BlogHeaderPic

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Michael Jordan - Driven From Within

Read this book today and was surprised by how awesome it was -- Michael Jordan "Driven From Within"

Total read time -- about 2 hours.

Insights -- phenomenal.

One of my personal irks with the self-improvement industry is that gurus will talk about their success principles, but oftentimes the only thing they've been successful at is "teaching how to self improve".

(I do NOT consider Tony Robbins to be in that category btw -- the level to which he's taken his ability to communicate is an accomplishment in and of itself.)

Michael Jordan isn't coming from that angle. The dude produces results.

His principles have lead him to world championships, olympic gold medals, multi million dollar businesses -- all that fun stuff.

Jordan drops true wisdom in this book that I personally relate to on multiple levels.

A lot of these principles comprise the CORE OF WHO HE IS and so to anyone looking to get "better with women" I'd recommend checking it out -- having these sorts of core principles is what MAKES YOU AN ATTRACTIVE PERSON.

Anyway, some highlights........

Jordan talks about "authenticity" and how in his business he isn't looking to bend to the latest fad. This is a core of who he is a player, a businessman, and a human being.

He's constantly looking for his products to be a reflection of who he is, and believes that by constantly asserting who he is that he'll have more longevity as a company.

This is pretty much exactly how I've always envisioned Real Social Dynamics, and if you want to understand our principles upon which I found RSD you can pretty much take them verbatim out of Jordan's book.

I found myself constantly nodding my head while reading this like "HELL YES.... Someone f-ing GETS IT."

Seriously, reading this type of stuff is like a RAY OF LIGHT for me in the absurd business world that I operate in -- with all the overhype and crossover from fad to fad that I see in other people's ventures.

I swear that stuff is like MIND POLLUTION for me, like I see it and think "Should I be operating like that?" and then I remember that I've got to be ME and stay true to what I've set out to accomplish.

Authenticity is the PRECISE mindset that's gotten me whatever level of success with women I've had -- which to me means knowing WHO YOU ARE and ASSERTING it rather than trying to be something you're not.

All this is covered beautifully in the book. I found myself really impressed.

Jordan also talks about how he deals with the pressure of taking a crucial shot....

He says that so long as he's done all his preparation on a day to day basis, he knows that there's nothing MORE he can do other than to trust the instincts, and that he's EARNED the right to be in the position he's in to potentially miss that important shot.

This echo'ed in my mind like "YES" I feel the exact same way -- if I mess up something big, I know I've earned the right to be the one to do it.

That's why I've never been afraid to STEP UP and be the man -- I KNOW I've put my time in, I know I've paid my dues, and when I step up I never think about what could go wrong because I know who I am and that nobody could do it better.

As long as you've LIVED IN THE RIGHT WAY you can carry yourself with full confidence and integrity because you KNOW THAT.

I also really love what Jordan has to say about leadership and leading by example.

There are some very powerful passages about how he carried himself onto the court during key games while being one-foot-in-the-grave sick, and how you can talk a big game but at the end of the day PEOPLE WATCH WHAT YOU *DO* NOT WHAT YOU SAY and you've got to be delivering those results.

He talks about how in the future there probably won't be many players who play a game injured or sick, and how when a kid comes out to see him play, that kid might not have experienced what it's like to be thrilled by Michael Jordan -- as well as all sorts of other ways that he tunes his mind up to find motivation to play at the highest level night after night.

I've personally found a lot of correlation like this in my own life and projects.

People will ask me how I've been able to have such a strong team at RSD and how I choose the people who I'm going to bring into the organization.

What's funny to me is that I'll meet guys who have incredible skill and talent, but they have no "heart" or ability stay motivated to teach that killer program on a week-in-week-out basis.

Like, every dude I meet is usually talking about how he's got his "inner game" all geared up to be a millionaire and how we should all be millionaires automatically.

I laugh at this because I look at these guys and I know for a fact that they will NEVER be millionaires.

To me it's like, even with RSD, which I LOVE and would DIE FOR, I've never considered it to be my final project or achievement.

I've never been in it for money, and I've always brought my best to everything I've been involved with because I know that EVERYTHING IS PRACTICE FOR THE REAL SHOW.

I'll hear all these guys talking like "I slack off at my job because it's not MY OWN business, and someday when I have my own business I'll be a big pimp millionaire blah blah blah"

But see, YOUR WORK IS A REFLECTION OF WHO YOU ARE.

EVERYTHING YOU DO. EVERYTHING.

It's a reflection of YOU.

It's a STANDARD that you set for yourself -- like THIS WORK REPRESENTS ME.

That's why anything less than 100% is like DEATH.

I don't get "tired". I could never fall off. I seriously don't know what it could be like to feel those sorts of emotions.

Even way back when I worked for FREE at another company, you go dig up those old reviews and it's like "This dude isn't as good as the star, but damn he busts his ass."

Before workshops I still get butterflies in my stomach. I've psyched and a bit delirious and have a hard time articulating sentences -- like I'm stupid until I see the attendee for the weekend and -pow!- I'm articulate again and ready to go.

People don't "get" this...

They think that when they start their own businesses they'll suddenly have a SHIFT in their thinking and suddenly go from being a slacker to starting to take pride in their work.

But I've always had that. Always.

IT'S ALL PRACTICE FOR THE BIG SHOW.

If you work at a McDonald's, be the best you can be at it.

If you work as a garbage man, be the best you can be at it.

Seriously, this was the last advice my grand mother gave me before she died and it's the most important thing anyone ever told me.

She said "Whether you're prime minister or a garbage man, be the best you can be at it."

This is so SELF EVIDENT to me, and it's well articulated by Michael Jordan, a guy who I feel a kinship with, despite that I'm not a sports fan, but simply in terms of how he represents in this book.

Your work -- that's a part of the value that you bring into this world.

It's your LIFE FORCE. A part of the living energy that will outlast you after you're gone.

I see guys who don't "get" this and I want to shake them out of it. Like "SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"

This is LIFE and it's passing you one minute at a time.

All that will matter when you die is that you LIVED YOUR VALUES and TOOK IT ALL IN.

Your rep. Your lifestyle obsession. Your cashflow. These are only MEANS TO AN END.

Ultimately true happiness is found through authenticity, living your values, and bringing one hundred percent to everything you do.

MJ, at least in this book, seems to have a grasp of this stuff.

If you aren't at that level (which most of you reading this aren't), take this as a call to WAKE UP.

Go grab "Driven From Within" and start learning from people who know how to bring the TRUTH to what they do.

That's all I've got to say on the topic.

Check it out and enjoy... :)


Tyler

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not much of a basketball person (which probably makes this statement stronger).
Michael Jordan is a guy whose auru has always been really striking. a guy who knows where he's at and what direction he's headed at all times - on court and off.
i remember when his father was murdered, interviewers kept trying to get him to slam the murderer and support the death penalty.
he kept repeating the same thing - "my father is dead - thats the essential thing - and nothing can change that" - reasoning i didn't understand then.
this is a guy who takes in essentials and isn't bugged by the side show.

another thing he mentioned, in another book was on hero worship. his thoughts were along the lines of - "to want to be me, you have to want to be all of me. no one knows all of me - if they did, i don't know if they would still want to". there was a commercial along the same theme, "if there was no basketball... would I still be your hero?"
great guy, great inspiration.

Sting

Anonymous said...

Your work-ethic and frame of bringing excellence to everything you do, was something I really needed to hear and something I desperately need to LIVE. Thanks man. Great post.

Anonymous said...

Dang Tyler, it's like you just injected me with 5 cups of coffee with that review. Truly motivating stuff.

Anonymous said...

i can totally relate to what you're talking about with work/career... i've been one of those guys "i slack off at my work, and when i own my own business, that's when i'll step up." bad mindset... and i feel shooken by this, as it broke me out of this trance and changed my perspective on this.

it's all practice... and be the best i can be and bust my ass in whatever i decide to do, as it's a reflection of who i am and what i'm about. thanks..

Anonymous said...

Some time ago I was in basketball camp with a top high school basketball coach, and he made a speech that still hits a chord with me. I'm not sure if he got this quote from someone else (it might've been MJ himself, he really liked him, especially when comparing him to Charles Barley), but what he said was, simply:

"You can't turn ON excellence. It's a habit, it's a way of living."
Great post tyler



-ware_ru

Anonymous said...

Right on...

I have some significant natural advantages, but being a hardworker isn't one of them. I become almost obsessive about my own goals, but I can be almost totally oblivious to everything else.

This needs to change, starting now. I've been a slacker at work. It's temporary; a stepping-stone to my future, and I have little consequences to worry about. So I've been spending most of my time at work focusing on my goals, instead of doing my work. That's wrong. I lucked out beyond belief--I get so much out of being here. I need to give something back. My key word now is "focus." I'll even apply it on the job.

Dude, you're an inspiration. Keep it up.

-Lee

Anonymous said...

Amen, brother. Being a one-time ranked athlete, I def relate. I'm not a big basketball fan, but MJ was a player no matter when or what he was playing I would stop to watch. I believe genius is something universally recognized (by other genius' ha) and you don't need to be a fan to appreciate. I'm gonna check this it out with 'the Power of Now', but I'm particularly interested in this one. Nathan

Anonymous said...

Oh my God, I just got this book a week ago and am reading it now...honestly this book is the FUCKING AWESOME BOMB! Wow, nice video too.

He talks about value. And living your core. Man, I can't really describe this book in a few sentences, but he talks about his sneaker line and it just sucks you in. Sounds like boring chode stuff, but Jordan talking about his sneaker line is super interesting and provides great lessons. Heh, I never thought talking about sneakers could be so intriguing.

Charles Siboto said...

You wrote:
"He says that so long as he's done all his preparation on a day to day basis, he knows that there's nothing MORE he can do other than to trust the instincts, and that he's EARNED the right to be in the position he's in to potentially miss that important shot."

This is what I've been experiencing the last few months with my varsity work. I put in the necessary work every day and come game time I'm super confident because I know I've put in the work and this stuff isn't coming from out of my thumb. In the past I used to be all upset by the result but I didn't put in the work. Madman stuff I tell you. Now if I mess up something I'm like crap I did the prep and I know where I went wrong and I fix it.

Anonymous said...

:)