by Joe Apfelbaum
CEO & Co-Founder, Ajax Union Online Marketing SEO Company NY, Google Trainer, Business Mentor, Public Speaker
When we look at the greatest people, we tend to think that they were born with special gifts, that they had better luck or that they have a special soul. We don't often think about our own ability to accomplish great things like that because it seems too far-fetched.
We are taught to think that money can buy anything and that people with money know something that we don’t. Money makes the world go round, right?
There are plenty of people who have all the money they can ever dream of having, but are still unhappy, unfulfilled, and want something that money simply cannot buy. They keep indulging in things that bring them closer to death and farther from a life of happiness.
As an orthodox Jew, I went to a school called Yeshiva. We were expected to sit down for 12 hours a day and learn the
Torah (Bible). Yes, we had breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We got recess to play ball and have a good time, but the practice came down to precision, dedication, and hard work. I was taught that we must control our bodies, our minds, and our souls. We must not eat everything we want, we must not look at everything we feel like looking at or think about the things we are not supposed to think about.
I was taught that by controlling the things God gave us the ability to control, we will be able lead happy, purposeful lives.
It was not until I became a successful entrepreneur that was fortunate enough to build an amazing company that I learned that self control is the true key to growth.
All the things I learned in Yeshiva as a young boy and later as a teenager started to make sense to me, from being socially responsible, to controlling my emotions and being grateful the second I opened my eyes in the morning.
In my experience, individuals that learn to control the following three avenues have massive success in any area that they desire.
The Body: We are born without the ability to control our body. Babies go when they need to go, cry when they are want something. It’s natural. There is no self control. Then, as we get older, we realize that we need to wait for things. We need to control our impulses, lest we get arrested or shunned from our social habitat. If we want to succeed, we need to own our life and that starts with owning our body.
Your body can hold you back from growing. If you don’t take control, it can make you feel lazy and defeated. You can feed it healthy things that make you feel good. You can drink lots of water. You can exercise by running and dancing and
working those muscles. Leave it to the body and it won't do any of those things and it will control your life. You can have all the money in the world but you will never be able to pay your body to do unnatural things that will bring you to true wellness. Owning your body is the first step to success.
The Mind: Your mind is a muscle. The more you use it, the more it works for you. It is the most powerful organ in your body. It decides what is pain, what is pleasure, when to be happy and when to be angry. You are what you think you are and your thoughts develop who you become.
I used to say things like, “Let me just live. I don’t want to think about it.” That thinking did not drive me to growing one of the fastest growing companies or changing my life for the better.
What does owning your mind mean? It means tapping into the subconscious parts of your mind and changing the way that you think about things. Changing the natural way we are programmed to think and getting your inner thoughts to work for your wellbeing.
The things that we think about when we sleep will control our actions while we are awake. They will control our emotions and desires. Growing up, I learned that the mind controls the heart and nothing can stand in the way of desire. Desire comes from the heart and if you want to shape your will power, it all starts by owning your mind. Once you own your mind, you will be able to own your progress, thereby taking yourself to the next level.
The Soul: “Lucky people have a special soul. They were blessed and now they are better off than most people.” That is a terrible excuse used much too often. What I learned in Yeshiva is that we all have the ability to develop our soul because we all have a part of the One Infinite God inside us. Owning your soul is about deciding how you will be treating the people around you; deciding the type of morals and values that you will have. How will you behave when you are challenged by temptation to steal, cheat, kill, or worse?
In business we are constantly challenged. Our morals and ethics are constantly pushed to the limit. How you treat the people in your circles and how you influence them will define how special your soul is.
Having a special soul is more about the decisions we make every day, every hour and every minute. Owning your soul comes first from owning your body and your mind.
We all need to stop making excuses that involve luck and start taking responsibility for the things that we can control.
If you are able to make your body healthier, if you are able to work on your emotions and refine yourself, you will be able to own the key to your success. People that decide that they want that easy road, get rich quick, win the lotto or get the ticket to freedom by some random power are in for a big surprise. Work hard, own your body, own your mind and and own your soul. Nothing will be able to stop you from meeting any goal you set.
Sharing my religious experience and beliefs is not something that I have ever done publicly. I was encouraged to do so by the founder of the INC business council. My mentor and friend, Lewis Schiff, told me, “Joe, you look the part and live a successful and deep meaningful life. Start to speak from the heart and tell people who you really are, where you came from, and why you do the things you do.” He said “Yes, some people will hate you for it, but you can’t be everything to everyone. Just be you.”
So, here I am. This is what I believe. This is why I wake up at 4 a.m. and push myself to be the best father, husband, son, brother, community member, mentor, CEO, entrepreneur, friend, person I can possibly be. To make this world a better place.
If you were inspired by this article please share it on every social media site you use, along with your thoughts. You never know what that might accomplish. You might just send it to someone who is looking to change his or her life and this may be the ticket they need to unlimited success.
Whether you love or hate what I said here, please comment and let me know what you think is the source of success.
Please let me know how you feel about my ideas and background. I want to hear both the bad and the good.
Lets start talking about how we can help each other to take our lives to the next level and make this a better world for everyone.
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