================
Introduction
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Ole Coach is beat down, tired, but still kickin’ baby!!

Today I want to tell you something super important and show you som’n a lil’ funny as well, but before I do that I want to let you know that even though I didn’t give you a thanksgiving message, that I am very thankful for each and every one of you Champs and Chumps who stops by my blog and reads my emails.

Ole Coach is really trying to help you reach a new level of success on a daily basis, not just as a New Year’s Resolution.  I want each and everyone of you to learn how to kick Chump Moments in the face when  you are challenge and to keep on pressin’ on and movin’ in the right direction.

Ole Coach wants to share this poem with you. It’s sweet and something that I had to look at on more than one occassion (that last coupla days, have been rough on Ole Coach, but I ain’t no Chump!!)

Don’t Quit!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

—Anonymous

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The Essence of Not
Quitting
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When life puts you up against the ropes, sometimes you gotta be like Muhammad Ali and just do the rope-a-dope.  But whatever you do, never allow your Inner Chump to manifest itself through your actions. Never give up or quit.

Things will certainly get hard and be a great challenge. 

Being successful and being a Champ has less to do with what you KNOW and more to do with what you DO! I’m not saying that knowledge is not important, – it is important, but I’ve seen dumb people (really dumb people) become super successful, in spite of themselves because of their willingness to work and to keep fighting.

A while back I showed you why I believe that Beyonce Knowles wasn’t no Chump. If you don’t remember, then take a look at this. It  shows when Beyonce Knowles feel on her face during  a concert and got back up and didn’t miss a freakin’ beat!  –> See Beyonce Here

But I got one for you better than that today.

If you wanna see the Essence of Not Quitting, then take a look at the video below.

Whoa Nelly! This is DETERMINATION!

[youtube]NRFjYfRUWWM[/youtube]

Now main man may have been knocked the ______ out, but I can’t honestly give him the Chump Award. I just can’t because even though he fell, he kept fighting. It kind of reminded me of Tom Hanks in the moving Saving Private Ryan, during the closing scene when he knew he was dying and he just kept firing his six shooter at an oncoming tank. There was nothing he could do, but his Inner Champ told him to keep on fighting.

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Closing
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I really can’t say it better than this so…..

[youtube]VkCFeNeqyHk[/youtube]

P.S.

If you want to succeed, you are going to have to get rid of the things holding you back. If you are ready to have a breakthrough experience in your life, at your job, in your relationships or in your athletic career, then you should already have Chump Repellent, but if you’d procrastinated on the best Audio CD Series to jump start you and the one that will get your butt in gear, then wait no more my lil’ Chumpito –> http://www.chumprepellent.com

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INTRODUCTION
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These past two weeks of my life could possibly be the most enriching that I’ve received as a coach.  You see Ole Coach is one of the best coaches around, but he can still learn.  I truly believe what Daniel J. Boorstin said is absolutely true.  He said, “The great obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

For a great period of time in my youth I really prided myself in being “the smartest” or “the most intelligent” person in the room. But my intellectual prowess led to my downfall. I thought that I knew everything. I didn’t realize, as I try to get some young people (and its sad to say, but even some old ones) to realize that you cannot become smart, until you become dumb. What I mean is this. You can’t learn something, until you are resolved to admit that you know NOTHING. I’m constantly on coaching calls and doing teleconsults during the week and this week I must say was a real doozie. 

I had the chance to speak with a client who I believe enlightened me more that I enlightened her (at this time). I believe the words which I spoke to her will lie dormant in her mind and forever harness the latent power of personal change until she comes to a place where she can UNLOCK the door on her personal growth by accepting that she knows nothing.

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You’ll Get The
Rest Later. Is
That Alright
With You?
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As much as I would like to get into the conversation that I had, I just can’t. All I can tell you is this. It was quite frustrating at times because this young lady is very intelligent. She, as the young folks would say, “has it going on”. But what she doesn’t understand is that if she and I are in a race and I have a 12 year lead, that she’s never going to catch me, no matter how fast she runs. The only thing that is going to happen if she runs faster is that she’s going to die sooner (thus those who live a fast life, die young. Or those that live in the “fast lane” crash often. They are moving faster than that which they are able at this time and refuse to listen to those who are ahead of them). 

Alot of young folks look at older folks and they only “see” our pace in the race of life. They don’t “look” at how far we’ve run, nor to they observe the terrain for which we have traversed and traveled, they don’t look at the mountains and hills that we’ve climbed nor can the see the pitfalls that we’ve fallen into.  All they see is our pace.  They don’t see that we are miles ahead of them. They only see our pace. And when looking at our pace they say things like:

“I KNOW that I can run faster than that….”

“It’s not that you’re not running, I mean, no disrespect, I just believe that I can run better, that’s all….”

“I mean, you’re running, I’ll give you that, but your form is sloppy, you should clean up form a lil’ bit….”

“Why are you running so damn slow?”

“Not for nothing, but I just don’t see why we should do it like that…”
Well, I’m sure some of you older folks have heard the stories, but you can certainly *see* what the problem is. THERE IS NO WAY FOR A LESS EXPERIENCED RUNNER TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT WE SEE. Our visual perspective comes from our having run more miles in the race of life! So they can’t understand everything, and guess what – they DON’T NEED TO.  Whether you’re a biblical scholar or not, I always urge people to read the books on the best seller list, whether its fiction or non-fiction because there’s a reason why certain books are best sellers and you need to be “up” on what everyone else is “up” on. So I refer people often to the bible. In the 11th Chapter of Corithians in the Bible a gentleman by the name of Paul is speaking to some people from an area named Corinth and he made a statement at the end of the passage which is so pregnant and profound that I must tell it to you so that you will understand what life offers and what it doesn’t. Paul said at the end of the chapter this statement: “The rest will I set in order when I come.”

The great reason why this statement is so pregant is because in the full text Paul is giving information to a people that actually need it but he doesn’t give them EVERYTHING. He tells them that he’ll set the rest in order when he comes. This implies that you must sometimes follow instructions, directions and provided information WITHOUT KNOWING EVERYTHING. Sometimes YOU will not be provided with an answer to your question, “Well why?” Thus, being able to be coached or mentored has more to do with your faith in the person doing and providing  the instruction and less to do with the instructions (some of you will get that later).

One of the reasons why some parents rebel against their parents, why some people argue with their leaders and why some have a hard time being taught by their teachers or coached by their coaches is, because some where along the way, they have lost either lost respect for them or have refused to give respect to them.

If the messenger is not respected, the message is no longer important. You will undeniably believe that the message is somewhat flawed. Some younger folks lack the respect of where we are in the race and they think because they are running with never shoes that have more technology, or because they are running with new running apparel, or because they are running with an Ipod, a cell phone, and a computer, that our race and their race is NOT the same race, BUT IT IS.  And the running of the race is still the same and the pitfalls that were there when I was running are still there now. 

You see, sometimes in your life you won’t know why someone is telling you to turn left. And they may not have the time, energy or patience to explain to you why you should turn left. You may very well want to turn right and everything in your mind, based upon what you know is telling you to turn right. But if you put yourself in a position to listen to the person who says turn left, or if you are in a position where you have to listen to the person that says turn left, then you MUST turn left and do so SOMETIMES WITH NO UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE YOU ARE GOING OR WHY YOU SHOULD TURN. You just have to turn left because that’s what you have to do. And if you don’t want to turn left, that’s cool too. If such is the case, then you need to find someone else to listen to and just keep on runnin’ 

Paul spoke to the people of Corinth and some listened and some didn’t. The ones that listened believed in him and thus his message, the ones that didn’t, just didn’t it. There are many *coaches* out there who can help you navigate the terrain of life. Some are good ones and some aren’t so good. Whatever the case, choose one that you respect and listen unequivocably, question often, show deference to per their mileage, and adhere to the requests made of you.

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What’s The
Difference
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After my recent coaching experience I had to call up one of my former coaches and ask, “What’s the difference between today’s *athlete* and yesteryear’s *athlete*?”  The answer that I received was superb.  He said, “The difference Ferg is this – they no longer dive after loose balls.”

And I had to sit down and think for a moment, and he was right. Diving after a loose ball is exactly it.

You see, EVERYBODY on the court can indeed play.

There’s never an issue of whether an *athlete* (replace athlete with any position you’d like) is a good athlete or not, its always an issue of the athlete going beyond the norm or the ordinary in order to be extraordinary. Diving after balls implies hustle, it implies that you play with reckless abandon, it implies that you throw caution to the wind, it implied that you are willing to put some “skin” in the game, it implies that you will do what’s necessary to win. And it also implies that you DIDN’T THINK ABOUT what would happen to you, how you would land or if it was right to jump – YOU JUST JUMPED because that’s what was required of you to do. 

He was right.

Some of these kids think that being a good *athlete* is enough. They just no longer “dive after loose balls.”  They don’t study, they don’t do scouting reports nor think that they have to, they don’t watch film, they no longer do the things which are necessary to be Michael Jordan. They actually believe that getting good is “in the shoes”, the wristbands, the low hanging shorts (which I hate more than the roller shoes. If someone can explain to me why anyone would want their pants hanging halfway off their @ss, I’m all ears. It is an absolutely disgusting practice – PULL UP YOUR DAMN PANTS!!!!!! – sorry about the 5 second rant).

They no longer dive after loose balls.

DO NOT MISS THIS POINT!!!!!!

And the crazy thing about it is this…….

A loose ball implies that it’s actually anyone’s ball who’s willing to work a little harder for the POSSESSION.

The illusion of being good, makes some people think that its already their ball, when in actuality, the ball is REALLY UP FOR GRABS and the person who’s willing to work for it, dive for it, scrape for it and scratch for it – will most likely get it. NOT THE BEST BALLPLAYER, but the more determined ballplayer!!!  (I hope you read that again).

You can actually be the better ball player and lose possession of the ball that you thought was yours. I’ve seen it happen before at the Olympic Trials, at the Super Bowl and in golf tournament.  Just because you’re the best, doesn’t mean that you’ll win. If that was the case, they’d give the supposed-to-be-winner his trophy before the tournament started.

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Closing
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It’s pretty evident from what was written today that we all have Chump Moments no matter how good we are and no matter who we are. It’s also evident that some people have them often and other people have resovled that they will either always have them or that they will try to eliminate them. The bottom line is this, if you want to eliminate your Chump Moments, why not listen to an individual who is an “experienced runner”.  Ole Coach has accomplished a lot, seen a lot, done a lot and has a goodie bag of advice for you that will undoubtedly allow you to run your life more efficiently.  There’s no sense in banging your head against a wall in frustration or not listening to someone who can help you go beyond that which you thought you were capable. Dive for that loose ball today and get your hands on Chump Repellent.  Right now your life changing experience is “up for grabs” the question is – Do You Want Possession of the Ball? –> http://www.chumprepellent.com

Take care,

Ole Coach
P.S. Remember, “The great obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” -Daniel J. Boorstin
Discover this today –> http://www.chumprepellent.com

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Introduction
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Hola my little Chumpitos!!

It’s been a while, but it’s been necessary.

Ole Coach had to invest some time in some of his clients and make sure that everything is on the up and up.

It never seems to amaze me that the longer that I coach, the more I learn.

Recently I had the privilege of speaking to one of my clients, who is an athlete and we talked about the things that she wanted to accomplish in 2008.  My  client mentioned that they are really looking forward to setting some personal records and adding some “things-to-do” to the New Years Resolution list.

This is when I stopped and told ‘em the 4 major things that absolutely thwart, stop and kill people from achieving their New Year’s Resolutions.

I thought that this information was important as we are working our way to the end of this year so; I decided to share it with you.

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Why You NEVER can
Resolve your New
Year’s Resolution
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1. The Blueprint

Although it’s basic, when I explain this first point to you, the light in your head is going to go off.  Before a house is built the architects and the  builders review a schematic or a blueprint and then they jump into action. 

More often than not, when you write down you New Year’s Resolution, you really don’t have a blueprint, schematic or a strategic framework for action from  which to work. At best you are floundering because you don’t have a well outlined plan. 

Now this isn’t some “get a plan” speech…. Look, I’m telling you that YOU NEED A DETAILED blueprint of how you are going to achieve your goal. See, saying  that you are going to lose 30 pounds next year is great. I mean it’s superb, but the question that I wanna know, that you wanna know and that your family and friends are going to wanna know is how.

This segue ways me into a conversation I was having with this Chump yesterday who’s been telling me that she wants to lose weight. She’s tried everything and now she’s going to do Yoga.  Well, that’s great, but Yoga isn’t going to help her reach her outlined fitness goals, but she told me that she wanted to do Yoga  in order to “quiet down her mind”.  Okay, Lil’ mama and while you’re quieting down your mind and focusing on what you want to do, the people who are getting 
results will be DOING what should be doing.  So get quiet and think about getting in shape, we’ll be over here GETTING in shape.

Whatta Chump!  The bottom line is this. The workouts got a lil’ to hard for lil’ mama and she’s looking for an easy way out. I told her to just call my main man Rhadi Ferguson and jump on his At Home Workout, his Dumbbell Workout or his Backyard Workout. It ain’t hard, she can just follow his plan, but NOPE!! 
She’s wants to quiet her mind.

Now before you YOGA folks even start – I DO AND HAVE DONE YOGA. Ole Coach likes to do a lil’ Bikram Yoga every now and then to get loose and stay flexible,  but Ole Coach knows that getting in shape requires a little bit more. Yoga is a great supplement to a good conditioning program.

Back to my point.  You must have a blueprint to follow so that your steps for achievement are outlined and ordered.

2. The Foundation

The second thing that you must have is a foundation to build upon. Many people want to run into the new year with a bunch of great ideas, some even have a  pretty good blueprint and plan, but they don’t have a foundation that will “hold” their ideas.

For some of you this foundation is physical. For some it is emotional. For others it is educational. Whatever the case – WORK ON BUILDING THAT FOUNDATION  NOW!!

Don’t go into the new year saying that you want to start a business without doing your research on the profitability of your idea, how you are going to  market it, who you are going to consult with, who will be your business coach, what you need to learn in order to be successful, etc.,.

Many of you want to do things which will require more resources, more money, more space, more time. Get those things in order now so that when the New Year  rolls around, you can actually resolve your New Year’s Resolution.

The dumbest thing that I’ve heard some of my male friends say is, “Bro. when I get married, I’m not gonna mess around on my wife, but I ain’t married now so  I’ma just have some fun. But when I get married, I’ma shut it down. Really.”

To that I say, “You’re an ignoramus. What makes you think that when you get married, you’re going to go through some miraculous spiritual transformation and  cognitive reformation? If you want to get on the right track to being a good husband, then start now. Stop cheating NOW. Stop messing around now. Because you shouldn’t practice that after someone has committed their life to you, you should make an effort to get that straight now.  Create the foundation now.”

The equivalent of that is like you and I saying that we’re gonna win a NASCAR race once we get the right car.  No! We have to practice first so that when we  do actually get the car; we’ll know how to drive it and what it takes to actually win a race.

So identify what it is that you want to do and then create a foundation so that you CAN do it.

**** Hint: for all of you who want to lose weight next year. YOU NEED TO CREATE A FOUNDATION of discipline. And there is no better time to start than with  the Holiday Season. Back away from the table, don’t eat the cakes, pies, and sweets. Eat before you go to people’s home and visit and make smart choices in  terms of your nutritional practices. To the idiot who says, “But it’s the holiday season.”  Well, dummy, it will be the holiday season next year too and if  you have that mindset, you’ll never resolve your resolution because next year this time, you’ll be saying the same thing. 

Create a foundation of discipline so that you may actually have an opportunity at being successful. NOTE: I didn’t say that you had to exercise everyday,  sweat your butt off or go to the gym. I simply said that you need to exercise some discipline. This will carry over into other areas of your life, when you  follow your blueprint, but you MUST create the foundation now!!

3. Build, Build, and don’t stop Building

Once you’ve started to construct something, the worse thing that you can do is STOP. You cannot stop building, until you’ve created the “edifice” that you  have decided to create. If you do, then you have not resolved your resolution, in fact it is incomplete. This is the most IMPORTANT thing that many people  fail to do and they fail to do it because they quit and they underestimate the difficulty of their personal “project” and the difficulty of the building  process.  

Hint: It is certainly easier to build a sandcastle, than a skyscraper. Start small and then work your way up. Don’t let your alligator mouth speak for your hummingbird @ss.

4. Maintenance Is Important

Once you’ve built your “edifice” and resolved your resolution – maintaining it is very important. Maintenance is a very real part of this process. Let’s say  that you actually achieve some fitness goals that you have for yourself. After you have achieved them, I’m very sure that you don’t want to just go back to the way that you were. So what do you have to do to stave off future Chump Moments?  You have do constantly clean up your diet and keep up good maintenance.  You should do this in your personal life just like you do it with your car. Your car need maintenance, your home, your body and also you goals and resolutions.

The way that many people go through this constant maintenance is by focusing on the right things and keeping their “saw” sharp, as Steven Covey would say.  

I highly recommend that you listen to Chump Repellent before, during and after you make your New Year’s Resolution. Because you don’t want to start doing  right in January. What you want to do is create a platform for doing right – right now, so that when January comes you can hit the ground running.
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Closing
======

Ole Coach wants you to know that you can do whatever you put your mind to. All you have to do is eliminate the Chumps in your life and eliminate the Chump Moments and make sure that you stay on task.

Remember:

1. Get A Blueprint
2. Create a Foundation for Success
3. Build, Build and Keep Building
4. Continue with Maintenance

And get your hands on Chump Repellent. 

Take care,

Ole Coach Ferguson

P.S. You have the ultimate power to decide if you wanna be a Champ or A Chump. Get the tools so that you can achieve greatness in your life. Don’t let the  cost of a “movie and a dinner for two” hold you back from creating more Champ Moments and minimizing the Chump Moments in your life.