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Jay Whitenoreply@blogger.com2008-07-08T12:08:55.475-05:00Michael Jordan's 10 Secrets To Reaching the Top</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 7/08/2008 by Alex Shalman, creator of the <a href="http://www.alexshalman.com/blog/">Practical Personal Development</a> blog.</h7></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://affiliates.allposters.com/link/redirect.asp?item=1658817&AID=1202921725&PSTID=1&LTID=1&lang=1" target="_top"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/SHNokNB1u4I/AAAAAAAAB6k/o2WhywvTkaA/s400/jordan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220631364234492802" border="0" /></a>Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that ever lived. Was he genetically predisposed to be faster and stronger, or was it his iron discipline that was responsible? After completing my master's degree in Biomedical Science I can say, with some facts and knowledge to back it up, that genetics only partially added to the phenomenal talents of this outstanding athlete. He competed against people that were taller, stronger, faster, and younger than him. Despite the challenges he still came out on top. Let's take a look at the grains of wisdom that put him at the top of his game as well as his businesses. Michael Jordan's 10 Success Secrets <ol><li>Take Responsibility <blockquote> "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." </blockquote> Throughout his life, Michael Jordan had the honorable quality of taking responsibility for his own destiny. That means that he took action while others paused to ask questions, gather more data, or consult experts. Not that he didn't have mentors, but essentially it was his wrists that snapped the ball into the hoop.</li> <li> Give It A Try <blockquote> "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." </blockquote> One of the biggest causes of procrastination is the problem of hesitation. Sometimes people over think, and over analyze, which prevents them from taking that first step that will carry them one thousand miles. If you want to increase sales by trying a new technique, you will never know unless you try. This can apply to baking cakes, meeting singles, or anything that you can wrap your mind around.</li> <li> Fail Freely <blockquote> "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." </blockquote> Can you believe that Michael Jordan missed so many shots and lost so many games? I thought he was the best! Well, he is indeed the best, and it's because he was willing to fail, and keep going. That allowed him to get past his plateaus and persevere. That's another big reason for procrastination. When we think we'll fail, we do not attempt. A good solution is to consider what the worst case scenario of failing would be, because once you do that, it's never as bad as when the scenario was an unknown. Worst-case scenario is not that you'll die, it's that you lived a miserable (or comfortable) life as a coward. </li> <li>Commit Yourself <blockquote> "The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace." </blockquote> Till death do we part, just me and my goal. I know in my heart that this is my role. When you give yourself fully and remove all other distractions you gain an invaluable level of attention to detail that will pool in resources you did not know you were capable of harnessing. </li> <li> Enjoy Your Game <blockquote> "Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game." </blockquote> So many people get stuck in dead end, zero-sum, no fun jobs because they didn't find their love, or just simply don't have the knack for taking pleasure in what they have. Consider the fact that you spend more time in your place of work than you do in your place of worship and with your family combined. By not being excited about, or getting full enjoyment out of work, you are cheating yourself from having a life of design and a life of fulfillment. I don't have a solution for your life, but I think you know which sacrifices you need to make, and are willing to make, in order to have the life of your dreams become your reality.</li> <li> Play To Win <blockquote> "I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win." </blockquote> Why bother playing the game of basketball, work, or life if you aren't planning to win? Do you even know what a statistically relevant way of measuring your personally defined "win" would look like? If you're in the game to make money does winning mean being the richest man in the world? If you're in the game for your family does that mean that you see them often and share the joys of life over a vibrant laugh? Whatever your game is, make sure you define what a win looks like, and play to win. </li> <li>Be Selfish and Humble <blockquote> "To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate." </blockquote> Take notes from Michael Jordan, first be selfish until you get on top, and once you are on top be humble and grounded. Being selfish in how you jump over people and slam dunk in their face, whether you are an athlete or business person. In a family setting this would mean taking care of your personal health before worrying about the well-being of your family. If you let your health fail you are of no use, or even worse a burden, to your family. This is why in case of an air plane emergency they tell you to put the air mask on yourself first and then on your children. </li> <li>Find Your Way Around <blockquote> "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." </blockquote> Anything in life that is dear to us is worth so much because of the time and effort we put into acquiring it. This goes for championships, businesses, and most importantly our relationships. One thing that determines how hard we've had to work is the amount of obstacles that were thrown in our way. Next time there's an obstacle, don't let it hinder you, think about the fact that whatever you're trying to reach will be that much worth it on the other side. </li> <li>Make Your Own Expectations <blockquote> "If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome." </blockquote> The number one thing that will literally ruin your life is if you live it by someone else's expectations. Every single person is different and has their own views on what's best, which follows what their goals are in this life. By listening to the voices of others, instead of your own voice, you are effectively submitting to live your life for the sake of accomplishing their goals. Set your own expectations, meet your own goals, and live your own extraordinary life (or don't). </li> <li> Now, Take One Shot <blockquote> "I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot . . . when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result." </blockquote> The way this applies to life is quite simple. Much of the time we look too far into the future, while performing a task that needs our full attention right now. This act could take away our focus, paralyze us from taking action, and take away the pleasure of doing what is at hand. In life you can take one shot at a time, then another, and from this all your dreams will come true. At least that's what works for Michael Jordan. </li></ol>If you enjoyed this article please vote for it on StumbleUpon, bookmark it on del.icio.us and Digg it. I'd appreciate it! -Alex <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=da4e0d83dab5a2de822e4009ff7f5737" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=da4e0d83dab5a2de822e4009ff7f5737" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?a=C93aZx"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/DumbLittleMan?i=C93aZx" border="0"></img></a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=R3RDLj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=R3RDLj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=RMqzsj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=RMqzsj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=8Qh79j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=8Qh79j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=tJDXyj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=tJDXyj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?a=DAuXzJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/DumbLittleMan?i=DAuXzJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DumbLittleMan/~4/329979425" height="1" width="1"/></content><author><name>Alex Shalman</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05975986188506184747</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author></entry><entry><updated>2008-07-08T08:02:59.098-05:00</updated><title type="text">Why Worry? It's Completely Unproductive</h3><content type="html"><div id="write"><h7 class="write">Written on 7/08/2008 by Michael Miles, of <a href="http://effortlessabundance.com/">Effortless Abundance</a>.</h7> </div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckytwinley/2451754919/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_dH0q9hvpVHg/SHNk3Q7vLHI/AAAAAAAAB6c/bLdxJ1STARU/s400/why+worry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220627293653642354" border="0" /></a><blockquote>"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere." ~Glenn Turner </blockquote>We live in a culture where everyone seems to worry. Turn on the news – someone got shot, there’s mercury in the fish we eat, the cows have got BSE, a new super-flu is coming, terrorists are regrouping, … On and on it goes. If you take all of this stuff seriously, it’s likely that you’ll never go out, never eat, never travel, never take any kind of risk at all. I’ve no doubt that people have always worried. Dale Carnegie’s book ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,’ which was published in 1944, is packed with stories from the early part of the twentieth century (and even earlier in some cases) about people who worried about all kinds of things. But in fact, as Carnegie so ably and amusingly points out through his many examples, worry makes no sense at all. Here are some reasons why worry really is a pointless and damaging activity. I suspect we all know this deep down, but a reminder doesn’t hurt. <ul><li>Things never happen the way you imagine. When you worry, you are predicting the future. You are saying, "I know that things will turn out badly." But this just isn’t the case. You have no idea how the future is going to turn out, except to say that it will not be what you think it will be. So why worry? </li> <li>Worry means you give away your power. Some people are so entrenched in worry that they cannot see any other way to live. But worry robs you of your power to be proactive. The truth is that you are in control and you can choose how to react to situations, so why choose to give that power away so easily and so unconsciously? </li> <li>Worrying is completely unproductive. Why waste your energy doing something that gets you nowhere. On a treadmill at least you get some exercise, but worry is a truly pointless activity. Spend your time and energy on something more useful. </li> <li>Worry distorts reality. We live in an age where people live longer, have better access to health care, have more opportunity for personal and professional growth, more chance to travel, greater access to information and lifelong education, and many other wonderful things. Yes, there are risks and potential dangers, but worry magnifies these disproportionately and blinds us to the wonders of our age. </li> <li>Worrying is bad for your health. Worry is not a normal state of mind, and it adversely affects your health, even your physical health. When you worry, physical changes are happening in your body which are very damaging. It increases <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/04/causes-of-stress-and-how-to-overcome.html">stress</a> which can increase blood pressure, cause higher levels of stomach acid, cause muscle tension and headaches, among many other things. </li> <li>Worry is not natural. Do little children worry? Do animals worry? Do all adults worry? There is nothing inherent in being human that means you have to worry. Worry is a pathology, a distortion of our natural, healthy state. </li></ul>Do you know the most frequent instruction given in the Bible? Surprisingly, it is not ‘love one another’ or ‘love God’ or anything like that. It is simply ‘do not be afraid.’ I don’t know how many times it appears, but I’ve seen estimates between 100 and 366 times. You don’t have to be religious to realize that this is good advice. So how can we break out of this worry habit? Like all habits, it might not be easy to do, but there are some clear, simple and effective steps you can take to eliminate worry from your life. <ul><li>Realize that you are in control. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey tells us that the first step to a better life is the realization that we are free to choose how to react to circumstances. Worry is a choice – it’s inside our own head and, as such, it is within the sphere of our own influence.</li> <li>Recognize that worry is a habit. Like all habits, there is a momentum to worry, and it might not be easy to break away from this, especially if you’ve been a worrier all your life. But it’s possible to change any habit. </li> <li>Keep things in perspective. E. Joseph Crossman said, "If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today." Are you still worrying about those things? Will all this stuff matter a 100 years from now? </li> <li>Face your fears. Nelson DeMille said that "Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face." After you do something that scares you, you’ll probably find it wasn’t as bad as you thought. With time, all your worry will dissipate. </li> <li>Stop trying to be in control of everything. You cannot control the whole world. Things happen that are truly outside our circle of influence, and so we need to relax and accept that sometimes things just happen as they will. This is part of life, and worry will not change it one little bit. </li> <li>Stop taking yourself so seriously. If you fail, so what? If you screw up, is it the end of the world? Are you really so important that the world will stop turning if you get things wrong? Life is not that serious.</li></ul>Finally, one of my favorite quotes from the master of quotes, Mark Twain. "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." Worry is a dangerous and poisonous thing. Don’t let it eat away at you. 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