The late Bud Jeffries could rip the New York City phone book in half with his bare hands.

He could bend steel bars an inch thick. He even broke a chisel with his fists.

After a demonstration for students, Bud asked, “Any questions?”

People asked, “Were your parents strong? Do you lift machines or free weights? What’s your diet like?”

After 10 minutes answering questions, Jeffries said, “I’m very happy to answer more questions, or I could answer all of your questions in just two words.”

“What are the two words?” someone asked.

“Desire wins.”

Jeffries continued. “Desire beats genetics. Desire beats nutrition. Desire beats equipment.”

If you have desire, you can shock the world.

Yet it's hard to have a desire about anything without having, first, a purpose. Our coaching programs are helping people with that discovery process.

It's true… most of the people I work with don't have the desire to break chisels for fun. Years ago, however, I did know a guy who could rip phone books in half. It was his one and only parlor trick and he was also a jerk.

But we can all deal with feats of strength on our own time—Festivus might be appropriate. Meanwhile, we're helping create forward momentum with our people, those who are making substantial impact in the intellectual arena.

Many such cases.

As always,

Brian

P.S. – Bud Jeffries died in 2022 at the age of 48. His Instagram is a record of some of his feats of strength. https://www.instagram.com/budjeffries/ 

By all accounts he was a nice guy, not like the phone book-ripping fellow I was talking about.