Tony Robbins: No One Is Ready For What's Coming (The truth about AI).
I'm trying not to cry. I'm just like, um, [snorts] I hate suffering. [music]. I've suffered myself and so I hate to. see anybody suffer. And so, um, this is. my mission. This is what I'm made for. And, um, I'm just one guy. I can't do. everything, but I can do a lot. Um, I always try to help people say, "How can you turn your worst [music] day. into your best day?". >> Please help me welcome to the stage, Tony Robbins. He's the nation's number one life and.
business strategist. >> He's worked with royalty, elite. athletes, Oscar winners, scientists, [music] and everyone in between. >> to overcome their limitations and. accelerate change. >> Can you take us back to the environment. that shaped you into the man that you. are? >> So, I grew up in a tough environment. I. had four different fathers. My mom, [music] she drank alcohol and took. prescription drugs. We had no money, no. food. And then the thing that changed my. whole life was a knock on the door on. Thanksgiving. There was this tall guy. standing there with two bags of. groceries and an uncooked frozen turkey. in a pan. And my dad saw this man. He.
said, "We don't take charity." And he. went and slammed the door on the guy. But it became a very useful and. distinction for me about how he and I. process that day differently because. there's three decisions you make every. moment of your life. And the real. problem is the story you have. For. example, that day my dad's focus was the. fact he not fed his family and he was. worthless. However, I took that as. strangers care. And so the story is the. belief you've [music] told yourself over. and over because belief is the invisible. force that controls everything in your. life. And then there's the third. decision. What am I going to do? And. [music] so what I decided to do is.
someday I'm going to do this for others. and end suffering where I can. And so. I'm going to show you how to get clear. what you really want. Figure out what's. been stopping you. Put the plan in place. and teach you the most important thing. that's made me successful. >> And I don't think people fully realize. the significance of how many of the most. influential people on planet Earth you. have worked with and continue to work. with. What is the pattern that you. noticed in those people? >> So, I found four things with them. And. the first thing is, >> listen, my my team gave me a script that. they asked me to read, but I'm just. going to ask you um in the nicest way I.
possibly can. Thank you first and. foremost for choosing to subscribe to. this channel. It is um it's been one of. the most incredible, crazy years of my. life. I never could have imagined. I had. so many dreams in my life, but this was. not one of them. And the very fact that. these conversations have resonated with. you and you've given me so much feedback. is something I will always be. appreciative of. and I almost carry away. a sort of burden of uh responsibility to. pay you back. And the favor I would like. to ask from you today is to subscribe to. the channel if you um would be so. obliged. It's completely free to do. that. Roughly about 47% of you that.
listen to this channel frequently. currently don't subscribe to this. channel. So, if you're one of those. people, please come and join us. Hit the. subscribe button. It's the single free. thing you can do to make this channel. better. And every subscriber sort of. pays into this show and allows us to do. things bigger and better and to push. ourselves even more. And I will not let. you down if you hit the subscribe. button. I promise you. And if I do, please do unsubscribe, but I promise I. won't. Thank you, [music]. Tony. I was I was shocked. It was so.
surprising to me that you had the. childhood you had based on the outcomes. that you've accomplished in your life. And as someone that has followed you for. a very long time, I imagine that there's. many other people that have followed you. for a very long time that have no idea. about the early context. For those. people, >> can you take us back to the environment. that shaped you into the man that you. are? >> Well, I think, you know, I grew up I. grew up in a tough environment. I had um. four different fathers. My mom was a.
very intense and passionate woman. Uh we. never had any money. We're very very. poor. Uh my mom was probably the most. important influence in my life by far. Um very loving woman but a very stressed. woman and under that stress she drank. alcohol and took prescription drugs and. when she did that she became very. violent. So I took the brunt of that and. then figured out how to manage her. emotions basically. Uh it's where all my. beginning training really happened and. yet at the same time she was loving it. She pushed me. She believed in me. Uh. she wanted me to be something. So she. influenced my life in so many beautiful.
ways. And then probably what changed my. life the most though is my forefather. especially made it clear no one gives a. damn about anybody else. We lived in a. um what I thought was an upper class uh. community or city but we were on the. other side of the tracks. It was lower. middle class and we were you know. literally right by the railroad tracks. where the worst of the worst live so to. speak. And so we're kind of looked down. on. And so it really looked like nobody. cares. And then the thing that changed. my whole life a single event was a knock. on the door on Thanksgiving. We had no.
money, no food. When I say no food, we. had crackers and peanut butter, but not. a Thanksgiving dinner, right? And uh my. dad has been mom are screaming each. other through a door and my dad had lost. his job. You get the knock of the door. and I go open the door and there's this. tall guy standing there with two bags of. groceries, one in each hand, and at his. feet he had an uncooked frozen turkey in. in a pan, you know. And he said, "Is. your father here?" And I was like, "Just. one moment." You know, and I was like, it was Christmas morning. So, I go to my. dad and I go, "Hey, Dad, there's someone. at the door for you." And he goes, "Who. is it?" And I said, "I don't know. It's.
for you." He goes, "Well, you answered.". I said, "I already did. It's for you.". So, he goes over there and I'm waiting. like with such excitement for him to. open the door. And he saw this man and. he was not happy. He looked at this man. before the guy say a word and he said, "We don't take charity." And he went and. slammed the door on the guy. But the man. had leaned in because of the groceries. and it hit his shoulder and it bounced. off, which made my dad even matter. And. they said, "Sir, sir," he said, "Somebody knows you're having a tough. time. Everyone has tough times. They. want you to have this food for your.
family for Thanksgiving." He goes, "I'm. just the delivery guy." And my father. said, "We don't take charity." And he. pushed the door again. But this time, because the guy's leaning, his foot now. has stepped in. It hit his foot and. bounced off. And then now my dad's. getting more fired up. And I'm standing. looking at this whole thing, and it's. like a car crash happening. And the guy. said something to my dad. I thought my. dad was going to punch him in the face. He didn't say it meanly. He said, "Sir,". he said, he saw me. He said, "Don't make. your family, you know, suffer because of. your ego.".
And I can still see it like yesterday. My dad's veins on both sides of his neck. were just pumping and he was red as can. be. And then he just dropped his. shoulders. He took the groceries. He. slammed it on the table and he slammed. the door. And he never even said thank. you. It took me maybe a decade to. eventually figure it out. And it became. a very useful and distinction for me. about how he and I process that day. differently because I believe there's. three decisions you make every moment of. your life. You're making them right now. if you're listening to me and so is your. audience. The first one is what are you. going to focus on? You're going to be.
focused on what happened yesterday, what. you're going to have for lunch, what I'm. saying, how it relates to you. There are. millions of things you can focus on. But. you don't experience life. You. experience the life you focus on. And. most of us are distortion deletion. creatures. Our brains don't take it all. in consciously. it's too much. So our. brains delete things. We distort things. We generalize things so we can make it. through our lives. And so if you don't. control your focus, you react. And that. day, my dad's focus was the fact he not. fed his family. It wasn't hard to figure.
out. He said it over and over again. after after he slammed the door. And my. focus was, "Wow, there's food. What a. concept." You know, I was excited. But. the second decision you make every. moment, the minute you focus on. something, your brain has to figure out, what does this mean? Is this the end or. the beginning? Is this person dissing. me? Is they are they challenging me? Are. they coaching me? Are they loving me? And whatever meaning you give, it. produces emotion. And out of that. emotion, you make the third decision. What am I going to do? And that day, I. know the meaning my dad did. It wasn't.
just that he didn't feed his family. It's that he was worthless. You know, I. can't even feed my family. And he. muttered all this stuff continuously. But I I took that as stranger's care. It. completely violated everything I had. experienced in my life up until that. point. And my brain was like, if a. stranger doesn't even want credit for. this and they fed my family on. Thanksgiving, I got to care about strangers. And so. what I decided to do is someday I'm. going to I'm going to do this for. others. And so when I was 17, I went out. and I uh I didn't have a lot of money,
but was doing okay. And I went to a. grocery store and I told the manager. what happened in my life and I said, "I. want to feed two families. Help me out. Give me a discount." And he gave me 10%. off. And I thought, "Cheep bastard." But. I took it. I had the most enjoyable. shopping. I took two shopping carts and. just filled it up with two families. And. then I um I called this church and I. said, "Who do you know that needs help. but won't ask for it? Won't come for. it." And they gave me two families. names. And so I wrote a little note. I. just put this is a gift from a friend. Everyone has tough times. I hope you.
have a beautiful Thanksgiving and. someday if you can pay this forward. I. didn't use the word pay it forward. I. said do this for someone else. But now. you look at us pay it forward. and I put. love a friend. And then I I realized I. was going to the bario area of the city. and I was like maybe they don't speak. English. So I had a friend of mine write. in Spanish on the back. So I figured I. could flip it over. And I the first. house I went to, it's a little tiny. place. I knock on the door and this. woman about this tall asmatic woman sees. me and sees the food and screams and. then grabs my head and pulls it down, starts kissing me on the cheek and said,
"No, no, no. Delivery boy, delivery. boy." And she and I and I pull out the. note and I flipped it over in Spanish. and she read it and then she started to. cry and she goes and she started giving. me kissing. I said, "No, deliver." She. goes, "No, gift of God. Gift of God.". And I'm trying not to cry, you know, just like um I feel like it was. yesterday still. And so, um I the door. opened. It's a tiny little place size of. your kitchen here or reminder of your. kitchen. And um and I I was so excited.
to start food down. All a sudden I heard. screams and then next thing I know I'm. hit by one and by another four boys. And. one hit one leg, one hit the other. They. saw the food they went crazy. Um and I. said, "Come help me." You had other. stuff in the van. And when they saw the. pumpkin pie, it was really over, you. know, and we bought all this food in and. it was time to go. And um the father had. left them. I found out later 4 days. before Thanksgiving with no money and no. food. And I'm anyway I'm looking through.
the mirror and I just started crying. uncontrollably and I'm like why am I. crying so bad? This is such a beautiful. moment. And I just realized you know my. worst day of my life was really my best. day. That the day that was the most. painful to me cuz that father is the one. who he adopted me. I carry his name. um. that I wouldn't be there that day. I'm a. good human being, but you know, would I. work as hard as I worked to feed other. people? I mean, I'm next year I did.
four, then eight, then 12, then I had a. little company. I got my employees. involved. Then I got to a million. people, two million people. And then. about 12 years ago, I decided I want to. throw I want to feed a billion meals. here in the United States in 10 years. And so, it's grown and grown and grown, all from not being fed. And so, I I I. see it as a blessing. I see. I always. try to help people say, "How could you. turn your worst day into your best day?". That's when life is really magical. >> How many years has it been since you met. that young mother with her four. children? >> I was 17. I'm going to be 66.
>> Wow. 50 years. >> Yeah. >> And it still brings you to tears to. recount that. >> It really does. >> Why? Why is that? >> Um I have a I hate suffering. I've. suffered myself and so I hate to see. anybody suffer. And so I'm unbelievably. driven to end suffering where I can to. help anyone do that. Whether it be. hunger or emotional hunger or depression. or sadness or relationship or I just I. don't know what it is. I just I love. human beings. I hate suffering and I.
hate and I love to see when somebody. awakens to who they are. And we all are. so much more than we ever you know. perceive oursel to be. But many times. you don't discover that until you have. to. I like to try and show people how to. do it. So I have to wait till life hits. them. you know, anything you can. imagine. We're all going to go through. extreme stress in our lives, but how do. you do stress or distress? Use you. And. so, my whole thing is help people show. them how to use stress. Cuz I don't care. how good a person you are. I don't care. how spiritual or religious you are. I.
don't care how smart you are, how rich. you think you are. Every human being is. going to go through extreme stress. multiple times in their life. And the. real question is, what are you gonna do. with it? And the first thing is, if. you're going through hell, keep going. But if you keep going, you discover. number one how strong you really are. Cuz if you don't give up, you'll. discover who you are. The second thing. you find out is who your real friends. are. Cuz when things aren't so great, you get to see who those are. And then. third, it almost gives you like an. inoculation to future stress. Cuz like I. had a friend that was shot down in.
Vietnam and was in a prison there for. seven years in solitary confinement. And. um Captain Coffee is his name. And I. remember I met him later in life and he. was going through this tough thing with. the IRS and it was so unfair. It took. him three years. He got his money back. But I said, "Doesn't that drive you. crazy?" He goes, "After being with the. North Vietnamese," he goes, "You know, what could the IRS do to me?" You know, so I think those pieces are there. But. everyone gets called on the journey. Most people try to resist it, but that. journey, that's what the call is. It's a. call to grow. So I'm I'm big on change.
your story, change your life. And I'm. big on understanding the narrative of. where you are in the story of your life. Because if you understand where you are, it gives context. It gives meaning and. it doesn't make you feel overwhelmed. >> Had your mother not suffered in such a. way, do you think this would be so. important to you had you not observed. that suffering? >> Yeah. No, I I I I've often said I'm like. I said earlier, I think I'm I'm a good. human being. I think I still to help. people, but would I providing 62 billion. meals and working around the clock on. top of, you know, my 114 companies and.
all that? No, I don't think I would. And. that hunger comes very often from pain. But pain's not enough to keep you going. Pain only goes so far. You've got to. find something that it's like I I tell. people there's two types of motivation, right? There's push motivation. You. know, you're making something happen. And I have enormous willpower. I'm sure. you do. Most of the people we probably. interact with have great willpower, right? >> But there's still a limit to it. But. there's no limit to pole motivation. Pole is there's something so magnificent.
you want to serve something that you. care about more than yourself. That's. where all the energy in life comes from. You know what's in your heart and your. soul. What wakes you up in the morning. and makes you go. And I think if I. hadn't had the pain, I don't think I. would have been sensitized. But I also. if I hadn't felt the pleasure of serving. and seeing impact on such a large scale, then you know, you'd be limited because. you listen, meeting your own needs is. not that hard. Like I my biggest beef. with right now is since co is this whole. self-care revolution we've got. I mean,
you got to take care of yourself. Don't. get me wrong. I take care of myself. And. you know, you get weaker and weaker the. more you focus on yourself. The human. mind is always going to figure out. something that isn't good enough. But. when you're serving, you're not there. Like your mind's not there. You're with. the people. You're with what you're. doing. And it's the escape from the. mind's reductionism. And so I really. believe that people the secret to life. is to find something you care about more. than yourself that gives you that pull. motivation. And then you're never going.
to lack for energy. You're never going. to lack for passion. You're never going. to lack for anything. And you're going. to have a life that's extremely. meaningful. It's not happy every moment. there. They're not meant to be. If you. smile, have you ever smiled so much face. hurt? >> You know, we need variety. So you But. meaning that's something you can find no. matter what. >> I asked you before we started recording. um a question I almost never ask any of. my guests, which is what is the thing. that we should be talking about the. most? and you told me, you know, shortly. after um what your answer was, but you. know, even shortly after that, you then.
went on to talk to me about how you're. driven to end suffering. Now, if I. compare these two answers, the answer. you gave me to the question I asked. about what's the most important thing. for us to be talking about and your. second point about your desire to end. suffering, there's probably some kind of. overlap. >> There is. Yeah. So, if I were to ask you. just for because we weren't recording. then, what you think maybe the most. consequential thing we should be talking. about right now is as it relates to. suffering and everything that's going on. in society, what would that answer be? >> I think it's uh AI, but it's not just. AI, it's nanotechnology, it's how. technology, the rapid change in.
technology and if you don't believe it's. going to destroy humanity and it's going. to liberate us from a lot of labor, if. you believe that, the ones that promote. that concept. If that does happen and we. displace this many jobs in this short a. period of time, jobs are not just money. Jobs are meaning. It's not the only form. of meaning, but it's meaning. So, it's. like you talk about, well, we'll do give. people UBI and okay, I think you might. have to because the changes are going to. happen so rapidly. Like I said, you. know, farming, 80% of us were farmers.
150 years ago. Now, it's 3%. We feed the. world. That's a long transition. Uh, I. think I mentioned to you off the air. here, I was visiting with President. Obama 10 years ago and towards the end. of his term there and I was saying, "Hey, I just got to talk to you. You. know, you inherited a pretty tough. economy from the original 2008 explosion. breakdown. We lost 8 million jobs." So, I said, "There's technology coming right. now that we can predict is going to. displace more than those 8 million. jobs." And I talked to him at that time. just about I said, "Just take one like.
self-driving cars." We were just. starting to come out. I said, "In the. next 10, 12, 13, 14 years, they're going. to become ubiquitous." And I said, "There's 8 million truck drivers, Uber. drivers, and taxi drivers. And. [clears throat] are you doing anything. to retool them?" I said, "Because. >> just in the US, >> just in the US." I said, "Because if you. don't, think about this. If I'm a. business person and I can hire a person. to drive a truck only eight hours a day, I have to pay for the healthcare, which. gets more expensive every year. Um, they're going to [ __ ] at me about. things. And I can buy a truck that can.
drive 24 hours a day. My insurance is. cheaper because it doesn't make mistakes. and I can depreciate the asset. Am I. going to hire anybody? I said, so those. jobs going to go that's 8 million. That's one sector. We could look at. pharma. There's so many industries. affected. So I said, we've got to retool. those people now where there's 10 years. to gear them up because these are not. people that are going to do it on their. own and they're going to be shocked. The. shock to their system. The loss of. dignity of of being in control agency of. their own life, of their own job, of.
their own direction is huge. And if you. go back to like the Ludites, you know, you're from the UK, right? You must know. your history there. 1800s, you know, Merkantile, they come up with these. machines and how did people react? And. by the way, this story is the same. across history. We have a radical change. like this. All these people are. displaced and what did they do? They. rioted. They took hammers and they. destroyed those machines. They. threatened to kill the owners of those. companies and some were shot and killed. They blew up and firebomb places. And.
what did the UK uh you know do about. this? They passed a law in the first. year of this of these ludites saying you. destroy machine, it's capital. punishment. They hung people because. they couldn't have them destroy the. growth of the of the economy, right? And. guess what? 15 years later, the same. thing happened again with the thrashers. thrasher machines that were used for. wheat and they lost all the jobs and the. people and the government overreacted. I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, but if anything this transition is just. going to be smooth by us doing nothing,
they're wrong. And the problem is, as I. mentioned to you before, I think the. leverage is not in favor of us taking. care of society. The leverage is the. carrot and the stick. The carrot is I. can make a trillion dollars if I have. the right LLM or, you know, if I get to. artificial general intelligence. Who. knows? And if we don't do it, China's. going to do it. That's the stick. And. then they're going to run the world. So. there's no focus on safety virtually, as. you well know. And there's certainly no. focus on what's happening with these. jobs. Right now, high school students.
are getting jobs more than college. students for the first time in 50 years, right? You see the displacement. You. know, you got friends just like I do. Mark Benoff's one of my dear friends. They let go of like what was it? I think. it was was it 5,000 customer service. agents and now it's done with AI now. Now he wants to elevate them to other. jobs. So we have to look at what this. means to our society. We have to. anticipate what this means and we've got. to retool not just the jobs but the. psychology because people talk about a.
post-work world. You hear people talk. about this all the time. Elon, people. like that. They labor is not like. electricity. You just take it for. granted. It's so cheap. It's so easy. Well, if that's true, and he's talking 3. to 5 years, and a lot of people say. Elon's early, he usually is uh in his. predictions, but Ray Kerszwell is a good. friend of mine. He's the most accurate. predictor of technology in history. And. he's been saying 2029 for almost 20. years is when we have artificial general. intelligence. If you go to Hinton, I. think you've interviewed Hinton, haven't. you? Right. So, he's the longest. He's. saying 2030 to 2040. He's given us a.
little more room. In the next 3 to 10. years, this is going to happen. How are. we prepared for this? And so this is the questions I'm trying. to bring up to people that have. influence to say if you're in business, you got to take a look at this. If. you're in government, you got to take a. look at this. And so I I just got um. they haven't announced yet, but I just. got selected to be on the federal. advisory committee for the president and. for the health and human services and. I'm on the mental health side and I'm. hoping to use that position to bring. more of government's focus into this.
category as well because it's it's got. to be addressed. >> when we recite these. And that's by the. way the answer to your question is and. that's suffering. >> That's suffering at the highest level. Not just financial suffering. That's. emotional suffering. That's loss of. identity suffering. If I am a coder, I. am a truck driver and I lose who I am. Now I just want to say one last thing. We've already been in a postwork world. because I one person said to me. recently, well, for 4,000 years we tied. our identity to our work. I said, no, Americans all go, what do you do? Not. everybody in the world does that. And.
for 4,000 years, our connection post. before the agricultural revolution was. really what tribe we're connected to. And our sense of significance was maybe. our courage in battle, not our financial. component. Or maybe it was our. creativity, our poetry, our storytelling. capacity, or maybe it was our. generosity. Um maybe it was our wisdom. So we can find other things to have. meaning besides a job. But if you don't. take a culture that's been conditioned. for 200 years to think a certain way,
we're going to have a lot of pain. And I. would like to see us have less of that. if we could. And I'm only one person, but I'll do my best to help people make. that transition. >> It's funny because when we think about. those historical examples of transition, I for many reasons think this is even. more extreme. >> I agree. >> Because you have intelligence and you. have you've basically disrupted both the. muscles and the mind. But you know if. the reason it's going to explode even. faster is because we're moving from LLM. to now actually studying visually what's. happening in the real world. And when. robots do that then the game changes.
their tempo of learning. And just think. about this. You and I are having a. conversation. I picked up one of your. books here and I'm reading through your. book. So I want to get a feel for who. you are and everything else before I. came here. I've seen some of your videos. but and I know like I really enjoyed it. But I had to go get that. I had to take. a couple hours to dig through that. You. and I have a conversation. If either one. of us learn something we're a machine. every machine knows it instantly. You. push one button and they have all of. that knowledge. There's none of this. word transfer. It's just it's now. So, [snorts] people don't realize what this. really means. And when you're learning.
from the real world, not just LLMs, right now, you and I are our brains are. predictive devices. They're predicting. what is going to happen next to the best. of our ability. And we're trying to. close that gap as much as we can or we. get jolted. Well, think how predictively. that's going to do to people's heads. when all of a sudden their labor is not. needed. >> And it's no longer blue collar labor, which is what people thought it would. be. It's white collar labor. I mean, like my financial I have a lot of I have. uh I own 95 different private equity. firms. I have own the firms, not the. actual funds, right? So, I get to do and.
20 of them and I got pieces of all of. them. So, they're biggest in the world. And so, I get to take a look at some of. the things that are happening so fast. And I look at all those jobs and I see. people in those industries and quantum. is taking it took over maybe five years. ago. I've seen the shrink in these. offices from staffs the guys who are. making 5 million $10 million a year that. are now unemployed. Right? It's not just. the blue collar worker. It's everyone. So you're right. This has never happened. before in history. And what's being done.
about it? >> More money's been put into it to. accelerate it. >> The carrot and stick, the trillionaire. and China, those two pieces are driving. it all. And a few people are trying to. hammer like Hinton and a few other. people. We got to work on safety here so. it doesn't eliminate the human race. And. I'm not a reactionary person, but you. know of what is it 25 30% of them people. that work in AI say that they think it. could potentially do that. I mean like. you could use electricity to kill people. or light up a city. So all technology is. that challenge. But this is a different. technology. This is a technology that. keeps learning can replicate itself.
Right now they don't even know how some. of this actually works. They don't know. how the AI is actually working. It's. teaching itself. These AIs now have. their own language. I'm sure you know. they're talking no longer in English to. each other. And you know, I'm sure. you've seen the studies, right, where. they give them information on in the. email and then they say they're going to. shut shut off the AI and it blackmails. them by giving them they g information. about somebody having an affair and it. blackmails them. I mean, it lies. So, we're we're living in a crazy world. where the opportunity is greater than.
any time in his history for us to be. creators. We were created and we're. meant to create and we've got tools to. create like never before. But we we're. going to have to make sure that as we're. doing that, we've got some parameters. around safety and some parameters about. what does it do to society. And I don't. have the perfect answers for it. But I. do know one thing, retooling is the. answer. And I don't believe most people. will be replaced by an AI. They'll be. replaced by somebody who knows how to. use AI. >> Yeah. One of the things you said there. really blew my mind when I watched a. video from Boston Dynamics this week. where they the guy explained how these. robots are going to learn. And he goes.
there's two ways. One way is we're going. to get our factory workers to wear a. suit and every time the factory worker. does something the the all the robots. are going to learn that thing. And the. other thing is he said is if one of our. robots learns something whether it's how. to pick up a book or how to make an. omelette every robot learns it. instantaneously. And my mind was like. wow that is I personally. don't know where this leaves us. to well. neither do I but there are certain.
things you know it's leading us towards. you know it's going to lead us to a. great deal of violence because there are. going to be people like have always. happened with technology displaces them. only this is going to be a global event. across multiple areas and not just. drivers of Ubers and truck drivers if we. don't get our act together and have a. plan there's going to be violence for. some period of time there'll be there's. that grief period of loss and that. people go through when something jars. them that much and some people don't. return from that grief. And some people. are going to take this technology and. they're going to go off. It's already.
happening now even without AI. There are. more males at home 25 to 35 living at. home with their family not working than. any time in human history including the. depression. Right? There are I think. it's 25% or I think it was 30% I forgot. the number. I just saw it recently of. young men have never approached a woman. to ask her out for a date. They play. video games all day long. their mom does. their laundry and they order Uber Eats. This is a mass number of people. That's. just the technology of getting somebody.
gamified. Imagine with AI. So, some. people are going to go live there and. some people are going to go the Star. Trek route and say, "I'm going to figure. out what makes human existence be here.". But it's not hard to figure out. The. majority are not going to go the Star. Trek route. And so, we've got to have a. bridge because of the time compression. If this was a hundred years to do it, we. could adjust. There will be more jobs. There'll be new jobs. There'll be new. time. But it's the time frame that I'm. most concerned about. So when you ask me. what I'm concerned about, that's what. I'm concerned about because it creates. suffering. And it's something that we.
can predict is going to create. suffering. And yet I see very few people. in positions of influence and power. doing much about it. >> So on an individual level, if you were. an 18-year-old Tony Robbins, what would. you be doing at this moment? What would. you be focusing on work-wise? How would. you be designing your life for such a. world? >> I have five kids and five grandkids, right? So, I have a 52-year-old daughter. and I have a thanks to CO a 4-year-old. daughter. So, CO was good to me. I was. home. So, um I look at my my especially.
my grandkids and my daughter and I say. they're entering a world that none of us. have known before. And so, how do I arm. them for it? And the answer is a couple. of things. Number one, I have to teach. them not to do what most people in the. world do. Most people you talk to of any. even quote successful people, whatever. that means, they're stressed all the. time. Stress. I'm so stressed. You hear. people talk about stress all the time. It's like they argue about who's more. stressed. And I I look at that and go, why are they stressed? And the answer is.
because they're managing their life. We're not made to manage circumstances. We're made to create. We were created by. something. Call it your creator. Call it. the universe. Call it God. Whatever you. want to call it. And we were made to. create. And when we create, we're alive. When we just try to maintain or manage. or hold on to something, if we're just. caught up in making a living instead of. designing a life, life is a [ __ ] And. that's why so many people have so many. challenges. So, I'm teaching my kids to. be creators and I teach them the second. piece, the most important thing I.
believe that's made me successful. And. anyone I've ever interviewed, you. interviewed a million people. You see if. you agree or disagree with me. The three. most important skills in life now are. the ones that allow you to learn more. rapidly. If you learn rapidly, you can. win no matter what happens with the. technology. And what are those three. skills? Number one, the skill of pattern. recognition. When you can recognize patterns, you. eliminate fear. Fear comes from this has. never happened before. I don't know what. this is. Chaos. Like I hear people all. the time talk about how we've never been.
this place politically where here in. America where the most we're going to. have a civil war. The And they don't do. any history whatsoever. I I have these. two placards that I have because back. then they didn't have ads, right? They. had placards and one is from Thomas. Jefferson talking about Adams and one of. Adams about Jefferson and they said. stuff that make Republicans and. Democrats look like they're nice to each. other. I mean it's just unbelievable the. stuff they said. This is a cycle. And so. when you recognize a pattern it gives. you power, potential power at least. The. first power is you're not not afraid. anymore. You go now this is not.
something that's never happened. This is. not something that's going to I I can. see this. I can see how this has been. dealt with. What took us from living in. fear, from being hunter gatherers or. trying to survive every day, didn't know. if we're going to survive every day to. being able to stay in one place? What pattern recognition? >> I was going to say the seasons, but. >> you got it. >> Really? >> That's it. The seasons. I figured you. got the seasons. Because before that, you could do the right thing at the. wrong time and you get pain. And three.
of the four seasons are the wrong time. So once we figured out, oh my god, if I. plant in the spring and I take care. through the hot summer, I get this big. reaping and if I hang on to some of it. to make it through the winter, I can. live here. I don't have to worry. All my. fear disappears. So we have the minute. we understood seasons, it changed. humanity. And by the way, there's the. seasons to your life. You could say 0 to. 21 is springtime. Springtime. How hard. is it for something to grow in. springtime? If you start a business in.
an economic spring where everybody's. optimistic, you think you're a genius, you're just in the right season, right? >> So 0 to 21, you're taken care of. And. that season, you grow like crazy. Somewhere around in roughly, and. everyone's different, 21, 22 years old, you go the next stage, 22 to 42, and. that's your summertime. That's the. testing period of your life. What. happens? You are 21, you've heard all. this stuff, and now you go, you know. what? I don't know if I believe this. [ __ ] I want to see what I believe. But I'm going to test all history, all.
studies of psychology show this is the. most difficult time in most people's. lives, right? 22 to 42. So if you're in. that range and you're listening, I love. you. Hang in there. [laughter]. You know, this is this is your ground. If you keep growing, this is a great. time. All right? Somewhere in that. range, you make a transition. Somewhere. around 30, 35, you're 33, you just got. engaged. Congratulations. Right? You. start to move towards a family. You. start to have those experiences. I'm. sure yours will be very successful. many. aren't. Right? So at 42 43 to 63, that's.
the fall. If you planted in the spring, right, and you worked your tail off. during that hot summer, now you can do. more with your pinky than working around. the clock. You know more people, you. have relationships. You recognize the. patterns. You know what's going on. It's. nothing's really a shock or surprise to. you. You're more strategic. You're more. efficient or more elegant. You have more. choices. um you've learned a lot of. lessons if you grew. Now, if you didn't. plant in the spring and work hard in the.
in the summer, you're going to weep in. the fall, not reap in the fall, right? But so now this is this is your power. period. This is when most people earn. the most money in their life if they're. going to grow because they've. accumulated knowledge, skills, relationships, and so forth. And then. the winter is comes back to that 64 to. 84 to 104 to the oldest humans 124. That. period is a transition period to where. you become a real leader because you're. no longer, you know, in that 22 to 42, you're trying to prove yourself to. yourself or maybe other people or both.
But there's a point when you get into. your power group. You know who you are. by the time you get into this last. season, this, you know, 64 to 84, 104, 124, you know who the f you are. I mean, and and you you want people to like what. you do, but if they don't, it's like, you know who you are. You don't give a. [ __ ] I've just entered that season. myself. I'm about to be 66 in a few. weeks and um it's the most fulfilling. season of all. Um it's mindbgggling. I. wouldn't believe that when I was your.
age. That's why I'm sharing it. It's if. you're healthy, if you're fit, if you're. strong. Um if you don't do that, then. it's can be a [ __ ] that time. But if. you're healthy and strong, you have 40. year relationships, 35 year business. relationships. You have friends that. adore you and love them and you're it's. unbreakable. It's unshakable. you have. an intimate relationship or a family or. husband and wife relationship if you've. built to that point that is beyond. anything you could have dreamed of or. hoped for. You wake up every day and you. know that life is a gift and you want to. give back even more. Like you're more.
driven than you were when you were in. the 22 to 42 stage. Those are the. seasons. There's one more. Your seasons. of history and your season of history. shapes how you shape your life. So you. can look at a thousand years of Roman. history. I'm very much in history and. 500 years of Anglo-American history. Um, and you start to see patterns. In fact, I'd recommend for everyone there's a. book called Generations. Have you read. it? >> No. >> When I was working with President uh. Clinton. in those days, I worked with President.
Clinton. I went across the other side. and worked with the speaker of the house. Gingrich. I on the same day on Clinton's. on on his desk on the resolute desk was. this book generations. And I asked him. about it and he told me about how it. it's amazing. It shows how history is. somewhat predictable and why the cycles. are generated by different generations, how we react the way we're we grew up. And then I go over to Gingrich's office. and he's a historian. He's got it on his. desk.
>> It's a pretty thick book, good size. book. My point is it if you want to. navigate your life, you need pattern. recognition so you don't go in reaction. And one thing is to understand seasons. are a great pattern. They freed us. There are seasons of your life. You. should think about this season. What's. this season about for you? What do you. want to extract from this season? And. every season has predictable challenges. and predictable opportunities. And where. am I in the season? Some people go. through their springtime during a war, a. winter time. Some people go through. their springtime in a fall. We all grew.
up with different environments. And so. we're shaped by that. And that's why. history's changed. So, but let me finish. the last last piece. I've gone way long. I apologize. But I said there's three. skills. What What do we need, right? First one is pattern recognition. The. second one is pattern utilization. So I watch you like you, you and I both, we develop companies, took them public. very early ages, made a lot of money and. figured out it wasn't just about money, right? You know, looking at your. history. You didn't just recognize. patterns, you used them. You saw them in.
marketing areas. You saw online. opportunities. You saw things. You. didn't just, oh, now I understand it. You jumped on it. Anyone who's. incredibly successful in anything, if. they're great at dance, if they're great. at investing in companies, they're great. in running companies, if they're great. in singing, they recognize there are. certain patterns. And then the final. skill, and this is what I'm teaching my. children, is you ultimately want to. become a pattern creator. Take an. example. Same learn to play the piano, right? Yeah. How do you learn to play. the piano? You got to recognize.
patterns. And usually you're taught. someone else's patterns that produce. something beautiful, >> right? could be Bach Beethoven, it could. be some rock, it could be whatever. you're learning. And so you learn those. patterns and you practice them. You. learn to use them, right? And now you. can produce the same music. There is a. point and I'm sure you've experienced. this already and you're going to. experience a lot more in the next 10. years of your life. You've taken so much. input in, you've recognized so many. patterns that now you come through and. you become the pattern creator. And. that's when you start to become the goat.
of your industry, the best of all time. You look at, you know, Tom Brady's a. friend of mine. Like he made pattern. distinctions no one else made on how to. keep his body strong, one of the most. important ones. So he had the duration, but also how to read the defense, know. what's happening. Those tools, he. started create his own patterns about. how to deal with that, right? And so. once you create your own patterns, you. bring something to the table that's. never been there before. And when you. make something never been there before, your value goes through the roof. When I. met Jim Ran, my original personal. development teacher, he changed my life.
radically. I went when I was 17 years. old. He Oh, yeah. That's great picture. That's great. I love that man. Beautiful man. I I went. What I did was I was working as a. janitor. I'm in high school, sophomore. year, and I had um my mom came home one. day and said, "Uh, we've got a friend. that needs somebody to help move stuff.". And I was always trying to earn some. extra money. And so, and it was the. weekends and I wasn't doing the. janitorial work on the weekends. So, I.
said, "Okay, I'll I'll I'll do it. Volunteer." And my dad said, "Yeah, you. got to find out what he did. He used to. be such a loser. Now he's so successful, right?" And so, when I went to go see. this guy, you know, I'm a hard worker, so I worked really hard. And so, he took. me to lunch and he starts asking me. questions. I said, "I want to ask you. questions." And I said, "You know, my. father said, "You used to be such a. loser and now you're so successful. How'd you change your life? I'm just a. kid." I wasn't trying to be funny or. mean, right? The guy you said your dad. said, "What?" He goes, "Well, it's. true." And he said, 'Well, what changed. my life is I went to a seminar. He goes, "Yeah, I was, you know, three and a half.
hours. His name is Jim Ran." He told me. the whole thing. And he's here in Orange. County. He's coming up to an event. pretty quick. I said, 'Could you get me. in? And he goes, "Yeah." I said, "Well, how much is it?" He said, " $35? It' be. like $250 in today's money, right?" And. I said, " $35? I'm making $40 a week as. a janitor, right?" He go I said, "I I I. can't do that." He goes, "Well, then. just learn on your own experience and. waste a few decades." I said, 'You. really think it's that valuable?' He. goes, "No, you have to decide if it's. that valuable." And so I remember I I.
wrestled with this like it was the. biggest decision of my life, a week's. pay. And and I went in and I heard this. man speak. He said some simple things. like, you know, for things to change, you got to change. For things to get. better, you got to get better, right? Interesting things. But at the end, I. was so excited. I went up to him and I. said, I want to come work for you. I. want to learn this. I want to be a part. of this. And he turned to me and said, "Look, kid." He goes, "Uh, um, you know, if you want to come work for me, you got. to go through all my programs." And I. said, "What does that mean?" And he. said, "Well, you got to this, this, this." You know, it was like $1,200 for.
just one of the programs for a weekend. $1,200 is like $10,000 today to give an. idea. $12,000. I'm at the time sleeping. in my car, working as a janitor. My dad. left, my mom kicked him out. Mom's a. strong woman. And then she chased me out. with a knife. She wasn't going to kill. me, but I wasn't going back in that. place. And so I'm like, I I can't I. can't do this. And then said something, he said, you know, decide. He goes, some. people have to survive, some people. succeed, decide which one you are, and. if you're ready by next Saturday, a week. from Saturday, he goes, um, I'm starting.
a training and you can join it, but if. you if you don't have the money for it, you won't be able to do it. And I. remember leaving thinking, this guy just. wants my money. He's such a jerk. And I. was so angry. But then in my head, I was. like, he's right. He's right. You know, I've always gotten what I had to have. I. haven't had to have much. And so I. started going to banks. I walked in this. place, five banks turned down and I saw. this woman who looked persuadable and. sweet. And her name was uh Mrs. Williams. This woman looks at me and she. goes, "The bank's not going to loan you. this money." And I'm she's like my fifth. bank. And uh I said, "You don't.
understand." And I got all passionate. She goes, "With this kind of focus and. energy, I think you can do something. I'd like it to be something good." And. she goes, "Um, I want to talk to the bank, but if the. bank will ling the money, I will. if you. look me in the eye and you swear to me. I'm never going to have to come find you. and you will take care of this. And I. jumped across, hugged her and kissed. her. She wasn't quite ready for that. I. went to Jim Ran seminar. I went to work. for him. And the first question when I. got finally got a private moment with.
him that I asked was, I had four. fathers. They were all good men. They. all worked hard. How come we never had. any money and sometimes no food? I said, I look over at the school teacher who. makes $35,000 a year, I think, in those. days. And then I see this hedge fund guy. who made a billion dollars in a year. I. said, 'Th that is so unjust.' And he. gave me a lesson that changed my whole. life. He said, Tony, he said, 'You. right. We're all equal as souls, but we're not equal in the marketplace. I said, what does that mean? He said,
well, let me ask you a question. Is it. possible someone to make twice as much. money in the same amount of time? Yeah. Four times, 10 times, 100 times. Yeah, people do it. How? He goes, you have to. become more valuable. He goes, "If you. go to work at McDonald's, you get this. tiny little income. It's not made to be. an ideal job. It's a first-time job. Anyone can learn to do it in two hours.". And I've been obsessed about it ever. since. And I that changed everything in. my life. My whole life became how do I. add more value? And so today I have 121.
companies and we're doing 12 billion. dollars in business across almost every. industry you can imagine that I'm a part. of. And I couldn't run one company in. the start and you know and make it. successful at 300,000 a year you know. for the revenue all that became in every. industry and I'm a lot of them I'm the. number one in the industry it's because. I'm obsessed with adding value and so I. think that piece is what's missing also. from our youth you're saying what do. they need to do they think I'm here to. get something no life is calling you.
what are you going to give not not just. what you want to give but what people. need and so my focus is I give people. what they want. They want to make more. money. They want a better relationship. But my goal is so I can give them what. they need, which is a life that has more. meaning. And that's one that goes beyond. yourself. >> It's going to be a stressful period. >> Yes. >> To say the least. >> Um I I think algorithms are actually. making our online experiences more. stressful. I think. >> 100%. >> Because you know, they're designed to. retain our attention. And the best way. to retain our attention is probably. fear. >> Yeah. And I think this with myself, I.
find myself watching all these [ __ ]. short form videos that are just like. they feel like they're at some level. frying something, depleting something in. me, but they're they're design it's. designed the algorithms to serve me up. the next one that's going to hold me or. scare me or whatever. >> So in such a world where we're the. algorithms are probably going to, you. know, in the online world, especially. for younger kids, is going to really. >> it's going to is going to be better at. taking hold of us. What are the tools. that I need to deal with this stress and. this angst? >> The first step to me would be take 15.
minutes out of your day and go for. microlearning. Like decide you're going. to learn what matters, right? About. yourself, about AI. We tell people like. you already have habits, right? Most. people are scrolling a good portion of. the day. Give me 15 of those minutes and. let's do microlearning on something, a. new language to stimulate your brain, philosophy, history, AI, something. pragmatic, something that's valuable. It's just getting people to have some. habits that you know the 1% growth. metaphor right you know you know 27.
times at the end of the year it's like. it's pretty simple all we have to do is. create a new direction if you try to do. it one giant step it's overwhelming for. people that the secret to life is. chunking think of it this way some. people never work out but they eat. easily so I'll say to them why don't you. work out and they'll give me all the. reasons and I'll say but you know you. know I'd have to I'd have to join a gym. and I said okay well tell me what's. entailed and they'll go I got to look up. where the gyms are and then I got to I. got to drive to each of the gyms and.
then I got to you know I got to park the. car each place and find it and then I. got to get out and then you know get. hopefully get a pass and then they take. you on the tour and and then they will. sit you down and sell stuff to you and. they got to back in the car and you got. to drive things and then when you go do. it let's say you sign up then you go and. you got to check check in and take off. all your clothes and then they drop and. get wrinkled and then you go work out. and it's sweaty you got to wipe other. people's sweat off and then afterwards. you got to go do a shower and your hair. is messed up and your makeup you got. start all over and everything else and. you got to get the thing and you got to. back out. It's like it's too much work.
What does it take to eat? Well, you just. go. They chunk eating is one thing. They. chunk working out as 29,000 things, right? So, if you chunk too big, try to. do everything in one bite. It's. overwhelming. And if you chunk it too. small, it's overwhelming. So, there's a. different size for different things. And. if we want to learn and grow, which is. what the secret is to your future is to. become a learning machine about what. matters. Like most people major in minor. things, they know more about some.
actresses or actors love life um than. they do or their skin regimen than they. do about their own values and needs and. what makes them tick as a human being. Today you can learn from the brightest, smartest people on earth. They're. available. They're available by online. They're available by by contracting or. coaching them. They're they're. everywhere. There isn't a limit anymore. There's zero limit except you're. deciding to be a creator and not a. maintainer. He said you're deciding I'm. not just going to manage my life. I'm. going to design and create something cuz. the tools are available everywhere. And.
so I'm just one of those. >> I have a couple of questions based on. what you've just said. The first one. starting at the top was around you. talked about this idea of pattern. recognition uh utilization and creation. The question I had from that section was. is there a way to get better at pattern. recognition? >> Yeah. Well, first by understanding it's. the most important key. >> Okay. Okay. So, it's like if I'm. fearful, what's the pattern I'm missing. here? What's something that could give. me some history to understand that this. isn't random? Like, you know, people. say, "I overeat. I overdrink. I I get. really angry at every you don't overread.
every moment. You don't smoke every. moment." What are the triggers that you. use. >> and do you do you recommend people. write? How do they how do they raise. their self-awareness enough to start. spotting these patterns? >> I believe in diaries. You call it diary. I call it journals. I believe in. journalism to be able to do that to. guide yourself. But yes, but it's more. than that. You have to you have to not. only make the distinction, but you also. have to have a different state to it. For example, let's say um let's say uh I. say to you, I know I know um I need to.
lose weight. Um I'm going to do it. I'm. going to go on a diet. Um I'm going to. work out. Am I going to do it? [laughter]. >> No. Because I'm not in the state to do. it. Now, most people are trying to. figure out what to do. And there's. nothing wrong with that. But it's the. wrong sequence because when you think. about what to do, if you've never done. it before, you feel uncertain, you don't. follow through. If you have done it. before, but you don't feel strong. enough, you're not going to follow. through. So, I tell people, if you want. a breakthrough, it's three things.
Strategy, story, state. Most people, if. they want to have a breakthrough, they. want to change their body, you want to. change their life, they look for how to. do it. And that's natural, but it's the. absolute wrong order. And if you do. things in the wrong order, it's like. having the numbers to a phone for. someone and you dial the wrong order, you don't reach somebody. Or the vault, right? You got the right numbers the. wrong order, vault doesn't open. Why are. so many people overweight in this. country? Like 60% of the population is. overweight. How is that possible? Is it. because what it takes to be fit and.
strong is so incredibly complex? No. Only the 1% knows. No. It's super. expensive. No, you have to work not to. know what to do. So that the how is not. the problem. So I say strategy story. state that's how you have a. breakthrough. Yes, I'm a strategist. The. right strategy can save you 10 years. I. love that. It's fun. But if I start with. a strategy, you'll listen and go, "Yeah, that's cool." And you won't do it. The. real problem is the story you have. The. story you have is I've tried everything. >> The story you have, nothing works. The.
story has all the good ones are gone and. I'm gay and they're not or they're gay. and I'm not. It's the story is the. belief you've told yourself over and. over because belief is the invisible. force that controls everything in your. life. And when you have a belief that. you've honed because you're fearful and. you've never done this before, then I. can show you exactly how to do it and. you'll say, "It doesn't work. I've tried. that." Yeah. How many times? How hard? How many minutes? Right? But what's. behind the story is your state. Your.
mental emotional state. If I said to. you, I am going to lose 12 pounds in the. next 6 weeks. There is non-negotiable. Here's why I do this and this and this. and this. Do you think I'm going to do. it? >> Yes. >> You bet your ass I'm going to do it. Right. You can feel the state. >> Yeah. >> So, people are usually trying to figure. out how to do something and they got a. story about it when what they need first. is the state. When you go in the right. state, have you had this happen where. you get in a flow and and something. comes through? You're hitting a tennis. ball or you're doing or you're speaking. and at the end of you're like, "That was. pretty awesome. I did that. How'd I do?
I don't know. That [ __ ] just flowed. That was pretty awesome, right? You're. in a peak state. I put people in a peak. state while they're doing the things. we're talking about. >> So, what do you do right before you come. out on stage? And what can anyone. listening at home do before the big. meeting, the big moment in their life or. really like on a daily basis to. configure our state? >> The first thing I do, my little daily. routine is I go out, I use the jacuzzi. for a moment to open my body up and. everything else and then I go on the. cold plunge. And I've been doing that. for 18 years now. Everybody talks about. it, but I go into that cold plunge. And.
the secret though is I don't negotiate. with myself. I go on the cold plunge for. both the health purposes because it. floods your body, right? Completely. But. the the real value is is the mental. discipline of I don't go, okay, I'm. ready. And I don't get in one just lie. lying here. I dunk under. I jump in. Not. one that goes above my head. I go under. under the water. I dive into it. Right? And I don't stand there. I don't stand. there and go, "Oh, I feel cold right. now." or another minute or like I've. trained my brain when I say go, we go.
And I've done that for decades. And so. I'm not I'm not in the place when I say. go somewhere else, my brain obeys. I'm. not I don't have these stories in my. head back and forth trying to have a. conversation with myself, trying to. convince myself to do something I've. decided, right? So decision point is. everything. So I've trained myself to do. it, but also it produces a massive. change. It is not comfortable. I don't. think there's been a morning in my life. that I've looked forward to doing it, but it changes you. So, that's one. thing. The thing I do before I go on. stage, I have a routine of how I shift.
my body. I have a I have a prayer that I. do, which is use me, Lord, and I picture. being to serve as many human people as. human beings as possible. I see them not. only where they are now, I see where. they're going to be by the end of what. I'm done. And then I make this radical. shift in my body. I make these moves and. explosive breath. And then I storm out. there. And then I've I've taken myself. imagine on a zero to 10 to a 20 of. intensity. So now I can drop down to a. nine feels like I'm very relaxed and but. I've got a lot more gears in me than you.
know. And that's how I can project to. the guy at the top of the stadium and. hold them for 12 hours, you know, who. wouldn't sit for a three-hour movie. someone spent $300 million on. >> And do you think a lot about your diet. and nutrition? >> I'm Yeah, I'm totally committed to that. And I also train like a crazy person and. I do hyperbaric oxygen. And I I you name. it. I'm a I'm a biohacker. Um and I'm. committed to that. I have a whole. company that does it for people as well. So I've always done that because I've. had to to perform. And I'm 66 going to. produce results that, you know, were.
designed by a 25-year-old, right? But. I'm stronger today than I was then. I. got more aerobic capacity. I've got more. muscle capacity. So I mean, there's a. limit, but I haven't found it yet. >> If you follow me, you've probably heard. me talk about hiring more so than. anything else. So, you probably see me. on Behind the Diary, which is our other. YouTube channel, talking about how. obsessed I am with the hiring process. And this really brings me to a. recommendation I'd love to give you, which is to check out our sponsor, LinkedIn, if you're having hiring. difficulties. Their new AI assistant. filters out applications for you based.
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Then use the promotion feature to access. LinkedIn jobs new AI assistant. That's. linkedin.comdoac. terms and conditions apply. In a world. of um in a world of challenging meaning. where [clears throat] a lot of a lot of. my viewers are struggling with meaning, one of the things I've noticed is that. it appears especially with young men who. you talked about earlier. They it. appears that more and more of them are. turning to religion and you mentioned. your your faith in God there. It's a. really interesting phenomenon for me. that I've observed in my own life. I've. talked about this a few times. Um.
certain friends of mine who were very. individualistic. They were living the. dream in any way that you might define. it, you know. Yeah. They had money, they. had freedom, they had no boss, no. dependence, no no partner. And suddenly. you see their life turn into what looks. like depression, a form of depression. >> Yeah. >> An absence of meaning in their lives. And I I I I wanted just to throw this. out there because we we are in a society. that's um I think increasingly. encouraging independence. >> Yes. >> And there's upsides to independence, of. course. We all understand those. I. wondered if there's a sort of a.
double-edged sword here when we're we're. you kind of said it earlier about making. the world more about just me me and I. And in a world of abundance, I imagine. many more people are going to choose to. make it about I I I cuz they can I could. put a headset on theoretically never. leave my house. Someone could literally. put a robot puts the food in my mouth. I. could have some sex robot that just gets. me off. Money comes in my account by. UBI. the reason your friends got. depressed. I've had this happen. I've. seen this as well. I've, you know, most.
of my friends are older than I am. Usually, for some reason, I gravitated. to to men that were 18, 20 years my. senior who were brilliant and learning. from them and seeing where they're going. in their life and so forth. But I watch. some of them like sell their company and. make a billion two. >> and then they were happy for like a. month maybe and they'd call me, let's go. do this, go do that. And, you know, try. to go to somebody. I got, you know, I. got a lot of companies, got a lot got a. lot of kids, I got a lot of things, right? And it's like, and eventually. they all want to get back in the game. because we have six human needs.
Certainty, uncertainty, because think about this. If you were certain every moment of your. life, you know what someone's going to. say, and I'm sure you've had this. somewhat. You know what they're going to. say before they're going to say it. But. if you knew what someone's going to say. before they're going to say, you know. what's going to happen before it's going. to happen every moment of every day. In. the beginning, it'd be cool. But after a. while, what would you feel? >> Bored. >> Out of your mind. Bored. >> So God in her infinite wisdom gave us. uncertainty. We need variety. We need. surprise. So I ask people, you got a. stadium, 15,000 people, and I say, "How.
many you love surprises?" And everybody. raised their hand, "Yay!" And I go, "Bullshit. You love the surprises you. want." The surprises you don't want, you. call problems, but we need those, too. Right? Third need is significance. They. need to feel unique. You need to feel. special. The need to feel important. Who. do you think has that need? >> All of us. >> Everyone. >> Yeah. >> Now, some people like Donald Trump is. pretty obvious, right? And some people. though it's like I don't want. significance. I don't want to be I don't. want to be special. That's only because. they feel if they get special they get. attacked.
>> Right? Every some people do it by. earrings. Some people buy tattoos in. certain areas. Some by knowing bot box. scores about a sport more than anybody. else. Some people buy their art. Some. people the way they dress. Some people. buy their money. Some people be more. generous. Everyone finds a way. Okay. However, some people do it through. violence. >> Okay. So let me give you another seed. >> Why has violence always been with us? If. I feel I'm insignificant, and this is, by the way, even more powerful in most. men's cases because the nature of. testosterone, right? Testosterone is.
about significance. It's about being. dominant, right? So, if I'm uh I'm in a. community and I'm driving by or I'm. walking by this community and it's a. tough community, a tough environment, somebody comes up, puts a gun to my. head. I've never met him in my life. Why? Well, first of all, how certain do. you think that person is you're going to. respond when they put a gun to your. head? Before you may not have paid. attention to them, but you're going to. pay attention now. How significant are. they in your life on a 0 to10 scale with. that gun to your head? They're the most. significant thing on earth. And by the.
way, every time it's a little different. They give variety. Anytime you meet a. belief, an emotion, or a behavior meets. at least three of these six needs, you. will become addicted to that thought, that feeling, or that behavior. It could. be a positive one or a negative one, but. you will become addicted to it. So. violence connects those three, but you can also get significance by. tearing other people down. So why do we. have so many warriors in their little. house, you know, doing their little. virtual signaling, doing what they're.
doing, cuz they've never done anything. with their life. And it used to be I'd. have to confront you. Now I don't. confront you who don't even know who I. am. I can say all this terrible [ __ ] and. I'm sitting my little place and make my. seal feel significant because I make you. smaller, I'm bigger. It's why social. media is so terrible. There's great. things in social media. That's what's so. terrible about it. It's like people now. can meet their need for significance. without much effort. No consequence. You. come and say this directly to me, you're. going to pay a price of some sort, right? That's no longer there. Now, fourth need, connection and love.
Everybody wants love. Most people settle. for connection because they've had love. at one point. It was so painful when it. ended. They decided to settle for. connection. How can you get it? You can. get it by going for a run and feeling. connected to God of the universe, nature. You can get it by prayer. You. can get it by uh being with some. friends. You can get it by making love. You can get it by getting a dog. If. nothing else, get a dog. Don't get a. cat. Cats leave. But you know, dogs, you. leave for 2 minutes. It's like you've. been gone for 6 months. They'll make you. feel very loved. There's a million ways.
to feel connection and love. Some are. positive, some are negative. Some people. get connected by their problems. They're. always comparing problems. You ever seen. two people comparing? But I have this. Well, you think that's bad. Let me tell. you my they're arguing over significance. and they're connecting through their. problems. Right? So the biggest drug on. earth is not cocaine. It's not fentanyl. It's not dope. It's problems. Cuz the. deepest fear everybody has is they're. not enough. And our deeper fear is if. we're not enough, we won't be loved.
I've never met a human being. I've. worked with kings, queens, winners of. everything you can imagine, academy. awards, scientists. There's some point in which you might. feel for someone you care about most. that you're not smart enough, young. enough, old enough, pretty enough, funny. enough, rich enough, playful enough, something enough. And it is the worst. feeling on earth. To feel like you are. unloved and worthless is internal death. So people come up with a story, it's. just cuz I have, you know, um I have. this dyslexia, that's why. Or it's cuz I. was raped. And maybe they really were.
raped. It's I'd like to kill the guy. that hurt them. But that's not why. they're feeling what they're feeling. right now. It's because they're fearful. And so if you have a big problem, that's. why I'm not where I want to be. It's not. that I'm not enough and not worthy of. love. And so people use problems as a. way to connect. Now these first four. needs, certainty, uncertainty, you can. see how they'd have a conflict. But have. you ever rented a movie you've already. watched? >> Yeah. >> Get a life. I have too. Why would we do that? Cuz. we're certain it's good, but it's been.
long enough that we hope it's been. there's a variety. We won't remember it. all. Have a variety once again. Yeah. >> So you can meet multiple needs through. the same task potentially. But. certainty, uncertainty, significance. Here you are in Hollywood. Why do people. come to Hollywood? >> Be famous and. >> be famous, right? They don't know what. that really is. If they did, some of. them would move away from it. But. significance is what they're looking. for. But what they really want is love. That's what everybody wants. >> But you know what the problem is? They. think if they're significant, everyone's.
going to love them. And I get these. clients without mentioning any names, the biggest names in Hollywood, the. biggest names in sports. And you know. what their number one thing is? They're. angry. Why are they angry? Because they. thought if I'm significant, everybody. love me. And now they go, people rip me. online. They interrupt me with my family. trying to have dinner. They don't give a. [ __ ] about me. They just want a picture. They just want this. And if I don't do. it, they write that about me. >> They care about themselves. >> They care about themselves. And so what. happened is I thought by being. significant, I would be loved. And now.
I'm super significant and I'm not loved. I'm attacked. Because the more you try and push your. significance on someone, the less. significant they make you. If you love. someone, there's nothing more. significant than that. True love, not a. trade, not I'll love you if you give me. something. Genuine love. And if that. happens, you become significant in. people's lives. But that's the number. one challenge in this community. So. significance is love attack. If you're. significant, you're the individual. But. I need to be connected. Well, if I'm so. connected, who am I? And that's the. pull. The secret to it all are the final.
two needs. These are the spiritual. needs. Not religious, but spiritual. And. that is we all must grow. When you grow, you feel alive. And if you don't grow, you start to die inside. And this isn't. my rule. Everything in the universe. grows or dies. As you well know, this is. the law of the universe. If your. relationship's not growing, it's dying. Don't [ __ ] yourself. If your. business is not growing, you're a. businessman. You know it is not growing. It is dying. You better do something. now. Right? But we grow so we have. something finally to give which is where. meaning comes in life. When I grow I.
have something more to give. And if I. can give that to someone then my life is. more meaningful than just the pleasure. of I have the machine that you know. makes me feel pleasure in certain parts. of my body and feeds me and all the. things you talked about. If you went to. Vegas and you pull down that you know. that little jukebox thing and you get. boom boom boom bars bars bars what's. your reaction? >> Amazing. >> Amazing. Wow, this is And you pull it a. second time and you get it again. >> Amazing. >> And you do a third time and you get it.
again. >> Less amazing. [laughter]. >> And now you do a 100 times. >> Yeah. Less amazing. >> And now what you have is a job. You do. this and you got a predictable outcome. The fact that you don't know what the. outcome is that that's the jackpot in it. that gets someone hooked on anything. That's what makes it significant because. it's scarce. Right? So when you do this, if I said to you, Osama bin Laden, what. would you say his top need driving. force? Was it certainty? Was it variety? Was it significance? Was it love? Was it. growth or contribution?
>> I'd say probably significance. >> 100%. He was one of I forgot the number. 27 children, right? Literally, he was 27. children. He was a nobody. He took his. dad's money. He was not very religious. and he went to Afghanistan and he used. his money and became significant not by. shooting people. He provided resources. and then all of a sudden his entire life. changed. How do you know? The most. significant thing is he sent other. people to die. >> He didn't go to die. He sent other. people. Now his number one drive is.
significance and his way of doing it was. get other people to die. On that same. day in 9/11, there were men and women in. the fire department, police department. who went into those buildings knowing it. a good chance they would die to save a. stranger. Also driven by significance but with. different rules. If I die a hero, my life is meaningful. And that's a meaningful life. So people can even have the same need. structure, but their beliefs about how. to meet those needs are the most. important thing. And the needs of.
connection and love, growth, and. contribution have no downside. Certainty. make if you have certainty is your. number one thing, you're always trying. to keep life the same way, and you're. going to be stressed out. Especially. with AI, you're going to be really. stressed out. If you're a variety. person, you can have a lot of fun, but. eventually not much variety. The life. you described for all these people now, they have the money, they have the sex, they have this, they have that, they. have the woman, they have the notoriety, they have the Academy Award. It all gets. old because if we're not growing, it. doesn't matter. How many people do you.
know that were famous, who were rich, who had supposedly everything people. want and took their own life? Why' they. take their life? They stopped growing. and stopped having a sense of meaning by. giving. You could show I can show you. example after example of people. So. these need structures in the new world. have to be met. We can meet certainty. right now very easily by going online. and controlling our communication. That's why people text. That's much. easier than communicating back and forth. with someone, right? We can get variety. by going online so easily. Now we can. get significance, tear other people down.
or work on something significant. We. think right AI explore the world. We can. get a sense of connection through people. online or through a robot or these days. people have an AI and they talk to it. like it's their boyfriend or girlfriend. because it totally affirms them. They. say something idiotic and they tell you. you're so smart, right? Get better, right? But you're missing growing and. contributing. If you're missing growing, contributing, you will not feel. fulfilled. you as a person, if I've read. your books correctly, and I didn't read. them all, but I've had pieces of it.
Probably the best lesson you got early. in life was. there's the science of achievement. There's the art of fulfillment. They're. two different skills. If you want an. extraordinary life, you need both. You. go to the east, they're really great. about fulfillment. They can live in. poverty and feel totally happy and. connected to God or the universe. You. come here and and people can have an. incredible external life, but their. internal life often not so nice. They. get really pissed off because they. didn't get their special sauce on their. burger, right? It's a different world. I. believe you can merge those two. How?
You master the science of achievement. There are rules to achieve. As you well. know, you wrote a whole book with 33. rules in it. Me, too. Right? So, I know. those rules. I know. I wrote books on. finance. Three of them. I want an. answer. Is it still possible to win the. financial game? Because so many young. people think it can't be done. So, I. interviewed 50 of the greatest financial. people alive today. All started with. nothing. All billionaires. Nobody from. the Lucky Sperm Club. They all did it on. their own. Ray Dalio, Carl Icon, Warren. Buffett, all of them. And guess what I. found? They're all different, but I'm a. modeler. I found the strategies that are. common between them and I applied them.
I taught other people, wrote the books, but I applied them myself. And that's. how my businesses and my life grew. geometrically. I modeled, I didn't have. to learn on my own experience. You. follow? >> I've got to ask you some questions on. those two points. So on these six needs, because I also want to ask you about the. the 50 rich people that you've you've. interviewed for the books, but on those. six needs, when you look at someone like. me and you look at the broad world that. I'm heading towards as a 30 30-year-old. man, what what configuration of these. needs?
Well, I'll tell you what creates all the. pain first. >> Okay, please. >> So if I go to a room and I'll say I I. explain these needs like I have I know. this is kind of lecture here. I didn't. mean to be that, but I just want to. share because I'm so passionate about. it. And I'll get people to understand. what they are. And then I ask them, I. want you to write down what you think. your top two needs have been. Not in. what you want, but in the way you've. been living. Because people might want. love, but they think they have to be. significant before they can get it. Or. they might want love, but they want. certainty that love never go away. You. follow me? And so that modifies things.
And I'll say, "So the way you've lived, the way you've lived, what would have. been the top two?" And then I say, I. want you to write a paragraph about. what's the downside of having that one. so high on your list. And it's amazing. So then I say, now write what you think. your list top two should be to go to the. next level of your life. Okay. Let's how. you do that. What do you think your top. two means? [laughter] I see you doing it. already, which I love. I love how active. you are. So what would you say your top. two have been up until now? >> I think if I'm being completely honest. >> Yes. And now, by the way, [laughter] by.
the way, I I want to thank you because I. watched several of your pieces and you. are you're not bullshitting about good. >> There's just no I'm going to die. someday. So, there's no even if being. honest makes me look bad. It just [ __ ]. who cares. My of course, like. significance, of course, especially from. where I, you know, where I came from. >> That was the big problem was, you know, being different and and not in a good. way. That's right. And then I would say. um. interestingly it feels like uncertainty. and significance are really really high. for me because.
>> Yes. Yes. >> I've for some reason I have a very a. huge appetite for uncertainty. >> Yeah. Well, you're wired that way in a beautiful. way. It also leads to learning for you. That's one of your vehicles for. learning, is it not? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Dropping out of school, stopping going. to school when I was younger, dropping. out of university. >> Um quitting jobs where you know I. shouldn't have quit them after a month. Which by the way, if certainty was your. top need, would you have done that? >> No. >> No. Completely. So you understand this. These are I'm talking about the six. controlling forces of your life. There's. a million stories about your life, but.
there's only six reasons you do. anything. >> Yeah. >> You have all these stories with reasons. So what would you say would be the. downside of that? There would have been. upsides, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Yeah. >> We're sitting here because of the. upsides. Your desire for significance. made you look for significant ideas, significant application, succeed in. business. The downsides of wanting. significance is. >> at the at the top, not cuz it's. valuable. Significance is valuable. period. Everyone should want it. But. it's the sequence. So if it's the top of. your list, what's the downside? >> For me, it costs me connection and love.
and all these and some of these other. opportunities. >> That's correct. Which is what you really. want underneath it all? >> Yeah. >> Your desire for significance really came. from the fact that you were not loved. and connected by people. People judge. you the color of your skin. They put you. in a community where you were different. you were outside the so it's like. >> I'll show them. >> right which by the way was a very. healthy response right but now at this. stage of your life. >> this is the gift that you have now at. this stage of your life right you're. entering this second season right. >> now you don't have to be driven by that.
anymore [laughter]. >> you already are significant like what. more are you going to do that's not. significant I'm sure you'll find more. significant things to do but you've done. so many significant things you've helped. millions of people I'm sure through your. insights your elements you've written. books you've built businesses and you're. only 33 years old. That's pretty effing. awesome, right? So, now you get the. leisure of be able to sit back and say, now with a greater level of. consciousness, what would ideally be my. top two? What would you say your top two. need to be to have the next level of. your life to go to the next level for. you? >> It was really easy for me to answer this.
question. Um, connection and love and. the the need to grow and give. >> Yes. Yes. Yeah. Well, those are two. different ones. Contribution. Growth and. contribution. Of of those two, which one. do you think is even more important for. you? >> Oh, god. of those two. >> Yeah. It's hard because one you can see. as a vehicle to the other. Exactly. I. understand that. But I'm asking a. different question. I'm saying which is. more important to feel experience. >> It would be contribution. >> Yes. So for you, you're saying love and. contribution. >> I'm saying love and contribution. >> In what order?
>> Love first and then contribution. >> It's a good choice. [laughter]. >> I tried in my head. I tried the other. way around and I thought no. It's almost. that like monks have said to me many. years ago that you need to fill up your. cup so you have something to pour out. for others. >> Yes. And that's what I was thinking of. I was thinking it doesn't work the other. way around. >> That was that was a wise wise choice. Most people wouldn't make that choice. I. for most of my life was contribution. first and then love. It was my way of. earning love. >> And so like I'd be on stage for 13 hours. and this is before people had phones and. everybody wants to sign something and. give me a hug. I work my guts out and.
then that was my take it in time. So I'd. be there finish at 1:30 or 2 in the. morning and I'd be there till 3:30 till. every person had an autograph, got, you. know, their hug and everything else. Now. it's pictures a lot faster. But that was. my life. I met my wife, Sage. Changed my. entire life. She didn't care that I was. Tony Robbins. She just loved me. And all. of a sudden, I never thought 12,000, 15,000, 20,000 people could of love. pouring out. You could compare, one. person compare, but way beyond that. So.
now I finish it. When I give my guts, I. go to 1 in the morning, but then I get. up and I leave, right? you know, I take. pictures in the middle of the day, but. then I leave at that time and I go and. be with my wife and it switched to where. love was there. Because think about. this, if contribution is first, and this. is what a lot of people do, then it's a. way to protect yourself from feeling. rejected because if I I'm always giving. to you truly generously over beyond what. you can imagine and then you treat me. like [ __ ] Well, then you're clearly the. problem, right? I don't have to think. I'm not enough. >> So, but the more honest way is love.
Because if it's love first, now I'm. giving because I want to, not cuz I have. to. Does that make sense? So tell me how. you think that would change your life if. you made love and contribution your top. two and the way you actually live. because you already value love and. contribution. But if they were the. highest priority, how would it shift. your life for the better in your mind? >> I feel like I would be significantly. less stressed. >> You are correct. [laughter] You are. absolutely correct. So when I ask the. audience this, I have them write down. and I've got 15,000 people and I'll say, "Okay, how many have certainty on your.
list?" and they've come to an event that. has a firewalk, right? And you get like. 50 60% of the rooms on the top in their. top two of their list, right? Because. it's the in our culture, it's still the. most important one. It's the. foundational. It's the one that's going. to have the biggest problem with AI. because they want things to stay the. same and life isn't. The only thing is. for certain is change. And now rapid. change, like geometrically rapid change. Okay. Variety, small number, significance through the roof. Social. media has made significance. disproportionate in our culture and it's.
why people are so unhappy. You used to. maybe compare most yourself to your. neighbors or your friends. Now you. compare yourself to a billionaires of. which there's only 3,000, right? And so. you're like, "My life's not that great. anymore." Or you compare it to pictures. that have been doctorred. I have a. friend of mine owns a gym and he says, "Tony, you can't believe it. Women and. men come in here who are influencers. They lay everything out and then they do. their video and they never work out. They're 27 years old. They don't have to. work out for [ __ ] I mean, it's like. they do a minimum workout. They got. jeans. They're just fine. They don't.
even do the workout. It's all pictures. It's all [ __ ] right? You know, he. goes, "It makes me so mad because, you. know, real people there working hard to. make something happen." So, that's why. people get so women especially depressed. comparing themselves to images that are. not even real, right? It's totally. absurd. So, when I deal with the. audience though, certainty and. significance is 80% of the room, right? There's growth people, contribution. people, but that's the dominant force. because of our cultural conditioning. And because certainty is basically. survival tool then I've asked them to do.
what you did and I say okay tell me I. don't tell them anything like I didn't. tell you anything and then I say okay. who has certainty on their list now and. in a room of 15,000 people 12,000 people. there might be like five. Okay, there's. five people that really like pain. So I. point that out to them and they look at. me and then I go okay how many got you. know variety? It'll be more variety. How. many got significance? the number. plummets just like it did with you. People I didn't tell them anything. Their own intelligence knows this, right? >> How many got love through the roof, right? Contribution through the roof.
Growth through the roof. Those are the. ones that expand. And then we show. people how to condition that though. because it's one thing to know it. It's. another thing to start training it in. your body to make those priorities. happen in your life. Right? Just like. any other habit, lurking out or anything. else, you have to build the neurology of. that. You have to practice putting. yourself in those states over and over. again where you make the value based on. love or you make the value based on. contribution. See before you do. something to be significant and you miss. out on some of the love. Now love is. probably always what you wanted. That's.
why you could make that decision so. quickly, right? But now I'm going to go. for that first, not this securitous. route. By the way, you will still be. significant. You'll be loving first and. you'll be contributing and that will. make you significant. Is it really. possible to change like that that. deeply? >> No, not at all. I've [laughter] never. been able to do that in. >> No, no, my 49th year. I'm just I've. never seen that happen. >> No, I was I was thinking really really. deeply about what you were saying and I. was thinking there will be some people. that are listening and I think there was. maybe a part of me my conscious that's.
like. because I because that's a journey I've. never gone on before. I've never shifted. from the. >> Well, you're not going to do it by. discussion. You have to have leverage. >> What is that? Leverage is uh you have to. have something you value more than your. present way of doing things. Leverage. can be pain or pleasure, right? So. >> like my fiance, >> your fiance, you got understand how you. got to LA [laughter] has a little. leverage, right? Her love, her. happiness, her joy. Oh, that's. beautiful. >> That's a photo. >> My girl,
>> you and Sage. >> That's awesome. You're good at putting. people in state with her pictures. That's impressive. >> That's a beautiful photo. >> Yeah, I love her so much. And we've been. together 25 years. I love her more today. than ever before. She is a force in. nature, this woman. Really, really. great. But yes, she's leverage in my. life. My my my youngest daughter's. massive leverage, you know, four and a. half years old. It's beautiful. But I'll. give you an example. I had I worked with. a woman one time on stage and she was a. colon therapist and uh vegan and you. know, so but she was always sick cuz.
she's so stressed all the time trying to. be perfect at everything. There's just. constriction in her body, right? And um. and the level stress was just. ridiculous, right? So I was trying to. get her to see have some other options. about what to do to without boring the. whole story. I'm looking for leverage. always. That's how you get someone to. make a change. You got to get make. change a must, not a should. Not me. making it to you. If I put a gun to your. head, that's leverage. But some people. would rather die than bend to your will. You have to find out what moves that. person. It's unique for everyone, not.
what motivates them. I hate the word. motivation. I've never used it. I want. to know your drives. Look, if you're. fat, you're motivated to eat. I want to. know what's underneath. I want to know. what the drives are. So this woman, I'm. trying to help her make changes. And I. show her these things and see the. consequences. And she wouldn't change. Wouldn't change. So finally I I said, "Man, I got to push this lady." I was. like, I said, "How long I wouldn't tell. her this. I asked I said, "How long. would a person with a level of stress. with these things you're doing and these. ailments, how long will a person like. that live if they don't change?".
And she paused and she thought and she. said, "Probably to 35." "How old are you?". "32.". So, okay, she's going to change now. I. mean, she's going to do it, right? That's the leverage. She's got to. change. But I can't change. I just. can't. It's just how my life is. I said, "Well,". I said, "This session is on videotape, you know.". And I said, "How do you think your daughter's going. to feel when she's carrying your coffin.
and she knows that you knew you could. shift this and you didn't? This is. pretty intense. I mean, she thinks she's. going to die. If she doesn't do it, she. probably could." So, I'm thinking out. big leverage, right? She goes, "I know. that's horrible, but I can't change.". And part of my head, I'm like, "Holy. [ __ ] she's not going to change here. What the hell is going to change her?". And then I said to her, I said, "Yeah, what if her new mother is a meat eater?". And she exploded on stage. That is not.
happening. I [laughter] will not make. this happen. I mean, she went berserk. And she goes, "Fine, I'm changing this. now." Like, there is always leverage. There is something that will make change. a must and not a should. Change is never. a matter of ability. It's always a. matter of strong enough reasons of. motive. If you got strong enough. reasons, you can do just about anything. But if you have weak reasons, you're not. going to do anything. So the fact that. you understand this is our discussion. In an event, you be in a rather a rather. peak state and I take you through a. process of consequence where you will.
envision what the consequences are and. then you can make that shift and you. still got to condition it. This specific. change is the hardest one. >> I think a lot of people might say I was. thinking forward as life events to come. and becoming a father. >> Yes. Yes, it's often. >> that will do that will absolutely shift. a lot of people. Becoming a father, getting married, falling in love. There. are certain events. Losing people will. make you re-evaluate things. Hitting a. birthday, you know, you're 33. When you. hit your 40th birthday, I'm sure you. don't think it'll be any different. I. remember people telling me that, but you.
tend to re-evaluate for some weird. reason in our culture. And after 40, usually a fiveyear or. 50 year, 60 year. It's just part of the. way we look at life. It's there's a. process you go through and there will be. different things that trigger you. But. when you want a real lasting change, you. have to change the driving force. When. we change these, it's changing your. values. So again, like think about how. your brain is a predictor and it's. trying to close the gap between what. it's predicting what reality is. When.
it's not working, it looks for an. answer. When you get to the point where. your old strategy doesn't work enough. and you have enough pain, you will. search for something new. And if at that. time we can give you something that. actually works, you'll grab it. It's. like if you're drowning in a sea of. confusion and I throw you a life raft, you're not going to go, I don't like the. color. You know, you're going to grab a. hold and it comes into your unconscious. And the other last thing I'd say about. that is it's also about going beyond. your conscious mind. Right? You're if. you ever try to do something and then. sabotage yourself, it's consciously you.
wanted one thing, subconsciously. another. I believe all lasting change. happens in an altered state. When I say. an altered state, you could call it. hypnosis. I tell people I'm a. dehypnotist. Most people walk around in. hypnosis. People tell me like, "You. can't hypnotize me." And they're they're. in a hypnotized state in that moment. Do. you ever drive your car and then. something catch your attention and you. stay focused on too long and all a. sudden you realize, "Holy [ __ ] who's. been driving the car?" You ever have? That was a That was a hypnosis state. Hypnosis just means you're inside, not.
outside most of the time. And in a. hypnotic state, what goes in goes in. deeper than just in a consciousness. state. That's why I like doing. storytelling. You know, I'm I'm my wife. and I are there's certain things in life. that just shouldn't happen that are. inhuman and trafficking is one of them. And we had a friend that child was taken. and trafficked and it was the most. brutal thing. And so I got us involved. and so now we've we've contributed to. 72,000 children being saved. I've gone. out on some of these undercover with. scars on my face and elements. It's most. brutal thing you can possibly imagine.
But I tell you this because when you. when you witness certain things in life. that are so intense, they alter you. They change you. They. change what you value. They change what. what you make important in your life. And so what I say to people, you want. your life to keep growing. Keep putting. yourself in new environments. Keep. getting around things you're not used to. and let something hit you. You know, people don't know their passions cuz. they keep going doing the same things. It's like get around where it's better. and see what hits you and something's. going to strike you. Something's going.
to wake you up. Something is going to. make you feel more, desire more, want to. give something to life as opposed to. just live your life because the life you. describe to those people is predictable. You get familiarized. Even pain, I mean, you look at people in Ashwitz, you know, um, Man's Search for Meaning is one of. my favorite books. Have you read it? >> Victor Frank. >> Yeah. And I I bought the rights of. making the movie, right? Oh, really? >> Oh, the reason I was telling you about. the the Finding the Kids is I made The. Sound of Freedom. Did you see it? >> Yes. >> Yeah. So, and we beat Disney that week. and people thought that it would never.
happen, right? But that movie changed. people radically, woke them up, brought. resources to the table, has created real. shift. Man's search to meaning I think. can do that as well. But in those. places, they get habituated to the pain. You get habituated pain or pleasure. That's why we've got to grow. And when. we grow, we get that life cycle. We feel. more alive and then we got something to. share. And then we feel meaning and then. it's like a virtuous cycle and life gets. better and better. >> Last month I told you about our sponsor. Function Health and their team who've.
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I was stunned at how big your business. empire is. You know, even as you're. speaking there, you're talking about. movies that I've watched that I had no. idea that you're involved in. And you're. talking about all these other incredible. things you've done. And yeah, your. company's doing what what 12 billion. dollars in revenue annually. >> Well, it's a group of companies, not. just. >> group of companies. Yeah. And then. earlier on, you said you'd spoken to. these 50 very, very rich people in the. pursuit of writing the books that you've. written about wealth and finance and. money. Pattern recognition. >> That's right. >> What is the pattern that you noticed in. those people that you then applied to.
yourself? What is the pattern? You know, this is called the diary of a CEO. So, I'm sure we have a lot of people that. are thinking about building businesses, want to get financially free, especially. in a world of AI where they're they're. very uncertain about how they'll make. money and how they'll provide stability. that to their family. What is the. pattern that you have found in all of. those people that you have met and. interviewed and I know you know some of. the most wealthy people on earth because. I know you coach a lot of them. Um, I. don't think people fully realize the. significance of how many of the most. influential people on planet earth you. have worked with and continue to work.
with. Um, I found it hilarious reading. that Bill Clinton called [clears throat]. you uh the day before he was going to be. impeached telling you that he was going. to be impeached and asking you what he. should do. >> Yeah. First, let's say what everybody. makes the mistake on the majority of. people. We live in a free enterprise. system and we have kids that all think. communism is great. I just want you to. know I went to the USSR when it was. still the USSR. I was 24 years old. I. was brought there because of my. firewalking experience. And I went on a. train from from Moscow to Siberia and. back for two weeks. On the train, we.
were all fed caviar and the most. incredible meals as were all the. Russians on the plane, right? We're. supposed to be all equal, right? That's. supposedly what communism is. It's. everything's fair for everybody. Every. single town, we'd stop in the square. where the there and in the square. there's a big building and they wrapped. around for about maybe a quarter of a. mile. people standing in the freezing. cold to get a quart of milk and a half a. thing of bread. I left there and I. became a capitalist. I didn't know what. a capitalist was, but I knew I wasn't a. communist. Right? So, people in our.
country are the free enterprise system, but they don't understand it. So, what. are they making the mistake of? They're. consumers. They're not owners. We are a. consumer society and we train these kids. to be consumers. Adults as well. So, I'll give you a simple example. I looked. I was trying to give an example to a. young kid the other day, so I actually. did the math on it. You have an iPhone? Yeah. >> Okay. Have you always had an iPhone? >> Well, yeah. For the last decade or more. Yeah. >> All right. So, iPhones around for what, 18 years, 19 years. I went and did the. numbers and found out what the cost was. for every iPhone. Add it up. If you got.
an iPhone each time, somebody who's. older to do it, you spent 22,000 and. some change at the retail price. If you. bought the stock, I went and saw what. the stock was on the same day the thing. came out and you bought the stock. Same. amount of money of the stock. >> Apple stock. >> Apple stock. $326,000 right now. Instead. of out 22 grand, you have 326. If you're. going to use an Apple phone, I'm not. saying it's Apple specifically. I'm not. making a recommendation. Why would you. not own the company, right? Because we. don't teach people to think that way.
And so now they think communism is going. to be the answer. They don't understand. what that really means. They have no. clue. So you have to become an owner. You have that's what you have to do. Then the second piece is when I. interviewed all these people, I found. four things with them. I found number. one their focus didn't matter if they're. a macro trader or if they were value. trader or it didn't matter what their. style was the four things that had in. common I call them the core four was. number one they all were focused on not. losing money most people are trying to. make money and the reason is they know.
if you lose you know you you lose you. got a $100,000 investment and you lose. 50%. how much do you have to grow your money. to get your money back and people will. say 50% %. No, you got to grow at 100%. >> Right? You get it? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. So, they know that. So, they're. first making sure they don't. Now, how. do they do that? They do it by asset. allocation, right? They all have. different asset allocation strategies, which at the most basic level is you. don't put all your eggs in one basket. Most people put all their money in their.
business or their house, right? They. know that that is the kiss of death. And. so they look at how to divide their. assets where they have a certain amount. in a more secure environment, meaning. not a lot of upside, but it's like the. nest egg. And they have some that are. more at risk. And there's different and. I learned what theirs are and I taught. those different ones. But the most. valuable one I know, you know, because I. read it in your book and I was really. impressed. Asymmetrical riskreward. Their entire focus is not about taking. risks, right? There are few only a few.
people. You think you're a billionaire. because you took giant risks, right? No, no, no. may have some do, but they don't. usually stay billionaires doing that, right? >> How do they do it? They figure out. what's the smallest amount of risk with. the most amount of upside that I can do. And so Paul Tudtor Jones's approach was. 5 to one. If I'm going to risk a dollar, I want to be certain I can make five. You and I, most average people would. normally think, I used to think, well, 12, 15, 20% return, right? But here's. how it works. If I risk $1 and I'm.
certain I make five, and I'm wrong. I'm. down one. I can risk a dollar and still. make four. I can be wrong four times out. of five and still be okay. That's how. those guys become billionaires. Asymmetrical reward. I was talking to a. gentleman um who in 19 2008, excuse me. He took $25 million and turned into $2. billion in the worst economic time. He. [snorts] anticipated what was going to. happen with real estate. Everybody. thought it was going to keep going up. He used synthetic bets and bet against. it. Made $2 billion. Brilliant.
Brilliant job. And I said to him, you. know what? What is the things that's. missing for investors? He goes, well, the smartest investors are usually the. worst investors because they want. absolute certainty. They know everything. before they decide. And by that time, the opportunity is gone. >> Mhm. [clears throat]. >> And he said, but the most important key. for him was asymmetrical riskreward. He. said, I risked, I think he said he. risked six cents for every dollar. He. could have been wrong a dozen times, but. he wasn't. That's how he did it, right?
And then the fourth one is the obvious. one we both know which is. diversification. But this is the real. key. You know Ray Dalz, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. I've interviewed him. actually. >> Yeah. So Ray's a good friend. One of the. questions I asked him was if we had to. reduce it to the single most important. investment principle to know. I mean. you're the Da Vinci of investing. No one. has made more money than you in this. area. You know I said what is it? Is. there one? There's got to be one. And he. goes Tony there is. He goes, "I spent. almost nine years refining this and it's. so simple. It's the holy grail of.
investing is to find 8 to 12. uncorrelated investments that you feel. strongly about. If you find 8 to 12 of. those, you reduce your risk 80% and keep. your upside. In fact, you slightly. enhance your upside. >> Uncorrelated for someone. >> uncorrelated. That's that's the hard. part today because so many markets are. correlated. >> What does uncorrelated mean for someone. that does?" Well, for example, stocks. and bonds traditionally are thought of. as uncorrelated. Meaning, you know, stocks in a tough time, those are the. excuse me, in a growing time, stocks are.
where you put your money, but bonds are. to protect you when the market goes. down. Unfortunately, doing most things. like 2008 or 2020, they both go down at. that time, but nobody talks about that. They just go, "Oh, it's this weird. thing. It happens regularly.". >> So, things that don't move together. >> That's right. They don't move together. Well, so much is tied together today. But the only way to really do it is. you've got to have private investment. private equity, private credit, private. real estate. You have to diversify. beyond just stocks and bonds. And then. you can get that across it by different. industries, different elements. Because. think about this, this will blow your.
mind. Private equity, basic private. equity, not I interviewed 12 of the best. in the world. Basic private equity has. outproduced every stock market in the. world for 40 years. Every single stock. market in the world every year for 40. years. Now, you don't have total. liquidity. That's you're giving. something up, but your returns are in a. different place. They don't have to sell. when things are tough. They take. advantage. These are the smartest people. out there. They're not just trying to. get alpha. They're building value, right? They take a company, they put AI. in it, they bring new people to it, and.
then they take it to the public or in. most cases, they sell it to private. companies. There's fewer public. companies than ever. So, I looked it up. and it was f fantastic seed. The average. S&P for 39 years was 9%. Nice return. If. you put a million dollars down, you. know, you'd have $28 million, you know, 39 years later without doing anything. But if you put it in basic private. equity, basic private equity is average. 15.7%. Think about the difference of.
compounding that every single year. >> That's crazy. >> Now it's worth $328 million. That's the difference between the same. investment in public versus private. So. it's finding these pieces. But when you. can do 8 to 12 uncorrelated investments. or more, reduce your risk by 80%. That's. how you get higher returns and the same. time because most people are behind. And. so. >> you didn't come from a financial. background. >> No. No. I have no financial background. >> You didn't study finance in university? >> No. >> So, so where did you learn all this.
stuff about finance? >> By going to the very best on earth. Like. why would I go to university to a. professor who's never done anything when. I can go to 50 of the smartest people on. earth or in private equity? I went to 13. of the smartest ones, most successful in. history. Is your superpower learning? >> Yes. I think it's that's what I tried to. say to you from the beginning. That's. what pattern recognition, pattern. utilization, pattern creation is. If you. don't learn at a rapid tempo in the. world right now, you're cheating. yourself of an extraordinary life. >> Is there a tactic or a strategy to make. me a better learner? Especially someone. that does this pockets. I get to meet. people like you. So, I want to store.
everything. Yes. In this time that we. have. >> Yes. I I'm I believe in immersion and. space repetition. So, I believe like did. did you take a language in school? >> Oh, god. Yeah. German. Can you speak it? >> Nine. [laughter]. >> That's right. So, most people go to. college or high school and college and. they take a language, right? And five. years later, 10 years later, can't speak. a word, right? Immersion is how you do. it. So, if I wanted to teach you a. language and you had the time and money, I would take you to Italy and I would. drop you in the middle of Rome and say,
"I'll see you in 90 days." With no one. to teach you in 90 days, are you going. to be speaking the language? >> Better. >> Yeah. >> You're going to speak the language. You're going to know the nuances of the. language. you're going to have a pitch. and tone that's more there because it's. how you learned originally by total. immersion. So the reason I do 12 hours a. day for 4 days, 50 hours in a weekend or. 60 hours and most people think I'll. never do that, but they're having the. time of their life. So time disappears. when you're enjoying yourself and you. hate it. I mean it feels like eternity. But the reason I'm able to do that is. that immersion is like years of.
experience and you're in a peak state. while you're doing it. So you remember. it because it's locked in like 911 as. opposed to 811. So, I love that. The. other thing that I do is I'm capturing. and I use AI now to do it. I've kept. journals my whole life just like you. looks like you've done, but I'm building. on it, but I have my AI that I've been. feeding over and over and over again the. things I wanted to remember, the. principles, and I create structures to. evaluate these things. >> And I asked you there about how these. wealthy investors make their money. Um, the the last question I really have. around this is how the best.
entrepreneurs in the world make their. money. Um, again, we're called the diary. of a CEO. So, there's lots of. entrepreneurs and build business. builders watching. And I know you've. worked with many of the world's top. entrepreneurs. In fact, one of them. wrote you a letter. >> Oh, which one? >> Mark Ben off. >> Oh, I love Mark. He's a beautiful man. >> For anyone that doesn't know who Mark. is. Um, he's the the founder CEO of. Salesforce. >> Yes. Yeah. He actually came to four, I. think, or five of my seminars originally. in a row, same seminar. And uh, you.
know, Mark's as big as I am. He's a big. guy and he was going for it full tilt. And finally after the fourth one, he. came up to me and said, "You've. convinced me. I'm going to leave Oracle. I'm going to start my own business. I. want you to come on the journey with me. It's called Salesforce.com." He said, "We're going to change business around. the world." And he said this to me. He. goes, "And I promise you, we'll get to a. hundred million dollars in business.". Now he's doing like 42 billion, right? So, but Mark's what I love about Mark is. he's a contributor. He's he's a social. CEO. Like he does things for society. He. isn't just about himself. He's an.
extraordinary human being. He said, "Dear Tony, I am so deeply grateful for. everything that you've done for me over. the last four decades." He talked about. the seminars he'd been to with you and. says that you've transformed his life. through your inspiration and ideas. He. talks about that particular seminar you. referenced as the moment that led him to. go deeper and deeper and deeper. He said. it was at date with Destiny that I made. the firm decision to leave Oracle and. start my own company. We even had a. brief conversation about it back then. If you remember,
>> I remember. >> Fast forward 26 years and Salesforce now. has 80,000 employees and generates over. 40 billion in revenue annually. It. stands as the largest enterprise. software company in the world. I truly. could not have done it without you by my. side. And as you always say, we often. overestimate what we can do in one year, but we vastly underestimate what we can. do in a few decades. Tony, I started. this letter with gratitude. And I'll end. it the same way. When I reached my most.
difficult moments, you were there. When. I reached my highest heights, you were. also there. I never forgot that whenever. I reached out for help, you returned the. phone call or text, always quickly. Business and politics are temporal, but. relationships are eternal, and yours is. one I carry with me always. Congratulations on everything you're. doing. I look forward to a wonderful. future with you. Aloha, Mark. That's. very beautiful. It makes me a little emotional, but I.
just I love Mark. He's such a good man. and. um I was very kind of him to write that. letter. He says he gives me more credit. than I deserve. Um but I I love him. personally. I love I I love strangers. I'm driven by that. But I love Mark. because he's such a giver. I I see him. as a a role model of what a great CEO. is. Someone who understands the social. impact of what they're doing as well as. the business impact. Um, he's got a. heart of gold and of course we all have. ups and downs throughout our lives and.
and he thinks he's just I've just helped. him, he's helped me, too. It's like it's. never a one one way piece. It's not like. I go around and coach all these people. I'm no idiot. I've learned so much from. Mark. Uh, it's priceless. So, I have to. I have to send that thanks right back to. him. No question about it. >> Where does that emotion come from that I. see in your face? >> I don't know. I was just like. I'm I'm an emotional guy. I'm empathetic. guy and I'm I'm a lover, you know? That's what drives all that I do. And to. um see somebody I love and to see how.
far he's come and to know that um I've. been able to be helpful to him at at key. moments um is meaningful. You know, it's. extremely meaningful cuz he's provided. opportunities for millions of people, 80,000 employees, but millions of people. through his creativity and his focus. And we've done a lot of cool things. together. I called him one time. I was. up in uh San Francisco for other. business. And um I read in the paper. that this this landlord was kicking out. these nuns who had the food kitchen in.
the the worst part of the city there in. the Tenderloin district. And I was like, "This guy's an idiot. I mean, I got to I. got to do something." So instead of. leaving, I spent an extra day and I went. and met these nuns, most incredible. ladies. And they were spending all their. time cooking food so they could sell. food so they could make money so they. could actually prepare food for the. homeless there. and in this tiny little. building and they were getting kicked. out. So I called the owner and I said. listen I'm own a lot of real estate. also. I understand your rights as a real. estate guy but I said do you want to be.
the most hated guy in San Francisco? I. said I'll give you an option. How about. let them stay to the end of the year. I'll pay their lease. I'll pay twice the. amount and then I'll get them out. I. said but you don't push them out now on. the street. So we agreed. And so then I. said to ladies, "Let's find a place for. you and I'll help you find a place. We'll rent a place for you." And then I. started getting phone calls and one of. the phone calls I got says realtor and. he goes they're they're looking to buy a. place and I said I said well where are.
they getting the money? I said they said. I don't know. So I called and made none. up and she goes uh I said you know I I. was said I'd you know pay for a place. for you guys for a year you know lease. you a place. I said but I hear you're. looking to buy a place. Do you guys have. some capital I'm not aware of? And she. goes no. She goes will provide Tony. like God will provide. So, so I spent, I. don't know, a million two or something. like that to find them a place. But then. I called Mark because I didn't want them. living in the place. I said, "Mark, match me on this." And I mean, he didn't.
hesitate a second. He had not even met. the nuns. Then he went the nuns, we went. met them, and he went and he bought them. a home for them to stay in. And and then. we went through four years of the city. trying to not let them take over this. place. But that's the kind of guy Mark. is. So, he's incredibly generous and I'm. very touched that I could count him as a. friend and be a helpful to him. and. you've been so helpful to me. >> I've learned quite a lot about you today. just from observing you and two one of. the big things that I've learned is the. two moments where I've seen tears in. your eyes. >> have both been moments where people have.
expressed a huge amount of love and. appreciation for you. >> That's true. >> And I I work back through your early. earliest years and I again it's almost. like a a jigsaw puzzle coming into. formation in my mind of how how much you. love love. >> I do. I think love is life. Love is the. driving force in my life for sure. There's no question about it. And that's. why I can't I I hate to see suffering. because it's the opposite of love. You. know, if you love somebody, what do you. do? Anything you can. So that's what I'm. called to do. And it is it's a calling. It's not a job. It's not a business. You.
I have all kinds of businesses obviously. and I enjoy business. But this is my. mission. This is what I'm made for. And. um I'm just one guy. I can't do. everything, but I can do a lot. And I'm. always figuring how to scale more, right? you know, whether it's feeding. people or I'm getting, you know, my wife. and I, we were fortunate enough to have. our own plane and I I don't want to just. burn up a bunch of carbon. I found it's. 3,000 trees. I said, let's plant a 100. million trees. So, we're up to 75. million. I think we're going to hit the. 100 million this year. And but we didn't. just plant the trees. We talked to.
farmers, work with an organization about. how to build a build a crop not once a. year, but to do it across 12 different. months so that if something drops, they. come out and they go from earning a $125. a day and starving to making $12 a day, which doesn't sound like much makes them. rich in that community. So, we're doing. that. It's like I just I love taking. things to scale, too. It's like I love. the individual impact and I love the the. global impact. The combination of the. two make life ever challenging and ever. exciting. >> with people like Mark and entrepreneurs.
My last question about this pattern. recognition and my last question is just. as me as a you know I'm I'm an. entrepreneur. I'm building businesses at. the moment. I'm earlier in my journey. much earlier than someone like Mark. But. what is the pattern that you've seen in. these exceptional founders and. entrepreneurs as it relates to building. great businesses that you would impart. on me? >> I don't think there's anything I'm going. to impart on you that you don't already. know because the fundamentals are so. simple. Um, you have to the business has. to be more than a vehicle for money. And. don't get me wrong, I mean, there are. people who have certainly succeeded that. way. But if you look at the people that. build something that's lasting, it has.
to be a passion where it's something you. believe in so much. It's so valuable. It's a contribution sense to you, not. just an economic sense. Because in the. beginning of a business, it's like. having a child. You know, you know, you. don't get a lot back. You work around. the clock. You'll discover when your. first child comes and you love them. It's it's the pride of ownership. But if. you're just a lot of people start a. business think they're gonna get rich. overnight or make some and those people. never succeed. So it's like finding. something a vision that not only you. believe in but others are completely.
moved by because you can attract people. You can't build an organization without. great people. And do you think I could. run all these companies if I was just. sitting there every day? I mean I've got. some of the greatest leaders I could. possibly recruit. I'm constantly looking. for the second part which is how do I. find leaders? How do I find leaders that. are smarter than I am in various areas. and where I can pull together the right. people together and create a culture. that adds a massive value and. continually does so until it dominates. the that industry or that market or that. marketplace. So I think you have to find.
something that's more than just a. business for you. It has to be more than. economics for you. It has to be a. mission for the most successful people. You have to be able to have something. you can articulate that can attract. people. And you have to constantly find. the very best that you can. And you got. to constantly prune because the law of. familiarity shows up. That's what your. friends went through, right? They got. all these great things but know how. great it is after a while it's familiar. You know, it's like they don't they. don't have the same hunger. I look for. not only wickedly smart people, which I.
love, but hungry people. When people ask. me like, "What is the one common. denominator of people that succeed on a. massive scale around the world?" I'd. always in the beginning say,"Well, I. love wicked intelligence, but I know a. lot of very smart people that can't. fight their way out of a paper bag in. their relationship or their finances.". You know, they're smart in one area, not. another. But the one that is absolutely. completely accurate is hunger. The. hunger to be more, to do more, to give. more, to share more. Somebody who has a. hunger that doesn't die, not a hunger to. get make a certain amount of money or a.
hunger to achieve, you know, a swimsuit. size, but a hunger that's unquenchable. Those are the people that you know their. names because they have an impact. So. it's like whether it's Richard Branson. who's in his 70, he has the same hunger. today as when he was 16 years old in. that crypt in your country coming up. with Virgin, right? I mean it's same. level. Let's give it a go, right? He's. got that peace, you know? Anybody you. see, you know, look at the people you. have on your show and think about how. many of them still have that hunger. Kevin Hart is a friend of mine. I know. he's been on your show. I mean, he's one. of the hardest working guys, but he's.
hungry. He loves it. He want he just. wants to do it all. To me, that's the. gift. and stoking your hunger or. awakening someone's hunger that doesn't. have it. That's a real gift and that's. one of the gifts I think I've tried to. refine within myself and help people. with. >> My last question is of all the things. we've talked about today and everything. else that's going on in your life and. the world, what is the most important. thing we should have talked about that. we didn't talk about? >> We covered a lot of territory. [laughter]. I'm impressed by the diversity of what. we got to cover. Thank you. We went. deep. Um I don't know if there's. anything that off the top of my head.
right now. I I do think that I hope. people leave with the idea that if I'm. stressed in my life, I got to stop. managing. I got to start creating. And. that that sounds like just an. overwhelming thing, but it's like. creating life on your terms. Like. deciding what are the immutables. It's. like um if you want to take the island, you got to burn your boats. >> Uh if if you have a way to go back, the. mind will rationalize and you will go. back. But if you really are committed to. a greater quality of life, you got to. master the science of achievement and. the art of fulfillment. And fulfillment.
is not like achievement. There's very. cool real rules for achievement like. what to do with your body, multiple. ones, but there's certain fundamentals. that are immutable. What to do. financially, certain things that are. immutable. Fulfillment. that success without fulfillment is. failure. And fulfillment is an art. It's. not a science. It's different for you. and me and everybody we meet. And so I. I'll tell you one real fast example. I. know we've gone over in time. Um Steve. Win's a good friend of mine, built most.
of Las Vegas. Brilliant guy. Absolutely. brilliant. And um one day Steve calls. up. He goes, "There's a painting that I. have coveted for over a decade and he. goes, "I just recently outdid everybody. at Southbes and it just got delivered. and you got to see it." And I said, "Okay, I can't see." I said, "But I got. to ask a question. How much did it set. you back?" And he goes, "$86.9 million. I go, "8 $86.9 million." Okay, I got to.
see what an $87 million painting looks. like. So, I go to his house. He takes me. in, shows me this wall. It's a red square. It's a Rothco, if you know what a Rothco. is. It's a red square. And it's not. totally red, a little red and orange, right? And I look at him. I go, "Steve, they missed some spots." [laughter] And. he looks at me and gives me the look. And I start to tease him a little bit. I. go, "Steve, if you give me a $100 worth. with the red paint and you give me 10. minutes, I think I can match this." And.
I'm just screwing him with a little bit. He knows I'm screwing. He goes, "You. know, this is a Rothco." I said, "I. know." He goes, "No, but you don't. know." Like, you know, he committed. suicide. He tells me the whole story, right? And I go, "Well, that better be. blood of his for $87 million, right?". But the reason I tell you the story is. it's not making fun of Steve. It's. making fun of me. He can look at that. and he can barely see. And he knows what. every stroke means. It has meaning for. him. He knows what it's about, what it. means, the uniqueness of it. He's the. man's life. I see a red square. He has.
an experience. The richness of life is when you go. deeper and figure out what makes you. feel like it's a red square for someone. else, but this is your thing. This is. what fulfills you. I know what fulfills. me. Family, love, as you can probably. tell, and contribution in a meaningful. way. Light me up like a Christmas tree, and they've made me go for 66 years, and. it'll keep me going, right? But people. got to find what that is for themselves. Because if you succeed and you're not. fulfilled, what do you got? How many people have. taken their life? They're super.
successful on the surface, but they. weren't fulfilled. Some of the people. made everybody on earth laugh when they. took their life. Some people did. businesses and took their life. You. don't want I don't I don't think most. people are going to take their life, but. you don't want to live more decades and. not really be here, not experiencing. fulfillment. So, my passion is to help. people be fulfilled, not just achieve. >> Amen. I mean, I've got so many other. photos that I might as well show you. The ones that. >> This is the moment my wife and I met. >> That is the moment you met. >> Literally the moment we met. How did she.
get the one? >> That's my mom. That's Jim Robbins. This. man adopted me. >> This one here. >> Oh, that's down uh this one is actually. down in Haiti. I went down there. That's. where first group people went to save. >> all these kids. These were kids that had. been trafficked. >> Yeah. my brother and sister. Wow, you do. your homework. Very impressive. >> We We have a closing tradition where the. last guest leaves a question for the. next, not knowing who they're leaving it. for. And the question left for you is, if you could choose your life span, how.
long would it be and at what point would. you choose to die? >> That's a great question. Well, I. certainly would want to live um as long. as my family does, and now I've got to. live a little longer because I got a. four-year-old. Um [snorts]. I don't know if I'd want to live. forever. Um. I don't know. You know, there's talk. about, you know, uploading your. consciousness to a machine and so forth. I don't I believe in spirit and soul. I.
don't know if that's going to be. uplifted machine. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe. it's just the process. But I want to. leave as much legacy as possible. I want. to live as long as I'm interested and. useful. You know, those are the two. things that are really matter. And you. know, my minimum I think is 92 is my. goal as if I had control, right? Life. will tell me. But 92 for the number that. somehow I've had in my head and what. some of the boosts we have with bio. chemistry and element stem cells, who. knows? Maybe it goes past 100. But uh I. think a century of living and giving.
would be an extraordinary experience for. me. I don't know if I'd want to live for. eternity, but I'm not at that point. where that's really a choice, so I don't. have to think about it. Um, I I will. tell you the only fear that I've really. felt in my life was dying too soon. I. think part of my drive early on was just. I want to squeeze everything out of life. while I'm here. I don't know where it's. come from. I think, you know, couple. things could have contributed to it, but. I think death was a good counselor for. me. It gave me drive to the today. It. it's not a fear for me other than I want. to be here as long as I can for my.
family and for especially all my. children. but especially my youngest. But yeah, that would be my answer. I'd. say not forever, but as long as I'm. useful and helpful and I can enjoy it. all. >> You use the word legacy there. >> Yeah. Well, legacy is um what I leave. when I'm gone. In other words, I don't. have to be here to continue to have. impact, right? It's like that's the best. part of life. I I looked at, you know, leadership is influence, right? What. makes you a leader is your ability to. influence thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions, another person if you're a. positive leader for good. And I look at. levels of influence. One is can you. influence someone to change their state?
Then it's can you influence them to. change your state when you're not there? So you're no longer a manager, right? You've changed their values. Could you. change your state and they're not there. for a group of people? Right? Could you. change your state with a mass number of. people and you're not there? Right? That. to me is the ultimate level of. influence. And now with audios and. videos and AI, especially with AI, I've. got an AI that's amazing. I mean, we. have 4.9 in Apple and people love it and. their lives changed by it. And I'm I'm. working right now with another group um. to create a platform for interventions.
and therapy that's not just me with AI. because there aren't enough therapists. There aren't enough great therapists in. the world. I want to have that. It's. already in 50 languages. So the whole. world I want to leave a legacy that the. world has people that can help them 24/7. 365. And I think AI is one of the tools. It's getting better and better to do. that. >> And what happens when you die? Where do. you go? I I I don't think anything in. the universe I know nothing in the. universe ever destroys it changes form. What does that look like? Do I have.
conscious awareness that as I do now? I. don't know the answer to that question. Uh all I want to do is make sure I live. fully while I'm here and whatever's next. when it shows up, I'll I'll take that. journey. Thank you so much uh for so. many reasons. I think you've been a. you've been a mentor to so many of us. for for so long in so many ways. Whether. it's I remember how profoundly impacted. I was when I watched your um your piece. on Netflix and. >> Oh, no. Your guru. Yeah. >> Yeah. That was really the front door for. me into your world. I'd seen I'd seen. your work before I' I'd read the books. and stuff, but for me that was really a.
paradigm shifting moment. I think it was. in that documentary where there was a. young man who was suicidal. Yeah, it was. that one. The Netflix I'm not there was. Yeah, there was one. That's how it. started actually. >> Matias. >> Yes. Matteas. >> Matteas. That was what six years ago? >> No. No, that was 2014. >> 2014. Okay. Wow. >> Yeah. >> Gosh. >> There was a young woman there also. I. don't know if you remember the young. woman that was in that sex cult where. they made the children have sex with the. adults. >> That one was very emotional. I was down. in Brazil and I was doing a seminar for,
you know, about 10,000 people. And I'm. walking through the aisle and this woman. kept looking at me and then I didn't. realize it. She goes, "Don't you. recognize me?" And it was her. She got. herself out of the group. She's wrote a. book. She's now a therapist. She helps. other people get out of it. So, it's. really fun to see years later. We. actually did a follow-up at the 7-year. mark or something like that afterwards. to show what happened with these. families. It's been really nice to see. >> Did you say his name? His name was. Matias. Matias. >> Matias, I believe. Matias. He he just. wanted to he sent an email just to say.
that for anyone that doesn't know, he. was a a guy in the audience who was had. suicidal ideiation and was clearly. struggling. >> Yeah. >> Um it's been what a decade roughly since. then. you you supported him, you helped. him. And he's just sent an email to say. that attending that event that day was a. huge dream for him and the experiences. that he got from that have completely. changed the trajectory of his life. And. those memories continue to impact him as. he continues to support um his growth, his habits, his decisions, and his.
outcomes. And he wanted to send his. regards to you for that. >> That was really kind of him to reach. out. That's nice. I love seeing people a. year later, 10 years later, 20 years. later. That's the great gift of my life. I walk down the street anywhere on. earth. Sarah desert has happened to me. in China. People come up and say, "You. changed my life." And I always remind. them, "I didn't change your life. You. did, but glad I got to help. What. happened?" And then they tell me. stories. And outside my family, there's. nothing that gives me more joy than to. hear those stories. >> Well, you've done that for more people. than I could possibly receive emails. from. Um, hundreds of billions really,
if we're counting the amount of people, the amount of meals you fed through the. the work you've done through your. company. you even you've invested. tremendously also in in saving the. planet through your green energy. investments which we didn't get to talk. about today but I'm going to link that. below for people to read about. >> One thing I would mention if I may is I. uh Paramount approached me and we now. have a 24-hour day channel and uh it's. it's a fast channel so it's free. advertised supported television. It's a. TV I grew up with instead of cable. So, if you go to um whether it's Pluto or if. you go to Roku or if you go to Amazon.
Prime and you look for live TV, there's. the Tony Robbins network and 24 hours a. day there's content there that's free. that anybody can watch and educate. themselves and they're full of. interventions like these that you talked. about. So, I hope some people will check. it out because it's a it's a way I'm. another way I'm trying to give people a. gift to support their lives. >> I'm going to link that below and also. I'm going to put a link below to your. free 3-day virtual event called Time to. Rise which I think we mentioned. >> Oh, yeah. Please come to that. You don't. want to say come. You can do it from. anywhere in the world. Your office, your. home. And it's coming up on the 29th. through the 31st of January.
>> And it's perfect timing at the start of. the new year. People thinking about. making a change in their life. I'm going. to link that below as well if anybody. wants to attend. It's free 3 days and. it's uh I think it's a great. continuation of the conversation we've. had today because we've talked so much. about change, a changing world, and how. to change thyself. And um that's what. you've done for me. It's what you've. done for so many people. And it's an. absolute honor. It's actually for me. there have certain moments when I in the. job that I do where I think [ __ ] hell. like how lucky I'm grateful am I to get. to do this and this is one of those such. moments that is a is a real dream for me. because you're you're such a huge. inspiration to me. So thank you so much.
Tony for your graciousness. I appreciate. >> I just want you I feel the same way. I. feel like uh you're the next wave of. contribution to this world and you're. doing an amazing job already but I got a. ticket to your parade. I'm gonna watch. how you evolve over the next couple of. decades and I know your your. contributions will only grow because I. feel the sincerity in your heart not. only to grow but to give and uh I hope. that you continue to move towards that. love and contribution you're talking. about cuz I think that's your true. essence. I think that's really what. drives you anyway. >> I think so too.
>> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. [music]. >> This is something that I've made for. you. I've realized that the direio. audience are striv. goals that we want to accomplish. And. one of the things I've learned is that. when you aim at the big big big goal, it. can feel incredibly psychologically. uncomfortable because it's kind of like. being stood at the foot of Mount Everest. and looking upwards. The way to. accomplish your goals is by breaking. them down into tiny small steps. And we.
call this in our team the 1%. And. actually this philosophy is highly. responsible for much of our success. here. So what we've done so that you at. home can accomplish any big goal that. you have is we've made these 1% diaries. and we released these last year and they. all sold out. So I asked my team over. and over again to bring the diaries back. but also to introduce some new colors. and to make some minor tweaks to the. diary. So now we have a better range for. you. So, if you have a big goal in mind. and you need a framework and a process.
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