Welcome to The Formula for Success. This book was created to discuss the principles, concepts, and even the game plan for how to be successful. I believe that what you are about to read will change your life for the better; it’s what I call finding your “road to happy.”
Over the past twenty-five years, I have assembled, structured, and produced what I believe is a winning 
formula that can be implemented and executed by anyone who wants success.
I have taken the things I have learned over the years in business, athletics, and parenting and put them into a formula: “The Formula for Success.” This formula is grounded in the belief that we need to balance three primary disciplines: the mental, the physical, and the spiritual. If we think of life as a three-legged stool, we can see that all three legs have to be there and be in balance. Success starts with getting the mental part ignited. Once we have our heads on straight, our bodies can follow, and once we have that together, we can go to the advanced part—the spiritual. Keep in mind that the spiritual part uses the concepts of personal leadership and “paying it forward.” Once you own this formula, the only thing I ask of you is that you help another achieve success and find happiness in this world.
The Mental
This book will show you how to build your self-esteem and self-confidence by achieving your goals and believing in yourself.
We will start with a section called “Pathways,” which explains some fundamental concepts. Then we will cover time management, goal setting, PMA (positive mental attitude), and dealing with setbacks.
If you are in business, you know you can’t make something happen without a strategy or marketing plan. The same applies here. You are actually going to design your own strategy, one based on your heart’s desires and your plans. So, as I said, think of yourself as a business and consider what you need to be profitable.
The Physical
In order to be successful, you have to feel good both internally and externally. You also have to have the proper nutrition and the strength to compete. If you are eating the wrong things, you simply will not have the energy or desire to compete.
Nutrition is a huge part of success. As I always say, “You can’t run a Ferrari on regular.” You have to have the right fuel in your system to compete, and that means you have to know what the right kind of fuel is.
I am constantly approached about fitness tips and techniques in the gym. The truth is that 80 percent of success in fitness is nutrition and 20 percent is the gym.
The Spiritual
The third leg of the stool is spirituality. Somebody once asked me if my formula is faith based. It is not! It’s all about leadership and helping others.
I talk to all sorts of audiences. They can be a Christian or Jew or Buddhist or Hindu—it doesn’t make any difference to me how you were raised. What does make a difference is what you do for others—how you pay it forward and how you give back. Do you volunteer? How do you make other people’s lives a little bit easier? Of course, to pay it forward, you need something in the bank. That’s why we have to work on ourselves first. We need to make an investment in ourselves that will yield a return, and this return can then be shared with others.
Hopefully, you are excited about starting this new and improved chapter of your life. Your first question probably is, “Where do I start?”
My way of achieving success is to start with what I call the low-hanging fruit—the parts that are easier to achieve. Thus, we will cover the mental and physical sections first. The spiritual part we will cover last because this is something we give when we have something to give away.
You see, the spiritual part is about empathy, understanding, compassion, and leadership. It is your way of paying it forward, the ability to help others. This, I believe, is the true essence of life. But certain characteristics need to be created, nurtured, cultivated, grown, and developed for our own use first, before we can give to others. In other words, we have to have these things in our bag before we put our hands in and give to others.
We will start with the mind and body and can work on those sections simultaneously. In the section on the mind, we will cover pathways, time management, goal setting, dealing with setbacks, and creating a PMA, or positive mental attitude.
In the section on the body, I will show you fitness techniques you can use with or without weights, proper methods of training, ways to gain or lose weight, proper nutrition (including vitamins), and even the way to read food labels for accurate calorie content.
Foods to eat and foods to avoid will also be covered, as well as my tips and secrets for proper meal preparation.
The Road to Happy
“Laughter is an instant vacation.” —John Milton
Do you ever feel that you are going through life in such a specific routine that you just are not happy? Do you feel like you are just going through the motions? Or are you totally unclear as to what the future will bring? Well, below are some things that might be in your way and some fabulous quotes and thoughts that just might inspire you to find your road to happy.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Happiness isn’t a goal, it’s a by-product.” She also said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Often in our lives, we do not have a great support system. We may have people telling us what we can’t achieve or people putting doubt into our thought processes. I consider them as individuals who want to rent negative space in your brain.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “For every sixty seconds you are angry, you lose a minute of happiness.” Letting go of anger and negative thoughts is truly a gift to you, and it requires practice. If you decide to “rent space” in your head, make it positive. It’s been said that if happy thoughts run through your mind, they will show on your face. This is why I tell my students when they enter my classroom that they have two choices: they can look like they are going to a wedding, or they can look like they are going to a funeral. My students are gifted with aptitude, but I impress upon them that it’s their attitude that will be the foundation of their success and that a smile is their greatest asset. Last semester I had over eighty students from twenty-four different countries, and although there are hundreds of languages in this world, a smile speaks all of them.
I also offer you two proverbs. The first is Chinese: “Make happy those who are near and those who are far will come.” The second is Turkish: “A fool dreams of wealth, but a wise man dreams of happiness.” These quotes remind us that a happy person draws others together and that happiness is the essence of true wealth.
The great Dalai Lama said, “Happiness is not ready made it comes from your own actions.” This is why the chapter on goal setting is so important. We need to take action to make things happen; we cannot just dream about them. Dreaming is nothing more than organizing ideas for tomorrow’s actions.
Finding your passion starts the process, and taking action starts the journey. My motto in life is “Learn, earn, and return.” At this point in my life, success is about giving back. Success is about your integrity—your character and your soul coming together to make this world of ours a better place.
Three great quotes I think say it all when it comes to the soul and character. The first is from Marwa Collins: “Character is what you know you are—not what others think you have.” The second is from Wayne Dryer, who said, “The measure in your life will not be judged by what you accumulate but rather by what you give away.” And the third is from B. D. Schiers: “If you want to change the world, start with the next person who comes to you in need.”
What’s Your Vision?
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” —Michelangelo
You cannot go back in time and make a brand-new start, but you can make a new start to make a brand-new ending. I sincerely believe that if you can identify your passion, you can create your vision. If you were to build a home, you would start with a great foundation. Your goals will be defined by how you structure your vision. Success starts with the thirty-five-thousand-foot view. On the heels of the creation of your vision comes your drive. Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, said, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
Who Are Your Friends, and What Are Their Souls Like?
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” —Abraham Lincoln
We know that “no man is an island.” In this world we need to know how to get along with one another even if we don’t see eye to eye. Bryon Katie said, “It’s not your job in this world to like me, it’s mine.” It’s said that we are judged by the company we keep, and I have often said that if two people bring the same thing to a party, one is not needed. What I mean by this is that we can be in the same church—just in a different pew. You need to surround yourself with those who reflect your soul; those who have compassion, passion, empathy, and understanding; and—most of all—those who help people who cannot possibly do anything for them. Booker Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.”
Forgiveness
“To understand everything is to forgive everything.” —Buddha
I believe one of the fundamental elements of success is forgiveness. For sure, forgiving someone is easier said than done, but once you master it, you will be on your way to true success. Being angry, holding a grudge, or being hateful creates a type of airborne virus that not only affects everyone around you but, more importantly, also affects you. I think of negativity a disease that you inhale and absorb into your skin, your lungs, and your DNA. If you are holding someone down, by definition you have to be down there with that person, in the world of negativity. There is no way for success to happen while you are there. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”
To learn more, visit BillMorrisSpeaker.com.
Bill’s career started after he was recruited by Exxon Corporation after he received his MBA in International Business from Manhattan College and his undergraduate degree in Finance from Boston College. He was then recruited by Kidder Peabody, an Investment Bank on Wall Street to become the firm’s International Controller (at the age of 30) where he headed all financial and operational activity in London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
His International skills were then utilized by another Wall Street firm Shearson Lehman Brothers, where he spent a great deal of time in London, dealing with SEAQ (Stock Exchange Automated Quote) and in Tokyo with the MOF (Ministry of Finance).
Bill then expanded his skill base with his involvement in Middle Market M&A where he became a recognized speaker on Middle Market issues. He headed up all East coast M&A activity for Geneva Capital Markets, later acquired by Citigroup in New York. Bill had a dozen Managing Directors reporting to him and was involved in over 1000 valuations and over 100 closed transactions. During this time he personally consulted with over 600 CEO’s of Middle Market companies.
In 2000 Bill became the CFO of Media Arts (NYSE –MDA). Within six months he was promoted to EVP and the #2 executive in the company. Media Arts represented artists and had approximately 500 corporate employees and over 400 retail locations.
In 2005, became the EVP and head of M&A for Impac Corporation.
Bill holds a World Record in fitness (consecutive sit-ups), done as a fund raiser for Make-A-Wish. He is a Keynote Speaker whose topics include Leadership and Strategy as well as Health and Fitness.
Bill launched a DVD series- Success4Teens.com, and is an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Management and also Entrepreneurship at the Paul Merage School of Business at UCI.
