The Great Gordino Newsletter

Checking Back In!

2011-09-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since I posted in this blog - a year and 9 months!
Reason?

Well I bought the great gordino domain name, and decided to buy some hosting and use an installed blog programme on that.

I've been posting regularly on that, but thought it was worthwhile updating on this one, keeping updates on stuff going on elsewhere.

So to start with, check out the Great Gordino site at:
http://thegreatgordino.com

You'll see a lot of articles about goal achievement, which will come as no surprise to long time readers!

Please feel free to leave comments there, and hit the like, share, tweet, etc buttons!

Health & happiness,
Gordon

Jan 1st 2010 - The Desiderata Works Everytime!

2010-01-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope all is well with you.
So here we are again, another New Year's Day.

Longtime readers will know I have been publishing the Desiderata for 6 years on a regular basis.
Written by Max Ehrmann in 1929, it's a great piece, full of short phrases which will serve you well if you take them a few at a time, but as a whole, it's superb.

You can refer back to it throughout the year, so as 2010 begins, here it is again - enjoy, and let me know what you think!

***************************************
The Desiderata
***************************************
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, 1929.
*****************************************

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fri 13th Nov - A Magnificent Woman In Her Flying Machine?

2009-11-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Today I'm writing about Kirsty Moore.
Who?

Well, Kirsty has joined the Red Arrows, the display team of the RAF.
Famous around the world for their acrobatics in the sky for 45 years, Kirsty is the first woman to be one of the pilots.

I was amazed when I saw it on the news, but even more amazed to hear that their was no woman pilot in the RAF until 1991, and no woman jet pilot until 1994!

That seems staggering to me, and the reason behind it?
Well, let's not beat around the bush, it's prejudice.
To suggest that women did not have the skill or brains to do it is obviously ludicrous, so it comes down to basic prejudice, still around I'm afraid, but it's people like Kirsty who are breaking down those remaining barriers.

So, some obvious goal achievement theories with her story...

She is only 32, and says she decided to be in the RAF when she saw the Red Arrows when she was 13.
That shows what dedication and commitment can achieve, 19 years worth!

She also says her father told her to aim high and go for her dreams, which is a classic goal achievement technique, to believe you can do what you want, but follow it up with persistent action.

The publicity says she got the job due to her flying skills, and that's backed up by her many years as an instructor - in fact one of the other Red Arrow new recruits was one of her pupils.

Well done to Kirsty I say!
Google her to read more, and when you see the Red Arrows next, think of Kirsty Moore in Red Three, and remember the goal achievement story there.

You may want to break barriers yourself, in which case good luck, and go for it! However, it's more likely that someone else will have already done what your dream is, making it easier for you - all you have to do is follow what they did!

Kirsty has broken down one more barrier, so if you happen to be a 13 yr old girl who wants to be in the Red Arrows, there's your plan!

It's the kind of thing I write about in my book, 'Transform your Life in 21 Days!'
You can grab it for the special price of $5 by clicking my picture at the bottom of this page:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to fire up my jets to get me to the chocolate cupboard a bit quicker.

'Til Next Time.
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' here, it may take you all the way to Red Arrows! Click my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

4th Nov 2009 - Kelly Groucutt Died - Who?

2009-11-04T02:26:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope today finds you well.

Kelly Groucutt was the bassist with the band ELO, and he died in February this year.
I was a massive fan of the band, got to see them a few times, and felt like listening to a few songs the other day.

I searched on youtube and found a few to listen to, and saw some comments that were saying RIP Kelly. So I searched some more and found that he had died in February of a heart attack at 63.

His story has classic success techniques, so it's worth sharing.
He taught himself to play the bass, and worked in various bands around Birmingham. ELO band leader Jeff Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan were from Birmingham and had seen Groucutt a few times.
In 1974 after watching a gig, they went backstage and asked if he wanted to join ELO!

At that time the band had some success in the UK, but were more successful in the US.
Groucutt had to make a decision there and then, so rang his wife who said 'yes'. He didn't even have a passport, so that had to be rushed through, and within a few days he was learning ELO songs on a plane to the USA.

He said he had never played to more than a few hundred people, but his first ELO gig was in Detroit to many thousands!

He was with the band when they went into stellar success, with Out Of The Blue and Discovery, albums which went multi platinum in countries around the world. As well as bassing you can hear his voice as an integral part of the sound.

In 1983 he demanded that he should be getting more of the royalties the success had brought, but Jeff Lynne told him that he had been taken on as a salaried employer. Groucutt sued, and got an out of court settlement, but was out of the band. Coincidentally or not, the band never had the same level of success, and Groucutt formed various bands with other ex ELO members to play the songs live.

He had another tour booked this year.
You can spot the key success elements -

- He taught himself the skills to follow his chosen path.
- You may call it luck that he was offered a place in the band, but it only happened because he was in a gigging band.
- He could have said no, but grabbed the opportunity.
- After the dizzy heights the band got to, he still enjoyed the lower levels, talking to fans, signing autgraphs, having a thoroughly good time.

ELO really were one of the biggest bands in the 1970s, overlooked often by pop history, but they got me into music, and the late Kelly Groucutt's route to success leaves many great lessons.

It's the kind of thing I write about in my motivation book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
You can grab it for $5 by clicking my picture at the bottom of this page:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Ok, I'm off to have a session on my 2 string bass.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

21st Sep - Use The Riveting Tale of The Rivet For Your Goal Achievement!

2009-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Ok, the rivet! here we go...

Riveting was, and still is, a great way to hold two pieces of steel or iron together.
It's like a nut and bolt, but without the nut.
The 'bolt' is heated til it is red hot, then shoved through matching holes in either piece you want to fit together.
Then it's bashed at the end to seal it, and the 2 pieces, together. Contracting when it cools, it makes the hold even tighter.

Ok, so why I am I telling you about the rivet?
Well it was featured in the BBC show 'Coast', which visited the North East England city of Sunderland.

A former massvie industrial heartland, one of the major works there was the shipyard, building massive ships all riveted together.
Then in the 2nd World War, the Germans were sinking ships faster than we could build them, so when Churchill put in the order for more ships, he went to the US rather than Britain.

Why?
Because the US had massive shipyards that were able to make parts of the ship in whole units, then weld them together instead of rivet.
There was no space in Sunderland to expand the yards to go to this welding technique, so the area faded away along with the tradition of riveting.

You can use this story in relation to your goal achieving...
Techniques change with time, and what worked in the past may not be the way to achieve your goal today.

However, it's unlikely that *you* will have to make that discovery, someone else will have done it for you.
You just need to be aware of current trends, and be ready to accept change if it comes your way.

Ok, that's it for this issue, I'm off to see if I can find something else as riveting as the rivet.

'Til Next Time.
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' here, it'll cover this exact theory of readiness for change! Click my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

16th Sep 2009 - This Year's 9/11 Issue

2009-09-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

There were lots of 9/11 stories last week, and I saw 2 new documentaries myself.
In decided to leave my comments about the anniversary until this week, so here we go...

In 2005 I wrote an issue called Remembering Rick Rescorla, and I think his story is a life affirming one worth remembering.
You can read that issue via this link:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/120905.html

However, the story I want to cover today is something that came from a documentary about phone calls made from people trapped in the towers.
It was pretty painful to watch to be honest, but the relatives wanted these people's stories told, so I watched on.

One name stuck in my mind, that of Orio Palmer.
Palmer was a fireman, and like hundreds of others, he died when the towers collapsed.
A super fit man who ran many marathons, he had managed to get up to the 78th floor of the South Tower, carrying his full kit with him.

Audios were released of his messages to the ground as he made his way up.
The 78th floor was the bridge of the impact zone, and many people had been killed outright. Those that were left were facing a terrible outcome with little hope of escape, when unexpectedly a fireman appeared.

Like most others, Palmer probably didn't expect the building to collapse, but can you imagine the hope, reassurance and relief he must have given to the people there in their last moments?

Rick Rescorla was already in the buildings, and stayed there instead of getting out in order to help others, and he never made it himself.
Palmer was doing his job by going *into* the building after it had been hit.
The audios show him giving short bursts of information, saving his energy as he climbed, but they also show someone who was doing what he did every day, putting his life on the line to save others.

There are many stories from that day which deserve retelling, and I think I'll add Orio Palmer's to Rick Rescorla's.
They're worth telling because they are life affirming, and also because they help in key factor for contentment - perspective.

When you think things are bad for you, remember people like these 2, whose lives ended when they saved others instead of themselves, raise a smile to your face and thing again!

Ok, that's it for this time.

'Til Next Time.
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' here, it'll get your attitudes in check! Click my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Sep 2nd - Does Britain Have Ideas Above Its (Gas) Station?

2009-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Wednesday finds you well.
Before I start today's issue, Yelena Isinbayeva, new world record in Zurich last Friday!

Right then, onwards, and I was watching the ever fascinating 'Coast' on TV, where they tell stories around the coast of Britian.
I was a bit disappopinted to find them going to Norway, the implication being that there weren't any interesting stories left around Britain's coast!

Putting that aside though, it was intriguing nonetheless, and led me to wonder about certain attitudes.

Did you know that at its' thinnest, Norway is only 3 miles wide?
To the north of the country is a massive gas plant, which supplies a 5th of the UK's gas needs. That's a huge amount, and it runs to us via the longest subsea pipe in the world, over 700 miles long - impressive engineering to say the least!

What's amazing though is that the plant uses no gas itself, it's run by hydro electricity, and a scheme being developed in Norway could be used here.
If you have a river meeting the sea, you get a mixture of salt and fresh water. If you seperate the 2 via a membrane, the salt water will draw in the fresh water.
That will increase the volume in any area containing the salt water, which creates pressure, and that pressure can be converted into energy.

Britian has coast all around it, so this natural renewable source of energy could be right for us, but here's where the attitude comes into play...

Great Britain.
The name says it all, doesn't it?
You don't have to go too far back in history to find an era when the British Empire covered a 3rd of the planet.
I was brought up to expect foreigners to speak English, it was obvious.

Things have changed, and despite politicians in particular thinking that Britain is a power player on the global stage, in fact most of that ability comes from ties with the US.

Countries like Norway accept that they are small nations that can do very well by looking at local solutions. I have a nagging feeling that Britain still feels it is above the need to act like that. The problem is that this attitude leaves us ever more dependent on other countried to supply our energy needs, when looking on a smaller scale closer to home may be better.

It's a lesson which can be applied to our personal lives just the same - are we willing to take the necessary steps to achieve the bigger goal, even though we may consider the steps 'beneath us'?

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to read the gas meter...

'Til Next Time.
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' here, it'll get your attitudes in check! Click my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Aug 25th - Like Drawing A Sword From A Stone?

2009-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I did have another athletics story to write about today, but since I know that many readers hate sport as much as I love it, I'll leave it for now.
It's still a british angle this week though, centering on the legend of drawing a sword from a stone...

The BBC has a new series of its' excellent series, Coast, which travels around Britain's coast, telling the kind of little stories I love.

It was recently in Cornwall, which is a big tourist destination, in fact the 1st ex Mrs. Bryan and I had many holidays there, including our honeymoon, which was *20* years ago this year!
Hmm, plenty of stories to be told there, but one of the big tourist pushes in Cornwall is the legend of King Arthur, and drawing the sword from the stone - well that bit may be more true than you first think.

Thousands of years ago, Cornwall was the pace to go to get a valuable resource - tin.
Add tin to copper, and you get bronze, which made great tools for homework, gardening, and battles.

In the programme, presenter Neil Oliver took the advice of a local bronze maker, and helped to forge a bronze sword. Copper and tin heated to 1200c, then poured into a stone hold would make a bronze sword.
Pull the sword out too soon and it snaps, but if you pull it pull it out too late, it sticks to the stone. So it's possible that you get the timing wrong and pull it half out before it sticks, and the legend of pulling the sword takes hold.

It's a great story, of a time when Cornwall was the centre of an arms trade thanks to the rich supplies of tin to be mined there.

The story goes to show that even thousands of years ago, people were developing ideas and methods, that skills were learnt through trial and error.
In 2009, think of your goals - how much of the path between you and your goal is known?
The answer in all likelihood is *all* of it!

Most goals will have seen others tread the path, do the trial and error for you, maybe show 2 or 3 ways to get there.
All you have to do is research those journeys, make the decision to follow, and take the first step!
It's a plan which can take to amazing places in your life!

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to seek out some old holiday snaps...

'Til Next Time.
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Grab my motivational book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' here, and click my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Tue 18th Aug - Setting A Goal Sets You For A Fall?

2009-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope today finds you well.

The World Championships Athletics are going on this week in Berlin. Lots to think about, including Usain Bolt's amazing 9.58 world record in the 100m. Plus long time readers will know I focus on Yelena Isinbayeva in the pole vault, who came last after not clearing any height!

Today though I'm going the British angle, and talking about Jessica Ennis who took gold in the heptathlon.

Last year at 22 she was a rising star showing lots of promise, but on the eve of the Olympics she found out she had broken her right foot in 3 places. Not only did she have to watch the Olympics at home on crutches, but it was unclear whether she would ever compete another heptathlon.

It looked like all her hard work over many years, even at her young age, had ended up in failure - that's what you get for setting a goal, a big fall, right?

Then she found out that she could compete again, but to protect the foot she would have to change take off leg in the long jump. If I asked you to write your name, which hand would you use? Now imagine using the other hand, and that's what Ennis faced with changing her take off leg, it's such an integral part of the long jump.

She found it extremely hard, not surprising really, but persevered, and entered the championships this weekend with the world leading mark this year, going on to lead from start to finish throughout the 7 events.

She's already being talked of as the face of the London 2012 Olympics, but that's a full 3 years away, anything can happen to an athlete in that time.

It's a great story though, showing that yes, setting a goal can indeed set you up for a fall, you may end up with failure after all your efforts, no achievement to note.
However, you'll *certainly* end up without achievement if you don't set goals and work at them, and Jessica Ennis showed that seemingly insurmountable setbacks can be overcome, leading to the success you first set out towards.
Good for her I say!

Sport gives clear stark examples of goal achievement theory, that's why I love to use them so much, and it's why I enjoy watching sport, but a key point to draw from them is that in a non-sporting life, you don't have to be so extreme.

You maybe won't have to go through such extreme levels of stress and work to get to your goals, but the steps are the same - set your goal, work out the steps needed, take the first step and keep working.
I doubt your setbacks will include a broken foot, your goal may not be to become World Champion, but the example of people like Ennis shows what you *can* achieve for yourself.

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to do my own heptathlon - 7 types of chocolate...!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Aug 10th - Can A World Trade Center Memory Make Us Smile?

2009-08-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope all is well with you.

I saw a documentary last week.
I have seen many fine documentaries about the Twin Towers since 9/11, all of them focusing on that event, and there are some inspiring stories.
Since it was such a horrific thing, is it possible that a WTC documentary can make us smile, and are we allowed to?

This one is called 'Man On Wire', and it tells of the 1974 tightrope walk between the towers. It won the Oscar for best documentary this year, and I found it enthralling, especially since you know I like all that performing stuff.

Phillipe Petit found out about the towers in 1968, and when he saw a drawing of them, he decided he would wirewalk between them. He had taught himself everything about that art within a year, and found himself seeking new challenges. He walked high above Notre Dame in France and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

He made several trips to the Twin Towers, and made a mock up back in France to work out how to do it.
One problem was how to get the wire, weighing over 400 pounds, between two towers 40 metres apart, and quarter of a mile in the air!
The solution was to fire a bow attached to fishing line between the towers, then pass thicker pieces of string, then rope, then the wire.

So, early in the morning on Aug 7th 1974, having said it was impossible to get away with several times, Petit and his team found themselves on top of the towers with the wire ready.
He stepped out.

It didnt take long to get noticed, helped by having team members point him out to passers by, and there was a huge crowd watch as he walked back and forward, kneeling and lying on the wire.

He was arrested of course, but the huge worldwide publicity saw all charges being dropped, and in fact he had helped to popularise the towers which at that point had still not found a place of affection with the public.

So, as we approach 8 years since 9/11, the 35th anniversary of Petit's walk tells me that yes, we can still smile when remembering the Twin Towers.
Apart from the sheer enginerring feat of getting them built at all, Petit's adventure illustrates the wonder of human achievement and possibility.
He said afterwards that he was amazed to be constantly asked why he did it, his answer being that there was no why, it was an artistic endeavour.

Let's not forget, it was illegal and life threatening, not just to himself but to others too. The question could indeeed be asked if he had gone too far in his personal quest, but if nothing else, in a newsletter aimed at goal achievement and self improvement, it's a story that deserves a place! Go and google the pictures.

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to hang some washing on my own high wire, yes that's right, the washing line. I guess I could attempt to walk along it, but suspect a tale of turned ankles would follow, so I'll settle for the adrenaline rish of hanging my socks instead.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

6th Aug - How Far Can You Get By Being Nice?

2009-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope today finds you well.

2 recent deaths to talk about.
The first is Harry Patch.
He was the last surviving veteran of the first World War. With his death, that time in our history passes from living memory.
He had only wanted a small ceremony, but it was still a big turnout in his home town, and young people there commented that it was the last chance for our generation to show respect for what that generation did.
We must be careful that the events of 90 years ago do not fade from memory.

The 2nd recent passing was Sir Bobby Robson.
Football is probably the true global game, and Robson was known throughout the world of football sure enough.

He played for England, but it was as a manager that he was most known. He guided a small provincial club to European success, and then took the England team to within a whisker of winning the World Cup in 1990. To be honest it was the closest we have come since winning way back in 1966!

After leaving the England job, Robson led successful teams in Holland, Portugal and Spain, before returning to his home town of Newcastle.
People had a fond memory of him - he could be as hard as nails, no-one in top flight football can be without that trait, but it was his overall sense of niceness that marks the memory of Robson.

He beat cancer 5 times, and raised a lot of money in the process, and since his death, his favourite charity has seen donations approach 2 million.

Being nice in itself will not bring you success, that comes from hard work, but as the feeling for Bobby Robson shows, it surely helps make a better person.

Ok, that's it for this time - as the last WW1 veteran passes away, let's not forget what freedoms we take for granted today, hard fought for by others, and thinking of Bobby Robson, try and be 'nice'. It may be a twee word in today's society, but it's a trait that shines like a beacon.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

1st Aug 2009 - Tom Watson - An Open Perspective?

2009-08-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.
I had a few days offline thanks to connection issues, but am now back up and running.

Today I'm going to talk about perspective.
A couple of weeks ago, Tom Watson came within 1 putt of winning The Open, the biggest tournament in golf. He's won it 5 times previously, so it may not sound much of a surprise, but the key fact is that his wins came many many years ago, and he is now just shy of 60.

In the end he lost in a playoff, and the atmosphere around the course was of a real anti climax, the papers next day had close up shots of his face with a drooping expression, talking about what would have been 'the greatest achievement in sport'.
I'm really not sure about that, but in the press conference afterwards, Watson said 'it's not a funeral', and that showed the early signs of his perspective.

Later in the week he told of how he had got messages of bad luck from US soldiers on active duty - soldiers who had maybe lost a hand trying to defuse a bomb, but still took the time to get in touch. Watson said it was *that* kind of action which was worthy of focus, not a 60 year old millionaire losing a golf tournament.

Perspective.

It's everything when it comes to recognising the abundance we have. We take it all so much for granted that our brains focus on the smaller things, and grow them out of proportion, precisely because we have lost perspective.
Well done Tom Watson for giving such a great reminder.

Since I'm talking golf, I will mention Catriona Matthew, who won the British Women's Open yesterday. She's a 40 year old mother of 2, in fact only had her 2nd child 11 weeks ago, and a rare British winner in a women's game increasingly dominated by players from the Far East.

Matthew is a proud Scot, who juggles her work and domestic life, but recognises that she is fortunate to work with her husband, who is her caddy, and gets to do something she loves.

I like to write about self improvement, goal achievement and wealth creation, and perspective can take you leaps and bounds forward in all 3 areas. I write about it in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which I was thrilled to have reviewers describe as a 'real gem' and 'motivational magic'.
You can grab your copy at this link: http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
Don't forget to click the picture of me at the bottom of that page for the special price.

Ok, that's it for now, I'm off to check my perspective is in vision, or should that be vision in perspective...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Jul 20th - A Man On The Moon? Don't Be Bloody Ridiculous!

2009-07-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Regular readers of my wafflings over the years will know that I have often talked about shuttle missions since started again after the Columbia accident, so it comes as no surprise for me to mention the first lundar landing, 40 years ago today. It was either that or the Open golf, so it's the 1969 lundar landing this time...

I remember it well, being a mighty handsome 3 year old. Er, actually not true, I don't remember it at all - come on I was only 3!

In 1961 Alan Shephard became the first American in space, incidentally he became one of the 12 men who walked on the moon, in fact it was he that hit the golf shot off the surface.

So shortly after that 1961 success, President Kennedy announced that the US would send a man to the moon by the end of that decade. He may have been high on pills at the time, and the scientists involved were shocked as they not the faintest idea how to get to the moon!

That started a fierce push of invention, constantly racing against time, and safety barriers, in fact 3 astronauts were burnt alive in the Apollo 1 capsule as it sat on the launch pad.

In 1969, the whole operation could have done with another 5 years to get ready, but Apollo 10 was sent up and did everything except actually land. When Apollo 11 went up, it was seen around the world, and as Neil Armstrong said, it really was a giant leap for mankind, an accomplishment of endeavour and goal achievement.

As it happened, we already knew the moon was grey and lifeless without having to set foot on it, so after 3 years of further missions which revealed little else, the Apollo missions were stopped.
It's only really as the 40th anniversary loomed on the horizon that the idea was mooted of going back, but this time as a stepping stone to sending manned flights to Mars.
Hmm, I'll believe it when I see it.

The space programme really is a marvel when you think of goal achievement. So many things that we take for granted came from space orientated inventions. Mind you, when the Americans expended huge effort to invent a pen that worked upside down so it could be used in zero gravity, the Russians just used a pencil...sometimes the simplest option is the best!

It's always been dangerous, the 2 shuttle explosions showed that, and even today as the shuttle Endeavour is in orbit, that launch was delayed 5 times, mainly due to weather safety restrictions.

On the International Space Station there are currently 12 men and 1 woman, from 5 different countries. Some on their first mission, some on return visits, but each of them with their own story of how they go there.

Can you use the lunar landing and space exploration as a spur for yourself? Of course!
Just think about how hard the scientists and engineers had to work 40 years ago, in such a short time frame.

I'm sure that you could set a 10 year goal, and it would be easier than landing on the moon.

I'm sure someone somewhere will have already achieved your goal, meaning that the route to it is already there.

You just need to decide to follow it, take the first step, and keep at it!

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to reminisce about Space Dust, the powder that popped and crackled when you put it on your tongue - remember it?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days (it may show you how to get to the moon!)
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

14th July 2009 - Twenty Years Since Tiananmen Square!

2009-07-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

2009 sees the 20th anniversary of events in Tainenmen Square, in China's Beijing, Peking as it was called then. A much publicised event, the start of the whole incident is not known by many, so let's take a closer look, and remind ourselves of the freedoms we take for granted...

15th April saw the death of Hu Yaobang, and it was this which triggered the chain of events. Hu was a pro-reform member of the government, and students wanted to mourn him.
They started to gather and the numbers grew, and it wasn't long before various slogans started appearing, calling for the type of reforms that Hu had championed.

As the student numbers increased in Tiananmen Square, as sense of possible change grew - the Glasnost of Gorbachev's Soviet Union led people to believe something similar was possible in China.
Although no-one was demanding the fall of the communist government, the students started to gather support from general workers, who had seen their jobs lost as part of China's opening up to Western style markekt economy.

The government began to get concerned about the protests when the hunger strikes started, and with a state visit by Gorbachev looming, they did not want to appear as if they had lost control. An earlier declaration of martial law had failed to stabilise the situation, so with hundreds of thousands in the Square, the troops were sent in in early June 1989.

A famous picture shows a man standing in front of a line of tanks, holding a carrier bag and climbing on top of the tanks.
It's assumed he was executed after being taken away, because the government was never able to produce him after international requests.

The government says that no-one was killed in the square, in fact at first they stated that no-one died at all. Eventually they admitted deaths, with a figure of a couple of hundred.
Estimates vary, but a consensus seems to be that thousands died, with the army firing indiscriminately into the crowd.
International media on the ground described the back streets as being full of bodies.

There is nothing in the Square to mark the event, the government says only that a few soldiers died after troublemakers caused a riot. The iron fist of the state government clamped down on those identified as part of the protest, and the events of 20 years ago can still be seen today. China as a powerful international force, with massive growth of capitalist markets, but controlled by a die-hard one party communist state.

In 2008 the Olympic marathons ran through Tiananmen past the ever present portrait of Mao Zedong.
If you think you can run through Tiananmen today with a protest flag, think again. Even the Olympic athletes were warned to show no dissent in any form.

If wherever you read this you can shout in public that you disagree with the governement, be thankful - not everyone has that opportunity.

If you can stand for government office, be thankful - not everyone has that opportunity.

If you can work where you want, doing what you want, with free access to the internet, be thankful - not everyone has that opportunity.

You see where I'm going with this - people in Britain where I live may moan and groan, and it's the same in many countries around the world, but the next time you fancy a moan, think back twenty years to Tiananmen, and make sure you fully appreciate what you have.
Even a message like this could get me into trouble if I were in China.

Ok, that's it for today, I might just go and shout some protest out of the window, although the little old man doing the gardening may wonder what's going on!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
(click the picture of me at the bottom of the page for the special price!)

10th July 2009 - Michael Jackson Died!

2009-07-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope this issue finds you well.

I guess it's possible you didn't know who Michael Jackson was, and you may not have heard that he died, so in case you were in outer space, Michael Jackson died 2 weeks ago.
It certainly was, and still is, a big news story, mainly due to the sudden turn of events, similar to when Elvis died.

I was 11 when Elvis pegged it, and can still remember the wall to wall coverage, the Jackon coverage just used different media, with the intermet at the forefront.

The Jackson story has lots of contradicitons on the goal achievement front, some quotes say that he had told 'close sources' he would never die like Elvis, and yet other quotes have 'close sources' saying he had told them he would die just like Elvis. As good an example as any to show that you couldn't believe everything you read.

Some things seem clear.
He started at a very young age, being pushed by his father to the point of abuse.
He develop any talent he had with pure hard work, and hour after hour of it, day after day, week after...you get the idea.

This action and hard work led to success, meteoric success in fact, and from that point on it could be argued that Jackon never touched based with reality again.
The Jackson 5 had great success, and then Michael teamed up with Quincy Jones to create Off The Wall and then Thriller.
Thriller is still the best selling album, and at that point he was on top of his game, with a string of massvie hits to his name, and the iconic moonwalk and image to hang onto.

A long break saw him return, and I remember my wife and I seeing him in London in the late 80s on the Bad Tour. To be honest I could have done without the crotch grabbing, yelps and hiccups, and the fake tears (that was just from my wife!).
It was a great spectacle of a show though, and then just as the 2009 London shows, he had a young rocking blonde on geetar,which always helps.

The press over here had got their teeth into him as a nutcase, and the allegations of impropriety with children changed his image permanently.
The plastic surgery and skin whitening had left him looking not normal to say the least, and it seems clear that his mental state was not normal either.

When his London comeback shows were announced, it was immediately gossiped that he could never cope with 50 gruelling shows.
2 weeks on from his death it seems that the drug cocktail in his body is still unkown, but there was almost certainly a lot of substances that he was taking.

So although the Michael Jackson story shows what can be acheived with lots of very hard work, it's also a salutory tale of caution, showing what can happen if you let things get out of hand.

The outpouring of grief has been a bit strange, people blubbing in the street. If you asked them to name one track from his last album they might be struggling, and I suspect the media is using his story as much in death as in his life to make sales.

I'd be hard pushed to name my fave Jackon track, he sure recorded some corkers - you can go from I Want You Back, to One Day In Your Life, through Beat It, on to Black Or White and Earth Song.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to dig out some Jackons tracks that haven't been played ad nauseum for the last fortnight.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

6th July 2009 - Time To Set Your New Year Resolutions!

2009-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

When we hit June 22, we got to that time of year where the days start getting shorter.
If that's not something to think about, when we hit July 1st, we got into the 2nd half of the year, less time left than has already gone.

It's a great point to use as a staging post, to assess what you have done so far compared to what you said you would do at the beginning of the year.

You *did* set plans for the year, right?

And I'm not talking about the 'stop smoking' or 'be less of a fatso' ridiculous New Year Resolutions. Everyone laughs about those, joking that they will fail within 2 weeks, which of course, they then go on to fail within 2 weeks.

No, I'm talking about proper goals, clearly defined, written down, that you can recite at any moment. Goals with a plan of action to get there, actions that you can tick off once taken.

If you didn't do that at the beginning of the year, why not do it now! July is a perfect time to set New Year Resolutions - obviously not for the New Year as we are into the 2nd half of it, but you can make plans for the next 12 months for sure, or if you prefer, set them for the next 6 months, up to the end of the year.

I can assure you, if you make properly laid out goals, set actions to take, and set about those actions, you will look back on the 2nd half of 2009 as way more productive than the 1st half!

Let me know what you think, I love the feedback!

This is the kind of thing I talk about in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
I was thrilled to have it described as 'motivational magic' and a 'true gem in the field'.
Grab your copy right now, even if it's 2am in the morning!
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
(if you click my picture at the bottom of that page, you get a special price deal!)

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to check my own plans for the 2nd half of the year!
'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

July 4th 2009 - Independence Day...YAWN!

2009-07-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope this issue finds you well, and a Happy Independence Day to all my US readers.

The yawn I refer to in the title was today's all USA Womens Final at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams was playing Venus Williams - again. It was the fourth time they had met in the final, and the second successive year.
In fact there has only been 1 final since 2000 that hasn't featured one of them at least.

It's not their fault that no-one else seems good enough to get there, but boy does it make for a boring watch.
I don't think for a minute that the games are fixed, but there is no way that they play with the same menace when they face each other.

Let's not take away from their story though, and it's a classic of goal achievement.
Born in a very rough area of LA, their father Richard just decided he would get his girls to the top of the tennis world, so learnt the game himself from books and tapes.

He then set about training the sisters, and because he didnt enter them into the junior circuit, there was already something of an enigmatic feel around them when they did eventually burst on the scene.

They brought an unseen level of strength to the game, with ferocious hitting, and sure enough, as he had predicted, both of them went on the be at the top of the game and Wimbledon champions.

It's not all been plain sailing - they've had much criticism, and I myself have written about the ugly histrionics that Serena in particular is prone to.
Guess what though, they couldn't care less, in fact when people tell them what they should or should not do, they reply with action not words, and do what they themselves think they should do.

It's unorthodox, and in the tennis world that can be frowned upon, but the results speak for themselves.

It's also important to remember that they got where they are, and stay there, only after years and years (and years) of hard hard work.
There are many stories which perfectly illustrate the formula for success and goal achievement, but that of the Williams sisters is a doozy!

Ok, that's it for this time, I would like to say I'm off to open an Independence Day bag of sweets, but in truth there's no way sweets should be reserved for just one day, so I'm off to open an 'anyday' bag of sweets!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
(Click on my picture at the bottom of that page for the special price!)

Mon 22nd June - Sultry Sunset & Self Belief!

2009-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is well with you.
Here's a picture I took the other day, I hopped in the car, and 30 minutes later was watching the sun go down over the sea.

It was lovely warm evening, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, it was nice and quiet except for the waves lapping.
Aah, just like the opening sequence of 'Jaws'.

Only without the massive young-naked-woman-eating shark.
Or more importantly, without the naked young woman...

Anyway the reason I posted it, was because it was an evening that took a deal of stress away from me, and the picture is a reminder of that feeling. That technique of using pictures is dismissed and underused.
The thought of a nice image works well to get rid of moments of stress, but seeing the actual picture itself works even better - any pics you could do with rooting out for a feelgood burst?

Wimbledon started today, with the usual raft of self improvement stories - here's a quick summary...

Andy Murray, the great British hope, having his chances boosted by Rafael Nadal withdrawing. Outside Murray's control, but he's ready to pounce on the opportunity.

Speaking of Nadal, unlucky for him to attain his goal last year, and not be able to defend.

On the womens side, 15 yr old Brit Laura Robson. Having won the girls title last year, she shows a self belief I never had at that age.
At that age it is either natural, and/or as a result of her upbringing. She may well have to come back from knocks in the future, but at present does not have to force herself to believe in her ability.

Many people are not like that, and have to work hard to believe they can achieve. It's well worth the mental effort though, because once you get there it can unleash wonderous things.

There's a load of Russian women at the top that are not household names. Some people say it's boring - what rubbish! There is nothing to stop anyone else putting in the work, and I mean years of work! So good luck to those that have done.

Ok, that's it for now - if I promised not to write about Wimbledon again this year, I would be lying - let's wait and see...!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

June 8th 2009 - Did Dinara Do It?

2009-06-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope today finds you well.

The title of this issue is 'Did Dinara Do It?' and no doubt many of you will be asking 'who, where and what now?'
Fair enough, so here goes...

Sat 6th June 2009 saw the final of the French Open tennis in Paris.
Not since 2001 has a womens final even gone to 3 sets, so the hope was that Dinara Safina and fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova could serve up a treat.

Er, no they couldn't, and in fact it was the serve that caused the problem, as Safina's serve was just appaling - it led to a fairly easy victory for Kuznetsova.

So here's the thing - Dinara Safina is the current world number 1 ranked player, but she has yet to win a Grand Slam title, and in tennis unless you pick up one of those babies, you're never considered to be the top.

Saturday was her 3rd Grand Slam final and she has played badly in all of them, so it may look like she never will win one, although it should be remembered that Chris Evert lost her first 3 finals.

So what has all this got to do with goal achievement and self improvement?
Well in Dinara's case I want to go to her chidhood.
Her mother was a top tennis coach, and she vowed that both Dinara and her older brother Marat Safin would be number 1 ranked Grand Slam winners.

That sounds familiar to when Richard Williams decided both his daughters Venus and Serena would get to the top.

Marat retires this year, as a former world number 1, and with 2 Slam titles under his belt, so the pressure is starting to pile up on Dinara.

Not easy, eh? And it shows just how hard some people will work towards their goal, and *keep* working.

Right from childhood, her life has been tennis. Hour after hour hitting balls, physical training, diet regimes, for year after year.
Defeats along the way, and back to the drawing board.

Now, even as world number 1 she has problems. She has had to work so hard at the mechanics of her swing that it now such a mental pressure, it makes it her worst shot, and this in turn is stopping her getting that title.

So, she has lot more work to do, but here's another clue she gave as to what it can sometimes take to get to the top - when she lost there were tears, and no doubt she wanted to rush off court.
However, she was contractually obliged to stand and give a speech to the crowd of 15,000!

Wow.

With all that must have been in her head, she remembered to thank the sponsors by name.
That's impressive, and shows someone who has the necessary steel to gether through the downs, in the belief that she is powering towards the ups!

Not every goal is as tough as the one she is going for, but by jiminy there is much to be learnt by watching Dinara *not* get her goal!

Ok, that's it for now, I'm off to get my seat comfy for Wimbledon..!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
(remember to click the picture of me at the bottom for the giveaway price!)

Mon 1st June 2009 - Will The Media Do A 'Jade Goody' on Susan Boyle?

2009-06-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok with you.

So, Britain's Got Talent finished this week with a whopping 18 million people watching the live final.
With today's media choices, it's going some to get 18 million viewers in the UK!

The favourite was Susan Boyle who had been made famous around the world by the show, but some elements of the media had decided to turn on her in the week leading up to Saturday.

I'm not sure how well the name of Jade Goody is known outside the UK, but Goody was a contestant in Big Brother who was, basically, a bit thick, but went on to be a big celebrity just by being a celebrity. The papers used her to sell issues, and right up to her death from cancer it was a roller coaster of cash for stories.

Let's hope they don't do the same to Boyle, it may sound cynical, but as she was rushed to a clinic on Sunday, I'm sure some newspaper editors would love it if she went downhill on the mental health front - think how much they'd sell!
In fact one of the Britain's Got Talent judges Piers Morgan was an editor at The Sun tabloid paper, and since he had his own family he says he now knows what kind of distress and anguish he caused when he was editor.

Other points to ponder about BGT? Well on Friday's semifinal, one of the contestants was a 10 yr old girl, who was overwhelmed during her performance, and burst into tears.
Very uncomfortable to watch and it akes you wonder if a minimum age needs to be introduced.

Also a dubious side of the show is that acts were put through to the semis who should never have been - they were never going to get any further, and let's be honest, they were being out and out used by the show as cannon fodder.

That's not good.

I can just about see the logic of having bad acts in there deliberately but on the integrity front it does nothing for me, and there were much more talented acts that were left on the sidelines.
No-one said showbiz was easy!

The winners were a dance act called Diversity. I don't normally like dance acts, but this lot impressed me.
Obviously talented, the choreography was entertaining and genuinely creative.

They didn't play any 'hard done by' cards either, they simply expressed pleasure that a lot of hard work had got them reward - now *that's* the kind of story to take from Britain's Got Talent!
Have some belief, take action, work at it, and you could go places you'd never have thought possible!

I'll close with a showbiz story of my own.
I was talking to someone recently about a woman I was seeing a few years ago. I was doing a panto tour, playing Wishee Washee, and it so happened that one of the shows was local. I suggested that the girl bring her kids along to see the show.

It seems her kids had a really good time, but apparently, when I was onstage, her young daughter yelled out to anyone that was listening "I KNOW HIM, HE COMES ROUND AND SLEEPS IN MUMMY'S BED!"

That story makes me chortle - I'm not sure it made her mummy chortle though, she dumped me by text shortly thereafter, saying amongst other things that I had 'looked a bit gay'.

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to download a Britain's Got Talent application form...(not) (or maybe yes..?)

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

My book - Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Some Good Lessons And Some Bad Singing!

2009-05-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope all is well with you.
This issue may be shorter than originally intended, as I have just lost he previous full length version, so am having to write it all again! D'OH!!!

So, on Friday I went to a networking lunch in London hosted by Martin Avis.
I was reminded of some good lessons about goal achievement.

One is about taking action. I had gone after emailing Martin about an idea of mine, and he suggested we chat at the event, which we did.

The second lesson is about surrounding yourself with people of the same mindset - it really helps to make your goals seem real and not far fetched, which is what some people close to you may think, which leads me to the next point...

Talk about your goals! If you get negative reaction, don't try and defend yourself, just don't talk to that person about it again. However, the more you talk to people, you'll be amazed how much good advice and opportunity comes your way.

The 3rd lesson is about focusing on your skills. The idea I am putting together with Martin is around my ability to write. I take it for granted, but there were people at the lunch who freely admitted they hated writing. Others there were programme writers, which I have no clue about, so instead of my trying to go into their field, I need to stick to my own skills.

The last lesson concerns the train jourmey home.
I was sitting there with my ipod on, and on came my own song!
You can hear versions of it here: http://www.myspace.com/rocknrolltown
The chorus needs harmony backing vocals and normally when the song comes on in the car I launch into the vocals.

Unfortunately it's been a long time since I was on a train, and it was only when I noticed people looking at me that I realised I had been singing out loud.
I sheepishly turned the ipod off and asked if I had been singing out loud which was confirmed.
I thought I'd try my luck and asked if it was good enough for 'Britian's Got Talent' - let's just say I got a lot of shaking heads!
Ooh, people can be cruel.

So all in all a good day apart from the train incident, and some good lesson reminders about goal achievement, the kind of thing I talk about in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which you can see more about here:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Ok, that's it for this time, I'm off to practise my harmonies...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
p.s. Remember to click the picture of me at the bottom of the page!

New Star Trek Movie - Did You Spot Randy Pausch?

2009-05-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

May 2009 sees the new Star Trek movie getting rave reviews - I happen to think the most notable performance is a little cameo by Randy Pausch, read on to find out why...

I first came across the name of Randy Pausch via someone who knew I liked the area of goal achievement. Pausch was a professor at the Carnegie Mellon University in the US, who knew he was going to die pretty soon from pancreatic cancer. He gave a lecture called The Last Lecture in 2007, which became and still is a huge success on YouTube.

When you watch it, (and I suggest you go to YouTube and search it out) you'll see why it's so popular.
Pausch gives a humorous account of his dreams and how he went about achieving them. He covers some mental attitude techniques, about how you can defeat yourself, or help yourself via your attitudes, and finishes by saying the lecture is for his children.

He died in 2008, but after the success of his lecture, in which he had joked about wanting to be Captain Kirk as a kid, director JJ Abrams had asked him to film a short cameo to be included in the next film.

Pausch did so, and that cameo is featured in the film - at the beginning Pausch appears as a crewman and says the line 'Captain we have a visual'.
Normally the kind of appearance not worthy of note, but in the context of his lecture and theories of what can happen when you take certain actions, it's dynamite to watch!

If you watch the film, try and spot it, and as I said before go to YouTube or Google and search fro Randy Pausch, and you'll see why I think his is the most notable performance!

Gordon Bryan is the author of 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which has been described as 'motivational magic.' Read about it and grab his free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan at: http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Why The Britain's Got Talent Deniers Annoy Me!

2009-05-11T03:14:00.000-07:00

May 2009, and the Britain's Got Talent machine rolls onwards, with it being one of the most watched shows on British TV, and online around the world. So why do so many people deny they watch it, and why does it annoy me..?

I call them the Britain's Got Talent Deniers, and you hear them all the time. If you ask them whether they saw Susan Boyle, or any of the other acts, their first comment is 'oh I don't usually watch it, but I did see her.'

Hmm...

This kind of thing drives me round the bend for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, as someone who has used only medium quality entertainment skills to earn a living from it, I know full well what it takes to put a genuinely entertaining act together.

Most of the acts that grab the headlines are unassuming people with seemingly 'normal' lives, that get on stage and unveil a performance with real entertainment skills.
It may be singing or dancing, but it makes an immediate impact on the live audience.

That's why I love live performance, the emotional awakening of an audience is something that can be felt, but is hard to describe, and if you can do it it's a natural high that drug dealers wish they could bottle up!

The Britain's Got Talent set up slightly skews the reality, because the good acts are thrown in with the bad ones, and that makes them seem better than they are sometimes.
Also, despite the fact that their act wows an audience live, they then have to either repeat it or come up with something new, not always easy with the variety acts!
The other reason the Britain's Got Talent Deniers annoy me is that it's a succumbing to peer pressure - the thought is 'I'd better not admit to watching it unless people think I'm too common'

Come on folks! Be prepared to stand up for what you enjoy, if you like watching it, say so!
There is no need to defend what you watch on TV, and certainly not when it's to do with achievement of goals combined with passion, hard work, and something that's vital to all societies, the value of entertainment.

So, next time you watch it, tell me about it, tell me what you thought about the work ethics involved, but don't say you don't watch it if you do, don't be a Britain's Got Talent Denier!

Why Has The World Gone Susan Boyle Crazy?

2009-05-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

April 2009, and the world has gone crazy over Susan Boyle. 'Who is Susan Boyle?' you might ask, so read on and see what 100 million YouTube hits in 2 weeks is all about...

Susan Boyle appeared on Britain's Got Talent on TV in the UK. A 47 year old from Scotland, she walked on stage with a look that has since been described by consensus as 'dowdy'.

She did a wiggle for the judges and announced in her broad Scottish accent that she wanted to be famous singer like Elaine Paige. The judges rolled their eyes and told her to start. The opening strains of 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserables rang out, and then Susan opened her mouth to sing...

The judges dropped their jaws to the floor, and the audience rose to their feet as a musical theatre voice came out that just did not sit with the image and expectation. Judge Amanda Holden summed it up when she said that everyone had been cynical about what they had expected.

I love that kind of moment, (I also love the show having had women hold my hand and cry next to me in their seat).

The clip has now had 100 million hits on YouTube, and Susan has seen her fame spread over the water to the US, where she's found herself on TV with Patti Lupone who made the song famous originally. Elaine Paige has suggested a duet.

So why is it such a feelgood factor? Popular media opinion seems to be that it combined a heap of emotions in a small time span - from dismissal, to joy, to guilt, to pleasure. Some say, similar to judge Holden that it shows a different way to go than cynicism.

While they may be true, I like to think of it as simple goal achievement, seemingly unlikely. 'Seemingly' is the key word, because although the audience on the night and on tv were expecting Susan to fail, Susan wasn't - in fact a key moment is where the judges told her that everyone was against her. You can just see Susan's quizzical look, because she could see no reason for people to have been laughing at her.

She had a voice coach, and lots of training, putting in the hours of work needed to go for a goal. She was using the encouragement of her late mother as inspiration to enter, so although she may have been overwhelmed by the strength of reaction, she knew she could sing.

So yes, there is the principle of not judging a book by its' cover, and of not being so quick with the cynical sneers, but I think the reason the world has gone crazy for Susan Boyle is that it shows what we know deep down to be true - that hard work and taking action can lead to amazing results.

Gordon Bryan is the author of 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which has been described as 'motivational magic.' Read about it and grab his free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan at:http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Monday Morning Marathon Massage

2009-04-27T06:52:00.001-07:00

Monday 27th April 2009 sees the curtain just about come down on the 2009 London Marathon - I say 'just about' come down, because every marathon sees various people doing extreme versions of the event which may take up to a week to finish, but for the majority the race is over. It's the 1st time in 3 years that I haven't done the marathon, but my views about it are the same...

I've watched the race since the 1st one back in 1981, and always wondered what it would be like to run it. Never having been a fan of the actual running, I spent year after year watching on tv.
Then when I hit the age of 40 I wanted to do something to mark the occasion, and being a long time writer of goal acheivement theory, the marathon seemed a great challenge.

I applied for the 2007 race, but didn't get a place, but instead of giving up I simply ran 9 laps of my 3 mile training circuit starting at the exact same time as the London race - I even got a little medal made to give myself.

I applied again for the 2008 race, and had mixed feelings when I got accepted - mixed because although it would see my challenge completed, I already knew full well what 26 miles feels like on the body!

I trained myself up again, and finished in a sloth-like 5.48, but at least I had my finishing medal.
I was surprisingly tempted to apply again for this year's race, but fought the urge, and was able to watch on tv again with a nice cup of tea as nearly 36,000 people trotted around the capital's streets.

That's a key figure for my point - 36,000 people, and over the 28 years nearly 750,000 people have finished the race.
Everyone has their curiosity aroused when you mention running the marathon, because it's an established 'challenge' to do and people want to hear how you got on.

'Slowly', is my standard response, but I love the fact that I did it, the fact that I had to set the goal, research the steps needed to achieve the goal, and then start at step 1, literally!
I knew at any time that doing the training was a choice, but that if I chose not to do it, I was increasing the chance of failure.

Basic goal achievement theory you might say, and you'd be right, but the effect of applying that same theory to other aspects of your life has a power which so few people actually use.
I've used the theory for 25 years, and it's taken down some strange adventures in my life.
I intend to carry on using them, and all I can say is that the feeling I got from the Monday Morning Marathon Massage is one of crosing a finish line that can apply to any walk of life you may choose.

If 750,000 have applied the theory, why shouldn't you?

Grab my motivational book here:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Issue 500 - Thank You And Goodnight Vienna?

2009-02-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope today finds you well.

We had the heaviest snow here overnight in Britain for 18 years, so everything has ground to a halt.
I had a day off anyway, so was able to tuck myself in and enjoy a late night watching the SuperBowl.

Work has meant it was the only NFL game I got to see this season, and it made up for it by being a cracker!

It's fairly easy to use the SuperBowl to make money online, my guide tells you how, and this is one subject I have written about many times over the 500 Issues of this newsletter.

Wow 500 Issues! I started in February 2003, so that's 6 years of waffle.
I always intended to write with a focus on goal achievement and wealth creation, not just financial wealth but the welath of abundance.

I've had some good laughs along the way, and I feel that after 500 Issues and 6 years I am repeating the same ideas just a touch too often.

I put out 3 issues a week for a long time, then went to 1 a week, but I find more and more that although I am happy to repeat the same theories that have worked for me, it may not make such good reading.

So I think I'll stop the regular weekly issue, and move to posting to the blog when I have something I feel is really moving me to post.

You may have been a new reader, or you may have been along for the journey for a long time.
Either way, there is no point in me writing without there being anyone reading, so I genuinely thank you.

Thanks also for the emails and comments - they may have made me laugh, they may have stirred debate, but they showed that people were reading, so thanks again.

I was wondering how to best sum up the ideas I have tried to put across over the 500 Issues, and came up with this -

Don't tell me what you can't do, tell me what you can.
Better yet, don't tell me what you can do, tell me what you will do.
Better yet, don't tell me what you will do, tell me that you did it.

That seems to sum it up, as does this - pick a goal, find out what steps to take, then take the first step.
It's a simple theory, but can bring changes to your life in a short space of time that you would never have believed possible.

Ok, that's it!
Keep reading the blog, and I wish you as always,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Transform Your Life in 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make Money From the SuperBowl (or any sport):
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Issue 499 - The Desiderata?

2009-01-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope all is well with you.

Regular readers will know very well that for certain issues of the newsletter I like to publish The Desiderata.

It's a piece written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s and it was first shown to me around 6 years ago.

I love it - I think each phrase or sentence can provide huge inspiration for your day, and the piece as a whole is a great attitude to have in life.

I've published it many times over the years I've written The Great Gordino newsletter, and Issue 500 is as good a time as any.

So why am I using it for Issue 499?

Well quite simply I have something else I want to write for Issue 500, but I wanted to keep up with the idea of using The Desiderata as I think it's so good, so here it is:

The Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann 1920s
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
********************************************************************
Ok, that's it for this week,

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Transform Your Life in 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Issue 498 - 3 Black Men To Go Down In History

2009-01-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

So, what would you call your newly started record company if you were in a city dominated by the motor industry, nicknamed Motor City?
How about taking the city's other nickname - Motown?

Hmm, not bad, and that's what an ex-boxer did with $800 he borrowed.
The man was Berry Gordy, the record company was, er, Motown, and it celebrates 50 years.

One of the most popular and influential record labels of all, it was started by a black man.
Is that relevant?
Well yes, because at the time the US was still heavily segregated, and for him to create something that would cross into mainstream culture was something which contributed to a movement of change in the US.

50 years ago also saw the time of Martin Luther King, who's birthday is celebrated in the US today. He gave his 'I have a dream' speech by the monument in Washington and a day after MLK Day, across the way from the Monument at the Capitol Building, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th President, the first black President.

'America needs to be more humble', 'I want to be a uniter, not a divider' words of a President-elect which sound good, and uttered by George W Bush.

There is a feeling that Obama has a chance to make change, and he will have his work cut out.
The U.S. has maybe 20% of population under the poverty line, and without health cover.
Let's hope Russia doesn't choose inauguration day to invade Ukraine.

Let's hope Obama gets the chance to settle into the job - his life will change tomorrow.
Will yours?
Mine will be busy at the curling rink.

The names of Martin Luther King, Berry Gordy and Barack Obama show what can be achieved on massive scales - just think what you could do on a smallers scale in your own life?

Ok, that's it for this week.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Issue 497 - Remembering David Vine

2009-01-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.
I heard today that David Vine has died

David Vine is a sports commentator that was a familiar voice and face to me for many years.
He commentated on many sports, from snooker to skiing, and was lucky enough in a fiercely competitive business to have a hugely successful career.

Way back when I can remember watching Ski Sunday on the BBC, every Sunday during the winter months as David Vine described the donwhillers hurtling themselves down the slopes which look nothing like as steep on TV as they actually are.

It makes me think that had the internet been around back then, it would have been possible to make money from downhill skiing, just as it is today, just as it will be next winter.

That's one of the beauties of sport - the ongoing, never ending story.
It means you simply will never run out of source material that you can turn into profit.
I write about in my 'Make Money From Sport' book:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

All you need to know is the techniques to use, and then apply them. After that it's up to you, but as more and more people wonder what the future holds as the economic woes worsen further, look to sport for a reassuringly consistent base to tap into for profit.

If you're wondering how to make money from downhill skiing, just ask me, and I'll tell you.
There'll be no secrets, just a formula to follow. I only charge $7 for the guide, which is about the price of a coffee and doughnut, so why not sit me down, pay for my coffee and doughnut and just ask me!

You can get the guide here:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm actually having a day off from the curling rink today, so I'm making the most of relaxing while I can!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Issue 496 - Leaping Too Soon Into 2009?

2009-01-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Did you know that there was a leap second in 2008?
I didn't, until right at the end of the year, when apparently the countdown should have been 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, er 1 again, Happy New Year!

It's all to do with the speed that the Earth travels around the sun, yada yada geeky science, but the extra second needed to be added to keep everything in synch.

I was reminded of it today as I walked around Tesco's and saw the hot cross buns on sale foe Easter.
Crikey, we're still in the 12 days of Christmas!
Nowhere is there any sign in the commercial world of it still being Christmas. I've been saying for many years that this is a missed opportunity, but like most things I say, I appear to be on my own.

The extra second we had in 2008 begs the question of how you used it.
We all get the same amount of seconds, we just choose to spend them in different ways.

So as we leap into 2009 (geddit?) I don't suggest you work out how you will spend every second, because you will be spending all the seconds working out how to spend the next ones.
No, that would just be silly...

What I *do* suggest though, is that you work out how you will spend the year, the months.
What will you do, and why?
What is the end goal?

Will you spend 2009 reacting to circumstance, or dictating your own future?

And to think fairly important idea came from a stroll around Tesco's. I nearly told the girl at the checkout, but let's just say at 8pm in the evening she didn't look in the mood!

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to check my watches.

'Til next time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com
gordon@gordonbryan.com

Issue 495 - I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face Flannel

2008-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I've had a busy week as usual - the curling rink was open for the holiday period and we had a nice crowd of family type bookings in. We also had a lot of people who had been earlier in the season and had enjoyed it so much that they came again. That's reassuring to me that at least I'm doing a reasole job, and not scaring them away!

As we lurch into 2009, it's that time when everyone looks back to the year closing, and forward to the year about to start.
I've long written about my not being a fan of New Year resolutions, because they tend to be made by people almost as a joke, with the results reflecting that lack of conviction.

However,for many people it's the *only* time they stop to take stock, so it shouldnt be knocked that much.

The credit crunch hit home in 2008 - 'credit crunch' is a cover-all type phrase used to excuse any business ills at the moment, but the UK is already in recession, with 2009 probably being worse.

The Israeli/Palestine conflict has flared up again, so it will be another New Year with international violence as the headline.

Looks like a poor 2009?
Maybe.

Or maybe not.
On Christmas Day one of my fave films was on, My Fair Lady.
A great film for many reasons, one of them being the story itself, that Elisa Dolittle had the courage and gumption to follow an idea, take action on it, do the wok required, and get the result.

If you take that kind of attitude into 2009, you could make it a year to remember.

Is it childish of me to use a Hollywood film from 40 years ago to say 'think what you can achieve'?
Some people might say so, but in my view - let them!

It's the kind of thing that works for me, and leaves me asking not what can I not do, but what *can* I do!

Have a Happy New Year, and for 2009 I wish you as always,
Health & Happiness.

'Til Next Time in 2009,
Gordon
p.s. 'I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face' is a song from My Fair Lady, and it was the comedian Spike Milligan that cracked the joke that he wrote a song that never made it called 'I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face Flannel' (just in case you wondered!)

Issue 494 - The Sequin Method

2008-12-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Tuesday finds you well.

Strictly Come Dancing finished its latest run on TV over here.
A phenomenally successful format, sold around the world, it works for many reasons - It is unabashed entertainment, with sequins and flashy grins.
The show in the UK is live, so the tension is palpable.

The reason I like it, and I know I've said it before, is that it is a great demonstation of truths about goal achievement - set yourself a target, commit to it, and then work as hard as you need to, and you can achieve stunning things.

The change in one amateur dancer this series really was amazing to watch. She took several knocks from the judges, survived many dance offs, and got to the final.
Once there she encountered another fact of life, because although she got perfect maximum scores from the judges for both her dances, she was the first to leave the final.

Was that unfair?
No.

Was it hard on her?
Undoubtedly, but that's the way it goes!
The other couples were equally as good, and it shows that despite the hard work and commitment, you can't always guarantee success.

It's a great show, and I'm already looking forward to next year's series!
Great life lessons too, and as we appraoch the end of another year, it prompts the question - what did you commit to in 2008?
How hard did you work towards it?
What were the results?

The answers of course then lead you on to what will happen in 2009 - you don't necessarily need to get the sequins out, but by jiminy you could do worse than think of Strictly Come Dancing for inspiration!

Ok, that's it for this week, and I'll sign off by wishing you a Happy Christmas to you and yours, and hopefully I'll get to whack out an issue next week!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Issue 493 - Tradition!

2008-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hi ,
I hope today finds you well.

I noticed a lot of traditional things happening.
During the time when I didn’t get a newsletter done, 11th November was the traditional day to remember those that died in war. The Queen lays a wreath on behalf of the nation, and there’s a 2 minute silence at 11am.
I obviously remember this right back to childhood.

Then the other day there was the State Opening of Parliament. This is a tradition which marks the fact that although the government is the Monarch’s Government, it is a state before crown system.
This means that even today, the Queen’s messenger is sent to summon the MPs, and gets the door slammed in his face – he has to knock and ask the MPs to come and hear The Queen, who is in full State dress and crown.

That dates back to the English Civil War times, 350 years odd. (Obviously the tradition, not The Queen herself, although she’s been there all my life)

Another tradition I remember from childhood is going to Woolworth’s to buy some pick&mix sweets. That’s a tradition which came to an abrupt halt as the chain went bankrupt.
I did email the administrators asking if they’d give me knock down price on some small candy bananas, but no reply yet… a bit rude that if you ask me.

Some traditions stay, others fall by the wayside, it’s the way of things.
Some traditions are good, some are bad.

Some traditions you could just call habit, and you stick to them just out of, er, habit.
This kind of approach can really hold you back.
I’m not saying never have traditions or habits, in fact they are great, but make sure you only hang on to the ones that do you good, and ditch the ones that keep you fixed where you are and no further.

Ok, that’s it for today, as we lurch towards Christmas, I’m off to prepare for my own tradition by searching out my copy of ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Make Money From Sporting Tradition?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 492 - Twinkle-Toe-Trouser-Tastic!

2008-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

There's been a big hoo ha in the UK media this week about Strictly Come Dancing.
This TV show is currently the best selling show worldwide, and a huge moneymaker for the BBC.

One of the contestants was an ex political journalist John Sergeant.
The man can't dance, and by the way I'm the first to admit that I can't either!
However, the more the judges said he should go, the more the public voted to keep him in.
He resigned from the show, saying even he thought it was going too far, and there was rife speculation that he had been leant on to leave.

The show was something I was going to write about in the issues I missed due to time, so let's do it now...
It's a great show which works so well because you can see the hard, hard work that the celebrities put in, the nerves they feel, and the results which may go either way on live TV.
The point I make every year, (and you can search the blog/archives if you don't believe me!), is that it is amazing what you can achieve by following the simple formula as played out on Strictly Come Dancing - you commit to the goal, you put in lots of effort and work, and although the results can't be guaranteed, it's possible to achieve unthought of results in surprsingly short time.

In life you have the advantage that the public cannot take the end result away from you, although of course there are plenty of other obstacles which you may have to get over/around/under/through.

You may not have any desire to turn yourself into a dancer, but what *do* you want to turn yourself into?
Do you want it enough to commit to it, to work towards it?
It's a key element to success/life improvement.

On Saturday The Great Gordino Classic curling tournament was held. Early on in my curling adventure I was in the winning team that won a lovely trophy.
I made the decision that a good way to make sure my name was on a trophy every year would be to start my own trophy.

It seems like a wise plan as my team came in 4th place this year!
I wore my harlequin trousers in my continuing attempt to get more brightness on the curling ice.
As promised you can see some pics of them here:

In this one I am telling my team mate that harlequin is the way to go. He is clearly thinking that black is quite fine, also that I'm about to get a broom where the sun doesn't shine...

Hoping that furious movement will bedazzle the opposing team - they don't look particularly bedazzled...

When I started wearing them I got some light hearted stick from other curlers, which was expected. What I find more amusing though, is that now when I don't wear them everyone asks where they are! So I suspect my campaign may be taking root...

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to get someone else's name engraved on my trophy.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,

Gordon

P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:

http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:

mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 491 - Are You A 3 Way Adaptor?

2008-11-16T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Well it's been an interesting time for me lately.

After the last newsletter, I was determined to get the next one out on time.

Not only did I fail to do that, I also failed with the following one, which I had been even *more* determined to get done on time!

The reason? Curling. Simple as that.
Or in fact not quite so simple.

My job at the curling rink has developed, as jobs tend to, and there is always something extra that needs doing.

It may be the finer points of maintaing the curling ice, or seeing how far I can get round a U bend, but there have been some long old days.

I may not get home until 12.30 at night, with a morning start at 6am.
Throw in the 1 hour drive each way, and I never seem to get anything done when I get home bar the essentials.

For the nearly 6 years I have been waffling on with this newsletter, I like to write it by just sitting down and writing - not editing too much, which gives a conversational flow that I like.

Ok, I may drift off on some peculiar tangents as a result, but it's the way I like to write, I do it for my articles and books, and it works for me.

What hasn't worked for me has been that when I realised I was not getting the time to sit and write the issue in 1 sitting, I did not start writing in chunks, but expected to get it done another time - of course I didnt get done another time!

This brings up a point I make many times, because it's a good one, and it's about our ability to adapt to change.

My ability appears to have been less than I thought it was!
At least I have spotted it, worked out what the problem was and come to a solution, so I am writing this issue in chunks. and it *will* have been published on Nov 17th!

Change may come to us in many forms, we may ask for it, we may not, but our ability to adapt to it is one of the most important things we can cultivate to make real progress.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to edit those pics of my curling trousers, which I said I'd show you, and will next time. Not may, but will!

Til next time,
Health & happiness,
Gordon
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Issue 490 - The NFL's Biggest Problem

2008-10-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

The more eagle-eyed reader may have noticed there was no issue last week.
I was set to do another Tuesday issue around my work at the curling rink, but then realised I had no topic to write about!

Hmm...
I left it couple of days hoping that a subject would come to me, but it never did, and by that stage I thought I could write about lack of inspiration, but thought that would be writing for the sake of it, so I didn't!

This week I am back on the sport, which I haven't touched for a coupe of weeks at least!
I played in the English Masters curling tournament at the weekend, the biggest event in England this year, and at the end of the 2 day competition, my team lost out on the title with the last stone! Oh well, such is sport, it can go either way, but it was good fun to take part in.
There are some pictures of me in my extra special curling trousers which I'll sort for next week.

Also over the weekend, the NFL came to London.
For many years they held pre-season friendlies here, but although they sold out, the pre-season nature meant the games never had that extra edge.
Last year was the first regular season game outside the US continent, and despite the pouring rain it was a huge success. The fears of how it might affect the teams were dispelled when one if them went on to win the Superbowl.

This weekend the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers in a high scoring game, but my point is not about the score, it's about the business nature of the NFL.
The boss of the league said after last year that he wanted the game to be a global passion - well that will never happen, and it's the business model which stops it.
The NFL is a franchise operation - every team is a franchise of the business, meaning they have to adhere to the NFL's policies, you can't just start a team and win the Superbowl.

In the same weekend as the London NFL game was taking place, Hull City went to the top of the Premier League in British soccer.
In soccer, you *can* just start a team, and there is nothing to stop you going all the way to the top, and this season is Hull's first in the top flight.
This simple difference is fundamental and it's possibly the biggest reason the NFL will never be a true global passion.

You can still make money from it though!
I used to make good money selling replica NFL helmets and jerseys, and it's still big business today, but you can use this weekend's London game in lots of ways to make money.

I write about the method in my 'Make Money From Sport' book, and at just $7, don't let the credit crunch get in your way!
In fact this method will still work in leaner economic times, and may well help you out if things get stretched!

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to write to Mr. NFL with my advice...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Make Money From The NFL?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 489 - What's Your Attitude?

2008-10-13T14:23:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.
Today's issue is about attitude.

It's one of the 4 magic words beginning with 'A' that I wrote about in my 'Transform Your Life' book.
(Of course you can find out what the other 3 are by clicking the link at the bottom!!)

The global financial crisis is now getting to such proportions that the general public can no longer dismiss it as something restricted to the financial circles, or something that's the flavour of the month in the press.

Here in the UK, some of the biggest banks we have have seen huge amounts of their business taken over by the government, in other words the taxpayer.
This means that the attitude of the banks will have to change. To say it's becoming clear that the banking institutions were being reckless for years is not true, as people have been saying it for many years - it's just that it was ignored by too many people for too long, as plenty of money was being made.

That illogical attitude of lending to people who were unlikely to pay back has to stop, and as a result the effect will ripple down through businesses at all level and into the pockets of individuals.
Many people will find radical changes being imposed on them, and it will be a huge culture shock to the system.

Change and shocks to the system are always going to happen.
They can't always be predicted, they can't always be controlled.
However, one thing that you can always control is your attitude to change.
You can mope and whine about things, or you can accept change as merely something different, even turning it into the most positive thing that has ever happened.

That may sound glib, some may say childish, and of course some changes and hardships can't be wiped away with a silly grin.
That's not what I'm saying - my point is that the attitude you take is paramount to your contentment in life, through the good time as well as bad, and any time is a good time to check and make sure your attitude is one which helps you rather than hinders you - after all it's your attitude, so why not pick the one that makes your life easiest!

Ok, that's it for this week, feel free to email me with your attitude!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 488 - 4 Foot High On Tiptoes!

2008-10-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok with you.

After last week's issue when I mentioned an affair with someone 12 years younger than me, someone emailed me hoping that I wasn't 20 at the time!
No, I was in fact 30, and with her at 18 it was a shock to me as much as anyone else I can tell you.
So if the same thing is to happen at the curling rink, I'd be looking at someone aged around 30 now!

I was coaching a group with a woman of about that age the other day.
She was tiny, about 4 foot high on tip toes, and I commented on how small her shoes must be.
She turned to her colleagues and shouted 'He just called me a dwarf!!'

She was obviously happy to joke about her height so I took the bait and replied that I hadn't called her a dwarf, because in fact she 'was probably more a midget than a dwarf.'
She asked me what the difference was, and I told her I wasnt an expert and that she should probably know. I said I think dwarfism is a medical condition, and a midget is just a very small person?

Anyway I reckon she fancies me, evidenced by the fact that she's been too shy to get in touch since then.
Maybe she'll come round (and growing a few inches wouldn't hurt either...)

The rink is actually open now, and it's been good to see people curling, and I've won a couple of games too. I decided to lead a team this year so it's good to get wins on the board nice and early.
To celebrate me winning a couple of games, and the rink opening as we crack into October, I'm offering my book which I wrote last year for a special price of $5.

I called it '40+' and it's about how I used goal achievement theory over the previous 20 years. It's more of a story in style than my 'Transform Your Life in 21 days' book, and covers all sorts of things like the above mentioned 18 year old, various entertainment jobs, and coming out of the fog of depression.
It also mentions an idea I had for a new adventure, which I still haven't decided whether to dive into or not.

So anyhoo, if you enjoy my waffle and fancy having a read about various things I've done over the last 20 years, at $5 I reckon you might enjoy it.
No sales page, no big hype, just go to Paypal and send me a $5 payment to gordon@gordonbryan.com and I'll manually send you the book - it's even got some dodgy pictures in it!

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to get out my medical dictionary.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about Tiddlywinks?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 487 - Crash Bang Wallop What A Picture!

2008-09-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

It's been a busy old time at the curling rink.
I knew it would be, and it has reminded me of when I was an entertainer at a holiday park many years ago. It was not really possible to view it as a normal 'job' due to the hours, you just had to accept it as a way of life.
Mind you when I did that job it resulted in a mad passionate affair with someone 12 years younger than me, so here's hoping...

As usual there was a bucket load of sport taking place over the weekend. The F1 Grand Prix was on TV at the rink, and there was a moment when a driver pulled away from the pits with the fuel hose attached.
I knew that in the papers there would be a great picture of it, and sure enough, a superb overhead caught the moment just as the mechanics were knocked over by the flying fuel hose (they were unhurt by the way).

There was also another great picture as 2 footballers jumped up to head a ball but ended up contacting each other's head instead! One of them had a particularly flat nose in the picture as it took the full force of the other player's head.
Ouch.

The thing about these great sport photos is that it is just accepted that will appear in the paper, and the process is not really thought about, except maybe the odd idea that it must be a 'great' job.
Of course the reality is that if you choose that job you have to start at the bottom, and spend most of your life in cramped conditions, watching hour after hour of boring sport in case you get the exciting moment. Then if you do and didn't miss it, you have to scurry around to get it circulated, and hope that yours is the one that gets pickd for use.

It's a job that can undoubtedly be rewarding, both financially and artistically, but it also absolutely has to be treated as a way of life rather than a job.
It's something I write about a lot, and it's a vital point about paying the price required for your goal.

You need to accept, fully, what is required to do whatever it is you have in mind. It is then up to you, no-one else, to decide if you want/are able to meet those requirements.
If you can, then great, forward you go. If not, then fair enough, but accept it because this makes it so much easier to find contentment without any lingering 'what ifs?'

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to find my camera.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about sports photography?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 485 - Careful With Comparisons!

2008-09-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope Tuesday finds you well.

Another Tuesday issue, as having spent nearly a week trying to get the internet sorted at the curling rink, I got home last night to find no internet access at home - D'oh!!

Tooth update - I won't give you all the gory details, but let's just say the Tooth Fairy must have read last week's issue, as it could have gone better!

Ok, here are the gory details...
I got all jabbed up with the anaesthetic, and had got settled down with my eyes closed, a great tip as you never see what's heading into your mouth then!
I was also using relaxation techniques to take myself off somewhere else...1...2...3...

Then I heard what you never want to hear the dentist say - 'Nurse can I have a wider root loosener please.'

1...2...3...!

Then the dentist (if that's what she was) told me she couldn't get it away from the bone and would have to 'saw into the bone'!

7...8...9!!!

I had to agree since it was like a war zone in there, so once she stitched me up I was sent on my way. All I can say is mock the Tooth Fairy at your peril!

Still it could be worse, I'm alive and well, it really could be worse.
Last week saw Eleanor Simmonds win 2 golds for Britain in the Paralympics. A swimmer, she broke the world record in one of then, and she is just 13!
Wow. Her disability is dwarfism, and yet to overcome that and win 2 golds is stunning, and she is always smiling and articulate - hugely impressive.

Last week also saw the 7th anniversary of 9/11.
Some people died that day without knowing anything about it, others did not.
Some people went back into the buildings again and again and saved many lives before losing their own.
I've written about these people before, and what they did should be remembered.

Today's point is comparison.
Be careful about who you compare yourself to - others may seem 'better' but there will be plenty who seem 'worse'.
It can be a dangerous game, and it's often more productive to focus on what *you* do, what *you* are.

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to see if my stitches have dissolved yet.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about the Paralympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 484 - Careful What You Wish For!

2008-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hi ,
I hope everything is ok with you.

Update on the tooth - I saw a very nice lady dentist who had a good dig around before telling me the tooth is wrecked, I would have to come back and have it removed, and she would whack in a temporary filling.

'Can't you just whip it out now?' I pleaded, but to no avail. In fact that's a plea that's often failed, and I'm not talking dentists...

Ok, today's subject - careful what you wish for.

Goal achievement theory can vary depending on who has written it, but it's often said that when you make your list of goals, they need to be specific - very specific.
The reason behind this is that setting goals directs your subconscious mind, and one of those areas is spotting opportunities.
If your goal is not specific enough, you are giving your subconscious too wide a set of parameters, and you may end up with something that wasn't what you intended, but still fits the criteria of your goal.

For an example, you may say you want a million in the bank. Fair enough, but if you aren't specific enough, you may end up with a million in the bank, but owing a million and a half. It fits your goal, but is not at all what you wanted.

Here's how it relates to me...
The further I got into the sport of curling, I told people that I wished it was a sport that had money in it. As it happens, it's one of the hardest sports to make any money at, which is a shame as I would be happy to put in the effort.
In various conversations as well as mentioning this, I mentioned that a source of my writing work had dried up. Before I knew it, the owner of the curling rink told me he was needing someone to work there for the season, and asked if I was interested!

Working at a curling facility is certainly one way to earn money from the sport, and there's only 1 in England. I said yes, so for the next 7 months will be turning tricks at the rink, from serving the bar, to taking newbies onto the ice, to cleaning the toilets...

Is it a coincidence that this offer came up after I told people I wished I could make money from curling?
Quite possibly, that's why they invented the word 'coincidence', but nevertheless it's a great tie in to the theory of making your goals really specific, because what I'd really wished was to make money from playing the game, not sticking my hand round U bends, but I'm looking forward to a good few months of fun (and some sneaky extra practice sessions!)

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to buy some rubber gloves and some bleach - are your goals specific enough?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Make money writing about the Paralympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 483 - Dumped By Another Woman!

2008-09-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Tuesday finds you well.

It's a Tuesday issue this week as my internet connection decided to play silly beggars just as I sat down to write, and that's partly why it's a short issue this week.

The other reason is that I am reeling from the subject of the toay's title - yes, another woman has decided to give me the boot.
Kick me into touch.
Give me the elbow.
Knock me on the head.
I own yet another one-way ticket to Dumpsville.

And the woman concerned? In fact you may know her - it's the Tooth Fairy.
Oh yes, as I was cleaning my gnashers last night I felt an odd twinge. I looked to find that one of my teeth was now half a tooth, accompanied by a big gaping hole.
I rang the dentist and the next 'emergency' appointment is on Friday.
Thanks very much, Tooth Fairy!

I yelled 'oh Fairy of the Tooth, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Let's be honest though, that's never worked with any of the other women, so why would this be any different?
Ok, I may have taken her for granted, and ok I may not have bought flowers recently, but oh what savage vengeance, the wrath of a Fairy scorned.

So as you can imagine I'm in a fragile state, because my tooth is a bit raw, so the best I can do in respect of life nuggets is that's it's a living example of how you never know what's around the corner!

Ok, it's short one this week, I'm off to practice my currently gappy smile. Hmm, thinking about it , I wonder if it qualifies me for the Paralympics this week?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,

Gordon

P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:

http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Make money writing about takeover of English Football?http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:

mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 482 - Proper Preparation Prerequisite!

2008-08-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

So, the Olympics are over. Beijing is left in the memory and London is now the official Olympic Host.

Our organising committtee has already said that London won't try and compete with Beijing on scale, and in our segment of the closing ceremony, London chose a London Bus and umbrellas as our defining images.
Oh, and David Beckham, who has never competed at an Olympics, nor even won anything in international competition. Sir Steve Redgrave, who won gold at 5 different Olympics, was sitting commentating for the BBC...

In all fairness, I think London is right to say right from the go that it won't compete with Beijing.
China is a one party state which can do what it wants with its money, whereas the British government is (theoretically at least) more accountable!

London can now carry on preparing without the pressure of topping what China did.
That's the subject of today's last missive about the Games - preparation.

It takes years to prepare to host an Olympics, and all the athletes who took part this time around had to prepare.
Not just for the 4 years since the previous one, but most athletes spend their whole career preparing. An obvious example is the early morning starts before work, the extra jobs they take on to pay for the training and equipment and then more training in the evening. That's not once a week, but every day. Then there are the families, sacrificing time and all sorts of things to help support the athlete.

Then the athlete has to join an elite programme, which will mean moving home, and committing years towards Olympic qualification, giving up careers in many cases.

Then the elite programmes have to be created in the first place, staffed with the correct coaches and facilities, etc.

As for the Games themselves, think of all the volunteers needed to make the 2 week event run smoothly. Some set pieces in the opening and closing ceremonies had thousands of people who had been rehearsing for a year!

All those areas of preparation, and none of it can be missed.
If an athlete misses a single training session, that work has to be made up somewhere. At the top of world sport, the differences between gold and coming 4th are marginal, and it's often the marginal differences in preparation that make the difference.

It's the same in life when going for a goal.
Yes, you can set off all willy nilly, working it out as you go, because you have the flexibility I mentioned 2 weeks ago.
However, the more prepared you are, the better able you are to cope with the external circumstances I mentioned last week.

In life, just like the Olympics, you'll find that the successful people all have certain things in common, and one is preparation.
Don't overdo it though, there's something else all successful people have in common, and it's that they take action.
If you spend forever preparing and don't ever act, you'll get nowhere.

Ok, roll on London 2012. I'm semi tempted by the archery, as I did notice some old fat people taking part, but what made me laugh was that after they took their shot, they used binoculars to see what they scored!!

Right, thats it for this week, I'm off to prepare a cup of hot chocolate.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about The Beijing Olympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 481 - Now That's Gotta Hurt!

2008-08-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

As you can probably imagine I have been torn between which life nugget to draw from the week's worth of Olympic action.

Maybe it could be the womens 3000 metre steeplechase - making its' first appearance at the games, it marks the near final equality between mens and womens events in track and field.
I say near equality as the women still do the heptathlon instead of the decathlon of the men. There is no good reason for this that I can see, and it has been a 30 year slog to get these events deemed 'suitable' for women.

Blimey even the pole vault is a recent introduction, and yes Yelena Isinbayeva did win gold, and yes she broke the world record again!

However, what I'm going to talk about today is injury.
Michaela Breeze, Britain's only weightlifter at the games made a lot of news when she competed despite a bad back, yelping in pain as she carried on with no chance of a medal, before sinking to her knees in tears.

Paula Radcliffe has only ever run 9 marathons.
She has won 7 of them, and is the world record holder. The only 2 she hasn't won were the 2004 Olympics race and now the 2008 Olympics race, on both occasion through injury.

The American Deena Kastor had to stop in the same race too. She said she heard something 'pop' in her foot, and in fact it had broken.

Another American Sarah Hammer was in the middle of the pack in a cycle race when another rider crashed, taking Hammer out and breaking her collarbone.

Probably the biggest Olympic injury this time though is for China's Liu Xiang.
Ever since he won gold in the 110 metres hurdles in Athens, he was the face of the Beijing Games, and despite China prodigious medal haul, he was their biggest hope inside the main stadium.

It wasn't to be though, as his ankle was injured, and despite lining up at the start in obvious pain and distress, he was unable to compete.
So, that's a few injuries there.

Last week I wrote about the 'now or never' moments that define Olympians lives, that in 'regular' lives the pressure is not that intense, we can work towards our goals with much more flexibility.

This week my point is about how outside circumstances can send us off course.
When you think about all the years of work, sacrifice and dedication put in by the gold medal winners, then think about the athletes who got injured. They made the same sacrifices and effort, and in the end they didnt even get a fair crack at it.

Is that unfair?
Well, no. It's not unfair, it's life.

As we work towards our goals, we never know what may be around the corner waiting to derail us.
It may be something we can recover our goal from, but it may be that we can't.

It's the acceptance of that which can make a huge difference to our contentment in life, and whether we even try in the first place.
We can't expect life to be all gold medals and glory, it may just as easily be an injured ankle at just the wrong time. That's just the way it is, and it's how we react that counts.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to polish up my song 'I Tore My HamStrings, You Tore My HeartStrings, What Am I Gonna Do?'

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about The Beijing Olympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 480 - Striking Gold

2008-08-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Well the Beijing Olympics are well underway, so if ever there was a time when I'd be talking about sport, it would be now!

I love the tradition and history of sport - I remember bits of the 1976 Olympics, and from then on have watched them all avidly except 1996 when my entertainment work prevented me from watching.

The British team has fired off 2 early gold medals, and both of them break long waits.
On Sunday Nicole Cooke won the womens cycling road race, the first gold medal by a Welsh athlete in a British vest since 1972, and this morning Rebecca Adlington won the 400 metres freestyle, the first Gold in swimming by a British woman for 48 years.

Of course one reason why these long runs develop is that the Olympics are only held once every 4 years, and for each event there will only be one winner every 4 years.
Ok, that may sound obvious, but when you hear about the years of training that the winners do, day after day, aiming for that one moment, let's not forget that all the other athletes do too!
For the winner it ends in gold, but for the others it doesn't, but they have trained just as hard.

I remember watching Cooke in the Athens Games.
She was a live medal prospect, but her problem was that road racing is a team game, even though it's contested individually. What that means is that if you don't have support riders to take the workload for you, the other teams will use tactical riding to overwork you.

In Athens this is exactly what happened to Cooke. The other teams were able to have their main riders take it easy, while their support riders attacked Cooke all the time.
She finished 5th.

This time the GB team had better support riders, who were able to let Cooke take it easy and save herself for her sprint finish.
I've seen her in interviews over many years, and she is usually calm and articulate.
For the whole day after her win she was glazed over, and talking like she was drunk! It must have been one almighty cocktail of hormones raging round her!
You could tell it was a 'brain does not compute' moment for her!

Winning a gold is a moment that will etch your name in time. It may be that only fans of the particular sport remember the names vividly, but the record book is permanent.

Yes, all the losing athletes trained hard and lost, but you will never win Olympic Gold *without* doing the hard work and knowing you may lose.

They get one chance.
Some people go to a few Olympics some people only go to one, and this brings around the point I want to make today.

Whereas the Olympic athletes have that one moment when it all matters, for us everyday plebs, things are not that high octane.
In our lives, we get the chance to try things over and over, if we make a mistake we can just do it again.
Yes of course sometimes we have to make quick decisions which may have huge impact, but generally speaking we can look well into the future, set our goal and start working towards it.
The flexibility that we have, is a luxury that many Olympians would love to have, so since we have it, shouldn't we make sure we are using it?

I know some readers don't like sport as much as I do, but if you get the chance while the Olympics are on, take a moment - pick one gold medal winner, or pick an athlete that finishes 4th.
Consider all the work that went in over many years for that one moment, ending in gold or 4th.

Then consider the flexibility that you have in your own goals - it makes them seem a whole lot easier knowing that you don't only have a once in 4 years moment to get it right!

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to consider the flexibility of my chocolate eating schedule...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about The Beijing Olympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 479 - Should Welfare Be Free?

2008-08-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Tuesday finds you well.

Today I want to mention something I spoke about 2 weeks ago, concerning the benefit system here in the UK.

Firstly though, I will just mention Yelena Isinbayeva. Since last week she has broken her world record again.
With the Olympics starting this week, I wouldn't bet against her doing it again.

Ok, back to the benefits...
The government has announced swingeing changes to the benefit system.

By the way, what a great word that is, 'swingeing', not to be confused with 'swinging' which is something that consenting adults do with strangers.
In fact I went to a swinging party once - everyone stood around in a circle and threw their keys into the centre, the idea being that it's a mystery as to who's keys you pick up.
I got an AA box on the M25...

Not true, just a little joke there.

The swingeing change is that people who have been claiming benefits for a year will have to do 4 weeks of unpaid work, work like cleaning up graffiti and so on.
Anyone claiming benefit for 2 years may have to do this work full time.

I think this should have been done years ago.
Of course it has created an uproar, amongst the benefit claimants. A couple were interviewed on the TV, and they were moaning 'why should I have to work for it?'

Of course the reason is that their benefit is paid for by the working taxpayer, so why should the person on benefit get it for free?

The crux of the problem is that the majority, not all, but the majority of people on benefit are too thick to understand this basic concept. If you asked them where the benefit money came from, they would not have the faintest idea, and they have been brought up in families of a benefit culture, i.e. no need to go to school, just live on benefits.

In fact here's something else scary I read, that 100,000 kids leave school each year here unable to read or write!!
Eh???

You have to take that figure with a pinch of salt, it looks suspiciously rounded, and you also have to wonder that if the brainiacs that worked out that figure put the energy into teaching reading and writing in the first place, the problem might not be so bad!

In days gone by if you made a mistake in writing, you might get a clip round the head with a blackboard wiper, and told to write 300 lines until you learnt it.
Today, you get sent on a trip to Disneyland.
If you're really bad and maybe punch the teacher, your family will probably get a trip too.

As a result, 100,000 leave school each year as dunces, who spend their life living on benefits paid for by those who went to school and work for a living.

This is why the importance of education and responsibility cannot be overstated.

I was talking to someone the other day about my book, 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
I cover this ground in the book, plus other subjects about goal achievement and success theory.
I am genuinely proud of it, and I re-read it the other day. It still stands up 5 years after I wrote it, and I believe and use the theories today just as I did then.

I've decided that to celebrate it being 5 years since I wrote it, I will offer it for $5.
On the sales page you'll see it is priced at $27.
As it happens I think that's a good price, but the $5 mark may get it into more hands, which is fine by me.

If you go to the normal page, then click on my picture at the bottom, and it's actually a link to the $5 page.
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Ok that's it for this week!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about The Beijing Olympics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 478 - Yelena, Dwain and Randy

2008-07-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is well where you are.

Ok, so let's dive right into this week's issue - the Yelena in the title is Yelena Isinbayeva.
I've been writing about her for years, I remember way back in 2005 when she broke the pole vault world record by being the first woman over 5 metres.

She was at the top of the world, but decided that in order to really go further, she needed to change her style completely.
She wasn't happy with the barriers she knew she was approaching and wanted to tackle them sooner rather than later.

So, she took up the coach of polevaulting legend Sergey Bubka, and spent 2-3 years learning the new style.
In the last fortnight she has taken her world record to 5.03 - just in time for the Beijing Games, and what a superb example of goal achievement and success principles.
She wasn't about to rest on her laurels, that's for sure!

The Dwain in the title is Dwain Chambers, an Olympic story from the other end of the scale. One of the best sprinters in Britain, he was caught as a drug cheat.
Unlike most others, he didnt deny it, he admitted it, and apologised, taking his 2 year ban.

The problems started after that...
According to world athletics he is now eligible to compete again, but the British Olympic Association, unlike those of most other countries, impose a lifetime Olympic ban on drug cheats.
Chambers took the case to court, using the fact the he had won the British Olympic trial to show restraint of trade.

The judge said it couldn't be restraint of trade when it concerend an amateur event only held every 4 years, so the ban stood.

The issue here is of responsibility.
The British Olympic ban has been in place for years, before Chambers started running, and it has since been voted through again by athletes.
He knew the punishment, but did the crime for his own self serving means, no doubt quite happily still reaping the rewards had he not been caught.

How is it that he can now turn round and say 'oh yes I did the crime, but I don't like the punishment?'

This kind of logic drives me up the wall! He says he can be a role model for youngsters.
Yes, he can perhaps as a reformed character, but not if he gets to compete in the Olympics.
The lesson he teaches should be of consequence, not how to dodge consequence.

Ok, the Randy in the title is Prof. Randy Pausch, who died from cancer last week.
When in late 2007 he was told he only had 3 months of good health left, he gave a lecture at his university, and it was a massive sensation across the internet.

It's about his pursuit of his dreams, and how others can do the same.
He said he mainly wrote the lecture to leave behind for his children, but it's proved a huge inspiration all round.

I had never heard of him until today.
His death has sparked renewed interest, and you can see the video by typing Randy Pausch Last Lecture in youtube.
It lasts a bit over an hour, but it's an hour of your life well spent.

It was passed on to me by a friend today, and considering the focus of this newsletter, I couldn't do anything else but pass it to you.

Watch the lecture, and then think which role model out of Yelena or Dwain would be the choice of Randy.

Ok, that's it for this week, which role model would *you* choose?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about polevaulting?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 477 - July Jingle Bells?

2008-07-21T15:12:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

After last week's issue about the NHS in Britain, there is news this week of some big changes to our welfare system.
However since this newsletter is not just about political shenanigans, that can wait for another time, as today I want to cover a subject I meant to write about at the beginning of the month.

One of the many articles of mine lurking on the big wide inter web is called 'Quick, It's March 1st! Set Your New Year Resolutions!'

I happen to like it, as in 300 odd words it sums up pretty well why most people think that setting goals doesn't work. It's because they associate goal setting with New Year's resolutions, the kind of 'I'll give up smoking, stop picking my nose, stop being a fat arse' type thing, that we fully expect to have failed at within a week.

Of course one of the reasons they fail is precisely because we tell ourselves they will - and this is proof in its own way that goal setting works.
You tell yourself you'll fail, you believe you'll fail and you act accordingly with the result, and you may be ahead of me on this one, that you fail!

It's much better to set your goals on March 1st or any arbitrary date, because then the New Year association has gone.
Yes, New Year is a great staging post, but its too tainted to be that useful.

I wanted to write about this in the run up to July, because July 1st is the start of the 2nd half of the year, (how long before the first Christmas stuff gets in the shops...)

What a great time to assess your progress!
How has your year gone so far?
Did you have any targets that you were working towards? If so, how has it gone?
If you did exactly the same in the first half of 2008 as you did in the last half of 2007, it doesn't take a genius to work out that your life is probably exactly the same.

Did you expect life to give you something different, and if so, did you do anything about it - or, have you spent another 6 months being buffeted by circumstance, waiting for an outside influence.

As we rattle towards August, there is still *loads* of time to get things done in 2008. You can set so many things in motion, it could be this week that you make a decision which will change your life.
This is a powerful concept, yet most people dismiss it as nonsense, usually the same people that prove it every New Year with their failed resolutions.

Grabbing the reins of your life is a key pillar in my book, which I'm still proud of 5 years after I wrote it. You can see the link to 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' below.

Ok, that's it for this week - what Jul 21st resolutions will you be setting this year?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about Wall-E?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank
email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 476 - Ooh, Matron!

2008-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

The NHS turned 60 on the 5th July.
"The what now?" some of you may ask.

Well the NHS is the National Health Service in Britain, and it was launched 60 years ago. I watched a documentary about it, and was amazed to learn the process.

The Health minister at the time was an MP called Nye Bevan, and he hadn't been in the post long, since the Labour government was new, having deposed Churchill's government.
Bevan was from the Welsh Valleys, where the main source of work was mining, battling treacherous conditions literally hacking away at seams of coal.
His father had fallen victim to the usual symptoms, as did most of the men.

What Bevan had noticed was that in one area, the workers had got together, and put in a certain amount from every wage packet. This meant that when they or their family was ill, they could get their treatment paid for from this fund.
This was a great success in a Britain where you only got the medical treatment if you had the cash.

Bevan announced that he would introduce this idea across the whole country, and said it would be launched within 6 months!
The medical professionals at the time laughed out loud, pointing out that it could never be done, and the doctors said they wouldnt have anything to do with it.

They had their private practices, so were worried about seeing their investments and positions slip away, that they would be 'medical civil servants'.
The British Medical Association was a powerful political lobby, and they voted overwhelmingly to oppose the scheme.

Despite huge support from the public who sensed a wind of change in the hard post war years, this digging in by the doctors put the whole project in trouble, and Bevan's career with it.

What he did them was a political masterstroke, he went to the chief of the consultants, who were top of medical tree. Even more amazing the chief was Winston Churchill's own personal doctor, and Churchill and Bevan pretty much hated each other.

Bevan persuaded the consultant chief, but he had the problem of standing for re-election himself, so that vote turned into an effective vote on the NHS. The chief retained his position by 5 votes, and it could be said that those 5 consultants saved the NHS from never happening.

The BMA simply dug their heels in further, prompting another political master stroke by Bevan. He began a publicity campaign as if nothing was going to stop him, and began getting the public to sign up to the scheme, putting a deadline incentive for them to do so.
This was pivotal, as in a few short weeks, most of the population had signed up.

The doctors knew that if they didnt get on board themselves, they would be left behind by those that had got on board earlier, and the BMA's resistance crumbled away.

The service launched on 5th July 1948, a truly remarkable achievement.
It had been thought that as illnesses were treated, the nation's health would get better, and the drain on public funds would be reduced to no more than maintenance levels.

This has never been the case in 60 years, with demand for treatment, facilities and research always outstripping what the Treasury is willing to give.

Some people say the NHS is Britain's finest hour, free health care for all at point of need, a truly social structure.
Others argue it has been our downfall as ever more people flock to Britain from abroad, just to tap into our benefit system and get easy health care.

These so-called 'health tourists' are not the only ones draining the system - the biggest problem comes from the unemployed here in Britain - people who have never worked a day in their life, yet expect and demand to get free health service. They don't appreciate the concept of paying into the pool to get the benefit, and the result is a massive drain on the rest of the workers.

That isn't the model that Bevan saw in the Welsh Valleys all those years ago, where people did hard, hard work.
However the NHS is viewed, it's a remarkable example of what can be acheived in amazing time scales, in this case 6 months!

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to see if I can get a bed bath somewhere...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Want me to teach you how I write my articles?
http://www.articlewritingknowhow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 475 - New Balls Please!

2008-07-09T08:52:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope Wednesday finds you well.
I'm writing this on Wednesday instead of Monday because I have been flat out busy, and try as I might to squeeze in the writing, it didn't get done.

I could try the excuse of 'the dog ate it', but even in the murky realms of my mind that would be pushing it -
Firstly no dog.
Secondly I don't know many dogs that eat laptops.

This week gave lots to write about - there's the 60 year anniversary of the NHS, and I also turned 42.
Someone said they hoped I enjoyed my next journey around the sun.
That was either a poetic way of putting it, that I hadn't heard before, or it was saying I should be fired off in a rocket, one of the two!

Then there was Wimbledon, and as the cries of 'new balls please!' indicate a British summer like no other phrase, that's the subject for today.

It's a great one for this newsletter as it emcompasses goal setting, hard work over a period of years with no guarantee of success, and the mental toughness needed.
Tennis is a peculiar sport.
It's still viewed in this country with a distinct middle class and upwards background, unlike most other countries around the world.

It's a gladiatorial sport - it's 2 individuals against each other, with no time limit.
The scoring system means that anyone can be match point down and come back to win.
Those 2 elements together mean that you have to beat your opponent, you can't play to run out time if you are ahead, you always have to be pressing on.

I've written before about Maria Sharapova, about the Williams sisters, and Billy Jean King.
This year threw up some good stories.

There was a Chinese woman semi finalist for the first time, a direct result of the Olympics going to China.
They threw masssive amounts of money at the game to produce world class players, and it has paid off.

Ana Ivanovic went out early in the competition, and she said the pressure of recently getting to World Ranked Number 1 and winning in France had got too much for her.

Someone who had not so much pressure but a huge drive was Rafael Nadal. Having won the French 4 times in a row, he was trying to do what no-one had done since Bjorn Borg back in 1980 - win both the French and Wimbledon in the same season.
He had reached the Wimbledon final 2 years running, lost to Roger Federer in 4 sets in 2006, lost to Federer in 5 sets in 2007, and found himself 2 sets up in the final against Federer this year.

Federer dug into his 5 time champion well of spirit, mental toughness taken for granted, and fought back via that scoring system to take the game into a final set.
No tiebreaks in the final set, the match goes on and on like 2 boxers punching away, and eventually it was Nadal that came out on top.

A lot of finals can be anticlimatic, but this one was a cracker, the longest ever, and finishing in near darkness.

Pick any one of these Wimbledon stories and see how they apply to your life.
Do you set goals for yourself?
Do you work your socks off, for years, in pursuit of that goal?
Are you able to take knock backs and failures, coming back for more?

I don't the answers to those questions in how they relate to you, but you need to make sure that you do!

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to cry 'new balls please!' from various rooftops...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Make money writing about Wimbledon?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 474 - Can A Balloon Model Flower Wilt?

2008-06-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I'll be honest with you, I was struggling to come up with something to write about today.
I dont' know why, maybe it's too much sun, or not enough chocolate.
Or maybe both.

So, what I've decided to do is to pursue the idea I wrote about last week.

You may remember, (and if not then why the h*ll not) that I told a story from 1996, when my girlfriend at the time started playing with my peculiars in the cinema while I was trying to watch the film.
Let's just say I was not Mr. Popular when I told her 'film tickets don't grow on trees, you know'.

Ok, I didnt use those exact words, but a dark thunder descended in the auditorium, and I'm convinced it was little things like that which made her give me a one way ticket to Dumpsville on her next birthday.

In fact here's another little tale that makes me giggle - on said birthday I drove to where she working in a pub, and since we had both been entertainers together, I decided to surprise her with a balloon model flower.

I thought it was impressive with leaves and petals and everything.
She didn't.

If a balloon model flower could wilt, it would have done so right there and then as a now worryingly familiar dark thunder descended.

Anyhoo as I said I think it was my decision to insist on watching that film which contributed to my life changing.
When she booted me into touch, I felt the full force of depression which was a long road to get out of.
Some people might think that either my decision had no impact, or because I didn't know at the time, it's irrelevant to look back now.

Well, I think it's a fact that our life direction so far has been made up of lots of little choices.

Remember the film Sliding Doors, which covered this very idea?
Gwyneth Paltrow doing a very passable British accent by the way.

Why do people get cast 'doing an accent?'
TV at the moment has Brit Anna Friel doing a US accent in Pushing Daisies, and then there's Hugh Laurie in House.
Mind you if it's a choice between Hugh Laurie, or Anna and Gwyneth, I know where I'm headed...

My point is that we don't know when all these little decisions come.
However, we *do* know when some decisions are coming.
Setting things in motion which work towards your goals may have consequences you don't yet know about.

They may be good, they may be bad, but surely it's better to take control of life's steering wheel, and do the best you can to pick your own route?
Otherwise you end up at the whim of circumstance.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the kind of stuff I write about in my book, 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which has a link below.

Ok that's it for today!
'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Want me to teach you how I write my articles?
http://www.articlewritingknowhow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 473 - Get Your Hands Off!

2008-06-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Before I crack on with today's issue, it seems the cost of the athletes village for London 2012 is rising dramatically again, to the point where it won't be built unless the taxpayer stumps up even more.
I can think of a few athletes I would quite happily give a room to, and here's a clue - none of them are men, and none of them are shot putters...

So today's issue was prompted by someone asking me about the type of people that read this newsletter.
I answered that I guess it's people wanting to hear how I can turn stubbing my toe, or buying a can of beans, or my sorry love life into a goal achievement or self improvement nugget!
Most of the time I'm interested myself! (of course maybe that's why my love life *is* so sorry!)

For some reason, this story came to mind...
When I was 30 I had a passionate year long fling with an 18 year old.
When she dumped me on her 19th, it sent me spiralling into the abyss of depression.

Anyhoo, in the halcyon days before she shattered my life (not bitter), we went to the cinema a few times.
I think the film in question was Evita with Madonna, but it was def. a film I had wanted to see.

Being young and passionate, she started to get frisky when the film was on.
I told her that I wanted to watch the film as 'I had paid 5 sodding pounds'.
Didnt go down too well I can tell you, and maybe laid the seeds for the future devastation!

So what nuggets can be gleaned from that tale?
Well it's all about choice, consequence and responsibility.
I'm pretty sure that me making that choice was one of the factors in the relationship ending, which in turn sent my life in a totally diffferent direction.

Every choice has a consequence, but was I to blame?
Not really, at the time I had no idea that trying to watch the SODDING FILM was such a big deal.
Yes, I may have acted differently had I known, but I do realise that the choice I made had a big impact, so I take responsibility for it.

It also means that my future is formed by the choices I make today, and so is yours.
That's a powerful concept.

Today for example, I know that if a girl starts to have a fumble in the cinema, I should let her - of course the problem today is finding the girl.
Hmm, thinking about it, maybe I should include the shot putters in my letter to Mr. Olympics.

Ok, that's it for today, if you want to read more about my theory of responsibility, and my getting through the depression, you can grab my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' via the link below.

Right I'm off, Wimbledon has started and it's the mens' matches I'll be glued to...yeah right!!

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How to make money writing about the Olympics:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 472 - Make Money From Mini Sites?

2008-06-16T16:07:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

This newsletter is about the subjects of self improvement, goal achievement and wealth creation.

I've been talking about the first 2 quite a bit lately but I think the last time I mentioned wealth creation was when I talked about my 1 to 1 course on how to write articles the way I do, and then use that skill for profit.
If you don't remember me mentioning it, you can see it at:
http://www.articlewritingknowhow.com

That site is actually a minisite.
In fact it has some elements missing (which I must get round to sorting!) but despite that, it has a whole bucket load of the key elements in place to make a successful minisite.

The one thing that's genuinely bad about the site, is that I am selling my time with that product. You get individual tuition from me, and that is time I cannot leverage for anything else. It's ok that I do that - I am after all getting one off payment for one off effort, it's what most people do in their jobs.

However, it's also possible to create minisites that *do* leverage your time.
You can set them up on autopilot, so that once the initial effort is done, they look after themselves apart from a bit of housekeeping.

If you don't believe me, then with all due respect it's because you just aren't aware of the facts.
I have spent a long time learning how to do things in internet marketing, and I could tell you all the detail about minisites.

However, a chap by the name of Michael Rasmussen has done a good job himself, and it's 100% no cost!
I've seen his videos before he did a great series on how to write emails that sell, and I've seen this set of videos on mini sites.
It's good quality content, and it won't cost you a penny to see it.
http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=9571

Funnily enough when I woke up this morning I wasn't quite sure what I'd write about, and then I got an email about this video series.

It seemed a great subject, as the content will cost you nothing whatsoever, and is genuinely helpful if you are interested in earning money online.
Now I have mentioned it, I don't want to waffle on for the sake of it, so I think I'll sign off.

Ok, that's it for this week - if you aren't interested in earning money online, it probably won't be of interest, but it's worth checking out these videos, and then refering back to my article site to see how many of the techniques you can spot!
http://www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=9571

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Has my article writing course got good elements of a mini site
http://www.articlewritingknowhow.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 471 - Fares Please!

2008-06-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I Monday finds you well.

How many times have I written about taking responsibility?
A few times I'm sure you'll agree.

It's a key element to my theories of goal achievement, self improvement and wealth creation.
On a personal level, I think it's important to differentiate between blaming yourself, and taking responsibility.
They are different things, and the main thing is to accept that the choices you made in the past are the reason for your current situation, good or bad.
Yes, there also will have been circumstances beyond your control, but your reactions to those circumstances would have been in your control.

When British Airways made a total hash of the new terminal 5 at Heathrow, the boss publicly said that the buck stopped with them, that they had got it worng.
He also refused to accept a whopping bonus to his salary which was due.
Now let's face it, the boss of British Airways is never going to need money, but it was the gesture that was important, and was well received by staff and unions.

Let's take a look another company, Network Rail.
It's a private company that looks after the railway tracks in this country.

They have been criticised and picked up all sorts of fines from the regulators about continually providing poor service to customers.

So, what happens to the bosses?
They pick up massive bonuses, which are performance related!
The top 3 directors pocketed a nice big 7 figure sum between them.

The company made over a billion pounds profit, so you may think they deserve the profit.
Unfortunately, in what used to be a state run business, they are still subsidised by taxpayers money to the tune of 3 billion pounds, so now the 1 billion profit doesn't look so clever.

Is this taking responsibility?
No, it's more like taking the cash instead, thank-you very much.

This kind of thing happens in all sorts of industries worldwide, where directors get big bonuses for presiding over bad business.
I guess it's something for individual businesses to work out, but with the case of subsidy provided by *my* tax money, I reckon I'm allowed to voice complaint.

Of course in personal development terms, do not let yourself pick up bonuses which are undeserved, you have the power to decide where you own responsibility lies for where your life heads.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to see if Network Rail have any top jobs going...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about Britain's Got Talent?
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:mailto:
transform@getresponse.com

Issue 470 - Are You Some Sort Of Bucker?

2008-06-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I saw some things in the paper at the weekend which got my blood boiling, but whereas bad news shouldnt necessarily be ignored, I'm gong to focus on 2 stories of good news.

The first one is a celebration of Beryl Cook.
Beryl died last week, and she was right at the top of the tree in term of commercal sales for British artists.

A self taught artist, her pictures centred around fat women who enjoyed their food, enjoyed their drink, and enjoyed looking at young men.
She claimed to happily indulge in all 3 of those herself, and while her cartoony style didn't go down with the critics, the public bought into the idea, and bought the pictures!
When asked what the meaning was to her work, she said the only meaning was to 'make people smile'.
In all honesty I can't say I love her paintings, but they sure do the job of making me smile, especially when I hear that's what she wanted.

The other story is about George Sampson, 14 year old dancer who won Britain's Got Talent.
He got through the first round last year, but didnt make the semi finals.
This year he came back for more, and went all the way to the win, £100,000 and an appearance on the Royal Variety Show.

The final was watched by 14 million viewers, which is a massive pull in these times of media choice, and why not - the show features battle hardened showbiz veterans given a chance at the big time, it shows everyday folks with stunning natural talent, and it also gives the important life lesson that sometimes you won't always succeed, sometimes matters are outside your control.

Personally I think the show went a bit too far with putting the deluded acts through to the live shows, that smacks a bit of laughing at them, but as a celebration of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication, it's great!

The 12 year old classical singer I had mentioned before didnt make the top 3, but she had already been offered big contracts before the show, so her success is assured anyway.
Good luck to her with her natural voice, but her story has less 'come back against the odds' ingredients than that of George Sampson.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to practice my breakdancing, where in my case the break may very well be real - like Beryl, like George, will you buck what the establishment tells you are your limits?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about Britain's Got Talent?
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 469 - Do You Believe?

2008-05-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Wednesday finds you well.

I didn't write on Monday as it was a national holiday here im the UK, and then I spent all day yesterday thinking that I had written it!
Ooo-er, if that isn't a sign of old age catching up with me, I don't know what is!

A big part of goal achievement theory is that you must believe , both in your worth to achieve the goal, and that the goal will happen.
If you fail to have this belief, you are effectively stating a positive belief in the opposite, and so it's the opposite to success which comes true.

However, belief will not *guarantee* success alone.
There are lots of other factors - taking action is a big one, and there are factors which we can't control.

On Saturday the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest took place in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, watched by 100 million viewers!
The winner was the Russian entry, a song called 'Believe'.

There has been lots of hoo ha in this country about the voting structure, because in the last few years it has been an open telephone vote from the viewers.
This means that the newer countries in the Baltic and Balkans tend to vote for each other, pushing the western European countries ever further down the list.
I'm not too sure about this - it sounds a bit like sour grapes from us, because we haven't won it for many many years, but that drought started long before the telephone voting came in, and both Greece and Finland have won recently, so I don't think the argument holds up that well.

Still, I bet the Russian singer 'Believed' eh? Especially since he had lost a couple of years ago to said Finnish entry, a load of heavy metal rockers in monster masks!

Talking of holding your belief to come back from failure, let's look at Paula Radcliffe.
The marathon world record holder is admired everywhere for her punishing front running style, and was hot favourite to win Olympic Gold in Athens.
Unfortunately the heat and a stomach upset took their toll, and she pulled out at roughly 20 miles, sitting in tears at the side of the road.

Belief is something Radcliffe has in spades though, and she set her sights on this year's Beijing Games.
She has had repeated injury problems though, and has recently been diagnosed with a stress fracture in her leg.
There are now distinct doubts as to whether she'll even get to the start line, let alone be at the top of her abilities.

It may mean she ends her career without that elusive Olympic Gold.
So belief has taken her to a world record and Olympic favouritism, but factors outside her control, i.e her leg bone may stop her goal achievement.

A great example of the power of belief, and the fact that you cannot rely on it alone.

Ok, that's it for today, I believe I'm about to eat some chocolate.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about the Olympics?
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 468 - Power To The People?

2008-05-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Lots of choice about what to write about today.
I know that some readers loathe and detest sport about as much as I love it, so I checked to see when the last time I did a sporting issue was.

It wasn't that recent in fact, but I'll hold off at least for another week.
The story of Justine Henin retiring can wait.
And the one about Annika Sorenstam retiring.
And Oscar Pistorious winning his battle for Olympic eligibility.
And the 127th FA Cup Final.
And so on.

I could write about the Eurovision Song Contest coming up in Belgrade, where the UK will come last or thereabouts.

But no, this week it's politics.
There are votes on legislation all the time in Parliament, it's how the laws of the land are made, as the 650 odd MPs vote, each one representing around 70,000 voters.

But my question is, how well do they actually represent those voters?
It's big news this week that some votes on abortion and human-animal hyrbid embryo research will be so called 'free votes.'
A free vote means that the individual MP is allowed to vote according to his/her conscience, and has no obligation to vote with the party line one way or the other.

Hmm...
I get confused, not for the first time.

This shows that it's not up to the individual MP on the regular votes, they are expected to vote how the party tells them.
If the majority of the 70,000 in the constituency disagree, the MP tells them that they elected the MP and the party to make the decisions over the course of the term.
Ok, I can get that logic, but yet when MPs vote against their party, which classes them as a rebel, you'll often hear them say 'I have no doubt the majority of my contistuents and the country in general agree with me (i.e. not the party)

In that case are they saying the elecorate chose the party or the MP?
And if they chose the MP, was it so the MP could decide, or so that he could represent the constituents and vote as to their majority view?

Can you see the confusion?
There are 3 clear different options here, and what happens is that politicians claim to be following different ones at different times.

That is logic that *doesn't* wash with me, and strikes me as an obvious case of 'when it suits me'.
This leaves politicians clear to look after their own personal career ambitions rather than represent the people who elected them.
Not all MPs are this wavering in their claims - some are consistent the whole way through the term, so at least with them the voters know which one they'll get.

My view is that it would be nice if a my Member of Parliament represented the people who voted for him, i.e. me!
Surely if every MP voted like that on issues like abortion deadlines, the result would be a true reflection of the country's view on the matter.

I'm glad that I stood in the 2005 election, it's what makes my country a free one.
I thinking more and more that I should stand again in 2010, which gives me 2 years to see what kind of support I could muster before I had to commit.

What do you reckon, a good idea or a bad idea?
Another adventure to set off on, or something I need to be talked out of?
Would I be better off focusing on my curling?

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off!
'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about politics?
http://www.gordonbryan.com/nicheriches.html

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 467 - 100,000 Dead In London

2008-05-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

It finds me well.
I may have a bad toe, I may have noticed a little bald patch on my head, and that I need ever more quantities of dye (Excellence Creme by L'Oreal Numer 5 Natural Brown) to keep the grey at bay.
I may have maintained my remarkable ability to apparenty repulse women, but all in all I'm well.

I'm alive, I have a roof, I have food, I have choice.
Unlike all those poor people in Burma.

When the death toll first rose from 5,000 to 10 then 15,000 you knew the final figure was going to be high.
Now estimated at well over 100,000, and with disease possibly set to kill over a million as the Government stalls the help of the international community.

I called this issue 100,000 dead in London because it helps to imagine how the world would change if that were true.
As it happens it's Burma not London, but the people are people wherever it is.
What can you say when the government there is more interested in staying in power than letting other countries in to help.

I've always said this newsletter is about wealth creation as one of its' subjects, and part of that is to make sure we fully appreciate the wealth and abundance we already have but take for granted.
Not everyone has it, and we should appreciate the moment to the full.

On another subject, it's the ephemeral (ooh, good word) nature of live entertainment which appeals to me. There is nothing like sitting in an audience and watching a live performance that makes your body react by goosebumps.

The current series of Britain's Got Talent does just this.
Yes, there are the usual bozos and deluded idiots that come on, but when a non showbiz-trained person comes on, opens their mouth and produces a voice that gives goosebumps, it's one of the moments I'm talking about.

This week it was a 12 year old girl, who walked out, smiled sweetly and stood rather ungainly at the microphone, Faryl Smith.
She started to sing, and the whole theatre fell pin droppingly silent as she delivered a performance of Ave Maria to drop jaws.

The audience were caught in one of these ephemeral moments, and all they could do at the end was stand up and cheer.
She just smiled sweetly again, and said 'thank you very much.
Brilliant.

That moment, that one moment, has gone.
She has the appeal and talent to clearly be able to sell several million albums, but it's that one moment I choose to remember.

It normally is singers that have this effect, you may remember Paul Potts who won last year.
Music can affect us like this due to the way the soundwaves act with our brain.

I wish I could sing, but when I try the soundwaves react with audiences brains in a way that normally inspires abuse or projectile vomiting.

I've been to several teachers. I remember once I went to Jay Ashton, a woman who was in British band Bucks Fizz.
My brother always joked that when she asked me what I wanted to sing, I should have said 'can you teach me to sing Making Your Mind Up slightly off key like you used to?'
I reckon she may not have found that funny, but it makes me giggle everytime.

My voice will never compete with some of these natural voices, like 12 year old Faryl Smith.
I accept it, and enjoy the moments she and others can give me.

I smile at bad jokes.
I smile at myself, and I appreciate the abundance I have compared to those 100s of thouands in Burma.
Make sure you appreciate what you have.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to appreciate some chocolate.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about your favourite singer?
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 466 - Shirley Temple, The Kind Of Face You Could Slap

2008-05-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Shirley Temple recently turned 80.
It's something when you can look back and think your movie career ended 70 odd years ago!

I remember often seeing her films when I was younger.
The first time she sang 'On The Good Ship Lollipop' you'd think it was really sweet.
The second time you'd think the novelty was wearing off.
The third time you'd think she had a face you could slap.

Not a real wallop you understand, not a crack around the head with a sawn off baseball bat or anything, just a little tap maybe...
Only joking, and Shirley made a successful career for herself after the movies, serving as US ambassador to 2 countries.

I watched a documentary about an Irish entertainer who has also turned 80 - Val Doonican.
He's someone else I remember watching - he was on tv for around 25 years.

Working hard at his craft of music, he slowly developed work, and then joined a group.
It was when he was in a show with Anthony Newley that Newley said he should be doing solo work, so he did indeed go solo.

Then he was asked to be on 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium,' a huge show watched by millions.
The record companies had not given him the time of day before, but within 6 weeks his first record was out and in the top10 of the charts.
He was an overnight success - after 17 years!!

Yet another story, and you know I love them, of how you can't go far wrong if you do something you love, and then work hard at it.
You may get that lucky break like Doonican, who is still touring today, but for every 1 Val Doonican there may be 1,000 musicians working equally as hard who don't get the fame and big bucks.

What's important though is that you are doing something that means something to you.

Another point is that while Doonican was working all those years before the big time, it was *hard* work.
I've done entertaining in small venues, and it can be an almighty slog.

A lot of people 'give up' when they aren't prepared to put up with it like Val was.
I think 'give up' may be the wrong phrase as it implies negativity, a defeat.
That's the wrong way to look at it, it's just a choice of lifestyle, and as long as you accept and take responsibility for your choice, you'll still be content.

Ok, I'm off to the shops to buy some lollipops...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Fancy making money by writing about Val Doonican?
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 465 - Julia Roberts Smells!

2008-04-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

So does Julia Roberts smell?
To be honest I wouldn't know, I've never got close enough to her to find out, despite all the letters I've written to her (court orders are made to be broken...)

What I do know though, is that she doesn't wear deodorant, and I know that because she said so on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
An interesting nugget I could probably have lived without but nevertheless it's a subject I can use online to turn into money.

I like that.
Here's another one...

Wesley Snipes has been sentenced to 3 years in jail for tax evasion crimes.
Most famous for the 'Blade' films, my favourite of his is 'Demolition Man' with Sly Stallone and Sandra Bollock, but it's the story of his jail sentence which I'll be using to make money.

A good enough cue as any to mention a new site of mine, the Power Niche Club:
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Not only do I tell you how I use film stories to like these to make money, the technique also works for sport, music and TV.
That's 4 Power Niches all packed full of subniches you can tap into.

Making money online is all about the market you pick, the offer you make, and generating traffic from your market to your offer.
That's it, no secrets or tricks, just techniques.

Inside the monthly club you'll get updates and the exact examples I'm using.
I also throw in my book, Transform Your Life in 21 Days, which sells for $27.
I also throw in my traffic generation guide, and you can cancel at anytime and keep the goodies.
In fact, best if you go and look for yourself:
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Let me know what you think.
Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to decide what my favourite Julia Roberts film is - what's yours?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.powernicheclub.com

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 464 - I'll Smash You In The Face!

2008-04-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Despite today's title, I don't really want to smash you in the face (although if you took away my chocolate then it may become a possibility...)

No, my point today is to ask whether you'd feel it if I did.
Not because of any weedy smashing ability on my part, but because you would have affected your brain so as not to feel it.

Sound silly? Well, maybe not...

I watched a documentary series recently where a scientist was researching various alternatives to 'conventional' medicine, and one of the topics was hypnotherapy.
As part of the programme, she watched a woman undergo dental treatment with no pain control.

The woman had her 2 front teeth removed and replaced with no anaesthetic at all!
It was quite a thing to watch as the woman was talked to throughout by a hypnotherapist and she constantly wrote her pain level from 1-5 on a pad.
It rarely rose above 1.

It was a stark example of the power we can consciously exert over our own brain, and it's a power which all of us can tap, but so few of us ever do.

While discussing this with a friend the other day, she told me that her father had taught her to say the alphabet backwards, and she trotted it off as quickly as anyone would doing it forwards.

Now, is the ability to say the alphabet backwards any use?
No, none at all - except to remind us of how we learnt to say it forwards, which is to pummel our brain with sound and rhythm patterns.
If I asked you to say the alphabet now, you would most likely respond in the way you were taught it as a nipper, in little couplets.

Again, a powerful reminder of how we can teach our brain by choice.
When we grow up, we stop using this ability, and instead let our brains be directed by the outside world's random input, which unsurprisingly then sends us down roads we are not happy with.

The solution?
Go back to using the old tricks you've known all along, and start to take control of your brain, and as a result, your future.

Ooh, I love writing about this stuff, I could write a book....
What's that I hear you say 'you already did!'

Oh, yes, so I did.
I wrote 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days' based on ideas like these, and it's been selling since 2003.
The link is at the botom if you've not grabbed a copy yet.

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off down the High Street with an 'I'll smash you in the face' tee shirt on...

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 463 - 31,716th

2008-04-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

It finds me with sore legs - no surprise there since I did the London marathon yesterday, the centenary year of the set distance of 26 miles, 385 yards.

I came 31716th, out of around 35,000.
My time was 5 hours 48, which made me laugh, since last year when I did the thing on my own, I did it in 5 hours 45!
Still, although I didnt get my personal best(!) I suppose I am consistent...

It was great fun, really friendly happy atmosphere.
The organisation of the event is mind bogglingly efficient, nothing is left out.

I had to start slowly because of the obvious amount of people around me, there's no room to move, but it only takes a couple of miles before you do get the room to go at your own pace.

For the first 13 miles I felt fine, but at that point you go past a load of runners going back the other way, at the 22 mile mark!
When you realise you have 9 miles still to go just to get where they are, the brain starts to suggest stopping as being a good idea!

The 'light showers' forecast turned out to be huge downpours and I got soaked, but to be honest that was more refreshing than annoying.

My left knee started to sieze up, not quite sure why, and after that it was a case of 'get to the finish'.
I was happy to get my finisher medal, which I thought would be plastic, but it's a good old solid metal effort, very nice.

When you see all the people doing the race in fancy dress on TV, you wonder how they manage it, but when you see them next to you, it becomes even more impressive to see, and they raise a huge amount for charity.

Over the years the race has generated over 360 million pounds, 45 million last year alone.
I wasn't registered with a charity, so didn't push that side of it, but still got contributions totalling $426.
That's over £200 going to 2 good causes, so thank you, thank you, to all of you who donated, it's greatly appreciated.

Will I do it again?
At the moment my answer is 'no'.

My only problem physically today is my left knee, but it is such a long way to go, and the training involved is pretty time consuming.
Of course that's one of the reasons I did the thing - it's a classic challenge to take on, and seemed suitable for me considering all the waffle I do about goal achievement.

Like most goals, finishing a marathon has certain steps...
You decide you will do it.
You believe you will do it.
You research how to do it.
You take the steps you researched.
The end product is what you set out for.

It's a simple formula to look at. Of course in reality the steps can be hard, but end result is usually the same with a consistent application of the steps.

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to massage my legs, couldnt find any nubile nurses to do it for me, and I'll leave you with this thought - do you have any marathon goals to tackle?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 462 - Ready, Set, Go...

2008-04-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

This time next week I will probably be lying down in a dark room with a wet towel on my head - it's the London Marathon on Sunday.

Last year when I did the distance on my own it was the hottest race day they had ever had, and yet this weekend there was heavy snow - it would be amazing if the race was run in snow next weekend.
I'm looking forward to the excitement of it - I've never even been to watch before, and it's supposed to be good.

My race number is 4338, look out for me (start by watching the ambulances) and wish me luck.
Thanks for all the sponsorship money so far, the link to sponsor me can be found at the bottom.

It will be the culmination of a 2 year goal for me.
I set out to run the race to mark me hitting 40.
I didnt get in the actual race in 2007, so ran it myself on the same day on my own around my local streets.

Then when I entered this year I had not expected to get in, and got a place in the ballot!
Although that meant a lot more training which I wasn't overjoyed about, it did mean yet another example of goals coming true if you set them, work towards them and take action.
It might take longer than you thought, in this case a year longer, but nevertheless, the tick will be going on the list come next weekend!

I hope my journey is less stressful than that of the Olympic Torch.
Its' travels through London were marked by fierce anti-China protests, and the same thing has happened in Paris - they had to put the torch out 3 times as the protestors overwhelmed the security forces.

It's a strange one this - should sport be used to make political points, or is it unacceptable to accept the behaviour of nations just so a sporting event can go ahead?
My view would tend to be that the athletes themselves are just that - athletes.
They have trained and dreamt of Olympic glory, and to have it taken away by suit wearing politicians is hard indeed.

The Olympic ideal says that it is sport against sport - end of story.
Of course in reality, the Olympic organisation itself is not exacltly whiter than white, in fact it can often smell badly of corruption, so if that's the case it's not surprising that politicians seek to make gain with one protest or another.

As with most things, this one is a choice for the individual, and should be made with a full research and understanding of the positions involved, not just a knee jerk reaction to headlines.

Ok, that's it for this week - what will you be doing come 8am GMT next Sunday?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 461 - Rebecca Romero Part II

2008-03-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I had to make a decision about the title of today's waffle, I nearly called it 'Staggeringly Bad, Staggeringly Good,' and before I get to Rebecca Romero, I want to cover the staggeringly bad...

The new Terminal 5 (or T5 to use the swanky 21st century name) opened last week.
Years of planning struggles, years of building, and billions of pounds led British Airways to declare 'we're ready!' and that the terminal would offer a smooth experience from day 1...

What actually happened was that despite 6 months of training, staff didn't know where to park, so arrived late, and once they'd got through security, they then got lost in the building.
(this isn't an April Fool by the way, it was all too real)

This meant that the fancy new luggage handling system didnt have enough staff to do the actual handling, leading to massive backups.
This led to passengers only being allowed to check in hand luggage (quite what they were supposed to do with their suitcase I don't know), and then when the backup got so bad, flights were cancelled en masse....

All in all a shambles and an airport with one of the worst reputations in the world did a good job of justifying that reputation!

You'd think the project had been run by one of the idiots from The Apprenctice, but no, it would have been 'professionals.'
British Airways admitted to 'minor problems' and said 'it wasn't their finest hour'.

That's British understatement in full flow, as the T5 fiasco adds to our recent line of big project cock ups, from the Millenium Dome, to the Wembley sports stadium, to T5.
God help the 2012 Olympics...

That leads me, and rather smoothly even if I say so myself, to Rebecca Romero Part II.
I first wrote about her last year with the title 'Rebecca Rows To Cycling Celebration.'

After being a World Champion rower, and winning Olympic silver for Britain in Athens, Rebecca decided to give up rowing and try something new.

She wobbled round a cycling track and couldn't believe how the riders didn't fall off the sloped banking, but within 6 months she was riding high at last year's World Championships.
This year the pressure of expectation was on her, but she delivered with 2 golds, and is now a hot favourite for gold in China - not many people medal at the Olympics in 2 sports, so her already impressive list of achievements could get longer.

She's also talked about beach volleyball for the 2012 Olympic, and providing the court is built in time (London, so don't hold your breath), then I wouldn't put it past her.

Rebecca just decided that she will do something, finds out how to do it, and then gets on with the hard work.
Yes, she is a natural athlete, and has the legs and lungs to pull it off, but she also has the crucial mindset.

Self belief, combined with research and hard work, can take you to the most unimaginable places.

Ok, that's it for this week, as I shake my head at the staggeringly bad example of Britain this week, I also applaud and learn from the staggeringly good.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 460 - To Pop Or Not To Pop?

2008-03-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope you had a good weekend, whether you celebrated or not.
There was a huge amount of chocolate consumed at my end, I can tell you that for nothing!

A reader asked me how me my marathon training was going, so I thought I'd give an update.
Not long to go now, the race is April 13th, my race number is 4338, and as to how my training's going (huge amounts of chocolate notwithstanding!)...

Well it could be better to tell the truth.

I had the setback when I had manflu during the curling national champs, and lately my big toe has been giving me grief.
I suspect the reason for that is also curling related - I have switched to a new sweeping style, and although the new style has reduced wasted motion which caused my vomiting, the new style is heavy duty on my big toe, and curling shoes are fairly flat footed.

As a result, not only does the foot hurt when I run, but this weekend when I did a 15 mile stint, my over-compensation for the big toe meant I had a massive blister on my little toe.
It was a whopper - in fact it was so big it was hard to tell what was toe and what was blister.
I could have used it as a pillow, it was that big.
Now I know how Quasimodo felt (well, if his hump had been on his foot).

So, to sum up, I'm hoping the crowd is as encouraging as everyone says, because I reckon I'll need it!
(Donation link at the bottom, for 2 good causes)

As I read the paper this weekend I saw an article which seemed to make a great newsletter subject, on integrity.
It seemed that some MPs had voted in Parliament to close lots of village Post Offices, but within 30 minutes they were in local meetings set up to save village Post Offices!

Hmm...
It's this kind of thing which made me stand in the election in 2005 - where is the integrity, to say one thing and then vote the opposite?
It's a good point, but on reading the article past the headline and first paragraph, it's a different story...

In fact the MPs concerned had voted against a general opposition motion to halt the closures totally, because they felt it was a flawed plan.
This is something completely different, but I only found it out by reading into the depths of the article.
Had I just left it at the headline and first paragraph, I would have rolled my eyes and formed an impression of the MPs concerned which would be, well, wrong.

The media love to present stories with a twist that *they* want you to see, so actually the lesson about not believing everything you read is more important than the integrity of MPs.

If someone tells you something, check it, don't just accept it right away.
This particularly applies when someone knocks your goals - they may not have a clue what they are talking about, or want you to fail for *their* purposes.

Hold your own beliefs.

Ok, I'm off to go back to my blister dilemma, should I pop or not, and I'll leave you with the thought - do you make your own decisions based on proper research?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 459 - I Know You'll Fail

2008-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

So, has anyone ever said that to you - you're quite happily telling them about an ambition of yours, maybe you've even firmed it up into a goal, and you're all fired up with enthusiasm, and then the person you're talking to utters those words -
'I know you'll fail'.
Hmm....

A fellow reader (and book reader!) emailed me last week to ask what advice I give when you hear those words, as they had just had their goal thrown back in their face.
It's a good question, and it's an important key to my goal achievement formula, so here goes...

When you set your goal and decide it will happen, I advocate that you should tell as many people as possible.
This brings in all sorts of advice, and you can get great nuggets of information which will help you along the path.

One consequence of telling people about your goals is that you will *always* get some people telling you that you won't achieve it.
Some may tell you why some may tell you how, and some will have no reason, just the statement.
Don't be surprised when you hear it - on the contrary you should expect to hear it, and there's a good reason for it.

A lot of people subconsciously will want you to fail.
They won't want to see that someone has grasped the steering wheel of their own life, started to make their own decisions.
It brings home to them that they *haven't* done so, and as a result they want you to stay with them in that same boat.

Remember this may be a subconscious feeling, although it may manifest itself in very real words of discouragement.
My advice on how to react to this type of attitude is simple, and it's this...

Don't mention it to them again, and don't argue!

Yes, speak to as many people as possible about your goal, but as soon as someone starts talking negatively, don't talk to them about it again.
You will only expose yourself to their negative energy, which you don't need.

That's also one of the reasons I say don't argue your case, because you are wasting your positive energy on countering their negatives.
It is unlikely to work, and you might as well use your positive energy on peope who support you.
Then as you go further along your path to your goal, it's your actions and results which will argue your case for you.

I'm not saying you should blindly ignore negative advice.
You should assess any advice you get, but you need to differentiate between realistic advice offered in a constructive way, and plain negativity without grounds.

So, when people tell you that you won't achieve your goal, don't ignore it, but decide if it is genuine advice you can work with, or just negativity, and if it's just negativity then simply don't talk to that person about your goal again.
You'll be surprised how many of the nay-sayers will ask you how you are getting along when you stop talking to them about it!

Recognise their negativity for what it is, and it will only harm you as much as you *let* it harm you.

I've had many people in my life tell me I wouldn't achieve my goals.
Sometimes they were even right, but more often they weren't, and either way the result was not affected by their words!

Ok, that's it for this week, you can read more about this handling of negativity in my book, link below.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 458 - Downstairs Chafing...Ouch

2008-03-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I did 12 miles yesterday for my marathon training.
It went ok, but I had forgotten to wear my cycling padded shorts.
That particular lapse of memory comes with a price to be paid in the chafing department, and let me tell you, I'm paying it today....
(sympathy sponsorship can be made via the link at the bottom!)

I'm not at all sure what to write about today, I have no single subject that screams to be written about.
So, I looked into the news of lat week, and came up with something that I'm a big fan of - responsibility.

There was a long debate and vote in our Government about whether there should be a referendum on the European Treaty.
The reason it was so important is twofold.

Firstly, the laws of Great Britain are made by the elected MPs debating and then voting on the bills of law put forward.
This means that every voter is represented in the process (more on that bit later!)
However, the new treaty means that that are now 60 more areas, in addition to previous ones, where the laws of our land are superceded by European law.
European law is not set by our MPs, but by bureaucrats, thus meaning we lose our right to make our own decisions.

That's important enough, but the 2nd reason this vote about a referendum was so important, is that it was promies by the government in the election.
One of their platforms for election was that there would be a referendum on the European Constitution.
Then there was a tinkering with the constitution, including a name change to treaty, so now the government say it's not the same thing.

This is a classic case of moving the goalposts, and the opposition parties did a poor job of saying so.
That means that the chap who beat me in the 2005 election has not kept a promise to the people that elected him.
It's things like this that make me feel I should stand again in the next election, and in general life I think people should always take responsibility.

Take responsibility for your actions.
Take responsibility for your circumstances.
Take responsibility for your promises, critical if you are a representative of the people, but just as critical when you represent *yourself.*

Ok, that's it for this week, I'm off to tend to my chafing, and here's this week's thought - do you take proper responsibility?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 457 - I Think My Brain Might Be Too Big

2008-03-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.
March already!

I had a migraine over the weekend.
It's hard to describe how unpleasant it is unless you've suffered one yourself, but a full blown migraine is not something you'd wish on your worst enemy.

I was driving to the curling rink, to take part in the National Mixed Championships.
In the Mixed game there are 2 men and 2 women playing alternate positions.
One of the nice customs in curling is that you kiss the women 3 times before a game, and after too!
That makes 24 kisses a game, and let me tell you, at my sorry state of affairs, every one counts...

Anyhoo, on the way to the rink, I turned a corner, and noticed a smudge on the windscreen.
I went to wipe it with my fingers, only to find that when my fingers got to the area, I couldn't actually see my hand there either.
I drew my hand back, and noticed that the 'smudge' had moved to a different place, and for me this vision problem is the first sign of a migraine.
It's not good, even more so when I'm doing 60 mph at the time!

I pulled over as soon as I could, and took my pills, which experience has taught me to keep with me.
I could have then turned and gone home, but I was now closer to the rink than home so I pressed on.
By the time I got there my vision was holding steady, and I told everyone that I might not be able to play, it would depend.

As it happens I was able to play in a fragile state of health.
I was furious about it, it's so annoying that it seems to happen randomly and at such speed.
I try to cut out certain triggers, but couldn't think of anything in particular that had started this one.
I try to tell people it's because my brain is too big that it hits the inside of my skull, but people don't seem to accept that...

In the past I have tried to 'think' myself out of a migraine, to tell myself that I am fine, that it won't get any worse.
I've learnt that this doesn't really work.

It's true that worrying about it will not help, but I haven't yet shown myself that thinking it better makes it better.
As a result, the only thing I can do is accept it.

Acceptance is one of the things I talk about in my book 'Transform Your Life'.
Acceptance can mean you view many situations in a totally new light, and it can bring a huge increase in contentment, without changing anything apart from your thought.

During my fragile game, I was playing badly.
I couldn't tell if it was due to the migraine alert, or just bad play, but either way I was getting annoyed with myself.
Of course the more annoyed I got, the more I tried to force my game with my conscious rather than let my subconscious play as it knows how.
As a result my game got no better, until I realised what I was doing, and stopped trying to force things.

It's another lesson about achievement - wanting something desperately is fine, but if you take desperate action you an often make things *worse*.
Sometimes it's easier to relax and let the subconsious use the lessons you have taught it.

Results wise, my team came a solid 4th (4 teams).
Roll on next year!

Ok, that's it for this week - are you guilty of over-thinking things, when maybe you'd be better off just using the tools of acceptance and the subconscious mind?

Don't forget if you'd like to sponsor my marathon run, please click the link below.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 456 - Sometimes You Just Have To Accept The Manflu

2008-02-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Before I get into the subject of today's title, I want to cover the UK prison overcrowding.

Regular readers will remember a long while ago that I wrote about the upcoming crisis of overcrowding, that prisoners were being put into cells at police stations instead of jails because there was no room.
This costs a ludicrously high amount of money to the taxpayer, and is a problem that the government has long known about.

Well this week saw us go to absolute full capacity - even the police station cells are full.
The government has responded to the crisis by introducing an early release scheme, whereby prisoners simply get let out early!

2 glaring issues with this - firstly the government has to give taxpayers money to these prisoners to cover their living costs for the time they haven't served!
Of course most of these criminals then go and promptly buy a bucket load of drink and cigarettes.

The second problem is the message it sends out about justice.
It says that if you are mugged or burgled, then *if* the person is caught, *if* they are prosecuted, *if* they are convicted, then they will be let out early anyway!
Hmm...

It's simply incompetent management of a problem, and things like this drive me up the wall.

Ok, today's title is 'Sometimes you just have to accept the manflu.'

You'll remember that at the recent English curling championships I got the manflu.
I battled through it because I didn't want to look like a big sissy.
Unfortunately my battling through has contributed to the bad chest hanging around so that even now it isn't 100%, and all this affects another of my sporting activities, the marathon.

It's now only 6 weeks until the race, and although my training had been going just fine up to the manflu, it has gone right off course since, because you just can't do long runs with a tight chest.

So, goal achievement wise what can I do about it?
Nothing.

My training has been deeply researched and planned, getting the experience and knowledge from the plenty of people that have done it before me.
That's basic goal achievement stuff, but an important point about goal achievement is that sometimes you just have to accept the setbacks.

I can't do anything about the loss of training. As it happens I reckon I'll be ok for the race, because let's face it I'm not out to break any records.
On the other hand, had it been the case that the manflu wrecked my training totally, I would have to take the option of putting my place in the race back to next year.

Sometimes these things happen, it's just life, or as my mother says 'all part of life's rich tapestry.'

Accepting these setbacks is crucial, you only get to the setbacks by taking action in the first place, so by definition, even if a setback is so bad that it 's the end of the road for your goal, you are always further forward than you would have been had you never acted.

This way of thinking encourages a contented mind, and means I can smile as I cough up my breakfast.

Ok, that's it for this week - can you think of incompetent management, and are you prepared to sometimes just accept manflu?

Don't forget if you'd like to sponsor my marathon run, please click the link below.

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 455 - How I Write My Articles

2008-02-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Thanks for all the kind words after I went past 5 years of the newsletter last week, and I want to crack into the 6th year with a focus on the wealth creation side of things.

In a word - article writing.
Er, ok, in 2 words - article writing.

Articles are great.
A bit like notes can be pushed around to create music, I love the fact that words can be pushed around to create pieces which can earn you money.
It's a skill which is not that hard to develop, and once you have the skill, it can be used anytime you want, for as long as you want.

Once you can create articles, you can use them to drive traffic to any page you want.
It may be your own page, or someone else's page, but it will be a page that earns you money from the traffic you send it.
If you do the simple logic that the articles create traffic for free, and what's more it is targetted traffic, then the idea appeals even more.

There are other ways to profit from articles, and a good way is just to sell them.
You can either sell them as a finished product, a one-off sale that someone can then put their name to, or you can sell them in packages.
The package idea works well as it leverages the time you spent once on the article creation, to end up with more than one sale.

Or, you can write articles for others according to their brief, in other words you sell your writing skills.

What I'm doing is starting a course to teach people how to write articles.
It will be over 5 x 1 hour sessions, and it won't be a seminar type tuition.
I'll be teaching you one to one, online.
I'll be writing and talking to you personally, I'll be webcammed up so you can see me too.

In the first session I'll be covering the where, why and how articles work their magic.

Session 2 will cover how I construct an article - the formula I use everytime which really helps to speed up the process.

In session 3, I'll be creating an article as you watch, on a subject you choose, to show you the process from start to finish.

Session 4 will see you creating an article to my formula on a subject I choose.

In the final session we'll go over the whole course and concentrate on any particulars.
These sessions of personal tuition will leave you equipped with the permanent knowledge of how to create an article on any subject in the world, plus the knowledge of how to profit from your skill.

I enjoy passing on my knowledge and ideas, and I'm looking forward to passing on this stuff.
I hope you'll agree it sounds a good package, and the next question you might (or might not) be asking is what the price might be.

Well, a plumber, electrician, mechanic, washing machine repair man will charge $80 here in the UK.
That's a flat rate.

So going by that, 5 hours would be $400 - a nicer price point would be $397, so that would be a fair price, since you are getting exclusive one to one time with me.
I may well be charging that in the future, but to start with that's a bit steep and not within everyone's price range.

Another price range you see a lot online is $197.
That's a good deal cheaper, and still allows me to run an affiliate program at the same time.

I still think that to start with, I could go with a $97 price.
To be honest that's getting cheap now, $20 per hour for me as opposed to the $80 if I were a plumber or mechanic.
This isn't sales spiel by the way - if you've been reading my stuff for long enough you know I will quite happily think as I write, and that's pretty much what I'm doing now!

I'll go for the $97 then, and the joy of the internet means that the sessions can be timetabled to suit *you*, and the gap between sessions means you have time to digest the information, it doesn't just all merge in and overload.
Obviously there are only so many sessions I can have on the go, so it is a sort of 'first come first serve' basis, and as a newsletter reader you are getting first crack.
If you are interested, email me.

Once you've made payment, we then arrange the sessions.
I don't offer money back, for the simple reason that you are paying for my knowledge.
Once you have the knowledge, what you do with it is up to you, but you can't hand it back, nor can you hand back my time.
What I say is this - if after the first session you don't feel the course is for you, just let me know, and you get the other 4 sessions cancelled and refunded.
That sounds fair to me.

Ok, that's it for this week, as The Great Gordino Newsletter goes into its' 6th year, is it time for you to grab my article knowledge?

'Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 454 - 5th Anniversary of Waffle

2008-02-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope all is well where you are.

This week sees both Valentine's Day and the 5th anniversary of this newsletter.
Let's face it, Valentine's Day is just like any other sodding day as far as my love life is concerned, so I'm going to concentrate on the newsletter's 5th anniversary.

If you've been reading for a long time, thank-you for staying with me.
If you've only just come across me, thank-you for staying.

Over the last 5 years I've been thrilled to have people say how much they enjoy my writing.
I've also had people say when they didn't enjoy issues, which is fine as you know I'm a fan of free speech.

My intention when I started was to write about things I had seen that week, or things happening to me, and put a slant on events, either of goal achievement, self improvement or wealth creation.

I believe that by simply choosing to self improve, and then acting on proven techniques, we can make changes beyond our imagination.

Every 50 issues or so of the newsletter I like to use a piece of writing not written by me.
It was written around 1920 by Max Ehrmann, and it's called Desiderata.
I enjoy reading it everytime, and make no apology for using it a few times, it's been around a year since last time!

I reckon that if you find yourself unhappy, unfulfilled or discontented, the answer could quite easily be in this writing.
You are either doing something it says not to, or not doing something it says you should.

I've been pleased with a lot of my writing, my self improvement book in particular, but this is one piece of writing I wish I'd written.
Enjoy it and let me know what you think...

****************************************************************
The Desiderata - Max Ehrmann, circa 1920
****************************************************************

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

********************************************************************************

Thanks again for reading, and here's to the next 5 years' of waffle!

'Til next time as ever,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 453 - What Price Experience?

2008-02-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Thursday finds you well.
It's a late newsletter this week - I've not been a well bunny.

I turned up all raring to go for the first match of the English Curling Championships, to hear a couple of other players say they had dodgy colds.
I remembered hoping to myself that I didnt catch it, only to wake up Thursday to find that I had indeed caught it.

I dosed myself up with pills and soldiered on, but let's face it, a 2 and half hour session of aerobic workout on ice, twice a day, is not really what you want if you have a chest cold.

I stayed up to watch the SuperBowl on Monday morning (great game), and then expected a nice long sleep to be enough to see me right, but the wretched thing has hung around all week, and it's only now that I'm feeling vaguely normal.

I had a great time at the curling, it was a real blast.
The draw saw our team play its' first 3 games against the previous 3 winners.
This meant we could relax and play without pressure as nobody expected us to win.
As it turned out, we gave every team a good game for the first half, but then they pulled away in the 2nd half.

Of our 7 matches we had the chance to win with our last stone on 2 occasions, but narrowly missed.
When our solitary win did come, it was hugely popular amongst the other teams, because they knew we had given them a game.

I was viewing the tournament as a chance to see where my game stood against the best in England.
It's only my 2nd full season, and I was playing people who had 15-25 years of playing.
My game stood up well - it almost surprised even me how well we played.

It was much more intense play than at club level, which you would expect, but there is nothing like experience.
I watched the tournament last year and thought my game might stand up to the comparison.
I could have chosen to watch this year too, but I took the plunge, and now have that priceless experience in the bank.
Next year, I can play in the knowledge that I fully deserve to be there.

Great fun, a real thrill for me, and hopefully some dodgy photos in due course.

Ok, I'll keep it short this week, hopefully my germs haven't spread all over the web, and remember the priceless value of experience!

'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 452 - A Great Bit Of Crumpet!

2008-01-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I had some great crumpet over the weekend...

I was playing curling and had a sudden urge for crumpet, so I stopped off at the nearest Tesco and bought a pack of 8.
They had a 'buy one get one free' offer which was even better, and I luxuriated in some crumpets as the butter oozed into those little holes.

I mention it because something on the packet caught my eye.
It said that as a serving suggestion you could drizzle the crumpet with honey.
Mmmm, that sounds nice, but it's the word 'drizzle' that appeals to me.

They could have said 'plop' some honey, or 'dollop' some honey, but they said 'drizzle'.
The end result is the same, but the choice of word makes the mental image much more attractive.

That's why I love words, they have the power to move (unless you're constipated in which case laxative might be a better option).

Words are at the centre of a couple of ideas I have on the go.

I have an offer going for me to write your articles for you on any subject, for $10 for a 300+ word article.
That's not a bad price, and you can see the offer here:
http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=215776

My second idea also involves articles, and it's something I've thought about doing for a while.
With the 5th anniversary of the newsletter approaching fast, it seems a good time to act on my idea of teaching people how to write articles.

When I say 'teaching people', I don't just mean knocking together an ebook (although that model is not to be sniffed at!)
No, what I had in mind was interactive one-on-one teaching, via instant video chat.
5 sessions of approx. 1 hour each and the spacing of sessions will allow us to over the whole spectrum.

I'll be showing why and how articles work their magic.
I'll be showing you the way I construct them. and the formula which allows me to knock out articles on any subject quickly and efficiently.
I'll be doing a live example in front of you on any subject you choose, and then will literally watch over your shoulder as you write and submit an article.

This 5 hours of teaching will leave you in a position where you never have to buy another article, you can write them yourself.
You can then use them to send traffic to any webpage you want.
You can sell your own articles.
You could pass on your new knowledge to others.

My only real decision is the price to charge.
I know that here in the UK, a tradesman like a plumber or electrician will charge $80 for 1 hour.
By that reckoning I could fairly charge $497 and it would still be cheap as you'd be getting residual benefit.

I think to start with I'm going to charge $97 though, and I'm going to give my newsletter readers the first crack at ordering.
This is by way of thanking you for reading, after all 5 years of newsletter writing would be pretty pointless without someone to read it!

I'll be taking people on a first come, first served basis.
I'm not taking live orders at the moment, but if you want to express interest, you can put yourself on the 'option' list, which means that when I do go live, probably next week, you'll get first refusal.

Remember at the top of this issue I said I got an urge for crumpet while playing curling?
Well all thoughts of crumpet will have to go this week - my concentration will need to be at full strength, as it's the English National Championships!

I'm really excited to be playing against the best that English curling has to offer, to get a good gauge of how far my game has developed.
My first game is Wednesday evening at 1900, then I play everyday until Sunday morning at 930.
Wish me luck! (I suspect I'll need it).

'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 451 - Gordon Forgets His Own Lesson!

2008-01-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I've had a breakthrough with my marathon training.
As I have been chatting to people about it, and laughing at me getting a place in this year's London race, having done last year's on my own, I realised that I was revelling in being able to moan about it!

I caught myself doing it, and stopped right away - let's face it, the reason I got a place this year was because *I* sent off the application form.
It was *my* spit the sealed the envelope, and it was *my* hand that plopped it into the postbox.
No-one else did it, it was all me, so I realised I needed to 'put up or shut up' to either decide not to do it, or take responsibility and move forward.

Once I'd given myself that mental rap over the knuckles, I could approach my training less grudgingly, and start to enjoy myself.
I also remembered a trick I had discovered during last year's training, and it's a cracker...

Initially I had been plodding along, thinking about all those miles ahead of me, and when you've done it before you *know* that it is indeed a long way!

The trick though, is to think of the time on the move, rather than the miles.
If I imagine that I'm having a nice day out, and will get home thinking 'that was a nice day out,' them my mind changes focus, and rather than think with dread about the miles ahead, I think with enjoyment about the present, that minute that I'm in.
With this trick, if I concentrate on the time, the miles look after themselves.
It worked wonders when I discovered it last year, and I was glad to rediscover it this year, as it has again done the job!

It's an interesting idea, because my body is doing *exactly* the same thing as it was when I was worrying about the mileage.
The actual physical action is exactly the same, but a simple mental twist has changed the experience entirely, and as a result, the aches and pains are felt less.

I talk about both of today's points over and over - because they work.
Take responsibility for your choices and actions, and remember that sometimes if you can't change the circumstance, you need to change the way you think about it!

You won't be surprised to hear that both points are covered in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which covers both mental and physical techniques to change your life. I reckon it's cheap at $27, particularly with the 100% money back guarantee:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

I've had a day of dodgy internet connection today, so will get this issue sent while I can!
'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Please sponsor my marathon:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 450 - Please Sponsor My Marathon?

2008-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Today is the 450th Issue, but I'm not going to use the normal piece I like to use every 50 issues - I'll save that for the upcoming 5th anniversary in mid February.

Instead I want to cover some achievement areas.
Sir Edmund Hillary died last week.
In 1953, he became the first man to conquer Everest, a genuine peak of human achievement.

He was only 33 when he did it, and was a great example in the post war era of what could be achieved by man.
He had lots of trials and tribulations along the way, but had a clearly defined goal and kept working towards it.

I can relate to that - naturally I haven't climbed Everest, let's not get carried away, if I climb to the top of my stairs I'm liable to get a nosebleed.
And that's saying something when I live in a flat...

I have achieved various goals though, one of them being my first marathon lst year.
I got a place in the London race this year, I'm number 4338, and I've decided to see if I can raise some sponsorship this year.

I'm going for 2 causes, and I'd really appreciate it if you felt you could help.
I want to split donations 50/50 to support MIND and the sport of curling.
MIND is a charity I have used personally when I first had depression in 1997.
They provide fully qualified counselling for free, and rely 100% on donations, so I have no qualms in wanting to support them, to help give back something.

I want to help support the sport of curling in England, because it is at a fledgling level, with no government support or any major sponsorhip deals.
Sport is chronically overlooked as a benefit for mind and body, and the government here in Britain is not a big supporter of sport in my view.

I'd like to help grow curling, because as well as being aerobically beneficial, it can be played by all ages of all ability, and it's a sport which is fiercely protective of its' etiquette and rules of politeness.
Things like this must be cherished in today's world of 'take what you can get and sod everyone else.'

A donation of $10 would be marvellous, more would be better, and less would be equally welcomed.
Please go to my donation page at:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/marathon08.html

Apart from Paypal fees, all the money will go to the causes.
I'm keeping it brief this week as I would like to you to pop over to the donation page, and I'll leave you with this thought - think of Edmund Hillary this week.

Think of what he achieved, and ask yourself what your future achievements will be?

'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 449 - First Big Question of 2008?

2008-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Happy New Year!
That's the first thing to say since this is the first newsletter of 2008.
Although is some countries, the first day of Christmas is today the 7th, so Happy Christmas to readers in those parts!

Today I want to focus on my last big question of 2007, and my first big question of 2008, but firstly a quick thanks to those of you that helped with my chocolate brazil crisis. Kim Standerline went so far as to send me a box, which didn't last long let me tell you!

Ok, my last big quandry of 2007 was this - what kind of idiot sets off New Year fireworks at 11.50 pm?
I have quite a view into the distance from my flat, and every year can see the fireworks going off for miles and miles, but why do they start at 11.50?

I can imagine the scene - out in the cold and drak, all wrapped up with fireworks at the ready.
The countdown is on...11.48, not yet, wait for it...11.49 not yet, wait for it...11.50, ok, NOW!

Am I missing something?
I was shouting out of the window, 'NO, NOT NOW!' but to little effect.

The only conclusion I can come to is that maybe it's the local nut house/looney bin having their celebrations, where they think the New Year does indeed start at 11.50.
Mind you, whether they should be having fireworks at all is another matter...

Of course by the time I had pondered this annual quandry, it was past 1200, and into 2008, leading to my first big question of this year...

Why is the word 'fiery' spelt 'fiery?'
Shouldn't it be 'firey?'

The image of lunatics with their early fireworks had conjured up the phrase 'fiery furnace of hell', but even in my mind I spelt it all mixed up.

After all, watery isn't spelt 'watrey'.
'Airy' and 'earthy' are logical, so what's the idea with 'fiery?'

I'm almst tempted to take an English test, just so I can write a note in the margin to the examiner.
'Never mind asking me how to spell,' I'd say, 'you tell *me* the answer!'

It's probably not going to be the biggest question of 2008, but it's a good one to start with.

A question you could as yourself is 'what am I going to do this year?'
If your answer is 'the same as 2007', then your results will be the same as 2007, the logic is easy.
Twist that around, and the logic follows that takingm different actions will lead to different results.

I write about this in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' which gives you 21 such ideas, which can totally change your thought patterns if you choose to follow them.
I'm proud of the book - I use all the ideas myself, I think the book stands up today as much as when I wrote it in 2003, and at $27 it's a cheap price!
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

Why not give it a whirl for the New Year?

Ok, blatant plug out of the way, I'll sign off for this week.
I hope 2008 brings you everything you want, which in my case would be an explanation of a certain word's spelling...

'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 448 - Chocolate Brazil Crisis?

2007-12-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

With Christmas lurking around the corner, I thought I might get some treats for myself, and as I was deciding what to get, it occured to me that I hadn't had chocolate brazil nuts for a while.

Whole brazil nuts covered in a thick layer of chocolate - oh yes!
Well in this case, oh no actually.
I couldn't find them in the shops anywhere.

I braved the Christmas aisles of all the shops to no avail.
I even asked the odd assistant or two, but they knew nothing.
Maybe there has been some sort of brazil nut crisis that I had missed, so I went online to search.

It turns out that there is indeed a brazil nut problem.
A lot of countries are now banned from having the nuts in their shells, as the shells contain a toxin which may be linked to liver cancer.
The cost of removing the toxin is prohibitively expensive, so a lot of shops don't sell them now.
The chocolate ones don't have the shells though, so that doesn't fully explain it.

Someone suggested I try the pix 'n' mix sweet section.
They do indeed have chocolate brazils, but there are 3 problems that spring to mind.

Firstly, god only knows how old anything is in those pick'n' mix sections, but 'fresh' is probably not a word that applies.

Secondly, those sweets are open to the grotty little hands of all sorts of tykes, and let's be honest, it's probably best not to think about where some of those hands might have been.

Thirdly, the pick 'n' mix sweets usually cost 79p a quarter, and those chocolate brazils are heavy.
Plop a couple of those beauties into a bag and the price soon shoots up.
For that kind of price, I expect my brazil to be rolled in chocolate up and down the thigh of a real brazilian, and I'm not talking Pele...

If you're reading that thinking that it has nothing to do with goal achievement, self improvement or wealth creation, you'd be right, but it was on my mind so I thought I'd share (something I'm unable to do with chocolate brazils at the moment!)

This is the last newsletter of the year.
The Christmas break is nearly upon us, so my next issue will probably not be until New Year.

It's a good a time as any to look back at 2007.
What did you do this year?Did you do the same as 2006 and get the same results?
Or did you start down a specified road, and make progress?

Your answers will, and should, dictate the way you approach 2008.
The same actions will get the same results, to get different results you need to take different actions.
It's a simple concept, but staggeringly effective if you fully embrace it and use it to your advantage.

So, I'll sign off after another year of waffle.
I hope you enjoy reading, and for those of you that celebrate Christmas, I wish you the same as those that don't, and it's the same thing I wish everyone every week - Health & Happiness!

'Til Next Time,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 447 - Were The Bee Gees Right?

2007-12-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

One of Britain's most successful bands, The Bee Gees, wrote a song called 'Words'.
In it they said 'it's only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away.'
Mind you I don't want to rave about it too much, as the next 2 lines consisted of nothing more than 'na na na' several times.

Anyhoo, it's a good song, and eases me (somewhat painfully I accept) into one of my favourite self improvement concepts.
It's to do with the words we use to ourselves to describe ourselves.

Most people don't say these words outloud, they think them quietly.
This can be very harmful, as it can lead to you using the most damaging of words to form the most damaging of thoughts.
I remember the motivational author Earl Nightingale was a big believer in learning new words, because the more words we know, the more ways we can formulate thoughts, and the better we are able to challenge self limiting beliefs created by no-one other than ourselves!

I believe firmly in creating a positive framework of words to describe your current circumstances in life.
This should be based around an acceptance that they are the result of choices you made in the past and continue to make in the present.
If you add in the crucial follow-on that your future is also shaped by your choices, and use the most positive words you can, you are setting yourself to go in one direction only, and that's forwards and upwards.
(hmm, hang on is that 2 directions?)

I'm also a believer in talking to yourself outloud.
I wouldn't recommend doing this in public, but when you do it in private, it forces your thoughts to be less vague, forces them into structured sentences.
Once you say them outloud, you can then challenge them for yourself, to see if they actually are sensible when out in the real world as opposed to the potential fantasies of the mind.

Some people poo-poo this kind of idea as absolute nonsense.
Fair enough, but I'll wager most of those people have never actually tried it themselves.
It works for me, which is why I write about it so many times, so if you haven't ever tried it, give it a whirl and see how it goes!

Ok, that's it for this week.
It's a short and sweet newsletter, and I have unashamedly repeated something I've mentioned before, because I think it's such a simple yet effective technique which can only help people - so what words to do use to describe yourself?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 446 - Evel Knievel Jumps The Pearly Gates

2007-12-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.
3 subjects today - branding, marketing and mindset.

I see that Evel Knievel has died.
I'm of the age to have owned a toy Evel bike when I was about 8, and he cut an iconic figure in his stars and strips jumpsuits.
He realised early on that he could get 'money and women' at the same time by being a stunt rider, and went for ever more elaborate stunts.

In the late 60s he rose to real fame when he jumped the fountains at Ceasar's Palace, and broke his skull and a lot else on landing.
He was unconscious for 2 months, but the legend was born.

Into the 70s he had the idea of jumping a canyon in a rocket cycle, and the event was watched live worldwide.
Unfortunately his bike was rigged in such a way that he had to hold a lever out to *prevent* the parachute opening.
When he launched, he passed out, and the parachute deployed almost instantly...

Then he jumped 13 double decker buses in front of 70,000 people(!) in London, with the inevitable mutli bone break.
A master of self branding and promoting.

Here's some bad marketing - sometimes I write good stuff about Tesco's, and sometimes bad, today it's bad...

An elderly couple were doing their Christmas shopping, and spent a lot of money, £300 in total, including a meal in the restaurant.
They got a letter in the post saying they had stayed in the carpark for more than their alloted time, and 'not to do it again.'
As you can imagine, it won't be a problem next time, because they won't be shopping at Tesco anymore!

As for the mindset topic, the publicly funded TV channel here the BBC, holds an annual Sports Personality of the Year Award.
The shortlist of 10 includes -
Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson, who lost the final of the rugby world cup.
Lewis Hamilton, who lost the Formula 1 World Title on the final race.
Andy Murray, who didn't even take part in Wimbledon.

How about Victoria Pendleton, who won 3 World Campionship Golds in cycling?
Not a chance...

Joe Calzaghe, a British boxer with over 20 world title defences, has long said he doesn't stand a chance because he won something.
I wonder if they celebrate defeat and ignore victory that much in Australia or the US?

Ok, that's it for today, I'm off to seek out my Evel Knievel bike, and ask the BBC if I can be nominated, as I can think of several sports I'm no good at...

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 445 - A Marathon Responsibility

2007-11-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I everything is ok where you are.

Today's issue is called 'Marathon Responsibility' - it focuses on 2 classics of goal achievement.
I write about them over and over, and make no apology for it.

2 news items from last week gave me the first subject, and then something that happened to me this morning provided the second, so I am writing as fresh as if squeezed from the udder...

Last week there was a huge uproar when it was revealed that the UK Government department for tax had managed to allow the confidential details of 25 million citizens to be copied onto cd and sent in the internal post, where they promptly got lost.

Changing tack swiftly, on Wednesday the England football team played a shocker, lost, and failed to qualify for a big tournament for the first time in 13 years.

The England manager said 'I take full reponsibility.'
Asked if he'd resign from his £2.5 million a year job, he answered 'No.'

The man in charge of the government department, Chancellor Alistair Darling, said 'I take full responsibility.'
Asked if he'd resign, and you might know what's coming with this one, he answered 'No.'

Hmm...

Now in the case of the football manager, his argument is that he wants to get the job right next time, and enjoys the job, so it's not up to him to resign.
Some sort of logic there I guess, but he was sacked anyway the next morning, so case closed.

The Chancellor has only been in the job 6 months, and has to manage the finances of an economy hovering around the 5th largest in the world.
It could be argued that there is no way he could possibly have known about the protocol that allowed the blunder, that it's someone's job way further down the line.
I can see that point of view, but it gives the perception that no-one in charge is held responsible.
When the man in ultimate charge is then saying he takes full responsibility, it smacks of hypocrisy.

In my books I write about taking responsibility, and meaning it.
Your current situation is a result of decisions you made, actions you took in the past.
If you accept responsibility for this, it means you accept that the decisions and actions you take right now will affect your future circumstances.
This is staggeringly effective in triggering extreme changes and benefits if you embrace it fully.

Ok, on to my news from this morning....
A large plop through the letterbox saw a package from the London Marathon organisers, saying I have been accepted for the 2008 race!

After being rejected in 2007 and running the race on my own, I was quite happy to never run another one because let's face it, it's a sodding long way!
However, and this is brilliant marketing, the organisers not only promise you a place after 5 rejections in a row, they automatically send you the entry form for the next year!

This is temptation that's hard to resist, and I duly sent mine back and returned it, not expecting to get in.
So I'm sure you can imagine me laughing out loud when I got the mail today, and the thought if all that training ahead!

The old adage of 'be careful what you wish for' springs to mind.
It does illustrate another point I make though, about the power of action.

Because I took action, I sewed seeds which may or may not have borne fruit - in this case they have, and I can now run in the race which marks the centenary of the first race over the 26 miles 385 yard distance.

Last year since I was running on my own around my neighbourhood streets, I didn't wear any sequins due to fear of local thugs with sawn off baseball bats, but maybe this is the time to go for the sequins - watch this space...

I write about my last marathon in my books.
I also write about taking action, and accepting responsibility.
I also write about how to make $100 a day and at the moment the whole package is just $67:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Ok, that's it for this week - I'm off to lie down in a dark room to conside those 26 miles, and leave you with this thought - do you *really* accept responsibility for your life?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 444 - A Good Clip Round The Ear

2007-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Today I want to talk about Bob Mackenzie.
A PE teacher for nearly 20 years, he had dedicated his life to his job, organising soccer trips to the US and skiing trips to the Alps.
He also oragnised the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme for pupils.

For those of you that don't know, the Duke of Edinburgh Awards are for pupils in this country that want to push themselves, that want to prove themselves as worthy team players, decent members of society.
In a world where that kind of attitude is viewed as weak and old fashioned, schemes like this should be cherished, as should the people that organise them, sacrificing loads of their own time to do it.
They do it because they want to encourage people to be the best they can be, while having respect for themselves and those around them.

Mackenzie had a reputation for being hard but fair as a teacher.
I had plenty of those when I was at school, and in my view they were the best.
I talk about Mackenzie's teaching in the past tense, because he has resigned.
Why did he resign?
Because he was forced to, after giving a pupil a clip round the ear.

The pupil was a 15 year old yob, who had pushed him in the chest and called him a Scottish C***.
If I had pushed a teacher and called them that, I would have expected to be punished.

You won't be surprised to hear that the boy and his parents complained to the police.
In my view, the headteacher should have told the boy and his parents to shut up and learn some discipline and respect.
The school's governors should have done the same, and so should the local authority.
Instead, the boy was 'excluded' from school for 5 days!

I bet that taught him a lesson!
Yes, it taught him that showing physical and verbal abuse will bring no consequence whatsoever, and even if it does he can then complain, to protect 'his rights.'

Let's imagine what a shining beacon this yob will be to society...

Will he work?
Hardly, he'll be claiming benefits from the rest of us taxpayers.

Will he be polite and grateful for this free money?
Hardly, he'll be rude and threatening to anyone that questions him.

Basically he'll be a burden to society, while the kind of teacher we sorely need has his career ended.

This kind of thing infuriates me!
Why do we not teach the young that there are consequences to their actions, and when did we get so afraid to make those consequences unpleasant?

That's the whole point of the consequence, that if these morons can't grasp enough self esteem to behave, they need to be forced.

I can safely assume that if you're reading this now, then you're not the kind of yob I'm talking about, because let's be honest, the yobs don't have the brains to understand my way of thinking.

I remember reading in a few goal achievement books, that as adults, it's a waste of energy to try and preach to others, the best thing is to follow your own path, lay a trail by doing the right thing, and if others want to follow, then great.

Ok, that's it for this week, I have steam coming out of my ears!
As I write about in my books below, are you doing the right thing for society and for yourself?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 443 - Remember To Remember

2007-11-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.
This issue is about abundance.

This weekend just gone saw Remembrance Day.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the first World War ended in 1918, and there's a 2 minute silence at that time every year to remember the men and women that died in the 2 World Wars and other conflicts.

I've seen a huge number of documentaries about what it was like in the wars, but I can still only imagine the horror of being a man of any age, in a position where I knew I was in grave danger of dying but having to press forward.
It's something I've never had to even come close to experiencing and touch wood I never will.
Millions of people have though, and lives of all ages have been ended on battlefields around the world.

I take it for granted that I live in a country without war, and while it should be the case that everyone can take it for granted, it *isn't* the case, which is all the more reason that I am grateful for what I have.

There was another story today about lives being ruined - a man was finally convicted of murdering a schoolgirl in 1975, thanks to DNA evidence.

Another man was jailed for the crime, despite forensic evidence that he could not have done it.
That evidence was not presented at his trial, and he spent 16 years of his life in jail, often subject of attacks from other inmates.
He was freed after an appeal hearing, but only lived for a few more months after his release.
His life was ruined by the real murderer, and obviously so was the family of the girl who was killed.

She was 11 at the time, close to my age, and it's things like this which make me appreciate all the oppportunities I've had.
What could she have done had she not been killed?

I still have a world of opportunity ahead of me, I'm lucky to have this when so many people around the world don't.
It's easy to moan about the little things, but it's important to make sure the big picture of abundance that we enjoy is not lost in our fussing over the details.

It leads to a more contented life if we are fully aware of what we have, and it's something I write about in 3 of the books in my Curling For Gold package.
The first Great Gordino Classic curling tournament was held over the weekend, which was great fun, so if you fancy reading more about my curling ambitions, and my thoughts about appreciating abundance, pop over and have a peek at:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

(There's also a 50% paying affiliate programme)
Ok, that's it for this week - remember to remember lives that have gone, and to appreciate the one you have.

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 442 - An Age Limit To Your Goals?

2007-11-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Choice of 2 things to cover today, the latest space shuttle mission, or the latest film I saw...
Ok, decision made, it's the film!

Made in 2002, but not seen by me until the weekend, it's a sporting film, but stay with me!
The movies is one of my favourite niches to profit from, as is sport, as is tv which is where I watched it, so it's not surprising I loved it.

It's called The Rookie, and is about a baseball player, Jim Morris.
He tried to make it in the game, but had to give in the 80s due to injuries to his arm, and settled into life as a physical science teacher, bringing up his family.

One of his jobs was coach to the school baseball team.
They'd never achieved anything, and when he spotted them giving up on games, he wanted to hammer home the point about belief, about having something to aim for.
They made a jokey bet that if the team won the district, then Morris would try out again for a baseball career.

The team rallied, and with something to hold onto they won the competition, and Morris was forced to keep his side of the bargain.
He went along to the try outs just to keep his bargain, but ended up throwing pitches at 98 mph, which at the time only around 10 professionals could do.

He got signed by a minor league team, and eventually was spotted by a major team, and in Sep 1999, at 35 he made his debut in the major league.
His career only lasted 2 years, but it was a great story.

The film was made by Disney and it shows, but even if you're not a baseball fan (which I'm not) it's a superb story, made even better by the fact that it's true!
It makes me think also of Linford Christie, the British sprinter who won Olympic Gold at 100m in 1992 aged 38!

These kind of stories just show what can be achieved by having a target and an unerring belief in your ability to get there.
The idea of achievements like this later in life naturally appeal to me. and while my attempts at the pole vault and American Football kicking could be described as 'pitiful' at best, my journey in curling could be a different story.

At the weekend I was playing with top players in the English game, and was holding my own in my favoured position of lead player.

Is it likely that I will make the 2014 Olympics?
Maybe not.
Is it even possible?
Oh yes, absolutely.

A few more years of dedicated development at that position, and anything might be possible.
It's the kind of thing I love to take on, love to write about.
I aim to fund the journey myself, partly but not entirely through my 'Curling For Gold' Package.

Yes, I sell it for profit - I make no apologies about that, but it's not the only method I use.
In the package I cover the other methods I use, and my self motivation tecniques, so it's a mixture of 'do what I say', and 'do what I do.'

The introductory price is still just $67, with a money back guarantee, so if you fancy following along and seeing exactly how I do it, go to:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Ok, I reckon that's about it for this week - what goals are you aiming for?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 441 - How Far Could You Go In A New Direction?

2007-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.
I
was watching one of my favourite TV shows over the weekend, Strictly Come Dancing.
I watch loads of TV, I use it as a great niche to make money from, plus I enjoy it!

Strictly Come Dancing is something I've written about before.
It's a great format, and a huge success which the BBC had sold around the world.
Various celebrities are paired up with professional dancers, and have to learn a new dance every week.
The competition is then held on live TV, in front of 9 million viewers here in the UK.

This week there has been a big hoo-ha about the judging, but I like to watch the show to see the goal achievement/self improvement angle.
To see people who are or were at the top of their chosen profession taken totally out of their comfort zone is amazing.
It's not unusual for some of them to be physically sick with nerves before the live show, and yet they push through.

It's pure gold on the goal achievement front, because in front of your eyes you can see how commitment, action and lots of hard work can bring astonishing results in such a short amount of time.

What's also important to note is the number of celebrities who were hesitant at the beginning, but have now fallen in love with dancing.
This reflects the lesson that we adapt to change much better and faster than we think we can!
The show is a showbiz gem with lashings of sequins, and I love it!

Speaking of developing skills and seeing how far you can take them, the curling season is in full swing.
I had my first practice session at the weekend, as opposed to normal game play.
It went ok, although I was outplayed by a 13yr old girl, which seems to be a common occurence in my sporting attempts.
It happened with the pole vault and long jump, and now with curling!

Did I let it deflate me?
Of course not!
I took it as motivation.

This brings me to the challenge I mentioned last week, Curling For Gold.
I'd love to see how far I could get in the world of competitive curling, and in order to do that I need to practice much more, ideally everyday, particularly with there only being a 6 month season plus my age.

I could try and get sponsorship to fund that, but it would be hard work for such a small sport.
Plus I guess telling potential sponsors I got hammered by a 13 yr old girl wouldn't help...

Then it occured to me that I could sponsor myself, and that's what led to my new product.
It's a bundle of books, some written by me, others that I bought rights to.
As a collection they cover the favourite methods I use, plus my motivational books.
You'll get broad brush stroke principles, plus detailed specific instruction.

I'm launching the package at $67 for the first 100 copies, and it is already selling.
Once the first 100 have gone, the price goes up to $97.
Those 2 prices will get you maybe an hour or two from a plumber, lawyer or mechanic, but I'm giving you tools and ideas which will benefit you on a permanent basis.
There's also a 100% money back guarantee.

If you know me at all from this newsletter, you'll know how important integrity is to me, so I want to take all the risk away.
If you get the package and feel it isnt for you, I'll simply give you all your money back, no questions asked!
I can't say fairer than that, and stand by it.

Is it possible that some people will grab the package and then think it's not for them?
Yes, of course it is, and if that happens, I want you to be reassured that you'll get your money back.

I'm pleased with what the package offers.
Personally I'm not currently a big fan of Google Adwords, or Adsense.
I'm not a huge fan of SEO with your own sites.
As such, you won't really see these techniques detailed, but the important thing is that you don't *need* to!
I'm telling you the techniques that work for me, not for someone else.

Go and take a look at:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

There is also a 50% paying affiliate programme.

Ok, that's it for this week - how far could you go with commitment, action and effort?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

The Great Gordino's Curling For Gold:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 440 - Pluto's Planetary Problems

2007-10-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I'm calling this wek's issue 'Pluto's Planetary Problems', and it relates to a documentary I came across the other day.

It was discussing Pluto's position as the 9th planet in the solar system.
It gave a really interesting history of how Pluto was discovered in 1930, and the excitement it caused.
However, towards the end of the century, other objects were discovered near Pluto.
This started an argument amongst the scientists, about whether Pluto should still be classified as a planet, or just an object in the asteroid field where it lay.

The funny thing was, that despite science being based on specifics - facts and definitions, there was no clear definition as to what a planet actually was!
Some definitions that would include Pluto would also have to include around 20 others; some definitions couldn't include Pluto, but either way the idea of just 9 planets could not be sustained.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union, which makes the decisions in such matters, eventually came up with a definition.
Without getting too technical, the upshot was that Pluto was demoted to a new classification of 'dwarf planet', and there are now officially 8 planets in our solar system.

The reason I'm telling this story is a goal achievement.self improvement one.
The main reason a lot of people wanted Pluto to remain a planet, was simply because it had been like that for 60 years, and people were used to it!

I always enjoy it when scientists challenge previously accepted theories, and most scientists do too, because otherwise all you do is verify what's already known.

This idea of 'leave it because it's always been like that' is easy to relate to self improvement and goal achievement - not only is it easy to assume you won't do something simply because you haven't done it in the past, it's what most people *will* think unless they take positive mental steps to correct that way of thinking.

Sometimes it only takes the smallest step outside your comfort zone to unleash change and progress beyond your imagination.

Before I go, if you fancy taking a look at my developing new site, then the link is here:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/curlingforgold.html

It's not live yet, but it will have an affiliate programme, and I thought I'd throw it out there for opinions.

Ok, that's it for this week, and I'll leave you with this thought - are you leaving Plutos where they are in your life just because they've always been there?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 439 - 25 Years Of The CD

2007-10-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I had to smile this morning when I read Martin Avis's newsletter - he has the sniffles at the moment, and is subject to some derision in his female dominated household - the dreaded word 'manflu' is being bandied about!

He says he doesn't like that word, but I actually do like it - it's an efficient way of summing up the idea that some men (not Martin of course!) claim they have the flu when in fact they just have the odd sniffle.
To take the idea further, it's something that only men do, that women are much more capable of having the sniffles and just getting on with it.

Personally I think it's to do with childbirth - if a woman is capable of going through a process which I liken to passing a medicine ball, then the odd sniff is not something to get worked up about.

I mentioned that to a friend of mine who is a mother, and she said my concept of passing a medicine ball was way off the mark, that it was more like trying to pass a television!
Widescreen.
Plasma.
With legs.
Turned on.

On the subject of women, I must just note that next week a space shuttle is due to go up with only the 2nd woman commander.
It will dock with the space station which has itself just seen a newly arrived woman commander.
It's the first time both vehicles will be commanded by women, and although the women in the space programme say it's nothing really worth noting, the fact that it's the first time makes it worthy of note by definition.

Ok, today's subject is a self improvement one, to do with change, the forcing of it, the acceptance of it, and the lasting effects of it.

Oct 1982, the first CD is sold.
Technology is normally credited as born when the first sale is made, but some quarters argue that it's the first production.
If I stick with October, the general consensus is the 25th anniversary of the CD in 2007.

Sony had lost a technology war when the Betamax video lost out to VHS in popularity, so really needed its' new CD to take hold.
The idea behind it was that it produced a much clearer sound on a much sturdier product, and was aimed at the classical music market.

The take up was slow though, as people were firmly entrenched in the concept of vinyl and tape.
The idea that people would replace their vast collections with a new version was not widely accepted.
In fact I still have well over 600 hundred vinyl LPs, and still believe that the artwork of a 12 inch cover was far better than on a tiny CD cover.
I was not alone, and the CD had a hard time trying to be accepted, and when I started working at EMI Records in London, at the end of 1987, this was still the case.
(Incidentally, that story of how I got the job is also in my 'Transform Your Life' book!)

As the decade ticked by into the 90s, I noticed something strange.
The music industry was not prepared to wait any longer for a natural change, so decided to force the issue.
They would release new albums by major artists with a limited supply of vinyl.
Then they could point to the sales figures, and show a rise in the sales of CD, and a drop in the sales of vinyl - of course without mentioning that those sales had been manipulated by limiting the supply of vinyl versions available!

Was it effective?
Absolutely!
The consumer didn't like it, but if they wanted the music they had to go with the CD.
It had taken many years, but the concept stuck, and of course the CD is now as taken for granted as the telephone, so much so that it would hard to imagine life *without* the technology of the CD.

The self improvement angle is an easy one to spot.
Sometimes we don't want change, sometimes it is forced on us, but just as often the result of the change isn't as bad as we'd predicted, and we adapt to it surprisingly well.
If we can get used to forcing change onto ourselves, we can speed up change in our lives that we might have thought impossible.

Ok, that's it for this week - are you scared of change, or do you just have the self improvement version of manflu?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How To Make Money From Sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Issue 438 - You Probably Won't Understand Me

2007-10-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Spoilt for choice with newsletter topics again this week, and I've called this issue 'You Probably Won't Understand Me.'

I got married 18 years ago this week, and I know for a fact my wife didn't understand me.
She also used to tell me I was nosey. Well she didn't actually tell me, I read it in her diary.
Not really.

I remember the day clearly, it was like a fairytale - Grimm.
Not really.

The vicar said 'Do you take this woman?'
I answered 'Would you? No! So why try and palm her off onto me then?'
Not really.

We had arranged for the organist to play Vivaldi's Four Season's, but when we got there he was playing 'Happy Talk'.
Really.

The reason I based this issue on understanding is not in fact about my ex, but about my writing style.
I tried a new site during the week that allows you to submit work for customers to buy.
My first article was rejected, then my 2nd, and eventually all the first 15 articles were rejected!
Having never had my writing rejected before, I knew something was up, so I enquired further.

It turned out that my writing was seemingly full of incorrect grammar, particularly with my use of the comma, and I consistently failed to express my ideas clearly enough.
Now I admit my writing style is loose and conversational, but that's deliberate, and I happen to think it *helps* rather than hinders clarity.

However this site was having none of it, and even after I submitted rewrites, it was still rejected because I 'needed to be clearer.'

Hmm....
Ok, at this point I had 3 options -
1. Throw my toys out of the pram, demand they accept my work, and do my best to make trouble for them.

2. Rewrite my work over and over until it fitted their requirements.

3. Accept that it's their site, I can't force them to accept it, and move on.

Guess which one I chose?
I chose the 3rd option, because after having done 3 rewrites on the same piece, it was clear that my style was not going to work at that site.
I had tried, but could now move on without getting involved in any negative, and pointless, debates.

I've always assumed my newsletter is understandable, but if it isn't feel free to let me know.
Although if I haven't expressed that clearly enough, you won't have understood!
Sometimes you have to find a new way to express yourself, to make the same point in a different way, without blaming someone else if they don't grasp what you mean first time around.

Ok, haven't talked about wealth creation for a while, and I want to promote a book that's been released today.
I have a new project in the works myself, but this one does a good job.

It's called '20 Ways To Make $100 In A Day'.
It's a 247 pager, not a flimsy report, and written by 20 internet marketers who are the type that happily talk to their clients, not the aloof ones that wouldn't answer your email.
It costs $27, which can't be bad to show you 20 ways to make $100 in a day.

The idea is that the huge figures that some gurus throw about just put people off, but the figure of $100 is nice and workable, and can make huge changes in someone's life, achieveable quickly and easily, and can also be done around busy life schedules.

I have another new product looming, about the 3 most devious tricks Internet Marketers use on a customer in any niche to ethically grab their money.
It's so new I haven't even decided the price yet, but if you grab '20 Ways...' from me, then I'll give it to you for free.

Sound fair?
Here's the link for '20 Ways To Make $100 In A Day':
http://pathway100.com/?e=thegreatgordino

Ok, I reckon that's about it for this week - if someone doesn't understand you, are you trying hard enough, and how does $100 a day sound?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

20 Ways To make $100 A Day:
http://pathway100.com/?e=thegreatgordino

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 437 - Do You Have Enough Fun?

2007-10-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Another week of having difficulty picking my subject - I know I have the theme, which is about smiling and having fun, but I have lots of angles I could go for.
Plus it's the 25th anniversary of the CD, plus the Christmas stuff is in the shops....plus the curling season starts this week...plus a new marathon record in Berlin of 2 hours 4 minutes...where to start...

Ok, I'm just going to go with one, to do with the adventure of life.

With all the talk of a possible snap election here in Britain, I can't help thinking of when I stood in 2005.
I came a solid 5th, and in the run up to the election I got a phone call from a man called George.
He said 'My name's George', which was helpful, 'and I'm calling from Japan,' which was interesting.

My name had been passed to him by a mutual friend, and he was interested in the idea of standing.
George lives and works in Japan, but is thinking of coming back to Britain, and was over for a visit, so I went to see him last week.

He showed me his potential election flyer, and on it it says that he is in the Guiness Book of World Records 8 times!
One of them is for the longest unbroken march, when he walked across the Western Hemisphere!
As you can imagine that made my eyes light up!
Not only sharing my ideas about independant MPs, but taking my ideas about life adventure way beyond what I would do.

His name's George Meegan if you fancy searching his story.

A friend passed away this week gone, who I knew from the local music scene.
Chrissie had battled illness for a long time, but in the time I knew her, she was one of the most genuinely friendly people who genuinely liked watching and making music.

She encouraged me as much as anyone when I took up the bass, and laughed loudest at the fact that I still only use 2 strings, over 2 years later!
She booked up and went on several music based courses, simply because she wanted to, and it gave the end part of her life a huge amount of pleasure and fun.

You can see my direction here - go with your ideas in life, none of us know when life will end, and following our fun ideas, however far out they may seem, can make our time here rich and full.

Talking of fun and smiling, my brother sent me a youtube video which made me smile when I saw it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOyEw9bT8yQ

This takes some serious practice, and I wouldn't be surprised if the chap concerned is single like I am!

Ok, that's it for this week, maybe I'll cover the CD's 25th plus the Christmas shopping next week, and remember this week's thought - are you denying yourself fun and adventure?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How to make money from sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 436 - Just Another Manic Monday

2007-09-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

The title of this week's missive is a nice little leader into one of my favourite topics - luck.
Luck plays a big part in goal achievement, and it's often stated that 'you create your own luck.'
Throw in another oft-quoted, er, quote that 'luck is when opportunity meets preparation,' give me a 15 minute interval and I can talk for 2 hours on it!

You don't have to listen to me for 2 hours though, Im going to write a little about it, using one of my favourite subjects - music.
I saw a documentary about how various girl groups had got together, and I want to focus on 2 of them, The Supremes and The Bangles.

The Supremes had put themselves together, and were constantly hassling the record companies to get signed.
In particular they spent a lot of time hanging around Motown Records, which was already big enough, but not yet massive.
Not only did they not get signed, they were told that they were nothing more than a nuisance and should go away.

They didn't go away.
Was that determination, or just unrealistic of them?

Well, one day there was a recording session booked, but the backing singers hadn't turned up.
The Motown people were desperate to find someone, and who did they think of?
That group literally standing outside!

The Supremes did the session, and got signed.
They weren't an immediate success though, in fact they rather became the laughing stock of the label for not having a hit.

The boss decided they needed an image change, so he changed their image, changed their sound, and they went on to be one to the best selling girl groups ever!

How lucky were they?
Very, but that 'luck' would not have happened to them had they not made themselves known at Motown and been in the right place when opportunity came.

On to The Bangles...
I saw them do a gig in my home town before they were massive.
It was a pokey little club, very intimate. The crowd weren't really interested in this American girl group, but they were rocking, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

They were another band that had put themselves together and gone on the road, putting in the hard work to get noticed.
They came to the attention of Prince, who would regularly turn up at their gigs and get on stage with them!

The band's record label wanted the band to go a bit more mainstream, slightly less rocky, and Prince was only too happy for them to record a song he wrote - Manic Monday.
Of course it was a huge hit all over the world, and The Bangles were in the big time.

As it happened, musical differences took over, and by the time they recorded that wedding favourite 'Eternal Flame' they weren't even talking to each other, with all the parts recorded separately!

So, were they lucky to record one of Prince's songs?
Yes, but they got to that luck by putting in the work, taking action to get themselves noticed.

Just the same as The Supremes had done 20 years previously.

It works, believe me I know.
I worked at EMI records for 6 years, and got that job by following the same principles.
Not by singing I hasten to add, you can read more about it my motivational book, link below.

People might say 'that luck doesn't happen to me,' and they may be right.
I wrote a song called 'Manic Tuesday', but it never took off.

Obviously these opportunities cannot happen to everyone, but they most certainly will *not* come along if you take no action at all.

Action has the power to change your life, it's that simple.
Ok, that's it for this week - what kind of luck are you setting yourself up for?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How Goal Achievement Changed My Life Up To 40:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/40+/

How to make money from music:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/music

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank
email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 435 - Ron Dennis Would Have Lost Us The Olympics

2007-09-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I couldn't quite decide which topic to go with this week (no change there then), so I've rather sneakily decided to merge 2 together, and I've called it
'Ron Dennis Would Have Lost Us The Olympics'

'Who is Ron Dennis?' might be the first question that springs to mind, and fair enough, so here we go...

Ron Dennis is the boss of the McLaren Formula 1 team.
They were fined $100 million this week over a spying scandal in the sport.
(By the way, note the good marketing here by the governing body, there is only 1 race in the USA, and yet the fine is in dollars.
Why? Because $100 million is a better headline than £49 million that's why)

Ok, where was I..?
Oh yes, the reason the whole affair came to the attention of the governing body, was because Ron Dennis rung them up and told them!
He was effectively being blackmailed by his own driver Fernando Alonso, who had said that if he didn't get what he wanted, then damaging info on the computer would be revealed.

Dennis was having none of that, and promptly got on the phone.
This was the first he had known of the events, and he has always stated that he bases everything he does on integrity.
He says it's the most important thing to him, more so than the sport he's in, or anything else he hapens to be involved in.
That intergrity has cost his team $100 million (£49 million.)

So how does that affect the London 2012 Olympics?
Er, it doesn't, but it does tie in with a documentary I watched about the costing for the games.

There was a big hoo ha over here when the government revealed that the budget had gone from around 3 billion up to 9 billion.
This program showed documents and interviews which suggested the government knew all along that this would be the case.

Some simple facts bear this out.
When France bid for the 2008 games, they priced it at 2.5 billion.
This was with all the stadia built, plus the transport structures, plus the athletes village.
London has none of these, and yet priced their bid at not much higher for the 2012 games.

Logic red flag there...
Of course now the games have been awarded, the money has to be found, and despite a major foundation of our bid being the boost it would give to grass roots sport, the very government body with the responsibility of that grass roots development has had its' budget decimated, to find the extra money to stage the games.

Hmm...
It must be said that the TV program comes from a stable that has a reputation for being negative, and of course statistics can be manipulated, but doesn't it seem that winning the games for London was more of a kudos thing for the individuals concerned rather than a benefit for the country?

Did the people involved show the integrity that Ron Dennis did?
I suspect that had he been involved, he would have said 'this is no good', and we would have lost the games, which looks like it might not have been such a bad thing.

You know I'm a big fan of personal integrity, I talk about it in my book (link below!)
I try to live my life based on it, I think if more people did then we'd all be better for it, so it's a plus for Ron Dennis in my book.

Ok, that's it for this week - how is your own integrity level?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com

How to make money from niche marekting:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/nicheriches.html

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank
email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 433 - Remembering Rick Rescorla

2007-09-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

A couple of points from last week's issue, and a point revisited from two years and 100 issues ago.
Read to the end for that one, it'll make your day feel better I assure you.

Last week I pointed out that getting into September meant we *still* had a third of the year to go to achieve things.
If 2007 was going to be your year to do whatever, and it hasn't been so far, take those first steps, you still have plenty of time left.
I have a new idea brewing myself, and as you know, my ideas tend to get acted on...

I got some emails after my article about a woman's favourite colour being pink.
Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against pink, paricularly if it's strawberry blancmange or angel delight...

No, my point was about independent thought, and one emailer told me that she found as a rule that women covered in all things pink and fluffy were generally the thick ones, who had no idea about bucking stereotype and thinking for themselves.
Probably true - yes of course it's possible that independent thinking women *decide* that pink and fluffy is the way for them, but they'd be the rarity.

Anyway you get the point, and I want link it to a documentary I saw, about a mother who had pushed her way of thinking onto her daughters, but they were showing signs of independent thought.

This particular family has been the subject of documentaries before - the twin daughters were in a band with a deliberately provocative name connected to the holocaust, and the mother is a white supremicist.
She says she isn't she just wants her country to be kept for just the 'people who belong there', and maintains that she is entitled to her right to free speech.
(lucky she doesn't live under a regime where free speech gets you lined up and shot then, eh! She might not find it so attractive then)

In this new documentary, the daughters are older, and show the power of independent thought.
They clearly only feel free to speak their own mind when their mother is not around, and always look around to see where she is before they speak candidly.
It's clear from what they say that they don't really have the same beliefs as their mother, and would much rather not be involved.
Good for them.

They may end up having the same beliefs eventually, but they are showing that even if the most dominated environments, freedom of thought cannot be stifled, its' power cannot be taken away.
Using this kind of idea in your own life, and backing it up with action can, I promise you, take you places you'd never have imagined.

Ok, back in 2005, I called Issue 332 of this newsletter 'Remembering Rick Rescorla.
If you don't know who Rick Rescorla was, or what he did that is so worthy of repeating 2 years later, then read the archive issue:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/120905.html

It's a life affirmer -it makes me feel better about things, life, people etc, and focuses on the positive, I think it'll do the same for you today as much as it did then.

Ok, that's it for this week -
'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank
email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 431 - A Woman's Favourite Colour - Yellow?

2007-09-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are, as we crack into the 3rd, er, 3rd of the year.
It might feel as though the year is coming to a close, but that's nonsense, with a *full third* of 2007 to still pursue your dreams.

Ok, today I want to talk about something that crossed my mind a couple of weeks ago.
I've kept it in reserve as other topics came to the fore, but I'm sneaking it in this week, and it's about a woman's favourite colour, which we all know is yellow...

'What's that?' I hear you cry, 'a woman's colour is surely pink!'
Yes, you'd be right, I just thought I'd say it was yellow to start the topic off!

I'm not even sure how the idea came to me, but I've long since given up trying to wonder how many of my thoughts come to me!

I think this one was as I saw a right bruiser of a woman walking down the road.
She was built to last I can assure you - I'm not mentioning sport this week, but I would say that she'd probably give some of those women shot putters a run for their money...

What made me smile was that she was a vision in pink - hardly a surprise since pink is a woman's favourite colour.
So why is that?

Well pink is the favourite of most women because it's the favourite of most girls, and the reason for that?
Because they are told so!
Let's face it, when the little buggers are still sloshing about the womb, they can hear everyone getting the nursery ready with pink this, pink that - god forbid you decorate the nursery in blue if you know it's a girl on the way!

When the baby's born, she gets covered from head to baby booties in pink, and apart from looking very sweet, it further tells the female subconscious mind that pink is where it's at!

Then all the shops are full of pink, pink clothes, pink toys, pink bikes, pink ipods, and so on.
The end result of this is the kind of shot-putting-wouldn't-want-to-meet-down-a-dark-avenue-but-drenched-in-pink vision that I saw the other day.

I nearly pulled over and told her, but I was too scared.

Of course this kind of observation is further proof if ever it was needed, that the subconscious is a powerful force, and that it's a force that can be changed, by simply recognising the original way it was trained, and then giving it a new training!

It's a powerful tip, can make great sweeping changes in your life if you grasp it - I cover more tips like this in my book, link below!

Ok, that's it for today, next time you see a woman in pink, you can smile and think about the training you give your own subconscious!

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 430 - One Missing Element?

2007-08-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I haven't talked about sport in the newsletter for a couple of weeks at least, but since it's a niche I enjoy and profit from, and also provides great self improvement lessons, I'm going to indulge myself today..!

The world athletics championships are taking place in Japan.
Britain is not a world force in athletics, we have the occasional individual who succeeds but no real system in place to indentify and nuture talent.

As a result, our target for the championships is 3 medals.
Not 3 golds, but 3 medals full stop.
We already have one on the board, as Kelly Sotherton won bronze in the heptathlon.

She won bronze in the Olympics 2004, despite a shocking javelin technique, and in the years since, despite several coaches, her javelin is still pretty hopeless.

It's weird, because the 7 events of the heptathlon require lots of technical prowess to go along with strength and natural talent.
The high jump, long jump, shot putt, none of those can be done properly without starting with the basic technique, and while Sotherton has it sorted for those events, she cannot seem to grasp the javelin.

Now obviously I'm not one to talk, if I had a javelin in my hand there would probably be a stabbing incident, more than likely my own ear or foot, but nevertheless it's very strange to me that she has so much problem.

Obviously it's a mental thing, and it just goes to show that even for someone who has obviously got what it takes to master very technical sporting events, a mental block can be a huge thing to overcome (if you let it!).

That's 2 bronze medals she's won at major championships by basically only scoring 6 events while everyone else scores 7, so imagine what she could do if she broke through with the javelin!

Back to the lives of us non athletes, and the lesson is obvious - to succeed in something, we need all the parts to be in place.
You may be great at some of them, but it often only needs one element to be missing, and the whole thing falls apart.

The good news is, that unlike a heptathlon, getting all the pieces in place can often be as simple as finding out what they are and making some easy changes, basic formula following.

It's the kind of thing I talk about in my 4 year old book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
It's currently priced at $7, but I am considering raising that back up the previous price of $27.
I haven't made a final decision on that yet, but if you haven't though about getting it before, the current $7 is not going to break anyone's bank for a book described as 'motivational magic' and a 'true gem'.
Pop along and see at: http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Ok, that's it for today, and I'll leave you with this thought - is there one element you are leaving out that stops you achieving your goals?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the
Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!
Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from sport:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank
email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 429 - Get Ready To Run, Kill Or Be Killed

2007-08-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Last week I briefly mentioned the 60 year anniversaty of the partition of India and Pakistan.
I say briefy, because I gave it 3 sentences.

Having watched a documentary about it during the week, I now know a bit more about it than I ever did, and the point I made last week seems worth making again in light of the details.
The British press is often quick to rubbish other countries' foreign policy, most noticeably the US, but the way the British acted in the 1940s is quite staggering when studied.

India was the crown in the British Empire - 350 million people, a mixture of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims all living together under the peaceful British rule.
Hmm...

Let's not forget that the British Empire was gained by force, and it was maintained by force.
It's true that the communities did live together, but that was mainly due to the fact that if they didn't the British would come and sort it out, with force again.

After the 2nd World War, the movement for Independence in India gathered pace, with some people wanting a united India, and some wanting a seperate nation for the musim population.
It's quite possible that the British would have just kept control, but the war had left us all but bankrupt, and it was clear that we just didn't have the money to maintain control - Britain was war ravaged, and in no position to start hiking up taxes to pay for it either.

That's probably why independence was accepted.
Once it became clear that Britain would be leaving, the question rose of how it would be handled, and the religious tensions started to surface, as people living in communities with a majority from an opposing religion started to consider life without the protection of the British army.

As the violence started, it became clear that it wasn't going to stop, and the decision was made to split India up to create Pakistan, a new state for the muslim population.
Instead of quelling the violence it had the opposite effect, as majority communities started to slaughter the minorities before the split.
The British couldn't keep control, and didn't seem to have the desire to, bringing troops home so as not to get involved.

This partition of a country of 350 million woud be a lengthy process you'd think, but in fact it was done in a few months!
A barrister was brought over from England who had never been to India before, and given a few weeks to draw the new border line.
A date was announced for the partition, which again fuelled more violence, and as Pakistan celebrated its' creation, the border hadn't been revealed!

There was no plan to deal with the refugee crisis, with millions being forced to flee for their ives, and simply start walking to other country.
Again because of the lack of British firepower left, these refugee trails themselves became targets for the sectarian violence.
Many hundreds of thousands of innocent people died.

So, wherever you are today, imagine that the community you live in is being divided in 2 months.
There will be a line drawn somewhere down the middle, but you're not told where.
If you're on the wrong side of this unknown line, you'd better be prepared to run, kill or be killed, because those who protect the peace now won't be around.

Your house may well burn, you may find yourself with nothing except the clothes you stand in - nothing left, and no-one to tell you where to go or what to do.

That seemingly unrealistic scenario was all too real for millions of people 60 years ago today - it's seemingly realistic for many of innocents in many parts of the world today too, so if this isn't the case for you, thank your lucky stars.

If you can do what you want, say what you want, go where you want, if you have food and water, make sure you appreciate the abundance, and when you feel like having a moan about things, ask yourself exactly how much more abundance do you need?

It's a point I feel quite strongly about, and I cover it in my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!'
It's one of the simple but powerful changes of mindset which bring huge contentment and empowerment, and I'm proud of it.
Why not get a copy for yourself? It's only $7!
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Ok, that's it for this week, and I'll leave you to consider the huge devastations some people go through.

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 428 - Elvis Spotted On Space Station?

2007-08-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

Last week I mentioned that Barbara Morgan would be going into space on the shuttle, more than 20 years after she commited to that goal.

As I type she's up there now, working away on the Space Station, and just to add to the story, one of her crewmates is Tracey Caldwell, and she cites Morgan and Christa McAuliffe as her inspiration to be an astronaut!
A great lesson that if you feel inspired by someone, you *can* choose to do the same, and get the same results!

A couple of anniversaries this month the partition of India and Pakistan, and the death of Elvis.

Well I say the death of Elvis, because it's said he died 30 years ago, Aug 16th 1977.
I was 11 at the time and can remember the hoopla about it.
One of my favourite song titles is 'There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis.'
I say one of, because how can that compare to another favourite, 'She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft'?

Elvis changed the music industry and made a huge cultural impact.
He didn't do it deliberately either, he just followed his feelings.
He used to get into a lot of trouble before he ever made a record, with his long hair, and eyeliner!

He just went with what felt right for him - it just happened to lead to worldwide superstardom and an eternal place in history.
It also led to a drug-addled premature death at 42, so following your passions always needs to be done like anything else, with the ability to keep a rational view about things!

Go back a further 30 years to August 1947, and 200 years of British rule came to an end in India, with the partition of the country to form the new state of Pakistan.
The partition was made along, you guessed it, religious lines, and led to huge rioting and chaos, over 500,000 people died.

60 years later, and the relationship between India and Pakistan is tense at best, with nuclear ingredients making it a cause to concern all of us.
I live in a peaceful country, I have done all my life.
I've never known war or oppression.

I hope you haven't either, and as you read this, give thanks for that - appreciate the abundance you enjoy by accident of birth.

Next time you think you can't do things, or that you are 'trapped', that you don't have opportunity, think of people who *are* oppressed or live their life in war conditions.

Remember Elvis, and be brave to follow your passions like he did.
Be inspired by astronaut Tracey Caldwell, who was herself inspired by her crew mate Barbara Morgan.

Ok, thats it for today - where does your personal inspiration come from?
'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 427 - How Many Years Would You Give To A Goal?

2007-08-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

I had already decided what this issue would be about, when something popped through my letterbox which tied in nicely, so here goes...

You'll remember, (and my legs certainly do!) that to mark hitting 40 I set the goal of training and running my first marathon, aiming at the London race.
The places are decided by ballot, and I missed out, so decided to just do a marathon on the same time and date by myself around my local streets.
I finished with a time of 5 hour 45, which is no firework worthy time, but a good achievement I am proud of.

This weekend I got the entry form in the post for the 2008 race!
I've decided to send it off - who knows, I might get in this year.
To be honest I'm not fussed if I never run another marathon, it's a sodding long way, but the opportunity to apply is there, and maybe my original goal will transpire a year later than I thought.

By the way I also found out that 2008 is the centenary of the modern marathon.
I knew that at the London Olympics in 1908 the distance of 26 miles was extended so the finish was in front of the Royal Box, but I also found out the start was extended so the Royal children could watch it it Windsor Castle!

Of course in those days the British Empire covered probably 25% of the planet.
Not any more...

This week also sees the delayed achievement of a goal, but this time the dealy is over 20 years!

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is set for launch on Wednesday, and one of the crew is Barbara Morgan.
I've mentoned Eileen Collins in space, I've mentioned Suni Williams in space, and this time it's Barbara.

She was the standby for the teacher-in-space program, which saw Christa McAuliffe and the rest of the Challenger crew perish a few seconds after launch.
Obviously that set the shuttle program back years, as did the Columbia accident, and Morgan has been waiting for her space flight for 20 years.
Certainly if you're going to give 20 years to a goal, it has to be a way of life, and Morgan's been a NASA employee for that time, with the associated life changes that brought.

Sometimes goals do take longer than planned, in fact they *often* do.
It's how you react when the timescale changes which dictates whether your goal will happen or not, patience and acceptance are essential parts of the formula.

Ok, that's it for today, watch out for Endeavour's launch, see Barbara Morgan achieve a goal after 20 years, and consider if you're really giving your goals enough time before you give up?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 426 - Jane Austen - Self Improvement Guru?

2007-07-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

I'll start this issue with a quick note that my book 'Transform Your Life In 21 Days!' is now priced at just $7.
I haven't used the $7 script you see everywhere, but I chose to follow that price point.

I was thrilled to have it described as 'motivational magic' and 'a true gem', by readers, so if you fancy taking a peek, $7 is not going to break your bank balance now is it!:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

Ok, I'm calling today's issue 'Jane Austen - Self Improvement Guru?'

Jane Austen, English author who lived over the junction of the 18th/19th centuries.
She wrote about English society around the turn of the, er, 18th/19th centuries.
Her books were filled with lots of lost love, dutiful requirements of men but more so the women, lots of forelorn gazes into the rain.

No, we're not talking about my own love life here, blimey if it's comedy you want I suggest Laurel & Hardy...

Pride & Prejudice is probably her best known novel, and it sums up her style - people's natural personalities and desires being crushed but not extinguished by the accepted responsibilities of the day.
The fact that the personalities are not totally dead is crucial, as they come to the fore at the end, and self expression triumphs into happiness.

You can probably see where I'm going with this...

I saw a great dramatization of her book 'Persuasion' recently.
It was done very nicely, with some modern tv touches thrown in, but not too many, just to add a reality feel here and there.
In fact a lot of these types of books are being worked on tv with a totally modern surrounding, and they work even better to put across the message that it's best to follow your passions, express you true self, and you'll be happy.

You don't suddenly achieve a goal of being happy, it's not a finish line you cross, its a state of mind a lifestyle.
It seems ludicrous that so many people choose to stifle it, often based on no more than what other people tell them - usually other people who are only too happy to express *themselves*!

Yes, be aware of responsibilities, but do not neglect the responsibilities you have to yourself!
The acceptance of happiness being unattainable was perhaps more understandable in Jane Austen's time, but we're 200 years further down the road!

Jane Austen died at 41, the same age as I am as I write this.
She wasn't universally popular - Charlotte Bronte said Austen failed to write about passion. I can't agree with that, I think passion is exactly what she does write about!

Mark Twain said that any library was a good library if it didn't have a Jane Austen in it, even if it had no other books!
That's harsh, wrong in my view, and not one of your finer quotes Twainy.

I think a good library *should* have a Jane Austen in it, maybe even under the 'self improvement' section?

Ok, that's it for today, don't forget to look at my book, now priced at just $7, and I'll leave you with this thought - does Jane Austen get your self improvement juices flowing?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

Transform Your Life In 21 Days:
http://www.transformyourlifenow.com/

How to make money from movies:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/movies

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to: mailto:transform@getresponse.com

Issue 425 - The Inspirational Annals Of Sport (Thank God for spellcheck)

2007-07-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

Hi,
I hope everything is well where you are.

I know I normally start my newsletter with that line, but with England facing huge flooding with a months rain falling in hours, I do hope all is well, and if it is, spare a thought for those less lucky, and appreciate the abundance.

Ok, lots of choices to write about today -
A lesson I learnt, or a lesson from 8 years ago, or a tv documentary about independant thought.

I think I'll just pile in and see where it goes...

Last week I mentioned my experiment about selling my article writing services, and about how I had badly underpriced myself, being swamped with badly paid work to deadline as a result.
Well as I studied the other offers in the same forum, I noticed a lot of people selling packs of articles they had written with PLR rights.
The prices worked out at a much better leverage of time, so I put my own up.

It's a good example of taking action, seeing the results, and then changing your method to work better.
It's a basic foundation of my ideas about success/self improvement and goal achievement, and as ever, it works!
You can see the latest offer at:
http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=169627

Ok, onto the lesson from 8 years ago.
You know I love my sport, and while Wimbledon provided lots of fodder, Serena, Maria, Marion (all women? just a coincidence I assure you...),
the recent Open golf has done the same.

I wrote an article called 'Why Do Americans Hate The Open Golf Tournament?' which is getting some good viewing numbers!

The tournament was held at Carnoustie in Scotland, and it was last held there 8 years ago.
It's back to 1999 we go for a story that went down in the annals (thank god for spellcheck) of sport.

The Frenhman Jean Van Der Velde stood on the last hole with a healthy lead, and one hand firmly on the trophy.
His approach shot plopped into the little stream in front of the green, and after thinking about it for ages, he took off his shoes and socks, waded into the river and played his shot, which promptly plopped *back* into the stream.
His chance had gone, and The Open prize went to someone else.

Naturally this week he was asked endlessly about it, and the reporters kept questioning him about if it kept him awake, how did he get his life going again, etc, etc.

Well he hasn't been well lately, and he replied that when he went into hospital for tests, the other people he saw there kept things in perspective.

The reporters told him he must think about it every night.
'No' he simply replied.

They told him he must be full of regret.
He replied with French charm that, he had lived 41 years, didn't know how many he'd have left, maybe another 41, so was he about to spend it all wth regret?
He said if a glass was 50% full of red wine, he knew whether he'd consider if half full or half empty, especially seeing as he'd enjoyed drinking the first half!

Aah, how refreshing!
That's twice in a month that French sports players have inspired me with simple words.

It's easy to let the negative news output dim the lights, but it's also just as easy to plug into the light of others!

Ok, that's it for this week - my rambling led to thoughts of inspiration, no change there then.

The tv documentary about independent thought can wait, and I'll leave you with this question - which story do you use for inspiration this week?

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. If you know anyone else who you think would enjoy the Great Gordino Newsletter, please pass it on to them!

How to generate no cost ongoing targeted traffic:
http://www.gordonbryan.com/traffic

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http://www.gordonbryan.com/sport

Grab my free 8 Step Goal Achievement Plan by sending a blank email to:
mailto:transform@getresponse.com