Message #91 - Winning Takes on Many Forms - Bob Wieland is a Winner!

Wake up every day with a Purpose, Goal or Objective for the Day. Then Go After It!

People Magazine called Bob Wieland "one of the six most amazing Americans of the past 20 years."

How many people have biked or walked across America? Bob has done both ... with no legs. Through seemingly insurmountable adversity,

Bob has persevered. From his miraculous recovery in the hospital, to his three-year, eight-month and six-day walk across America on his hands,

Bob has proved his message that "Through faith in God, determination, and dedication, a person can achieve anything."

He has always said, "The joy is in the journey." He completed the grueling Iron Man Triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26-mile marathon) on his arms. He has no peers in human achievement.

Bob Wieland, who lost his legs in Vietnam 34 years ago, finished the Los Angeles marathon Saturday, March, 8, 2003, after 173 hours and 45 minutes. It took 57-year-old Wieland of Arcadia, Calif., more than one week to cover the more than 26 miles. He used only his hands and torso.

THIS IS TRULY AMAZING!!!

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR, EVER AGAIN, SOMEONE TELL ME HOW HARD OR HOW DIFFICULT SOMETHING IS.

MY MINDSET IS CHANGED FOREVER!!!

WHAT'S YOUR PURPOSE FOR THE DAY!

www.leekemp.com/

Message #87 - Want to Improve your Performance...?

Keep a Consistent and Focused Goal Oriented Attitude!

Attitude is defined as "a mental position (or a feeling or emotion) with regard to something".

Most of us are quick to let a negative circumstance change our attitude and feelings about something. This type of attitude, unfortunately, is determined by circumstance and not really focused on a particular goal or outcome.

Therefore when our circumstance changes...so does our attitude. Circumstances change alot...and unfortunately with most of us, so does our attitude.

Example; something happens we don't like...we get a negative attitude about it. This attitude is usually negative, strong and changes our thinking. This type of attitude reacts to the circumstance.

When attitude is determined by the circumstance...Consistent high level performance is impossible.

WE ARE ALWAYS IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE ARE IN! So don't fret over your circumstance. Circumstances will always happen. Remember...Bad Stuff Happens, but it doesn't have to negatively impact our ATTITUDE.

Instead Focus your ATTITUDE on a GOAL! A goal that does not change. A goal that you are Passionate about.

Click HERE to read the quote on ATTITUDE by Chuck Swindoll

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #73 - How do you get a break through?

The First Real Success...How do we get it when we've failed so many times before?

We all have to realize that we don't always get what we want...but we always get what we GET. (See Message #58)

The key here is to go to your last breath BELIEVING that you can and will SUCCEED! It is this mind set that keeps you in a position to BREAK THROUGH when the moment or opportunity comes.

Just ask anyone that has had great success if it happened overnight. They'll tell you that it was with great struggle and hardship that they got their break through, and the key here is to continually find new ways to keep positive and motivated in the face of failure or falling short...IT ISN'T EASY.

Your breakthrough will come...it may not come when you want...BUT IT'S RIGHT ON TIME!

Message #64 - Sometimes You Have to Go To The Deep Water to Catch the Big Fish!

By Staying in the Shallow Water (where it's safe and little risk) You'll Only Catch the Small Fish.

• Get in the boat and leave the safety and comfort of the shore and go after the Really BIG Fish.
  
  
• The further you go out the deeper the water and the more risk and uncetainty.
  
  
• The further you go out the more doubt and fear of the unknown.
  
  
• Staying on the shore you'll be sure to catch some fish...really small ones though.
  
  
• Are really small ones OK with you? or do you want the really BIG ones?
  
  
• There is no EASY way to learn to do this. The way I learned to swim is the Y instructor made me walk out on the end of the diving board and told me to jump in...when I wouldn't jump in...he came towards me (I though to comfort me cause I was nervous and almost in tears from being scared). Guess what he did...
  
  
• THE SOB THREW ME IN...
  
  
• I thought I had only one option...and that was to get to the side the best way I could...I didn't quite make it and Mr. Clark jumped in and got me out.
  
  
• Guess what Mr. Clark did next...THE SOB MADE ME DO IT AGAIN.
  
  
• This time I was smart enough to jump myself so I could aim for the side and have only a few strokes to get to the side.
  
  
• When your options are removed you FIND A WAY...YOU LEARN QUICK...YOU TRY HARDER...YOU PRAY HARDER (you make all kinds of deals and promises to GOD)...YOU PLAIN AND SIMPLE GET IT DONE!
  
  
• The point is...you must challenge yourself by putting yourself in pressure situations...over and over and over again. Only then will you be putting yourself to the test. Test yourself...see what happens...you might surprise yourself. See my post on "Doing the Impossible".
  
  
• IF YOU WANT TO RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS...YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO PEE IN THE TALL GRASS!!! (don't really know what that means but I heard it once and I kind of liked it).

Message #63 - The Power Of NOW!

This Very Moment is the Only Thing You Can Really Control. It's Called "RIGHT NOW!" That's it! You only Have Control of THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

• Obviously YOU can't Change the PAST and YOU can't Predict FUTURE events.
  
  
• You CAN, however, have a Great impact on Future events by what you do RIGHT NOW!
  
  
• OUR LIFE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW IS A SUM TOTAL OF ALL THE CHOICES, EFFORTS AND ACTIONS WE'VE MADE AT EVERY MOMENT IN TIME OF OUR LIFE!!!
  
  
• Think about everything that's happened to you in your life thus far: the GOOD; the BAD; and the UGLY. Weren't these outcomes directly related to the choices, efforts (or lack there of), and actions YOU'VE made.
  
  
• Even if you got stuck by lighting, isn't it because you choose to be in that place at that time? Everything that happens to us is caused ultimately be what we choose, our actions or our efforts.
  
  
• So think about the GREAT power we have in the NOW. How many times have we done or said something and immediately said "I wish I wouldn't have done that" or "I wish I wouldn't have said that".
  
  
• How many times have we said "I wish I would have studied more so I would have been better prepared for the test I just flunked"; or "I wish I would have _______________________ more so I would have ___________________". You fill in the blanks involving something you wished you would have done. You get the idea.
  
  
• SO PUT YOUR GREATEST THOUGHT, EFFORT AND CONSIDERATION IN WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO "THINK-DO-OR SAY" RIGHT NOW!!!
  
  
• Live in the NOW, because You THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU CAN CONTROL.


• Read my post on "You Always Get What You Get"

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.

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.

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

Message #47 - You Do Have the Power to Choose Greatness

We're all at the exact place we are at because of the choices we've made up to this point...

Every day we have the power to choose:

• what attitude we're going to have.


• what fears to embrace.


• what fears let go of.


• what spirit we'll have - whether a spirit of LOVE, forgiveness, kindness, meekness, thoughtfulness, courage and GREATNESS.

When we choose a positive and productive spirit we take control of our destiny and paint our future in exactly the way we see it.

Walk with your head up looking at the heavens dreaming of soaring...never down at the ground carefully plodding every step.

DREAM BIG AND BELIEVE!

Message #45 - Gaining an Edge

How to Get an Edge on the Competition

What are you willing to do to gain the things you want?

• Are you willing to be positive when things aren't going your way?
• Are you willing to do the things that are hard?
• Are you willing to work harder than anyone else?
• Are you willing to continually learn about your craft?
• Are you willing to accept constructive criticism?
• Are you willing to do the things no one else wants to do?

Today is December 23rd, 2007. I have one question for every one reading this post today and tomorrow....

What are you willing to do today and tomorrow that gives you an EDGE over your competition.

I coach a group of wrestlers that are working out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Message #41 - It's All In Your Mind

You are what you think about.

Think about the last time you were having a so called "bad day". Identify the sequences of events, and more importantly, the resulting thoughts you had from the events, that led up to you concluding you were having a "bad day".

What you will find is, when something happens to us that we don't like, we attached a bad thought or feeling to it. And conversely, when something happens to us that we like, we attached a good (or positive) thought or feeling to it.

This process just described puts us at the mercy of events and things that happen to us. If more bad things are happening to us than good things on a particular day; we think, feel, and say "I'm having a bad day". And the opposite is also true.

The problem is, what if you have something very important that you want to do or accomplish and your having a so called "bad day". Does your important accomplishment, by default, get automatically get included in the "bad day" your already having?

I'll show you how you can avoid this from happening. First you must start separating feelings and thoughts from events, and let your thoughts and resulting feelings STAND ON THEIR OWN, independent of any event.

When thoughts and resulting feelings are attached to an event, the event can, and will dictate your feelings. So if you are feeling bad as a result of negative events it will be impossible to perform at you best level at anything you endeavor to accomplish. I have witnessed people going through incredibly difficult events, but they seemed to still have JOY and inner peace. They may not have been happy, but they had an uncompromising joy and exuberance for life that couldn't be quenched.

Happiness is very different than JOY. Happiness IS based on what's happening to you - but - JOY isn't. For example: You're not going to be happy if you find out you have cancer, but you can have the knowledge that you are still the same person before and after the bad news, and that you also still possess the same intelligence, talent, charm, personality, desire and will before and after the bad news.

Allowing an event to affect your JOY and the essence of who you are is a CHOICE. It's YOUR CHOICE. Don't let an event or another person make that choice for you.

I use the cancer example because I've met people that are battling cancer right now, and I'm amazed at how positive these people are about life and about themselves. You see, these people have not let their circumstance or negative events in their life; define who they are, or steal their JOY of living, or diminish their desire to accomplish things.

If you string together enough bad thoughts as a result of negative feelings derived from negative things that happen to you, I guarantee that you will end up concluding "you are having a bad day"

www.LeeKemp.com

Message #37 - Having The Right Attitude

The Difference Between Having The Right Attitude and Almost Having The Right Attitude is the Difference Between Lightning and The Lightning Bug!

What do I mean by that? Well there is a heck of a big difference between what Lightning can do and what a Lightning Bug can do; but they sound similar. Lightning really sounds powerful until the word bug is added to it. Lightning and Lightning Bug sounds like they could be similar until you examine what they both can do; then you conclude they are not close at all.

The same is true when we have a Lightning Bug Attitude. A little flash that's only visible when it's dark outside. But when Lightning flashes across the sky it doesn't matter how much daylight is present; it lights up the entire sky and is clearly seen by all. Lightning never goes unnoticed.

When we come up short in a task or achieving a goal we find solace in thinking "well I was close". We all know being close doesn't count really. We need the lightning and not the lightning bug.

We see the "Light" in our "minds eye" that tells us we're giving our best effort. But is the light we see coming from our effort a Lighting Bolt, or just the glow from a Lightning Bug. Not all "Light" is as bright nor is the same.

Attitude is the key driver of success and achievement. Be a lightning bolt. Light up the place with your effort and attitude. Let your effort soar to heights you never thought possible because the power of your attitude was just like lightning...Limitless and Powerful!

Which do you have in your Attitude? Lightning or Just a Lighting Bug!

Message #19 - Attitude

A Powerful Message on Attitude from Pastor Chuck Swindoll. We are all in charge of are attitudes

ATTITUDE

THE LONGER I LIVE, THE MORE I REALIZE THE IMPACT OF ATTITUDE ON LIFE.

ATTITUDE, TO ME, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACTS.

IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PAST, THAN EDUCATION, THAN MONEY, THAN CIRCUMSTANCES, THAN FAILURES, THAN SUCCESSES, THAN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK, OR SAY, OR DO.

IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN APPEARANCE, GIFTEDNESS, OR SKILL.

IT WILL MAKE OR BREAK A COMPANY...A CHURCH...A HOME.

THE REMARKABLE THING IS WE HAVE A CHOICE EVERY DAY REGARDING THE ATTITUDE WE WILL EMBRACE FOR THAT DAY.

WE CANNOT CHANGE OUR PAST...WE CANNOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WILL ACT IN A CERTAIN WAY.

WE CANNOT CHANGE THE INEVITABLE.

THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS PLAY ON THE ONE THING WE HAVE, AND THAT IS OUR ATTITUDE

I AM CONVINCED THAT LIFE IS 10% WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AND 90% HOW I REACT TO IT.

AND SO IT IS WITH YOU...WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDES.

-Chuck Swindoll

Message #2 - How Do I Get The Winning Attitude?

People that win all the time are not governed by circumstances, but are guided by their passions and love. Read on;

1. Which comes first; a successful event or outcome that changes your thinking and attitude –or– a change in your thinking and attitude that creates a successful event? The answer is Both. It really doesn’t matter which comes first, however for predicable and planned success ones attitude must be the driving force behind the success. The fact is attitude can be changed in a number of ways.
   
   
2. Attitude can be changed by both negative and positive circumstances, and will have a direct impact on your performance. For instance; if it’s a nice day (sun shining etc.) you have a tendency to automatically feel better which generally leads to a more productive and successful day. Conversely if it’s a bad day (overcast, raining etc) you have a tendency to not feel as good and as a result have diminished motivation and less productivity. The problem here is you can’t predict when you’re going to feel good and if your big event falls on one of your “bad days” you don’t perform.
   
   
3. Almost everyone’s performance (and success) will go up if enough force and punishment is applied. For instance; if every day you got beat if you didn’t meet a work quota, sooner or later you will get tired of getting beat and start meeting your work quota. It doesn’t matter how hard the quota is to hit, your attitude will change and your performance will go up and you will figure out how to hit the quota. Some country’s have a very low crime rate because any guilty perpetrators are killed. The wanted attitude and behavior is achieved by maximum force. This scenario will cause predictable performance and success, but is not feasible or humane in this country.
   
   
4. Think about if you were in the situation described in #3 above. What would your attitude be when you woke up in the morning? You’ve guess it. You would get up “strap it on” (that winning attitude) and make sure you didn’t get beat that day. Replace the negative consequence forcing you to conform your attitude and behavior with something that is even a greater motivator. PASSION and LOVE. Think about it. People that are passionate about something can’t stop talking or thinking about it. It is the passion and love of something that surpasses all fear, stress and strain, work, pain and doubt and is virtually unstoppable. Let Passion and Love control your attitude.
   
   
5. Develop a passion and love for what you do. If you don’t have a passion and love yet for something, don’t worry, you can develop it. Just immerse yourself in what ever you’re doing and be diligent and soon you will find the passion and love creeping in. You CAN learn to love something. If you do this you will consistently be successful. I guarantee it.