Denny Strecker’s Blog

Try this experiment: Sit straight in a chair. Place one hand on your lower stomach and the other on your chest. Take a very deep breath through your nose. Which hand rises? If your chest rises instead of your stomach, you are breathing incorrectly and are restricting your oxygen intake.

When we are under extreme stress, our physiological/mental/emotional systems react to it the way they would react to an actual physical threat. This unconscious reflex causes our muscles to tighten to prepare us for making a life-saving “fight or flight” response. Most of us automatically tighten our stomach muscles and diaphragm - and, as a result, we stop breathing normally. We begin to breathe with our chest muscles, which does nothing but expand the upper chest. This causes shortness of breath, a decrease in our oxygen supply, and anxiety. And if the anxiety is severe, it can diminish our ability to think or act effectively.

To alleviate this problem, practice the following exercises.

1. Learn to breathe properly. Lie on your back on your bed. Place your hand on your lower stomach. Breathe deeply through your nose, focusing on directing the breath to your stomach. When you breathe out, press gently on your stomach to push the air out. Repeat the process, taking a break after every third breath. Practice for five minutes a day.

2. Practice deep breathing throughout the day. Take a deep breath every time the phone rings, before you start your car, every time you look at your watch, when you wake up, when you go to bed, before you eat. Your body will be more relaxed, your mind will be clearer, and you will have less anxiety.

When it comes to making changes and achieving goals in your life, the process is actually quite simple. We complicate the matter by - well, complicating the matter. So let’s take something basic and simple you do everyday and analyze the “success” process.

Each and every day of your life you “get hungry.” And when you get hungry you ask yourself, “What do I want to eat?” After asking this question your brain scans the data and comes up with a mental image of a specific food. Once you see that image in your mind you say something like this, “Yeah, I want that.” Then guess what you do? Yet get up and do whatever it takes to eat the food that you chose.

Now, in case you think this is overly simplistic, you’re right. And this exact sequence is precisely what you go through when you want to accomplish matters more serious than your next meal. Ask yourself, “What do I want?” Once you get the answer in the form of a mental image, mentally choose it by saying, “Yes, I want that.” Then do whatever it takes to bring it into your reality.

Have you ever gotten up in the morning with an overwhelming feeling that you’re going to have an awesome day? I’ll bet you have at one time or another.

Would you be interested in knowing how you can make that feeling happen more often? How about all of the time?

Okay, here goes…Did you know that most people go to bed with thoughts such as "Damn, I’m really tired" in their head? Well, it’s true. And guess what? If you go to bed thinking, "I’m really tired," - when you awaken the next day, you will still be saying "I’m really tired" to yourself.

You’ve probably experienced this yourself. I certainly have. But once I heard that there was another way to put myself to sleep, and that I would wake up feeling much different, I jumped on it.

I’m sure you’ve experienced days in which you woke up excited. Maybe it was the night before you went on a vacation. Even if you set your electronic rooster for 7 a.m., you probably woke up before it went off.

Why? Because you were "pumped" before going to bed.

Seriously think about this: Why type of thoughts did you have before going to bed the night before a vacation? I can assure you that your thoughts were more along the lines of "Tomorrow is going to be great. I can’t wait."

The above paragraph contains the secret to waking up feeling great! Before going to bed at night, consciously choose your thoughts. Tell your subconscious mind what you want it to do for you while you sleep. Sometimes I tell it to wake me up at a certain hour (without an alarm clock). Sometimes I ask for an answer to a question. At other times I simply tell myself, "Tomorrow is going to be awesome. I’m going to do something great!!"

You can do the same and reap the benefits as well.

Don’t believe it works? I don’t blame you. But before you completely make up your mind, experiment with this method for a few days. Then you will truly KNOW that today’s tip can work for you too.

I want to tell you about your SECRET POWER.

Whether we are talking about success in fitness, sports, academics or the marketplace, everyone has this SECRET POWER at his disposal - and it will work every single time, if you use it.

This secret power is nothing more than having a daily regimen. I know, it sounds too simple. And it really is simple. But hardly anyone else does it.

The masses flap, flop and flounder. They have no idea what to do from one day to the next, and they is why they fail.

The person who follows a daily regimen of exercise, work or study quickly rises above the herd and becomes better than even he can imagine.

And it doesn’t take that much.

For example, if you do calisthenics for thirty minutes per day, every day, without missing a beat, I can guarantee you that after one year, you’ll be in amazing shape compared to how you look and feel now.

Your regimen may be as simple as 100 assorted pushups, 100 assorted squats and 100 assorted abdominal exercises. Follow this everyday and you’ll be amazed at how much it helps you.

Because I understand the power of daily regimen, I wholeheartedly recommend it in my training sessions. Those who don’t recognize its power would prefer to only Ytrain twice a month. On a regimen like that, you aren’t going to be training for more than a couple of months. You’ll have so many diversions that you’ll forget you were even on a schedule.

Daily regimens guarantee your success.

Today’s story is by Gary Eby and makes a great point that you have to plan to be successful. Things don’t just happen. Great parents are great because they planned and prepared to be parents. Great leaders are great because they planned and prepared to lead. Read this article and then leave a comment on what you are going to plan for.

There are laws! In fact there are certain immutable laws. These laws cannot and will not change. They have not only stood the test of time, they have been in existence since the dawning of time. As surely as there is day and night and as surely as there is good and bad, there is seedtime and harvest. Always has been…always will be. It is the nature of things. In fact, it is essential to the cycle of life.

Without seedtime and harvest there would be no procreation. There would be no crops. There would be no food. Seedtime and harvest are the most basic fundamentals of perpetuating life on plant Earth as we now know it! Most people aren’t aware of this law or it’s far reaching implications. So, let’s examine this concept and discover how it affects our lives, our families, and our business.

Seedtime and Harvest…How does this affect my life?

In basic terms, you reap what you sow! When you plant bananas you reap bananas. When you plant apples you reap apples. Most of us accept this as a self evident truism. Why does it seem far fetched then, to realize that when you sow discord you’ll reap discord in your life? People who sow strife, reap strife. People who sow joy, reap joy! What you plant into other peoples lives will someday, somehow be reaped in your own life. You are what you are today because of seeds you’ve sown in the past. You have what you have today, because of seeds you’ve sown in the past. Today is the harvest of yesterday’s seeds! Life is a garden…can you dig it? You reap what you sow!

How does Seedtime and Harvest affect my family?

More than you’ll ever know! What are you planting into your children? Are you planting time? What about faith? How about integrity? What do they hear at the movie when you are asked their age? Do you somehow justify a "little white lie?" In my experience, the "little white lies" usually turn into "double feature Technicolor!" If you want champions for children then you need to be planting the seeds of greatness. Plant love! Reap love! Plant big dreams and you’ll reap a President or missionary, or a giant of industry! What are you planting into your wife…or your husband?

Kindness…forgiveness…gentleness? Their hearts are fields that you plant into daily. What you reaping? The law of the harvest says that what you sow, you will reap? We should stop and think every time we open our mouth to speak to our spouse. Will this edify or build them up, or will it tear them down? You see, there are no useless words. They either bless or curse. They either build or destroy! We have two ears…and one tongue. Maybe we should listen twice and speak once. What is your harvest in your family? Maybe it’s time to examine your crops…then examine your seeds.

Make yourself a seed!

You can only duplicate yourself by becoming a seed. This can work for or against you. When you plant a single seed a miracle happens. A plant grows and at harvest time the plant produces hundreds of like seeds. An apple seed produces an apple. That apple has numerous seeds. Plant them and you’ll have numerous apples…again with numerous seeds. A single seed can someday produce an entire field of apple trees. The same law of seedtime and harvest applies in your business. If you plant bad seeds into your downline like complaining, bad principles, or laziness, you’ll have an entire downline of lazy complainers with bad principles. They will duplicate accordingly. No one will make any money. They’ll all quit! You’ll either get discouraged and quit or have to start all over again! Wouldn’t it be better to sow seeds of greatness? "Teach your children well!" These famous words to a so ng apply to networking! Make yourself a seed. Plant your talents and gifts into the lives of your downline. Make sure they succeed. If they succeed, you will! Because you reap what you sow. It should be firmly established in your heart by now that if you’ll adjust your thinking from "what’s in it for me" to "what can I do to help", you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Seedtime and Harvest!

This video is approximately 5 minutes long. Please leave your comments about the event.

Friendship counts. Whatever your life goals are, you’ll achieve them faster and enjoy them more completely if you surround yourself with good friends - and if you yourself are a good friend to those around you.

Based on my experience, I’d say that a good friendship is a relationship of good intent. A good friend is someone who wishes you well, who cares about your problems, who enjoys your triumphs, and who will sacrifice for you. On the other hand, a bad friendship is based on taking rather than giving. A bad friend is one who just sees you as a resource, as a person he can get something from.

Here’s a test that you can use to determine whether you are (or someone you know is) the right kind of friend or
the "what’s-in-it-for-me?" type…

How strongly do you identify with the following comments?

1. "When I am introduced to someone, I am primarily concerned with that person’s importance - financial, political, commercial, etc. - to me or my world."

2. "If I meet someone who has nothing to give me or teach me - or who can’t even amuse me - I act civilly but coolly."

3. "The best thing about having friends is that they are willing to listen to my problems."

4. "The next-best thing about friends is that they will do business with my honey/spouse."

5. "Another value of friendship is that if I get into serious financial trouble, my friends will be financially capable of helping me out."

Rate yourself (or your friend) on a scale of 1 to 4 for each of the above statements, with 4 representing "strongly agree" and 1 representing "strongly disagree."

If you scored a perfect 20, consider yourself on your way to a major career in politics or Hollywood. (I’m guessing.)

If you scored a perfect 5, you will be happy for the rest of your life.

If you scored somewhere in between, decide for yourself which direction you want to move in.

Would You Let a Bird Build a Nest in Your Hair?

Many of the problems people experience come from problems in their thinking. They are tormented by the thoughts of fear; they rehearse past injuries; they are critical of themselves and of others.

Understand this: You have absolute control over the thoughts in your brain. You get to pick and choose which thoughts you allow in.

Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, once said, "Thoughts are like a big flock of birds flying over your head. You can’t stop them from flying over…but you can stop one from building a nest in your hair."

Thoughts of unforgiveness; thoughts of fear; critical thoughts; thoughts of potential disaster…will always tempt you.

When a thought like this suggests itself to you, you can receive it…or refuse it.

Use this phrase when confronted with a negative thought:

"That’s NOT my thought!"

Every parent, at one time or another, has asked their children to stop playing and come do something else, whether it’s cleaning up, eating dinner, or going to karate class. And every parent has experienced the resistance a child can raise when asked to change activities.

You see, there is one source which drives children’s life management skills - Instant Gratification. Children are so caught up in what they are doing - right now - that they are unable to realize that anything else matters.

If it was up to them, kids wouldn’t do anything except those things that are fun and exciting to them.

Now, as adults, we all know that there are other things which exist and matter. We have learned that instant gratification is no way to determine the path of our lives (except for some adults who seem to be stuck in “terminal childhood!).

I personally know two adults who illustrate this point. The first was fortunate to have parents who played an active role in his character development. They helped to mold his future, and were involved with his responsibilities, such as homework, youth groups, and other activities. They taught him to handle these responsibilities effectively.

Of course, like any other child, he did not always want to do his homework. He didn’t always feel like leaving his friends to go to karate, either. But he did go on to earn his Black Belt from “Denny Strecker’s Karate.” Now he is in medical school!

The second person only wanted to do things that were fun. Whenever his parents asked him to do something that he considered boring, he would put up such a fuss that eventually his parents would give in. They were tired of arguing with him. He never wanted to do anything constructive - he’d rather watch TV or play with his friends. By the time he reached Junior High, he and his friends had too much time on their hands and often wound up in trouble. It was all quite fun for him - but obviously, it wasn’t productive at all. In high school, he learned how to skip classes without getting caught - they were too boring for him.

Both of these young men are the same age. The first is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, and can’t wait to get into the “real world” and help people. The second, on the other hand, is in the “real world” and can’t keep track of how many jobs he’s had. He has no real education, is always short on money, has no plans for the future, and is not happy.

Thinking about these two young men reminds me of what Mark Twain once said: “If you think education is expensive…try ignorance.” Someday, these young men will probably have children… and hopefully they’ll take the time to mold their children’s future.

As concerned parents, we must be able to see things that other parents can’t. We must be able to look at the big picture - and put our children’s desires into perspective. Not only do we need to teach our kids to plan for the future, we also have to do everything we can to keep them focused, active, and productive.

Even parents who do “everything right” won’t necessarily have the “perfect child.” But the “perfect child” never comes from a family who doesn’t take the time to teach, guide, and nurture their child - even forcing them to do the things which are in their best long-term interest.

No doubt, there will be a time when you child will put up a fuss about going to karate. She won’t want to stop what she’s doing - but once she gets to class, she’ll have a great time. You might even ask yourself if you’re doing the right thing. When this happens, ask yourself “Which of these activities is in the best long-term interest of my child?” “Which will help them create a path to success?” “Which will help develop her character?” Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll know that you made the right decision.

As you already know, discipline is an important part of our classes here at “Denny Strecker’s Karate.” We believe that it is critically important for our students to learn discipline in the classroom - so that they will have discipline in all areas of their lives. As we teach this important life skill, our students develop two types of discipline: External and Internal.

External discipline is the kind that is imposed on one person by another. Once I was at a ball game when I saw external discipline at its extreme - a mother was yelling at her son for spilling his soda… her veins were popping out of her neck, and the mean expression on her face was only intensified when she turned bright red.

This mom brought back memories of a teacher I once had, who was very strict, and always lost her temper. She was quick to yell and to take away fun things like recess, giving us instead lengthy assignments.

External discipline has one advantage - it gets immediate results. The recipients will quickly fall into line out of fear of punishment. However, the down side is that external discipline is often short term. Some psychologists even feel that external discipline will leave long-term scars!

Here at “Denny Strecker’s Karate,” we believe that all people, especially kids… deep down inside… want to do the right thing. It’s just that children sometimes get distracted, or become caught up in the moment, and forget to do what is right.

On the other hand, Self-Disciplined people, or people who have Internal discipline, always do the right thing - without someone else telling them what to do. A person with internal discipline can work by themselves without being supervised. This is a sign of positive character development.

So, how is self-discipline developed? We have figured out a way that, over time, works wonders!

The answer is so obvious… that it’s hard to see!

Picture a small group of kids sitting and listening to the karate teacher. One little boy begins to bother the kid next to him, poking him in the arm.

An external disciplinarian (like my old teacher) would quickly point at the child and say, in a sharp tone, “Stop that!”

There are two problems with this response. First, it focuses the attention of the entire group on a behavior that we don’t want. But even worse - it dashes the self-esteem of the misbehaving child - and in many cases, bad self-esteem is the cause of the misbehavior! Here, the teacher did get immediate results - but did nothing to impact the long-term behavior of the student.

Let’s look at another scenario. This time, instead of drawing attention to the misbehaving student, the teacher looks for a child who demonstrates good self- disciplined behavior and publicly praises the child, saying things like “You are a super listener!” The other students quickly “straighten up,” and the teacher compliments them as well, being sure to include the student who was misbehaving.

By drawing attention to the attentive child - and making an example of good behavior, the teacher improves that student’s self esteem - instead of taking the misbehaving student’s self esteem down a notch.

It works just as quickly, and is more effective than the external methods!
The only challenge is that it requires the teacher to be more patient, creative, and attentive.

And best of all, when done consistently, the misbehaving children are taught what to do (instead of what not to do). Their self esteem is improved, rather than dashed… and, over time, they become self disciplined - and that lasts a lifetime!

A self-disciplined person not only knows what to do… but does it.