Chiropractic Care Summerville, South Carolina

“I’d like to say that the quality of any man’s life is a full measure of that man’s personal commitment to excellence and to victory, regardless of what field he may be in.”

-Coach Vince Lombardi
(man after which the Super Bowl Trophy was named)

A dream without a plan is a fantasy. A dream with a plan is a goal. In his book, “Slay the Dragon,” Michael Johnson discusses what it took to become the fastest man in the world in just a few years. He said: to achieve a dream, set up a very detailed plan and “Don’t blur your edges.”

He analyzed every detail of what it would take to become an Olympic champion. Every push up, every weight-lifting session, every coach, every Olympic official he would have to interact with, and every rest day was meticulously planned out so that on the day of the Olympics, he would in fact become crowned “The world’s fastest man.”

“Don’t blur your edges” means if the plan says to do 100 push ups, don’t do 99. If it says run six 100 yard sprints in under 11 seconds, don’t run five on time and number six in 12 seconds. If the plan says lift weights on Thursday, don’t push it off until Friday. Procrastinating, short changing, or making excuses stops you from the desired outcome. What was potential, remains potential.

My greatest passion in life is to see someone go for it. To shoot for their potential and make it. To risk, overcome, and courageously take on their dragon and discover their dream. When dreams are realized, it’s often said, it was “against all odds.” Truly, however, the dream was their potential. Odds were in their favor. What was against all odds is that they would create a plan and stick to it. When someone does that. . .they’ve beat the odds.

I know how most people would be feeling about now. This sounds hard, I’m no Michael Johnson, maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a success, etc. etc. On the contrary, we all have a dream in our heart. In part I we asked you to mine that dream. To dig it out and discover what your potential could be. What do you really want out of life?

If you’re like me, it’s highly unlikely that no matter what kind of plan, you’ll become the fastest man in the world. It’s not about gold medals. It’s about potential. What’s in your heart. What is God calling you to do. What kind of help could the people in your world and this world use that you’ve been gifted to provide? That’s life’s question.

To change your life and overcome the frustrations that have gotten you off track or, in fact, caused you to quit, you need to elevate and transmute. Elevation is what happens when you are challenged, and rather than quitting or justifying your position, you adapt, learn, and lift your mood. Transmute is when you do not let the pain of challenge, rejection, and failure slow you down or stop you. Instead, you transmute them into the very energy and power necessary to propel you forward.

Here’s how the transformation of elevation and transmutation works.

Elevation and Transmutation Scale

1. Core Beliefs: What are the ideas that perpetuate your philosophy? For example:

“I’m into health so… Leaders are into leadership so… Marriage is #1 so…

Your core beliefs determine everything. When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

1. Core Values: What are the values that you live byconsciously or unconsciously? Examples:

1. I’m partially committed: If it works out I’m in and if it’s too hard or someone disappoints me I quit vs. I’m committed: I’m in until the assignment is complete.
2. WIFM vs. Service: What’s In It For Me vs. What’s in it for others.
3. Business is Business. vs. There’s no such thing as “Business Ethics,” there’s just Ethics.

1. Planning: “Your will to win is nearly as great as your will to plan to win.” You need a clear end in mind and a path to get there to know what life looks like at that point.
2. Methodology: Knowing the principles and procedures necessary to perform at the highest level.
3. Modeling: Acquiring the right coaches to follow and duplicate beliefs, values, methods, and plans.
4. Training: Nothing happens overnight.
5. Refining Crisis: Severe frustration.

A refining crisis will cause quitting, changing course, and misery unless you go through the system again-changing core beliefs, values, systems, and plans. If you continually go through the system, you’ll never stop growing, learning, and succeeding. For example:

Someone wants the dream marriage. Based on their beliefs, values, plans, and system that follows in their relationship, the relationship is always under strain and ends unhappily. The unhappiness is the refining crisis. At this point, you can justify the situation and simply say that relationships don’t work, all members of the opposite sex are unworthy, and quit even trying. Or, you can go back through the elevation and transmutation scale. You can change your beliefs about relationships and your values of who you are in regard to relating to people. You can find better coaches, make a better plan, act differently, and change your expectations. The results: better relationships. Enough times through the system, and eventually you’re the relationship guru.

REMEMBER:

1. Your dreams are authentic and important.
2. You’re not powerless, worthless, or hopeless-you have great value.
3. What’s inside of you is more powerful than any circumstance.
4. Turbulence, speed bumps, steep hills, and short blasts are not there to stop you, and may even be there to strengthen, shape, mold, or help you.

Don’t quit, elevate and transmute. We’re all counting on you reaching your potential. COMMIT TO EXCELLENCE AND VICTORY: Give your dreams a plan, don’t blur your edges and you’ll be all you dreamed you could be-WITH A 0.