"Hey, Bill, it's GREAT to see you," I said. "How's it going?"
"Fantastic, Steve. What's new with you?"
We were bumping into each other in the doorway of our favorite breakfast joint earlier this week.
"Who cares what's new with me," I thought... BILL JUST BEAT CANCER.
The thing is, I KNEW he would beat it... The doctors might have told Bill he wouldn't make it. But those doctors couldn't have known who they were dealing with.
The doctors didn't know the Bill I know.
Bill has changed my life for the better – many times. If you follow his example, you can change your life for the better. And you can change the lives of the people around you, too. It's simple really, as I'll show you.
First, let me give you just two ways Bill improved my life...
Two years ago, at the same breakfast joint, Bill was at another table. "Hey, Bill, you're looking great," I said. "What's your secret?"
"Thanks, Steve. I'm down 45 pounds AND I'm stronger than ever. I just got fed up with how I was living. So I decided to change. I started working out with this trainer named Fred. Steve, you've GOT to give this guy a call..."
Uh oh. I knew what was coming. Bill can sell me on anything. His positivity and enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. Bill sold me on Fred. I've been training with him for two years now. And I'm fitter than I've been since high school.
(When I got started, Fred told me how Bill tried his absolute hardest every day in the gym – with a smile. I'd see Bill working like an ox, literally – strapped into a harness, attached to a rope, dragging heavy stuff across the gym floor. Fred told Bill what to do to get strong... But Bill worked harder than anyone. It's Bill who got the results.)
For the second example of how Bill changed my life for the better... In short, Bill fixed my bad back. No, I don't mean Bill's a doctor. I mean he kick-started the process that led to my back being better.
One day, Bill invited me to do some sport (I don't remember what it was). I declined because my back was bothering me, and I didn't want to risk it.
"Ah, Steve, you should do what I do..."
Uh oh. I knew it was coming again. I knew Bill would sell me on something.
Like with Fred, I knew Bill had nothing personally to gain. Whatever Bill recommended, I knew it would ultimately be a good thing for me. And I knew if I did what he suggested with a fraction of the enthusiasm Bill has, I would be better off.
Bill told me: "Steve, my dad died in his forties. I didn't want to follow in his footsteps. So when I hit my forties, I started doing a yearly 'executive physical' at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Even if you're healthy today, you ought to do it. It'll give you a benchmark of your health going forward. And they can address what's wrong now. Best thing I ever did."
I took Bill's advice. I did it... Best thing I ever did. The folks at Mayo eased all my little nagging concerns. And most importantly, they figured my back out. My back now feels better than it has in at least 10 years.
So my back is great... And I'm fitter than ever, working out with Fred twice a week. I give Bill the credit. These two things started not because of my initiative, but because I didn't want to let my friend Bill down.
So I was shocked to hear Bill was in the hospital a couple months ago. It was leukemia, and the doctors told Bill he may have waited too long. But Bill set a goal to be back in the gym with Fred before the end of 2009.
On the last day of 2009, Bill got to the gym with Fred. He's now home and he's getting back into shape.
By the way, Bill is an extremely successful businessman as well. That to me is no surprise at all... Knowing Bill, I'm certain he'd be extraordinary at whatever he wanted to do.
And I think Bill's formula for extraordinary success in life – which has led him beat great odds on a regular basis – is easy to copy.
You don't need to be brilliant. Bill's formula doesn't require smarts. But you do need to do two things...
When he sets his mind to something, Bill will work harder than anyone to make it happen.
And Bill can summon a positive attitude and incredible willpower for long periods of time. In short, he convinces himself he can do it, no matter what "it" is.
I know, it sounds cliché... "Hard work and a positive attitude? That's all you've got, Sjuggerud?"
But think about it: Hard work and a positive attitude made Bill a multimillionaire and helped whip his life-threatening cancer. And Bill's infectious personality led me to fixing my bad back and making me fitter than I've been since high school.
Your education, who you know, a bit of luck, how smart you are... these things will take you a certain distance in life. But if you want to be a huge success, there are no two ways around it. Fortunately, the formula is easy.
Work hard and stay positive that you will succeed no matter what.
Our chart of the week displays a rally in one of the most important financial indicators nobody watches: high-yield bonds.
It's vital to watch the action in corporate bonds. The bond market represents the loans taken on by American businesses. It's a giant market... far larger than the one for stocks. If the price of bonds is trending lower, it means companies aren't making enough money to even pay the interest on their loans. If the price is trending higher, things are getting "less bad."
One excellent way to track the bond market is through the iShares High Yield Fund (HYG). This investment fund holds a basket of bonds issued by companies with considerable debt levels. As you can see from the chart, this fund is soaring right now... and sits at a 52-week high.
HYG's enormous rally reflects a big trend right now: Sure, the U.S. economy has problems (debt and debt are the two biggest). But before you get too bearish on things, listen to the market. As long as the bond market is healthy, we know interest is being serviced, loans are being paid back, and, at least in the short-term, the government's huge "E-Z-Credit" program is keeping things going.
My Favorite Commodity to Buy Right Now By Porter StansberryFriday, January 15, 2010
But what stocks do well when inflation is rising... when the government bond market is correcting... and when earnings multiples in the stock market contract? Two things in particular: energy and precious metals.
This Could Crush Stock Market Valuations By Porter StansberryThursday, January 14, 2010
Consider how these factors worked in your own neighborhood. As interest rates fell, more people could afford a bigger mortgage. And as more credit became available, more people were competing to buy homes. Prices rose. Rising prices allowed more credit to become available. As more credit was available, interest rates fell more. The cycle continued.
A Better-Than-the-Real-Thing Back Door into a Top Hedge Fund By Dr. Steve SjuggerudWednesday, January 13, 2010
The super-rich who invest a million dollars today directly with Dan in his private hedge fund don't get the 20% discount AND they must pay a performance fee. But this "backdoor" way through the London-listed shares gets around both of those.
These Are the Only Stocks You Should Ever Buy By Tom DysonTuesday, January 12, 2010
Dozens of analysts and traders follow the large companies. The market for large stocks is efficient. There are rarely pricing anomalies or bargains. But the small-cap market is full of pricing anomalies, undervaluation, and inefficiencies. So you can find true values among small caps.
The Most Popular Alternative Energy No One's Talking About By Tom DysonMonday, January 11, 2010
Alternative energies are a pain in the neck. They're expensive and they never work when you need them. "Biomass" is America's newest alternative power source. It doesn't have any of these problems...
