Be Invincible!: A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential

by Vince Papale, Janet Cantwell-papale, Tim Vandehey (Contributor)

B E I N V I N C I B L E I Am, I Said There is no greater waste than wasted potential, and the greatest challenge to that potential is the constant change we experience. If you cannot adapt and adjust to its ebbs and flows, you are destined to fail in the pursuit of your dream and the fulfillment of your potential. Right now, we?re in the middle of the biggest economic earthquake since the Great Depression. People are losing their homes. They are being forced to leave careers they thought they would stay in until retirement and start new jobs. A whole new generation of adults is moving back in with their aging parents because that?s the only way everybody can make ends meet.But change isn?t just economic. We?re also seeing the rise of technology, from iPads to smart phones, that?s changing how we work, communicate and live our daily lives. We?re seeing society and families change in ways that are pretty radical, from blended families and gay marriage to the way the government is increasingly invading our private lives in the name of security. No matter what you believe or how you were raised, this might be the most unsettling, disquieting time in American history.Or not. Every time you open the newspaper or turn on the radio, it seems like you read or hear about somebody who?s riding the wave of change with the ease of a pro surfer riding a wave on Oahu?s North Shore. You?ve got entrepreneurs launching new restaurants or tech businesses despite the brutal economy.Unknown authors getting great book deals even in the face of impossible odds.Folks coming back from cancer or divorce or bankruptcy to be happier and healthier than ever before. Maybe you sit back and say, ?How in the hell did they do that?? Well, my friend, I?m here to tell you.It didn?t happen by accident. Nobody lucks into success. When I achieved some fame after making the Philadelphia Eagles special teams squad at age 30 back in 1976, plenty of people said I had just gotten a lucky break. But if you know my story, saw the movie Invincible or read my book, you know that nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, I came from hard working-class beginnings and didn?t play a minute of college football. But I also worked my guts out in tryouts and training camp, learned what my coach, Dick Vermeil, wanted from his players, and found ways to make myself invaluable to the team in the role that suited me best. In other words, I had a plan. When times changed, I had still more plans. I reinvented myself. I became a broadcaster, a trainer and a speaker.vii B E I N V I N C I B L E HAVE A PLAN FOR CHANGING TIMES This book is all about being prepared for and evolving with changing times, so that you can find the invincibility within yourself and thrive no matter how crazy things around you are becoming. What does it mean to be invincible? It doesn?t mean being bulletproof, and it doesn?t mean not making any mistakes. Believe me, when I came into the NFL as a raw rookie wide receiver and special teams kamikaze, I made plenty of mistakes. So will you.Change is going to come, probably when you least expect it. Life turns on a dime?sometimes dramatically after a doctor?s diagnosis or a pink slip, sometimes subtly with an idea for a new business or an aging parent?s forgetfulness.When it does, you have two 1. Try to catch up.2. Be prepared.I believe that 99% of people don?t change anything major about their lives until they have no choice. The obese guy doesn?t get serious about losing weight until he has his heart attack. The alcoholic doesn?t go on the wagon until he wakes up in the drunk tank or gets a DUI. Change is probably going to come into your life without giving you any choice, either. But you can choose to be prepared for it when it does come! Being invincible means having the plan, the character, the support and the strength of mind to deal with whatever changes life throws your way and come out on top.Being invincible is also about knowing your weaknesses and compensating for them by building up your strengths. It?s about understanding that life will throw you some wicked curveballs, but that you can handle them. It?s about reinventing yourself constantly and adapting to what comes your way. You?re a lot stronger than you think you are. When unemployment, disease or any other challenge comes along, the only thing that can prevent you from meeting and beating that challenge is you.It?s also about having a plan. When things change, some people are going to panic or freeze like a deer in the headlights of an SUV. You know what happens to that deer, right? Splat. If you?re inflexible or believe that you can only survive under certain conditions, you?re going to be helpless when big changes hit. But if you have a plan that keeps you thinking posiviii B E I N V I N C I B L E tive, taking care of your body and mind, and developing new skills, you?ll be ready to find opportunities where other people only find fear.That?s being tougher than the times...

216 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Vincent Francis Papale is a former professional American football player. He played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League. Papale was the inspiration for the 2006 movie Invincible.

Reviews

[Cole Rich]

Nice little book. Reads like a long conversation with elders who are looking to impart life wisdom. I received as part of a corporate event years ago where Vince spoke. Good read for young folks just starting out in their career.