Monday 13 April 2009

I Never Knew This Would Happen... It Could Happen To You Too!

I've been re-writing a few sections of The MAGIC Hundred today in order to update a few of the chapters with things I've learned since I originally launched the program in January 2007.

As I was writing away, it dawned on me how much my life has changed in the 2 short years since the program was released and how a simple decision at one moment in time can DRASTICALLY alter the hundreds, thousands and even MILLIONS of moments that follow.

You probably know what I'm talking about as it's happened to all of us, but I've got to tell you, when I started out with my 'little idea' all those years ago (even before I wrote the program) I had no idea where it would eventually lead me. No idea at all!

I mean, when I left the regular army about 8 or 9 years ago I had nothing.

No qualifications (I'd left school at 16 without taking my exams), no money (I was completely broke) and no obvious means to get either. To make matters worse, I had a young wife, 3 young kids and another one on the way, and nothing remotely approaching the slightest hint of how I was going to support them, let alone give them the things that every father and husband wants to provide for their family.

We were living in high crime council accommodation on a housing estate in North London (in what in the U.S would be known as 'projects') and claiming social security benefits in order to pay the bills and get by and dreaming of ways to improve upon our situation so that we could give our kids some of the better things in life.

I took many temporary jobs including bodyguarding, roadsweeping and even working in sewers in order to get the little bit of extra cash we needed and supplemented my income with my Reserve Forces pay from my territorial army unit weekends, camps and courses, but as fast as I was able to earn a little money it seemed to be eaten up on bills of every conceivable type so that, no matter how hard I worked, we were never able to get ahead.

It was frustrating to say the least but, like most people, it was a frustration i just had to learn to tolerate. After all, my bills had to be paid, right?

Then one day after an army weekend, I noticed one of the other guys in my patrol was reading a book in the back of the truck on the way home. He was coming to the end of it and as he finally turned the last page he glanced up and noticed me looking in his direction. Seeing I was bored he offered me the book, which I gratefully took and in that moment... started a chain reaction of events that would totally transform my life!

I'm not exaggerating.

I read that book all the way home, persuaded my patrol-mate to lend it to me until later in the week and took it home and read, and read and read.

Now, what was surprising to me was that this wasn't a new book. It was old. REALLY old, like 1920's, yet as I read through it I felt as though it had been written specifically with me in mind as it described many of the very things that I had been going through and, more importantly, why.

It told me to hold a major definite purpose uppermost in my mind, pursue it with all vigor and not to quit on it until I accomplished what I'd set out to accomplish.

So I did!

I'd always had an interest in fitness and having boxed, done martial arts and been a soldier, knew that I was naturally gifted in this area as well as passionate. I'd seen ads posted for gym instructor jobs but when I enquired they told me to go get a civilian qualification and they'd consider employing me. Trouble is, I didn't even have the £325 I needed for the YMCA gym instructor course, but the book said that I shouldn't let that put me off, so I set about getting a bunch of temporary jobs to raise the cash.

Eventually I did the course, got qualified and went back to the gym where they told me they only had work for me for 2 hours a week in the shifts that no-one else wanted and that the pay was a measly £5 an hour. I took the job and again, changed the course of my life.

In short, that job led to me becoming a personal trainer, becoming a trainer led me to owning my own studios, owing my own studios led to me working directly with people like Bob Proctor and Joe Vitale from The Secret and working with those guys led to me writing the MAGIC Hundred Goal Achievement Program which sold over $107,000 in the first 7 days of launch and that has led to me traveling the world, speaking at international events and teaching my own rapid goal achievement philosophy to thousands and thousands of people.

Since making that first teeny-tiny decision to read that book instead of going to sleep like my patrol-mates, literally EVERYTHING about my life has changed and I find myself in the weird and rather unlikely position of being some kind of 'goals guru' to people from all around the world who I've never even met and earning more money than I ever thought I'd earn whilst traveling the world and having all kinds of adventures.

It's very strange indeed!

Nice, but strange : )

I now live the kind of life that I'd only dreamed about before with travel all over the world to jungles, deserts and arctic wastelands as well as luxury hotels, secluded islands and all manner of other places that I'd only ever seen in books before I started on this amazing journey that my life has become.

But looking back at how I got to this point in my life and the opportunities I now have before me, I can honestly say it all started with reading that one book. It's as though that one decision was like setting a compass bearing just slightly off course to the original path I'd been on at the time, yet which over the weeks, months and years has moved far off the original course to deliver me to the place I'm at now.

I guess you're wondering 'What's this got to do with me?' right?

Well, nothing I guess...

...and EVERYTHING!

You see, just as my own life has been created by each of the decisions I've made along the way, so has yours.

Everything you've experienced so far is the result of the decisions you've made (or failed to make) up to this point.

That's a fact.

The good news is that that means you can also decide where you want to go, what you want to do and who you want to be just by the simple and straightforward act of making a decision right now. I mean LITERALLY right now!

Just choose to act on something you've been putting off, something you've been 'thinking about' or something that's been tickling away at the edge of your mind and you too could find yourself living the life of your dreams in some not-too-distant future.

I mean it.

It happened to me so why not you?

Make a decision TODAY my friend.

Set a new course!

Truth, joy and love

Dax Moy
www.themagichundred.com

P.S - I almost forgot, I bet you want to know what that book was that started off my magnificent adventure, right?

Put your best guess below and I'll tell you tomorrow : )

(I know, nasty huh?) : )

15 comments:

Troy Anderson said...

Think and Grow Rich?

Bryan kavanagh said...

great post Dax!

I got beat up when i was 15 in a fight (taekwondo) by a guy i knew had a personal trainer. . needless to say i wanted to get him back so i read and i read. . stretching, strength training, the works and my interest in the scientific side of training grew from there! that was the catalyst that led to me pursuing a career in health and fitness! :-)

It is funny a conversation/argument about squatting was what changed my career path after that (long story) and led to me pursuing the online side of things.

eh i was gonna say 'think and grow rich' but that was the 30's . . hmmm ya got me :-)

Bryan

misscmac said...

I am with Troy - Think and Grow Rich is my guess, too!

Amy Robertson - Girlfriend's Biz Alliance / Girlfriend's Biz Planner said...

I am going with Troy and misscmac too! Think and Grow Rich! Reading it right now!

Anonymous said...

It has to be "Think and Grow Rich"...(N. Hill mentions the phrase "Definite purpose" many times...)

Unknown said...

Science of Getting Rich or Think and Grow Rich.

Lisa said...

No mistaking it - Think and Grow Rich! It led me to a huge decision and massive action in one area of my life as well. However, I think it's time to read it again and get to work on the other areas of my life!

Simonjonespt said...

Is it 'The Science of Getting Rich' by Wallace Wattles?

Unknown said...

It's either "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Science of Getting Rich".Both great books!

Steve Ruiz said...

Richest Man in Babylon

Taylor said...

The Science of Getting Rich?

Changing You said...

My changing point was being made redundant in 2003 and becoming a personal trainer at the age of 50

Anju Thomas said...

Yet another very inspiring post , Dax...!! Get going.....bcz u r going a g8 work....

Well, let me mk a guess as to the Book that has changed ur life...??Is it The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, the one with poetic verses??!!

hmmmmm..Anywayz, i must tell u in my world, u hv played, and is playing a remarkable role with ur words...so Cheerrrssss and lotz of thanks.........

c yaaaa, hopefully sooner or later..but surely one day, i knw i will cm across u, to Thank U in person...

Bye 4 nw
Anju.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I agree Think & Grow Rich.

Written so long ago - AMAZING.