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What are common elements of individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary athletic performance?

Gene Landrum, founder of the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain and author of many books about outstanding achievement, has become the Horatio Alger of our age.

Empowerment is a series of biographical profiles of outstanding athletes of the 20th Century, highlighting thirteen principles or traits leading to their achievements. These principles apply for any area of human performance, including entrepreneurs, musicians, authors, etc.

There is a self-assessment for each principle, so readers can rate themselves and chart a path for self-improvement, if they so desire.

Some of the athletes were outstanding performers in multiple sports, like Jim Thorpe and Babe Zaharias. Most were stars for their particular sport, like Babe Ruth, Pelé, Muhammed Ali, and Tiger Woods.

A few of things in particular came to mind as I read about these individuals.

First, these were not "well rounded" individuals. They were passionate and obsessed with training.

Second, most of these individuals started training intensely in their sports early in life, usually modeling a parent or another role model. Their parents, coaches and mentors didn't encourage them to "enjoy their childhood." They encouraged and supported them to follow their passion for their chosen sport.

Third, these individuals didn't have "natural talent." They did have a massive interest in what they were doing and devoted themselves to train and practice harder than their competition.

I think Empowerment is a great book for parents who want to know how to raise a champion. It's also a great book for individuals who are interested in self-improvement.

I wonder if children would be able to identify with athletes who are now considered historical figures, so it might not be a good choice for them.

Want to know how to be the outstanding performer in your field? Get a copy of Empowerment and implement the principles in your life. Be prepared to work hard at it.

Buy it at Amazon: Empowerment: The Competitive Edge in Sports, Business & Life.

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