Erik Elsea

Mark Martin

I was not planning on this being the topic today, but as we follow our racing theme in the Fast Lane to Success blog, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the history that took place on a race track in Phoenix, Arizona Saturday night. For only the fourth time in NASCAR history a man who has been on this Earth for over half a century won in its premier series. Mark Martin took the checkered flag in first place on Saturday night at age 50 years and 89 days. In what many consider a young man's sport, he proved that perseverance and dedication to accomplishing one's goals does not have to end when one is "over the hill."

Mark Martin went out there and beat the young guys in qualifying by setting the fastest lap and earning the pole position. He followed that by leading the first 102 laps of the race, showing absolute domination against his competitors. As the track changed and the sun went down, he faded back in the pack and off almost everyone's radar. . .until the end of the race, that is, when he came back and sped to a huge 4-second lead over second place. Martin proved he still has what it takes to be a competitor.

What makes Martin's victory even more special is that for the last two seasons he has been running a partial schedule. He has opted to forgo the grueling 36-week NASCAR schedule to spend more time with his family. Many, including Martin himself, thought his days of competing for an entire season to have a shot at the championship were past. That was until Rick Hendrick, one of the sport's most competitive owners, offered Mark a full-time ride in the #5 car for this season. An opportunity to drive for Hendrick meant having fast cars week in and week out and possibly a shot at a championship. So far this year Martin has proved that he should be taken seriously as a contender for the Sprint Cup.

The fact that we are having this conversation about a man who would be way past his prime in most sports, much less one as physically and mentally demanding as NASCAR, speaks loads about the kind of person Mark Martin is. It would be hard to find anyone in the garage area who is in such good physical shape, and I am including guys 30 years his junior. Mark Martin trains more than almost anyone on the circuit and prepares himself for every race.

The moral of this blog is that no matter what your dreams are, they do not pass you by because of your age. And at no time should you give up because you have not accomplished what you thought you could by a certain age. Today is always the first day of the rest of your life. Think of Mark Martin, who came out of semi-retirement to compete and win! You can win, too!

In past sessions we have set our intentions, been grateful for what we have in our lives, worked on action steps, and worked on loving ourselves. One of the fastest ways to success is to visualize what you desire. Today I want you to start making a vision board. Find pictures of what you wish to accomplish and put them on your vision board. Suggestions might be a magazine cut-out of a classic Corvette or of two people in love or of a well-sculpted body. Be creative. Put this board where you will see it often-perhaps by your desk or in your office. I want you to be constantly reminded of what you are working to accomplish.

Erik Elsea

www.erikelsea.com

Word of the Day!- Esteem-the regard in which one is held; especially: high regard

Let's work on the esteem with which we hold ourselves in.

Quote of the Day!- "POWER is for use."-Marshall Sylver

Why do I compare life to racing? Why do I use racing metaphors in my writing? I believe my affinity for racing comes from trying to control something that is uncontrollable. All my life I have tried to stay in the fast lane. Racing has always seemed a good fit for me. It's high speed excitement, the same kind of thrill one gets from a roller coaster ride or downhill skiing.

Racing, however, is entertainment; a life that is out of control is not. Is your life out of control right now? Are you struggling with addiction, financial problems or a bad relationship? These things are not fun, yet many of us continue to manifest them in our lives. Why? Why do we keep bringing the same problems into our lives over and over again? Why do we continue to do things that are destructive?

We create patterns in our life because of our programming, the way we perceive ourselves. If you do not love yourself, then you will not receive love from your partner. If you do not think you are worthy of wealth, then you will continue to struggle financially. Until I started to value my life, I could not fight my addictions even though I knew they were destructive. I needed to get out of that fast lane and into one that was more my speed.

Don't get me wrong: this is not always easy. Often there are deep-rooted issues in our subconscious that cause a pattern of self-destruction. The only way to make a change in your life is to realize "I MUST change!" Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom. It takes looking into the mirror and saying, "Enough is enough!" That's the day you also say and believe-truly, truly believe!-"I am worth so much more than this. I am worthy of anything I desire!"

Addictions, bad relationships, financial problems all cause drama in our lives. You feel like your life is moving 100 mph, but in the wrong direction. Get out of that fast lane and into the one that sends your life speeding toward success.

We have stated our intentions in present tense with our "I AM...." statements. We have listed what we are grateful for today in our lives. We have made a list of our "Action Steps" toward achieving our goal and have organized our game plan with a checklist. Today I want you to do something that will probably make you a bit uncomfortable at first. I want you to lock yourself in the bathroom or anywhere with absolutely no distractions and stare at yourself in the mirror for 5 minutes. I want you to really look at yourself. I want you to fall in love with yourself. Most people need to do this at least once a week to get the results I am expecting. We all initially look for what is wrong. We find wrinkles and blemishes. But we are all wonderful people, and we should all love ourselves first and foremost. Look at yourself deeply and realize how special you are.

Erik Elsea

www.erikelsea.com

Word of the Day!- Must-1. to be commanded or requested to; 2. to be compelled by physical necessity to

We need to turn our wants into musts.

Quote of the Day!-"Reality is an illusion...albeit a very persistent one."-Albert Einstein

Today we are going to do something a little different than usual. On Tuesdays we are going to do a blog that gives you a little insight into me, the author. There will be stories about my background, about my struggles and my successes. Hopefully this will empower you to know that no matter what difficulties you are facing right now there is hope.

This is my story, a culmination of my life events so far. What I've learned from them and what lessons I can use to make my next 30 years better than the first. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately I still have to pay for some of my mistakes. Yes it could be nice to start off these next years with a clean slate but then I wouldn't be the person I am today. I am happy with who I am but like all of us strive for something more.

I was born in a small farming community in Southern Illinois. It was a bedroom community for the city of St. Louis, Missouri. I was born in what I consider a fairly upper middle class family. Upper middle class for Southern Illinois. We had a nice house. Good parents. We didn't want for much of anything. Waterloo is a town where you can let your kids ride there bikes all over town without worrying about them. There is basically no crime. It's the kind of place anyone would want to raise a family.

It was a great time growing up there. I eventually became the oldest of three children and like most siblings we had our spats but all in all it was a very loving family. In the quaint little neighborhood about three miles out of town the houses were all set around a lake. Most of the other houses had families too with children of similar ages. So there was always something going on in the neighborhood. When we would get off the bus from school we would run in the house, we'd throw our backpacks down and just as swiftly run back outside to find the afterschool adventure of the day. A lot of this depended on the weather of course. You see St. Louis like most of the Midwest had very drastic changes in the seasons. I am writing this in SW Florida where I have lived for nearly five years. And I can tell you from experience that August in Ft. Myers in no way compares to the heat of August in St. Louis.

If it was the typical hot and humid day after school or in the summer we would put on our swim trunks and meet in the lake behind the house. The neighborhood kids would all take turns flipping our canoe over and using it as a diving platform. Or my favorite was going underneath it while it was tipped then popping my head up in the air trapped underneath and pretending it was a submarine. My life was filled with carefree days of play after school in the neighborhood. Football games in the fall. Playing in the woods in the spring, building club houses and forts.

This was except for the summertime when my brother and sister and I spent most of our time at the Waterloo Country Club. Now the Country Club was comprised of members who were the upper echelon of Waterloo society. But don't compare it to most Country Clubs of upper echelon people. I have been in some very exclusive very ritzy Clubs during my years. This doesn't hold a candle to those. Yes we had a golf course. A nine hole golf course with fairways so wide and forgiving that I even look like I know what I'm doing with a club in my hand. We also had a swimming pool which is where we would spend most of our time during the summer. Jumping off the diving board, playing Marco polo, dunking the smaller children. Our parents pretty much treated the Country Club as summertime day care. They would drop us off early in the morning and pick us up later in the afternoon. We were pretty much free to do what ever we wanted. We could fish in the many lakes which we sometimes saved the good ones to take home and stock the lake behind our house. We could play on the tennis courts although none of us ever excelled at tennis. I spent a lot of time on the putting green practicing my short game to no avail.

But our favorite part much to the dismay of our parents was the Tab. See all members were allowed to run a tab for food, drinks, etc. and then you would pay it at the end of the month on your bill. Luckily for our genetics or the fact we were running around all day and swimming the thousands and thousands of calories of candy and soda and chips and pretty much every other junk food you can conceive that we consumed had no effect on us. We had many a talking to at the end of the month about the size of that bill. But what did my parents expect with all that temptation and no one there to tell us no.

That brings me to the point I am going to try and make. About temptation. About life and the choices you make.

(to be continued)

Erik Elsea

www.erikelsea.com

If you are looking for either life coaching or business consulting please visit my website to find out more about the services we offer.

Jeff Gordon has a spotter. Do you?

Every NASCAR driver who gets on a track of a Sunday has a spotter. You usually do not see them because they are perched high above the track on top of the luxury boxes or press boxes for a view of the whole track. What is a spotter? A spotter is a person who, through radio communication, gives information to the driver. He tells the driver when the green flag waves to begin the race. When the driver is in traffic, the spotter tells him if he is clear high or low. If there is a wreck up ahead, the spotter warns the driver and directs him how to avoid it. And spotters deliver very important information about the performance of the car. For instance, if one of the other drivers is running particularly fast lap times by running a slightly higher line on the track, a spotter could tell his own driver about it so he could also use that racing line. Basically, a spotter is another set of eyes for the driver and may see things that the driver is unable to see from his position in the car.

Why do you need a spotter? Think of your life as a race: at times you need to get going; other times you need to brake. You could probably avoid potential wrecks down life's road if you had a spotter to help guide you around them. In business a spotter could be another set of eyes for you on a potential project. Or a spotter could give you the advice that allows you to run a different course from what you were, letting you go faster in accomplishing your goals.

A spotter could be a life coach, business consultant, mentor, any third-party person who does not have a major emotional attachment to you. Although having discussions with your spouse or significant other about things going on in your life and in your career is very healthy, I think that should be balanced with discussions with someone who can maintain that third-party objectivity. Find someone to bounce ideas off or with whom you are comfortable asking for advice-someone who does not work for the same company as you and who is not related to you. Remember you want a second set of eyes for your life-ones that give you an unbiased opinion and help steer you in the right direction.

Yesterday we wrote our goal in present tense, as if we had already accomplished it. Remember mine was "I AM sober." Today I want you to contemplate all the things you are grateful for in your life that relates to your goal. In my case, two items on my list are, "I am grateful for AA meetings" and "I am grateful I do not feel the need to drink today." Write out as many as you can, and then study them. Be thankful for all these things/people already in your favor.

Erik Elsea

www.erikelsea.com

Word of the Day!-Destiny-something to which a person or thing is destined

Let's control our own destiny through our thoughts and our actions.

Quote of the Day!-"Be a victor-not a victim."-Marshall Sylver

Have you ever ridden with someone who thinks the accelerator is an on/off pedal? You know what I'm talking about. He hits the gas and your head flies back into the seat. Then he lets off, and your head flies forward. This continues during the entire ride, and you're lucky you don't have a mild case of whiplash by the time it is over. There is nothing smooth about the way someone like that drives. Plus, it seems exaggerated in heavy traffic...speed up...slow down...speed up...slow down...speed up...stop.

In racing this happens a lot. The cars are coming to the green flag to start the race and someone guns it too hard, spins the tires, loses traction, and can't get up to speed, causing those behind him to jam on their brakes to try to avoid him. In drag racing one sees the cars at the starting line hit the gas. The tires lose traction, spinning like crazy. This usually causes a real cool burnout and tons of smoke, but the cars don't go anywhere or, if they do, not very fast. The race is lost.

I see people every day do this in their life and in their business. They have a dream and go after it hard. However, when something causes them to lose traction, they quickly slow down or stop. They aren't smooth. They try to take off like crazy, but all they create is a cloud of smoke. They have an intention but no game plan. They jump the gun without the proper planning, due diligence, contingency plans, etc. I've heard many times, "If you fail to plan, then plan to fail."

In business this happens often. People start a business with all the best intentions but without the proper plan, proper funding, or proper team in place to help them get it to the finish line. The first time something causes that business to lose its momentum, the wheels come off the whole operation and the business fails.

I also see this in people's personal lives. January 1^st comes around and we make our resolutions: quit smoking, lose weight, spend more time with the family, be a better spouse, keep my commitments. We usually make it a week, a month...if we're lucky, maybe more. We start off the New Year with tons of gas, but as soon as we hit the first bump in the road, we lose our traction and come to a screeching halt. We could have avoided this by creating a plan. Schedule your time in the gym, and get a workout buddy to accompany you. Plan a family night, and make it mandatory that everyone attend. Schedule a date with your spouse on a regular basis. Make these commitments and keep them by making a plan and being accountable.

If you take an easy-does-it approach to accomplishing your goals, taking things step by step, you will avoid losing traction and getting stalled. Set a goal, and create a plan of action that will get you to your goal smoothly.

We have stated our goal and estimated how long it will take us to achieve it. We have listed our strengths and compared them to those others see in us. Today I want you to write your intention in the present tense. Because my goal is sobriety, I wrote, "I AM SOBER!" That's simple enough. Write your "I AM" statement 10 times, sign it, and hang it someplace you will see it every day.

Erik Elsea

www.erikelsea.com

Word of the Day!- Superstar-a star ( as in sports or movies ) who is extremely talented, has great public appeal, and can usually command a high salary.

I want you to see yourself as a superstar in your world.

Quote of the Day!- "If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary."-Jim Rohn