Winning against the odds

Despite only one leg, Anthony Robles

let nothing stop him from his goal

You don’t need to be a sports fan to enjoy this story.
Anthony Robles was born without a right leg.
He didn’t let that slow him down.
He went out for wrestling in high school.
The 90 pounder knew nothing about the sport.
He was “terrible” he said about his early matches.
But he was an eager student and he learned fast.
He won a national high school championship.
None of the big wrestling schools offered a scholarship.
So he wrestled at nearby Arizona State.
He worked like a madman in the gym.
As a 125-pound wrestler, he bench pressed 305 pounds.
That’s lifting twice his weight with his arms and chest.
He charged up hills on crutches with his teammates.
Fans found in him more than just a winning athlete.
He became an inspirational example of perseverance.
He was tenacious. He was gutty. He never quit.
He made it to the national college finals in Philadelphia.
Normally calm, he felt ill before the final match.
He thought he would either throw up or cry.
He faced defending champion Matt McDonough.
He hopped onto the mat and the two went at it.
Robles was clearly the more committed athlete.
The defending champion went down.
Robles became the new champion three days ago.
Don’t you love a story like this?
A young person overcomes a severe handicap.
He becomes a role model for others.
Now answer me this:
How many arms and legs do you have?
How much heart and how many brain cells?
What’s stopping you from being the best you can be?
Don't get defensive. Get going.
To comment, click on Post a Comment below.

Mastermind alliances

Do you participate in a mastermind alliance?
If not, you should. Such alliances are powerful.
You will gain insights you can attain no other way.
Napoleon Hill wrote about this in “Think and Grow Rich”.
He wrote that this brings together the power of many minds.
You concentrate on attaining definite objectives.
We participate in one with members here and in Europe.
All of us are consultants who bond to help each other.
We meet monthly on Skype and yearly at a resort.
We met for a great sharing session in Tampa last year.
We plan to meet later this year in Philadelphia.
I participate in another group that works on marketing.
We meet monthly to review each others’ marketing plans.
These sessions have greatly improved my marketing skills.
It has given me a chance to help others with theirs.
If you’re interested in this, email me.
Please write “Mastermind” in the subject line.
To comment, please click on Post a Comment below.
In tomorrow’s Advertising and Marketing Letter:
Tom Hopkins on avoiding failure in sales.
For a complimentary copy email me at:
Jerry@JerryBellune.com
Please write “A&M Letter” in the subject line.

Trust your intuition

Cliff Brenner was a highly creative thinker.
He was one of my clients at Philadelphia Electric.
I was one of his unofficial clients when I had a problem.
Over the years we have talked for hours.
Often together over lunch, later by long distance.
Cliff lived in Philadelphia. I live in South Carolina.
We always talked on April 30, his birthday and mine.
No matter what the obstacle was, Cliff helped me solve it.
Cliff’s gone on to that great creative agency up there.
I truly miss his sound reasoning and creative solutions.
There has to be at least one Cliff Brenner in your life.
Maybe you are a Cliff Brenner in someone else’s life.
Many of us limit our intuition by becoming super analytical.
We analyze problems to death. And it prevents bold decisions.
Call it “paralysis by analysis”. It’s what bean counters do.
My wife — and business partner — is highly intuitive.
I have learned to trust her judgment about my crazier ideas.
Sorry, guys, but most women are more intuitive than we are.
Some seem to have forgotten we have an intuitive side.
Women trust their instincts and feelings.
They listen to their “inner spirit” and trust it.
Here’s one way to fine-tune your intuition:
Think about how you “feel” — not just what you “think”.
If it doesn’t smell right, it probably isn’t right.
Listen to your “inner spirit”. It will guide you.
That’s a God-like sense we’re endowed with.
It’s the Great Creator inside every one of us.
To leave a comment, please click on Post a Comment.
Interested in more on heightening your creativity?
Check my creativity self-study courses by clicking here.

Is there a fortune in your future?

Yesterday we talked about self-discipline and good habits.
Today we’re going to talk about success in business.
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business?
I had thought about it . . . maybe one of these days.
But I was happy working on newspapers and covering news.
Then my newspaper in Philadelphia folded. I was out of a job.
Suddenly I became, by default, an entrepreneur.
Was it a bad break? No. It changed my life.
It thrust our family onto a new path — to business ownership.
Only 12% of Americans own and operate their own business.
But look at statistics for the top 10% of wealthy Americans.
Of them, 21% own and operate their own businesses.
Family-owned businesses are a source of great wealth.
And that number is expanding with new, startup businesses.
Entrepreneurs are amassing fortunes. Why can't you?
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to talk about doing this.
I’ll share with you the lessons we learned in our own journey.
Now we own three companies plus real estate investments.
Real estate is a great place for your to grow your wealth.
There’s no reason you can’t do what we’re done — and more.
Next week I’ll share ideas to help you succeed in business.
For more on your own life’s adventure, please click here.