#1645 Magic Moments

In our last +1, we talked about James Altucher and his mixed martial artist friend’s Mastery Math.

As you may recall, when Ken Shamrock wanted to master a martial art, he’d +1, Equal, and -1 it by finding a teacher (+1), a sparring partner (Equal), and a student to teach (-1).

That’s a BRILLIANT way to approach mastery.

Now…

Let’s stay on the mixed marital arts theme for a moment longer.

Not too long ago, I was blessed to receive an invitation to attend a UFC event in Austin.

Quick backstory…

One of our Heroic members (thanks, Ryan!!!) is super-passionate about helping us catalyze the Heroic movement.

He connected me with one of his friends named Ed Soares. Ed Soares is a legend in the mixed martial arts world who has managed some of the best fighters in the UFC (including Anderson Silva) who also runs the “developmental league” for the UFC called the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

So…

Ryan connected me with Ed and Ed generously hosted me for a night at the UFC event in Austin.

Ed’s a VIP in this world so our tickets were literally in THE front row—right behind the press section.

The whole experience was INCREDIBLE.

Of course, I’m a big fan of seeing ANY elite performer in action, but there was something especially powerful about seeing these warriors LITERALLY put themselves into the arena.

As we’ve discussed, Epictetus loved to use wrestlers and boxers as Heroic exemplars in his stories as he made his philosophical points. I felt like I had a front-row seat to the modern expression of his pankration wisdom.

So…

The fights are remarkable.

I’m studying the body language during the walk-out and chatting with Ed about each of the fights—from a tactical and psychological perspective.

There were a number of highlights I want to discuss in a series of +1s.

Here’s one for Today…

After a particular moment in a fight when one fighter clearly had a momentary advantage but failed to capitalize on it, Ed told me that when Anderson Silva was fighting he’d say that there was almost always a “Magic Moment” in the fight when (goosebumps as I type this), you get that slight advantage for a moment.

Ed told me that Anderson Silva (who, again, is considered one of THE all-time best mixed martial artists) told him that GREAT fighters SENSE that moment and then fiercely CAPITALIZE on it.

It’s one of the things that MADE THEM great.

As we discussed one fighter missing that moment, I thought of Jim Collins and Theodore Roosevelt and Phil Stutz.

Phil has often told me that great leadership is all about exactly the same thing. He uses the metaphor of a world-class running back who SEES a hole in the line of scrimmage and IMMEDIATELY HITS IT—no hesitation. Pure instinct.

The great running back sees the hole. Trusts himself. And HAMMERS through the hole in the line of scrimmage for a big gain.

Magic moment seized.

In her extraordinary book on Leadership, Doris Kearns Goodwin tells us that Theodore Roosevelt once said that: “Any man who has been successful, has leapt at opportunities chance provides.”

Yep.

Same thing.

Jim Collins echoes this in his great book Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0. He tells us, in short, that ALL companies experience “good” and “bad” luck but that the best leaders know how to manage the bad luck and take advantage of the good luck.

Do you?

Here’s to seeing and SEIZING the Magic Moments in our lives.

Today.