Dan Waldschmidt's Blog, page 27

Rigging The System.

No one is out to get you.

You might feel discouraged, bullied and beat down. You might be surrounded by people who seem to delight in your misery.

Things might be incredibly difficult for you. With no end in sight and no apparent way out of the challenges you are facing.

Before you blame somebody else for your situation, have you ever considered that you might be miserable and stuck and lonely and frustrated because of your own actions?

Maybe it’s not them after all.

Maybe it’s not a global conspiracy to keep you down or life’s karmic revenge.

Maybe it’s just the fact that you’re not there yet. And you’re tired from all the effort you’ve been putting in so far.

You see other people winning while putting in less effort and having fewer problems then you seem to have.

And that gets under your skin.

You begin to see things differently.

Jaded by fatigue and bitterness and the fact that you don’t have all the answers you want right now.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that anyone else is out to get you. Don’t make the mistake of believing that you have it tougher than anyone else. Don’t make the mistake of believing that the system is rigged against you.

You are the system. Your effort is the rigging.

Your beliefs and attitudes and generosity directly impact your future.

Nothing is an accident.

No effort is without consequence or reward. You get to decide it all.

Your effort and passion and resilience matter magnificently.

Don’t let your frustration in the moment convince you to stop working so hard to get to where you want to be.

Double down today. Believe. Work. Grind.

The post Rigging The System. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

The Most Likely Opportunity For You to Fail.

Your biggest strength is also the most likely opportunity for you to fail.

It creates the best opportunity and environment for failure.

Determination and resilience are essential qualities that all champions exhibit. But left unchecked, those same qualities will turn you into a bully.

You will belittle those who don’t agree with you or when you don’t feel like you are getting your way.

It destroys you from the inside out.

Analysis and insight are valuable qualities of exceptional individuals.

But that same thoughtfulness can drive you to avoid necessary action. Instead of trying and learning and trying again, you’ll avoid doing anything until you have every detail completely figured out.

Having an ego will give your courage. But it will also destroy everything good you bring to the world around you.
Being sensitive will make you relatable. But it will also lead to disappointment when you take things too personally.
Power will enable you to drive past obstacles in your way. But it will also give allow you to step on other people.

What you thought was your biggest strength is now a huge liability.

But only if you let it destroy you.

Like any part of life, every choice is yours to make.

You get to decide if your greatest strength becomes your biggest weakness. Nothing is automatic. What you do each day determines your success.

Hack your lifestyle to get the best out of your everything you are:

Challenge your preconceived notions of what you think is possible.
Surround yourself with people who call you out on your poor behavior.
Join a mastermind group where you develop new and exciting skills.
Meditate each day on your activities and attitudes. Journal your thoughts.

There isn’t an antidote for failure.

You have to monitor, manage, and improve at every possible step opportunity.

And when you see your strength turning into a liability, you have to be honest enough and willing to make the changes necessary to get back on track.

There isn’t anything you can’t do. There is a lot you won’t do — simply because you’re not willing to change.

What do you need to change today?

The post The Most Likely Opportunity For You to Fail. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Anyway.

If you wait for the right time or the right people to get started doing what needs to be done, you’ll never get started.

If you stop trying because other people are cold and unkind you’ll never get anywhere.

Life is tough. Perform anyway.

In the words of Mother Teresa:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

You have obstacles in your way right now that seem impossibly difficult.

You aren’t sure you can make it.

There are people in your life that are determined to treat you as unfairly as possible.

But the hard truth about success is that you have to do the right thing anyway.

You have to do that hard thing anyway.

No excuses. No blame. No waiting for better odds.

Today. Any day. Anyway.

The post Anyway. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Never Assume.

Never assume that other people are as passionate about you being as successful as you are. They aren’t.

Never assume that your problems are the result of anyone else’s decision. They aren’t.

Never assume that you can fix a hard situation with an easy answer. You can’t.

Never assume that what used to work well will work well in the future. It won’t.

Never assume that people are specifically out to get you. They aren’t.

Never assume that ignoring your problems will make them go away. It won’t.

Never assume that you won’t be able to achieve a result that no one else has. You can.

Never assume that you’ve reached your full potential in life. You haven’t.

Never assume that a problem is too big or a challenge too scary to fix. It’s not.

Never assume that other people’s opinions about you are facts. They’re not.

Never assume that another day is a better day to do what needs to be done today. It won’t be.

Never assume that your situation is any tougher than anyone else around you. It’s not.

Never assume you’re not tough enough to do whatever it takes to achieve success. You are.

The post Never Assume. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

A Failure To Experience Pain.

You either train tough or learn to quit when trouble arrives.

Imagine how differently you would live your life if you woke up every morning training to win an Olympic event. You would be careful about what you eat and how much sleep you get each night.

You would have a daily training regimen, a coach that you rely on, and competitors that you compare yourself against.

You wouldn’t just go through the motions.

You would examine the details of your event. Practice under pressure. Simulate the actual event occurring.

In fact, you might make things harder on yourself in training by wearing a weight vest or by increasing the amount of exercise you do.

Why? By making it tougher on yourself in training, you’re building the special skills to be extraordinary when the actual competition begins.

Nothing is left to chance. Nothing is accidental.

Every moment of every day is planned and coordinated and analyzed for efficiency and effectiveness.

But that’s not how you live your personal life or your business life.

It should be. But it’s probably not.

Whole days and weeks go by without you questioning if what you’re doing is the right thing.

Instead of getting a coach to help you do better, you prioritize how you look to others.

You don’t simulate hardship. You make excuses to avoid it.

Almost at any cost.

Instead of developing skills like empathy, collaboration, conversation, and endurance — you’re focused on trying to tip the odds in your favor.

You’re worried about working smart and appearing like you have all the answers.

You aren’t training tough enough.

You’re not serious enough about your life.

You’re doing things that should matter in a way that doesn’t matter. And when things get tough, you fail.

You’re overwhelmed by adversity. You want to rise up and win the day — but you haven’t planned for the moment.

And you’re not ready.

Mentally. Physically. Or emotionally.

It’s a failure to train. A failure to experience pain.

And unless you change that now, you’ll never get to where you want to be.

The post A Failure To Experience Pain. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

A 13-Point Guidebook For Winning.

Winners don’t give up. They want to at times. They just don’t. They get hurt. They feel pain. They get angry.  They make mistakes — sometimes big ones. But they keep going. They keep moving towards where they want to be.
There is always an excellent reason to give up. And if you look for a reason to justify quitting when things get uncomfortable, there is always a legitimate option available. That doesn’t mean it’s the right decision to make.
Your goals always look a lot scarier a few months after you make them. In the heat of the moment, making a big goal seems impressive. Over time, you start to doubt your sanity. That’s not an excuse to give up.
Success comes down to the little things. Mastering the details makes the difference between those who win and those who live life frustrated and bitter. It’s not a big thing that is standing in your way of success. It’s a detail you’ve overlooked.
What you think about the most you eventually do. If all you think about is failure and giving up, you’ll eventually do that. Winners make time to think beyond the frustration of the moment. They meditate on what success looks like.
If you keep moving towards where you want to be, you’ll eventually end up there. Always. It might take you longer than you want. It will usually be more difficult that you expect. But your focused effort will get you across the finish line.
If you don’t believe in yourself, no else’s opinion or support will be enough to motivate you to keep moving. There aren’t many people cheering you on when you look like an idiot doing hard things. Be your own cheerleader.
The difference between winning and losing usually just comes down to who has the most guts — not brains. There isn’t some magical new idea or process you can deploy to save yourself the agony of pushing through the hard things.
Just because you gave up one time isn’t a good excuse for you to keep giving up. Don’t let one moment of weakness lead to a lifetime of unrealized goals. Improve. Learn. Bet on yourself. Do it differently this time around.
Just because you don’t know the exact next step to take doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a next step. It’s easier to adjust when you already have momentum. Building and maintaining momentum should be your highest priority.
No amount of evidence or facts will be able to persuade you to keep going if you don’t believe in yourself. Your inspiration can’t be someone else’s opinion. It has to be a deep sense of purpose. Coupled with urgency.
The most likely winner isn’t always the person who ends up winning. Just because you haven’t already achieved the results you want for yourself doesn’t mean you never will. It just means it hasn’t happened yet.
You’ll feel better when you get to where you want to be. It just hurts until you get there. Don’t confuse discomfort with the lack of progress. Everyone else is in pain too. Winners trade short term pain for a lifetime of satisfaction.

The post A 13-Point Guidebook For Winning. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Do Some.

Everything isn’t all bad. Life isn’t over. You’re just facing a problem.

Frustration has a way of corrupting your perspective.

When you’re feeling angry and confused by the situation you are in at the time, it’s easy to feel like nothing is going right. Like everything is a problem.

Usually, that’s just not the case.

You’re stuck. It’s a simple as that.

There is work to be done. That’s the secret.

Do something about it. Make progress. Build a plan. Move closer towards where you want to be.

Motion build emotion.

Activity changes your attitude.

You might not feel any better right away, but you’ll be doing the things that will make you feel a whole lot better down the road.

Doing nothing can’t be an option. Staying stuck isn’t a choice you’re willing to accept.

Don’t let your perspective rob you of future results.

The post Do Some. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Surrounded By Idiots And Morons.

If you expect people to let you down, they always will.

If you see your customers as “out to get you,” you will always struggle to grow your business.

If you are outraged because prospects don’t return your call, your phone won’t be ringing as often as you think it should.

If you call your employees lazy and stupid, then that is how they will act.

The people in your life rise to meet the benefit of the doubt that you give them.

You have an impact on other people.

They’re not going to be perfect. But your expectations of them shape your perspective of what they do.

Your beliefs drive their behavior — which, in turn, shapes your attitude and the feedback you give them.

That feedback is the difference between them going the extra mile, and trying one more time, or just going through the motions before they decide to move on to something else.

You’re not responsible for anyone else’s actions. But you’re responsible for how your attitude impacts them.

Maybe you’re surrounded by idiots and morons because that’s what you expect them to be.

The post Surrounded By Idiots And Morons. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Bad Things Don’t Just Happen To Good People.

What you do matters. The choices and decisions you make have a clear impact on your future.

Your results aren’t some accident or the result of mysterious karma.

The things that are happening to you right now are the direct result of your actions and attitudes in the past.

Your actions right now dictate your future.

It is true that bad things sometimes happen to good people, but most of the time, bad things happen because of bad choices.

Choices made a long time ago.

Maybe in a moment of weakness. Frankly, the reason or timing doesn’t really matter.

Usually, there is little to be done at the moment these consequences show up. What is done is done. What is here is here. And now it has to be dealt with.

It should make you think.

Instead of wasting your time being bitter about what’s happening right now or blaming other people for the uncomfortable consequences of bad decisions from your past, take steps right now to improve.

Change your future.

Do better right now.

Refuse to accept that “what has been, will always be.”

If you want something different from what you’re experiencing right now, you have to start doing something you’ve never done before. You have to change. That change begins on the inside.

Just doing something different isn’t good enough. You have to be a better person.

That starts by thinking better. What you think about most you ultimately become.

So if you allow negativity and fear and rage to drive your decisions, your future only look like misery & frustration.

It’s you making a bad choice.

Bad decisions lead to bad consequences. Those bad consequences guarantee a miserable existence.

You have to disrupt the cycle. And you have to start right now.

Forgive people you’ve been holding a grudge against.
Learn something new that will help you be more valuable.
Get up an hour earlier tomorrow and read a good book.
Find a mentor or accountability group and get involved.
Make 3 calls to people you need to get back in touch with.
Trade your TV viewing time for physical exercise and sweat.
Pick back up that idea you’ve been avoiding to get started on.
Eat healthier food. Drink more water. Avoid too much sugar.

It’s the small things that matter.

Bad things don’t just “happen” to good people.

They’re the result of bad choices.

The post Bad Things Don’t Just Happen To Good People. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

The One Who Got Back Up.

It was Tokyo, Japan. The evening of February 11, 1990. Another heart-stopping boxing performance expected from the angriest boxer to ever set foot inside the ring. They billed the fight: Tyson Is Back!

The storyline seemed ripped from a horror movie. Walking into the arena, James Douglas was a 42-1 underdog.

A dead man walking.

He was about to meet the most brutal boxer of all time — “Iron Mike” Tyson. A man who had demolished every fighter put in front of him. All 37 in a row. Undefeated. Unstoppable.

The undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world — holding the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.

At 5 foot, 10 inches tall, weighing in at 220 pounds, Mike Tyson wasn’t just the greatest heavyweight fighter in the world, he was the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, according to Ring Magazine.

The best ever.

His last fight before tonight was a holy terror of anguish and punishment for Carl “The Truth” Williams. Tyson dropped him stone cold unconscious in just 93 seconds. Knocked out. The fight over.

Douglas was ranked the number 7 heavyweight boxer in his class. Barely. In truth, he was washed up. He hadn’t had a fight in 3 years. That was the night he got knocked out in the 10th round by Tony Tucker — who was the shortest-reigning heavyweight world champion in history. He would keep his belt just 64 days.

Perhaps it was Douglas’ 6 consecutive wins before that knockout by Tucker that put him in the ring with Tyson. Maybe it was that no one else wanted to trade him places. Regardless, he was about to be beaten badly by a man who was known for his punishing blows.

It was going to be brutal.

The punishment started long before he got to the edge of the ring that night. Just 3 weeks earlier his mother, Lula Pearl, had died unexpectedly — a deeply devastating emotional blow to Douglas who was close to his mother.

At the same time, his son’s mother was slowly dying with a severe kidney ailment. And after weeks of training and preparation, Douglas fell sick with a stomach virus the day before the fight — leaving his body weak and fatigued.

And there he was, stepping into the ring with the fiercest boxer in the world as an impossibly ridiculous underdog. The odds were 42-1 against him.

Quite simply, he had nothing to lose.

That put a bounce in his step. From the first round, it was clear that Douglas wasn’t afraid of Tyson. He danced just out of reach of Tyson’s trademark uppercut, delivering a quick and accurate jab. When Tyson tried to break inside his guard, Douglas would tie him up or move back out of range — clearly winning the round.

The second round was more of the same. Douglas, jabbing and moving. Tyson, being bested at each exchange. So was the third round. And the fourth.

Tyson’s corner was growing frantic. His cornerman, Jay Bright, was screaming at his fighter, “You can’t just sit there and look at him. You’ve gotta to to work!”

Tyson was off his game.

Even “Sugar” Ray Leonard, who was calling the fight live for HBO made the observation that Tyson was having one of those fights where “You just don’t have it. Things just don’t click”.

It wasn’t all one-sided. Tyson was able to connect with a few smashing blows, rocking Douglas. But it came at a cost. His right eye started to swell shut. Which enraged Tyson. He had always dominated his opponents. He wasn’t the fighter getting hurt. He was the guy delivering the hurt.

Round eight started with purpose. Tyson was focused. And angry. Angry at his corner for not having his back. Angry at the crowd for cheering on Douglas. Angry at swelling that was making it hard to see out of his right eye.

He was going to end the fight.

As the round counted down, Tyson pressed the action like a man possessed. Like the fighter who had dominated the last 37 opponents. With 10 seconds left in the roud, Tyson hit Douglas with a brutal uppercut, dropping him cold to the mat.

One… Two… Three… The referee was counting and Douglas was still on the mat… Four… Five… Six… Douglas started to move… Seven… Eight… Douglas struggled to his feet… Nine…

The round was over. Saved by the bell. Literally. Douglas limped back to his corner.

Sensing blood, Tyson started round nine like a maniac. Smashing. Pounding. Chasing Douglas around the ring. Trying to end in brutal fashion his 38th opponent.

But Douglas wouldn’t go down.

He wobbled. He staggered. He stayed away from his opponent. And then he didn’t. Something changed. He was still standing. And when that finally hit him, he found new life. New courage. New power.

Douglas hit Tyson with a four-punch combination that staggered Tyson. He fell into the ropes. Hurt. Wobbling on his feet like in none of his other fights before. But he made it out of the round.

By round ten Tyson wasn’t thinking straight. He had been battered by Douglas’ punishing jab, absorbing more damage than in any other fight. He walked right into a devastating uppercut from Douglas. The entire stadium fell to a hush as in slow motion, Tyson’s head snapped backward. Four smashing punches later he fell unconscious to the mat.

He had never been knocked down before.

Ten seconds later the referee, Octavio Meyran, counted him out. He had been knocked out.

James “Buster” Douglas became the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and the fight became the biggest upset in boxing history.

He hadn’t fought in three years. He was sick with the flu when he entered the ring. His mom had just died. His son’s mother was dying. The odds were against him in every way.

He had been doubted. Mocked by reporters. Beaten down. And knocked to the ground. But he got back up.

He got back up.

It was as simple as that. That’s what separated “Buster” Douglas from the 37 other fighters who came ahead of him. That is what made him a winner.

He was the one who got back up.

It’s the only thing that will make you a winner too.

The post The One Who Got Back Up. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...