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- Wise Words -
The Power of Focus
by len bilello

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In the summer of 2013, I walked bare foot on coals that were measured at 1,000 °F (538 °C).

I not just lived to tell the tale, I loved it!
 
I walked on coals at the end of the first night of a Tony Robbins seminar. I was in Paramus New Jersey, at 10 PM on a Friday night, and I was with about 700 other people. I can’t remember a time where I was equally excited and scared.
 
Some people think that these “Fire Walks” are tricks, or the coals are not very hot. For those that think this is a trick, feel free to Google “fire walk accident Houston Texas” where you will read that injuries can and do occur while walking on ridiculously hot coals.
 
There are three things that are absolutely 100% true about walking 10 yards on 1,000-degree hot coals in your bare feet:
1. It’s not a trick,
2. The coals are very very hot
3. It’s not a trick 

When you are about to walk on crazy hot coals in your bare feet, here are some things you do not think about:
1. Your mortgage, rent or student loan payments
2. A PowerPoint presentation or Excel spreadsheet you need to finish
3. Texting, social media, etc.
4. Your plans for the weekend

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To complete this fire walk, or to complete any seemingly daunting task in life you need at least three things: 
1. Cadence, a belief system,
2.  Confidence, and most of all you need 
3.  FOCUS.

Let’s explore these and how they work together to help you achieve important things.

Cadence refers to a learned rhythm or a pattern. When you walk on fire, you learn, watch and study how others have done it. At the Tony Robbins seminar, Tony and his staff taught us everything we needed to know about walking on fire for ten yards. The learning and preparation for what would be a five or six second walk last several hours. We learned about the proper stride, the correct posture, arm positions while walking, and where to look when walking. Once we learned these things, we reviewed them again, and then again. And then once more.
 
Belief System and Confidence: Walking on hot coals requires that you believe you can do this. Your beliefs grant you confidence. This is not some pie in the sky self-help gibberish. The word Confidence originates from the Latin phrase: Con Fidelio:

Con (With)    Fidelio (Faith).

Being Confident is to have faith. Have faith in your learning and have faith in yourself.
 
We learned that others had accomplished this. These people were no different than us, and when approached properly, the laws of physics allow a human to walk on hot coals for about 10 yards or so.
 
Focus: For hours, the staff taught us to think about only one thing—walking across these burning coals safely and briskly. We practiced 20 times or more before we hit the firey coals. We talked in small groups about the proper technique, mindset and focus. We were instructed that for five to six seconds, the only thing on our mind was to focus on walking across these 1,000-degree coals. And we practiced some more.
 
And then at 10 PM, there we are. Several hundred adults aged 21-70, in a dimly lit parking lot in Paramus New Jersey. There are scores of lanes of red-hot coals laid out on the parking lot reflecting their light back at us. We lined up single file. Our socks and shoes removed.  We were not silent. We had to get into a state and to help with this, supported each other with words, gestures, and touch –very similar to when baseball teams will cheer and encourage each other from the dug out.  There was a lot of words of encouragement, patting each other on the back, positive feelings and beliefs and comradely. And then in a controlled, single file, one person at a time, we each walked barefoot across those extremely hot ruby red charcoals. (And being in New Jersey, yes, some of us went to a diner afterwards to celebrate)  
 
My bare footed walk across 10 yards of hot coals lasted about five seconds.  I’ll never know what winning World Series or Super Bowl feels like, but I imagine it feels a lot like the feeling you get when you walk successfully across hot coals. Both accomplishments involve a group of people with a common goal, who prepared together, and achieved a very difficult feat.
 
I have read where sporting champions often can’t sleep after their big victory and they can’t wait to do it again the next year.  If you ever do walk on hot coals the feeling will be similar.  You’ll be giddy, proud and amazed at what you accomplished!  Sleep won't come easily, but that’s OK.  You will think about doing it again, but you're happy to wait about a year to do it because the preparation and focus can be draining but very worth it.
 
In the year 2000 Britney Spears sang, “Oops, I Did It Again,” Well two years later in August of 2015, I did the Fire Walk again. You always remember your first time in anything, but the 2nd time Fire Walk was almost as special as the first and I think I even savored it more the second time.
 
So if you think you can’t do something, there’s an excellent chance you are wrong. Learning, Confidence and Focus are the keys to accomplishing anything that can realistically be done. I know this first hand.


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When not walking on fire, Len Bilello is VP Demand Partnerships and Programmatic Sales at the popular music and culture website, ConsequenceofSound.net  Len has worked at Doubleclick, CNET, The Food Network and USA Today. When not working Len loves his daughter, family, motorcycle touring and the New York Mets.

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More Wise Words...

Achieve: Focus on Results
​
Achieve: Leading from the Start
Achieve: Small is BIG
Achieve: Take Action
Career Management: Annual Review. A "How To"
Career Management: Annual Review. As Career Plan
Career Management: Choosing a Mentor
Career Management: Careers Happen
Career Management: Career Journey
Career Management: Mentorship Explained
​
Career Management: Post Graduate Degrees
Career Management: Promotion Frustration 
Career Management: Moving up by moving out
Career Management: Selecting Your Company
Career Management: Understand Yourself
Finances: Retirement Saving (1)
Finances: Retirement Saving (2)
Hindsight: Balance the short- with the long-term
​Hindsight: Embrace learning and your manager
Hindsight: Focus at Work
Hindsight: Millennial Reflections
Hindsight: Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
​Hindsight: Take Advice Sparingly
Hindsight: Take a Career Mulligan
​
Hindsight: Transition from College
Hindsight: Winning Nicely
Hindsight: Work hard, network, be honest. Have fun too!
Managing Up: Manage Up to Move Up
Managing Up: Manager As Partner
Managing Up: New Manager
Managing Up: Questions for your manager
Managing Up: Secret Skills for Managing Up
​
People & Teamwork: Be A Giver
​
People & Teamwork: LinkedIn As Networking
People & Teamwork: Networking Hacks
People & Teamwork: Networking as a Relationship
People & Teamwork: Networking Simplified
People & Teamwork: Teamwork As Leadership
Speedbumps: Chutes & Ladders
​
Speedbumps: Laid Off? Take A Breath
Speedbumps: Layoffs. The Afterlife
Speedbumps: Owning Mistakes
Work Life: Work Culture. America vs. UK
Work Life: Ask Why
Work Life: Be Yourself. Be Genuine
​
Work Life: Browned Out?
Work Life: Business Travel Guide
Work Life: Calendar Management
Work Life: Difficult Situations
Work Life: Focus on Fiyah!
​Work Life: Ghosting
​
Work Life: Help the Early Stage Professionals
Work Life: International Remote Working
Work Life: Pre-Vacation Checklist
Work Life: Smartphones & The Office
​Work Life: Start-Up Glamor
Work Life: Stress Management
Work Life: Take a Walk
​
Work Life: They Quit
Work Life: Unlimited Vacation
Work Life: Welcome the Newbies
Work Life: "Work" from Home

Crushing It @ Work

What Time Should I Start? 
What If I am Running Late? 
Taking Vacation
Sick Days 
Working Outside Office Hours
​
How to prepare for One/Ones
Making Meetings on Time 
Business Presentations 
Social Media, Personal Email and Hanging Out on the Web
Give it Six to Nine Months to Feel @Home
Be Your-professional-self
Staying Positive

Job Search Must Do's

Resume
The Application Letter 
​
The Free Conundrum: Should You Take an Unpaid Internship?
Informational Interviews 
Taking a Shortcut: Using Your Network 
Dealing with a Low GPA
​Responding to Recruiters
The Job Interview
Interview Questions
Questions You Should Ask
Simulations 
Interviews with Other Applicants
Dealing with References
Negotiating Your Salary
How to Resign (if you already have a job)
​
The First Week
You Don't Get the Job: Getting Feedback
​Keeping Motivated Through the Search

USA Today Columns by Fergus Mellon

How to get started on LinkedIn: Do this, not that
Warning: Avoid smartphone shame at work.  Keep them out of sight
To succeed, be a Giver in the workplace, not a Taker
4 ghoulish personality pitfalls to steer clear of at the office
​
How to coach today's not so entitled Millennials as they join the rat race

Crushing IT

Money

Library

WISE WORDS

Bureaucracy

Copyright © 2016 - 2020
  • Home
  • Getting a job
    • Must Do's - Resume
    • Must Do's - Application Letter
    • Must Do's - Internships
    • Groundwork - Informational Interviews
    • Groundwork - Your Network
    • Groundwork - GPA Issues
    • Groundwork - Recruiters
    • Dealing with Rejection - Feedback
    • Dealing with Rejection - Keeping Motivated
    • Closing the Deal - The Interview
    • Closing the Deal - Interview Q's
    • Closing the Deal - Your Questions
    • Closing the Deal - Simulations
    • Closing the Deal - Group Interviews
    • Closing the Deal - References
    • Signing On - Salary Negotiation
    • Signing On - How to Resign
    • Signing On - First Week
  • Crushing It
    • The Hours - What Time Should I Start
    • The Hours - What If I Am Running Late?
    • The Hours - Taking Vacation
    • The Hours - Sick Days
    • The Hours - Working Outside Office Hours
    • Professional Skills - One/Ones
    • Professional Skills- Making Meetings on Time
    • Professional Skills - Business Presentations
    • Professional Skills - Social Media, Personal Email
    • A Level Head - Feeling @ Home
    • A Level Head - Be YourProfessionalSelf
    • A Level Head- Staying Positive
  • Wise Words
    • Achieve - Focus on the Results
    • Achieve - Leading from the Start
    • Achieve - Showcase Your Work
    • Achieve - Small is BIG
    • Achieve - Take Action
    • Achieve - Your New Job. A Plan
    • Career Management - Annual Review
    • Career Management - Annual Review Feedback Meeting
    • Career Management - Annual Review: How to Guide
    • Career Management - Career Contentment
    • Career Management - Careers Happen
    • Career Management - Career Journey
    • Career Management - Choosing a Mentor
    • Career Management - Discomfort Is Good
    • Career Management - Freelancing and Employment Gaps
    • Career Management - Mentally Healthy Choices
    • Career Management - Mentorship Explained
    • Career Management - Post Graduate Degrees
    • Career Management - Promotion Frustration
    • Career Management - Promotions. Move out to move up
    • Career Management - Selecting Your Company
    • Career Management - Understand Yourself
    • Finances - Preparing for a Downturn
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (1)
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (2)
    • Hindsight - Balance the Short- with Long -term
    • Hindsight - Embrace Learning & Your Manager
    • Hindsight - Focus at Work
    • Hindsight - Millennial Reflections
    • Hindsight - Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
    • Hindsight - Take a Career Mulligan
    • Hindsight - Take Advice Sparingly
    • Hindsight - Transition from College
    • Hindsight - Winning Nicely
    • Hindsight - Work Hard. Be Honest. Have Fun
    • Managing Up - Manager as Partner
    • Managing Up - Manage Up to Move Up
    • Managing Up - Mastering Your Manager
    • Managing Up - New Manager
    • Managing Up - Questions For Your Manager
    • Managing Up - Secret Skills of Managing Up
    • Managing Up - Yes Power
    • People & Teamwork - Be a Giver
    • People & Teamwork - First Time Manager
    • People & Teamwork - LinkedIn as Networking
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Hacks
    • People & Teamwork - Networking as Relationship
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Simplified
    • People & Teamwork - Reputations Travel
    • People & Teamwork - Teamwork as Leadership
    • Sliding Doors - Decision Paths
    • Sliding Doors - Success Requires Luck
    • Speed Bumps - Chutes & Ladders
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs & Survivors Guilt
    • Speed Bumps - Laid Off? Take a Breath
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs. The After Life
    • Speed Bumps - Owning Mistakes
    • Work Life - American Work Culture
    • Work Life - Ask Why
    • Work Life - Be Yourself. Be Genuine
    • Work Life - Browned Out?
    • Work Life - Business Travel Guide
    • Work Life - Calendar Management
    • Work Life - Change is Certain
    • Work Life - Difficult Situations
    • Worklife - Focus on Fiyah
    • Work Life - Ghosting
    • Work Life - Help the Early Stage Professionals
    • Work Life- International Remote Working
    • Work Life - In the Zoom
    • Work Life - Mom Skills
    • Work Life - Office As A Stage
    • Work Life - Office Ghouls
    • Work Life - Pre Vacation Checklist
    • Work Life - Returning to Work
    • Work Life - Smartphones & The Office
    • Work Life - Speak Up
    • Work Life - Stage Fright
    • Work Life - Startup Glamour
    • Work Life - Stress Management
    • Work Life - Take A Walk
    • Work Life - Tasks We Hate
    • Work Life - They Quit
    • Work Life - Unlimited Vacation
    • Worklife - Vacation Overview
    • Work Life - Welcome the Newbies
    • Work Life - "Work" From Home
  • Money
    • Money - The Basics
    • Money - Saving for Retirement
    • Money - Retirement Saving
  • Library
    • Book Reviews
    • Webinar Hub
    • USA Today Columns
    • Buy Early Stage Professional
    • Bureaucracy
  • Help Center
    • Annual Reviews
    • Career Speed Bumps
    • Managing Up
    • Promotions & Career Planning
    • Stress Management