The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

2017 Fastlane Summit (Official Announcement)

Mikkel

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
186%
Feb 25, 2016
815
1,513
29
New Hampshire
Glad you are taking some time off to work on your health. I wish you a speedy recovery as does everyone else on the forum!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
G

GuestUser8117

Guest
Sorry to hear that you have concerns/issues with your health Mj. I too, as you may know, have/had very serious mental and physical issues that changed the whole direction of my life and how I have do deal with life in general. Family problems. Car accidents. Health and money. When you have both you are rich in all terms. And no man is a failure who has friends. Shit happens.
 

Late Start

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
193%
Nov 23, 2015
133
257
44
Uniontown, KS
I prepared to read the OP with dread due to my recent supplier screw-up pretty much kiboshing any chances of attending this year, but now I'm more worried about MJ. Too much bad stuff going around lately. Praying for you sir!
 

StompingAcorns

Silver Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
269%
Dec 11, 2015
239
643
Southeastern U.S.
Thanks for the update, MJ; and my thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery.

By all means, take care of yourself first. I love the plans you've outlined for next year. If I can help in any way, please let me know. Many hands make light work.

You have already created so much value, and we're all so grateful for it. I'm impressed with the level of integrity here, which you continue to drive, and for all the things I've learned here in my first year with the forum. Thank you.

~SA
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Richie Rich

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Mar 26, 2012
89
141
Louisville, KY
Damn MJ, I hope everything is ok. I feel like a complete shit bugging you with fantasy football. Take care of yourself, as you said, if you don't have your health, all the money in the world don't mean shit. I'm one year out of having a subtotal colectomy, which means most of my large intestine is gone because of a cancer diagnosis and bad luck in the genetic area i.e. Lynch Syndrome. Again, I'm sorry if I was a pain in the a$$ about the fantasy football. I haven't given up finding the Fastlane, as I'm thankful I found your book and read it and still read it! You're one of the reasons I have hope that I can find my own Fastlane and hopefully inspire others to do the same, as you have done for me and countless others. I guess many of us take for granted that you are always here on the Fastlane Forum, giving advice and feedback. Rest up, get healthy and keep us posted. And get ready for the playoffs; I'm hoping for another winning streak! ;) Happy Thanksgiving MJ and everyone on the Fastlane Forum.
 

Niptuck MD

plutocrat-in-training
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
164%
Aug 31, 2016
1,421
2,330
NORWAY - POLAND - WEST EUROPE
Take this opportunity to connect locally in 2017 with local Fastlaners. I'd like to see the Meetups section of the forum populated in 2017 with some great and ongoing meetups. It's all about real people, real plans, and real action. Find some people with similar interests locally, and then bring all those experiences back to the official meetup in 2018.

Hand in hand with MJ's announcement, please note that there will not be any "national" meetups that will be promoted or even allowed to be communicated through the forum for "brand control" purposes. Focus on local for now, and we'll bring this great meeting of the minds together hopefully in 2018 and beyond.

There won't be a "replacement" event in place of the officially forum sanctioned event. Don't launch one.

I look forward to catching you locals in Tampa in 2017... and who knows. I may pop in on a few of the other local events as I travel in 2017!

- Vigilante

@Vigilante look forward in seeing you in tampa as well hopefully in jan 21st
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

LuckyPup

Opportunity + Preparation = Success
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
159%
Aug 2, 2012
530
845
Midwest USA
To my fellow Fastlaners, entrepreneurs, and friends,

As some of my local forum friends know, I've had a challenging year with respect to my health, not to mention some very personal issues. I won't go into great detail here other than to say something I've mentioned before: When you don't have your health, nothing else matters: Not money. Not pending book releases. Not "your book changed my life!" emails. Not Fantasy Football or who won threw the winning touchdown. All of it becomes pretty much irrelevant and secondary.

This "new reality" I've had to deal with this year has taken its toll on many things, the main thing being my energy which has translated into a book release that has fallen far short of my release date, my declining contribution here at the forum, and among other things, an overall disconnect between "living the dream" and "fighting the fatigue."

It with great remorse that I feel I need to make a tough decision based on what is right for ME -- not for what is right for the forum, for tradition, or for others. I must officially declare that our annual Fastlane meetup (Feb 2017) will be postponed this year in hopes to have it return next year in 2018.

This is the bad news. (Yes, I hope to have good news too.)

While @Red is my "project manager" on the event and does a fantastic job coordinating everything relieving a lot of the stress, there is still a tremendous amount of time and energy that must go into the event; it's preparation, speakers, scheduling, food, etc. To be perfectly honest, I haven't consistently felt physically or mentally able to pull it off as my new "job one" has been to simply feel normal LONGER than just a day or two.

However, the good news is this: I feel (finally) I have been trending in the right direction and ultimately I'd like to assume that trend will continue where I can focus it into the forum. With a hopeful return to normalcy, it is my intent to recommit to the forum which is a recommitment to my presence and contribution HERE. I'd like to comment more, contribute more, and start writing articles again (which I used to do years ago) and heck, maybe even an INSIDERS podcast. I expect these things to start in the new year when my book goes from "production" to "prepublication." Of course, all of these "expectations" are dependent on my health and energy levels.

Because my next book is essentially done (spring/summer 2017 release), I can rephase out of writing and back to contributing. And of course, with 400+ pages of new content, I'm sure there will be a lot of stuff to discuss.

In the end I want to leave you with this: The EVENT we do every year is a product of the FORUM -- the FORUM is not a product of the EVENT. Think about that. This is a community and the event exists to serve the community. If the community dissipates for other pastures, it doesn't help the forum, but the other pasture -- that pasture is often a giga-entity, for example Microsoft (Skype) or Zuckerberg (Facebook.) What I'm saying here is NOT to dissuade those offshooting activities, but to give thought to the things that have all originally bound us together here (including our event) -- our common love for a special type of entrepreneurship that delivers life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While it's too early for "new years resolutions", I have resolved to get better first and foremost. To me, that is the lynchpin. Second, it is my intent to focus that betterment HERE at the forum-- the place where this crazy thing called "Fastlane" all started more than TEN years ago. For starters, my intent is to redesign the forum, streamline some categories, retool INSIDERS membership requirements, and get some things up to date. I hope to be here as much as I was when I started this place a decade ago. At the end of the day, I understand that I must lead that charge and be its leader to make the forum a better medium for exposing value to its visitors. Come this time next year, I envision a forum community that yearns for our annual event, and not yearns for it because the calendar says so.

It is my great hope that you will continue sharing your journey here-- the successes, the failures, and the grinding hustles that make it possible. Or if you have been in shadows or not here at all except to check-in on a once-a-year-event, I hope you can return and give us the great privilege of hearing the unfolding story you are writing.

Thank you for reading, your understanding, and of course, your participation here.

Best,
~ MJ

MJ, I just found this post, and I hope your health has improved! Not prying and this is probably way too late, but I get it and I wish you the best!
 

Nickhuman

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
89%
May 27, 2017
9
8
33
Bay Area, CA
To my fellow Fastlaners, entrepreneurs, and friends,

As some of my local forum friends know, I've had a challenging year with respect to my health, not to mention some very personal issues. I won't go into great detail here other than to say something I've mentioned before: When you don't have your health, nothing else matters: Not money. Not pending book releases. Not "your book changed my life!" emails. Not Fantasy Football or who won threw the winning touchdown. All of it becomes pretty much irrelevant and secondary.

This "new reality" I've had to deal with this year has taken its toll on many things, the main thing being my energy which has translated into a book release that has fallen far short of my release date, my declining contribution here at the forum, and among other things, an overall disconnect between "living the dream" and "fighting the fatigue."

It with great remorse that I feel I need to make a tough decision based on what is right for ME -- not for what is right for the forum, for tradition, or for others. I must officially declare that our annual Fastlane meetup (Feb 2017) will be postponed this year in hopes to have it return next year in 2018.

This is the bad news. (Yes, I hope to have good news too.)

While @Red is my "project manager" on the event and does a fantastic job coordinating everything relieving a lot of the stress, there is still a tremendous amount of time and energy that must go into the event; it's preparation, speakers, scheduling, food, etc. To be perfectly honest, I haven't consistently felt physically or mentally able to pull it off as my new "job one" has been to simply feel normal LONGER than just a day or two.

However, the good news is this: I feel (finally) I have been trending in the right direction and ultimately I'd like to assume that trend will continue where I can focus it into the forum. With a hopeful return to normalcy, it is my intent to recommit to the forum which is a recommitment to my presence and contribution HERE. I'd like to comment more, contribute more, and start writing articles again (which I used to do years ago) and heck, maybe even an INSIDERS podcast. I expect these things to start in the new year when my book goes from "production" to "prepublication." Of course, all of these "expectations" are dependent on my health and energy levels.

Because my next book is essentially done (spring/summer 2017 release), I can rephase out of writing and back to contributing. And of course, with 400+ pages of new content, I'm sure there will be a lot of stuff to discuss.

In the end I want to leave you with this: The EVENT we do every year is a product of the FORUM -- the FORUM is not a product of the EVENT. Think about that. This is a community and the event exists to serve the community. If the community dissipates for other pastures, it doesn't help the forum, but the other pasture -- that pasture is often a giga-entity, for example Microsoft (Skype) or Zuckerberg (Facebook.) What I'm saying here is NOT to dissuade those offshooting activities, but to give thought to the things that have all originally bound us together here (including our event) -- our common love for a special type of entrepreneurship that delivers life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While it's too early for "new years resolutions", I have resolved to get better first and foremost. To me, that is the lynchpin. Second, it is my intent to focus that betterment HERE at the forum-- the place where this crazy thing called "Fastlane" all started more than TEN years ago. For starters, my intent is to redesign the forum, streamline some categories, retool INSIDERS membership requirements, and get some things up to date. I hope to be here as much as I was when I started this place a decade ago. At the end of the day, I understand that I must lead that charge and be its leader to make the forum a better medium for exposing value to its visitors. Come this time next year, I envision a forum community that yearns for our annual event, and not yearns for it because the calendar says so.

It is my great hope that you will continue sharing your journey here-- the successes, the failures, and the grinding hustles that make it possible. Or if you have been in shadows or not here at all except to check-in on a once-a-year-event, I hope you can return and give us the great privilege of hearing the unfolding story you are writing.

Thank you for reading, your understanding, and of course, your participation here.

Best,
~ MJ

If your ailment is related to nerve damage or impingement, I can help. I've regained 90% of my body function over the last four years despite doctors telling me there was nothing I could do.

I lived in constant pain after my neck injury, but there were a few key things I did that helped. Even though I'm not sure if this is your situation, sharing this might help other people reading.

1. Say no to corticosteroid shots or invasive surgeries which only treat symptoms, and sometimes cause other problems.
2. If your MRI doesn't show nerve impingement, but you feel tingling, trust your body. There's something wrong. And healing is possible.
3. Wean yourself off opiates, muscle relaxants, and even ibuprofen. (Ibuprofen kills 7000 people/year in the US alone). All of these fog your brain and mess up your digestion. Maybe even quit drinking for a while.
4. Seek alternative anti-inflammatory products. Topicals like Voltaren or Arnica gel, CBD oil, turmeric, B12, etc.
5. Get craniosacral therapy from a licensed massage therapist who specializes in manipulating your cerebrospinal fluid. Don't pick a CMT that is a generalist—pick someone who only does craniosacral. Check yelp reviews. When my pain and numbness was so bad that I couldn't grip a pen, 1 hour of craniosacral was the biggest turning point for my recovery.
6. Try out all the physical therapists. Don't just take the doctor's referral. Go out and find someone who has worked with your exact problem. Try mat pilates. Reformer pilates with spring resistance. Keep your body moving—but don't push yourself in a painful motion. Don't listen to the doctors prescribing rest—your muscles will atrophy like mine did and it will make the recovery take longer.
7. Keep going to different physical therapists and learning new muscle relaxation techniques. Build your own routine and do it morning and night. Close your eyes, as it's easier to feel micro movements that way.
8. Try everything once. Acupuncture, functional neurology, neuromuscular retraining, craniotomy, whatever. Alternative health practitioners are all different, so it's a numbers game. Go out there and find your team of individuals who can help you operate at your peak.

In addition to all of these, I also quit drinking and adjusted my digital setup to use my non-dominant side. After 4 years, I am more in tune with my body and I understand its signals better. I now have a workout that is building strength and retraining my muscles to stop pinching nerves. I can do things my doctors told me I'd never do again—dancing, hiking, playing sports. All because I never gave up on helping my body heal itself.
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top