Sergeant Tony's Blog

You see, I been through the desert on a horse with no name …

“Tony, how do you remember everyone’s name?”

I get this question quite a bit. The truth is, I don’t really know. I just try to remember.

Years ago I read what Dale Carnegie said, that “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

When my children were growing up I taught them some guidelines for developing social skills and relationships with others. We were living in Japan at the time and were planning a trip back to the US. I wanted them to be able to make friends here and to feel comfortable in their home country, though America was mostly foreign to them.

So I consulted Dale Carnegie again and made an acronym of some of his precepts to teach to my kids before we got on the plane to bring us back to Tennessee.

We all need to be reminded of the things that make for good people skills. Human Resource managers say that the number one reason for employee termination is “failure to get along with others.” Most of us live in a professional environment and personal environments that involve other people. And those other people have names and lives that are important to them. Knowing those things and caring about those things set people apart.

The acronym that I came up with was a made-up “name” of a man I called “B.S. Neti” It’s kind of silly, but it helped my kids (Matthew, my oldest, just repeated this to me the other day!) and it may help you too. I know that some of you are shocked that “Sergeant Tony” has any knowledge of “good people skills,” given my mean, rotten and nasty reputation and disposition. But I think I can at least TELL you how to do it, even if I don’t actually DO it myself!!

B.S. Neti

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile. Frowners are downers.
3. Remember that a person’s Name is all important to them.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel Important.

Now, if you want to know what the opposite of these things is, watch the Saturday Night Live skits about the “one upper chick.”

SNL cast member, Kristen Wiig, plays a character named Penelope Morris who chimes into other people’s conversations, or interrupts the conversations, only to brag about something that obliquely has to do with the topic, all the while constantly fidgeting with her hair. If one of the other characters in the skit were to say “I went to the store,” Penelope would reply with “Oh, yeah. I went to the store, to the hardware store, I went to all the stores, I own all the stores.”

No matter who you are, or what you do for a living, remembering the names of the people in your life, the major players and the minor roles, will pay huge dividends in your personal relationships.

How do I remember people’s names? I just make it a priority. You can do it too! Good luck, who ever you are!

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You Might Be a Boot Camper … continued …

“If it’s 5:30 AM in Memphis and you’re running as fast as you can in the dark, and you haven’t committed a crime, you might be a Boot Camper.”

“If your push-ups get you you’re accused of being Muslim or a member of the Taliban when doing push-ups, you might be a Boot Camper.”

“If you know what River-Dance-Side-Straddle-Hops are and aren’t embarrassed to do them, you might be a Boot Camper.”

“If you yell at your child, ‘It’s NOT crisscross apple sauce! It’s Indian style!’ … you might be a Boot Camper.”

“If nobody wants to ride in your funky-smelling car, you might be a Boot Camper.”

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USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP — Midtown continues to ROCK, averaging about a dozen boot campers everyday!!!

Invite your midtown slacker friends who think it’s too far to come to Christ Methodist to check out the Midtown location with Theresa and Holly at Evergreen Presbyterian, 0530 to 0630 AM, Monday through Friday!

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ATTENTION!!!

USMC Fitness Boot Camp is collecting necessities and
comfort items for Marines serving in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Please join us in collecting these items, cards
and letters that will be packed and shipped on April
12th from Madison, TN.

TN Marine Family is preparing for their annual
donation drive and is need of the following items:

Hot Chocolate
Tea Bags
Flavored Coffee
powdered Gatorade – small containers or pouches
Slim Jims/Beef Jerky
Crackers and Easy Cheese
Kraft Easy Mac
Instant Soups
Granola Bars
Pouches of Tuna / Chick en
Spices (onion powder, garlic powder, etc. Not large
sizes)
White Athletic Socks
Chapstick / Lip Balm
Small Packages Baby Wipes
Foot Powder
Writing Paper / Press N Seal Envelopes
Sunflower Seeds
Canned Spaghetti / Ravioli
Vienna Sausages (No Pork)
CD’s / DVD’s / Paperback Books
Travel Sized Hand Sanitizers
Inexpensive Hand Held Video Games
Bags of Hard Candy
Prepaid Phone Cards
AA Batteries
Eye Drops
Hand Warmers

Please bring items, hand written notes/cards or photos
that you would like to send to our troops to Boot
Camp. I will have a box in my car and on the
Quarterdeck for you to place your donations beginning Monday. Last
year, TN Marine Family packed and shipped 428 boxes
and they hope to do more this year!

Even just a thank you not means a lot to the men and
women serving our country.

We appreciate your support!

For more information on TN Marine Family, please
visit, www.tnmarinefamily.org.

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HONORING KEN

In honor of Ken Kenworthy, the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America is hosting an annual fishing tournament to the Florida Keys. Ken was very involved in Scouting.

Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Ken Kenworthy Campership Fund.

Participants will fly from Memphis to Miami on Thursday April 17th. Lodging will be at the Boy Scouts of America’s National Sea Base on Islamorada, Florida. Participants will fish in two person teams with local guides on Friday and Saturday, returning to Memphis on Sunday April 20th. Cost is $3,000.00 for individual and $5,000.00 for a two person team. This includes airfare, transportation, meals and lodging, and guide services.

For information about the tournament contact Henry Kenworthy (cell 901-409-7196) or the Scout Office at 901-327-4193.

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RENT MY HOUSE IN EAST MEMPHIS!

My house on Southern, in the Colonial View neighborhood (between Target on Colonial and The Half Shell on Mendenhall) will be available for lease on April 1. GREAT LOCATION!

It’s a geographical oddity, 5 minutes from everywhere! (My apologies to the Coen Brothers!) More details and a picture are on the blog: http://usmcfitnessbootcamp.com/blog/

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS SATURDAY!

Half marathon training continues this Saturday, March 29 at 8 AM @ Shelby Farms. We’ll meet in front of the Visitor’s Center. This Saturday we’ll be going 2hrs 20 min.

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This from Boot Camper Robert Milner:

Bomb Dogs Going to War!- Need Help!

My dad is training dogs that will be sold to the military. We need people to come and socialize the puppies. Our dogs need to be exposed to different types of people (big, small, scary looking, etc.) Some of these dogs will be shipped to Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. They will hopefully be saving some of our soldier’s lives. Come serve your country by playing with puppies! www.duckhillkennels.com

We are only 30 minutes east of Wolfchase in Somerville, TN. My email address is rrmilner@yahoo.com and my cell is 901-412-9489. Thanks! Robert Milner

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And speaking of dogs … BE ON THE LOOKOUT … my little dog is still missing. She got out over a week ago and I haven’t found her yet. She’s a chow and something(s) mix, orange-ish/brown-ish, medium sized dog who is friendly and sweet. Just like her owner. She ran off on the 5 year anniversary of me getting her from the Animal Shelter.

She would be wandering around near Walnut Grove and White Station, close to Richland Elementary School.

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Recently a new Boot Camper asked me if I thought they should come everyday. To which I said, “OF COURSE.”

Walker Hays expounded on this and gave me his five reasons why coming everyday is actually EASIER than coming three times a week. Walker said,

“In my opinion, going to Boot Camp 5 days/wk is easier than 3 days/wk because ……… (for those people whose schedule permits 5 days/wk)…..

1. Becomes “routine” (or a habit as you say)
2. No changing alarm clock daily
3. Never feel like you’re having to get up “earlier than normal” when it’s the same each day
4. Never an option to make it up later in the week when your goal is 5 days/wk -
5. No decisions to make on the issue at night, in the morning, or ever.

Well said, Walker Hays!

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“We cannot always control our thoughts, but we can control
our words, and repetition impresses the subconscious,
and we are then master of the situation.”
— Florence Scovel Shinn: American artist, metaphysics teacher, author

To your continued good health and fitness!

Sergeant Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
4888 Southern Cove
Memphis, TN 38117
901-644-0145

www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main