The Passing of a Legend - Jim Rohn

With sadness I share that Jim Rohn left us on Dec. 5th, 2009. I have greatly enjoyed the books, tapes, CDs, and DVDs I have of Jim Rohn. He has been a great influence and inspiration. I thank him for the wisdom he shared and regret I never got to meet him in person.

You can learn more at: http://tribute.jimrohn.com/

May he rest in peace and may all of his family, friends, and countless people he's influenced remember him fondly and practice what he taught.

Make Today Count - Review

"Make Today Count" by John C. Maxwell is a small hardcover book that packs a good wallop in its 136 pages. The tag line on the covers states, "The Secret Of Your Success Is Determined By Your Daily Agenda." Nothing could be more true. The only thing we really control is "now." We can look back at the past and we can plan for the future, but now, today, is the only thing we can control. The decisions we make every day, added up over time, will determine our success or failure.

In this short but valuable book, Maxwell starts out by explaining how to make today a masterpiece, and how good decisions to day will give you a better tomorrow. He then sets out in twelve chapters to explain his "daily dozen," or the twelve critical areas he believes you need to focus on daily to succeed.

These twelve areas, or his "daily dozen," include: Attitude, Priorities, Health, Family, Thinking, Commitment, Finances, Faith, Relationships, Generosity, Values, and Growth. In each chapter, Maxwell explains why he feels this is important to success, and how he learned it. He shares how he incorporates these into his daily life and provides suggestions and tips on how you can too. Each chapter ends with a few questions to ask yourself in regards to how you are doing in the particular area and what could you do to include practice of that discipline in your daily life.

The book concludes with Maxwell encouraging the reader to take his list as a model and to create one of their own, and then to consciously examine what they are doing each and every day that I helping them move toward success and happiness.

Over all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped remind me to focus on what is important each and every day, and that the accumulation of daily disciplines is what really determines one's future and success. I did note in the front cover that this book was originally published as "Today Matters." Readers of that book may not want to purchase this book of the same information under a different title. Study and apply Maxwell's twelve disciplines to include into your daily agenda to help you discover success and happiness.

Look Like A Winner

Stop for a moment and answer this question, "what does your image communicate about you?" If you need to, go stand in front of a mirror and change the question to, "what does my image communicate about me?" Do people make instant judgments about you by what you wear? Yes! We all do it to a certain degree. Sure, we all know about not judging a book by its cover, but it is still done.

During a communication course in college, two friends and I conductedan experiment at a nice men's clothing store at the mall. I didn't shave for a few days, wore my oldest jeans, and a ragged paint stained shirt. My hair was also unkempt. I went into this store and browsed. I looked at the expensive suit jackets, shirts and ties without anyone coming to offer assistance. It did not matter that I had a number ofcredit cards in my wallet and could purchase anything in the store Idesired. My partner entered the store a short while after I did. He was clean cut, shaved, and wearing nice slacks and shirt. Clothes thatcould have been purchased at the kind of store we were shopping. (Ourthird partner was observing and recording what she saw)

My partner had barely entered the store when a salesperson greeted him and asked if he needed assistance. I was still browsing and had not been spoken to. After he told that salesperson he was just looking, another one came up to him and asked if he needed help. I still had not been spoken to. Finally, one of the salespeople asked me if Ineeded help with anything. I'm not sure if they actually wanted to help me or if they were a bit scared of me staying in the store that long. Appearances matter!

Besides the importance of appearance, you must dress appropriately for the circumstances. Would a warrior of yesteryear go off to battle without his armor? Would he leave without his weapons secured in their proper place? Do the members of our armed forces today enter battle without the proper uniform, camouflage, protective gear, and weapons? Of course not!

In my hapkido classes, I let people try the classes out wearing sweats and t-shirts. When asked about the uniforms we wear, I explain that if they like the art and want to continue, then they need to purchase a uniform before the yellow belt test. This isn't just because "I say so." It is practical. I teach the same curriculum I learned while living and training in Korea, with a few additions. The yellow belt curriculum techniques are based on clothing grabs, including attacks of grabbing one's belt. You need to have the proper uniform for me to teach you all of the curriculum techniques and to be able to practice them with fellow students.

When I teach people to discover their warrior's edge outside of the martial/self-defense aspects, it is a combination of life skills,taking action, and getting things done. An important ingredient is looking like a winner. It combines the realization that appearances do matter with the fact that you must dress appropriately for circumstances. If you desire success, the appropriate dress is that of the successful. To be a winner, look like a winner!

Everyone can't look like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Halle Berry,Jessica Alba, or any of the countless other beautiful people out there that are often ranked by popular magazines each year. We can however,be the best that we can be.

Doing this is not just to impress other people. In fact, the greatest benefit of looking like a winner is the affect on you. When you look your best, you feel better about yourself, and when you feel better about yourself, everything you do becomes that much better. Ask yourself if your hair is the best it can be? Is your choice of clothing appropriate? Are you clothes clean? Are they in the best shape they can be in? Are the colors and styles suitable for the circumstances and activity? Pay attention to detail. When you feelproud about the way you look, it will make you more confident and translate into positive actions throughout the rest of your day.

This does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. I recently purchased a $70.00 pair of Dockers Premium pants at ROSS for 9.99. They were my size, were in perfect condition, good color, and look great. We stopped there looking for something for my little girl, but why pass up such a great deal? Other stores such as Nordstrom Rack and TJ Max also have great deals on nice clothes. The important thing isto do the best with what you have. That way you can stand proud and look good.

Start paying more attention to the image you portray. Do this and more doors will open. Remember, don't do it just to try and impress others. Do it because it makes you feel better about yourself. Do it because it will provide you with more energy to succeed. When you look like a winner you will act like a winner. Do this and you will win more often in everything you set out to accomplish.

Become your own toughest critic. Make it a habit to give yourself a once-over to determine if you really are being the best you can be. Work at improving your image. Do this and your confidence will grow. Become someone you value and others will value you also. Project the right image, that of a winner, and you will not only think and feel like a winner, but undoubtedly become a winner.

To Be Successful Commit to Discipline Now

One of the positive traits the military is known for distilling in those that serve is discipline. In fact, this is an extremely important trait, not just for those who serve in the military, but for life. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf once commented, "The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." Discipline, or rather, being disciplined, is the trait that enables you to do the right thing. I think this is what James A. Ray was referring to when he said, "The only competition you will ever have is the competition between your disciplined and undisciplined mind."

Discipline does not only assist you with doing the right thing, it is the trait that gets you up in the morning and keeps you working late to make things happen. We all know the story of Stephen King and how he worked long and hard before becoming the huge success he is today. It was discipline that kept him writing, even when he was struggling. That's why King says, "Talent is cheaper that table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." To succeed, we must be disciplined to work hard. We must keep going when tired. I don't think I can say it better than Dag Hammarskjold, "When the morning's Freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles give under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish-it is then that you must not hesitate."

Commit to being disciplined right now. Not later today, right now! Do not wait. Now is the only time there is. We must invest the moment, for that is all we really have, in doing what is important. Once the moment is past, we will never get it back. So right now, determine to be disciplined in all you do. Insist on taking action. Do it now!

Once committed to being disciplined, do it. Sounds simple, and it is on paper. But when you are tired, something looks good on television, a bowl of ice creams sounds better than going to the gym, and so on, being disciplined can fly out the window. Do this once in a while and you can live with the guilty feeling, do this often and your life will pass you by and your dreams and goals will go unfulfilled.

During Basic Training we had drill sergeants who forced us to get up early, make our beds, shine our boots, perform PT every day, and so on. I'm challenging you to be your own drill sergeant. Make yourself do those things you know need doing to reach your goals and live your dreams. If you just can't do it yourself, hire a coach or enlist a friend to keep you on track. Someone to be accountable to can be motivating, and a great way to help your discipline, so find someone if being accountable to yourself is not getting the job done. A mastermind group that you meet with regularly can serve this purpose as well.

The more you do those things you must do to create the life you desire, the better habits you will form. Discipline breeds discipline. It becomes easier the more you do it. The first day you get up early to exercise may be tough, but after doing it for six months it will be a part of your routine that you won't want to miss.

Commit to being disciplined right now. Don't wait another moment. It can be one of the most important ingredients to your future success.

Do Everything As If You'll Be Remembered For Only That One Thing

I am currently reading and enjoying A User's Manual For The Human Experience by Michael W. Dean. It is an interesting book with some gold nuggets of advice in a variety of areas. One passage in particular made me stop for a moment and reflect on what he wrote. Here is that passage:

"DO EVERYTHING AS IF YOU'LL BE REMEMBERED FOR ONLY THAT ONE THING - I do everything I do with the idea that it might be the one thing I am remembered for, because it just might be. I give the same mindset to working on a year-long book that I spend answering a single respectful e-mail from a stranger. I take this same care with brushing my cat's fur, vacuuming the house (all that cat hair!) or eating my dinner. It's all part of a big equation, the long, beautiful science and math project that is my life, and it's all equally important."

Think about this for a moment. How much more would you accomplish if you lived by this simple rule? Would you stop squandering time and insist that every moment count? Do you really want to be remembered for being a couch potato? I'm not saying that sitting and watching television with a bag of chips is inherently evil, I've done it and will probably do it again. However, it is just a sometimes thing as a way to relax and I choose what I want to watch. (I am also usually doing small tasks that don't need a lot of attention at the same time)

Wouldn't you rather be remembered for positive accomplishments? Wouldn't you like to create something that helps the world? (or at least a small part of it) Don't you want to be remembered for something good? Something great?

We all know that we don't know how long we will be here. Every day we are reminded by the untimely passing of someone. It only makes sense to maximize the time we have. Accomplish more. Love more. Enjoy more. Help more. Treat every moment as special, because it is.

Dan Millman titled one of his books No Ordinary Moments, and that is exactly what Michael Dean referred to as he said it is all part of his life. We must treat each moment as special and ensure that everything we do is done as if we'll be remembered for that one thing, because we just might.

Re-Think: A Business Manifesto For Cutting Costs and Boosting Innovation by Ric Merrifield - A Review

"Re-Think: A Business Manifesto For Cutting Costs and Boosting Innovation" by Ric Merrifield was a good quick read with some interesting examples of how different companies learned to cut costs, strengthen innovation, and profit from change. The author's objective is for people to "Re-think" their business to improve efficiency and productivity, and I believe this book will get readers to "Re-think" the what and how of their respective businesses. While this book can't give you all the answers, reading it should stimulate your thinking process to create ideas for your own business.

One of the main ideas in this book is to get businesses thinking about the bigger issue of "What" the business is doing and why, due to getting swamped down with the "How" to do the job. Merrifield calls for readers to get back to the big picture and exam what they are doing and why, and then worry about how to get it done.

Another important theme you will notice throughout the case studies is that of "Change." Successful businesses must change with the times. Technology and other advances have made it a must for successful businesses to be innovative to not only keep up with the changing tides but to lead them. "Re-Think" is about leading the change.

A simple formula that can be interpreted from this book consists of identifying the "whats" or things that are valuable, determining what you are good at, making connections, predicting what you can, and then making your own rules.

I enjoyed reading the case studies and found them motivating and a spark to ignite thinking about what can be done with innovation and determination. Some of the companies used as examples include ING Direct, Eclipse, Cranium (I especially liked this chapter due to being a fan of this company's games, but never having known the story behind them), Amazon, and Procter & Gamble.

At the end of the book there is a short chapter on key concepts accompanied by questions and maps to assist the reader in using the key concepts in their own rethinking endeavors. Over all I felt this was a good book to get people thinking about their businesses in a different way. It should help readers focus on what is important. The examples were fun to read. If you want a quick business read that will help you think of new ideas and innovations for your own business, "Re-Think" by Ric Merrifield is a book you will like.




Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.

Gladiator: A True Story of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption by Dan Clark, aka Nitro, star of the original "American Gladiators" televison phenomena

"These days, when I hear someone say, 'Big boys don't cry,' I hear a voice inside me answer, 'I know. But men do.'" This is a lesson it took Dan Clark many years of searching to discover, and the final words of the last chapter in this riveting and candid account of his life, career, and steroid addiction.

"Gladiator: A True Story of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption" by Dan Clark, aka Nitro, star of the original "American Gladiators" television phenomena, is an engrossing tale of Clark's journey into the glitter and glamour of fame and the depths of hell due to self-torment over his brother's death when he was a child and the addiction and abuse of steroids that consumed his life for over twenty years. The book pulls you in as Clark shares his highs with stories of fame, excitement, sex, and money, along with the tales of the darker times of pain, vomiting, fighting, and depression.

As millions cheered the popular "American Gladiators" star, who had games and toys modeled after him, little did they know about the nights of pissing blood, sticking needles, consuming handfuls of pills, getting arrested, growing breasts, and the bloodied fights with friends and others that left both emotional and physical scars.

Clark pulls no punches with the highs or lows. Candid observations such as, "Everyone thinks it would be great to have sex with a port star. Well, let me tell you something. . . It is." And the lows such as telling his son when caught injecting steroids and asked if Daddy is sick, "Yes. . . daddy's sick. Go back to bed, so he can take his medicine. I am sick. I need help. . . I catch sight of myself in the mirror. Haggard. Tired. Ashamed." A few paragraphs later he continues, "I hope, after this, my son will still love me. I hope. . . he will forget."

I enjoyed reading Clark's story. It was well written and keeps you interested from the beginning to end. I couldn't help but think of the interview I conducted years ago with the late legendary bodybuilder/actor Steve Reeves. Reeves was vehemently against steroid use, and one of the influences that kept me from trying them when younger, even when I saw others increasing their size and strength faster than me with their use. Reading "Gladiator" made me very happy that I never went down that road, because knowing myself, I could easily have drifted into some of the same negative circles Clark found himself in. I hope this book helps keep others from straying down that path.

I also found it refreshing that Clark takes full responsibility for everything that happened. Too many want to blame the system. Blame the environment. Too many want to blame anyone or anything other than themselves. Clark admits, "Each and every time I took a steroid, it was my decision. My fault. No one is to blame but me." He goes on to say, "I'm glad I made the mistake. So maybe others won't have to."

In the Epilogue, he does try to present a positive anti-drug message based on his own nightmare. He wants to see more testing, punishment of offenders, and the education of the next generation of possible steroid users/abusers about the harmful side effects and addictive potential of steroids. He knows it will be difficult, because no one wants to hear the truth, just as he didn't when he was taking them. I applaud Clark for telling his story and attempting to use his tragic experiences to help others. This is a very good book, and I sincerely hope that it does keep others from straying down that path. Clark's final words in the Epilogue say it all, "Don't let this be your story or the story of your child."




Many more reviews at the main site www.burrese.com