Tony Robbins - Unlimited Power a Black Choice

When it came time to express my deepest appreciation to those who contributed their precious support, input, questions, suggestions, and hard work on this project, my heart grew with anticipation. It dawned on me that, due to the nature of this book, virtually every person I have had the privilege to call friend has in some way or another contributed to my growth and, therefore, to the growth of this book. To those on the forthcoming list, please allow me to give a deep, heartfelt thank you for creating an environment in which I have been able to learn and grow. To those I havent mentioned, please know that I value your friendship and presence as one of the greatest gifts in my life.

Thank you, first, to the greatest family in the worldMom, Dad, Ava, Anita, Lisa, Nick, and Rudeefor kicking my butt through life and believing in me. Many thanks also to Deena Banks, Karen Risch, Vicki St. George, and the crew at Just Write for helping me do only thatjust write! To Laura Kalb, Veronique Boss, Marina McPherson, Pam Hendrickson, Deb Hinz, Lisa Bell, and everyone on the RRI staff for bending over backward in dealing with my constant phone calls. To Dominick Anfuso, Ana DeBevoise, Bob Asahina, and Cassie Jones for your patience with and belief in this book. To Sam Georges for your great sense of humor, your friendship, and your profound wisdom; you are truly the master of questions. To Bill Stafford for believing in me from jump street. To Violet Farley for your wonderful insight. To Terry Schmidt for your wonderful ability to drive. To my great friend John Lewis Parker and your family for your companionship and wisdom. To Danny Harris for your vision. To Jeff Joseph for your friendship and quick wit. To Rick, John, and James for allowing me to kick out some of the funkiest jams this man has ever slammed. To Ms. Sonia Satra for your inspiration and your faith in me. To Kerrie Pohn, Alvin, and Lumpy for tolerating my late hours and constant rambling. To Greg Gibson for your mind-boggling language solutions. To Lloyd Duplechan, Alan Slater, Jim Sergeant Houston Houston, Chris Houston, Brian Beeler: you guys are the best. To Lori Trehan for all those hours of debate and chiseling away at the core. To Debra Russell for your love and friendship over the years. To Albert Saab: you the man. And last, but certainly not least, to my dearest friends, Tony and Becky Robbins, for your loving support and eternal friendship.

JOSEPH McCLENDON III

BY ANTHONY ROBBINS

For nearly two decades, I have devoted myself to pursuing the answers behind what creates an extraordinary quality of life. Ive always been fascinated (almost obsessed) with the desire to understand the force that makes us do what we do, think what we think, love what we love, and hate what we hate. How is it that some individuals, when faced with extreme social injustice, unfairness and abuse, rise above these conditions and become souls of inspirationperforming at levels that far exceed anyones expectations and producing extraordinary levels of success, joy, and happinessnot just for themselves but for all of those they have the privilege to touch? What causes certain people to pull empowering meanings from the inevitability of lifes storms and be able to positively influence their family, friends, and communities?

When I first studied United States history, I was embarrassed to learn that ours was a country that created a Declaration of Independence to ensure freedom for all, yet had withheld this liberty from a large sector of its citizens. Through omission and blatant exclusion, African Americans were regarded as less significant and denied the same rights as others who didnt share their heritage and skin color.

Yet how inspiring it is now to see so many great Black men and women, many of whom I have had the honor and privilege to meet and consult, who have pierced the color barrier and are today shaping our culture and the experiences that allow us to think and feel at a deeper level of awareness and passion. Our world has been shaped by people like Quincy Jones, a man from the ghetto whose family had to literally eat rats to survive and who has for fifty years been the heart, soul, and dean of American music. Oprah Winfrey is the icon of daily television; she connects every single day with the American people to such an extent that she has become one of the most listened to, observed, and influential women in the nation. I believe Nelson Mandela is one of the most extraordinary souls alive today. Here is a man who was imprisoned and physically, psychologically, and emotionally tortured for twenty-seven years, yet somehow through it all maintained a level of dignity and courage that defied every abuse thrown at him. Here is a man who was unwilling to trade his freedom for a promise of silence to injustice, a brilliant man of unwavering principle whose vision is surpassed only by his compassion. Can you imagine the rage you would feel if you were unfairly imprisoned for more than a quarter of a century? One has to ask how any human being could experience this and not be filled with hate and an obsession to retaliate. Yet, as we know today, this man has proven what we are all capable ofhe has put the rage and the wounds of the past behind him to serve the greater good and create a future for all the races of his nation. He has been willing to do whatever it takes to make this happeneven to the degree of appointing Frederick de Klerkthe very man who led the nation and ideology who instigated his condemnationto be his partner in governing.

These exceptional people and so many others throughout historyfrom Jesse Owens to Martin Luther King, Jr.are not just extraordinary human beings, but role models and mentors for all of us regardless of heritage. I can only imagine the pride you must have as an African American knowing that, in spirit, the blood of these and the multitude of other Black men and women of valor and distinction pulses through your veins. I know you will understand my eagerness to share these stories as a collectionas a testament to the strength and wisdom of the people who lived them.

In the two years preceding the completion of this book, I also witnessed less noble incidents unfoldamong them, the Rodney King beating, the social unrest as a result of the policemens trial, and the racial tension sparked by the O.J. Simpson trial. Yet in the midst of all this, the human spirit prevailed and the magnitude of our heroes was brought forth to me once again as I witnessed the power and dignity of the Million Man March in October of 1995. The sight of so many African Americans conducting an unprecedented, peaceful yet strong demonstration of unity made me more determined than ever to increase the number of African Americans who could access and utilize the technologies in this book. In these people I recognized a passionate commitmentone of incredible courage and convictionto create a destiny of fulfillment for themselves and their children, despite the pain and frustration of the past. This burning conviction hit close to home.

You see, my own obsession for striving to make the world a better place comes from the fact that I once believed life was fierce and formidable; my obsession with freedom comes from the fact that I once didnt possess any; my obsession with learning, growing, and sharing the finest tools for change comes from the fact that I have personally felt the pain of what seemed to me to be unbearable injustice and inhumanity.

We all need a certain amount of pain or dissatisfaction to compel us into change. One day I realized that the behavior I was demonstrating was pitifully far from the person I truly was inside; I was living a life of hostility, despair, and self-loathing. It was out of that pain that I finally began to convert my rage into powerthe power to move me forward, the power to focus on solutions. I developed an unwavering commitment to create freedom for myself and everyone I could touch. I found role models in each of the areas of my life I needed to improve, I learned the specific actions they had taken to achieve the results I wanted, and I followed through on those actions. I made the shift that to this day allows me to be both deeply fulfilled and intensely drivengratified without being complacent. My history continues to compel and inspire me.