The Daily Mastermind
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Episode 429 · Sep 3, 2021

What Experts and Gurus Don't Want You to Know About Success

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George Wright III has spent more than 25 years inside the personal development and financial education world. He has worked alongside celebrities, bestselling authors, and thought leaders, and that insider view has revealed something most experts never say out loud: they struggle just like everyone else.

In this episode of The Daily Mastermind, George shares the truth he has learned from behind the curtains, and why chasing someone else's version of success will never get you where you truly want to go.

Why Experts Struggle Just Like You Do

The gurus you follow on podcasts, social media, and TV have dealt with depression, anxiety, failed businesses, and broken relationships. The polished image you see on Instagram or YouTube is a curated slice of a very complicated life. George's message is direct: stop comparing your full reality to someone else's highlight reel.

I've seen a lot of experts, celebrities, authors, best-selling authors, individuals out there that are promoting ideas and ways to develop yourself personally and financially. And I have to tell you I've got kind of an interesting insider's look from sort of behind the curtains.

Most people spend their lives chasing a position that is not always real, and certainly not healthy. Recognizing this is the first step toward building something genuine.

The Concept of Blissful Dissatisfaction

George highlights a concept he credits to Ed Mylett: blissful dissatisfaction. The idea is that you can be genuinely happy and fulfilled with who you are right now while still pushing hard toward the next level.

You have to learn to be blissful or happy with where you are right now, but you don't have to be satisfied with where you're at right now. You can be blissfully dissatisfied.

These two states are not contradictions. You can hold both at once. Celebrate the present version of yourself while keeping your eyes locked on growth.

You Are Not Your Story

One of the most liberating truths in this episode: your past does not define you. Your mistakes are not your identity. Your failures are not a sentence. They are lessons, and once you treat them as such, you stop repeating them.

When you close that chapter, you stop dragging the weight of old decisions into every new day. Your story does not have to hold you back; it can become the message that moves you forward. George puts it plainly: you are not the same person you were in the past, so stop judging yourself for who that person was.

How to Stop Chasing External Validation

A recurring theme in this episode is the danger of seeking external validation, whether through possessions, status, or the approval of others. Lifestyle is fine, George says, but the moment you pursue it to impress others or to prove something to yourself, it loses its power and its purpose.

The leaders who genuinely inspire people are authentic. They do not lead from a performance of where they have been. They lead from who they aspire to be. That shift, from external posturing to internal clarity, is where real change begins.

How to Build Daily Momentum

George offers a practical framework for moving forward. None of the steps are complicated, but all of them require real commitment.

First, make a decision. Not a casual intention, but a firm commitment to writing a new chapter focused on the present and future version of yourself. Then back that decision with a burning desire rooted in a clear vision of where you want to be.

From there, build consistency through daily rituals and support yourself with accountability. A partner, a friend, anyone who will hold you to your commitments. Emotions fade when logic kicks in, and a daily mindfulness practice helps you stay present rather than ruminating on the past or growing anxious about the future.

Finally, prepare in advance. Set your objectives the night before. Do not wait to feel motivated before deciding what you are going to do. Motivation follows action, not the other way around.

Action Steps

  • Make a firm decision to write a new chapter focused on the present and future version of yourself, not the past.
  • Develop a clear vision with a strong why, then back it with a definite plan and consistent daily action.
  • Start a mindfulness or meditation practice to stay present and reduce anxiety about the future.
  • Find an accountability partner who will hold you to your commitments, especially when motivation is low.
  • Prepare the night before: set your objectives, your schedule, and your environment so you are not starting from zero each morning.

You already have everything you need. You are not broken and do not need to be fixed. You are simply uncommitted to the plan that will take you where you want to go. Make the decision, back it with action, and trust that your mind will find the way. It is never too late to start living the life you were meant to live.

READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. George Wright III here with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. But today I want to talk to you about something that you may not really, really have seen for yourself yet. And that's the secret that the experts and the gurus and the thought leaders out there just don't want you to know. You see, I've been working in the financial education and personal development space for over 25 years and I've seen a lot of experts, celebrities, authors, best-selling authors, individuals out there that are promoting ideas and ways to develop yourself personally and financially. And I have to tell you I've got kind of an interesting insider's look from sort of behind the curtains. And let me start with this by saying you know as I was growing up a young entrepreneur just wanting to constantly you know chase the dream, make money, live the life, you know, do today what most won't do so tomorrow you can live like most people can't. I really had an image of what I thought success and individuals that I was trying to aspire to be were. And the truth is that most of the gurus, most of the individuals that are teaching and training and trying to set expectations for you out there, look, they're just like you and I. They're just dealing with the same problems that all of us have done. They have just made a few changes and tweaks in their life. You know, the truth is some of the biggest and best names out there that you'll listen to on podcasts or you'll see on TV, they struggle with depression. They struggle with anxiety and stress. They've had relationship issues. They've had businesses that have failed. Sometimes we just look at this ideal picturesque vision of what we think we're trying to become or what they are. And sometimes they do try to push you into some things that are not realistic. But let's face it, you know, you have got to understand that individuals that are in this space are just like you and me. You know, the problem is we spend our whole lives trying to attain a level, a certain position that we're aspiring to be that isn't always real. And It's certainly not healthy, and it's definitely not you. You're trying to be someone who you're not. You're trying to be someone who is an ideal scenario of an individual that's been put on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, whatever it is. And you have to learn a few things sooner or later. You have to learn that you are perfect right now. You're perfect right now the way you are. You are very unique, but yes, you can become a better version of yourself. and notice I said yourself, not someone else, you can become a better version of yourself. The key is to set the bar high and to strive to achieve that, but to recognize and appreciate the present version of yourself. See, there's a lot of these thought leaders out there that are trying to get you to do things that they themselves don't even do. And there are some out there now that are starting to become more and more and more authentic but I love this concept for example that Ed Milet gives out of blissful dissatisfaction So you have to learn to be satisfied I sorry blissful or happy with where you at right now But you don't have to be satisfied with where you're at right now. You can be blissfully dissatisfied. You could be happy in the moment, fulfilled with what your life is and the version of yourself, but pushing for the next level at any given time. Now, sure, it's a juggling act. Of course, there's waves that you're going to ride of emotions, and there's cycles that you're going to go through in life when there's tough times, and then there's good times. But you just need to decide that looking back on your life, you're going to recognize the lessons that you've learned. You're going to recognize that you are not the same person that was there in the past, and that you've grown, and you're going to recognize and learn, but not judge yourself for your past. So don't be afraid to be real and be authentic. What I wanted to kind of say in this episode is that I've seen some individuals pivot a bit over the last year that are truly, truly thought leaders. These are individuals that understand that being real and being authentic is much more aspiring and inspiring for individuals that are out there. because we spend a lot of our lives chasing some posture or pedestal of what we think people are out there based on a very limited view of their life. Don't fall victim to the need to create external validation. And we do this sometimes for ourselves, but we do this to impress others. Don't fall victim of needing that lifestyle and things. Now, listen, I'm the first to tell you that I'm all about lifestyle. I do love lifestyle. but don't do it for the wrong reasons. Don't do it because you want to be able to impress others or impress yourself internally for some type of validation that you're a good person or that you've been successful. You can be successful in everything you do. Ultimately, when you chase those things for the wrong reasons, it won't last. It won't create the best version of you. It certainly won't create your best or greatest life, and it certainly won't give you fulfillment. The true leaders, and that's what I really wanted to highlight here today. The true inspirational motivational leaders that are out there are real and they're authentic. They choose to be, they choose to be, you know, this example based on who they are and not where they've been. They choose to be the example and real and authentic because of who they aspire to be, not who they currently are. You know, yeah, you need to act as if sometimes, You need to act as if you are the best version of yourself. Be okay with who you are. Be okay with what you're doing, but aspire to be more. Remember, you know, just some really important facts here. You are not your story. Your past does not define you. So many of us get caught up in thinking we are our mistakes. We are our story. You know, your story isn't you. It doesn't define you, but it certainly can be your message to take you to the next level. And keep in mind that your past is over. Stop dragging your past around with you and giving you all of this luggage and things that slow you down Learn to just basically close that chapter start a new chapter And how do you do this You just decide. You decide that that was a good lesson. See, if you don't view your past, whether it's failures or accomplishments as lessons in life, then you're going to be doomed to continue to repeat those lessons over and over and over. and when you can finally make the decision that you close the chapter of your life, you actually sit back and say that was a lesson learned, then you can stop learning that same lesson. And here's a couple of tips that I've used. Number one, keep in mind and remember that emotions start to fade when logic kicks in. See, when your logical mind and your CEO center and your brain starts to kick in, emotions start to go into a third party. They sort of fade. and one way to get really present is you've got to start a daily meditation or mindfulness practice. Mindfulness, which is different than meditation, is designed to help you focus on the present moment. Stay out of the past, which creates a lot of negative emotions, and stay out of the future, which creates your anxiety and stress. The goal is to remember that you've got to create a plan that's best for you, not a knockoff of something that someone else is trying to do or someone else is trying to get you to be like them. love and appreciate your uniqueness there's only one you you know be that person be the person that's going to be the hero of your own story like i talked about earlier this week learn to get rid of this mask or all you know several masks that we all we all tend to wear in order to impress other people and impress ourselves even sometimes learn to just love you and love the process love the progress sometimes the process isn't as easy but the progress is definitely something you can love to accept and recognize and see. Now, how do you get this going in your life? Listen, I know it's not easy, but let me give you some simple, simple suggestions. And again, not easy suggestions, but simple suggestions. Number one, make a decision. Make a decision that you are going to start writing an amazing chapter of your life and you are going to be focused on the present and the future versions of yourself. And then make the commitment. because, see, making a decision to do things and staying committed are two completely different things. Now, once you do that, you're going to need to create a clear vision. You've got to have a why. You've got to have that fuel that's going to inspire and motivate you and back that with definite plans. You've got to have a definite plan. Now, you don't have to know exactly how things are going to go down, but you have to start, and you have to start with some strategy. You just can't get up in the morning and decide, you know, you're going to go whatever direction the day takes you. You know, successful people have a plan. Even if that plan changes, don't feel like you have to have the ultimate plan. And then you have to back that plan with a burning desire. And how do you create a burning desire? You focus on your vision. You focus on where you want to be. You motivate and inspire yourself and get you around the right people. And I would also recommend get some accountability. Without accountability, even some of the things that I'm amazing at, I have a a hard time with, getting up in the morning, going to the gym staying focused on certain objectives in work or business Get some accountability with somebody you know a partner a friend a relationship and then that help you to be more consistent. Because being consistent and being persistent are the key. Consistency is those daily rituals that you're going to do. Persistent is knowing you're never going to give up. You're not going to stop. There's nothing, no matter how hard it is, that's going to keep you from attaining the life that you're meant to live. And then I want you to really just do everything you can to focus on the here and now. Focus on execution because you can only execute in the moment, in the moment itself. Now I personally have some things that I do and you may have some as well. Some tips I would give you is find a way to compete. It's always nice to have, you know, a benchmark or a milestone or an individual that you compete against. And most importantly, what I've found in my life is you have to find a way to be about something more than yourself. Get outside yourself because sometimes we won't be willing to do the work for ourselves, but we're willing to do it for someone else or something else, a cause or something that you can really align with. And sometimes, frankly, you just have to be able to trick your mind. And the way I trick my mind at times is music, podcasts, pictures, poems, stories, motivational quotes, whatever it is that gets your mind thinking a different direction. Sometimes you have to do that because your mind is hardwired to protect you from difficult things. And then the last thing I would suggest is just be prepared. If you're waking up every day just hoping you've got the energy or the motivation to do it, you are set up for failure. You've got to prepare yourself the night before, the week before, the month before. Plan your days out. Set your clothes out for the gym. Set out your objectives before the day so you don't have to wait until you feel good to determine what your objectives are. Bottom line is this. You can do this. You don't need an outside guru or individual or thought leader to tell you how you should be and what you should be. You have everything you need inside of you. Now, certainly you're going to get some motivation and some things from people around you, but you're not broken. You don't need to be fixed. You're just unsure. You're just uncommitted. You need to make the decision to become committed to create your best life. And yeah, just say yes and then figure it out. Make the decision and it'll happen along the way. Allow your reticular activating system in your brain to start to go to work. When you make a decision to do something, your brain will find ways to help you to make it happen. I hope you'll be committed to yourself as much as I'm committed to you. And I hope that you will share this message. And if there's anything I can do for you, hit me up on The Daily Mastermind at Facebook or Instagram or just email me if you'd like at george at g3worldwide.com. And I look forward to talking with you a little bit more tomorrow. And then, you know, let's take some time out over the weekend this weekend. And let's spend a little bit of time working on what your vision is going to look like for next year. Just block out some time, sit down, make some notes, start to make it happen. That's my message for today. I hope you have an amazing day. Once again, my name is George Wright III, and this has been The Daily Master.ongтак

About the host
George Wright III, host of The Daily Mastermind

George Wright III

George Wright III is an entrepreneur, investor, and the host of The Daily Mastermind. Over more than two decades he has founded and scaled several multimillion-dollar companies and built a renowned seminar business that put some of the world's biggest names and brands on stage. With 25+ years across marketing, sales, and executive leadership, he's made a career of turning bold ideas into results — and momentum into lasting growth.

Today his mission is singular: empower driven entrepreneurs everywhere to master their mindset, unlock their potential, and live their ultimate destiny. Through The Daily Mastermind, George shares the Prosperity Principles and strategies that help people create massive change — in their business and in their life.

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