Anthony Robbins: Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to visit with me, let's not waste any time! You've got the questions, I'll do my best to give you the answers.

James_Nsync asks: I am going to graduate high school in a few more days any advice?

Anthony Robbins: Yes. One of the most important things that happens in life is that when you begin to complete a goal, it is critically important you set up the next one. Otherwise, there is almost a depressing effect after a few days, weeks or month. The American astronauts who went to the moon were euphoric at their accomplishments. They had the tickertape parade, they shook the president's hand, and then they got depressed. After all, what do you do after you've walked on the moon?

Two things - You have to find adventure in a smile, in the simple things in life. Number two you have to create what I call a compelling future. You must decide, what are the three most important things you want to achieve in the next 1, 3, 5 y ears, and find a role model who has already achieved that success. So you can skip a lot of the trial and error time. Find a mentor so you can accelerate the pace, and best of luck.

robclod asks: I have a life long history of never finishing anything that I have started. How do I break this pattern?

Anthony Robbins: First, you have to understand that the belief you have about not following through has come from the fact that you continue to avoid completion. Completion offers you the chance to fail. The two primary fears all human beings have is the fear that we are not enough, and therefore number two fear pops up, that we will not be loved. Every type of avoidance behavior is merely a way, even if it feels negative, to prevent ourselves from the pain of feeling insignificant and unloved. The secret is to turn this pain on itself, turn fear on itself. We all do whatever we can do avoid pain so what you've got to do is not only make a list, but get emotionally associated with what it's going to cost you if you don't change this pattern now.

In addition to getting that leverage to make change a must, and by the way that is the secret, changing has to become a must not just a should If it's a must you'll find a way, if it's a should, you'll keep talking about it. But secondly, you need to set yourself up for some small wins. Complete a chapter of the book, or a paragraph, or a page. Lose five pounds, instead of the fifty, and see that as the completion, and you'll build the muscle and the belief in yourself that will create the behavior to change yourself long term.

Lastly, spend time with people who will not put things off, their mindset will rub off on you, you won't be able to hang with those people because they won't put up with it. And out of your desire for their caring, respect and love, you'll change. And lastly one more thing. Stop constantly reinforcing that this is here who you are. It's a process known as incantations. When you say something over and over to yourself consistently and with emotional intensity, you begin to believe it with certainty. Some one tells you to get the salt and you keep saying, I don't know where the salt is, with intensity, and they say go get it, and you say you don't know where it is, you won't see it even if it is right in front of your face. Maybe its time to consider an alternative identity for yourself. Do it tonight. Thanks for your question

cfmarsh_ca asks: I have asked my wife to take a look at Personal Power to help her through some difficult times. She says she is interested and listened to the first tape, but is reluctant to continue. Any suggestions. I know she has to have the desire to proceed, but doesn't take action. Thank you.

Anthony Robbins: Thanks for your question. One of the biggest challenges with family members is that when you are asking them to listen, read or make some change, a fear shows up in them. The fear or resentment is why do I have to change for you to love me? Even though you are not saying that they are not enough. There is such a fear in people about not being enough, that we tend to overreact.

Many people, for example, will continue to remain overweight almost in defiance of those they love, in order to say that if you really love me, you'll accept me the way I am. The only real solution is to find something that is greater leverage for her to change than your request. Often when someone outside the family shares the results you want, people are able to utilize those tools and grab a hold of them. If you speak with someone in my office who understands your wife's situation, they might be able to recommend someone who has achieved those types of results, other than yourself, and this may have more credibility.

Lastly, stop pressuring her to create change, and acknowledge the fact that she already listened to one tape. She'll respond more to your encouragement than your frustration. Keep creating results within yourself and be patient and the time will be right and she'll take action.

ash43by asks: I'm a high school student, and I wanted to know what is the best mind frame to be in when you're taking a test?

Anthony Robbins: Great question. The best state of mind is a state of certainty that you know the athletes. One of the first things I do with athletes or business people is I get them to realize that they already have skills they need to succeed. As you have as you prepare for a test. The secret is being able to deliver in those clutch moments. By training an athlete to put themselves into that state of certainty, they instantly tap into their natural abilities, as does the businessman.

How do you create certainty you may ask, especially when you feel unsure? Well first, prepare yourself. Being in a great state is no replacement for doing your homework. Secondly, the way you move your body determines the way you feel. For example, when a person is depressed they take on a very specific posture, breathing pattern, head tilt. For all of you joining me in this chat, what does a depressed person look like when they are feeling that way? Their head is where? Down. Their eyes are looking where? Down. Their breathing is full or shallow? Clearly shallow Their facial expression, up and tight or slack? The answer of course, is slack. Because all of our emotions are driven by the way we move our body. Shallow breathing, dropping your shoulders, tightening up, are all things that keep you from tapping into your real ability.

As simplistic as it sounds, research shows that you walk into the row without hesitancy, sit down in the chair as if you own the test, take a nice deep breath in, sit up tall, put a determined look on your face, you will literally begin to use a different portion of your brain. If you sit down, slump over, and think this is going to be a long test, then it will be. I teach an entire course on this that is much more specific, on Dreamlife, if you go to http://www.dreamlife.com, it costs nothing to join, and you can take a course on emotional mastery, which will actually walk you through things you can do online and see the changes in your own body. Thanks for your question!

bradchilders asks: Tony, I'm in day eight of PPII. I have completed the course before which gave me great inspiration in that I now have three successful businesses but this time I can't seem to "get into it" like before. Any advice?

Anthony Robbins: First of all, congratulations on three companies, but if you understand about the six human needs, the needs that drive all human behavior, then you begin to understand that the reason you are not following thru is that taking on more tasks is probably something your brain doesn't want any more stress or to take on. My guess is that you have three companies and your hands are full.

A part of your brain, your mind, is afraid that you'll get excited again and add more to the table. The way around this is to develop superior systems for managing your life and your enterprises, where your unconscious mind will see that you can get a lot more done thru leverage with other people than doing it all yourself.

But what I'd simply do to start is take out a piece of paper and I'd ask myself simply what unconscious benefits do I get by not following through on any more projects or getting any more inspired? And then even though you may think there are no benefits, write whatever pops in your mind, and keep writing. I think you'll be surprised as to what comes up. Once you recognize the benefits your getting by not following thru, you can come up with an alternative plan that gives you the same benefit without limiting your life. It's a ten day program that will help you create a plan for your entire life, put it in the balance, and get greater results than you ever thought of before. It will guide you at uncovering these obstacles and eliminate them immediately. Best of luck!

nick_g_p_c asks: Tony, in one of your books you said that people in general sleep too much. How can people train themselves to sleep less and still have energy and drive?

Anthony Robbins: Number one, what's the physical condition of your body? If you are overweight, if your eating foods, alcohols, and living a life that's extremely acidic, eating foods like alcohol, coffee, dairy products, meats, then your body has to work overtime while you are sleeping to buffer those acids to recover. Plus your blood moves more slowly. The red blood cells tend to clump together as the acid disrupts the negative charge that keeps the red blood cells apart. When this does occur, the red blood cells move more slowly, so you get less oxygen. As you get less oxygen the cells in your body either weaken, die or mutate. More energy is required to recover. Learning the principals of alkalizing your body through live foods will transform the base energy level you have and you won't have to waste energy rebuilding what you've torn down. The second part of energy is psychic.

It's amazing how much energy you have when you love what you do, when you love your life, when you love your relationship. But when your life is not compelling, sleeping is a great escape. While there are physical needs for the body, they vary from person to person. But everyone is taught the same number and so it becomes a belief system. And whatever you believe, you'll feel in your body. I personally go for 4 to six hours, six being a lot and five being the average. Part of that is I can't wait to get up!

jbobluvs69 asks: Mr. Tony Robbins: I work as a programmer and hate it. However the money is extremely good and the market is red hot and I am reluctant to change into a different profession. I listened to "unlimited power cassette" and in it you suggested peak performers always find work they are passionate about . How do I go about doing it? I am really not sure what I am passionate about? Any suggestions ? Many Thanks.

Anthony Robbins: Thanks for your question, it's a very important one. If you look at your life and you spend the majority of your time doing something you hate, no matter how much money you have, you have no life. The idea that you can only make a lot of money doing something you don't like just comes from the fact that you haven't found a better way, and you are becoming enslaved to certainty. (i.e. you are certain you can make the money this way and you don't have a better plan.)

The only way you can find what you're passionate about is to create a vacuum where you can find it. Try as many different things as possible, and let something hit you. Often I ask people to describe the job from hell in as much detail as possible. Describe the people you'd have to be around, the environment you have to work in, the processes you have to go thru, and you know what? People get passionate about what they hate. There is energy in it. They have no problem describing what they don't like. I tell them to do the opposite, describe the job from heaven. And once you know your ideal and focus on it every day, you'll find it. I know that sounds overly simplistic, but you have to be committed to it.

I spoke to a woman two weeks ago who used to be a very famous anchorwoman in Denver, Colorado. She was on TV every night, she made lots of money and she was miserable. Two years she took my advice. On the weekends she would explore doing all kinds of different things, some which made some money, some which didn't. She found her real passion was working with young girls, helping them become outstanding and preparing them for the Olympic trials. She loved it so much, she made a huge move. She quit her famous job and decided to do this full time.

Two things happened. Number one, she was fabulously successful at this, four of her girls have qualified for the Olympics, an unheard of number for one single person's coaching. Two, she's happier than she's ever been in her life. So she doesn't miss the past at all. Three, she's making less money but she has a better lifestyle. She's moved into an environment she loves much more than the city, which costs her less. And lastly, she's using her money more effectively. Through her investments this year on her meager salary, she has barely surpassed what she used to make an anchorwoman, but she has the life of her dreams. Refuse to buy into the idea that you have to trade money for the quality of life you deserve. Make money, put some aside while you look for the life you passionately love, and you will find it.

reid_I asks: I work out of my house and sometimes it's *very* hard to stay motivated, and *very* easy to go back to bed despite the fact that I know there is work to do. Do you have any tips on how to stay motivated in such a situation?

Anthony Robbins: This is common. So many people are late for work who work at home! Much more so than when they went to the office. The secret to changing anything is to identify the pattern. Step two, is you have to get enough leverage Meaning a reason for you to change now. That's so strong that not to follow through would equal massive pain, and following through would give you enormous pleasure.

This can be done in many ways. Many of us will do more for others than we'll ever do for ourselves. If you develop a partner and you make promises to that partner who you truly care about, you may do more for them quicker than you would for yourself. Having them online with you first thing on the morning to start your day, could give you a chance to connect with them and also get you ready on time. Making a bet with someone can certainly make a difference. It all depends on your psychology, the way you look at life. I know one man, I've worked with over six years, a financial trader, made over half a billion dollars in a day! He pays me a million dollars a year to coach him and a percentage of his increase. And yet, with all his success, he would show up late for work. This began to cost him, as financial trading requires you to be ready at the bell when markets open.

I finally had to get him to put up a million dollar bond in escrow that if he failed to show up for work on time more than three times in a quarter, that million dollars would go to an organization he hates, half to the NRA and half to the Republican Party. He's never missed a day since. He'd rather die than give that to them. You might say you don't have a million dollars. Find leverage, and you'll be up on time.

jennifer38_us asks: I have two sons ages 10 and 11 - what is a good way to get them interested and motivated to reach their own goals. I feel like I wasted most of my valuable life the first 30 years and I do not want that to happen to them.

Anthony Robbins: I have four children myself. They have all passed the 12 year old mark at this stage. But I'll tell you the best way to motivate a child is not to tell them something, it's to give them an experience. I believe in giving them both positive reinforcing, and painful, experiences. For example, I took my children at young ages to the South Bronx, to the projects. We went there to feed people. In the process they saw men, women, drugged out, and they saw the consequences of being irresponsible to one's life, especially with the use of drugs. They could smell the impact of this abuse by the vomit and urine soaked floors. They could see the devastation in people's lives. I could have told them not to do drugs and they never would have listened to me. But those experiences made them never touch them.

Similarly on a positive side, I constantly tried to get my kids in front of the most successful people I could. I even had them job shadow extraordinary successful people. Meeting these people and experiencing the joy they got from being successful, and being creative, and making tough decisions, inspired my children to take control over their own destinies. Today the three that are adults are all self-employed. One is in the financial business, one in the helicopter business, and one as an actress. They also all are very much contribution oriented, not because I told them to be, but because they experienced first hand the emotional rewards of giving on a consistent basis. Get your kids around something better and let it hit them on a regular basis. And pretty soon they'll be asking for books and tapes and ways to improve.

We do this not only with kids but with the homeless as well. Last year we fed over a million people at Thanksgiving thru our organization. Similarly, we are now in over 1,500 schools around the world, and most of this program is driven by young mentors who were previously mentored by our graduates. Don't settle for less than your children deserve, I know you won't.

srslatten asks: Tony, do you find that when people change, they do so gradually or all at once?

Anthony Robbins: All change happens with a real decision, it happens in a moment. Some people make small changes some people make big decisions. It's totally determined by can you make the tough decisions or not. In my own life most of the success I've had has come from making small decisions regularly that were successful. But the greatest changes honestly was when I was faced with the most difficult decisions, decisions that could have cost me everything financially or emotionally. When you are willing to make those tough decisions, you have a life you are in control of, and the changes you make have no limit. Remember it's in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.

scudeira asks: I know reading books is a very important part of life. I know your a great speed reader, how did you become one and what do you recommend (books etc.)?

Anthony Robbins: I went to a program called Adventures in Achievement almost 23 years ago. Today that program no longer exists, but there is an excellent program called photo reading which I highly recommend. One of the things I learned from my original mentor was that miss a meal, but don't miss thirty minutes of reading each day. If every day you spend 30 minutes reading something positive and empowering, something that expands your mind, body and spirit, you'll find that thru time your life will make geometric improvements.

I have read personally read more than 700 books in the area of personal improvement. And I have found that while there is a great deal that is repetitive in this market, even the repetition has been good for me. It h as gotten me to use what I know. Keep reading!

katonabr asks: Tony: You made the announcement today Peter Lund is on board as the CEO of Dreamlife. How excited are you about having Peter run the company?

Anthony Robbins: Extremely. Peter is a former president of CBS and has an enormous background, and he'll help us build the premier online site for personal and professional improvement. I couldn't be more excited about his skill sets and about Peter personally. He's been a board member from the beginning and he's truly committed to helping us reach millions of people.

divine_spark_now asks: What was it that provided that Divine Spark which enabled you to turn your life around 20 years ago?

Anthony Robbins: Honestly, it was someone else caring about me and my family. When I was 11 years old on Thanksgiving day, my family had no money and no food. And a stranger came to the door and delivered an entire Thanksgiving feast. It completely changed my perspective, it made me believe that strangers care. And I promised that someday I would do the same for others. Now our graduates around the world feed people year round. Giving back as I did. I started when I was 18 years old feeding two families. Now as I said earlier, we're reaching more than a million.

One final note I'd like to mention, and that the single most important thing that effects our lives is who we spend time with. Who we spend time with is who we become. Basically we in our lives become one of two types of people. A person who creates or a person who destroys. It's easier to destroy than it is to create. It's easier to tear down than it is to build up. What takes years to build can be burned down in minutes. But the joy one can have in destroying something is temporary, because you know you are not a creator, you're not adding value, and your life reflects it.

You can spend your life building anything, people, your children, a garden, a song, a painting, an enterprise. There will be ups and downs, you will grow and have the fulfillment that comes from sincere contribution, nothing can match that. So be careful. Your best friend by accident can drop one drop of strychnine in your coffee and you're dead. My original teacher Jim Rohn taught me that those you love can hurt you without even meaning to.