D1* - You can get what you want out of life according to Ray Dalio.

"In summary, I believe that you can probably get what you want out of life if you can suspend your ego and take a no-excuses approach to achieving your goals with open-mindedness, determination, and courage, especially if you rely on the help of people who are strong in areas that you are weak."

Ray Dalio is one of the best investors of all time. His hedge fund became the largest in the world in 2012 and is still on top. Needless to say, Dalio is one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

His Principles book, from where the above quote is taken, is one of the most influential books I have read about building a real estate business, especially the section titled Your Two Yous and Your Machine.

I love Dalio's quote, which is all about working hard and keeping the right mindset to achieve your goals.  Personally, it reminds me to get after it and stay after it.

When you have 3-5 minutes, look up the story of James Lawrence ("The Most Enduring Man in the World") in SUCCESS magazine. 

Last summer, Lawrence ran 50 Ironman triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) in 50 days in 50 states! That is a significant feat that has never been accomplished before. 

But, from my research, I bet Lawrence would not claim to be the greatest athlete in the world, though clearly he's a very special bread. Rather, I think he would say that his mental strength is more important to his accomplishment.

To me, Dalio's quote and Lawrence's story are great reminders that if you want something bad enough, you can definitely find a way to accomplish it (remember, Napoleon Hill's legendary quote, "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve regardless of how many times you may have failed in the past or how lofty your aims or hopes may be."). I keep Dalio's quote in front of me every month because I don't want to give up on my dreams.

That said, the hard part of getting what you want in life is figuring out exactly what it is that you want, don't you agree?

*Be sure to read the Intro post to this blog series to get the most out of it.