Episode 14 of my podcast is one of my most listened to, though it may not be for all the right reasons.
The title of that episode is The Importance of Listening to Audio in Personal Development.
My podcast is called The New Music Industry Podcast, so my target audience is musicians. I think this podcast episode attracted a general personal development crowd as much as the audience I was (and still am) speaking to.
There’s nothing wrong with that, however, and in this post, I’ll be going a little deeper into the topic.
The Impact of Words on Water
The human adult body is comprised of up to 60% water.
Similarly, 71% of the earth’s surface is covered in water.
Dr. Masaru Emoto is famous for conducting a variety of experiments with water, exposing it to words, pictures, or music.
His findings point to the idea that the water exposed to positive speech and thoughts form visually pleasing crystals, and water exposed to negative intentions would create displeasing crystal formations.
When you connect the dots, you begin to see that words impact our bodies.
When we are consistently uplifted, supported, and given encouragement, our health strengthens, our energy increases, and we’re able to think more clearly.
Conversely, when we are consistently insulted, put down, and discouraged, the opposite happens – our health deteriorates, our energy decreases, and our mind chatter becomes more incessant.
Programmed Through Negative Language
The truth is we are exposed to negative language all day long.
The mainstream media makes money when you tune into their programming, so they make their headlines as controversial and scandalous as possible. They exaggerate facts and claims, and in some cases, astute observers have even found that news consistently reports on the opposite of what’s happening in the world.
The ties between the media and the government have basically become irrefutable, as they always report on “what’s going to happen”, which always seems to happen, as if by magic (hint – it’s not magic, it’s predictive programming).
They’ll talk about tax hikes that are to come, laws that are about to change, or pandemics that are systematically wiping out humanity. Then, it all comes true, as if it were a prophecy. But it never is. They’re just telling us what they’re planning to do so they can’t be held responsible when it does.
So, your world, by default, is saturated in negative words, thoughts, intentions, energies, and language.
What they found was that the highest-performing teams were the ones that received 5.6:1 positive to negative feedback.
These findings are staggering, as it means we need roughly six positive comments to outweigh one potentially negative one.
Answer honestly – when’s the last time someone gave you six compliments, encouraging words, or words of support before you heard one slightly negative remark?
In my life, the last time that happened, I was attending grade school in another country!
So, when you consider that, by default, you are being bombarded with negative all day long, the only way to make up for that difference is by listening to positive, uplifting, encouraging audios.
The Power of Listening
The act of listening is a powerful thing.
It turns the uneducated and uninformed into skilled experts.
It saves relationships.
It grows businesses.
It cures depression.
It changes lives.
I understand these are grand claims. But most of us take for granted the ability to hear.
There are many ways to learn, but most of us rely heavily on this important human sense.
When a husband listens to his wife, or a girlfriend listens to her boyfriend, a stronger connection can be created.
When a manager listens to his team, he can implement new initiatives or new approaches that lead to expanded results.
When a patient listens to a psychologist, they can find ways of managing their emotions and even find new, positive emotions to latch onto.
When you hear an impacting message, it touches you at a heart level, and leads to decisions that change your world from the inside out.
Listening is foundational to all we truly desire in life.
And because we forget this, we also forget to feed our minds with positive and protect it from harmful and negative content, people, circumstances, and situations.
Growing Your Career by Tapping into the Power of Listening
If listening truly is as powerful as I’ve just described, then it stands to reason you can grow your career by regularly listening to empowering audio.
Have a listen to episode 14 of my podcast here:
If you’d like to take this a step further, may I recommend my book, The Music Entrepreneur Code, which covers the practical side of engaging in personal development?
If you’d like the Kindle or paperback, the book is also available on Amazon.
Perhaps, based on what I’ve just shared with you, you’re starting to connect the dots.
It takes something to take all those hits and keep getting back up.
I’m alluding to one of my favorite Rocky quotes here:
But when I say something, it’s because I know it’s different for everyone. “A lot” or “a little” is impossible to measure, and what might stop someone dead in their tracks might be a little bump in the road for another.
If you’re pursuing your passion, you must know that road is paved with challenges.
Taking Hits & Getting Back Up
So, if you think mindset doesn’t matter, you’re talking to the wrong guy.
In my life, each challenge and tragedy stacked onto the other, to the point where any time anything negative happened in my life, it started feeling like the end of the world. That’s what happens when you have all negative experiences collapsed onto each other.
If you want to take those hits and keep getting back up, you’d better have a strong mindset. You’d better believe in yourself and your ultimate success, whatever that may look like.
Because if you don’t, I’m sorry to say, you will quit. You will give up. You won’t give yourself a fair chance at achievement.
Something will always come along and stop you dead in your tracks, even as you’re trying to make things happen in your career.
The Mindset to Succeed
How do you strengthen your mindset?
Are you engaged in personal development?
Do you have a support group, people you can count on when things don’t go as planned?
Is there something you can fall back on when things go awry – financial runway, a backup plan, a way to get back in the game?
How do you handle challenges? How do you learn from them and carry those lessons into your life moving forward?
Are you willing to pay the price for success, whatever that may look like?
If you’re ready to take your mindset to the next level, you need The Music Entrepreneur Code. You can learn more here.
Although I consume content in a variety of ways, over the years, I’ve found the most useful method for assimilating information to be reading.
As I think back to when I first started engaging in personal development, I didn’t listen to podcasts or watch videos – I read articles and books.
Obviously, I still find tremendous value in podcasts, audio programs and the like.
But reading forces you to stay in the presence of an idea for longer.
Sure, most books can be boiled down to two or three key takeaways.
But without the context surrounding those takeaways, you don’t necessarily get the same impact.
If you don’t get the impact, you probably won’t do anything with the information.
Everyone wants to do everything fast, but I believe the best way to invest in yourself is to think deeply, which is the kind of thinking books facilitate.
Here is a list of books I’ve read.
This list should not be considered comprehensive unless I’ve noted otherwise.
I’ve organized the list by the author’s surname.
A
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition by Jay Abraham
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
Choose Yourself by James Altucher
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want by Robert Anthony and Joe Vitale
Living Your Magic: How to Enjoy Your Mind and Enjoy Your Life by Robert Anthony
The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence by Robert Anthony
B
Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition: 201 More Self-Promotion Ideas, Tips and Tactics for Do-It-Yourself Artists by Bob Baker
Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling, Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success by Jordan Belfort
Debt Squeeze by Ronald Blue
The Helping Relationship: Process and Skills by Lawrence M. Brammer
The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol
CRAZY ONLINE SALES: THE STRATEGY THAT MADE ME A MILLION DOLLARS IN 3 MONTHS! by Richard Brown
DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online with Sales Funnels by Russell Brunson
Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Finding Your Message, Building a Tribe, and Changing the World by Russell Brunson
Marketing Secrets Blackbook: 99 Secrets That Will Change Your Business… And Change Your Life! by Russell Brunson
Network Marketing Secrets by Russell Brunson
Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Website and Funnels with Your Dream Customer by Russell Brunson
The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive by Brendon Burchard
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg & John David Mann
Hero by Rhonda Byrne
The Power by Rhonda Byrne
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
C
The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone
Simple Success Secrets No One Told You About (The Business Pro’s Essential Toolkit Book 1) by John Carlton
How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Illusion of Money: Why Chasing Money Is Stopping You From Receiving It by Kyle Cease
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman
The Tongue: A Creative Force by Charles Capps
The Possible Dream: A Candid Look At AMWAY by Charles Paul Conn
The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work as Much as Play by Charles Coonradt
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Road Less Stupid: Advice from the Chairman of the Board by Keith J. Cunningham
D
Content Marketing For Traffic And Sales: How To Use Direct Response Copywriting, For More Effective Content Marketing by Daniel Daines-Hutt
Talk the Talk: A Treasury of Quips, Quotes, Questions & Words of Wisdom Essential for Building a Large, Successful Network Marketing Business by Angelo M. D’Amico
Compassionate Capitalism: People Helping People Help Themselves by Rich DeVos
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker
Virtual Freedom: How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business by Chris Ducker
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer
Excuses Be Gone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits by Wayne Dyer
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer
E
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge
Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers by John Eldredge
Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You by John Eldredge
The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey by John Eldredge
Wild at Heart: Discovering The Secret of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge
F
Magnetic Micro-Books by Nate Fancher
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox
So, you want to be a musician… by Dobbs Franks
Are You Living Your Dream?: How to Create Wealth and Live the Life You Want by John Furhman
G
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Ten Commandments of YouTube by Matt Gielen
Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness by Jeffery Gitomer
OUTRAGEOUS Multi-Step Marketing Campaigns That Are Outrageously Successful (Vol. 2) Bill Glazer & Rob Cuesta
At Your Command by Neville Goddard
Be What You Wish by Neville Goddard
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
What You Say Is What You Get by Don Gossett
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau
H
The Believer’s Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin
The Warren Buffet Way: Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor by Robert G. Hagstrom
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Accidental Creative: How to be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry
Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herold
Ask and It Is Given by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
The Astonishing Power of Emotions by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
The Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks
The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Creative Mind and Success by Ernest Holmes
Big Podcast – Grow Your Podcast Audience, Build Listener Loyalty, and Get Everybody Talking About Your Show by David Hooper
Six-Figure Musician – How to Sell More Music, Get More People to Your Shows, and Make More Money in the Music Business by David Hooper
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt
Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
Fit To Be Tied: Making Marriage Last A Lifetime by Bill & Lynne Hybels
I
It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!
J
Life Mastery: Manifest the Reality You Want by Quazi Johir
Life is Tremendous by Charlie Jones
K
One Million Followers, Updated Edition: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days by Brendan Kane
Almost Alchemy: Make Any Business Of Any Size Produce More With Fewer And Less by Dan S. Kennedy
Magnetic Marketing: How To Attract A Flood Of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer by Dan S. Kennedy
No B.S. Business Success in The New Economy by Dan S. Kennedy
No B.S. Grassroots Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Take No Prisoner Guide to Growing Sales and Profits of Local Small Businesses by Dan S. Kennedy & Jeff Slutsky
No B.S. Guide to Brand-Building by Direct Response: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Creating and Profiting from a Powerful Brand Without Buying It by Dan S. Kennedy, Forrest Walden & Jim Cavale
No B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Securing New Customers and Maximum Profits by Dan S. Kennedy & Shaun Buck
No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide to Time Productivity and Sanity by Dan S. Kennedy
No B.S. Trust Based Marketing: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Trust in an Understandably Un-trusting World by Dan S. Kennedy & Matt Zagula
Renegade Millionaire: 7 Secrets to Extreme Wealth, Autonomy, And Entrepreneurial Success by Dan S. Kennedy & Lee Milteer
Speak To Sell: Persuade, Influence, And Establish Authority & Promote Your Products, Services, Practice, Business, or Cause by Dan S. Kennedy
The Ultimate Marketing Plan: Target Your Audience! Get Out Your Message! Build Your Brand! by Dan S. Kennedy
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon
Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
DOTCOM SECRETS: 33 Things I Would Have Paid Good Money To Know Before I Started In Online Marketing by Jack Kogera
Publish. Promote. Profit.: The New Rules of Writing, Marketing & Making Money with a Book by Rob Kosberg
The Profitable Content System: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating Wildly Profitable Content Without Burnout by Meera Kothand
The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How to be One by Peter B. Kyne
L
Tao Te Ching by Laozi
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Your Personality Tree: Discover the Real You by Uncovering the Roots of… by Florence Littauer
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t by Michael J. Losier
The Healing Code: 6 Minutes to Heal the Source of Your Health, Success, or Relationship Issue by Alexander Loyd & Ben Johnson
M
Who Am I? by Sri Ramana Maharshi
80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More by Perry Marshall
Detox, Declutter, Dominate: How to Excel by Elimination by Perry Marshall & Robert Skrob
The Scribe Method: The Best Way to Write and Publish Your Non-Fiction Book by Tucker Max & Zach Obront
The New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
The Greatest Mystery in the World by Og Mandino
The Greatest Success in the World by Og Mandino
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Hung by the Tongue by Francis P. Martin
When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté
Dream Big Achieve Bigger: 7 Steps to Attract Anything You Want by Tasha L. Mayberry
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
Developing The Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell
Dream: See It and Seize It by John C. Maxwell
Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell
Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It by John C. Maxwell
Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work by John C. Maxwell
Bringing Out The Best in People: How To Enjoy Helping Others Excel by Alan Loy Mcginnis
Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters by Phillip C. Mcgraw
A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Brian D. McLaren
How to Think Bigger: Aim Higher, Get More Motivated, and Accomplish Big Things by Martin Meadows
Do You Have the TIME for Success? by Julio Melara
100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer
Be Anxious for Nothing: The Art of Casting Your Cares and Resting in God by Joyce Meyer
Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You Are Going: Learning How to Live a Joyful Spirit-Led Life by Joyce Meyer
How to Succeed at Being Yourself: Finding the Confidence to Fulfill Your Destiny by Joyce Meyer
Managing Your Emotions: Instead of Your Emotions Managing You by Joyce Meyer
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
A Million MIles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller
To Own a Dragon: Reflections On Growing Up Without A Father by Donald Miller
The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers: Secrets of 17 Successful Bloggers You Can Use to Build a Six-Figure Online Business by Sally Miller
The Secret Art of Self-Development: 16 little-known rules for eternal happiness & freedom by Karl Moore
Believe in Yourself by Joseph Murphy
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
N
How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet: 2011 Edition by David Nevue
The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale
Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill
Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-figure Business with Zero Advertising by Dan Norris and Elisa Doucette
O
Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life by Kevin O’Leary
The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson
I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life by Joel Osteen
Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential by Joel Osteen
P
Opportunity: How to Win in Business and Create a Life You Love by Eben Pagan
6 Steps to $1 Million: How to Achieve Your Financial Dreams by Gordon Pape
Hustle: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits & Jonas Koffler
Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina
Productivity: How to Triple Your Productivity Within a Month and Do a Full Day’s Work in 90 Minutes (Productivity series Book 1) by Steve Pavlina
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart
In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
God Wants You to be Rich: The Technology of Economics by Paul Zane Pilzer
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M Pirsig
Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle by Michael Port
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
100 Days of Favor: Daily Readings From Unmerited Favor by Joseph Prince
Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living by Joseph Prince
Unmerited Favor: Your Supernatural Advantage for a Successful Life by Joseph Prince
Contact Capital: How To Turn Your Contacts Into Cash Flow by Bob Proctor
You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses by Joe Pulizzi
Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi
Overcoming Time Poverty: How to Achieve More by Working Less by Bill Quain
Pro-Sumer Power II ! How to Create Wealth by Being Smarter, Not Cheaper, and Referring Others to Do the Same by Bill Quain
R
SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
It Works: The Famous Little Red Book That Makes Your Dreams Come True by RHJ
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
Winning Through Intimidation: How to be the Victor, Not the Victim, in Business and in Life by Robert Ringer
Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins
MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins
Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing by Robert Rose & Carla Johnson
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
S
The Label Machine: How to Start, Run and Grow Your Own Independent Music Label by Nick Sadler
I Will Teach You To Be Rich: No Guilt, No Excuses, No B.S. Just a 6-Week Program that Works by Ramit Sethi
The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell
The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business by Mark W. Schaefer
Work Less, Make More: The counter-intuitive approach to building a profitable business, and a life you actually love by James Schramko
Don’t Throw Away Tomorrow: Living God’s Dream for Your Life by Robert H. Schuller
The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Shultz
Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success by Shane Snow
SEX MONEY KISS by Gene Simmons
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers
Your Music and People by Derek Sivers
Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing: Build a Million Dollar Business Within 12 Months by Robert Skrob
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder
Reader Magnets: Build Your Author Platform and Sell more Books on Kindle (2022 Edition) by Nick Stephenson
The Success System That Never Fails by W. Clement Stone
You Can Go Up by William W. Stringfellow and Deloras I. Stringfellow
T
Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World by Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott
The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
Common Ground by Justin Trudeau
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump and Tony Schwartz
Operation Blessing by Billie Kaye Tsika
Sequoia-Size Success by Paul E. Tsika
U
It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!
V
The Seven Lost Secrets of Success by Joe Vitale
W
Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams by Jeff Walker
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
The Evergreen Traffic Playbook by Matt Wolfe & Joe Fier
X
It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!
Y
It’s possible I haven’t read any books in this category yet!
Z
See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar
Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know by Zig Ziglar
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
The Leading Musician Coach
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