Welcome back brew nation! It’s the “Friday Coffee Guy” coming to you with the 64th edition of The Champion’s Brew, a weekly assembly of material I am reading, listening to, watching, or thinking about that is designed to equip and call you to uncommon leadership. I often add my own little spin based on my takeaways and would love your input as well. Any of the points especially impact you? Drop me a note at [email protected], or comment on the blog to keep the conversation going! I believe you will discover that the format is not only useful, but also that you can consume it within the time it takes you to enjoy your daily ‘brew’! Become a member of the Champions Brew Nation by subscribing here!!
Here is your weekly sip of what I have been reading, listening to or watching to equip me to:
- Read More – I finished a quick read recently titled, #MAXOUT Your Life by Ed Mylett. This book was a gift from a friend. Only 100 pages long, double-spaced, but it was packed with good stuff. I was especially challenged in his introduction when he asked a few compelling, thought-provoking questions: “I want you to embrace your blessings so that you pursue the best version of your life. What if you could see what that looks like? What if there is a version of you that achieved your maximum potential? What if , when you reach the end of this life, you could see the ultimate version of who you were capable of becoming? The question is: would the man or woman you had become resemble that version, or would you be total strangers?” I shared that question with some guys I volunteer with at church and there was silence. One young man quipped, “That’s deep.” The author shared his daily habits and rituals, fitness & nutrition tips, and the importance of changing your identity & gaining confidence. In the last chapter, he shared the three things that contribute most to the caliber of your life: 1) Your relationships 2) Your beliefs and 3) The questions you ask yourself. I would suggest this read. The book on Amazon is a little pricey at $19.99, but I did find this link where you can get a free copy of the book through Ed Mylett’s website (just pay the $7.97 shipping!).
- Work Hard – I am not sure how I came across this video on YouTube years ago. I come back to it often and have it saved in a ‘folder’ called Inspirational videos. It is a Nike ‘No excuses’ commercial. It’s only a minute long. If you don’t watch, let me give you a backdrop. It is a young man playing basketball talking about all of the excuses (56 of them!) that keep him from getting some discipline done he needs to get done.
In case you missed one or didn’t click the link, here they are:
I’m Too weak…Too slow…too big…ate too much for breakfast…I got a headache…It’s raining…My dog is sick…I can’t right now…I’m not inspired…It makes me smell bad…I’m allergic to stuff…I’m fat…I’m thin…It’s too hot…I’m not right…I’ve got shin splints…Headache…I’m distracted…I’m exerting myself too much…I’d love to really, but I can’t, I just can’t…my favorite show is on…I got a case of the Mondays…the Tuesdays…the Wednesday…I don’t want to do this…I want to do something else…After New Year’s…Next week…I might make a mistake…I got homework…I feel bloated…I’ve got gas…I’ve got a hot date…My coach hates me…Mom won’t let me…I bruise easily…It’s too dark…It’s too cold…My blister hurts…This is dangerous…Uhhhh…Sorry, I don’t have a bike…I didn’t get enough sleep…My tummy hurts…It’s not in my genes…I don’t want to look all tired out…I need a better coach…I don’t like getting tackled…I’m not the athletic type…I don’t want to get sweaty…I have better things to do…I don’t want to slow you down…Do I have to do this?…As soon as I get a promotion…I think I’ll sit this one out…and my feet hurt…
So, have you used a few of these excuses? I know I have. #NOEXCUSES
- Be Kind – I found this poem on kindness in the weekly James Clear 3-2-1 newsletter to be a timely read with all that is going on in our world. Our news and media focus so much attention on the drama and violence going on right now. I can hear my mom in this poem saying, “Just kill them with KINDNESS”, her response when I was young, and someone might not have treated me so well. We do have a choice in how we respond and how we act. We could all use a little more kindness. I hope you enjoy this poem by Danusha Laméris on the value of small kindnesses:
“I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”
Source: Small Kindnesses
- Quote – “Champions take control of their lives, and they do this by controlling their thoughts and believing that the outcome they desire will happen!” – Ed Mylett
What you need to do:
Call to Action: Hard to pick one call to action out of the Brew this week. #Maxout, #NoExcuses, #BeKind – was there any one of the topics that especially impacted you today? Share it with me and the rest of the group. That’s my call to action for you today! Comment on this blog post and engage with Brew Nation! We would love to hear from you.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time eat healthy, read more, be a light and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
