1. Your Starting Point Matters — But What You Do Next Matters More

Buffett begins with something we often forget: luck.

He’s candid about his advantaged upbringing and grateful for the environment that allowed him to thrive. But he didn’t coast. He used what he had — opportunities, relationships, teachers, mentors — and worked consistently over decades. Even at 95, he still goes into the office five days a week.

Take a moment and acknowledge the advantages and outside influences that helped you get here. Then remember: disadvantages don’t have to stop you. Progress comes from what you do with what you have.

Buffett puts it well:

“You will never be perfect, but you can always be better.”

Life won’t be fair, but it will teach you.

2. "Get the Right Heroes and Copy Them"

Buffett frequently mentioned the people who have shaped him — Charlie Munger, Don Keough, Tom Murphy, Stan Lipsey, and others.

Not one of them is known for flashiness or fame. They’re known for character, a quality that Buffett values.

Try this right now:

Write down three people you admire and the quality you admire most about each.
Then ask: How can I practice one of these qualities this week?

3. Don’t Let Past Mistakes Define You

Buffett opens his final thoughts with a reminder we all need:

“Don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes – learn at least a little from them and move on.” 

Any time you mess up, take these two essential steps:

• Learn from it
• Move on

The key is remembering to do both quickly.

4. Know What You Want Your Obituary to Say

Buffett tells the story of Alfred Nobel accidentally reading his own obituary — and being horrified by what it said. That moment pushed him to reshape his life’s direction.

His challenge to us:

“Decide what you would like your obituary to say and live the life to deserve it.” 

A few questions worth sitting with:

• What would I want my obituary to say?

• Who would I want delivering my eulogy — and what would I want them to say?

• Are my daily actions moving me toward that version of myself?

If not, today is a good day to realign.

5. Be Kind and Compassionate (Especially When It’s Inconvenient)

Buffett reminds us that:

"Kindness is costless but also priceless."

It’s easy to be kind to people we like or people we care about impressing. But true compassion shows up when there’s nothing to gain.

A simple question to consider:

How can I be kind to someone I might normally overlook?

6. Buffett's Formula for Success

When Buffett looks back, the themes he highlights are surprisingly ordinary:

• Build long-term friendships.

• Work with people you admire and respect.

• Stay curious.

• Focus on substance, not image.

• Stick to your core competence.

• Help others quietly and consistently.

• Play the long game and let your efforts compound.

These elements are not sexy and won't go viral any time soon — but they work.

Final Takeaway: Life Is Long… Until It Isn’t

Buffett recognizes that:

“Father Time… is undefeated.”

We should too. Recognizing that truth isn’t depressing — it’s clarifying.
It reminds us to live the life we want now, not someday.

If you enjoyed these lessons, you might also appreciate this:

👉 30 Life Lessons from 1,000 People Who’ve Lived a Full Life

Wishing you a rewarding life!

The post Warren Buffett’s Final Letter: Lessons Learned from a Rewarding Life appeared first on Embrace Possibility.

This third interview of the Modeling Success Series reminds me why I love what I do and how much I enjoy meeting and learning from extraordinary people. I came away from this particular interview reinvigorated towards living my passion. The person who had such an energizing effect on me was Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO of the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute.

Ms. Hesselbein was also the former CEO of the Girls Scouts of the USA and recipient of countless awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. As I entered her office overlooking Park Avenue in New York, I couldn't help but notice her wall, covered in either books or honorary doctorates. She must have noticed because she started our journey together with this story:

After thanking her for allowing me to be a fellow traveler that morning, Ms. Hesselbein enlightened me with her personal definition of success. She knows she is successful when she lives by her main rule of conduct (which she jokes is tattooed on her shoulder with invisible ink):

To Serve is to Live

On that front, she's certainly been very successful.

She also lives by two of Peter Drucker's pearls of wisdom:

"Think first. Speak last."

"Ask. Don't tell."

- Peter Drucker

Simple instructions that lead to a life of success. I've added these 3 principles to my own rules of conduct and have seen great results both personally and professionally. Speaking last has been especially helpful.

Successful people rarely achieve success on their own. Behind every great person is a vast network of people willing to help. To be extraordinary, it is crucial to connect and collaborate with other extraordinary people. Listen to the next audio to find out good ways to connect with like-minded people and leaders.

Audio - Connecting with Leaders - 0:37

The last piece of advice in that audio is to "find great excitement in moving beyond the walls".

Walls protect.

They also limit.

To make an impact in the world, we have to step out of our "walls". We need to leave behind what is safe and familiar to create new paths for ourselves and others to follow. This is not easy and most people stay within their self-imposed boundaries or those set by society. Great people usually have the same boundaries as ordinary people. The difference is great people choose to step across it.

One question that I often ask successful people is:

What do you do when you're not making progress fast enough?

I enjoyed Ms. Hesselbein's answer very much. Listen for yourself in the audio below.

Audio - Progress Too Slow? - 1:26

When was the last time you compared your results with your activity to decide which tasks are truly important to do?

If it was a long time ago or you've never done it, take time to thoughtfully reflect on your results and tasks today. Which activities really matter and which are just nice to do?

Times are always changing and what worked for you today will not work for you tomorrow. Be flexible by challenging yourself and your actions. Keep yourself accountable by being critical of your own performance.

Listen to the audio below to learn what that means.

Audio - Be Critical of Yourself in a Good Way - 1:22

We then switched gears and I asked Ms. Hesselbein a question I get asked all the time by my clients:

"Should I take this opportunity?"

Again, she answered it in such a nice way that I'll rather you hear it from her directly.

Audio - Courage to Take Opportunities - 0:53

What will you use to test whether an opportunity is right for you?

Is your current situation furthering your mission? If not, are you willing to close the door and open a new one?

One of the major takeaways from this interview revolves around Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote:

"Be ye an opener of doors ..."

We learn everyday and it is our responsibility to share that with others. Think of ways today to open doors for other people. If you can't think of anything, start literally and move on from there.

Audio - Opener of Doors - 0:31 

To get more of Frances Hesselbein and her great advice, I highly recommend viewing Frances Hesselbein's Global Webinars and checking out other useful resources on the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute website.

During the end of my interview with Ms. Hesselbein, I noticed the view from her window was a gloomy one. It was raining and everything was gray outside. When I asked her what she sees outside of the window, her answer was ...

... a bright future.

This was the perfect example of "looking out the window and seeing what is visible and not yet seen".

Listen below to hear why she is so positive (hint: it is not because of her blood type).

Audio - A Bright Future - 4:42

So What Will I Model?

1. Respect everyone - shown by BOTH my actions and my words
2. Actively open doors for other people by sharing with them what and who I know
3. Live by my own definition of success and continuously find and take on other more resourceful rules of conduct such as:
   • To serve is to live
   • Think first, speak last
   • Ask. Don't tell.
4. Be mission-focused., values-based and demographics-driven.
   • Why do I do what I do?
   • What are my beliefs and am I sticking to them?
   • Who am I serving and how can I serve them better?
5. Connect with others by moving beyond my comfort zone
6. Examine what I'm doing to make sure it is important relative to my mission
7. Learn to be more flexible so when what works for me today stops working for me tomorrow, I can shift gears quickly
8. Close the doors on opportunities that don't achieve my mission and open new ones
9. Stay positive and be optimistic
   

What will you model?

The post Modeling Success Series – Frances Hesselbein – #3 appeared first on Embrace Possibility.

(Sadly, William Zinsser passed away on May 12, 2015)

For the second interview of the Modeling Success Series, I had both the honor and pleasure of interviewing William Zinsser, the renowned American writer. It was a philosophical, inspirational and educational experience.

I first met Mr. Zinsser (telemarketers call him William) when I read On Writing Well, a widely accepted primer for writers. I enjoyed his practical tips and how he emphasized simplicity as a strength in writing.

As I learned more about Mr. Zinsser from reading his award-winning blog on American Scholar, I realized his success is not only attributed to his accomplished writing career (19 books and countless published articles) but also the way he leads his life. Besides being a writer, a teacher and a jazz pianist, Mr. Zinsser is also a permission-giver (to be explained).

My appreciation for Mr. Zinsser’s way of thinking and life deepened when I finally met him in person for this interview. He is a true connector and genuinely interested in other people. During this interview, there were several times when I felt like he was interviewing me.

I have included audio snippets of the actual interview throughout this article.

Enjoy!

It’s hard to believe Mr. Zinsser is turning 90 this year. The only sign of his age is the wisdom he imparts. His memory, which he equates to his identity, is fully accessible and we start the interview discussing the virtues of “letting go”. Mr. Zinsser comments that at his age “you let certain things fall away that is not important.” He recognizes that many of the things that were important to him have moved to the background and that “the smallness of life” has moved to the foreground.

Audio - On Letting Things Go - 4:05 

After quoting some insightful lines from one of his favorite books, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Mr. Zinsser elaborates on what is important. He reflects on his experiences as a soldier in World War II and his difficult decision to give up a cushy position lined up in the family business to follow his dream to work as a “newspaperman” for the Herald Tribune. Here is what I took away from his message:

“You should not follow any expectations that are not the right ones for you”

William Zinsser was expected to go into the family business but he knew he wanted to write for the Herald Tribune from a young age where he had to spread that newspaper on the floor because it was too big for him to open in his arms. It was not easy for him to decline his father’s offer for a set job in the family’s business but it was the right one.

This has encouraged me to do what is right for me not what is right for other people. Disappointing other people may be painful but it's much worse to disappoint yourself. Do what you want because you're only given one life.

Check out Mr. Zinsser’s commencement address at Wesleyan University that inspired a few professors there to quit and pursue their own dreams.

“Whatever you’re doing, try to convey a sense that you’re enjoying what you do”

Although this was mentioned in On Writing Well, this surprised me when I heard it during our interview. I always thought “the struggle” was a necessary part of paying my dues and rarely focused on enjoying myself to get what I want. Mr. Zinsser drove the point home by saying he doesn’t write for other people, he writes for himself and that's the reason people choose to read his work.

For those familiar with Mr. Zinsser’s writing, you know that he never writes about anyone's life that he doesn't approve of and he doesn't write to “debunk or destroy” others. Rather, he bears witness to people he has been following and writes to build people up and for his own enjoyment.

If you don't enjoy what you do, what's the point?

“Must have a belief in your own uniqueness”

There is nothing wrong with listening to experts and emulating the greats but what is wrong is losing your own identity along the way. This happens when you lack confidence in your own abilities. You are unique when you were born and you have to remember that. When I asked Mr. Zinsser what happens if you don’t feel unique, he said you must generate it.

So how do you generate uniqueness?

• Question your life – Most people don’t think about their lives actively and they end up sleepwalking through it. Challenge your beliefs and assumptions. Challenge the beliefs and assumptions of your parents. Start asking yourself "What if".
• Have a sense of ego – be a rebel and have a “sense of own limitless possibility” – Mr. Zinsser wasn’t drafted for the war, he volunteered.
• Broaden your horizons – your experiences make you unique and the mix that comes from combining your unique experiences is what will set you apart. Travel to different places. Read different books. Listen to different music.
• Keep stretching yourself – don’t stay in your comfort zone. If you want to generate uniqueness, keep stretching and do something you've never done before. I've found that a twinge of fear or self-doubt is usually a good sign that what you're pursuing is a good stretch. Embrace it.

Audio - On What's Important in Life - 5:24

Audio - On Generating Uniqueness - 6:44

During the interview, we had an interesting discussion about how difficult it is for people to give themselves permission to do great things and to be great. One of the major roles Mr. Zinsser plays is that of a permission giver. When teaching his memoir writing class, his students frequently lament “but who would want to read my memoir. Who is going to care about my life?”

He empowers them by saying “I would. I care.” and he finds that this helps them move forward.

When I work with my clients, I see the same issue. People, who are stuck in life, are really just waiting for permission to move on. Once they have it, I've seen them make excellent progress.

Audio - On Giving Permission - 2:33

Bottom Line: You don't need Mr. Zinsser or me to give you permission. Give yourself permission to be great.

On Success

When asked about his definition of success, Mr. Zinsser doesn’t give a dollar amount or describe the typical retirement scenario involving some island in paradise. He simply says after pausing for thought:

“Success is doing what you want to do and doing it well.”

This resonates with my definition of success – I’m successful as long as I’m pursuing my passion to help people move towards what they want in life. One of the most common issues I see with my clients is that they don’t know what they want. How can you move forward when you're not sure where you are going? If you’re in this group, I recommend checking out my Know What You Want Workshop.

Audio - On the Definition of Success - 1:17

As Mr. Zinsser recounts the story of his son’s rise to being a successful artist, the message I took away is to be happy in what you do and let your vision guide you. If you’re not sure how to get there, it’s better to just start somewhere and no matter where you are, do excellent work.

“Don’t feel like you need to work for a magazine that your mother’s heard of” said Mr. Zinsser as he impressed upon me the adage that there are many paths to where you want to go and to be flexible in life. He also emphasizes the value of great mentors and the skill of figuring out what your audience wants.

We end the interview with a discussion about the keys to success. Mr. Zinsser attributes his success to:

• Optimism – the kind where you feel confident you can get a taxi on a snowy night
• Consistency – doing what you say you’ll do when you said you'll do it
• Ability to Get Things Done - this one doesn't need much explaining
• Humor - being light and getting along with everyone

If you want to hear more of this interview and learn why William Zinsser doesn’t use email or how he is able to build such great relationships, sign up for my mailing list to get free access to the other audio files for this interview.

So What Will I Model? (There is a good amount)

1. Conveying enjoyment in my work and stop trying to please everybody
2. Cultivating optimism, humor, and consistency
3. Giving myself permission to cling to my originality and knowing that it is good enough
4. Not waiting and taking action - just starting somewhere and being excellent at what I am doing
5. Continuously broadening my horizons by traveling and experiencing new things
6. When people come to me for X, giving them X+1
7. Dropping in on people (sign up for the mailing list to hear the audio excerpt with this idea)

What will you model?

The post Modeling Success Series – William Zinsser – #2 appeared first on Embrace Possibility.

There is a simple formula for success:

All you have to do is ...

...think, feel and act like a successful person.

That's it.

So why aren't more people successful?

It's because they think, feel and act based on their guess of what a successful person thinks, feels and acts like. Unfortunately, their guess is usually wrong and they end up thinking, feeling and acting in a way that does not help them become successful.

So what is the lesson here?

Don't assume or speculate. If you want to find out how successful people think, feel and act,

Just Ask Them.

There are out there, more accessible than ever and willing to give back by sharing their experiences. All you have to do is ask and then model how they think, feel and act. How do they tackle tough situations? What is their definition of failure? How do they handle setbacks?

The great part about modeling is that you can cherry pick the qualities you want and ignore the qualities you don't want.

But what if I really can't find anyone to model?

Enter the Modeling Success Series.

In this series, I will be posting exclusive interviews with people I consider to be extraordinary and successful who I model myself after. We all have different definitions of success and extraordinary so it is for you to decide how valuable each article in the series is to you. If you have any nominations, feel free to send them my way.

I am honored to kick off this series with Leo Babauta.

Leo is a simplicity blogger & author. He created Zen Habits, a Top 25 blog (according to TIME magazine) with 200,000 subscribers, mnmlist.com, and the best-selling books focus, The Power of Less, and Zen To Done.

Babauta is a former journalist of 18 years, a husband, father of six children, and in 2010 moved from Guam to San Francisco, where he leads a simple life.

You can check out his full bio here.

Due to our busy schedules, we conducted this interview via email so the interview will be presented in a questions and answers format.

Here is the interview:

Robert: Hi Leo, what are some of the things you are working on these days and how do you decide what you want to focus your energy on?

Leo: I’ve been working with a group of readers who’ve joined my Sea Change Program -- a membership program designed to help people change their lives, gradually but completely. As an example, we had a two-month course called The Mindful Diet, where they learned to change their eating habits by eating mindfully, and soon I’ll be running a course called Unprocrastination. I focus my energy on things that excite me, and that I think will help people most.

Robert: What would you say are the major contributors to your success? Were any of these unexpected?

Leo: I’ve learned to focus my energy on the things that matter -- creating content that people want, rather than focusing on stats, SEO, social media, etc. I think my writing about simplicity and habits tapped into a need that was out there that I completely didn’t realize until Zen Habits started taking off (in the first six months). So yes, this was completely unexpected.

Robert: Was there a distinct moment on your journey when you went from faith that everything will work out to absolute certainty? If so, what made it possible to make that shift?

Leo: I never had faith or certainty that things would work out, and still don’t. I don’t believe in worrying about what might happen as a result of my efforts, as it’s impossible to know -- I prefer to focus on the efforts. I do know that I quit my day job a year after starting Zen Habits, because I’d paid off my debt and was making as much money as I’d made in my regular job … but even at that point, I had no idea whether it would work out. I still don’t, except that if I’m enjoying what I’m doing, then things have already worked out.

Robert: What are you thinking about when you are writing your blog and creating products and services?

Leo: I think about the reader. I think about what problems the reader might be facing that I can help with, based on my experiences. Then I do my utmost to help. That’s all I do, ever.

Robert: You are certainly very productive (creating a successful blog, raising 6 kids, actively exercising, writing best-selling books, creating content for your membership site, etc.). How do you prevent these activities from distracting each other and what have you noticed are your most effective ways to get things done?

Leo: I do one thing at a time, and focus only on that. Single-tasking is the most effective way for me to get anything done.

Robert: What advice would you give someone who feels underrated and not sure if it is possible for them to live their life to the fullest?

Leo: It’s impossible to know if you going to live life to the fullest, so don’t worry about that. You might live an amazing life, but how would you know if you lived it to the fullest? Maybe there was more you could have done? Instead, focus on enjoying the present moment, and doing what you’re passionate about right now. If you live life as a series of happy, content, passionate moments, you can’t say you did anything wrong.

Robert: Thanks Leo!

So what will I model?

• Single tasking - Do one thing at a time
• Focusing on the audience and solving their issues
• Live more in the present moment and stop worrying about whether things will work out

The post Modeling Success Series – Leo Babauta – #1 appeared first on Embrace Possibility.