Wanted Dead or Alive

“People are always asking me why they don't make Westerns like they used to.”  -Roy Rogers, Movie Star, Cowboy

I’ve always loved Westerns. My first mentor was Roy Rogers. As a kid growing up on an Air Force Base in Japan, I went to the movies every Saturday to see my Hero on his horse “Trigger” and his dog “Bullet” win the day and defeat the bad guys. More often than not, a poster would make an appearance, “WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE…”

My mentors fall into two categories, DEAD or ALIVE. WRITERS and SPEAKERS. I discovered Earl Nightingale a year after he died, 1990. He had done what I wanted to do. He was an inspiring speaker and a gifted writer. His radio show “Our Changing World” was heard in over fifty countries. There was something about him, his voice, his vocabulary, his content, his point of view. I modeled my career after his. 

One quote resonated with me:  “Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

A mentor does not need to be living to inspire and instruct. To wit: Teddy Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, Jim Rohn, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Bob Moawad, Charlie Jones, Bill Wilson are all alive and well in my heart and head in the legacy they left behind. Through their Books, Audios, Videos, Articles, Films, they continue to teach. They left behind a shade tree I get to sit under.

In choosing my mentors, I have asked a few simple questions:

1. Who has done what I want to do and been where I want go? 
2. I ask others I admire, who are alive and well, “Who were YOUR mentors coming up?”  
3. What books can I read?  
4. What YouTube Videos can I watch?  
5. What audio programs can I listen to?  

I keep my journal handy and capture the answers to the questions “What are the causes of their success?” and “What can I borrow from them?”

Robert Klein is one of my comedy mentors. I read his book. I saw him live. I watched interviews with him on YouTube. I downloaded his LP on i-tunes. I deconstructed his style, use of accents and imitations, timing, pace, stories and his extra-ordinary gift on the harmonica. Rodney Dangerfield said in 1966, “He is the new dimension in comedy” then proceeded to take the young man under his wing for 10 years. Jerry Seinfeld said, “He was my first mentor, he changed my life and made me want to be a comedian!”

That’s what mentors do. They change our lives. They make us want to be better; DEAD or ALIVE!  

As Roy Rogers said, “I did pretty good for a guy who never finished high school and used to yodel at square dances!”  

Giddy Up!

Mark Matteson, Best Selling Author, International Speaker

To order one of my books, go to: www.sparkingsuccess.net/store

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To watch a few short videos, simply click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Jt8ckNfTLjxDxIHiJFmLQ

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Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Igt7mg2ocg5uznucgczjyfbqs3m?t=On_Books_and_People_with_Mark_Matteson

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-books-and-people-with-mark-matteson/id1485933233