Stones, Belt Buckles and Gold

"When you're betting for stones in an archery contest, you shoot with skill. When you're shooting for fancy belt buckles, you worry about your aim. And when you're betting for real gold, you're a nervous wreck. Your skill is the same in all three cases - but because one prize means more to you than another, you let outside concerns weigh heavily on your mind. He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside."

Chuang Tzu

Whatever the goal, the stakes, the result you want for - play the mental game INSIDE where you're simply... shooting for pebbles and stones.  

Because in that way... you come to the table and shoot with ALL your skills, with ALL your attention on ALL of the game!

Build Your Most Profitable Asset via a Coat Hanger, Radiator & a Missing Bit of Paper!

Did you know that the BIGGEST, most profitable and most natural skill in the world isn't something you have to go out and and find or acquire - that's because everyone ALREADY has it in abundance, but, it's rarely used!

That's what this post is all about.

Said another way - here's a marvellous antidote to a stuck and clogged up mind!

Now you've probably heard that in order to 'succeed' today, you need to possess ABC skill or have XYZ quality.

Not only that, you may have heard mention that "such and such" is THE BIGGEST SKILL or QUALITY you must have.

Of course, depending WHERE and WHO gave you the info, the SUCH AND SUCH skill -- could be anything!

Check this list out.

See if what you've heard about the 'keys to your kingdom', the 'path to your holy grail' is located somewhere amongst this lot.

-- COMMUNICATION

-- MARKETING

-- CONFIDENCE

-- ACTION

-- SELF DISCIPLINE

-- ORGANISATION

-- CLARITY OF THOUGHT

-- POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

-- POWERFUL NETWORK

-- HUMILTY

-- COMPASSION

-- TOLERANCE

-- CREATIVITY

-- STRONG SELF ESTEEM

-- EDUCATION

-- DESIRE

-- LEADERSHIP

-- MINDSET

... of course, plenty more can easily be added to the list.

So what did you pick from that list?

Is there one single skill or attribute, that, if owned and possessed, would get YOU to the promised land - whatever that may mean or be, for you?

Naturally, we all have our point of view, and, like you, I too have an opinion on what I consider to be the ultimate skill that if used and exercised everyday, would help create our world to be whatever we choose it to be.

And before I tell you what that one thing is, let me say that you, I, every single one of us has this skill, in abundance.

Hard to believe, but it's true.

And... we've most likely called on it hundreds of times, without ever realising what we're doing.

For example, last night my son and I were on a hunt. A paper hunt. Now we looked far and wide for this one bit of paper, but to no avail.

It was nearing 9.30pm and my son was really droopy, saying he wanted to get to bed as the school morning was inching closer and closer.

Now I thought to myself that the bit of paper may have slid down the side of the radiator so let's take a peek.

The gap between the wall and the radiator was itself paper thin - well, maybe for or five pieces of paper, thin.

So, I said let's get a torch to see if there is indeed any paper down there. After poking the spluttering light (batteries running loooow) down the back of the radiator, I could see a couple of papers there.

Hooray!

Now, how would we get to the paper through that very slim gap? That was the next question.

A ruler wasn't long enough. The stick in the corner wouldn't do it. (And don't ask what the stick was doing there!)

I know... A COAT HANGER!

I went looking for a metal coat hanger.

Opened a couple of wardrobes. Nothing.

Hmmm...

I poked a little farther into another wardrobe and saw a metally wire hanger!

Probably one of the last ones as there were plenty of solid looking wooden ones lining the wardrobe rails.

So, with the metal hanger in hand, I dashed over to the radiator and thrust the thing down the back of the radiator.

Too short!

Damn.

I took a look at the hanger and found that I could unwind the metal at the top where the hook was, so making it one long bendy wire.

Okay, that looked good.

I thought how would I get the paper up from the side of the radiator as the hook wouldn't 'hook' the paper!

I thought... SELLOTAPE!

I would create a double sided sticky tape and attach that to the one end of the wire where the neck was. Because in that way, the tape could form a bridge of sorts on the curvy neck and I could shimmy the paper up that way, where the double sided tape would stick to the paper.

ARRRGH...

No sellotape!

The reel was empty.

I pondered and thought what other sticky tape thing could I use.

Ah, EUREKA!!

I'd used a few address labels in the day for something so I thought that could be something I could use.

I dashed over to the desk draw and rummaged in there.

After a few seconds I'd found a whole batch of the stuff.

Great, I thought.

I peeled an address label off, created a double sided type bangle effect, flattened it down and attached one side of the flattened bangle to the neck hook of the bendy wire.

Still, there was the main work to be done -

Fishing the paper out!

By this time my son was in his bed with one eye closed.

Oh, and his bed is slap bang against the radiator and at that precise moment, wasn't going to be shifted in any way.

I galloped over to the bed, peered my face into the area of the paper gap and then thrust the contraption down the back.

I could hear the paper being rustled a little with the bendy necked wire but not in any great way.

Then, somehow, with my poking and prodding, I could hear a paper being more than rustled down the back there.

And, after a few minutes of steering the contraption, out emerged a paper.

By now my son was up, wide eyed and grabbing the paper, unravelling to see what it was.

And, when we saw what it was, we both looked at each other and... I thrust the bendy wire contraption down again.

Yep, it wasn't the paper we were looking for.

So again, we went through the whole process and yet again, another bit of paper reared its head.

And yet again, it wasn't what we were looking for.

My son was really really tired by now and so we decided that we'd look for it in the morning.

Okay, I wanted to share that with you because in a little way, it helps to demonstrate what I consider to be the number one skill in all the world.

And that is...

>>> CREATIVE ACTION <<<

And, it can be applied to any and every situation, no matter the size, shape or complexity.

Think about it for a moment -

What if we could come up with, or simply let the whole process unfold, of finding creative solutions to current or existing problems... what would that mean in terms of getting things fixed and in moving life forward?

It could be huge!

What stops most of us in the face of a problem or a challenge, is finding out ways and solutions, and to then, act on them.

Everything in the earlier list has a part to play in the overall contribution to making us 'better', however, getting into creative action on a daily basis is what I consider to be the biggest asset we have.

And we all have it, in abundance, don't we?

How many times have we come up with solutions to get that bit of work submitted, or to get that bunch of money we desperately wanted or to play that game when none existed previously, or to conjur up some food when
nothing's on the table?

Yes, we've all gone into CREATIVE ACTION mode when we have needed to. (Though, as kids, we were in that zone almost every single moment. Think about THAT!)

But what if we became aware and conscious of that fact, at any given moment we feel stuck or unresourceful?

To have creative action be... ON TAP!

Wouldn't THAT be something?

What if we screw up on the relationship front and feel that there's a rift or creeping separateness looming large - suppose we decide at that moment to turn things around, to get into creative action - wouldn't that be immensely valuable?

What if we found that business and profits were drying up and simply said the economy is on a downturn so that's affected the marketplace. I've just got to, 'ride it out!'

What instead, if we loosened our mental screws and simply went to all current or passed clients and asked ... "how else can we serve you, what can we do for you?"...

Do you think that's a better way than simply mulling around, waiting for outside elements to come together in a harmonious way before we decide to get into the game?

I think so.

There's always SOMETHING we can do to change things.

And suppose we pass on this baton of getting into CREATIVE ACTION to all those we know, what then?

Because who knows, there'll be an environment where solutions and action are the order of the day, this day, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next...

It can become quite contagious.

And why not?

It's a marvellous antidote to a stuck and clogged up mind, don't you think?

Have a CREATIVELY ACTIVE day.

Raja Hireker

P.S I've a few twisty hangers to unbend and sell you if you've paper stuck down a radiator and wall gap. Oh, sticky address labels are... fwree!

The Practice of Talent

Friend and Coach, Steve Chandler, mentioned a book in a recent communication to members of his Club Fearless (http://www.clubfearless.net/).

The title of the book intrigued me, as well as the work inside. The book's full title is - The Talent Code - unlocking the secret of skill in maths, art, music, sport, and just about anything else. Written by author, Daniel Coyle.

The book is an amazing journey into the 'talent hotbeds' of the world. If you thought genius' was reserved for 'others', get this book and you'll find a hotbed of lies and assumptions we may have been living with for years.

The key idea that I took away (and which was totally evident from the work in the book) was that talent and skill, is available to everyone because we all have it, in some way, shape or form.

And, that, when practiced and rehearsed and when we are coached or mentored to reach the best version of what we're capable of, we can literally, shift our own world.

I've also scuffed and dog eared and written notes on almost every page of a book called, 'You Haven't Taught if They Haven't Learned.'

This book is golden because it comes from two people - one (Swen Nater) who has been directly mentored and tutored by the legendary master basketball coach, Coach John Wooden, and, the other (Ronald Gallimore) who studied and analysed the coaching principles, philosophies and practices of the great Wooden. And he identified certain patterns and traits we can all use to better our lives in whatever area we choose.

(John Wooden coached UCLA - University of California, Los Angeles - to an unprecented 10 victories in the most demanding of college sports arenas you can imagine. And, it wasn't by accident or luck that he became the 'winningest' coach in history.)

A couple of Coach Wooden's many guiding principles, has to do with practice and skill. And, that by hard diligent application, any skill could be learned.

He was a master at ensuring his practice sessions were nothing but skill, team spirit and conditioning based, and, that there was no time wasted in unnecessary activity. In fact, the planning of his practice session lasted longer than the practice session itself!

Coach Wooden was known to have put his players through a process until players could execute the fundamentals in an automatic and unconscious way.

In other words, the disciplined practice of talent.
Those are 4 words worth considering jotting down - especially if you're looking to help others (or yourself) to excel at something where they're not quite 'there' yet.

Continuing with the sporting context here, let me use another couple because I think it ties things together.

The two soccer players you see on the left are considered two of the best in the world.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both players went head to head in the recent European Cup Winner's Final where Messi, playing for Barcelona, outshone his fellow skill merchant who played for Manchester United, where Barcelona, lifted the trophy.

What I found instructional and informative, were the pre-match comments of Manchester United's manager and coach, Sir Alex Ferguson - it was about the skill and application of that skill by both 'gifted grafters'.

Ferguson strongly believes that it's their work ethic that sets them apart. That they marry their talents with hard work. He says... "there are some players like Messi and Ronaldo who are innately gifted. But this is not enough and there is a practice element which becomes very important".

He also went on to say...

"If you watch Ronaldo, he practices after every squad training session".

What's obvious here is that the 'special quality' most top players posses, is the fact that they're willing to want to go and look for that extra edge. And they do that by creating and developing something on their own.

There's something about the phrase "an overnight success" that has 'injustice' written all over it. But then again, I suppose that those who do anything worthwhile, practice their overnight success to perfection - every night!

Andy Murray is hoping to become Britain's Men's Wimbledon Singles Tennis champ - after a 71-year drought. The last British man to lift the trophy in victory, was, Fred Perry.

Many years ago, Perry (below) was asked about whether the nation would produce another Wimbledon winner.

His answer was somewhat revealing and a kick in the head to all those 'overnight success' seekers.

"It's not a matter of producing anybody," he said. "It's a case of somebody, somewhere, who wants to succeed badly enough and is determined and bloody-minded enough to make sure he does."

Skill and talent lies in head zone of anyone and everyone.

Practice is the instructive genius that'll make anyone a believer... of themselves. And if you care to prove it, all you've got to do is... put it to the test.

Raja Hireker
www.CoachingByWriting.com

Stamping Out The Practice of Mediocrity

If you ever wanted to see what class and professionalism and excitement and extraordinary ability is all about, all you have to do is watch and marvel and excite over the tennis matches played between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

And when you see these titans in action, you'll not be stumped by mediocrity or lethargy or incompetence. You'll not ever wonder about the lack of magnificence and beauty and finesse and muscle.

But on the other hand, if you wanted to experience what mediocrity and flatness and incompetence and devastating boredom is all about, simply - if you can bear it - listen to the BBC commentators when they're describing the excellence of a Federer and Nadal match up.

And so the 2009 Australian Open final between these extraordinary Tennis Gladiators produced the inevitable glory and drama and excellence.

And, inevitably, the BBC tv commentators produced their flat, funereal, pathetic mixture of incompetence and dryness and mediocrity.

The ability to inspire and move and motivate is what happens when you see true excellence in motion. And that can happen anywhere and everywhere. The movies. The newspapers. Sport. Literature. Our own communication. It can happen everywhere.

However, mediocrity and incompetence and suffocating unprofessionalism is more widespread and obvious, than not. And it's a full time job stamping all that out from our lives.

So now we know that we've got to be aware and on the ball and full of deliberate consciousness if we want to be on the side of excellence and professionalism and excitement.

And when we do that, we'll send mediocrity and incompetence and the pathetic and flat way of being, out of our lives.

So if you want to experience the difference between the extraordinary, and the bland and mediocre, and that too, in the same heartbeat, experience a tennis match between Federer and Nadal and listen to the BBC commentary about it.

(And of course, I'm not including one John McEnroe as one of the mediocre commentators - quite the opposite, he's pretty much the only real class act when it comes to tennis tv commentary)