I’m Mike Place and one of my passions is real, genuine conversation.

So that’s what I want to have with you here, right now. I always wanted to live a life of significance, a life that mattered for other people, but from an early age I just didn’t know how I could do that. I didn’t have a horrible upbringing, but it wasn’t great either. I grew up in the city of Lancaster (where? Ya.. my point exactly), with bars on our windows and where gang violence and drugs were prevalent. I did my best to blend in, but still got into my fair share of trouble, and overall was known at school as “The Nice Guy”.

I skated through school, cheated on tests, copied homework because I just didn’t see how any of the schoolwork was going to help me do anything with my life. I was bored and unfulfilled, with little vision… except for one thing.

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My only dream, my only passion… was sports. Baseball in particular. It fueled me. When I was playing, or even practicing I felt alive and though anything was possible. And… I was great at it. Local newspapers heralded my name on the sports cover and my coaches prepped me for the pros. And… I did it…

I was on my way to my dream, playing for a minor league traveling team and remember so clearly that feeling of the first time I stepped foot onto the official major league field to play. It was magic.

But remember how I told you that I got in to my fair share of trouble? Yeah, I was a hard head – adrenaline junkie and right before baseball season started I went snowboarding and thought I was invincible (as usual) and broke my wrist while attempting a 360 spin.

My wrist, and my dreams of going pro in baseball, were shattered.

This led me in to a deep dark place. After all… the only thing I ever had to look forward to was baseball. The only thing that got me out of Lancaster was baseball! Who was I now? What did I have to look forward to?

The next near decade of my life is a blur… Years of numbing the pain, bad decisions, and falling in to a job I hated.

It wasn’t until God picked my head up that I began to pull myself out of the mud.

I didn’t know it yet… But He was working. I started reading self development books and got introduced to Les Brown. He was my mentor from afar. When he spoke, something awoke inside of me. And not too long after being introduced to the world of self development, I fell in love with it the same way I had fallen in love with sports. I became obsessed. I would ask everyone I knew, “Why don’t they teach THIS stuff in school!?”

As I began to understand the negative patterns in my mind, the sabotaging beliefs that I had about myself and the world I was able to refresh and renew myself. I began literally building the brand new version of me… The one that was purposeful and that I could influence. I realized I am not a product of my environment but rather I could become whoever I wanted to be.

These new beliefs impacted every decision I made and slowly but surely my life transformed. I was the living breathing example that success is not a result, it is a set of beliefs about who we are and how we show up in the world.

Fast forward to my late twenties, where in one year’s time I fired my boss and made my first six figures as a real estate investor. That was my full circle moment – experiencing that if I, a poor kid from Lancaster who cheated through school could turn my life around, that anyone could do the same.

In the past 10 years as a real estate investor and motivational speaker I have seen the power of beliefs – and how lives can change in moments of breaking through self-limiting beliefs.

I am often asked to mentor others, and how I do that is through my live videos, downloads, and upcoming courses so I can maximize the my time and impact more lives for good. I also work with a small amount of people one on one, you can find out more information on that here. If you have a question or want to learn more about a certain topic, just give me a shout out on facebook and I will make sure to read your message!

What I want to leave you with today is this: you are here for a purpose. It is YOUR time. And no one will fight more for your greatness than you. It’s your gift to pursue this – and it’s also your responsibility. Today is the day to begin to develop your mental strength, increase your emotional fortitude, master your physical body so that you can thrive inside of the life that God has in store for you.

You’re the one!!!

In times that feel despairing, mundane, or useless, always remember that messes typically precede miracles. But first, you must have HOPE.

To your continued growth and success,

Mike Place