Gregory Benedikt

Proving the universe rewards bold action

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

@ChrisWillx Your episodes with @george__mack are always my favorite. I've been listening since 2019 and this was the 2nd or 3rd time I've heard you mention the "100 Days of Rejection" challenge. I did it and just gave a TEDx talk about it. May I share it with you when it's live?

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Character is more important than accomplishments.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Coming soon...

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Stepping away from work for a quick walk is undefeated in making me feel better.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

You’ve optimized your morning routine.

You’ve read Atomic Habits and The Almanack of Naval Ravikant.

You’ve absorbed hours of Modern Wisdom, Tim Ferriss, and Huberman Lab.

And yet…

You still find yourself questioning what’s next.

You’ve built a great career and checked all the right boxes.

But deep down, there’s a feeling you can’t shake:

"𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙩?"

Despite what your mind tells you, more knowledge won’t get you unstuck.

More bold action will.

Being bold might feel risky.

But the real risk?

Waking up in five years, still asking yourself the same questions.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

All you have to do is:

Take the first step.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Live like you are the protagonist in a superhero movie. Progress the plot.
Live a story worth telling.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

I used to hate social media.

I went old-man-vs.-technology by deleting all of it for 9 months.

That helped me but no one else.

Now, I post a ton of content on Linkedin and Instagram.

Why?

Because of a powerful mindset shift:

The potential to inspire others is more important than my personal discomfort.

Especially if it helps them take action on their dreams.

You and I only get a short time to dance on this amazing planet.

We are here to spread positivity, playfulness, laughter, and connection.

You never know who is watching.

And if one of my posts makes someone's day a little bit better...

That's a win!

Why do you post on social media?

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

"It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived." - Helen Walton

This is exactly what I mean by my life mantra: "Live a Story Worth Telling."

When you're on your death bed you won't give a flying fudge cake what kind of car you drove.

Or how many square feet your home was.

Instead, you'll ask yourself:

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙡����𝙛𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧?

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨?

Living a story worth telling is about creating, enjoying, and sharing as many memorable moments and extraordinary experiences as you possibly can.

It's about love, adventure, growth, and helping others.

Do you agree/disagree?

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

@LeilaHormozi I've found that it's through doing the thing that I learn the skills I needed to be able to do the thing.

No amount of thinking about doing the thing will bring those lessons.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

@LewisHowes Don't take life so seriously. Playfulness is a superpower.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

I just had a call where I was sales-y AF.

Instead of feeling gross, it felt great.

It felt awesome because I knew that I could help this person.

Like really, really help them. In a big way!

On this call I came alive.

It made me realize a powerful lesson:

The sales calls that feel great are ones where I KNOW I can help.

That inner knowing leads to a confident and playful Gregory.

It made asking "do you want help with that" the easy and obvious next step.

The next time a sales call isn't going great, I'm going to ask myself:

Do I truly know that I can help this person?

If the answer is no, I'm going to tell them straight up.

I feel like I learned a big lesson today.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Two years ago, my life changed in the span of 10 seconds.

I still can't believe this actually worked.

I was sitting in a cafe when I made eye contact with a woman across the room.

My stomach dropped as a jolt of electricity went through me.

𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧.

The thought flashed through my mind but I quickly dismissed it.

She was sitting at a table with two other people, one of them being a man.

Approaching them in the crowded restaurant would be ridiculous.

Outrageous.

Preposterous!

That's what my mind was telling me when suddenly, another thought arose:

𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.

It was less of a statement and more of an order.

At that moment, I knew I had to speak with her.

When I finished eating, I asked a waiter to borrow a pen.

I wrote my name and phone number on the back of my receipt.

I stood up from my table, palms sweating and heart pounding, as every fiber of my body screamed at me to sit back down.

Instead, I walked across the room.

What happened next, would change my life.

***
Fast forward 730 days.

I'm sitting on a couch in Joshua Tree and the beautiful woman from the story has her legs draped across me.

Today, we celebrated our two-year anniversary.

It's crazy that a terrifyingly bold action can lead to something so special.

But even crazier is that in 11 days, I am giving a TEDx talk.

The topic?

How the universe rewards bold action.

You better believe that the story of meeting my girlfriend is going to be in there.

Those 10 seconds of courage rewarded me with the best romantic relationship of my life.

They also gave me the opportunity to cross something HUGE off my bucket list.

I can't wait to share the TEDx with you.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with five words that have changed my life:

The Universe Rewards Bold Action.

The good news is that they can change your life too.

If you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, you will be rewarded.

P.S. Like or comment so I know to share my TEDx with you once it's live!

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

When I left for the office at 7 am this morning, my roommate said:

"It's inspiring how much you love your job."

That felt good.

I'm unbelievably grateful to be doing what I love every day.

But I want you to know this:

I never would have gotten here if I had listened to what other people had said.

Do you have dreams that are unrealistic like mine were/are?

Good.

I can't wait to hear you tell the story of how they all came true.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

Let's be honest.

You're not ready to quit your 9-5 and grapple with financial instability.

That's okay.

Stop beating yourself up for this.

The hero's journey looks sexy on Instagram.

But in real life, it's a rollercoaster of terrifying uncertainty.

It makes perfect sense that you WANT to make changes but feel STUCK.

Being human is freakin' hard.

But don't mishear me.

Just because I'm saying you don't need to "hurl yourself headfirst in abyss"

(Yes, I actually said those words when I quit my job in finance...hashtag#drama)

Doesn't mean that you have to keep letting your 9-5 slowly murder your soul.

If you're unhappy, do something about it.

The longer you wait, the harder it gets.

People assume that I only help my clients quit their corporate jobs.

In reality, I've helped my clients:
→ Make WAY more money in corporate America
→ Improve their leadership and communication skills
→ Improve their lives so much they realize they actually like their job

If you're feeling stuck in life and want to make some positive changes, let's talk.

No hard sales on my end, just an honest conversation about how I can help.

DM me "change" to schedule a discovery call.

I promise it will be the most valuable hour you've had in a long time.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

This paradigm shift needs to be taught in elementary school.

It won't though, because it comes from a highly controversial figure.

The man I'm talking about was known for:
→ His lifelong use of alcohol and drugs
→ His love of firearms
→ His iconoclastic contempt for authority

His friend once asked him for life advice and this is what he shared:

"Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living WITHIN that way of life." - Hunter S. Thompson.

Deciding how we want to live (and who want to become) must come first.

Our careers should be chosen as a result of doing the inner work.

Not the other way around.

Too many people choose their work first and then try and fit their life into it.

It's no wonder that most people hate their jobs.

No amount of work-life balance and self-care can save you from choosing a career that violates the fundamental values of how you want to live your life.

First decide how you want to live.

Only then, see what you can do to make a living WITHIN that way of life.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

I gave my first keynote last week.

It taught me a powerful (and surprising) lesson.

The first thing to note is that this keynote didn't start as a keynote.

It started as a training I led for a friend's community.

It then morphed into my 2.5-hour signature Bold Action workshop.

Only once I had another friend refer me to speak, did it become a keynote.

This post is meant to show you the messiness behind the scenes.

Because taking messy, imperfect action is how dreams are achieved.

I said yes to the 3-week training opportunity before I knew what I would teach.

I presented the first week without knowing what the next two would look like.

I figured out everything as I went, allowing me to learn and adjust in real time.

Next, I decided I wanted to host an in-person workshop.

I realized I could simply add to the training framework and call it a workshop.

Voila! The Bold Action workshop was born.

But here's my favorite part.

For the keynote, I had to condense 2.5 hours into a single hour.

Then, 2 days before the speech, I was told it needed to be just 30 minutes.

After moments of sheer panic, I sent an email to my BOLD Action community.

I did something that felt super uncomfortable to me:

I asked for help.

I hosted an emergency dress rehearsal the day before my keynote and 10 amazing people showed up.

Gratitude doesn't even come close to describing how thankful I am for them.

My people showed up when I needed them most.

They are a big reason the keynote went so well.

Here are two major ingredients for "success" that aren't in the textbooks:

1. The willingness to take messy, BOLD, and imperfect action

2. Having a supportive group of people around you that you can count on

If you're reading this, you are one of my people.

Thank you for the hugely positive impact you've had on my life!

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

When I quit my job in finance, they told me I was crazy.

My answer was to co-found a nonprofit with a stranger I met on the internet.

I then chose to pursue coaching, writing, podcasting, and speaking.

All professions with incredibly low chances of being "successful."

But here I am 5 years later.

Having made more money than when I worked in finance.

More importantly, I'm wildly happy, fulfilled, and full of purpose.

Don't let anyone talk you out of going after your biggest dreams.

[Gregory Benedikt @BenediktGregory]

@RyanHoliday Especially if you view it as an incredibly effective (albeit uncomfortable) form of immediate feedback. If you do that, it transforms into a major gift.