This conversation with my high school classmate, Shaun Murphy, aka Mister Motivation, was a powerful and deeply personal reunion. Having just finished his book, *Unbreakable Valor*, I immediately knew I needed to share his profound insights. I came away with four pages of notes, recognizing so many parallels between our journeys—from growing up in Brooklyn to navigating the military and both being college dropouts before finding our purpose.
Shaun’s story is the definition of turning setbacks into triumphs. He detailed his own path from being “promotable to broke and unemployed” to becoming a college professor, a Global Book Award-winning author, and an artist who fuses motivational speaking with music. His core message is an essential truth: “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” He wrote the book because he saw too many scholars and veterans, people like we once were, lacking clarity, confidence, and direction. He wanted his story to serve as a blueprint for global impact.
The conversation kicked off with a powerful quote from his book that immediately resonated with me: “Define your fears instead of your goals.” Shaun, inspired by his mentor Tim Ferriss, explained that procrastination often stems from fear. If we identify the fear and calculate the cost of inaction, what we lose by not pursuing our goals, we can build the courage to tackle what makes us uncomfortable immediately.
Our shared connection truly intersected when we discussed the Five M’s of Success: his operating system for life: Mindset, Motivation, Money, Management, and Massive Movement.
1. Mindset: The critical switch from a victim mentality (blaming and complaining) to one of extreme ownership. As he noted, you can’t build an empire with an employee mindset.
2. Motivation: This is your “why”—the fuel that keeps you going when you want to quit. He gave a significant challenge: text five friends and ask, “Why are we friends?” to find the common thread that grounds you in your purpose.
3. Money: Stop chasing money; chase mastery and purpose. He emphasized that the secret to success is giving, encouraging anonymous giving to receive tenfold in return.
4. Management: Being the CEO of your life means protecting your energy and building a “Seal Team Six” of support (the Doubter, Cheerleader, Connector, etc.) to ensure accountability and growth.
5. Massive Movement: His call to action: “Don’t shrink your goal, increase your action.”This means applying “massive action”—Commence, Commit, Be Consistent, and Complete—to overcome average results.
Shaun’s ultimate definition of success—doing what you want, when you want, how you want—is the ultimate freedom. He concluded by addressing the struggles we all face, including his own periods of homelessness and money issues. He taught me that when life “beats you down,” it’s not random; it’s a necessary process of “hazing” that sharpens you and makes you mentally tough, equipping you to lead from a place of genuine experience. The struggle is the sharpening of the saw.
My Key Takeaways from Mr. Motivation
Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals (The Cost of Inaction): Shaun, inspired by his mentor Tim Ferriss, explained that procrastination often stems from fear. The key is to calculate the cost of inaction—what you stand to lose by not pursuing your goal. By identifying the fear and confronting the price of avoiding it, you build the necessary courage to tackle what makes you uncomfortable and move forward.
Stop Chasing Money; Chase Mastery and Purpose (The Secret to Success is Giving): When discussing the “Money” M, Shaun emphasized a profound truth: wealth is not acquired by chasing dollars, but by chasing mastery and purpose. The secret to success, he stated, is giving. He encouraged giving anonymously, noting that leading with giving—the law of receptivity—will ensure success returns to you tenfold.
Don’t Shrink Your Goal, Increase Your Action (Massive Movement): This was a powerful call to action. When you face setbacks and losses, the natural inclination is to scale back your ambition. Instead, Shaun urges us to maintain the vision and apply massive action. This “Massive Movement” involves the four C’s: Commence, Commit, Be Consistent, and Complete—an intentional execution strategy to ensure you consistently operate at a 10x effort level.
You can find more from Mister Motivation:
Website: www.Mister-motivation.com
Instagram: @MisterM0tivati0n
YouTube: @mistermotivation492
Spotify: MisterMotivation
Book: Unbreakable Valor: Triumph through the Soul of Resilience [Link: https://a.co/d/eRKyyOA]
Did you know? I was a guest on Shaun Podcast, The Breakthrough Bunker – You can catch the replay here.
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Happy Holidays, and see you in the new year!
Corey Stokes 
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