We can all learn from our mistakes, and former stockbroker turned motivational speaker Jordan Belfort illustrates how much this is true. He served 22 months in prison for fraud and made the life-changing decision to turn that tragedy into triumph by writing and speaking about his experiences. Lessons for success in life and business from a man who has seen both sides of the story.

1. 7 Things to Take Away from Jordan Belfort/Wolf of Wall Street
We can all learn from our mistakes, and former stockbroker turned motivational speaker Jordan
Belfort illustrates how much this is true. He served 22 months in prison for fraud and made the
life-changing decision to turn that tragedy into triumph by writing and speaking about his
experiences.
Lessons for success in life and business from a man who has seen both sides of the story:
1. Your Are Your Biggest Fan (Or Worst Critic)
There is only one thing that stands between you and success, and that is the story you are telling
yourself. When you unleash yourself from the prison that is your mind and free yourself from the
tape that is running in your head, the world will open up for you. You are not your past.
2. It’s All In Your Perspective
If you want things to change, change the way you look at them. This bit of Zen knowledge is
ancient in its wisdom and contemporary in its effect. Do not keep yourself locked into only one
way of thinking. Expand your horizons, turn things upside down, and listen to ideas that are
outside of your comfort zone.
3. Provide Value
Create something that has value and people will line up to buy it. Look around and see where
there is a need that you can fulfill. Sometimes it can be the smallest most insignificant thing.
Have you ever seen a product and thought, “Why didn‟t I think of that?” Now is your chance to
keep thinking and never stop brainstorming.
4. Perseverance is Paramount
Never give up. It does not matter how many times you fail, the only thing that is important is
how many times you get back up. Keep going. Create your own circumstances and do not wait
for opportunity.
5. Eat, Sleep and Breathe Your Passion
A winner will have two words in his or her vocabulary that are extremely important and those
words are „must‟ and „will.‟ When you wake up in the morning, you recite to yourself the things
that you must do and you will do. Do not think about the things that you will not do. Negatives
have no place in the mind of a successful person.
6. Find Inspiration
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so if you want to succeed, then you need to find a
successful person whom you admire and model yourself after them. Think of that person as your

2. mentor. Find everything you can about how this person followed their dreams. There is no shame
in imitation. Eventually you will find your own path to success.
7. Use Positive Affirmations
Last but not least, is a pearl of wisdom that has been written about throughout the years, and that
is if you say you can‟t, you won‟t. If you say you can, you will. Our thoughts have great power
over us. The language we use towards ourselves can either empower us or cut us down. Do not
fall prey to negative thinking, because it is a spiral that is difficult to overcome.
There‟s no telling if you will be the next Jordan Belfort (and for many of us this might be a
good thing), but regardless, it‟s important to always stay positive and to never stop dreaming.