Welcome to another Success Tips Newsletter.
There has been a little gap since my last newsletter as I have been head down focusing on some new business projects including the launch of the 'Secrets Exposed' series in New Zealand. More on that later...
However as I am over that hump, I am ready to make up for lost time and get back in the groove of sending my success tips every week.
I have a huge amount of great content that I want to share with you, so make sure that you read every Success Tips Newsletter that I am going to send you and as always please make sure you then TAKE ACTION!
Now onto something that has captured the world's attention and it does so every four years - you guessed it, the OLYMPICS!
Like many young people growing up I had a dream of completing at the Olympics.
Having got involved in the sport of Gymnastics at the age of 7, I can still remember taping the Gymnastics during the 1988 Seoul Olympics and then proceeding to watch the tape well over one hundred times.
By the age of 9 I was training about 36 hours a week in the Gym - 2 hours every morning before school, another 4 hours after school and then another 6 hours on Saturday. That was pretty much my life up until the age of 15.
Some people have said to me, do you ever regret giving up your most of your childhood? My answer is not for a second!
Sure the training was seriously intense (Looking back I can remember times when my hands were covered in blood blisters and times when my muscles were so sore that it even hurt to open a door). However, I'm totally convinced that it was my experience in elite sport that taught me...
- The value of hard work and persistence
- The importance of having a Coach
- How to keep yourself motivated
- Why you can't negotiate the basics
- Presentation and attention to detail
- The importance of visualisation
- Delayed gratification and much, much more
So when I stop and think about the person I am today and some of the the things I have been able to achieve, I don't have any regrets. Just a sense of gratitude that I was given an opportunity to grow and I embraced it. 
Now of course I never did make it to the OLYMPICS. But at the age of 15 I transfered to the sport of Competitive Aerobics, and during the next 3 years I did have the opportunity to represent my country numerous times.
This included completing at:
- The FISF World Aerobics Championships in Santos, Brazil
- The FIG World Aerobics Championships in Hannover, Germany
- And The Suzuki World Cup in Tokoyo, Japan
So I do have a sense of what it's takes to complete on the world stage and it is why I love watching the OLYMPICS and cheering on the athletes.
Enough about me for today. It's time now to introduce our extra special success tip for this week...
Now did you know that one of the 'Secrets Exposed' contributors is not only an Olympian but a GOLD MEDAL one at that?!
Well her name is Lauren Burns and she appears in the book "Secrets of Inspiring Women Exposed". Below I have an excerpt from her amazing chapter that contains a very powerful message. It is...
"Out Of Your Greatest Disappointment Can Come Your Greatest Success!"
I am not going to say any more, but just please READ THE SUCCESS TIP BELOW in full. I promise the effort will be worth it.
Enjoy the Success Tip below and ensure you read the remainder of the Newsletter for some important announcements and updates.
Your Friend in Success,
P.S. To view our totally New "Secrets Exposed" Bookstore, go to:
www.SecretsExposedClub.com/shop/books
Today's Success Tip comes from Lauren Burns.
Lauren was one of only three females to win an individual gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (the other two were Cathy Freeman and Susie O’Neil). As one of the contributors in ‘Secrets of Inspiring Women Exposed’, in this short extract below Lauren shares a very important life lesson and proves once and for all, every setback is opportunity in disguise.
Have you ever experienced a low point in your sporting career? Can you tell us what happened?
It was during the 1999 World Championships in Canada. I was ready – training better than I ever had before. Having been to the last three championships, and with plans to retire after the Olympic Games in 2000, this was my last shot to reach my long-term goal of winning a world championship. It was my time and I was sure of it.
My first fight went well – I won 12-1. My next fight was against the current world champion, Shu Ju Chu from Chinese Taipei. The fight was close and ran at a draw for most of it with the tension and concentration thick between us. Each time one of us scored a point the other would score straight away and with a few seconds to go in the last round it was still a draw. 
Attempting to seal the decision and to show aggressive match management (a factor taken into consideration by the judges in case of a tie), I attacked. She countered and scored. The decision went to Chinese Taipei which then went on to win the tournament.
Even at world championship level, Taekwondo is not seeded so the draw can have a huge impact on results. Because I fought Chu in the second round I walked away from that competition with no medal, no ranking, and some shining bruises.
Feeling at a complete low after the fight I mustered up the strength to sit in the stands, recording Chu’s fights throughout the day. Dejected and miserable I had no idea how handy those tapes would be during the course of the following year.
When I got back to Australia I watched those videos hundreds of times. I picked her apart, studied her every move, and simulated her in training. She became my focus. If I could beat her, I could beat anyone. As fate would have it, my first fight at the Olympics was Shu Ju Chu. 
It was a close fight but this time I came away the winner. Looking back I know that if I hadn’t lost to her at the World Championships I probably wouldn’t have had the tactical skills to beat her at the Olympics.
Every challenge we have leads us on a different path. We are human beings and we will all have events in our lives that continue to challenge us. Some challenges are bigger and more difficult than others but I believe that it is the way we deal with them that makes us who we are and gives us the ability to move forward and grow.
Often it is the challenges that we face or the mistakes that we make that change us, give us clarity or allow us to look at our life from a different perspective.
If you are a member of the Secrets Exposed Club, you can read more from Lauren Burns by clicking on the link below now:
As I mentioned at the very top of this page, over the last two months I have been laying the foundation for the NEW ZEALAND 'Secrets Exposed' series.
Right now we are looking for New Zealand based people that have achieved success in their chosen field and are willing to share their story to inspire others.
The reason why I am putting this call out now is that I know there are a couple of hundred Kiwi's that regularly receive my Success Tips Newsletter.
So if you are a Kiwi and want to know more about how you can be a part of the NEW ZEALAND 'Secrets Exposed' series, then please email my Publishing executive Emma Lyons.
emma@DreamExpress.co.nz
Pleas note that this is a time sensitive opportunity, so please take action on this immediately.
Alternatively, if you are a friend or someone that you feel may be suitable, please feel free to forward them this page and ask them to contact us directly.
The first NEW ZEALAND 'Secrets Exposed' book is due out in early next year and I am really looking forward to uncovering some extra special stories.
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