MESSAGE #27 - THE BEST THING FOR BEING SAD

***Today’s message is especially dedicated to the GREAT ED FERRARO***.

The following passage is taken from The Once and Future King by T.H. White.

Merlyn gives this advice to the young Arthur . . . .

The best thing for being sad . . . is to learn something.

That is the only thing that never fails.

You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds.

There is only one thing for it then — to learn.

If you want to hear how Ed Ferraro learned something a year ago today that changed his life, call Success Hotline at (973) 743-4690 . . .

Rob Gilbert

MESSAGE #10 - THE ONE TEST YOU MUST PASS

Every night you take a test. You take it right before you fall asleep. It’s called THE PILLOW TEST. When you review your day and look back on all that transpired, what do you say to yourself?

If you say things like, “I’M GLAD I DID.”
You pass the test.

But, if you say things to yourself like, “I WISH I HAD.”
You fail the test.

You take this test every day whether you know it or not. Some days you take it consciously, other days you take it unconsciously.

There are no make-ups and you take the test by yourself so it’s impossible to cheat.

The more “I’M GLAD I DID”s you have — the more you achieve and the more you succeed.

If you have more of the “I WISH I HAD”s, you’re in trouble. Reading this blog will help you turn that around.

When Roger Bannister trained to break the four-minute mile he passed the pillow test each and every night. (See message #8)

Ed Ferraro, during his 37-day trek across America, passed the pillow test every single night. (See Message #9)

How about you?

Did you pass The Pillow Test last night?

Do you pass The Pillow Test most nights???

High-achievers and peak performers consistently pass this test.

There’s no compromising here —

YOU MUST PASS THIS TEST EVERY NIGHT!

HERE’S HOW TO PASS THE PILLOW TEST . . .

Several times today (and every day), you’ll have moments of truth.

In order to get what you want, you’ll have to do something courageous. You will have to

ACT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU FEEL.

If you’re an athlete, you’re going to be training and you’ll be so exhausted that every cell in your body will want you to quit. You’ll feel like quitting. At that moment, you’ll have to be a warrior. You’ll have to act differently than you feel — you’ll have to fight through the pain and keep running, lifting, playing, etc. . . .

If you’re a student, you’re going to be studying and you’ll be so mentally confused or bored that every neuron in your brain will want you to give up. You’ll feel like giving up. At that moment, you’ll have to be a warrior. You’ll have to act differently than you feel — you’ll have to fight through the boredom and confusion and keep studying.

If you’re in sales, you’re going to be making your calls and you’ll be so dejected and rejected and every part of you will want you to “throw in the towel.” You’ll feel like stopping. You’ll have to be a warrior. You’ll have to act differently than you feel — you’ll have to fight through the dejection and rejection and keep on keeping on keeping on.

The more you can act differently than you feel → the more you’ll accomplish.

The more you accomplish → the more you’ll succeed.

That’s how you pass The Pillow Test.

Write this quote on an index card and tape it to your desk:

“THE THING I HATE TO DO

THE MOST

IS THE THING I NEED TO DO

THE MOST.”

Fight through it!

Give me a call at 973.743.4690,

Rob Gilbert

DEDICATION: Today’s message is specially dedicated to the great
Ed Agresta, who coined the concept, “Act differently than you feel.” Thanks, Ed!

MESSAGE #9 – WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT BEING HAPPY???

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch I’ve got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it to future generations."

—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856-1950)
Irish playwright

It’s so easy to be happy — just have a drink, a great meal, go to a movie. What’s the big deal about being happy?

Just about every ad we see is trying to sell us happiness. Get a new car, a new house, a new hair color, and you’ll be happy. Have a Coke and go on vacation and you’ll be real happy . . . or so the media would like us to think.

IT’S A LIE!

THE TRUTH: There’s something that’ll make you much happier than being happy. It’s called FULFILLMENT.

Ed Ferraro was a guest speaker yesterday in my classes at Montclair State. Last summer between July 17 and August 23, Ed was not happy. During those 37 days, Ed and his friend Glen rode their Trek bikes 3,222 miles from Portland, Oregon to Kasser Theatre at Montclair State University. (for pictures from Ed's cross-country trek, click here)

Ed and Glen biked 100-150 miles per day. They were chased by wolves, ran over snakes, dealt with physical pain and mental boredom. Ed made it clear that he wasn’t happy. Oh, he was motivated; he was focused; he was productive BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT.

At the Amherst College wrestling room, there used to be a sign that read:

“The hard times you go through
will be the good times you’ll have.”

Listening to Ed speak, you know that he biked right down the highways and byways of difficulties and ended up at an extraordinary place: FULFILLMENT.

You don’t have to do much of anything just to be happy.

You don’t have to do anything difficult to be happy.

But . . . fighting through difficulty is part of the price you pay for fulfillment.

In A League of Their Own, a movie about a women’s professional baseball team during World War II, the star catcher Dottie Henson (played by Geena Davis) told her manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) that she was quitting the team because, “It got too hard.”

The manager said, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it were so easy everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

“The hard is what makes it great.”

“For the harder I work, the more I live.”

Why aim for happiness? It’ll just get you temporary pleasure. It won’t take you anywhere.

Follow Ed to the town of FULFILLMENT.

Do something difficult today.

Don’t forget to call Success Hotline at 973.743.4690,

Rob Gilbert