MESSAGE #1127 - HOW TO BE THE NEXT DARREN VENTRE

The only
problem
with
your potential
is
your failure
to
use it.

Darren Ventre
motivational speaker

MESSAGE #952 - HOW TO BE THE NEXT TONY ROBBINS

If you want
to be successful,
find someone
who has achieved
the results
you want
and copy
what
they do
and
you’ll achieve
the same
results.

Tony Robbins
motivational speaker
and author

MESSAGE #886 - HOW TO BE THE NEXT GREAT MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Success
is not
a secret.
It never
has been.
There
are only
a few
really good ideas,
and
not one
of them
is a secret.

Larry Winget
motivational speaker & author

MESSAGE #503 - CHOICES NOT SACRIFICES

We make choices.
I hate to say “sacrifices.”
When I speak to groups
I say,
“We don't make
sacrifices.
If we truly
love this sport and we
have these goals and
dreams
in the sport,
the classroom,
or in life,
they are not sacrifices.
They are
choices
that we make
to fulfill these
goals and dreams.”

Sacrifices
makes it
sound like
“Oh, poor me,
I have to do this
in order
to get to this,”
and
I don't really like that word.
It was just really
the choice
to take care of myself and
live a proper lifestyle.
In doing that,
I feel like a healthier person,
I feel focused in everything,
not just in my running.”

Deena Kastor,
Olympic marathon medalist

MESSAGE #477 - ARE YOU TOO MOTIVATED?

Some days do you
wake up too motivated?

Do you say to yourself,
“If I were any more
motivated I’d overdose.”

I’m never too motivated.

I ALWAYS NEED MORE.

One of my friends who
gets me motivated and
keeps me motivated
each and every day
is the great Ed Smith.

Ed is an internationally
acclaimed motivational
author. That means he
sells a lot of books!

Every day he sends me his
“One Minute Motivator” –
FREE!

Here is one of his “One Minute
Motivators.”

If you want to subscribe,
information is at the end
of the message.

HERE”S ED . . .

BITTER OR BETTER???

Instead of becoming
bitter,
become better.

When you are
faced
with problems,
look at them for ways
you can
improve yourself
so they don't
happen again.

Rather than
focus on
how upset
you are
or how hurt
you are,
focus on how
this can
show you
what new skills
or information
you need.

Once you
do this
and focus on
becoming better,
the bitterness
fades
and
is replaced
with hope.

Want more???

HERE’S ED’S INFO . . .

Edward W. Smith is the author
of the international best-selling book,
Sixty Seconds To Success and
the co-host of the Bright Moment
cable TV show. Information about
the book along with a sign up form
for the FREE, DAILY email of the

“One Minute Motivator” is at
www.brightmoment.com.

Video versions of some of the
“One Minute Motivator”
are at:
http://youtube.com/user/motivationalexpert.

Anyone emailing Ed at
edsmith@brightmoment.com
and mentioning
this blog, will receive a FREE 21-page Tool Kit,
that contains such things as free sources of
motivational material, a list of over 100
uplifting/motivating movies, and much more.

MESSAGE #452 - “IT’S ABOUT OTHERS”

What do you do in your free time?

Me?

I google “commencement addresses.”

I’m not kidding.

I love reading these short, insightful, and, hopefully, inspirational speeches.

I love the “life lessons” most. The part when the speaker relates what they known now that they wished they knew then.

Here’s part of a good one . . .

In 2007, Daniel Ritchie, chancellor emeritus of the University of Denver, was the commencement speaker at Colorado School of Mines.

Here’s my favorite part . . .

In looking back now over these many years, I have learned a few other things that I think might be useful to you. I have a few suggestions -- just a few -- on how to make your life not only a success, but a joy.

Finding joy in life doesn't have so much to do with what you know. It's about values and character. Let me tell you about a personal experience.

When I graduated from business school, I looked around at my classmates and divided them into two categories -- those that I would like to work with and those that I wouldn't.

The latter group, I called the snakes.

I was really dividing them up according to my assessment of their character. I wanted to work with people of integrity, loyalty, and honesty -- because I valued those qualities even more than knowledge and skill.

I decided that I would watch my classmates over the years to see how they turned out.

Frankly, the early years were a big surprise!

The snakes were winning hands down.

I worried that maybe I'd gotten life figured out all wrong. Maybe this integrity and caring stuff was for the birds.

But over time, the tide began to turn.

Now, more than 50 years later the good guys are winning by a huge margin and most of the snakes have been run over.

You see, it's a real advantage to be a snake if people don't know you are one, but, sooner or later, they figure it out. And once they have, it's over. You can never change their minds. Also, I've noticed that it isn't much fun being a snake.

There's a reason why caring people with integrity, loyalty, and honesty succeed.

To succeed, any organization, whether a business organization or any other kind, must have teamwork. Real teamwork, requires people who trust one another and care about one another.

In short, you have to be trustworthy. If everybody's just in it for their own fame or fortune, I guarantee you that the organization will be a loser. Over the course of history, mercenaries have never won a war. You have to believe.

And what is true of organizational behavior and success is equally true of societies as a whole. Moral decline recedes economic and social decline. A society of snakes can't function over the long haul, because people are not meant to be selfish, solitary units. To survive and flourish people need to - and must - rely on each other. Snakes can't do that. And we know a society of snakes certainly is no fun.

Now, what I'm telling you, most of you know already. In fact, the human race has known these truths for a very long time.

We in the West have the Golden Rule, which tells us to do unto others what you would have them do unto you.

Across the globe, Confucius said not to do unto others what we would not have them do unto us.

Pretty much the same idea, with a cultural twist.

We've known these things for thousands of years. Sometimes we just forget them.

I remind you of them today because today begins the real test of your life and person. Today marks the beginning of what you've prepared for all these years. And with an education from the School of Mines, you are ready.

Now you just need to make two promises to yourself.

First, that you will never, ever, under any circumstances, compromise your personal integrity.

And, second, that you will find a life purpose, if you haven't already, that goes beyond yourself.

It can be to grow a fine family, improve the environment, support a cause or serve your God.

I can tell you, after many years of personal experience and observation, that a self-centered, selfish life isn't very satisfying or rewarding.

So, just do these two things: Maintain your personal integrity, no matter what. And have a life purpose that goes beyond yourself.

You will be successful.

You will feel fulfilled.

And you'll have a great time, which is very important.

MESSAGE #387 - A MAN YOU MUST MEET

You missed him.

Jonathan Sprinkles from Houston, Texas, one of the top speakers on the college circuit and one of the very best speakers I’ve ever heard, gave a great motivational talk at Kean University (NJ) last Friday and you missed him.

But, don’t worry -- I was there taking notes for you!

Here they are some of Jonathan’s words of wisdom . . .

#1. If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.

#2. The best way for you to block your blessings is to complain about what you don’t have instead of appreciating what you do have.

#3. Somewhere, someone is praying to have your problems. We talk about not having enough shoes to wear, but there are people who don’t have any feet. We talk about having no place to go, but there are many people who don’t have anywhere to live.

#4. To have a choice -- but not use your choice -- is the same as not having a choice at all. If you can read, but you choose not to read, what’s the difference between you and someone who can’t read?

#5. If you take advantage of the choices you have in college, the rest of your life will be the best of your life.

#6. “Power” is the ability to get results.

#7. “Personal power” is the ability to determine the results in your life.

#8. When you’ve got your mind made up, I can’t make you care; I can’t make you pay attention; I can’t make you do your homework; I can’t make you do your sit-ups,

#9. But when you’ve got your mind made up, I can’t stop you either. I can’t stop you from caring; I can’t stop you from paying attention; I can’t stop you from doing your homework; I can’t stop you from doing your sit-ups.

#10. Because you have the power, you control the results in your life! No one can take away your power -- you can only give it away.

#11. Who has the power in your life? Is it you or your external circumstances?

#12. Don’t let what’s on the outside define what’s on the inside. YOU CONTROL THE RESULTS IN YOUR LIFE!

#13. Don’t tell me about your dreams -- show me your sacrifices and then I’ll tell you how serious you are.

#14. This is the way things are, but this is not the way things are always going to be.

#15. Every time you go through a tough time in life, it has one of two purposes: It’s either meant to put something in you that you didn’t have before or take something out of you that hindered you from getting where you need to be.

#16. Life will not judge you by the number of times you get knocked down. Life judges you by the number of times you get back up.

#17. Read the book “What Makes the Great Great” by Dr. Dennis Kimbro.

#18. Sometimes you find your purpose and sometimes your purpose finds you.

#19. A relationship that has not been tested cannot be trusted.

#20. Passion persuades. The person with better information will lose to the person with more passion.

#21. The measure of your life isn’t about the circumstances around you. It’s about what you choose to do with those circumstances.

#22. You have to talk to yourself the right way. You have to speak about those things that aren’t -- as though they were -- until they are.

#23. Whether you think you can or think you can’t -- you’re right.

#24. The thing you’re most afraid of -- do it first, because you’ll either get the thing that you want or you’ll get a great lesson.

#25. Some people are so negative that if you put them in a dark room they’ll start to develop!

#26. Life does not give you what you desire or what you deserve, but what you demand.

#27. Silence can never be misquoted.

#28. Why settle for second best?

#29. You were born an original -- don’t live like a copy.

Want more of Jonathan? Visit him on the web at www.JSPRINKLES.com

MESSAGE #338 - KNOWING VERSUS DOING

Once upon a time, there was a penguin who was surfing the web.

He came across the website of a motivational speaker who specialized in teaching pigs how to fly.

The penguin was amazed and thought, “If this person can teach pigs to fly, maybe he can perform a miracle and also teach penguins to fly.”

The penguin emailed the motivational speaker and asked him if he could teach penguins to fly.

“Of course. No problem,” The speaker responded.

The penguin then asked him if he would be interested in coming to the South Pole.

The speaker said it would be very expensive.

The money was raised.

The travel arrangements were made.

Everything was all set.

On the big day, 100 excited penguins showed up at a hotel for the seminar.

The motivational speaker began the seminar by telling the penguins that there were only two things they had to do to fly:

#1. Flap your wings harder.

#2. Believe in yourself.

He started teaching them how to flap really, really, really hard.

The penguins learned how to flap harder, but not one of the penguins left the ground.

Then the motivational speaker had ladders set up all around the room. He explained that he wanted the penguins to start on the first rung, jump off and flap really hard.

They started on the first rung. They jumped off and flapped. And then they all fell flat on their beaks.

Next, then they progressed to the second rung. They jumped off, flapped really hard, but no success.

When they got to the third rung, all of a sudden some one of the penguins yelled out, “Look at Ralph! Look at Ralph!”

Ralph was up and flying for about 10 seconds.

That did it!

As soon as the penguins saw that it was possible, they started to believe!

One after another, they started flying. They were up in the air for five seconds . . . 10 seconds . . . 30 seconds . . .

By the end of the day, every single one of the penguins was flying for as long as they wanted!

The seminar was a resounding success.

When it ended, the speaker didn’t just get a standing ovation -- he received a flying one, too!

After it was all over, the most amazing thing happened. When all the penguins left the hotel, each and every one of them walked

MESSAGE #301- ENERGY AND PASSION

If you think
it’s going to be
difficult
to be
energized and passionate . . .
imagine how
difficult
it’s going to be
to compete against
someone who’s
energized and passionate
if you aren’t.

Put your seat belt on and get ready for the great Tom Peters.

Peters is one of the top business speakers on the planet.

His message is for business people, but not just for business people.

He’s speaking to every one of us – no matter what we do.

Peters is talking about the importance of energy and passion.

All excellence begins with energy and passion.

Whether you work in a restaurant, a school, or a hospital . . .
or you want to be a better dad, volunteer, or whatever . . .

It’s energy, energy, energy.
It’s passion, passion, passion.

If you think
it’s going to be
difficult
to be
energized and passionate . . .
imagine how
difficult
it’s going to be
to compete against
someone who’s
energized and passionate
if you aren’t.

I know you have it, but do you use it?

I just finished watching this clip for the seventh time.

I hope it inspires you the way it has inspired me.

Here’s Tom . . .

MESSAGE # 272 - SUCCESS HOTLINE ON-LINE’S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

Look at the top of the screen and see where it says, “Dr. Rob Gilbert’s Success Hotline – Online”?

IT’S A LIE!

In all honesty, there should be four more names up there.

I may do most of my Success Hotline phone messages by myself, but I’VE NEVER DONE EVEN ONE OF THESE BLOGS ALONE.

I am very grateful to four people who have helped every step of the way . . .

This blog would not exist without them.

SUE BROOKS

If you think I write well . . . let me tell you a secret -- I’m not a great writer, but I do have a great editor. Notice how terrible that last sentence was? That’s because Sue didn’t edit it! If I’ve written it, Sue’s edited it. She is an absolute editing genius. There’s not a person on the planet that edits better. (I think it should have been “who edits better.) Sue, thank you for making me look good! Sue is a proud graduate of Montclair State and a specialist in public relations.

JIM GREENE

If you’ve seen a great video on this blog, the chances are that Jim discovered it. Jim has put in tons of time “scouting” the Web so we can bring you the most inspiring and motivating videos in the world! For the past 15 years, Jim has worked as a crisis counselor. He is also a great motivational speaker. He inspires his audiences to turn their setbacks into comebacks. What Rudy is to Notre Dame . . . Jim is to New Jersey.

JOHN McCARTHY

John has influenced almost every message on this blog either by forwarding me an inspiring e-mail, giving me a press clipping, or calling me with a brilliant idea. John teaches with me at Montclair State and is the co-founder of the Institute of Coaching at the Yogi Berra Museum. Absolutely no one knows more about the social and psychological aspects of sports and coaching. John won just about every teaching award possible during his 34-year career at West Orange High School. Working closely with him is one of the highlights of my career.

LISA SARGESE

This blog was not my idea. It was Lisa’s idea. Through her support and encouragement, we’ve created daily messages since early April. Lisa is the publisher of this blog. I love the way it looks – and that’s all because of Lisa. Thank you sooooo much. She also has her own blog. Check it out at http://theskinnyonline.blogspot.com. Lisa is a super-star religion professor at Montclair State University and is an inspiring professional speaker. Prediction: Lisa is going to be very famous very soon!

THANK YOU, SUE!
THANK YOU, JIM!
THANK YOU, JOHN!
THANK YOU, LISA!

MESSAGE #224 - WHAT VINCE LOMBARDI CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT WINNING

Vince Lombardi is the greatest pro football coach of all time. Here are his thoughts on winning...

Winning is not a sometimes thing; it’s an all-the-time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time.

Winning is a habit.

Unfortunately, so is losing.

There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. . . . It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.

Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the ground up -- from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play.

Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. you’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.

Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization -- an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win -- to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is.

It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there -- to compete. . . . The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules -- but to win.

And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.

I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour -- his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear -- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and he’s exhausted on the field of battle -- victorious.

MESSAGE #200 - NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!

PROFESSOR RANDY PAUSCH TO APPEAR ON OPRAH ON MONDAY

Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University will be on Oprah on Monday, October 22.
Don’t know who Professor Pausch is???

He gave the greatest lecture ever.

Just click here to see Message #172, Message #173, & Message #174.

I can’t wait until Monday.

Rob Gilbert

P.S. This Sunday, I’ll be conducting a telephone seminar on “Relaxation and Stress Reduction.” Please call Success Hotline at (973) 743-4690 for more information.

MESSAGE #194 - DESIRE VERSUS ABILITY

SPECIAL NOTICE:

Sunday, I will be conducting a TELEPHONE SEMINAR on
COLLEGE SUCCESS.

DATE: Sunday, October, 14, 2007

TIME: 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time

SEMINAR FEE: $000.00

SEMINAR VALUE: “priceless”

REQUIRED READING: “How to Have Fun Without Failing Out” by Rob Gilbert

SEMINAR DIAL-IN NUMBER: (641) 715-3200

PARTICIPANT ACCESS CODE: 1072571#

* * * * * * *

DESIRE VERSUS ABILITY

I know that I would rather teach or coach a highly motivated person with little or no skill than a highly skilled person with little or no motivation.

The great professional speaker Larry Winget feels the same way.

The following passage is from his book It’s Called Work for a Reason.

When evaluating people and their performance, ask yourself these two things about the employee:

#1. Does the employee have the desire to do the job?

#2. Does the employee have the ability to do the job?

What you will find is that most of your employees have the ability to do the job. Fewer will have the desire.

I would almost always rather have someone who was a “ten” on desire but a “one” in terms of ability.

I can teach just about anyone to do almost anything – therefore ability has never been much of an issue with me.

If people have a sincere desire to do something, they can usually be taught to do it.

However, if someone has no desire, what difference does it make if she is great at doing something?

You can take a person with all the ability in the world, and if he has no desire to do the task, it’s just not going to get done.

MESSAGE #185 - PROFESSOR PAUSCH UPDATE

Here’s the latest on Professor Randy Pausch.

In case you’ve missed part of the story check out Messages #172, #173, and #174.

Moving On by Jeff Zaslow
The Professor's Manifesto: What it Meant to Readers
Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2007; page D2

As a boy, Randy Pausch painted an elevator door, a submarine and mathematical formulas on his bedroom walls. His parents let him do it, encouraging his creativity.

Last week, Dr. Pausch, a computer-science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told this story in a lecture to 400 students and colleagues.

"If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it," he said. "Don't worry about resale values."

As I wrote last week, his talk was a riveting and rollicking journey through the lessons of his life. It was also his last lecture, since he has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months.

After he spoke, his only plans were to quietly spend whatever time he has left with his wife and three young children. He never imagined the whirlwind that would envelop him. As video clips of his speech spread across the Internet, thousands of people contacted him to say he had made a profound impact on their lives. Many were moved to tears by his words -- and moved to action. Parents everywhere vowed to let their kids do what they'd like on their bedroom walls.

"I am going to go right home and let my daughter paint her wall the bright pink she has been desiring instead of the "resalable" vanilla I wanted," Carol Castle of Spring Creek, Nev., wrote to me to forward to Dr. Pausch.

People wanted Dr. Pausch to know that his talk had inspired them to quit pitying themselves, or to move on from divorces, or to pay more attention to their families. One woman wrote that his words had given her the strength to leave an abusive relationship. And terminally ill people wrote that they would try to live their lives as the 46-year-old Dr. Pausch is living his. "I'm dying and I'm having fun," he said in the lecture. "And I'm going to keep having fun every day, because there's no other way to play it."

For Don Frankenfeld of Rapid City, S.D., watching the full lecture was "the best hour I have spent in years." Many echoed that sentiment.

ABC News, which featured Dr. Pausch on "Good Morning America," named him its "Person of the Week." Other media descended on him. And hundreds of bloggers world-wide wrote essays celebrating him as their new hero. Their headlines were effusive: "Best Lecture Ever," "The Most Important Thing I've Ever Seen," "Randy Pausch, Worth Every Second."

In his lecture, Dr. Pausch had said, "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things." Scores of Web sites now feature those words. Some include photos of brick walls for emphasis. Meanwhile, rabbis and ministers shared his brick-wall metaphor in sermons this past weekend.

Some compared the lecture to Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Alive" speech. Celina Levin, 15, of Marlton, N.J., told Dr. Pausch that her AP English class had been analyzing the Gehrig speech, and "I have a feeling that we'll be analyzing your speech for years to come." Already, the Naperville, Ill., Central High School speech team plans to have a student deliver the Pausch speech word for word in competition.

Dr. Randy Pausch

As Dr. Pausch's fans emailed links of his speech to friends, some were sheepish about it. "I am a deeply cynical person who reminds people frequently not to send me those sappy feel-good emails," wrote Mark Pfeifer, a technology project manager at a New York investment bank. "Randy Pausch's lecture moved me deeply, and I intend to forward it on."

In Miami, retiree Ronald Trazenfeld emailed the lecture to friends with a note to "stop complaining about bad service and shoddy merchandise." He suggested they instead hug someone they love.

Near the end of his lecture, Dr. Pausch had talked about earning his Ph.D., and how his mother would kiddingly introduce him: "This is my son. He's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people."

It was a laugh line, but it led dozens of people to reassure Dr. Pausch: "You ARE the kind of doctor who helps people," wrote Cheryl Davis of Oakland, Calif.

Dr. Pausch feels overwhelmed and moved that what started in a lecture hall with 400 people has now been experienced by millions. Still, he has retained his sense of humor. "There's a limit to how many times you can read how great you are and what an inspiration you are," he says, "but I'm not there yet."

Carnegie Mellon has a plan to honor Dr. Pausch. As a techie with the heart of a performer, he was always a link between the arts and sciences on campus. A new computer-science building is being built, and a footbridge will connect it to the nearby arts building. The bridge will be named the Randy Pausch Memorial Footbridge.

"Based on your talk, we're thinking of putting a brick wall on either end," joked the university's president, Jared Cohon, announcing the honor. He went on to say: "Randy, there will be generations of students and faculty who will not know you, but they will cross that bridge and see your name and they'll ask those of us who did know you. And we will tell them."

Dr. Pausch has asked Carnegie Mellon not to copyright his last lecture, and instead to leave it in the public domain. It will remain his legacy, and his footbridge, to the world.

MESSAGE #155 - DESIRE WINS!

YOUR SUCCESS IS ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR DESIRE.

The great motivational speaker Ed Agresta tells the story about an incredibly successful business executive who was asked to speak to business students at a prestigious university.

Toward the end of her presentation, one of the students asked the woman if her academic degrees were instrumental to her success.

With total conviction, she responded, “I only have one degree and it has made all the difference in the world. I have a Ph.D. When I was younger, I was Poor, Hungry, and Determined!”

YOUR SUCCESS IS ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR DESIRE.

Ed Agresta has a great motivational hotline called Power Thoughts –

(609) 660-8156, press 2

A RIDDLE: Nothing in the world can stop a person with it. Nothing in the world can help a person without it.

THE ANSWER: Go to the blog entry for Friday, April 27, 2007 – Message #25.

Desire wins,

Rob Gilbert

MESSAGE #128 - MY SUNDAY MORNING DRUG

Many Sunday mornings I wake up totally unmotivated.

I wait for the feeling of lethargy to pass.

It doesn’t.

Then I remember my secret weapon – Dr. Robert Schuller.

I’ve been watching Reverend Schuller and his “Hour of Power” for years. Once I even heard him preach in person at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.

Reverend Schuller is a gifted clergyman and he is also one of the world’s greatest motivational speakers.

Dr. Schuller coined the term “possibility thinker.”

So if some Sunday morning . . . you wake up totally unmotivated and the feeling doesn’t pass . . . turn on the “Hour of Power.” I guarantee you’ll hear a great motivational sermon.

Here’s a creed from Reverend Schuller that I love . . .

THE POSSIBILITY’S THINKERS CREED

When faced with a mountain,
I WILL NOT QUIT!
I will keep on striving
until
I climb over,
find a pass through,
tunnel underneath,
or
simply stay
and
turn the mountain
into a gold mine
with God’s help!

MESSAGE #68 - IT'S YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD!

Last week, Ed Agresta gave a guest lecture in my graduate applied sport psychology class at Montclair State University. Right after Ed started speaking, I left the classroom to go back to my office to pick up some markers for the board.

Outside the classroom where I was teaching are several sofas and lounge chairs. Sprawled on one of them was a young man, probably a high school student. I assumed he was waiting for his mom or dad who was taking a graduate class.

I approached the young man and tried to “recruit” him to come hear Ed.

I enthusiastically gushed, “Inside this classroom is one of the very best motivational speakers in the whole country. Why don’t you come and listen to him?”

He looked up at me and politely said, “Oh thanks, but I don’t need that kind of thing.”

* * * * * * * * *

This type of thing happens to me all the time.

I get rejected.

Fortunately, I’m used to it.

“Why don’t you call my Success Hotline?”

“Why don’t you read my blog?”

“This book will really help you.”

Usually the responses aren’t quite as polite as the one I got from this young man.

People look at me like I am nuts!

I know people have a lot to do. They have families and jobs and houses. They have the usual “places to go, things to do, people to see” routine. Everyone is just sooooooo busy . . . everyone has a full plate.

But there’s always room left for motivation and inspiration.

Would Ed’s presentation have changed that young man’s life?

Probably not.

But I know that Ed would have said some things that that young man would probably never forget.

Right now I know I’m preaching to the choir -- you already get it! You know what I’m talking about.

You also probably “recruit” people too for classes and courses and seminars, etc. . . .

You probably try to give away books too.

But, like me, you’ve been rejected too.

There’s one thing I know for sure: ALL OF US NEED “THAT KIND OF THING.”

All of us need to be motivated and inspired. No one is ever accused of being too motivated or inspired.

All of us can use more.

And if you’ve never heard the great Ed Agresta speak, call his Power Thoughts Hotline right now at (609) 660-8156 and then press 2.

Thanks, Ed.

Rob Gilbert

MESSAGE #64 - IDEAS FROM THE GREAT ED AGRESTA

Ed Agresta is one of the top motivational speakers in the world. Want proof??? Call his Power Thoughts Hotline at (609) 660-8156 and when you hear Ed’s voice, press 2.

When I spoke to Ed earlier today, he was on fire!

Here’s what he had to say . . .

SUCCESS LOVES SPEED.

IDEA + IMMEDIATE ACTION = SUCCESS

IDEA . . . (procrastination) . . . + DELAYED ACTION = SOME SUCCESS

IDEA + NO ACTION = NO SUCCESS

Once you get an idea – IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT IT!

The longer you wait . . . and wait . . . and wait – you’ll be lucky to have ANY success.

If you have A GREAT IDEA and take no action -- NO success whatsoever.

There is no failure only feedback.

Thanks, Ed!

Rob Gilbert

MESSAGE #58 - THE TWO-WORD SUCCESS COURSE

“Everyone who got where they are; started where they were.”
-- Gary Pritchard, entrepreneur and coach

In one of my sport psychology classes last semester, I started by asking my students, “How many of you can sing?” Sensing their professor’s hidden agenda, my students nervously looked around the room and only a few hands were raised after some hesitation.

Then I said, “Wrong! All of you can sing. I didn’t ask if you can sing well. I just asked if you can sing. Of course you can!”

“Now that we know that you CAN sing,” I continued, “who wants to come up to the front of the class and sing right now?” I told them they could sing “Happy Birthday,” “Amazing Grace,” or whatever they wanted.

One young woman said that she CAN sing but she didn’t WANT to.

“EXACTLY!” I said. “That’s the whole point of this demonstration. There’s a big difference between who CAN sing and who WILL sing.”

Then I pointed to another young woman and asked if she would come up and sing for the class.

She nodded, confidently walked to the front of the room, and belted out “Somewhere over the Rainbow” as if she were a professional. When she finished, she received a spirited round of applause.

I then exposed the scam. Nikki Cappiello, the singer, is a pro. She’s been singing ever since she was a young child and now she’s the lead singer for “Plan B.” She’s a Montclair State student, but not a member of my class -- I recruited her that day so that we could pull off our charade.

My next question to the class was, “How many of you CAN sing as well as Nikki?”

No hands went up. Then I went into “motivational-speaker mode” and said, “I’m certain that at least five or six of you CAN sing that well -- maybe even better -- but you WON’T.”

There are thousands of people who have big-time ability, but they are frightened away by the big stages and the bright lights.

Who’s your favorite singer? No matter how rich and famous that person is right now, at one certain point, he or she had to cross that frightening bridge from “I CAN” to “I WILL.”

Each famous performer had to stand up and take that first step in front of an audience -- maybe at a recital, an audition, a small club, or even in a college classroom.

Enough about me and my class ... enough about Nikki and singing ... let’s talk about YOU.

You also will have to cross that frightening bridge from I CAN to I WILL. You also will have to take that first step. It might be when you take that first step in front of an audience to sing or dance or act. It might be when you take that first step in front of a class to teach. It might be when you take that first step in front of an employer to interview.

Remember: Feel the fear and do it anyway. No pain -- no gain. No risk -- no reward. No guts -- no glory. YOU CAN and YOU WILL!

Don’t die with your songs unsung.

ONE LAST THING . . .

I want to take you out to lunch. Call my Success Hotline today at (973) 743-4690 to hear more.