Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Among the Giants by Jesse LeBeau

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Among the Giants by Jesse LeBeau.  Please leave a comment or question for Jesse to let him know you stopped by.  You can enter Jesse’s  giveaway, for a signed Deuce Brand watch, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You must comment in order to enter the giveaway.  You can follow the rest of the stops for Jesse’s tour by clicking on the banner above.

My Biggest Inspiration - Yesterday and Today by Jesse LeBeau

I've always loved a good challenge.  From my earliest memories I've always been an underdog.

I grew up on a little island in Alaska.  The island’s name was Pennock, and on Pennock there were no roads, no stores, and no cars.  It was just my house and the woods filled with wild animals. 

Every day to get to school I had to take a little boat across the bay to "The Big City".  The Big City consisted of one road going left, one road going right, a fence at either end so you were trapped.   There was 4 stop lights and Walmart.  Yes, Walmart is everywhere.

Growing up it was dark almost all the time and it rained a lot.  By a lot I mean 13 feet which is 2 out of every 3 days.  Because of this, there wasn't a lot to do, many people struggled with addiction to drugs, alcohol, and depression.  Not too many people went on to leave our little island and there wasn't a lot of opportunity.

Like a lot of kids, I had a big dream.  My dream was to be a basketball player when I grew up.  I wanted to get a college scholarship and eventually get paid to play basketball.  There was only one problem, I was born with the body type of a hobbit! 

My nicknames growing up were Baby J and Jimmy Newtron.  Not the most intimidating nicknames. I was pretty much (and I still am) not what a basketball player was supposed to look like.  I literally could have chosen any other sport and probably have been better off: golf, tennis…maybe Candy Crush?

The day I chose to be a basketball player was the day I became an underdog and I've been one ever since.  Every time I stepped onto the court I was surrounded by bigger and stronger players.  Life became a constant cycle of being overlooked and underestimated.  People would tell me I was too small, I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't play with them, and that I would never be good enough to be successful, I just didn't have what it takes.  Every year, I was the shortest kid in my class and people would make fun of me non-stop for it.

I remember when I was in 7th grade, one day at lunch we were playing basketball.  A rebound came down and I jumped to get the ball but what I didn't see was another kid who went by 'Stormin' Norman' behind me.  Stormin' Norman was a huge kid, basically a man.  He was 'experienced' 8th grader if you know what I'm saying.  This wasn't his first time around the block.  He was 6'3", 205 pounds, had a mustache AND a wife and kid at home. 

Needless to say, he wasn't your average 8th grader.   Without jumping he just snatched the ball away from me and mean mugged me.  I looked back startled because I hadn't seen him and that's when he said something that would affect me for years.  This was in the 7th grade and I can see it happening in my head as clear as if it was yesterday.  I looked up at him.  He looked down at me and laughed, and he said, "What are you going to be when you grow up? A pony rider?"

It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant, and then it hit me.  According to Stormin' Norman, I wasn't even going to be big enough to a horse jockey, I was so small that I would ride ponies for a living.  A pretty mean thing to say, especially to the shortest kid in junior high.  At that moment, I felt embarrassed.  I felt angry.  And more than anything, I just wanted to disappear.

It was moments like these that inspired me to be who I am today.  They forced me to set goals, take action and be committed.  Every time someone told me I couldn't do something I chose to get better instead of bitter and work that much harder to prove them wrong.  My life has been a constant cycle of having to prove myself and these challenges and negative people have forced me to grow and be better.  Later in life I was told things like: I couldn't get a college scholarship, I would never get a certain job, I couldn't make it in Hollywood, or I'd never have my own TV show.  I am so thankful people told me these things because I've had a blast getting to prove them wrong.

Being told I can't do something has always been my biggest inspiration, yesterday and today.

Among the Giants: How One Underdog Pursued His Dreams & You Can Too!

By Jesse LeBeau

Publisher:  Familius

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Genre: Self-Help/Motiviational

Length: 236 Pages

ASIN: 978-1939629326

Add to Goodreads

Buy Link:  Amazon

About the book:

The sound of the basketball slapping the floor echoed hollowly in the gym, as I began working it playfully with my hands. Planning my next move, I locked eyes with my opponent. I noticed small beads of sweat beginning to form in the furrow between his eyebrows. My heart was pounding, and my nerves tightened in response . . . but slowly a smile formed on my lips. Here I was, 5’8” Jesse LeBeau, going one on one with basketball superstar Kevin Durant . . . and I was making him sweat! As I started to make my move on him, I briefly wondered, "How did a skinny kid from a small town in Alaska ever get the chance to do this?" Here I was, involved in the filming of the 2012 Warner Brother's basketball movie Thunderstruck, playing against the NBA scoring champion! It shouldn't have happened. I didn't fit the profile and anyone would have told you that. But I did make it, despite the odds. And here is my story . . .

Growing up as an undersized white basketball player on a remote island in Alaska, Jesse had nearly every chip stacked against him. Yet despite his size and circumstances, he managed to rise above it all and make it to the big screen in Hollywood. With only the love of the game of basketball and the tenacity to follow a dream driving him, Jesse’s persistence has led him to star in national commercials and movies with some of the most recognizable celebrities and professional athletes in the world. More importantly, he found a way to tweak the system and alter his dream and get paid to do what he loves to . . . every day! Be inspired by his story and learn the keys to successfully creating a life that is uniquely yours.

You probably aren’t going to like this, and maybe you won’t even agree with me, but i’m here to tell you this today: if you aren’t happy with your life, it’s your own fault. we all possess the ability to create the life we want. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and make your life what you want it to be. Stop blaming other people. Stop making excuses. imagine if you took that wasted time and energy and used it to change your circumstances and fix the things you don’t like. what kind of life would you have then? i’d be willing to bet it would be a lot better. The highest achievers don’t blame others and make excuses. They don’t expect someone else to make them happy, and they don’t have a sense of entitlement and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. They make it happen. They start taking different action steps to get different results. This attitude is what makes all the difference between those who are great and live happy lives and those who don’t.

There is only one person who is responsible for the quality of your life, and you guessed it: that person is you. everything that is happening in your life is the result of your previous actions or lack thereof. That makes you the grand master in charge of the current state of your life. our human nature conditions us to blame external factors that are out of our control to give us a scapegoat. But the truth of the matter is, it all comes back to how we choose to respond to each event that determines our outcome. like i mentioned before, we can’t always control the things that happen to us; the only thing we have the power to control is our attitude and how we choose to respond. The choice is yours. Take charge of your life. Think better thoughts. Visualize more positive outcomes. Take the action necessary to get what you want. This will determine everything for you and your life. Stop wasting your time being unhappy. choose wisely, and take 100 percent ownership for your life.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Over the course of the last couple years, Jesse has propelled himself from a small, alaskan fishing town to the Hollywood big screen, being seen by millions all over the world. By leveraging his love of the game of basketball and making the most of every opportunity, he has suc- cessful created a life all his own. at 5’8”, he may not be an nBa player, but by tweaking his dream, he has been able to use his passion (basketball) to star in national commercials and movies, work with pro athletes and celebrities, and even give back on a regular basis as a motivational speaker for youth. His un- derdog story, outlined in his book, Among the Giants, serves as an inspiration to anyone who has ever been told they can’t make their dream a reality.

Jesse was born and raised on Pennock island, alaska, where his mother worked as a school teacher and his father was involved in the logging industry. Jesse played basketball growing up, but no one wanted to take him seriously, and coaches told him he was too small and would never make it. despite his critics, he believed not only in himself but also in the plan God had for him. Jesse has experienced big wins and frustrating losses, but both triumph and defeat helped him grow as a leader and a person, and helped deepen his faith.

Today, he uses his message to motivate and inspire young people around the world as a speaker and author. combining his love of basketball, speaking, and entertaining, Jesse founded the fab4 Takeover, which brings celebrities into schools to teach and impact students. He also released an instructional dribbling dVd titled Dribble Like a Star. for a free download from the dVd visit www.JesseleBeau.com or text the word ‘dVd ‘to the number 58885. you can find more information, read news in the press, watch highlight video foot- age, and follow Jesse on a more personal level at the following websites:

Website:  www.JesseleBeau.com

  

Fab4Streetball Site:  www.fab4streetball.com

  

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/jesselebeau

  

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/jesselebeau

  

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/jesselebeau

  

To get a free download from his DVD visit: http://bit.ly/U9w32m

  

To get a free download from his eBook "What Allen Iverson Taught Me About Life" visit: www.JesseLeBeau.com

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