It’s time to let them die?
By
admin
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Published
March 8, 2010
 He wasn't struggling with his decision quite as much as he would have imagined... Or is it?
Hopefully, you will never have to face making the ultimate decision in the sort of situations we’re about to discuss, but if you did, you’d want to keep some things in mind
1 You can’t save everybody
2 Not everybody wants to be saved
3 Risking your own life needs to be measured very carefully; this is not just because of the risk of dying, but also because getting injured might mean not dying, and instead living out the remainder of your life with a debilitating injury.
4 Preparing yourself mentally before such an event, will go a long way towards minimizing the long term emotional affects making such a decision will have on you.
5 You are tougher, both mentally and physically, than you think you are; but if you can’t imagine yourself being strong or resilient in a true disaster, then you will likely be the one needing to be saved by someone that is – so toughen up before that ever happens!!
As reported (in part) to the Daily Telegraph – England:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3634463/Joe-Simpson-My-journey-back-into-the-void.html
Joe Simpson
Published: 12:01AM BST 22 Oct 2007
 It's all fun and games until someone get's hurt... Legendary climber Joe Simpson – who famously escaped death in the Andes – tells Peter Stanford of the doomed expedition that tempted him back up a mountain
Joe Simpson was just 14 when he read The White Spider, an epic account of efforts to conquer the North Face of the Eiger.
His first reaction, he recalls, was straightforward horror. Why, the schoolboy wondered, would anyone want to risk their life climbing mountains?
“The stories in the book were enough to put the willies up anyone,” says Simpson, the 46-year-old British mountaineer whose extraordinary tale of survival in the Andes was detailed in the book and 2003 film, Touching The Void.
“But then, when I thought about it, I kept coming back to the idea that these climbers were intelligent people and that there must be something really good to be had from mountaineering if they were prepared to take risks like that.”
Childhood reading marked the beginning of a love affair with mountains that comes full circle with The Beckoning Silence, a documentary being screened on Channel 4 tonight.
In 1985, 11 years after reading the book, Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, made the first ascent of the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes.
 Eventually one of them would have to leave the safety of the group and risk getting a sweater On the way down, things went badly wrong. Simpson, with a broken leg, ended up dangling helplessly on a rope over a crevasse the depth and scale of the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. Yates, believing him dead, cut the rope.
“At this stage,” Joe says, “I was wishing to God I had listened to my first reaction at 14…..”
After cutting the rope and beginning his own self rescue, Simon (Joe’s climbing partner) had to contend with the guilt of knowing that if his climbing partner wasn’t dead, he had nearly certainly killed him when he cut the rope.
Of course, Joe wasn’t dead and managed to crawl, limp, stagger and generally fight his way back to base camp over the next several days. His miraculous arrival occurred hours before Simon was due to leave camp and head back to civilization.
It’s a great book, and if you want more information about it follow this link – the brief synopsis you read will probably seal the deal!
We will be looking into the first five rules in regards to making these types of tough life and death choices over the next few days, and hopefully giving you food for thought in case you are ever called upon to make such a decision.
Cheers, Terry.
Posted in Keynote Speaking, inspired, teambuilding
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Tagged charlotte speakers, commando, community team building, engaging speaker, enthusiasm, exciting speakers, funny speakers, Joe Simpson, Keynote speaker, life and death, motivational speakers, motivational speakers nc, Peter Stanford, Public speaker, Simon Yates, St Pauls Cathedral, Terry Vaughan, Terry Vaughn, Touching the Void
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Friday Fiasco, pictures to improve your attitude…
By
admin
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Published
March 5, 2010
Hello mates, nice to have arrived at another weeks end, eh? The first link below isn’t necessarily funny, but it sure as hell is different. Check it out and see if it doesn’t make your jaw drop when you hear what she had squirreled away….
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=18467088
 Even at this tender age, his passion for photography was astounding.
Followed by this lunacy! No wonder so many Americans want to travel to Europe and experience the culture – when any one tries for some over here, you get shot down and stifled for fear that the sight of the human form will lead to some sort of brain aneurysm….pathetic a nd funny:
http://guyism.com/2010/03/naked-snowwoman-forced-to-cover-up.html
 Who said there's no such thing as too much rubber? Need a little bit of motivation in your life? Or maybe just a way to compare and say, “It’s not so bad after all…”
These should do it..
 Wait until the chicks see this...
 And I'm weird for liking fairytales....?
 Hand her a magic shag pile carpet and she's all set...
 If only the model could read....
I was once asked by a lady I knew why I carry a handgun, and my reply:
“Because it’s illegal to carry a machine gun….” After I received this email earlier this week, I know I’m not alone…hahaha.
1.. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
2.. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him ‘Why do you carry a 45?’ The Ranger responded, ‘Because they don’t make a 46.’
6. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. ’Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?’ ‘No Ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my shotgun.’
7. Beware the man who only carries one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!
But wait, there’s more!
I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said ‘Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!’ To which I said, of course it is loaded, it can’t work without bullets!’ She then asked, ‘Are you that afraid of someone evil coming into your house?’ My reply was, “No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too”.
 You should never get between a hippo and the water...doesn't she know anything?
Jk: A guy is discussing his upcoming wedding with his friend.
“I’m not sure if my future bride is a virgin or not.”
His mate replies, “Oh, there’s an easy test for that! All you need is some red paint, blue paint, and a shovel.”
“What for?” The groom asks….
“You paint one ball red and the other one blue. On your honeymoon if she laughs and says, “Those are the funniest balls I’ve ever seen…” Then you hit her with the shovel.”
 It beats having to wake up to that damn alarm clock bell... Have a fantastic weekend so at least on Monday you’ll have some stories to tell….
Cheers, Terry.
www.highintensityteambuilding.com
Posted in Friday Fiasco, Keynote Speaking
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Tagged charlotte speakers, commando, community team building, community teambuilding, contract, engaging speaker, example of public speaker, exciting speakers, football, friday fiasco blog, fun blog, funny blog, funny speakers, good time, hilarious blog, jake delhomme, Keynote speaker, largest flash mob in NC, mike tyson, motivational speakers, motivational speakers nc, Oprah, Public speaker, public speaking, sports, strange pictures, Terry Vaughan, Terry Vaughn, weekend fun
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The three rules for being mentally tough!
By
admin
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Published
March 1, 2010
 Hello again mates and welcome to a brand new week. 
Mentally tough isn’t necessarily about developing the inner Special Forces soldier in you – although that kind of mentality is certainly tough: It’s about finding a way to make the most of everyday no matter what misfortune transpires!
One sure fire way to get you mental game off on the right foot, is visualization: In other words, your future becomes your focus. But, if you think that alone will ward off the evil spirits, Murphy’s law, or whatever other “bad” luck you’ve got heading your way, think again!
Mentally tough really boils down to these three practical things and not necessarily in this order either:
Be prepared – expect the unexpected.
Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself – no matter what.
Cracking a joke at your own expense, first – then consider how you’re going to deal with the problem at hand.
The toughest one of these is usually the, “expect the unexpected” – followed by, “not feeling sorry for yourself,” and then finding the humor in your situation.
We are going to look at, “Not feeling sorry for yourself” – first.
Steven Callahan wrote a book aptly titled, Adrift about his 76 days at sea, after his home made boat was destroyed during a solo voyage around the world. Half his survival equipment didn’t make it onto the emergency rubber raft after the accident, and he was only half dressed!
He talked in detail about the emotions that threatened to destroy his mindset during his adventure. More importantly he revealed that the choices he had made, like walking away from the security of society in order to pursue his dreams of sailing, were at the root of why refused to feel too sorry for himself.
He knew he had made choices that had led him up to this point in his life. The things that seemed to conspire against him as the days in his tenuous rubber raft gave way to weeks, he did his best to remind himself that giving up and dying wasn’t an option.
Believe me, after reading his account of things, it would be hard not to seriously think about throwing in the towel…
Most of us in our lifetime don’t get 76 days alone – let alone consecutively, and although there are times when 76 days alone anywhere, including the ocean, might appeal to us, the reality is we’d be scared silly.
How would you cope?
At the heart of every survival story is the million dollar question we ask about ourselves, would I survive that?
 The truth is, if you struggle to get through a regular working day, constantly letting the problems of the day get the better of you, then the chances are you’d become just another statistic if something transpired out of the ordinary.
Our focus goes askew when things drift outside the “vision” we had for the day. It’s not that we are mentally weak, although in some cases that also applies, it’s more that we tend to focus on who’s to blame rather than whether we can fix it.
Our energy is quickly converted into anger or frustration about what has happened, instead of focusing on how to best deal with it. We let loose the voice in our heads that screams this wasn’t your fault; once again it’s just bad luck piling up.
It has nothing to do with luck, good or bad. Things just happen. You are lost in the wilderness and it begins to pour with rain. It was going to rain any way, Mother Nature hasn’t decided to play some cruel joke on you just for grins.
Mother Nature is coldly indifferent to whether you live, or die. She doesn’t care. She certainly doesn’t feel sorry for you – and neither should you!
Wasting your energy feeling sorry for “poor little old you” doesn’t help anything. Instead, you should immediately look around to see what you have at hand that can be used to improve your situation. Nearly everything in life can be used for more than just its original purpose, it just takes imagination in order to fathom how.
 That’s where your energy should be directed. Self pity is a wasteful occupation; as is sitting and waiting for someone else to come and rescue you.
Which brings us to, “expect the unexpected” …Or at least it will tomorrow!
I’m off to attend a Toastmasters meeting now and will pick up with this again tomorrow.
Cheers, Terry
www.highintensityteambuilding.com
Posted in Keynote Speaking, inspired, teambuilding
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Tagged adrift, being adrift, charlotte speakers, commando, community team building, community teambuilding, energetic, engaging speaker, example of public speaker, exciting speakers, funny speakers, Keynote speaker, mental toughness, Oprah, Public speaker, public speaking, steven callahan, Terry Vaughan, Terry Vaughn
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Karaoke anyone?? It will help your decision making under pressure….
By
admin
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Published
February 22, 2010
Developing mental toughness and staying cool under pressure.
Today we are going to start with the last part first, before going onto the first part last, beginning tomorrow… You following me? Hahaha! 
Does being mentally tough just come down to genes?
Is it just a case of you are whatever yo’ momma gave ya, and that’s it?
I don’t think so!
I want you to imagine a simple scenario: You are out on the town with a group of friends and the first place you guys happen to stop in has a Karaoke machine.
You aren’t drunk yet, not by a long shot! Do you go up and start singing??
You should: But not immediately. First you should sit for at least 15 minutes contemplating going on stage and singing. I want you to think about which song you’ll perform. I want you to think about all those people watching you up there alone, most of them are drunk, and there might even be some heckling after you get going.
They might hate your singing ability!
But you should go up any way, and today’s Blog is about why…
For years it was thought that our brains couldn’t develop more “mass” once we left childhood behind. The latest research has blown that theory well out of the water and this is good news.
When it comes to making decisions under pressure, you can train yourself to make a choice quicker, by keeping your new life experiences quota up.
Why? Because more life experiences, particularly exhilarating or frightening ones, help our brain mapping, and neuroplasticity occurs…. New experiences mean faster cognitive abilities when circumstances demand it.
 Going up on stage to sing Karaoke, sober, would qualify as a new and exhilarating experience for most of us, and this is a good thing. For most of us public speaking, or even better, sober public singing, would be cause for great amounts of panicking.
The brain loves new challenges and revels in the chance to improve its own efficiency. It will lay down a new marker within itself and then, the next time you are forced to make a decision quickly, under pressure, it can run straight to the “marker” or file cabinet labeled, “Holy shit, I need to make a decision” – and do so faster than it did before.
It adapts faster to new and unexpected stimuli because it has new, “pathways” on which to travel.
We make decisions primarily based upon the totality of our own life experiences, the more varied and plentiful these are, the better we are equipped to handle unusual circumstances, threats, or scary encounters.
When we become complacent about life, or mentally sedentary, our brain starts going into cruise mode. Everything is pretty much, “normal” until suddenly it isn’t.
Then your brain effectively does a shoulder shrug and asks what the hell do you want from me? I’m not equipped to handle this; resulting in a freeze and a dumb looking facial expression.
This is exactly what happened to the doctor that attempted to intervene during that poor girls’ traffic accident I described last week. Theoretically he had the medical knowledge needed to help me with the incident. Unfortunately he lacked the stressful life experiences to keep him calm when it happened. He had no new, recent, mind mapped “flags” for his brain to fall back onto. His brain had to go way back to med school, or maybe even further back than that, for his brain to have a reference point from which to start the decision making process.
Basically he was out of practice when it came to doing things, “on the fly”. His capacity to improvise and remain calm in the face of all that stress was severely lacking. He may have been a Podiatrist for all I know. Or possibly when he yelled I’m a Doctor he failed to mention the whole story and he was a Doctor of Philosophy. Who knows!
I know that if a Dr. from one of the local E.R.s had of shown up, there wouldn’t have been any delay getting down to brass tacks. Even a nurse, or a cop, or a fireman, or Tiger Woods P.R. person, would have remained calmer than this guy!
My life, however, at that time was far from calm. I was still serving in the Commandos: An environment that prided itself on developing men that could stay calm under pressure.
After all, what good would you be running around firing blindly in all directions the first time things got a bit dicey?
 We were placed into deliberately stressful situations and made to think clearly…at least most of the time. There were always going to be moments when running around like a chicken with its head cut off would seem like a good choice, given all of the options…LOL.
So, in an age when doing anything, “risky” is viewed with varied levels of disdain, I want you to embark on a journey of adventure this coming year and you can attribute every “crazy” experience towards becoming a more effective person under pressure.
That covers the “decision making process” part of last week’s Blog, tomorrow we’ll take a look at the final part in this series, Mental Toughness, and whether you are or aren’t mentally tough.
 Cheers! Terry
www.highintensityteambuilding.com
More information about neuroplasticity on the following links:
http://www.headstrong.com.au/FAQ/~Q4-54/What_is_neuroplasticity
“Keeping your brain fit!” – follow the link below.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/04/usnews/main3787019.shtml
Posted in Keynote Speaking, inspired, teambuilding
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Tagged better decisions, better decisions under stress, charlotte speakers, commando, community team building, community teambuilding, cool under pressure, energetic, engaging speaker, finger puppets, flash mob, flash mob dance, fun blog, funny blog, funny speakers, gothic, karaoke, Keynote speaker, keynote speakers nc, mascara, mental toughness, mind mapping, motivational speakers, motivational speakers nc, neuroplasticity, Public speaker, singing, Terry Vaughan, Terry Vaughn
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Do you believe in magic?
By
admin
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Published
February 9, 2010
Do you believe in luck?
 If you do, then you probably also still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and magic spells….
A long time ago, back when I was young and vibrant, I served with the military. The military is the ultimate place when it comes to rumors. Part of the reason for this is the fact that for the majority of the time enlisted men are treated like mushrooms: Kept in the dark and fed on crap.
One particular day a favorable rumor started in regards to a deployment to Kenya, Africa, but only for a handful of our guys. Of course, the rumor stated that only the most senior guys would be considered and all others should just forget about it…
That didn’t sit well with me as I really wanted this deployment and visit a place I might never get a chance to go to again – and get paid for doing it.
I didn’t even mention my interest to my mates. Most of them would have enjoyed going every bit as much as I would, but they had already stated they didn’t stand a chance and resigned themselves to failure before even trying: I loved that!!
The problem with the military is, it thinks of itself as some sort of dictatorship and everyone should follow the rules. I’m in favor of the system in war time because second guessing orders gets men killed, more often than not.
But during peace time, I believe the rules should be approached a tad more open minded…
Plus telling me not to do something is pretty much a freaking guarantee that I’ll do it. That’s what got me into the Commandos in the first place. Even my own Father didn’t think I could make it. Everyone said you’re crazy, they’ll beat the crap out of you and fail you, and then what’ll you do?
 As if the risk of not making it should be enough to deter one from even trying? WTH?
A plan started to form in my mind: A plan of audacity, rule bending and just a hint of rebelling against the system. But one must be careful. The military doesn’t take kindly to individual free thinking souls – unless they come with a smile and truck loads of charm and persistence. Of which I am amply blessed when my mind is set to achieve something.
My war of persistence began in a very low key and unassuming manner. The day after the rumor began, I showed up at the Sergeants’ office and off handedly remarked that if there were to be a trip to Kenya, I would be willing to deploy, even on short notice.
Did you notice how I twisted it around a bit? Now the trip didn’t sound so much like the glory trip it might have seemed initially. I was actually doing him a favor by letting him know that no matter what happened, I was his go-to-guy if things looked dicey for putting boots on the ground.
It didn’t work – exactly, “Vaughan, you’re a wanker. And that little line making the whole thing sound like you’re helping me out here, that’s ballsy…”
OK. I know. Not the most auspicious of beginnings, but here’s where lesser men would have tucked tail and walked away. I was just getting started.
So for the next two weeks here is how it went for my poor sergeant:
Every morning, after every lunch, last thing in the afternoon, I would “show up” and see what was going on at the office. After a few days of my becoming a regular at his office, he began to relent. I knew I was winning the first time he said he’d put me on the standby list, if anyone couldn’t go due to injury, sickness or whatever, I would be top of the back-up list.
Believe me, that was a victory. The war wasn’t won yet, but I’d certainly let the enemy know he was in for a tough uphill battle. Time to up the ante…
Now I started making tea runs for him, whether he needed a cuppa or not. Or runs to the Naffy, (the on base military shop selling T-shirts, coke, candy bars and other assorted merchandise the boys might need).
I let folks think I was in real trouble and having to do some running around to make it all OK again with the sergeant. Of course eventually he’d had enough, more than enough. He saw me coming and I could see the color drain from his face.
I always smiled, I always managed to make him laugh, but I was also driving him crazy. After two weeks he’d reached his limit.
“Vaughan, if you don’t quit bugging me the only place you’ll be getting deployed to is Arbroath!” Arbroath is a town in Scotland where no one wants to be, not even the Scots who live there… Everything was on the line now. Should I continue or accept defeat?
I rolled the dice. “But, sergeant, this would stop today if you’d give me a shot and put me on that deployment. Do you know how much paperwork is going to be involved with actually re-assigning me to 45 Commando? Sending me to a whole new unit? (Believe me it’s worth mentioning that if there’s one thing warriors hate, its paperwork – and this guy was a soldiers, soldier). I hit a nerve.
What I was saying in not so many words was, this will not stop. I will do this until you re-assign me to another unit, or put me on the list for Kenya. And I said it without actually saying it. I would never overtly threaten a senior rank, especially not his guy, I liked him!
I saw the doubt in his eyes. It was time to seal the deal.
“I’ll not bother you with anything again, ever, if you’ll do me a solid and put me on the list.”
“FINE! Now leave me the hell alone…” He tried to sound angry, but he was already chuckling as he began walking away. He added this as he left,
“If anyone else had worked as hard as you for this I’d have hung myself a week ago… Hell, if the whole Commando Brigade was as stubborn as you I could rule the freaking world…..” I believed him.
Three weeks later the personnel list for Kenya was posted, and would you Christmas Eve it, my name was on the list. Guess what I heard for the next few weeks,
“Vaughan’s so freaking lucky. How the hell did he get on the list?”
“Some blokes have all the luck. It’s just not fair.”
Typically these sorts of comments came from those that had quit trying before it ever began.
Success of any sort isn’t about luck. Luck is something that happens to us. But this line of reasoning means you are at the whim of chance. Something, or someone, has the power to rule your life.
It also means that when bad things happen, when “bad luck” strikes, your mindset is all wrong. You take on the attitude that of course something bad has happened, you knew your luck couldn’t last forever. Right?
Horsepucky!
If you don’t believe in luck, then whatever happens isn’t about the wind changing and your good/bad fortune suddenly slapping you in the face. It’s just what happens. Life happens. There is no good or bad, there are just things.
How you choose to look at them is all a mindset. Saying, “it’s just bad luck” gives the power for your life over to an age old superstition.
If you are stuck on the side of a mountain, lost after a long hike and it suddenly starts to rain, guess what? Mother Nature isn’t kicking sand in your face. She’s just doing what she does, watering the plants. You just happen to be standing in the garden when she does.
When you succeed at something and everyone around you is saying, oh you’re so lucky, nothing like that ever happens to me… Guess what? It wasn’t luck, it was work. It was putting yourself out there and taking calculated chances. It was at least having the balls to try. - follow this link to find out more about creating your own luck.
 You won’t always get the outcome you desire. So what? You’ll still have more than you did before embarking on the journey, even if it’s more experience…
The biggest regrets you’ll ever have in life will be the ones where you didn’t even get in the game in the first place. You didn’t even try.
Life is not a spectator sport.
And it won’t play out the way you want it to if you don’t at least start taking charge of its direction. TAKE ACTION!
Stop using “Bad luck” as an excuse for why you didn’t even try! Make your own luck by working hard and being in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons, and watch what happens.
The situation I mentioned earlier about being stuck on the side of a mountain when the rain begins, well I’m betting half of you said, “What the hell would I be doing on the side of a mountain?”
I have news for you. You’re already on the side of a mountain. That’s where life is played out. Those that succeed and make the biggest contribution to their own happiness are the ones that can say, “Well, I won’t be thirsty tonight” the second it starts to pour.
They didn’t start saying things like, “Isn’t this typical. My bad luck just keeps getting worse and now here comes the rain”…. It might not be what you asked for. It might be a different result than the one you were trying for.
But at least you are trying!
Keep trying and it’s only a matter of time before your luck changes! Hahaha!!
Cheers, Terry
Posted in Keynote Speaking, inspired, teambuilding
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Tagged beautiful women, changing you out look on life, changing your luck, changing your outlook, charlotte speakers, commando, community team building, community teambuilding, countdown to flash mob, dance, do you feel lucky, energetic, engaging speaker, enthusiasm, example of public speaker, exciting speakers, flash mob dance, funny speakers, get lucky, happy at work, High Intensity, High Intensity Teambuilding, hot women, im not an aussie, Keynote speaker, keynote speakers nc, motivational speakers, Oprah, Public speaker, public speaking, sick of the bad luck, T-mobile, Terry Vaughan, Terry Vaughn, ways to make yourself happy, youtube.com/tcvaughan34
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