Dr Joe Vitale Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Dr Joe Vitale
Dr Joe Vitale is my guest today on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview.
He is a man who for many people across the world needs no introduction.
He is one of the worlds best selling authors, a musician and one of the most popular and powerful copywriters from the past 25 years.
Born on December 29th 1953, in Nile, Ohio our guest was raised in a household like millions across America.
It was a household that was hardworking but didnt have a lot of money to spend on luxuries.
But there was support, and love, and a roof over his head.
Step on a few years, and our guests life had turned on its head, leaving him at a position that many people would have struggled to overcome.
How The Dots Joined Up For Joe
He found himself homeless, broke and alone in Dallas, far from home.
He lost his entire savings, about $1000, to a company promising overseas pipeline work.
When you consider now that Dr Joe Vitale net worth is many millions of dollars then things worked out for the best.
Though the thought of getting himself to where he is today was far from his mind.
Many people would have just crawled into a tiny ball and accepted the cards that were dealt to them.
Joe Vitale, did things differently and instead of getting himself back to place he called home, he was was too embarrassed to return to Ohio, survived on the streets of Dallas, sleeping at the bus station, on the steps of a post office and in church pews.
Instead of playing the victim, he focused 100% on the vision that he wanted in his life.
To be an author of inspirational books.
And little by little he held firm to this vision and changed his circumstances, to become the inspiration to millions that he is today.
So when he was at his darkest points, were they really dark or just a moment that helped point the way to the future he wanted.
And with his every increasing awards, and accolades, and of course wealth occurring everyday could he go back with the confidence that he could repeat the journey once more?
Well let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Dr Joe Vitale
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Dr Joe Vitale such as:
Why hope is something that we have inside us ready to be used, although it doesn’t hurt looking for the key from external influences!
Why you must protect the dreams we have right at the very beginning when they are most vulnerable.
Find groups and communities that will understand and let them flourish.
and lastly….
Why should be never too late to think that life can start becoming what we want. We just need to make it happen.
Joe Vitale Books
How To Connect With Joe Vitale
Return To The Top Of Dr Joe Vitale
If you enjoyed this episode with Dr Joe Vitale why not check out other inspirational chat with Michael Glover, Hal Elrod, Jack Canfield and the amazing Geoff Thompson
You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy
Audio Transcription Of Dr Joe Vitale Interview
Intro
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling in join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph
Yes. Hello there. Good morning to you. Good morning to the listeners. I love doing this show. I love it more than ever. And some people say to me, you know you you’ve released so many episodes, do you get bored? Well, I’ve already spoken to today’s guest. And I said to him, you know, I’m in a pretty good place. I love what I’m doing every day. Does that make me you know, lucky. I think he’s the same as well. What we’re going to do today we’re going to try to inspire all you is listening out there to go for it as well. Because the dream life is out there. It’s just a series of actions you need to take linked in with belief. Well, let’s introduce him because he is a man who for many people across the world needs no introduction. He’s one of the world’s best selling authors and musician and one of the most popular and powerful copywriters from the past 25 years. born on December 29, 1953, in normal Ohio, our guest was raised in a household like millions across America was a household that was hard working, but didn’t have a lot of money to spend on luxuries. But there was support and love and a roof over his head. Step on a few years and now guess life had turned on its head leaving him at a position that many people would have struggled to overcome, he found himself homeless broke and alone in Dallas, far from home, he lost his entire savings about $1,000 to accompany promising overseas pipeline work. But instead of getting himself back to a place he called home, he was too embarrassed to return to Ohio. So instead, he survived the streets of Dallas, sleeping at the bus station on the steps of a post office, and on church pews. Now, instead of playing the victim, which most people probably would have done, he focused 100% on the vision that he wanted in his life to be an author of inspirational books. And little by little, he held firm to this vision and change the circumstances to become the inspiration to millions. But he is today. So when he was at his darkest points, where they really dark was just a moment that helped point in a way to the future he wanted. And when he’s ever increasing awards and accolades, and of course, well for going every day he could he go back with a competence that he could repeat the journey once more. Well, let’s find out as we bring into the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Dr. Joe Vitale.
David Ralph
How are you? Dr. Joe?
Dr Joe Vitale
Wow, what an introduction. I’m so impressed that you did so much research. My goodness, would you write my autobiography?
David Ralph
Ill be there for you. I will be there. I will paint the movie. Is it gonna be a movie or Dr. Joe’s live? Because I think he’s one of those kind of stories that’s got a very good beginning. Very good middle, and he’s going to be an amazing end. What do you think?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, if anybody does the movie, it won’t be me. It’ll be somebody else. It’s entirely open. It’s available. I’ll sell the rights to it anytime.
David Ralph
And who would you like to play you? Who do you think would do a good job for Dr. Joe?
Dr Joe Vitale
Brad Pitt?
David Ralph
Everyone says Brad Pitt, I would have gone with him or George Clooney. Why didn’t no one ever go with like Danny to veto or something?
Dr Joe Vitale
Yeah, that’s too close to home. I want somebody that, that that’s better looking. So we’re gonna go with Brad Pitt?
David Ralph
I’ll tell you well, yeah, yeah. Good looking chapter me, you really are you somebody that sort of wakes up every morning and sort of, I don’t know, prepares for the day with the appearance because I’ve seen so many different pictures of you. And you seem to dress for the event. I’ve seen some even on Skype at the moment is a picture of you with sort of dark side glasses. And I’ve seen you strapping a guitar around your neck and going for it. Is appearance important to you? Or have you created your own kind of fashion sense?
Dr Joe Vitale
Oh, my goodness, I have no fast and fashion sense whatsoever. In fact, there was a woman who heard me speak a long time ago. And she said you are the greatest speaker I’ve ever heard. However, you don’t know how to dress.
David Ralph
And how did you respond to that? Did you walk away? Or did you go? Yeah, fair enough.
Dr Joe Vitale
I just thought I’m not in it to win a beauty contest. I don’t really care. I got my pants on. I got a shirt on. I’m ready.
David Ralph
We’ve got some income. And as well, I went out for a meal with my wife and some of her friends yesterday and one of her friends turned to me and said, Do you know what I like about you? David, you dressed for comfort? Now? Is that the most insulting thing you’ve ever heard in your life?
Dr Joe Vitale
No, I’m with her. I’ve dress for comfort all the time. I had a visitor come see me the other day and I put long pants on. And to me I was dressed up because typically I’m in shorts and a T shirt, which is what I’m right now. Comfort is key. Comfort is key. And it leads to a life that is all your own.
David Ralph
So let’s sort of jump back and start looking at your life. Because the one thing that we will talk about, but I don’t want to sort of really dwell on it is your appearance in the hit film The secret? Actually, I’m going to get it out of the way. Because one of the things that I have seen in research is Joe Vitale, from the hit movie, The Secret, does that kind of annoy you. But you’ve been grouped up into that because it seemed to be like the leading point to everything I read. And more often than not, I thought now that’s not the interesting bit. The interesting bit is you know, how we got to that point, does that kind of annoy you and you’re dragging that around with you?
Dr Joe Vitale
Not at all. I’m proud of it, I brag about it. And I am so honored to have been invited in that movie to be in the movie. And to hitch a ride to the movie success. The movie came out 10 years ago, for me to still be recognized as being in it and still profit from it is a huge sense of gratitude for my part, I’m not annoyed at all.
David Ralph
And then what do you think people get from it? Because I’ve seen it two or three times myself? Well, why do you think it was so popular? And then I will move on to talk about yourself?
Dr Joe Vitale
Yeah, I think it gives people hope. I think it gave them a sense that there is a way for them to empower themselves, they have to make new decisions. There is the possibility of having a different life path. And I think that was news to mainstream people who don’t read or listen to success literature. It came in the form of a movie, they just sit back, eat popcorn, watch it, and they get excited about life again. And then do you do?
David Ralph
It’s a stupid question, because it’s going to sound excuse me coming out of my mouth. But there’s a kind of sense behind it as well. Do people actually need to watch a movie to gain hope? always hope just within yourself, because it seems that everything that you want in life is in with within us anyway.
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, I totally agree with you. It’s all within us. We don’t need anything on the outside. But there are times in our lives when those things are very useful. Like when I was homeless or I was in poverty or anybody who’s struggling. Anybody who’s feeling hopeless, anybody is feeling despondent. Things like the movies, the books, audios, things like that remind us of what’s inside of us. So they’re very useful, but I agree the hope is within.
David Ralph
And then how did you find when you’re you on a sort of the steps of Dallas, you must have had a few days or at least a few hours when you thought oh my god, this is the end? You know? Did you instantly go into that you could find the answer in yourself, or did you go through that period of mourning?
Dr Joe Vitale
Oh, I suffered. There were not minutes and hours or days, there were weeks and years of despondency, lack of hope, feeling discouraged, even suicidal moments, feeling miserable. Just thinking when is this gonna break? When’s the sun gonna rise? When am I going to get my break? So yeah, I went through that dark night of the soul.
David Ralph
But how did you push through that when other people wouldn’t? You know, because, as you say, it’s a way for us to be almost flipping and say the hope is within you. But you’ve got to reach into it and find it somehow.
Dr Joe Vitale
Yep, you’re absolutely right. Well, when I was homeless in Dallas, one of my favorite places to hide out and live was the Public Library. And I lived on the floor in the public library where all the self improvement books were. So I ate that up, I ate the success literature, the thinking Grow Rich books, the magic of believing all of that kind of stuff is what ignited my optimism, and kept reassuring me that if I kept changing my mind, I kept taking action. And if I were persistent, and patient that it would open up in time. So it was the success literature that kept me going.
David Ralph
So So it’s interesting, Ben, so you wouldn’t have been somebody that would have gone looking for that stuff. It was just, it was around you.
Dr Joe Vitale
So I went looking for it. I was a book attic ever since I was a kid, I’ve always turned to books. I’m still a book aholic. I’m surrounded by thousands of books right now as you and I are talking. But back then I would go to the library, which I couldn’t afford books. But I went to the library in Dallas because it was air conditioned. It had a bathroom, it had water, and it had my favorite escapism and education facility books. So I yeah, I purposely look for books.
David Ralph
Do people have to sort of hit a rock bottom to bounce up? Because it seems to me that you know, that the people that I’ve spoken to an interview that have had absolute astonishing success seem to have astonishing lows as well, where the majority of people certainly I was like this for years and years and years, and I know many people fall into this camp kind of just hit that middle ground where it’s not too bad. It’s not too good. They just sort of like plod along, do you need to sort of really hit rock bottom to be able to bounce back strongly.
Dr Joe Vitale
No, you do not need to hit it. I know that so many people have but I believe it is a belief that is in the culture that a lot of people buy into that says oh, you can can’t really change until you get to the desperate point where there is no other alternative and is what most other people would call rock bottom. And that at that point, they can turn around or they could stay at rock bottom. Not everybody springs back. But my point is you do not have to hit rock bottom to change your life for the better and accelerate in the direction you want.
David Ralph
So what kick starts it then, if somebody is just plodding along, and they’re going to work in a job that they don’t really like Batman, but they don’t really hate it. And they have you know, a commute. That’s not too bad, because most people seem to run away from pain to get to pleasure. But when you’re in that sort of middle ground, how did they kick started?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, the best answer is exactly what you and I are doing with our lives today. inspire other people. That’s why the movie, The Secret comes in handy at a certain time and people’s lives, they’re going to work and it maybe it’s mediocre. And maybe they’re just in a nice calm place in their lives. But suddenly, there’s a fire lit under them and they go Wait a minute, I can have more. Or wait a minute, I’m not living my dream or wait a minute, what really inspires me and gives me the fire of life. And listening to you listening to me watching the movie, or somebody else can like that sense of inspiration.
David Ralph
Now, where do you get your inspiration now? Because you have achieved so much and some of it? I’ll be honest, surprised me when I was reading about you picking up a guitar hardly being able to play a note and then writing music and winning awards. Is it all just personal belief? Or is it talent which so it comes first you need to talent? Or do you need the belief to go and get the talent,
Dr Joe Vitale
You need the belief. You need the belief the belief that it’s possible for you the belief that you can grow the belief that you can change the belief that you can inspire yourself? For me, I have found that whenever you go for something in your life that you’ve never done before, you’re going to have negative thoughts, doubts limitations, if I decided that I was going to be a mountain climber next week, I would be very nervous about it. And all of my self doubts would be there because I have no experience climbing anything but a parking lot Hill. And so it was the same thing with music. I had no experience playing the guitar, nothing in singing nothing in songwriting, nothing and recording. But I faced the doubts I face the fears, meaning I faced all the beliefs that would have stopped me and realized, Oh, I can do all of this. And at this point in time, I’ve recorded 15 albums, and I’ve got more coming because I’m having a blast. And there’s no limiting beliefs in me to stop me from doing it
David Ralph
says in know, so if somebody says to you, right, I want you to do trash metal or something. And is there any part of you that kind of things now actually, I don’t think I’m going to be very good at that. Or would you just go yet bring it on Slipknot? I’m into it.
Dr Joe Vitale
Great question, though, I would always be balancing what I want to do with my passion. So in other words, he may ask me to do some sort of trash metal or whatever, rap or something. But I checked within myself and notice my passion want to do that does is that what I would gleefully and passionately want to go out there and do? And if I got to know I’d say, hey, that’s not my ball, go find somebody else who thinks that is their ball of wax and let them do it. But I checked within myself.
David Ralph
But you might find out that once you get into it, and you’re doing, I don’t know, sliding across the floor screaming at the top of your voice. Actually, you’ve discovered something that you had no idea was your passion.
Dr Joe Vitale
Absolutely correct. When I was recording one of my albums a couple years ago, we brought a baritone saxophone player in just to add that juice to one track. I saw the baritone saxophone, I listened to the baritone saxophone, and a light went off in my head and something ignited in me. And I said, I want to learn how to play the baritone saxophone. Well, I have now recorded a baritone saxophone album, because I went from being inspired, which is what I was talking about somebody else was doing something that I wanted to do. And I found inside of myself, I can learn that I did learn that invested in, you know, priceless instrument, and then went in the studio, we recorded the nice saxophone album. But it all came from that evolution of checking in me what’s right for me, and this is what everybody needs to ask, what is their passion? What is their inspiration? Who cares? What Joe does, or David does? What is it to them?
David Ralph
I always say to people that if you look at something and you kind of think I think I could do that, then you’re halfway there. Certainly when I created this show, I was looking at other podcasters. And some of them I was thinking, I reckon I could be better than them. And others I think, oh, with a bit of practice, I reckon I could get there, you know, but that was like half the battle. That was my own personal belief. Now, the big problem, Joe, and I’d be interested in your opinion on this was not to be having those thoughts, but actually taking it from secret world to actually putting it out into the real world. Now I’m Uh, I’m 46 years old. I’m a fully grown man with kids. But I remember having to tell my mom and dad, who had got no control over me, but I’m going to do this podcasting game, as it as it was almost like I’ve been saying, I’m addicted to pornography helped me out, you know, I, it was one of those conversations I didn’t want to have with my parents, because it was all I had to have these secret thoughts in your mind about what you fancy doing? Is there any tricks that people can sort of push through that? So they’re not surrounded by people that’s going to go, it’s not going to work? While you’re doing that you’re in a comfortable job? You don’t need to follow these dreams?
Dr Joe Vitale
Yeah, that’s a great question. I tell people to protect their dreams, meaning protect your dreams. So if you have a desire to do something, whether it is play the saxophone or write a cookbook, or open a restaurant, or whatever it happens to be, that is your private dream, that is your private desire, you keep it to yourself. And in my opinion, you only share with the people who can help you attain it. That’s the big secret because there are too many people who will rain on your parade, too many people who will be critical or skeptical. And if you’ve got a dream and you’ve got some fire behind it, you really think this is something I want to do. I say that you want to declare it for your own best interest. And because it’s part of your life mission to do it, but only share it with the people who can help you go down the road and manifest it. That’s what I think is a big secret.
David Ralph
Now, how do you find that because I’ll be open with you. I’ve got a coaching platform that we call the dream startup Academy for that exact reason. It’s a place where people can come on a daily basis. And they can they can have their dreams nurtured when they’re so fragile right at the very beginning, about the people that haven’t got the ability to sort of tap into that kind of coaching. Where would they turn the delay turn to friends? Did I turn to people but they don’t know, evening classes? How would they do it?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, that’s a great question to I think it’s going to be unique for the for each person. But we live in this age where there’s so many support groups, and there’s so many business groups, and there’s so many Facebook groups, that with a little bit of Google research, we can find the groups that would support us in something that we want to do. And then I agree with you, you’ve created this, this way of helping people I did the same thing. I created miracles coaching, because I knew that people need to have somebody to help them to be an ally to help them be accountable to help them see their own belief system and to help them keep taking action, when there will be those bumps or slow days when they can’t keep going. I also think it’s wise to create your own mastermind, I wrote one of my books is called meet and Grow Rich, and it’s about the Napoleon Hill concept of creating a mastermind the mastermind is two to six people that support each other in going for their dreams. Well, we live in a day where you can announce that online, you can say on Facebook that I’m going to create this program where this mastermind, where I am five other people are going to support each other and going for our dreams. And you create the very group that you’re looking for to support you. It might be some of your friends, it might be a family member. But for the most part I have found family doesn’t usually understand the dreams that come out of us. And the friends you have to be selective with because you want the ones who are going to be nurturing and not the one to kind of kick the tires and tell you you’re gonna you’re going to be in a crash.
David Ralph
And how do you choose the right people for your mastermind? Without giving names? How do you find the people that you reach out for to say, look, I need support here?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, what I do is I acutely listen to people when they talk. And another words, I’m looking for the people who are already demonstrating positivity in their lives. Maybe they’re already going for something and achieving something in their lives. Maybe because of the dialogue they share. I can understand and I can pick up but they’re not critical people. They’re positive people. there too many people that are the gossip burrs and the complainers. I don’t know them in a mastermind. I want to go for the people who are successful already. And who understand how to support people in their dreams. And when I listened to them doing it, I think, Oh, this is somebody who can who might be able to help me too. And then I’ll explore it and say, Hey, I got this idea for a dream. What do you think and just kind of baby step my way through it.
David Ralph
Because I always think and I think a lot of people think that once you’ve achieved so much success, it must be quite difficult to then reach out and ask for help. It’s almost like, you know, I’ve achieved all this, I can just do it on my own. I’m a master, I can just move forward, you do have to leave the ego behind, you sort of have to ask people where you might be you have more money in your bank account, you might have had more Awards on your shelves, but they can help you.
Dr Joe Vitale
Where you always have to leave your ego behind. I think we don’t want to destroy our egos, but we want our egos to support us and support our dreams. And so I have found that people want to help. I remember decades ago, I was in the seminar. And the woman leading it it was Donna Fisher was leading and it was about networking. And she said, How do you feel when somebody asked you for help? And you always feel good, because you’re flattered. And if you can help in any way, if you can fulfil whatever the question is, you want to go ahead and do it. So she said if you don’t ask for help, you are denying that other person that feel good feeling. And it was a wake up call for me because I realized, wait a minute, I can’t do anything or everything all by myself. And whenever I try something new, whether it’s saxophone playing guitar, or climbing a mountain, I need the people who have already done it. So I have learned since I was a kid to ask for help, and I still do today.
David Ralph
So when you heard dawn SABC, was it a light bulb? Or was it something that just sort of nibbled away at you over a period of time until you couldn’t deny it any any longer?
Dr Joe Vitale
Oh, it was a light bulb. I still remain the moment I still remember where I was sitting, I remember it was sitting beside me. Because it was that aha experience to realize, wait a minute, when somebody asked me for help, if I can help, I feel good. And I want to, then I realized when I asked somebody for help, if they can do it, they will probably feel good, and they will probably fulfill it. And for decades, I have asked people for help, whether it was in online business, copywriting, music, or anything else that we’ve talked about, or any of the stuff we haven’t talked about. I’m a strong man at this point. I’ve been horseshoes. I’ve been nails. But I didn’t do it by reading a book. I asked for the people who already do it who are known for doing it. And they taught me how to do it. So it was a it was a light bulb moment to realize people want to help if they can.
David Ralph
Well, let’s play some words. Now that’s going to lead us into the second stage of the conversation. These were said maybe a couple of years ago by the lovely Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah Winfrey
The way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, what is the next right move? You’ve not think about, Oh, I got all of this stuff. What is the next right move? And then from that space, make the next right move, and the next right move, and not to be overwhelmed by it. Because you know, your life is bigger than that one moment, you know, you’re not defined by what somebody says, is a failure for you. Because failure is just there to point you in a different direction.
David Ralph
Now, when you listen to those words, is that a great starting point to just somebody’s got that feeling inside them, but they want to do something amazing. They don’t know what it is. They’re looking around. They’re feeling like there’s more to life. And this is a great way to start, as Oprah says, Just sit quietly and think, what’s the next right thing?
Dr Joe Vitale
I totally agree with it. In fact, I simplify it even more. And I tell people, what does the next baby step you can do right now, too many people are waiting to have the entire map for their for their career for their life from point A to fame and fortune, whatever it happens to be that they want. And they don’t realize that all they have to do is take the first baby step, the most obvious, easy baby step. Because when you take that step, the next step becomes apparent. When you take that step, the next step becomes apparent. And you can make the whole career path you can travel through your life, you can have the adventure of a lifetime by taking baby step after a baby step. So I simplify Oprah statement even more, bring it right down to the moment, do what you said in your shoes right now to do whatever is next for you right where you’re sitting. And that begins the process.
David Ralph
I remember on episode eight of join up dots. I had a lady called Pamela slim on the show. And she was talking about the same concept. And she used to break it down into her list. And she would say to people like what’s the first thing you need to do? And they would say why I need to buy a website. She’s no no before that, what you need to do a domain name. And it was always about 15 steps forward. And she said, No, you need to sit at your desk, when you need to turn on your computer. And she broke it down into like, almost immediate steps. But it started building up momentum. And most people instantly went fully sort of the website and the coaching platform, but there’s so many dots that join up on there.
Dr Joe Vitale
Absolutely correct. I love what she was just defining and describing. Because I think this is one reason that people procrastinate is that they feel overwhelmed. They have a goal, they have a desire. And it could be to write a book. And whatever it is, they’re sitting there going, Oh my god, how do I write a book? How do I open a restaurant? How do I do this? And they’re they’re looking at the giant end result, and being confused and perplexed about where to start. But I like what she’s saying because you just go right down to that broken down. First step the what I call a baby step.
David Ralph
Can you remember your first baby step, actual physical baby steps where you you achieve something but the Little Joe looked around? And when Blimey, I didn’t expect I could do that. Do you remember when it all started for you as a small child,
Dr Joe Vitale
I believe I wanted to be a magician. When I was a kid. I was inspired by Harry Houdini, I even had my own name Harry Excel. And I remember as just you know, 10 years old, somewhere in there, I invented a magic trick. And I wrote it up and sent it to a magic magazine. And it was accepted and it was published. And I remember looking around going, how did I do that? How, what what magic took place. But it was me following them, you know, a passion and interest a dream, creating what I thought was a unique trick, which may not have been unique at all I didn’t really know as a kid writing it up, which was a bold thing for a little kid to do sending it off, which was even a riskier, bolder thing to do. And then having that jubilant moment of celebration and confusion. Like how did that happen? It’s been published, it’s in a magazine. Look, there’s my name. So it was great feeling.
David Ralph
Did you think if you’ve done it in your teenage years, I’ve got kids and they’ve all been through school. And I’ve seen the journey that they go on, where they’re very small, and I can literally do anything, anything they want to do iPad, my son just leap from the top of the stairs thinking he was Superman, and he could fly. And fortunately, I flew up the stairs and caught him one handed, it was one of my sort of hero moments. When you’re the superhero. Oh, yeah, I’ve been there. And there was no sort of defining what he couldn’t do. But when they go into sort of secondary or high school, and they’re surrounded by their peers, it seems to be when the dreams get squashed somehow. Do you think that you were fortunate you did that at such an early age before the crowds and the peer pressure sort of builds up and you you pull your head in someone and we will become like turtles frightened to actually take on the world?
Dr Joe Vitale
Wow, what a wonderful observation about what’s going on? I would totally agree with that. And I would say yes, that happened to me too. And I do feel that I was actually more productive and more successful. Right before getting into I would say High School. Because once I got in there, it was like a world of competition. And I was already shy and withdrawn. So I wasn’t going to do anything to stand out in the crowd. It was probably fortunate that I was writing because that’s kind of a withdrawn activity. And I can close the room and close the door and kind of hide with my paper, my Smith Corona typewriter and work on things. But I remember being will use the word intimidated. I don’t know that I consciously thought about it. But what you’re describing I actually went through so it was good to have the success before it as a kind of a touchstone.
David Ralph
And that touchstone Is it something that you still look back on now? Have you ever lost the tiny little Dr. Joe Vitale?
Dr Joe Vitale
No, I don’t think I’ve actually looked back on that touchstone I just described in decades. That’s why your question was so brilliant, it just kind of Freudian like unblocked what was in my unconscious mind. And I went, oh, wow, I forgot about that magic trick. You I did write that. And that was successful. But I forgot about it. Because I’m I’m 63. I’m looking over decades of successes at this point. And I have so many other touchstones some of them so gigantic, that still boggle my mind that the 10 year old magic trick kind of thing faded in the background.
David Ralph
Because I was reading about you this week. And there seems to be a lot of connections as with all of us, to our childhood lives. And there was a fascinating story about you wanting to take up the guitar. And, and many years later, realizing why your perceived lack of support from your parents actually was sort of put in the way of buying that guitar. Can you tell the listeners that story?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, thank you, I’m impressed. You’ve done so much research. My goodness, most people interview me don’t have a clue. I got my name. And they’ll let me do the talking. So I’m impressed with you. So with the guitar when I was a kid, I wanted to be I wanted to be a guitar player. I saw the Beatles, you know, Ed Sullivan, the whole thing. And I asked my parents for a guitar. Well, they got me a guitar. But it was a Roy Rogers, flimsy cardboard $2 guitar. And I knew it was cheap. And I knew that meant that there was no support for me being a guitar player. And I was mad at my mother and father for the next 55 years. 55 years. And that anger, that anger that get in the way of me actually ever pursuing guitar playing until a few years ago. And on my bucket list, there was the idea of me learning how to play the guitar. And so I declared, I’m going to do this. And I started doing what we’ve been describing, I look for my help I look for people who have done it before. And the music producer was talking to me about guitar playing. I had told him the whole frustrating story about the Roy Rogers guitar and he said, you know, you need to make peace with that. You need to make peace with it. He says when you make peace with it, it’ll unlock the stuck energy and you and you’ll be able to move forward and who knows what kind wonderful ways with the guitar. So I called my father, my father is still around. So I was fortunate enough to be able to call him I asked him Do you remember the Roy Rogers guitar? And he said, Oh, that cheap thing. He says I wrote I drove through a snowstorm through another state to go buy that guitar that costs $2. So that we can give it to you so you can support yourself being a guitar player. When when he told me the background story, they drove through a snowstorm he was broke, but he spent $2 on it. And he wanted to get it because I asked for it. I’m melted. And I felt like an idiot that I had held a grudge for five decades, when in reality, he was actually supporting me and my dream. So I apologize. I actually went on eBay and found a Roy Rogers guitar so I can buy it and love it this time. And now of course, I have a lot of guitars and I play guitar and I’m having a blast, but I had to make peace with the past first.
David Ralph
And what was the name of the first song that you you wrote on that guitar?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, I believe the first song was the title track of the first album, it was called struct.
David Ralph
And and that was a metaphor for the competence he was feeling or was it just a word that you picked up picked from the air?
Dr Joe Vitale
No, that’s a metaphor for how I think all of us want to go through life. We don’t need to be braggart or egotist. But we want to have a little spring in our step. And we want to have this little stretch like feeling that we are positive, we are empowered, we are not victims of life, we are actually in control of our own decisions. And we can point where we want to go. So let’s all get up and strut. So it was it was intentional. I wanted that word and that message to get out there. So I named the album struck the song was called strut. And it’s that whole feeling of get up and strut. He’s He’s a fascinating state of affairs.
David Ralph
When you start to delve into your backstory, I was reading a book by a guy called T Harv Ecker. And its Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. And he posed this question, the fault that you have in your head at the moment, is it your fault or somebody else’s fault? And when I read that, I thought to myself, hang on, I don’t quite get this. And I sort of played it back in my head. And literally, it blew my mind. And the days I was going around thinking is this one is actually thinking or is this what somebody has told me so many times in my life that I now kind of believe it’s me, it’s like, you can imagine you’ve been on the most wonderful holidays because somehow a picture has gone into your mind. But you you’ve never been, I was actually telling my mom, I have an image of my mom, I broke broke my collarbone when I was about three. And I have an image bizarrely of my mom pushing me down the stairs as a three year old. Now I know she wouldn’t have done this because she loves me. And she swears blind but I just tripped at the top of the stairs. And she fell down. But in my head I had this vivid memory of her pushing me and I flew down the stairs, which is absolutely bizarre. It is it is bizarre how our minds will operate in as kind of self sabotage way creating fantasies creating stories that actually would never have stories in the first place that other people’s stories that we’ve dragged around with ourselves.
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, I totally agree. It’s a fascinating world we live in and neuroscience and neuro plasticity is proving that we’re living by programs we’re living by belief systems, paradigms and stories that are most of the time not accurate, just like you’ve described there. And just like I described with the guitar, I thought that my parents were not supporting me more in actually out actuality, they were supporting me. And one of my books is called attract money now, which I give away your listener, your listeners can have it just go to attract money now calm. And I talked about seven ways to attract money. But the first thing people have to realize is they currently have a story about prosperity and success and money. That may not be true, and may not be serving them. So having the self awareness that a lot of our thoughts, as you pointed out with Dr. Record, may not be ours at all. In fact, I don’t think they are ours. I think all these thoughts are from other people from growing up from the culture from what we read from what we saw on TV from shows, as we’re gathering all this information and all these thoughts. And then when the thoughts start wheeling around and our brains, we lose track of the fact that they they weren’t ours to begin with. And we’ve lost choice about what thoughts do we want to pay attention to? And what thoughts do we want to actually fuel with action belief?
David Ralph
So how do we do this? How do we overcome somebody driving along listening to this in their car going to a crappy job? And they’ve got this story in their head by you believe it 100%? How can they start rewriting that? Is it as simple as taking action in a different direction? How would they do it?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, I think the phrase you just use was rewriting it. And that that is exactly what you do. It will feel odd and it will feel uncomfortable at first because we’ve been listening to our own story and repeating it so many times that we’ve kind of memorized it as being concrete that it was reality. But as all of the the new brain scientist pointing out is that we’re buying into something that is most likely not real at all. And even if it were even if you are accurately remembering something from childhood, you can as an adult today, consciously, intentionally rewrite it, rewrite it, I can pretend that my father didn’t buy me a Roy Rogers guitar. In fact, what he bought me was a priceless electric guitar that Roy Rogers signed. And he gave that to me. And I started playing and I’ve had a lust and a passion for the guitar ever since. Well, even as I’m making up that story. Even as I’m making up the story, I feel in my body, my energy change. I actually have more enthusiasm. I’m actually thinking, Wow, what a cool concept. I got to write Roger Simon guitar. And I always loved Roy Rogers as a kid, singer, guitar player, the whole thing. And now I have a new story, which is kind of creating a new Joe. Now the new the new Joe Vitaliy sitting here has a more positive, more empowering story. But where did that come from? I made it up. So you can rewrite your story beginning now.
David Ralph
And it can it can cause an issue. You know, like when you watch the Back to the Future movies. And they say when you go back in time, you can’t do something because it affects what’s going forward. If somebody’s sitting there rewriting their story, could they then be sitting in a pub and somebody says that never happened? You know, can? How can he do it, so it naturally moves forward with him?
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, since you’re writing the story, you can write that part of it too. This is the thing, this is the thing that people are overlooking. They’re trying to blend the what they think are the facts with what they think is their fantasy. And what I and many of the other self help spiritual teachers, the Jack Canfield and the Lisa Nichols and all the other people that were in the secret and other people like them, Bob Proctor, we’re all saying the same thing. You can rewrite your past and you can write your future. You do it in this moment, this moment is the point of power, everybody’s focused on the past or the past is gone. We don’t even remember it accurately, I can’t even tell you for for real what I had for lunch yesterday, I’ll probably get it wrong. And that was only yesterday. And the future is often the distance we don’t know how that’s gonna play out. But in this moment is the point of power. And if we want to rewrite the past, we do it in this moment, we want to sketch out what we want in the future, we do it in this moment, we have more power than we ever imagined before. And that was part of the good news of the movie, The Secret. It’s part of the good news, what you and what I am doing here today is telling people look, you can have it differently. You create your reality, and you create it with your thoughts and your thoughts lead to actions, the actions lead to results. And you can keep spinning this and rewriting this and you do it in this moment you do it now rewrite, that’s the key word rewrite the very word you used.
David Ralph
Well, let’s play the words of Steve Jobs. Now, he said these back in 2005. And this leads us to the last part of our conversation
Steve Jobs
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph
Now I think those words, they’re kind of written for every single guest, but they seem to be very true for yourself. When did your path actually start this path that you will now can you join it back and find your big moment?
Dr Joe Vitale
Wow, I would say about 20 years ago, one of the internet marketers that was going online as a pioneer much like I was Mark Joyner, it wasn’t his his name. He He asked me to be he interviewed me. And he wanted to know about my homeless years, which at that point, I didn’t talk about, I was so embarrassed, and it was so traumatic, and part of me blocked it out. And I didn’t want to relive it, let alone tell it to anybody was embarrassing. But I followed his lead and I trusted him and I started talking about it. And it’s it’s when I went public with that, that I realized that even when I was homeless and suicidal, and then I was in poverty for 10. Some years, I was creating a Joe that became the Joe of today. All those self improvement books I read when I had nothing else to do but hide in the public library in Dallas, those books not program me. When I was in poverty, I would go through the Public Library again. And I would go to all the free seminars, the free talks, the Unity churches, Unitarian, all the positive thinking ones, science of mind kind of thing, because I was absorbing all this material, I didn’t realize, realize it but it was a kind of a training that was going on for me to be able to be on a show like this today, and quote those books and refer to those books, and now be one of those authors of those kinds of books. But I didn’t see when I was going through it. All I saw was this is crap. And this is taken forever. And this is miserable. And how do I pay the rent and all the struggle. But But once I stopped and look back, and I thought, Wait a minute, there were dots all along, and they’re still dots today. They’re all coming together and they’re leading someplace, I don’t even know where it’s leading. I’m following the passion. I’m following the dots and they show up. And then they seem to light up. When I turned around and look at the my timeline of my life, I can look back and go, Oh my god, all those dots are actually lights. And I didn’t know it when I was going through it.
David Ralph
And do you see that sort of the dark times? This is a question I asked so many of the guests because I love the answer. But but the times when you’re really thinking this is crap, this is dreadful. I don’t deserve that is a truth. But when you get far enough away from them, there are times that you go, oh my god, I would not be where I was now without them.
Dr Joe Vitale
Yeah, that’s absolutely correct. But it took me some time to get to the point where I can look back and say, Oh, yeah, I can see the value of them. I can see how that created me or co created me or influenced me, I can see the positive in it. But good lord during it. No, I didn’t see the positive at all. But I remind people of that today. And I’ll say, Hey, if you’re struggling right now, there is a positive that you may or may not be seeing. In fact, there was an author A long time ago, and he said this. He said, Have you ever noticed that you end up seeing a new person perspective, a year later, from something that you thought was bad or something that you thought was unfortunate or something you were angry about something that went wrong for you? And in that moment, it was disaster. But a year later, you saw the humor in it? And you laughed about it? And you saw the story in it and you told it to other people? And he went on to say, Well, if it exists a year later, might it also exist in the moment when it happens?
David Ralph
That’s brilliant.
Dr Joe Vitale
Yeah, it is brilliant. It was. I can’t remember the author. But it wasn’t me. But I’m glad to share it because we can look at the moment and go look, there is a pony in the room here. There is a positive here, this is one of the bright lights and see if we can find the humor, see if we can find the story or assume it’s there. And then over time, we will see it it’ll help us get through those struggle times or the dark night of the soul or those bumps in the road of life.
David Ralph
Yeah, I think that is spot on. If you get me in a bar, Dr. Joe Vitale, I will tell you maybe five or six stories about a very, very amusing and basically they were horrendous at the time. And you’re absolutely right now I’m about 10 years past I can see the funnily enough and the funny was my distress but at the time couldn’t see it at all.
Dr Joe Vitale
I think we can all relate to that. But the the brilliant insight that I want everybody to have as a takeaway is that brilliant story that humor is existing in the moment of the distress. If we can have that awareness, we can start looking for it and alleviate it right then in there.
David Ralph
Well, just people we send you back in time on the Sermon on the mic to have a one on one with your younger self, the older listeners out there. Is it ever too late it is, you know, is it as simple as saying you start today and you create.
Dr Joe Vitale
Yes, it’s as simple as starting today. My father is 91 years old. On his 90th birthday. He wrote his autobiography, I had it printed and I presented it to him. He had never been an author it for the first nine decades, nine decades, it was never in his consciousness. It wasn’t on his To Do List wasn’t on his bucket list. But at the end there, he wrote a book, they wrote a second book after my mother died, his wife died just last March. And he spent time writing a second book, he is now a double author at the age of 91. Not any experience for 90 years before we can start it anytime there’s so many stories of people doing it that it’s no longer an excuse. If somebody wants to do something they started today, they started with the idiot steps, the baby steps, whatever they want to call it, but they take the first steps today think the next one is tomorrow. And before you know it, you got your book, your restaurant, your airplane, or whatever you want.
David Ralph
Yeah, I saw a guy on YouTube a little while ago. And he was about I don’t know, 95 or something. And he is now the world’s fastest 95 year old runner. It was almost like he only had to beat himself. And so he started the race. And I think he took him I don’t know, minute and a half to do 100 meters or whatever. But he’s now a world record holder. And I thought now that is brilliant. That is thinking outside the box.
Dr Joe Vitale
And he’s doing what he loves. That’s what each person wants to do. I think each of us has a calling that our passion reveals. And so I’m encouraging people to look within themselves, see what their life calling is with the thing that they longed to do or have always wanted to do. And they start moving in the direction. Maybe they’re 95, and they want to run the 100 yard dash. So be it Godspeed to you and go out there and start stretching and running.
David Ralph
Well, there you have it. And that leads us perfectly on to the last bit of the show, which is the Sermon on the mic when we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young Dr. Joe, what advice would you give them? What age would you choose? Well, we’re going to find out because I’m going to play the theme. And when it fade you up, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Dr Joe Vitale
Well, I would pick the age of about 25. Unknown Speaker [46:26]
And I would be telling my 25 year old self First of all, relax, relax, quit worrying so much quit stressing so much. Quit feeling so concerned about the future and when it’s going to work out, relax, that’s the very first thing because it does work out. And the second thing I would say is keep taking action, I know you’re already taking action, I know that you’re already moving in the direction of your dreams. But keep doing it. Don’t delay, don’t second guess. Don’t stall, don’t stop. The third thing I would say is focus on the positive. It’s too easy for the mind, especially as a 25 year old to keep looking at the negative to keep looking at the things that don’t work out. And what we want to do is start looking at the things that do work out, you have a life, your body is working, your brain is working, you are young, you have your whole life ahead of you. So focus on what’s working and focus on what you want. Having a positive attitude will help you get through the dark nights, there will be a few. But you can get through them by maintaining that optimism, that sunny side of the street perception, that ability to sing through it all. And I would say I’m proud of you. You’re doing something that most people don’t do, you’re following your dreams, you’re doing it as a 25 year old, where most people will still see struggling to discover what they want. You’re already pursuing your dreams. So I applaud you. I hug you. I love you. And I will see you in the future.
David Ralph
Don’t see Joe, what’s the number one best way that our audience can connect with yourself?
Dr Joe Vitale
Go get my free book attract money now. attract money now what’s that attract money now.com. It’s a full length book seven steps to get past their struggle to actually get into into prosperity. And there’s the seven steps I’ve used. Anybody can use them the books free and that’s a great way for them to reach me and get on my list. attract money now attract money now calm.
David Ralph
Right Stuff. Dr. Joe, thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots. Please come back again when you have more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Dr. Joe Batali, thank you so much.
Dr Joe Vitale
Oh, thank you. This has been a treat great questions. Great energy. I hope we helped them inspired a lot of people. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
David Ralph
Dr. Joe Vitale, he was passion wasn’t a passion personified. And he’s found his thing and he just keeps on working towards that thing. I thought the golden there was the fact that it’s never too late to start his dad 1991 writing books. So if you’re in your 20s in your 30s and you’ve spent a lot of money on education, but it’s not making you happy you’ve been change. Do what makes you happy because you’re only on this planet once and really such a lovely way to exist when you wake up each morning. And you think I’m looking forward to today. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for listening to join up dots. If you got any questions if you want us all night, direct them through to us. I’m happy to respond to anyone who sends us a message. We’re here to support you guys. We’re here to help you get the Dream speech again. Cheers bye bye
Outro
David doesn’t want you to become a fated version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow I’m joined up dots
