This weekend, I was privileged enough to be able to photograph the PBR Invitational at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. I will tell you upfront, I have never had any desire to see a rodeo or a bull riding event. But, my lovely wife has been begging me to go for years!...
What transpired at the event, made me a new fan and taught me some life and business lessons.
A professional bull rider is quite an incredible athlete. He literally risks his life, every time he shows up for work. He puts everything that he has, into his career. Some riders on the PBR circuit have not even reached their 20th birthday, but, they carry themselves with a maturity which can only be found in a true cowboy.
A rider only has to stay on a bull for 8 seconds. This may seem like a short period of time to you and I, but to see it in person is a whole different story. Bull Riding makes all other sports look like a ride in the park. Go to YouTube and search for "PBR" and watch a few rides. See if you don't agree with me.
All in all, 2 blazing nights of non-stop action made for quite an entertaining event... riders like Kody Lostroh, JB Mauney, Austin Meier and Ryan Dirteater kept the capacity crowd in a frenzy. The bulls are fine athletes also, sporting names such as Bones, Chicken on a Chain and Major Payne.
Here are just a few of the many lessons I learned from watching the professional bull riders. In this day and age, only the strong survive. We can do it!
NO FEAR: A bull rider can show no fear. Does he have a healthy fear of his challenge and the bull that he must stay on? Yes. But, that fear does not hinder him from going after his goals. In fact, he uses the fear to become more alert, more prepared and more on his game. Isn't this just like any professional in this tough economy? Are there things in our economy which are a giant challenge? Yes. But, can we all rise above it with hard work, wisdom and tons of passion? You bet.
NO QUIT: A bull rider keeps going. You see these athletes get back on the same bull after getting violently bucked off. You see them continue to ride with injuries. They persevere and keep going. The key to any business is to not quit. Make progress every day. Keep knocking on doors until someone says "yes". Keep dialing that phone until you find the right client or relationship. Keep taking exquisite care of your clients until the referrals start coming your way.
HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE: The one thing that really stood out to me, during the PBR, was that the riders all had great attitudes. I did not see sulking and demonstrative negative reactions to failure. The riders- even when getting bucked off- seemed thankful for the chance to compete and ready to see another day. Being a lifelong baseball, basketball and football fan, this truly impressed me. There is a maturity amongst those in the cowboy culture that seems to come from a lifestyle of hard work and respect for your fellow man.
Note: This month, many eyes will be on the PBR, due to the participation of Ty Murray and his wife, Jewel, on "Dancing With The Stars." Ty Murray is the "King of the Cowboys"- the greatest cowboy of all time. Jewel is an award winning singer, songwriter, actress, poet and painter. The season of "Dances With The Stars" begins on March 9th on ABC.
JB BROOKMAN
SENIOR MORTGAGE CONSULTANT
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REFINANCE SPECIALIST
CASTLE HOMES AND ESTATES
310.502.9877
Serving the cities of Beverly Hills, Ladera Heights, Culver City and beyond... Southern California refinance specialist JB Brookman. 310.502.9877
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