The Written Word

By Pat Whitworth USPTA Master Professional

Blasé to Ablaze by Tim Buwick

How to Turn You BLAHS INTO AHHS to Ignite Passion & Purpose

Tim Buwick is a DYNAMO, a 'volcano' of energy and enthusiasm. I have been fortunate to hear him speak at Wilson events, at two of our Business Conferences, and on a Virtual Business Conference. He is captivating and just plain entertaining as a presenter and master storyteller. Knowing this, I was very intrigued by the title and to ever consider that Tim had a BLASE moment. This book is a workbook and guide to help you realize where you are, what may be issues for you, and the roadmap to working through those issues.

The journey to finishing this book took a major detour. Tim was near to publishing, when a major life issue happened - at a routine physical he was diagnosed with a mitral valve issue, which later led to the discovery that all three systems in his heart were blocked. Open heart surgery was the only cure, so this was a BIG change for Tim. Before this Tim had thought that a sudden career change after nearly 30 years with Wilson Tennis was a big deal. Now that seemed relatively insignificant in light of his looming open heart surgery.

Tim learned during this period of his life that everything did not fit the perfect life comfortably, but there is always something to learn, a new challenge, a new obstacle, and new opportunity. "This new life forced me to recognize two old, yet timeless principles. First, my level of success and satisfaction will never exceed my level of personal development. In other words, if I want to be better, I must be better. And secondly, all significant growth comes from outside my comfort zone".

In a recent presentation, Tim talked about a bumper sticker that read 'WHATEVER'. He was exasperated. It should be WHATEVER IT

TAKES! It is so easy to slip into the same habits. This knowledge led him to create the M5 Method of Self-Discovery. The book will help you find the passion, purpose, and plan to position yourself to fulfill your mission in your work and in your life. The book will help you find answers to some nagging questions such as: Is this all there is? Is this how I want my days to look for the next ten, twenty, thirty years? So now what? Why is it that some other people seem to hit on all cylinders while my engine keeps misfiring? What specifically do I need to do so that I can keep my fire burning?

The M5 Method is broken down into 5 chapters. The first three will cause you to look inside, the fourth exhorts you to look outside, and the fifth and final chapter gives you the secret to how you can have an everlasting passion for life, to stay ABLAZE for the rest of your days.

The chapters are:

1) Mirror - Who Do I Want to Be?

2) Malaise - Why Am I Not That Person Now?

3) Mine - Who Am I?

4) Mode - Where Do I Want to Go?

5) Maintain - How Do I Keep the Fire Burning?

Each chapter contains detailed information on the topic, some classic Tim stories, (and he is a great story teller), and some work exercises to recognize and improve in these aspects of your life. A quote from the Malaise chapter is priceless "Living in bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die".

Mine is a particularly challenging chapter as many of us struggle with the question "do you know who you really are?" This is also a tough question in an interview such as "How would you describe yourself?" A major point is that you cannot know where you're going until you first know who you are. The goal of Mine is for you to Mine your experiences, your desires, and your goals to discover the real you. By doing this, you will be equipped to maximize the precious time you have left by aligning what you do with who you are. There is much more to this chapter as Tim has used the word FLAME to define 5 work areas. A great quote in the (E) section on developing your own Personal Mission & Purpose Statement. Bob McDonald, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble said, "Most people spend more time planning their vacations than thinking about what they want to do with their lives." YIKES.

The 4th M is Mode, and it is your outward goal of Where Do I Want to Go. What, where, and how can I do what I love every day? Tim provides a guide to create four primary lists which will help you pinpoint the path to ABLAZE.

The final M is Maintain. Now that you have the fire burning, you need to maintain the progress that you have attained. Tim uses another acronym, ABLAZE to help direct you. The six elements are Appreciation, Boldness, Laughter, Action, Zest, and Expectation. All of these are expanded on and often include some of Tim's stories.

I highly recommend this book. It is an easy read as Tim does not try to overuse heavy vocabulary. The entertainment is high, but the message is fitting for today, or any day. Well done USPTA member Tim Buwick.