CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Todays blog is courtesy of my Champion buddy from New Orleans Mr Kerry Daigle. Thanks Kerry, You’re the Champ!

“They weren’t supposed to win. After all, the New Orleans Saints were a 5 point underdog (or more…depending on who you spoke to). The media had latched on to what they claimed was the greatest quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning, a New Orleans native playing for the Indianapolis Colts. The problem was the media forgot that ‘Super Bowls’ are won by teams and not by one person. New Orleans had the better team.

“Oh, wait a minute, you might say, the better team was the Colts.” Or at least that’s what the media said. So, you bought the story. A lesson to learn is that teams win championships, not just one person.

“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence upon one another, and of strength to be derived from unity.” Vince Lombardi

Someone once said that winning is not as important as ‘playing the game’ and having fun. Sure, having fun is one thing but winning is everything. Especially in this case.

Vince Lombardi wrote, “Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while. You don’t do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”

Lombardi continues, “There is no room for second place. Everytime a football player goes out to play to ply his trade he’s got to play form the ground up…from the soles of his feet right up to his head. That’s ok. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business.. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your HEART …with every fibre of your body. If you are lucky enough to find a guy with alot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.”

I think Vince Lombardi was watching ‘Cool’ Brees (Drew is his first name) from above. After all, have you ever seen a “player” play with his heart more than Drew Brees? The difference in the game is the Colts used the playbook and they did play with their head. New Orleans coach Sean Peyton and his team played with their hearts. Enough said.

Ironically, Lombardi’s grandson is now the quarterback coach. Interesting, isn’t it?
Put it all together. It was destiny. Or maybe it was a plan. Ask Sean Peyton. He would know. After all, nothing was going to stop the New Orleans Saints.

“A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.” JULES ORMONT

What I’ve learned over the years is the heart controls the mind and the muscles in the body. At this point is where you will find champions. The champions fight and play hard and with a positive mental mindset. They play like champions. They think like champions.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” CALVIN COOLIDGE

I’ve also learned another lesson. I’ve also learned from the New Orleans Saints that the humblest of all men are the strongest. 75% of everything we heard from the media for the last two weeks was about the Colts and their ‘greatness’ while New Orleans sat back being humble but strong in their courage and believing in themselves.

The Saints played with their hearts and didn’t mind the ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ they experienced along the way to become the World Champion Football Team in Super Bowl XLIV. They enjoyed the discipline and hard work they engaged in to become winners. They were a team of ‘left-overs’…….players that other coaches forgot about.

No, I don’t believe they will be called “America’s Team”. The Dallas Cowboys own that title. This is the ‘DREAM TEAM’. A team of players and coaches who believed in their dream. A group of ‘WHO DAT’ fans that continued to believe in this football team for 43 years. Sure, some attended games with bags on their heads years ago but they still came to the games hoping one day they could remove those bags. Now, they can forever throw them away.

The DREAM TEAM has arrived.

The Colts had to not only play the Saints……they had to play the whole state of Louisiana. A state of 4.5 million WHO DAT fans full of emotion. The Colts knew that coming in. Especially, Peyton Manning. That was too much to overcome.

If you could take a ‘silent voting poll’ among NFL players I can almost guarantee you that 80% were pulling for New Orleans in their hearts. Call it ‘gris gris’……or ‘voodoo’….or just call it destiny. It was New Orleans’ time. It was meant to be. They were unbeatable and proved it by dismantling all the ‘great’ quarterbacks in the NFL this season, especially in the playoffs.

31 to 17. World Champs.

Who dat, who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?”

Thanks again Kerry for this amazing article.
Cheers one and all
Shelley Taylor-Smith

Kerry Daigle is a contributing writer for THE ACADIAN, a public speaker, an author and life coach specialising in mental fitness. Kerry is also a professional boxing agent and works in all 50 states in the United States and 22 countries. More of his articles with THE ACADIAN can be found on www.keeppunching.com Kerry lives in Lafayette, Louisiana with his wife, Mickey, and his daughter Angela.

If NEW YEAR’S resolutions are kept beyond January, people will be getting healthier, quitting smoking and becoming more community-minded.

With less than 3 days in 2009, people are now turning their attention to setting goals and what they want to achieve in 2010 and New Year’s Resolutions.

The Top Ten Resolutions include:
•1. Stop smoking
•2. Get Fit
•3. Lose Weight
•4. Enjoy Life More
•5. Quit Drinking
•6. Get Organised
•7. Learn Something New
•8. Get Out of Debt
•9. Spend more time with the Family
•10. Help Others

Losing weight, giving up bad habits and donating to charity are top of the list for people resolving to improve themselves, and after a year of belt tightening, the business information analyst IBISWorld predicts certain industries will be counting on people’s cash as they fulfil their promises.

Increased awareness of healthy lifestyles and guilt from festive over-indulgence will see the weight-loss industry take $111.8 million in January as gyms and health clubs with at least 12 per cent growth in new members for the month.

The national fitness manager at Fitness First, Dominic dos Remedios, said January brought in influx of people.

”Unfortunately, a lot of people drop off because they set massive expectations,” he said. ”I would suggest taking their goal and breaking it into bite-size, achievable chunks.”

Holidaying from Auckland, Rebecca Mentor said her experience of losing weight had inspired her to help others do the same. ”I’d like to set up my own fat fighters movement,” she said.

Mark Long said that in his Erskineville household there was lots of yelling around the house when family members wanted to talk to one another. ”My resolution is you walk to the person you want to talk to,” he said.

January 1 is traditionally a busy day for Quitline, with smokers resolving to start the year by kicking the habit, the Cancer Institute NSW’s cancer prevention program manager, Anita Dessaix, said. ”New Year’s Day is typically one of those milestones that smokers set for quitting,” she said. ”If the motive is there, quit immediately.”

IBISWorld predicts charitable donations in January will be those that require only a small investment but still help a community, such as sponsoring a child.

The marketing and communications director of Plan Australia, Aimee Suchard-Lowe, said donating was not about feeling guilty. ”It should be about someone saying: ‘This year I want to make a difference to my life and other people’s lives’,” she said. ”It should be that positive impact.”

A study by the University of Hertfordshire, in Britain, found less than one-quarter of those who set themselves a goal for 2010 would be likely to succeed, and the remainder would feel despondent at having broken their resolutions.

Of those who fail, many would focus on the downside of not achieving the goals, suppress cravings, fantasise about being successful and rely on willpower alone.

Those who set smaller goals had an average success rate of 35 per cent, while those with strategies like keeping a diary and telling friends about their goal had a 50 per cent chance.

The best way to achieve your Resolutions and goals in 2010 is to keep it simple.

How do you keep it simple you may well ask?

Statistic: 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are never achieved.
Only 5% have the intestinal fortitude to follow through with their commitment! If you are committed, if you want it bad enough, if you are prepared to do whatever it takes and if you don’t quit….you will achieve your goal. There are no excuses only all the reasons in the world why you did not achieve your goal.

1. Identify your goals – in the 5 key areas of career, finance, health & fitness, family/relationships and personal growth

2. What benefits will I achieve reaching this goal? Eg. Losing 5kgs – increase in energy, able to keep up with the kids, able to fit into my favourite pair of jeans or that special dress
3. What are the major obstacles to overcome to reach your goal? – Eg. Cut back on junk food – 1. check your fridge & cupboards for junk food 2. go shopping on a full stomach as opposed to when you are hungry (you will be amazed at the difference of your food in your trolley and the money saved in your pocket.)
4. What skills or knowledge is required to achieve your goal? Eg. Health & Fitness – reading up on personal trainers, costs, program types, gym memberships
5. What are the individuals, groups or companies and organisations to work with to achieve your goal? Eg. Finance – clear credit card debt. Tell a friend, find a buddy who will hold you accountable and will support you with your goal. Join Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig etc.
6. Completion Date – when do wish for your goal to be achieved
7. Celebrate Success – how are you going to celebrate achieving your goal!

And remember: if you don’t quit…you will make it!