One of my favorite motivational speakers is a guy by the name of
Brian Tracy, who is one of the world’s top experts on success
psychology and personal achievement. In case you haven’t heard of
Brian, he is sort of like a calmer, more “laid back” version of
infomercial guru, Tony Robbins.

Not long ago, I had the chance to attend a seminar Brian held at the
Jacob Javitz center here in New York City. One part of his talk really
grabbed my attention, and I’d like to share it with you...

Brian said that that there are two diseases running rampant across
America and much of the industrialized world today. If you had to
hazard a guess, which two do you think they are? Cancer? Diabetes?
Heart Disease? Osteoporosis? Obesity?

Guess what? They’re NONE of the above. In fact, they’re not even physical diseases – they are mental diseases.

The first mental disease, according to Tracy, is called
something-for nothing disease. Something for nothing disease is
contracted by people who believe they can take more out than what they
put in. These are the people who want all the rewards without paying
full price, or as Brian put it, “They want to go through the revolving
door of life on someone else’s push.”

Quick fix disease is the second of the mental diseases. According to
Brian, this disease is contracted by people who always want a quick way
to reach their goals. They search for instant cures to solve problems
that may have taken months or even years to develop. They seek short
cuts to acquire key skills that actually take many months and years of
hard work to master.

These diseases are not to be confused with the desire to constantly
get better and search for more efficient ways to reach your goals
(which is a positive trait). The “diseased” people are those trying to
reach their goals faster than nature intended without any effort (which
is a negative trait). As a friend of mine once said, "There’s a big
difference between seeking efficiency and being lazy."

Brian’s New York City seminar was mostly filled with businesspeople,
sales professionals and entrepreneurs, so he referred to financial
examples, such as: wanting to work fewer hours and earn more money,
investing in get rich quick schemes, or buying lottery tickets.

However, I personally feel that quick fix and something for nothing
disease are more rampant and insidious among people with fitness goals
than they are among any other group.

Health and fitness seekers with something for nothing disease they
think they can get twice the results in half the time. They want weight
loss without dieting, fitness without exercise, and perfect health
while eating, drinking and smoking whatever they want.

Those with quick fix disease want to take a pill, go to sleep, and
wake up skinny. They are forever on a quest to find short cuts to
fitness goals that that normally take months or years to attain.

People afflicted by quick fix disease are suckers for the latest
“exercise in a bottle,” “fat burning cream,” “diet pill,” or “steroid
replacement” scams. They impulsively buy miracle solutions on a whim,
which they haven’t researched and know nothing about.

Saddest of all, they often waste YEARS of their lives on a misguided
quest for the holy grail of weight loss or muscle growth, when they
could have reached their goals with a better work ethic and a little
bit of persistence.

People with these diseases are violating some of the most basic laws
of the universe: Cause and effect, sowing and reaping, action and
reaction. This is just as ridiculous as attempting to violate other
natural laws such as the law of gravity. Jump off a cliff, and you’re
going to plummet to the Earth below – 100% of the time.

But there’s more: Not only are you going to FAIL and hit bottom if
you catch one or both of these diseases - the very act of seeking a
quick fix or wanting something for nothing makes you a weaker person.

On the other hand, the act of setting a worthy goal for something
you want and reaching it through diligence, determination, discipline
and hard work changes the very fiber of your being. You literally
change on a cellular level; you become a stronger person.

The purpose of having a worthy goal then, is not to possess the
goal, it is to become a better person as result of pursuing and
achieving the goal. If you get something for nothing, you may have that
thing, but you have not become anything. Pity the person who wins a
million dollars who has not become a millionaire in spirit and
character.

It’s been said you don’t get what you want in life, you get what you
deserve. If you want to achieve your perfect weight and improve your
health… if you want success and achievement… if you want to win the
championship title… then set the goal and go for it!

But whatever you do, don’t catch these two diseases. SHUN THE QUICK
FIX, AVOID THE FREE RIDE and deserve it. You can have, do or be
anything you want - just pay the price and it’s yours!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto

www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified
personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning
specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle"
Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print
magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding,
Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as
on hundreds of websites worldwide.

For information on Tom's Fat Loss
program, visit: www.BurnTheFat.com