Knocked on Your Tush

Febuary 22, 2011

by Darren Hardy

Excerpt from Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I like to point your attention and creative imagination toward what’s positive and what’s possible in the world—to look for and see the abundance, potential and opportunities of life.

And that is a good thing… and a very necessary thing if we want to move our lives in a positive direction and toward that greater abundance. BUT, what do you do when you get knocked down? And you will. This is LIFE we are talking about. It is not always blue skies, singing birds and pretty rainbows outside. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it even storms and sometimes it even comes with the added drama (and potential pain) of lightening and thunder. What do you do then, Mr. Sunshine?

That is what we are going to address in this four-part series: When you get knocked on your tush in life, how do you get back up so you are not knocked OUT? The interesting thing is, during the times of strife, struggle and challenge that the true achievers are born.

Never mind the analogy of the true birth experience, having to overcome the incredible obstacles involved in literally being born. But after that first trying experience—and the slap of the doctor and your first cry—it is during the other challenges and obstacles of life when achievers are born.

Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge.” It is only when we are presented with those challenges that we get to separate ourselves from other men and women.

Imagine this: You are at the very top of your game. Let’s say that game is in one of the most competitive and rivaled fields in the entire world. After decades of painful discipline, sacrifice and relentless commitment, you finally rise to the top, the very top in fact, and then tragedy strikes…. In 1948, finally and for the first time, Ben Hogan won the U.S. Open as well as the PGA Championship, and was the No. 1 money winner of the year and named the PGA Player of the Year. Finally, he had arrived. And in an instant, it was all taken away. On February 2, 1949, Ben Hogan and his wife Valerie were in a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus. That night Ben Hogan’s career died. Or so the doctors said. Ben was told he would never walk again, let alone play competitive golf. He had a severely fractured collarbone and ankle, a double-fractured pelvis, life threatening blood clots and a cracked rib. What the doctors couldn’t diagnose was Ben’s spirit, will and determination. Against all medical probability and prediction, in less than a year after doctors told him he’d never walk again, Hogan placed second in the 1950 Los Angeles Open tournament, losing to Sam Snead in a tightly fought playoff round. Six months after that, he clinched the U.S. Open title for the second time in his career. In 1951, he won the U.S. Open—for the third time—and then the coveted Masters for the first time. In 1953, he won both again, adding the British Open and Pan American Open titles to his record, as well. Widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, Hogan won a total of 71 professional tournaments over his 21-year career. By refusing to allow the tragedy of his accident to define him, Hogan instead invested himself in chasing his dream. His rigorous and dedicated practice habits were no longer just about honing a skill. They became focused on reclaiming a part of himself. Despite the odds against him, Hogan never turned down an opportunity to study his game. “Every day you miss practicing,” he said, “will take you one day longer to get good.”

So, what’s knocked you down? What obstacles have you faced? Was your body crushed into many pieces? Were you an inch from death? Were you told the life you know would never be again? Even if that is true, what have you done since? Have you come back to championship status? If you haven’t been dealt those great blows, now your obstacles don’t seem so insurmountable, do they?

Imagine what YOU can do with all that you’ve got.

The PRE 2012 – Challenge Proposal

March 1, 2011

by Robert Selders

What do you want your business to look like next year? In order to answer that question, you must work in and ccertainly on your business this year to make that happen. Similar question - what do you want PRE to look like next year? In order to answer that question, you must start now and work to make what you envision come to pass.

So what will PRE look like next year if you accept the challenge: How many referrals will we average per month? How many re-orders will we have each week? How many visitors will we have per month? Rather how many business owners will see the PRE website and contact us and ask if they can visit our meeting or join our group?

How many member to member meetings will you average per week? How many times will you meet someone in the group just to get to know them better and build a stronger relationship with them on a personal and professional level? What does our weekly revenue look like? How much new business will each of us do as a result of the work we do to help each other’s business.

The goal of this challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to help PRE grow in the right way and at the same time help you focus and grow your business. I’m not talking about just having more warm (or cold) bodies in the room. I mean a vibrant group of excited business owners who work together like a well-oiled machine to git’r’done!

Now I’m a optimistic realist and statistics simply suggest that this challenge is not for everyone. Meaning, everyone has the capacity and ability to do it and make it happen, but not everyone will chose to do so. The challenge is for successful individuals who are serious about constantly fine tuning and upgrading their awareness and skills -for ambitious people who want even better results. Does that describe you? If it does, then keep listening and let me know what you think after the meeting. If not, you can tune me out...I won’t be offended.

What is the difference between goal-setting and goal-achieving? There is a big difference! Many people set goals and never achieve them. They keep falling short of their own expectations. In the process, confidence is shattered and self-defeating attitude takes over. This can turn into a major downward spiral. Have you ever experienced this?

The solution is to maintain a FRONT AND CENTER FOCUS. This means your most important objectives must constantly be in the forefront of your mind, not in the background. Implementing the specific Power of Focus strategies will ensure your focus is not distorted.

The Four Focusing Check Points

The One Year Vision This is specifically how you want the next 12 months to unfold. These are your most important business, personal and financial, and PRE objectives, the ones that will help you create an exceptional quality of life for yourself, your clients/patients, and fellow PRE members.

The 60 Day Action Plan Every 2 months you check your progress and then create a new plan or make adjustments to the one you already have that moves you forward to the next level. This Action Plan is designed to give you an excellent balance between your work, your personal, and your PRE life.

The 7 Day Focus Each week you select your 3 most important objectives. These are the stepping stones to achieving your larger 60 day goals. Accountability is enhanced by support of a Focusing Partner (can be your Networking Partner).

The Daily Snapshot This is your blueprint for the day that keeps you focused and alert. It also ensures you maintain a high level of positive energy.

Contributors

Laurie Ferris