Mel asked me to meet him for a drink at an out-of-the-way dive bar. He wanted to talk away from the office where people wouldn’t overhear us.
After a quick hello, he jumped right into why he wanted to talk.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Do you think I’m losing it? I’m beginning to think I must be crazy.”…[Continue Reading]
Willson Contreras, the 26-year-old catcher for the Chicago Cubs will play in his first All-Star game tonight. That’s one of the biggest honors in his profession. When he found out he’d made the team, he cried.
You probably would have too if you’d have worked that hard — especially if one of your idols had tried to hold you in place, telling you to “respect the ranks” as you started gaining ground.
Regardless, you can steal his path to all-star status starting today. And perhaps your success will threaten some of your idols, as well.
Playing in the All-Star game was a predictable outcome.
Contreras used a method that almost every superstar or uber performer in any field, including business, has used since the beginning of humanity. …[Continue Reading]
Something small but important happened to me this weekend. It could help you change the way you think about 2018 and beyond for yourself.
On Friday, I drove back to my hometown in Illinois to spend some time with family. My parents’ old house is for sale, so I stopped by the house to check it out.
I was locked out.
I usually enter through the garage door but the door opener had a dead battery. No luck. And all of the doors were locked.…[Continue Reading]
In November 2013, I spent 10 days in Nepal trekking in the Himalayan Mountains. There were no paved roads above 10,000 feet, which meant no motorized vehicles.
It was just silence and the unfamiliar.
Beneath the quiet sky, we ascended, descended, and ascended more, for hours each day. Around every turn was wind, sun, and endless ranges of jagged peaks shooting toward the heavens.…[Continue Reading]
I love reading biographies of great people — warriors, titans, artists, athletes, crusaders for a cause. There’s a theme that runs across them.
Not only did those people have historic impact. They’re full of foibles and flaws.
Sometimes, it’s shocking what poor judgment or bad behaviors such brilliant people could exhibit. That is, at least when they were out of the public view.
And still, they changed the world.…[Continue Reading]
I sat and listened intently as my mentor shared with me some pretty amazing wisdom. His perspective and experiences were so different than mine that I needed to stop him every few minutes and ask for clarification.
Not everything he said made sense, but parts of what he shared was exploding in my brain. I’d just never thought of things the way he was describing them.…[Continue Reading]
Could you boil your best life’s insights into 18 minutes? That’s what you’re expected to do in a TED talk.
Lt. Colonel Scott Mann, Green Beret (retired), is one of the most impressive human beings I’ve met. An amazing leader and teacher in combat and civilian life.
Scott just condensed some of his hard earned lessons into a TEDx talk. I think you’ll want to put them into action.…[Continue Reading]
For 10, 15, and 20 years, elite athletes have been preparing to win Gold in Rio. But for much longer, TV network executives have been preparing in a different way to guarantee you’ll stay tuned in.
Their secret is 100% relevant if YOU want to win Gold in the areas that matter to you.
How do the TV networks keep you coming back?
It’s hidden in plain sight: Storytelling.…[Continue Reading]
What’s it take to build a dynasty?
A good friend, Sarah or “Ms. Reck” to her students, directed her final band concert last Thursday after 32 years of teaching. She was a maestro at building a talent hotbed, a place where great talent is disproportionately concentrated. Cultivated over time, talent hotbeds can grow into dynasties.
Her mastery applies far beyond teaching…so pay attention students!
Sarah reluctantly agreed to let me write about her work so we can all learn. Confession: To get her agreement, I might have failed to mention I’d use the words “talent hotbed” and “dynasty.” Forgive me, Ms. Reck!…[Continue Reading]
There are no traffic jams on the road to mastery.
Look around. When you dedicate yourself to doing brilliant work and being your best, many people you know are going to fall away. They took an earlier exit at “good enough” or “I don’t have time for this.”
Who is Kobe Bryant’s or Rhonda Rousey’s peer? Who can Elon Musk confide in that really gets him?
The further you travel toward mastery, the more empty is the road.
Look around this week. How many others are on this path with you?
![By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (Willson Contreras, Jake Arrieta) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.davidmartinco.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Willson_Contreras_in_2017_cropped-245x300.jpg)
