The Power of Determination

”We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” –Jesse Owens

As a boy, I started reading stories that would ignite my spirit and spur me on.  Later in life I would turn to my Zig Ziglar tapes and CD’s to do the same for me in my career.  One of these stories from my childhood stands out in my mind, some 35 years later as an example of what we can achieve if we don’t give up.

A little six year old boy had the job of heating his tiny country schoolhouse with his older brother.  They came in early so the building was warm when everyone arrived.   One February morning in 1916, the stove exploded killing the older brother and leaving the little boy with incredible burns brutalizing the lower half of his body.

From his hospital bed the painfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor telling his mother that her son would surely die - which was for the best because the poor little boy would surely be a cripple.   But this boy wasn’t quitting!  He made up his mind then and there that he would survive.

Every day his mother would massage his little lifeless legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet the determination that he would walk was as strong as ever.  One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air, instead of sitting there; he threw himself from the chair, pulled himself across the grass and raised himself up on the picket fence. He then proceeded to drag himself along the fence, determined that he would walk again. He did this every day until he wore a path along the fence.

Through his daily massages, his iron persistence and his resolute determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk with assistance, then to walk by himself - and then - to run.  He began to walk to school and then to run to school.   

And run he did.  This little boy, that was told he would never walk again, made the track team in college and then one day in Madison Square Garden, this young man who was not expected to survive, who would absolutely never walk, who could never ever dream of running - this determined young man, Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile!

Is this story about you?  Somehow the odds have been stacked against you and you have more to overcome than you ever thought?  Well take a lesson from Glenn Cunningham, massage your obstacles and then stand up and get going!  If you can’t walk…then run!  Set you mind to something and put all your energy into it and the world will not deny you!  In fact, the world will somehow help!

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2008/09/08/the-power-of-determination/feed/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/12/03/the-power-of-goals/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/12/03/the-power-of-goals/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:58:19 +0000 jrowley Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/12/03/the-power-of-goals/
 
This is the time of year where we all starting thinking about what we want to acheive next year.  Goals are the road map to your future.   Walking through life with no goals is like driving cross country with no road map, you will get somewhere but it may not be where you wanted to go.  Set your path with goals and see your dreams come true. 

The fuel of a goal brought me from a boiler room in Brooklyn to a board room on Madison Avenue and from the board room on Madison Ave to owning the the east coast mecca of bodybuilding, the gym I dreamed of owning as a child, the gym where pumping iron was filmed.  I knew exactly where I was going even though everyone else thought I would fail.  The fact of the matter is that I was willing to fail if that what it took for me to reach my goals.  Like Og Mandino said, “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”
 

Come on; let’s design your perfect future. 
 

How to set goals:
Action Step 1:

Take out a sheet of paper and list all of your goals and next to it the time in which you would like them completed.  i.e. within 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 years. 

Action Step 2:

Write down “why” next to all of the things on your list and write a paragraph why you are committed to achieving it.  Why is very powerful. 

Action Step 3:

Divide your goals into three categories:  Short range (1 month or less), Mid range (1 month to 1 year) and Long range (1 year or more) goals. 

Action Step 4: 

For each of your top 5 goals write down one action you can do today to get started.

 The key is to start today and adjust your goals as needed.

Let’s get right to the point.  Anything in life worth pursuing will require some investment of energy on your part.  Did you know that most people don’t fail in life because they lack the ability, the intelligence or the skill? They fail because they run out of emotional, physical and spiritual gas while climbing the ladder of success. They simply don’t have the energy to succeed.  You can have the best education, outstanding skills, be highly intelligent and possess all the ability in the world and still fail!  That’s right, you can have it all and still fall flat on your face. It happens every day!  The reverse is also true, you can be lacking in those attributes and still become a raving success.  Don’t you know someone like that?  They shouldn’t be successful but they are?  Success lies not in what you have but in what you DO with what you have. You must have the energy to fuel your passions, abilities and skills in order to be successful.

Is lack of energy stopping you from fulfilling your destiny?  Are you too tired to do all the things you want to do or worse yet, all the things you need to do?  Are you living a life of passion or are you just going through the motions?  If you can relate to not having enough “oomph” to get through the day, much less fulfill your destiny, you are not alone.

People from all walks of life are too tired to pursue their destinies.  Their spirits may be willing, but their bodies and minds are tired.  Success requires energy!  Energy is the fuel to ignite passion and passion is the engine of success! Everyone is created to operate at peak performance and to pursue their passions, yet lifestyle choices can stop us from really living.  Right choices will quickly give you energy to live a life of passion!  Isn’t that encouraging? All you need to do is change a few things and you can have the life of your dreams.

Success comes from what you do, not from what you have.

Let me share someone’s life history with you.  This was a man who:

This man was Abraham Lincoln.

Could he have become President of the United States if he didn’t “keep on keeping on”?  This man did not give up.   He was also very energetic and fit.  He kept pushing forward in life until he succeeded.  He must have been very passionate about what he was doing.  He was willing to put in the required energy to pursue his dreams and to change a nation.  I bet old Abe also changed himself in the process.  Abe Lincoln is an example in perseverance and determination.  He may not have been the smartest, most educated or best looking man of his time but he certainly used what he was given and didn’t give up on his dream.

My friend Brian  McLaughlin sent this to me to help me keep my spirits up when I was struggling   I kept this timeline of Abe Lincoln’s life over my desk for many years to help me persevere through some tough times.  .  I have been one step from being homeless. I have had times when our family didn’t have food to eat. We have had our electricity turned off, our water turned off and we have had to give back a car we didn’t want to. We have had the sheriff at our door giving us an eviction notice and we have had times when we couldn’t afford medical care for our children or ourselves.  We had the Revenue Department take every penny we had without notice. I have been put in jail.  I have lost more than one business…but I have never, ever given up.

For year’s people, especially family, criticized me, laughed at me or were embarrassed by me. They didn’t encourage me.  They wanted me to give up. Because they couldn’t do something I was pursuing, they thought I couldn’t do it either.  I didn’t accept that.  Did I have times of despair?  You bet!  Did I have any doubt that I could make it?  Yes!   But I knew, without a doubt, that if I gave up that I definitely wouldn’t make it. I also knew that if I could overcome failure enough times that I would ultimately prevail.

I had people kicking me when I was down but I was blessed to have the most important person in my life, my wife Cathy, struggle through this with me.   She believed in me and told me so.  Even in the midst of it all, she believes in me.  All this to say, that I feel qualified to encourage you and tell you that no matter where you are today, as long as you “keep on keeping on”, you can succeed tomorrow!  Invest the energy to get yourself going in the right direction and you will overcome all the odds, no matter how great they seem at this moment.  Education or lack there of, isn’t the issue.  The real issue is, are you willing to do what it takes to get what you want?  Well, are you?  I think you are or you wouldn’t be reading this book.   I feel we are kindred spirits because I know you may be where I was and I want you to know that you can do it!  You were created for greatness!

Walt Disney

This quote by Walt Disney has been hanging on my office wall for decades.  Also in my office, are 2 checks that paid my membership many years ago when I first joined R&J Health Studio LONG before I realized my dream of owning it and a jar of coal my Dad gave me for Christmas.  I know it sounds like an odd combination but let me explain.  All of the above, are there because I was bold enough to take the challenge from Walt Disney to Think, Believe, Dream and Dare. 

I grew up being told not to dream.  “You are such a dreamer, why don’t you grow up!”  I would be told time and time again as a child.  Then when I got older and had a family, I constantly had people close to me reminding me that I shouldn’t dream.  I had a family to support.    I am being selfish and childish.   I am not smart enough, educated enough or good enough to do the things I want to achieve.  I should just settle for my lot in life.  People will discourage you because they know they can’t do it.  Let me tell you right now, if you are hearing things like that, don’t listen!  Those words are right out of the pit of hell.  Let no man dictate what you can and can not do.  You were created for greatness.    I am very fortunate that the most important person in my life, my beautiful wife Cathy, has always encouraged me and told me to focus on my dreams and to be all I could be.  I am truly blessed with a wonderful encourager for a wife.

The reason I have Walt Disney’s quote hanging on my office wall next to the check to R&J Health Studio and a jar of coal sitting on my desk, is for a daily reminder to myself that if I DO think, believe, dream and dare, I can achieve what seems to be the impossible.  When I was a young man, I talked about owning a gym just like R&J Health Studio and I was constantly shot down by everyone but my wife.  You may be getting the same thing with your speaking career.  When other can’t do it the want you to fail as well.  They may start by discouraging you and then by offering you what seems to be “good advice” to short circuit your success.  It is your job to push through to success.

Yes, I did buy R&J Health Studio and the years I owned it were some of the best years of my life.  The coal on my desk was given to me by my dad.  I had just gotten into Manhattan real estate at William B. May on Madison Avenue and that very Christmas, Dad gave me and my brothers a jar of coal to remind us of our family roots.  My dad’s ancestors were coal miners in Pennsylvania.   But for me it held an additional meaning.  One of my duties while working in a New York City  Public School was to shovel coal into boilers to heat the building.  A LOT of coal.  Not only did I shovel the coal into the boiler, but I had to bring the coal from the coal pit to the boiler.  Then after the coal was burned, I had to clean out all the ash, put it into the cans and bring the ash cans up out to the street for pick up.  It was physically exhausting, filthy work.  I kept that jar of coal on my desk as a reminder that regardless of how many challenges I may have in the business world, it could be worse.  I could be back in the boiler room breathing in coal dust and shoveling coal into a boiler.  There is nothing wrong with shoveling coal, it is good honest work, but the thought leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. (pun not intended)  You see, I had people telling me that I should be doing just that – ONLY that - all the while, trying to discourage me from trying to “conquer the world”.  For me, I would rather not have to do it again…, ever.

Most people are not being malicious when they try to discourage you from striving for outstanding success.  They are just voicing their own fears.  To them, failure is the worst thing that can happen.  To ME failure is simply a part of success and not trying is failure.  Let them keep their fear and negativity I don’t want any part of it and neither should you.  Remember, success and failure aren’t’ opposites, they are neighbors separated by a thin line… by a single decision… the decision not to quit.

I once heard that Walt Disney wouldn’t even take on a project unless every person on his board of directors told him not to do it!  You heard right…not to do it!  He believed that if everyone agreed with him, that he wasn’t thinking big enough.  He also said “We did it (referring to Disneyland), in the knowledge that most of the people I talked to, thought it would be a financial disaster - closed and forgotten within the first year.”  Good thing for us old Walt didn’t listen to those people.   What should you be doing that you are holding back on, out of fear?  What great dream have you had that others told you was impossible or that you were nuts to even consider?  Should you be speaking more often or starting that book that is in your heart?  If Walt Disney is any example, the very things you “aren’t” doing may be your road to greatness.  Go for it!  Pursue your dreams with passion and enthusiasm and I will see you on top of your ladder of success!

The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm (Passion) to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.

James Whitcomb Riley

When you have the energy to fuel your passion, success is sure to follow close behind.  The 1-2 punch of energy and passion is the key to success in life.  In order to be successful in any endeavor you will need to overcome much discouragement, frustration and failure and the key to rising above these things is energy and passion.  That is why I always say that “energy is the fuel to ignite passion and passion is the engine of success!”

In the movie Cinderella Man, Russell Crowe plays a down and out boxer that makes a dramatic come back.  The back drop to this movie is the great depression and previous to the great depression Crowe’s character, Jimmy Braddock was a champion boxer that lost his way.  After his come back a reporter asks him, “You have lost before, what’s the difference this time?”  Jimmy Braddock then answers “I know what I’m fighting for”  The reporter follows up with “And what’s that?” and Jimmy comes back with what I feel is the most memorable and inspiring line in the whole movie, he simply says, “Milk”.  That says it all; now knew why he was fighting.  He was fighting to feed his kids. He was able to look defeat straight in the face and say “okay, one more round.”  He was able to overcome failure because he had the energy and passion to achieve his goal of putting milk on the table.  I feel this is the story of America.  A spirited passion for a worthy goal that will let nothing stand in her way.  “Okay let’s go one more round” was the unspoken mantra for generations of Americans and what has made America the greatest country in the world.  

Many years ago when I got started in sales, I didn’t know how to sell but I was passionate and energetic.  One of my first clients told me that as my skill increases it is natural for my passion to wane.  He told me the key to my success will lie in my passion and if I can combine an infectious passion with proven sales skills, I will always be a top producing sales person.  Was he right!

Put the 1-2 punch of energy and passion to work in your life so you can change the world for the better and fulfill your destiny! 

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/08/20/the-1-2-punch-of-success%e2%80%a6energy-and-passion/feed/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/08/14/the-success-factor/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/08/14/the-success-factor/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2007 05:38:21 +0000 jrowley Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/jrowley/2007/08/14/the-success-factor/ If there is one ingredient that sets the successful apart from the rest, I would have to say it would be their passion.   The dictionary says that passion is a strong liking or desire for, or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.  One thing I have noticed over the years is that anyone that I have known or met that was successful had a passion.  It didn’t matter if they were successful in sports, business, non-profit endeavors, family life or any other area.  If they were successful, they had an unwavering passion and that certainly holds true in bodybuilding as well, in fact bodybuilding can influence the rest of your life in a very positive way.

On January 3, 2007 Oprah Winfrey had a show called “What class are you?  Inside America’s taboo topic.”  I thought it was handled in a wonderful and very well balanced way. In fact, I loved the way Oprah stood her ground, as she disagreed with the “luck equation” to success and said that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity! 

One thing did get my goat though.  One of the guests said that it is harder to get ahead today than ever before.  Tell that to my grandparents and countless others who lost everything during the depression.   My grandparents went from a beautiful home on Long Island to a two bedroom apartment, over a shoe store in Brooklyn, where they raised six very successful and productive children.

Oprah’s guest also said that the ladder of success is so much longer today and that it is almost impossible to climb.  My burning question is this “Is the ladder longer? Or are we just weaker and more tired as a society?”  He stated that twenty and thirty years ago it was easier to climb that ladder than now. I say the problem is the obesity and lack of energy in America that has turned into an epidemic over that same time period.  So is the ladder longer or are we just finding it harder to climb because we are physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted?  I agree with Oprah, opportunity is still alive and well in America today.  You need to prepare for it and work toward your goals. All of which takes, energy, patience, persistence, determination and most importantly passion.  And never, ever let anyone else dictate your future, even the experts that write books or end up on talk shows.  They are just telling you that they know THEY can’t do it!  In fact they guy who was on her show looked like he never saw the inside of a gym.

We as bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts have the privilege and opportunity to lift the people we touch from where they are to where they should be.  We are authors of possibility and speakers of life through the bodybuilding lifestyle.  We have the ability to create change in a way that most people simply can’t.  We wear our sport, hobby and passion on our sleeves, in fact they fill our sleeves.

I know for certain that if we continue to bring our message of hope to our nation that the obesity epidemic will take care of itself.  America doesn’t need another diet, pill or exercise program, they need a lifestyle change.  The fact that we have a new fad every week and we still get fatter as a nation speaks for itself.  We need to show people who they can be so they can achieve the life of their dreams and climb their ladder of success without running out of gas!

I encourage all of you to be a good role model to those around you and help change our country into what she should be. I am proud of bodybuilding and of bodybuilders.

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