Archive for August, 2008

Whatever it Takes…

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

I am proud to say that I have never missed a speaking engagement ever since I started speaking professionally 6 years ago.

But last week I came really close…

I was speaking in Orange County, CA for the leaders of a top insurance brokerage firm. My presentation was scheduled for 9:00 AM. I was flying to John Wayne airport on the 7:20 PM fllight from Houston the night before.

On the way to the airport my wife called me from home to let me know that the 7:20 flight was cancelled and I was now scheduled to fly out of Houston on the 8:50 flight (the last flight out).

When I got to the airport, they announced that the flight would now leave at 9:00 PM, then 9:10 PM. At that point I knew that unless I did something quick, I might be spending the night in Houston and miss my speech the next morning.

I figured that my best bet was to get myself to California and cross the next bridge when I got to it.

I found a 7:30 PM flight to San Diego and got them to switch me. Once I got to San Diego I paid $150 for a hotel shuttle to drive me two hours to Orang County. I checked into my Hotel at Midnight and made the 9:00 AM presentation with no problem.

Moral -

When I tell my audiences that they need to do whatever it takes to reach their goals, most of the time they don’t understand what that means.

Whatever it takes means, as long as it’s moral, legal and ethical you are willing to do anything.

It’s simply the attitude that if there are 50 things you could possibly be asked to do to reach your goal, you are willing to do any of them.

Average people let their pride get in the way of them reaching their goals. Their attitude might be “I’m willing to do 1 - 49 but I’m not willing to do #50.”

Life will seldom ask you to do all 50 things but since you don’t know which of the 50 you will have to do, you’d better be willing to do all of them -even paying $150 for a bus ride to your destination.

It’s just an attitude.

Olympic Motivational Speaker Ruben Gonzalez
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No Regrets

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

old people

You can learn a lot from older people…

When I was a sophmore in high school I read about a survey where octogenarians (80-year-old people) were asked what their biggest regret in life was.

Their top regrets were “not taking enough risks” and “playing life too safe.”

I decided right then that I would live my life in such a way that when I was 80, I would not have those regrets. I made a decision to always face my fears and to make my life an adventure so that when I was a grandfather, I would have so many great stories to tell that all my grandkids would always want to be around me.

Aristotle said, “You become what you repeatedly do.” If you regularly face your fears, you become more courageous and fear of the unknown (which is what holds most people from achieving what they are capable of) dissappears. If you do what you fear, the fear dissappears.

I made a list of 100 things I’d like to do in my life, 100 places I would like to visit, and 100 people I would like to meet. I regularly check items off of my lists, and I constantly add new items to my lists.

Doing this helps me make life an adventure and helps me become stronger inside (plus, I’ll have some great stories for my grandkids!).

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Flying Aerobatics in a 1944 WWII Stearman

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

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Ready to fly on a 1944 Stearman

I just got back from Orange County California where I spoke for the leadership of a top insurance brokerage firm. I had a couple of hours to kill so I decided to cross out one of the items in my bucket list - flying aerobatics in a Stearman biplane.

I’m a private pilot but all I have ever flown are Cessna 152s and 172s. Flying on a Stearman, the plane World War II pilots used as a trainer, has always been a dream of mine.

The Stearman is a stick and rudder open cockpit taildragger. Truly a classic plane. I contacted the folks at  www.BiplaneFun.com and arranged for a 45 minute flight.

Biplane Fun is owned by Mike and Kendle Hanson. They are passionate about showing people the wonder of flight.

Stearman ride

Flying over the California coast.

You can go for a sightseeing tour of the rugged California coast or for a thrilling aerobatic ride filled with loops, spins, barrel rolls, hammerhead stalls, and more. I’m sure you know which option I chose…

Since I’m a pilot, Mike let me fly his plane for a few minutes. It was a thrill to fly that beautiful machine.

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80 foot long Blue Whale off our wingtip.

Mike spotted some blue whales and dolphins and he dove the plane to about 200 feet above sea level to get a closer look. It was amazing watching the whales dive and surface.

Flying aerobatics is not a daredevil thing. It’s actually a higher level of precision flying that makes you a better and safer pilot. It allows you to be able to get yourself out of trouble a lot easier than someone that is simply trained to fly straight and level.

Needless to say, even though Mike was putting me through the paces, I felt completely safe and secure.

I have not flown in about 15 years but when I get back into flying, I’ll make sure to get my aerobatics license simply because it will make me a better, safer pilot.

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Next time you’re in Southern California, you owe it to yourself to call Mike and have an unforgettable experience.

Olympic Motivational Speaker Ruben Gonzalez
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How to Recycle Steel

Friday, August 15th, 2008

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The USS New York

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship’s bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, ‘those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,’ recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. ‘It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.’

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the ‘hair on my neck stood up.’ ‘It had a big meaning to it for all of us,’ he said. ‘They knocked us down. They can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back.’

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The ship’s motto? ‘Never Forget’

Olympic Motivational Speaker Ruben Gonzalez
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Making a Difference in South Africa

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Taddy Blecher

Taddy Blecher is changing lives in South Africa

Entrepreneurs tend to bite off a little more than they can chew hoping they’ll quickly learn how to chew it.

Eight years ago, from his office in Johannesburg in South Africa, without any university buildings, courses or staff, he began faxing out a letter of invitation to 350 schools.

He asked the brightest and poorest students to apply for a new university - and promised them the “best business education in Africa”.

This was going to be South Africa’s first free university, created to serve talented youngsters from the poor black communities who could never afford to send their children to the established universities.

(more…)

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