A Lesson on Success from Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner seemed to have it all. He was the 1976 Olympic decathlon champion who seemed too All-American to be true. He was the man on the Wheaties box and on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But in 1980, by his own account, you would never have recognized him.

I was living in the hills outside of Los Angeles, in a one- bedroom bungalow-where the dirty dishes filled the kitchen sink and a dried-out Christmas tree from the holidays four months ago sat in a clump beside the door-serving as the only attempt at interior decoration. I'd lost between fifteen and twenty pounds and years of physical inactivity had left me looking thin. I probably needed a haircut, but living alone with nobody to talk to, I would have been the last to know. I had just celebrated my fortieth birthday, and I desperately needed help. I'd lost all direction in life. I'd lost interest in business, and after two bad marriages, I didn't even want to think about dating. My self-esteem wasn't exactly soaring. In fact, I thought I was so unattractive that I spent thousands of dollars I didn't have on a nose job, only to have the surgeon botch it so badly he had to do it all over again.

Between personal appearances, my life consisted mostly of golf and learning to playa rented piano-I had lots of idle time. I had $200 in the bank, and almost $500,000 in debts. My main source of income was talking about the Games-about how I once was a winner, the man proclaimed the World's Greatest Athlete-while valiantly not letting on how much, and how long, I'd been losing. For somebody who'd won so much professionally, it was amazing how much I was suffering personally. I hoped that nobody could see the defeat and loneliness.

In many ways, I was still the dyslexic kid who lived in fear of being called to get up in front of the class and read. I was right back where I started: stripped of self- esteem, doubting my abilities to make intelligent decisions, and failing in every area of my life.

I had grown accustomed to a life without-without intimacy, without excitement, without adventure, without growth. I was broken as a man. And my medal, the golden symbol of all that I had won, sat in a drawer, now the symbol of how much I'd lost.

I had given up. I had lost my will. But once I hit bottom, I remembered someone from my past: the champion who lives inside each of us, the champion with the capacity to stand before the world in victory. This champion would no longer allow me to live this lifestyle. I saw light at the end of the tunnel and I realized that I could turn my life around and start anew with a clean slate. I was reintroduced to the power that I had experienced, but never understood, so many years before at the Olympic Games. It was a power that would drive me back to the top. It was the power of the champion within, and this power lies deep within each of us. Inside of us, a champion is waiting, ready to rise and radically transform every aspect of our existence. I wanted to become the best person, husband, father, businessman, and contributor that I could become.

My life has since blossomed with an amazing ferocity; it was like the angels arrived, the skies parted, and the seas split, allowing me to run through. I have taken my gold medal out of my sock drawer and proudly mounted it upon the wall, allowing it to shine brightly in every area of my life.

For the first time in my life, I know what love means. I thought that it was something unattainable, something that I didn't deserve. Now I know that it is the seed from which all great things grow. I have discovered that our performance in life is a direct reflection of the image we have of ourselves.

Now, I look as good as I feel. I get up every morning eager to tackle my day. From loving my wife to having a meaningful relationship with my kids, to being totally fulfilled in business-life has never been better.

Now I'm not merely in touch with my body but also my heart. And when those two feelings meet, a combustible reaction occurs, allowing me to enter a realm I never thought possible. Somewhere out there, your stadium is waiting, filled with the people you love. They are rooting for you as you struggle, and they'll be cheering as you finally come around the backstretch and finish as a champion.

Jenner's life turned around almost at the instant he identified his Core Desires. Your life can also change for the better when you focus on your Core Desires. You can change your major so you can start enjoying college; you can change your job and start doing something that really appeals to you; you can embark on a new career pursuing what you really want to do and earn just as much or more money in the process. Even if you have to take a pay cut to change fields and pursue your dreams, you will be glad you made the move. You can do whatever you set your heart and mind to do.