They’re Exceptional − And YOU Can Be, Too!

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop zone for analyzing the success lessons of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and seeing how to implement them into YOUR life. Today we’ll be returning to our series on the Olympics, which will wrap up tomorrow in London England − namely on the athletes preparation.

Anybody seen Elvis: That’s the Way it Is? It’s the 1970 documentary film showing Elvis in preparation and later playing a series of shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. In it, it’s interesting to notice the songs at the beginning compared to the end. At the beginning, Elvis and his band go through a song once. They’re good, but they make mistakes. A thousand practices later (which they don’t show you − you’d get bored) you see Big E and the band at the end of the movie, polished and complete with Elvis’s signature choreography.

Essentially, they had to prepare long hours beforehand to get that good. Why bother? Because people expect their money’s worth. When something’s good, they feel they’ve spent their money well and will want to continue spending it on you, therefore getting the same value. When things are poorly done, they feel their money’s been ill spent. And people who feel they’ve been ripped off don’t give their money to the person who didn’t deliver again. In other words, you don’t give them what they pay for (and more), they don’t pay you (at least ever again), you’re business (or career) gets broiled in a crock pot. You do the opposite, they’ll want to go back to you because they trust you. They tell their friends you’re what you say you are and your business or career grows.

It’s commonsense really… in a way, we’re all rehearsing for that big casino show. We’ve got to put the hours in with our band, our team, to make sure things go smooth. We practice our choreography and lines, our pitch, and, when we practice hard enough, it’s good enough to be in a movie.

But many people want to get by the hard work. They don’t practice and don’t put time in and expect above average results. It doesn’t make sense. And they lose every time because of it.

This is when the Olympic athlete comes in; other than the singer or showman, like Elvis, no one puts in more time fine tuning their act than an Olympic athlete. They’ve got a show to put on, too, in front of millions of people, many of them fellow countrymen. And if they don’t do a good job, the backlash is huge. They’re under extreme pressure to do well. The plus side is when they do well and win gold everyone loves them. Someone like Michael Phelps, Andy Murray or, in my country of Canada, Rosie MacLennan becomes a national hero.

These Olympians work hard for years to get into peak shape so they can compete internationally. And when they’re guaranteed a spot in the Olympics, they have to keep training or risk the embarrassment we talked about. But they do it because they love their sport; the long hours aren’t always fun, but they wouldn’t want to do anything else. They’re exceptional in their preparation and dedication and because of that some of them get the greatest honour they feel possible − international recognition of their greatness.

So, what’s the point? Expecting something for nothing won’t get you anywhere. It doesn’t make sense − you have to work for what you earn. But putting in the hours or preparation will. It’s what Elvis did to run the series of highly successful shows shown in That’s the Way it Is and it’s what Olympians like Rosie MacLennan do to earn a gold medal and international respect for their abilities. You, too, need to learn to prepare whether it’s for a presentation or simply educating yourself on your products. Even if you’re naturally talented (as many Olympians are), preparation is what you need get that extra mile and grab a gold. It’s easy to say and it makes sense, but it’s hard. Make it your goal to be exceptional and prepare − the success you earn will be payment enough for it.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Both Elvis and Olympians put in lots of preparation beforehand for their respective ‘shows’ − it’s the best way they can guarantee winning in the end. But many ‘ordinary’ people don’t think they need to prepare and, as a result, lose milestones that could’ve been theirs with some work put in beforehand. When you’re exceptional and put the work in beforehand, like an Olympian, you’re boosting your chances of doing well the first time an opportunity presents itself. And the more opportunities you pull through with, the more successful you’ll be. It’s a pleasant kind of equation.

P.S. Remember to leave a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you.

P.P.S. If you'd like to see Elvis singing from That's the Way it Is, here he is on Youtube with "One Night".

So, When You Say Growth, You Mean Height… Right?

Hey Guys,

Do you like:

Ø Learning new subjects?

Ø Meeting new people?

Ø Visiting different places?

All these activities share one commonality: you’re learning and, therefore, you’re growing.

Elvis became a giant among men despite possessing a relatively normal physique. And it wasn’t because he was bigger or better than everyone else. Not even close. In a fight against a professional boxer, like Muhammad Ali, chances are he would have been slaughtered.

Many people are under the impression that you stop growing when you hit your final height. These people assume that since you never peaked 5’8” that you’re finished. Well, perhaps height-wise you are, but you still keep on growing in more important ways.

Other people will follow me to this point and say, “That’s right! My fingernails still grow and so does my hair and, if I ever had the time, I could even get my biceps to grow!”

Right. But Elvis didn’t have bigger biceps than everyone else. You can take a look at a youthful Arnold Schwarzenegger from Elvis’s Vegas period and, body-wise, Elvis is no competition to the Governator.

This isn’t the type of growth I’m talking about, and this stumps many people. Oftentimes people forget perhaps the most important place to grow − your brain.

There are many way to grow your brain. Several of them are listed above; you could also add reading and doing things you’ve never done before like, for example, rock climbing.

I heard something very interesting the other day; someone was talking about showing the difference between living and non- living (that’s right − dead) things. They talked about food and water, how we need them and rocks don’t. But they mentioned something else − they mentioned growth.

Think about this: a person who stops training their brain from the moment they leave high school prevents their brain from growing very much, if at all. And, considering growth is a characteristic of a living thing and the opposite demonstrates a non-living thing, people who leave their brain to rot are slowly becoming non-living things. They walk and talk, like zombies, but, as their brains stagnate, they aren’t fully live.

This isn’t a new concept in the business world; the adage “if you’re not growing, you’re dieing” is well-repeated in entrepreneurial circles. For those of you who want literary proof of this, I can recall reading it in Robert Herjavic’s book Driven, but I can assure you I’d heard it long before then.

Elvis is living (well, not anymore) proof of this. Notice the times in his life when he grew the most;

Ø Back in ’56, with the new record contract and the first LP

Ø In ‘60, when he got out of the army and was revving for a new start in Hollywood

Ø In ’68 when he was returning to the music industry, newly married with a new child.

Take a look at some material from these times. Never before or afterwards did he look so vibrant and act so fresh with so much energy. These were the times when he was growing the most, when he was doing new things and meeting new people.

Then look at the time when he was at his worst, say ’74 on. He was growing; he still read, and he did some new material, but not much. His career went into a slump and his physical condition reflected this. He didn’t have much to look forward to. When he wasn’t growing as much, he didn’t seem as alive.

So, what am I saying? People who don’t grow their brains aren’t fully alive, and the more steadily you continue to grow, the more alive you are. Interesting, perhaps hard to believe, but Elvis demonstrated it noticeable for all to see. Now, it’s time for you to learn what he showed.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Ø “If you’re not growing, you’re dieing”. When you learn and you grow your mind, you are most alive. Ways to grow include reading new books and doing things you’ve never done before. Now, go to the store or library and have fun with your new book…

P.S. If you’re interested in seeing Elvis during one of his highest growth periods, 1968, here he is, performing “One Night With You” at his best.

P.P.S. I'd love to hear your feedback. Don't be afraid to post a comment at the bottom of this post.