A couple of days ago, my twin brother emailed me a vid of a champion, someone he and I used to follow when we were flatting together back in the day. Getting myself ready to catch the next CTP talk fest, I had time to watch that vid.
Listening to that entertainer describe his life at the top reminded me of my own father. Frank was a champion fist-fighter back in the '30's. My mother Grace, after dad died back in '72, told me his story a few years later. Dad had entered over 30 last-man-standing contests, and won them all. Knocked down on to the ground only on two separate occasions, yet never knocked out.
Yep, my dad sure was tough. Until one night, a young buck had him on and took him out, way past his prime.
So, you think you are made of the right stuff? A champion in a champion's body? Perhaps, a disciple of some great, like Hulk Hogan?
Do you really know what it takes to be a champion at anything?
Here's an inspiring video from one of the greats in the Professional wrestling circuit, the late James Brian "Jim" Hellwig, the man we got to love as the Ultimate Warrior:
In this video, he talks about what he had to do to get to the top, the moves he had to make on and off the ring, the dedication and the discipline required to be a champion of champions.
He reflects on how this journey all started for him, and what he had to do to stay in shape. Getting to the gym in the early morning, at say 1am, tired and exhausted. He found that being in that state improved his fitness regime.
He mentions Randy Savage, having such a distinctive voice that whenever he and Randy would go out to eat, Jim would do the talking. As soon as Randy spoke, everyone knew that voice and would look at them the whole time they were there, and all Jim and Randy wanted to do was to eat!
Jim says that it's all about the intensity of what you do. "If you don't do it right the first time, it's never done." The need to rise up to every challenge before him every single day, even if he only got three hours sleep. He needed that kind of attitude to get to the top.
Sadly, a heart attack would end his life at the young age of 54.
Jim's words resonate with me. I understand what he's saying, almost like he's reaching across time and space and telling me what I need to do, the same sort of talk my father had with me years ago.
To succeed at anything in life, we all need to commit to a training regime to prepare our bodies, to get mentally tough and then hone and sharpen our minds, to be clearly focussed no matter how tired we are. Yes, great words of advice that apply here in the affiliate marketing just as well as they do in entertainment.
Rest in Peace, the Ultimate Warrior, you are sadly missed.
"You must show no mercy...nor have any belief whatsoever in how others judge you...for your greatness will silence them all." - The Ultimate Warrior.
Oh, I believe in yesterday...
Ian Ballantine
Wellington, New Zealand
October 25, 2019.
The Legend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Warrior
Lyrics: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beatles/yesterday.html
Playlist:
