Turning Your Weaknesses Into Strengths to Become More Successful and Happier

Tom Dempsey was born with a partial right arm, and only half a right foot. To most, that would have ruled out a life in football, but Tom had a different belief system.
He developed a custom kicking shoe that fit his disfigured foot, with a flat toe about three inches in diameter. With hard work, Tom mastered the technique of his special equipment. He would swing his leg and drive the ball like a polo player using a mallet, propelling a football long distances.
Unbelievably, Tom made it to the NFL and landed a job as kicker for a new team, the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were finishing up a dismal season. With only one win to date, they were playing a much better team, the Detroit Lions. With just two seconds remaining on the clock, Tom Dempsey had a chance to kick the game winning field goal. But, there was much more than just the game on the line: history was at stake. Dempsey hit a 63 yard field goal through the uprights-the longest field goal ever, propelling the Saints to a 19-17 victory. That kick was a defining moment in his life. Using his special strength, Dempsey became an inspiration to millions on that day in 1970.
All true winners have learned to turn an apparent weakness into a strength. David Meador is a champion in his own right; David won the U.S blind golf championship. But that is not what makes him special-David has learned to turn his blindness into a platform for his professional speaking business. David speaks around the country about focus-yes focus. He shares with his audiences that blindness has allowed him to remain focused on the important aspects of life. His blindness does not allow him to be distracted by television, YouTube or text messaging, aspects of everyday life that can deter many of us from achieving our potential. As David puts it, he is the only guy in America who can walk into Home Depot and not be distracted by anything on the shelves. David’s blindness is his strength. In fact, his message is so powerful that he usually receives a standing ovation; David’s apparent weakness is his most poignant ally.
Voltaire likened life to a game of cards. Each player must accept the cards dealt to him. But once those cards are in hand, he alone decides how to play them to win the game. Tom Dempsey and David Meador took their cards and played a great hand. What cards have you been dealt?
Drill: Playing your cards
Most people run away from their weaknesses, or just deny their existence. Sometimes it is too painful to acknowledge them or just too energy draining to work on them in our high paced lifestyle. What is not realized is that many of our weaknesses can become a great strength–it all depends on our perspective.
President Andrew Jackson turned an apparent weakness of having an overly hot-temper into a negotiating strength. Andrew …

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Five Tips to Becoming a Successful Sports Bettor

You may have heard someone bragging that they picked 9 out of ten NFL games last week or managed to take a three-way parlay to the bank or engineered wins in both the daily double and trifecta at the track. Wow, what a great day that gambler had! Now, ask them how they did the rest of the year.
The fact is that anyone can hit on a bet every once in a while, but in sports betting, where the top pros are right 60 to 65% of the time, it takes more than one day of luck to turn a true profit. Sports betting may not be a science, but it is a discipline and it does involve research, analysis and skill. If you want to be a successful sports bettor, here are five tips that will start you and keep you on the right track.
Become a Student of the Sport
Successful handicappers are experts in one or two sports. First, don’t bet soccer or the horses if you don’t follow soccer or the horses. You must know the rules, strategies, players, coaches, trainers, venues and much more of any sport on which you’re going to wager. That means reading previews, keeping abreast of daily developments and engaging in detailed analysis. You should always be open to learning something new and taking your understanding to another level. Become an expert and then a guru.
Treat it Like a Business
If you really want to make money on a weekly basis, then you have to treat sports betting like it’s a business. Why? Because it is a business. Sports betting is not about hunches, it’s about weighing evidence, that includes stats, injuries, depth analysis and much more. Keep files on teams, your wagers, your successes and failures and analyze your performance. If you’re constantly losing, you have to figure out why. If you don’t, you run the risk of going broke, going nuts or going to jail. Sports betting is a business and should be treated as such.
Manage Your Bankroll
It is extremely important that you track every single wager, including how much you bet, how much you won or lost and your resulting balance. Be careful in deciding how much you’re going bet. If you have a $500 bankroll and you’re making $50 wagers, that grubstake will be eaten up quickly. Make small wagers and if you win, then loosen up the bankroll a bit. But don’t go overboard and don’t start making desperation wagers in order to make up for losses.
Don’t Make Crazy Bets
By crazy bets, I mean the following-exotics including parlays, futures, mixed parlays and various props. If the odds are long, then you should stay away from them. Focus on making single wagers on specific games in one sport. Moneyline, point spread and over/under wagers are all sensible and winnable. You won’t make a killing on any one of these wagers, but when gambling on sports, they are your best bet. If …

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