Tokyo's "Dragon Twist" Secret for Overcoming Failure And Setbacks

A couple weeks ago, I was in Tokyo eating an authentic Sumo Wrestler meal called Chanko Nabe.

It's a hot pot filled with veggies, fish, and other meats. And MAN is it good! Apparently, sumo wrestlers eat one of these per day. For us, it took three people just to take one down.

But what really struck me about Tokyo was this:

This mega-city has grown to 37.8 million people (metro population) despite being destroyed over... and over again by war, fires, tsunamis and earthquakes.

One of the worst was the Great Kanto Earthquake. This 7.9 magnitude earthquake awakened a devastating 40-foot tsunami that swept away coastal villages... dropped dozens of buildings... tipped over stoves and broke gas mains causing fires throughout the city - that then merged into a 300-foot-tall "fire tornado" - called a dragon twist (which the fire department couldn't do much about because water mains were destroyed).

In a single day, close to half the city was destroyed.

And that's just one of countless earthquakes, tsunamis, fires and landslides that's hit the area. Yet, despite all of these disasters Tokyo has rebounded and emerged stronger.

More fortified. More resilient.

Each time it's allowed leaders to take a step back, analyze the situation, and look at how to improve the city.

It's a similar opportunity after personal failures... setbacks... and rejection...

There's a choice to rebuild... come back stronger... more prepared... and armed with new knowledge about what to do differently next time.

(Not always easy. But possible)

Some will see it as starting over.

Or starting over from square one.

But if you're honest with yourself, you're not. You're never really starting over - you always lug your knowledge, experience and wisdom on your back and carry it with you wherever you go. You may sometimes forget it's there... but it's there.

And tucked inside are the tools and raw materials to rebuild. And not just to rebuild but sometimes to make things even better than before.

After the 2011 earthquake in Japan, rescuers found an elderly couple who'd been trapped for three days in a building. When a reporter asked the husband if he was okay, he smiled at the camera and said, "Let's rebuild again." He had survived the 1960 tsunami and knew the drill.

So if you've recently faced defeat... failure... or recovering from a setback here's your chance to rebuild again.

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How Robert Downey Jr Turned His Life Around, Rebuilt Himself, & Skyrocketed To Success

He was in a tail-spin.

His life burning to the ground... trapped in drug addiction... fired from the show Ally McBeal... and even sent to prison. No one dared to hire him. You'd never guess it today. But years ago, that was actor Robert Downey Jr.

Yet - he turned his life around... rebuilt himself... and skyrocketed to become Iron Man.

How?

Here are four secrets that turbo-charged his comeback. Even if you don't have dreams of being a dynamic actor (or actress)... even if you're facing a different "enemy"... even if you don't even like superhero movies... these four lessons (when implemented) can help you rise back up, rebuild yourself and resurrect yourself to a new level.

Iron Man's 4 Secrets to Rising From Rock-Bottom

1. Laser-Beam Focus On Taking The Next Step

Just like Tony Stark slaving away in a cave to build the original Iron Man suit. Downey's climb out of the darkness took seven years. He rebuilt his credibility, his commitment and his self-confidence one day at a time. One movie at a time. One job at a time.

He says:

I found my way out of the woods

by a subtler and subtler trail of bread crumbs

-Robert Downey Jr.

Not Hulk-like leaps forward. Small relentless steps forward.

(Remember progress is progress)

2. You Can Always Build Your Self-Discipline Muscles

At first, Downey doubted his ability to leave a life of drugs. He knew it was wrecking everything. But kept going back. With the help of Wing Chun (Chinese martial art) he built up his concentration... laser-like focus... and inner calm. This finally busted the vice-grip that drugs had over him.

3. Knowing It's Okay To Ask For Help

When Downey had demonstrated his commitment to staying sober, producers still had ice cold feet. They swore he'd bail out. But Mel Gibson (who had his own demons) who worked with him on a previous film - jumped to the rescue. He believed in Downey so much that he put up collateral to reassure producers.

This gave Downey his shot to star in The Singing Detective... showing audiences and Hollywood that he was heaven-bent on taking his life back. But if Downey was too proud to accept Gibson's help, this never would have happened.

4. Total Belief That Your Skills Will Eclipse Your Past Mistakes

At first, Marvel Comics didn't want anything to do with him. Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man, fought tooth and nail to persuade the studio to hire him. He saw Downey's electricity. He saw his dynamite acting skills overshadowed his dark past.

Here was this force of nature,

who I think was living with this frustration

that he wasn't able to really show what he was great at

-Jon Favreau

That greatness lies within each and every one of us.

We are all forces of nature in our own way.

Find what it is for you.

And start building... rebuilding... and creating something (or becoming someone) that you're proud of.

Because the past does not have to equal the future.

P.S. Besides Wing Chun, there are other powerhouse techniques for quickly tapping more inner strength, inner peace, self-discipline and bringing gusto and confidence when you wake up each morning. One way is an ancient Asian technique that gives you the strength to rapidly rebound from stressful situations. Plus, studies find it develops the "happy region" (left frontal lobe) of the brain.

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