No Rewind: Only One Shot

Copyright © 2014 Larry Bettag.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2674-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2676-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2675-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903034

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/15/2014

CONTENTS

Testimonials

Introduction

How to Read This Book

A Struggle To …

Wendy: Vision

Larry: Christ

David: Moving Forward

Fear of Change

Faith: Growing Or Dying

Michael: Passion

Eric: Persistence

Josette: Love

Life Planning

Larry Bettag’s Life Plan

Afterword: Keeping Your Fuse Lit

Can I ask a favor of you?

Acknowledgments

How to Contact Me

Endnotes

TESTIMONIALS

The quality of our lives to a great extent is dependent on our perspective. In this book, Larry has done a masterful job of sharing stories of inspiration along with life truths in a way that is guaranteed to challenge your perspective. If you give this book a chance, I am confident it will positively impact the quality of your life!

Daniel Harkavy, C.E.O. and Founder Building Champions

Larry had me laughing, crying and simply moved with a powerful message that every person should read. Larry, thank you for sharing these incredible stories and life lessons that will impact each person who reads it. Once I started reading No Rewind, I couldn’t put it down as I connected with every character, their challenges and their triumphs. Anyone wanting to be exceptional should read this book as Larry has a gift of writing with incredible persuasion and draws you in. Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and happy reading!

Casey Cunningham, C.E.O. and Founder of XINNIX Training Academy

Once I started reading No Rewind, I had a hard time putting it down. I don’t say this about many books, but this is a must read. Few books have captured my heart and mind as quickly as No Rewind. Get ready to look through your life with a new set of lenses.

Ronnie Doss, Founder and C.E.O. of Ronnie Doss Speaks

In a raw, unadulterated way, Larry gets to the heart of some life matters that actually matter. If you want a nice easy, cotton candy-like book that simply entertains and does no more, don’t read this one. Instead, if you want a book that causes you to think in a way that can permanently impact your life then No Rewind is your next read. I am simply better for reading No Rewind. I am grateful for you Larry, and the courage it took to get this out. I sure hope the world isn’t too busy to read it.

Steve Scanlon, Founder and Chief Lizard at Rewire, Inc

No Rewind combines self-help, humor, struggle, and true courage. You’ll walk away from this book with momentum to overcome your fears and make the most out of your life."

Rich Brennan, President and C.E.O. of Optimal Living Academy

Through No Rewind we learn from Larry’s life that dreaming is right if married to action and planning. Dreaming is good. It’s God-given and it’s God empowered! Take the steps Larry lays out for you…your life will be changed…and God will smile.

Pastor Joe Barlow, Family Life Christian Center & Joseph Barlow Ministries

INTRODUCTION

I was running some errands recently with my second oldest, Jake. We were talking about a couple we know who had broken into an abandoned home and had taken up residence there. They weren’t married; they were professional partiers. They didn’t work; they relied on government aid. They have a child, a fifth-grader who has been grossly neglected. The father and mother had been arrested a number of times.

Jake asked me how they got their money since neither worked. I told him they receive stipends from our government. He knew they drank a lot and were unemployed and had broken into the vacant house. They turned on the heat and electricity and still received monthly welfare or assistance checks.

Jake said, No offense [not sure why, but the new slang always opens with No offense], Dad, but I played video games once for two hours straight and I felt bad about it. I can’t imagine just doing what they do all the time. It must be pretty boring.

I told him God had a huge plan for that dad, mom, and child. I told him it was never too late to do what God wanted you to do and make your mark on the world. What that couple was doing was a shallow, empty pursuit of pleasure over meaning. Their actions were wrong and illegal. But I told Jake the cool thing was that God hadn’t given up on them and that it wasn’t too late for them to change and get their plans into action.

Everyone has a story to tell. God calls every person for a mission and promises them lots of adventures along the way. God doesn’t want anyone as a bench warmer. There may be a learning curve, but he’s called everyone to start the game. In Give Your Speech, Change the World, author Nick Morgan writes that if you’re going to take the trouble to give a speech, you need to make it worthwhile. I’d go a step further and say if you’re going to live a life, make an impact, you need to change the world as well.

I was an English major in college. Although it took me five years to get through college (too much partying), from what I remember, verb tenses are important. When I say, You are called to be great now, the operative word is now. Being great is not about your past. It’s not about your failures or missed opportunities or devastating tragedies or great successes. It’s definitely not about tomorrow since tomorrow never comes. Your future is critical, and it begins today.

Many books try to get you to aspire to be a better you. While that’s a worthy goal, life is way too short for you to settle for being only a better version of yourself. This book is meant for people who want to leave it all out on the field. Go hard or go home is the mantra of the superstar athlete. We have all been designed to be key players in the game of life.

Some people reading this book are already successful by the world’s standards; they have cars, enjoy vacations, and are raising 2.3 kids. They are involved with churches, schools, neighborhoods, and charitable organizations. They are movers and shakers in whatever sphere they are in. But are they great?

Being great doesn’t mean that you need to become a a nuclear physicist, brain surgeon, or pastor of a large church; it means doing something fulfilling that positively impacts the lives of others within the scope of the DNA given to you.

This book is designed to direct you to being the best version of yourself. Total fulfillment. Whether you are a librarian, custodian, housewife, or the president of a Fortune 500 company, this book is for you. Haven’t you ever wanted to accomplish something over the top? Sure you have. We all have.

Coming with the modernization and simplification of life is the reality that most modern technological advancements have actually complicated life. I remember my dad having one of those three-pound cell phones. I thought it was so cool. He was a doctor, after all. Thirty years later, I have an iPhone, email, and text messaging, and I often work from a virtual office. None of these inventions has alleviated stress. Rather, they have put me closer to the stressors that intrude in my life. I’m accessible always, unless I do something about it. I have little time to achieve, create, grow, and serve because I need to respond to the incessant barrage of stimuli.

We think that by responding, we’ll get caught up. I have some shocking news here: we never get caught up. It’s impossible. By chasing that false promise, we lose our focus and end up passing on the big plans we were called to do.

You end up juggling the world’s demands and shelving your true desires. It starts off as shelving a dream just for the time being until something of value happens in your life. The dream stays on hold until you graduate college, get married, have a baby, buy a new home, pay off your car, save for your kids’ college fund, pay off that vacationandon and blah, blah, blah. And technology keeps advancing to make life easier?

Eventually, you end up settling for fun moments instead of living a fulfilling life. The most overwhelming truth is if you aren’t working toward something that fulfills you from within, you’re just filling yourself with moments. Empty moments. Time fillers. Moments to hide your emptiness or moments to create momentary pleasure. But when the pleasure ends, the same empty feeling returns. That truth is an absolute.

Your partner is now just a roommate. Maybe your marriage or relationship is okay, but it’s not thriving as it once was. You knew you were going to be a great parent when you both decided it was time to have kids, but since then, your relationship with them has become more of a duty than an enjoyment. It will be better once you get done with the things you need to get through at work, you say. But your children’s activities become chores for you, and even though they may not be able to psychologically discern your heart, they know you’re not the parent you once were. You don’t like the way you interact with your children. They can’t explain it, but they know when you’re engaged and when you’re not. You’re not as good to your children or spouse as you had wanted to be.

The good news is that changes now. Start visualizing your life as you had always wanted it to be. Do you remember those talks with your buddies growing up? When I grow up, I’m going to _________. Those dreams you shelved need to be dusted off and put back in your pocket to carry with you everywhere.

Achieving your dreams won’t be easy, but it will be fulfilling. I heard a great preacher once say that it’s more fun making a million dollars than it is having it. Much work is involved in becoming great, but I assure you that if you can stir up your heart, you’ll gain phenomenal inner peace and create a lot of excitement in becoming all you were designed to be. Looking back and seeing the muscles you have built along the way is most satisfying. Remember, muscle is built with resistance. What was Schwarzenegger’s phrase? No pain, no gain.

You were specifically designed by a greater being to do something great during your time on earth. Your efforts will enrich you as a person and change the world for the better while you’re becoming who you were designed to be. Whether you believe in Christ, Allah, Buddha, the Great Spirit, or whomever, your creator has designed you to change people’s lives for the better and have a massive impact on your world.

Stress is a huge killer in the United States. Most diseases are caused by stress. You have ease or dis-ease. Living your life fully reduces your stress levels and puts your heart more at ease. Struggles will come, but if you are on the path you’ve been called to, those struggles will just be bumps set in front of you so you can grow, learn, and help you get to your true destination in life.

However, most of us have put this idea on a shelf because of the everyday stresses. The demands. The deadlines. We’ve shelved our dreams so we can deal with the day-to-day. This book isn’t about time management, but it will teach you how to find, kindle, nurture, and commit to your passion. It will help you make your dreams happen no matter the obstacles. I’ve lived a very hectic life but have found a way to live in my passion, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve had lots of ups and downs, but my vision drives me.

But this book isn’t about me. Though I share my story, it’s only to help you. This book is about you creating your own story.

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK

It’s my hope that you’ll find much value in this book. I read a lot of books. Some are fun. Some are encouraging. Some are thrilling. But there are a few I end up using as points of reference through life. I hope that by sharing with you the very easy way that I read, this book can become a point of reference for your life.

As I read, things jump out at me. If I’m going through a tough time and feel like quitting on a project but read something about persistence, I’ll underline that word and highlight the phrases that jump out and speak to me. In the front of the book, I