Message #61 This Is What It’s All About…

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This message is especially dedicated to Leanne in Michigan.

Below is an email I received from Leanne:

“My new store opens in 20 days, less than 3 weeks, and I am excited but I am so nervous. The president of Calvin Klein is coming on Monday to see the store and how construction is coming along. Any way I wanted to thank you again, every time I speak to you I feel calm and restored when I get off the phone, you are a breath of fresh air in my chaos. I took this huge leap of faith to take this job and the conversations that we had while I was deciding really helped! I feel like maybe I can do what ever I set my mind to now, it is a great feeling to know that I have made it here…I will not ever forget how kind you were to me at a time in your life when you had way more important things going on. I don’t think you can know what a great person you are.”

And THAT is why I do what I do…

Homework: Help others…that is where you will find TRUE happiness.

Message #60 Stepping It Up

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This message is dedicated to the great Ed Tseng.

Right now my stomach is killing me. I just got back from NYC…went to the Tuesday’s Children benefit last night for children that lost a parent in 9/11. I’m glad I went but my stomach hasn’t been feeling right the past couple days. I still went to the event because I am a big believer in the organization. I just took some medicine and will eat a bland diet today. I really didn’t feel like writing a message, but I decided to step it up. I feel that if I can help one person with this blog, it is worth it. Last night’s benefit was great because they raised a lot of money for the families of 9/11. This allows them to participate in events and gives them support. I am truly proud to be a mentor for this organization because everyone that works for Tuesday’s Children is passionate about what they do and I feel that’s how it should be. The people that help support the 9/11 families stepped it up, also. I actually feel pretty good right now. Compared to a lot of people in the world, I have it pretty good.

Many people call philanthropy giving back but I say you should just GIVE. It’s not about what you’ll get in return or what you’ve gotten in the past.

Thanks for reading.

Message #59 Bruce Lee’s Secret

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Today’s message is dedicated to the great Stephanie Schwartz.

Bruce Lee was only 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighed less than 150 pounds. He had an amazing 1/4 inch punch that could knock ANYONE over.

“I relaxed until the moment I brought every muscle of my body into play, and then concentrated all the force in my fist,” he said. “To generate great power you must first totally relax and gather your strength, and then concentrate your mind and all your strength on hitting your target.”

Joe Hyams, one of Bruce Lee’s students found an interesting way to apply that to tennis. “Again, I decided to try to apply the principle of focused concentration to my tennis game. During a warm-up, when I was normally a bit tense, I made a conscious effort to relax and gather all my strength until the moment I made contact with the ball. Then I concentrated only on stroking the ball properly, keeping my mind on the area of the court where I wanted the ball to land. The ball left my racket with tremendous speed and went exactly where I intended it to go. It was a far better shot than I have ever before made. And whenever I remember Bruce’s demonstration of focused power, I have been able to duplicate it.”

Homework: Try Bruce Lee’s technique the next time you’re practicing.

Message #58 Selective Focus

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This post is especially dedicated to the great Lisa Sargese.

When I gave my talk last week to the American Boychoir School in Princeton, I was amazed that there was a school for boys ages 9-14 for singing. They have regular classes, including gym, and a music theory class. They practice singing for two hours a day. Talk about being specific. These boys perform all over the world. They will be at Carnegie Hall soon and then Europe.

Many people want and try to do EVERYTHING well. But there’s something to be said about doing ONE THING well. It is then that you will become an expert in your field. If you want to be the best at something, get folder and carry it with you at all times. Every time you find something that pertains to your field, whether in a magazine, or newspaper, cut it out and put it in this folder. Because you have this selective focus, you will become a magnet to all this information and you will start to meet people that can give you information as well. Many people avoid doing this type of work and just want to enjoy life. But guess what? If you’re willing to give up what you want now for what you want MOST, you are going to be better than everyone else.

So it doesn’t matter what you want to be an expert in, you just have to KNOW what you want and then have selective focus to get you on your way.

Homework: Get your folder and start collecting information.

Kyle Maynard On Hbo

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Message #57 FOCUS

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Today, I will tell you one of the secrets of life…

This message is dedicated to the great Lucy Perrine.

Do you want to know one of the secrets of life? Here it is…

“Your focus is your future.” Whatever you focus on, you will get. If you focus on all the bad things in your life, you will get more of that. If you focus on all the good things, you will get more good things. If you are in a relationship and you focus on all the things you DON’T like about your mate, it won’t get better. So, instead, think about all the good aspects of the relationship and you will get positive results.

Have you ever missed a first serve in tennis, and right before your second serve, you thought, “I hope I don’t double fault.” What happens? You double fault! Because you’re focused on that.

Still not convinced? Ok, concentrate REAL hard…Don’t think about a pink elephant.

Didn’t you just visualize a pink elephant in your mind?

“Don’t look where you don’t want to go.”

Homework: Next time you think about something you don’t like, or want to happen, quickly change your thoughts to something positive.

Message #56 The Bamboo Tree

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This message is especially dedicated to the great Phoebe Lin and Nikita Janodia.

In yesterday’s message, I said that everything you need to succeed is already inside you. Here is another way of looking at it…

When you plant a bamboo tree, for the first year, nothing happens. In the second year, nothing happens. In the third and fourth years, again, nothing happens. But then, in the fifth year, the bamboo tree grows 50 feet in 6 weeks!

So the debate is, did the bamboo tree grow 50 feet in 6 weeks, or 5 years and 6 weeks?

The answer is 5 YEARS and 6 weeks. So what does that have to do with you? All of you are germinating right now…you are doing things today that will become great tomorrow. Work hard (smart), enjoy the process, and know that it will all pay off in the future.

Thanks for reading.

Homework: Think about what you really want to accomplish in life and start germinating!

Tips For Peak Performance

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Message #55 All You Need to Succeed…

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Today’s message is dedicated to the great Priya and Jaya Nambiar.

Did you know that EVERYTHING you need to succeed is already right inside you? We, as human beings have unlimited potential, but most of us don’t believe we can achieve greatness. The truth of the matter is that we ALL can do anything we want, we just need to know HOW. We need to know the strategy. If we want to become a great magician, we just need to know a great magician’s strategy. If we want to become a great athlete, we just need to know the strategy for our specific sport. Does Rafael Nadal use a special racquet? No, you can buy the same racquet he uses in the store. So if you want to get to Nadal’s level, you have to know what steps he took to get there.

Life is truly a self-fulfilling prophesy…Believe anything is possible and it will be!

Homework: Think about something that you want to achieve but in the past thought wasn’t attainable. Find out the steps to get there and Just Do It!

Message #54 Much Gratitude

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Wanna know how you can become HAPPIER instantly?

Today’s message is especially dedicated to Deisy in Los Angeles.

As part of my “power walks” in the morning, I focus on gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most important aspects of life, but unfortunately, one of the least practiced. I usually start by appreciating the trees, then I focus on my family and friends. After that, I focus on my students and all the people that I come in contact with. I also am grateful for my car, my job, the ability to do what I love and make a difference. By the time I’m done with my 10 minutes of gratitude, I feel so euphoric that I almost feel like crying. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I know how appreciating things in my life make me feel and how it has helped me achieve peak performance…that is what I am trying to do for people all over the world. Our lives are so fast-paced that we don’t stop and smell the roses. Don’t just be a sheep and follow the flock. Live life at YOUR speed and enjoy EVERY moment of it. In your sport, APPRECIATE the fact that you have the ability to play. The ability to compete. Be grateful for your opponents, for, if you didn’t have any, you wouldn’t be able to test yourself and see your progress. In school, be grateful for being able to learn life skills. At work, be grateful that you even have a job and are making money. There are many unemployed people out there. If you’re unemployed, be grateful for other areas of your life, like your family and friends, your health, etc. Say Thank You to everyone. Hold doors open for people. And for those people that you STRONGLY dislike…be especially nice to them for sometimes they teach you the best lessons. The best way to INSTANTLY become happier is to have gratitude for everything in your life.

Thank you for reading.

Homework: Watch the Kyle Maynard video on September 25th…you’ll never complain again!