==============
Introduction
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What a great weekend.

- It all started on Friday with the Presidential debate. I REALLY enjoyed watching the debate. I was really impressed with John McCain, I think that he did better than expected and I believe that he accomplished his goal and objective which was to separate himself from Obama, make it seem like Obama wasn’t in his league and that he lacked experience.

I also was SUPER impressed with Obama. It seemed like Obama accomplished his objective as well which was to allow the public to see exactly how knowledgeable that he is on the issues and to allow the public to see him as being “Presidential”.  His eloquence, cool demeanor and control of the subject matter really differentiated him from McCain.

People emailed me after the debate and sent me texts asking me, “Who won?”

And to be quite honest with you, I think that the public really won this one because we got to see what we needed to see from each presidential candidate.  Quite honestly, I think that this presidential election is more important than ever. And this is the time when we really need to look at the candidates with a keen eye and ask not what’s best for me but what’s best for the future.

- Also this weekend I attended the Howard University Bison vs.
Savannah State game in Miami, Florida. I had a great deal of fun meeting up with some of the dudes that I played ball with and some of the former football players that live in south Florida. It was a good time. I was surprised to find out that I made it into the 2008 Howard University Football Media Guide.  The picture that I took with LL Cool J a couple of years back on the sideline made it into the media guide along with another picture of me and Rick Gonzalez (from the movie Coach Carter). It was cool to still be recognized
11 years later.

- Rufus had a fever of a 103.4 this Sunday. That was NO FUN AT ALL.
After a round of Children’s Ibuprofen and Benadryl he was okay (NO I didn’t give it to him all at once, for those who are wondering).

Well, that’s it for the weekend, oh, one more thing. My wife and my son volunteered this weekend to register people to vote. For this election my family has been very active after the prodding and urging of my mentor Winston Williams.  Winston asked me a question a couple of weeks ago. He asked, “What are you doing for the Obama Campaign?”  I replied, “Uhhhh, nothing.”  He said, “And as a graduate of Howard University do you think that your response to that question is acceptable?”  He then proceeded to give me the history and rundown of voting rights from the beginning of time. He told me stories about sacrifice and how during the bus boycotts in the 60s African Americans walked, not for a couple of days, but for a year back and forth to work. He explained the obligation that I have in terms of illustrating self-abnegation and self-conceit.  He told me all the things that I learned at Howard University. After getting off the phone I felt like I had been beat up by a gang of mobsters.

Well, I immediately sprung into action. I did get a little bit of joy from the call because Winston told me, “Now I need you to call someone that you know and ask them the same thing that I asked you.”

Wow. I know that charge that I have to keep as a Howard University Graduate, but it seems like I forgot somewhere along the way. The
reminder was good, timely and well-received.   I truly believe that
to whom much is given, much is required. So, before the football game I was out with my clipboard, pencil and voter’s registration papers and I was walking around asking people if they were registered to vote.

So the lesson for today is – no matter who you are voting for, ask someone what they are doing for the individual that they are supporting.  As my mentor said, “In this election, voting is not enough.” Get behind what you believe and how you feel. Being patriotic and flag waving is cool. But exercising the options that people sacrificed and died for so that you can have is better.

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Sidebar
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Just so that you know, I’m sure you know that my email wasn’t written to make you lean either this way or that way. This is not an email where I’m really urging you to get healthy because its the right thing to do. This is one of those emails where I let you in on the inside of my life. I told you before and I’ll tell you again. My life is an open book for you. You can read about my son, my dissertation headaches and woes, if you are following me on Twitter >>> http://www.twitter.com/rhadi <<< I will even let you know what I’m eating during the day so that you can see exactly how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I just truly believe in excellence all the way around… socially, academically, cognitively, economically…… I believe that if we help others and help ourselves then that is true health and wealth.
Not a pile of money in the  bank, but a pile full of positive deposits with “the man upstairs”.  So that’s what I have to say on that.

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Recession Buster
RE-activation sale
=============

I must tell you that it has been quite a weird last couple of days with the economy, but here’s what I do understand.  We are in some tough economical times and that requires some tough measures. I MUST provide you with the best-in-class in terms of products and materials and that means that I MUST make sure that you can get my products in your hands so that you can continue to learn and become a better YOU.  So, tomorrow on Tuesday, September 30th, I’m going to re-activate the Recession Buster Sale until October 6th (or until everything is gone).

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Closing
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Take care and be on the lookout for some brand new Ask Rhadi videos from the questions that you have submitted from http://www.AskRhadi.com

Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson

Hello, I’ve just returned home from traveling this weekend. I had to train one of my clients who is preparing for his upcoming UFC fight and I also had a motivational speaking seminar in Washington, DC. The weekend was cool, but very tiring. But now, I’m home and back on the grind.

I wanted to let you know that I just checked my email and my fulfillment house, DID NOT listen to my instructions and continued to print and produce the products that I was trying so hard to get rid off during the Recession Buster s.a.l.e. so that I would not have to sit on this inventory as I get ready to roll out some new products at the end of the year.

That’s the Bad News…

The Good News is that their mistake is to your benefit. Now the products that were recently advertised as “sold out” are now available. This is cool for you but this absolutely sux for me.  So here’s what I’ll do. I’ll extend the Recession Buster s.a.l.e until the end of this week – September 20.

So there you have it.  The huge dis-count and sav-ings will be available until the 20th of September.

–>http://www.rhadi.com/recessionbuster/

Take care.

Sincerely,
Rhadi Ferguson, M.A.T., CSCS
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion

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Introduction
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At this particular time in the campaigning season its kinda difficult to tell who is running for President and who is the Vice President. In the media, there seems to be a whole lot more attention put on the VP candidate Palin than her running mate John McCain. And it seems as if the race is Obama versus Palin.  No matter what the case, if you are like me, you find the campaign, especially this one, to be highly fascinating and informative.

Why?

Because, if you remove your emotions and feelings from the situation and look at it for what it is – you’ll see that it is a high level chess match.  The strategy and tactics which are employed on a minute and grandiose scale are phenomenal.  As the two sides jockey for position in the polls and in the heart and minds of the American and Global public, we get to see strategy at its best.

============
Pulling out the
troops
============

For instance, the Democrats did a great job, initially trying to link McCain with Bush. McCain did a great job distancing himself from Bush and putting Palin at the forefront to try to get some of the female and more evangelical votes.  Obama talked about “change” and it became his motto. The McCain campaign took it as theirs and is running with it. The points that Obama made about pulling the troops out is now going to be a moot one because, President Bush has just committed to pulling out 8000 troops which will leave both McCain and/or Obama in a situation if they are elected. Because if they send more troops over, it will look like Bush was right.

It is a phenomenal cat-and-mouse type of game.

But there’s one big problem….

==============
Here’s the BIG Problem
==============

While the rhetoric is being spewed back and forth and the border libel is being projected and millions of dollars are being raised in ads and campaigns I’m a little bit confused.

Why is it that we have a hard time raising millions of dollars for AIDS research or breast cancer research, or for the homeless. Why can’t we raise money for an initiative to teach people how to read? Why can’t we raise the money to help those who have lost their jobs or to do something that will lower the gas prices?  We can’t seem to do that, but these candidates can collect a  sh–load of money to keep campaigning. Well, that is also hurting the economy and that’s a huge problem.

===============
Who am I voting for?
===============

I get asked all the time who I’m going to vote for. And today I came up with a good answer.  I’m going to vote for my son Rufus.  That’s who I’m going to vote for. And when you go to vote I hope that you vote for my son too. Because that’s who we need to vote for. For who we feel will do the best for, not just us, but for our future.  But what I am going to do is all that I can to help out my country and my family today.

While everyone is price gouging and “upping the ante” I’m going to do my due diligence and create an economic stimulus by cutting my prices so low that you will have to bend over  in order to read ‘em.  That’s right. I’ve created a FERGUSON ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE and my plan is right here

–> http://www.rhadi.com/recessionbuster/

Tomorrow on the 10th of September at 12:00 am you and I are going to Bust This Recession wide open and give it a swift kick in the pants because YOU DON’T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RECESSION, you can create your own opportunities.  So join me on the 10th of September as we give the recession a swift kick in the teeth1

http://www.rhadi.com/recessionbuster/
Take care,

Rhadi Ferguson
2004 Olympian
4-Time National Judo Champion

Post Olympic Stress shows up in a lot of different ways and a lot of different places.

Look around and you’ll see it: the blank stares that won’t be satisfied with anything BUT live Olympic action.

People are on a quest – a quest to find something to fill that Post Olympic void.

But what’s harder to see is the ECONOMIC void left behind by the Olympic Games…

The Olympic athletes are often the first to feel the crunch. Even with sponsorships, the cost of competing in the Olympics can be ENORMOUS! There’s gear to buy, coaches to hire, specialists to see, and the travel costs can be astronomical.

“Real jobs” get put on hold, savings accounts bleed money and (especially if you come home without a medal), people aren’t just lining up to give you money or help pay off the mountain of debts you’ve accumulated.

Sidebar from Rhadi Ferguson:  I’m a living witness. I’m here to tell you right now that I racked up a HEAP of debt while training for the Olympics.  And the running joke, “If you’re not willing to go into debt then you’re not willing to go [to the Olympics].”   Unfortunately, going into debt is “par for the course” for the smaller sports out there. I’d had to think about how much is costs to do Equestrian.  Because I know that horses are expensive.

Sidebar from 2-Time Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray: Debt?  Ha!! I stopped talking about debt a long time ago. I don’t think about the money, I just think about winning. There will be enough time to get depressed thinking about the money I spent later.  I have to focus on the training so at least I can get some joy and satisfaction from being at the top of the medal stand.  But, oh boy, when you come back home to a mountain of debt after the Olympic Games, that is a super sobering experience.  And a sad one.

As a two-time Olympian, I’ve been there – believe me! Once the Olympics are over, you come back home, wondering what you’re going to do with life NOW.

Nothing feels the same, but time stops for no man (or woman). There were bills to pay, a job to go to, a family to care for…

Taraje’s going through the same thing even as we speak. Less than a month after the closing ceremonies, “real life” is waiting for him – whether he’s ready for it or not. While he’s trying to work through the stress and depression of coming back down to earth from Mt. Olympus, he’s busy scrambling around trying to raise money for tuition at Boston University so he can continue his post-graduate studies.

The pressure can be SUFFOCATING!

And it’s not like we’re along in this. It doesn’t just affect us, and it doesn’t just affect athletes. Post Olympic Economic Stress can be felt everywhere, by everyone.

Take China for example… Host cities are historically the largest beneficiaries of the Olympic Games. If you take a look at the past six Olympic hosts, you’ll find that in EVERY case, the stock indices went on the rise. These rises are attributed to a number of factors – the slowdown of industrial production, decreased inflation and lower bond yields.

Unfortunately, though, the confidence of Chinese investors is already on shaky ground. While Beijing’s investment of over $40 billion is paying off now, in the short-term, the long-term forecast is ANYONE’S guess.

Then, there’s Australia, perhaps the most vocal Post-Olympic Stress sufferers.

When Sydney hosted the games in 2000, they expected a massive influx of cash to flood their economy – but it didn’t happen. The flood they expected barely turned out to be a trickle.

Businesses struggled to return their productivity to pre-Olympic levels. HR professionals worked tirelessly to find ways for employees to deal with the lingering affects of chronic withdrawal. And, of all possible people, taxi drivers felt the biggest effects, and they felt them first.

They had spent all of this money hoping for a huge return and not only were they let down mentally, but they were wrecked financially

While it may take WEEKS for the reality of Post Olympic stress to really set in, that’s where we are right now.

The point is going for the Gold is anything BUT cheap. The costs are far-reaching, no matter how deep your pockets may be!  But the Olympic “bug” (or drug) is so strong that one “hit” can suck you in and make you a “user” for life.

Post Olympic Stress Disorder?

You’re probably asking yourself if such a disorder even exists, or if we’re just trying to be funny.

Take it from us: it most certainly does, I don’t think you’ll find any mention in the latest medical and psychological journals! And it can strike in a number of different ways and places.

If you’re a serious athlete, there’s no greater or loftier goal than landing a spot on the Olympic roster. The desire to transform your dreams into reality is a force to be reckoned with. It becomes an addiction – an undeniable need… And, just like an addiction, that need doesn’t just magically disappear – even after the medals have been won and everyone heads back home to pickup the pieces and move on…

Because even when it’s over, it’s not REALLY over!

We’ve been there, and we’re here to clue you in on a little secret: it happens to everyone!

It happens to the “Hopefuls” out there, with the drive and desire, and sometimes little else to go on. It happens to the Hopefuls that suddenly find themselves Olympians. Some of those will go on to become contenders, others merely pretenders.

And – believe it or not – it happens to the big winners, too!

When you really think about it, it makes sense…

Think of the training – the YEARS of grueling mental, physical and emotional demands an Olympian puts themselves through.

Hours upon hours upon hours of learning your limits and then plowing through and past them to new and greater heights…

Days, weeks, months spent with coaches, pried away from husbands, wives, parents, children and friends…

The financial demands of the training and traveling, and time spent away from your “real” job…

And like other forms of stress disorders out there, there’s no “right” time for the distress and depression to set in.

Before you can make it to the Olympics, you’ve got to make the cut in the trials. If you wash out in the trials, the depression typically sets in IMMEDIATELY!

But, if you WIN the Olympic Trials, that’s when the REAL roller coaster ride begins…

The pride of achievement, the culmination, the heightened expectations… you’re on top of the world!

It’s hard to imagine anything better. You’re unstoppable, unbeatable – damn near supernatural.

And, just when you think things couldn’t possibly get any better (seeing yourself on the News, hearing your name on the radio, the cheers, the support, the superhero status…), the opening ceremonies commence!

Until this point, you only THOUGHT you were addicted. From here on out, you’re a bonafide JUNKIE!

Take it from us – there’s nothing else like it. You think sex is great? You think gambling (and winning) is great? Driving in fast cars? Skydiving?

None of that can light a candle to the thrill of that torch, to the sense of fate, destiny – being a part of something so BIG, universal. You are on stage and the WHOLE world is watching YOU!

The only thing better is the weight of a gold medal hanging around your neck as the crowd goes wild.

But the higher you make it, the harder the fall…

Mind you, not everyone leaves with a medal, actually the MAJORITY – of us walk away empty-handed.

And at some point, the pain sets in. It may set in as soon as the competition is over, from the minute you start your mental instant replay and begin berating what you did and didn’t do. Or, you may feel find for weeks or months before it happens…

“Is this it?”

“I put myself through hell and raised the stakes as high as I humanly could, and this is my reward?!”

Everything seems sickeningly mundane. Ordinary life is a LOT different than viewing the world from the lofty vantage point of “Mount Olympics”. Back out here in the real world, NOTHING feels like it can ever “go back to normal.”

Relationships are affected…

Finances feel the pinch…

Careers (both “professional” and athletic) can suffer…

While post Olympic stress disorder sounds cute, even colloquial, the reality is that it’s anything BUT!

I’ve been there, Taraje’s been there… Across history, multitudes of us have!

Looking back, POSD is a given… Interview Michael Phelps in a few and even he’ll have his own story to share…

It’s what you do NEXT that separates the wheat from the chaff, the champs from the chumps.

You’ve got to ask yourself a big question, with an even bigger answer –

“Where will you go from here?”

Well, I can tell you where you can go if you want to know more about this topic. You can go Beyond The Rings at http://www.BeyondTheRings.tv

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Closing
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Thanks for all of your support during the Olympics and the Olympic Trials. It was one heck of a roller coaster ride. So much so that I am in the process of writing a book with 2X Olympian Taraje Williams-Murray on Post Olympic Depression and Post Olympic Syndrome. I can tell you right now that the Olympic journey puts you at the highest of highs and then it drops you down to the lowest of lows. You feel so low you could sit on a penny and swing your legs. Because this feeling is so strong and right now there are no Athletes who are making this phenomenon vividly visible to the press and the public, Taraje and I are taking it upon ourselves to educate the masses, the media, fellow athletes, supporters and fans about the roller coaster ride the Olympics takes us all on.

One more thing…

We are going to have a Q&A portion in the back of the book. If you would like to submit some questions to get your questions answered, please do so at http://www.AskRhadi.com Take care and thanks.

Sincerely,

Rhadi Ferguson
*** GOOGLE ME!! ***
2004 Olympian
4X National Judo Champion
World Class Strength Coach