Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Message #61 - It Only Matters What You Believe

From the 2008 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Tournament held in St Louis, Missouri on 3/20-22/2008, only 40% of the the #1 Seeds Actually Won! That Means 60% of the Other Winners Out Performed Their Seed.

Consider These Facts:
  • at 133 pounds the #3 seed, Coleman Scott, Oklahoma State, pinned the #4 seed Joey Staton, Iowa to win the title.

  • at 141 pounds the # 6 seed J Jaggers, Ohio State defeated the #1 seed, Chad Mendes, Cal Poly 5-2 to win the title.

  • at 157 pounds the # 8 seed Jordan Leen, from Cornel, defeated the other top seeds in the tournament on his way to the title. The last Cornel ("Big Red") wrestler to win an NCAA title was Travis Lee in 2005 at 133 pounds. Leen‘s title is the ninth in Cornell history, and the third under head coach Rob Koll (who is a 3-time NCAA Champion & his dad was a 3-time NCAA Champion).

  • at 165 pounds the #2 seed Mark Perry, Iowa defeated the #1 seed Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan 5-2 to win the title.

  • at 184 pounds the #2 seed, Mike Pucillo, Ohio State beat the #1 seed Jake Varner, Iowa State by having more riding time 3-3.

  • at 197 pounds the #2 seed Phil Davis, Penn State, beat the #4 seed, Wynn Michalak 7-2 to win the title.

  • Only in 4 of the 10 weight classes did the #1 seed win the tournament. At 125 pounds, Angel Escobedo, Indiana, beat the #2 seed Jayson Ness, Minnesota 10-3; At 149 pounds Bret Metcalf, Iowa beat the # 6 seed Buba Jenkins, Penn State 14-8; At 174 pounds Keith Gavin, Pittsburgh beat the #2 seed Steven Luke, Michigan 4-2; and at Heavy Weight Dustin Fox, Northwestern beat the #2 seed JD Bergman, Ohio State 4-2 in overtime.

  • 6 of the 10 final matches for 1st place were won by wrestlers that were not seeded 1st. They were seeded 3, 6, 8, 2, 2, & 2.

You can Choose your Future.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Message #60 - All Give Some...But Some Give All

In Life by Default We All Give a Certain Amount of Effort and Passion to What Ever it is We Do. The Key to true Happiness, Contentment and Fulfillment is not to Live By Default (by giving only a certain amount) but by Giving 100% (giving it all).

Consider This:
  • Are you more happy and fulfilled when you give to someone in need...or when you receive something? Do you find that the more you give to someone in need the more fulfilled you are?

  • As a child I knew my parents would give me their last dime (and anything else in support of me), and no matter what I did they would always help and support me 100% (even though they may not have always agreed with me). By giving to me 100% their commitment and support could also be 100%.

  • 100% commitment and support creates high degrees of personal confidence which ultimately leads to the highest achievements.

  • Giving 100% effort and passion to someone else may be catalysis that inspires them to a level of commitment that takes them to another level; it may make them a 3-time world champion!

  • Our great men and women that serve and protect our country in the armed forces go into it knowing that they one day they may give their lives in the line of duty (a 100% commitment). See my post on Commitment.

  • Doesn't giving 100% create your greatest commitment?

  • When your committed at the highest level your effort, performance and results will be at the highest level.

Don't Live Life by Default.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Message #59 - Being Ordinary is Not an Option

If You Want More Of What Every is is You Want More of...Put the EXTRA in front of your Ordinary Effort and Make it an EXTRAORDINARY Effort...

It's usually that little "EXTRA" effort that makes all the difference in getting what you want versus not getting what you want.

Consider this:

  • It's not the size or cost of a house that make it a home, but instead it's the loving touches
    inside that costs nothing.

  • A bag lunch made up of left overs can be a gourmet meal with a love note tucked inside.

  • Candles turns a regular meal into an occasion.

  • Studying just 1 more hour a day all semester can put you one the dean's list.

  • Training just 1 more hour a day can make you a champion.

  • Doing anything just a little more each day can make a HUGE difference in the final outcome.

Doing more than required or expected will make your life EXTRAORDINARY!!!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Message #58 - Do You Always Get What You Want?

Of Course Not! Nobody Gets What They Want All of the Time.

Do You Always Get What You Get? Always! and Absolutely! I learned this very important life principle from a very special person in my life.

True Power Lies in What We Get Ultimately; Because if we deal with what we get then we are dealing in the Truth and Reality.

Most people when they don't get what they want they waste time coming up with excuses, complaining and justifications. This is unproductive and a waste of time.

When you can honestly deal with what you get then you can effectively plan a different strategy to get what you really want.

This is not just a play on words, but a play on your attitude.

Remember...You Don't Always Get What You Want...But You Always Get What You Get.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Message #57 - Are You Ready to Break?

Adversity, Pain and Bad Things Causes Some Men to Break; Others to Break Records!

We all have adversity, pain and bad things happen in our lives. That's right everybody. The rain falls on the rich, the poor, the weak, the strong, the happy, the sad, the young, the old all the same...there's no difference.

Adversity, Pain and Bad Things are equal opportunity employers. They work everybody!

The real question is not "will Adversity, Pain and Bad Things happen to you?"...but rather "how you will deal with it when it happens to you?"...because it will happen to you!!!

Some of us have more adversity, pain and bad things than others but to pay attention to that is like complaining to the police officer that other people were speeding too when he pulls you over. You were still speeding irregardless of how many people were speeding. See by nature we all want to be in the same boat, even if it's sinking. Instead of climbing out of the boat and letting go of our pain and refocusing, we settle in and find others that want to talk about their pain too. You see Misery loves Company. DEAL WITH YOUR SITUATION with NO EXCUSES or JUSTIFICATIONS!

What separates us is how we deal with Adversity, Pain and Bad Things. See my post on Attitude. HOW ABOUT YOU...ARE YOU GOING TO LET PAIN, ADVERSITY AND BAD THINGS BREAK YOU? or ARE YOU GOING TO USE THESE THINGS TO MAKE YOU BETTER THAN YOU WERE BEFORE! GO BREAK SOME RECORDS NOW!

"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small" --Proverbs 24:10

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Message #56 - NEVER GIVE UP!

A TRUE LEADER

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, British statesman, orator, and author who as prime minister (1940–45, 1951–55) led the British people during World War II against Adolf Hitler's challenge, and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory. His leadership not only saved his country from the oppression of Hitler, but his leadership saved the rest of the free world. Wrap your brain around that! CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND YOU WILL GET A GLIMPSE OF THIS GREAT MAN!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Message #55 - One-Third of All Placebos Work!

What Does This Suggest About the Power of Expectation...Suggestion...Positive Thinking?

What is a Placebo?

A Placebo is a fake treatment for some medical problem that sometimes improves a patient's condition simply because the person has the expectation and belief that it will work.

Researchers have been studying the placebo effect for decades. In 1955, researcher H.K. Beecher published his groundbreaking paper "The Powerful Placebo," in which he concluded that, across the 26 studies he analyzed, an average of 32 percent of patients responded to the placebo treatment.

Wow! What's your Placebo? Find one...create one...talk yourself into one. All you need is a reason, any reason, however flimsy or illogical, and your mind does the rest. Tell yourself "You're The Greatest" like Muhammad Ali.

Expectation is not Hoping for something. Just say it once and listen to how it sounds. "I EXPECT to succeed"..."I HOPE to succeed". Which sounds more convincing and believable...something you can wrap your brain around.

Hope sounds like LUCK to me. Luck is getting your name pulled out of a group of 1,000 names. Don't say "Good Luck" to anyone anymore. We don't' need more luck. We need more preparation, training and skills that will give us the belief and expectation that we will succeed.

Put the ball in the court of the person and say instead of "Good Luck Joe or Jane"...say "may the best Man or Woman win". Winning and Success has nothing to do with Luck. Yes, there may be a lucky break or undeserved call that goes your way, but ultimately to win and succeed one must confidently and deliberately pursue and seize the prize.

Muhammad Ali completely duped himself into believing he was the greatest and that he couldn't be beat. Listen to his placebo Message #17 - Burning Your Ships...Ali Style

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Message #54 - Everyone has Value and Potential

Inspiration Comes Like a Title Wave Sometimes When You Least Expect It.

Click on the Picture to Meet Cullen Fitzgibbons. (you'll have to watch a short commercial first) Prepare to be Inspired!


Click HERE to read more about Cullen Fitzgibbons.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Message #53 - Meet Dustin Carter

No Excuses Folks!



This young man has an iron will and has more challenges in one minute of his day than most of us will have in our entire lifetime.

Take the cards you have been dealt and make the best of it!