Forgive Fast: The Habit That Changed My Life – w/ Jon Gordon

The Power of Forgiveness [0:00]

• Holding onto resentment burns the individual, not the target.
• "Forgiving fast" releases this negative energy, enabling healing.
• The author forgave his biological father for abandonment, which unlocked his ability to write.

  "I was forgiving him for me so that I could begin healing."

The Importance of Habits [1:25]

• Habits shape who we become over time.
• The author shifted from a negative mindset to positivity through a daily "thank you walk."
• This habit of gratitude flooded his brain with positive emotions, transforming his life.

  "So by doing that day in and day out, I really shifted my mindset, my heart, my soul, and I began to see a huge change in my life."

The "Thank You Walk" [3:30]

• This habit involves practicing gratitude and thankfulness during a walk.
• It creates a fertile mind ready for great things and shifts one's state of being.
• The author believes this practice makes one a "gratitude magnet," attracting more positive experiences.

  "I believe you become a gratitude magnet the more you actually take a gratitude walk, which means you start attracting more things into your life because you're being grateful and that attracts things to be grateful about."

Unlocking Creativity Through Walks [4:50]

• Ideas, thoughts, and entire book frameworks have come to the author during these walks.
• Finding stillness allows for ideas to flow and a shift in energy to occur.
• These walks can also serve as "affirmation walks."

  "The ideas, the thoughts, the vision, the blueprint. I've gotten whole frameworks and the entire book in like one download on these walks, just finding that stillness."

The Habit of Forgiving Fast [6:15]

• Resentment, bitterness, and anger are like grasping hot coal.
• The key is to release this burden quickly to begin healing.
• The author's inability to write until forgiving his father highlights the impact of unresolved past hurts.

  "The key is to forgive fast. Imagine yourself just releasing that hot coal very fast."

Letting Go of the Old to Create the New [7:40]

• Holding onto old battles prevents new victories.
• Anger about the past depletes the energy needed for future success.
• Forgiving sooner accelerates personal growth and healing.

  "If I would have forgiven in my 20s, I could have started writing sooner. I could have started growing sooner."

Spiritual Connection and Energy [8:50]

• Carrying resentment creates static, hindering connection to higher frequencies.
• Letting go of toxic weight allows God's spirit to flow through.
• This "sludge" weighs individuals down, preventing them from operating at their highest potential.

  "God can now flow through you. He can't flow through you and move you through you. The Holy Spirit can't move through you if you have this heavy energy weighing you down."

The Power of Purpose Statements [10:10]

• Writing down a purpose statement is a powerful habit.
• It provides clarity and a constant reminder of one's "why."
• Forgetting the purpose leads to burnout, while remembering it sustains motivation.

  "When you know your why, you'll know the way. You're not going to let obstacles get in the way."

Defining Purpose [11:30]

• The author's purpose: "develop positive leaders who make a positive impact... to create a more positive world."
• The host's purpose: to be a "force for God in the world."
• Re-auditing one's purpose ensures it remains fulfilling and relevant.

  "I want to be a voice for God in the world."

Thinking Less, Connecting More [13:00]

• Overthinking is often associated with negative thoughts and anxiety.
• The key is to "think less" and find stillness, praying and surrendering more.
• Connection to God reduces negative thoughts and increases positive emotions like joy and peace.

  "The key to life, this is the key to life, is to think less. We don't want to think more. We want to think less."

The Disconnected State [14:15]

• Feeling disconnected from God leads to negative thoughts, fear, worry, and doubt.
• Anxiety stems from feeling separate and divided.
• When connected to God, individuals experience joy, peace, power, and strength.

  "The more disconnected you are from God, the more negative thoughts you will have, the more fear, worry, and doubt you will have."

Habits of Elite Leaders [15:30]

• Top coaches and CEOs exhibit extreme intentionality and attention to detail.
• They prioritize connecting with their people and taking care of themselves mentally and spiritually.
• Great leaders encourage others and believe in their teams more than the teams believe in themselves.

  "The habits of just such extreme intentionality, just like how you live."

The Need for a Team and Support [17:00]

• No one achieves success alone; leaders need a team and people pouring into them.
• Leaders need confidants and advisors to share challenges and find the way forward.
• The author's role involves helping leaders build culture, teams, and strategies.

  "Every great leader needs people that are pouring into them, someone they can share their challenges with."

Culture Building and Leadership [18:30]

• The author helps leaders build culture with core values, vision, and mission.
• He provides strategies for building connected and committed teams.
• Recognizing patterns of success and challenges helps leaders navigate difficulties.

  "I'm the best in the world at helping leaders build stronger teams and build a culture."

The Leader's Wound [19:50]

• Leaders often have personal "wounds" that affect their leadership.
• Addressing and healing these wounds is crucial for effective leadership and for helping others.
• The author acts as a "soul doctor," helping leaders identify and heal these deep-seated issues.

  "I'm able to meet them where they are and talk to them about it and really help them figure out what's going on with them."

Clarity and Distractions [21:45]

• Lack of clarity is a major obstacle to execution in all aspects of life.
• Leaders must tune out distractions to focus on what matters most.
• Prioritizing prayer and relationships enhances capacity and insight.

  "You tune out distractions because distractions, as you know, are the enemy of greatness."

Trusting in God [23:30]

• Bad things happen due to evil, not from God.
• There is a constant tension between good and evil, love and hate.
• Trusting in God provides power, peace, love, and confidence.

  "There is God and there is good. And then there is evil. And there's always this tension between good and evil."

The Great Exchange and Life's Decisions [25:00]

• Giving your life to God results in receiving His life and spirit.
• The most important decisions are trusting in God and choosing a spouse.
• Choosing a fulfilling career aligned with one's purpose is also vital.

  "When we give our life to God and we trust in him and we give our life to God, what happens is he gives us his life."

The Impact of Habits and Mentorship [27:00]

• Specific habits taught by the host, like creating a highlight reel and lifting weights, transformed the author's life.
• These habits led to increased confidence, strength, and a greater impact.
• The book "The Power of Positive Habits" offers strategies to change the course of one's life.

  "And Ed showed me there's another level. And we're both showing you there's another level."