A Change in Your Personal Definition

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“A change in your personal definition will instantly change the talents you express, the behaviors you demonstrate, and the aspirations you pursue.” – Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins (1960 – present) born Anthony Mahavorick, is an American self-help author, personal finance instructor, and motivational speaker. He has written three books titled “Unlimited Power,” “Unleash the Power Within,” and “Awaken the Giant Within.” In 2007, Forbes magazine included him in the “Celebrity 100.”

Being the eldest of three in a broken family, Robbins had a tough childhood. His mother had a series of husbands, including a former semi-professional baseball player, Jim Robbins who adopted Tony when he was 12. When his father left them, his mother started being an alcoholic and drug addict, compelling Robbins to be the primary caregiver and provider for his siblings. He described his home as “chaotic” and “abusive.” Nonetheless, he was looked up to in his school and was even elected student body president in his senior year. For some reason, he did not attend college and worked as a janitor instead.

The turnaround of his life happened when he decided to be involved in self-development and promoted seminars for Jim Rohn, an author and motivational speaker. It inspired him to work as a self-help coach and teach neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and Ericksonian hypnosis after training with NLP co-founder John Grinder. He gained further popularity through his TV infomercials and 3 bestselling books. Not long after, he appeared as a featured speaker at the 2007 TED conference. His talk was the sixth-most popular TED talk as of August 2012.

Robbins’ life is a testament that “your past does not equal your future.”