Remembering Yeager

Written by JT on March 11, 2010

March 11, 2009 is a day I will never forget. It was the day I said goodbye to one of the greatest friends I have ever known.

His name was Yeager, named after the famous test pilot. In 1996, I was in a community college, working my ass off to get into a major university with the hopes of becoming a U.S. Navy fighter pilot. Back then, I had dreams of becoming a Blue Angel, then going to test pilot school and eventually off to NASA to fly the space shuttle.

Then fate stepped in.

I saw Yeager in a holding pen at PetSmart. I was there to buy fish food and filters for the tank. He was all alone, the last of a litter of mutts who had been carelessly tossed into a dumpster by a breeder who’s prized black lab had met up with a springer spaniel. In that person’s eyes, those puppies were a waste.

A kind soul collected the starving and terrified pups and brought them to an animal shelter. The puppies were herded off lovingly to PetSmart, in the hopes that someone with a heart and a place in their life for true friendship would take them in. I was not looking for a new pet that day. I was certainly not looking for a dog. I was renting a townhome and my landlord nearly freaked when he found out I had fish. But, I walked over to the holding pen to see why this one puppy, the last of his brothers and sisters, was still there, waiting for someone to show up and be his pal.

I picked him up, and rather than licking my face excitedly, or peeing all over me like all the other puppies, Yeager plopped his head on my shoulder and almost fell asleep. I could feel his warm puppy breath on my neck and wondered what he was thinking. The initial thought of having a little buddy was kinda cool, but I just knew my landlord would freak, so I put him back, and walked out of the store.

I had about a 25-minute drive home, and could not shake my thoughts of Yeager. When I got home, I called my landlord and chuckled a nervous request to bring an untrained puppy into his newly-renovated townhome. I thought, if anything, hopefully he’d just hang up on me.

The next thing I knew I was racing down the freeway for PetSmart, shifting gears and changing lanes as if in a Hollywood high-speed pursuit. My landlord’s words echoed in my ear, “No problem…just sign an agreement and pay a pet deposit…” You’ve got to be kidding me. I screeched into he parking lot and ran in the store with the keys still in the ignition. I saw him there, waiting. I signed the papers and took him home.

The next thirteen years were years of total friendship. When I struggled through college, Yeager was there. He didn’t care that I failed Calculus II. Twice. He loved me when I gained acceptance into flight school. He traveled with me from coast to coast. He held vigil over me when I came within tenths of a point of realizing me dream of becoming a fighter pilot, only to fall short. He celebrated with me when I eventually graduated with my Navy Wings of Gold. He waited patiently while I deployed to Afghanistan. He waited for me and protected my wife and daughter when I deployed for my third war, this time on the ground in Iraq.

When I made the decision to pursue my dream of entrepreneurship, he loved me unconditionally. When I fell flat on my face, he loved me. When I had literally thousands of phones slammed in my ear with the harsh words of rejection, he loved me. When I was in the pit, scared and doubting myself, he loved me. When I staged my comeback, he was there with his undying love.

And though I vowed I would do anything for Yeager, I couldn’t stop him from getting sick and losing weight. I spent dollar after dollar trying to find out why my best friend, the one who had always been there for me, and always fought like a brave to protect me, wasn’t fighting to live anymore.

I had the toughest decision of my life one year ago today.

I sat on the floor of the veterinarian’s office, Yeager in my arms. The doctor was amazing. She told me I was about to give Yeager the greatest gift a human could give, aside from the gift of a good life; the gift of a peaceful passing. She gave him the injection, and I could feel him slip away. His breath slowly dissipated, as I remembered what it felt like on my neck 13 years before. He was so peaceful, so serene, so free.

His pain was finally gone, but mine was monumental. I sobbed like a little boy for days. Losing Yeager was tough, and at times I felt paralyzed with grief. It was only through the love of my wife Mia and my kids Callie and Max (and some pretty great human friends) that I soon began to smile again.

My daughter Callie still talks about Yeager to this day. I still see him in pictures on my screen saver. And every now and then, if I’m at peace, he’ll drop by in my dreams. I always wake up feeling stronger when Yeager drops by. I’m hoping he comes tonight, because I really, really miss him.

I am so grateful to have had my incredible friendship with Yeager. It spanned 13 years; nearly a third of my life and almost all of his. We had lots of fun together, conquered challenges together, but most of all really loved each other.

I am grateful to the breeder who ignored true magic when he tossed Yeager and his siblings into that dumpster. I am grateful to my landlord for giving me permission to take Yeager in. I am grateful to all the veterinarians, caregivers, petsitters, family, friends and other dogs who helped make Yeager happy and comfortable when I could not.

My prayer for you is that you, too, feel the love and friendship I experienced with Yeager. Undying, unchanging, nonjudgmental, and everlasting. No matter who you have in your life that loves you like that, hug them today and express your gratitude for their being in your life.

Thank you, Yeager, for being my best buddy ever. I sure do miss you.

Leadership Lessons From Observing Tiger Woods

Written by JT on December 11, 2009

Tiger Woods made a public statement on his website that he would be taking an ‘indefinite break’ from golf to attend to his family in the wake of recent news of infidelity and marital turmoil.

“After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.”

In so doing Woods made a profound statement about his character as well.

You see, no matter your opinion of Tiger Woods, he is a leader. He is a leader in sport, a leader in business and a leader in life.

In golf, he dominates his sport so much so that the PGA Tour is ‘concerned’ about the absence of Tiger and what it will mean to the Tour’s ratings. The Tour cited a marked decline in ratings while Tiger was away rehabbing a major knee injury in 2008.

And few can argue his dominance of his sport. Earlier in 2009, Tiger became the first athlete ever to surpass the $1 billion mark in earnings. In any sport. By any athlete. Ever.

Make no mistake about it; if Tiger wanted to “push this all behind him” and “block it out”, he could. He is the most mentally tough athlete I have ever seen. But this is about life. This is about family. This is about taking care of priorities.

The thing I was most taken by was Tiger’s brutal honesty and humble request for forgiveness. This simple, yet elegant act is so rare these days, particularly amongst elite athletes and celebrities (or politicians) who often seem to carry themselves with an aloof attitude toward personal responsibility.

Leadership starts with personal responsibility. The toughest decisions in leadership occur when a leader is forced to put their ego aside and make an unpopular choice.

Tiger certainly created a tough situation for himself through his actions, yet instead of hiding behind some nebulous statement, or dancing around creative language and double-talk, Woods came out and asked for forgiveness:
“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try. “

Tiger demonstrated the leadership principle of personal responsibility, even in the face of public humiliation. He showed his vulnerability, his human side.

People need to know that, as a leader, you are human. That you thinks and feel as a human, not a pre-programmed robot. To inspire people to follow you, they have to know that you lead with your intellect, your skills, and your soul. Tiger demonstrated that today with his statement.

It may be easy for the mediocre mind to balk at Tiger’s statement, claiming “he should have apologized” or he “should have begged for forgiveness”, but how often do we admit when we are wrong? How often do we apologize for hurting others, or asking for forgiveness in the wake of a personal transgression?

I am not here to defend Tiger’s actions, but I am in strong support of pointing out the lessons to be learned from his very public fall from grace. It is easy to point fingers, judge, and crucify someone else (particularly a public figure) when they screw up.

Leadership is not about making all the right decisions all the time, but it is about recognizing one’s shortcomings and taking responsibility for them.

And that is what Tiger did. Love him or not, Tiger is a champion, and a leader.

Leadership Lessons From David Goggins

Written by JT on December 7, 2009

“The only easy day was yesterday…”

It’s the U.S. Navy SEAL way of life. It is posted in their training facility in Coronado, California and is truest definition of their training I have ever seen.

If I could write in explicit detail what it takes to become a SEAL, you’d quit reading before you got to the end of my essay. It is that brutal.

David Goggins is a U.S. Navy SEAL, and he makes the training, work schedule and lifestyle of this elite commando unit look like a warm-up exercise.

I first heard Goggins speak on a conference call several months ago. I was taken by the blend of humility and intensity, sacrifice and dedication to something he “hates” and his unbelievable threshold for pain and endurance.

I say “unbelievable” and immediately show my cards. Goggins is not like everyone else. He is not even like every other SEAL. Goggins is special. Goggins doesn’t just have “another gear” to help him accomplish his remarkable tasks, he has a whole different mindset universe.

David Goggins is not only a U.S. Navy SEAL, he is also an ultra-marathoner. A typical marathon is 26.2 miles (Goggins will run twice that in a typical week). An ultra-marathon can be 100 miles or more.

100+ miles, run all at once. Without stopping. With. Out. Stopping.

Here is the part that is ASTOUNDING about David Goggins, and why I consider him one of my teachers. In Goggins’ own words, he “hates running”. He gets up at 3:30 every morning (can you do that?) and goes for a 15 mile (or longer) run. Then he bikes to work (a modest 25 minute bike ride). Then puts in a full day of kicking ass and taking names (he’s a SEAL).

Then he takes a break.

At lunch, he’ll go for a “short” 3-5 mile run. Kicks more ass, takes more names. Then he bikes home. Then he does another short run. But he “hates” it.

What the HELL is going on here?

David is committed. He does what he “hates” because he is committed to the Special Ops Warrior Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising money for children of soldiers killed in combat.

More on why David Goggins is one of my teachers.

He lost some valued members of his team in a mission in Afghanistan. He could have mourned (which I’m sure he did), said it wasn’t fair, asked why they had to die, and used their deaths as an excuse to be mediocre.

But instead he Googled “10 hardest things to do” and did it. And “hates” it.

Leadership is often times about doing what we don’t want to do. It is about enduring pain, sacrificing personal comfort, and going all-out when we feel we have nothing left to give.

It’s also about dedicating oneself to a cause bigger than ourselves.

To this day, when I feel like “it’s not worth it”, or the comfortable blanket of procrastination snuggles tight around my mind, I remember Goggins getting out from under his blankets at 3:30 and doing the thing he “hates”.

Come to think of it, I might hate running more than him, but he has inspired me to get back into it.

David Goggins is a true leader and inspiration. I hope he has the same impact on you, and your business!

Go to www.DavidGoggins.com and see what I mean. Read his amazing story and tell me if you agree that Goggins is a true leader.

Go Big,
~JT

Thank You, Jim Rohn

Written by JT on December 5, 2009

Today the world lost a treasure of a man in Mr. Jim Rohn, who lost his 18-month battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

When the concept of personal growth was introduced to me, I scoffed at it. I thought is was silly, contrived, and reserved for desperate people who needed a “guru” to tell them how to think and how to live.

But once I dropped my arrogant nearsightedness, and actually began working on myself, I felt the transformation start to take hold. In fact, one of the first teachers I really connected with was Jim Rohn.

One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes is, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” What a beautiful and relieving message. This was the concept that allowed me to start really thinking about shedding the shackles of employment, and start looking to entrepreneurship as the vehicle with which I would realize my dreams.

I used to listen to Jim Rohn in my car on the way home from work when I was still on active duty in San Diego, California. If you have ever lived in San Diego, you know the traffic can be atrocious. I heard Mr. Rohn refer to a car as a “rolling university”, whereby the time “wasted” in traffic could be used to expand one’s mind

What a concept.

On one particular drive, creeping along at a snail’s pace with hundreds of angry drivers all around me, Jim soothed me, and gave me one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned. “Set a goal to become a millionaire for what it makes of you to achieve it.”

WOW!

I was on fire! I loved that quote so much I was roaring with enthusiasm in my car! People were looking at me like I was on drugs, but it didn’t matter because all the stress of striving for my lofty dreams were lifted.

Right then I KNEW my success was assured. Right then I KNEW I couldn’t fail IF that message stayed ingrained in my mind.

My friends, I could go on for ever on Jim Rohn’s effect on me. You will no doubt see tons of tributes to Jim on lots of different people’s blogs, websites and video channels and I encourage you to read as many as you can.

It is rare that a person can have as profound an effect on humanity as Jim Rohn has. Get Jim Rohn’s wisdom and influence in YOUR life. Visit the Jim Rohn Tribute Site here. I promise it will change who you are, and catapult you closer to your dreams

Thank you, Mr. Rohn. I am a better person for having learned from your wisdom.

Jim Rohn, September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009
~JT

Tony Robbins, Entrepreneurs, And A Bad Economy

Written by JT on December 5, 2009

Last night Tony Robbins appeared on “Larry King Live” with Magic Johnson and Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. The topic was “Finding Your Passion”, placed conveniently in a discussion about the economy.

I was intrigued by a few key points made by the panelist. Tony Robbins pointed out that now is “not the time for positive thinking, it is the time to be real…”

That is powerful.

A lot of people are caught between the widening canyon of “positive thinking” and “facing reality”. For most, it is hard to stay upbeat and positive when the chips are down.

But that is not what I heard Robbins say. The message I took away was that now is the time to start making it better, rather than hoping it gets better. NOW is the time to redesign your life and chose the path you really want to pursue…and to do something you are TRULY passionate about.

But this is the time of opportunity.

Times like these are the most profitable times for creating businesses:
-Big players are no longer in control
-”Little guys” can shake things up with better products, services and value
-Resources, equipment, materials can be had at a discount as quitters sell
-Needs of the consumer can be met through niche products from small businesses

So many iconic companies have been born in recessions.: Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft, CNN, MTV, even General Electric. Will the next great brand be born in this recession? Will YOU be the entrepreneur who builds it?

Chase your passion and take your dreams OFF hold. Act now and create the life you want, and do what you are excited about!

~JT