Patience at the Gym

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Avish

Have you ever had some kind of Ding! happen that makes you say, “really, are you serious?”

This winter, there was an ice/snow storm in Philadelphia. It didn’t seem too bad to me (and President Obama seemed to agree with me, as he essentially called DC a bunch of wusses for their response to the snow), so I still dutifully made it to the gym in the morning. As I pulled into the lot I realized that many other people must have thought that storm was kind of bad, because the normally full lot was very empty.

“Awesome!” I think to myself, “I should have no problem getting the equipment I need.”

I get inside, change, and hit the weight floor. Because of the snow, there are only three other people besides me on the weight floor. Normally there are fifteen to twenty people lifting at the same time. For my workout, I am following a specific routine that requires me to start each workout with a barbell squat. In my gym, there are three pieces of equipment I can safely do those on.

Would you believe that ALL THREE OF THOSE APPARATI WERE TAKEN?? There are only three other people working out! And they are using the exact three pieces of equipment I need!!

How is that possible? Did they snag my workout journal in the lockerroom and then conspire to use the equipment I needed? Unbelievable.

I realize in the grand scheme of all the great big Dings that can occur in a person’s life, this one is pretty small. But here is what I did, why was proud of myself, and what you can learn from it:

I did nothing. I patiently waited for them to finish, then went over and did my workout.

I am sure you are not all that impressed by this. But bear with me…

You see, I had a few things working against me:

  1. I am not the most persistent person in situations like this. In these cases I would often just move on to a different exercise (not in my routinea) or just leave.

  2. I don’t always enjoy working out. I have a particularly interesting love/hate relationship with squats. This would have been a great excuse to skip them.

  3. I didn’t have a tremendous amount of time. This was in the morning and I had places to be, and I didn’t want to waste my time waiting for equipment.

But I overcame those things, stuck it out, and got a great workout.

You may still not be impressed or see a lesson here. Well let me share a lesson with you:

How we behave in small things (Dings) is indicitave of how we will behave in big things (Dings)

Persistence is such a valuable tool when it comes to achieving our goals and overcoming obstacles when Ding happens. So many of us would like to believe that when a major setback happens, we will rally and do whatever it takes to push past it. But why would anyone believe that is true of a person who can’t exhibit that same resolve in small things?

That’s why I stood there and waited that morning. Realizing that I am not always thet most persistent person in some things, I knew that by waiting I would train that muscle so it would be there for me later on. That’s why I was proud of myself.

How about you? Are there areas in your life where you could be practicing certain skills, training certain reflexes so that when Ding happens, big or small, you will react exactly as you want?

If not, start now, because as they say, “It’s the little Dings that get ya’!”

Posted in Ding! | 2 Comments

What Do You Never Regret Doing That You Never Do?

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Avish

I have a confession: I skipped going to the gym yesterday. Shame, shame, shame…

My friend once told me, “You never regret going to the gym.” I have say, he was right.

I am definitely not one of those “addicted to the gym” people. To me the gym is quite often a necessary evil like immunization shots or Burger King Ads. Some days I have a Lincoln-Douglass-esque debate going on in my head as to whether I should make it to the gym as I planned. I know I should, but then I feel tired, or sore, or busy, or just incredibly lame. And the debate in my head goes on and on…

But my friend’s advice has always been true. When the “forces of good” in my brain win out and I go to the gym, I am always happy I did and never regret it. Even if the workout is terrible, I am hapy I tried. Even the one time I hurt my back squatting, I didn’t regret the fact that I had gone. I did regret the fact that clearly something was off with my form and I hurt myself, but I didn’t regret making the trip.

On the other hand, most of times when the “forced of evil” win out and I skip out on going to the gym I feel lazy, fat, undisciplined, guilty, and very annoyed at myself. Not a good way to feel. And, because emotions are unfortunately work on momentum, those feelings carry over and make the next workout harder, which makes me guiltier, which makes the next workout harder, and so on and so on.

Then I started thinking about other things in my life that are the same way. I have recently gotten back into creative writing. Writing a novel has been a goal of mine since I was in third grade. I guess 28 years is long enough time to let the idea marinade! So one of my daily action items is to write. Regreattably, there is a similar “good vs. evil” battle going on in my head for this too. Just like working out, I never regret writing, but I almost always regret not doing it.

It’s a weird thing, but we all occasionally succumb: not doing things we know we will be happy we did and know that we will regret not doing. We all have that battle of “good vs. evil” in our heads. As good as we know we feel by taking action, there’s that insidious little voice that tells us, “no, dont. It’s hard. You don’t need to. There’s always tomorrow.”

How about you? What do you never regret doing that you never do?

Step #2 in the step-by-step process to improvising with anything is to say “yes, and” instead of “yes, but.” This is the perfect place to implement that! The next time the battle of good vs. evil rages in your head, simply ask yourself, “will I regret doing this? Will I regret not doing it?” Then kick yourself in the butt, say, “yes, and,” and do it!

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Foo Fighter Fans: You May Now Die Happy

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Avish

Watch the video below and be awed. The awesomeness really starts at about the 2:45 mark. Or, scroll below to read what happnes in this video first:

What happens:

This from a Foo Fighters concert, and the clip begins with Dave Grohl (lead singer and former drummer for Nirvana) playing a drum solo (to me, the drum solo sounds a *lot* like “The Rhythm Method” by Neal Peart, drummer for Rush). Then, out of nowhere, Geddy Lee and Alex Liefson, the lead singer, bassist, keyboard player, and lead guitarist – yes, I just names four roles for two guys – of Rush join Dave Grohl on stage!!

The three then proceed to play YYZ, one of Rush’s greatest instrumentals.

That my friends, is an example of a positive “Ding!“

How amazing would it have been to be in the audience and have Geddy Lee and Alex Liefson come out and play YYZ with Dave Grohl?? Of course if you don’t like Rush then you might have hated this. But then again, if you don’t like Rush you clearly have no soul, no life, and no business listening to music so your opinion doesn’t matter.

I may be a little biased, as Rush is my favorite band. Why are they my favorite band? Simply because they are the most awseomely awesome band that ever awesomed. Got it?

Lesson #1: Rush is awesome. If you are unfamiliar, watch this. Or this. Or this. Or this. Or this.

Lesson #2: Even people who are at the top of their field (Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters) have people they admire. No matter how good you are, go out and find someone you can learn from. Similarly, be willing to mentor or share with someone not as good or successful as you.

Lesson #3: Did I mention, Rush is awesome. Go listen to some Rush now.

Posted in Ding!, Motivation & Success | 2 Comments

People Say the Dumbest Things – Hulk Hogan Edition

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Avish

From the “think before you speak” file…

Former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan talking to Rolling Stone Magazine about how he felt about his wife Linda:

“I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J., cutting everybody’s throat. You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can’t go to anymore, you’re driving through downtown Clearwater [Florida] and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife…I totally understand O.J. I get it.”

Ding!

You would think after almost 30 years in the public eye that Hogan would have learned a bit about what he should and should not say. But I guess not.

This is why it’s so important to condition your automatic responses! It’s much harder to say stupid things if your default mentality is to not say stupid things!

And as a rule of thumb, saying you can relate to a double murderer is never a good idea – especially when your being interviewed b Rolling Stone Magazine!

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Take Advantage of Low Expectations!

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Avish

You’ve probably seen this video of Susan Boyle performing on Britain’s Got Talent. If not, go watch the video and then keep reading for my take on it.

Most people are passing this around because it’s so “inspirational.” And it is. I even got a little choked up watching it. And that’s for four reasons:

  1. I’m a Renaissance man with a soft side
  2. Les Mis is my favorite musical, that’s one of my favorite songs, and I get a little choked up just listening to it anyhow
  3. It is a cool story about this woman unexpectedly blowing people away with her skill and
  4. The content of the song, “I Dreamed a Dream” fits her story very well, which just adds to it.

BUT, just because it’s inspirational doesn’t mean we can’t pull out a business or life lesson, right? As a speaker, I like to believe I’m about “more than motivation” 🙂

Here’s something to remember: She did amazingly well because she had such low expectations.

Don’t get me wrong – she sang amazingly well. Her talent is undeniable. But this video is not making the rounds because it’s a great performance. It’s making the rounds because it’s a great performance when everyone was expecting it to be awful.

No one expected her to do well. She doesn’t look like a star. She looked kinds confused when she took the stage. She even thought the song was from the Wizard of Oz, not Les Mis. This had all the earmarks of a William Hung-esque performance. Then she started singing and everyone was in awe.

She did well because she completely exceeded expectations. And therein lies the lessons.

Lesson #1: To make a huge impression, you must obliterate expectations. I’m not saying to “under promise and over deliver,” because if you under promise no one will hire you. But over delivering is vital. You don’t need to demolish expectations everyday (that’s a quick way to burnout) but when you get that “shot,” that opportunity, don’t settle for just passing or doing pretty well. DOMINATE!

Lesson #2: Turn other’s low expectations to your advantage. How many people do you know who get offended when people don’t believe in them or show them a lack of respect? How many feel bad and give up? DON’T DO THIS! This is your perfect chance to wow them way more than if they believed in you in the first place.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to emcee a pretty big event. I was relatively unknown, and there were some well known humorists in the audience. Before I took the stage someone who just found out I, and unknown (to her), was going to emcee she said, “wouldn’t it be good if so-and-so” emceed”

Hmm.

Subtext: “Wouldn’t it be better if Avish didn’t do it?” That’s tough to hear before you take the stage.

But you know what? I took the stage, did my best, and it went great. Afterwards, that woman came up to me and said, “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to be insulting before. I had no idea you did comedy and everything. You were great!”

I have a big enough ego to agree that I was great 🙂 But I also realize that as an unknown with low expectations, I had a golden opportunity to rock the house and make an impression.

How about you? How do you respond when expectations and confidence in you are low? Especially when stakes are high. Do you roll over? Get so mad that you let your emotion interfere with your performance? Or do you brush off the doubts and take advantage of the situation by blowing everyone away?

Now if you’ll excuse me, my arm is sore from patting myself on the back…

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New Definition of Insanity

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Avish

Old, cliched definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.”

Avish’s new definition of insanity: “Eating a giant plate of buffalo chicken wings for dinner and then looking in the mirror the next morning wondering, ‘hmm, why is my gut getting so big??'”

The Lesson: Many of our limitations are not from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of application of what we already know. Stop looking for new answers and start putting into action the knowledge you alreafy have.

i.e. Don’t eat a giant plate of buffalo chicken wings if you want to lose weight…

Posted in Just Funny, Motivation & Success | Leave a comment

5 Great Sites I Visit to Laugh or Learn

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Avish

As you can probably tell, my goal for this blog is to give readers a laugh while giving them an idea or two to think about that may help them do better in business or life. I don’t know too many other websites or blogs that do that, but I do know a bunch that either make me laugh or make me learn.

So here I share with you 5 sites I regularly visit to laugh or learn:

StevePavlina.com (learn)

This is a really good personal development site subtitled, “Personal Development For Smart People.” Since I consider myself a smart person, this site is right up my alley! He writes long blog posts on a variety of topics and I usually takes something away from each one.

ToplessRobot (laugh)

Great site for all things nerdy. I realize I am “outing” myself as a guy who likes nerdy stuff (like my Aquaman Post didn’t already do that) but I don’t care! I love this site.

Multiple posts every day on topics such as comic books, video games, fantasy literature, sci-fi movies, and more. Not only are the topics fun, but the posts are written in a very funny semi-ranting style which makes me laugh. They do a daily list which makes me laugh pretty much every day. For example, yesterday’s daily list was The 8 Most Shamefully Stupid Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes. Very funny…

Sethgodin.com (learn)

Just an awesome blog focused on marketing and entrepreneurial ship. Seth is the best selling author of books like Purple Cow and Tribes. He specializes in “new marketing,” which is about building a following and interest as opposed to traditional advertising where you constantly interrupt people. He posts short articles that are always thought provoking.

The Sports Guy (laugh)

I used to read this site more regularly, but I still find myself returning to it. Bill Simmons is “The Sports Guy,” and he writes articles on sports topics that are always hilarious. He is the gold standard for taking a basic topic (sports) and writing about it in a funny way. His references to pro wrestling and 90210 alone make me laugh out loud. Yes, he is a sports writer who manages to constantly reference Beverly Hills 90210.

Preston and Steve (laugh)

This one is a little bit of a cheat, as I am actually a huge fan of The Preston and Steve morning radio show on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia. It is ridiculously funny, and I listen to it every morning. Rather than being a typical “schlock jock” morning radio show, it is basically a group of friends hanging around talking about random topics and making fun of each other. It’s what I envision me and my friends would do if we had a radio show.

On the show they reference a lot of things, and the website links to everything they reference. If you’re in the Philadelphia area and like to laugh, tune to 93.3 between 6 and 10 am. If you are not in the Philly area, you can podcast the entire show every day! They are on iTunes. Check it out…

Do you have a website or blog you regularly visit that makes you laugh or learn? Post it!

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Yin/Yang: The Missing Ingredient to Your Success

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Avish

(This is from my Improvised Musings E-Zine. Sign up for it now and get the MP3: “How to Think Quick” Free!!)

What does almost getting sideswiped in a parking lot have to do with the concept of Yin and Yang and your success? Keep reading…

I was driving in a parking lot one day and I was approaching a woman who was backing out of her spot. I clearly had the right of way, but you never know, so I proceeded with caution. She was pulling out slowly, but did not stop even though I was almost directly behind her. I looked into her car, and I saw that while she had her head turned enough to see straight back, she probably couldn’t see me coming from the side. Her hairdo may have had something to do with this. She had a great big head of hair that the eighties would be jealous of, so the large ‘do was helping to hinder her vision.

I give a quick warning honk of my horn, and to her credit she instantly stops and then turns her head and sees me. Crisis averted.

Granted, this is not the most exciting story in the world. Had she hit me, it would have been exciting. Awful for me, but exciting for you. I rather like the way it turned out.

Even though the story is not super exciting, it really got me thinking. What is it that compels people to look straight back when in a car and not expand their awareness to see who may be coming from the side? My knee-jerk answer is “stupidity.” But there maybe something more…

I think the issue is less a question of intelligence (or lack thereof) than it is about focus. The more I let this incident marinade in my head, the more I started to see the bigger picture in the world.

I have trained in the martial arts for 20+ years and taught and performed improv comedy for 16+ years. Looking back, I have noticed one common trait amongst the best martial artists and the best improvisers:

The have the ability to stay incredibly focused on one thing while still being aware of everything around them.

(Note: I started to talk about this idea in my blog post: Shangrila May Be Closer Than You Think)

Let’s look at the the two parts of that statement:

“The ability to stay incredibly focused on one thing” –

Great martial artists must be very focused on their opponent and techniques. Great improv comedians must be focused on what they are doing and saying. In a nutshell, this comes down to being present.

You have probably encountered this idea in your personal or professional life. Instead of multitasking or splitting your focus, the most productive and effective people focus on one thing at a time with intensity. Pick up any time management book or program, and this will be one of the key principles. The woman backing out of the parking spot was doing this. She was focused very intensely on what she was doing (backing straight out). (Here’s a great post on intense focus by Steve Pavlina. Steve has some great articles on various development topics.)

However, in my experience, this is only half of it. Intense focus without awareness is not enough.

“While still being aware of everything around them” –

This is the part that many people miss, and isn’t really talked about when it comes to time management or productivity.

The martial artist, while intensely focusing, must be aware of his environment. Another opponent could attack, there could be dangerous things around them, or there maybe an opportunity to get out of the fight. The improv comedian must stay aware enough to see what his partner is doing, how the audience is reacting, and how things are going. In a nutshell, this comes down to being open.

In your own personal or professional life, this means being aware of the affect your words, attitude and actions are having on the people around you. Also, be open and aware to what’s going on in the world, what market changes may be happening, and what trouble may be on the horizon.

Being singularly focused allows you to get things done quickly and efficiently. Being open and aware allows you to improvise and adjust so that when Ding Happens, you don’t get sideswiped.

On the surface, these two ideas seem to contradict each other. How can you be singularly focused while also being aware of what’s going on around you??

Not only are these ideas not contradictory, but in fact they are necessary for your long term survival and success. Singluar focus engaged your conscious mind. Open awareness utlizes your peripheral senses and intuition. This is straight Yin/Yang: “complementary opposites within a greater whole” (that’s from the good people at Wikipedia )

Chances are it’s the open awareness you need to practice. Most of us are pretty good at being able to singular focus. Even if not, it’s an easy concept to grasp.

Start practicing expanding your awareness. Meditation, journaling, quiet listening and people watching, are simple ways you can start practicing right now. Training in the martial arts or learning improv comedy are also immensely helpful, if the instructor understands these concepts (sadly, many do not).

Oh, and whatever you do, always remember to look both ways when backing out of a parking spot!

Posted in Ding!, Improv Comedy, Motivation & Success | Leave a comment

Are You “Literally” an Idiot?

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Avish

I received an email from one of the many “internet marketing” guru who’s e-lists I am on. Quite frankly, I am on waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many of these and I rarely ever even bother opening them. For some reason I did open this one. I am glad I did, because it started with this gem:

“I’m about to share with you the Defining moment and place that LITERALLY exploded my business W-E-L-L into the 7 figures.”

Really? “Literally?” Not even, “literally” but rather, “LITERALLY”?

Do people no longer understand the meaning of the word literally?? From dictionary.com: “actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy”

Are you seeing where I am going with this? In order for his business to have “LITERALLY exploded…W-E-L-L into the 7 figures,” that means that his business would have had to blown up – as in some kind of a highly combustible substance, like dynamite or C4, would have had to have been detonated on, in, or around his business. Not only that, but the end result of this firestorm must have been a business worth $1,000,000+

Maybe I’m misreading it. Maybe he meant that the explosion fractured his business into over a million pieces. Or maybe the business segmented into 7 distinct pieces, each of which resembled a figure in some way. But I doubt it.

I am NOT some kind of a crazy vocab/grammar obsessed type dude. As a rational intelligent person, I realize that his meaning was, “that exploded my business LITERALLY W-E-L-L into the 7 figures.” And grammar and vocab wise, I’m no expert. I figure it’s enough to own a copy of Strunk and White, even if I never read it, right?

But the misuse of the phrase “literally” always tickles my funny bone. Probably because whenever someone uses it they are really trying to add emphasis to their point and sound intelligent. But when you think about it, it just makes them sound foolish.

For me, this goes back to listening to Gorilla Monsoon, who would comment on old WWF events that were sold out by saying, “people are literally hanging from the rafters!” Really Gorilla? If that was the case then is I were to look up, I would see actual human beings clinging to the rafters of the arena for dear life just to they could watch the event. Somehow, I don’t think so…

The Lesson: Step #1 in the step by step process to improvising with anything is to know your outcome. If your outcome is not to look like an ignoramus, think about the words you are going to use and what they mean. Especially in permanent, written form, or you will LITERALLY be condemned to the 6th circle of Dante’s Inferno – or something like that…

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5 Examples From the Movies That Not Getting Your First Choice May Be a Great “Ding!”

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Avish

Often we get so fixated on an outcome we want to have happen that when we don’t get it we get dejected and may even give up. This is sad, because sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is to NOT get your first choice. Rather than giving up, if you adopt the mentality of “I will make this work the best I can,” you may find the circumstances work out much, much better for you.

Here are five examples from Hollywood where the director did not get his/her first choice, and how we all benefited:

1) Raiders of the Lost Ark

Tom Selleck (yes, Mr. Magnum P.I. himself) was originally cast as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. If that doesn’t skeeve you out, I’ve got five words for ya’: Indiana Jones with a mustache. I suppose it may have worked if they also cast John Hillerman (a.k.a. “Higgins”) as Sala. On second thought, no, that wouldn’t have worked at all…

Four movies and a gajillion dollars later, can you imagine anyone besides Harrison Ford as Indiana?

Trivia according to Wikipedia: Spielberg wanted Ford originally, but Lucas did not. Just goes to show, Lucas has not made a good filmmaking move since her let Irvin Kershner direct The Empire Strikes Back.

2) The Matrix

Will Smith turned down the role of Neo because a) he wanted to make Wild Wild West and b) he was skeptical about the team’s ability to pull off the “bullet time” special effects. Strike 1 and 2! (Or in my parlance, Ding 1! Ding 2!).

Choice 2 was Nick Cage, who turned it down too. Yes, the man who after killing a man in Con Air said, “Why couldn’t you put the bunny back in the box?” could have been Neo. That would have been truly awful. (“What in the name of Zeus’s bunghole, is the Matrix?!?!?”)

How the producers didn’t think of Keanu Reeves initially is beyond me. Here’s a movie based around a guy who is thrust into a new world and spends a good chunk of the film incredulous. Keanu Reeves only has *one* on-screen emotion: Incredulous! (“whoa”). It’s a perfect fit.

Fortunately, the stars aligned and Keanu got the role. And we got one great movie, one revolution in special effects, one bad sequel with some great action scenes, and one ridiculously pretentious self-absorbed ending to a once great series. But at least we didn’t have to suffer through a Will Smith theme song rap for the Matrix.

Trivia according to Wikipedia: Sandra Bullock was originally offered the role of Trinity, but turned it down because she didn’t see herself working with the originally cast lead. I love Sandra (kinda literally; I used to have a huge crush on her) but she would have been an AWFUL Trinity. But if her and Reeves had done it, it would have been SPEED IN THE MATRIX. Three words: Best. Movie. Ever.

Instead, the first re-pairing of Reeves and Bullock was The Lake House. *shudder*

3) Pretty Woman

Julia Roberts was pretty much an unknown when she was cast as Vivian in Pretty Woman. She was also basically the last choice for the role! The part was offered to Daryl Hannah (“Pretty Mermaid!”), Meg Ryan (“Pretty in Seattle!”), Michelle Pfeiffer(“Pretty Liaisons!”), Molly Ringwald (“Pretty in Pink!”), Jennifer Jason Leigh (“Pretty White Female!”). Could the movie have worked with one of them? Maybe…maybe…but probably not.

Julia Roberts really rocked out the role and earned herself an Oscar nomination. The movie went on to be one of the top grossing romantic comedies of all time. And I got myself a “second favorite movie of all time.” Not bad for the last choice of lead actress…

Trivia according to Wikipedia: The movie was originally intended to be a dark drama about prostitution in LA. It was originally going to end with the Edward throwing Vivian out of the car and the two of them not being together. Now that would have been a very, very different movie – which probably wouldn’t have grossed $464 million dollars!

4) Beverly Hills Cop

The role of Axel Foley was originally intended for Sylvester Stallone! Let that sink in for a moment. Go ahead and visualize Rambo saying, “It should be more natural, brother. It should flow out, like this – “Look, man, I ain’t fallin’ for no banana in my tailpipe!”” Or hanging off the back of a truck while Glen fry’s “The Heat is On” plays in the background. Can’t do it, can you?

Beverly Hills Cop went on to be the second highest grossing movie of 1984 (just behind Ghostbusters). You think the producers and director are sad things didn’t work out with Sly?

Trivia according to Wikipedia: “Sylvester Stallone was originally intended to play Axel Foley. After his departure due to differences in scope (he wanted more action than the producers would budget for) the role was re-written for Murphy. Stallone went on to use his version of the film as the basis for his movie Cobra. ” Cobra?!?! Cobra vs. Beverly Hills Cop. You tell me…

5) Die Hard

Bruce Willis was not the first choice to play John McClane. Not at all. he was number five. Let’s take a look at how the casting conversation might have gone:

Producer 1: “This is going to be a huge action movie. With Schwarzenegger or Stallone, it’ll be a blockbuster!”
Producer 2: “We didn’t get them.”
Producer 1: “Oh. Well how about that Burt Reynolds guy? He’s very popular and he’s done some great action flicks.”
Producer 2: “No, we couldn’t get Burt either.”
Producer 1: “All right. How about Richard Gere? he’s a big box office draw at least…”
Producer 2: “Nope”
Producer 1: “Then who did we get??”
Producer 2: “Bruce Willis”
Producer 1: “Who?”
Producer 2: “Bruce Willis. The guy from Moonlighting. That weird detective agency comedy show.”
Producer 1: “Oh boy. This movie is going to flop…”

Of course, Die Hard did not flop at all. In fact, in 2007 Entertainment Weekly heralded it as the greatest action movie of all time (they’re probably right) and the movie is credited with redefining the action genre. From this point on, rather than having a ridic
ulously powerful hero, action movies began having human heroes with human weaknesses who usually faced unbelievable odds. That wouldn’t have happened if one of the producers’ first two choices had been available.

Trivia according to Wikipedia: Die Hard was based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever, which was a sequel to the book The Detective, which was made into a movie in 1968 starring Frank Sinatra. Could you imagine Sinatra, in the late 80’s?! How awesome would that have been?? “Dooby dooby do, motherf****r!”

Lesson:
In all of the above cases, the producers and directors did not get their first choice. In some, they didn’t even get their second, third, or fourth choice. But in all the cases things worked out soooooo much better.

When Ding Happens (like when you don’t get your first choice) great improvisers quickly refocus on how to make the most of what they did get. They don’t get hung up on what could have been; they focus on what is and what can be.

Think of it this way: the present is perfect, because it can not be any different. You can intend the future to be different, but make the most of what you have right now.

Bonus lesson: Don’t be offended if you are not the first choice. You think Julia Roberts cares now that Gary Marshall didn’t think of her first? Make the most of whatever opportunities you have, wherever they come from.

Note: my research is from what I have researched on the internet. If you know for a fact I am wrong, good for you. The lessons still apply…

Posted in Ding!, Lists, Motivation & Success | 1 Comment