Roadbrains

Ten Keys to Get What You Want in 2012

2012-01-16T18:28:00.032-05:00

Ten Keys to Get What You Want in 2012
by Ken West

1) Your time is limited and irreplaceable. Act accordingly.

2) Always take your dreams for the future seriously.

3) Learn what you need to learn to do what you want to do.

4) Trust yourself, and get out of your comfort zone.

5) Embrace discomfort while you learn a new activity.

6) Do daily tasks that bring you closer to what you want.

7) Beware of perfectionism. Don't let it stop you from taking action. Accept that you will make mistakes along the way.

8) Ignore negativity from others, but especially from yourself.

9) Find people who are positive influences in your life. Be a positive influence in their lives as well.

10) If it's important, finish it. Finishing things is crucial for your success.

Ken West is author of Get What You Want, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other fine online booksellers: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702.

Questions to Help You Decide

2011-11-30T10:11:00.009-05:00

Questions to Help You Decide
© 2011 by Ken West

If you have an important decision coming up, here are some questions that may help you decide.

1) Do I want to do this?

2) Does this mesh with both my passion and
purpose?

3) Am I willing to pay the price in time, effort, and resources?

4a) What, if anything, is preventing me from doing this?

4b) If so, what can I do about it?

5a) What am I most afraid will happen if I pursue this?

5b) Is this fear reasonable? If so, what can I do to overcome it?

6) Will I do this thing or not?

These questions are based on some of the 53 questions in my book, Get What You Want. In essence, my book is a decision making tool for the important crossroad moments and decision points in your life.

Ken West is a former U.S. Army paratrooper and the author of Get What You Want! available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp. West is a former President of the New England Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and Association of Objectivist Businessmen. If you would like Ken to speak to your organization, he can be reached at kenwest@bettergripmedia.com.

The Tunnel

2011-06-03T16:48:00.003-04:00

The Tunnel © 2011 by Ken West

Come back with me to the year 1968, the height of the Vietnam war. We are in the U.S. Army. We’re members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. We’re paratroopers—infantry paratroopers.

We’ve just landed in Cam Ranh Bay, on the coast of South Vietnam. Some of us thought that we’d be fired on as soon as we landed by commercial flight from the States. But Cam Ranh Bay is more like a resort area. It’s a huge sprawling base with places to drink and to gamble. We can see the beautiful blue South China Sea on the horizon.

Battle weary troops come in from the field for in-country R & R—rest and relaxation. But there will be no R & R for us for a long time. We settle in for our week long stay before flying out to the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.

We will face three enemies in Vietnam. The first is the North Vietnamese regular army. They wear uniforms. Then the Viet Cong, which was a guerilla army. They don’t wear uniforms. The Viet Cong have dug an extensive network of tunnels throughout South Viet Nam from which they can ambush American and South Vietnamese troops.

Finally, we face our own fear of the unknown. And the Army realizes that this is the most dangerous enemy we face. So to help us be prepared for our assignments in the field, they send in Sergeant Davis, Corporal Jones, and Private First Class Smith. They are “tunnel rats,” which is the name of those soldiers whose specialty is going into these tunnels to flush out the Viet Cong. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army, if not the most dangerous.

Sergeant Davis teaches us about the tunnels. He and his fellow tunnel rats show us diagrams and photos of the tunnels. We learn that the Viet Cong can eat, sleep, and live in these tunnels—and be ready to ambush us when we least expect it.

By this time we feel pretty confident that we now know about the dangers and realities of the tunnels. I felt as if I had a good grasp and understanding of them. Yet Sergeant Davis and his colleagues weren’t done with us.

“OK troops, line up single file and follow me,” commanded Davis, “Corporal Jones, take up a position in the middle, and Private First Class Smith, at the end.”

There were about a hundred and fifty of us. We marched double time and single file behind Davis.

He brought us over to the side of a hill and stopped. Bending down, he grabbed on to a dried up looking bush, lifting it away from an opening in the ground, which was no bigger than a manhole cover.

I was in the middle of the line but could see the opening looming ahead. “Please Dear God, don’t make me go in that hole,” I thought to myself.

But Sergeant Davis had other ideas.

“This is a former Viet Cong tunnel,” said Davis. “But don’t worry. There are no Viet Cong in this tunnel. It’s secure. Now I want you to get back in single file and follow me into this tunnel. Corporal Jones will keep his position, and Private First Class Smith will take up the rear. Let’s go!”

Davis stepped into the hole. The line moved forward one-by-one. Finally my turn came. I watched the man in front of me go in. Then I stepped down the three rough wooden steps into the tunnel. Another person came immediately behind me. I couldn’t stand up straight but could walk with my head and shoulders bent forward. Not too bad, I thought to myself, I can do this.

Up ahead I heard people cursing as they bumped their heads on the roof of the tunnel. It was getting too low to stand anymore. Now we began to crouch down. Couldn’t see anything. There was total darkness except for the occasional flicker of a flashlight once in a while.

The tunnel got even tighter as the roof became lower. Now I had to get on my hands and knees. Dirt trickled down my neck mixing with sweat. I kept close to the boots in front of me, and the guy behind me kept bumping into my ass.

Claustrophobia kicked in. I had always been fearful of being in tight spaces. As we snaked our way through the tunnel, I was acutely aware of all the people in front of me. But what terrified me the most was the seventy-five or more people behind me. There was no way out except to keep going.

On we crawled. Another thing that scared the hell out of me was that we were going down deeper into this hellhole. I was breathing heavy, feeling that I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. The smell of fear and sweat permeated the air.

Sound was muffled down here. Heard occasional curses and “keep moving for Christ sake” from someone a few bodies behind me. I hoped that none of us would panic. There was no room for it. We get crushed. Just had to keep going as the line moved forward.

Forward movement stopped. The guy behind me bumped me for the umpteenth time. “Why’d you stop,” he hissed at me. “The whole line is stopped,” I said. “Can’t go anywhere until it moves.”

Whatever the holdup was, apparently it was over, because we began moving again. I immediately found the cause of the delay. There was a much tighter opening where I had to crawl on my belly. I felt like I was going to be buried alive. But, I kept crawling. The space widened again and we could crawl on our hands and knees.

Up ahead I saw light. Yes!!! It was sunlight! Our pace picked up considerably. Now we could almost stand up again. One by one we escaped the horror of that tunnel. Many of those already outside were lighting up cigarettes. Others, like me, were simply sinking down on the side of a hill facing the sea. Sun, sea, and solid ground never looked so beautiful.

Finally everyone was out of the tunnel. Sergeant Davis lets us take our break, before leading us back to our debriefing area.

I gained three things from this experience.

Number one: I learned about tunnels. Before, I had an intellectual understanding. Now I had gut level knowledge.

Number two: I gained a grudging respect for the enemy we were facing.

And, number three: I learned that I never, ever wanted to be a tunnel rat!

Many years later I gained another insight. There are times in our lives when we are in the middle of a stressful, difficult, and frightening situation. And, as with a dark tunnel, the only way to get through it is to keep moving. You keep going until you reach the light.

Ken West is a former U.S. Army paratrooper and the author of Get What You Want! available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp. If you would like Ken to speak to your organization, he can be reached at kenwest@bettergripmedia.com.

Chinese Central Television CCTV

2011-03-31T10:12:00.002-04:00

I'm a news junkie. I confess. Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, liberal, conservative, or mainstream, I watch them all. The other night I discovered CCTV (China Central Television), an official Chinese TV station headquartered in Beijing, China. (It's available on Dish Network and possibly other outlets.)

Was prepared to watch some biased news reporting, but I was surprised at how good it seemed to be. Perhaps for their Western audiences they don't hide what's going on in the Middle East or try to give the official Chinese Communist Party line. The quality of the programming is excellent. I saw video of Libya, Syria, and other areas in the Middle East that I haven't seen on other channels.

Watching this positive view of China, I had to force myself to bear in mind that the Chinese government clamps down brutally to any real or perceived threat to its political power. Consider its brutal repression of student protests in Tiananmen Square, and the destruction of its symbol, the Goddess of Liberty (also named the Goddess of Democracy). Consider its current repression of the "Jasmine" movement; its jailing of journalists and bloggers; its banning the word "Egypt" during the Egyptian protests; and its delay or suppression of undesirable financial news.

So why is CCTV and its related website so good, placing China in such a favorable light to Western audiences? Back during the days of the Soviet Union there was a magazine called "Soviet Life" which portrayed a seeming paradise of happy, prosperous people. If one based ones opinion only on that publication, one would have to agree that the Soviet Union was truly a workers' paradise. Yet, we know the truth.

Despite the highly positive portrayal of China delivered on CCTV, one must remember that it is crafted specifically to portray only a positive view of China, leaving out the reality of tight government control of the media, free speech, and any questioning of its monopoly on political power.

Here's the link: http://english.cntv.cn/01/index.shtml

Speaker and writer Ken West is author of Get What You Want!, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.

Ten Secrets for Getting What You Want in 2011

2011-01-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Ten Secrets for Getting What You Want in 2011

by Ken West, author of Get What You Want! http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702

1. Realize that your time is limited and irreplaceable.

2. Focus on what you love.

3. Do things that bring you closer to your dreams.

4. Accept that you will make mistakes.

5. Reject negativity from others, but especially from yourself.

6. Create a list of achievable tasks. Start with number one.

7. Finish what you begin.

8. Always take your dreams seriously.

9. Trust yourself.

10. Love this world and this life.

Speaker Ken West is author of Get What You Want: Reactivating Your Passion for Life, Finding Your Purpose and Achieving Your Dreams, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other fine online booksellers: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702.

7 Steps to Get What You Want

2010-09-09T15:00:00.002-04:00

Excerpted (with minor changes) from the book Get What You Want by Ken West, with permission by Better Grip Media LLC.

Step 1: Exploit your passion. Passion is an underground spring of emotion that provides power to achieve your dreams. Your passion comes from what gets you excited about life. It’s the mother lode of energy deep inside you.

Step 2: Seek your dreams. Dreams are your desired future realities. They are achievable. If you don’t have dreams for the future, then it’s time you do. The dream questions in this book will help you envision what you truly want.

Step 3: Choose your purpose. Translate your passion and dreams into a well defined purpose. If passion is the emotion, then purpose is the thinking and planning. It is your conscious choice of a direction and a pathway to your dreams. You need both passion and purpose. Your dreams become your guiding stars.

Step 4: Identify your goals. If purpose is your chosen path, then your goals are the destinations on the way to your dreams. Goals are important stepping stones to your dreams. In a sense, they are important pieces of your dreams.

Step 5: Divide goals into tasks. You choose tasks to accomplish goals. Tasks are the components of goals that can be completed in short time spans. Tasks are the daily action steps that get goals done. They get you closer to achieving your dreams.

Step 6: Avoid crab buckets. Identify the crab buckets or traps that can derail your plans and sap your energy. As stated earlier, you can’t get what you want in a crab bucket. In essence, crab buckets are negativity traps that can pull you down, wasting your precious time and energy.

Step 7: Achieve your dreams. Develop and follow an action plan for the achievement of your dreams. You’ll have identified your vision for the future, your power-source of passion, your path of purpose, your goals along this pathway, and the tasks that will achieve these goals. You will be aware of crab bucket traps and how to avoid them. Finally, you will begin to experience your dreams as they become real accomplishments in your life.

The questions that follow in this workbook [http://bit.ly/alF9vp] are for a very practical purpose: to help you identify what you want, know why you want it, and come up with an action plan to get it.

Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is author of Get What You Want!, available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.

Getting a New Customer in a Bad Economy

2010-07-16T09:24:00.001-04:00

There’s a guy on the sidewalk selling something. I pass by without stopping.

“Next time, I’ll get you,” he shouts to me good naturedly.

I turn and walk back to him. He sits on a black plastic milk crate, a bearded, youngish guy with some front teeth missing.

“What are you selling?” I ask.

“Smiles and greetings,” says the guy.

“How’s business,” says I.

He smiles, slaps his knee, shakes his head. “Not too bad, but I haven’t got you as a customer yet.”

So, I reach in my wallet, pull out a dollar bill and put it in his collection cup. “OK, I’m a customer now.”

“Thank you, sir,” he says, and gives me his best, top-of-the-line smile. “Have a great day and I’ll see you soon, I hope.”

I smile back and head down the street to check the job listings at the unemployment office. For some reason the guy’s smile made me feel a lot better. Few people, even when I was working, bothered to smile at me. The guy on the black plastic milk crate now has a new customer.

Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.

Can't Get What You Want in a Crab Bucket

2010-07-15T21:42:00.001-04:00

Imagine a bunch of crabs scratching around in a rusty metal bucket. Suddenly, one of the crabs decides to escape. It slowly climbs the side of the bucket. The other crabs don’t seem to appreciate this crab climbing above them, so they pull it back down. If the ambitious crab tries to climb again, the crabs continue to pull it down. This is known as the crab bucket syndrome.

People have been known to behave like crabs, envious that somebody is willing and able to climb above them. To make matters worse, your own self-doubt can behave like an overcritical crab trying to pull you down.

You may have this type of struggle, especially if you have “friends,” family, work mates or colleagues who resent or ridicule your ambition to rise. Or, self-doubt tells you that you can’t do it, that you’re not strong enough, young enough, old enough, smart enough or talented enough.

It takes persistence and determination to climb out of life’s crab buckets and to find your own way in this world. But, you are the decision-maker of your life. You can choose and then act on your choices and climb. You can succeed to the extent that you are willing to trust yourself, learn what you need to learn, and take consistent action.

It’s time to crawl out of the crab bucket of other people’s expectations and face your own. Nothing less will do. You can’t get what you want inside a crab bucket.

This was an excerpt from the book Get What You Want! (http://bit.ly/clXlNi) by Ken West

Diving into a Pile of Leaves and the National Debt

2010-03-09T13:09:00.004-05:00

Diving into a Pile of Leaves and the National Debt
Copyright © 2010 by Ken West, all Rights Reserved

They say that the teenage brain is underdeveloped. I think it’s true. When I was just shy of 13-years old, I was out raking leaves in front of my house. Got a pretty good pile raked up, ready to burn. You could burn leaves back in those days, which made a truly delightful aroma. I had the water hose nearby, just in case the fire got out of control.

I looked at the pile of leaves, and thought that it would be fun to dive into it, head first. Since my early childhood, cartoon characters did stuff like that all the time. Why not me? So, without a moment’s hesitation, I took a flying leap and dived into the leaves.

As my face crashed down to the pavement underneath the leaves, I suddenly realized I had miscalculated the cushioning power of leaves. Blood oozed from forehead, nose, and lips. Fortunately, I hadn’t broken any teeth—only chipped one or two.

Now, in 2010, the federal government is making a similar but much more dangerous mistake. This time it’s a pile of debt. And the Obama administration is forcing us to dive into it. It’s a pile of “stimulus” money, corporate bailouts, and out-of-control deficit spending.

Just like my crazy experiment of diving into a pile of leaves, the Obama Administration and Congress are sending us all head first into this pile of debt.

But, unlike a pile of leaves, a pile of debt is not really a pile at all. It’s actually a huge black hole that the government is pushing us into. Our children and great grandchildren will also end up in this bottomless pit. Don't let it happen.

It’s time to stop the insanity. How do you do it? Make your voice heard in any way you can, loud and clear.

Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp. He can be reached at Roadbrains@GMail.com.

Homeless Entrepreneurs

2010-02-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Homeless Entrepreneurs

© 2010, all rights reserved, by Ken West

It was raining. I cursed when I discovered that the entrance to the underground garage was locked. I turned, ready to run over to the main entrance about three-hundred yards away. All of a sudden the locked door swung open and a voice said, “good evening sir.” A homeless woman who had taken up her post inside the locked glass door, held it open for me.

I hesitated for a moment—then entered. I thanked her and hurried down to my car. The garage has four pedestrian entrances. Three of them are locked after 6 p.m., forcing patrons to use the main entrance. But I was one of the lucky ones this cold, rainy evening.

For about a year my “doorman” was always on duty after 6 o’clock. Her simple act of opening the locked door and greeting me was a useful service for which I sometimes gave her a dollar or pocket change.

Six month after her tenure as unofficial doorman and greeter, she expanded her business. During the early afternoon hours she worked outside on an adjacent park bench, offering quick “portraits” and drawings to wandering tourists. She had bought some inexpensive sketchbooks and colored pencils for this new venture.

I never found out where she slept at night. Garage security guards would send her away after eleven o’clock. This quiet, resourceful woman is one of thousands of homeless people who would never think of shaking an empty cup in your face. They know that offering value, not pleas for pity, is the right way to go. They are homeless entrepreneurs.

What distinguishes these individuals from beggars, hustlers, and con-artists is their honest attempt to offer uncoerced goods and services as a way to make money. In other words, they’re business people. They find a need and fill it. They may be temporarily homeless, but they’re not down and out.

Homeless entrepreneurs come in every size and shape. Some are street musicians, leaflet distributors, newspaper sellers, door openers, and jack-of-all-trades. Others do whatever odd jobs they can find. What they lack in capital, they make up with ingenuity and spunk. They are proud of their ability to survive.

And like us, they come face to face with the bad fruits of big government. For instance, some try their hand at shining shoes, only to be told by the police that they need a license, vendor’s permit, and sales tax log to do so. Even when trying to find a cheap room, they discover that paternalistic and “progressive” government has shut down the tenement houses which once served the needs of the poor.

Those of us who get exasperated by constant pleas from beggars, should demonstrate our value system by rewarding homeless entrepreneurs instead. They do not resort to pity or threats; they offer their best efforts. They understand the crucial difference between taking money and making money.

With few exceptions, homeless entrepreneurs have been ignored by the media. As with Vietnam veterans (of which I am one), we are offered distorted caricatures of the homeless. This does a disservice to them and to us.

Instead of wasting millions of dollars on handouts, we should be teaching the homeless how to make money. Some of the instructors could come from the ranks of our present homeless entrepreneurs. They could even help teach graduate students on the critical need of focusing on the customer and delivering value.

As I approach a city convenience store to buy a magazine, a tall homeless man snaps to attention, opens the door with a flourish, and greets me as if I’m a big-shot. He doesn’t ask for money. As I leave he wishes me a good evening. There is no intimidation—only a man providing a service usually reserved for hotel guests and the rich. Next time I resolve to put him on the payroll.

Ken West is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp. He can be contacted at KenWest@BetterGripMedia.com.

Checklist for Making Your Case in Public

2010-02-22T20:27:00.002-05:00

Checklist for Making Your Case in Public
©2010 by Ken West

Questions to build your speech, prepare for delivery, and present your message.
1) Who is my audience?

2) What is the purpose of this event?

3) Why will this audience be at this presentation?

4) What are their expectations? (Did I send out a pre-presentation survey?)

5) How much time do I have?

6) What is my message?

7) Can I summarize it in one sentence?

8) Will this audience be receptive to my message? If not, what can I do about it?

9) What will my audience learn?

10) What do I want them to do as a result of grasping my message?

11) How will I structure my presentation?

12) How will I grab my audiences’ attention?

13) What evidence do I have to support my message?

14) What are my top one, two, or three points?

15) What examples, anecdotes, and stories would help my audience visualize my main points?

16) In what ways can I help this audience integrate my message into their knowledge and experience?

17) What visual aids would help get my points across?

18) What is the most helpful thing I can do for this audience?

19) What will they be doing prior to my talk?

20) How is the meeting set up?

21) What kind of sound system will I have?

22) How will I handle questions and answers during and after the presentation?

23) How and where can I practice and test my presentation?

24) How will I end my presentation?

25) (After I am done): What have I learned from doing this presentation?

26) What will I do differently the next time?

Speaker and writer, Ken West, is the author of Get What You Want Workbook, (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702) available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. You can contact Ken at KenWest@BetterGripMedia.com.

Up the Skyscraper of Knowledge

2010-02-18T13:44:00.003-05:00

Dexter was a man determined to learn every word in the dictionary, starting from the letter A and working to the letter Z. He had been at it for years and was already up to the Ds. If he had known an unusual fact, he might have conducted his lifelong mission a little differently.

Vocabulary learning has a hierarchy, as does all learning. In other words, when you are adding new words to your vocabulary, you are most effective when learning new words in a certain order. If you jump ahead to words that are too far removed from you experience, it is much harder to retain them. Instead, you need to learn vocabulary in a logical continuum.

The world of reality and the body of human knowledge exist in one huge pie that we call existence. Yet, you have a mind that learns new knowledge in a certain order. For instance, the things you learn first are those material things closest to you. You learn to know your mother, food, the shape, feel, sight, and sound of things.

These are the ground level things you come into contact with from the moment you are born. In essence, this is the reality of your surroundings. When you get more sophisticated, you learn the abstractions that are more complex than dog or cat or food. You eventually learn about science, physics, philosophy, etc. The requirements of your consciousness dictate how you learn things.

One of the reasons that this is important is that to learn new things, you must make sure that they are grounded to reality. In other words, you need to go to ground level, basic concepts and work your way up, always anchoring your upper level concepts to the foundation that came before them.

Think of the hierarchy of knowledge as a skyscraper. The foundation and ground level is the reality you see around you. It can be tested by simple observation. When you rise up the elevator of this knowledge skyscraper, you reach levels with wider views and levels of abstraction.

You start at ground-level reality. Then you rise based on the nature of your consciousness. You eventually reach the level of the higher abstractions such as philosophy and science.

Also, consider this: If you want to convince others of your views, you need to meet them first at ground level and gradually take them up the elevator of knowledge.

“No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.” —John Locke

“Concepts have a hierarchical structure, i.e., …the higher, more complex abstractions are derived from the simpler, basic ones.” —Ayn Rand

Ken West is the author of Get What You Want! Workbook... available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702.

How I Learned to Jump

2010-02-06T17:03:00.002-05:00

When I was in the Army I decided to join the Airborne and become a paratrooper. I had never jumped from a plane before and wasn’t particularly daring. I was also terrified of falling from great heights. The Army however, knows how to train its troops.

First we practiced falling and rolling on the ground without hurting ourselves. This is because the Army parachute is fast. Unlike civilian sport parachuting, military jumping is a life and death affair. They want you to get to the ground as fast as possible. So, we learned first by jumping off chair height platforms and rolling in such a way as to protect our elbows, head, and any projecting bony part of our body.

Then we spent a week jumping from telephone pole height platforms, strapped into a parachute harness, and transported across a wide expanse on steel wires. The toughest part of this was the harness digging into the tender parts of our bodies. On the third week we were individually hoisted up a 250 foot tower, fully harnessed with an open parachute. When we reached the top, we were released, and then we drifted down to a well-plowed and soft landing zone surrounding the tower. At each stage of the process our proficiency and confidence level increased.

Finally, it was the week for our five training jumps from an Army transport plane. If successful, each of us would be awarded our paratrooper wings after the fifth jump. The first jump was terrifying. The biggest worry was whether our parachute would open. It did. The next big worry was hitting the ground without breaking bones. Most of us were successful. Some landed in trees. A few soldiers refused to jump, and were dismissed from the Airborne school.

The fifth jump was the hardest. It was with heavy equipment (ammunition, M-16, body armor, mess kit, and a lot more). I landed hard on my tailbone. Thought I hurt myself, but I sprung up, collected my parachute, and ran to the reception area, a field about a half mile away. An officer came up to me and pinned on my paratrooper wings. It felt very good. The pain of the last jump disappeared. I was now a paratrooper.

Looking back on this experience, some key points about accomplishing anything worthwhile become evident. First you need a specific target. My goal was to successfully jump from a plane five times and earn my paratrooper wings. Secondly, you need motivation. In my case, I was motivated by my stomach. I had heard that the Airborne had the best food in the Army. Whether this was true or not, I also wanted to become part of an elite unit of the military.

Thirdly, you need to know how to do it, and the willingness to practice new techniques over and over to achieve mastery. Fortunately, the Army made sure that this happened. And finally, you need to believe that it is possible to achieve. If you don’t think it’s possible, you won’t try.

Ken West is the author of Get What You Want! Workbook... available worldwide on Amazon.com. In the U.S. at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702. Also available as a Kindle edition at
http://bit.ly/cdGQuF

If you would like Ken to speak to your group, business, or organization contact him with details at KenWest@BetterGripMedia.com.

Man Flips Switch—Comes Back To Life

2010-01-29T15:20:00.005-05:00

Man Flips Switch—Comes Back To Life

by Ken West

Ricardo was a formerly homeless man who had overcome alcoholism and went on to lead a successful life. He told the following story.

“I woke up one cold, raw morning, my head in the gutter, in a pool of green vomit with blood in it. It wasn’t the first time. But, this time I knew that I was going to die—unless I did something to save myself.
“It was like a switch in my brain that was stuck. I had to flip it. Didn’t know how to do it or if I could. It was life or death. If I stayed in the gutter I would die. I knew that for sure. So, with the greatest effort of my life I focused on what was in front of me. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. But, it was real.

“Slowly, I rose from the cold pavement. Took my first steps away from the gutter. I needed help. That was for sure. But all the help in the world wouldn’t be enough if I didn’t help myself first. I did. I stumbled in the direction of a local homeless shelter on skid row.

“I was filthy and stinking, and truly a putrid sight. There must have been something in my bloodshot eyes that convinced the guy at the front desk to call the shelter director. When he came down, I told him I needed help. I told him I would stop drinking, that I would work to better myself. He decided to help me.

“It took nine long months before I was employable, could find a job and a decent place to live. Day-by-day I got back on my feet. I think about it many times. If I hadn’t flipped that switch in my brain I wouldn’t be alive today.”

The switch Ricardo turned on was focus, the first and most essential choice that makes all other choices possible. Without focus—the capacity to turn on your mental awareness—even the simplest actions are out of your control.

Focus is volitional. Before that crucial moment in the gutter, Ricardo was living a life out of focus. He was a straw in the wind, at the mercy of random events. Once he focused—turned on his mental awareness and faced reality—he was ready to become a man again.

“Focus is the readiness to think and as such the precondition of thinking.” —Leonard Peikoff

* * * * *

Ken West is the author of Get What You Want!: Workbook to Reactivate Your Life, Find Your Passion and Achieve Your Dreams, available worldwide on Amazon.com. Available in the U.S. at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702

Eleven Suggestions for the Year Twenty-Ten and Beyond

2010-01-03T13:37:00.004-05:00

Eleven Suggestions for Living Life to its Fullest in 2010 and Beyond
by Ken West, author of Get What You Want!: Workbook http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702

1.Realize that your life span is limited, and that every day is irreplaceable.

2.Focus on what you are most passionate about.

3.Seek your dreams for the future, and believe they are possible.

4.Find your own purpose, and align it with your dreams and passion.
5.Choose goals that bring you closer to your dreams.

6.Divide goals into achievable, daily tasks.

7.Don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes. They are proof that you are doing something and moving toward your dreams.

8.Cultivate a network of positive people and influences in your life. Reject negativity from others and especially from yourself.

9.Make a prioritized to-do list of achievable tasks each day. Start with number one.

10.Finish what you begin, especially if it’s for the achievement of an important goal.

11.Despite what others may say—always take your dreams seriously.

Ken West, author of Get What You Want!: Workbook for Reactivating Your Passion for Life, Finding Your Purpose and Achieving Your Dreams, is a speaker and writer living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982577702 or http://bit.ly/4HVXNJ. It is also available as a Kindle edition on Amazon.

Answer to Ayn Rand Detractors from Academia

2009-10-15T20:16:00.001-04:00

The New York Times recently published an article about the dearth of Women philosophers. They had a photo of Ayn Rand at the beginning of the article. Some snide commentators complained that Rand wasn't a philosopher. Here was my published response to them:

Ayn Rand's sin, for which she can't be forgiven by many academics, is that her writing is intelligible to the general public. She wrote philosophical novels that continue to be accessible to the man and woman in the street. She believed in the power of reason. She rejected the mind-body dichotomy. She wrote about the supreme power and practicality of moral ideas. And she created a philosophical system—Objectivism—for anyone who may be interested, not just philosophers.

Perhaps Rand's greatest sin, however, was her total rejection of altruism as a moral ideal. For this, she will never be forgiven by those on the political left and right who realize that altruism is the lynchpin of everything they profess to believe.

Those who think that philosophy should help them lead a productive and successful life owe Ayn Rand a debt of gratitude for her sin of clarity.

Here's the link to the article and comments:

http://ideas.blogs.nytimes..com/2009/10/02/a-dearth-of-women-philosophers/?scp=2&sq=ayn&st=cse&apage=4#comment-26147

Speed Pandemic Threatens Pedestrians

2009-05-23T08:55:00.016-04:00

On a warm, tropical night, two tourists strolled along a sidewalk to their hotel. A white sports car roared down the street, racing with another vehicle. Suddenly it jumped the curb, hitting and instantly killing the two pedestrians. The driver swerved back on the road, speeding away into the night.

The dead bodies of the tourists were found on the grass beside the sidewalk in front of their hotel. An eye witness later told police that the speeding cars were going so fast he couldn't see what kind they were, just two white cars.

Cops found the abandoned, banged-up sports car miles away. The driver turned up a week later. He had a previous felony conviction for reckless driving. His license had expired.

Although an extreme case, this shows why pedestrians are in particular danger from speeders. Speed itself is not the problem. Inappropriate speed, not suited to the conditions of the road, is the potential killer.

Any mistake by a speeder can have fatal consequences. Yet, drivers routinely speed dangerously on secondary roads where men, women, and children walk peacefully along sidewalks. And where there are no sidewalks, it's even more dangerous.

The world suffers from a pandemic of inappropriate speed. One way to break its grip is to demand that local political leaders provide the funding and resources to fight this speeding pandemic. How many pedestrians and innocent drivers must die before this problem is put on the front burner of public policy?

What is Traffic Safety?

2005-03-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

What does "traffic safety" mean? The answers you get depend on who you ask. Those who think big government knows best define traffic safety as manufacturing safer cars, implementing nationwide seat belt laws, and designing better highways. Sounds reasonable. Yet, we already have safer cars than ever before, states across the U.S. are passing and enforcing seat belt laws, and highways are improving. Why then do we have a steady annual death rate from traffic accidents of more than 40,000 men, women, and children? And, why do we have a horrific toll of accident survivors in the millions if a top down, big government approach is working? The answer: it's not.

Safer cars and highways are not enough. They give a false sense of security. The reason that the death rates haven't improved is that more people are driving too fast for the conditions on the road. Speed itself is not the problem; inappropriate speed is. Bad drivers cause the majority of traffic accidents. You can have the best cars and highways in the world, but reckless drivers--those who speed beyond any reasonable criteria, those who zoom in and out of lanes as if they are driving in a video game--will continue to turn driving into a stressful battlefield.

So what will reverse this deadly trend? What will work is a two-pronged approach: 1) Reward good drivers, and 2) Crack down on bad drivers. The carrot and the stick. Reward the good and punish the bad. That's what will make "traffic safety" a reality. Future posts will consider ways to do this.

Traffic safety is the process of creating a climate of law and order on the road. Not a police state, but a consistent and rational process of ensuring that people can travel from point A to point B without fearing for their lives.

Test Your Road Brains with this World Travel Quiz

2005-02-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

What is the leading cause of death or serious injury to healthy tourists travelling abroad?

A) Terrorism; B) Crime; C) Infection; D) Traffic Accidents; E) Drowning

The answer may be one of the best-kept secrets of world travel. According to statistics from international travel organizations, traffic accidents are the number one cause of death and serious injury to healthy tourists travelling abroad, especially in the developing countries of the world.

Based on available statistics, which country is one of the most dangerous to drive?

A) Egypt; B) United States; C) Finland; D) United Kingdom; E) Morocco

The answer is Egypt, where you are about forty times more likely to be killed in a road accident than in the United States. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT): "Egypt has the highest recorded deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometers, 44.0 to be exact, of countries that provide data to international road safety organizations." By way of comparison, the U.S. has 1.1 fatalities per 100 million vehicle kilometers, and the UK is even lower at 0.9. (A kilometer equals 0.62140 of a mile.)

What is the second most dangerous place in the world to drive?

A) Israel; B) Japan; C) Greece; D) Kenya; E) France

Want to see some of the world’s most magnificent wildlife? Kenya is your place. But be aware of this fact: it comes in at second place as the most dangerous country to drive, with close to 40 deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometers traveled.

What are three of the safest countries to drive in the world?

A) Sri Lanka, Ecuador and Czech Republic
B) Japan, Switzerland and Australia
C) U.S., Finland and Portugal
D) United Kingdom, Sweden and Netherlands
E) Republic of Korea, Turkey and Slovenia

The answer is "D," the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands, all with about 0.9 fatalities per 100 million vehicles kilometers.

If you witness a traffic accident while travelling through Mexico, which of the following actions could lengthen your stay considerably?

A) Reporting it to the authorities.
B) Honking your horn three times.
C) Calling a local tow truck.
D) Driving carefully around the accident.
E) Flashing your bright lights.

Mexico is a beautiful and exciting place to visit. Unfortunately, if you witness an accident and report it to the authorities, you could be staying longer than you anticipated. You could be locked up, along with the guilty parties, as a witness—just to make sure that you don’t leave the area. Automobile accidents are a felony offense in Mexico.

What country has one of the highest fatality rates in Europe?

A) Germany; B) Portugal; C) Greece; D) France; E) Spain

The answer is Portugal, with about 6.1 deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometers. "Excessive speeds, unpredictable driving habits, and reckless motorcyclists" are among the hazards outlined in a U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.

What is safety rule number one for driving in the developing world?

A) Never smile at a passing stranger.
B) Call the police if you see an accident.
C) Avoid night driving.
D) Honk your horn as much as possible.
E) Scan the horizon for flocks of birds and low-flying aircraft.

The answer is C, avoid night driving whenever possible. In many regions of the world, drivers leave their headlights off at night until another car approaches. Drunkenness is also a big problem. Also, figure in bad road conditions with poor visibility—a dangerous mix.

What three sentences (in the native language of each country) could save your life, especially if you plan to utilize limousines, cabs, or buses?

A) "Where is my Embassy? Where did you get your license? No, I don’t want to go there."
B) "How much? Where are you taking me? Please explain."
C) "Thank you. No problem. Have a nice day."
D) "I’m hungry. I’m a vegetarian. Where can I eat?."
E) "Slow down. Stop! Let me out."

The answer is E. According to Rochelle Sobel, founder and executive director of ASIRT, tourists need to assertively make their wishes known when they are placed in life-threatening situations by dangerous taxi, limousine, and bus drivers. Learning to say "Slow down," or "Stop!" or "Let me out" in the native tongue of the country could save your life.

Here are three things that you can do to prepare for road travel abroad and ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. (All are correct.)

A) Find out the dangers you may face on the road. There are many souces of information. Here are three: ASIRT at http://www.asirt.org/ or the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov/ or DSL at http://www.driveandstayalive.com/.

B) If possible, get the name of a competent doctor and medical facility in the country you will be visiting.

C) Avoid overcrowded buses and minivans. Ask trusted local people which bus company they would recommend.

Finally, remember that the purpose of being road safety conscious is not to cause undue worry, but rather to help you maximize your enjoyment and savor the opportunities that each country has to offer. Traffic accidents, however, are not one of them. Bon Voyage.

Ken West
Editor of Roadbrains

Five Ways to Make Driving Safer

2005-01-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

1) Drive Defensively. Although "defensive driving" has fallen out of favor with some experts, it's still the best way to stay accident free and alive on the road.

2) Encourage the police to enforce traffic laws, especially speed limits. Most major police departments abandoned consistent traffic law enforcement a long time ago. Yet, as far as the tremendous toll of lives lost, injuries, and property damage, traffic accidents have almost no equal.

3) Install Red Light cameras at dangerous intersections. This one is controversial, with opponents calling it yet another manifestation of "Big Brother." We will answer this charge in an upcoming column, also giving examples of where Red Light cameras are working to save lives by stopping the epidemic of red light running. And, it's a way for us to be able to accomplish goal number 2 above.

4) Have vehicle safety inspections annually. When I was young and drove old junk boxes, I hated safety inspections. Before my car ever made it into the inspection bay, inspectors would shake their heads, telling me not to even bother coming in. Yet, it's the best way to ensure that people are not driving around on bald tires, with cars or trucks ready to fall apart as they speed down the highway. Surprisingly, not all states require these inspections. More about this in a future update.

5) Make it safer for pedestrians. Try to cross the street at a major intersection. It's time consuming and dangerous. And, be on the lookout for red light runners. Your life could depend on it. If crossing the street could be made safer, it could help create a more civilized and tolerant traffic environment. All of us, drivers and pedestrians alike, will benefit.

These five steps could make our roads much safer and driving more pleasurable. To accomplish them, we will need to let our local and state representatives know that this is an important, life and death issue. The best roads and highways in the world do not guarantee traffic safety. Only driver behavior can do that. And, only rational and consistent enforcement will be able to convince many motorists to drive responsibly.

- Ken West, Editor of Roadbrains

Let us know what you think. Your ideas, questions, and constructive comments are welcome and appreciated.

Blowing the Whistle

2005-01-18T14:22:00.000-05:00

Imagine you’re at a skating rink. Lots of people skate around the rink having a good time. Two skate guards (like referees at a hockey game) make sure that no one skates recklessly. Suddenly, some new skaters enter the rink, weaving in and out among the crowd at high rates of speed. People start to scatter. It’s becoming a dangerous situation.

Skate guards blow their whistles, motioning the speeders to slow down. They get up close to the offenders and warn them to skate responsibly or get off the ice. The speeders obey grudgingly. You and the rest of the skaters get back to the joy of skating. The skate guards (or referees) help prevent accidents, allowing people to skate safely and enjoy skating.

Now, let’s take it out to the highway. This time, you’re driving, not skating. Imagine being able to drive from point A to point B without having tailgaters, speeders, and reckless drivers turning your commute into a stressful game of life and death. Driving today is dangerous. There’s little room for error. One false turn could ruin your day or kill you.

The police, who are responsible for maintaining law and order on the roads, are seldom around. They show up in large numbers after an accident. They should also be acting as referees. They need to be visible. What would have happened at the skating rink if there had been no skate guards?

When’s the last time that you sat in an endless traffic jam waiting for an accident scene to be cleared away? Ever wonder why the speeding and weaving outlaws on the highways are multiplying? Do you worry about your loved ones driving? Talk to those who have survived serious accidents. Ask them how long it takes to heal—if ever. It’s time, money, energy, and lives wasted forever.

So, what can we do? We can demand that local and state police enforce traffic laws. Lots of phone calls, e-mails, and letters will get the attention of politicians and police. We’re not asking for a police state, only a proper balance of law and order. The death defying mayhem that exists on the roads today is unacceptable. Simply stated, we need more referees—police or their representatives—on our roads and highways. Otherwise, driving will remain a deadly game, one that we can’t afford to lose.

Drivers will always test the limits of appropriate speed and driving behavior. The representatives of the law must blow the whistle and tell them to drive responsibly or get off the road. What do you think?

Ken West, Editor of Roadbrains