The Principles of David and Goliath Volume 2

By Erik Swanson, Nido Qubein and Joe Vitale

The Principles of David & Goliath Volume 2: Strategy & Goal Methods

 

In The Principles of David and Goliath, we honor those who never waver in their mindset and beliefs, and for those who choose to take on the giants, even when it is not in their favor. Whether you are an underdog faced with challenges

• Language: English
• Publisher: BEYOND PUBLISHING
• Release date: Oct 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781637924600

Book preview

THE PRINCIPLES OF DAVID AND GOLIATH

In the famous story of David and Goliath, David goes to fight in one of the greatest battles in history. David’s countrymen were troubled by the stature and size of their foe, Goliath. David’s kingdom could not find anyone to match the size and strength to go battle against the giant. David believed he would be protected if he went up against Goliath in battle. David was surprised that the rest of his army was afraid and petrified of Goliath. David was angered by Goliath’s mocking of his army and took Goliath’s challenge to come to him and battle him. The challenge proposed by Goliath was that if an Israelite defeated Goliath, then all of the Philistines would become servants to David’s kingdom. If Goliath beat the Israeli soldier, then all of Israel would be servants to the Philistines. This put pressure on King Saul and his army, who felt they had nobody in the entire kingdom who could match the giant’s strength. David, who was only sent to feed his brothers, remained baffled that nobody else would call upon their powers and beliefs to face the giant to defend their country.

David was firm in his beliefs in himself and knew that he would be protected. He willingly went to battle against Goliath. For David, it wasn’t a moment of valor or heroism, whereas all he wanted to do was take down the beast that was mocking his people. King Saul attempted to put his best armor and weapons on David to protect him in battle. But David knew all he needed was his sling and his staff. David faced the giant without hesitation and without any of the armor and weapons from his king. Even when the odds were stacked against David, he knew that he had the ability and the power to take down the giant with just one sling of a rock. David hit the giant right in the forehead, killing him outright.

In The Principles of David and Goliath, we honor those who never waver in their mindset and beliefs, and for those who choose to take on the giants, even when it is not in their favor. Whether you are an underdog, faced with challenges, and unprepared, every battle and challenge can appear to be as big as a giant.

In this three volume book series, you will come to read and learn the words and principles of inspired leaders from around the world who have overcome their most significant challenges and obstacles. They share their stories and journeys of triumphs to teach others how to accomplish their own successes. Created by Erik Mr. Awesome Swanson, 13 time #1 Bestselling Author and Founder of Habitude Warrior International and Habitude Warrior Masterminds, his hope and desire is to inspire you, the reader, to realize your full potential and put faith in your abilities to conquer and overcome your own Goliaths in your life. Erik has invited 33+ Bestselling Authors and 13 Celebrity Authors to share their wisdom and share their stories with you. You will find yourself embracing many different emotions while reading each chapter. Our goal is to have you realize if we can do it, you can as well! We look forward to your successes and also look forward to you sharing these books with your friends and family. One of the best gifts to give someone is the gift of success and courage. You will find these chapters are filled with exactly that.

Volume 1 - The Principles of David and Goliath

- Mindset & Belief Systems

In the first book in the series, our authors dive deep in to what it takes to have a clear and concise mindset. They teach the value of believing in yourself, as we can move mountains. Too many of us allow other people to determine our mindset for us. We are here to share the principles of developing a great mindset that encourages you to go that extra mile. We share steps for you to create your own all-powerful belief system.

Volume 2 - The Principles of David and Goliath

- Strategy & Goal Methods

In the second book in the series, we share the realization that attitude is not everything. Having a great mindset is the first step, but, it needs to be followed up by a strategic method for your success. Our authors teach the strategies and goal methods that they have implemented over their lives to reach the summits of success. Success leaves clues. We are here to share with you our stories which not only will inspire you to take action, but will give you a blueprint to follow that will directly lead you to your ultimate goal.

Volume 3 - The Principles of David and Goliath

- Action & Implementation

In the third book in the series, our authors share the principles and methods to take massive and laser focused action. Through our stories, we teach you how to develop a new habit or muscle to take action on your thoughts and strategies. It is not enough to simply have a great mindset and know what to do. The next step is ‘to do it!’ And implement your strategies. Too many people around the world suffer from ‘analysis of paralysis.’ It’s YOUR time! Time for you to take action on your new habits of success. Welcome to your new and amazing life!

www.ThePrinciplesofDavidandGoliath.com

FOREWORD

By Sharon Lechter

The principle behind David & Goliath, where David faces the much bigger, stronger adversary Goliath and succeeds, is a lesson that is more important today than ever. We all face extreme odds and seemingly unsurmountable obstacles at times during our lives. Overcoming those obstacles and turning them into opportunities allows you to build confidence and create the next level of success in your life. The contributors to this book have come together to share their stories of victory and success even in the face of certain defeats to inspire you and encourage you to persevere and succeed in whatever you desire.

The Personal Success Equation from my book Three Feet From Gold provides a formula for success that has been proven to help you chart your own path to success.

[ (P + T) x A x A] + F

First, combine your Passion with your Talent. Your Passion is your Definiteness of Purpose or your Mission in life, and your talent combines your education and experience. Most of us stop there and believe we must do everything on our own (which is what school taught us). True success comes when you add the Power of Association and take Action to your passion and talent. The power of association means bringing the right people on your team and surrounding yourself with people who are strong where you are weak or who have been where you want to go. And, of course, nothing will happen or move forward if you do not take action.

The last element is Faith, and it is absolutely essential to persevere in the face of adversity. Having faith in yourself, having faith in what you are doing, and having faith that you will succeed are all critical to achieving the highest level of success. You have heard of the phrase Take a leap OF Faith. When I hear this comment, I imagine closing your eyes, crossing your fingers and toes, and jumping with the hope you will succeed. Instead, I recommend changing it to Take a leap WITH Faith. This means leaping with your eyes wide open, with confidence that you have the passion, talent, associations, and faith that you will absolutely succeed!

When David was provided Saul’s tunic and coat of armor with helmet and sword to prepare to face Goliath, he quickly realized he could not succeed with them. I cannot go in these because I am not used to them. He relied on his talent and experience from when he had faced and killed both lion and bear while tending his father’s sheep. With his trusted staff, five smooth stones, and sling, he approached Goliath with tremendous faith in himself and a higher power.

When Goliath laughed at him for being unprepared for battle, David responded, You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

With incredible courage and faith, David ran toward Goliath. He struck Goliath with a stone on his forehead, knocking him to the ground. He triumphed over Goliath with a sling and a stone, amplified by tremendous faith. He definitely took a leap WITH Faith.

Not all challenges in life are dramatic life and death matches like David and Goliath. Still, the way to approach challenges is the same.

Asses your challenge or opponent.

Learn their weakness or their desired outcome.

Use your strengths to challenge their weakness or provide a path to the desired outcome without compromising your goal.

Focus on your confidence and desired outcome with perseverance.

Take action.

Take a moment to review a time in your life when you faced an unsurmountable challenge and succeeded and how you used these steps to succeed.

Early in my publishing career, I met with one of the major publishers. We had agreed on a major deal, with only one important issue to resolve. I found myself in a conference room at a table with 20 people from the publisher…it was me against them! The issue had to do with maintaining a reserve for potential book returns. I knew our experience had been under 2% returns but could not convince them to use my number. They wanted to use the industry standard of around 27% at the time…a major difference. We were at a standstill. I took a few minutes to breathe and focus on their desired outcome and how I could create a win-win scenario, as well as saying a few prayers.

It came to me, I proposed that I would accept their reserve number IF they agreed to adjust the amount held in reserve to the actual returns received at the end of the calendar year. They thought of me as a novice who didn’t understand the publishing world. In their confidence that they would prevail based on their other titles, they agreed. We finalized a fabulous publishing deal that day.

However, the story doesn’t end there. At the end of the calendar year, our actual returns were approximately 3%, which meant I received a $1 million true-up check to adjust the reserve from the 27% to the 3%.

I share this story because in facing a larger opponent or company, you need to consider what is important to them, not just their size. Then use your strengths to find a way to give them what they want without losing sight of the outcome you want.

Each of the stories you will read in this book reveals different strategies to face obstacles that appear impossible and turn them into opportunities for greater success.

As I close this introduction, I feel I must address the incredible importance of faith. Before every speech, interview or project, I say the Prayer of Jabez, which is found in the Old Testament at 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. In it, I ask God to use me as his instrument so that I may serve his higher purpose and impact others in a positive way. The Prayer of Jabez reads:

Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and

enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me, and

that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.

In this prayer, I begin by asking for favor and blessing, followed by asking God to enlarge my territory, which means I am asking to reach as many people as possible to make a larger impact, even beyond my imagination. Then I ask that his hand would be with me making me a vessel so that he can use me to provide the right message for the audience that I face. It ends with the request for protection from evil for both my audience and me.

Whatever your religious belief, find your faith in yourself and what you are doing. What mantra do you use to lift yourself in faith and build your self-confidence?

You deserve the greatest success! Take focused action with faith and make it a reality today!

www.SharonLechter.com

As an Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Mentor, Philanthropist, Licensed CPA for 35 years, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, Sharon Lechter is the premier expert for financial literacy and entrepreneurial success. A lifelong education advocate, in 1989, Sharon joined forces with the inventor of the first electronic ‘talking book’ and helped him expand the electronic book industry to a multi-million dollar international market.

In 1997 Sharon co-authored the international bestseller Rich Dad Poor Dad and has released 14 other books in the Rich Dad series. Over 10 years as the co-founder and CEO, she built the empire into the world’s leading personal finance brand.

In 2008, she was asked by the Napoleon Hill Foundation to help re-energize the powerful teachings of Napoleon Hill just as the international economy was faltering. Sharon has released three bestselling books in cooperation with the Foundation, including Think and Grow Rich, Three Feet from Gold, Outwitting the Devil, and her latest project, Think and Grow Rich for Women, released in June of 2014. She is also featured in the 2017 movie Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy and has released the book Save Wisely, Spend Happily in cooperation with the American Institute of CPAs.

Sharon is a highly sought-after mentor and has worked with major brands like Disney and Time Warner and served two U.S. Presidents as an advisor on the topic of financial literacy. As CEO of Pay Your Family First, she has dedicated her entrepreneurial efforts to the creation and distribution of financial education books, games, curriculums, and other experiential learning projects. Everything about Sharon’s career centers around impacting others to improve their financial IQ, access untapped potential personally and in business, and create their own legacy.

But everything changed in 2012 when Sharon’s son unexpectedly died. All of Sharon’s successes seemed to fade into the background. She kept working but on autopilot. She stopped playing at the level she always had and just started coasting, until now!

Now, Sharon is back and playing big again, and she wants you to as well with the Play Big Movement. It’s time to shed the limitations that have stopped you in the past. It’s time to play big, master your money and time and create maximum impact.

Sharon lives in Paradise Valley, AZ, with her husband and business partner, Michael Lechter, a powerhouse in the area of Intellectual Property, Organizational Architecture, and Publishing. Together, they love spending time with each other and especially like to get away to their dude ranch, Cherry Creek Lodge, where they can get off the grid (literally) and get recharged for their next big play.

Sharon continues to be a committed philanthropist by giving back to world communities both as a benefactor and a volunteer and has been honored with numerous awards.

www.SharonLechter.com

STRATEGY & GOAL METHODS

Success is goals, and everything else is commentary.

~ Brian Tracy

As I was growing up in my early years, I found myself getting picked on and bullied each and every day. It was exhausting, to say the least. Not to mention a bit scary having to confront, without my permission, these ‘Goliaths’ in school. Well, at least they looked like Goliaths in my mind. I was much shorter than all of them. I finally grew taller during the summer between my sophomore and junior high school years. But by then, it was too late. I was a victim of bullying throughout my whole entire life up until that point.

You may think, Why didn’t you simply not allow these kids to bully you? Great question. But when you are knee-deep in the forest, sometimes you can’t see the trees around you as clearly as you want to. I fell victim to allowing myself to get bullied rather than standing up for myself in fear of what may happen to me. This seems to be the case with so many people around the world these days. It’s time to take a stand and fight for what is right for us. It’s time to take back our lives. It’s time to become the David to our Goliaths!

In this chapter, I will reveal the proven strategies that were instilled in me by my main mentor, Brian Tracy! I am honored to share these secrets he shared with me over 25 years ago. If you follow these steps of Strategy & Goal Methods, you will reap the awesome benefits of success, as I have.

Goal Setting & Goal Achieving

Goal setting is vital to any organization, individual, and entrepreneur! It’s a benchmark to strive for consistently and allows you to raise your own bar of excellence. The highly successful Habitude Warrior won’t wait until their manager or someone else sets their goals for them. In fact, they will set higher and higher goals to strive for personal excellence. To be a ‘Habitude Warrior’ means going the extra mile and running at full speed without fear for that extra 100 miles! It’s becoming Unstoppable in the pursuit of excellence. And who better to commit to than yourself? While learning and having the pleasure of sharing the stage with Jim Rohn years ago in Houston, he reminded me to always work harder on myself than anything else. As a result, everything will start to flourish around you in your life. It’s magical!

Sadly, most people in the world do not have any real direction in their lives; a very small percentage of them have a working list of written goals. Studies have told us that only about 3% to 5% of individuals have written goals. That’s crazy! You absolutely need to commit and resolve to yourself to join the top 3% of Habitude Warriors. It’s very simple to do. But the flip side of that is it’s also very simple not to do. When I started in the industry as a National Sales Trainer in 1997, we had the pleasure of working with many different industries to train their sales teams. One of those industries was the sports industry, in which we assisted not only the corporate sales and advertising teams but also assisted in attitude training for the actual athletes. One of the coolest things we learned while working in the Chicago area one year was that Michael Jordon had been writing down his goals since he was five years old! FIVE YEARS OLD! Wow, that’s powerful.

Do you think we can learn from successful people? Absolutely! It’s called ‘modeling.’ Do you think we can learn from unsuccessful people? Sure! Simply do what they are not doing and learn the correct adjustments for success. When Dr. Napoleon Hill wrote the world-famous book Think and Grow Rich, he followed around, studied, and interviewed more than 500 highly successful individuals to see which traits they had in common and which they did not have. Guess what? Strategy, goals, and having definiteness of purpose were the top traits they all had in common. Success leaves clues. The challenge with most individuals is that they want to try and reinvent the wheel when all they really need to do is ‘model’ after success and do what has worked for millions of other individuals before them. It’s almost like a recipe to follow when cooking. If you plan to get the same results from the recipe, you simply need to follow the ingredients and the timing to a tee. Don’t forget that your goals need to be as specific as possible! Let me share with you my proven goal-setting technique:

7 TIPS FOR SETTING CLEAR & CONCISE GOALS

Step 1)   Make an absolute decision for success in your specific goal, and vow to commit to doing whatever it takes to reach this goal.

Step 2)   Write the goal in the present tense as if already been accomplished.

Step 3)   Write the goal down in as many places as possible so you can see it daily (at work, home, on a car visor, etc.).

Step 4)   Set a ‘Win Date’ (or deadline) to complete your goal.

Step 5)   Tell all of your family, friends, and colleagues about your goal.

Step 6)   Write down three new reasons each day why you want to achieve it!

Step 7)   Review your goal every evening and every morning for 10 min.

What’s the difference between Goal Setting vs. Goal Achieving? Well, setting goals are fantastic and absolutely necessary, but that’s not all you have to do. There are specific ways to ensure you achieve those particular goals.

7 TIPS FOR ACHIEVING CLEAR & CONCISE GOALS

Step 1)   Visualize yourself already in a successful state with your goal.

Step 2)   Download photos and make a ‘vision board’ to reflect your goal.

Step 3)   Use the ‘PME’ technique which stands for ‘Positive Mental Environment’ and set up your environment for your goal’s success.

Step 4)   Every day, 10 times each hour, tell yourself in present tense this statement and add your goal to the sentence: I am ……….

Step 5)   Set up a reward for yourself when you achieve your goal.

Step 6)   Repeat these words out loud every single day in the mirror in the morning for 60 seconds: "I am the best; I am the best; I am the best; I can do this! I can do this! I can achieve this! I will achieve this! (Make sure you personalize it to your goal)

Step 7)   Get an Accountability Partner or Coach to report daily on your success in reaching your goal.

The best thing you can do to ensure success in any area of your life is to be super clear with your strategy and goals. Be the type of person others look up to by having a clear blueprint. This is a trait others will envy in you. After you conquer this trait, you can start to share your own methods with others. They will thank you!

Vow to yourself; from here on out, you will create a strategy and follow the clear methods in your goals. Decide to be a highly successful individual by conquering your ‘Goliaths’ such as time management, stress, and procrastination. Decide to take charge of your life and future by following the proven methods outlined in this chapter. The world is waiting for YOU!

Our confidence is not in what we have, but He who freely gave us what we have. If God’s will is in your little stones, they will surely bring down giant Goliaths... but you have to make the throw!

~ Israelmore Ayivor

What the Israelites saw was an intimidating giant. In reality, the very thing that gave the giant his size was also the source of his greatest weakness. There is an important lesson in that for battles with all kinds of giants. The powerful and the strong are not always what they seem.

~ Malcolm Gladwell

Get the right perspective. When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, He is so big. We can never kill him. David looked at the same giant and thought, He is so big. I can’t miss."

~ Russell Johnston

"There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath.

But remember-David did win!"

~ Thomas S. Monson

Goliaths, choose your Davids wisely.

~ Rachel Sklar

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

~ George Bernard Shaw

ERIK SWANSON

Habits & Attitude Coach

As an Award-Winning International Keynote Speaker and 13 Time #1 Best-Selling Author, Erik Mr. Awesome Swanson is in great demand around the world! He speaks to an average of more than one million people per year. Mr. Swanson has the honor to have been invited to speak to many schools around the world including the prestigious Harvard University. He is also a recurring Faculty Member of CEO Space International as well as an Alumni Keynoter at Vistage Executive Coaching. Erik’s speeches can be found on Amazon Prime TV as well as joining the Ted Talk Family with his latest speech called A Dose of Awesome.

Erik got his start in the self-development world by mentoring directly under Brian Tracy. Quickly climbing to become the top trainer around the world from a group of over 250 handpicked coaches, Erik started to surround himself with the best of the best and very quickly started to be inviting to speak on stages alongside such greats as Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Les Brown, Sharon Lechter, Jack Canfield, Lisa Nichols, and Joe Dispenza... just to name a few. Erik has created and developed the super-popular Habitude Warrior Conference, which has a two-year waiting list and includes 33 top-named speakers from around the world. It is a ‘Ted Talk’ style event which has quickly climbed to one of the top 10 events not to miss in the United States! He is the creator, founder, and CEO of the Habitude Warrior Mastermind and Global Speakers Mastermind. He is also the creator and publisher of The 13 Steps To Riches book series as well as The Principles of David & Goliath book series. His motto is clear... NDSO!: No Drama – Serve Others!

www.SpeakerErikSwanson.com

www.ThePrinciplesofDavidandGoliath.com

THE UNDERDOG’S ADVANTAGE

The underdog has an advantage. I’ll demonstrate it with the true story of how I made one of my books a national best-seller, beating all other books for first place, including new books by J.K. Rowling and Pope John Paul II. This strategy also led to my being in a film that continues to inspire the masses, a movie called The Secret. And this strategy was as simple as sending out a sheet of paper.

It was 2005. I just published a book I was proud of. The Attractor Factor had already gone through numerous revisions and editions. It had been previously published as a print-on-demand book called Spiritual Marketing. The late self-help legend Bob Proctor had encouraged me to share the book with the world. I did. People loved it. Even the New York Times mentioned it in a feature article about the new publishing bakery approach to getting in print. Because of all this notoriety, a major publisher wanted to pick up the book. But they didn’t like the original title. So, I brainstormed with my mastermind group at the time, and we came up with The Attractor Factor.

I knew the book was good. It had already been proven with the previous editions. It taught people the Law of Attraction and how to use their minds to create intentional reality. The five steps described in the book were a hit with readers of the first edition. But now, the book had a new title, publisher, and look. I wanted the world to know about it. I felt in my heart that