Here’s something to start your new year off with a new mindset and inspiration.
This video shows the remarkable transformation Arthur Boorman made in his life in less than a year. Authur was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own – never, ever !
He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to give it a try — he couldn’t do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA and sent an email to Dallas telling him his story. Dallas was so moved by his story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with Arthur throughout his journey – he encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible. Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going. As he did he not only lost a lot of weight, he gained tremendous balance and flexibility. But more than that – he gained the hope that maybe someday he’d walk again. And he did !
His story is proof, that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. Niether Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish, but this video speaks for itself. In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of, 15 years earlier !
Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck – you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you might think.
So may this video give you that injection of inspiration you need for 2013. Believe in yourself and go after your dreams – whatever they are – they might just come true !
Someone once said to me that feeling gratitude without sharing it with someone is like wrapping a present without giving it to the person.
So with this statement in my head and Christmas almost upon us it led me to start thinking about how I could be more thankful and grateful in my life. After all, I am so blessed. Blessed with an amazing family. Blessed to live in Australia – with freedom, democracy, a good economy, no war, no famine, an incredible lifestyle and so on. Blessed to be have given my life to Jesus and to have a real and personal relationship with him. Blessed to live in the apartment that I do at Queenscliff overlooking Manly beach and living with a great flatmate. Blessed to have the great friends I do. Blessed to be fit and healthy and to have lived such an active, jam-packed life so far. Blessed to be living in a rich, western country and not be born into extreme poverty. Blessed to have travelled and seen the world like I have. And on and on and on.
I am blessed and it would serve me well to be more grateful for this. To be more consciously aware of all my blessings and to take those moments to stop and smell the roses and be thankful for all I have and all I have experienced (and all I haven’t experienced too).
So here’s some thoughts that I’ve come up with on how to be more grateful. perhaps they’ll encourage you to do the same.
1. Give an unexpected compliment every day – share my gratitude
2. Keep a gratitude journal – I know this isn’t for everyone just like writing a personal journal resonates with some and doesn’t with others. But perhaps I can write occasionally in a journal and list all the things I am thankful for in order to help me become more consciously aware of what I have.
3. Reframing – to actively try and see things from a different perspective. For example – what is a gift or something that I can be thankful for that has been wrapped up by punishment, hardship or pain. How can I actively take a different more thankful and positive view?
4. One vote of thanks every day – why don’t I say thanks or be thankful for something everyday. And say it out aloud to give it more weight. (Thanks for the sunrise. Thanks for the sleep-in. Thanks for the ferry ride. Thanks that I feel better. Thanks for that meal. And so on).
Challenge Don’t you agree that being more grateful is a great way to go through life.
But even more than that, feeling gratitude without sharing it with someone is like wrapping a present without giving it to the person. So let’s be grateful but let’s also share that gratitude (via compliments or other ways). It is a free gift to give and is good for both you and everyone else !
Most people don’t care enough to make a difference.
Most people aren’t going to buy that new thing you’re selling.
Most people are too self-involved to do the generous work you’re hoping for.
Most people think they can’t afford it.
Most people won’t talk about it.
Most people aren’t going to read what you wrote.
Most people find it easier to criticise than to offer praise and encouragement.
… But you’re not most people !
And nor do you want to be most people right ?
And your best customers aren’t most people. Neither are your best supporters. Nor are those joining you on the journey.
One thing I’ve learnt over the last number of years is that when you dream big and are bold enough to dare to dream and to share that with others, it is surprising how many people are happy to tell you it can’t be done or to criticise or doubt you in some way. In fact, you’ll meet more people who’ll tell you that you can’t do something than you’ll meet people who’ll encourage you and tell you that you can. You’ll meet more people who’ll tell you that it’s a stupid idea than you’ll meet people who’ll tell you that that it’s a great idea.
There isn’t one autobiography I’ve read of people who’ve achieved amazing things who haven’t been told by people that they couldn’t do it. Think about people like Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Sir Edmund Hilary, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Gai Waterhouse, Michael Milton, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Kurt Fearnley, Dr Suess, Salma Hayek, Walt Disney to name just a few. (For more examples click here).
And so I’ve learnt that it is a choice to have self-belief and not be limited by other people’s expectations or opinions. It’s a choice to ignore them and believe in something different that’s inside you, to believe you can do it rather than that you can’t. It’s a choice to choose to not be most people.
Challenge Don’t be like most people.
In any case you’re unique and there’s only one of you in the entire world.
There’s a funny story to when I learnt this. I had won some money whilst working at ANZ and was able to spend it on my own self-development. I could do whatever I wanted as long as it got signed off. Well, whilst some went off and started their masters, and others did some specific courses on offer … I went ice-climbing in NZ.
Well aside from that being a life experience (and a frightening one for that matter), I also did a whole host of personality profiles. I did one called the LSI (Lifestyles Inventory) and as part of this you get your family / friends/ boss / employees to fill out a comprehensive questionnaire on you. And then you do the same yourself. You then compare the two results and low and behold others see you differently to how you see yourself.
The life lesson learnt – you judge others by their actions but yourself by your intentions.
It is said that when you point the finger you have one finger pointing at someone else, but don’t forget you have 4 fingers still pointing back at you. And the Bible puts it like this “Get the log out of your own eye before you get the speck out of someone elses”.
Challenge Before we judge others, we should first judge ourselves.
And if ever we do judge others we should never forget to judge ourselves by the same standards to avoid being hypocritical.
After all, we judge others by their actions but ourselves by our intentions.
I’m in tears as I write this. This is pure inspiration – exactly what I want this blog to provide. To give you and I together another dose of inspiration for our week.
And what a dose of inspiration it is. An example of how your past doesn’t define your future. An example of guts and inner fortitude, but also of good decisions. Consider the courage it took to get himself off the street; the courage to take any singing lessons in the first place; and the massive courage to go on the show when Sung-bong thought he was an average singer (even if he was wrong !). An example of the dignity of a young man and the honest compassion of the judges.
May you be inspired to not let your past define your future and to go after your dreams with all you have.
I was watching a really interesting show on TV last night about the Amish. In the show a number of university students went and lived with the Amish and experienced their traditional lifestyle – one of simplicity; of no mod-cons such as TV, cars and phones; of family; of the bible; and of working the land. What was particularly interesting for me was to see how the students opinions changed as they understood and appreciated the Amish lifestyle, and just as fascinating was to see how the Amish reacted when exposed to things like iphones, Facebook, Twitter, shopping malls, advertising etc. Most interesting and surprising was to see how they didn’t feel like they were badly missing out. Instead they gained an increasing appreciation for the good things about the lifestyle that they lived and adopted.
And it reminded me of a good lesson taught by a mayonnaise jar and a professor in a philosophy class …
When the class began, the philosophy professor wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full … they agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full … they agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full … the students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things – your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions. If everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else – the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn. Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend !
Challenge We’ve heard it before. But it really the simple and important things in life that make our world go around and not the small stuff. So may you keep the main things the main things this week !
Today I am launching my affiliate program for my book A Life That Counts. And I’m serious …
I want to give you $15 !!! That is, I will give you 50% of my profits as a commission on every sale !!!
In other words, I’d love to give you the opportunity to make money by promoting my book or workbook.
Perhaps you’ve read the book and really got a lot out of it? Perhaps you’ve used my workbook and found it really helped clarify some things in your life, set some goals and equip you to move forward? Perhaps you’re a blogger with the same life outlook as me? Perhaps you’re a friend who would like to support me and make some money in doing so (they call that a win/win !)). Perhaps you’re an affiliate seller and appreciate that the calibre of famous Olympic and World Champions in this book make it a rare mix between inspiration and a practical handbook full of tools, techniques, strategies, learnings and examples that will be really useful for readers?
==>> If you want to know more about how to become an affiliate,and get some more background guff on what an affiliate program actually is, click here.
(It’s really simple and easy – you just take 2 mins to register and create a user name and link that you then post on your blog / facebook / twitter / email. Then when anyone clicks on that link that you promote and buys my book … boom ! … you get 50% of my profits !!! It’s the easiest $15 you’ll ever make for posting a link and telling people about my book and workbook which they’ll love and will inspire and equip them to live the life they want).
==>> If you know how this works and want to jump straight to it, you can set up your Clickbank account here.
(You will then use this Clickbank nickname in the link that you promote (replace xxxxx with your nickname). http://xxxxx.rolloinc.hop.clickbank.net => eg http://johnsmith.rolloinc.hop.clickbank.net There are also a whole lot of affiliate resources like this banner you can use. See my Affiliate Tools page for more).
And good luck spreading the message. Let’s help people follow their dreams without regret, create the life they think and dream about, and inspire and equip them to live an extraordinary, fulfilled and purposeful life that makes a difference – A Life That Counts !
Ninja Warrior is a reality-based television show where competitors from across the country attempt to successfully navigate extremely difficult obstacle courses as they progress through the competition. If competitors successfully pass the initial trial stages, they receive the right to attempt what is regarded as the most difficult obstacle course in the world, held at Mt. Midoriyama. Ninja Warrior is divided up into four stages each of which has several challenging obstacles. Every year, or occasionally every season, Mt. Midoriyama opens its gates to allow 100 athletes to try to take on its obstacle courses. Over 14 years and through twenty seven tournaments, only three individuals have ever succeeded. All other 2,697 Ninja Warrior attempts were met with bitter defeat. It’s an unforgiving competition, where one slip of the foot, or one mistimed jump or one mistake can de-rail and eliminate you. All of the hard work contestants have put in, all of the dreams they might have had … can be gone in a second.
Now I’m with you – the show’s name and the quest to become a ‘Ninja Warrior’ – well, it probably makes you roll your eyes doesn’t it !! But take a look at the calibre of athletes attempting this. Many of these athletes train all year long on self-designed obstacle courses just for the mere possibility of getting the chance to attempt Mt. Midoriyama. They invest their time, make sacrifices, and risk injury in the hopes of accomplishing what so few have successfully done.
While only three out of thousands have reached the pinnacle of success in this sport, there have likely been thousands more that failed to even make the attempt because of fear of failure or fear of embarrassment. When they fail at Ninja Warrior it is seldom gracefully … and it’s on national television !
To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself. (Soren Kierkegaard)
But take the TV cameras away and isn’t it the same thing ? … many of us would rather not attempt the obstacle course because of the high likelihood of not succeeding than have a go. And this is the point … many of us don’t dare to have a go because we want to know that we’ll be successful and achieve that goal before we even start. But that isn’t the way life works or achieving great things goes is it.
Ask anyone who has achieved anything great and they’ll tell you what the path looks like. It starts with a decision. A decision to believe and step-out even though you don’t know if you’ll achieve what you want. There are set-backs and there are disappointments along the way. It requires discipline and planning and strategy. It requires ignoring many people who find it easier to say/shout/proclaim from the sidelines that it can’t be done instead of having the guts to try it themselves. It takes developing a belief in yourself because you have to overcome not only the doubts of others, but you’re own doubts. It requires learning to ‘enjoy’ the process of the stretching and self-growth and the challenge that chasing that goal requires.
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. (Robert Kennedy)
We all have our own Mt. Midoriyama we want to conquer. It could be a character trait or an event or an experience or some other sort of goal or vision we have for our lives. So here’s a few thoughts to challenge and help you conquer your own Mt. Midoriyama.
1) Be Willing to Take Risks. Most individuals are extremely risk adverse in their approach to life. Make no mistake, whether you are attempting to achieve financial success or sporting success or some other goal, you are going to have to leave your comfort zone. For example, you can’t become a successful trader by simply doing virtual trades your whole life. And you can’t become a good sailor by staying on the shore. At some point you are going to have to take a risk.
2) Doubt doubt.Do not be surprised. Unfortunately whenever you set off on your journey to achieve great things, you will not always have the support of friends, colleagues, and even family members. Do not be naive in this regard. Not everyone will embrace your journey. There will be doubters. It is easier to knock someone else down than to do it yourself. Be prepared to ignore this negativity and create a self-belief and a self-determination.
3) Be stubborn in a good way. Along your quest to conquer your Mt. Midoriyama, you will face the cold hard reality of how much you actually want it. And the answer will be very simple – you’ll either give up or you wont. You’ll either see something as an obstacle that will stop you or a barrier to your success that needs to be overcome (because you will achieve – when is the question). You see there are far too many books out there like ‘The Secret’ that espouse the ‘believe and you can achieve’ sort of philosophy. Belief is just one part of the journey. The other half is determination, hard-work, stubborness, perseverence, desire, discipline, training, willingness to critique and learn and so on. So count the cost before you start and know that when you face obstacles on your path to success, you will no doubt face the cold hard questions. What will be your answer?
Challenge Let me leave you with one of my favourite quotes. Hopefully it is enough to get you moving and going after what you really want, or to overcome whatever it is that is holding you back.
You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. (Wayne Gretzky)
Forget the last 2 lines and the associated guilt trip. But think about everything else that this picture says. You never know what’s going on underneath the surface or behind the scenes in someone’s life do you? And pity to the person who needs to make themselves feel better by putting someone else down – by bullying in any manner !!!
Challenge
Let’s be those people who build up not tear down. Let’s be people who use our words powerfully for good – to encourage and inspire and educate and comfort and rally and forgive … and not the opposite.
