Today, Matthew Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.

In this captivating conversation, Matthew Kelly offers insights on embracing life’s challenges, the role of dreams in our lives, and the key attributes of effective leadership. Kelly’s conversation is deeply personal and reflective, revealing a rich perspective filled with resilience and courage. Kelly developed the “the-best-version-of-yourself” concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than 25 years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders, and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, “Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?”

Listen to the Matthew Kelly episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the episode on YouTube.

Matthew Kelly Episode Highlights

Matthew Kelly’s Story: Walking the Unfamiliar Road: Matthew Kelly has had a fascinating journey. Contrary to societal expectations for planning out our lives, he emphasizes the fulfillment found in traversing unexpected paths. Matthew’s journey began with a chance to speak at an event while still in business school, from which he grew into a renowned author and speaker. He explains, “I’ve been on this adventure, and I really didn’t plan it, and I don’t know where it’s going next.” One of Matthew’s outstanding skills is his ability to capture listeners’ hearts, a gift largely honed in high school gymnasiums, where he learned the importance of audience engagement. His storytelling ability, through his books and videos, indeed touches lives profoundly.

Nurturing Passion and Purpose Amid Chaos in Our Lives: Matthew Kelly discussed the importance of living every day with passion and purpose and how to do so amid the chaos in our personal and professional lives. He emphasized that we are made for a mission—not to serve ourselves but to serve others. This principle applies in our personal lives, our professional lives, and in leadership in organizations. Matthew explained the power of dreams, asserting that having a dream for our lives injects us with passion and purpose. In his latest book, The Rocking Chair Prophet, Matthew tells the story of a man named Ezra who begins to chase his dream and how that changes him profoundly.

Learning to Slow Down and Embrace Vulnerability: Matthew Kelly expressed strong sentiments about slowing down in life. He believes that slowing down brings mindfulness, efficiency, and focus and allows us to be present in the moment. In his recent works, Matthew has expressed deep vulnerability, sharing that being honest and real with oneself is incredibly powerful, especially in coping with personal trials such as his experience overcoming cancer multiple times.

Embracing the Messy: Navigating through life’s mess requires us to fight our battles every day and strive to be better than yesterday. Matthew uses his personal experiences to send a resounding message that, despite life’s mess, we can achieve excellence and wholeness. It’s crucial to remember, as Matthew Kelly wonderfully puts it, “Life is messy, but you’re not doing it wrong.” The pursuit of excellence lies in our everyday choices, habits, and mindset. It’s not merely a goal, but a journey marked by constant growth and transformation. We must acknowledge our vulnerabilities and accept that life is messy, but within this mess lies the potential for our excellence.

Show Notes

1:00 – Guest Introduction: Matthew Kelly

1:30 – Matthew Kelly’s Journey and Career

3:54 – The Art of Public Speaking

5:48 – Living with Passion and Purpose

11:15 – The Power of Dreams

16:18 – The Importance of Personal Dreams in Professional Life

19:35 – The Role of Leaders in Encouraging Dreams

22:20 – Practical Steps for Leaders to Encourage Dreams

25:58 – Appreciating the Power of Dreams

27:33 – The Uniqueness of Human Dreams

28:28 – Redefining the Concept of a Better Future

29:56 – The Power of Giving and Simplifying Life

31:00 – The Role of Habits in Unleashing Potential

31:12 – The Power of Reading and Coaching

34:06 – The Importance of Silence and Slowing Down

35:18 – Embracing Vulnerability and Overcoming Challenges

42:03 – The Impact of Books

47:37 – Personal Definition of Excellence

Connect with Matthew Kelly

Matthew Kelly Website

Matthew Kelly YouTube Channel

Matthew Kelly Books

Get Better Today with Matt Mayberry 

Embark on a transformative journey with Wall Street Journal bestselling author and world-renowned thought leader Matt Mayberry on his podcast, Get Better Today.

In each captivating episode, Matt unlocks the underlying characteristics of success through riveting conversations with some of today’s most influential people, from pioneering CEOs and transformative leaders to world-class athletes and living legends. Step into Matt’s world of endless curiosity and experience a refreshing fusion of critical thinking, varying perspectives, and storytelling that redefines leadership, business acumen, personal development, and the art of peak performance.

The post Matthew Kelly: Becoming the Best Version of Yourself appeared first on Matt Mayberry.

A sad truth that becomes an everyday norm for millions of people is to go through life without any passion or purpose. They let their age become an excuse as to why they can’t embark on a new dream, they completely neglect their health and they have no sense of direction of what they truly want from life. They stay busy and may even achieve a little bit of success from time to time, but ultimately, they are incredibly unfulfilled.

One of the more powerful books that I have read which clearly and articulately explains why so many suffer from a disengaged and unfulfilled life is The Rhythm of Life by bestselling author Matthew Kelly. This book by Matthew Kelly is full of timeless truths that if followed carefully and then acted upon can drastically change the quality of your life.

This inspiring book by Matthew Kelly asks an extremely powerful question that you should take some time to think about and answer yourself. That question is, “Are you satisfied being in the habit of surviving, or are you ready to get into the habit of thriving?” Whether in life or in business, every single one of us is either doing what we need to do in order to just survive, or we are going above and beyond while working to become the best version of ourselves so we can thrive. Sadly, a huge majority of the population settles for right where they currently are in life and has no real desire to change their current situation.

Matthew states that one of the main reasons why so many people go down this road and end up living unfulfilled lives with no passion whatsoever is because they neglect their secondary needs. In the book, Kelly explains that we all have primary needs, the things that are necessary to sustain our existence. We have physical needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs and spiritual needs.

If we don’t have food to eat and water to drink, we will eventually die. Our emotional needs may not be life threatening if we neglect them like food and water, but emotional starvation is not any less important. Kelly says that, “Our emotional needs are in many ways subtler but certainly no less important if we are to thrive.”

From an intellectual standpoint, he says, “We need a diet of the mind just as much as we need a diet of the body. The ideas we feed our mind today tend to form our lives tomorrow.” For an example, are the books you are reading helping you to grow and become the best you can possibly become?

On spiritually, Kelly states, “Our spiritual needs have a tendency to change as the seasons of our lives change. Each of us has a unique spiritual journey. In different stages of the journey, we have different needs. And yet, there are some needs that are unchanging and necessary in all seasons of our lives — silence, solitude and simplicity.” He goes on to say, “The way we seek to experience these habits of the soul may change, but all the same, they remain essential to our spiritual diet if we are to find lasting joy in this changing world.”

I came across this book during a very dark time in my life. I just reached an injury settlement with the Chicago Bears, and I was very uncertain about what was in store for me at the time. After reading the book, I was very eager to put into practice all that I had learned and started to really pay attention to my needs and give them the attention that they needed in order for me to truly thrive.

Every morning when we wake up, we have a choice to make. Are we going to listen to that little voice in our head that is telling us to eat that double cheeseburger for lunch, or are we going to eat a lunch that completely nourishes us and helps us to become the healthiest version of ourselves? Eating that double cheeseburger is a want. You may want to do that, but it’s not a need. When you start to feed your wants more than your needs, a lack of passion and fulfillment will start to build up over time.

I started to eat foods that nourished my entire body and provided me with sustained energy for the day ahead. Emotionally, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and put in the extra work and care that is needed to create thriving relationships. In return, this fulfilled me in enormous ways. Intellectually, I read books that inspired me and constantly looked to fill my mind with ideas to help me be the best I can possibly become. Spiritually, solitude started to become my best friend, and I paid more attention to what my soul yearned for on a daily basis.

I highly suggest you read this book by Matthew Kelly. It can change your life just as it has mine.

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

The post A Book by Matthew Kelly on Fulfillment appeared first on Matt Mayberry.