The Karate Kid Love Lesson

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for success lessons from the greats. Today, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, talk about love and balance.

So, believe it or not, I’d never seen The Karate Kid, that legendary 80’s movie, until a couple days ago. Contrary to what I thought, it fit into Valentine’s Day better than I thought with Daniel Laruso (Ralph Macchio), the protagonist, going off with Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue) − of course, Daniels’s arch-enemy’s ex.

There’s one scene when the boy’s all but given up on her. He’s celebrating his birthday with his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (Noriyugi “Pat” Morita), says that everything in life gets better with balance, alluding that getting Ali back will do this.

Now that’s powerful; many people are of the assumption that either you don’t need a significant other or that without them you’re nothing. I’m somewhere in between − sure, the lover might increase the quality of your life but you can live without them.

That being said, you (the success seeker you are) should settle for nothing less than the best life you can possibly get. And finding someone to share it with just makes everything a little sweeter.

Now, I’m not making a case for marriage here (nor am I for the swinger). I’m not saying you should rush into a situation where you’re in a relationship with someone you hate. What I am saying is that if you haven’t got a significant other, getting one (providing they’re good with your dreams and aspirations) can, as Mr. Miyagi put it, put everything into place. And if you’re running away from people who might make great partners if you weren’t scared, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Now, if you have got a wonderful person to share life with, congrats! You’re doing well. But if not, you can always:

Say something to a stranger

I ask people for their emails all the time. If you like the person, see if you can meet up with them somewhere else. If they give you the hots but are taken, at least you might be able to meet one of their cool single friends, or…

Get an online dating profile

There are some good systems these days on how to do this well. Online dating profiles put you together with people that you know are single and have something in common with you, saving you the time of wasting a date with a person you’d never want to know intimately. And they’re easy to set up. I’ve heard very positive reviews − might not be a bad strategy for you if you’re single and looking.

Have a great Valentine’s day and talk to you next week!

Alex H.

 

If you liked this update, you might also like these other Graceland Ontario posts:

 

• Graceland, Ontario: Love Will Teach You Persistence
• Graceland, Ontario: Here's to Thanksgiving Day, Time to Eat, Love and Play
• Graceland, Ontario: Have a Job You Love (or "Don't Do a 'Normal Job")
• Graceland, Ontario: What Can You Learn from an 87 Year Old and a Dead Rock Star
• Graceland, Ontario: Service Pays Dividends

Service Pays Dividends

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop blog discussing the traits that made the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll successful and how those same traits can be used to make you more successful. This week, we’re going to make a reference to last week's post but we’re going to be talking about service.

Last week, we talked about how it was Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of England and the British Commonwealth’s Diamond (sixty year mark) Jubilee. Here at Graceland Ontario (which is part of Canada, where her Majesty is head of state), we talked about stability as one of the main reasons why people love her. Another trait she exhibits is service.

The average person works for over twenty years before they earn their pension. A few exceptional people work for thirty years. If you’re a martyr, you might work forty years. I can’t tell you anyone I know who worked for fifty, let alone sixty, years. Most people get to the age of sixty and want a pension (not that I can blame them) − if you asked them to work for sixty years until they’re 86 (yep, her Maj’s birthday’s in April and she’s in her mid-eighties) they’d think you were crazy.

“So, she’s dedicated. Why should I care?”

People admire a person, man or woman, who would dedicate that long to their country. Some people feel patriotism for their nation, for the Queen it’s her job. People respect her because of her service, they respect her very much − even if they don’t believe in the monarchy.

Now, though Elvis in no way showed that kind of service to an office, he did to his fans.

In, "A Predicament Called Presley," September 7, 1957, Elvis said, "…fans want my shirt. They can have my shirt. They put it on my back." He loved his fans because he felt they were responsible for where he’d been put. But it went deeper than that.

Patrick MacDonald, music critic for the Seattle times, wrote on August 16^th, 2002, the 25^th anniversary of the King’s death, that, at one concert, “[Elvis] kissed a lot of girls and gave away a lot of scarves, but was kindest to a cute little girl who presented him with a royal crown on a satin pillow. She got a hug, a kiss and a scarf.”

I mean, this was in the middle of a big concert. Not only could Elvis respect his fans but he could respect his fans as individuals. He, a busy superstar, took the time to give one little girl a hug, a kiss and a scarf. That extra little service to his fans made him exceptional.

Elvis would kiss his fans, he would talk to his fans, he would stop shows for his fans. Considering how important he was, he was really dedicated to his fans. And, what was especially important, he could single out his fans and make them feel like human beings. For a man that busy, what an incredible achievement; what a wonderful way to show service to his fans. And guess what? His fans love him back for that extra effort. And people who see his shows respect him for treating his fans that way, even if they don’t like his style of music (like they respect the Queen for working so long even if they don’t appreciate the monarchy).

So, what does this mean for you? It means that when you put in that little extra effort, give a little extra service to those around you, people notice. And they respect it. And the more service you give, the more respect you get. And even if people don’t like your style or work, they begin to appreciate you as a person. Then, they tell their friends about their appreciation and soon more people respect you. Over time, that appreciation of you, as an individual, can work into your finances (everyone’s a potential customer) and your social life (all the possible tea dates you can now have). For a little extra service given at your place of work everyday that sounds like more than healthy compensation.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Both Elvis and Queen Elizabeth II have given incredible service, in the Queen’s case to her country and in Elvis’s to his fans. They make others feel special by giving that bit extra than everybody else. And even if people don’t like their style, they respect them for giving that bit extra. When you start adding that extra little bit of service, people start respecting you more, too. And even if they don’t like what you do, they can tell their friends and get more people interested in you. The more people interested in you, the better it is for your financial and social lives. It’s a lot to gain for a little extra service given.

P.S. If you're interested in seeing Elvis showing service firsthand, here's a video of him interacting with his fans (while on horseback!).

P.P.S. If you agree (or disagree) with what I'm saying, remember to drop a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com. I'd love to hear your stories, feedback and constructive criticism.