholisticpsyc]

Why I stopped being nice, so that I could be kind:

[Goal Loaded @GoalLoaded]

Do this each morning for a week to get abs and improve your sex stamina.

100% Quick Results

1. Scissors leg raises