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The Intention Of A Snow Leopard
The Olympics exemplify so much of what we train at Klemmer and Associates, and it’s a great joy to learn about the athletes, how they think, and their stories that propelled them to where they are. Ghana’s “Snow Leopard” stands out this year as one of the greatest testimonies for the power of trust, intention, and what’s possible when a human being decides to believe more in their dreams than their limiting beliefs or those of the people around them.
Six and a half years ago Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, 28 years old, had never skied before. Six years ago, when he first tried to ski, it took him 30 minutes just to figure out how to go down in a straight line and stop without falling. He was working in an artificial ski center in England – an indoor ski hill where the conditions never really changed. When he shared his vision of skiing in the Olympics with others he was criticized and ridiculed.
Fast forward to February 2010. Kwame, 34 years old, is competing in the Olympics in the tall, fierce mountains of British Columbia with athletes who have been full-time skiers most of their lives. He is a husband and the father of two children. He has gained international acclaim for his willingness to go for his dreams and test to see if the impossible might actually be possible. He is also supporting two charities, one that protects the endangered snow leopard and another one that takes at-risk inner city youth into the mountains to show them a different way of life. He is making a tremendous difference.
Kwame’s quote that characterizes his achievement most is “I think it was like sending a Ghanaian to the moon.” So the question is what got him from where he was six years go to where he is now? Was it that he had loads of mechanisms and ways of achieving his dreams figured out in his head and he decided to use one of those mechanisms? OR was it that he was so clear on his vision, so convinced it was his path, that he was relentless in his pursuit of his dream whether he had mechanisms or not – not blindly forceful, but relentless in his optimism, passion, and willingness to take risks?
I suggest that it was the latter, that it was his total commitment to his dream that got him to the Olympics. And just as importantly, it was his willingness to trust himself more than he trusted other people’s negativity. His intention was so clear that the mechanisms to create his dreams appeared in his life. It’s no coincidence that the Snow Leopard is in the Olympics, that he is making a difference, and that he is inspiring thousands of others around the globe to pursue their dreams. He decided it would be so and he didn’t waver from that decision.
What are you not doing in your life because you don’t see a way to do it? Where in your life might you be allowing other people’s negativity and limited thinking to affect how you look at what’s possible? Is there somewhere in your life where you feel a compelling tug to do something great but you’re holding back? Where in your life have you made a decision to do something and you’re wavering on that decision?
Take the first step and attend a free Champions Workshop to learn the ‘Formula of Success‘ that will enable you to produce results and achieve your goals.
Scott Cundy
Personal Mastery Facilitator
The Difference Makers
There is a segment that has been created by the TV networks as part of this year’s Olympic experience that is entitled “The Difference Makers”. The essence of this section is to highlight individuals who have made a significant difference in the life of one of the competing Olympians. It’s not about the coaches or the sports psychologists but rather about the family, friends and others who have played a major role in shaping who these Olympians have become.
A Difference Maker
It’s about Alexandre Bilodeau, the Olympic moguls gold medalist who was inspired every day by his older brother who has cerebral palsy. It talked about a father who became a skating track official after his wife passed so he could be part of his sons’ journey to fulfilling their dream to be in the Olympics. It’s a sister’s will to live against all odds after a near fatal car accident so she can see her sister compete in her final Olympics before retiring. And the stories go on and on.
So as I reflect on these stories I think about all the people who have made a difference in my life. Some that are obvious and others who had a significant impact but were more subtle in their involvement. From those in my past to those who actively influence my current life, each one has somehow woven themselves into the tapestry of my life. And this inspires me to remember that it’s my responsibility to let all those people who have made a difference in my life know what a gift they have been and the gratitude I feel – for I have been truly blessed.
But it’s more than that. Importantly, I also get the chance to look at the difference I make in others’ lives. At Klemmer & Associates our mission is to “create a world for everyone with no one left out”, so the challenge for us each day is to touch at least one life and leave it better than before we entered it. A difficult task? Perhaps. But then I get to ask myself…..if not me, then who? And if not now then when?
We all have the choice as to how big we want to play in life.
In whose life will you be ‘the difference maker’?
Sona Van Der Hoop
Personal Mastery Facilitator
Let Klemmer & Associates be a difference maker for you. Learn about our results-oriented personal mastery training, it’s guaranteed!
Olympic Dreams and Goals
During the past few days we have been riveted to the television as we haven’t wanted to miss any of the 2010 Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver. I can honestly say that I have felt such a great sense of pride as a Canadian.
Proud of the welcoming committees, established so athletes from competing countries would feel our hospitality right from the start, to the outstanding opening ceremonies which included such reverence shown for Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian athlete who suffered a fatal accident, to the camaraderie displayed between the representatives from across this country and around the world.
But beyond that sense of pride what motivates me to rush to watch the Olympic coverage is this overwhelming sense of inspiration.
Olympic Dreams and Goals
Whether you are a sports fanatic, a casual fan or have little interest in sports it’s hard not to be touched by the infectious sense of excitement that is all over the world media. For me these games represent so much more than the sports the athletes compete in. As a matter of fact I would argue that for many, the sport is the least important part of this journey.
As I listen to the stories of some of the athletes it is humbling to realize what so many of them have endured to be here. For some it has been physical challenges, recovering from serious injuries and operations followed by grueling hours of physiotherapy just to get them ready to start even more grueling hours of training.
For others it has been the emotional challenges of persevering while surviving a family crisis or just learning how to cope with extreme disappointment when one small mistake led to having to wait 4 more years just to see if you’d even have the chance to compete again. Yet, the message remains the same. Everything in life comes at some price.
In all our seminars at Klemmer and Associates, starting with Personal Mastery, we explore the concept of prices and benefits. Whether they are hidden prices or obvious ones, we will pay some price to reach our goals. The question we each get to ask ourselves is “am I willing to pay the price to get what I want?”
So personally, the Olympics have created the space for me to reflect on what’s important and ask myself if I’m really willing to pay the prices to go for what I want or am I just fooling myself. Mmmmm….
Something to contemplate while watching the Canada-USA hockey game!
Sona Van Der Hoop
Personal Mastery Facilitator
What Makes Olympic Champions Great?
Have you ever wondered what makes olympic champions great? Is it just a matter of being dedicated and putting in hours and hours of practice day after day? When I interviewed a world famous 2-time olympian and world record holder I learned there are three elements that are always present when ordinary people do extraordinary things.
Watch this short video to learn more about the 3 elements of olympic greatness and receive a valuable tip that you can put into practice today in your own life.
http://personalmasteryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/olympic-thinking.flvThe full length interview is availabe in “Interviews With The Experts“, along with 7 other interviews such as Mark Victor Hansen on the mastermind prinicple, John Gray on male female communications and Jack Canfield on self image.
“Interviews With The Experts” is available in 3 formats:
- Immediate access mp3 download
- CD
- Cassette Tape
Take action today to receive the special offer, available for a short time. Just click on the link for the desired format, enter the desired quantity, then type “hope” in the Promo Code box at the top of the page and click the “go” button.
You Are Extraordinary,
Brian Klemmer
Founder and CEO
Klemmer and Associates
Rules For Being Human – Part 2
This is part 2 of The Rules For Being Human. Read part 1 here.
Ultimately, “THERE” IS NO BETTER THAN “HERE”
When your “there” has become a “here” (when you achieve or accomplish this or that), you will simply obtain another “there” that will, again, look better than “here”. In the game of life, it’s the way things work. The illusion comes in when we think we are going to be more happy when we get “there”.
OTHERS ARE SIMPLY MIRRORS OF YOU
You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. Put another way, you can only be inspired by another because it reflects something living in yourself, at least as a seed of possibility.
WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS TOTALLY UP TO YOU
You have all the tools you need; what you do with them is up to you. The choice to act is yours.
YOUR ANSWERS LIE INSIDE OF YOU
The answers to life’s questions lie inside you. Like approaching an old railroad crossing on a country road, all you need to do is stop, look and listen—and I would add, trust. Trust in the guidance of something much grander than yourself.
YOU WILL MOST LIKELY FORGET ALL OF THIS…
AND YOU CAN REMEMBER
It’s important to reward yourself as you remember (that you forgot). To punish yourself or beat yourself up for forgetting is simply another symptom of forgetting; an example or proof that you haven’t fully remembered.
There you have it. The beauty of these principles is that it doesn’t matter if they are true or not. Your life will transform simply by operating “as if” they are true.
Learn about powerful strategies to transform your life in our personal mastery workshop.
Dan Dorr
Personal Mastery Facilitator
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