Fake is a four letter word

When I was a kid I loved to watch wrestling, Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Junk Yard Dog, etc. Then at some point I learned from other people that not only were Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny fake, but wrestling was fake too. For a long time after that, I thought wrestling was the most stupid thing on TV. I couldn't understand why people would watch something that was fake. It's funny how such a little word can have such an impact on our perceptions. ...

At thesaurus.com the first words that come up as synonyms for the word fake are:
affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, concocted, counterfeit, fabricated, false, fictitious, forged, fraudulent, invented, make-believe, mock, phony, pretended, pseudo*, reproduction, sham*, simulated, spurious

What else in our world is fake? Are movies fake? Yes, even documentaries to a certain extent. TV, yes. What about reality tv? You can't get much more artificial, fabricated and phony than that - just because it calls itself reality and has very little to do with reality. There is plenty more in life that is in some way fake. In fact, the famous wrestler and seemingly:) good guy wrote a book called "Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling." It is a fun read and it deals with many of the perceptions we have about what is fake in comparison to wrestling.

Of course, I became a wrestler and now know how real professional wrestling is. What I would like to focus on today is the power of word choice on language. And instead of fake we will choose a synonym artificial. Today I read an article where President George W. Bush again talked about, and I quote,"an artificial timetable for withdrawal." If you take out the word artificial you have, "a timetable for withdrawal" or a deadline to get the troops out of Iraq.

In my experience there are no artificial deadlines and all deadlines are artificial. There are no artificial deadlines because the nature of a deadline is a made up time when things need to be done. Sure, sometimes they coincide with real world events that if not completed by could be detrimental to your goals, but that is about making up a deadline based on your goals ( which may include staying alive, well fed, having a roof over your head, etc. ). Yes, deadlines are artificial in nature, but they have been proven powerful in getting stuff done.

Many books on productivity talk about the importance of setting deadlines. The reason? If you don't set a deadline you will keep putting the task, or a part of a task off for another day. Set a deadline and you are more likely to do what it takes to get it done.

Obviously, war is more complex than me getting a project done at work or in my life. People die at war. More so than otherwise. However, I have enough respect in the capabilities of our armed forces to think that with a timetable for withdrawal, they could be more focused on getting what needs to be done completed on time. Of course, for that to work, they would need a clear idea of what needs to be completed as well. I think most people would like a clear idea of what victory looks like.

So the next time you are flipping through the channels and you see a movie, a tv show ( reality or otherwise ) and of course wrestling, sit back and enjoy it. Just because it is fake, doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch. In some cases, its very nature is to be artificial, and thank goodness.

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Wrestling

After I had been wrestling for a while and started to talk to people who didn't know much about wrestling, I used to joke that I was going to write a book called "Everything I need to know, I learned from wrestling". Well, I may not have enough for a whole book, but I figure occasionally I'll post an article talking about something I learned in wrestling that applies outside of the ring. Today's article is a basic, and yet outside of wrestling I don't see it that often, shaking people's hands. ...

When I say shaking people's hands, I'm not talking about during job interviews and business deals. What I'm talking about can best be described how I learned it. One of my good friends from wrestling is former WCW wrestler Maestro, who now goes by the name of Stro. This guy has been around a long time and is one of the nicest people I have ever met. One of the things he makes a point to do at every show is say hello to everyone backstage before the show and shakes their hands. He also, makes a point to actually talk to you, and find out what is going on. Then, at the end of the show he makes a point to do it all again, except this time he is saying goodbye. He usually will shake a person's hand 2, 3 or more times a night.

While it may seem a little wierd, the way he does it is important. He doesn't just shake your hand and say hello or goodbye. He shakes your hand, says hello and then asks you how you are doing. To be honest, I don't think he even talks about himself until you ask him how he is doing.

Forget about yourself for a moment. Taking the time to touch someone ( in a safe manner ) and ask how they are doing is a sure way to brightening up someone's day. Even if they are telling you how miserable their day is, they finally have someone who is just listening to them. Plus, the safe-physical touch starts to set up a closer connection as well. This is good, humans need other humans.

I try to make a point of saying hello and goodbye to everyone in my small office, and usually with a handshake or a pat on the shoulder. I want everyone around me to know that they matter to me, because they do. I've started a new gym recently and I will make a point of meeting at least 1 new person a week starting this week, and the lessons I learned in the ring ( or rather backstage ) will help me with that. Pretty soon, it will be easier, and more pleasant for me to go to the gym because I will have so many friends there ( oh, did I forget to tell you to start thinking of yourself again? ).

It takes a little courage at first, but it is really quite easy to do. Make a point of giving someone a few moments of time to connect with you. It will benefit you both.
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Daryl "Deacon" Ducharme never actually wrestled in school. He only does the stuff a lot of people who have never tried it call fake. 2007 marks the year Deacon is coming out of retirement. Watch this blog to find out more.