Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin has dominated the sports headlines in the past week.  As his New York Knicks ride a 5 game winning streak, Lin is facing the reality that he has become an instant cultural phenomenon.  He has scored at least 23 points in each of his last four games, shot at least 53% from the field, and recorded at least 7 assists in each contest.  

Throughout his career, Jeremy has consistently been overlooked by scouts.  Out of high school, he did not receive an scholarship offer despite averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 5 steals per game.  He led Palo Alto High School to 32-1 record and a state championship.  Instead of walking on at Stanford or UCLA, he attended Harvard where he was a unanimous selection for the All-Ivy League First Team during his senior year.  In 2010, he graduated with a degree in economics and a 3.1 GPA.  Although his basketball credentials were impressive, no NBA team was willing to take a chance on him in the 2010 draft.  After working hard to impress NBA scouts in summer league games, he received contract offers from four teams.  He eventually signed with the Golden State Warriors, but saw minimal playing time in his first season.  He was assigned to the Warrior’s developmental league affiliate on three separate occasions.  On the first day of training camp after the NBA lockout, the Warriors released him. 

On December 27, 2011 the New York Knicks claimed Lin off waivers to be their backup point guard.  After another brief stint in the D-league, Lin has become an instant sensation after his strong performances in the past two weeks.  Even though he isn’t the best athlete on the court, he plays the game with great poise and awareness.  

His success story provides a striking insight.  Overlooked opportunities exist everywhere, and it can benefit us to discover them.  Each day, we miss opportunities because we have inherent blind spots and engrained patterns of thinking.  If we apply this idea to business, we realize that there might be unclear openings to add value to a company.  In relationships, there might be someone that can help you with your personal development if only you are willing to give that individual a chance.  Food for thought.         

Tim Tebow

Anytime a public figure proudly expresses his or her Christian beliefs on a national stage, the criticisms will be bound to follow.  Since becoming the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow has been the first to recognize that God is the source of his success.  “Tebowing”--the act of placing one knee down and leaning one’s head on fist to thank God--has entered the American lexicon.  Tebow has received national attention this season for two reasons.  First, his fourth-quarter comebacks and 7-1 record as the starting QB for Denver.  The second reason is his strong religious beliefs.

The fundamental truth is that many individuals want Tebow to fail because he is so open about his Christianity.  I’d be curious to know why his repeated indication of faith is viewed as offensive and provocative.  Is it the same resentment that causes anger and outrage at, for instance, a moment of prayer or silence in the psyche of certain Americans?  

Personally, I find Tebow story to be an inspiring one, not just on the football field.  While pregnant with him, his mother suffered a life-threatening infection.  She immediately went on a variety of drugs to rouse her from her coma and treat her inflamed intestine.  Doctors expected Tim to be a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to save her life, but she ardently refused.  The result of her decision was a courageous young man in more ways than one.  In the first half of a high school football game at Nease High School in Florida, he suffered an injury to his right leg.  Initially, the Nease coaching staff believed Tebow had a bad cramp, so they left him in the game.  At one point, Tebow rushed for a 29 yard touchdown with what was later discovered to be a broken fibula.

You won’t find hypocrisy or arrogance in Tebow’s words or actions.  He will be the first to admit he is not perfect, but there is nothing to suggest his beliefs are less than genuine.  His brief kneel-down after touchdowns appears to be an authentic sign of respect towards God, yet two Riverhead High School football players were suspended for a day because they re-enacted the gesture in the hallway.  The school called this display of faith a potentially dangerous situation.  So why has this thankful gesture become polarizing and irritating?  Beats me.  

Kyle Speed

 

In high school, I worked with an impressive young man from Seattle, Washington.  He was a soft-spoken manager yet his presence commanded respect.  On the court in our recreational basketball leagues, he displayed an exceptional ability to score, record assists, and keep team morale lofty.  Off the court, his optimistic attitude and words of encouragement turned a mundane high school job into an enjoyable experience.

The young man I’m writing about has a name--Kyle Speed.  He is now the starting point guard and a student at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.  In addition to balancing the responsibilities of a student-athlete, Kyle makes sure he is there for his wife Bree and their two young children.  

Life presents hurdles to all of us, but Kyle has overcome mountains to get where he is today.  In his early childhood, Kyle, his mother and three sisters stayed in homeless shelters across Seattle.  After his father left the Speed family, they fell upon tough financial times, and bounced around from shelter to shelter, even staying at homes for battered women on occasion.  The family relied on food kitchens for meals and sought out charities for clothing. 

Eventually, the family was placed in a two-bedroom apartment as a part of the Seattle Emergency Housing program.  Kyle slept on the couch, but had a chance to harness his basketball skills on the apartment’s court.  When his mom graduated from vocational school and started a job as a dental assistant, the family moved out of the shelter and Kyle went on to excel in football and basketball at Lake Washington High.  However, Kyle hadn’t completely emerged from the immaturity of youth.  After just a semester at Bellevue Community College, he dropped out as heavy marijuana use consumed his life. 

As the struggles continued, he got a job at a childcare facility, but was taken aback by the number of older people on the premises.  Kyle saw what could happen to himself if he continued down the road he was on, and decided to rededicate himself to academics and the game of basketball.  The environment in Seattle didn’t provide him with many opportunities, so he relocated with Bree--his high school girlfriend--to Kansas, where she had family.  Kyle took on two jobs, which was where he entered my life.  As a manager on duty at a fitness club and an employee at a sporting goods store, Kyle attempted to support himself and Bree while he searched for a junior college that would let him play basketball and attend classes.  After nearly a year and no interest from local schools, he enrolled at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park to work towards an associate’s degree.  While there, he decided to attend an open basketball tryout, a decision that changed his life for the better.  The coaches liked what they saw and invited him to join the team as a walk-on.  Faced with the daunting task of getting playing time at one of the best junior college basketball programs in the country, Kyle outworked his teammates and earned a spot in the starting lineup on opening day of the season. 

Not even a torn ACL was enough to slow Speed down.  During his sophomore season, he averaged 14.1 points and 4.8 assists per game, and shortly after, he received a call from Grand Canyon University.  Meanwhile, Kyle married Bree and is now the proud father of Kyle, Jr.  After Kyle took a recruiting visit to Arizona, he was impressed with the on-campus housing and opportunities for his family, and eventually accepted an offer to play basketball at GCU.

Life has really turned around 180 degrees for the Speed family.  Last year, Bree gave birth to their second child, and she now has a job at GCU.  Kyle also works in the Student Contact Center to earn extra income for his family.  The demands of basketball, school, work, and holding a family together are enough to make any man sweat, but Kyle performs his duties with a smile on his face.  He’s a shining example of hard work, commitment, and devotion.  I wish him the best, and I hope he realizes the lasting, positive impact he has left on the people he has touched.

Turner Gill Fired

 

On Sunday evening, the University of Kansas fired Turner Gill after two losing seasons and three years remaining in his $10 million contract.  I’ve heard nothing but good things about this man’s character in the past two years, but his firing is cold hard evidence that in order to keep a head coaching job at a BCS school, you must produce results.  

Although I never met Turner, players and coaches raved about his desire to help young men succeed.  In a statement, athletic director Sheahon Zenger reinforced this sentiment, regarding Gill a “quality individual who wants only the best for the young men he coaches.”
 

The Jayhawk faithful never want to be reminded of the embarrassment that was the KU football team over the past two years.  In 2011, out of 120 BCS teams, KU ranked dead last in points allowed (43.8) and 95th in points scored (22.3).  After a wild shootout victory against Northern Illinois on September 10, the Jayhawks lost their next 10 games by an average margin of 20 points.  Those defeats include a 59-21 drubbing at the hands of in-state rival Kansas State and a 70-28 blowout courtesy of Oklahoma State.  In a 43-0 loss at Texas, the KU offense mustered up a grand total of 46 yards.  In two seasons as head coach, Turner’s only Big 12 win came against a struggling Colorado team that promptly fired its coach after the loss.  The offense, special teams, and defense never played a complete game.  Opportunities were missed and the Jayhawks looked worse in the final games of the season that in the beginning. 
 

If Gill was expected to build the KU football team from scratch, the athletic department probably would have been more patient with him.  However, KU’s 2009 recruiting class was ranked 4th by Rivals.  In addition, KU football had established itself as a bowl game regular prior to his hiring in 2010:
2008- Defeated Minnesota in Insight Bowl
2007- Defeated Virginia Tech in Orange Bowl
2005- Defeated Houston in Fort Worth Bowl
 

The burden now lies on the athletic department to hire a suitable replacement.  Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach would be a sensible candidate given his track record and longstanding relationship with Sheahon Zenger.  In 1993, Zenger started a magazine called American Football Quarterly.  Through interviews and staying in touch, Leach and Zenger developed a friendship.   Considering the dire circumstances, Zenger needs to make an intelligent hire to turn the football program around, and it needs to happen quickly.  Other BCS schools--North Carolina, Mississippi, Illinois, Penn State, Washington State, and Arizona-- have openings and there are only so many top-tier coaches to go around.  KU fans demonstrated in the Mangino era they are willing to attend games when the Jayhawks are competitive, a fact which will justify calling a big name.    

Interview: Jerry Viviano

In addition to being a loving father and husband, Jerry Viviano works at Sysco Foodservices, and has been a first-class salesman for 38 years.  A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jerry attended Missouri University and graduated with a degree in marketing.  Besides providing his services to Kansas City businesses, Jerry is the founder and chairman of the Viviano Variety Show, an annual benefit show that has raised over $1 million for charities and schools.  Recently, Jerry answered some questions for Joe’s Musings.    

A significant number of our readers are college students.  What made you decide to major in marketing?  At what point did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a salesman?
I have always been fascinated by the way products are invented, grown, manufactured, and promoted.  Born and raised in a family of fresh produce entrepreneurs, I saw first hand how salesmanship is a key component in marketing goods and services.  Long before college, I felt selling would be my profession.

Along those lines, how does a person prepare for a career in sales? How important is landing an internship while in college?
In today’s business environment, a selling career mandates computer and technical skills.  Product and business knowledge is readily available via many sources.  A well-rounded college business education provides the finesse needed to communicate in a selling world.  Getting involved in a business fraternity, going to seminars and spending time with businesses that visit college campuses are extremely important.  Don’t ever underestimate the value of people skills.  Successful sales people always are genuinely interested in helping clients succeed.  A great resource is Dale Carnegie’s book How To Win Friends and Influence People.  The Carnegie sales and human development courses are also excellent.  Internships are wonderful.  If you do land one, ask to ride with the company’s most successful sales people.  You can learn a lot from them.

The US economy has struggled mightily in recent years.  What changes have you noticed in the buying patterns of customers?  How have you adapted your sales strategies in a weaker economy?
Customers are scrutinizing prices closer today than ever before.  Unfortunately, cheaper prices for cheaper products do not translate into a more successful business for the customer.  As an institutional food sales representative, my strategy has been “What can I do to bring more diners into this restaurant?”  What new and different ideas can attract new customers to this restaurant?”  This can be done without sacrificing quality in products.

What is the best part of your job?  The worst part?
The best part of my job is sitting face to face with men and women who are making purchasing decisions.  My job enables me to help the customer find ways to run the business more efficiently.  The worst part of this job is filling out reports.  Much of this is unnecessary.  I would rather spend time in front of the customer.

How would you describe the work/family/life balance?
I start each day with a quiet prayer.  Every gift that I have been blessed with is just that- a gift from God.  This is the focal point in my life.  If I have a relationship with an all loving and merciful God, the work/family/life automatically falls into balance.  Life is all about priorities.  Relatively speaking, we are only on this earth for a very brief time.  As a Christian, I believe our Lord has prepared a beautiful place for us for all of eternity- and that is a long, long time.  All of that is waiting for us.  So my balance in life starts, and end, with a relationship with God.

What advice would you give to young people looking to pursue a career in sales?
If there is any advice I would give to young people who are pursuing a professional career in sales, it would be “Get Out of Yourself”.  If all you are concerned about is how much money you are going to earn selling, then this profession isn’t for you.  If you focus on how successful you can make customers and others, then dollars will be flowing into your backyard.

Do you agree with the saying, “You don’t close a sale.  You open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise”?
I do agree with the saying, “You don’t close a sale.”  Saying that you close a sale sounds like you have won a victory over someone.  Yes, you open a relationship than build and nurture that relationship in a trustworthy fashion.

What’s a life lesson you learned the hard way?
A life lesson I learned the hard way is about my attitude on investing the moeny I have earned.  I made some good and bad investments.  But if I were to do it all over again, I would do my research, put my resources in a safe portfolio early in life, and not worry or fret about it.  I wasted too much time on this.  I could have spent that time with family, friends, or building God’s kingdom.

9/11 Pictures

Today marks the ten years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011 caused so much grief and suffering.  Children lost parents.  Husbands lost wives.  Many individuals should also be remembered for their heroism and bravery in helping those affected by the attacks.  Because a picture is worth a thousand words, today's post will contain the most powerful photos I could find of September 11, 2011.

 

 

Remnants of United Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania

Before and After Comparison

 

The pictures of those that lost their lives on 9/11

Life Lessons From The Blue Man Group

Back in the late 1980’s, Phil Stanton, Matt Goldman, and Chris Wink formed the Blue Man Group, a high-concept performing trio with cobalt-blue skin, no hair, and an inability to speak.  After kickstarting their careers in New York in 1987, the Blue Man Group has performed thousands of times in five continents.   

When Phil, Matt, and Chris pitched the idea to people, it was viewed as absurd and ridiculous.  Even close, well-meaning friends and family, told them hundreds of reasons why they were crazy.
-It’s not reasonable.
-It’s weird.
-It’s too childish and strange.
-It’s too long.
-People won’t get it.

Here’s how “crazy” they are--the Blue Man Group has been nominated for a Grammy Award and performed live at the Grammy to a standing ovation at the Staples Center.  They have received millions of dollars in donations to help families with AIDS.  They have gone to Washington D.C. to lobby senators and representatives to fund music and arts education in the public school system and started a private elementary school.  They have participated in a panel to find different ways to creative with two Nobel Prize laureates, the Dalai Lama, and a British Knight.   

If someone ever tells you what you can’t do, let those comments fuel your passion and drive.  Allow their words to motivate you to reach your goals that much more.  You can take yourself to higher levels regardless of anyone else’s opinion. 

Blue Man Group co-founder Phil Stanton grew up curious about tinkering and building things.  At the time, Phil had no desire to pursue a career in theatre even though both his mother and father were musicians and singers.  He was a shy child, and suffered from stage fright.  After graduating high school, Phil got a job at a store that sells tons of industrial building materials.  While working there, he became intrigued with gears, nuts, bolts, PVC pipes, and stainless steel.  Eventually, Phil moved on and that job ended.  He went to a liberal arts college and bounced around between several majors before finally settling on acting.  After meeting Chris Wink while working at a waiter in New York.  He met Matt Goldman soon after.  When the threesome was just starting out, all that knowledge about pipe, metal, and building materials from the job at the hardware store 12 years before came flooding back to Phil.  They constructed odd instruments and other mechanical stage sets that eventually became  integral elements to the Blue Man Group experience. 

Had Phil not taken that high school job at the industrial building store, he would not have had the know-how to construct these bizarre, yet potent instruments.  The lesson here is if you pay attention to and learn from every experience life has to offer, you will be able to apply that knowledge in whatever you wind up doing.  There should be an overarching continuity in our lives between different time periods.  It’s not like you become a completely different person when you go off to college.  No matter where you go, you still have sum of your experiences to draw from.

What Is A Renaissance Man?

As some of you astute readers have probably noticed, I included the term “Renaissance Man” in the URL of this blog.  I did this for a reason, but I am not sure I have ever clearly explained my thoughts behind this decision.  I believe we live in an era of uber-specialization, a time when a individual can be an expert in one part of the digestive system, but have no idea what happens in international affairs.  

I strongly disagree with hyper-specialization, but I also recognize our competitive world in one in which you must know alot about a little to be successful.  University degrees effectively narrow a student’s area of expertise.  Even more disheartening, promising young athletes are encouraged to “go Pro” instead of going to college.  Sadly, the notion of a well-rounded Renaissance Man (or Woman) is becoming a thing of the past.

A Renaissance man or woman is a person skilled in many disciplines.  They may speak several languages and have a passion for philosophy, science, and religious teachings.  Typically, a Renaissance individual dedicates time and effort to physical activity in addition to intellectual pursuits.  Aristotle defines it much more eloquently than myself:

“Every systematic science, the humblest and the noblest alike, seems to admit of two distinct kinds of proficiency; one of which may be properly called scientific knowledge of the subject, while the other is a kind of educational acquaintance with it. For an educated man should be able to form a fair off-hand judgment as to the goodness or badness of the method used by a professor in his exposition. To be educated is in fact to be able to do this; and even the man of universal education we deem to be such in virtue of his having this ability. It will, however, of course, be understood that we only ascribe universal education to one who in his own individual person is thus critical in all or nearly all branches of knowledge, and not to one who has a like ability merely in some special subject. For it is possible for a man to have this competence in some one branch of knowledge without having it in all.”

Scientific knowledge is the knowledge possessed by a specialist in a particular field.  This type of knowledge is more detailed than “educational acquaintance”, which is what an individual has if s/he has been educated in the subject.  

On Joe’s Musings, I have made a sincere effort to write in detail about a wide variety of topics.  If you divert your attention to the right side of this page, you can see the labels I have applied to individual posts.  I work hard to deliver fact and opinion on a range of issues that interest me.  That brings me to my main point- why being a Renaissance individual is important.  Because knowledge in every field has proliferated extensively since the Renaissance era, it is impossible to be an expert in everything.  Nevertheless, you can still master one field, and be competent in many other areas.    

There have been several ideal Renaissance men in the annals of history, but the one that really distinguished himself from the pack was Leonardo da Vinci.  Born in Italy, da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, writer, botanist, and cartographer.  Today, the best example of a modern day Renaissance Man is none other than Henry Rollins.  Originally hailing from Washington D.C., Rollins was the lead singer of the seminal hardcore punk bank Black Flag in the 1980s.  Since then, he has never stopped expanding his horizons.  Henry is a writer, publisher, radio DJ, actor, TV show host, activist, narrator, and speaker.  

I never liked the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none” because it ignores the possibility of getting really good at a discipline or skill without being an expert.  Renaissance men and women are not generally not the world’s foremost experts on topics, but they are more proficient and competent than 99% of the general population in a given subject.  At some point, a person who seeking a broad knowledge base will take their studies up to the point of diminishing returns.

Learning about a wide spectrum of things not only improves your understanding of the world, it also makes you a more confident, assertive individual.  The specialist is generally constrained to one subject while the generalist can build empathy and appreciate more endeavors.  In addition, the Renaissance man receives more of what life has to offer. 

The true human being should be too complex to categorize.  Don’t limit your human experience by specializing in one field at the expense of other pursuits.  Be a Renaissance individual.    

Anniversary of Bruce Lee's Passing

Bruce Lee was a martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist) school of martial arts.  The anniversary of his death is today, and I wanted to honor Bruce Lee as he has been a role model for me.  Even though he was adamant in his belief that he is not a teacher, he has greatly influenced the way I approach life.  Instead of celebrating his life with a biography, I believe the best way to honor Bruce Lee is to publish words from the man himself.    

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire.  In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering.  As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.”

“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability.  The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”

“If you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life.  There are no limits.  There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there.  You must go beyond them.”

“As you think, so shall you become.”

“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”

“Ever since I was a child, I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth.  To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.”

“I always learn something, and that is: to always be your self, express yourself, have faith in yourself.  Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him.”

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless- like water.  Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.  Now water can flow or it can crash.  Be water, my friend.”

“Notice the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”

“Real living is living for others.”

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.”

“Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.”

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

“Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics.  Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation.  Jeet Kune Do ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique.”

“It is not the daily increase but daily decrease.  Hack away at the unessential.”

“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.”

“All types of knowledge ultimately lead to self-knowledge.”

“I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.”

Bruce Lee- Thoughts, Video, and Pictures

Even though Bruce Lee passed nearly 40 years ago, his legacy has lived on.  One thing I find fascinating is the way people admire the physique of a man who stood five feet, seven inches and weighed 135 pounds.  In Western society, our definition of strong is a bulked up, 300 pound linebacker whose bench press exceeds 300 pounds.  Yet, martial artists and bodybuilders alike respect Lee’s physical dexterity, power, and speed, as well as the way he revolutionized unarmed combat.  

By American guidelines, Bruce was not a physically imposing man, but he was chiseled and in excellent shape.  Lee’s shape was tight, compact, and defined even when he was resting.  As evidenced by the fact he never entered a body building competition, his muscles were built for function, not glamour.  Bruce trained first and foremost for speed and strength which could be converted into power.  He worked long and hard to diligently mold his body into superb physical condition.  Using largely unknown training techniques, he developed a lethal arsenal comprised of lightening-quick reflexes, astounding flexibility, and a captivating grace.  

Power was the essence of Lee’s strength.  Although his body weighed only 135 pounds, he could kick a 300-pound punching bag into the ceiling.  Through intense study into human physiology and kinesiology, he was able to turn ineffective exercises into useful ones.  All his workouts were designed to get specific results.  He believed each day brought with it the opportunity to improve ourselves physically and mentally.  I have a deep admiration for a man who wanted to learn as much about the mind and the body as possible.

The late Stirling Silliphant (one of Lee’s students) captured Lee’s attitude towards strength and training as well as anyone:

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace.  We’d run the three miles in 21 or 22 minutes.  Just under 8 minutes a mile.  So this morning, he said to me, “We’re going to go five.”  I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five.  I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.”  He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.”  I said, “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.”  So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out.  I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run anymore,”-and we’re still running-”if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.”  He said, “Then die.”  It made me so mad that I went the full five miles.  Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it.  I said, “Why did you say that?”  He said, “Because you might as well be dead.  Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life.  It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being.  There are no limits.  There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.  If it kills you, it kills you.  A man must constantly exceed his level.”

“There are no limits” is a central principle in Lee’s self-created art and philosophy jeet kune do.  In his logo, he placed Chinese characters that read, “Using no way as way, Having no limitation as limitation.”  In a letter written, Lee wrote, “Low aim is the worst aim a man has”.  

Warren Buffett's 10 Rules from Jimmy John's

Last Thursday, I made my ritualistic visit to Jimmy John’s for a double provolone slim and a B.L.T.  I’ve learned many things in my business courses, but I noticed a sign in Jimmy Johns that make me think about business and investing outside the classroom.  As you might know, Jimmy Johns has epic signs, many of which are humorous.  However, this sign contained Warren Buffet’s 10 Rules, and I believe you should carry this valuable list in your wallet or purse so you can reflect upon it from time to time.  

No. 1: Reinvest Your Profits
When you first make money, you may be tempted to spend it. Don’t. Instead, reinvest the profits. Buffett learned this early on. In high school, he and a pal bought a pinball machine to put in a barbershop. With the money they earned, they bought more machines until they had eight in different shops. When the friends sold the venture, Buffett used the proceeds to buy stocks and to start another business.

No. 2: Be Willing to Be Different
Don’t base your decisions upon what everyone is saying or doing. When Buffett began managing money in 1956 with $100,000 cobbled together from a handful of investors, he was dubbed an oddball. He worked in Omaha, not on Wall Street, and he refused to tell his partners where he was putting their money. People predicted that he’d fall, but when he closed his partnership 14 years later, it was worth more than $100 million.

No. 3: Never Suck Your Thumb
Gather in advance any information you need to make a decision, and ask a friend or relative to make sure that you stick to a deadline. Buffett prides himself on swiftly making up his mind and acting on it. He calls any unnecessary sitting and thinking “thumb-sucking.”

No. 4: Spell Out the Deal Before You Start
Your bargaining leverage is always greatest before you begin a job – that’s when you have something to offer that the other party wants. Buffett learned this lesson the hard way as a kid, when his grandfather Earnest hired him and a friend to dig out the family grocery store after a blizzard. The boys spent five hours shoveling until they could barely straighten their frozen hands. Afterward, his grandfather gave the pair less that 90 cents to split.

No. 5: Watch Small Expenses
Buffett invests in business run by managers who obsess over the tiniest costs. He once acquired a company whose owner counted the sheets in rolls of 500-sheet toilet paper to see if he was being cheated (he was). He also admired a friend who painted only the side of his office building that faced the road.

No. 6: Limit What You Borrow
Buffett has never borrowed a significant amount – not to invest, not for a mortgage. He has gotten many heartrending letters from people who thought their borrowing was manageable but became overwhelmed by debt. His advice: Negotiate with creditors to pay what you can. Then, when you’re debt-free, work on saving some money that you can invest.

No. 7: Be Persistent
With tenacity and ingenuity, you can win against a more established competitor. Buffett acquired the Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1983 because he liked the way its founder, Rose Blumkin, did business. A Russian immigrant, she built the mart from a pawnshop into the largest furniture store in North America. Her strategy was to undersell the big shots, and she was a merciless negotiator.

No. 8: Know When to Quit
Once, when Buffett was a teen, he went to the racetrack. He bet on a race and lost. To recoup his funds, he bet on another race. He lost again, leaving him with close to nothing. He felt sick – he had squandered nearly a week’s earnings. Buffett never repeated that mistake.

No. 9: Assess the Risks
In 1995, the employer of Buffett’s son, Howie, was accused by the FBI of price-fixing. Buffett advised Howie to imagine the worst- and best-case scenarios if he stayed with the company. His son quickly realized the risks of staying far outweighed any potential gains, and he quit the next day.

No. 10: Know What Success Really Means
Despite his wealth, Buffett does not measure success by dollars. In 2006, he pledged to give away almost his entire fortune to charities, primarily the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He’s adamant about not funding monuments to himself – no Warren Buffett buildings or halls. “When you get to my age, you’ll measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you. That’s the ultimate test of how you lived your life.”

Father Marc Tilia

This is guest post written by my dad.

It was an overcast, humid Monday afternoon and I was driving south on a major avenue in Overland Park, Kansas.  I noticed an older white haired man dressed in black walking on the sidewalk going in my same direction.  As I was passing him, I noticed that it was Father Marc Tilia, a visiting missionary priest who for 41 years would come to our parish at Holy Cross to spend a week or two sharing his work and asking for our prayers and financial help.  As I passed him, I asked myself, “Why was he still here and why is he walking in this extreme heat 25 blocks from our church where he was staying?”  At the first opportunity, I turned around, pulled up beside him, and asked if he needed a ride.  He enthusiastically replied, “Yes.  I do.”

Father Marc was born in Iowa, was ordained a priest after studying in a seminary in Ava, Missouri, and through a series of unusual events was assigned to the archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.  He never served in this area, but instead, gave his life and devotion to the poorest of the poor in a small village in Brazil.  The town was founded in 1730 and never had a priest residing in it.  He said his first mass, in English, to a congregation of six people.  Gradually, he learned the Portuguese language and became loved as a family member.  Today, hundreds of the faithful attend mass regularly and this village now has a church and a school.  This humble, soft spoken man has truly lived the gospel and has introduced Christ to the multitudes.

After getting in my car, I asked Father Marc why he was walking down the busy road in the brutal heat 25 blocks from the Holy Cross rectory.  He said he was dropped off at a rental car establishment and his plan was to rent an automobile for two days so he could buy a couple of small items and drive around one last time in the United States.  Father Marc has decided to spend his last years in Brazil and never return to this country.  One of the actions he took was to cancel his seldom used credit card.  Unbeknownst to him, when he arrived at the rental car building, he was informed that he needed a credit card to rent a vehicle.  Not having one, he walked out, got turned around, and walked several blocks in the wrong direction before he realized he was getting farther away from the rectory.  It is when he turned around and headed back that I discovered him.  I took him to Holy Cross and asked when he would be leaving us.  He said the day after tomorrow, but he would say mass the next day at our church.  I promised him, and myself, that I would attend the Eucharist celebrated by this Godly priest.  

The next morning my mother in law and I attended this mass.  What an honor and a privilege it was to participate in a mass celebrated by this holy man.  In his homily, Father Marc concluded by saying, “Until we meet again.”  I knew what he meant.

After mass, my mother in law alertly asked Father Marc if he still needed a car for a day.  He joyfully said, “Yes. I do.”  So we drove him back to our home and gave him the keys to one of our cars.  I told him I would pick the car up later that evening.  Instead, around 4 in the afternoon, he arrived at our door and said he had finished running his errands.  For one last time, I visited with him as I drove him back to the rectory.  He left a beautiful cardand note to us with a picture of him praying the rosary.  As I was pulling away, he turned back toward me and waved his hands above his head and gave me a final blessing.  That scene will be forever etched in my memory.  I will see you in heaven, Father Marc!