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This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hello, and welcome to Near Perfect Radio Show. Lots of different programming here at Legends Radio, and we like to bring you people, we like to bring you some exciting opportunities to learn some new things. Roger Shorr is an author, and Roger is in the studio. Roger has two books, there is the original Near Perfect Body: and The Pathway to Yours, and then there is the second edition, which continues along those thoughts, but they are a little bit different in the structure and the focus. So, Roger, first of all, good morning, hello, and welcome to Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: Well, good morning, Charlie. Thanks for having me. Before we get started, I would like to ask you a question.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, where do you live?
MR. SHAPIRO: I live in Palm Beach Gardens.
MR. SHORR: Nope.
MR. SHAPIRO: I live in this body?
MR. SHORR: You cheated, you looked at my script. You are exactly right. Well, I have so much fun asking that question to people I meet, even strangers. I say, well, where do you live? And they always give me their address. Or should I say, for the most part they give me their address, unless they cheated and they looked at my notes.
Anyway, what do I mean by all that? Well, when you ask somebody where they live, they are naturally going to say, well, I live in the Gardens, or I live on this street, or that street, and that is human nature. But then, I get them to stop and I say, well, wait a minute, you don't live there. And they say, well, what do you mean?
And I say, well, let's think about this for a little bit. First of all, in order for us to really know where we live, we have to know what we really are. And you say, well, what are you talking about, Roger? And I say, well, we are both obviously human beings, right? Right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think so.
MR. SHORR: Well, I hope so.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, me too.
MR. SHORR: At least I think I am. The last time I checked, at least a little bit. We are human beings, but it is a little bit more than that. Have you ever been under anesthesia? Have you ever had an operation?
MR. SHAPIRO: I have.
MR. SHORR: Have you been completely out?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think so.
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't remember anything about --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- what happened.
MR. SHORR: But let me try this one for you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When you were completely out, what exactly were you thinking about at the time?
MR. SHAPIRO: I have no idea whatsoever.
MR. SHORR: How about nothing?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: How about they turned the computer off so you wouldn't feel any pain? How about --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You ever heard the expression, it is all in your head?
MR. SHAPIRO: I have.
MR. SHORR: Well, let me ask you this, have you ever had one experience in your entire lifetime that wasn't in your head?
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh, I don't -- I guess not. Everything is --
MR. SHORR: I guess not.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in your head.
MR. SHORR: You ever burn your finger? Stub your toe?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, but the pain goes into your brain, so somehow or another it has to be in your head, right?
MR. SHORR: Exactly. It feels like it is in your finger, it feels like you stubbed your toe. But guess what? You are exactly right, the nerve impulses go up your arm or your leg, into your brain, where your mind perceives pain.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, what I would say is, yeah, we are human, but there is a little bit more than that. We are actually nothing but minds.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And our minds live where? In our brains. Our brains live where? In our heads.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Our heads are part of our bodies, so I say we live in our body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, am I wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would assume you are not wrong, because you have written the books, so you must be at least well researched, well documented, and I feel fairly confident that you know what you are talking about.
MR. SHORR: Well, let's not go that far. But every time I ask somebody that -- and I have even won wagers, but I won't take advantage of anybody. But anyway, just remember this. If anybody is ever in a little bit of an argument with you and says, hey Charlie, go home, you know what you can say? Wait a minute, I already am home. How is that?
And one other little thing about this, before we move on. Do you insure your house, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do.
MR. SHORR: Okay. And I insure mine. Why? Because if it gets damaged or destroyed, we take the insurance proceeds and we rebuild it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Right? But what if our precious bodies get destroyed? Well, we might have insurance for somebody else, but as far as we are concerned, we are finished.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We get one body. We get one life. Treat your body with TLC, tender loving care, and it will do its best to return the favor. It is only human, so it can still die, -- and it will die eventually -- but if you do your best, it will do its best.
And I want to say one other thing. All my experiences through my astonishing transformation late in life have been so incredible, so unimaginable, and so unbelievable that if I had not lived through it myself, I would not believe it either. Now, having said this, this might be a problem for listeners of this show. But I have written it all down, and I explained exactly what I did, and what you can do to get your near perfect body. It is in my book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, and you can get it on my website, which is nearperfectbody.com.
And you might crack up at this one, but you can try it yourself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Do an Internet search on Google, for example, and say this, Roger has a near perfect body, and -- number one on Google. Laugh now, how much you want to bet, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I love that. I -- that is terrific.
MR. SHORR: Well, I don't know how it happened. It is -- it is not a sponsored ad, it is organic. And I have --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- done internet business before, and there is a difference. If you sponsor an ad, you pay, and they put you right up top.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But if you don't sponsor it, don't pay them, it is an organic search. So, they will -- you know, when I have near perfect body, I have the spot-on domain names, so if you search that it is logical that I would be number one.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: But when you say, Roger has a near perfect body, I thought that was very interesting. Anyway.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when we talk about this book, --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for example, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- obviously there had to have been some sort of psychological, mental, attitudinal -- something like that, that has happened over the course of maybe the last few decades, or a couple of decades, or a decade, or even the last couple of years. When did you start to actually go from the previous you into the current you? And how did you make that transformation?
MR. SHORR: You have about five hours? All right, let's start from the top. What happened and when?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It was December 7th through 10th. I don't remember the date exactly, but I know it was somewhere between the 7th and 10th of 2022. December 7th through 10th of -- 7th through 10th of 2022, I am sitting on a cart path, a nice path, in my community.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: To my right is a street and a lake with a fountain in it, to my left is another community. It is -- we are all enclosed, a great big community with golf, and all --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- kinds of nice facilities.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure. Yep.
MR. SHORR: On my left is another community with a little pond and a little waterfall, and I sat there in the afternoons. I would sit there all the time, every time I played golf. I would come there, and I would have a few cold ones in my cooler. Who me? Yeah. Well, maybe I would have one or two, or maybe sometimes -- perhaps -- a little more.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: But one day, I am sitting there just enjoying the beauty. I -- the royal palms, I learned to love as a child. I don't know what happened, but I am sitting there, and for some reason -- I am holding this beer, and I ask myself a question. And I answer my question, and it seems to me it opened the doorway that I unwittingly walked through, and led me to a place that I could have never possibly have imagined.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And that is how it happened. So, you want -- you want to know what the question was?
MR. SHAPIRO: That would be great.
MR. SHORR: Thank you for that. I had drank beer, I was sixty eight and a half, actually, at the time. And I will admit to 50 years, because that would take me back to 18, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- but maybe a little earlier than that. So, let's say easily a half a century, I had drank beer, and sometimes more, sometimes less, but like towards the end though maybe three pints a day. Which is not, you know, inconsequential. So, I am drinking the beer, but I am sitting there that day and for some reason that strange and beautiful day, I asked the question.
The question was, what is this beer doing for me? I don't know why I asked that question. And I sat back and I thought about it for a minute, and I said, nothing. That was the end of my alcohol career. I don't even know why, but it just -- it just -- for some reason, it felt different then, and I just said, it is over.
And I just put the beer down. I don't know if I had opened it, or I had drank it, or I had not opened it. I don't remember. I am 70 years old now. I hate to admit it, but it is true. No more alcohol of any type ever since. That was December 7th through 10th, somewhere there of 2022. It is now -- what are we, September 2024? I haven't had a drop, and I don't miss it --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- at all.
MR. SHAPIRO: But I think there is a lot of people that can relate to what you are saying. There are many people that, you know, drink occasionally, there are many people that listen to Legends Radio that don't drink at all. There are -- there is a whole variety of different folks, and very few of them -- if any -- other than yourself, write a book about it. Very few of them -- if any -- other than yourself, have looked at this from such a comprehensive life perspective.
And before you continue, if we can, Roger, I just want you to tell folks that are listening to Legends, what did you do before in life? I would like to give people --
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- a little bit of a context --
MR. SHORR: Fine.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- of who Roger Shorr actually --
MR. SHORR: Fine.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is, before we dive into who you are refreshed, and a -- sort of a newly generated version of yourself.
MR. SHORR: Well, there is an about the author page in the back of the book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. So, who was I, or what did I do for a living? Let's start with that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Well, I had been in sales. I was -- always -- I had a knack. My grandfather was great in sales, my father didn't go into sales, and I went into sales because I just love working with people, I always have. And I -- everywhere I went into sales, I always found my way to be able to succeed in it, but then I became a financial adviser, because one day I was at the -- at the end of the road with the company I had been with, like the vice president of sales and marketing, I am in the Pittsburgh -- going to the Pittsburgh airport, and I just happened upon another traveler, and we were talking. I said, you know what? It is time for me to move on in my career, and I think I should find something to sell that is so difficult, it would logically be very profitable. And I thought about that for a minute, I said, you know what? Life insurance would be a heck of a good idea to try. So, there I was, I went down that path, financial services.
MR. SHAPIRO: And this was about how long ago?
MR. SHORR: I got licensed and started working in financial services in 1990. In the spring of '90, I wasn't even 36 yet. No, I was turning 36.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you did this for a while? I mean, --
MR. SHORR: Financial services, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- financial services --
MR. SHORR: Well, financial services was very good to me.
MR. SHAPIRO: Very successful.
MR. SHORR: Yes, it is true.
MR. SHAPIRO: You didn't have to, you know -- you know, do a big search for some other career, you were --
MR. SHORR: No, I just kind of --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- successful?
MR. SHORR: -- fell into it, like so --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- many other things, I just seem to fall into stuff.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But once I get into it, I got into it, and I have always thought that I think outside the box. Actually, I tell friends I live outside the box. So, I do things differently a little bit, I approach the world a little differently, I see things a little differently. Now, maybe that is why I wrote this book.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, this -- so the flip the switch day, so to speak, was when you were sitting there, as you mentioned a couple of seconds ago. You were having the beer, you were questioning why am I doing this? What is it doing for me? The answer, apparently, was basically nothing. And so, at that point you set out on this path?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Not exactly right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Not exactly right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Tell me the right path?
MR. SHORR: There was more, right? Exactly the right path. Oh, you have no idea what you just said. Okay. So, I gave up the beer, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- didn't even think about it. I am like, okay, I am not going to do it. Okay?
A few days later, Charlie, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I am sitting there thinking about what I am eating. And I am like, I am not -- and my wife, she is wonderful, she gives me these great, nutritious -- well, unbelievable meals. But I was eating the candy, the cookies, the this, the that, the junk, the junk, and it was just not good. And I thought about that, and for some reason, the same strange reason -- I wasn't looking for this. I was retired, I was happy, I had no debt and successful.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But for some strange reason I said to myself, I don't want to eat this stuff anymore. And I didn't. And then, believe it or not, you know, I am sitting here thinking, I am not -- what, are you not drinking beer now? You know, I (indiscernible) what are you doing? I don't know.
And a few days later, same thing with my exercise. I was on a pathway or journey that I didn't even realize I was on at first. It is true, I didn't realize it. It took a -- maybe a month. Or not quite a month, maybe three weeks for me to start to understand that something was going on very different, and very special in my life. It felt different this time.
I had always -- I never liked the way I looked with my shirt off, ever. I mean, except from when I was nine years old, you know, a child. But my father left when I was nine, and I think I turned to food to fill the void, and I went through a long time and got mentally scarred. I remember exactly what happened, it will be in my final book if I have the strength to write it.
But anyway, I just got to the point where I stopped with the alcohol, I started eating much better, and I started to exercise better, but not smart yet. That would come in February.
I was having epiphanies, it was really strange. And I think part of it had to do with the death -- the passing of my beautiful mother the previous summer in '22. June 14th of 2022, I lost her, and that -- I know that did something to me. But anyway, so now I am back to my no alcohol, I am eating incredibly well, and I am doing exercise, but I wasn't exercising smart. Now, four years prior, I was on the driving range, and I had an epiphany.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What was the epiphany? Okay. I had a little bit of psychology in college. I mean, believe me, enough to be dangerous, maybe. But I understood something, I realized something on the driving range. I am like, wait a minute, me and a number of these other golfers, that might not admit it, have no training. So, what are we doing?
We are swinging a club over, and over, and over. And what is that doing? It is reinforcing wrong.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We are digging deeper and deeper ruts for ourselves. And I am like, woah. Hello? Light bulb. I went to find myself a golf instructor, the best I could find. I always believed that, you know, paying for value is so much-- as -- I am a financial adviser, you pay for a financial adviser to -- you get value out of it, that is all that matters. So, anyway, I am looking for this golf instructor, and I -- and I - there was great ones in my community, but then I found the man. This guy is unbelievable, and he celebrated 400 episodes at the NBC School of Golf. He is Martin Hall, and believe me, there is not a teacher like him anywhere. He is outstanding.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, if you are just tuning in, Roger Schorr is the guest on the radio station, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, now in a second edition.
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when you met him, --
MR. SHORR: Martin.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- your -- Martin, what did that do for you? And how can we relate that to people that are listening, feeling as though you have discovered something that you can convey to the listener, and they can take some type of action with?
MR. SHORR: There is no question about it. There is no question about it. Why would I ever sit there and practice a game that I played so often? It -- I -- it is like I woke up, why would I practice a game that I would play so often and do it wrong? Why would I go out there and frustrate myself? I mean, golf -- well, if you know anything about golf, it is the world's most frustrating game, I think. Why would I do that and not know what I am doing?
Well, it didn't make any sense.
So, I said, okay. So, I come across this Martin Hall. I mean, I had really, other good pros for a while, but I was -- I knew he was there, and he was the best I could get to, if I could get to him at all. And I finally did, and it cost a lot of money, worth every penny. He is like the Galileo of golf instruction, how is that? Anyway.
MR. SHAPIRO: Perfect.
MR. SHORR: So, -- no, it is near perfect. There is no perfect. That is why the book is called, The Near Perfect Body, okay? Sorry --
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: -- about that, but that is just the way I feel.
MR. SHAPIRO: I was just trying to tee that up for you, so --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, I know you did. Yeah, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- so to speak.
MR. SHORR: -- tee it up. We are talking about golf, and Martin Hall, and now Charlie is teeing stuff up for me.
MR. SHAPIRO: Doing the best I can.
MR. SHORR: Oh, yeah. Well, that is all we can do, isn't it, Charlie? We do --
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: -- the best we can. But don't fool yourself, don't settle for mediocrity and say, I am doing my best. Uh-uh. Be honest with yourself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay? All right. So, are you ever going to ask me what a near perfect body is?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think -- I think that would make sense to ask, since you named the book, Near Perfect Body.
MR. SHORR: You are the master of the obvious, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) I thought you would never ask me. Well, excuse me, is anything -- any activity of mankind ever perfect?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, we are always striving for something better.
MR. SHORR: You know what I find annoying? And I think people find me annoying when I find them annoying. I hear them say, perfect. Oh, that is perfect. Oh, perfect. Well, excuse me. Serious question now, Charlie, do people --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- like to be wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: So, if I say something is perfect, am I right or wrong? Now, I am not talking about -- if you are religious, I am not going there, I am talking about activities of mankind. If I say, this is a perfect drink, or this is a perfect piece of art, am I right or am I wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, it is perfect in the moment, that doesn't --
MR. SHORR: No, it is not. It is never perfect, it could always --
MR. SHAPIRO: No?
MR. SHORR: -- be better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Always be better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Always. And I will debate anyone, anytime. And if you ever hear of something called wabi-sabi?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Japanese?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A philosophy of celebrating the imperfection of nature.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, if nature is not perfect, forget it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Okay? So, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I will debate that strenuously, there is no perfect. Now, you can make a construct like, well, one plus one equals two. Well, that is perfect. Well, it is a -- it is just -- you are just playing with the idea.
MR. SHAPIRO: Got it.
MR. SHORR: You are playing with it. Okay? But in reality, even a hole in one isn't perfect, you know why? Because it might be a hole in one, but did it really hit the center --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- center of the cup? And I could --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- go on and on, but I am not going to bore everybody with that. Anyway, --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, --
MR. SHORR: So, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- so, how does this get into the -- I want to get into a little bit of the book. And I know that we are going to be doing another show similar to this with more context, more information on the radio station, the same time, same day next week. But for today, I would like to, kind of, make sure that we touch on a few of what you would consider to be the key initial points that you make --
MR. SHORR: All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- n the beginning of the book, --
MR. SHORR: All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that sets up the rest of the book.
MR. SHORR: All right. You might have to give me that question again, because at my age, it is hard to stay on track. But before we get to that, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I want to say one thing, very important.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: The near perfect body is not a contest. You are not competing against me, or this person, or that person. Not at all. In The Near Perfect Body, in chapter 22, "The Eye Of The Beholder," --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- it is you. But you have to be honest with yourself. When you stand in front of the mirror on that great day, like I did May 1st, 2023, and you say, wow, I can't believe this happened, that is your day for your near perfect body. And if you don't want a near perfect body, there are still things in the book for you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Now, let's come back to your question about what I think the most important beginning steps --
MR. SHAPIRO: You know, I am not sure it is the most important, because there are so many steps in --
MR. SHORR: Exactly correct, but I will -- I will tell you what the most --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- important are in my view.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I think I have the ability to say that, because I did write this.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The most important thing -- well, there is many extremely important things, but I will put at the very -- at the top -- one of the very top things. And I will say it, and you will say everybody -- well, I know that, I -- no. Be not only a friend to yourself, but be your own best friend. What is a friend, Charlie? Don't -- I won't even ask for an answer, I will just say what a friend is. A friend is somebody that always has your back.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A friend is someone that supports you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: When you are down, they pick you up. When you are sad, they listen to you with sympathy. And a real friend will even tell you things that, if they believe in their heart that it is in your best interest, even if they realize it will risk the friendship, that is what a true friend is. So, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- if you are going to be your own best friend, you have to live up to that standard. And what does that even mean? How do I -- how am I -- see, in my view, the whole thing of The Near Perfect Body is everybody wants it, they just don't know what to do.
So, how do I treat my -- how do I get to be my own best friend? Good question. Well, when you think -- and I would argue this with anybody if you want. I don't think I have to. When you think -- I believe we think -- because I never thought inside of anybody's brain but my own. I believe, we think predominantly in our primary language. Now, we see things, we have visions, we remember memories or kind of visual in a sense. But when we think of what I am going to have for dinner, am I going to work out, this, that, and the other thing, I think it is in our primary language. Wouldn't you agree?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is almost like you can hear it playing somewhere, a screen, or a video, or audio. But when you say to yourself, I just can't, I am too tired, not a friend to yourself. If you say, well, that -- I have to have that cupcake, not being a friend to yourself if you want a near perfect body. But if you say, I am not going to let this stuff get in my way, I am going to do this, I am going to make these things happen, now you are starting to be a friend to yourself. That is talking positive to yourself, and you can train your inner voice, in my opinion.
When you start to hear yourself saying, well, I am tired today, stop it. Stop it, Roger, don't think that way. You will get up, you will get moving, and you will feel good. And once you are in that fitness center, you are going to be so happy you are there. So, that is being a friend to yourself, and way at the top.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, it is not just -- it is not just eating better, it is not just cutting out alcohol or cutting down alcohol?
MR. SHORR: Please, not even close. Not even close.
MR. SHAPIRO: Because that is what people generally will do. People will say, you know what? I got to feel better, I need to lose some weight, I need to get my head --
MR. SHORR: No, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- screwed on a --
MR. SHORR: -- you don't lose weight, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- little straighter.
MR. SHORR: -- Charlie. You don't lose weight, you know? And the way we roll, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- the near perfect body, it is not about losing weight.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: People say, is it diet book? I barely talk about what to eat. You are -- and most people know what is healthy and good for them, and what isn't. I don't have to tell you not to eat the fudge or the cheesecake. I mean, you don't know that? I mean, I got to educate you on that, Charlie? I hope not, because then we are going to be in trouble.
But here, I have a chapter called, "diets and the symptom solution syndrome." What the heck is that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Say that again for me?
MR. SHORR: "Diets and the symptom solution syndrome."
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What is the symptom solution syndrome, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: The symptom --
MR. SHORR: Solution --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- solution --
MR. SHORR: -- syndrome.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- syndrome. And what would that be?
MR. SHORR: Treating the symptoms. Oh, I am -- I have to lose nine pounds, well I think I shall go on a diet. What a word, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- diet. Die, (indiscernible) D-I-E, I die -- well a diet, in my view, is the wrong way to look at it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Why do we go on diets? To lose weight? Is that why we go on diets?
MR. SHAPIRO: That is one --
MR. SHORR: I think most people would say, to lose weight.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: I would disagree. I think the real reason -- if we think about it, like thinking about where we live for real, in our bodies, the real reason I think we go on diets -- and tell me if I am wrong, please, I love the debate -- is to look better and/or feel better. Both look better, feel better. The weight, hey look, you know, God forbid I lost my arm in an accident, there goes nine pounds or ten pounds just like that. I have lost weight, I don't look better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that is a really good point. And when we do this next week, because we are at the end of our time for this one --
MR. SHORR: My, time flies when you are having fun, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah -- well, you know, there is a lot of information here. And when you are -- when you are giving out good, solid information, it goes fast. So, the name of the book one more time, go ahead, Roger?
MR. SHORR: The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- found at nearperfectbody.com, available for sale. Just click the bar and follow the bouncing ball.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thanks for coming in. We will see you next week, we will hear you next week, and we will continue the conversation on Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: Thanks, Charlie.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hello, and welcome to the Near Perfect Radio Show. Lots of folks coming in the studio these days, but there is nobody like Roger Shorr. Roger Shorr has written the book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Hello again, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Hello again, Charlie, good to see you.
MR. SHAPIRO: You too. So, about a week ago, on the radio station at this time, we were talking about a near perfect body. And I said, well isn't -- you know, what does near perfect exactly mean? It is the name of your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. So, what can Legends Radio listeners learn from this book?
MR. SHORR: Well, first of all, if you want to talk about what a near perfect body is, we have to come to an agreement that there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to human affairs.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, what is near perfect? Well, for me, near perfect was when I looked in the mirror with my shirt off, and for the first time in my life, I was proud of what I saw. It is a very personal thing. And when anyone is going through this journey that I lay out my book, and they have that magic moment when they have done all of the activities -- which aren't hard to do. Just take some time, some dedication to the task, it is not that hard to do.
But when they stand there, in front of that mirror, in a bathing suit with their shirt off, and they say -- not oh, I see some changes. Uh-uh-uh. But when they can honestly say to themselves, wow, I could not believe such change was possible. I would say at that moment, that is good enough to say it is near perfect. Because near is a modifier, near is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- relative, near could be anything.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: And if I am a million miles from Earth, and everybody else is a billion miles from Earth, I am near Earth. You see what I mean, Charlie?
So, it is, "the eye of the beholder," chapter 22, I believe it is -- or 20, I think it is 20 --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- where it is an individual thing. You are looking at yourself in the mirror, you are seeing big change like you never saw before, it wasn't that hard, and I think you will also find it is permanent.
MR. SHAPIRO: What age bracket -- when you were writing this book, what ages, or age, did you envision the reader to be?
MR. SHORR: What a question. I thought, originally, it was going to be about the body and changing it later in life --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- for retirees and people approaching retirement that might have more time on their hands. So, the answer to your question was age 55 and up, but I discovered something. I discovered that lots of younger people were grasping at this book, they seemed to really, really enjoy it. Not only did I -- Charlie, I got six medical doctors now, six MDs endorsing this book, and Martin Hall himself endorsing this book. The -- you know, the golf -- great instructor, the NBC School of Golf.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: 400 episodes last year. So, we have the fact that a lot of people are endorsing this. It was age 55, that was the original thinking, but there was -- as I was writing -- and I don't even know how I wrote this book, quite frankly. It just -- it was like the journey I found myself on. I just somethings happened to me -- and I can elaborate if you want -- that made me feel I had to write the book. I was --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you are here, so let's elaborate.
MR. SHORR: Okay. When I started seeing this transformation, it was different. I had always, you know, tried to lose weight and tried to get myself in shape, but this time, for some reason, it was different. And around February, people started coming up to me. The first time in my life I can remember people saying, Roger, you look great. What are you doing? What are you doing?
And I am like, wow, this is really special. And they said, well, some-- I remember at least one person says, well, why don't you write down what you are doing so we can do it? And I said, well yeah, I am -- I was telling myself, I had to write this book, because this was such a great gift, Charlie. But I started to realize it came with a string attached. The string that this game -- that this great gift came with, that I wasn't looking for, the string that was attached said, Roger, you have to share this.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I always have loved helping people, and this was so special to me. I said, well Roger, as a financial adviser you did your very best. You studied, you became a CFP, all these things to really help these clients, empower them with money. But now -- I mean, I could only help a couple hundred people back then, you know, my client base was probably somewhere in those numbers, but now I had the opportunity to share it with everybody.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, over the course of your professional career, you were a very client focused, --
MR. SHORR: Extraordinarily so.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- certified financial professional?
MR. SHORR: Certified Financial Planner professional, the CFP.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Yep.
MR. SHORR: And Chartered Life -- Chartered Life Underwriter, CLU, and Chartered Financial Consultant, CHFC.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you were used to talking with people, finding out what they wanted to accomplish in terms of mental security, financial security?
MR. SHORR: Exactly. Exactly. The -- I wrote a guide called, Seven Timeless Investment Mistakes and What Successful Investors Must Know.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Seven mistakes. Number one, not -- and I am no longer a financial adviser, so always, please consult with your investment professional before you do anything. I do not give advice anymore, but I will say this. The number one mistake in my Seven Timeless Investment Mistakes was letting emotions win. That alone earned me my living, by helping -- empowering people to not worry about the normal fluctuations of the market, it is going to happen all the time, and just understanding the relationship between resources and their money, and chilling out.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, how did that experience of such a tangible financial product translate into what you are doing now, which is the book, The Near Perfect Body and the Pathway to Yours?
MR. SHORR: It is all about the mind, period. Period.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, what is -- what is our mind really? I think it is just like a computer. Is it any surprise that mankind would invent computers? To me, it is an inorganic brain that we are building, and over time it gets more and more sophisticated, more and more like us. Concerns about artificial intelligence aside, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- uh-oh, that is kind of scary. But -- and what is all of these things, these experiences, this -- the love, the enjoyment, the golf, all that stuff in my view is nothing but data coming into our brains. Am I wrong? I don't think so. It is data.
So, with the near perfect body -- and you say, how does that -- my financial services career relate to this?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is just working with data, and making certain that the data that is coming into my mind is consistent with my goals, which are now nearer to perfect body. When you get to near perfect, when you make that determination on your perfect --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- body -- you know, I am not talking about me as a person, come on -- near perfect body, then you have a choice. You either decide, well, I am going to maintain this, and I talk about how to maintain it, or you can be like me a little bit, you know, over the top, who says I want nearer to perfect. Knowing I can never get perfect, but I can always get closer, and closer, and closer. And that is how I serve the book up, and put things in there for readers to say, yeah, I can do these things, I can feel these things, I can look this way. I can -- I can do hunger jiu-jitsu and exercise jiu-jitsu, this is not hard. Just stay with it, it is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- not hard. It is not going to happen overnight, but you will probably start to see results fairly quickly. You will find it is fun, you will find it is not so hard. And if you start to see results, there is nothing, in my opinion, that will motivate you more than starting -- oh my god, and then a compliment? Woah. Wait for that. Just wait for it.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, in the book, and also on your website, there is a very prominent picture of you with your shirt off. And a lot of folks that are in whatever decade of life they are -- whether it is thirties, or forties, or fifties, or sixties, or more -- are not very comfortable being seen with their shirt off. And you are, now.
MR. SHORR: Now.
MR. SHAPIRO: And how did you get to that point?
MR. SHORR: I was -- had so much pain over my entire life over the way I looked with my shirt off. When I was 9 years old, my father left. And for the next 8 years, I really -- my mom remarried, but there was no father. But at 17 years old, I happened to go into a dojo school, a karate school, and I met --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- a man who, for all intents and purposes, was like my father. We he was very strict Japanese. We never spoke of it, but he was like a father figure to me. And he is in my book, both editions, I honor him.
So, understand that even then, when I got -- I slimmed down tremendously in the karate years, and then, you know, I got married and karate kind of faded away. And then, I started lifting weights, and I got pretty good with lifting weights, but nowhere through those times was I happy with the way I looked with my shirt off. I was scarred. And there is a long story that we don't have time for, maybe another time.
But all my adult life -- and then when the weight lifting and the karate was in my rearview mirror, the bad habits remained. The eating, the beer, and it just -- the weight started slowly piling on. I think my high weight was 216 at, you know, maybe five eleven and a half or something like that. I am about five-ten now, steady at 165, okay? But it was never about weight loss, it was always about the way I looked.
So, this thing happened. I wasn't planning on this journey, it just happened. I don't even know why. I told you I wasn't looking for anything, but it happened. And as it happened, I am like, well you know, maybe I should start taking pictures of myself. It felt different, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, it was a self-confidence thing?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Or not at all?
MR. SHORR: No, not at all.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh.
MR. SHORR: It was just -- it felt different, I started seeing the scale start to drop, and I am like, well look, these cameras -- these iPhones, or these smartphones make it really easy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, I started taking -- I take a -- I have thousands of pictures of everything, so I am taking pictures of myself, selfies.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And at first, you know, okay I am seeing this weight loss, but after a while I am like, wait a minute. And then, in March 1st, 2023, I had another epiphany, Charlie. You remember the golf -- or the driving range? In February, I had another epiphany. What was that? This was four years later, I think, it took a while for Roger to connect the dots. Same problem, different environment.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What was the -- what was the problem? I was at the fitness center lifting weights, lifting weights, lifting weights, and guess what? It hit me. I was doing it wrong. I didn't know what I was doing.
Well, enter my trainer, Nadine. And March 1st, we started working. And I said, give me a couple of sessions, because I wanted -- I am still with her, okay? Several times a week -- we got up to 3 times a week. Unbelievable what a professional trainer can do if you really want it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And between the good eating that I love -- I am the master of what I eat now. The good eating that I love, I love going to the fitness center, people know that. And I do my best to think positive as much as possible, and all these things. All of a sudden one day, May 1st, 2023, I have my shirt off, I am looking in the mirror, and I am like, oh my God. And I had been writing since March. I started writing it in March. I really have, what I would consider, a near perfect body, and all that matters is what I thought.
And when I saw that -- and it is doable, you can do this. It is -- the chapters are laid out for you, all you have to do is spend some time. You can do it. And when you do it, there is nothing like it. Nothing. It is such a feeling of happiness, and fulfillment, and confidence. I just don't even know how to explain it, quite frankly. I hope I am doing a good job.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think you are doing a great job. Roger Shorr is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. It is available pretty much everywhere, I guess.
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right?
MR. SHORR: -- on my website --
MR. SHAPIRO: That is the best place to get it?
MR. SHORR: -- that is the best place. And --
MR. SHAPIRO: And what is the website again?
MR. SHORR: Nearperfectbody.com. And all you got to do is, you can Google Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, and you will get there. And you will also see my articles from Forbes from years ago, that are still up there. On -- right underneath, it is Forbes Advisor Intelligence.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHORR: But remember, always see your financial adviser first. And also, always, always, please consult your physician before you do any diets, workouts, or anything, because your near perfect body is not going to do you a whole lot of good if you can't use it. So, make sure you always follow the guidance of your physician and stay with the physician, let them be the quarterback of all of it.
MR. SHAPIRO: But this book can be motivating in a way that other books have not been motivating.
MR. SHORR: Extraordinarily so, and you know why? The Tao -- The Way, Taoism, Lao Tzu?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know why it works, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: I am not trying to get you to be somebody new or different. You weren't born craving a double cheeseburger with fries or a martini, you were born craving nutrition. And all this is, is helping you get back to the way you were meant to be. That is the answer right there.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when somebody picks up The Near Perfect Body book by Roger Shorr, what should they expect to feel when they are about halfway through? Is the -- is it -- is it written for the motivation? Is it written because your story is something that you feel other people should know about you? Is it written to try to enlighten people on something that worked for you, that they have the ability to do and maybe don't even realize? Like where did this book come from in your mind?
MR. SHORR: That is a really good question, and I am not even sure I know the answer. I am not even sure I know how I wrote this book, Charlie. I -- you know, it was my experience. I think one of -- everybody has skills. I think one of my skills, even as a father with young kids, I thought I could tell a story quite well.
I don't know how to answer the question. All I can tell you is, there is just nothing like it and you can do this. It is -- it is so easy. It is just following The Tao, The Near Perfect Body, and just going to (indiscernible) back the way -- I will repeat myself, the way you were meant to be.
Your body is a temple, it is very special, you only get one. Why in the world would anybody, realizing that that is really their home -- as we spoke about last week, I believe --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- why would anybody want to do anything but give it the very best they can? It takes you through a hundred years or more of life, it can. Often with no assistance. Some people get through a century with really no medical assistance much. What a marvelous machine it is. Why not -- why would you do anything but give it the very best you have?
MR. SHAPIRO: So, there is an element of the book, there is a passage in the book where you talked about having a beer in your hand, and we mentioned this last week. I just want to bring that up again, in case -- in case somebody wasn't listening last week, or this was the first time, or you have not heard of this before. Tell me what you felt that day, when you were holding the beer in your hand and you were looking at it? And this is part of the book, if you get it.
Tell me how you felt. Was it looking at it and going, why -- you know, why am I doing this? You know, why am I drinking this? Or is it more about being free from the need to have something like that? Or is it just, you know, pleasure for not pleasure's sake?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Or you know, where do you get --
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- where do you -- where does that come from?
MR. SHORR: It was so deep. It was really deep. It is hard -- it is hard to say. It just -- for some strange reason, that was a strange day, I can't -- I can't explain it. It just -- I am sitting there, I had done that so many times in the past, but on that day for some reason the question just appeared. I can't tell you how it came, Charlie, I don't know myself. And I keep saying, I wasn't looking for anything. And it sounds a little strange, but I say it in the about the author -- last page of the -- one of the last pages of the book, it is almost as if something found me. But it is a beautiful thing, and it just kind of happened. And I don't know why, but it did.
So, I have this gift, there is a string attached, the string is that I have to share it. But it is a beautiful gift, because to me -- I am 70, you know, how many more years do I have? Not that many. I mean, you might say 20 or 25, or you look healthy Roger, but you know tomorrow is promised to no one, I have no idea how long I will be here. But guess what? I think I get to leave some of the best parts of me behind, and that to me is a great gift.
MR. SHAPIRO: Talk to me about the tipping point.
MR. SHORR: Oh. Well, we have to kind of build up to that one, because in the first edition I was kind of clumsy with it. In the second edition, I think I gave it -- it is just, I treated it with the respect due to it. And it is a phenomenon, and maybe it is my imagination again, but I don't think so.
I think the whole process of going for your near perfect body is like, you are fighting an uphill battle. And Sun Tzu, if you know who he is, plays a major role in this -- in this -- the Tao of the near perfect body. But you are fighting an uphill battle, and as you get more into it, the hill -- the steep -- the slope starts to flatten a little bit. It gets easier, and easier, and easier.
What is going on? You are reprogramming your mind. It sounds complicated, but it isn't, it is just learning and repetition. It is knowing what to do and what not to do. But you are going up the slope, and up the slope, and it is getting flatter and flatter, but it is still a battle. It is still a battle until you hit what we call supreme excellence. That is from Sun Tzu, I will save that for the reading of the book. But the tipping point -- I will give some of it away here -- it is incredible, and I think the tipping point is actually as old as mankind itself, because that is when I believe you have completely reprogrammed your mind, and all the bad code is gone, and you just are the person you were meant to be. That is enough on that for now.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Well, you mentioned Sun Tzu. I mean, as in --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- Art of War, and --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, or the Art of Strategy, by R.L. Wing. I have the R.L. Wing version.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: It is -- he renamed it The Art of Strategy for whatever reason, it is -- it is breathtaking. I mean, do you know that -- my understanding is, it is still studied all over the world by military professionals. The man was absolutely brilliant, and he was a -- look, I was a Certified Financial Planner, I am proud of it. He was the ultimate planner.
Read the book. Read his book first and then read mine, if you want to read. Incredible, this man.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, are -- is there a suggestion as part of that -- juxtaposing those two concepts, those two books -- that each of us has, you know, sort of an internal war going on in some way or another? Or is that not the direction that you would go? Like --
MR. SHORR: That is when you are not your own best friend.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: You are always in conflict, and I think Sun Tzu would smile to hear me say that. I know you are smiling, Charlie. And I love putting smiles on people's faces, I like it -- I -- when I see myself smile in the mirror a lot like that. But when I see somebody else smile, that is the best smile there is.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, this doesn't come up in this kind of context very often.
MR. SHORR: Well, sorry --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- about that, Charlie, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- interesting.
MR. SHORR: -- you are still smiling.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, I am smiling.
MR. SHORR: Well, that is good.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you know, because everybody is, in some way or another, at various times, at war with themselves.
MR. SHORR: They just don't know what to do, Charlie. That is what --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I -- you know, I told you in the first time we spoke, I think I talked about being outside the box.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, let -- review that for me, and for the folks that are listening that weren't listening last week.
MR. SHORR: For some reason, -- listen, we all have strengths, we all have weaknesses, and believe me I got plenty of weaknesses. But I think one of my strengths is my ability to see things a little differently, think outside the box, and I think that is quite frankly why my articles are still on Forbes and Barron's to this day. Although they misspelled my name on Barron's, but I need to call them sometime and fix that. It is just a little -- whatever.
MR. SHAPIRO: You will get over it.
MR. SHORR: You will get over -- where were we, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Being at war with yourself.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: Making --
MR. SHORR: Being at war, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- making (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- thank you. Thank you. Look, at 70 years old, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: I hate to admit it, but at 70 years old, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- you know, it is not so easy to keep on track all the time. I mean, I think I am doing pretty good, for me, today.
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. At war with yourself, what does that even mean? Well, what that means is conflict. Why would you have a conflict? Well, maybe because you and your inner voice -- you are defeating yourself. Why? I am not a psychologist, I am not going to go into that. I say don't even waste the time, we don't have time for that. Just know that if you want people to like you -- I mean, I hope some people like me, maybe some don't -- but if you want people to like you, you got to like yourself a lot first. If you can't like yourself a lot, why do you expect other people to?
And as a matter of fact, let's take that a little farther, let's talk about friendship. Why not be your own best friend? It doesn't mean you can't love somebody more, but why don't you be your own best friend, and then maybe other people will like you more too.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, talk to me about alcohol and the effect that that has, and the ability --
MR. SHORR: Oh, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- to --
MR. SHORR: -- I avoided that in the book. I -- you know, mom didn't raise a fool, Charlie. I don't want to go, you know, too hard against -- you know, the popular way of approaching --
MR. SHAPIRO: But from a personal choice. You had mentioned --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- the beer in --
MR. SHORR: Okay, that is different.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- your hand, and --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: You know, I mean, not everything is for everybody, obviously.
MR. SHORR: Obviously.
MR. SHAPIRO: Each person is an individual.
MR. SHORR: I can't write a book for everybody, I knew that from the beginning.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, but you wrote a pretty solid book for a lot of people, if not --
MR. SHORR: Well, that is --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- everybody.
MR. SHORR: -- nice of you to say.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, where does the alcohol come into how you think about yourself? (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Ethanol, that is what I think.
MR. SHAPIRO: What do you mean?
MR. SHORR: Well, what is it? What is it? I am -- all right, first and foremost, my objective is not to attack alcohol, okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Fair enough, but you are asking me my personal thinking of it, so I will share my personal thoughts. My personal thoughts is -- are, my body is my temple, period. I don't get another one. If this body goes, it is over, so it is back to TLC.
Now, do I believe, for Roger, alcohol is a good thing or a bad thing? For Roger, I think it is a bad thing. Just like I don't like cookies anymore, Charlie. What is a cookie to you, a treat? You know what a cookie is to me? It is an obstacle. It is an obstacle to my near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you don't see it as a good or bad thing, you see it as an obstacle? Or (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Well, an obstacle is a bad thing, I would say. If something is standing in your way between you and what you want, it is an obstacle, and I don't think it is a good thing. Would you?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. So, the immediate sense of some type of pleasure with the sugar rush, or whatever it may be --
MR. SHORR: Immediate pleasure for -- are you kidding? I went for decades unhappy with the way I looked with my shirt off, that was so big to me. And I let a foolish cookie, and a -- and a -- some beer mess that up for me my whole life.
You know something? I said in my first edition, I am sad that it took so long for this transformation to happen to me, but I am happy that it happened at all. And then, one day I realized as I was rewriting it -- you think the first one was pain, rewriting this book was painful.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But I realized something very special about what happened, it is true. If this transformation had happened to me when I was a young man, maybe in my thirties or forties, there would be no story, Charlie, and you know that. There would be -- would there be a story? No.
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Well, certainly not a story of a man that was almost 70, are you kidding me? In my mind's eye as a young man, 60 was old. 70 was like, you know, getting ready for the -- you know, whatever.
MR. SHAPIRO: The name of the book is The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, the author is Roger Shorr. And thank you for coming in and talking about it. And I don't think this is a one or two time thing, so we will ask listeners to come back. And I think we have got a couple of specific things from the book that you can apply to your own life -- even just concepts -- next week, here on Legends Radio, same day, same time, and we thank everybody for listening. And again, nearperfectbody.com is the -- is the website.
MR. SHORR: Thanks, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Take care, everybody. Have a great day.
(End of Audio Recording.)
Read Full Transcript
Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hello, and welcome to the Near Perfect Radio Show. We are having a conversation once again -- and I say once again, because we did this a couple of weeks for the last two weeks now -- Roger Shorr is here. Roger is a really interesting guy, and I think that it is fair to say that with Roger Shorr, we have at this radio station right now, the near perfect radio show. And I say that, because Roger has written the book, The Near Perfect Body. He is here, he is in person, he is ready to tell you about The Near Perfect Body. Roger, hello, and welcome again to Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: Well hi, Charlie. I am not quite sure how I follow that, but thanks for the buildup.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, tell us -- if folks were not listening to each of the last two episodes of this program, let's just briefly touch base a little bit on your background. And one of the things that I think is important when you are talking about The Near Perfect Body, and having the credibility to write such a book, is a little bit of background on other ways that in your professional career you have demonstrated credibility. So, tell folks that are listening to Legends Radio a little bit about how you have done that over the course of your life, please?
MR. SHORR: Okay. Well, before I retired, I was a financial advisor, and I had designations such as the Chartered Life Underwriter, or CLU, I had the Chartered Financial Consultant, which is CHFC. And then, I decided that I really wanted to be, and needed the Certified Financial Planner professional designation, so I became a CFP.
Some other things include, I was able to write financial articles -- not books. But I wrote for Barron's, and Trusts and Estates, and Forbes. And interestingly enough, my articles -- I think four or five of them -- are still online today. If you Google my name, Roger Shorr, my website comes up first, what comes up second is Forbes Advisor Intelligence. And on that page, you can click and see how I looked some years ago, and some of my articles are still there.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, we have all changed just a touch over the course of time. But Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, --
MR. SHORR: Correct.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- helping with the search would be the correct spelling. So, that is --
MR. SHORR: Like the sea shore, only spelled differently.
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go. So, Roger Shorr. And so, when we take a look at the cover -- I am just going to start with the basics, if you don't mind. When we take a look at the cover of this book, there -- first of all, it is kind of a little Zen thing going on here, at least from what I am seeing. It really has the sense of, you know, a little touch of inner peace. It is the water, it is the birds flying by. Tell me a little bit about what I am seeing on the cover of this book? Which by the way, I will suggest that people go on either Amazon, or anywhere books are sold and just take a look for The Near Perfect Body by Roger Shor. The cover, tell me --
MR. SHORR: My favorite --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- about it?
MR. SHORR: -- place to buy my book, Charlie, is at my website, nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHAPIRO: Perfect -- near perfect.
MR. SHORR: You are getting better, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you, I am working on it.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome. All right. Why is the cover the way it is? Why isn't it not some person flexing their muscles, or some foods to eat or not eat?
Charlie, you did really well. Great radio station, great staff, really like working with you. And when you said Zen, you were right there. And when you said birds -- now I am going to help a little bit, they are not birds exactly, they are gulls. Seagulls or goals, G-O-A-L-S or G-U-L-L-S. But they are more -- there is more to it than that, and we will get to that in a little while.
The cover is meant for a purpose. The Near Perfect Body is not designed to make you strain, or suffer, or feel uncomfortable, it is none of that. It is a happy story, it is a happy place. And my idea, my vision, when I was making myself -- writing this book, which seems like it took forever, but I am so thankful I did. My thinking was this, imagine it is -- you live in the Northeast, or the Midwest, or somewhere, and imagine you are married, and you have been working for a long time. And finally, finally, you have a beautiful vacation somewhere in a Caribbean island, somewhere beautiful.
And it is the very first day of your vacation, and you are there maybe with your husband, or wife, or whoever, and it is the first morning. And you get up, you walk out to the beach, and you see the gulls flying, and you see the white clouds off in the beautiful blue sky, and the aqua colored water, and the palm fronds, and the wind is blowing gently. And Charlie, does it get much better than that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Not that I have experienced. That sounds about as good as it gets. Nearly perfect.
MR. SHORR: Well, near perfect, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: That was nearly -- or near correct. But yeah, the idea is, when you pick this book up, and you hold it in your hands and read it, I want you to have your mind in a very happy place. I want you to be comfortable. I want you to smile, because that is what this is really all about.
The ultimate goal of The Near Perfect Body is not really the body at all, so much as it is finding more happiness in life. So, that is why the cover is the way it is, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we are talking about a mindset, but we are also talking about a physical feeling and actuality of health. So, when you talk about The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, how does somebody start to understand what you experienced and what you were able to move forward? In terms of yourself, personally, and in terms of being somebody who could relate your success, and try to be assisting others in understanding what you have come to understand?
MR. SHORR: Charlie, there is a lot in that question. The best way I think I can answer you is just to say, when you sit down and read the book, be in a happy place. Be in a good frame of mind. And know this, please know this. While -- and I say it in the book, while probably most of the people that read my book I will never meet, but if you are coming to my book looking for help, I consider you to be a friend. And I mean that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, when you are sitting there reading my book, know that it is a friend that has gone through probably a lot of what you have gone through. And for some strange reason that I will never really fully understand, -- I don't think I need to understand why -- some things happened that gave me a very special gift, and that is what I want you to have.
I just want you to read the book. Don't study it at first, study it later. Just read it as a story, and know that a friend is reading it to you.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when you talk about healthfulness, or being healthy, or however you want to phrase that, most people do immediately think of a diet of some type. And I know that over the last week or two, we had touched upon the fact that it really isn't necessarily just about a diet. And you know, you had come up with the concept, the phrase, of hunger jiu-jitsu. And I looked at that a couple of times, and my first thought was, huh? So, --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, me too.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, Roger, what did you actually mean by hunger jiu-jitsu?
MR. SHORR: Well, I have to tell you, Charlie, hunger jiu-jitsu is real. It is serious, and it is a -- I can't call it a martial art, but it is close or near martial arts.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: In my past, -- and thank goodness -- I was a serious martial artist, and I had a strict and wonderful school. A wonderful school. And I had a fantastic sensei, his name is Shunji Watanabe, now Kaicho Watanabe, which is head man -- head man of the stop.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I have pictures of him in the Tokyo dojo, or school. Dojo is Japanese for school. He trained in the Tokyo dojo for years before he came to America. He opened a school in Towson, Maryland, I met him in 1971, and I began my training. So, what does this have to do with hunger jiu-jitsu? Glad you asked, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Fast forward many years later. I am thinking about hunger, and I am thinking about diets, and I am thinking about control, and controlling what I eat. But as you think about hunger, what is it really? Well, I think it is a primal instinct. We are born with hunger, we have to satisfy hunger all the time, and you can't overpower it. It is a primal instinct. If you starve yourself, what is going to happen, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is not going to go well, I know that.
MR. SHORR: Well, it might go well at first. You might lose some fat, but what else?
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't know.
MR. SHORR: It will grind you down. Hunger is a primal instinct, you have to give your body nutrition, or it will grind you down.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, having said that, I thought about the other martial arts that I was very familiar with. Through the years, I was very familiar with and enjoyed other martial arts, and one of them was jiu-jitsu. Do you know what jiu-jitsu is, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do not, actually, know what it is.
MR. SHORR: Jujitsu is Japanese. Now, there is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but jujitsu is Japanese, spelled a little differently, and it is your ability to enable you to use your opponent's power against itself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When you can do that, you use leverage, balance, and other things. You can, in fact -- maybe not always, but you can, in fact, defeat a much stronger and more powerful opponent.
But what does that have to do with being hungry? Well, what it has to do with being hungry is this, we spoke about the mind and how we live in our mind -- or we are our minds. Our minds live in our body. Everything that ever happens to us happens in our mind, I think we had that discussion once before.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But when you feel hunger, where is it, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I would like to say my stomach, but I am pretty sure it is in my brain, because everything attaches at least --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, at least in theory to our brains.
MR. SHORR: Grasshopper, you are doing very well.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you. I have attempted to snatch the pebble from your hand.
MR. SHORR: Where is that pebble? Give it back, Charlie. He is getting quick. All right. Yes, of course, hunger is in the mind, everything is the -- in the mind.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. In jiu-jitsu, and any martial art that I am familiar with, you have to have an opponent. Right?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. You can't fight -- I mean, I can fight myself, but that is not going to feel very good.
But in your mind, you use a little bit of imagination, and you can identify an opponent. In the book -- or my book -- it is the hunger beast. It is a beast.
Now, you are still going to feel hunger. But if you think about this carefully, you will say, I can start to identify this beast that is controlling my -- making me push all kinds of things into my precious body, or my temple, and I can start to use pillars and moves. Hunger jiu-jitsu.
After -- in the first edition of my book, I had not developed it very well. Part of the reason why I wrote the second edition was to develop hunger jiu-jitsu further, and I did. So, hunger jiu-jitsu is really an art, you will practice it. The book will tell you how to do it.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you are essentially -- if I am getting this, you are trying to achieve total mastery over your eating?
MR. SHORR: You took the pebble again. That is exactly the point, Charles.
MR. SHAPIRO: But you are trying to visualize hunger as an actual beast. Like for example, this may sound silly, but do you picture, as one example, a triple cheeseburger dripping with everything to be a monster that is attacking you, rather than sustaining you?
MR. SHORR: Interesting you used a triple cheeseburger, Charlie, because I always love to say we were not born craving a double cheeseburger with fries.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: I don't say triple.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I made the leap to triple.
MR. SHORR: Can I have my pebbles back? You are not born craving a double cheeseburger with fries. All of this --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- stuff is in your mind, but do I envision a triple cheeseburger as an opponent? No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I can't flip, or put to the ground a triple cheeseburger, like I can a beast. It is a beast. It is an -- it is a real live opponent. You can almost envision in Japan -- or the Japanese karate, and many martial arts, we say the uniform is called a gi.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A G-I, a gi.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Gi.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: And you envision this beast maybe even wearing a gi, and you are going to fight him.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And you think, how am I going to fight this? And you are -- and the combat that you are going to have in your hunger jiu jitsu, you will feel the hunger that is part of the contest. You are going to feel some hunger, there is no doubt about it. But you are changing the way you see things, and you are starting to say, wait a minute, I am starting to use some very easy, easy to follow, easy to understand techniques that Roger is calling hunger jiu-jitsu. And you will start to see, you will start to have a little bit of control, and then the little bit of control will get stronger and stronger. Almost as if you are going from white belt, to yellow belt, to green belt. As you practice hunger jiu-jitsu, you will get better at it.
MR. SHAPIRO: You know, I see this as chapter 10 --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in the book, which you probably know, since (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: I think I wrote the book, yeah, so I would know.
MR. SHAPIRO: You wrote it.
MR. SHORR: For the first edition it was in a different chapter, but then --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- there is that. Okay, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, for the current edition, it is --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: And in the --
MR. SHORR: Second edition.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- studio -- current edition -- this is the second edition, right?
MR. SHORR: Yes. I am sorry, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, this is -- this is nearer perfect edition of the first edition. And the gentleman in the studio here at Legends Radio today, that you are hearing from, is Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R. And if you are interested, or if this has sparked so far an interest in learning more about Roger Shorr, take a look at the website, take a look at the book.
And I think -- now that we have kind of gone down this hunger jiu-jitsu pathway here a little bit, what I would like to move on to -- if we can -- is how do you turn what essentially is a concept into a practice?
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: Because a concept has not brought you -- what percent body fat?
MR. SHORR: Right around five.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, that is --
MR. SHORR: Between four and six, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- almost religiously.
MR. SHAPIRO: Which is, essentially, remarkably low. So, --
MR. SHORR: Extraordinarily so.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, it is extraordinarily so, and you didn't do that by just thinking about concepts. What you did at some point was put something into practice.
MR. SHORR: That is correct.
MR. SHAPIRO: And I would like to discuss that a little bit, and maybe we could pick out a couple of points that you felt, for you, were the catalyst to launching yourself in the right direction.
MR. SHORR: Okay. What I didn't do in the first edition, and I am happy -- I believe I have it done correctly now, is to explain it, to talk about how it works, and to give examples of what I actually did, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: First, let me say that hunger jiu-jitsu, like exercise jiu-jitsu, -- that maybe we will get to today or another time -- they both rest on six great pillars. I don't take credit for inventing all of the pillars, I think perhaps some, I maybe invented or modified. But I do take a little credit for putting them together in a way to fight the hunger beast and to win. I think these six pillars are all you need to become a black belt in hunger jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And there is one besides me, and maybe we will talk about him a little bit, but first the pillars. Pillar number one, extraordinarily important -- and by the way, of course, in the book they are well explained. I don't just put them out there, I explain them all, and then I explain how you utilize them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The first is employ a -- sorry, folks -- employ a near perfect attitude.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, attitude matters, though.
MR. SHORR: Near perfect attitude. You can't --
MR. SHAPIRO: Near perfect.
MR. SHORR: -- have a perfect attitude, but you want a near perfect attitude.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. Number two, critical for control, never allow yourself to get too hungry. And I did not make that one up, I have heard that before. So, I am not taking credit for that, but it is part of my hunger jiu-jitsu because it is very potent, so it is a pillar.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Next, plan what you will eat. That is critical. Sun Tzu, the great -- perhaps the greatest military mind that ever lived, first, last, and always was a planner. I was a certified professional planner -- professional.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: He was the Galileo, or the Sun Tzu, of planning. The guy was amazing. Plan what you eat. I had -- I made a plan, I followed through, and I executed on my plan. You want to hear the other three?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would -- I would like to actually review, just for a second. So, number one is employ a near perfect attitude.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Number two, never let yourself get too hungry. It is like going grocery shopping when you haven't had the last two meals, --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- everything looks delicious and it is ridiculous. So, number three is plan what you eat -- what you are going to eat, ahead of time. What is number four?
MR. SHORR: Learn to eat healthily. Much more to it than you might suspect.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Number five, we are practicing a martial arts -- we are in martial arts, aren't we? Maybe --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- close to martial arts, I think. Use the art of substitution.
MR. SHAPIRO: What do you mean by that?
MR. SHORR: Well, if I am going to sit there and have a self-defeating hot fudge sundae for dessert with disastrous whipped cream, maybe I should stop and think a little bit before I start eating it. Maybe I should think about why do I eat in the first place, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Why do you, or why should you?
MR. SHORR: Why do I eat in the first place?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would like to think because you are hungry.
MR. SHORR: Well, there is multiple reasons to eat, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The first and foremost is always the most obvious, we have to eat to survive.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But then others eat for fun, or pleasure, or from boredom.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Do you know the other reason why I eat, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: I have two reasons to eat. The first is so I can survive, that is obvious. The second is not obvious at all, but maybe you understand because we are just looking at each other. The only other reason I really eat is because, I want to put the things in my body that I believe it needs and wants to give me the best it can.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: That is why I eat, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: That is part of being a master at the art of substitution. I am not going to put things in my body that I don't think are going to help it.
MR. SHAPIRO: And what is number six?
MR. SHORR: Incredibly subtle but powerful, control your environment. What does that mean?
MR. SHAPIRO: How are you defining environment in this case?
MR. SHORR: Thanks for that, Charlie. The environment. Well, first and foremost, when I am done eating dinner, and I have helped my wonderful wife, Jennifer, clean up -- if she lets me, sometimes she just wants to do the kitchen herself -- whatever she wants, she is the boss in there.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think that is always the right answer.
MR. SHORR: My mother didn't raise a fool, Charlie, at least I would like to think so. Control the environment is so exquisitely -- I think Sun Tzu would smile. Wherever he is, I think he would smile on this one, because it is so a part of who he was. Control your environment means this. Do you have cookies on the counter, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Try to avoid it, because if it is in sight, it reduces the ability to deal with the willpower issue.
MR. SHORR: Oh, willpower. We will get into that in the willpower trap maybe later -- maybe another time, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Out of sight, out of mind is helpful with some of --
MR. SHORR: Fair enough, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- those things.
MR. SHORR: -- but are they in the pantry then, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: In my place? Yes, they are.
MR. SHORR: Well, they might be out of sight, but are they out of mind if they are in the pantry, Charlie? I have a better idea. You want to hear my better idea?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes, I would.
MR. SHORR: Get them out of the house. Why do you have to have them there? Why? There is no answer, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: There is no good answer. My --
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- first answer would be a psychological depression emergency, but then it is not really helping anything, is it?
MR. SHORR: So, basically, what you are saying is, if you have a fire, you want to pour gas on it? Is that what I am hearing?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, that is pretty much it.
MR. SHORR: That is about the size of it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. Uh-huh, point made. Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when you -- so tell me how do the six elements that we have just mentioned, that you were just talking about, do those work with each other? Do they support each other, or are they independent of each other?
MR. SHORR: Hunger jiu-jitsu has six pillars, but there are also primary moves, and in the book I name six. For hunger jiu-jitsu and exercise jiu jitsu, there are six pillars that each discipline stands upon, and six moves -- primary moves -- for each.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You want to talk about the primary moves and how they can help others control their eating so much better?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. I think not only should we mention what they are -- and we are going to have to do that briefly, because we have only got about three or four minutes left -- but I think that this is where we can also pick up next week. So, what I would like to do, if it is okay with you, is let's mention what these six are that correlate with what we were just speaking of. And then, when people tune into Legends Radio next week at the same time, we can explain a little bit more about it. But let's just touch on these six primary moves --
MR. SHORR: Okay, very good.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for right now, if we can.
MR. SHORR: Absolutely, Charlie. Wonderful idea. The six are as follows, you have to experiment with this one a little bit, but not that much. Anywhere from five to 15 minutes before you sit down to dinner, eat some fruit. Not a ton of fruit, but maybe, you know, four, five, six nice sized strawberries.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Or something -- maybe a nice orange, something to take the edge off, and that is it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Two, weigh yourself before dinner. I am not kidding, we will talk about that in detail next week and why. Three, between each bite, breathe. Breathe.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, just slow down and take a breath --
MR. SHORR: I am getting there, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and relax.
MR. SHORR: That is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- part of it. I have broken it down for specific reasons, but you are --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- you are right on the money. The yellow belt is -- it might come out of the bag in a minute. That is pretty good, Charlie.
Next, of course, you chew slowly and you put your fork down between each bite, make sure the mouth is empty. I didn't invent that, but it is very important. However, there is such a thing as a feint, because remember, we are fighting the hunger beast, and there is a very good reason why you should eat the first three or four bites any way you want. We will talk about that next week, I don't think we have time.
Five and six. Charlie, what are you thinking about when you are sitting there eating? Are you thinking about what is going in? Maybe you should think about that.
And finally, this is powerful hunger jiu-jitsu, now it is time to take the proverbial gloves off. Because if you are still not in control, the fearsome pattern interrupt, it works. It is incredible, and it is part of reprogramming your mind.
MR. SHAPIRO: The fearsome pattern interrupt. What is --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: What is that?
MR. SHORR: What is it? I will tell you what it is, Charlie. You are sitting there and you can't control yourself, you have done these other things near perfectly, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- but yet you still have this urge. The beast is on you, you can't get it off. You are going to control your environment here. You are going to stand up. You don't have to bow, even though it is hunger jiu-jitsu. You just say excuse me, if you are with others, or if you are alone you just get up. You walk away, and there are some things you can do when you are doing your one to two minute, three minute walk maximum, that made all the difference in the world for me.
MR. SHAPIRO: And that is a great place to take a break, and walk away from the studio, and walk back toward the studio a week from today. Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, his book is the second edition of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. What is your website again, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Nearperfectbody.com. All you have to do is put near perfect body in and you will get there, number one.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Thanks everybody for tuning in to Legends Radio. Thank you, Roger, for being here. We are going to pick this up again with a little bit more context and detail a week from today. Have a near perfect day. Thanks for listening to the Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends Radio.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, and welcome again to the Near Perfect Radio Show. Roger Shorr, spelled S-H-O-R-R, Roger Shorr has written a book called The Near Perfect Body -- The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Welcome back to Legends Radio, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Good to see you again, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You too. So, last week, we were talking about hunger jiu-jitsu --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- as one of the pillars that is involved in getting yourself to the near perfect body. And I wanted to just refresh the listeners on the six different foundational pillars --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that we talked about last week. And I am just going to do this for you this time.
MR. SHORR: That is fine, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Number one, employ a near perfect attitude. Number two, never let yourself get too hungry. Three is plan what you will eat. Four, learn to eat healthily. Number five is use the art of substitution. And number six is control your environment. Now, to refresh the listeners on what those pillars mean, and how people should think about those in their quest for the near perfect body, Roger, you wrote the book on this, literally.
MR. SHORR: Thanks for reminding me, Charlie, and thanks --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- to the near perfect build up.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: Well, attitude is so important to the whole -- shall I say, the Tao, of the near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If you are familiar with Taoism, T-A-O-I-S-M, I believe it came from Lao Tzu, or his name I think originally was Laozi, really, and there was Wang Tzu. But there is this way of the near perfect body, or the Tao of the near perfect body, and a huge part of it is the attitude. You have to approach things with a positive attitude, you can do this. What is that movie, Cool Hand Luke, get your mind right? Well, it is very serious. You want to have a good attitude, number one.
Number two, hunger jiu-jitsu is about control. Jiu-jitsu is the ability to use your own -- your opponent's own power against itself. (Indiscernible) what are you really doing? You are controlling the opponent. The component [sic] is your own (indiscernible) -- the opponent is your own hunger. In any martial art, you have to have an opponent. And we talked about this last week, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The opponent is in your mind, like everything else is in your mind, but you have to have an opponent. So, you have a near perfect attitude to deal with this opponent, you don't let yourself get too hungry.
You plan what you will eat, so important. Sun Tzu, his supreme excellence, talked about it, it is in the book. Maybe the best planner that ever lived. Now, I was a Certified Financial Planner professional, but Sun Tzu was -- had to be one of the most fantastic planners of all. And I think he would smile if he said, yes Roger, plan what you will eat exactly, and then execute your plan.
Next, eat healthily. We focus so much on what we are eating, we forget to talk about how we are eating. So, that is part of hunger jiu-jitsu.
Art of substitution. You don't have to have that cheesecake for dessert, oh no, no, no, no. Practice hunger jiu-jitsu and you will learn to substitute wonderful things. And maybe sometimes not so wonderful things, like often, I like to do fruit, or some honey tea for dessert if I want something a little sweet. And once in a while a diet root beer, not the most healthy, but still a good substitution for that horrible hot fudge sundae with disastrous whipped cream.
And finally, so important and so subtle is controlling the environment. You want me to talk a little bit about that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Okay. Last time we spoke of it, I said, do you have cookies on the counter? And you said, well, sometimes. And I said, well, are they -- are they in the pantry? And you said, well, maybe. And I said, why do you even have them in the house?
But it is more than that. It is more than getting the junk out of the house, it is getting it out of your head, and that is in reprogramming your mind. But still, controlling your environment means simply this, don't put yourself in a position where you are tempted. You control what you do, you control what you put in your body, and you control where you are for the most part.
Now, you have to go to work, some of us. I am retired, but I had to work. And sometimes, you know, there was things in the workplace you can't control. But to the extent you can control, don't put yourself in a position where you are smelling food, watching food shows, reading about -- none of that. Get it out of your mind and control your environment.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Powerful. These are the pillars that hunger jiu-jitsu is built upon, and there are moves on top that you actually implement.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we talked about the pillars last week. Are they pillars of your book, by the way?
MR. SHORR: That is a fabulous question, Charlie. Thank you. The Tao, the Way, of the near perfect body, it is mindset. So, are they pillars of the book? I don't think so. Once you have understood the importance of attitude, being your own best friend, and learn how to start reprogramming your -- reprogramming your mind, you have to have things to do. Hunger jiu-jitsu is designed to give you the thing to do when you approach the enemy that eating can be, or the ally that you can make it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. So, we have got half a dozen primary moves --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in hunger jiu jitsu, --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you outline them in your book. You touched upon them, all six of them, last week. Why don't you run those down for us again? Because it seems to me that these are all specific actions that can lead you in the correct direction.
MR. SHORR: And they work. And not just for me, I have had the good fortune of other people I know use them most successfully. So, here they are.
Five to 15 minutes, experiment what is best for you, eat some fruit before dinner. Now, we are focusing in on dinner why? Because in this country, my understanding is that dinner is the primary and biggest meal of the day.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: These techniques can work for the other meals, but we are focused on dinner right now. Eat some fruit five to 15 minutes before dinner. Why, Charlie? Why do you think?
MR. SHAPIRO: Take the edge off hunger?
MR. SHORR: Correct. Second, huge importance -- and I got pushback from friends as I was writing this book, and talking to my friends about what I was writing -- I say weigh yourself before dinner. Get on a scale, the scale is your friend. If you are intimidated by the scale, please get over it. The scale is a friend, it is honest with you. Weigh yourself before dinner.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, let me ask you this though, the weighing yourself before dinner -- which you know, when you say that, I am like, oh seriously?
MR. SHORR: Seriously. There are three outcomes. If you are in the position where you are working towards your near perfect body, which does require -- if you require, as most people do that want this, to reduce their percent of body fat, which is key; and to reduce weight in order to -- so that they can look good, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- if they do that, three outcomes are possible. If you need to drop -- if you need the scale to go down, there is going to be three outcomes. And I talk about it in detail in the book and why it is so important. The first outcome is, oh, I am heavier than I expected. Are you happy then, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Not too thrilled.
MR. SHORR: Okay. So, now you sit down to dinner. You just had the bad news, and you are staring at the pasta, what are you thinking about now, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: A smaller portion.
MR. SHORR: Are you starting to resent the food a little bit maybe?
MR. SHAPIRO: That is one way to look at it.
MR. SHORR: Resenting is one of the four big things in the Tao of the near perfect body. Optimism is another, consistency is another. There are four things. But let me get back to hunger jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You weigh yourself before dinner, and you saw the bad news, are you going to want to start to stuff your face with pasta? I don't think so.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Next outcome. Oh, you stood on the scale, and guess what the good news is, Charlie? The weight is lower than you expected. Hey, I am losing weight. This is good, the scale numbers are down.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Now, you sit down at the table and you are staring at the pasta, what are you thinking now, Charlie? How about, are you going to sabotage your efforts?
MR. SHAPIRO: No. No.
MR. SHORR: No. You are starting to see progress, do you think you want to go in reverse?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Think, Charlie. Remember, part of hunger jiu-jitsu is to think while you are eating, and think about what you are doing. Not to go thoughtless and just start putting the food in. We are talking about your life here, Charlie, your health, and your happiness.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. The last outcome for weighing yourself before dinner -- and I thought it was a fantastic idea, and I got push back on it. But it is still a fantastic idea because it works, Charlie, and I think it is self-evident.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The last outcome is no change. I am not up, I am not down. What do you think now, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Stagnant, got to do something to make something happen.
MR. SHORR: Pretty darn close, Charlie. Wait a minute, I am working on my near perfect body, and I am not getting anywhere? And now I am supposed to stuff my face? I don't think so, Charlie. You are thinking differently.
The whole idea behind this is, if you have never had any luck doing all the things you did, don't you think the answer is in looking at things differently? Of course, it is. That is why this works. That is why I will stand there and debate anyone that hunger jiu-jitsu is the right way to go about -- not losing weight, but making yourself look and feel better, which is the ultimate goal.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we are talking about the six primary moves in hunger jiu-jitsu. It is all covered in Roger Shorr's The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. That is the guest, Roger is our guest today on Legends Radio. And we have been talking about this for a few weeks, and there is a lot to cover, but I want to get to the other four out of the six moves --
MR. SHORR: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in hunger jiu-jitsu. So, number one, eat some fruit. Number two, weigh yourself before dinner. What is number three?
MR. SHORR: Breathe. What am I talking about, Charlie? When we eat, I noticed that I, especially when I was totally out of control, didn't have mastery over what I ate. When I was very hungry, I would do what? I would shovel the food in, I would chew -- I wouldn't even swallow everything before I put another bite in. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I have been there. I have lost the weight and put it back, and lost the weight and put it back, I don't put it back anymore. I use hunger jiu-jitsu, it works. So, I breathe between each bite.
But we have to talk about the other bites now, because it all will make near perfect sense if we put it together now. So, here is what is going on. Next -- and I didn't come up with this one, but I put all these together and formed what I believe is a brand new approach to eating. I know it is a brand new approach to eating, hunger jiu-jitsu.
Next, you are going to chew slowly and put the fork down between each bite. However big -- however, Charlie, remember, hunger jiu jitsu you have an opponent. Right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Do you know the name of the opponent, Charlie? The hunger beast. You will feel the hunger, it is in your mind, everything is in your mind. But now, you are going to have your hunger jiu-jitsu, and you are imagining this hunger beast, this animal, in a gi -- a karate, or judo, or jiu-jitsu uniform -- and you are battling it. So, you are going to feel some discomfort, that is -- usually, when you battle, you are going to have some discomfort. Right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Generally.
MR. SHORR: Generally. Unless you are the ultimate master. Well, anyway, you know what a feint is, F-E-I-N-T? Charlie, a feint? It is like a false move. Fencing, it is like a false move, or in karate, if I am trying to engage opponent, and get him to move one way, I will act like I am going in the other direction. He will move that way, and then I move quickly in the other direction.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The first three to four bites are a feint, but they are a feint of your mind. What you are doing is, you are giving into the hunger beast just a little bit to disorient him. And you laugh, it works. Try it, you will see.
I don't have any problems whatsoever with food anymore, Charlie. I have complete control of it. I mean, you see me in the studio, I am 70 years old. How do I look, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: You look terrific.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. So, anyway, you do your feint, it is a false move. But what is really going on in your mind is, you are -- you are giving in, you are satisfying yourself a little bit. You have had your fruit, you had the weigh in, you are breathing, but the first few moves you are giving in. You are letting yourself chill, by saying, okay, I will gobble down some food if I need to, but then you have to stop. Stop cold. For a moment.
Regroup. Okay, I gobbled the first few bites down, I weighed myself, I had my fruit. Now, I am slowing down, and this is critical, Charlie. This made all the difference for me. I sat there, and I thought about what I was doing. I thought about the food that was going into my body, and I thought that if I just took care of this incredible gift of a body where I live, that it might give me the great gift of life back to the best of its ability.
So, now I eat for two reasons. The first reason is everyone's reason, to survive. The second reason I eat, Charlie, is to put the things that I believe my body wants and needs to make it as good as it can, so it can give me its best. This is hunger jiu-jitsu. This is the philosophy of the martial arts, in my view.
Okay. And there is one other thing, Charlie, of the moves that are the primary -- there are other moves, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- these are primary. These -- if the listeners practice the hunger jiu-jitsu and they don't have success, I will be shocked if they --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- are diligent and they practice it sincerely. The last one is very powerful, it is the fear -- I call it the -- well, I don't know, I call it the pattern interrupt. I acknowledge it is a powerful move. The pattern interrupt is a psychological idea. If you are engaged in behavior, and it is not working for you, how about changing the environment, Charlie? How about that?
What do I mean? Well, I am sitting there eating, and I don't have control. I have done all of these things. I am breathing, I am putting my fork down, I am thinking about it, I had my food, I weighed myself, the news was bad, but somehow, someway, I still can't control it, Charlie. What do I do? I change my environment. I stand up.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And like I said last week, if you are --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- with people, you don't have to bow, you are doing hunger jiu-jitsu. You are not -- you are not wearing a gi, you don't have to bow. But you are doing it where, Charlie? You are doing it in your mind, where everything else is. You stand up.
Something that was so powerful for me, Charlie, is I would walk into the bathroom. And yeah, it sounds strange, but it worked. I don't care if it sounds strange, it was in the privacy of my own bathroom. I took my shirt off and looked at myself in the mirror, and I said, what are you doing?
Now, this was after I realized I was on this journey. I didn't know I was on it at first. I wasn't writing this book until I started in March. I was tinkering with some ideas in February, but I didn't start writing until -- I don't think until March.
But I would look in the mirror and say, what are you doing? Don't you understand that -- I mean, then I was 68 years old, and -- sixty eight and a half when it all started. Don't you understand that what you are putting in your mouth is such a big part of the -- your own happiness? And as it started to finally dawn on me, I realized, yeah, this pattern interrupt makes sense. And when I would sit back down at the table, I would feel empowered.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I would look at the food, it didn't have its power on me, Charlie. Do you see what I am saying?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do. I mean, you make it very clear. And The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, as you well know, is your book, Roger Shor. This is the second edition now. And my guess is that you have come to some additional realizations between the first and the second edition. You had an event after the first edition came out.
MR. SHORR: The near perfect party. I did, I really did, it was the near perfect party.
MR. SHAPIRO: (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: No desserts. On the -- on the -- I made a little ad for my friends, and no desserts, great gifts, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: -- music. I even let beer and wine -- I don't drink, but yes, it is true.
MR. SHAPIRO: What did you learn at that party?
MR. SHORR: I was just so happy. I had some very special guests, Lee Tessier, I even had the mayor of Palm Beach County. Not Palm Beach City, Palm Beach County, and yes, they have a mayor, and he was great. He was my guest of honor, his assistant was with him, I made sure that they both came there.
The one person I wanted so badly to come, Charlie, I just couldn't do it, I offered to pay, I offered to have his second in command come with him, was Kaicho Watanabe. He was like a father to me, and I honored him both -- in both books he is there, honored big in the acknowledgment section. And in my party, I said in Japanese, (speaking Japanese at 00:19:09) which is thank you very much, Kaicho. And now -- he is now Kaicho, he was my sensei.
Lee Tessier was there. What a super guy he is, great businessman. Over a billion in sales since 2006, I think, 3,500 homes sold.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: He is a superstar, top one percent nationwide. He is my first black belt in hunger jiu-jitsu. I gave him a black belt in that party, I have a video of it, and you can see it. I gave it to him, a black belt.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know why I gave it to him, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: When I was sending my manuscript out for people to read, I spoke to him. He was helping me to do some things for my mother-in-law with her property, and he had sold my house in Fallston, we were friendly. He was -- he is great. I was talking to him about my mother-in-law, and I said, by the way I have a manuscript. Long story short, I said, are you interested in reading it? He says, yeah, I will read it. And he did. It made a huge impact on him.
And my -- when he called me to tell me about his read, I was stunned. As the manuscript reads were coming in, I -- it was incredible, the feedback. But he was incredibly special, because what he did was he followed hunger jiu-jitsu. And guess what happened, Charlie? He went from -- I have it, he went from 17.2% body fat down to around eight.
MR. SHAPIRO: Wow.
MR. SHORR: And guess what else? He had been in fitness for a long time, he even worked out with a professional football player, I think. And he started, for the first time in his life, seeing definition in his abs. He lost a lot of weight easily, and he ultimately even won his first fitness contest. And he credits it all to the book, and he is in the -- he is the testimonial in the back of the book. If you look at the book, Charlie, he is the testimonial, Lee Tessier.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Unbelievable. But this party, so many wonderful people were there, I had -- I gave my book out, I gave my first edition out. I even put for an individual or a couple, I gave one gift bag to a couple or individual. I gave The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, the paperback all -- you know, it was in color, and it had pictures, and it was much more illustrated than this one.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I gave it out and I put a little special note -- individualized notes, and we had individualized gift tags on the bags that were silkscreened, the near perfect party or whatever. And it was -- it was very special. I just was so happy to share, because the whole reason I wrote the book -- I told you before, Charlie, I had -- it was a great gift that happened to me, and there was a string that was attached.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think that the sharing. I mean, this is -- if you are doing it for yourself, you have the success for yourself, the string that is attached is that, what? You need to share.
MR. SHORR: I had to share. At first, I said, oh no, do I have to share this in a book? Oh, god. People are saying, write down what you are doing, Roger. I am like, uh-oh.
I mean, I had written those financial articles. Believe me, they were work, more than you think. Especially the Three Golden Rules Of Investing, which was my favorite, still on Forbes to this day.
MR. SHAPIRO: I just want to read a couple of quotes for -- from some people, and this is right from your book. Author Roger Shorr, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, is our guest today. Martin Hall --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is master professional of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, 2008 PGA of America National Teacher of the Year, Hall.
MR. SHORR: Let's not forget last year --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: -- he celebrated 400 episodes on the School of Golf.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, here is what Martin says about your book.
"Roger has undergone a spectacular transformation. In his highly entertaining book, he shares how you can follow the same path to achieve your near perfect body. There are many books on diets and fitness out there, but this book is right on target."
That is from Martin Hall. There are a number of other quotes. Tell me who Dr. Michael F. Murphy is, would you?
MR. SHORR: What a wonderful man he is. A great doctor, a great anesthesiologist, an author of textbooks. When he read the first edition, I barely knew him. I think he might have signed in on a round of golf, I found he was a doctor, and I always admire doctors so much. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, here is -- I was just going to say, let me just read this quote.
MR. SHORR: Okay, sure.
MR. SHAPIRO: This is from Dr. Michael F. Murphy.
"The Near Perfect Body is an extraordinary book for helping one achieve fitness, good health, and more. Using common sense, application of easily understood psychological principles, and other innovative techniques, Roger Shorr makes getting into excellent physical condition, looking better, and feeling great far easier than one might expect. It is an easy read that resonates inside any individual truly interested in bettering themselves intellectually, physically, and mentally. It is a must read."
What a terrific -- what a terrific endorsement.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, the only word I can use is -- well, maybe there is two words. There is two words, Charlie. Humbling is one, overwhelming is another, Charlie. I don't -- I am not even quite sure how I wrote this book, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you did.
MR. SHORR: I did. It is true, I -- but I don't know how I -- I don't know.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well --
MR. SHORR: I wasn't -- I was just minding my own business one day.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you wrote it, but here is the thing, I mean -- and I have not read the entire book. I will, but I have read enough of it at this point to feel very comfortable that someone reading this book, The Near Perfect Body, is going to be able to get something from it. But I think it may be slightly different for each person, because each person will take from it, maybe not the entire recipe for success so to speak, but they will take concepts from it. They may be able to apply these in different ways that matches their own individual, personal need.
And I think that when you come back next week, in the future, or what have you, I think that -- I think that one of the most interesting things that we might want to start talking about will be the different ways that individuals absorb this information.
And that is going to be interesting to me, and it may very well be interesting to Legends Radio listeners, because you know, we have a fairly bright -- in fact, very bright -- and very in-tune audience. And the kind of person that generally listens to Legends Radio thinks, and thinks for themselves. And we are very careful around here to not clobber people over the head with sales stuff, but what we will do is provide guests information that people can choose to use or not. And in this particular situation, with Roger Shorr's The Near Perfect Body: and The Pathway to Yours, second edition, I think that, Roger, you are here, you are taking the time to do this, and I think people can get a lot out of what you are talking about. So, it is great to have you here.
MR. SHORR: That is really kind of you, Charlie. And you said a magic word to me a minute ago. A minute ago. A minute. You said the word time, and I emphasize minute. Time is so precious.
At 70 years old, I understand how precious time is. I even say time is life and life is time. I don't even know if that is mine or not, it doesn't really matter if that is mine. But I will say this, every day that goes is gone forever. So, carpe diem, seize the day, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- put everything you can in it. And I will say this about The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, if you read it and you don't get your near perfect body, or you don't even read it for that purpose, I will tell you this. If you find any happiness in it at all, then I would say you have used your time very wisely.
MR. SHAPIRO: Where can they get the book, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Thanks for that. We are teeing it back up, Charlie. We had Martin Hall a little while ago, and now we are teeing it right up. Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go.
MR. SHORR: I prefer people to buy it at my website, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- which is near -- not nearly -- near perfect body -- not hyphenated -- just nearperfectbody.com. Or all you have to do is say to a search engine like Google, near perfect body. Or Roger Shorr -- spell the name right -- it will pop up number one. I -- it is not sponsored, it is actually an organic search. I don't know how it happened, but it did.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And there you will be, you will follow the bouncing ball.
MR. SHAPIRO: Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, thank you so much for being here. Appreciate your time and appreciate the effort in passing along the information. And thanks to everyone listening on Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: Thanks, Charlie.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody, thanks for listening to Legends Radio. Welcome to the Near Perfect Radio Show. I am Charlie Shapiro, pleasure to have you here. And a pleasure to have Roger Shorr, who is the author of The Near Perfect Body book, that is what the book is called, and the Pathway to Yours, second edition. Roger, welcome back to the studios here at Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: Good to see you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You too. You are -- you are actually sounding slightly hoarse for some reason, now that I am hearing you this time.
MR. SHORR: Well, Charlie, I almost feel like I should not admit this, but here I go, one of my human weaknesses is I talk too much.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, this is the place to do that actually.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, but I can just hear my friends now laughing and giving each other high fives at my expense.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay, go on.
MR. SHORR: Now, here I find myself with you, Charlie, and your great station, and it is already feeling like my home away from home. A radio station, and a way too talkative man, sounds like a formula for something, and I am kind of afraid to speculate on just what that something might be.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am thinking you might have some problems there, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Yeah. Well, tell me about it, Charlie. And they are not champagne problems anyway. Don't drink, remember?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. All kidding aside, I want to tell you about yesterday.
MR. SHAPIRO: Do tell.
MR. SHORR: Well yesterday, I stayed home all day, and I really did manage to stay out of trouble for once. Hard to believe it is -- it is true. My wife, Jennifer, runs a tight ship, and she is great, but I have to tread lightly. Because as I once said in the local magazine -- and it is true -- Jennifer runs our household so efficiently that she could make a Fortune 500 CEO jealous, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, nothing wrong with that, is there?
MR. SHORR: Well, not really. Anyway, I decided that I would listen to all four episodes -- yes, it is true -- of the Near Perfect Radio Show.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And once again, -- uh-oh -- I started having epiphanies. Well, maybe not epiphanies like I had around -- at the end of 2022, the beer epiphany, the driving range epiphany, and also early '23, the workout epiphany. Maybe it was just more, like, kind of very deep thoughts.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh. Okay, tell me more.
MR. SHORR: Well, once again, it came to me so clearly why I had to write this book. It is kind of personal, but I feel I must, for some reason, keep sharing my thoughts.
MR. SHAPIRO: And which thoughts are those?
MR. SHORR: Well, I want to say again and at the risk of repeating myself, which I do not want to do too much repeating myself, but here I go. It is just that for some reason, -- I don't know why -- I just feel so happy right now about my life, and I know it is because of my transformation.
I told you that the story is, I think, made special by the fact that it happened to me -- not that it happened to me, Charlie, but it happened to me so late in life. And I, like so many others, I tried, and failed, and tried, and failed so often, so many times. Now, I -- believe it or not, I really think I have a real and true answer.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, I feel like I have succeeded in something. I don't know if there is something out there called, quote, life fitness, end quote, and I am thrilled to help anyone that wants help. You know that? I honestly believe that my near perfect body approach can work, and it can be permanent, and fun. No gimmicks and no false promises.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Well, keep going with this.
MR. SHORR: Well, thanks. I believe that my answer is not just for the body, but for the mind and spirit too.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, after reading a good part of your book, Roger -- and I just want to -- for somebody just joining us, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours by Roger Shorr -- I am starting anyway to begin to understand what you are saying a little bit better.
MR. SHORR: Well, Charlie, it is just so hard to contain myself over this. As a financial advisor, I was in the profession for just a couple of months shy of 30 years. I was successful, I was happy, I had a spotless record. My name and record were so very important to me. But Charlie, what do you think was more important?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I would -- I would expect, and I would hope it was your ability to help your clients. That is the whole -- that is the whole point (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Exactly, Charlie. And that is what I am doing here. I have a message that I need to get out, and you and Legends Radio are helping me do just that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you mentioned, hunger jiu-jitsu one of the weeks previous to this, so let's go there.
MR. SHORR: Funny you ask me that, Charlie, I was just going to go there. But you, quote, beat me to the punch, Grasshopper, end quote. You really want your yellow belt in hunger jiu-jitsu, don't you, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Domo Arigato.
MR. SHORR: Oh, no. It is already going to his head. But it always was, and it always is in your head, Grasshopper.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome. Remember that the reality of our lives is simply this. Charlie, all we really are minds. Am I wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I think that makes perfect sense.
MR. SHORR: Excuse me? Perfect sense, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, near perfect sense.
MR. SHORR: That yellow belt is going back into the drawer, you are going to have to re-earn it. Okay. You got to watch it, Charlie. Come on, you know, you got --
MR. SHAPIRO: No, you are right.
MR. SHORR: -- Roger Shorr here. You can't --
MR. SHAPIRO: You are right.
MR. SHORR: -- get away with this perfect stuff. Okay. So, more on hunger jiu-jitsu, but first, we must go back to almost the very beginning, Charlie. Early in my book, I talk about how you must learn to become your own best friend in jiu-jitsu and martial arts. What do they start you on? They start you on the basics. This is the basics, the basics are the foundation of the arts. Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Well, we talked about basics in the previous weeks a little bit, so just remind me and remind everybody listening, how do we actually get back to that?
MR. SHORR: How do you do that?
MR. SHAPIRO: How do --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) the question, yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: That is what you are asking?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is what I am trying to ask, yes.
MR. SHORR: People want this very badly, Charlie. They really do. Good people out there, they will do many, many things, spend lots and lots of money. But we have to -- I talked to you about your inner voice and how you can train it, it is part of reprogramming your mind, the process of it. You have to be on guard and not let your inner voice speak negatively to you.
Remember, you are the guardian of a very precious and unique body, you get one. And you must guard it jealously, by carefully training your inner voice. And others are doing it too now, it is very exciting. I see it. But by training your inner voice, you can literally teach it, or reprogram it, to help you become your own best friend.
And when I see people coming back -- Roger, I am losing weight. But the best was the other day, when a man said, I am feeling better. He is -- I think he is 80 years old, I was speechless. Me, speechless? Is that even possible?
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't -- I -- doesn't seem like it. So, does it seem like this is the time for me to snatch a pebble from your hand, Master Po?
MR. SHORR: Cut it out, Charlie. I am trying to focus on the Near Perfect Radio Show, and you keep making jokes.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Well, Roger, you did say something, at least I think you said something, about a very important question. I remember reading that in -- early on in your book.
MR. SHORR: Quick as you can, take the pebble from my hand.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Not a very important question, Charlie. No, not very important. The most important question.
MR. SHAPIRO: Which is what, Roger?
MR. SHORR: The most important question I will ask my readers is simply this, -- and before we get started on your journey, you need to ask yourself this question, and you need to answer it. The most important question I will ever ask my readers is simply this, how badly do you want your near perfect body?
MR. SHAPIRO: But I mean, Roger, is there really only one answer that each person who wants to achieve it has to reply with?
MR. SHORR: You got the pebble. Let me have my pebble back, Charlie? Very good. It is one answer. The only answer that suggests, in my view, you can really make this near perfect body dream come true -- it came true for me, Charlie. It is still a dream, so it can come true for others. But the only thing I believe that you can answer that question with, to make the dream come true, to give yourself the best chance is, how badly do you want your near perfect body? Question answer, I must have it.
I believe that only answering truly and honestly in that way -- don't just say it, no -- I must have it, you may as well not even start. But if you answer it truly and honestly in that way, you will have a really good chance to experience such a fantastic feeling. It will be, I think, one of my readers -- whoever reads and experiences it, I think it will be one of their life's greatest accomplishments. At least I feel that it was for me, and I feel that it is for me, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Is there more?
MR. SHORR: Well, good question. Yes, as a matter of fact, I thought about that. And for those that just want to feel better, younger, healthier, or any or all of the above, they can come along too. You don't have to focus too much on how their body looks, but they should practice with diligence what I suggest in my book. They just might find that they will end up with a better looking body anyway, near perfect or not. And like I say in my book, if that happens, well Charlie, they will just have to grin and bear it.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right, Roger. Let's see if you have anything more on hunger jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHORR: Well, yes, as a matter of fact. Thank you for asking. We have all of these six primary moves, six pillars. Are there more primary moves? Well, yes, there are. As a matter of fact, I thought you might be curious, so I thought we would talk about a couple today.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. What are they?
MR. SHORR: You drink any tea, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I try.
MR. SHORR: Try is a weak word, I like to say, we do our best. Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Near--
MR. SHORR: Sorry, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nearly perfectly.
MR. SHORR: Sorry, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nearly perfectly.
MR. SHORR: Near perfect, please. Nearly is an adverb. We say near perfect, and you know --
MR. SHAPIRO: Near perfect.
MR. SHORR: -- near perfect is not correct grammar, is it? It is not hyphenated, it is not nearly, so why do I say near perfect? Because it is near correct. Sorry. Sorry, folks.
Anyway, honey sweetened tea, a much more powerful hunger jiu-jitsu weapon than you might suspect. And then we will talk about the fiercest, and most formidable, hunger jiu-- hunger jiu-jitsu move there is. That move has no name, but it is for the most desperate hunger jiu-jitsukas -- students of hunger jiu-jitsu -- that can't seem to defeat the hunger beast. It is a dangerous move, and it is a huge, big gun. We will come back to that in a minute. Let me tell you about honey sweetened tea, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I was a cookie monster, -- or like cookie monster -- I love sweets, desserts, candy. I just could not get enough of that stuff, and I used to pile it on. And I think my top weight for -- maybe I was five eleven and a half, maybe touching six feet, was like 216. I guess, I was in my late forties and fifties, when I just wasn't working out hardly at all, and I was just eating, and eating, and drinking the beer, and all that.
But after that strange and beautiful day on that cart path that day, and all these things started to change, I realized the beer for some reason left my life, the best of my recollection, at this moment. I changed my diet, I ultimately would change my exercise, but there was more to it.
I had to do something to beat the desire. I have -- I would have dinner, and I would want to have all these treats, and horrible hot fudge sundaes with disastrous whipped cream. Things like that. And I was thinking very much about the jiu-jitsu -- the hunger jiu-jitsu was in its infancy. And I am saying to myself, control, pace, and then I thought about it for a minute. And I said, you know what? I am going to try some honey sweetened tea. There were things about it, Charlie, that worked. Do you want to know what they are?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would like that.
MR. SHORR: Well, it sounds a little odd, but the first thing I liked about it was, when we lived in Maryland we went to these festivals, they were like middle aged festivals -- medieval times.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We got these really nice mugs. I have my favorite mug, it is my big coffee mug, I have my coffee in it every morning. So, I decided I would have tea after dinner, instead of dessert, one evening. So, I filled up this big mug that I love to use, been using it for years, and I made tea.
And then, I was going to put sugar in it, and I said, you know what? I think honey is a better idea. So, I put honey and a little bit of two percent milk in. You know what happened then, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: What happened?
MR. SHORR: It tasted good, but it was hot. What does that tell you, Charlie? You don't know, do you, Grasshopper?
MR. SHAPIRO: I have no idea.
MR. SHORR: Could I gulp it down, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: No. So, you were forced to sip it slowly?
MR. SHORR: Exactly, Grasshopper.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Sometimes slow is good, sometimes fast is good, but here slowly was extremely important to me. I had sat there, I was relaxing. Tea is, I think, a relaxing drink. It was sweet, it was hot, I took my time. And as I was enjoying it, I noticed I sort of was calming down, getting away from the urge, -- the frenzy, if you will -- to have that hot fudge sundae. And it worked.
It is a wonderful, calming, relaxing way to consume something. Have something a little sweet with the honey, don't go overboard. A marvelous tool, one of my hunger jiu-jitsu moves, and I also consider it a food warrior weapon.
I am going to share with you the big gun. Would you like to hear the big gun?
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Well, it is a good thing we are not able to see this, because I would say that for the faint of heart, they might not want to see this. This is very powerful hunger jiu-jitsu now. We are moving into a very new place, formidable.
Okay, here comes the big gun you asked for. For people that can't stop stuffing their face, and people that can't stop stuffing the junk food, and the cookies, the brownies, the -- all that stuff. You ready?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am ready.
MR. SHORR: Okay. I need you to go into the powder room, or wherever, and I want you to go get a makeup mirror. One that is on a stand, that you --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- can see your whole face. I want you to sit it down on the kitchen table right in front of you. Hopefully, you have been taking your selfies, pictures of yourself with your shirt off, or in your bathing suit. I want you to sit it right next to that bathroom -- that mirror, the makeup mirror that you can see your face. You see the --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- the picture of the body that you are not happy with. What do you think we do next, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am ready.
MR. SHORR: Are you sure? How sure? All right, here is what we do. Go get yourself that hot fudge sundae, Charlie. Go get it, I am not kidding. Put it down next to the mirror, get a spoon. You know what I want you to do now? I want you to take a great big helping of that hot fudge sundae. I want you to look yourself right in the mirror, and watch yourself eat it. Why?
MR. SHAPIRO: You are saying actually do this?
MR. SHORR: Am I stuttering, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Of course I am saying actually do this, Charlie. Why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, it sounds a little self-destructive.
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: You are rescuing yourself, Charlie. You know why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: It is about facing reality, isn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: That is the problem, you need to see what you are doing to yourself live and in your face. Don't you? You need to see it, because if you don't face reality, how in the world are you ever going to get your near perfect body? Or how in the world are you ever going to have the best life you can have, if you just can't face reality?
But guess what? There is more. Most people aren't going to do it, Charlie, and I knew that when I wrote the book. But guess what else happens? They are going to say, Roger, there is no way I am going to do that. You know why they won't do that? Because they don't want to be made to feel ridiculous, do they?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Wouldn't that make you feel ridiculous, standing there, or sitting there watching yourself stuff your face? Well, that is really what you are doing. You are you are putting this stuff into your temple, aren't you?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: Okay, well you are doing that. But you are not going to do that. Why? Because that would make you feel ridiculous, yes?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay, that is my point. To allow a hot fudge sundae, a cheesecake, oatmeal raisin cookies, or whatever to get in the way of you having a happy life, a wonderful body, feeling great is just plain ridiculous, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, Roger Shorr is in the studios. The Near Perfect Body: The Pathway to Yours, second edition, it is available on the website, which is --
MR. SHORR: Nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Nearperfectbody.com. You know a lot of -- a lot of endorsements, and testimonials, and such are in this second edition of your book, Roger, but here is one that isn't. And tell people who Dr. Forman --
MR. SHORR: Dr. Bert --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is?
MR. SHORR: -- Forman.
MR. SHAPIRO: Bert Forman, he is a medical doctor, specializes in anesthesia among other things.
MR. SHORR: An anesthesiologist, correct.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. So, I am just going to -- so first of all, before I read this testimonial, where did you meet him? And how did he discover you, and your book, and your thought process?
MR. SHORR: I am a golfer. Well, I am a hacker. I am a -- well, let's put it this way, I have a great teacher who has got not a good student. So, between the two of us, we kind of get me to hacking. Sometimes I play pretty good.
He is -- he is a tennis player, but we -- you know, are at the same club, and I see him for coffee and stuff. Anyway, I just got to be friendly with the guy. Really, really good guy, very funny. Just got to talking one day, and as soon as I find out somebody is a doctor, I am very interested in them reading the book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Because I have enormous respect for doctors, always have, and they spend their lives taking care of people's bodies. Is it any wonder I would have a -- you know, that kind of --
MR. SHAPIRO: Reverence?
MR. SHORR: Thank you, for MDs?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I am --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, here is what he said about you, the book, the process, all of that. He said, Roger, before you can love someone, you need to love yourself. This book does just that. Gives the reader a template for self-esteem, self-control, self-confidence, better sense of self, all leading to a more rewarding life.
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: And he adds, read this book for a guideline to be a better person. Those are powerful words from -- especially from a doctor.
MR. SHORR: I think the last time we spoke, I said, overwhelming and humbling were the two words. And I -- you know, I have -- we have said this before too, I am not even quite sure how I wrote it. I know I wrote the book, Charlie, I got that. But still, I am not even sure how it happened. I just -- I just thought, I have so many wonderful people coming behind me supporting this.
Well, here is the Near Perfect Life getting ready to be written. I don't know who is going to write -- no, of course, I will write it. It is going to be a lot of fun. But I want that endorsement to go in the Near Perfect Life: Uncovering Your Power For Change, and I think it belongs there. And then, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, what have other readers told you? Because this doctor is not the only one that has said something so powerful and positive. You have got lots of people that have read the first book, now the second edition of The Near Perfect Body. Give me a couple of other folks, what they have said?
MR. SHORR: Oh, a wonderful woman, her name is Gloria. You ever known a Gloria whose last name rhymed with her first name?
MR. SHAPIRO: I haven't thought about it, but (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Well, I never did. I never met a woman whose last name rhymed with her first name until I met Gloria Doria. Her name is --
MR. SHAPIRO: That is a great name.
MR. SHORR: -- Gloria -- she is a great person and a wonderful friend. And the problem with friends was, I was afraid that they would tell me what I wanted to hear, or say, hey good book, good book. And I didn't want that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I didn't want to get a false sense of security, and go out and try to promote something that wasn't good. Her -- she read my manuscript, the first edition, and she comes back with, I love it, love it, love it, publish it. That was one of the very first responses I got, and it was just incredible then, and it hasn't stopped, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, in the few minutes that we have left for this week -- and we can continue this to next week, the next show of the Near Perfect Radio Show. Talking about Roger Shorr and The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. You know when you when you flip through this book, and you read the testimonials, and you hear from others, you really start to get a better sense of the possibilities that are available when you come in contact with somebody. And that somebody is Roger Shorr.
And I think that, you know. whether someone lives in Jupiter, or Palm Beach Gardens, or Boca, or Delray, or anywhere in West Palm, Palm Beach County, Wellington, you know, everybody in this area is so lucky to be here. They are trying to maximize their life, they are trying to make every moment that they are alive better, and you are in a position to be helpful.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, this place is like heaven on earth.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, why don't we continue this next week. Give the website, one more time? It is nearperfectbody.com, right?
MR. SHORR: Yeah, but near perfect body will get you there, Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, will get you there. And guess what else? We said it before.
MR. SHAPIRO: What is that?
MR. SHORR: It is almost embarrassing, it is true, Roger has a near perfect body. Type it in just like that, Roger has a near perfect body, and there it is number one on Google. And --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you literally -- if you -- if you go on Google, --
MR. SHORR: Yes, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and you type in, Roger has --
MR. SHORR: Has --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- a --
MR. SHORR: -- a --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- near perfect body.
MR. SHORR: I don't know how it happened, but do it. Let's do it today.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is pretty impressive, actually.
MR. SHORR: We had this conversation once before, Charlie, this hasn't changed. I will look again.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Thanks, everybody, for listening. We are going to talk a little bit more about some specifics that are in the book next week, next time we do this. Roger Shorr here in the Legends Radio studio. Thank you for joining us, and we hope everybody enjoys themselves, spend the next week doing things that are going to be helpful to you.
And if you have a chance, pick up Roger Shorr's The Near Perfect Body book. And this has been the Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends 100.23.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Legends Radio is what you are listening to. Hello again, welcome to another edition of the Near Perfect Radio Show with Charlie Shapiro here as your host, Roger Shorr as our guest. Roger is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Hi, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, it is good to see you again.
MR. SHAPIRO: We have got to keep meeting like this, because I keep learning things. And I have also noticed over the past several weeks, we have not only been talking about the book that you wrote, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, in its second edition now, but you have been out there not just on Legends Radio -- which we appreciate you coming in here, and talking to the Legends audience and listeners about the book -- but we -- I have noticed that you have also put yourself into a podcast as well, the Focus to Win podcast. Tell everybody about that, would you?
MR. SHORR: Well, I don't want to say that it is on YouTube, and it is an audio/visual podcast.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And if you happen to be on YouTube on your television, you can type my name in, R-O-G-E-R S-H-O-R-R, and then you have to watch me as well as listen to me for 36 minutes. Guaranteed cure for insomnia, Charlie. You can't sleep, turn it on, and off you go. Sweet dreams.
MR. SHAPIRO: But you will learn something while you do stay awake, right?
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: I hope so.
MR. SHORR: I hope so. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for something. All right, Lee Tessier, I talked about him once before if I am not mistaken, really good guy. Superstar in the real estate industry. And he has 25 or 30 people working for him, he does podcasts. Really into mindset, incredible. And guess what?
MR. SHAPIRO: What?
MR. SHORR: On October 3rd, 2023, Lee Tessier honored me -- and I think I mentioned this before too -- as one of my guests and one of my speakers at my near perfect party. No cookies, no desserts.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: He is my first black belt in hunger jiu jitsu. How come? Well, how did he get it, Charlie? You are trying to get a yellow belt, how did he get a black belt?
MR. SHAPIRO: Practice?
MR. SHORR: I thought you would never guess. Lee read one of my first manuscripts, the first of thousands of reiterate-- he read one of my first one, and he really, really liked it. Now, I had written it for 55 and up initially, and he was just turning 50, and his -- I think he was -- something was changing in his life, and he was -- always -- had been fitness for years, I think he trained with a professional football player. Yeah, I mean, he was a big, strong guy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, he was helping me with my mother-in-law, and I let him read the manuscript, and he really liked it. And the thing he liked about it the most was -- forget the results, I mean he started to see results, but it was the focus on the mindset that he started to think, this could be really something. Not just for him, but for so many others. And that is exactly what I was hoping would happen.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Well, 36 minutes later -- and in doing the podcast, I wasn't trying to be a smooth radio broadcaster like Charlie Shapiro.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, no, no. It is not -- it is not about that.
MR. SHORR: You are not going to let me get away with that, are you, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: No. No.
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, it is a -- like everything else, Roger, it is about communicating as clearly as possible, and providing information that if someone has an interest, their ears will perk up, and they will decide to receive information that can be helpful.
MR. SHORR: I only want to help people that can help themselves, Charlie. You know why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: Because as much as I would like to help everybody, I think it is an exercise in futility. Allow me to use a well-worn out statement.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You can lead a horse to water, Charlie, but you can't make it drink. I have tried to help people that I don't think really wanted to help themselves, and guess what happened? The horse didn't drink, Charlie. Couldn't help him.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I wanted to badly, they seemed like they wanted it badly, but they just couldn't make the commitment to themselves, Charlie. I don't know why, I am not a psychologist. I told you before, I got a couple of courses in college. Maybe I could -- I would probably make somebody a little crazier. No comments over there.
But anyway, the podcast was very special to me, because in doing it -- actually, we started to do it, and we set it aside in 2023. The first edition was what we were basing the first podcast off of, and the book wasn't ready.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, eight million hours of pain later, after I rewrote the book, we did it again. And this time, it was very special. And to me, I know I wasn't that -- you know, I wasn't trying to be smooth. I wanted to sound like everybody else, because I am just like -- I am like everybody else, Charlie.
But having that message out there, where you can go to YouTube, or it is -- you know, if you don't want to look at my face, I don't blame you. Apple Music, I think Spotify, I heard you go there to see audio podcasts. But on my website under the media tab, where these radio stations are -- I mean, the -- not the radio stations, the radio shows, the Near Perfect Radio Shows are.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Four of them now.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: The podcast is there too, you can watch it, listen to the radio shows, or watch the podcast.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And really special. So, I am trying to get the message out there -- not trying, doing my best to get the message out there. It was very exciting. And then, when I had a man named Ira, he said some really special things to me, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: What should people know about Ira?
MR. SHORR: Really good guy. I had seen him around, I don't remember having any conversation with him. He is a golfer, I could probably -- well, let's put it this way, I don't think I would want to play him -- I don't like to play for money anyway, I don't need any more pressure, but I am not playing Ira for -- no, no, no, no.
The only way I will play Ira for money is with lots and lots of strokes and odds. Other than that, maybe after I get back into the swing of things we will talk about it. But anyway, met at the fitness center, heard about the book. I wonder how, Mr. Big Mouth here. But I don't remember telling him about the book, we just had a friendly chat, and he said something that he was interested in my book. Maybe he heard about it from somebody else.
And he said something to me. He said, Roger, you are in amazing condition. I used to get compliments back in February of '23, that was really what really, really sent me into the stratosphere with this, Charlie. But anyway, you get kind of used to compliments, I guess kind of like you get kind of used to shooting a 70 in golf. I don't know, not me.
But he was an athlete for years. He is -- and he knew training, and getting in shape, he was familiar with that. But he said in his advancing age, Charlie, that it has been without progress. He is -- it is not -- evidently, it wasn't going as well as he hoped it was.
He told me that he tried several diets that didn't last. I told him about my concept in the book, why I wrote it, and he was really interested, and he wanted to buy a copy. Happy to give it to him -- or sell it to him. After about three weeks, he approached me. Three weeks -- maybe three and a half weeks, something like that. Charlie, you know what he said to me?
MR. SHAPIRO: What did he say?
MR. SHORR: It made a huge difference. He didn't say I lost a few -- he said it made a huge difference.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Ira said he has been really, really motivated now, big time. Working out every day. Ira said he went down like, 12, 14 pounds quickly. Quickly. Feeling stronger, fully -- I feel like a commercial. I do, but all I can tell you is what he told me. He said, he feels stronger, fully energized, good attitude -- great attitude.
And I will tell you something else. I reached out to him last night, I called him. I asked him if I could talk about him today after he told me these things. I have his text, I can show you them later, Charlie. I wrote him what I thought he would want me to say, and he said, I want to write something different. And then he wrote -- now, I am reading to you. I am paraphrasing, but giving you the exact -- the message that he is giving me, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know, that makes me feel? How about fantastic?
MR. SHAPIRO: But this is happening not just with one, or two, or three, or four people. I mean, the testimonials that are in your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours are -- I mean, you know this is happening quite a bit. And when you were originally thinking about this, you know you take the success that you have had, and when somebody actually reads through the book, halfway through the book they are -- they are already feeling what?
MR. SHORR: I will tell you what they are feeling. You asked me that question once before. I remember when you asked me that question, and I -- for some reason, I went off on a little bit of a tangent. Remember, I am 70 years old, it is hard to stay focused sometimes, especially when you have so much information going through such a tiny space. I think -- what is it, RAM? I think I might have one-K of RAM or something. I am just kidding. What do they think when they are halfway through the book?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I will tell you exactly what I think they will probably feel when they are halfway through the book. They are going to feel like this is different. It is different. Read it.
I told you -- when this transformation started happening to me, what did I tell you it felt like Charlie? I told you this in the radio show before, The Near Perfect Radio Show. For some reason, it felt different this time. You know why it felt different?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why is that?
MR. SHORR: Because it was different this time, Charlie. This time, I wasn't treating the symptoms anymore.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I went to the underlying cause, it was my mindset and the way I saw things. So, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, in the book, you speak of Tao, or The Tao of the near perfect body. And I think when -- I think now is a good opportunity to kind of explain a little bit about how you put that description next to the book -- next to your thought process?
MR. SHORR: The Tao --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- of the near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Lao Tzu, Taoism. I think we discussed this once before, the Tao is profound yet simple. Tao means, quite simply, way. I think I might have mentioned, it also can mean the smooth way things tend to operate in nature. Taoism is a religion and/or philosophy. It promotes living in harmony with nature and the universe. So, again, it means, the way, or just, way.
The Tao of the near perfect body, as I thought through much more deeply, more carefully the second edition.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It simply means to follow the natural pathway that the near perfect body lays down for the readers. It is natural, it is the way we were meant to be. It was the main -- we were went to go -- the way we were meant to go. To follow that, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I think, is embracing nature and natural things. Most importantly of all, I said it before and I will say it again, I mean it 100% with everything I have. The intention here is to help you return to the way you were truly meant to be.
I will say it a thousand times, we were not born craving double cheeseburgers with fries, Charlie, beers, or martinis. You learned. And you know -- we know that the brain or mind was inputted with, I will call it, data or bad code that doesn't belong in you. That is where the cheeseburger desire came -- the triple cheeseburger, or whatever, came from.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, essentially, people have either been programmed, or programmed themselves, or got into some type of -- I don't want to call it habit necessarily.
MR. SHORR: Habit is good, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Habit is good?
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, how do -- how can someone listening to this program reverse? If they want to, obviously, how can they reverse? How can they reprogram?
MR. SHORR: Oh, I was waiting for that, Grasshopper. You may give me back my six pebbles now. Six pillars, --
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go.
MR. SHORR: -- six moves, and six pebbles. How do they do that? Well, let me --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- back up for just one second, I am going to touch on something just at random.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Selfies. Selfies are pictures that we take of ourselves, right?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Well, selfies are very powerful things in my view, and they work very well in the Tao of the near perfect body. Would you like to know how, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Please.
MR. SHORR: We talked about being your own best friend. What is a hallmark of friendship, Charlie? It begins with the letter H-O-N-E-S-T-L-Y. Or no, forget the L.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Give me that pebble. Honesty.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Right?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If I take a picture of myself with my shirt off, and the light is decent, and the camera's decent, can I count on that picture to be honest with me, Charlie? That is a yes, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You would think so.
MR. SHORR: Okay. Well, give me a camera that takes a picture of you that looks like, you know, you weighed 900 pounds, or Charles Atlas, and I will be interested. But other --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- of course it is honest with you, Charlie, come on.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: The mirror is honest too. And guess what else is honest? The scale. People don't want to get on the scale. Why? I am afraid of what I will see. If you can't face reality, sorry I can't help you. I can't help everybody. We -- I told you before, I didn't write -- I can't write a book for everybody, and you said, but I wrote a solid book. But still, selfies do help.
So, let's talk about reprogramming the mind, because that is where this is all going. This data, when you look at a selfie and you see something that you don't like, what do you -- what is going on in your brain, Charlie? What is happening?
MR. SHAPIRO: If you don't like the selfie? It is --
MR. SHORR: Exactly, what's happening?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is disappointment, it is --
MR. SHORR: Turn the disappointment into resentment.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. You resent yourself, you mean?
MR. SHORR: No, Charlie. You resent the data that you are letting come into your head.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, okay.
MR. SHORR: Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I will say it again, people want this, they just don't know what to do.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: They don't know that -- they don't stop to think that, wait a minute, I don't live in that house, I live in my body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I am a mind. And how did our mind get to where it is now? How did you get from baby to Charlie Shapiro, you know, running this radio station? How did you get there? Data inputted? Yes or no? Data came in or no data come in, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Is that a yes, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: I am not sure --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- data --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- every -- everything is data based.
MR. SHORR: Wait --
MR. SHAPIRO: Everything that is tangible is data based, it has --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, and --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- to be fact based.
MR. SHORR: Well, it doesn't have to be tangible, does it? How about emotions in that data, where do they --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: -- come from? It has to be data. What else -- I am not a computer expert, not even --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- close, but I think I understand kind of how they work.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If there is no data in the computer, what do you have? How about nothing?
MR. SHAPIRO: One massive blue screen.
MR. SHORR: We are unconscious, again, --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- aren't we?
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: How did we get here. Earth to Roger? I am sorry (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, let's talk about this for a second, though. So, you --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, (indiscernible) I was kidding, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, you were -- you were talking about the selfie, looking at the data from the picture, whether you like it, you don't like it, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you resent it, you -- maybe you are resenting --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- it less after reading your book, hopefully. Tell listeners about the mirror and --
MR. SHORR: Oh, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- the cookie story?
MR. SHORR: -- yes. Now, --
MR. SHAPIRO: The mirror and the cookie story, Roger.
MR. SHORR: So, I just thought you would never ask. Okay, so you are in the kitchen, and you got those cookies that you were supposed to get out of your house, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But you didn't listen, and you have -- didn't control your environment, and there is those cookies. And you want one badly, don't you, Charlie? Actually, you want the box. Come on. All right, let's start with one cookie at a time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Like, one step at a time, Lao Tzu, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- right? I get one cookie. Okay. I have to have this cookie, I am weakening. Take the cookie. Well, are -- am I wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: You are fighting the urge, and guess what? The cookie is not -- the cookie is winning.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, the cookie is -- the cookie is the winner. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Yeah. Your hunger jiu-jitsu is failing miserably.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Your white belt is gone -- is falling off. So, what do you do, Charlie? I am glad you asked. You take that miserable cookie -- I -- oh, cookies are the (indiscernible) the enemy. You know launched a vendetta against cookies? I continue to hold a -- I even say that in my book twice, I launched the vendetta against cookies. Them and the beer.
You take that rotten cookie -- notice how I put not so nice adjectives in front of them?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Yes. I am trying to associate the bad stuff with bad stuff, and the good stuff with good stuff.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Fast -- yes. So, you take that rotten, miserable, horrible cookie, you march -- you march yourself into the restroom. Sorry, folks, you want -- you want the results, or you want to just, you know, not? You want to stuff-- suffer on a diet and not go anywhere or you want results?
So, you go into the bathroom, you take your shirt off. If that is a problem, put your bathing suit -- whatever. Lift your shirt up. I -- what -- the point is this, you have to confront the problem. You have to treat the problem, not the symptoms.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The problem is you got a bad habit. You like to eat junk -- junk food. Take that little cookie in that bathroom, and you -- look, it is -- it is not as bad as watching yourself eat it. Okay?
As we talked about in the last show, the ultimate in hunger jiu-jitsu moves we talked about in the last show, but still. You take the cookie, You put it on the counter, maybe you take your shirt off. Whatever, but you look at yourself in the mirror and you hold that cookie right up, and you say, Charlie, Roger, Jane, Jim -- whoever you are, you are looking in the mirror and saying, you are not happy with your body? Are you going to let this stinking little cookie get in the way of your happiness, and stop you from walking on the beach in a beautiful day, proud?
This little cookie? I will tell you what this little cookie is, obstacle, it is bad. You either throw it in the trash can, or even better throw it in the john and flush it. And in my near perfect party, it is the truth, they -- my little flyer that I sent out to my guests. Near perfect party? No kidding. Near perfect gifts? Yes. No desserts. It was on the flyer. I have it, I will bring it next time that we come to the studio.
They made a mistake. By the coffee and the tea, they put two trays of the enemy. There were cookies at my near perfect party. There were. Past tense, Charlie, I went up to the -- one of the managers, and I said, you are making me out to be a hypocrite. I threw the cookies out of my party. I went up -- when I gave my speech, I even made a point of saying, hey, I threw cookies out of my own party. Now, it sounds funny. Yes, it is tongue in cheek, but it really happened.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Why am I doing this, Charlie? Why? Why am I suggesting -- why did I go down this path? I am trying to get the right information into my head and yours, in a way that you understand what is going on. We don't stop to think about what is really going on. Do you, Charlie?
Do you ever think that that cookie is a real problem that you haven't connected all the dots to? And it is not just the cookie, it is all the cookies, it is all the junk, it is all the -- everything else.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when you do finally connect what you are saying to the cookie, or whatever that that negative element is, --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is that the tipping point --
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that you had --
MR. SHORR: No, no, no, no, no.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- mentioned earlier?
MR. SHORR: Not even close.
MR. SHAPIRO: Not even close, okay.
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what --
MR. SHORR: That --
MR. SHAPIRO: What is?
MR. SHORR: And allow me to weigh in here.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Pardon my pun. You give me your recipe last year for -- well, last week for success, or whatever, I give you my weigh in.
Okay. So, let's go back to reprogramming the mind. Let's go back to that, that is very important. Okay. I have been throwing ideas out at you like bread crumbs.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We need to get organized. Sun Tzu would like you to be organized. When you plan, you are organized. We are planners, we lay things out, we don't --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- throw this and that at the wall. That is like an ad-hoc way to get in shape, uh-uh-uh. There is a process here, Charlie. First, we must do the basics in our martial arts, hunger jiu-jitsu, learning to become your own best friend, starting to understand what the enemies really are. Accepting the fact that in order to be your own best friend, you have to -- some people have a real problem with weighing themselves. Why?
Do you have a problem with somebody managing your investments? Managing them well? Do you have a problem with that? That is a no, isn't it? You don't have a problem with --
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Okay. So, if you don't have a problem with a real professional managing your investments, and probably less managed is probably better -- just let it be. Why would you have a problem with managing your weight by being kept abreast of the data on a regular, regular basis? I am not talking about every week, I am talking about several times a day see and watch things, and not let them get out of hand. Why would you not think about not so much what you are eating, but how you are eating? If you are eating good, healthy foods, but you are stuffing your face, and stuffing your face, and stuffing your face, is that going to help you? I don't think so, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: You need control.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, in the couple of minutes that we have left at this point, Roger, let's try to leave this audience with one or two action items that they can think about, or specifically do. Something that is from your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. So, over the next week or so, it would be terrific to be able to leave the audience with something actionable, thoughtful, directly from your book, and then we can pick that up in the following conversation we have on the following week.
MR. SHORR: All right. Well, I will give you another little, kind of, an ad-hoc idea. It is just something that you can do, but like anything else, if you go to a karate studio and you just want to learn how to throw a front kick, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- it is not going to work. That is not karate, you need -- you need the whole philosophy. You need the whole art or you have nothing. But still, to let the listeners have a little bit more of an idea of what is coming, because one of my chapters, chapter 22, it is called Get Ready, It Is Coming. Do you know what page it is on, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: What?
MR. SHORR: I didn't pick the page, it is on page 123.
MR. SHAPIRO: Wow.
MR. SHORR: No kidding. I didn't do it, it is -- I didn't pick the page numbers. But anyway, okay, let's talk about a few things for the listeners. Okay.
The power of pies. What is a pie? Personal invitations. These are things, these are sayings that you put in your mind. I have got this. The only person that can give me my near perfect body is me. Nurture your mind with great thoughts, because you will never achieve your near perfect body any more than you think. You start to program your mind with these pies. We will talk more about that next week, Charlie. How does that sound?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think it sounds great. Nearperfectbody.com is probably the best place somebody can get a book of yours?
MR. SHORR: Absolutely. And there is information they can read, and radio shows that are on the media tab they can listen to if they have missed any of your shows, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. All right. Roger Shorr has been our guest in the studio again this week. We will join Roger, or he will join us, we will join each other a week from now. If you haven't picked up a copy of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, this is the second edition. Roger Shorr, the author and our guest on the Near Perfect Radio Show.
MR. SHORR: Can't wait to see you next week, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right here. Legends Radio. Thanks for listening, everybody.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody, thanks for tuning in to Legends Radio. This, my friend, is the Near Perfect Radio Show, and our guest again this week, Roger Shorr. Hi, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Hi, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Your book is called The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. And this is the second edition because the first one was good, and this one is even better, because you had some things to add to it after all of the folks that gave you some feedback, and praise, and testimonials. And I wanted to just touch -- before we get into some of the rest of this, I wanted to touch on the differences between the first edition and the second edition. Can we do that?
MR. SHORR: Well sure, Charlie. The first edition, I had a lot of thoughts, and I guess I started writing it in March of '23. I wrote it quickly. By the end of May, sometime towards the end of May, I had the first manuscript done. And I said, that was a lot of work, little did I know it was coming.
I had never written a book before. I can see why. But after I wrote it, I am reading the manuscript -- because you write it as a manuscript, at least that is what I did. I had it on my computer on Word docs, I would print it out. And as I was reading it, I would see all of these things I wanted to add, change, move around, and that was the beginning of the nightmare. No, that was the beginning of just an incredible journey of writing a book.
I finished reading the final version of the second edition, I think, it was yesterday morning. Well, why am I walking around with a second edition? While I have been reading this book, I have actually had a good number of people buying it. I am not selling it out in the marketplace yet, per se, (indiscernible) it is on Amazon -- long story there -- it is on my website, but I am not promoting it yet. Probably this week, the actual final manuscript -- I mean, the final book, the final cover, with the final edits -- God, I hope -- I hope so -- will be uploaded to where I am having it printed. At that point in time, we are going to do our very best to go social media, AI marketing, affiliate marketing, all of these things.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I just can't even believe it is true, and there is two other books coming. There is an NPB Society coming, the website, this radio show, the magazines. It is like --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I was just going to say, all of these things that are -- that you have been working on are coming together at the exact right time of year. This show, obviously, right around the Thanksgiving holiday, we have got the Christmas time coming up, people are looking for things that they can give to other people, this book may be part of it. But more important than that, is that when the new year comes people will take everything that you have been looking at, including the four fundamental principles that we talked about previously. And they can put all of this into their brain, and they can start thinking about not just your book, but the principles of your book, and your success story, and how they can use what you have learned to help themselves right here, right now, in the beginning of the year.
And there were a couple things that I think could have been made clearer in previous shows. And I wanted, if you --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- could, reflect upon the four fundamental principles, and just get a sense for folks about what could be clearer about that? So, when they do hear the show, when they see the book, when they buy the book, when they read the book, they will have a better understanding of what was --
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in your mind.
MR. SHORR: Okay. And let's make sure we get into this ad hoc approach sometime today in the show, but thanks for that. So, you are right, before we get into our near perfect conversation today, I think maybe I might not have been clear on one of the last shows we did. I -- maybe it was the last one, when we were talking about the power of selfies, the pictures. But anyway, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- talking about the four fundamental principles, that discussion was when we were talking about the use of one of them called resenting. Resenting to help someone get their near perfect body. What the heck am I talking about? Glad you asked, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But the other three are embracing, being consistent, and of course and always, to the best of our ability, being optimistic. Now, Charlie, do you remember when we were talking about selfies with the shirt off or in a bathing suit, and then looked at them carefully?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I asked what was going on inside of the brain -- or your brain, really the mind -- if someone did not like what they saw in their selfie, and what did you say? You said, I would feel --
MR. SHAPIRO: I -- disappointed, or something like that.
MR. SHORR: Exactly. And what did I say? I will tell you what I said, Charlie. I said, turn that disappointment into resentment. To me, disappointment is a sad emotion.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It certainly does not engage optimism, does it?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: No. And in my opinion, it does not promote change. This is about change.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: However, I believe if you resent something, you can really muster yourself up and do something about it. The more you resent something, the more you might want to act against it. Right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, basically, it sounds like you are saying, you want to change the disappointment that you might be feeling into resentment. That is essentially what you are saying?
MR. SHORR: Charlie, that is absolutely correct, right on. I say that feeling disappointed about our body's appearance is a losing proposition, but that resenting the way our body looks, if we are not happy with it, is very powerful.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The reason why it is powerful in my view is it can give us the proverbial, quote, kick in the rear, end quote, and make us do what we want to do. Right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. I mean, that makes sense. You are -- you are using resenting to get your mind in a place where you are self-motivated to create an actual change. You are upset, it is a negative type of thing. I resent it, I got to do something about this so I will stop resenting it. So, you know, whether it is a bathing suit selfie or whatever it may be, explain how you go about doing that?
MR. SHORR: Okay. I think you are starting to get it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am trying.
MR. SHORR: But not quite yet.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. What am I missing?
MR. SHORR: I said no, do not resent yourself. If you are a true friend to yourself, like I always ask you to be -- it is foundational, it is fundamental to the Tao of the near perfect body, you have got to be a friend of yourself. If you are a friend of yourself, how can you resent yourself? You can't. But what you can resent is the data coming into your mind. That data presents the image in which your mind sees your selfie, the selfie picture of you in a bathing suit, that you don't like.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Your mind should resent the data coming into your head, into your mind, which is that picture. Because if your mind does not like the way your body looks, your mind needs to resent it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay, but what was I actually saying? Or what did I -- what did I say in a -- in one of the previous shows, where I just simply got it wrong?
MR. SHORR: Well, you went on to say -- and I understood why -- that hopefully people would resent that selfie picture less after reading my book. That was the wrong direction, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: In fact, they should resent it more. Much, much more.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh.
MR. SHORR: They need to resent the way they look, in order to help them change the way they look.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Well, I haven't seen a -- I didn't think of it like that before, but go ahead and continue with what you are -- you are saying.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. Didn't I say that the Tao of the near perfect body is different, and that my transformation felt so very different, and frankly new to me?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: This is not a book to get you to forgive yourself and be okay with a body that you don't like, Charlie. That is not what this is about at all. And when you said, well, we will resent it less, that is going down the wrong path.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: This book is about change. Changing the way your body looks, to where you like the way, and hopefully love the way it looks, like I do now.
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Resentment is a marvelous tool for change if you use it wisely. I want you to resent your selfie picture. Go ahead and laugh.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: I want you to hate your selfie picture, assuming you are not happy with the way it and you look.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Well, I am not sure that I am going to be resenting anything. But I can understand that if I think about it in those negative terms, if I resent that I haven't taken the right actions, if I resent the way that that picture looks, yes, I can certainly see that that is going to be more motivating for me to actually do something about it. I mean, that makes sense to me.
MR. SHORR: Well, I am starting -- I am glad you are starting to get it, but you still don't have it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Resenting, used this way, is not negative. It is extremely positive, because you are using it as a tool to help you get what you want.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Any tool, in my view, that is effective, and can help you get what you want, is the last -- is so far away from negative, it is ridiculous. It is about as positive as you can get, Charlie. Charlie, of course, I want you, and anyone else reading the book, and following the book to be happy with yourself and themselves.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But the bottom line here is, if it takes a little shaking you up, and -- or shaking someone up and waking them up, to finally get them to honestly confront themselves and face the truth, isn't that worth it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I say a resounding, yes, it is worth it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, but it is also a brand new way to look at resentment. I mean, that is something that is very different than the way most people view the term resentment.
MR. SHORR: Touch�, Charlie. But once again, how many times thus far have I said that my journey, including writing the book, things seemed different to me? It was different, and you know what else I discovered, Charlie? I discovered that this time, it worked. The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours can really work for those who must have it. I say, we must resolutely confront and embrace reality, in order to deal with reality, and make real and permanent change.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, there is nothing wrong with that, obviously. In fact, although you are kind of doing a little jiu-jitsu here again, aren't you, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Well, grasshopper, you have just figured out one of my nuances.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right, sound advice.
MR. SHORR: I think you have learned your lesson very well. So, now I have a surprise for you. Charlie-san, here is your honorary yellow belt in Near Perfect Body Jiu-Jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you. Thank you very much.
MR. SHORR: All right. Let me do one more thing, before we get into actionable things that one can do to get their own near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. What do you have in mind?
MR. SHORR: It is said that the Chinese character for crisis is danger and opportunity. Two symbols that -- one represents danger, and the other represents, allegedly, opportunity. For the record, perhaps the Chinese really meant, quote, dangerous moment, end quote, for crisis. But moving on, I believe, in Chinese the word crisis is -- I hope it is pronounced this way, I am pretty sure it is -- weiji. Wei means a time of danger. If you are not happy with your body, you could really be in danger from your body's condition, we all know that.
Dr. Sudhakar Perala spoke so eloquently of it in the foreword of my book, how a body not in condition could be harmful to the person, or the mind, living in it for health and happiness. Do you and your listeners understand that really being unfit, especially as we get older, puts us in serious danger, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Actually, I think everybody kind of has that as an idea, but I don't think that is on their mind every single day. I mean, basically, you are saying that everyone should start thinking about it more?
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh. Well, San Kyu, that means fifth kyu in Japanese, for your yellow belt, Charlie. I hope your listeners -- and I guess, I mean, now my listeners too -- should think about it very, very deeply because our bodies are where we truly live. Is not that the truth, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go, yes, Sensei.
MR. SHORR: (Speaking Japanese 14:01). So, again, that is -- thank you very much for the little emphasis there, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You are welcome.
MR. SHORR: Don't mention it, de nada. So, again, with respect the way -- to the way Chinese say crisis, quote, wei, end quote, is danger. And then there is, quote, ji, end quote, I do not think that literally means opportunity, I think it really means turning point. The turning point is actually the second chapter of my book, ji can also mean change point. The Near Perfect Body offers you an opportunity for meaningful and lasting change.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, I am just going to remind folks that Roger Shorr is who you are listening to. His book is, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. And that all actually made sense, that was -- that was good. I liked that.
So, let's talk about actionable items. People now know about your book, after a number of weeks, they have heard how it has worked for you, they have heard how you are motivated to help them understand more, so that they can be in better shape, they can have more energy, they can feel great about themselves, they can wake up in the morning with energy and gusto. And I am not afraid to ask this, because we talked about it before, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- but you are how old again, please?
MR. SHORR: Do we have to go there?
MR. SHAPIRO: We do, actually.
MR. SHORR: Oh man. All right, 60-10.
MR. SHAPIRO: 60 --
MR. SHORR: All right, all right, all right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- 60-10.
MR. SHORR: 70, you heard --
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, you heard me.
MR. SHAPIRO: And your body fat is what?
MR. SHORR: I think it was two days ago, it was 5.1% body fat, skeletal muscle mass was, I think, 88 or 89. I probably have it with me.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, in other words, you are essentially -- and I don't know if this is the right phrasing or not -- you are in as close, in fact, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- near perfect --
MR. SHORR: Don't --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- shape, as a person could be, essentially? Which is --
MR. SHORR: Well, I have to --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- which is the whole point.
MR. SHORR: -- correct the record --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- here.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: I got my near perfect body on May 1st, 2023, it is in my book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And ever since then, you know what I have been doing, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: What?
MR. SHORR: I have been making it nearer to perfect, Charlie. And I will say this. How old do I feel? I -- okay, the numbers say 70. I wake up, every day is an adventure, it is an opportunity, I feel like I am 30. I am really, really excited about everything that is going on in my life right now, and I want to share it.
MR. SHAPIRO: But this is -- this is all starting in your mind. I mean, you didn't just wake up with the near perfect body one day. I mean, obviously, this starts in in your mind. So, tell us how that shakes out?
MR. SHORR: It starts in your mind. You give a guy a yellow belt, and now he knows everything. All right. One last thing before we get into reprogramming the mind, and we will start to talk about how we actually do it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Rather than think about it, we will talk about actions. Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: But I want to say something very important, because I have been thinking about this a lot in this whole radio show, the near perfect radio show, I still have a slight -- or more than a slight -- a concern about de facto, or not -- maybe not de facto, but just throwing ideas out. Because in martial arts, jiu-jitsu, karate, judo, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- tai chi chuan, taekwondo, all of them, you don't learn how to throw a punch. You don't go in to learn how to do a ushiro geri, which is a round -- a round kick.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A back kick, rather. You go in and you learn a whole system. So, giving pieces of advice, I will do it, and hopefully it will get enough interest that people say, you know what? I should read the book. And they should. Not too long from now, we will have an audiobook available and an eBook available.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: They should read it, they should get familiar with it, and they should -- if they want a near perfect body, then they should embrace the whole book, rather than do this, and that, and the other thing. Because my fear is that if you do it that way, you are not going to succeed at all.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, having said that, shall we get into reprogramming the mind, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Let's do it.
MR. SHORR: All right. Here we go. That is in fact the essence of where we have to go. This is a nurturing process to encourage positivity and optimism. In our last show -- here comes the hypocrite. No, not really. In our last show, I mentioned some of my favorite pies.
MR. SHAPIRO: Now, wait a second, I am pretty sure that you told me you don't eat pie, you don't eat cookies, candy. Pathetic, you want me to eat pies?
MR. SHORR: All right. First of all, did you say you were, Shorr, that I told you that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Pretty Shorr, --
MR. SHORR: Shorr?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- Roger.
MR. SHORR: Stop. Ha, ha, ha, very funny. Well, fortunately, I am not a hypocrite yet. Anyway, not the pies that you eat, Charlie. It sounds like pies, spelled different. I like my pies, which are spelled -- which are spelled with a capital P, and a capital I, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh.
MR. SHORR: -- that kind of pie, and I don't mean 3.14 either. PI is the acronym for personal invitations.
MR. SHAPIRO: Personal invitation. All right, I will -- I will ask, what are personal invitations?
MR. SHORR: Your questions are incredible, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome. We are doing some of our -- some reprogramming of our minds, Charlie. We have to work with something, what is that? I will tell you, rather than have you guess. Our inner voice.
What is an inner voice? Have you -- when you think, do you think predominantly in your primary language? Do you hear words? Sort of hear them, but you don't really hear them? Sort of see them, but you don't really see them? That is thinking, isn't it, Charlie? If you think to yourself, I am going to turn on the TV, do you -- are the words in your mind somewhere? That is a question, Charlie, yes or no?
MR. SHAPIRO: Is there words in my mind?
MR. SHORR: Think about what you are going to have for dinner. Think about it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: In thinking about it, are there words, or is there just a vacant space in there pondering dinner? I think most of us, when we are thinking thoughts, have words in our thoughts. Would you agree?
MR. SHAPIRO: Have words in our thoughts?
MR. SHORR: In other words, sit there and think, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- count to yourself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Count to myself?
MR. SHORR: Yeah, count to yourself quietly.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Are you hearing words, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am hearing (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: All right, now say --
MR. SHAPIRO: I am hearing --
MR. SHORR: -- now (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- I am hearing dead air is what I am hearing when I --
MR. SHORR: You can't -- you can't go one, two, three, four, fix, six in your mind?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do.
MR. SHORR: And when you do that, you don't sense -- you don't sense the language?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, I absolutely do.
MR. SHORR: That is my point.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. I know we would get there sooner or later. But here is the thing, that is your inner voice.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When we think, we don't think like -- we don't see a nonstop picture.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We see -- we imagine, like okay, I am thinking about where I was playing golf today.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I remember the shot, I could see it, but I am thinking about it too. I am like, well, I took the shot, it was on the nine iron.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Thank you, Charlie, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- now we are back together. That is what I refer to as the inner voice. So, here is one for you. You are hungry, you are eating pizza, and here is your inner voice, quote, -- inside, you are not saying these words out loud, you are thinking them. I am going to have just one more big slice of delicious, greasy, pepperoni pizza. Or -- keep laughing, I am very serious now.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Laugh and deny it, and maybe no change. Embrace this, and watch out what happens. It is going to be very nice if you embrace this. How about, have you ever said, you know, I just can't help the way I am, or I will never get in good shape. Have you ever had those thoughts ever?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, that -- I mean, sometimes. It depends.
MR. SHORR: Are you trying to take the Fifth Amendment, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think I am.
MR. SHORR: Come on, Charlie. You know as well as I do that many people, especially when they look in the mirror and they see something they are not happy with, say, darn it, I can't -- I can't fix this. Am I wrong?
MR. SHAPIRO: You haven't been so far.
MR. SHORR: All right, Charlie, I just paid you. You are buttering me up now. All right, P-Is, PIs, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- they are personal invitations. As you may recall, a basic and foundational requirement of the Tao --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- of The Near Perfect Body is to become your own best friend. As such, you can invite yourself to PIs, which are, in a sense, like a nice place in your mind. A pie is meant to be inspiring and uplifting for you. You actually can nurture your mind with them, you will see this in one -- in a second, I will explain it. You do this with consistency, you do this regularly, in time it can become automatic at times. Why do you think this is important, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, before I ask, I just want to remind people about the word PI, or PIs. Because I think that on radio sometimes, if we talk a little bit, and we leave the description and the context a few minutes ago, it can be difficult for people to follow what you are saying. So, I am just going to give you a sense of what I think you are saying, and for anybody who is just joining us at this moment, as we wrap up this particular week, you are talking about PIs, the letter P, the letter I, apostrophe S.
MR. SHORR: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: And you are referring to them not as cherry, or blueberry, or whatever it is. You are referring to PIs as personal invitations, --
MR. SHORR: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: And I am just going to ask you it this way, is the personal invitation an invitation that you are issuing to yourself on how to think about something, or did I miss an explanation there?
MR. SHORR: You did earn your yellow belt today, San Kyu. The answer is, exactly right, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, let's just briefly talk about personal invitations. I -- if you could just give me a sense of a couple of references from your book possibly, or even if it is not in the book, a couple of references about how these personal invitations can be personally effective?
MR. SHORR: Well, now we are really getting into the reprogramming of our minds, and here we go. In order to answer that question well, I have to ask you a question.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Can you think of two different things at once?
MR. SHAPIRO: Not all the time, no.
MR. SHORR: Ever?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I can think of -- well, I am walking and you know, --
MR. SHORR: I didn't say walk --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- where is -- where is the water.
MR. SHORR: -- and (indiscernible) Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: I said, can you think of two things simultaneously? Can you think about one song and the other? Can you play two songs in your brain at one time?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, not really.
MR. SHORR: Exactly, right.
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't think anybody can, can they?
MR. SHORR: No. No, that is my point.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If you are feeling challenged by something, or the activities that you know you need to do are too difficult, like maybe being on the elliptical machine at the fitness center, and you start to feel like you should quit, can PIs help?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, since you are bringing it up, I am thinking the answer is yes.
MR. SHORR: That yellow belt is on tight there today, San Kyu. It means fifth kyu, again. You will learn.
Of course, they help, Charlie. Imagine your inner voice is starting to weenie whine to you that you are getting tired and you want to quit. How about saying to yourself, stop. Stop, say this instead -- I want to quit, I am tired, I am thirsty, I am hot, rather than say that say this, quote -- to yourself 00 there is no quit in me, period. And Charlie, say it again, there is no quit in me, period.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Over and over for a little while. And say it inside yourself, your inner voice, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Remember now? You -- can you say -- can you -- can you hear yourself say it to yourself, there is no quit in me? (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Does that actually work?
MR. SHORR: Well, look at me and you tell me, what do you think? Or if you don't like what you see here, check with Lee Tessier. We talked about him --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I think last week. He is seeing his abs for the first time, his percent body fat went from 17 to 8, or something.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: He won a fitness contest, he loves hunger jiu-jitsu, and the mindset was the most -- the thing he liked the most. So, does it work? Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think this is a perfect jumping off point that we can continue, and start next week's show, same time, same station. Roger, it is terrific having you here, and I just want to tell folks that Roger Shorr, his book is The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. And thank you so much. And if people tune in next week, we are going to start off with -- just where we left off.
MR. SHORR: Sounds good, but you will never get a green belt if you keep using the term perfect, Charlie. And you used it about 30 seconds ago.
MR. SHAPIRO: Near perfect.
MR. SHORR: Thank you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Near Perfect Radio Show is what you just heard. We will catch up with you again next week. Thanks for listening on Legends Radio.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, and welcome to another edition of the Near Perfect Radio Show. I am Charlie Shapiro. Roger Shorr has been our guest here in the Legends Radio Studios for the last month and a half, almost two months now. Hi, Roger, welcome back.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, I feel like I am home again. How you doing?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you are home again. And as I look at your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, you know, one of the -- one of the things I think people will be interested in are some of the chapters that are in this book. And you know, there is, what, 31, 32, 30-- you know, somewhere around a couple dozen and a half chapters. And what I do, and I am not sure if other people do this as well, you open up a table of contents, and you check out the stuff that is immediately catching your eye, you are interested, and you don't necessarily read it all the way through continuously.
MR. SHORR: I gotcha.
MR. SHAPIRO: You kind of pick out a few things here and there. And from what we were talking about last week, it feels to me that if you don't take this book as an entire entity, you might wind up having some issues, or it might even be a failure. And I am wondering if I am overstating that?
MR. SHORR: Not at all. And first of all, let me congratulate you, Charlie, for your yellow belt award in our last show.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome. Exactly correct, San Kyu, which means fifth kyu, which is your new rank. Exactly correct. In order to learn anything, in my view, you just can't learn to play the piano with a third of the keys, you just can't play guitar with three strings, and you just can't learn to get, or understand the Tao of The Near Perfect Body by picking out a chapter or two, or an item or two, and doing that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is a process, it is a journey, and the book lays it out clearly. But don't sell yourself short by taking shortcuts, either embrace the book or don't.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: Either do it right or don't.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Well last week, towards the end of the program, we were talking about PIs. And I -- and I -- and I wanted to just bring this up again, because the minute I hear the word pie, I spell it P-I-E, and I think blueberry, cherry, apple, whatever it may be. And I especially think that with Thanksgiving right around the corner.
MR. SHORR: Well, turkey is a very good thing to eat, I think.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. So --
MR. SHORR: Nice and lean, you know, it is high protein.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, anyway, --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- but your PIs, --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- are not the kind that you slice up, or bake, or whatever.
MR. SHORR: Or throw in somebody's face, you know?
MR. SHAPIRO: Always good. But your PIs are P-I's, and that is personal invitations. And we talked about it briefly a week ago at this time, and I don't think we had a chance to really kind of nail that down a little bit. So, I just wanted to get into what your -- Roger Shorr, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- author and motivator -- how you view these PIs, these personal --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- invitations?
MR. SHORR: We are talking about reprogramming the mind. We are talking about real, permanent change. So, how do we do that? I have said, and we have spoken before, that really, everything that is in our mind is basically data. It is information, and we said, with no data in the mind, what do you have, Charlie? A great big, blue screen, right? Just like a computer with no data. Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, we know we have data in our minds, and it is -- some of it has been there a long time and some of it doesn't belong there, we call it bad habits.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Eating poorly, thinking that exercise is too hard, putting things off, procrastination. All of these things don't belong inside of us, are really not who we were meant to be. And I always say, we weren't born craving a double cheeseburger with fries, we were born craving nutrition. Having said that, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- personal invitations are data designed for you to input into your own mind. And I believe I said last week that you can't think of two things at once, can you, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Not easily.
MR. SHORR: How about not at all?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Or if you can, I will sit back and let you, you know, speak two things at once. Not going to happen. Okay.
So, we are going to input data into our minds. And remember the inner voice? Our inner voice, when we actually speak to ourselves -- and I think it was hard for me to convey the idea to you initially, until I said count from one to ten to yourself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When you did that, didn't you hear the words?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, everybody knows that.
MR. SHORR: And when you say -- say the beginning words of the Constitution? We the People, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Say that in your -- inside without saying it out loud.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You hear the words, don't you? And you don't exactly hear them, but you sense words in English, correct?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: That is your inner voice.
MR. SHAPIRO: Pledge of Allegiance is the best one to do that with, because everybody knows it completely.
MR. SHORR: Fair enough.
MR. SHAPIRO: And the minute you start thinking about it, you can pick it up in the middle, no problem at all.
MR. SHORR: That yellow belt looks pretty good on you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, but it is true.
MR. SHORR: Of course, it is true. The inner voice is where we determine whether or not we are a friend or an enemy to ourselves, Charlie. And sometimes, we are -- we are our own worst enemy, and we don't even realize it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Why do I say that? I will tell you why I say that. You are sitting on the couch, and you know it is time to go to the fitness center, and your little voice -- your inner voice says, there is a good movie coming on, I think I will stay home and watch that instead. I call that the laziness ogre in my book, I am not kidding.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: When I talk about exercise jiu-jitsu, the opponent is the laziness ogre. But we are all talking about -- what I am talking about is your inner voice. You can train your inner voice, and that is a big part of reprogramming your mind. As a matter of fact, that might be most of reprogramming your mind, when your inner voice becomes your own best friend.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And when I -- I still have it myself. I think, you know, I am a little tired, I don't want to do something, or -- something else that I know I need to do, I say stop. I don't even say it out loud, I think to myself, stop that, Roger. Of course, you can do this. Of course, you can do that. That is your -- working with your inner voice. So, let's talk about PIs, okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. And once again, none in the face, personal invitations, reprogram your mind. Here we go.
You can't think of two things at once. So now, you are in a situation where you have to input data that is going to support you and inspire you, and here is another PI, quote, I have got this, end quote. So, you are in the gym, you are lifting weights. You got that last curl, you got the barbell in your -- in your hands, and you are straining -- you are straining, and you are like, I can't do it anymore. But you say to yourself, don't say I can't do it anymore, say I have got this, I have got this, I have got this.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And you just make it happen. And I think -- I am not a fitness professional at all, but I think it is those last couple of -- last couple of reps in the set that -- where -- that is where the magic is, that is where you are really going to see change. And if you can support yourself and say, I have got this, I have got this, at a crucial point, do you think you are inputting data into your mind, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Are you sitting there saying, I can't do this, it is too heavy? No. I can't do this and it is too heavy is not being a friend to yourself, is it? Charlie, that was a question.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I mean, it is power of positive thinking, but taking it to a different level from what it sounds like?
MR. SHORR: It is a different place entirely.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The power of positive thinking, that sounds nice. I am not talking about that, Charlie. I am talking about you being your own best friend and you telling yourself, I don't have time to do anything but tell myself I can do this. Now, I am not talking about ridiculous things like, I can lift a car. I don't think so.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But when you are in the last set, the last couple of reps of that set, -- you are curling -- as an example, you are curling a barbell, and it is getting real heavy, because your muscles are tiring. What a wonderful time to say to yourself -- and near perfect time to say to yourself, I have got this, I have got this. And guess what? You might be very surprised that you do have that, you find the strength, and it happens.
But what happens next? Success. You got behind yourself, you got your own back. You said, I am positive, I can do this, and you had success. Wow, that is very strong.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And you keep doing that over and over. What is learning, Charlie? Learning is just data coming in and repetition. The same thing over and over. You get a good result, does that form a good habit?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Bingo, you got it, Charlie. Okay. Once again, you are putting positive data into your mind. So, look at it this way. If you keep inputting positive, motivating thoughts, what aren't you thinking about, or at least what are you thinking about less?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I mean, obviously the more positive thoughts you are putting in, there is less room there for the negative, and they start pushing, you know, the negative --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- out. I mean, that -- that (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh, can't think of two things at once, can you, Charlie? You are thinking positive thoughts, are you thinking negative thoughts at the same time?
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Right. Okay. You ever hear of Benjamin Disraeli?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: A great man. A great, great quote, it is in my book, two ways I will explain it. The way he said it, quote -- again, Benjamin Disraeli, quote, nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.
What do you say about that, Charlie? Pretty powerful, huh? I thought you would think that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: All right. Now, Charlie, with total reverence and respect to Mr. Disraeli, I believe he left us some time ago, in my book I suggest changing his and other great, and incredibly motivating quotes, into something that works and fits exquisitely well in the Tao of The Near Perfect Body. Are you are going to ask me how I changed it, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: How did you?
MR. SHORR: I thought you would never ask. With Mr. Disraeli's quote, I modified it to say this. Quote, -- and this is a PI, it is a long PI, a big PI, but it is a PI. Quote, I will nurture my mind with great thoughts about getting my near perfect body, for I will never rise any higher than I think.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Or --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, that is -- well, I mean, that PI is right to the point and pretty strong.
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh. Charlie, the PIs are doing something very potent. Do you know what it is, San Kyu Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: No idea.
MR. SHORR: That is okay, Jiu-jitsuka Charlie, that is a green belt question. You want to know what else the PI is doing for us that is so potent, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do.
MR. SHORR: They are essential for reprogramming your mind, because they really can, quote, crowd out, end quote, bad thoughts. You can't think of two things at once.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: They crowd them out.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: In the first edition of my book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, I refer to these and many other PIs, and how they could be so useful to change the way we are, the way we think, and the way we live.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what did you come up with?
MR. SHORR: Well, I want to go back one more time to a question that, for some reason, I am finding challenging to answer, but I think I have the final answer now.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The question is and was, what should someone reading this book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, what should they feel when they are halfway through it? Well, last time, I said they would feel it is truly different, because it is, it is very different, Charlie. But more to the point, the real way they will feel -- I believe that they will feel -- is that they will understand that this approach, the Tao of The Near Perfect Body, can really work for them, and be a true and permanent vehicle for change.
MR. SHAPIRO: Roger Shorr is who we have in the studios today, once again on Legends 100.3. In a previous show, we briefly discussed something called the tipping point. And the tipping point, I think, had quite a bit attached to that phrase, and I don't think it was an easy concept. You know, people think of the tipping point, and it is like, okay, there is the tipping point, and now everything is great on the other side, or everything isn't. So, in the context of your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, tell me a little bit about -- tell our listeners a little bit about your definition, first of all, of the tipping point.
MR. SHORR: Well, I struggle with that one and I will tell you why -- be frank about it. To me, there was nothing like that. When I realized what was going on, and I -- it was something that I had to name, it was just an experience. And I would write about it -- I wrote about it in the first book, but I don't think I did it justice in the first book. So, I treated it differently this way. But I guard this one very jealously, because I think -- not the name, but the -- what happened is so special that I really would prefer somebody to read the book, than to explain it in detail on the Near Perfect Radio Show.
However, to try to be balanced and fair, here we go. The tipping point, to me, was so real and so incredible, it was like nothing I could have ever possibly imagined. I believe and think it is a function of the psyche. It has to do with completion of reprogramming your mind for your near perfect body. You don't crave eating junk food, or even too much food. Once in a while, I guess, I mean we are all human. But you don't even do those things anymore, as they have literally been erased from your program. They are not there anymore, I don't think.
Rather, you focus on -- your focus is on things that are good for your body, meaning your temple. It is where you live, you are a mind, and you live in your body. You crave exercise, and you resent those things that aren't giving your body TLC, a.k.a tender loving care.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Again, the tipping point to me was very, very special. The book, following the Tao in The Near Perfect Body, can help you get there. Once you are there, the rest of your journey to your near perfect body will be a breeze, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, let me just take a second. I want -- just want to remind folks that, first, you are listening to Roger Shorr, who is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and The Pathway to Yours. There is also a website, which is nearperfectbody.com. Nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHORR: And I will say, I still don't know how it happened, but if you Google Roger has a near perfect body -- it is not a sponsored search, I didn't pay for that, it comes up number one. Don't know how it happened, but it is kind of funny. What do you think, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think Google wants people to find you, is what I think.
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: Nothing on the Internet is happening by accident, but I can, I think say --
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, God.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that it is --
MR. SHORR: Okay, fair enough.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and it is -- it is very --
MR. SHORR: Touch�, touch�.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and it is very far from the near perfect internet, I will tell you that right now.
MR. SHORR: The yellow belt got his mae-geri, --
MR. SHAPIRO: There we go.
MR. SHORR: -- (indiscernible) master it. That is a front kick, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, Roger is a retired financial advisor. Which I think is interesting, because there is a certain amount of discipline, self-discipline, expectations from others, clients. You know, you really don't last long as a financial advisor, and you certainly don't last a long time as a financial advisor, if you are not providing good, solid advice. It just doesn't work. People would like to keep and make more money, they are looking to a financial advisor. You did very, very well as a financial advisor.
MR. SHORR: Thanks for that.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what I -- well, I googled it and more came up than just --
MR. SHORR: Roger has a near perfect --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- financial record.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- right, exactly. So, here is -- so, here is what I would -- here is what I would like to ask, and that is, yes, there are disciplines involved in being a financial advisor. Tell me how you went from that as a success, to coming up with all of this? Which is obviously a success from all of the testimonials and endorsements that smart, solid people have provided, after seeing -- quite frankly -- your age, what kind of shape you are in. I mean, it is a little bit of a jump that people would not always assume would happen. So, how did this -- how did this come about?
MR. SHORR: Even with my rank I am not sure I can answer that question, but we will give it a try. I really don't know if I have a good answer for that. All I can say -- I don't know, but I do know this, I lost my wonderful mother earlier that year of 2022. It was in June. I think I might have mentioned this, perhaps, in one of our Near Perfect Radio Shows, maybe?
Like it must feel for anyone who has lost their mother, it really hurt then, it still hurts. Also, I found that I was finally settled into my life, my retirement, and I had succeeded. You know, all of our lives, we -- at least from where I am sitting, we think about the work we do, the obligations we have, and the one day we will retire, and we will hopefully let -- you know, be able to sit back, and enjoy the fruits of our labors. I was there, Charlie. I was sitting on that cart path, it was December of 2022.
Anyway, trying to stay on focus here. I was settled in, and it allowed me to reflect and think of things, and somehow that December 7th through the 10th -- I still -- I will never know the exact date, but it was the 7th to the 10th. I had that can of beer in my hand, and I asked myself that life changing question.
MR. SHAPIRO: What was the question?
MR. SHORR: Well, as I said before, what is this beer doing for me?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And of course, you know the answer by now, it was simply, quote, nothing, end quote. See, I was content. I was resigned to the fact that, like just about everybody my age, or most people my age, that my body would never look pleasing to me. I had given up on that a long time ago. It wasn't even -- it wasn't even in my thoughts.
I wasn't looking for anything that day, on that strange and beautiful day on that cart path. It might sound odd, and frankly, it sounds odd to me, it really does. But still, I have to say -- I said it in my book, in the about the author section, it almost feels like something that day found me, Charlie. And I believe -- I believe, I really do, that whatever it is that found me can find you too.
Charlie, I am sitting here, I am 70 years old. I say it in my book, my body has some wrinkles, it is not perfect, yet, quote, perfect, end quote, whatever that is was never the goal. My body is near perfect, and getting near to perfect, I hope. And I now realize that that is what I only ever wanted anyway. People who see me now in my bathing suit, I am sure, can understand why I am smiling, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what more is there?
MR. SHORR: I am not sure of that either. But according to our BMI machine, my weight is steady at 165, it is easy to manage. I don't let it get away from me, Charlie. I weigh myself several times a day, it is not painful, it doesn't cause me to, you know, have eating disorders, or anything like that, or anxiety. Not at all. It helps me manage and control my weight. I used to handle money for clients, and sometimes the market would sell off horrifically, and they would get scared. And my job was to let them know it was going to be okay. Because it was going to be okay, Charlie, and it turned out to be okay. We did it right. We did it right. Thank goodness, knock on wood, ouch.
But anyway, I am steady at 165. My skeletal muscle mass, for those who know what the numbers mean, somewhere around eighty-six, seven, eight, nine. It goes -- flips around. Percent body fat, I don't even know what to say. I mean, five to six percent, pretty steady. Sometimes it drifts up to seven-ish. Once in a while, it has gotten down -- I think the low was 3.0, I said, I got to get it up quick, that is way too low. That is not -- I don't think that was safe. But five to six percent for my age -- you know, sorry to do this folks -- is near unheard of. And I am very healthy, thank God. My blood and other tests, all my enzymes, and my A1C, and all that stuff is sound. I am in good shape so far, I think anyway.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, a 70 year old man's body fat percentage is generally somewhere between 13 and 24 percent, is what I am seeing here. And this is from, Men's Health Magazine.
MR. SHORR: 13 sounds pretty low, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: 13 sounds low.
MR. SHORR: I know, and low -- where am I? Well, I got the -- I have -- I keep all of the documents. I mean --
MR. SHAPIRO: And you are half of that?
MR. SHORR: Less than half of that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Less than half of that.
MR. SHORR: Or really -- yeah, (indiscernible) well, yeah, less than half of that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. And so, how much in your book focuses on the physical, and how much focuses on the mental attitude, and the personal invitations that we have discussed earlier, and getting your brain into a channel or a thought process that allows for a result?
MR. SHORR: Where is all of this happening, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Where is everything we are discussing -- you and me, and your listeners, where is it all happening, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: In the mind.
MR. SHORR: Exactly. Why would I spend any time working on anything else, when everything happens in the mind? But you would say, wait a minute, Roger, it might happen in the mind, but you have to work the body and put certain things into it in order to get the near perfect body, correct?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I would come back to you and say what, Charlie? Train your mind, reprogram your mind, and it will happen. Won't it, Charlie?
All of a sudden, you will start to say, hey, I don't want that horrible hot fudge sundae, with disastrous whipped cream, and a dopey cherry on top. This is my -- I only get one body. One, Charlie, not two. You insure your house, it burns down, you have insurance, you build it back.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Your body burns down, what do you have? You are gone.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay? So, your question -- I am trying to stay focused, it is not easy at 70 -- oops, did I say -- at this rate, I will be 80 before I know it. Oh my goodness.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, you are doing great. We have to wrap up, but you are doing great.
MR. SHORR: Well, I like to talk.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Everybody knows that, I will keep going.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: How about an hour (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I will -- I will tell you, next week, right around this time, you are going to have an opportunity to do just that, because we are out of time for this week.
MR. SHORR: How did that even happen?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, because it was interesting and it moves along when people are paying attention.
MR. SHORR: We are running out of time, Charlie. Time keeps marching on. Let's fill every day with as much happiness and good work as we can. How is that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Words to live by, and words to read.
MR. SHORR: And don't forget to smile.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: A lot.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, the gentleman that I have been speaking with here in the Legends Radio Studios, once again, Roger Shorr, S-H-O-R-R, Roger Shorr. His book is The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. You can learn more about Roger, as well as Roger Shorr's book, by going to nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHORR: Thank you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You are very welcome. Thanks everybody for tuning in. We are going to talk some more about Roger's book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours next week. Meanwhile, thanks for tuning in.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody, Charlie Shapiro here. Welcome back to Legends Radio, we have got another terrific show today. Roger Shorr, who is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours is back. Roger has been here now for several weeks -- a couple of months actually, we have been going on the radio and talking about your book, and how you got there. And hello again, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Hello again, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we have a lot to talk about today, but I also know that you have something you would like to start off with before we dive back into some of the content we have been talking about for the several weeks of shows. So, go ahead and let the folks know what is on your mind?
MR. SHORR: Charlie, Veterans Day is on my mind. I want to take a moment and honor a very good man, his name was Samuel Boyd Fielder, Jr., USMC.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Sam's father was Samuel Boyd Fielder, Sr., who was a marine who served in World War 1. Sam's brother -- Sam, Junior's brother, his name was James Fielder, USMC. He fought in World War 2, and they have both left us, Charlie.
Samuel Boyd Fielder, Jr., USMC, died on November 22nd, 2021. He was a great marine, and he was a dairy farmer. He has five children, 16 grandchildren, and would have been expecting a 14th grandchild-- great grandchild.
Sam and his beloved wife, Doris, went all over the world saying his poems. Two of his most famous were, quote, Our Flag, end quote, it was beautiful. And the other one was the Korean War Memorial poem, it is called, quote, The Forgotten War, because by so many measures it is the forgotten war. It should never be the forgotten war.
Sam was loved and honored by so many, he was even mobbed sometimes, he was a great poet, and we miss him. You know what the best thing of all is, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: What is that?
MR. SHORR: Sam's brave face can be seen forever on the Korean War Memorial. The Korean War Memorial in the National Mall, I think it is down from Abraham Lincoln himself, the statue of him sitting there, I think. And his widow, Doris Finney Fielder, lives with us. That is my wife's -- my beloved wife Jennifer's mother.
We opened our hearts and our home to her after she lost that wonderful husband of hers, Samuel Boyd Fielder, Jr., USMC. Our hearts were always open to both of them. He would come and visit -- they would come and visit, he would sit down on my -- on my patio, and he would play his word games.
Anyway, I was not able to attend, for personal reasons, the Veteran's Day ceremony of November 11th, 2024. But my beloved wife, Jennifer, and my beloved mother-in-law, Doris Finney Fielder, attended. But Charlie, I would like to say this now, and I know he is up there, and I pray he is listening. To Samuel Boyd Fielder, Jr., USMC, my father-in-law, Semper Fidelis, thank you. Thank you for your service. We miss you, Sam, and we love you. Your son-in-law, Roger Shorr.
MR. SHAPIRO: Heartfelt. And many people that listen to Legends Radio honor the service, current and past service, of our veterans.
MR. SHORR: Amen, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, now let's get to a different reason why we are here today.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: And that is to let people know, Roger, that The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours is available as a book, and there is a lot of information in here, and it is great to see you again, Roger Shorr.
MR. SHORR: Great to see you again, Charlie. I am looking forward to your event in December, and I plan to show up and promote my book there. Will you be joining us, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I will definitely be there. And for folks that may be already aware, and for you folks that are not aware yet, what Roger is talking about is, we at Legends Radio and Robinson Entertainment produce a tribute series that is sponsored by Schumacher Automotive Group. It happens the third Saturday of each month, it has been going on for a few years now, it is going to continue to go on.
And Roger is going to be out there with one of the tents, or chalets, or whatever you would like to call it, and he is going to be meeting people in person. You may have some copies of your book that people could purchase, if they are so interested to do so. And I am guessing that you might be open to autographing the book if people would like that special edition?
MR. SHORR: That might be a near perfect idea, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Well, I work on that. I am working on that. But it is a great show, it is a Billy Joel tribute concert.
MR. SHORR: Love Billy Joel.
MR. SHAPIRO: Most people do, and we would love to see folks come on out. You can see the show. It is a free concert, by the way, just so you know.
MR. SHORR: Free?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is totally free, yeah.
MR. SHORR: To see the piano man, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, a tribute to the piano man.
MR. SHORR: Okay, fair enough.
MR. SHAPIRO: But I have seen the gentleman that does the tribute to Billy Joel, he is terrific. We have had him before.
MR. SHORR: Is he an imitator, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: He is -- he is just great. I don't care what you call him, the guy nails it. It sounds and feels like a Billy Joel concert. It is Saturday, December 21st at Abacoa in the amphitheater in Jupiter. So, I think people are going to enjoy meeting you. I think they will see the show, they will have a good time with that. And I am guessing it is going to be a near perfect Billy Joel tribute.
MR. SHORR: You are stealing my lines, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am doing the best I can.
MR. SHORR: That is all we can do. All right. Charlie, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: -- I just want to set the record straight. I made a slight error when I promoted you to yellow belt in Near Perfect Body Jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, since I don't qualify for any of it, tell me what the mistake was?
MR. SHORR: Do not tell Sensei what you qualify for, you are not qualified for Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Go ahead.
MR. SHORR: Charlie-san, --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- you did nothing.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: All it was is that I have been calling you San Kyu, and that is incorrect. You are Go Kyu, which does mean fifth, San means third.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I am sorry, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: I will take your word for it.
MR. SHORR: You are still yellow belt.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, why don't we get back to explaining to listeners about that whole snatch the pebble from the hand thing? Or the term grasshopper, since we have used that -- specifically, you have used that a number of times over the past several weeks. I -- now, I know the reference, because I am --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- of an age where I know the reference. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Are you older than I am, Charlie? Never mind, we won't get into that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Please.
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Actually, I am younger, and you are in significantly better shape.
MR. SHORR: You saying I am insignificant?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I am saying that --
MR. SHORR: I know what you said, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you are --
MR. SHORR: -- Charlie, I am just having fun with you.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you are in significantly better shape. And there has got to be some reasons for this.
MR. SHORR: Domo arigato.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome. Okay, I do have a strong martial arts background. My sensei, now Kaicho Shunji Watanabe, who I hear is a little under the weather, and he is getting on in years, as am I, as are you, as are we all.
Anyway, when we speak of snatching the pebbles from the hand, it means we test your reflexes, Charlie-san. The speed of your reflexes indicates your progress in learning martial arts. It is an indicator, just one.
I use it metaphorically, to indicate how you may be learning to understand the Tao, or the way, of The Near Perfect Body. As you begin to see positive changes, you should become better at snatching the pebbles from my hand.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, explain to people why the use of the term grasshopper?
MR. SHORR: You ask good questions, grasshopper.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Thank you. Go for it.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: Go for it.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, you are younger than I, it is true. And I use grasshopper from the old TV series, Gung Fu.
MR. SHAPIRO: What was it?
MR. SHORR: Gung Fu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Kung Fu?
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) I say, Gung Fu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Which is -- now, which is correct?
MR. SHORR: Well, if it is not Gung Fu, I am near correct, aren't I?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. Domo Arigato. I believe it is Gung Fu. Anyway, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- it doesn't matter.
MR. SHAPIRO: Everybody was Kung Fu fighting.
MR. SHORR: Those cats were fast as lightning.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly. Continue.
MR. SHORR: It was a little bit frightening.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay, I remember that. Well, I never heard of it, actually. Anyway --
MR. SHAPIRO: Let's put it in context, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Okay. All right. Master Po was teaching young Kwai Chang Caine. You all right with that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: Okay, good.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, it was great.
MR. SHORR: Kwai Chang Caine. The great art of Gung Fu would, on occasion -- Master Po would refer to young Caine as grasshopper. Okay, why did Master Poe use the term grasshopper and what is next? Right? Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Patience, Charlie Grasshopper. Remember Master Po knew this, and I quote, the heaven of a grasshopper is the wheat field, the heaven of man is the same place. For it is the very earth itself where we get our nutritious food for our sacred bodies.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Nurture our minds, and our spirits, and build our happiness for life.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: You going to thank me for that one, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, David Carradine, the show, all of that, inspirational, everyone thanks you for bringing that up.
MR. SHORR: De nada. Charlie, did I mention that The Near Perfect Body is going to be an audio book, and that I am the narrator with the help of Don Tetrow (phonetic)? I would not narrate the kind endorsements, as I was not comfortable speaking that way of myself in my book. So, I have great news, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Tell folks what your great news is, Roger?
MR. SHORR: I am so proud and honored to say that some, maybe most, possibly even all of my doctors are going to help me on my amazing journey. Some have already spoken their endorsements in their own words, the endorsements. They will be in my audio book. Charlie, I am just so incredibly honored by these great people.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that is the way to do it. Bring in the folks that have read the book, accepted the book, and are looking to you for more advice and inspiration. I think that is terrific, they are special people.
MR. SHORR: They are, and I can't tell you how terrific I think they are. They are just -- I don't have words for a change. Well, maybe I do.
MR. SHAPIRO: You will find some words.
MR. SHORR: Hey, wait a minute, where is my bag of words? Oh, there is the -- nope, they are not in there, Charlie. We will keep looking.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Keep it going here, let's go.
MR. SHORR: All right, all right, already. I would like to get into some specifics. I know how you like specifics, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Everybody likes specifics.
MR. SHORR: Yeah. But we just have to remember, we don't want to do it half baked.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We want to embrace the Tao of The Near Perfect Body. It is a system, it is a process, it is a -- it is the way to do it. It is not doing this, that, and the other thing. It is not going on a diet -- what a horrible word, diet. I mean, I feel like I am dying when I am on a diet, and I feel like that (indiscernible) --
Anyway, there are things we can do. However, in discussing specifics, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I want to discuss the ability to focus. In my view, great martial arts, like karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, gung fu, tai chi chuan, Kodokan Judo -- excuse me, Kodokan Judo, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and more, are all so much about the ability to train our minds, and to be able to do what, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Remind us, because I do think we mentioned this a few weeks ago possibly, but I think people just joining, it would be a great time to remind them.
MR. SHORR: Remind them to focus. Charlie, we focus.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: After you learn to train your inner voice to be supportive, and you are becoming your own best friend, you must learn to focus. When a great karateka breaks boards or even bricks, must he or she focus, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would think so. I would hope so.
MR. SHORR: We would hope so. They better focus, Go Kyu Charlie, or the result could well be a broken hand.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, this is where how to focus comes into play.
MR. SHORR: I am going to talk to you about how to learn to focus.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But once again, this time it shall be different, Charlie. And you do know that the Tao of The Near Perfect Body is also different, don't you?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am starting to learn it.
MR. SHORR: Good. But rather than actually thinking about focusing on something, I am going to have you actually learn other things that in turn will sharpen your focus, and in so doing, you will learn to focus more easily than you might think possible.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, we have people from Jupiter to Boca, and Delray, and West Palm, and on Palm Beach Island as well.
MR. SHORR: You will have them all over the world, Charlie, because the radio show -- the Near Perfect Radio Show is going to be on my website. As a matter of fact, eight episodes are on it now, and we will share that with social media everywhere.
MR. SHAPIRO: And on Spotify, if I am not mistaken. So, no matter where anybody is listening, whether it is right now on the radio live, whether it is later on the podcast edition, how does each and every individual that is listening to the program start to learn to focus?
MR. SHORR: I want you to start in earnest, for any reader who answers my most important question of, quote, how badly do you want your near perfect body? With what, Charlie? I will tell you. The answer is, quote, I must have it, end quote.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I would say, exactamente. Did I mention that my book is also coming to be in Spanish as an eBook, and likely in print as well, along with the Spanish version of my website, which will -- shall be called casicuerpoperfecto.com. And I have the domain names front and back, in case I have it backwards. Did I tell you that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, but that is pretty creative and smart, because there is a lot of people that have Spanish as their first language that can benefit from everything you are talking about.
MR. SHORR: And I have contacts in India. Do you know how many English speaking people there are in India, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't, but this would be a great time to focus.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. Let's get focused on focusing.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: This time, we don't even think about focusing. Ah, Grasshopper, where are we going? All you need to do is prepare your journal and start with writing things down.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A journal? Well, first of all, in the journal, ask yourself the most important question. How badly do you want your near perfect body?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And if they honestly can answer I must have it, then they are really going to do -- or do their best to do something truly worthwhile. And it will require some degree of consistency, embracing optimism, and resenting, won't it, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I mean, these are the basic principles -- the four principles from your book. So, please continue.
MR. SHORR: Yes, correct, Go Kyu. It is easy, you resent -- well, wait a minute, how is resenting something positive? Resenting seems negative, doesn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, it depends.
MR. SHORR: Yes, it does.
MR. SHAPIRO: Depends how you use it.
MR. SHORR: You are getting better, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Here, we use resentment in a positive way by saying this, you resent the fact that you haven't started working on your near perfect body sooner. For all the days that have gone by, are they gone forever, Charlie? Yes, they are. And they weren't just days, were they, Charlie? They were something more. What else was the day, Charlie? It was a tool.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Each day that goes by is a tool, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Tool as in learning experience?
MR. SHORR: Not exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: Not exactly?
MR. SHORR: No, not even close.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Then what kind of tool?
MR. SHORR: Grasshopper, our days are great tools. But what are they tools of? They are the tools of time. What am I talking about? Glad you asked. You can work out for a part of the day, and therefore, you have used part of the day to build your near perfect body. Now, can you see that the time you used of the day is a tool? And therefore, you can see the days as a tool as well, Grasshopper?
MR. SHAPIRO: I can see that.
MR. SHORR: Okay. As I said, for each day, gone is gone forever. And with it went a great and unique tool that could have been wisely used for your near perfect body. Isn't that so?
MR. SHAPIRO: Makes sense. Continue, please.
MR. SHORR: So, what does this all mean? Well, remember in my book, I mentioned that sometimes the easiest solutions are right there in front of you, well hidden in plain sight. That was chapter two.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And they are, and quite often they are, I will add.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: So, the turning point -- tipping point, where are we actually going with this?
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. What you are trying to say is, you should know by now that chapter two is the turning point, it is not the tipping point. So, where are we going?
Charlie, The Turning Point is chapter two's name, and the fantastic place of the mind is chapter 26, The Tipping Point. The Tipping Point is late in the book, because until you understand and hopefully embrace the Tao of The Near Perfect Body, The Tipping Point's simple and subtle nuances can easily be lost by many readers. You asked me where we are going. Charlie, we are going back into our minds, and actually, we never left them, did we? No, we didn't, that was a rhetorical question.
MR. SHAPIRO: I hope it was a rhetorical question.
MR. SHORR: Did you lose your mind -- did you leave your mind?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I feel like we drifted a little bit.
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: But I --
MR. SHORR: We never left our minds though.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is true.
MR. SHORR: Yes. Yes, Grasshopper, that is true.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is very true.
MR. SHORR: Would you like to try the pebble now?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I am good. But --
MR. SHORR: Now, you are just afraid, because you can't get it. You missed.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Roger Shorr --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, --
MR. SHORR: -- to you, please.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Or sensi, either one.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, get to what you are trying to say --
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- on this specifically?
MR. SHORR: Domo Arigato.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Today, anyone who is not in earnest, earnestly, started on a journey toward their near perfect body assuming they want it, and assuming they want better health and more happiness, they have to understand what is going on.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay, --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and what is going on?
MR. SHORR: I thought you would never ask me, Charlie. Simple, we are learning to focus by dealing with an extremely dangerous enemy. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: What is the enemy?
MR. SHORR: Okay. Procrastination, a truly devastating enemy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know why, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why? I mean, other than the obvious.
MR. SHORR: What is the obvious, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, the obvious is if you are procrastinating, you are not actually getting to the point, you are not focusing, you are not moving forward.
MR. SHORR: Nah, nah, nah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, yeah.
MR. SHORR: You are a yellow belt, you are go kyu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: Let Master Po weigh in.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, regardless of which belt I have, or ever will have, the bottom line is that your book explains very clearly that procrastination is more than just a waste of time.
MR. SHORR: You really want your green belt, don't you? All right. I can't even say that it is more than a waste of time, because you know what? I think it was good -- and I don't have the words exactly, but I think he said something to the effect of this.
Mankind's biggest mistake, or one of its biggest mistakes, is thinking he has enough time or too much time. The fact that procrastination wastes time is bad enough. Anything else it does, it is just worse. But it is subtle, and so often we don't even recognize it, meaning procrastination.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Procrastination is deadly, insidious, evil, and you can never forget it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: For procrastination steals our time, that we could otherwise use for good things. Procrastinating is laying around, when you could be helping your body with exercise. It is also putting off doing other near perfect body activities until, quote, tomorrow.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, obviously, waiting until tomorrow becomes something bad pretty quickly, I guess?
MR. SHORR: Yes, it does. You might disagree with this, Charlie, but I say tomorrow never really comes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh, really?
MR. SHORR: Really. And I think you would believe that one.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am --
MR. SHORR: Try --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- I am listening.
MR. SHORR: Oh, thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, a lot of people are.
MR. SHORR: I hope. Let's look at it this way. You are going to bed tonight, right?
MR. SHAPIRO: I hope so.
MR. SHORR: I hope so. You need some sleep. You look good, though. You look (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: You look better, but thank you.
MR. SHORR: That was a near perfect reply. Stop it, Charlie. Here is the question. Hardball, are you ready?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am ready.
MR. SHORR: You sure? No, I am Shorr, you are --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, yeah, that is your name.
MR. SHORR: -- Shapiro.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't know, he is on third.
MR. SHORR: Stop it, we are -- all right, here we go. I am winding up and here is the pitch, --
MR. SHAPIRO: And --
MR. SHORR: -- right over the home plate.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When you wake up tomorrow, will it be today?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes. It --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- wait, wait, wait.
MR. SHORR: Yes?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am trying to remember the --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Yes, it is always today, isn't it? Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is actually always now, but I won't get into that.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is for a following show.
MR. SHORR: That is for never. That -- I don't want to freak the listeners out. Anyway, well, it, quote, Shorr, end quote, as heck, we never actually live in yesterday or tomorrow, do we? We don't.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Let me say this. If you hear nothing else from this show, if anybody hears nothing else from what I have to say, we must be vigilant in our battle with procrastination. Otherwise, it robs us of one of life's greatest gifts.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, as we wrap up for this week in the next minute or so, which gifts?
MR. SHORR: Which gifts, Grasshopper? The great gifts that we give to ourselves, we give to our own best friends, and they are ourselves. And those great gifts are accomplishments.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Don't you see that accomplishments are -- accomplishments are such great things? How do you think a man would feel if after a lifetime of disappointment, frustration, and embarrassment, he finally so late in life figured -- finally figured out a way to accomplish something he never dreamed possible?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I know one thing that is possible, and that is this book. And I am going to get us wrapped up on this week, so we actually have time to do more today. And The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, your book, Roger, which I am sure you are quite aware of.
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: I hope so.
MR. SHORR: Well, I think so too. And we will answer that question next time, how is that? We will finish that story next time, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think that works out well. Nearperfectbody.com is the website, you can pick up the book there, you can read more about Roger. Roger Shorr, thanks again for another interesting half hour of discussion, and we hope people will tune in next week as well.
MR. SHORR: Always a pleasure, Go Kyu.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of the Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends Radio. I am Charlie Shapiro, helping out Roger Shorr, who is in the studio with me here, for now -- we are now a couple months, or two and a half months, into talking about what is so special about The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. That is the name of your book, as you are well aware, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Roger Shorr, welcome to Legends Radio once again.
MR. SHORR: Oh, hi, Charlie. It is nice to be here, and this is such a wonderful time of year. Charlie, this is our tenth episode.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: When I started with you, I thought I was going to do four, and now I am doing number 10 with more coming. I hope our listeners are getting something out of this.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I hope so too, and I think they are, Roger.
MR. SHORR: I am so thrilled and excited now. This is so incredible.
MR. SHAPIRO: What is incredible?
MR. SHORR: Well, it is kind of like the second near perfect party. Even though it is not really mine, it is one that I am participating in, and I will have a tent or something like that, I will have books for guests to purchase. Did you know that I had a near perfect party on October 3rd of 2023, for my first edition book launch?
MR. SHAPIRO: You mentioned that actually once, but this is going to be a different thing. You are talking about (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Oh yeah, it is going to be different all right, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: And it is at Abacoa, right near us, in Jupiter, Florida.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I think the name Abacoa is from the Jeaga Indians. They lived there when the Spanish first came to this land. My first search suggested that Abacoa was Choctaw, but that wasn't correct, I think it is Jeaga. Anyhow, there are expected to be thousands of people at this wonderful party.
MR. SHAPIRO: You have studied up on some history.
MR. SHORR: Not really. What are you laughing at Charlie? Oh, maybe a little bit. All right. All right. All right. But I know of something else.
MR. SHAPIRO: What is that?
MR. SHORR: Well, I know of Google.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, yeah, I have -- I have heard about that. All right. So, just for folks that might have found what you said slightly cryptic, I just want to explain what you said, briefly. All right.
MR. SHORR: Who, me?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep, yep, for folks that are listening. So, the third Saturday of every month, Legends Radio, Robinson Entertainment, we do a tribute concert at Abacoa, the amphitheater outside, and this one is going to be --
MR. SHORR: Well, it is my turn.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And this time, I think it is going to be a near perfect party on December 21st, which is a Saturday night. Will have a fantastic entertainment there, the Turnstiles, I googled them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: All right. All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, Turnstiles, that is the -- that is the Billy Joel tribute band, just in --
MR. SHORR: Well --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- case people weren't sure about that. And they are correct --
MR. SHORR: Oh, Billy Joel on steroids tribute band, they are fantastic. And you can Google them, and listen to a three or four minute spot. It is party time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Our listeners really need to Google this, quote, Turnstiles promo 2023. Again, quote, Turnstiles, t-u-r-n-s-t-i-l-e-s, promo, p-r-o-m-o, 2023. Turnstiles promo 2023. Oh my god, what a party Tony Monaco throws. Too much fun. Hey, people won't even want to buy my book, because they will be too busy having fun, maybe even dancing in the streets, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, you are going to be out there, and you want people to have a great time. That is great, that is why they are there. A couple thousand show up every month, it is terrific.
MR. SHORR: Well, I sure hope they are going to have fun, because if that wasn't the case, I would be out on the golf course instead of sitting here with you. My friends are getting to play golf, and I got to sit in here with you. But of course, I want people to find happiness, it is going to be great, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, we will see people out there. You are going to be out there, is my understanding. You will have a tent, you will have some of your books.
MR. SHORR: I hope it is a nice tent in a good position, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is going to be perfect.
MR. SHORR: Excuse me?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is going to be near perfect.
MR. SHORR: Thank (indiscernible) -- thank you, Grasshopper.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is going to -- it is going to be a near perfect tent, in a near perfect position, in a near --
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- at a near perfect concert.
MR. SHORR: Charlie, you are not going to talk me into a green belt that fast, it just doesn't work that way.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: You are getting nearer to perfect, but come on.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right, I am working on it here. All right, so holiday shopping, let's get to that. I know we were talking about that before.
MR. SHORR: Well, that is good, because I want to know are all of my friends here at Legends Radio, have they finished their holiday shopping, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Probably haven't even started.
MR. SHORR: Excuse me?
MR. SHAPIRO: I said they probably haven't even started.
MR. SHORR: I heard you the first time, Charlie. That was a rhetorical, excuse me.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: So, many people are out shopping to get ready for Christmas, and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas. It is a happy time of year. It is time for our families to get ready to get together, along with our good friends. We celebrate all that is good with in one another and ourselves. Charlie, you know we are really all connected.
MR. SHAPIRO: And how do you -- how do you see that?
MR. SHORR: Remember that what we really are, are our minds. As such, also remember that we really live in our bodies, so we must treat our bodies with TLC. All right, sorry to go there, but let me say that we should enjoy the holidays, but we might not want to eat that second piece of cheesecake or maybe perhaps not even the first one. And our minds are human minds, and while each is different, they are so very much the same.
A rather crude analogy would be to suggest that we are all kind of like the same brand of computer, or maybe something like that, but our minds of are of course so much more special, and much greater than any computer for Shorr [sic].
MR. SHAPIRO: For Shorr [sic]. Are you -- Roger Shorr.
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. All right.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: And while I always ask that we do our best to become our own best friend, that does not mean that we should ever put ourselves above anyone else, ever. As a matter of fact, I believe that by putting others ahead of ourselves, we serve not only them but ourselves as well.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. And why is that, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Well, for in placing -- for in placing others ahead, or even above ourselves, we truly do serve both them and ourselves, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: How is that?
MR. SHORR: I think when we truly give, we are giving others gifts from our hearts, and in so doing, they feel the joy of receiving, and so we feel the joy of giving. It makes you smile when you brighten someone's day, be it now as we approach the -- our holiday season. But it really does anytime, doesn't it, Charlie-san? You are smiling now.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Okay. Charlie, it is the time of year when we shop for friends and loved ones, and do our best to find the right gifts for them. Isn't that true?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, but that is not -- that is not exactly easy.
MR. SHORR: Well, here is a surprise pop quiz for your honorary green belt, ready?
MR. SHAPIRO: Shorr [sic], Roger.
MR. SHORR: Would you cut it out? It is getting older -- actually, we are getting a little older as time (indiscernible) -- no. Okay. Charlie, what is always the best gift we can ever give to our friends and to our loved ones? And second place is not close.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, considering you have written this book, --
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, I am guessing you are alluding to this pathway. Might I -- might I be --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- correct?
MR. SHORR: I thought you were going to say, I was alluding to my book. And I was going to say, uh-uh-uh.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, but you are alluding to the pathway.
MR. SHORR: Well, maybe a little bit different of a pathway, or maybe they kind of come together in a sense.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Look inside of yourself. You have read my book, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- think, and get your honorary green belt. Grasshopper, grasshopper, I know you have the answer.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. So, we have talked about this before. So, yes, I have retained some of the knowledge that you have --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- imparted here, --
MR. SHORR: -- yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and you are talking about time and choices as well, and so let's just stick with time.
MR. SHORR: Let's just stick with time, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: For the time being, let's stick with time.
MR. SHORR: Haha, Charlie. It is time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Of course, Grasshopper-san, it is time. For time is very much stranger than we think, and we are all running out of this precious resource we have named time. Teton (phonetic) in Japanese -- I hope I pronounced it correctly. To give our precious time when given with love is the greatest gift of all.
You have just earned your honorary green belt, but you are still a yellow belt Go Kyu, which means fifth level. You do, however, get a green stripe for your yellow belt. And the great news, Charlie, is this. My school, going all the way back to 1971, -- did I say -- yes, 1971, Japan karate was my school. We were never given stripes, at least in my day. So, Charlie-san, feel honored.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay, I will work on that one. But speaking of time, let's --
MR. SHORR: Don't overwhelm me, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am okay, we are doing fine. So, that is all great. All right, we can go along with that. Roger, it is a special time of the year, and we are talking --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- about time, so I --
MR. SHORR: Yes, it is.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- but how do we transition into this specific special time of the year?
MR. SHORR: There you go with these great questions again, Charlie. But let me say this --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- it is a special time of the year, but I will take it a step farther, Lao Tzu, journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let's take another step.
All times of the year are special, because the year is one way we measure time, and to know time, and to be very aware of time is to be among the living. Our lives are so very special. We need to remember that we get only one body and one life, at least I believe that to be true.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Others may believe differently, reincarnation, and other beliefs, and they are absolutely entitled to feel that way if they so choose. That is called, quote, freedom of thought, end quote, and some brave souls have fought and even died for our precious freedoms. That is why I mentioned my brave -- may he rest in peace -- father-in-law, Samuel B. Fielder Jr. in our last episode. He fought with the cannon, a 105, and survived his war -- the Korean War -- but spent the rest of his life honoring others who fought.
And there is one more gift I would like to mention, before we get back to helping others find more happiness from my book, including perhaps them getting their own near perfect bodies.
MR. SHAPIRO: And what gift do you have in mind?
MR. SHORR: Perhaps one of life's greatest gifts, and as always, it is one of so very few things that are often so free, yet still of great value. You want to guess what that is, Charlie-san? What is free, a gift, but of great -- incredible value?
MR. SHAPIRO: You tell me.
MR. SHORR: Your smile. You are smiling now, Charlie-san. Smile often. It doesn't cost a penny, does it? It can make someone happy, or a little happier, can't it, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Sounds good.
MR. SHORR: You are smiling again. Happy holidays, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, happy holidays to you too, Roger. Thank you for your smile, thank you --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for being here in the studio. And thanks for writing the book, by the way.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, basically, you are saying if we just smile at each other, there is no need to go shopping?
MR. SHORR: Stop it. You have to go shopping. Me -- no.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Hey, Charlie, how about this? On with the show.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sounds good.
MR. SHORR: By the way, in a few more weeks New Year's Day shall arrive, and with it resolutions, Charlie. It is sad to say that we could perhaps retire today if we each had one nickel, maybe even one penny for each and every broken New Year's resolution. Meaning those resolutions that have failed to come to fruition. Isn't that sad?
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't know, I would be okay with retiring. But yes, your point is well taken.
MR. SHORR: Thank you, Charlie. Well, I have told you this before. We had the conversation earlier.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I was happily retired. And then one day, for better or for worse, maybe. I don't know. I think a lot better, actually. I was drinking a beer, or maybe getting ready to drink it, after a round of golf. Yeah, golf, what a game. Okay. I was sitting there, just sitting there. I was taking in the incredible beauty of my surroundings, my home, and now here I am, after one simple question and answer, and some time has passed, I find myself working harder than I ever have with no salary whatsoever. However -- not a salary -- at least I can say my new work has many great benefits.
MR. SHAPIRO: What benefits?
MR. SHORR: Well, try this one. I honestly believe that I am spreading a little happiness, and I hope I am helping some wonderful friends, and find people I might never have the pleasure to meet, get some of what they desire in their lives. How is that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Obviously, that sounds good. I am, at this point, figuring you are basically getting back to the whole concept of the near perfect bodies. You are going to help them get --
MR. SHORR: Well, eventually, I will get back there. You know, I -- like I have said before, at the advanced age of sixty-ten -- 70 -- it is hard to stay focused. But I do have a little bit of a martial arts background, so I can get my focus back if I -- if I focus.
MR. SHAPIRO: I love that, sixty-ten, huh? That is the age? I like that.
MR. SHORR: How about fifty-twenty?
MR. SHAPIRO: I (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Fourty-thirty?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: How about -- how about thirty five-thirty five? It is all the same, isn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, it is doing better --
MR. SHORR: What sounds best?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- it is doing better for you than it is for many people, that is for sure.
MR. SHORR: I am not sure how to take that, Charlie. I will take it the good way.
MR. SHAPIRO: You should take it the good way.
MR. SHORR: Well, thanks, --
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, you are doing --
MR. SHORR: -- Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you are doing great.
MR. SHORR: Well, I will say something else before I keep talking.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know how easy it is for me to maintain this weight? It is a breeze. It is -- it is second nature. I don't have to do -- I don't have to do anything. I mean, I weigh myself (indiscernible) I always -- always in the morning, I weigh myself. And then, I don't weigh myself before dinner anymore. Well, wait a minute, let me think about that. For the most part, I just weigh myself after dinner. I am down to two weights, and it is very steady.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Anyway, back to the show. Or (indiscernible) -- did I ever leave the show? Okay, yeah. Helping to get their near perfect bodies, or -- and some peace or happiness, or maybe one of the most important things of all that I keep seeing out there. It is so hard for so many of us -- and I was guilty too. Not guilty, that is a bad word, I was a victim -- or not even victim. I had the same issue, there you go, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- of not being honest with myself.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. But the -- so how exactly was that? Because, obviously, there was motivation for the -- for the -- with the book. But you are not even talking --
MR. SHORR: No, no, no.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- about that right now, you are talking about your own --
MR. SHORR: No, no, let me -- let me repeat myself.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- your path way.
MR. SHORR: Let me repeat myself from the last show.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
MR. SHORR: Here we go. It is so important, I could repeat it for the next hundred shows, and I wouldn't put a dent in it, I don't think, but here we go.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We must be vigilant. And I would bang the table, but I am -- a virtual bang of the table, okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Vigilant in our battle with procrastination, otherwise it robs us -- robs us -- can't even call the police, it robs us of one of -- another one of life's greatest gifts.
MR. SHAPIRO: And which gift is that?
MR. SHORR: The great gifts that we give to ourselves. Pretty sure I mentioned it the last time, we give to our own best friends. Who are our own best friends? I hope they are ourselves.
We should be our own best friend. Be your own best friend, Charlie. If you can't really like yourself so very much to be your own best friend, how do you expect anybody else to? And those great gifts I am speaking of now are accomplishments. As I was driving -- as I was getting at --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- or driving -- driving at in our last Near Perfect Radio Show, accomplishments are such great things. How do you think a man would feel if after a lifetime of disappointment, frustration, embarrassment, he finally -- so late in life, finally just figured out, or stumbled, or maybe a little both, a way to accomplish something he never dreamed possible? He never dreamed possible, but always wanted.
MR. SHAPIRO: And what did he accomplish?
MR. SHORR: Charlie, he accomplished something he never thought he would ever have. And the unbelievable part of it, it was not hard for him to do it. He began to feel something new and different was going on inside of himself, then he sensed something coming. Then he felt something happen, that he had to name this special and incredible experience. And soon afterwards, there it was, looking right at him in his mirror. You want to guess how that man felt when he found or saw his near perfect body reflecting itself in the mirror on May 1st, 2023?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that man must have felt like he was on top of the world.
MR. SHORR: He did. He does. You know how I know this, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think I do.
MR. SHORR: Tell me, Charlie, how do I know of this man?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, after everything we have been talking about, I am pretty sure you know him because he is you. Right, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Yes, Charlie. I really did get my near perfect body, but in so doing, I found purpose and happiness in a spectacular way. It is perhaps one of the most difficult challenges I have ever faced to contain my excitement. And my time for sharing is limited, and it gets shorter every day. You must by now know why I am here, don't you, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is a good time to tell everybody.
MR. SHORR: You have a way with words, you know that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: All right, I will take the cue. Tee it up. I had a lesson this morning with Martin Hall, and then we are teeing it up again. Okay, here we go. And boy, did I learn some stuff. Putting especially, wow. Can't wait. All right. Back to the show.
Charlie, I have always loved helping others, and I think a lot of people understand that. Maybe not everybody, but I think a lot do.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Some of my very most wonderful friends feel the exact same way. I have a rather big and gruff friend who absolutely feels that way.
I think he is -- has this feeling stronger than I do, and he is near -- nearer, and nearer to perfect. Anyway, another friend lives to help others.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Well, you are on a roll, keep going with this.
MR. SHORR: A roll? Rolling out of here. I get to the golf course, or something (indiscernible). I am having too much fun. Okay. Charlie, I don't even know how to tell you what is coming next. Get ready, it is coming.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Chapter 22, that is the name -- Chapter 22 is -- get ready, it is coming, seriously -- on page 123 -- I didn't do that, but you will see yourself if you read it. Okay. Lately, I have met even more -- but amazing friends, and their incredible world class, Brazilian jiu-jitsu masters that also live to teach their fantastic art to so many good jujitsukas -- real students of Brazilian jujitsu. Anyone learning this incredible martial art is being helped in many ways, believe that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that I do believe.
MR. SHORR: Well, I am glad you believe it, because it happens to be very true, Charlie. Anyway, these two martial arts superb, supreme experts are my good and new friends, and they are interested in helping me. They have said to me -- and I have them on video, and their permission to use it, saying that they will endorse my book. I might have to reprint the whole thing to put the --
MR. SHAPIRO: It will have to be version three coming out, --
MR. SHORR: Oh, please.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- to (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: No, the same -- a second edition, just another redo of a -- redo of a -- whatever.
MR. SHAPIRO: A revised second edition? Okay.
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right, so --
MR. SHORR: And then some.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- so, tell -- so tell the folks listening about these folks, these fine warriors.
MR. SHORR: Fine warriors. Exactly right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Fine men. I don't even know how this happened, but here we go. These two mighty and awesome new friends are coral belt -- coral belt master Carlos Valente, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Johnny Faria.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh.
MR. SHORR: Huh. What is awesome, is that I did not know these men at all when I began to write about hunger jiu-jitsu in my first edition. And then in my second edition, which I am launching at Abacoa and on social media, I expanded hunger jiu-jitsu in a big -- a huge way, and added exercise jiu-jitsu in my second edition. I can't believe this. Anyway, --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you are going to -- I just need to interrupt, just for a second, because we are running out of time for this week, but I know this is important.
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: It certainly feels that way.
MR. SHORR: Oh, it feels that way to me too, on steroids.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, I think --
MR. SHORR: I don't take drugs, believe me.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, there is a few things. I just want to remind folks that, whether this is the first time you have heard Roger speaking on Legends Radio during his program, or whether you have heard several episodes or editions of this, if you have a desire to meet Roger in person, he will be at Abacoa on Saturday, December 21st. He will have a tent, he will have his books there, he will be able to say hello and chat with you, you can ask him questions in person. And you can also -- right now -- if you have a desire to do so, you can also go to nearperfectbody.com. That is nearperfectbody.com.
Roger, this is important. I think we need to pick it up again right where we are leaving off, perhaps, next week.
MR. SHORR: Oss (phonetic) you know what that means, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I have no idea.
MR. SHORR: That is what the Brazilian jujitsukas say as a sign of respect. I used to say domo Arigato, they say, oss.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, no matter how you say it, --
MR. SHORR: I hope I got that pronounced right, guys --
MR. SHAPIRO: All good.
MR. SHORR: -- I am doing my best.
MR. SHAPIRO: All good. No matter how you decide to --
MR. SHORR: Oss.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- say it, this is where you should be hearing it next week. Thank you so much for listening to the Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends Radio.
MR. SHORR: See you next time, Charlie.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Welcome once again to the Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends 100.3, the Near Perfect Radio Station apparently. And so, for the last couple of months or so, Roger Shorr has been coming in and talking about his book, his accomplishments, his achievements, and most of all his desire to be helpful to you, which is the whole point of why you wrote your book. The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours available at nearperfectbody.com. Hi again, Roger. How you doing?
MR. SHORR: Charlie, I am doing great. And you did so great just now. I am just going to sit back and listen to you do the whole Near Perfect Radio Show, how is that?
MR. SHAPIRO: That is not a bad idea. You know, I started writing this book a while back, and --
MR. SHORR: Charlie, we are at Christmas season, not April fools', man.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Precisely (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, last week, at the end of the show, we started talking -- actually, specifically, you started talking, about --
MR. SHORR: Me, talk? I never talk. We -- everybody knows that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Precisely.
MR. SHAPIRO: And you talked about some new friends that you had made that read your book, listened --
MR. SHORR: Reading my book, sir.
MR. SHAPIRO: Reading your book, --
MR. SHORR: Reading.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- listened to what you have to say, and you had a wonderful meeting, and discussions, and all of that.
MR. SHORR: Oh, yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: And I wanted you to pick that up again, because it was at the end of last week's program, and it was getting very, very interesting, and then we ran out of time. Which is (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Oh, fancy that, we ran out of time.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- unfortunately.
MR. SHORR: Don't I always say we are running out of time?
MR. SHAPIRO: And you were right, --
MR. SHORR: Well, okay, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- actually.
MR. SHORR: -- you see.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, --
MR. SHORR: There you go.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, can we just --
MR. SHORR: For once, I was right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- can we just -- I would like to talk about these warriors, I guess, is the -- is the word (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Gentlemen, warriors, both. I have to tell you, I don't have any words, but I have to use breathtaking, because I can't think of anything better right now. All kidding aside, a wonderful friend, a wonderful man, introduced me to two of his friends, and now they are my friends. These gentlemen, these two mighty and awesome new friends, first -- well, both first -- but allow me to introduce, again, coral belt -- now I am not certain, but I believe that the coral belt, which is above black in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- we didn't have coral belt in my school, but we had master's belts above black. Coral belt is named after the coral snake, extremely dangerous, but yet my understanding of a coral snake is it doesn't attack you, it doesn't come after you. But if you attack it, it is very dangerous, and I believe --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- that is the martial creed. I believe that us martial artists -- and I still carry it with me, I got black belt in 1981.
Anyway, we have a creed, where self-defense -- these gentlemen, coral belt master Carlos Valente, of Brazilian jujitsu, a great new friend, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Johnny Faria, another great new friend. It is just awesome.
And I said it last week, and I have to say it again, when I wrote my first edition, I was drawing on my own martial arts thinking and a little bit of Sun Tzi (phonetic), who is Sun Tzu -- more on that later, perhaps.
I thought of hunger, and I came up with this idea for using jiu-jitsu. That was my first edition. And in my second edition, which I intend to launch at Abacoa, and this fantastic party we are going to have with the Turnstiles, they sound like Billy Joel, Fantastic. I am going to launch it in Abacoa and social media, but yet in my second edition, I expanded hunger jiu-jitsu in a big way, and then I even added exercise jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And then I meet these two great Brazilian jiu-jitsu masters, it is incredible, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh.
MR. SHORR: It is incredible. All right. They are reading my book. I have some video tapes with them, and their permission to have the video tapes. I haven't even decided how I am going to use them, it is just kind of overwhelming for me. But anyway, let me keep going.
I want to make a statement to all that hear the Near Perfect Radio Show. My statement is this, to these great and honorable men, once again, Professor, and Master, and legendary coral belt Carlos Valente, and Godan or Fifth Degree Black Belt World Champion, Johnny Faria, these warriors spend their lives promoting the profoundly excellent art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh, this sounds interesting.
MR. SHORR: Oh, if it is not, I am out of -- I got nothing interesting if this isn't interesting.
MR. SHAPIRO: It does sound interesting.
MR. SHORR: Thank you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Continue --
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- please.
MR. SHORR: Thank you for that. Here we go teeing up again. Oh, here we go. I spoke to them, and I have it recorded, the great master Carlos Valente and Johnny Faria, World Champion. I never meant for my jiu-jitsu to compete with their great art, but mine still works, and they smiled when I said that. I think they appreciated me saying that, and it is true. Oh, but dodge.
Anyway, I want to say this to my three martial art expert friends I met with, two of which I met on November 19th, it is a sign of respect. Jujitsukas do it when they bow to each other to say goodbye. I say thank you, and I used to say, domo arigato, which is Japanese for thank you, and Brazilian jujitsukas say, oss (phonetic). And I want to say, Charlie, that I just bought my new Brazilian jiu-jitsu uniform, and I plan to start taking lessons, I am almost certain, after the party at Abacoa.
Well, I hope you appreciated me saying that, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, I didn't understand some of that. Was that -- is that Portuguese?
MR. SHORR: Are you asking me if I know how to speak Portuguese?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think so.
MR. SHORR: No, I do not. No. No.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am pretty sure that is Portuguese.
MR. SHORR: Well, it is barely Portuguese. And with my pronunciation, I am sure it is nowhere near perfect, Charlie. Let's move on, shall we?
MR. SHAPIRO: Shall we?
MR. SHORR: Shall we? Quickly, quickly. Anyway, helping other good people who want some help is why I am here, and frankly, it gives me purpose in the final years of my life. And I don't want to sound like I am going tomorrow, but you know, tomorrow is promised to no one. And if I am here for another 20 years, I have already lived three and a half times that long, at the advanced age of sixty-ten.
MR. SHAPIRO: Let's not rush this though for either of us. Okay?
MR. SHORR: Let's -- yeah, okay. Thanks for that, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Sorry, Charlie. It is the real reason why I had to write my book. My wish is to leave something timeless behind that will always be there for others who want help. And you know, as a financial advisor, I wrote a guide called The Seven Timeless and Best Mistakes, and What Successful Investors Must Know. And I believe that it was all about human nature, and I think that is why I could get away, or say it is timeless. And I had stars -- circling stars on the cover. Anyway, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Did you like that, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, that is nice.
MR. SHORR: Good. I am glad you like it, I mean, it took forever to -- just kidding, Charlie. I am certainly not the only one who loves to help others. So many fine, caring people do, and I have a lot of friends that are that way. I could tell you -- I could write books, but I am not thinking about that. You want a quick and easy way to help someone, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am ready, what do you have?
MR. SHORR: Well, we said, try smiling at someone last week. Try smiling at someone, that will help them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Now, let's get on with focusing.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: You like specifics? I think focusing is extremely important in life, and in the pathway for your near perfect body -- or on the path, shall I say. When you do your daily near perfect body activities, such as saying your PIs -- remember PIs, personal invitations? Not blueberry, or apple, or cherry. Especially this time of year.
MR. SHAPIRO: We should go ahead and explain that, because that was several weeks ago. So, what is the --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- short version of PIs, not P-I-E?
MR. SHORR: Shorr or short version, sir?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes. Because --
MR. SHORR: What is yes?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that was -- so, it is not --
MR. SHORR: PIs, I just got one in the face.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is not P-I-E, it is --
MR. SHORR: Very good, Go Kyu.
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go. P-I.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: What is P-I?
MR. SHORR: And I don't mean 3.14, the radius of a circle. No.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right, tell folks --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- what you mean by PI.
MR. SHORR: -- (indiscernible) never mind, circumference -- whatever. Personal invitation.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: In a nutshell -- if that is possible for me, because I tend to talk a little bit extra sometimes --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh, yes.
MR. SHORR: -- personal invitation is a way to reprogram your mind. It is one of the steps. You do it every day, and sometimes you do it a lot.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: At the fitness center. It is a way to crowd out negative thoughts. What do I mean? I am standing there in front of a mirror, yeah, at a fitness center, I have a barbell on my hands. I am doing --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- bicep curls, and I am getting very tired, it is starting to strain, it is starting to be uncomfortable. Not pain. You feel pain, you stop right away.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Pain is no good. Strain, okay. Pain, not good.
But anyway, back to the story. I am pulling that bar, and I don't know if I can do it. Wait a minute. Did I just say I don't know if I can do it? Stop. Full stop. Yes, I can do it. And you say to yourself, I have got this, I have got this, I have got this. And you just might have it, Charlie, you just might get that weight up there. As a matter of fact, you probably will.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: That is a PI. You want another one?
MR. SHAPIRO: What is another personal invitation?
MR. SHORR: I was afraid you were going to ask me that. You expect this memory to have everything, don't you Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you did write the book.
MR. SHORR: You know, I can't -- I am never going to live that one down. I got to keep this near perfect body getting nearer, that is -- well, it is -- actually, it is a breeze. It really is. Try it sometime, you will see.
What is another PI? All right, let's see. I loved ad astra per aspera, it is Latin. I love Latin. I don't speak it, I have a few phrases I love, ad astra per aspera. It is the one PI that is not exactly positive when you hear it, but if you think about it, I think it is very positive. It has several ways to define it, and you can also say per aspera ad astra. NASA and the great state of Kansas -- the great state of Kansas, that is its motto, ad astra per aspera. It means a rough road leads to the stars, or to -- through difficulties or through hardships to the stars.
Positive. Yeah, you are going someplace very special, aren't you? You are going to go through a little hardships at first, but you are going to go to the stars. At least that is how I feel. I know it is a little out there, but that is how I feel. Anyway, PIs --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- meaning those great sayings, say them regularly. Crowd out negativity, they help crowd out. You can't think of two things at once, we talked about that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Crowds out negativity.
MR. SHAPIRO: Practice hunger jiu-jitsu, exercise jiu-jitsu, and other things, and you just might start to get a little bit of rhythm going, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Well, that makes sense. What else should people be doing?
MR. SHORR: Why don't I just read the book to you? Okay, let me tell you what else you should be doing. It is not available yet, but it is coming, the NPB Journal. Do you know what that stands for? I will say it, Near Perfect Body Journal.
MR. SHAPIRO: Makes sense.
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We will have one for sale in a few months. Buy it, don't buy it. I think it is going to help some people to kick start them, it makes the journey perhaps a little easier. But in The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, I have a chapter that explains how you can create your own, I hope you do. It is like a nerve center.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, if somebody goes to nearperfectbody.com, and they decide to pick up a copy of your book, is -- I have a feeling you are (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Are you going to ask me the chapter? How about Chapter 18, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: So, would it be helpful for somebody to at least take a look at the book, and then follow that up with the NPB Journal when it comes out? I mean, is this a sequence of things that can be helpful to people?
MR. SHORR: No, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: No? Okay.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) again. But you read the book, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- you understand. If you want to hit a target, what do you need? If you want to hit a target, what do you need? I am getting a blank look, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Good aim.
MR. SHORR: But you also need something else. You need a target.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh.
MR. SHORR: Oh, you want to hit it? You got to have it. Right?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Otherwise, what are you doing? You are shooting at -- I shot an arrow in the air.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Fair enough.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. So, here we go, the Tao of the Near Perfect Body requires a series of steps. Do you think it might be a good idea to chronicle your journey and have mementos of it when you succeed, so you can look back and see the incredible accomplishment that you gave yourself?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay.
MR. SHORR: Very good, Go Kyu Charlie-san, Grasshopper.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. All right.
MR. SHORR: Should I remind everybody why I call you Go Kyu?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is confusing to me as well.
MR. SHORR: Confucius or confusing?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Which?
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Stop it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Shorr.
MR. SHORR: All right. What were we talking about?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, so for anybody who has just joined us, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Oh heaven help them.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and wondering, what are these two people actually talking about?
MR. SHORR: I don't know. What are we talking about?
MR. SHAPIRO: You are listening --
MR. SHORR: Go kyu.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- to -- you are listening to Legends Radio. And --
MR. SHORR: You are a legend in your own mind, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway To Yours is a book written by Roger Shorr. And his name --
MR. SHORR: Are you "Shorr?"
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is spelled -- pretty sure, yeah. It is spelled, S-H-O-R-R.
MR. SHORR: Like the drink, man, only spelled differently.
MR. SHAPIRO: Something like that.
MR. SHORR: Green mile.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: Green mile, okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: And it is available at nearperfectbody.com. Nearperfectbody.com, and you can check that out.
MR. SHORR: Or (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: You can also -- you can also do a little bit of research on Roger, because -- and I know you don't mind people knowing about this -- your age of sixty-ten.
MR. SHORR: Pardon me?
MR. SHAPIRO: Your age of --
MR. SHORR: Ouch.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- sixty-ten is the way you describe it.
MR. SHORR: How about thirty-five-thirty-five? That sounds better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Either way, it all adds up to somebody who is in really good shape.
MR. SHORR: You are doing better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: And has gone --
MR. SHORR: He is getting lost too.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- through -- no, has gone through a real transformation. I mean, this is --
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- this is a -- this is a serious transformation. You are having fun with it, you are explaining it to people fun, and --
MR. SHORR: I can't wake up every day, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- enjoying it.
MR. SHORR: Every day is an adventure for me. My problem is containing my happiness. I had never thought I would be there before, and I also never thought I would be in a place where I have to guard against losing too much weight. Are you kidding me? No, I am not kidding, it is true. Read the book, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, we should all have that problem.
MR. SHORR: Well, that is why I do say in my book, after I got my near perfect body, even though I am working to make it nearer, even though I got to get to the fitness center, -- I am going to go it a day -- I do have chocolate ice cream when my weight gets too low in the evenings.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I control my environment, part of hunger jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I have it at the house.
MR. SHAPIRO: Is that a reward for you, by the way?
MR. SHORR: A petollia (phonetic)?
MR. SHAPIRO: A --
MR. SHORR: I don't speak Italian, never mind.
MR. SHAPIRO: Stick with --
MR. SHORR: I think --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- English for me.
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: What is -- is that a -- is that -- is having chocolate ice cream a reward, or is it almost medicinal, --
MR. SHORR: It is --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- by the way you are --
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- saying it?
MR. SHORR: -- it is -- I guess it is both, to be frank.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I always loved chocolate. As a child, I won a swimming contest once, and the prize was a chocolate ice cream cone.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, and you still remember that?
MR. SHORR: Well, I have a terrible memory for names, but some things I never forget, like my martial arts, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, here -- so here is my point with that, and then we -- I know you want to get back to some of the --
MR. SHORR: Yes, I think --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- other things --
MR. SHORR: -- that is a good idea, Charlie-san.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that we have spoken about. But I think --
MR. SHORR: You still got to go go kyu though.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. But I want to mention that you are somebody who likes to enjoy life, you like to have fun, you wrote the book to help others --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- enjoy life, --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and have fun, and feel better about themselves, and --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- who knows, maybe even, you know, be around longer. You never know.
MR. SHORR: You think -- if you give your body (indiscernible) what -- you treat that body beautifully, do you think it will do its best to return the favor, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I would certainly hope so.
MR. SHORR: It is still human. It can still get sick and die. It is human.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, where does this lead us? So, --
MR. SHORR: If you don't want to go go kyu, we won't do go kye.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I just want to know where are we going with this?
MR. SHORR: All right, all right, all right, got it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Because there has to be --
MR. SHORR: Let's --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- some type of tipping point involved (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Don't you go to that tipping point, it is too soon.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: All right, let's try to keep on the path here. Let -- all right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: All right. You do your NPB Journal.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep.
MR. SHORR: It is so important -- it is like a nerve center, but what is next? I will tell you what is next.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And what is next is so big and important, results. Oh, be rigorous in the process of keeping your NPB Journal, and follow the activities, and I believe you can do it. No different than martial arts, really.
I believe that Master Carlos Valente, and world champion Johnny Faria would approve of that. I believe it. I will ask them. They are friends now, I can go to them and ask them that question, but I believe they would certainly approve. They must believe that believing in yourself, and being rigorous in a process or training -- especially in their fabulous Brazilian jiu-jitsu -- is the right way to go.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: In my book, I state that results are incredibly powerful things. They inspire one so greatly to experience one's journey to their near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay. So, where does this actually lead to at this point?
MR. SHORR: You are trying to get to that tipping point, aren't you?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am.
MR. SHORR: Grasshopper, patience.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I want people to get actionable information.
MR. SHORR: I don't want them at the tipping point too soon.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: But go ahead.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, we can -- we can lead up to that.
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: But I think when people are considering everything that you are saying, I think it is important to help people understand that there is a pathway, nothing is necessarily immediate, but there are things that you can do immediately to put you along the way.
MR. SHORR: Ah, the student becomes the master. Yes, there are things. Okay. Results, Charlie-san.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And go kyu is fifth-level hung -- or near perfect body jiu-jitsu. It is a level -- it is a rank, like a belt rank. Okay.
Results. When you practice your NPB activities, which are the near perfect body activities, and you --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- keep them in your journal, you do these things over and over, regularly, get you to hone your focusing skills. You are backing into focusing. When you can really focus, along with some determination and training, you will find that the journey you are on to your near perfect body will start to flow.
MR. SHAPIRO: Flow.
MR. SHORR: Yes. You will still be working on it, you will still have battles to fight. However, you will see your poke-- focus -- hocus pocus (indiscernible) your focus should start to improve. But it is sort of like, not exactly second nature, but it starts to feel, shall I say, somewhat natural.
And no, we are not at the tipping point yet. But the really good things in life sometime require -- sometimes require believing in oneself, rigorously following instruction, be it NPB or other. Maybe Brazilian jiu-jitsu instruction, how is that? And patience. And, again, it should begin to feel natural.
Be patient in reaching this tipping point. For while it is truly wonderful and powerful, there is no coming back from it. I think and I really hope it is true, Charlie. I can't say for certain, I arrived at (indiscernible) the incredible event that I had to name something, I named it the tipping point. It was sometime in April of 2023, I talk about it in my book. After that, I just knew -- discovered that my near perfect body had to happen. I had given over my control of my body to the tipping point. Yet, actually, it took control from me in a wonderful and welcomed way. In my first edition, I mentioned that, but in my second edition, I don't think I did that way.
MR. SHAPIRO: How come?
MR. SHORR: Well, the third book I will write -- well, The Near Perfect Journal, NPB Journal, is going to be the second book, and we know what the first book is. The third book, assuming I can find the strength -- and I believe I will -- I will finish the discussion of this incredible thing I named, or call, or refer to as the tipping point.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay. So, why does that feel natural exactly?
MR. SHORR: Why? I firmly believe it feels natural because it is natural, it is Tao. Remember what Tao is? The way, Taoism, Lao Tzu or Laozi? Some way -- some say the smooth way things tend to operate in nature, just the may -- way we were meant to be. I keep doing my best to convince everyone that their body is a special gift. It can take you through a 100 years of life or more, and that is so wonderful. Why would anyone want to do anything, other than care for their bodies with TLC? Just follow Tao. I laid it all out my book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Well, that certainly makes sense. Anything else? We are wrapping up in a couple minutes here, and this is really --
MR. SHORR: Where does the time go, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: It does go quickly, but there is a lot here to digest.
MR. SHORR: Oh, you think? Well, don't digest too much and let's not eat too much for Christmas, please. I mean, have a good time, enjoy your loved ones, smile at each other. Breathe. Do a little hunger jiu-jitsu for Christmas, and the holidays, and Hanukkah. Don't -- you don't have to stuff yourselves, take care of your bodies. I am -- I don't want to preach.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: But it is beyond me why it is so hard for so many good and smart people to get this idea. I understand, because I was this exact way before that incredible, strange day, December 7th to 10th, 2022, when that strange and special day, unbeknownst to me -- this thing, my transformation began. And I think people are getting more aware of the importance of their bodies, and how caring for their bodies can mean more health, more good times, -- holidays or no holidays -- and even finding more happiness in life.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, as we wrap up, I just want to mention -- and before I even wrap up, you actually had said that finding more happiness in life was the whole point, the real goal of the book.
MR. SHORR: Yes, Charlie. I did and I do. And the near perfect body is a dream that came true for me, but it is still a dream. And because it is a dream, I know it can come true for others too. That is what I really want, Charlie. Happy holidays.
MR. SHAPIRO: And the -- same to you. And also, I just want to remind folks that Roger is going to be out at Abacoa, at the tribute concert series. There is going to be a Billy Joel tribute with the band Turnstiles, it is going to be Saturday evening. It is a free concert by the way, there is no admission at all, and it is in the park at the Abacoa Amphitheater.
Roger is going to be out there. He will have a tent, he will have some of his books, and most importantly even just the ability to say hi and ask some questions, and maybe learn something.
MR. SHORR: Speak of being in the park, Charlie --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Let's knock it out of the park, shall we?
MR. SHAPIRO: Did you really just say that?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: No, you did. I am taking the fifth.
MR. SHAPIRO: Roger Shorr, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Thank you again. Tune in again next week at this time. All of the shows, in case you did miss something, they are available on Spotify. You can check that out.
MR. SHORR: Nearperfectbody.com, go to the media tab.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. And all of the previous shows and future ones will be there as well. Roger Shorr, The Near Perfect Body, nearperfectbody.com.
MR. SHORR: See you at Abacoa, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Thanks again for being here, and thanks again for listening. We will catch up with you next week on another edition of the Near Perfect Radio Show. Make it a great day.
(End of Audio Recording.)
Read Full Transcript
Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody, this is Charlie Shapiro. You are on Legends Radio. Thank you for tuning in.
Roger Shorr back in the studio with us. This man is the near perfect body, and that is also the name of his book as well. Roger Shorr is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Roger, hello, and welcome back to the Legends Radio Studios.
MR. SHORR: Hi again, Charlie, and hi again, everybody out there. I can't believe it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Believe what?
MR. SHORR: Well, first, tonight is the big night. Abacoa. Thousands of friends and neighbors having a real blast, and the best part will be the fun, the entertainment. Wow, Tony Monaco? Seriously? How about that? But wait, I have a problem.
MR. SHAPIRO: And what problem is that?
MR. SHORR: Well, I am supposed to be there in my tent or whatever, in case anybody wants to buy a book. One of my books.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: They might even buy one, really. I mean, they could, it is possible. Well, that could be a problem for me, and I am sure you listeners out there understand what the problem is.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I don't see the problem here.
MR. SHORR: Well, Charlie, the listeners know what the problem is, let me advise you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Please.
MR. SHORR: Oh, certainly. I have heard that the entertainment is going to be so unbelievably fantastic. And I get to sit in my tent all by myself while everyone else gets to party?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that could be a problem.
MR. SHORR: Thanks. But guess what?
MR. SHAPIRO: What?
MR. SHORR: I have it all figured out.
MR. SHAPIRO: How is that?
MR. SHORR: Well, since no one will be at my tent checking out my book, that means I get to join everybody and enjoy Billy Joel music by the Turnstiles.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Let me explain one thing. All right, hang on just for one second. So, you will have a tent, there will be lots of people around, people are going to have a chance to meet you and hear from you, and shake your hand, and check out your book prior, for an hour or even two, to the music starting. So, I think you are going to be in a great place to be able to chat with people, and answer a few questions, and maybe folks who have been listening to this for the past several weeks have a few questions for you. So, who is going to be in the tent in case somebody drops by?
MR. SHORR: Wait a minute, an hour? I have to talk to people for a whole hour?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think --
MR. SHORR: I hardly talk at all.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think you will be able to --
MR. SHORR: Well, maybe (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- handle it.
MR. SHORR: Well, okay. But I thought you were volunteering for the job, but you know, Charlie, you help me talk to everybody about my book. I mean, the wonderful people that live in South Florida, hey, but it -- hopefully, people are listening and streaming all over the country. Maybe they hear it too.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, yeah. No, people are hearing it. So, I am not going to volunteer to be in the tent the whole time, but I definitely will stop --
MR. SHORR: Why not?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- by. And -- well, I like to spread myself around a little bit --
MR. SHORR: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- at these things, enjoying the show, and all the rest of that, and the Turnstiles are going to be great.
MR. SHORR: Yes, I know.
MR. SHAPIRO: And it should be -- it should be terrific. But I do -- I have an idea. I think --
MR. SHORR: Oh, here we go.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- I think you have somebody that you --
MR. SHORR: I know where you are going, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. Yeah, could be in the tent and, meeting and greeting people along with you.
MR. SHORR: No, don't you do that. I have --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- to ask her if I can join the party. We are talking about my wife, Jennifer, who is the real boss. Aren't we?
MR. SHAPIRO: Generally.
MR. SHORR: Aren't you?
MR. SHAPIRO: Pretty much. Yeah, they always are.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, pretty much.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: You think? What are you laughing at? All right, I am going to ask the boss. Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Can we move on now?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. Everyone listening might be interested to know a little bit of trivia. The first night of Hanukkah and Christmas are on the same day this year.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Which is this coming Wednesday. Now, I am not certain -- I would like to say I am sure, but I -- stop it, Charlie. Well, I am sure, but I am not certain -- never mind. I think that that only happened twice in the last century. I think it was 1959 and 1921, when Hanukkah and Christmas actually fell on -- the first night of Hanukkah fell on Christmas day.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh.
MR. SHORR: This century, in the new millennia, which is also -- like I said, the new millennia, it will happen, I think, at least four times that I am aware of. And that is this year, I believe it happened in 2005, I think it is going to happen in 2035, and 2054, which is a 100 years -- oh my god, I would be a 100 years old then. Don't laugh, Charlie. You are not that far behind.
MR. SHAPIRO: I know.
MR. SHORR: Well, whatever. Next. I can't believe that this is the 12th episode of the Near Perfect Radio Show. I really hope -- pardon, I am losing my voice. I really hope everyone listening, including those who hear the show up north, in the west, here in the great Palm Beaches, everywhere, they know the numbers seven, eight, nine, and 12 are very special to this time of year, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Seven, eight, nine, and 12?
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Why is that, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Well, never mind my 12 episodes of the Near Perfect Radio Show. No, no, no, no, no. I am talking about the 12 days of Christmas, that begin on Christmas day and end on January 5th. That is the 12th, which is the day of the epiphany, January 2020-- 25. Yes, I had to lean back, I can't believe it is 2025. But yes, the day --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- of the epiphany, this -- Christmas is January 5th, 2025, if I have it correct. Those days, the 12 days of Christmas, are celebrated by Catholics and other Christians all the world over. And for the Jewish religion, eight days of Hanukkah are celebrated, and it is the festival of lights.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And we can't forget the celebration of Kwanzaa from our wonderful African American friends. They celebrate it as a time of bonding and joy, but I don't think it is really tied to any religion. It is just a time to celebrate, and I think that is wonderful too. That is seven days. So, we did 12, eight, and seven. Kwanzaa, if I have my information correct -- I make mistakes, you know, like everybody -- but I believe it is December 26th through January 1st, and that should be seven days.
And let's not forget one other holiday, Las Posadas. Our Latin American friends have already began celebrating. It began on December 16, that is the nine -- it goes for nine days until Christmas Eve, I think. And on December 24th, I believe it ends, Christmas Eve. Las Posadas means the inns, or you know, like lodgings.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What a great time of year this is. It is near perfect.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh, okay. Now, let me go back. You had mentioned something a couple of minutes ago about a special gift to our listeners, and everybody loves a good gift, and our Legend's listeners are no exception. What do you got?
MR. SHORR: Well, of course, they are no exception. And absolutely, I thought a long and hard time -- I thought a lot about a great gift. I want to give the listeners something special, to the best of my ability. So, as you get ready for the fabulous event tonight -- let me back away for a minute, just talk about Abacoa one more time. I want to make certain that everybody knows to bring chairs or blankets to sit on.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Some refreshments they can bring. Aren't they selling food and drinks there also, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: There is always food and drinks for sale, everywhere --
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you go. Abacoa is no exception, and yes, they are.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, that being said, what is the gift for everyone that is --
MR. SHORR: What gift?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- listening?
MR. SHORR: No, I am kidding. No, I have a gift, I think. Well, do you remember when we were talking about New Year's resolutions?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And how I think you and I both could retire if we had one nickel, or maybe even a penny, for every broken New Year's resolution there ever was?
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay, but aren't you retired already?
MR. SHORR: Don't rub it in. No. Well, I was, and now I am working harder than ever, but not full time yet, I guess. Anyway, you just know that with all of the festivities, many people will forget that their incredible bodies are truly their homes. It is where they live. And then, they will stuff their bodies with all kinds of holiday goodies. I call them obstacles. Some are good and some are not so good. But either way, too much of either or both.
MR. SHAPIRO: Huh, what is that?
MR. SHORR: Seriously, I am not trying to say that too much of almost anything is not good. No, not at all. But there are a few things that I don't think you can ever have too much of. Two things in particular.
MR. SHAPIRO: Two things. Okay, which two things?
MR. SHORR: I never thought you would ask.
MR. SHAPIRO: I will play along, no problem.
MR. SHORR: You always play along. All right. All right. I am sure you know -- I am sure everyone knows what those two things are.
I am sure -- I am also sure -- sorry. Sure our listeners know exactly what the two things are, but because you might not, they are simply happiness and love.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Am I correct?
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Yes, you sure are. Or I am sure.
MR. SHAPIRO: I think you are, Roger. You are Roger Shorr -- forget it. We will --
MR. SHORR: Stop that.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- we will put that -- we will put that --
MR. SHORR: Would you stop that.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- joke to the side -- side for a second.
MR. SHORR: How many seconds? Let's put --
MR. SHAPIRO: I am -- I am not --
MR. SHORR: -- it aside for a year.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- sure.
MR. SHORR: New Year's resolution. All right. You are not sure, --
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, I --
MR. SHORR: -- I know (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: What I was about to say was, surely, you are knowing what you are talking about, and don't call me Shirley.
MR. SHORR: I won't call you at all. I just blocked you, man.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. Willpower.
MR. SHORR: All right, no I didn't --
MR. SHAPIRO: You are getting to --
MR. SHORR: -- block you. Come on.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- will power -- I know you are getting to will power. So, --
MR. SHORR: All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- tell me about that.
MR. SHORR: Let's get into willpower.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: What was that song by Gary Puckett, Lady Willpower? That was from 1968.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Where does our time go? Don't answer that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I don't want to know. Anyways, the parties and festivities wind down, and the new year of our 2025 begins. That is when the New Year's resolutions of so many of our listeners and other friends as well begin. And do you know what?
MR. SHAPIRO: What? Tell me.
MR. SHORR: Well, so many of them will be broken, won't they?
MR. SHAPIRO: Probably, yeah. But why is that?
MR. SHORR: Why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes, why?
MR. SHORR: That one is easy. They will fail, because like so very many always have, they want to succeed, and they truly do, but they just do not know how to deal with willpower.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Willpower, like time, can be a serious ally, or as so many New Year resolutions that have been broken prove, willpower can be a fearsome foe, an enemy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Fearsome foe. Okay.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what are you get--
MR. SHORR: Fearsome foe.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- what are you getting at?
MR. SHORR: All right. Well, think about it. People might put on some party weight, along with the fact that they might not have to be -- have been too good to their precious bodies over the past year, and often much longer. That takes their minds through the incredible and unique journey --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- we all go through in what we call life. So, again, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- your bodies are taking this -- what you really are is your mind, it is -- your body is taking you through this incredible journey of life. And I understand why so many of our listeners don't stop to think about how truly special their bodies are.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay, so why have you thought of this?
MR. SHORR: Well, I guess I thought of it because I was like that for most of my life too.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I want to say to all of you that can hear me, you only get one body and one life. Give your body the best you can, and it will do its best to return the favor.
And now here is the problem with willpower, like I say in my book, willpower is sheer effort. You might start off strong, but then time -- remember time?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Time, yes. It could be an enemy or an ally. Time gets involved, and your willpower will start to bend a little. And that funnel cake sure looks good, doesn't it? But you are out there looking at that funnel cake, I am sure some of you are.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It looks really good, doesn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, it does.
MR. SHAPIRO: It sure does.
MR. SHORR: I get it, it looked good to me too. But it doesn't anymore, because I see it as an obstacle that it really is. But anyway, fess up. You might be out there listening to me, but you are looking at that funnel cake or that cheesecake, aren't you? Come on.
Okay, maybe just that box of nasty cookies. Some of you are, admit it to yourselves. But then you say these great words, quote, I will not eat that cookie, because I am on a diet, and I shall lose weight, end quote. Well, guess what? Listeners, if you said something like that at all, I think you have already lost the game. And it is really not a game, it is your life we are talking about.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. Okay. And how do you know that?
MR. SHORR: Because I have played that losing hand many, many times, and I have seen others lose with that hand too.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. But the people listening to this show, the people that are hearing your voice, the people that maybe thinking about what is in your book, The Near Perfect Body: Pathway to Yours, they have at least some willpower. I am -- I am sure, Roger, of that.
MR. SHORR: Sorry, Charlie. I must tune you out. I am sure you are Shapiro.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: But anyway, let me help our listeners, if I may, to quote, better figure, end quote this out for themselves. Better figure, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: They are smart. And once they know about, and begin to rigorously practice hunger jiu-jitsu, they will be on their way to what? Success, yes.
So, they want to lose weight, do they? Well, like I said before, it should not be about losing weight. Don't starve yourself. Don't be miserable. Lose weight, and you still might not look good, nor feel great.
I hate the word diet. It sounds and feels like I am dying. Willpower to not eat is like willpower to hold your breath. You are strong at first, but you will weaken quick, and the New Year's resolution is broken again. Wash, rinse, repeat. And it gets much, much worse.
MR. SHAPIRO: Worse how, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Well, as our friends, our listeners tuning in must know, that every year that goes by we are continuing to run out of what? Time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Unless you are in denial, and I don't mean the river. But life is precious, is it not?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, of course, it is.
MR. SHORR: And time is precious, no?
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: But time is life, and life is time. And time and life are a fabulous gift that must not, nor ever be wasted. In so doing, we ultimately run out of time, which means what, Charlie? You want to guess?
MR. SHAPIRO: Tell us. Tell --
MR. SHORR: Tell you?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, tell everybody.
MR. SHORR: I will tell everybody.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: It is no secret. It is not magic. It is no mystery. When we truly run out of all of our time, we die, don't we? It is over.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: There is no more time left. If there is no time, you are not here anymore.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Maybe you are up there, hopefully. But that will happen to us all anyway. But my message is this, use willpower correctly and you can win. Here is how. If you follow the easy steps I have laid out in my book -- and you can buy a copy from me at Abacoa, or my website nearperfectbody.com, or even Amazon, sure -- you will learn how to become your own best friend.
So, important. So, essential to be your own best friend. If you are not, how can you expect anybody else to love you, if you don't love yourself? Come on.
Then you will keep a journal, the NPB Journal. I lay it out in the book too, and you will learn hunger jiu-jitsu. A lot of fun. It works. I believe it, and others have made it work for them too. Very special. When that funnel cake, or that cookie is trying to seduce you, you shall use your willpower to do the activities to help you reprogram your mind, so that the cakes and cookies lose their power over you, and the rest of the junk food and overeating to boot. At least it seems so easy and likely to me. I have done it, and others are doing it now too.
And I had another friend, that I hadn't seen for a year, and he said -- he said, Roger. I said -- I am not going to say his name, but I said, you look a lot different and better. He says, I lost 35 pounds. He said, a friend of mine told me what to do, and he was looking right at me, Charlie. Listeners, it is -- it is what it is.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: There are a number of different ways to defeat the hunger beast. Remember the hunger beast?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Okay. It can show up looking like a cookie. The hunger beast has disguises, metaphorically. Or a funnel cake or too much pasta. It has many disguises, and often it attacks you disguised as all of these things at once on the holiday table. A potent and powerful hunger jiu-jitsu move I like to use is found within the formidable pattern interrupt I discuss in my book. Part of it recommends this -- and I know we have talked about this before, Charles.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I am sure the listeners will remember this. Take that nasty cookie, or that stupid funnel cake -- and yeah, I assign them bad adjectives, because I am trying to associate bad with what I believe are obstacles to our happiness -- our near perfect bodies.
Take it into the bathroom, seriously. If you can, take off your shirt and look in the mirror as you hold that cookie up -- or whatever you are holding up. Look at yourself and the cookie in the reflection, and out loud say this. Quote, why in the world am I letting this stupid cookie and other garbage rob me of my happiness? I want my near perfect body, and I am so helpless against this damn dumb cookie that I will let it win and keep me looking like this for the rest of my life? Seriously? What kind of friend am I being to myself to allow that? Let the listeners answer that question if it -- if it applies to anyone they know. I don't know.
So, now what you should do, as you are standing there looking at the funnel cake, cookie, or whatever -- it is trying to seduce you -- and finally seeing it for what it truly is, and maybe for the first time in your life. What should you do?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What should you do?
MR. SHAPIRO: What should -- what should I do? What should --
MR. SHORR: What should --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- they do?
MR. SHORR: -- anybody do --
MR. SHAPIRO: What should anybody do?
MR. SHORR: -- with that obstacle that you thought was a treat? It wasn't a treat. It is -- tell me that great big hot fudge sundae isn't standing between you and -- as an obstacle for you to get your near perfect body, and to be happier and healthier? Tell me that is not the case?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, it is an obstacle.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. Okay, what do you do with it? I will -- I will suggest something. I don't want to tell anybody to do anything, I just like to suggest things. You take that obstacle, now that you can see it for what it really is, to your near perfect body, you take that -- it is a cookie, you crush it in your hand, and you throw that crummy obstacle. Get it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is crummy now. It always was crummy, in my opinion. You throw it into the trash can, and you go get some nice, tasty fruit. A delicious orange, a sweet apple, or something nice and helpful to your journey towards your near perfect body. How is that?
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, it is amazing what you were able to do. And it is amazing what apparently others can do --
MR. SHORR: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- as well.
MR. SHORR: Right. Besides having a big mouth and talking too much, I am no different than anybody else. We are all connected. And if any time of the year is the time to know that we are all connected, it is the holiday season. Isn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Okay. And I hope I don't offend anybody by saying this, but in a way, in a sense, I think, in my own personal opinion, cookies are the devil. They were to me. Beer didn't help much for me. And as I said in my book, I have launched -- I really did -- launched a vendetta against cookies.
And I was making a joke, but there is some -- a little bit of being serious there, because in my view, the cookies stood in the way between me and my near perfect body, but they actually didn't really stand in the way. Who was standing in my way, Charlie? Who was in my way? I was in my way.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Exactly. So, I will say this to anyone that is listening and is interested, in either feeling happier, and healthier, or maybe having the near perfect body, or both. Think about launching your own vendetta against those obstacles disguised these treats, cookies, cream pies, or just way too much pasta, or double cheeseburgers, large fries, etcetera, ad nauseam. They keep your body -- or I should say, they contribute toward keeping your body from looking amazing, along with your feeling much, much better. Perhaps happier, perhaps living longer, so you can have more of these wonderful holidays in your life.
Now since it is so early in the day, I hope you listeners out there having pancakes with syrup and greasy bacon for breakfast this morning will once and for all stop, stand up for yourselves, your precious bodies. And for goodness sakes, again, stand up for that precious body that you only get one of. Try it. Throw that junk in the trash can where it belongs, and have some nice oatmeal, or fortified cereal, and some fruit. Or perhaps, a nice medium sized banana, and a not too big of a bowl of good cereal, you know, fortified like I just said. You know what is good for you. I don't have to tell the audience, all of you people out there that are listening, what is good to eat and what is bad. Everybody knows that the -- the donuts, and the cupcakes are not the ideal health food.
MR. SHAPIRO: Not the ideal.
MR. SHORR: No, not ideal. Not even close to ideal. How about nowhere near ideal? In my opinion.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, as we are wrapping up with just a couple of minutes left in the half hour.
MR. SHORR: Oh, no, we are out of time again? Are you --
MR. SHAPIRO: We are.
MR. SHORR: -- kidding me?
MR. SHAPIRO: It goes fast.
MR. SHORR: It is the holiday season. We don't have a -- why don't we extend the show?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, that would be great if we could, but we can't. So, let me just tell --
MR. SHORR: We can do anything we put our minds to.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- let me just tell -- well, the clock cannot be extended, as you have noted in many cases.
MR. SHORR: But we are running out of time again?
MR. SHAPIRO: We are. So, I just want to --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- I just want to remind people that tonight is a tribute concert to Billy Joel at Abacoa. If you would like to meet -- by the way, it is a free concert.
MR. SHORR: Yes, and free is good this time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Free is good.
MR. SHORR: Free is not always good.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, in this case, free is good.
MR. SHORR: Sometimes you need to pay for good things.
MR. SHAPIRO: And in this case, you don't have to.
MR. SHORR: Okay, fine.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, not only can you enjoy the music of Billy Joel, you can stop by and, meet in person, Roger Shorr, the author and person in the studio here at Legends, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. He will have books available, if people would like to pick one up, or just chat about it and check it out. And if you buy a book, is it safe to say you will sign it for somebody, if that is what they want?
MR. SHORR: If I have somebody that actually wants to buy a whole book, I -- you know, I will do my best.
MR. SHAPIRO: I am --
MR. SHORR: I always do.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- I am pretty sure --
MR. SHORR: But --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you are not going to be selling partial books.
MR. SHORR: I mean, more than -- okay, if I sell a book or more -- I will always do my best. But I want to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Los Posadas to everyone.
MR. SHAPIRO: Very nice. All right. The Near Perfect Radio Show comes to a close for another week -- another week. Roger Shorr, The Near Perfect Body -- he is the author of the Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. The book is the second edition, it is available on nearperfectbody.com, as well as pretty much everywhere else. You might buy a book, including Amazon, and at his tent this evening in Jupiter at Abacoa. And I feel very safe in saying that Roger really would like to meet you, and --
MR. SHORR: It is going to be great.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and hear --
MR. SHORR: And the Turnstiles.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and hear your ideas, and hear your challenges. And he has got a lot to say. A lot of it is in the book, and some of it isn't. So, stop by and meet Roger at Abacoa.
MR. SHORR: And Tony Monaco, you are going to love him.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is it. All right. To be continued next week on Legends Radio. Thanks everybody for listening.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of the Near Perfect Radio Show. And we call this program the Near Perfect Radio Show because Roger Shorr, spelled S-H-O-R-R, Roger Shorr is on the other side of this control board here at Legends Radio, and he is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. And about a week ago, you had a chance to be out shaking hands, and -- I don't know if you are kissing babies, but you were shaking hands and --
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and meeting people at Abacoa. And it was wonderful to have you with us, and be a part of the tribute concert series, and give you the chance to meet a bunch of people.
MR. SHORR: No. Actually, it was wonderful for me to be there, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and having such a wonderful time with so many fantastic people. I don't even know what to say. I got to go look for my bag of words again, because I can't find the words to --
MR. SHAPIRO: You know, we have been doing --
MR. SHORR: Do you have it over there? And speaking about other side of --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: -- the control panel, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- that whole thing was -- it felt like it was so much fun, it was out of control.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you know, we have been doing those shows out at Abacoa, in Jupiter, at the amphitheater, --
MR. SHORR: Out at Abacoa, yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Out at Abacoa.
MR. SHORR: Out at -- yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: In Jupiter, at the amphitheater, right there at Abacoa. It is a --
MR. SHORR: It was incredible.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is a lovely place. We get --
MR. SHORR: Oh, the music, please.
MR. SHAPIRO: You know, we have been very, very lucky, because the bands that have been over the past few years -- we have been doing it about four, four and a half years -- we have hit the jackpot pretty much every single time. And you know, it is a free show that gets done the third Saturday of each month, and that is going to continue, and we hope to have you back out there. But what I would -- what I would love to be able to hear from you today, Roger, is how you felt being able to actually, after a few months of doing the radio shows, come in contact with some Legends listeners, and other local residents that have an interest in seeing some life improvement for themselves.
MR. SHORR: Excuse me. Listeners, did he just say he hopes to have me back there? How are you going to stop me from going back? I -- what is -- when is the next show, and who is going to be there?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is the third Saturday of January.
MR. SHORR: Well, put me down.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: Not -- no this time, I will just party like everybody else. It was incredible.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: How did I feel about seeing these wonderful listeners come by, and all these great friends of mine? I -- look, I told a lot of people I know to come to Abacoa. And guess what?
MR. SHAPIRO: All two thousand of them showed up.
MR. SHORR: That was all? You mean --
MR. SHAPIRO: A little more (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- two thousand per hour? And then, they got --
MR. SHAPIRO: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- kind of crowded at the last -- after the first 10 minutes, right?
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Yes, okay. But anyway, how did I feel? I am still looking for that bag of words. Fantastic? No, that is not good enough. Breathtaking? I have used that too many times. I can't find the words. It was -- it was -- what a party.
MR. SHAPIRO: Near perfect?
MR. SHORR: Nearer to perfect.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nearer to perfect.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. Got it.
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Charles.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, I want to pick up a little bit. This -- you know, as we -- as we sort of wrap up the calendar year, we are -- we are now a few days after Christmas, we have New Year's coming up.
MR. SHORR: What a time of year it is. Isn't it great?
MR. SHAPIRO: It is fantastic, but I am concerned, because after talking with you each week for the last few months now, one of the things that you have mentioned to me and to the listeners several times, is that people make all sorts of New Year's resolutions. And what I would love to know is, are there some -- you know, you talk about hunger jiu-jitsu, are there any things like a resolution jiu-jitsu?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: No? Okay.
MR. SHORR: No resolution jiu-jitsu. You are right back to it. I have to say, our listeners, I am sure they understand that if you want to learn Karate or Gung-Fu -- and some say Kung-Fu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I believe Mandarin is more of a Gung-Fu, and I think Cantonese, perhaps, more of a Kung-Fu.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If you want to learn any of those one -- and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, remember my new friends?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: World champion Johnny Faria and the incredible coral belt, professor Carlos Valente.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: If you want to learn these things, you don't just learn how to throw a punch, or learn how to do a hold. It is a discipline. But still, I think there is a few things that might help, but once again, I don't want anybody to be unsuccessful. I didn't write the book for people to fail at it. And I don't believe you can become a good karateka or jujitsuka if you don't study the process.
But okay, resentment. If you start to resent those things that are in your way for your near perfect body, and you focus on resenting and really seeing them for what they are, perhaps you will start to realize that that goodie, that candy that you like so much, that you don't even think about half the time that you are eating, is not the tasty treat you thought it was.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Perhaps it is something different, because I think it is. I think it is not a good thing for your near perfect body. I don't think it is a good thing for this wonderful gift from nature, or heaven, or from wherever that takes us through life. Resent those goodies.
Don't say, I am not going to eat it, I am not going to eat it. And then, a week later, well, maybe a little bit, maybe one or two, and then you are right back to the bad habits. But if you can see things for how they really are, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- perhaps, -- although I hate to say it, but you are asking -- perhaps it will be enough to make a difference. That is the best I can do.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you were saying over the past few months, and I am sure you have said it off the radio as well as on, that finding more happiness in life was the real goal of your book. You discovered something for yourself and --
MR. SHORR: I did.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and it obviously worked.
MR. SHORR: Well, thank you. It works. It didn't work past tense, it still works.
MR. SHAPIRO: So it is working.
MR. SHORR: Yes. And do you know how easy it is for me to keep this weight?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I don't actually.
MR. SHORR: I don't -- I am not sure -- I don't know if I can convey how easy it is. It is second nature. I don't reject the cookies, or fight them off. They are not in the program anymore. I don't think about them, unless we are talking about them now on the show, or I am writing another book, God help me. But no, when you reprogram your mind it is -- we are very much like computers. How could we not be like computers? Think about what the brain and the mind is. Do we take in information called data? Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Do we store it? Well, that is called memory, isn't it? Although mine is not that good.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Well, maybe for some things it is great, but some things like names it is all -- jeez, name tags, please. Anyway, we take this data in, and it is -- it becomes some good and some not so good. And the bad data is the bad habits, which make these beautiful bodies that nature gave us to look great, not look so good, not feel so good.
But let me remind everybody of one important thing, and please never forget it. You give your body the best you can, and it will do its best back. I believe that to be true. Ask your doctor, that is the quarterback, the main person that guides your health and protects you. You give it the best you can, it will give you its best back.
But it is still human. What does that mean? Listeners, everybody knows what that means.
MR. SHAPIRO: What does it mean?
MR. SHORR: You can still get sick, and it will die, but it will give you the best possible journey through life. Think about that when you are looking at that cookie. And then, think about how you feel with -- in a bathing suit, or with your shirt off. Is it worth it? I didn't think so.
And when I started to see it that way, looking at it differently, I said -- I have said to you before, it was different this time. It was different this time. It is different this time. I just got the bad code out of my head. I replaced it with -- you can't have a good habit of not eating bad things combined with a bad habit of eating bad things, it just doesn't work.
So, the good pushed the bad out, and it doesn't --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- I don't think about it anymore, unless we are having this conversation. And now, I think about the oatmeal raisin cookies that I used to love, and guess what? You could put a stack of them this big in front of me. I would say, what is your point?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I am not kidding, and I am looking at -- right at you, Charlie. And you know, I am --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- telling you the absolute truth, as I -- as I feel it, and I believe it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think, in your book you are basically trying to set people up for the mindset so they have the chance to be more --
MR. SHORR: No, I don't set people up.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I suggest that they go to the path that I have done my best to lay out for them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: I am sorry, but set up doesn't feel right to me.
MR. SHAPIRO: I was going to say setting them up for success, by giving them --
MR. SHORR: How about --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- ideas and --
MR. SHORR: -- pointing the way for them to find success for themselves?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, but that is based on the success that you found, and that you are still finding --
MR. SHORR: It is just --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for yourself.
MR. SHORR: -- the pathway that I found. It is the pathway of self-discovery.
MR. SHAPIRO: And the pathway to yours. Exactly. It is right there on the cover of the Near Perfect Body book (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Once again, sorry to say, the student has become the master. You floored me with that one, that was a total knockout.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, thank you.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: But it is right there on the cover of the book.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, I know it is on the --
MR. SHAPIRO: And --
MR. SHORR: -- cover of the book. But you know, sometimes, you know --
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, you wrote it.
MR. SHORR: I -- yes, and I remember the subtitle. I remember --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- Martin Hall was one of my first endorsers.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And the title wasn't -- I don't think at the top of his -- you know, good job list. And I think he -- if I remember correctly, I think he suggested to me that I needed to -- more, and I struggled with that for a long time.
MR. SHAPIRO: I just want to remind folks who Martin Hall is, for the -- for the -- I mean, obviously, in this area with the PGA, people are much more --
MR. SHORR: How about --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- educated about this.
MR. SHORR: -- NBC School of Golf? He celebrated 400 episodes last August, as the -- I think he is the professor, he runs it pretty much.
MR. SHAPIRO: Master Professional of the PGA --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- of Great Britain and Ireland, 2008 PGA of America, National Teacher of the Year. Here is what this man said -- here is what Martin Hall said about you and your book.
Quote, Roger has undergone a spectacular transformation. In his highly entertaining book, he shares how you can follow the same path to achieve your near perfect body. There are many books on diets and fitness out there, but this book is right on target. That is what Martin Hall has to say.
MR. SHORR: Martin Hall was the result of an epiphany I had.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And that epiphany led to another epiphany. Would you like me to share those epiphanies?
MR. SHAPIRO: Please do.
MR. SHORR: I am on the driving range. And my mother, may she rest in peace, Janet, had always said to me with golf -- she said, Roger -- and I don't know that she came up with this on her own, it doesn't matter. She said, Roger, you can't beat golf, you can only play it. And she was right, may she rest in peace. She was a wonderful mother.
I had an epiphany one day on the driving range, and it hits me. I -- like I said to you once before, I think on the show -- the Near Perfect Radio Show -- I said, I have had enough psychology to be, maybe, dangerous. But I remember one thing. If I do the same thing continuously, I am reinforcing it. And I realized I was not swinging correctly, and I look around, and I am like, well, I am not swinging correctly, and a lot of these other guys aren't either.
Why would I play such a difficult game? It is near impossible. And I mean it, near impossible. Okay? If I didn't know what I was doing, well, hey, guess what? News flash, time to get a professional. I had had lessons here and there, but never seriously gone after them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I knew Martin Hall was there, but I couldn't get to him yet, so I ended up working with some other good pros. And then Michael Koehler works right under Martin, he is a young man, very, very fit, very -- you know, very muscular, and I trained with him. And I told him, I said, Michael, if Martin ever becomes available, I am -- I want Martin. He says, okay. And guess what? One day, Martin became available.
I was not a good golfer at all, and he is a fabulous teacher. And between the two of us, I got to okay, and getting better. I can hit the ball --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- pretty good a lot of times, but focus is still something I keep working at. Then after that epiphany, and I realized now I am practicing swinging the club correctly, and when I hit the ball, I hit it.
I am in the fitness center in February of 2023, I was losing a lot of weight. People were coming up to me, Roger, what are you doing? I -- just, you know, doing my thing. And they said, well wow, why don't you write down what you are doing? And I said, uh-oh, here we go. And I realized that this great gift that was -- I was getting, it was different. It had a string attached. And I mentioned this before, the string was, I had to share this gift. I don't even know if I really had a choice. I even say in the about the author section that -- and I said this before on the radio show, I remember that. It is almost as if something found me, I wasn't looking for this.
But anyway, fitness center. Now, the next epiphany. I am lifting weights, I am lifting weights, I am -- but I am not seeing a lot, so -- oh, wait a minute, am I doing this wrong too? Absolutely, I am. It hit me. Next stop, my trainer, Nadine. Next stop. March one, the first time we worked together. Six weeks after -- now I had lost a lot of weight, and I had -- this is -- I am fairly strong, because I had lifted weights, but six weeks later, what is going on? I am taking pictures, I am like, what is happening? I am going to be 69 in -- May 26.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Just gave my birthday away. Okay. And now, for the first time, I am starting to really like what I see. Gob smacked. I think I said it in my book, I was that and stunned.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And then May 1st, near perfect body day, I looked in the mirror and looking back at me was -- I just couldn't even believe it anymore. It was just like, what is going on? But I had to write it, and I shared it, and there it is. And you are holding it in your hand, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours.
And again, as I was struggling for that subtitle, I kept trying. and doing my best. And finally, one day, I spoke to a doctor, and I said -- this doctor was a great doctor, and we are going back and forth, and I said, and the pathway to yours, and the doctor said, yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And there it is. That is what happened.
MR. SHAPIRO: Speaking of doctors, tell me who doctor Jeffrey Yablong is, please?
MR. SHORR: Wonderful guy. Funny, you know, I did my audio book. I spoke all the words myself, but I couldn't do my own endorsements. I couldn't sit there and speak about what this doctor, and that doctor, and this athletic director said about me, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and Martin. I could--
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- I wasn't comfortable.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, I reached out, and a lot of them -- not all of them, but a lot of them said, okay. Doctor Yablong was kind enough to come into the studio. He is a wonderful man, he was an ER doctor. Do you know what that means? You never -- it is like -- it is like Forrest Gump, the box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. He is in the emergency room. He is in the --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: -- emergency room, who knows what the next ambulance is going to bring to him? But he spent his life caring for bodies.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Is it any wonder I have such enormous respect for doctors? They spend their lives taking care of these wonderful gifts. And that Dr. Yablong, excellent man, good man, excellent doctor, emergency room doctor, I was -- I am so honored that he did this for me. I am so honored by all my endorsements.
MR. SHAPIRO: So there are a number, actually quite a few, --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- endorsements in the book, The Near Perfect Body.
MR. SHORR: Six MDs and some other great professionals.
MR. SHAPIRO: I just want to read what Dr. Yablong said. Doctor -- he is a past member of the American College of Family Practice, and here is Dr. Jeffrey Yablong speaking about Roger's book.
Quote, The Near Perfect Body is the ideal starting point for the rest of your life. The book stands alone in the way it offers assistance for achieving your near perfect body. It is charming and fun to read, yet it is amazingly practical and educational for anyone seriously working toward, or desiring to improve overall health, fitness, their body's appearance, and their general sense of well-being.
This book is not only a great read, it is a must read. The general principles, Dr. Yablong continues, espoused in this book can be applied to other areas of living. Not just living healthy, but prospering, and creating a legacy for your family, your friends, and associates. Just consider Roger's thoughtful presentation and road map, everyone should read this book. And he finishes by saying, doctor's orders.
What a -- what a terrific testimonial. What a great endorsement. And Dr. Yablong is just one of many that are in here. And I think -- you know, I -- we haven't known each other that long. It has been a few months now, I have had a chance to get to know you a little. And what I have -- what I have seen in you is not just somebody who is passionate about sharing your success story with others, but you are kind of on a crusade to help people understand that all of these things are, in fact, actually possible. And when you hear and see some of the endorsements of your book, it really is pretty impressive. And it must be maybe a little humbling here and there.
MR. SHORR: It is overwhelming. It is just -- it is overwhelming. When I listened to you read that just now, I -- all I can say is this, for those that want the audiobook when it is ready -- hopefully in a month, it will be on the website -- you will hear Dr. Yablong say those words. And I am out of words for the moment.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, let me help you with this.
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: I would like to go back to the idea of healthy eating, and the hunger jiu-jitsu that you have used as a phrase. Which I love that phrase, because it does --
MR. SHORR: It is true, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: It --
MR. SHORR: It is what it is.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You know what jiu-jitsu is? It is your ability to use your opponent's power against itself. Can't you see that hunger, it is a primal instinct. We can't live without it, but we can -- I isolate it, and look at it as something that we can control?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: In jiu-jitsu and martial arts, in order to be -- you have to have an opponent to use your skills with or against.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, the hunger jiu-jitsu looks at hunger, isolates it, gets it away from you, turns it into this hunger beast. Yeah, you feel it --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- in combat, you feel your opponent. You don't think so? Unless you miss every shot -- you dodge every shot.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You feel the hunger. But in so doing, you can isolate it, and say, you know what? First, I will have some fruit.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Before dinner, let's take dinner.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Once again -- sorry to repeat myself, listeners, but this is, I think, very important. I am going to have -- no, I am not going to stuff myself with fruit. I will have maybe a handful of delicious strawberries. Why? I just want to take the edge off. That is all.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: It is not magic, I am not re-inventing the wheel. Maybe a little bit. And then, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you are -- you are re-inventing how to look at the wheel, if nothing else.
MR. SHORR: You are getting too sharp for me, man. Okay. fair enough. Take it away, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, in the book, you talk about the hunger beast.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: You talk about all of these (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Well it is a hunger beast, but it is a good thing. Hunger, we have to have hunger, we have to eat to survive. But why else do we eat? Well, some people eat for fun, or --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- mindlessly, you know, impulse eating. They -- you get a bag of cookies, and you start eating, and then you don't put the bag down. You were at my house, what did we do with those treats I brought out? Those healthy cashews.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We didn't hold the bag, I didn't have you hold -- you hold the bag.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We took some out, and I took the bag away.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: It sounds so simple, it is simple. The whole thing is simple, you just have to look at it the right way. If you are not holding the -- holding the bag, you are not mindlessly pulling the treats out --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- and eating them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Okay, fair enough.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Anyway, I weigh myself before dinner. Are you kidding me? I got pushback from friends I talked to in the -- in the very first writing, in the first manuscript of the first edition. What are you talking about, weigh yourself before dinner? Yes. Why? Why do I weigh myself before dinner, Charlie? You want to -- I would ask the listeners, but I can't, you know.
MR. SHAPIRO: Why do you weigh yourself before dinner?
MR. SHORR: Because it works, and here is why. If I stand on the scale before dinner, and the number is higher than I want it to be, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and then I sit down at the table and there is a big plate of pasta in front of me, are you kidding me? I am already above the number I thought I was going to be, and I am going to stuff my face with pasta? I don't think so.
Let's try something else. There is only three possible outcomes, I think.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Oh, look, the weight is lower. The number is going down, that is good. It is a result, things are working. Now I sit down at the same plate of pasta. I don't think I am going to sabotage my good results, am I? No.
Oh, the last one -- and once again, we are assuming -- maybe we shouldn't assume anything, but we are onto the presumption that we are working toward a near perfect body, or just looking better and feeling better.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You don't have to have the near perfect body if you want to come along on this book. So if it is down, -- the weight is down -- I am not going to sabotage myself. If it is up, are you kidding me? I am already going backwards, I am not going to make it worse. But here is the last part, what happens if there has been no change?
MR. SHAPIRO: That is a great question. What does happen?
MR. SHORR: Well, you have been trying -- try is a week word, I say, do your best. You have been doing your best to improve, and nothing is happening. Maybe you start to resent that pasta. Maybe you start to realize that that pasta, and overeating, and those cookies -- oh, what is for dessert? A hot fudge sundae with a -- with disastrous whipped cream -- horrible hot fudge sundae with a dopey cherry on top. I say that in my book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Are you kidding? I am running out of time, I am getting older, I am not happy with the way I look. My weight hasn't moved, and I am supposed to eat all of this stuff? When you weigh yourself, you are putting data in the front of your mind. I say the top of your mind.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You sit down at the table -- how about if you haven't weighed yourself for a week? You are not even thinking about it. And there is (indiscernible) oh, the pasta looks great. Do you see how we are -- we are working with our mindset? We are reprogramming, we are doing things differently. Because if you have done things the same way, and it never worked before, why would you expect any change doing it the same way?
MR. SHAPIRO: So, a lot of people purposefully avoid getting on the scale.
MR. SHORR: Why, because they won't face reality?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: Because -- yeah, well --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: -- well -- well, if you can't be your own best -- we are right back to your own best friend.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Maybe one of the most important elements of being a best friend is being able to look your friend in the eye and tell them something, if you believe in your heart that it is in their best interest to hear, even if it can risk the friendship. So, if that is the case and you -- the scale is your friend.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, it is a little tough love, isn't it, in a way?
MR. SHORR: No.
MR. SHAPIRO: No?
MR. SHORR: It is love, period. Just --
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: -- get over yourself, stop worrying about it, and get on with your life. How can you ever expect to achieve anything worthwhile if you stand in your own way?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You won't stop, but you are being an enemy to yourself if -- you have to embrace reality.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, when you were writing the book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, did you keep all of this in mind as you were writing it? Or did you go through some sort of phase from chapter to chapter to move people in a particular direction?
MR. SHORR: Oh, man. I don't even know where to begin to answer that one. I can only tell you, it started with that can of beer.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: A few days later, for some reason -- I don't know why this happened, I wasn't looking for anything that -- I say it over and over, a few days later, all of a sudden, the same question kind of hits me. What is this garbage junk food, I call it now, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- or junk doing for me? It is not helping me, it is not helping me. And then, you know, a few days after that, I am like, let's exercise, let's look at that again. I wasn't looking for this, it just kind of happened. Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we are running out of time. What I would like to say is -- and it does go fast, because this is all powerful, meaningful stuff.
MR. SHORR: And it goes faster and faster as we get older and older. You know why, don't you? Because we reckon time, I believe, based on how long we have been here.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, next week, maybe you --
MR. SHORR: All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- come back and you, between now and then, give a little bit of thought to what was your process of writing the book. Not just from a factual, personal experience, but what you were trying to convey at different points in the book. I think people would --
MR. SHORR: No, I didn't try --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- love to hear that.
MR. SHORR: -- to convey it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: I conveyed it. I didn't try, I did it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Sorry, but --
MR. SHAPIRO: Don't be sorry, that is what --
MR. SHORR: All right, I am not sorry.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- that is what people want.
MR. SHORR: All right, I just -- you know, I don't want to --
MR. SHAPIRO: Sorry, not sorry.
MR. SHORR: Exactly. Hey, Happy New Year.
MR. SHAPIRO: Happy New Year to you as well. The Near Perfect Body --
MR. SHORR: Hey, it was a great year -- and a near perfect year. Let's make next year a nearer to perfect year, how is that?
MR. SHAPIRO: Cheers.
MR. SHORR: Listeners, enjoy. Drive carefully, treat your bodies well, do your best not to overdo the alcohol, and the eating --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- if you can.
MR. SHAPIRO: And let's all be back in 2025.
MR. SHORR: And happy and healthy, and let's be happier and healthier. And maybe some of us will get our near perfect body, or nearer to perfect.
MR. SHAPIRO: The website goes along with the title of the book. It is Near Perfect Body, that is -- the name of the book is The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, the website, nice and simple, nearperfectbody.com. The book is available there, it is also on Amazon, and if you would like to know more about Roger Shorr, spelled S-H-O-R-R, just Google Roger Shorr. There is a lot of information about this man out there on the web. Thank you again for being here. We will talk to you --
MR. SHORR: Thank you for having me, and Happy New Year to everybody.
MR. SHAPIRO: Back next week on Legends Radio. Have a great day, everybody.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hi, everybody. Legends Radio is what you are listening to. I am Charlie Shapiro. This is the Near Perfect Radio Show. We are back, and we are on to episode number 14 with our friend, Roger Shorr, who is the author, as you know by now, of The Near Perfect Body: and The Pathway to Yours.
Hello again, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Hello, Charlie. But I don't know how we got to episode 14, because I was only planning on doing four episodes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, we did 13, and here we are with the next one.
MR. SHORR: Well, that was a lucky episode, wasn't it?
MR. SHAPIRO: It was.
MR. SHORR: Lucky 13.
MR. SHAPIRO: It was. So, for the last two or three months, what have you, we have been talking obviously about the book, and how your life changed, and how your goal --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- is to help other people understand --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- your pathway to success. And then, figure out ways where you can let others know that it, in fact, worked for you, which is why you wrote the book, because you were motivated to help others find a similar pathway.
MR. SHORR: You got it right, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you very much.
MR. SHORR: You are welcome.
MR. SHAPIRO: And we also have talked off the air recently --
MR. SHORR: Many times.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- about the idea of bringing in other folks to the studio who the book has helped in one way or another, one impactful way or another impactful way. And one of the things that you had brought to my attention earlier was the endorsements that are --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in this book.
MR. SHORR: Oh.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is a high caliber of individual, and here in Palm Beach County, that says something, because there is a lot of high caliber people here. And when somebody has read your book, taken the information, and decided that it would be helpful for others to come into the studio, and talk a little bit about how Roger Shorr's book has helped them, that would be a great thing to do.
MR. SHORR: Well, I have my bag of words again, and this time, I can't find any word in there except for humbling. Because it is so humbling to have such wonderful, smart, accomplished people come back and give me this kind of -- what do you want to call it? A compliment, an acc-- what -- I don't even know, it is just overwhelming.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, we are going to find out because, Dr. Paul Reimer is in the studio with us today. Hello, doctor.
DR. REIMER: Hi, glad to be here. Thanks for having me.
MR. SHAPIRO: So Dr. Reimer is an ophthalmologist who -- no pun intended -- sees things, and sees things in others.
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: And so, you are at a point in your life where you have clearly been successful as a doctor. Things are okay.
DR. REIMER: And I (indiscernible) time enjoying Florida.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is -- I mean, this is the place to --
DR. REIMER: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- be, actually.
DR. REIMER: I don't like cold weather anymore.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is almost stereotypical, we have a doctor, you know, in the studio here. But I -- so, I just want to talk a little bit about and have it in your words. Give me a sense, and give the Legends Radio audience a sense, of where your health was when you were younger. And you know, we talk about the pathway here a lot, I think the listeners would benefit by hearing about your pathway. Not just the career part, but how you felt when you were younger, what changed, and how getting your hands on Roger Shorr's book, The Near Perfect Body, had an effect on you.
So, let's start. You were in medical school, this is back in Richmond, you mentioned.
DR. REIMER: I went to medical school in Richmond, Virginia, Medical College of Virginia from '68 to '73, that includes the internship. And then, I went on to Philadelphia for four years, and did residency at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And then, I practiced for almost 35 years in South Jersey. That is Atlantic and Cape May County, very close to Philadelphia.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And I have always participated in sports, kept myself in shape, you know, in addition to practicing ophthalmology.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: I never really had any health problems. You know, I was young, obviously. I played tennis, I was a very avid road boker (phonetic), raced bikes, and then I got into weightlifting, I skied. But fast forward in my life, I started playing golf. And I kind of --
MR. SHORR: Good luck (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: which you are laughing Roger. But you know, --
MR. SHORR: Good luck.
DR. REIMER: -- golf you can languish somewhat.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, did the two of you meet on the golf course?
DR. REIMER: No, no, we met here locally.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, okay.
MR. SHORR: At a restaurant.
DR. REIMER: (Indiscernible) actually.
MR. SHORR: At a restaurant.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
DR. REIMER: Yeah. And as I got older, I started -- I started having some health problems.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: Do you want me to be somewhat specific? Or --
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, it doesn't have to be too specific, just for, --
DR. REIMER: Okay, I --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you know, --
DR. REIMER: -- I had cancer, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- and then recently I had a hip replaced.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: A lot of it, I could -- probably be just related to getting older.
MR. SHAPIRO: Sure.
DR. REIMER: But I got away from the gym, and working out, and got -- became somewhat lazy.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, this is Palm Beach County, doctor.
DR. REIMER: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: Everybody --
DR. REIMER: It is easy to get lazy.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- every --
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: At some point or another, we are all getting put up on the proverbial lift, and we are getting some parts replaced here and there.
MR. SHORR: Speak for yourselves, --
DR. REIMER: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- gentlemen.
MR. SHAPIRO: They are -- they are doing a little bit of work on us, but that is the physical part. And I think that it is always, as Roger has been talking about now for the past few months on this show and in person as well, it is not just the physical, it is how you think about your health, how you think about --
MR. SHORR: Oh, yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- how you are going to handle your health.
MR. SHORR: Now (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: And so, what I was going to ask was, what drew you to the book, and is there any part of it that directly applied to self-improvement that seems to have --
DR. REIMER: Oh, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- resonated with you?
DR. REIMER: -- a lot. So, after my hip was replaced, and this is really a narrow window, October 7th. The first month I couldn't do very much, I was outside of Philly, I wasn't down here in Florida. And I got back here in the beginning of November -- this is remarkable -- I said, you know what? I -- they told me I couldn't play golf. So, that was really a big part of my life, it --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
DR. REIMER: -- occupied --
MR. SHAPIRO: The doctors had said you are not going to play golf again?
DR. REIMER: I can't -- actually, I can't really start playing -- you know, hitting the ball, like I -- till January 7th, three months.
MR. SHAPIRO: And a doctor in Florida, who is --
DR. REIMER: No, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- retired (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: -- the doctor who operated on me was up in -- outside of Philadelphia.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right, but you are in Florida, and you have a doctor somewhere saying that you, --
DR. REIMER: Yeah, but I --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- as --
DR. REIMER: -- you know what I have, --
MR. SHAPIRO: What is that?
DR. REIMER: -- Charlie, is I have my wife, and she --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: -- she keeps a close eye.
MR. SHORR: -- me too.
DR. REIMER: God forbid I should do something contrary to what the doctor said (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, you had the two experts --
DR. REIMER: Yes, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- telling you (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: -- two experts (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: My Jennifer --
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: -- is my expert, and nobody else.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right. So, --
DR. REIMER: So, I -- go ahead.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, -- no, I was just going to say, so that was kind of a trigger point --
DR. REIMER: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for you? Okay.
DR. REIMER: So, I decided, you know what? I did enjoy the gym --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- when I was younger, a lot. And I go to the gym here where I live, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- and I started working out, and I see this fella, Roger Shorr.
MR. SHORR: Who, me?
DR. REIMER: He is not an introvert by any means.
MR. SHAPIRO: This shy, demure --
DR. REIMER: Yeah, very.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- fellow.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: And we started talking, and he told me a story --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- remarkable story. And he said -- and he told me about the book he published, and I --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- got it, I actually bought it (indiscernible) and I read the book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: It was fascinating.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: I mean, someone in a short window of time -- I don't know the exact number of months, but it seemed -- it was less than a year, right?
MR. SHORR: Yes. Well, I started writing it in March of '23.
DR. REIMER: No, but the transformation of your body --
MR. SHORR: Oh, four --
DR. REIMER: -- your body.
MR. SHORR: -- and a half months.
DR. REIMER: Yeah, four and a half months. It was unbelievable.
MR. SHAPIRO: Which is incredible, really.
DR. REIMER: Incredible.
MR. SHORR: Oh, I didn't believe it myself. (Indiscernible) it happened to me, and I still didn't believe it.
DR. REIMER: So, I --
(Overlapping voices.)
DR. REIMER: -- I read it, and this is -- let's say I got down in the beginning of November, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- here, and I have been following a lot of in his book -- a lot -- you know, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- the thing (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- and working out, I have had a transformation.
MR. SHORR: Oh, and you --
DR. REIMER: And I --
MR. SHORR: -- look great, Paul.
DR. REIMER: Yeah, and I --
MR. SHORR: You look much (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: -- I lost close to 30 pounds.
MR. SHAPIRO: Oh, wow.
DR. REIMER: And --
MR. SHAPIRO: Congratulations.
DR. REIMER: Thank you.
MR. SHORR: Yes, --
DR. REIMER: And --
MR. SHORR: -- hear, hear.
DR. REIMER: -- I am getting back to the way I looked when I was a weightlifter in my late thirties and forties. And the book is well worth reading. It is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- you know, it is not for everyone. I told him in a critical way, it can be a little bit too detailed.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: But you know, each individual will get out of the book what they want.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. So, Roger, when you were writing the book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours -- which by the way, happens to be available on nearperfectbody.com and on Amazon as well, as a side note -- did you have any concerns about it being so detailed that people might have trouble following it? Or was it more important to include everything and just let people figure out what applies to them?
MR. SHORR: Great question. I guess when I started writing it, I -- like, when I started my transformation, I didn't even know I was on this journey. It took a while. And then, when I started writing the book, I didn't know which end was up, but I just felt like I had to start writing and writing. And as time moved on, it started to become apparent to me that it was -- it was a story, but it was also a guide. Which means you read it, and you can go back to it, and you go back and get more out of it. And I thought, well, if that is what this thing is going to be -- and it was almost like it was taking on a life itself -- I said, my story is getting so big, I am just standing back, watching it grow. But anyway, I am thinking about it, and I said, you know what? Just put it all out there. Put it all out there, do the best I can. That's all I can do. And I -- my hope was that it would help people, and I figured I would rather have too much than not enough.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, just to review, in case somebody wasn't listening to a previous show, just a brief idea for the folks that are newly listening today, give people what your pathway was. It was several months, not even a year, and just kind of review for folks what that transformation was for you personally. And then, I would like to ask the doctor what his trajectory was also like. But let's start with yours, Roger, since you wrote the book.
MR. SHORR: At the risk of repeating myself a thousand times, I tell everybody all the time, I wasn't looking for anything that day. I was just minding my own business, enjoying my -- the surroundings, the serenity, I had the beer in my hand. And it just kind of happened that, you know, I had an epiphany with the beer that stopped. Time went on, -- not much, actually -- I thought about what I was eating. That went on, a few days later, I am thinking about my workouts, and then just things started to happen. I didn't even know what was going on. But I said many times on this show, it felt different --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- this time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: Sixty-eight and a half years old, never happy with my body ever, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- it felt different. And then, it just -- it took on a life of its own. I -- intuitively, I felt like I was on the right path.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, I just trusted my instincts, and it just happened. And then, in February the compliments start pouring in. I am like, what is going on? And then, yeah, people started saying, well, you know, why don't you write down what you are doing? I am like, oh my god, here we go. I had written financial articles, I think Dr. Reimer here would appreciate them. He is a great --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- great investor. But I knew what it was -- how difficult it could be, and I was saying, a book about myself? Hey, you know, que sera, sera, whatever. And then, it kept on happening.
And March 1st -- I think it was March 1st -- right around March 1st, I hit my target weight, which was mid 160s. I am like, this is good. This is real good. In the first edition, I think I have a picture of that, but it didn't have the cuts, the definition, which --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- came as I -- March 1st, I finally had another -- I had another epiphany. I said, I have got to get myself a trainer, I am doing it wrong in the gym, like I had been doing it wrong on the driving range.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I got Nadine Moody, and she started giving me a program. She said what she was giving me -- she said, what did you want, Roger? I said, well I want my -- I want my muscles to show. I would like to have --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- definition. She said, the program I will design for you will do that six weeks later. Now understand, I had been training, but I didn't know what I was doing. I had been eating incredibly well, I -- the weight was right, but the definition was -- it was -- the muscles weren't showing yet.
And May 1st, I am looking in the mirror, I am like, now? Happy birthday, Roger. You are going to be 69 years old, and now, the first time in your life, you take your shirt off, and you -- and what you see in the mirror is coming back, and you love what you see.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, what you are -- what you are talking about here is, in many cases, what -- you know, you hear the phrase women of a certain age, and there are -- that that phrase is out there, and women think about that. Men don't necessarily talk about health, fitness, wellness, weight, wanting to look good with their shirt off, wanting to have the definition, wanting to have some muscles. Dr. Reimer -- can I call you Paul?
DR. REIMER: Call me Paul.
MR. SHAPIRO: Is that okay? Okay. Dr. Paul Reimer is here, and the reason why he is in the studio, -- and thank you very much for coming in -- Roger invited Paul to be in the studio, because one of the most important things that Roger wants to get across -- and I think it makes sense for this show as well -- is not just Roger talking about how it benefited him, but other folks who have read the book, and Dr. Reimer -- Paul -- you read the book. Now, when you hear Roger describe his pathway, was yours similar at all, or was --
DR. REIMER: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- it a slightly different trajectory?
DR. REIMER: No, very much similar. I am -- I am not as focused as he is. You know, Roger --
MR. SHAPIRO: I am not sure anybody is.
DR. REIMER: -- Roger comes from another planet. But --
MR. SHORR: Thanks, Dr. Reimer --
DR. REIMER: -- but I have had a --
MR. SHORR: -- you have ruined my reputation.
DR. REIMER: -- a tremendous --
MR. SHAPIRO: It is a very --
DR. REIMER: -- transformation.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is a very healthy planet though, --
DR. REIMER: Right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- apparently.
DR. REIMER: Very healthy planet.
MR. SHORR: Touche, Charlie.
DR. REIMER: And he is very enthusiastic, and it is -- you know what?
MR. SHORR: Who me? Never.
DR. REIMER: It is -- it is contagious.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) great disease to catch. Sorry.
DR. REIMER: I will give you an aside.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: A number of years ago, here in Florida, I bought a bunch of beautiful clothes in Palm Beach. A very expensive men's store, I am not going to give you the name, because I don't want to advertise for them.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And maybe this was seven, eight years ago.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: About -- I noticed maybe three or four years ago I couldn't wear those clothes anymore, they didn't fit.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Oh.
DR. REIMER: Okay? Now, since I have been doing this workout, and I will get into the diet part, even -- it means every bit as much as they are working out, which --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- is in Roger's book.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
DR. REIMER: All of a sudden, I have all these clothes from seven, eight years ago, very expensive clothes. It is like I went out and bought a whole new wardrobe, it is fantastic. But what I want to say about this book, it is not -- you know, it is great to work out, and the diet is -- to me, it is the most -- really, right up there with the working out. It is the whole mind part that you get from this book, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
DR. REIMER: -- the ability to focus. And I work out and I feel good. I feel great. I feel like a young man after this. I -- you know, I don't like to give him a swelled head, but --
MR. SHORR: Now I have --
DR. REIMER: -- you know, Roger probably doesn't need that. But --
MR. SHORR: Stop it.
DR. REIMER: But it --
MR. SHORR: I have two of them now.
DR. REIMER: You know, I -- listen, I am a physician.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
DR. REIMER: I could read -- if the book were detailed, I have read other books that are very detailed, get into the --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- physiology of working out. That --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
DR. REIMER: -- this book doesn't -- is for the layman. For someone who really wants to change the way they look, mentally and physically.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And he does a good job. It really is a -- and a lot of my friends laugh at me. You know, they will say, hey, what are you doing this? And I really feel better. And you -- and part of it --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
DR. REIMER: -- is you look good. You look good in clothes. It is -- it is wonderful.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Does that do something for a person self -- I mean, obviously, it is a little bit of a --
DR. REIMER: Oh, absolutely.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- leading question. But the self-confidence, you know, when you are in your sixties, or seventies, or eighties, or even forties, fifties -- whatever that may be -- you know, sometimes, you know, people don't think of men as worrying about self-confidence. It is usually attributed to a different gender in many cases. And I think that, from what you are saying, this has done something for your --
DR. REIMER: I will give you a perfect --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- confidence.
DR. REIMER: -- example.
MR. SHAPIRO: Please do.
DR. REIMER: First of all, you have to -- rationalization or --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- denial is a great mechanism in psychology, that is how you get through things. You know, you --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- rationalize and you are able to live with it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: So, why did I buy untucked shirts? Think of this.
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh, (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: I had every -- I had every damn untucked shirt they made. So, in my mind it was the style, but in reality, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- I had a belly.
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: And I was wearing this, and I would never admit it. I --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: You just did.
DR. REIMER: -- I had the untucked shirts. Now that I have gone through, quote, this transformation, --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- I don't wear my untucked shirts anymore. I don't have to.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: Interesting.
DR. REIMER: I could wear a regular, with my shirt tucked in.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
DR. REIMER: So, you feel better. I mean, people say, oh, it is vanity. Whether it is vanity or not, you feel better. That is all that counts.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right. Right. Well, it is -- the most important thing is for each individual to feel as though they are presenting themselves in the best way they can. And you know, what Roger had been talking about on a number of previous shows, -- to get back to some of the stuff, Roger, that you had mentioned -- is that, you know, you said previously that you had looked in mirrors at various times, you weren't too thrilled with what you saw. And it was kind of like, okay, what am I -- you know, and then at one point, the beer -- putting the beer down you said, and there was a little bit of an epiphany, and all of that stuff. And so, you know, it is a -- I mean, it is an interesting story, and I think listeners will understand this, and be able to relate to the foundational part of all of this that the doctor has just mentioned. Everybody understands what a success story sounds like, and everybody understands what a success story looks like. And the thing about your book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, -- which you wrote and you know the name of it by the way, I know that. Just in case somebody joined us late I wanted to just bring that up. In your book, yes, it is the story of your transformation, Roger Shorr, and the pathway to your transformation, but this is really a story for everybody else at this point. You know, you did it. Congratulations, it is awesome. Great shape for any age, not just 70, but Dr. Paul Reimer has also read the book, and there has been a positive effect on your life. And that is really what the story --
DR. REIMER: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- truly means.
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: Isn't it?
DR. REIMER: Absolutely. You know, you could feel sorry for yourself. I had the hip, and I mentioned the cancer, which I have overcome. But I realized I wasn't doing anything to improve my body, my mental part. You know, you feel sorry for yourself a little bit in the beginning, and this is great. It really -- it made me fill the void.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: But -- and I can't wait to get up in the morning to go to the gym.
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
MR. SHAPIRO: That says a lot.
DR. REIMER: Yeah, I really mean it.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) yeah.
DR. REIMER: And it -- and --
MR. SHAPIRO: I mean, that is amazing.
DR. REIMER: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: I know.
DR. REIMER: And it is funny, I was -- I am an avid golfer.
MR. SHAPIRO:
DR. REIMER: I had my ups and downs like any golfer, (indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: And you are playing golf again now?
DR. REIMER: I am playing golf -- well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: A little?
DR. REIMER: -- I am putting and chipping.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay.
DR. REIMER: I can't tell you I am doing more, because the doctor said January 7th, and I have to make my wife believe that. Anyway --
MR. SHAPIRO: That -- that is probably --
MR. SHORR: Happy wife, happy life.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
DR. REIMER: Right. So, --
MR. SHAPIRO: That is it, three quarters of the battle right there.
DR. REIMER: -- it is interesting with --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
DR. REIMER: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: Maybe all of the battle right there. Golf is only borrowed [sic]. The game, you know, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- you borrow [sic] it in terms of how you play.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
DR. REIMER: You could have a couple good rounds, the next day you go south, and you wonder why. And I know -- so, and I go out with my friends playing golf, and I see they are throwing the club, they are miserable, and then --
MR. SHORR: Oh, please.
DR. REIMER: -- and I always said to myself, why are they playing this game? When they are all done, you know what they say to me? They had a great time.
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) that is golf.
DR. REIMER: I --
MR. SHORR: That is golf.
DR. REIMER: Yeah, that is golf. But when I go to the gym, I actually love it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
DR. REIMER: I like the whole experience, and come out -- now, you know, maybe you are comparing apples and oranges, but I really enjoy the gym.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, one of -- one of the other things that I wanted to bring up -- and Roger, you had mentioned this at various times on the show and off the show, just in the studio before we were behind the microphones -- that your wife, --
MR. SHORR: Jennifer.
DR. REIMER: -- very proud of you.
MR. SHORR: Jennifer is wonderful.
DR. REIMER: And you know, the home life is so critical to everything, --
MR. SHORR: Oh.
DR. REIMER: -- reinforcing each other's successes and all the rest of that. And I -- it sounds like what you experienced on that level is similar to what Dr. Reimer has experienced as well, that sense of pride and support.
MR. SHORR: When my fantastic wife, Jennifer, is behind me, I feel like I can do anything.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Now, may I take a moment and honor this wonderful doctor sitting in our studio today? Okay.
I think my mother always wanted me to be a doctor. I couldn't deliver on that promise, but I think I was a good son. As a matter of fact, I know I was a good son. But here, I have always admired doctors. Why? It is because they spend their whole lives taking care of our precious bodies. We get one, it takes us through this incredible journey we call life. And this wonderful doctor over here, this very successful, very intelligent man, is an ophthalmologist, a surgeon. And what does he do? He spends his life working on these incredible eyes that give us the ability to see the beauty that surrounds us, and to see each other.
DR. REIMER: You are going to make me cry.
MR. SHORR: Well, I don't want to, doctor. You are making me cry with --
DR. REIMER: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: -- the nice things you said about my book. I am sitting here soaking wet with --
DR. REIMER: Anyway, --
MR. SHORR: -- just --
DR. REIMER: -- go ahead.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. And no, thank you for being here, Dr. Reimer.
DR. REIMER: My pleasure.
MR. SHORR: And thank you for the service that you have -- the people that you have helped, even saw me with red eyes the other day, and you told me exactly what to do. And I said like, not surprised, what a guy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And I want to say one other thing if I can. I think I talk about the Dao of the near perfect body, which means the way of the near perfect body, I think Paul has embraced it. I think a lot of men don't think much about their bodies, because like me, they gave up. We gave up. We don't know what to do, we don't think it is possible, we build these constructs in our minds. And when I got rid of that, my near perfect body became not only possible, but it was -- it was bound to happen. So, that is all I have to say for the moment. Let me recover from that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think -- I think you are on the same page, no pun intended. I mean, you wrote the book, you read the book. It has affected Dr. Paul Reimer in a very positive way. And one of the --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- things that I think is interesting is that, as a doctor, your whole life you are suggesting to people what they could do, what they could think about, how to motivate an individual -- a patient, obviously -- to do something where they are going to improve their situation, whatever their situation may be.
MR. SHORR: Speaking of that -- (coughs), excuse me, Dr. Riemer wants to see the football game today, and I refer to physicians as the quarterbacks of our health. They run the show. Always talk to your physician before dieting, before exercise, and keep them informed along the way. Is that correct, Dr. Reimer?
DR. REIMER: Yes, to a point. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Whatever you say, doctor, he is in charge.
DR. REIMER: I will tell you why, a lot of physicians are not aware. They are -- a lot of them don't work out, they are busy, they don't take care of their bodies, they don't eat correctly. So, -- am I okay saying this?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah, you are good.
DR. REIMER: That --
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely, you are the --
(Overlapping voices.)
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you are the doctor.
DR. REIMER: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Yes, doctor, please continue.
DR. REIMER: Am I -- so to depend on this, I mean the doctor may tell you what is not -- you know, what is not -- could hurt you naturally, or what could elevate your blood pressure, and so forth. But a lot of them are not attuned to working out, eating the right things. Especially eating. That is the part of the book -- to be honest, Roger and Charlie -- that I got the most out of. Even more than the workout, was the --
MR. SHORR: Uh-huh.
DR. REIMER: -- approach to food.
MR. SHORR: Jiu-jitsu.
DR. REIMER: I -- you know, for instance, unhealthy food. Now, Roger was a cookie fanatic. (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Monster, cookie monster.
DR. REIMER: I mean, I --
MR. SHORR: Yes.
DR. REIMER: So, when I --
MR. SHORR: It is true.
DR. REIMER: -- questioned him, it wasn't like one or two cookies, I mean, this guy --
MR. SHORR: No, (indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: -- devoured cookies.
MR. SHORR: -- pig out, man. (Indiscernible) --
DR. REIMER: And cookies are great, but he was able to take the bad food and put it aside. You know, he used this jiu-jitsu analogy, which I --
MR. SHAPIRO: So, this is --
DR. REIMER: -- have -- go ahead.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- this is a good time. Since we are --
DR. REIMER: Yep, go ahead.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- out of time, I want to just wrap this up.
DR. REIMER: Okay, go ahead.
MR. SHAPIRO: That is something that is in the book, and I just want to say thank you, --
DR. REIMER: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- Dr. Paul Reimer, for being here. As always, Roger is here, we are going to do this again next week. This show will shortly be available at nearperfectbody.com/media. His website is nearperfectbody.com. The book, The Near Perfect Body: The Pathway to Yours is available on Amazon, it is also available on his website nearperfectbody.com, and you can check out any of the previous shows.
Thank you so much for listening, thanks everybody for tuning in to Legends, and hope you have a terrific --
MR. SHORR: And thank you, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- day.
MR. SHORR: -- Dr. Reimer.
MR. SHAPIRO: Absolutely.
DR. REIMER: Thanks for having me, again. And nice meeting you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: You too.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
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(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. SHAPIRO: Hello, everybody. You are listening to Legends Radio, Charlie Shapiro here. We have Roger Shorr in the studio once again. Hi, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Hi, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, last week was kind of exciting. I thought it was a little bit of a turning point for the show, for the audience, and it felt terrific. For folks that were not able to join us last week, and if you weren't able to make your way over to nearperfectbody.com, where all of these shows are kept as podcasts that you can then listen to on demand, whenever you have time.
MR. SHORR: 24/7.
MR. SHAPIRO: There you go. The guest that we had in the studio last week was very impressive. And I say that not just because he is a medical doctor, an ophthalmologist, but Dr. Paul Reimer was here in the studio. Tell me why, Roger, you invited him to be with us last week, would you please?
MR. SHORR: You are not making it easy on me, but before I even answer that, did you just name my chapter two, when you said, turning point?
MR. SHAPIRO: I might have.
MR. SHORR: No, I think you did, Charlie. Anyway, why did I invite Dr. Riemer? I tell you what, that is a great question. You know why I wrote the book, don't you, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: To help other people, didn't I?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: Yes. And do you know who I admire -- what profession I have always admired? And my mother instilled that admiration in me, didn't she?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: For what profession was that?
MR. SHAPIRO: The medical profession.
MR. SHORR: Yes. And I was so proud to be able to have -- actually, six medical doctors, and other people who work -- chiropractors, and fitness trainers who spend their lives doing what?
MR. SHAPIRO: Helping other people.
MR. SHORR: A little bit more specific. I will help you help other people by saying, care for the incredible bodies that we are given to take us through life.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, --
MR. SHORR: And when Dr. Riemer --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- came in here, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes.
MR. SHORR: -- and he looked at you -- and he is an honest, good man, extremely successful, also a surgeon. He even looked at your eye and said, Charlie, you know, this is what you should do to help your eye.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And he did it for me. My eyes were red --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- at the fitness center, when I saw him. He says, you need to -- and he told me what to do, and it worked, of course. He is a great doctor.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, let me -- let me bring the audience into this a little bit more --
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- right now. So, if you are just joining us, if you haven't had a chance to check out some of the episodes as of yet, I just want to tell you that you are listening to the Near Perfect Radio Show, that is first of all. Roger Shorr is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and The Pathway to Yours. And for the last, few months, Roger has been coming into the Legends Radio Studio.
And you can hear it in his voice, what he is trying to do is let people know not just about the book -- although certainly the book is interesting, and can probably help a good number of people -- but about his pathway, and what your pathway may be if you get a hold of his book. And one of the things that I thought was interesting -- in addition to having Dr. Paul Reimer here last week, who read your book. He had met you locally here in Palm Beach County. He --
MR. SHORR: At a restaurant, that is true.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. He read your book, and he essentially took some of your advice. And he is feeling better about his health, about his life, he is more motivated, and to have him in the studio with us last week on the last episode of this program was -- you can't help but be inspired.
MR. SHORR: Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Did you look at him?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: First and foremost, he looks so much better. And do you remember what he said about his clothes?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: He had some old clothes, he buys very nice clothing, and they weren't fitting him anymore. But guess what? He acts -- he said, it is like having a new wardrobe, because he is fitting into all those old clothes again.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Because he understood a lot of the things, and he was -- I think the biggest compliment he gave the book was, how much he was inspired by hunger jiu-jitsu and how it helped him.
MR. SHAPIRO: It seems to have helped him a lot. And one of the things that I have always thought is, when someone takes the -- you know, you took a lot of time to write --
MR. SHORR: Huh, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- to write this --
MR. SHORR: -- you have no --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- book.
MR. SHORR: -- idea, Charlie. I must have a 100 manuscripts, over and over in the first edition, and then finally got that published, and then it wasn't good -- it wasn't right. It didn't feel right. So, I had to pull it back, abandon ship -- not exactly, but I had to pull it back. I broke the book into two parts, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway To Yours I made more of a how-to.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And as I said before, the next book coming out will be two of three.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: The Near Perfect Journal: Your Quest for the Near Perfect Body, and finally will be The Near Perfect Life: Uncovering Your Power for Change. And that will bring back a lot of the nice words, and the -- and the thoughts that I had in the first book, but it was just too much. It was -- it was too much information going on in one book, that is why I did it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, you know for folks that have not had a chance to meet the author here, Roger Shorr, in person as of yet, or if you haven't had a chance to read the book as of yet, it is pretty safe to say -- I am not going to say that you are a perfectionist, but I will probably say that you are a near perfectionist.
MR. SHORR: Near perfectionist.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: I got -- I am up to you --
MR. SHAPIRO: And --
MR. SHORR: -- I am on to you, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, but --
MR. SHORR: I got --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- but I think it is important, because everything that is successful is always starting with a thought process of some type. Everything.
MR. SHORR: May I?
MR. SHAPIRO: Please.
MR. SHORR: I think it started with a feeling.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh. When you think about the feeling.
MR. SHORR: But you feel the feeling before you think about it. You want to go back and forth? Go on.
MR. SHAPIRO: No. No, but what I -- what I was going to say -- and you know, but here is -- here is the thing, okay? Dr. Reimer, who was here --
MR. SHORR: Oh, what a --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- who was here last week, --
MR. SHORR: -- what a --
MR. SHAPIRO: And you know, if you have a chance, I think last week is show number 14, I believe.
MR. SHORR: Yes, it was 14.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, if you go on the website near--
MR. SHORR: And this is 15.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes, it is. So, if you go on the website -- on Roger's website -- to nearperfectbody.com, nearperfectbody.com, and --
MR. SHORR: Not nearly, just --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: near perfect body.
MR. SHAPIRO: Just nearperfectbody.com, and you make your way over to the media page, it is right -- there is a photo you can click on right on the home page, that will take you to it. If you click on episode number 14, I think it is going to be a terrific place to start. There is 13 others that are excellent, as well.
MR. SHORR: I agree.
MR. SHAPIRO: But --
MR. SHORR: And --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- there is also the Focus to Win podcast with Lee Tessier, who came to me and said, Roger, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- let's do a podcast. Because he gave a testimonial in my book in the first edition -- and he is still in the second edition -- where he said, he had been training with an NFL -- I believe he said an NFL football player for a long time, but when he read the book, it was the right time for him. He was 50, or something like that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And he said it was all about the mindset, which the book is really all about. And he said for the first time in his life, he was happy to take his shirt off. Or at least I think he said the twenty -- thirties and forties, he wasn't. But now, his percent body fat went from 17-something to eight-something, and he won a fitness contest for the first time. He came to my near perfect party, I gave him the first black belt in hunger jiu-jitsu, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and I think he is going to be a guest on the show. He is a super busy guy, but it is just unbelievable to me.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I know there are many people that have already read the book, of course. There are a number -- quite a few endorsements in the book, and people are now feeling very comfortable in talking about how good the book is. But it is not just a matter of being a good book, it is more about what the book has meant to them. And so, over the next --
MR. SHORR: Oh, yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- several weeks, I am really kind of excited about bringing other people, --
MR. SHORR: Me too, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- like Dr. Paul Reimer --
MR. SHORR: Me too.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- into the studio, have them talking. And the other -- the other thing that I wanted to mention -- because the book has not been out for long, and you are really starting to get the word out about the book -- there is social media that is available now. It is --
MR. SHORR: We are going to start with that, aren't we?
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. And you know, you start -- like anything else, you start --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- at the beginning.
MR. SHORR: Johnny Appleseed.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. And the beginning is -- you know, the Facebook page is out there now, the Instagram page, the LinkedIn. And I will just say there is a -- there's a few posts that are on there as initial posts right now. One of them is when you were out meeting people at the Abacoa concert --
MR. SHORR: Oh, that was really special.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- series. Well, it was special for a few reasons. First, of course, you were supporting a free community concert, and helping to make that --
MR. SHORR: And making people smile, and making --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- them happy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. And --
MR. SHORR: --er, happier.
MR. SHAPIRO: Happy --
MR. SHORR: I am not saying they weren't happy.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nearer to happy.
MR. SHORR: All right, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, but I -- you know, I -- because I was out there, I -- you know, at the -- at the concert at Abacoa, in --
MR. SHORR: You were? No, I am kidding.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- in Jupiter. And what I saw is -- you know, I saw you in your natural element, which was --
MR. SHORR: People.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- people, and prominent people too for that matter.
MR. SHORR: They are all the same to me.
MR. SHAPIRO: Exactly. Exactly.
MR. SHORR: Yep, we are all connected.
MR. SHAPIRO: But one of the -- one of the things that -- about the book is, you are essentially providing information that is supportive of individuals on their individual pathway to what they are trying to accomplish with themselves. And I thought that community -- the community concert was a terrific way for you to get out there.
MR. SHORR: I agree.
MR. SHAPIRO: And there is photos of that, by the way, at facebook.com/nearperfectbody. And if you have Instagram -- and just -- I just want to also mention to folks that are professionals in their line of industry, or business, or what have you. You know, one of -- one of the things that you haven't really talked about that much, but I thought it was interesting is, there are very successful people that are looking to be more successful. And you generally will find that people that have self-determination are the most successful in life, they are the most successful in business. And so, there are going to be people on LinkedIn that will find the society, and I --
MR. SHORR: The NPB society that we are going to build, and part of the website, yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yeah. And so, I thought it might just be good to touch on that briefly, because you are talking about bringing a community of --
MR. SHORR: Absolutely.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- motivated individuals --
MR. SHORR: Yes, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- together. So, --
MR. SHORR: -- the NPB society, I -- it is -- it is a vision, it is a dream. I -- the idea behind that is -- people all over the world, listeners, tell your friends -- I see a place, and I wanted -- originally, I thought it was going to make it for free. But then I thought more about it and I said, you know, things that I have gotten for free -- with the exception of maybe smiles and love -- you don't put any value to them. I don't want it to be a junk site, so I will make it a modest fee, a monthly fee.
It won't be much, just about anybody will be able to afford it, but you will -- it will be a little bit exclusive. You will come, you will join, it is going to be a happy place. I will have rules of the road, you will make nice. You have to make nice. Okay?
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And then, the real idea behind this is, people that are doing their best and succeeding, --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- and people that are doing their best and not succeeding, and fitness professionals, and dietitians, and yoga people, and physicians, people of all kinds will come to this place. I have a vision, I -- you know, we are going to work on it over the coming months. You know, I always think things are going to happen sooner, and they take forever. But we will get it. Eventually, we will get it, and I will do my best. That is all I can do.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, one of the things that I thought was interesting about that, is that essentially I -- first of all, I have -- since the beginning of this a few months ago, I absolutely love the whole concept of near perfect.
MR. SHORR: Because there is no perfect. I don't go -- for affairs of mankind -- let me do that -- when it comes to humanity, there is no perfection. I mean, not even nature is perfect. Wabi Sabi celebrates -- its Japanese, it celebrates the imperfections in nature. So, if nature is not going to be perfect, I mean, come on.
But the near perfect is -- it is subjective. It can be anything, as long as you are honest with yourself. The whole idea of a near perfect body is, when you finally stand in that mirror, and you have that moment like I did on May 1st, 2023, and you -- and you don't say -- and I have said this before, but you don't say, oh, look, I am looking better. Or, oh, I have lost some weight. No, that is not it at all. But when you can be honest with yourself, and look in that mirror and say, did that really happen? Wow, I can't believe something like this could happen to me, but it did. And it can happen to you.
MR. SHAPIRO: Roger Shorr is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, available on Amazon, also available at nearperfectbody.com. And I think that we should probably talk about a couple of the individual elements of the book that have resonated with folks like Dr. Paul Reimer, who was here in the studio last week, and many other folks as well.
And one of those is the entire concept of hunger jiu-jitsu. And I -- for the folks -- I know we have mentioned --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- this several times over the previous shows, --
MR. SHORR: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- but I think it is important that people have an understanding of what you actually mean by hunger jiu-jitsu.
MR. SHORR: Okay. How many hours do we have? All right. My background, I -- very serious, and a big believer and lover of martial arts.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: I was 17 years old when I walked in my first dojo. I will pick it up later here. Fast forward many, many, many years later, I am thinking about hunger. I don't know why. I said -- I was. I was thinking about the junk food I am eating, about hunger. And I sat there and I thought about it, and I have always, I thought, looked at things a little bit differently. I am saying to myself, well, wait a minute. Rather than treat the symptoms of, you know, I am going to lose weight, wait, let's get to the -- let's get to the source. Let's get the underlying problem, the approach. Let's try a different approach.
And I thought about martial arts, and I thought about jiu-jitsu and what it really is, it is your ability to use your opponent's power against itself. Long story short, hunger is a primal instinct, you can't beat it. You think you can, -- believe me, it will beat you -- but what you can do is control it. And how do you control it? Jiu-jitsu, the ability to use your opponent's power against itself.
With that in mind, I -- my first book, I talked about it, but my second edition, I really went as far as I could in the time I took to develop, and I came up with six pillars and six primary moves. The pillars are what hunger jiu-jitsu stands upon. And the primary moves are things you can actually -- actually, the pillars you can do, but the moves are much more action-oriented, if I may.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, what are they? Are you going to ask me what they are, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I don't think I need to, you can just tell us.
MR. SHORR: Oh, do I have to tell you what the hunger jiu-jitsu pillars and moves are?
MR. SHAPIRO: No, but this is a core element of what you have written in the book.
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. SHAPIRO: I do.
MR. SHORR: All right, let's do it.
MR. SHAPIRO: All right.
MR. SHORR: The six pillars that hunger jiu-jitsu stands on, I cannot take credit for inventing each and every one myself. Some I think I came up with, some I know I didn't. But it doesn't matter, I put them all together like ingredients, and here we go.
Number one, employ a near perfect attitude. You have to be optimistic. You have to believe. Two, don't let yourself get too hungry. People starve, and guess what happens? We lose control. Hunger jiu-jitsu is about controlling your opponent, the hunger beast. More on him later. Don't lose control, don't let yourself get too hungry. You are in control. You need to maintain control.
Three, plan what you will eat. Sunsa (phonetic), also known as Sun Tzu, perhaps the greatest military mind that ever lived, planned, planned, planned. Plan what you will eat. I am sure he would approve of that.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Number four, learn to eat healthily. What in the world does that mean? It is a little bit of a process. It involves things like, eating quickly for a few bites. There is a reason for that, I won't go into it now, it is in the book. Then, starting to slow it down and breathe between bites. Not slowly, just two or three normal breaths, start to control yourself.
And then, there is the art of substitution. What is that? Well, if you are going to eat a dirty dump cake -- I mean, a dump -- dirt cake, or whatever the heck they call them, what are you eating that for? That is an obstacle to your near perfect body. Why don't you have a delicious fruit salad? That sounds like a great idea.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And then finally, very subtle hunger jiu-jitsu move -- a pillar, excuse me -- these are all the pillars. Control your environment. Don't have time for that now, let's move -- go to the moves.
What are the moves? Glad you asked me. First move, experiment with it for the timing that works best for you. If you are going to do hunger jiu-jitsu, have to work with it, you are practicing. Right, listeners? You have to practice something. You are not just going to pick it up right away.
So, first and foremost, try some fruit, maybe some straw-- I -- strawberries worked incredibly well for me five to 10 minutes before my meal, I was trying to take the edge off. Not satiate myself, just take the edge off. Then -- oh, did I get push back for this one -- weigh yourself before dinner.
MR. SHAPIRO: Weigh yourself before --
MR. SHORR: Weigh -- did I --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- you eat?
MR. SHORR: Did I stutter, Charlie? No.
MR. SHAPIRO: Nope, just want to make sure.
MR. SHORR: Weigh yourself before dinner. You want to know why?
MR. SHAPIRO: Why?
MR. SHORR: I am so glad you asked me. What a ridiculous -- well, you weigh more in the night, and it -- I got nothing but flak. Well, I will tell you, three possible outcomes when you weigh yourself before dinner. One, you lost weight. Great. Two, you are gaining weight. No good. Three, you haven't moved at all.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: What other outcomes are there? I will save you the time, there aren't any.
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: So, you gained weight. Oh, that is not good. I am working on getting my near perfect body, and my weight is going the wrong way, now you sit down and there is a big plate of pasta. You really think you are going to stuff your face if you just saw the bad news? I don't think so.
All right. Let's try something else. You lost weight. Oh, that is fantastic, I am -- this is working for me, finally. Now you sit down, and there is that same plate of pasta. Are you going to sabotage yourself? No, I don't -- no, Charlie is nodding his head, no.
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: No, you are darn right you are not. You are going in the right direction.
MR. SHAPIRO: No.
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: It is working, why are you going to sabotage yourself? (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: Why fix it if it is working, right, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Right, exactly.
MR. SHORR: There you go. And if it is not working, you better fix it.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Well, there is one other outcome. What is it, Charlie? Do you remember? The weight hasn't moved at all, not up or down.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute, I have been working on this for several weeks now. I am starting to resent -- oh, resent the fact -- remember resentment? Optimism, consistency, embracing -- resenting sounds negative, but it can be used as a powerful tool to get your near perfect body by resenting the fact that you haven't lost weight. You have been trying, maybe not doing your best, and you haven't budged at all. So, now you sit down, there is that same plate of pasta -- the same plate sitting right there -- you are so annoyed with the fact that you haven't lost any weight at all. Are you going to stuff yourself with that pasta? I don't think so. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think so. And guess what? I didn't.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And some -- I don't think Dr. Riemer did. He really liked hunger jiu-jitsu, didn't he, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, I think people are looking for a foundation of things they can do.
MR. SHORR: Well, that is what I just said. The pillars of hunger jiu-jitsu are the foundation, the moves sit upon the pillars.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: There it is. It is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- in the book. Pattern interrupt, oh my God, what a powerful move that is.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: Do you know what a pattern interrupt is?
MR. SHAPIRO: Go ahead.
MR. SHORR: Well, okay. So, I am sitting at the table, I ate my fruit, I weighed myself. I did the eating -- you know, the healthily -- all the eating, I ate it correctly, all this stuff. I still don't have control. The pasta, I can't help it, I am -- this is all new to me. I have to, have to, have to -- and I keep putting it in my face. Stop, full stop. Pattern interrupt time.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: We are doing hunger jiu-jitsu, you don't have -- you stand up. If you are with people, you would say, excuse me. Maybe they think you are going to the restroom, just say, excuse me. And you don't have to bow, you don't have your karate -- jiu-jitsu uniform, on your gi on. You don't have to bow. Just stand up, excuse me. And then you walk away from the table, and you do one of several things. Any one of them I think will help -- I am sure will help.
Best one, in my opinion, is to walk into the bathroom, look at yourself in the mirror, face reality. If you can, even raise your shirt if there is nobody around. You don't want people to see that. And you look in the mirror and you say, seriously? When am I ever going to realize that the food that I am eating -- if I don't do it the right way and follow a hunger jiu-jitsu, this is not going to change. I can wish whatever I want for the rest of my life, I can follow gimmicks for the rest of my life, but this is always going to be the outcome. And until you can take control of yourself and face reality, get on the scale, look at yourself in the mirror, and be honest with yourself, I think you shouldn't even read the book.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, we are now a little bit into the new year.
MR. SHORR: Yes. Thank you for that.
MR. SHAPIRO: A lot of people, --
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- Happy New Year to all. And this is the time, in the month of January, that people --
MR. SHORR: Yeah.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- start to not --
MR. SHORR: Yes, yes, yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- follow-up on their resolutions.
MR. SHORR: Let me -- let me say something to our listeners, it is --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- important to me. This has been so overwhelming for me. What has happened with Dr. Riemer, and some of these people that are coming back, it is a -- it is a dream come true. But let me move to our listeners, and let me do my best to help them solve, for once -- maybe they have done it -- maybe they have done a great job, I don't know. I don't know all the listeners, and who -- what their situations are. But I do know this, I do know that if they are using willpower incorrectly to fight themselves, -- oh, I am not going to have those cookies -- after a while, I believe your willpower will start to fade and weaken. And that cookie, or those cookies, or that fudge brown -- whatever it is trying to seduce you is starting to get the upper hand again. You want to not have it. You started off strong. But like holding your breath, after a while, you will not succeed.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: So, willpower in my view -- I have a chapter on it, the willpower trap and how to avoid -- whatever it is, I am paraphrasing. You have to use willpower correctly, or you will be abused -- in my opinion -- by your own willpower.
MR. SHAPIRO: So, believe it or not, we are already running short on time.
MR. SHORR: How did that happen?
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, because it was interesting. It moves along, and --
MR. SHORR: It was?
MR. SHAPIRO: I think so.
MR. SHORR: I hope so.
MR. SHAPIRO: I thought so.
MR. SHORR: Well, I am glad you did, that is one.
MR. SHAPIRO: Well, people that are still listening thought it was interesting too, --
MR. SHORR: Is anybody still listening?
MR. SHAPIRO: -- or they wouldn't be listening. So, therefore -- so I think this is a good time to remind people that willpower is such a critical element of this. Let's --
MR. SHORR: Excuse me.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- let's take a look at --
MR. SHORR: Excuse me, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yes?
MR. SHORR: Willpower used correctly is a --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- critical element. Used incorrectly, it is a weapon against you, it is an obstacle.
MR. SHAPIRO: And --
MR. SHORR: You think it is your friend, but it is not.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- and that is a perfect topic for --
MR. SHORR: Pardon me?
MR. SHAPIRO: An up -- a near --
MR. SHORR: All right.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- perfect topic --
MR. SHORR: Thank you.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- for an upcoming show.
MR. SHORR: Will you ever learn, Charlie?
MR. SHAPIRO: I am working on it.
MR. SHORR: Well, work harder.
MR. SHAPIRO: But I do want to thank people for tuning in.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. SHAPIRO: And I think the very fact that you are here, that you are listening means that this is an important topic to you as a listener, as a person. And I think that, you know, Roger Shorr, -- who is the author, he is in the studio -- his book, The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours. Let me just remind people, if I could, how to get the book.
MR. SHORR: Before you do, can I remind people that we are going to have the audio book in the not too distant future. Maybe a month, give or take.
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: And you will hear Dr. Riemer again speak his endorsement, and some of the other doctors and other professionals will do it too. And the eBook will be available also. But go ahead, Charles.
MR. SHAPIRO: No, I think that sounds great. And people who don't really have time, they listen to podcasts, they listen to --
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. SHAPIRO: -- the radio, they listen to audio books.
MR. SHORR: And I spoke my words. I thought --
MR. SHAPIRO: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- it was the appropriate thing.
MR. SHAPIRO: Yep. So anyway, Roger Shorr is the author of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours, it is available at nearperfectbody.com. You can also check out the newly created Facebook page, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Just search for Near Perfect Body, it will come right up, actually. And you are all set with that.
Roger was also on someone else's podcast recently. What was that called one more time?
MR. SHORR: That was called Focus to Win from Lee Tessier.
MR. SHAPIRO: Okay. And the way Roger spells his name -- this is important -- not just to him, but if you --
MR. SHORR: Well, --
MR. SHAPIRO: -- want to, you know, Google it (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- yes. Well, I like to spell my name correctly.
MR. SHAPIRO: It is S-H-O-R-R, Roger Shorr.
MR. SHORR: That is exactly right.
MR. SHAPIRO: S-H-O-R-R.
MR. SHORR: And I would like to thank the listeners for listening, and I want them to have success with their New Year's resolutions.
MR. SHAPIRO: And we will try for another Near Perfect Radio Show next week. Thanks very much. Have a --
MR. SHORR: Sounds great. See you later, Charlie.
MR. SHAPIRO: Have a terrific, near perfect day.
MR. SHORR: You too.
(End of Audio Recording.)
Read Full Transcript
Medical Disclaimer:
This transcript is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any health decisions.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this transcript may be copied, forwarded, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of Roger Shorr.
(Beginning of Audio Recording.)
MR. MCGANN: Good morning, Mike McGann here. Welcome back to the Near Perfect Radio Show here on Legends 100.3. Couldn't be more excited to be here with my buddy, Roger Shorr. Now, you can learn more about Roger Shorr, about his fantastic book, and -- well, about his way of living life, at nearperfectbody.com. Right?
MR. SHORR: That is it.
MR. MCGANN: Let's do it. Roger, welcome. Great to see you, man.
MR. SHORR: Mike, same thing, good to see you.
MR. MCGANN: Happy 2025.
MR. SHORR: Can you believe it, 2025 already?
MR. MCGANN: It flies by, man.
MR. SHORR: Oh my. Anyway, before the New Year's holiday, I was asked to come back in the New Year and do my best to offer some advice for our listeners, and their friends, and their loved ones as to how to keep -- best keep their New Year's resolutions intact, now that the holiday season has been over for a while. It is usually by the end of January, I think, when the motivation of succeeding in New Year's resolutions starts to fade, or has faded away completely. Let me tackle that first.
MR. MCGANN: All right. What do you got for us, Roger?
MR. SHORR: Okay. Let's deal with getting into better shape, and getting that body feeling much better and much happier. Why, Mike?
MR. MCGANN: Well, you are the guy with the near perfect body, you tell me.
MR. SHORR: Well, as our listeners surely know --
MR. MCGANN: I see what you did there.
MR. SHORR: -- stop -- getting into better shape can mean much more happiness, because if the body gets treated better, you start feeling better. Don't you?
MR. MCGANN: That is true, Roger Shorr.
MR. SHORR: And do you know what the real goal of The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours really is, Mike?
MR. MCGANN: More happiness in life, I guess.
MR. SHORR: Right on. Listeners, let's talk about how you, sitting there, can use some of the ideas from my book, that worked so unbelievably well for me and for others. How -- that would help you do two things.
MR. MCGANN: All right, what are those?
MR. SHORR: One, be successful in your New Year's resolution. And two, understand that only you and our listeners, wherever they are, and everyone they touch, and their friends and loved one's touch, that only they can do it for themselves, no one else. Our listeners like specifics, and while I always suggest that if you want to do it the right way, that you must first learn the Tao of the near perfect body, and following the pathway that I really did lay down so painstakingly in my book, for others to follow so that they can also succeed.
Now, I must repeat myself, as the following specifics are so essential. First, let's revisit hunger and hunger jiu-jitsu. We must defeat the hunger beast.
MR. MCGANN: All right. Now, Roger, remind everybody who or what the hunger beast is, if you would?
MR. SHORR: I will. All we really are is minds. That is all we are. That doesn't mean we don't have souls, but without our minds there is nothing. Try being fully anesthetized and see what you have when your mind has been turned off.
MR. MCGANN: You got nothing.
MR. SHORR: Yes, nothing. So, in our minds, we imagine and isolate hunger, which we need to keep us alive. You have to have hunger, but we have to control it. We must control hunger. So, we imagine this hunger beast and practice hunger jiu-jitsu upon it, because we must have in jiu-jitsu an opponent. I have spoken to this several times, but it is so important. Can I remind the listeners one more time?
MR. MCGANN: Yeah, please do.
MR. SHORR: Well, in addition to becoming our own best friend -- because if we really care about ourselves, then others can more easily do what?
MR. MCGANN: Roger, others can like us more easily and care for us too. Right?
MR. SHORR: Correct. So then, with ourselves no longer speaking things like, oh, I only want just two cookies, and then a couple minutes later, oh, one more can't hurt, can it? Yeah, exactly. And so on.
Another year -- New Year's resolution bites the dust. Another one bites the dust. Well, wait a minute. Who is going to say, stop, those cookies are not helping me? Mike, who will answer the question? The question, would just a few cookies really hurt me?
MR. MCGANN: Tell us who. Who is -- who is going to -- who is going to do that?
MR. SHORR: It can only be ourselves. Only you can stop yourself, nobody else. Do you think our listeners agree, Mike?
MR. MCGANN: Well, I think they do now. I don't see how they couldn't.
MR. SHORR: Well, that is good. I was told in the beginning that Legends listeners are smart and successful people. I have no doubt that so many of them with a little assistance could run with the program in my book, and get their near perfect bodies, or maybe just feel happier and healthier. So, here we go. And again, at the risk of repeating myself --
MR. MCGANN: Hey, practice makes perfect.
MR. SHORR: Near perfect. Practice makes near perfect.
MR. MCGANN: Near perfect. Good call.
MR. SHORR: Yeah. Well, guess what? I wrote this book, you know.
MR. MCGANN: You Shorr (phonetic) did.
MR. SHORR: Shorr (phonetic) -- stop it.
MR. MCGANN: You Shorr (phonetic) did.
MR. SHORR: Stop it. There are a number of different ways to defeat that hunger beast. Oh, yeah. That hunger beast can show up looking like a cookie, or a pepperoni pizza, --
MR. MCGANN: Uh-huh.
MR. SHORR: -- or too much linguine. It has many disguises, and often it attacks you disguised as all of these things at once. A potent and powerful hunger jiu-jitsu move I like to use is found within the formidable pattern interrupt I discuss in my book.
MR. MCGANN: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Part of it recommends this. Take that nasty cookie, or that stupid funnel cake, into the bathroom with you. Yes, I am serious.
MR. MCGANN: Oh, boy.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, I know it gets worse. And then it gets better. Take off your shirt, and look in the mirror as you hold up that cookie, or that funnel cake, or whatever. Look at yourself and the cookie in the reflection, and out loud try saying this, quote, why in the world am I letting this stupid cookie and other self-defeating garbage rob me of my happiness? I want my near perfect body, and I am so helpless against this damn life ruining cookie that I will let it win, and keep me like -- looking like this for the rest of my life. Are you kidding me? What kind of friend am I being to myself to allow that? So now, what you should do is you are standing there looking at the awful applesauce cake, crummy cookie, or whatever and finally seeing it for what it truly is, maybe for the first time, what do you do?
MR. MCGANN: Oh. Well, yeah, what should I do? What should they do?
MR. SHORR: I will tell you what they should do. Take that darn obstacle to your near perfect body, say to it that it is an obstacle and crush it. And then throw that crummy obstacle in the trash can and go get some nice, delicious fruit. A wonderful orange, a sweet apple, or a near perfect pear. Or something nice and helpful to your journey towards your near perfect body.
Would you like a near perfect pear, Mike? How about two near perfect pears? How is that? What are you laughing at?
MR. MCGANN: Roger, did you say two near perfect pears? Are you -- are you saying (indiscernible) you mean?
MR. SHORR: All right, don't you say -- don't you take my lines.
MR. MCGANN: All right.
MR. SHORR: Yes.
MR. MCGANN: I won't, it is all good.
MR. SHORR: Yes, enjoying a pair of near perfect pears, small ones, could be a near perfect dessert move, or substitution for a hunger jiu-jitsu pillar known as the art of substitution. You simply substitute that nasty, and fat piling on, and self-destructive duo of disastrous dirty dirt cakes, for a happy, fresh, and healthy New Year's -- New Year's resolution protecting, nice pair of near perfect pears.
MR. MCGANN: That sounds pretty amazing.
MR. SHORR: No, it is not amazing.
MR. MCGANN: All right.
MR. SHORR: It is me joking around -- and I am joking around, aren't I, listeners? But in a real sense, I am not joking at all, am I?
MR. MCGANN: Well, it makes logical sense, I think.
MR. SHORR: Are you sure? Don't go there.
MR. MCGANN: Okay.
MR. SHORR: It doesn't. I am sure I am joking here with the food descriptions, but I am deadly serious about the damage these junk food enemies can do to our precious bodies.
MR. MCGANN: Shorr (phonetic), Roger.
MR. SHORR: Would you cut it out? Look, I can even be a bit silly. But this is my Near Perfect Radio Show, I can joke around, but also be serious. I blend jokes in with my message of good health and happiness. My jokes are here, they are designed to hopefully get our listeners engaged so they are focusing more closely about what I am saying. It is kind of like telling just a joke. If I tell you a joke, don't you often listen more carefully to get the punch line?
MR. MCGANN: Well, yeah. So, the person, or people that are listening to that joke, they don't miss the punch line.
MR. SHORR: Yes. Maybe my attempt, or attempting to use catchy phrases like, duo of dirty dirt cakes, -- sorry, that might stick in the heads of some listeners who want to keep their New Year's resolutions this time, and perhaps for the first time. Maybe they will find a way to finally keep their resolutions. Why am I joking around with junk food, really? What is my point, Mike?
MR. MCGANN: I -- let me know.
MR. SHORR: Good.
MR. MCGANN: I give up on that one.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, okay. Like Sunzi, or Sun Tzu, I am using a strategy here. You have to read my book. Our listeners, I believe, would really enjoy learning hunger jiu-jitsu, and I have just spoken an example of it and I believe you did not see it coming.
MR. MCGANN: Oh, they had missed that. Not following that one, Roger.
MR. SHORR: I just now presented a pillar of hunger jiu-jitsu. As you know, hunger jiu-jitsu stands upon six great pillars, and it has six primary moves. Now, I didn't -- and don't think I invented all of them. Some of them I heard, but I brought them all together. Some of them I think I came up with on my own, but I brought them all together for hunger jiu-jitsu, six straight pillars that stands -- hunger jiu-jitsu stands upon that, and upon that are six primary moves, and other moves as well. But do you know what the six primary pillars of moves, and the six straight pillars are?
MR. MCGANN: Remind us. Remind me of what they are.
MR. SHORR: Got to do everything around here.
MR. MCGANN: Hey, you are the one who wrote the book.
MR. SHORR: Don't hold that against me. All right. All right. Enough getting around for a moment. Listeners, as I said, hunger jiu-jitsu has six pillars and six primary moves, as does exercise jiu-jitsu.
MR. MCGANN: There you go.
MR. SHORR: And I might add that exercise jiu-jitsu is in my book as well. And when I wised up, and began to get real fitness and weight training instruction from a wise professional named Nadine Moody, my transformation to my near perfect body went into overdrive, maybe even hyperspace.
MR. MCGANN: Oh.
MR. SHORR: And soon thereafter, I discovered the omnipotent tipping point, and that is in my book too.
MR. MCGANN: Okay.
MR. SHORR: And then, my near perfect body arrived a few weeks later. I will never forget the day, it was May 1st, 2023. I will never forget that -- forget that great day. I even have -- yes, shirtless pictures of myself in my book of that great day.
MR. MCGANN: Oh, wow.
MR. SHORR: Anyway, here are the hunger jiu-jitsu pillars. One, employ -- yes, it is true, employ a near perfect attitude. Two, avoid getting too hungry. Three, plan what you will eat. Oh yes, Sun Tzu again. Four, learn to eat healthily. What is that? Read the book. Five, use the art of substitution, oh. And six, very subtle, very powerful, control your environment. I explain that in detail.
And now, here are the primary moves of hunger jiu-jitsu. Are you ready?
MR. MCGANN: Absolutely.
MR. SHORR: Okay.
MR. MCGANN: I am taking notes.
MR. SHORR: Well, you got a book right here, you don't need the notes.
MR. MCGANN: It is literally right there. By the way, you can get that book, we will tell you about that too.
MR. SHORR: At nearperfectbody.com.
MR. MCGANN: Nearperfectbody.com, --
MR. SHORR: Oh, yeah.
MR. MCGANN: -- that is where to go.
MR. SHORR: Oh, yeah. Okay. And now, --
MR. MCGANN: Those moves.
MR. SHORR: -- he primary moves of hunger jiu-jutsu.
MR. MCGANN: Let's do it.
MR. SHORR: All right. One, eat some fruit before dinner, and even other meals is okay. Why? Read the book. But not too much, we are taking the edge off. Yes. Two, weigh yourself before a meal. That is move number two, and it is all explained. Why would you do that? Read the book.
MR. MCGANN: Read the book.
MR. SHORR: Three and four are learning to breathe. Oh. In martial arts, you have to breathe. But hunger jiu-jitsu, you have to breathe correctly while eating, and how to actually consume your food with things like chewing slowly, getting your mouth empty between bites, putting down the fork, et cetera, et cetera. Number five, use your mind. This move reminds you of what you should think about several times as you are eating. And finally, the sixth move, very powerful -- spectacular and powerful, pattern interrupt, and how and when to use it.
MR. MCGANN: That is -- that is all really incredible, Roger.
MR. SHORR: You think?
MR. MCGANN: I love it.
MR. SHORR: Well, hey, what can I tell you, look.
MR. MCGANN: I mean, look -- well, the results do speak for themselves. We joke a little bit on this program, but looking at you, you can tell that this --
MR. SHORR: I am 70 and a half, --
MR. MCGANN: -- program works.
MR. SHORR: -- and I have to admit it. I can't believe it, but it really happened.
MR. MCGANN: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: And you know what else is incredible?
MR. MCGANN: What is that?
MR. SHORR: People that I think are very smart, successful people are coming back to me and they are saying, Roger, this is great.
MR. MCGANN: Yeah.
MR. SHORR: I wasn't looking for this.
MR. MCGANN: We don't know what we don't know, but you are going to find what you don't know in the book. You know it, Roger. Most people --
MR. SHORR: I don't know how --
MR. MCGANN: -- (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: -- I know it.
MR. MCGANN: But there it is, but it worked.
MR. SHORR: It doesn't matter, does it?
MR. MCGANN: But it worked for you.
MR. SHORR: And it can work for you too. Let's go. All right.
MR. MCGANN: That is it.
MR. SHORR: I was joking a little while ago, as I was making a joke about certain types of junk food, because to me, it is the worst kind of body negligence to let duos of dirty dirt cakes, and other nonsensical enemies sabotage our precious bodies, and keep them nowhere near perfect. Joke? Seriously, allowing that nonsense to enter our precious bodies that carry us through this incredible experience we call life, that is the joke.
MR. MCGANN: Duo -- what did you say, duo of dirty dirt cakes? God. God, Roger.
MR. SHORR: I am sorry. I am sorry, not sorry. I am not sorry. As I said in my book -- I really did it, God help me -- I have launched the vendetta against cookies.
MR. MCGANN: Oh.
MR. SHORR: Yeah. Listeners, launch your own vendetta against those obstacles disguised as cookies, dirty dirt cakes, dream pies, or just too much pasta, or double cheeseburgers, et cetera, ad nauseam.
MR. MCGANN: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
MR. SHORR: Stop it, Mike. And actually, sorry to do this to you, buddy, but as I think of it, peppers are healthy and good for our bodies.
MR. MCGANN: I love them.
MR. SHORR: Some peppers are friendly, New Year resolution preserving, happy snacks, but always consult, please, your doctor for any diets, or exercises, or anything. And really, I am trying to get serious here.
MR. MCGANN: Yeah. You are getting serious, I am getting delirious, Roger.
MR. SHORR: Oh my god, please. The audience is getting annoyed.
MR. MCGANN: All right, my bad.
MR. SHORR: You are bad, all right. But seriously, the nasty junk food is horrific. It keeps your body from looking amazing, along with preventing you from feeling much, much better. Give that nasty stuff enough time and it can take our precious lives away. Can it? Oh yes, it can. And we do want -- of course, our listeners want and deserve good things in life, like healthy bodies. Don't they?
MR. MCGANN: Hey, nothing but the best for our Legends listener, our Legends family.
MR. SHORR: So, now listeners, I was a comedian a minute or two ago. Why?
MR. MCGANN: Why?
MR. SHORR: Because as comical as I was intentionally being with dirty dirt cakes and a pair of near perfect pears, I was making a profound point.
MR. MCGANN: And what exactly was that point?
MR. SHORR: Which was to really let junk food like duo of dirty dirt cakes work toward preventing anyone from getting their near perfect body. It is just plain silly, even worse than that.
MR. MCGANN: Worse? How so?
MR. SHORR: Why, Mike? Listeners? It is just plain ridiculous. And furthermore, I used the opportunity to go on the war path today against junk food to -- subtly, or maybe not so subtly, it started off subtly, I think -- show how the art of substitution can help reprogram our minds for the better. Our minds are so much like sophisticated computers, of course, you can reprogram your minds.
Now, since it is early in the day, I hope your listeners out there are having pathetic -- or that that are having pathetic pancakes with syrup, and bad bacon for breakfast this morning, once and for all stand up for yourselves, and for goodness sakes, stand up for your precious bodies and throw that junk in the trash can where it belongs. And have some nice, tasty, New Year resolution preserving oatmeal and some fruit, or perhaps a nice medium-sized banana, and not too big of a bowl of fortified, nice, delicious, tasty cereal. Skim milk is also very good.
You know what is good for you, and I don't have to tell you, because you are a smart and with it audience? Well, I am not a doctor, but I think your heart will thank me for the advice, so you don't force feed your poor heart with bad bacon, which might possibly contribute to clogging your poor and hardworking coronary arteries. Your life sustaining heart and magnificent arteries carry the blood and the oxygen through your body your whole life. They don't like those potential threats, I do not think. Ask your doctor.
Now, here is how I come to willpower. Since you are beginning to resent, I hope, this junk food that is in your way as an obstacle, you have started the reprogramming of what, Mike? Tell everyone.
MR. MCGANN: Reprogramming your mind. You are using the art of substitution here again, aren't you, Roger?
MR. SHORR: You must have read my book, because you know all my tricks. Or some of them.
MR. MCGANN: I pay attention.
MR. SHORR: No, you -- No, we -- well, okay. Some of my tricks.
MR. MCGANN: Indeed.
MR. SHORR: We will just call it that. Call it -- call it some of my tricks. Okay, yes. And by the time your so-called New Year's resolution quote, willpower end quote, might have otherwise faded like it almost always has, you won't be needing any -- it anymore, will you, Mike?
MR. MCGANN: No, you won't.
MR. SHORR: No. Because in resenting that junk with great intensity, you will no longer desire it, and you will no longer be relying on your faltering willpower, will you? Again, willpower when used incorrectly is like holding your breath. You got it, don't you? You start out strong and resolute, but before long, excuse me, it is not working so good anymore. And then, -- then you give up.
So, we don't want to have to depend too much on our willpower forever to keep bad junk foods, or just too much eating at bay.
MR. MCGANN: No, we don't.
MR. SHORR: And every listener out there, I believe, has the ability to follow hunger jiu-jitsu, doesn't matter if they are 80. Look, Dr. Perrella (phonetic) himself, he -- the foreword of my book, Dr. Perrella, Sudhakar Perella, he is following it and he is 82.
MR. MCGANN: Impressive.
MR. SHORR: He loves it. He performed thousands of surgeries over 35 year period. The guy is incredible, and he really thought it was a wonderful book. And his grandniece spoke the words of the forward. His words of the forward will be in audiobook. It is coming soon, --
MR. MCGANN: Yes.
MR. SHORR: -- it will be on nearperfectbody.com. It is kind of overwhelming for me. But anyway, again, every listener out there has the ability to follow hunger jiu-jitsu with Dr. Perrella, and others can do it and be so successful. Of course, the listeners can, and they will learn to embrace the Tao of the near perfect body.
MR. MCGANN: Go, Roger. Keep rolling.
MR. SHORR: Rolling on a river, here we --
MR. MCGANN: That is it.
MR. SHORR: My point, and my real Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas, and New Year's gift is this, please out there, everyone that can hear my voice, know that I am your friend. Allow me to repeat myself at times what I feel is in your best interests. Even though we have not met, and maybe we never will formally, we are all connected and so much alike. And know that you have everything you need to succeed. It is inside of you, it has always been inside of you.
Your near perfect body is inside of you waiting for you to reveal it, to discover it. Release it and show it to the world, and to yourself by living a better life, and embracing the tools I offer in my book. Show it to yourself. For forever and a day, it seemed to me that achieving a body that I could be truly happy with and proud of was a dream.
The Near Perfect Body: and the Pathway to Yours was, is, and always shall be a dream. It is a dream that came true for me, and I want it to come true for you. I want all of you out there who, like me, want your body when in front of a mirror, in a bathing suit or with your shirt off, to reflect back to you an image that will make you smile, as I truly did and do every day. I want you to experience it and have your dream come true, that is the reason I wrote this book, I wrote it for you. I wrote it for almost -- for anyone. I wrote it for anyone who wants something that works.
It took me almost 69 years, I was 68 and a half, and I was -- started to figure it out then. Sixty nine years to finally figure this out. I believe I discovered how we should treat our bodies, which are incredible living machines that protect our minds. Again, meaning who and what we really are, and we were meant to treat our precious bodies with TLC, for our bodies are truly our homes, and hold the key to the magical gift we call life. You have what you need, truly everything that you need to achieve your near perfect body. And I believe my book shows you how to use the tools you already have to, find these things that you always may have wanted and desired so greatly.
Again, my friends and neighbors in Palm Beach County, and everywhere else for that matter, 2025, can you believe it? It is here, it is underway, and soon it too shall pass. Smile. Find more happiness in yourselves and in each other, for we all -- we are all we have on this earth. Let us all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025 and make it a near perfect year.
MR. MCGANN: Why not?
MR. SHORR: All right. Moving on. I know, readers -- or listeners rather, hopefully, you will become readers.
MR. MCGANN: Yes, indeed.
MR. SHORR: Yeah. That would be nice. So, it makes a great gift. So, --
MR. MCGANN: Oh, it does. And it is -- well, it is easy (indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: You know somebody you want to help, buy my book.
MR. MCGANN: Head to nearperfectbody.com. I mean, it is right there, you can get the book. I just (indiscernible)
MR. SHORR: You just click buy now, and it takes you right to Amazon, and three clicks and it is done.
MR. MCGANN: It is going to show up right for you.
MR. SHORR: Exactly.
MR. MCGANN: And you know, that is -- that is the thing about it is, I love the concepts. I mean, hunger jiu-jitsu, it is a brilliant concept.
MR. SHORR: Thank you. You know what jiu-jitsu really is? I have said it before on (indiscernible) -- jiu-jitsu -- look, I was a serious martial artist, it never leaves you. When you get black belt in a serious school like I was --
MR. MCGANN: Right.
MR. SHORR: -- it is always there. So, what is jiu-jitsu? Why not -- why not hunger karate or exercise karate? Well, no, I took karate --
(Overlapping voices.)
MR. MCGANN: That is a great question.
MR. SHORR: In my book, I tell you what Jujitsu is, it is Japanese and origin. I have Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I have some world champions who are going to endorse my book, no kidding. They love it.
MR. MCGANN: Right.
MR. SHORR: It all came from Japan, and they made some great changes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is fantastic.
MR. MCGANN: (Indiscernible) --
MR. SHORR: It really is. But jiu-jitsu is really this, hunger is a primal instinct. You can't beat it, you shouldn't beat it. I mean, what are you going to do, starve yourself? You will lose --
MR. MCGANN: Starve yourself to death? I would rather not.
MR. SHORR: Well, you will lose weight for a while and then you are just going to -- you know, your whole body will consume itself.
MR. MCGANN: You start cannibalizing yourself at that point.
MR. SHORR: That doesn't sound like a near perfect strategy.
MR. MCGANN: That sounds like a far --
MR. SHORR: It sounds like a near disastrous --
MR. MCGANN: -- from perfect strategy.
MR. SHORR: -- it sounds like a disastrous strategy.
MR. MCGANN: Yeah, it does.
MR. SHORR: But what is jiu-jitsu?
MR. MCGANN: Right.
MR. SHORR: The way I see it is, jiu-jitsu is your ability to use your opponent's power against itself to control it.
MR. MCGANN: Okay.
MR. SHORR: Leverage, balance, all these things you are taught in martial arts and jiu-jitsu, especially, help you control the hunger beast, and it works. Works.
And I am -- I am sitting here, I mean, at 70 and a half, for the first time in my life -- you know, if I am going to the beach, I will take my shirt off and I will smile.
MR. MCGANN: Right.
MR. SHORR: And I know other people are going to get this, and that makes me not just happy, it makes me ecstatic.
MR. MCGANN: Ecstatic. Yeah, I can tell.
MR. SHORR: You got it.
MR. MCGANN: Well, I can see --
MR. SHORR: Does it show?
MR. MCGANN: -- I can see it in you. And that is the thing, near perfect body, check out the book, nearperfectbody.com. Hunger jiu-jitsu is a part of it. And --
MR. SHORR: There is so much more.
MR. MCGANN: -- there is a lot more to cover on this. But --
MR. SHORR: But it is a fun read and it is an easy read. It is a happy place, the cover is beautiful, and it is meant to be a happy place.
MR. MCGANN: It is. And that is what it is about. Get that happy life. Head over to near perfect body.com, buy the book. Follow Roger's example, learn that hunger jiu-jitsu and so much more you are going to find there.
MR. SHORR: Well, thanks, Mike.
MR. MCGANN: Of course, sir.
MR. SHORR: It was very nice to talk to you today.
MR. MCGANN: It was great talking with you today. This has been --
MR. SHORR: Near Perfect Radio Show.
MR. MCGANN: -- the Near Perfect Radio Show. Enjoyed it, my friend. Near Perfect Radio Show on Legends 100.3, nearperfectbody.com. I have been talking to my buddy, Roger Shorr, who has got that Near Perfect Body, and he wrote that near perfect book. So, pick it up, nearperfectbody.com, and stay tuned to Legends 100.3.
MR. SHORR: Sounds good to me. Thanks, Mike.
MR. MCGANN: Rock and roll, happy 2025.
MR. SHORR: Yeah, man.
(End of Audio Recording.)
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