From Chapter 3, "Persistence, Press on!" in Ingredients of Outliers An Unlikely Hero Chances are you’ve never heard the amazing story of a man named Cliff Young, but he’s a legend half a world away—in Australia, the Land Down Under. The legend began in 1983, as the inaugural foot race from Sydney to Melbourne was about to get underway. It was an ambitious undertaking, covering a distance of 875 kilometers, or more than 540 miles. That’s the equivalent of running nearly 21 complete marathons—in a row! To put it in perspective, that would be similar to running from New York City to … [Read more...]
Risk Taking: When to Dismount a Dead Horse
Taking risks is no doubt scary, there is no definite outcome, and there is no guarantee for success. But risk-takers are the people who make history. People who take calculated risks are often the ones who reap extraordinary benefits. Taking risks and failure go hand in hand and you shouldn’t be afraid to do either if you want to set your goals high. When it comes to entrepreneurial ventures, Dr. Shufeldt is the first to admit he has made mistakes, and some ideas have never come to fruition. But trying, and taking that leap of faith is what creates innovation and breakthroughs in … [Read more...]
Delivering Humility and Kindness
In “Ingredients of Outliers,” I share many stories about the people that I’ve encountered in my life that I believe possess characteristics of an outlier. I list off 16 different characteristics, that when combined, can turn an ordinary person into and extraordinary one. Two of these invaluable characteristics are the abilities to be humble and go above-and-beyond in everything you do. Just recently, I ran across an incredible story about a man who displayed these two traits, and ended up saving two lives. Darrian Crutcher is a Detroit mailman. He travels the same exact route every day and, … [Read more...]
How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Hopefully the following story will influence you to take a few risks in your life. The January 2013 issue of SUCCESS magazine contained an article titled "52+ Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone." This story was featured in the article: Cecilia Aragon was a ordinary women who had an extraordinary fear of heights. As she put it, even climbing a ladder caused her to break out in a sweat. During her graduate years, she decided to try and overcome her fear and accepted an invitation to take a flight in a four-seater airplane. During this flight, her friend asked her to take control of the … [Read more...]