Message #115 - Have You Paid Your Rent Today?

To Live Your Dream the rent is due everyday..!

“You can never own success – you can only rent it, and the rent is due every day.” But what is the rent? What does it actually cost to achieve the success you want – in your personal life, in your relationships, in your bank balance, or in your business?

We've all heard the phase "You've gotta pay the price" to achieve Success (or what ever it is that you want). Well what is the price?

The price is, very exactly, all the things necessary to achieve the success you want. This is the hardest part. To identify all the things necessary.

It's all the hard work; all the discipline; all the sacrifice; all the pain; all the suffering; all the set back; all the hardships; all the rejection; and the list goes on and on and on... It always includes things you didn't expect or plan for.

Example: You want to be a doctor. Well some obvious necessary first steps are:

• graduating from an accredited Medical School.
• passing the board exam.
• opening a solo practice or joining an established group.
• Etc.... These are all preliminary things that anyone would need to do.
  

This NEXT thing that must be defined, very clearly, in ANYTHING you want to accomplish is:

HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU WANT TO BE? ... This very important step is missed in almost everyone's game plan.

I always ask the wrestlers I coach, "How successful do you want to be?" Most of the time I get blank stares..... It's like they never really contemplated that before.

THE RENT ALWAYS GOES UP WHEN YOU WANT MORE SUCCESS.

Once you decide how successful you want to be, the next step is to check into the SUCCESS MOTEL where the rent must be paid daily. After missing the rent for a few days the landlord comes around looking for it, and if you don't have it .... you get kicked out. Yes you get kick out of the Success Motel.

It's the smallest of margins that separates Success from Failure, Winning from Losing... 1st and 2nd Place... maybe 1DAYS RENT!

This explains why someone will seemingly fall from greatness over night. Their rent was due and they didn't have it so the landlord had no mercy. The landlord in the success motel has no emotion in dealing with tenets.

Can't Pay the Rent... You Can't Stay.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT SUCCESS!
www.LeeKemp.com

Message #114 - "DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU"

Live Your Dream..!

A woman lay on her bed at the end of her life waiting to die.

Her dream came to pay his last respects and bid farewell to the woman who had never used it.

As it entered the room the woman hung her head down in shame and embarrassment.

“Why did you not realize me?” the dream asked.

“Because I was afraid,” the woman replied.

“Afraid of what?” asked the dream.

“I was afraid I would fail.”

“But haven’t you failed by not attempting to use me?”.

“Yes I did. But I’ve been busy. I always thought there would be tomorrow to pursue my dreams.”

“You Foolish woman!” said the dream. “Did it never occur to you that there was only ever today? The moment that you are in right now? Do you think now that death is here you can put it off until tomorrow?”

“No…” sighed the woman, a tear gently slipping down her cheek.

The dream was softer now, because it knew that there were two types of pain, the pain of discipline and the pain of regret, and while discipline weighs mere ounces, regret weighs pounds.

Then the dream leaned forward to gently wipe the tear away from her cheek and whispered, “You need only have taken the first step, and I would have taken one to meet you, for the only thing that ever separated us was the belief in your mind that you couldn’t have me”.

Then they said goodbye and they both died.

--- Adapted from anonymous story about a man’s dream
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Message #113 - "IMAGINE!"

This is Guaranteed to move you..!

Emmanuel Kelly sings the popular John Lennon song called "Imagine" at the X Factor 2011 Auditions. If Video Play box does not appear Click Here


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Message #112 - "Do You Wanna Be Like Mike"

We've all Seen These Gatorade Commercials with Michael Jordan... but Do You Really Want to Do All That Mike Did To Actually Be Like Mike?!?

We all see the end results... the last second, game winning shot... the fame ... the glory ... the trappings of success... BUT do we really want to go through what it takes.

What am I talking about? ... I'm talking about Success... How ever YOU define it for yourself.

Google successful, accomplished people and read what they did to achieve their success. It may surprise you.

What I find when I'm telling audiences what it takes to be successful is RESISTANCE. QUESTIONING AND BALKING AT THE PROCESS. ASKING WHY INSTEAD OF HOW... etc.

What this really means is, Most People Don't Want Success BAD ENOUGH! The real questions is HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

I recently heard a motivational speaker tell a story about a young man wanting to be financially successful and sought the advice of a Guru. The young man told the Guru he wanted to be as successful as him. The Guru told him to meet him at the beach the next morning and he would give him the secrets to his great financial success. The young man showed up in a suit to meet the Guru as instructed.

The Guru told the young man to come out into the water with him. The young man balked and protested, after all he had a suit on and expected something totally different than what the Guru was asking him to do. After thinking about it, and knowing of the Guru's great financial success and great respect he commanded, the young man reluctantly entered the water. The Guru led the young man out where the water was getting deep. Out to where the water was neck deep. At this point the young man started to panic and thought the Guru was crazy and felt he really had nothing to teach him. Just as the young man was ready to quit (what he thought was a silly exercise), and go back to shore, the Guru grabbed him and held him under water.

Needless to say the young man was startled, frightened and was really panicking at this point, not to mention he couldn't breath and was starting to fight for his life. The struggle continued until the young man was about to black out, and then the Guru pulled him up. The young man was bewildered and angry and asked why the Guru had done that. The Guru's answer stunned even me. The Guru said when you want Success as bad as you want oxygen to breath, then you will be as successful as me. Wow! What a story to dramatize the point.

The Questions remains... "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT SUCCESS"
www.LeeKemp.com

Message #111 - Only You Can Choose.....

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

I remember this 1967 Blockbuster movie featuring future Academy Award Winner, Sidney Poitier playing opposite Katharine Houghton. Academy Awards winners Spencer Tracey and Katharine Hepburn filled out this outstanding cast.

If you remember the movie the main point was really pretty simple when you think about it. It's all about choice... In the case of the young couple Sidney and Katharine (or their characters John Prentice and Joanna Drayton) they simply made a choice with all the conviction and commitment they could command. THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO, and they were prepared to deal with the rest.

Unfortunately, most people live by DEFAULT. They don't really choose what they want. They choose what's left.

By John and Joanna making the BOLD and DEFINING choice they were, in effect, creating their future. Deciding what THEY wanted for their lives. What does this mean for YOU?..?

Don't live by default (or the path of least resistance). If you don't choose your future... Your future will choose YOU. Don't be surprised by what Future shows up in your life, just like you shouldn't be surprised by the guest (that you invited) that shows up to dinner. You create your Future by the decisions and actions you make.

We are all the sum total of the decisions and actions we make in our Life. Dream Big and don't live by Default.

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #110 - It's Not How You Start Out.....

"Is the Glass Half Full ... or Half Empty?". Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks -- including death itself -- at the university's 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005.



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Message #109 - The Key... Part 2.

"Adopting an acquired pattern of behavior and thought that becomes almost involuntary as a result of frequent repetition". If you read my last post you probably are again wondering "what the heck is he talking about?".... This is a definition of what is absolutely essential to achieving success. It goes "hand in hand" with my previous post on FOCUS. Read on.....

If Focusing helps you see and clearly visualize the goal... Then what Stops the Distractions from Robbing you of your focus. I believe that life's Distractions rob us of our focus. In fact I believe that's the #1 cause of failure... DISTRACTIONS.

We all have a certain amount of focus, but what I've seen in myself and other accomplished people is an unwavering ability to "stay in the zone" and block out distractions.

The greater your ability to block out any and all distractions... the greater your potential for Success!

So then... How do we block any and all Distractions? ... We must develop the essence of the quote above in red. The above quote in red is a definition of the word HABIT.

I believe before you can have FOCUS (and later success) you must have first created a consistent and distraction free environment through developing and "Adopting an acquired pattern of behavior and thought that becomes almost involuntary as a result of frequent repetition". This behavior becomes a part of your focus.

When I was at my best as a wrestler... I simply could not be DISTRACTED. The behavior that I adopted assured me of "NO DISTRACTIONS". As a result I wasn't attached (or attracted) to anything that I could not immediately give up (indefinitely if I had to) that distracted me from my goal. The only way to do this on a consistent basis is to develop and "Adopting an acquired pattern of behavior and thought that becomes almost involuntary as a result of frequent repetition"or simply stated develop a HABIT that insures you can stay focused on your goal.

I steered clear of negative people... negative thoughts... negative food... etc., and as a force of habit surrounded myself with positive people... positive thoughts... positive food etc. PEOPLE, THOUGHTS and FOOD I could control... and I did. I left out working hard for a reason... Most everybody that's serious about success Works Hard! It's not about Working Hard. It's all about STAYING FOCUSED!

How do yo stay Focused? Develop Healthy Attitudes that Bring Impact Today.

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #108 - The Key... Part 1.

"The action of adjusting the distance between the lens and subject to make light rays converge to form a clear and sharply defined image of the subject". You probably are wondering "what the heck is he talking about?".... This is a definition from photography. Read on.....

Well, I get asked all the time by young wrestlers how I achieved success so quickly in wrestling:

"I started wrestling in 9th grade and didn't make varsity until 10th grade. The next year in 11th grade I was the state champ beating both the defending state runner-up and state champ. State champ again the next year in 12th grade finishing the last two years undefeated. Won the Jr. Nationals (beating a future 3-time NCAA Div-I champion) and beat a Russian in a N.E. Ohio vs Russia Junior Dual. Next year as a 18 year old college freshman lost an overtime split referees decision in NCAA Div-I finals. Next year, just 6 years after starting wrestling, beat Gable (he was the Olympic Champion 4 years earlier and was 26 years old) and and won NCAA Div-I championship, the 1st of three consecutive titles. Two years later was the youngest American Gold medalist in the world championships. Next year was America's first multiple-time world champion. Three years later was a 3-time world champion - the first American three-time world champion".

This is the most consistent thing I get asked. HOW?......? and not only wrestler or athletes, I find I get asked this HOW question by virtually everyone interested in HOW success is achieved.

For years I gave the canned answer of; hard work, sacrifice, dedication ... etc., But when I really thought about it I realized that it was all because of FOCUS.... I'll say it again... FOCUS...!

Sounds simple but it's probably the hardest one thing to do on this earth... Especially with all the things pulling for our attention on a minute by minute basis 24/7.

This post is an attempt to have you think about focus in a different way. The above definition, at the beginning of this post in red, defines focus as related to photography, but I think it frames what Focus is in all things. It was especially true for me as an athlete. How do you get "a clear and sharply defined image of the subject"? This is done in photography by "adjusting the distance between the lens and subject".

Watch how I relate this to focusing on a goal... The clearly defined image of the subject is your GOAL. The LENS is your MIND's EYE; and adjusting the distance between these to form a clear and sharply defined image of the subject is the process of "fine tuning" into your goal, or simply, how clearly can you see your goal in your mind's eye. It's easier to believe you can accomplish something if you can actually "see it" clearly in your mind. If it's not clear in your mind then it's harder to see and believe.

It always amazed me that Eagles can clearly focus on a mouse over a mile away...THAT'S FOCUS. If the goal is fuzzy, then the effort and subsequent success is "fuzzy" too. For me my goals were laser sharp and crystal clear... I WAS SUPREMELY FOCUSED! ... and so was my effort that led to the success.

The more clear and sharply defined your goal is in your mind's eye... the greater your FOCUS. The greater your focus, the greater your willingness to do all the things you KNOW you need to do to attain the goal, i.e., the hard work, sacrifice, dedication... etc. It becomes an unstoppable machine... FOCUS ... EFFORT/WORK... SUCCESS.

Tune in your FOCUS and you'll have your SUCCESS. Stay tuned for part 2 of the Key. The Key to SUCCESS.

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #107 - Dream vs Duck....

Dreaming to Accomplish Something versus Ducking to avoid something... In Life our Actions are Based on either trying to Gain Something or Trying to Avoid Something...

That's really what achievement is all about. We all know achieving something can be hard and requires overcoming many obstacles and setbacks.

The challenging question for all of us when faced with challenges and hardships is: "Do we continue Dreaming or do we start to "Duck" or avoid the challenges".

Ducking to me involves avoidance; hiding; deception; denial; accepting the status quo; hoping for something better rather than seeking something better; sitting in the back of the class so you don't get called on; putting in the minimal time - leaving work or practice right at the scheduled quitting time - no extra effort; seeking no extra responsibility, being on the Defensive always countering someone else's attack having none of your own.... etc.

Dreaming is just the opposite of all these: Meet vs avoid; Reveal vs hide; Truth vs deception; Approval vs Denial (Denial means Don't, Even, Notice, I, Am, Lying); Reject status quo vs accept status quo and so on...

Duck has another connotation: Ducks are not viewed as strong, in fact they are weak. You can think of Ducks as always complaining ­ (quacking) ­ about their failures and something not being right.

Compare the Duck to the majestic Eagle and think of the Eagle as Dreaming instead. Eagles soar above the fray. Eagles have no limits. They are strong, confident and have no equal.

Don't have a Duck mentality but have a Dream mentality. Let the Dream - soaring like an Eagle, mentality travel with you for the rest of your life; don't embrace ducking through life; don't be a duck... but be an Eagle and keep Dreaming.

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #106 - Don't Focus on Winning...

Although Winning is the Goal You Must Focus on Something else to Really Explode Your Success....

I recently read a short quote about Selling that really stuck with me. It went something like this:

"To sell more don't focus on what and how you can sell your customer... But instead focus on what you can do and how you can HELP your customer.

By doing that you will solve your customer's problems and flow right into selling them naturally. The best salespeople are Super Problem Solvers.

Well I got to thinking about my success in wrestling and lo and behold... I wasn't focused on winning as much as I was focused on GETTING BETTER.

That's it. I was focused on what I could do to get better and how could I get better each day rather than focusing on the end result of Winning.

Simple... THE BETTER YOU GET... THE MORE YOU WIN!

FOCUS ON GETTING BETTER

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #105 - What Are You Looking At? ...and What Are You Focusing On?

There are a Lot of Things Pulling at us for our Attention. Some of Which is Very Subtle... and Some is of Course Shouting for our Attention...

We only have a FINITE amount of Attention and FOCUS. We all have a Limited Amount. Have you ever got to a point that you said I can't think any more... I can't focus on another thing!

Well, if that happens to you, ask what used up all my Attention and Focus? I know from Experience that I perform better on the things I pay attention to and focus on. PERIOD!

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT...

People that have the ability to devote 100% of their attention and focus to something will usually excel at it. We can only have ONE thought in our mind at any given Time. If you clutter your mind with a lot of random and unrelated thoughts... then that's exactly what you'll get in results and accomplishments... Random and Inconsistent Accomplishments.

Keep a journal and write all the things you think about in a day. Do this for a week. I promise that the things on your journal WILL EXACTLY DEFINE YOU!!!

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS... CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS. We all know the definition of insanity RIGHT!

www.LeeKemp.com