The Resilient Mind - The 4 Levels of Happiness Most People Never Reach - Jim Rohn

Episode Date: July 20, 2026

A timeless message from Jim Rohn®Jim Rohn was a renowned motivational speaker who has been widely regarded as one of the best in his field during his time. He had an incredible ability to inspire and motivate people from all walks of life with his speeches and teachings. One of his most notable achievements was serving as a mentor to Tony Robbins, one of the most successful and well-known motivational speakers in the world today.SUCCESS® presents: Jim Rohn®. To discover more powerful messages and timeless teachings from Jim Rohn, visit: 👉 https://www.success.com/subscriptions/.Licensed for use from https://mindsetdrm.com/.Take action and strengthen your mind with The Resilient Mind Journal. Get your free digital copy today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/Download_JournalExplore tools from past guests of the podcast. Some links below are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you:💓 HeartMath: https://www.heartmath.com/resilient🧠 Muse: https://choosemuse.com/resilientmind🌿 Brain Ritual: https://www.brainritual.com/THERESILIENTMIND🌍 The Resilient Mind Podcast is a proud member of 1% for the Planet — building resilient minds and a resilient planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're in a capitalistic society. In a capitalistic society, everybody should take part of their income and treat it as capital. Turn capital into investment. Turn investment into enterprise. Turn enterprise into profit, turn profit back to investment and make a fortune. I'm telling you, anybody can do that. I teach it starting with simple ways with kids. I teach kids how to have two bicycles, one to ride and one to rent, right?

You don't have to be general motors to start thinking profits. You don't have to be general motors to think capitalism. Take a piece of your treasure and call it capital, call it seed corn. And the first thing you learn about seed corn is not to eat it. Once kids understand this, they'll go bonkers. Every kid would like to be financially independent by age 35. I'm telling you, if you're slow, you can do it by 40. If you're intelligent, you can do it by 35.

How many years between 15 and 35? 20. In America, 20 years is enough time to become financially independent. And if you're not, something is wrong. But here's what's exciting. You don't have to build a raft and go to another country. For some, that's what they have to do, build a raft, try to get to America. But you're already here.

You don't need to build a raft. If you're not financially independent, something is missing in your financial philosophy. And all you've got to do is find some ideas and information by using your mind to think from other people or from your own experience and start amending the errors in your philosophy. that brought you to a poor place and just like I did in the next few years it can all change. So if you wish to be wealthy, study well. Now here's number two. Shofotany.

If you wish to be happy, study happiness. That's the first indication I ever heard that happiness was a study. My best hope for happiness at age 25 was just to go through the day with my fingers crossed hoping something would make me happy. Then here's what I discovered. Happiness is an art. It's not an accident. Happiness is not by chance, it's by choice. Happiness is something you fashion with your genius. You fashion with your own two hands, not leaving out the details. Happiness.

Fashion, not left to the wind. Now in studying lifestyle, we break it down into four parts in the leadership series, but let me give you the piece of it here. Here it is. Number one, pleasure. Part of lifestyle is pleasure. Enjoying the taste, pleasure. But now let me give you a key on pleasure. Pleasure is an education.

You can't know taste and pleasure unless you're educated. What's a fine wine to a savage? Nothing. Something to drink. What's the difference between a Pepsi and a fine wine? To a savage there is no difference. Say, well, there isn't any difference. Say, no, why does one cost a dollar?

The other one cost $20. Say, well, some people just charge more. No, no. No. Isn't there a difference between a pepice and a fine wine? And the answer is yes, but you can't know the difference nor the taste nor understand it unless you're educated. So accelerate your education on taste for the fine, for the unique. Don't slack off here. Pleasure is an education. A connoisseur of fine wines.

Put the Bulgarian wines near the bottom of his select list of wines. He thought they were a little too bold, little too harsh, little too strong. And he said, I kept that opinion until I went to Bulgaria. And when I met the people and walked the fields and lived in the villages, I suddenly understood the character of the Bulgarian wines. And he said, here's now my conclusion. No wine better represents its people nor its country than the Bulgarian wines. But see, you can't know that unless you go to Bulgaria.

and meet the people and walk the fields and live in the village. I'm telling you taste is an education. Don't leave out your education of good taste. Pleasure. Now next is happiness. Happiness is an art. Happiness is something you fashion like weaving a tapestry. We call it happy birthday, but I'm telling you for some kids it's not a day to remember.

It's a day to forget. Why? Somebody left it to the wind. Never took the genius nor the time to fashion it like a tavern. fashion it like a tapestry. Happy anniversary, forget it. Not a day to remember. Maybe a day to regret. Why? Somebody forgot to weave it. Well, don't let that happen to you. Happiness is a craft. If there's ever a place to be genius, this is it. It doesn't take much genius to get rich. It doesn't take much genius to be healthy. Here's where you want to apply your genius. Lifestyle. Well, uniqueness.

That's where you've got to bring all of your mental powers to bear, to study what creates pleasure and taste, to study happiness and learning how to fashion it with your hands and your genius. That's the key. It doesn't take much money. Happiness is not an account. Happiness is not a bank account. Beautiful lady I've got with me many, many years ago.

We're headed for Carmel, California, where I wrote my first book, neat little village. I got inspired that day. As soon as we got there, I said to my lady friend, come with me. And we walked into the florist, and I said to the florist, I need a red rose for my lady to carry while we go shopping. She was impressed. He said, well, we sell them by the dozen.

I said, well, I don't need a dozen. That'd look silly. Walking around town. I said, I just need one. He said, well, one will cost you. A couple of dollars. I said, wonderful. Nothing worse than a cheap row. I hand him the two dollars, pick out this beautiful rose, and I said to my lady, carry this while we go shopping.

She was impressed. A little later, we're having refreshments. And across the table, she said to me, Jim, I just thought of something. I said, what? She said, I'm the only lady today in Carmel carrying a rose. I said, that's probably true. So now let me give you the clue. Happiness is not a matter of money. It's a matter of genius. And if you don't work hard on this genius that I fear for the goodness of your life, the rest of your life. Don't just make a living. Design a life. What's it all about? That's it.

Yes, create some substance with which you can do some unique things. Yes, but now don't leave it to the wind. If you leave it to the wind, I'm telling you, you won't be happy. Guy gets home at night and says, bring me a beer, turn on the TV, and let's get happy. I'm telling you, it ain't going to happen. Now here's number three, joy. Some people, number one, never get to pleasure. Number two, don't even know what happiness is as a creative act,

let alone get to joy. One ancient prophet said joy can become so overwhelming, it's unspeakable. Hard to give language to it. It is so all-encompassing. I'm asking you to work on that. Remember, it's not the money, it's the joy. A father wads up some money, throws it at his son, says if you need it that bed, take the darn stuff, get out of my face. How sad a father with money and no joy.

He studied economics, never studied joy. I'm asking you, take the time to study how to get joy from your substance, how to make your time and your money and whatever you create, make it pay off in large terms of lifestyle. Now, here's the last one, ecstasy. Some people never get to pleasure, never get past happiness, have no idea or clue of joy. Ecstasy beyond their comprehension. They don't even know how to spell it. Ecstasy. Now here's what we call it, moments of ecstasy.

Ecstasy doesn't last that long. Moments of ecstasy. It's like the sunrise. It doesn't last all day. It's like the sunset. It doesn't last all night. George Harrison sings, All things must pass.

But that's what makes. them unique moments. That's what makes them unique experiences is that that passing is not going to be here forever. They said those that attended Barbara Streisand's concerts in Las Vegas, those first two after 25 years of absence, one writer described it as moments of ecstasy. One writer said, never in one audience did so many grown men cry, listening to one of the sterling voices of the 20th century weave her unbelievable magic, putting yourself in yourself in position to experience moments of ecstasy. There's a little lake in Idaho called Lake Louis in the middle of the state.

It's on top of a mountain. It's one of the most incredible, beautiful places you could ever possibly imagine. You can only drive within two miles. And then you got to put a little outboard motor on your back and your fishing gear. And you got to hike the last two miles. And when you get there, you can't believe the scene on top of a mountain. This lake is unbelievable. There's an old raft up there, so you take your little outboard motor and you put it on this old raft and take off across the lake.

It's now about 6 o'clock in the morning and the sun is just starting to peek up over the mountain. And you cast out there and go for one of those rainbows. trout, about like this, black on top, white on the bottom, red stripe down the center. When one of those things strikes, I'm telling you, you've got an unbelievable fight on your hands. It's unbelievable. When they leap out of the water, your heart almost leaps out of your chest. It's called moments of ecstasy. Now, see, you can't have those sitting at home on the couch.

You got to get up at what, 5.30 in the morning, hike the last two, My old. Here's what I'm asking you to do. Don't be lazy in creating lifestyle. Don't be lazy in creating lifestyle. This is now the climax. This is the ultimate. This is where it all is.

Take your family with you, take your friends with you and walk these incredible, unique, lofty experiences called ecstasy and joy and happiness and pleasure. That's what life is all about. One final little story. My father will be 92 his next birthday. We're business partners, so we're together quite a bit. In fact, I'm spending more time now on the farm in Idaho than I am in California, Newport Beach, where I live.

But my father, one, he's learned how to create lifestyle. If you call my father at 10, 10, 30, 11 o'clock, he's not home yet. Every night my father is somewhere. He's either at church, he's at the concert, he's listening to the symphony, he's watching the kids play baseball, he's at the rodeo. I mean, every night. When I get there, he's got the evenings all planned. On a slow evening called Monday night, we go to the library and watch films every night. So my father's good at creating lifestyle.

Now, what I try to do since I'm an only child, I lost my mother about six years ago, I try to create every happiness I can for my father. One is being close, but two is little things I think of. My father, I make sure, wherever I am around the world, that when he's out on the farm and he opens up the old mailbox, there's got to be something in there from me. Even if it's just a postcard from Israel, I make sure when he opens.

There it is. because what he does, he shows it around all day. It makes an extraordinary day for him. And I know he showed it around to a lot of people because when I get home, sometimes it's all worn around the edges, right? Where he's passed it all around. And sometimes it's got a little butter

and a little jelly on it. He passed it around at breakfast, right? And then my father usually has breakfast with the farmers. Most every morning. In a little place called the declassed. toy in right close to a little place in Idaho called Houston, Idaho, where our farm is. And he has breakfast there with the farmers. And since I know he has breakfast there most every morning, what I try to do, of course,

I'm with him, right, having breakfast when I'm at home, but when I'm gone, I try to call him while he's having breakfast with the farmer. And just to make his day. And they bring him the phone. And I say, hi, Papa, I'm in Israel. He said, hi, son, you're in Israel. How are things in Israel? And he talks real loud so everybody can hear.

And I say, Papa, you won't believe it. Last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean. He said, sun on the rooftop, underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean, I said, Papa, food, music, all, just for me, a reception for me. He said, isn't that grand? I call him from Paris and I said, Papa last night,

they gave me a reception in the Eiffel Tower overlooking the city. Notre Dame, and he repeats it all. I call him from Tokyo and I say, Papa, I'm in Tokyo. He said, how are things in Tokyo, son? I said, fabulous, Papa. But I said, guess how much coffee is? He said, how much is coffee? I said, Papa, it's $5 a cup. He said, son, $5 for coffee. You better come home. They're going to take all your money.

Now, see, when I hang up, that's worth two more hours of conversation with the farmers. And guess what? He talks about it all day. And if he can open the mailbox, get the something and the telephone call, or whatever else I can possibly create from my father, age 91, going on 92, it makes for him extraordinarily special days. But guess what else it also does? Gives me the practice to not only do it with him, but do it with my friends, to do with the rest of my family, my daughters, my grandkids, the people I really care about. So that's what I'm asking you to do. Bring your genius to bear on creating lifestyle for you, your children, your family, your friends, the people you care about. And if you'll do all of this and cap it off with lifestyle, you will live the most extraordinary life.

Two major subjects I want to cover. The first one is personal development. And the second one is setting goals. And what I want to do is tie these two together. And I'd like to do it in a manner that when it was suggesting, to me made major changes in my outlook on life and had a major effect on my life, putting the two together, personal development and setting goals. So let's first of all talk about personal development. The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. So you can start your notes with that. The major value in life is what you become. The major value in life is not acquiesce,

acquisition. The major value in life is becoming. The major question to ask on the job is not what am I getting here. The major question to ask is what am I becoming here? Because it's not what you get that makes you valuable. It's what you become that makes you valuable. So the major quest for all of us is to see what we can become while we're here. Now I've tied it to setting goals and I think you'll find it done in sort of of a unique way, but it will still help you to understand that the greatest value is what we become. But let's first of all talk about personal development. When I talk to kids about personal development, I start with money.

Now, you know, you can start with something else if you want to, but I found money is a great way to illustrate personal development, especially for my teenage college friends. Number one, kids are interested in money. Number two, it's easy to count. I mean, you know, some things are not that easy to measure, but money you can count. Now, money is not the only count. No one understands that better than me. It's not the only count, but make this note, it is one count.

And the challenge is if your money doesn't count well over some reasonable period of time, then we also better check your cholesterol. And the reason is because if you let one discipline slide, it usually indicates to us we better look everywhere. Because if you let one thing slide, chances are excellent, you've let the next thing slide, the next thing slide, and first thing you know, a lot of things are not up to par. So that's why I choose money, right?

Kids are interested in money. It's easy to count. It's one of the easiest measures to go by, certainly not the only one, but in approaching the subject to personal development, I start with kids. And here's how I approach it. A little lesson in economics.

Professor of economics. And here's how I teach my teenage friends. We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. Just make that little equation on your notes there. We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. This is where pay comes from. Now, we could stop here and talk about the marketplace. I will do a little bit of that in my new book to my teenage friends.

communism versus capitalism was the big debate the last 75 years. The communist philosophy said capital belongs in the hands of the state, not in the hands of the people. We've been arguing for the last 75 years, no, capital best belongs in the hands of the people, not in the hands of the state. Communism said, no, no, people are too dumb and stupid to know what to do with capital. capital. So you've got to take capital away from all the dumb, stupid people and give it to the all-wise, all-knowing state, and let the state run everything and let the dumb, stupid people show up for their work assignment. That was the communist philosophy. And believe me, they devastated every country and every person they touched with that philosophy. I've been to East Germany. They tell me that

it's going to take at least a trillion dollars to clean up East Germany. In fact, they've already spent about 500 million of the trillion and still have a long ways to go. Every country they touched, every person they touched. Ronald Reagan was right when he called communism an evil empire, not the Russian people, but communism that said take capital away from all the people and give it to the state and let the state run everything. They forgot the expression said a long time ago, power tends to corrupt. And absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. That's why capital belongs in the hands of the people, because if capital is divided into the hands of the many, now it's safe. If capital collects in the hands of too few, that's why in America we have what we

call antitrust, so that capital will not accumulate into the hands of too few, even capitalists. But I'm going to teach in my new book that the safety of capital is capital in the hands of the many, in the hands of the few because the corrupting power of one party that has all the money, has all the capital, becomes tyrannical and we know what that does. We watched it unfold for the last 75 years. But of course power tends to corrupt at all levels. A little two-year-old that hits another two-year-old over the head. If he's not restrained, he will do it again. So power starts to corrupt early. It's one of the things, those tendencies we must all become educated to sit on and not let it conquer our lives. In America we have two-party system. Somebody says, why not just one party? And the reason is

because power tends to corrupt, too much power. We have three branches of government, not just one, judicial, executive, and legislative, so that we divide it up and we call it checks and balances so that power will not drift and collect into the too few hands and become tyrannical and become oppressive. The Bill of Rights in America. The Constitution is an incredible document, but guess what the Bill of Rights was designed for, to protect citizens against their own government? Do you mean to tell me that the citizens of a country sometimes need to be protected against their own government? And the answer is, yes, because power corrupt. It tends to corrupt.

We've even got laws that protect people from each other that protect the customer from the salesperson. Is that true? Do we have to have some laws that protect us from each other? And the answer is yes. Why? Power tends to corrupt. And absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.

We must all be restrained. We call ourselves a civilized society. Why? have learned to put that dark side of our nature into as small a corner as possible. In fact, someone asked me if I could give the best explanation of our journey on life and I said, yes, here it is. The journey is to do this. Become the most of the good in us and become the least of the bad in us.

To drive the dark side of our nature into such a small corner that it does not affect our ability to communicate and build a civilized. society. A civilized society says, instead of killing each other for what we want, let us negotiate. A refined civilized society says not let us not just negotiate, let us cooperate and let us encourage each other to develop all of our talents and all of our skills. George Bush called it the new world order. Who knows what shape the new world order is going to take, but the 21st century is going to be quite a challenge. Quite a challenge. Thank you for listening. Continue strengthening your mind by subscribing and listening to our other episodes.