Your “I Can” is more important than your “IQ.”
“I can’t hit a serve.”
“I can’t make any money.”
“I can’t stay positive.”
“I can’t stop smoking.”
Success does not come in bottles, it comes in “cans.”
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -BUDDHA
“What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” -OPRAH WINFREY
Today’s message is especially dedicated to Brittany Eckett. Happy Birthday to a softball great.
Most of us live a life of mediocrity.
We don’t like to get out of our comfort zones.
We fear change.
Well, guess what?
1. You don’t have to settle for mediocrity.
2. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you won’t get better.
3. Change is inevitable.
I recently listened to an interview with one of my favorite authors, Robin Sharma, who wrote “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and more recently, “The Leader Who Had No Title.” In the interview, Sharma said something profound that stuck with me.
When we are born, we cry while the world rejoices. When we die, the world should be crying while we rejoice.
What do you want to have accomplished at the end of your life?
You can’t take your trophies with you. You can’t take your money with you. You can’t take your iPhone with you.
So what’s the purpose of life? To discover your gifts.
What’s the meaning of life? To give those gifts away.
Do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be GREAT?
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Tom Jolly, sports editor of the New York Times. Happy Birthday to a true peak performer.
Many years ago on a rainy July morning in Washington Heights, New York, a 12 year-old boy was watching TV.
“Why don’t you call your friends and go out and play ball?” his dad asked.
“Dad, I’m watching TV and it’s raining out.”
Dad said, “Come over here, I want to show you something.”
From their fifth-floor apartment, they could see the local school yard.
There, in the rain, another 12 year-old boy was hitting a baseball off a makeshift batting tee.
After hitting the ball, he ran after it, teed it up, and hit it again.
This went on for over an hour.
“I guess it’s not raining on Manny,” his dad said.
“Manny” is now one of the greatest hitters of all time: Manny Ramirez!
What do you want to be – a great athlete? a great writer? a great student? a great salesperson?
What are you doing to make that happen?
Instead of “trying your best”…Do whatever it takes.
Here are the five words why most people fail:
I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.
Thanks for reading.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Roger Ta in Orange County, California.
Count how many times the letter “F” appears in the following:
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
How many “F”s did you find?
Most people find between two and five. The answer is six! Go ahead, count again.
We have something called a scotoma (blind spot) and we miss the “F”s in “OF” because it sounds like “OV.”
What does this have to do with you?
You may not see your potential. Well, I’m here to tell you that you have unlimited potential. ANYTHING is possible. Do what Muhammad Ali did…
ACT like a champion before you ARE a champion.
Thanks for reading.
In this video blog, Ed interviews rising baseball star, Mike DeJesus of the New Jersey Jackals.
Well, so far, my prediction is coming true – Tiger Woods is returning to the golf world and showing the world (and himself) how to learn from mistakes. If he stays clean and kicks some major butt, my prediction will have been right on the money.
In his first interviews since the incident Tiger said…
“You strip away the denial, the rationalization and you come to the truth,” he said, “and the truth is very painful at times, and to stare at yourself and look at the person you’ve become, you become disgusted.”
I said from the beginning that Tiger just needs to speak from the heart but many people told me, “That’s not Tiger.” The quote above seems pretty honest to me.
And regarding not knowing his schedule after The Masters, Woods commented…
“That to me is a little bit bothersome, too, in a sense that I don’t like not knowing what to do. But what I know I have to do is become a better person, and that begins with going to more treatment.”
Tiger knows what he needs to do, and he’s doing it. And soon he will be getting it done on the golf course too.
No mistakes are bad if you learn from them.
Go get ’em, Tiger.
Yesterday, I drove up to Stamford, Connecticut to attend the Diamond Sports Career Seminar with Bobby Valentine at Bobby Valentine’s Academy. My friend, Walter Recher, and Dave Torromeo are the founding partners of Diamond Sports Group, who create amazing events and programs in affiliation with professional sports down to the grassroots.
I met some amazing people at this event, including panelists, Rod Mergardt of CBS/MaxPreps and Shane Beardsley of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, an affiliate of the NY Islanders. Other interesting people I met were, Mary Jane Wells, business manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish, who shared with me a great George Steinbrenner story, Tom Chiappetta, executive director of the Fairfield Sports Commission, and Dave Torromeo of Diamond Sports Group.
I have some great conversations with each of them, but the person I really drove up to see was the great Bobby Valentine. During the panel discussion, there were some great quotes on the sports industry.
“When you go for it, you get it.” -BOBBY VALENTINE
“You have to learn responsibility – write down three things you want to accomplish every day. Then do them.” -BOBBY V.
“Winners will make more mistakes, but they move on immediately.” -ROD MERGARDT
“Losers can become winners.” -BOBBY V.
“Work hard.” -SHANE BEARDSLEY
Bobby Valentine managed 3,500 games and only won 1,900, but he said, in those losses he had little successes and those little successes turned into big successes.
I actually had a couple great conversations with Bobby before and after the event. I asked him what mental skills the Japanese players had that the US players didn’t. He said that the Japanese players just practice more. “Practice creates confidence and less fear. The Japanese players have less fear.”
Bobby V also said that the US players never play again without practicing first, which means, they never skip batting practice like the US teams.
My goal was to do an exclusive interview with Bobby, but unfortunately, ESPN doesn’t allow him to do that, but I did ask a question during the seminar to all three panelists, as seen in the video below.
In this video blog, Ed interviews comedian, Patrick DeGuire on being a legally blind comic.
Be sure to checkout Patrick on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utNp0DdgFsc
Last night I spent some time with my new favorite comedian, Patrick DeGuire. Mr. DeGuire flew into town to perform three shows in Princeton at Catch A Rising Star comedy club. We shot a video blog together (stay tuned) and shared stories, quotes and life lessons.
Patrick DeGuire is unique because about thirteen years ago, he developed an eye disease and is now legally blind. He went to comedy as a form of self-healing. And now he is a well-known comedian who has performed on Comedy Central and with comedians such as George Lopez. DeGuire has also performed for the US Troops in Iraq.
I am amazed at his optimism and love of life. His show was pretty darn funny too.
So if Patrick DeGuire can lose his vision and still succeed at something he loves, imagine what YOU can do?