Never Settle For Less

Eminem - Rapper/Entertainer

Oprah - Talk Show Host/Leader of the Free World

Christopher Gardner - Businessman/Author/Speaker

What do they all have in common? At a glance this list is as disjointed as they come.  You have a rebellious rapper, the most popular talk show host on earth, and one of America’s most interesting and motivating businessmen.  On the surface they don’t seem to share much in common besides their wealth.  In fact nothing could be farther from the truth.

Eminem grew up in a poor fatherless environment in Michigan.  Before his rap career took off his life was headed nowhere.  As a result he had to work odd jobs to make sure his daughter was fed.  Eventually, he began to take his career as a musician seriously.  Tirelessly, he put in hours of work.  He worked local shows and circuits until he was picked up by Dr. Dre and Aftermath records.  The rest is history.

Oprah Winfrey was born into rural poverty in Mississippi.  The first six years of her life where spent with her grandmother where she learned to read at a very young age.  She used her background and experiences to become an Emmy Award winner and billionaire many times over.

Christopher Gardner is the main character from the autobiographical movie The Pursuit of Happyness.  The story is both intriguing and heart wrenching.  In it Chris and his son end up living on the streets as he searches for a way to support his son.  When its all said and done he lands a job at a premier stock brokerage firm without so much as a college degree.  Today he lives the life of his dreams.

Here’s the common thread.  Eminem, Oprah, and Christopher Gardner all started from the bottom.  Each came from a terrible situation.  Determined to succeed they set out to meet their goals and never looked back.

So what is it about being at rock bottom that motivates the human soul?  What forces one to look deep within him or herself and discover what they are truly meant to be?  Look closer into the microscope.  The answer is staring right into your eyes.

The Only Choice is to Improve or Die

Look at the 3 situations I’ve described above.  Each person was faced with a basic decision.  Their fight or flight instincts were triggered and they responded with full force.  When their backs where against the wall they pushed relentlessly to free themselves.

Herein lies an issue.  Most of us DON’T have our backs pressed against a wall.  That insatiable hunger for more hasn’t been sparked.  We aren’t nit picking over the last shred of meat in the fridge or living in cardboard boxes in the streets.  As a result we go about life never really exerting ourselves.  The comfort zones we so eagerly seek now hold us down.

I’ve had this same feeling before.  Right before I decided to lose weight.  I was angry with myself for being so sloppy and I knew a change was in order.  Many programs and exercise attempts had fallen short in the past.  Honestly, I was tired of losing and falling short. My focus and determination became razor sharp.  I packaged my lunch for work daily, worked out like a maniac, and ran 6 miles like I was running 1. Before long my waist had shrunk 5.25 inches (40 - 34.75) and I’d lost 50 lbs.  That’s the closest I’ve come to feeling that insatiable hunger.  Everytime I sit down to write this blog it resurfaces (good news )

So how do you press yourself?  How do  you put yourself in improve or die mode?

How do you do it?

1. Take Yourself and Your Goals Seriously –> People rarely see your vision.  Don’t be distracted by the words of others.
2. Improve Inch by Inch –> Improvement takes time.  Build a solid foundation and throw another brick on every single day.
3. Dare to Improve –> Never get comfortable.  Comfort = death
4. Develop an Improve or Die Mentality –> Set goals and live by them.  Be prepared to REWARD yourself for achievements as well as PUNISH yourself for failure.  Be accountable.
5. Let the Starting line motivate you –> Oftentimes webecome intimidated by the scope of the task.  Be excited about what you will accomplish and you will find ways to do it.  The task is only as big as you make it.  You can either make mountains or molehills.  The choice is yours.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 8:16 pm and is filed under Training, Motivation, Dedication, Change. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.