OnAscent Radio

Things are not assets, people are assets. In this episode, I discuss why your number one asset is YOU! This podcast episode provides deep insight into the reasoning behind why you are your number one asset. I dive deep into how you can change your mindset and start developing yourself as your true number one asset. As your guide on this journey, it is important that you take these lessons that I've learned from what I've been through and apply them to your life. It's time, look in the mirror, face the facts head on and take this next step on your journey with me, Tony LaPrino.

Most of my life I've lived in the Gap. You know you are in the Gap every time you measure yourself or your situation against an ideal. The ideal is where you wish you were. This leads to feelings of failure, frustration, disappointment, low self-esteem, guilt, and depression. Being in the Gain means you measure yourself against where you were before. This approach leads to feelings of success, satisfaction, confidence, high self-esteem, enjoyment, and optimism. When I change my thinking to the Gain, I feel more peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment, and achievement. I am now trying to only measure myself or my situation against where I was before. This is one of the most difficult challenges that I've faced, but it is so important.

Today I welcome to the show special guest Zachary Beach. Zachary is the CEO and a Partner of SmartRealEstateCoach.com, which is a 3-time Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company that focuses on transforming W2 employees into creative financing real estate investors. With a passion for business building, he is also a partner in Original Real Estate, Wicked Smart Finance, and NatProcessing.com. Zachary is also a 3-time Amazon Best-Selling Author of Real Estate on Your Terms, New Rules of Real Estate Investing, and Sell with Authority for Real Estate Investors. At the age of 24, Zachary decided to leave the world of bartending and personal training and jump into the family business. It was one of the first big risks that he took in his life, as nothing was guaranteed. Plus, he knew absolutely nothing about real estate. Through hard work, in-house training, and implementation, Zachary, his team, and his students have completed hundreds of deals across the country and control $60-$100 million+ of real estate at any given time with little to no money in the deal and no banks involved. He has an amazing wife Kayla and two small children, his son, Remi, and his daughter, Bellamy. He is a prime example of how to be successful both in business and at home. Grab a copy of "Real Estate On Your Terms" here: www.wickedsmartbooks.com/tony2

I have come to realize that I struggle with perfectionism. I have always wanted to do the best and be the best. Sucking has never been an option for me. But obviously, we all have to learn new things, and we can't be great at something brand new to us. Furthermore, we can't lie to ourselves about how good we are at things we have been doing for a long time. I've had to realize that I am not the best at everything I do. I've realized that while striving to be the best is good, it's more important to be humble, realize there is always room for improvement, and always work on improving, regardless of comparisons to others or anyone else's standards. I also have to give myself grace to suck at new things and manage my expectations for how quickly it will actually take to get good. What's most important is to endure the suck and never quit.

Far too many people these days live in the Land of Maybe. The inability to make a decision is weakness. It leads to confusion, lack of confidence, lack of direction, lack of certainty, and lack of power. On the other side of all this is the ability to live a life that is clean and simple. Yes or No. This takes the confusion out of life. Just decide and act. There are consequences to all the decisions we make, but being indecisive is actually a decision in itself, and that decision has its own consequences. It's time get un-stuck. It's time to decide.

The way you see the world drives the way you see the world. This may sound obvious or redundant, but I actually think it's not. We are driving our reality by the stories that we are telling ourselves. Your view of yourself can create the "you" of tomorrow. Your worldview can create a vicious downward spiral or it can instead contribute to constant growth, improvement, and success. Which will you choose for yourself?

Each day, you're faced with the facts of where you are vs. the goals you are seeking to achieve, a.k.a. the finish line. The distance in between is the gap. Living in the gap is a constant challenge. Do you want to push forward toward your goals and narrow the gap every day, no matter what it takes, or will you instead give into adversity and allow the gap to widen? We all have to live in the gap for most of our lives... but are you advancing toward the finish line, or are you letting the gap widen?

Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you were shooting for a goal or wanted something badly, but it seems like it's taking forever to come to fruition? Maybe you're in that moment right now with something in your life. The question is, how long are you willing to fight for what you are after?

Your results sit on the other side of your commitment to do the work that is required. That work looks different for everyone. I'm getting ready to tackle my fifth Ironman 70.3 Triathlon this coming Sunday, July 30th, 2023. This topic of results and commitment is something I deeply understand and take personal responsibility for. What results are you working toward in the four key domains of your life, Faith, Family, Fitness, and Finance? What is your level of commitment to achieving those results?

Why don't you just go back to easy? ...just be like everyone else? This was a question that I asked myself over and over again. Why don't you just go back? My answer: "It's not who you are!" This mentality has helped me through the darkest of times. Without it... well, I'm afraid to even think about what my life would be like. What about you? Do you know? Do you refuse to embrace it? Are you settling for average in your life, health, business, relationships? Only you know. But if you know, you know. And that's for you to wrestle with.

If you asked 100 people what leadership is to them, you would get 100 different answers. What I do know is that to lead, you must have these two characteristics: strong physical and mental strength.  When I talk about leadership, I talk about the ability to lead oneself first.  I do this because if you can't lead yourself, you have no business trying to lead others.

How can you master yourself? Personally, this has been a focus of mine over the last several years, with specific focus on how I can master myself by changing the words I use to talk to myself. Eliminating phrases such as "I can't," "I don't," "I won't," and "I have to" and replacing them with "I choose to," "I prefer to," "I desire to," and "I have decided to" has been a huge step. It impacts what thoughts I allow to take hold in my mind, how I process and work through emotions, how I mentally deal with rejection. This is all just one small piece of how to master oneself.

We have all experienced conditioning in different forms, and it affects our beliefs and worldview. We have four key pillars here at OnAscent: Faith, Family, Fitness, and Finance. What would be possible if we looked at each of these areas of our lives, and if we harbor any bit of resentment in those areas, then we intentionally shift our thinking away from that and let it go? Just like breaking any other habit, it will take practice and tenacity, but it will be worth it. I came across a simple teaching from ancient Huna wisdom, the teachings of the Hawaiian elders: Bless that which you want. Jealousy, resentment, putting down, and cursing will never build us up; we must instead bless that which we desire and do not yet have, and bless those that already have it, and learn from them, rather than harboring negativity toward them. This is the path of ascent.

No matter where you are listening today, pause and say, "I Create My Life." Have you ever heard anyone say, "Life Happens to Me?" I've said it... maybe in different forms. "It's life." "Such is life." "This too shall pass." I heard my father speak these statements a million times. They come from a place of passivity, a place of victimhood. The approach of "I create my life" is different: it takes control. It comes from a mindset of responsibility and abundance. I choose this mindset.

The war within is often more difficult than the war on the outside. Mastering your thoughts, emotions, and will is the ultimate challenge. Our outside circumstances should not break us when they are tough, and likewise, they cannot fix us if we are broken. We must overcome our programming from the past and our obstacles in the present, take our thoughts and emotions captive, and align our will and actions with truth, growth, and success.

Memorial Day has come and gone. Today I want to spend a moment remembering those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. To all the families who may have celebrated in a different way Monday or are mourning the loss of a friend or family member, may God bless you. Thank you all for the opportunity to live free.

This topic of accountability partners continues to come up in conversations I have with clients and others. The question was raised about whether a particular person should do a specific program. He stated, "I would do this and stick with it because I will have accountability partners." My response: "What happens when your accountability partners quit?" Does that mean you get to quit? The best accountability partner ever is YOU! If you rely on others to show up so you can get the result in your life you want, then you will most likely fall short. You don't need accountability partners. They're an excuse for you to quit on yourself.

Only the strong... what? Survive, last, win, come out on top? What's the answer? They all may be true. Only the strong are willing to choose the path of resistance, face exposure, tell the truth, show vulnerability, and have the courage to be all themselves and have peace of mind and heart in doing so. The definition of strong is different for everyone. Everyone is on a journey in their own lives, and you never really know where on that journey they are. Strong could mean I got out of bed today when I didn't feel like it. Strong could mean I didn't have a drink today. My strong is different than yours, and that's perfect. If you choose to be strong today, I applaud you. Most won't choose to be strong; most choose to hide, run, lie, and pretend. Be strong today.

Most people today expect massive results in little to no time while putting forth minimal effort; they want to do as little as possible for as short a time as possible, and they still expect big results. Well, life doesn't work like that.

I want to talk about the experience of walking into the headwinds vs. walking with a tailwind. One is clearly easier than the other. Would you choose to walk into the headwind, or would you choose to walk with the tailwinds? I noticed my physical demeanor on my walk earlier this week when it was pouring rain, strong winds, and raw and cold outside. I left my apartment, took a left, and said to myself, "This isn't that bad; it's just raining." Then I turned the corner, straight into the wind. 30 – 40 mph gusts with rain pounding me in the face. Easy was over. My head and eyes were down to the ground. My back hunched and my chest collapsed. My pace slowed and my thoughts went negative. It didn't last. Another two turns and I was walking with the tailwind. My head and eyes came up, and I was standing tall with my chest up, shoulders back, and moving with confidence. It came to me: if this isn't life, I don't know what is. Choosing to walk into the headwind, enduring for a period of time, knowing that within a couple turns, everything can change.