Healthy Wealthy Boomer – Chuck Norris, A Role Model

If there were ever a healthy wealthy boomer role model, it’s Chuck Norris.

He’s actually a “pre-boomer” born in 1940 which makes him 68 in 2008. This guy is the epitome of success and health. And if fact, for many Boomers, he has been a role model for a long time.

I remember Chuck Norris as a competitive Karate professional in southern California in the late 60′s and early 70′s. In 1974, Chuck retired after six years as the undefeated World Middleweight Karate Champion at age 34. I was not yet 21 but frequented the East Bay Karate dojo 6 times a week at the time. One of the guys I worked with had studied from Chuck in So Cal and was often relaying tales of accomplishment and prowess as a first hand witness of this amazing fighter.

And of course there was the fight scene with Bruce Lee in the 1973 martial arts classic, Return of the Dragon – filmed and released while Norris was world champ. He would go on to win another championship the following year.

He set a lot of precedents over the years.

While Chuck Norris preceded the Boomer Generation by a few years, he has set a standard both for success and physical fitness that exemplifies an intelligent and applied approach to longevity and prosperity.

Coupled with a profound spiritual awareness, Norris has consistently emulated:

• a sense of fairness
• kindness
• honor
• character

woven through the many characters he has portrayed throughout his career as an actor, a fighter and martial artist, and benefactor to millions of kids and fans. Through it all is a sense of balance and respect for principle and values.

Baby Boomers can look to Norris as a torch bearer demonstrating what the individual can do on their own if they put their mind to it. At 68, in top physical condition, he’s got a long life yet to live and many things left to accomplish.

Recently Norris wrote a column for Town Hall talking about his friend Bruce Lee:

Bruce Lee vs Me

I found a number of the comments on the column to be a sad reflection of much of our society today, people speaking what they do not know.

To quote Lao Tzu, “Those who speak know not, and those who know speak not.”

In 1989 a friend of mine, Bob Gairing, took up Kick Boxing as a training practice at the age of 53. This guy was a psychotherapist – par excellence – and I guess he needed to relieve some of the weird energy he dealt with on a daily basis through his workouts. He and I became very close that year. I attended a workout with him as an observer one time, and I can tell you, I have never seen tougher training – ever.

He studied from a Martial Arts legend in Missoula, MT named Jim Harrison. You can read about him and what Bruce Lee said about Jim Harrison here.

Bob told me that Harrison and Norris were old friends and that as many times Norris had invited him to appear in movies with him, Harrison always declined and chose to stay out of the limelight and maintain a lower profle. Harrison said Chuck Norris was the real McCoy and really dangerous on the street – which isn’t too typical of martial arts actors.

The fact is we need more tough guys teaching the younger generation, accomplished experts in their fields who can help a generation – and a nation – desperately seeking direction. That is – tough guys with a heart and compassion.

For me, when it comes to listening to advice about fitness and health, I always listen to healthy people. When it comes to marital advice, I listen to people with healthy and successful marriages. When it comes to money and wealth, I listen to people who have a lot of it.

Chuck Norris has all of these things.

More Boomers would do well to emulate his behavior, his training self discipline, his health and vitality and his life and financial success – as opposed to many in Congress, in the media , on Wall Street and in professional sports.

On his official website, in the fitness category, there is simply a brief discussion about The Total Gym with a link to a couple of videos with his wife. He’s been using it multiple times a week for about 20 years. Enough said about fitness. We love The Total Gym and we have one at home that we use.

Finding Your Passion in Life and Doing What You Love

As we learn more in our lives, it is becoming imminently clear that the real key to success – living a long, healthy life and achieving wealth – is by being passionate about what you do and finding your true purpose. Chuck Norris has found his passion in life and lives it fully.

Chuck Norris is not just a healthy wealthy boomer role model, he is a symbol and an icon of the American dream and success.

Talk about a Healthy Wealthy Boomer – Jay Leno’s Garage – 1931 Henderson KJ

You know when I was a kid, my stepfather used to talk about how his dad used to race Indian motorcycles against World War I fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker. His name was Jim Lawrence from Longbarn (near Twain Harte, CA). He was apparently quite a machinist and loved to build stuff in his machine shop right there next to his house.

My stepfather told stories about the 32 Model B Ford his dad had sooped up for him with a “shaved head”, a custom designed – and machined from scratch  - electric fuel pump (in the trunk) and custom headers. He said it was the fastest thing around Twain Harte and Modesto and policemen would stop him just to look under the hood to see what made it so fast. He never got tickets because they thought the car was so cool and apparently they loved his dad.

Bear in mind my step dad was a teenager in the late 30′s and I was a teenager in the mid 60′s so the closet thing I ever got to a Henderson 4 cylinder was looking at pictures in a magazine. But my step dad always talked about the old Henderson “Square Fours” and what cool bikes they were.

Doing What You Love Is a Real Secret to Being Successful, Wealthy and Healthy

Work is a joy and it creates tireless energy when you immerse yourself in what you love. The other day I came across something really cool online at nbc.com. It was a video that Jay Leno did about an old 1931 motorcycle. What really stood out to me watching Jay Leno talking – with real admiration for the old scooter – about the super bike of the early 30′s was his obvious love for collecting and all things vehicular. I had heard from a collector friend of mine years earlier, that Jay was a serious collector, but I kind of blew it off and threw that bit of info into the “some rich guy with a lot of toys archive”.

After watching that video, I really got it that Jay Leno is not a car and motorcycle collector, he is a passionate guy and this is his real love and joy in life. It’s appropriate to me that he would be blessed with such success empowering him to get so involved and create such a magnificent collection. He really knows a lot about cars and motorcycles – a whole lot. What could be more fitting as a “caretaker of such quality” than somebody who is so passionate.

Watch the video and see what I mean. First off, you’ll learn more about the Henderson than you ever knew before, but see if you can identify what I saw in Jay’s voice, his tenor and the shear joy of being able to have such a magnificent motorcycle.

Watch Jay’s video, it’s not only fun, it’s quite interesting (please excuse the 15 – or so – second commercial):

Here is a link to the website with a lot more info about the KJ, if you are interested.

Jay Leno’s Garage – 1931 Henderson KJ

His passion makes this aspect of his life and his fulfillment have real meaning. To me that is the real secret to being a Healthy Wealthy Boomer. Jay is healthy in a way that may keep him passionate about life for a long time to come.

After all…

“Attention animates,” to quote Guy Finley – no wonder Jay has such a great collection and attracts such amazing vehicles into his life. He continues to focus on what he loves.

Now we just have to get him to lay off the pasta a little.

What a cool video and a great motorcycle.