Article

Living On "The Death Ground"

Topic: LeadershipFeaturing JK EllisPublished July 4, 2006

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When you survive if you fight quickly and perish if you do not, this is called death ground... Put them in a spot where they have no place to go, and they will die before fleeing. If they are to die there what can they do? Warriors exert their full strength When warriors are in great danger, then they have no fear. When there is nowhere to go, they are firm, when they are deeply involved, they stick to it,. If they have no choice, they will fight.n~ by Sun TsunnThere is a point when we are faced with either success or annihilation. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that does not happen to us often. But when it does there is no question that we will bring all our resources to bare to create the outcome we want.nnIt's name, "The Death Ground", comes from military strategists who intentionally put their forces in positions where they must fight or die.nnIn those moments a soldier has only one action that they must perform and they do it with full commitment.nnIf only we could live every moment with such commitment.nnHow often have you put yourself on "The Death Ground" to get what you want?nnMost of us live like sheep, not soldiers, when it comes to our goals and desires. We hope what we do will have an effect instead of determining that it must and will help us. In the moments we stand on the Death Ground we decide on an outcome instead of hope for it. Failure is not an option. It is one of our greatest moments of power.nnThere was a recent TV news show that asked people who wanted to lose weight to take part in an experiment. In short, they were given 4 weeks to lose 10 pounds of weight or their semi-naked pictures would be broadcast on television. They were given no diet, no exercise program and no plan for losing weight. Just the threat of embarrassment. nnTHEY ALL LOST WEIGHT because they backed themselves into such a corner they never lost their motivation!nnThe same story holds true with the story of NASA flight Apollo 13. From that story came the book be Gene Kranz, "Failure is Not an Option" and discribes the huge measures that everyone went to to insure the returned of that failed fligh. nnIronically, soldiers who have survived living on the "Death Ground" they often report it was one of the rare moments of their lives when they felt most alive!nnHow can you create a "Death Ground" in your daily life?nn * Act before you're ready. n If you know what you must do DO IT NOW! There is no moren practice there is only action! nn * Promise slightly beyond the limits of your current ability.n Test your limits. nn * Take on new challenges.n Boldly enter a new field of interest. nn * Challenge the orthodoxy.n Go up against all of the world if you have to. nn * Keep yourself restless and unsatisfied.n Avoid complacency. Make it your greatest enemy.

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