Today marks 477 days without television.

You read the above correctly. No tee-vee for me, for four hundred seventy-seven days.

This abstention from hypnosis via the “idiot box” also includes not watching professional sports such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and so on.

This means I must either read about what is supposedly going on – or hear about it through the grapevine. Or, if it’s particularly urgent, I can view a very quick clip online, then move on.

About a week ago I started hearing about “fake news.”

Now that’s an interesting term, especially when you consider that almost everything about television is fake.

I’m not just talking about the WWE either.

As the “E” in the above states, it’s “entertainment” – yet the masses plop before the box each day to watch something choreographed and quite possibly predetermined.

Based upon the above, I spend my time away from the television. I don’t turn it on and if it is on when I go somewhere, I avoid looking at it.

Now, you might wonder why I stopped watching television. There are many reasons – but foremost is that it’s designed to be so incredibly addictive that once I start watching, I get nothing done.

My workouts get put on hold. I stop reading. I communicate less with those around me – and then I start feeling lousy. Yet, once the news and sports and entertainment are not a part of my life, I am vibrantly alive and filled with creativity once again.

This leads me to believe the real “fake news” is the news playing inside your brain. The fakery that tells you that you’re nothing, a nobody, that you can’t do anything remarkably well.

Once you turn off the chattering box in the room, the REAL YOU manifests and begins to take charge of your life. Amazingly, you start feeling ALIVE once again.

You feel inspired to live a happier, healthier and more creative life. Your productivity increases and people react to you differently.

You have time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do but weren’t pursuing because your attention was gobbled up by the listless, passive and depression-inducing inactivity of watching television.

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to get yourself into incredible condition, or you’ve wanted to write a book or travel the world.

All of the above are much more easily accomplished when you free yourself from the box.

Challenge yourself to see how many days you can go without. Well over a year ago I was on Day One.

Now I’m on Day 477.

It’s amazing how the days add up when you live them with creativity, and keep track in a hand-written journal each day.

Indubitably, this path is not for everyone – but if you feel an urging in your soul to follow along, then I’m with you.

Matt Furey

P.S. I’ve just revealed to you one of the big keys to getting stuff done, including writing a book. Now let’s see you take the next step by attending my seminar in February. The fee for this event is going up later this week, possibly tomorrow, so jump on this NOW and enjoy the deep discount.

One of the worst pieces of advice ever given is the admonition to practice moderation in everything.

Balderdash.

If you want to get good at something, moderation is not the key that’ll get you there. Yet, this philosophy prevails and millions are harmed by it.

The other day I told a coaching member, “The masses are programmed for mediocrity and therefore will condemn those who work toward excellence.”

Granted, being obsessed does have pitfalls – but being mediocre at everything you do, that produces an unnecessary psychological inferiority that lingers into infinity.

I will readily and unabashedly admit to being obsessed with getting good at whatever I put my hands on. If it weren’t for a daily schedule, I would be out of control very easily, completely lost in a world of
ONE THING.

The other night I went bowling. Twas “all you can bowl night” – which is perfect for someone who’s obsessed. I went there with the intention of only bowling five games. After five games I agreed to another, and another and another.

I ended up closing the place down at midnight after bowling 17 games.

This can be a HUGE pitfall when you have a list of 17 other activities you want to get good at doing as well. So I limit myself to two days a week of bowling, for now. I practice moderation in this activity and train my mind to get good at it with less practice – otherwise I don’t have time for tai chi, or stretching, or writing, or coaching clients – ALL of which, unsurprisingly, I want to get better at. No, that’s too weak. I don’t just want to get better – I want to get good.

After good – very good – and after very good, GREAT.

I’ll have more on this subject soon, but just want to let you know, if you’re working your tail off to get good at something and someone tells you that you have OCD, tell him this, “You make it sounds as though it’s a bad thing.”

Be it. Do it. Have it.

Matt Furey

P.S. Come watch my relaxed, calm and creative OCD on full display this coming February in Tampa, Florida. Click this link for more.

Throughout the ages the great ones disagree on a number of topics, but when it comes to the use of your imagination and the power of your thoughts, they get into single file.

“Imagination is more important thank knowledge.” – Albert Einstein

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain

“Imagination is the elixir of life.” – P.T. Barnum

“The power of imagination makes us infinite.” – John Muir

I can go on and on with examples such as these, but perhaps my favorite is the way my wife would say it:

“No imagination – no food.” 

Oh yes, the naysayers scramble, sneer and squirm as they opine: “You really think your imagination helps you create what you want? How can it do so.”

These questions, incidentally, are from the same people who scoff about the importance of breathing, as if your very life doesn’t depend upon it.

The mere questioning of the power of imagination shows a clear misunderstanding and ignorance of how the human brain works. What the scoffers are essentially saying is, “I don’t think my brain has anything to do with anything I do.”

They’re also revealing, without realizing it, that they have no idea what a hippocampus is, or the frontal lobes, or where their memories and knowledge are stored.

My favorite line is when the sneerers say, “I don’t think about it. I just do it.”

Really?

So you took action without any thought whatsoever?

How is that possible? Explain that one to me so I can present it to my neighbor, who happens to be a neuroscientist.

Another great line comes from those who study Eastern thought: “You teach all this self-image stuff – but the reality is there is no self.”

To this statement I reply: “Is there a spirit or a soul?”

“Oh yes, you have a spirit and a soul. There just isn’t a self.”

“Great, so call it soul-image if that makes you feel better.”

To recap, these so-called intellectuals believe your imagination doesn’t serve a valuable purpose, it’s just loitering in the lobby of your brain. Deep breathing is not important because you can survive on very shallow breaths. And best of all, there is no self.

Let me give you the straight scoop from personal and professional experiences, wherein I’ve succeeded at a high-level in several endeavors:

When you are blocked, when you can’t seem to achieve, when you can’t get good grades, when you can’t get yourself to take action, when you don’t believe you can get physically fit or accomplish something BIG – you need a revamping of your imagination.

Jump into action all you want. Use your will power as much as you can.

And soon, you’ll run out of steam and be out of gas.

With your use of IMAGINATION, however, you tap into the seemingly infinite and unlimited powers of the brain.

Show me the mental images you have ruminating in your brain and I’ll easily and accurately predict where you’re heading in life.

Let me hear the way you speak about yourself and your life and I’ll quickly ascertain the type of results you can expect to achieve.

I’ll close now by repeating my wife’s line, which really should be a Chinese Proverb:

“No imagination – no food.”

Matt Furey

P.S. Want to learn how to use your imagination in a way that puts the food you want on your table, the kind of clothes you want on your body, and the kind of home you want to house yourself and your family? This is a small part of what will be revealed at The Undiscovered, Unrevealed and Unparalleled Secrets Seminar being held in February. I look forward to seeing you there.

Last week, toward the end of one of my walks, I called to speak with my treasured friend, Mark.

Mark lives in San Diego, so an 8 AM call is 5 AM in his area.

My initial call went directly to voicemail. Per usual, I left no message.

Later on I called again. Same result.

Over the next few days I made umpteen calls – all of which went to voice mail immediately.

Now that has never happened before, so I began to get concerned. I continued to call all the numbers I had for Mark, all to no avail.

At 11:38 PM on Monday, after waving goodbye to a friend who was with me for a 3-mile copywriting jaunt, I went in the house and immediately received a text from Mark.

“Ah,” I sighed. “I finally hear from Sasquatch. I wonder how he’s doing.”

I opened the text and the opening words communicated that the sender was someone else.

Twas Mark’s sister, instead.

The news she gave me sent shockwaves through my central nervous system.

Mark was no longer playing Sasquatch in San Diego.

The man who survived not just one, but TWO collisions with 18-wheeler semi-trucks was gone.

I called Mark’s sister and she gave me the details. I started texting everyone I coach who knew Mark on a personal level from our meetings.

Everyone was in shock.

I’m not sure how I slept through the night. The next morning I got up and walked another three miles, during which time I openly sobbed.

Oftentimes, over the years, I’d be talking to Mark as I walked, going over my latest musings and writings, my most recent ideas and breakthroughs.

In fact, when I kept calling Mark all last week, it was to read him the copy I was going to put up about my forthcoming seminar – which HE WOULD BE ATTENDING  – as he never missed a Furey seminar, going all the way back to 2005.

Today, as I walk through my home I look at the chair Mark used to plop into when I’d  have him over for discussions on tai chi and other martial and fitness disciplines.

Mark had a pair of ears that were always there for me or anyone else.

Each summer I’d visit San Diego, in part because I love the city, but most importantly because I wanted to have a few hours in splendid communication with Mark – as we walked around Gas Lamp district, enjoyed a grass-fed burger, followed by a chewable cigar and a ship-load of laughs.

So long Mark Ferris, my truly treasured friend, the man I dubbed the “Sasquatch from SoCal.” Your presence on this Earth meant the world to me. Rest safely and in peace.

I’ll be thinking of you as I walk.

Matt Furey

P.S. Life can be unpredictable – and often when you least expect it. That’s precisely why I believe in living life to the FULL – with gusto and enthusiasm. That’s exactly why I am having a seminar in February that will teach you how to leave your thumbprint on the world, how to achieve goals and dreams that matter to you and your family.

You have this LIFE – LIVE IT NOW to the very best of your ability. Do things that not only give your life meaning, but leave a legacy while immortalizing the contributions you made.

“Nobody ever ‘splained it to me the way you just did.”

That’s what a friend and client told me when he came by the home-office for a consultation.

Instead of sitting and talking, we got up and moved. Outdoors – for more than three miles.

The walk didn’t just help him feel better physically; it sharpened his mind. He began thinking better thoughts because the cobwebs were cleared from his noggin. He began thinking with positivity and equanimity. He got into a state of flow.

I’m always puzzled at how someone who signs up for tips on mind power, self-image, goal achievement, and so on – thinks that information on the power of a daily walk, or deep breathing exercises are “irrelevant” to their situation.

Really?

Or those who want fitness information don’t want to hear about the value of walking.

You’re serious?

Walking, as Ted Nicholas always says, is “the unsung HERO of exercise (emphasis mine).”

Want to live 100 or more years in great health? Want to be what the Chinese called “immortal?”

Then you better put one foot in front of the other because the centenarians, by and large, are daily walkers. Three miles is usually the magic number for living to and past 100 in China.

And this three miles daily jaunt is in addition to everything else you’re doing physically.

You can do Combat Conditioning, weight training, boxing, taiji or yoga – and it still doesn’t negate the value of connecting your feet to the Earth.

Walking is good for body, soul and the soles of your feet – which incidentally have all the acupoints for your entire body.

I walk daily before I write.

I walk at night to clear my mind.

And I walk in reverse to rid myself of negative emotion. I dare you to feel angry, aggressive, hostile, violent or sad while walking in reverse. There truly is a reason for the adage, “Take a step back” when someone is upset. When you move backward you give yourself space, room to digest and time to understand what is truly going on.

Does any of the above ever apply to you or anyone you know?

I don’t know how it couldn’t unless you’re not human and in that particular case, you’re probably not reading this.

All for now.

Matt Furey
mattfurey.com
psycho-cyb.com

P.S. Another superior exercise for your soul is writing. And I’ll be teaching you how to not only write, but to write so well you command attention in the marketplace for years, perhaps even decades – maybe even way beyond your lifetime. 100 years later? Wouldn’t that be something spectacular? Discover how at my February 2017 seminar in Tampa. Click this link to enroll NOW.

Two weeks ago an elderly gentleman went for a walk with his handy cane. On his second lap around the block, the man of 93 years lost balance and fell. Instead of falling forward onto the concrete, he landed on the soft grass and was uninjured. No scratches, scrapes or bruises.

Being this gentleman is my father, you can probably imagine how grateful I was to check on him and find him reading in his chair, acting as if nothing happened. Deep down, though, I’m certain he was immensely grateful.

A few days after my father’s slip, a boy of 18 stepped off a golf cart that had come to a complete stop. Somehow he lost his balance and fell backward, hitting his head on a curb. His fate was not so fortunate and I feel great sorrow in telling you he didn’t live to see another day.

Anytime you slip and fall, you might think it’s no big deal. You might think it’s a small matter. I say it’s a good idea to be grateful regardless.

This morning my brother called to see if he could come over and train with me. Although still a bit tired from a late night workout and a pile of things to do first, I told him to meet me at 9 AM.

He showed up at 8:55, interrupting my reading time.

I opened the door and greeted him with a smile as our ever-friendly dog ran circles around him to show his excitement.

After putting on my shoes in the garage, my brother stepped on the scale.

“Wow, this says I’m at 224 pounds,” he crowed. “That means I’m down 35 pounds since I started on this program. And I’m wearing shoes and sweat pants.”

“Let me see that,” I replied. “Are you sure you adjusted the scale correctly?”

I walked over and watched him weigh in once again. He was definitely 224.

“This means your weight is currently around 221 pounds,” I exclaimed. “You’re doing good work.”

“I feel great,” he said.

“I can certainly understand why,” I smiled, as I hit the garage door opener.

The two of us walked a hearty three miles as we talked about philosophical ideas and personal productivity habits.

I told him about my longish list of daily to do’s – and how it is so gargantuan there is no possible way I can get it all done in a day, much less two or three.

So I broke it down into various categories and sub-categories. I looked at the things I could do two or three times per week instead of daily. I looked at what I could work on for five minutes per day instead of an hour or more – and how I’d be far better off with five minutes instead of nothing.

I told him how grateful I felt to have figured out new ways to get more living out of life.

Small amounts of time doing something I want to do is better than no time at all.

Looking for and finding the time to do more, be more and experience more – and finding out there “is time” – provided you look for it, is a profound experience.

If you don’t look for time, you won’t find it.

Small chunks of time are immensely valuable. They may seem unimportant – but they’re just as important as big chunks. Afterall, we can greatly influence our lives and the lives of others with a quick smile or frown – or a kind or malicious comment.

In a split-second, we can uplift another person or make someone feel embarrassed or humiliated.

Ponder this idea as you prepare for Thanksgiving.

Be grateful for the small stuff in your life, not just what is so enormous it’s obvious to all.

Be grateful for every breath, for every step, for every day of good health, for every good night’s sleep, for every friend or family member you have.

Be grateful for time itself. The big chunks of it – and the small portions.

Most importantly, be grateful for your spiritual connection, as well as the family and friends you have. Cherish the time you have with them as well as the time you have for everything else that is important to you.

Yours,

Matt Furey
mattfurey.com
psycho-cybernetics.com

P.S. Stay tuned for an announcement on Friday regarding my forthcoming seminar – as well as an opportunity to get some of my “back by popular demand” programs.

Today I’m doing something you don’t see much anymore. I’m writing to you with an ink pen and a sheet of plain white – non-college ruled paper. See the image below – and enjoy what comes to mind as you read. Make notes – this is a life-changing letter….

So you see the hordes of exercisers at the gym – or out pounding the pavement, and the majority of them aren’t training to get fit, to become athletic, to increase their bodies functions.

They’re not focused on getting stronger, increasing endurance, improving flexiblity, gaining power and speed – all the attributes that make you feel good about yourself.

Nope.

Instead of focusing on what they want, these people focus on fighting fat, burning fat. They’re at war with fat – and it’s is a war they cannot win.

Yet, with a simple change of focus, all the world of fitness and it’s many benefits, can come running in your direction.

What’s this change of focus?

It’s turning fitness and exercise into a game; it’s contemplating the idea of being a great athlete or martial artist.

Now, this may sound unreasonable to you. Afterall, you may have no desire to compete in a sport, a race or a martial art.

But hold on there my friend. I didn’t say you had to compete or that you should. I’m simply saying that if you contemplate on this idea, if you focus on it, that it would change your emotions, your intentions, your habits and your results.

I’ve tested this out with a number of men and women who were working out to “burn the fat off.”

And they hated every minute of the training. Thing is, when I switched their focus to becoming a good athlete – to making this a game – they started training harder, smarter and with greater enthusiasm.

You can focus on “not being a weakling” – or you can focus on being strong. You can focus on burning fat – or building athletic muscle and skill. You can focus on riding yourself of a negative – or you can simply create something so positive that the negative disappears without an argument.

One of the facets of practicing martial arts that I love the most is precisely what I’m talking about. You don’t start training in martial arts to lose weight or burn fat. At least most people don’t. You do t because you have skills you want to develop.

Along the road to developing these skills, you may realize that you could be a much better martial artist if you dropped some pounds, and so you do so IN ORDER to become a better athlete/martial artist. You do NOT just drop weight to drop weight. You connect it to a bigger goal or desire.

This way of approaching fitness is fundamental to your success, but it’s fundamentally absent from the approach of almost all coaches and trainers.

They’re fighting the war on fat or the war on childhood obesity – and the more you fight, the weaker you get.

Better to reach for something BIGGER than youself. A Goal. A Dream that makes you go, “YEAH, I WANT THAT.”

A goal of “getting rid of something” of “losing something” is not a goal.

Would you set a goal to lose your home? To lose a diamond ring? To lose your car?

No.

You set goals to get a house, get jewelry or to own a new car.

Well, then do the same with your body.

Get rid of your “get rid of” goals and focus on being healthy, fit, athletic, strong, flexible, pliable, nimble, quick, powerful, electric, magnetic and so on.

Make sense?

Hey, there’s more of the above and a ton more coming your way when you’re a member of the Furey Faithful. For example, next month I’m going to South Korea, China and possibly Hong Kong. And I’m planning on covering the journey for my Members – giving them my unique insights on what I’m doing and how it’s working.

This will be a martial arts oriented trip – but guess what goes inside that whirld?

Greater fitness, focus, flexiblity, agility, power, energy and more.

I’m really looking forward to sharing the inner details with my Members – and hope you’ll become one so you can partake in the know-how that you won’t hear anywhere else.

Best,

Matt Furey

P.S. Part of my trip will include training in the parks in Beijing, Chen Village and the Shaolin Temple. It’s going to be awesome. Climb aboard.