This little kid is learning what it's like getting past your fears!
I believe the only thing people should fear in life is death but second to that, would have to be traveling into the unknown.
Metaphores and other illusions
Why is traveling into the unknown so scary for most people? Well, imagine stepping into a river full of sharp rocks and trying to feel your way through onto the smooth rocks to cross, now add the fact that you are in a HURRY to cross. This is what traveling into the unknown is like. No matter how slow or methodically you proceed, everything always seems rushed with many things left behind. For instance, you may have lost your job recently and decide to move across the country to a new position in a new city, new lifestyle etc… no matter what, you are going to experience a fundamental shift in your way of living and thinking at least in the short term. Traveling into the unknown can be seen in the same light as jumping into a black abyss, you don’t know where the bottom lies anymore than you know when you will hit it.
Why is the unknown so scary?
Death is scary because it’s a “once in a lifetime even” that you have no control as to when or how it happens. The unknown is much the same, you have no control as to what will happen or when! I have had more than my fair share of “traveling into the unknown” experiences in my life and rarely, no matter the outcome, is it ever a boring “place” to be in. Jumping on a jet to a foreign country with nothing but a backpack, jumping out of a plane to experience skydiving, swimming in a vast and seemingly endless ocean alone… life is full of scary moments! The unknown usually causes an amplification of the normal day-to-day emotions you feel.
Traveling into the unknown is MUST!
I am NOT going to tell you to avoid the unknown, quite the opposite, it’s very healthy to experience things that are well beyond your comfort levels. I truly believe that you have not lived until you have experienced, at least several times, the anxiety, frustration and exhilaration involved with traveling into the unknown. Not knowing where you are heading while being blindfolded is an experience that will allow you to really see what kind of powder you keep in your cannon. You really don’t know yourself until you have pushed yourself beyond your self-imposed limits in life.
The Bottom Line
Traveling into the unknown is scary… so do it often!
Chaos is like a flame thrower, the more you try to suppress it, the stronger it becomes!
Like everybody else, the financial crisis that is enveloping the world at this moment doesn’t seem all that positive of a development but the more I think about it, the more opportunity I see!
Opportunity in Chaos?
Based on some reports, the US economy has caused retirements to drop by over two trillion dollars over the past year. To add insult to injury, people are loosing their jobs, the gas (was) at record highs and foreclosures became the new buzzword for 2008. Is there an opportunity in all this? YOU BET!
Don’t be sad and stare at the wall thinking of all you have lost!
I learned long ago that money has absolutely NO value, sure it’s fun to have a big number… it makes people feel important and is a source of self-esteem but at the end of it all, if anything has been gathered, the value of things, especially monetary ones, should have little to no value to you. They do to me! People worry because their savings have dropped like a brick… take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate your past decisions, change your lifestyle and finally, using this chaos as an excuse, create a new way of being. What I am saying is that this is the perfect excuse to re-invent yourself! You hate your boss, tell him off and leave… can’t stand the commute, sell your car… essentially, allow the chaos of change to invade your life!
Happiness in Chaos?
The only safety in life is chaos, as we have seen with the financial collapse, no matter how hard governments, people and companies work to try to bring stability to our lives, chaos always comes right back into the equation… with interest! Fighting chaos is a loosing battle, either accept it in your life or you must realize that every few years, a recession, dropping house values will come every few years in life. For a very long time, Americans especially, have been living in a bubble of opportunity and took things for granted, not only the citizens but governments and companies as well… this illusion of stability has been broken, I hope forever. If you can’t handle the chaos that gets into every crack and hole of our daily lives, you are better off putting your money in GICs and crossing your fingers.
So… where is the opportunity?
For one, the stock market has dropped almost 40% of it’s value in the past year, stocks are at an incredible low… I would wait a few more months until the recession hits the world economies and go on a buying binge. Crazy advice? Yes! But a 40% discount (probably close to 60% by then) is a once in a generation opportunity out there and there are some VERY profitable and solid companies to be had at fire sale prices! Just look at GM for instance, their stock is now at a 50 year low! Apple is has dropped by more than half from its all time high! When Rome was burning, firemen where in very high demand, as with every enormous paradigm shift within our world, there will be extreme winners and losers. The smart people will look over the chaos and see nothing but opportunity, the losers will hang-on to everything they have until it becomes worthless. For instance, the big depression in the United States created several decades of “stability” and new levels of wealth for the smarter / luckier among us. the Dot Com bubble created, once again, untold billions of wealth as others lost their shirts.
Everything goes in cycles and is based on perception
History repeats itself, do yourself a favor and study-up on the early 1900s through the 1940s, many of the situations the previous generation faced are now being felt by people around the world now… learn NOW what they did to increase the opportunities in their lives, the mistakes very wealthy people did to loose everything and those in-between. Everything goes in cycles and your perception, in the end, makes all the difference as to whether you come-out ahead or behind when un-invited chaos comes back to the table of stability every once in a while.
The Bottom Line
Don’t waste your time being sad, see the opportunity that chaos has brought to your life and seize it before it gets away!
The Myth. The Legend. Servio "The Myth" Oliva showing-off his incredible 23 inch arms!
In the world of bodybuilding where legends such as Lou Ferrigno, Casey Viator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mohammed Makaway, Casey Viator, , Lee Labrada, Ron Coleman, Jay Cutler, , Lee Haney, Lee Priest, Dorian Yates, Weider, Mentzer and “Barbarian” Brothers, Mike Katz, Dexter Jackson, Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray still cast a dominating shadow over this sport, one man, still maintains the biggest of them all. He is called Sergio “The Myth” Oliva.
Sergio Oliva’s early years
Few people realize that Sergio was a Cuban born on July 4th, 1941 and got into bodybuilding rather by accident. He was a soldier in the war against communism but lost, so he headed for the beach where a few friends introduced him to weight lifting.
Sergio Oliva’s legend begins
After less than a year of training, he was able to perform clean & jerks in excess of 400lbs, which was more than double his weight at the time. Considering he was still a teenager at this time made it all the more impressive. He caught the eye of the Cuban government and in 1961, he represented Cuba in the Pan American Games. During these games, he sneaked-out and sought asylum in an American Consulate, which was granted.
Sergio Oliva enters the mainstream bodybuilding community
In 1963, after moving from Miami, Florida to Chicago Illinois to work at a foundry, his legend started to grow due to his shier power and strength at the local gym he exercised at. Apparently, he was lifting more weight than anybody thought was possible and word began spreading quickly in the bodybuilding circles. He decided to give a competition a try and a year later, became “Mr. Illinois”! After a few competitions, he gathered enough steam to compete in an IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) sanctioned event in 1967, blowing away the competition! He won both the Mr. World Contest and Mr. Universe that year followed by winning Mr. Universe yet again three consecutive years later! He was so impressive at the time that he won the 1968 Mr. Olympia completely uncontested, nobody could even come close to the physique he had developed in only four years of being in the sport! He won an impressive number of contests during this years as a competitive, professional bodybuilder which is still talked about to this day!
Here is a listing of all the competitions he entered:
1963 Mr Chicago
1964 Mr Illinois
1964 Mr America - AAU, 7th
1965 Junior Mr America - AAU, 2nd
1965 Junior Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular
1965 Mr America - AAU, 4th
1965 Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular,
1966 Junior Mr America - AAU, Winner
1966 Junior Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular
1966 Mr America - AAU, 2nd
1966 Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular,
1966 Mr World - IFBB, Overall Winner
1966 Mr World - IFBB, Tall, 1st
1966 Mr Universe - IFBB Winner
1966 Olympia - IFBB, 4th
1967 Olympia - IFBB, Winner
1967 Universe - IFBB, Overall Winner
1968 Olympia - IFBB, Winner
1969 Olympia - IFBB, Winner
1970 Mr World - AAU, Pro Tall, 2nd
1970 Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1971 Universe - Pro - NABBA, Tall, 2nd
1972 Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1972 Mr. Galaxy - WBBG
1973 Mr International - IFBB, Professional, 1st
1974 Mr International, Professional, 1st
1975 Olympus - WBBG, Winner
1976 Olympus - WBBG, Winner
1977 World Championships - WABBA, Professional, 1st
1978 Olympus - WBBG, Winner
1980 World Championships - WABBA, Professional, 1st
1981 Pro World Cup - WABBA, Winner
1984 Olympia - IFBB, 8th
1984 Pro States Championships - WABBA
1985 Olympia - IFBB, 8th
Sergio’s physical achievements!
Sergio’s body was truly aspiring and the symmetry he achieved was at least 20 years ahead of his competitors at the time. Considering he was rather short at 5ft9 compared to the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger (6ft2) and Lou Ferrigno (6ft5), he still managed to more than hold his own against these monsters of the sport at the time. He was also about the same weight as far taller competitors and his body was so amazing that he even gave Arnold his first and only loss of his career! His arms measured an incredible 23 inches unflexed with impressive 20 inch forearms. His chest was almost as large as Arnold Schwarzeneggers at the time (58 inches) and yet, he still managed to maintain an incredibly slim waist of 28 inches! His legs where like massive tree trucks measuring an incredible 33 inches… again, he BLEW AWAY the competition in just about every category! His arms where so massive, considering his overall body size, that they where usually described as pythons, which is maybe where Hulk Hogan got his idea of describing his arms in the same manner.
Sergio Oliva later in life
Sergio entered the police force after many years of competition and became a family man at the age of 43. He, like many great legends, bowed-out of the sport, having earned the respect of fellow athletes for pushing the sport of competitive bodybuilding into a new era, that of the “genetic freaks” that would soon dominate the arena. He also wrote a book in 2007 which is difficult to get.
Sergio “The Myth” Oliva Videos
(great summary of an amazing man)
(Sergio posing at the 1984 Olympia)
(Sergio posing at the 1985 Olympia)
Like father like son?
It doesn’t end there, Sergio Oliva Jr. is really starting to make inroads within the bodybuilding community as well, here is one of his videos… impressive and given a few years, I am sure he will continue in the legacy of his father.
Sergio Oliva Trivia
Sergio Oliva was shot by his x-wife 5 times!
Sergio’s first job in America was that of a TV repairman
Sergio is still the only bodybuilder to ever win and hold, the top standings in four competitive bodybuilding federations at the same time! (IFBB, AAU, NABBA, WBBG)
Once Cuba’s weightlifting team got wind of his escape, the entire team followed suit
Sergio’s competition weight was normally between 240lbs and 255lbs, which, even by today’s standards, is enormous considering the low body fat he maintained during these events
The Bottom Line
Legends come in all sizes and shapes, Sergio’s just happens to be among the largest!
This guy isn't wasting a second, he is singing and playing the flute at the same time!
Most people think that free time is just that, well, it isn’t!
What is free time?
From the moment you are conceived, you are in a speeding car heading straight for a brick wall, this brick wall is called death and the road you are on only goes one way. As such, we do not have an infinite amount of time, there are no breaks on this car and it will sadly, never run out of gas. So, most people consider free time as a pause or “break” in life but what most people don’t realize is that this isn’t the case… whether you are sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom or even in love, this car you are in never stops, if anything, it accelerates as you loose track of time.
How to ease off the gas
Now, I used the analogy of a car on purpose, a car can go either fast or slow, even if you are heading towards a brick wall, you an choose, through your lifestyle and decisions in life, to ease off the gas a little. How? Well, don’t smoke, don’t drink, exercise, develop healthy relationships etc… theses might sound like small things but when you consider your body is in a constant state of decay, if you can slow down this process, ever so slightly, the dividends pay off big time later in life. So, if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, including everyday stress that makes your blood pressure rise, time to make some serious changes as, that car, sure isn’t going to stop.
Out of mind doesn’t mean it stops!
Another way people try to fool themselves is that they think that not realizing their own mortality will somehow allow them to escape these mortal coils that bind all of us. More specifically, they somehow think that they will be able to jump-out of the speeding car right before it hits the brick wall. I am sure mankind has tried this since we evolved and so far, considering how many billions of people have died, this approach is doomed to failure. Others deal with their mortality by squeezing every inch of it (and then some) out of everyday by partaking in risky or downright dangerous activities… sure, drinking the devil’s water is fun sometimes but not something that should be done on a regular basis. Basically, whether you wish to admit it or not, your fate will be the same as everybody else’s, rich or poor, educated or otherwise.
So… DON’T WASTE YOUR FREE TIME!
When ever somebody says “time out, you have free time”, take this as meaning you can do as you wish so you might as well dedicated it towards one of three activities:
1) improving your life or the lives of those around you
2) self-reflect on what you can change in your lifestyle in order to “ease off the gas”
3) educate yourself about the world around you
I think if everybody did one of these three little things instead of plopping in front of a television and wasting away hours of their lives on a daily basis… this would wouldn’t not only be far better but people’s lives would be vastly more rewarding in general.
I live by the motto that respect is earned, not given… but there are exceptions and this guy, who was born without any arms or legs is truly inspirational to me.
What would you do without arms or legs?
Without getting too graphic, most people have absolutely no clue, me included, regarding how they would handle themselves if they where given a major disability. These decisions hit able-body people on a daily basis whether from a car accident or some other incidents in their life. Losing an arm is HUGE, loosing both is something ENORMOUS and loosing all your limbs, well… suicide I am sure would creep into the mind of any sane person.
Is life possible without limbs?
I believe anything is possible if you put your mind to it but when I saw this, I was incredibly impressed!
Who is this guy?
His name is Nick Vujicic, believe it or not, he is an inspirational speaker! If you ever feel your life is tough, imagine living your entire life as Nick… I can’t help but be impressed by this guy BIG TIME! Regardless of my views on religion, he has done more with his life than most able-bodied people have done with theirs and if religion has helped give him purpose in life… all the better for him!
What has Nick done?
Other than living with, what by any definition, is a major disability, he built a foundation “Life without Limbs” for others who are missing limbs! He is an extreme example of making the best out of a very bad situation. He has also traveled around the world trying to inspire both able and disabled people alike that life is possible no matter the circumstances thrusted upon you. Considering he is but 25 at this time and all the enormous struggles he surely experienced in life, the fact that he is succeeding is amazing to me!
The Bottom Line
“NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!” as said wonderfully by Nick Vujicic
The LegendaryLife.com Blog is all about making not only the most out of your life but making it a successful one. Be warned though, it may cause you to think about things that others do not want you to.
