DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE

SPORTS HEADLINE-MMA STAR KIMBO SLICE SUFFERS KO AT HANDS OF UNKNOWN
Internet legend turned MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter Kimbo Slice was knocked out 14 seconds into his nationally televised Elite XC fight Saturday vs. Seth Petruzelli. Slice was orignially scheduled to fight Ken Shamrock in a headline bout featuring 2 of the sports biggest names, but when Shamrock was injured in a sparring session, Petruzelli substituted in his place for the bout.

Slice, who grew a large fanbase and viral icon status in 2006 & 2007 for his videotaped 'Backyard Brawls', shown on You Tube, had been undefeated in MMA action and was expected to make quick work of Shamrock's replacement.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Have you ever had that feeling of invincibility? We can all remember those times when everything is going right in our world, the sun seems to be shining every day, we catch every green light on the way to work, everyone we encounter is smiling and happy, life is just great! Unfortunately we also remember the days when the rain seems just a little bit harder when we walk out the door, it seems that your car has a license plate that says 'CUTMEOFF' and you are wearing a huge 'Kick Me!' sign on your back. That's why it's good to maintain an even keel about you, regardless of what's going on in life. Enjoy the highs and navigate the lows but don't get too caught up in either one.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Every once in a while a revolutionary idea or a sales/marketing/management superstar comes along. For every Bill Gates, there are hundreds of dot com 'geniuses' that fizzled just as soon as their fatal flaws were exposed. Good business owners and investors are able to see through all of the hype of what looks to be grand on the surface, but they take the time to really dig deeper into the product or person to really uncover it's substance. While it is great to be riding the wave of what seems to be a great idea or addition to your team, be sure that wave has sustaining power and doesn't come crashing down on top of you.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
It's a common saying in sales to 'sell the sizzle, not the steak' meaning if you are able to sell the benefits of something, then your job is much easier to complete the sale. So when you are looking for areas for investment or starting a home based business to generate supplemental or to be your primary source of income, how quickly do you get caught up in all of the hype and promises of fast money with little effort? It all seems so easy, until you've spent unknown amounts of money just to realize you don't have the time, knowledge or passion to follow through with what's needed to be done in order to be succesful. That's what most of these companies bank on, that you are going to plop down your money and leave the product sitting in a corner somewhere. They've made their money to keep paying for advertising for the next person whose interest they can peak. Take a few extra steps to really research and think about what you are getting into and make sure you are ready to fully committ the time, energy and passion to developing and growing your business.

GAME PLAN-
Coaches commonly say that you are never as good as you think you are and never as bad as they say you are. Life is filled with highs, lows, unfulfilled promises and unexpected disappointments. Buying in to the hype is a sure fire way to set your self up for disappointment, just as believing that nothing good will ever happen for you because you are in a lull is a virtual guarantee to manifest that because your thoughts and actions lead down a negative path. Remaining medium, while still enjoying the highs and learning from the lows will lead you to a more satisfying and fulfilling life.