I thought I’d continue revealing more of the REAL story of who I am. If you don’t remember why I am doing this, it’s to apply this idea that I taught you in the past…
If you want a powerful brand and you want a powerful USP (unique selling proposition), you need to:
- Stop trying to fit in.
- Stop trying to copy everyone else in your niche.
- Be YOU.
- Better yet… Be you in all your uniqueness, with all of your idiosyncrasies.
I’m telling you my personal story – with no hype but with all the crazy, true details to show you how to apply this concept.
So far in my story I’ve revealed:
A childhood kidnapping– See “The Day I Was Kidnapped (A True Story): A Business & Life Lesson“An alcoholic father
Today, I’m going to share with you another aspect of my life that has uniquely prepared me to do what I do today.
When I was young, I grew up watching the old TV show “Kung Fu” with David Carradine. I always wanted to learn martial arts, but my family didn’t have a lot of extra money, so it wasn’t possible.
That is until one day when a martial arts master (with a 7th degree black belt) moved into our apartment complex.
The Fake Teacher
A young 20-something guy had started to teach Karate to the high school kids in our apartments. But there was one problem. His teaching method involved using us as a punching bag without giving us much (or any) instruction. Basically he was using us to practice on, but we didn’t realized it.
And we wouldn’t have until this martial arts master named “Mr. Jordan” moved in.
When he saw what was happening he decided to offer real, free lessons to all of us kids in the apartments. It was finally my chance to fulfill my childhood dream!
The Real Sensei Reveals Himself
I began training with him along with the other young teenagers who accepted the offer. Mr Jordan was a great teacher. And what he taught us was not just another run-of-the-mill karate class.
He taught us a very unique form of martial arts. It was called, “Shorinji Tae Gar.”
It was a hybrid style of martial arts that combined what he believed were the best techniques and mindsets of 8 other martial arts which included:
1. Tae kwon do
2. Judo
3. Jujitsu
4. Kenpo
5. Aikido
6. Tai Chi
7. Shorin Ryu
8. Shorinji Ryu
In 1994, it was formally recognized by A.T.A.M.A. (American Teachers Association Of The Martial Arts”) as separate martial arts system. Mr. Jordan ended up moving out of the apartments that I lived in, but I continued to train with him. I eventually reached black belt level and helped teach classes at the new school he started in a nearby town.
The Business & Life Lesson I Learned From Mr. Jordan
There were many lessons I learned from Mr. Jordan. Lessons about confidence, self respect, and more. But one of the lessons he taught me that still echoes through my mind even today is this…
He said, “You can always learn from another martial art or another person. You either learn what to do or what NOT to do.” If you think about it, what he was teaching me was a lesson that was the foundation of the martial arts system he created.
I’ve never forgotten that lesson. And I’ve learned that it applies to much more than just martial arts.
It’s true in many areas of life, but especially in business. In fact, it reminds me of something that the “god father” of the personal development industry, Earl Nightingale once said, “If you have no successful examples to follow, you need only observe what everyone else is doing and do the opposite.”
Because of this lesson from Mr. Jordan, I see business lessons everywhere and in almost every business around me. Some of the lessons reveal what I should do. Others reveal what I should not do.
But they are always teaching me something. And I take those lessons and use them as content for blog posts, lessons for myself, and for my clients.
This lesson has allowed me to always have an eclectic range of knowledge in any arena I’m delving into. It’s also allowed me to “borrow” any strengths I uncover in a wide variety of sources. I’ve always found it to be a benefit to me and to those I teach. And I owe it all to my sensei, Mr. Jordan.
I would urge you to take and apply this lesson today.
Look at the other businesses around you. What are they doing right? (Is there anything?) Take that and see how you can apply it uniquely to your business. What are they doing wrong? Take those lessons and make sure that you aren’t doing the same.
There really are lessons all around you… if you’d only look.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://recessionsolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Scott Aughtmon is a “business recession solution expert“, a “content creation expert” , and a speaker. He’s spent over 12 years studying effective marketing and business methods (both online and offline). He’s the author of two e-books called “How Your Business Can Survive And Prosper In A Recession” in which he interviewed 38 top business, marketing and sales experts and got them to reveal their methods to help business owners survive and prosper in a recession. Scott has also been interviewed on radio shows and asked to share his wisdom to help business owners survive and prosper in a recession. He has a unique perspective and ability to communicate ideas and concepts in a way that can help you climb to new heights. Read more of Scott’s insights on his blog. Follow Scott on Twitter @rampbusinesses or on Google Plus at +scott aughtmon, +content creation methods, or +recessionsolution.com [/author_info] [/author]
I’m a business strategist, consultant, content creation specialist, and speaker. I’ve been studying effective marketing and business methods (both online and offline) since 1999.
===> If you would like to see ways that we could work together, then please click here to learn more.
