I’ve learned a lot from Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Work Week. I’ve picked up countless tips from reading his book and his blog and watching his YouTube videos. But today, I learned a new kind of lesson. A lesson in community.

Today, Tim wrote a serious blog post on the topic of depression and suicide. (You need to read it!)

Tim isn’t a doctor. He’s not a psychologist. But he has a blog with a very large audience and he has decided to step outside of his usual subject matter to make a very important comment on a very important topic. He says:

Statistically, out of the millions of people who visit this blog, a fair number will consider or attempt suicide. I want to know that I at least made an effort to prevent such terrible loss.

Tim’s post has reminded me of two important things:

• We all have a duty to watch out for one another
• You don’t need to be an expert to offer assistance - especially if that assistance is to help someone find an expert.

It would have been so easy for Tim to simply continue using his blog to regale us with his globe-trotting, time-saving tales of his fantastic life and how we too can have that life. But today, Tim decided to step out of that comfort zone and give something back to the community.

Thanks for the lesson Tim!

ENJOY NOW!

My friend Peter from i will change your life . com is currently featuring another guest article of mine.  Read the article on kickstarting your day and leave comments in order to win a copy of my book: What’s Your Expiry Date? Embrace Your Mortality - Live With Vitality.

I just read about a most incredible ceremony!

In South Korea, a company called Korea Life Consulting will let you attend your own funeral!

That’s right - you read your last will and testament then climb into a casket.  The good folks from Korea Life Consulting then nail the lid shut, sprinkle dirt on the lid and play funeral music!  After 15 minutes, they pry open the lid and you emerge - reborn!

One of the participants had to say this:

“I felt really, really scared inside the coffin and also thought a lot about my mom,” said Lee Hye-jung, a 23-year-old woman studying engineering. “I’ll live differently from now on so as not to have any regrets about my life.”

POWERFUL STUFF!

So what do you think?  Should I incorporate some caskets into my next workshop or weekend seminar?

Read the story for yourself.

I believe that it is entirely possible to be an unsuccessful success.

Let me explain this apparent oxymoron.

I am a fan of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. I have cheered for the Canadiens since I was a kid. (If you’re not a hockey fan, stick with me… my point applies to you too!)

For the last few years, I have lived outside of Toronto - home of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, arch rivals of the Canadiens. This means that I am surrounded and outnumbered by Leafs fans, who are characterized by their desire to put the Maple Leafs’ logo on anything and everything.

Whenever someone wants to argue with me about which is a better team I tell them one simple thing:

“Count the Cups!”

This is a reference to the highest prize in the National Hockey League, the Stanley Cup. Montreal has won the Stanley Cup 24 times in their history, more than any other hockey team. The Leafs, on the other hand, have only won it 13 times. Furthermore, the Leafs have not won a cup in my lifetime!! Their last win was in 1967 - that’s a 40-year drought! Hardly what I would call successful!

HOWEVER, my definition of “success” assumes that the aim of a hockey team is to prove itself against all competitors, advance through the playoffs and ultimately win the Stanley Cup.

Another reality about hockey today is that it is a busine$$. In that regard, the Leafs are very successful. They have a fan base who’s loyalty borders on rabid obsession. They sell out every home game, make millions in merchandising and broadcast revenues. A 2004 report from Forbes.com ranks the Most Valuable Teams in the NHL. The Leafs rank #2, while the Canadiens rank #8. Hmmm..

Whether you are a hockey fan or not - the lesson should be clear by now:

Before you can decide whether or not something is a “success”, you need to be clear about what your measure of success will be.

How many people do you know that are financially successful, but unsuccessful in their relationships? Spiritually fulfilled, but constantly in debt. How many people have fantastic careers, but unhealthy lifestyles?

Now look at your life. Are you successful in the areas that matter most to you - or are you using your success in some areas to justify or explain your lack of success in others?

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So who is your favorite motivational person?

• Maybe it’s Jack Canfield or Mark Victor Hansen, the co-creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul empire.
• Maybe it’s Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale or John Assaraf - all of whom were featured in The Secret.
• Maybe you’re a fan of Loral Langemeier, T. Harv Eker, Wayne Dyer, or Robin Sharma.
• I know that at least one of you (thanks Mom!) will say that Patrick Mathieu is your favorite motivational person!

Well, what if you could have all of these people (including ME) and forty-three others working to help keep you motivated throughout 2008?

Wayne Kelly is a radio host who has has put together an amazing personal development program called 52 Motivational Interviews. Here’s how it works: Join the program for only $47.00 and each week you will be e-mailed a new 10-minute motivational interview that Wayne has done with some of today’s top names in the field of personal and professional development! That means that you will have one full year of powerful motivational messages delivered right to your inbox. You can download the audio files and play them over and over again.

And as an added bonus, Wayne is donating 30% of the money to charity - his goal is to raise $1 Million dollars to fight Alzheimer’s.

And as an added, added bonus, you can become an affiliate of the program and make some money for yourself and a charity of your choice! If you are going to sign up as an affiliate - please enter 4cb2ea5c in the box that says “Referrer ID” - that way, while you are making money, you’ll also be helping:

• me
• the Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance (my charity of choice)
• Wayne
• the Alzheimers Society
• PLUS you’ll be helping the people that you share this program with!

It’s win-win-win-win-win-win!! How motivating is that?

So ask yourself this question: “What would the next 52 weeks look like for me if I were being coached by 52 top motivators?”

Well… what are you waiting for?

ENJOY NOW!

What are you doing to invest in your success for 2008?

How much more successful would the year be if you had laser focus and were confident that you were focusing on what is most important to you?

I will be holding a “Fearless Focus” workshop in Toronto on Tuesday, January 29th. In order to accomodate different schedules, and to allow as many people as possible to participate, I am offering two sessions - one in the afternoon (1pm-4pm) and one in the evening (6pm-9pm).

To keep the sessions as interactive as possible, I am limiting attendance to 24 people per session. So REGISTER NOW!

For more information and to register, visit the Fearless Focus page.

(Would you like to see a workshop held in your city? Contact me and let’s get one set up!) 

Have you ever seen someone doing something that you’d love to try?

Something like:

• Whitewater rafting
• Hiking in the Himalayas
• Driving a race car
• Shooting under 100 for a round of golf

Or maybe it’s something like making pottery or working with stained-glass.

You see what they are doing and you say to yourself: “Man! I’d love to try that one day!” But of course one day isn’t a day on the calendar - so you never get around to trying it.

I recently met a very interesting young man named Frank who is involved in parkour. If you don’t know what parkour is (or even if you do) you need to watch this amazing three minute video clip. (Warning: your heart will be beating faster by the time you finish it and you if your boss catches you watching it at work, you will have the urge to vault over your cubicle wall to escape.)

I’ve always wanted to try parkour, but I’m wise enough to know that you need some basic training before you start (not to mention a level of physical conditioning that I just don’t have at the moment). Now that I know Frank, I can live vicariously thorough him and that might be just the motivation I need to start getting in shape to try out some of these moves.What about you? What things would you love to try? Are they things that you can jump right into, or do you need to work up to them? If you can jump right in - what’s stopping you? If you need to work up to them - what are you doing to start the process? A good place to start would be to become acquainted with someone who is already doing what you’d like to do.

For 2008, why not vow to surround yourself with “successful” people? And by that, I mean people who are doing what you’d like to do.

Now I just need to ask Frank if he’s ever done THIS - because MAN-O-MAN would I ever love to fly like that!

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Happy 2008 everyone!

How did 2007 turn out for you?

For me, 2007 was a year of … lessons. Looking back, it feels as though I spent the year standing at a crossroads. All in all, I’m glad to be moving forward into 2008!

And I have big plans for 2008! I’ve started working with a speaker’s bureau and together we have created an outstanding marketing strategy to increase my speaking exposure and get my message out to the corporate world. (If you know of a company or group that uses motivational speakers… contact Cathleen at Speakers Gold and tell her you want to book me for your next big meeting or event!)

Furthermore, I am launching a seminar program for individuals that will allow participants to really move beyond the typical material of “self help”, beyond the realm of “personal development” and dig deep into the exciting world of personal transformation! Stay tuned for more on the seminar program - there will definitely be an opportunity for you to get involved!

I will also be making some cosmetic changes (no, I’m not getting a hair transplant). I am going to change the name of my newsletter and podcast from “Mindful Moment” to “Fearless Focus”. I’m not planning on making drastic changes to the style or content, I just like the sound of “Fearless Focus”. The name fits much better with my mission of helping people live lives that are fearless, focused and free from regrets.

Those are just some of the big initiatives that I have for 2008. It is going to be a record-breaking year for me and I invite you to come along for the ride!

What about you? What are your plans for 2008? More importantly - what are you going to DO to achieve those plans? (Just a gentle reminder that expecting different results while taking the same actions is the definition of insanity!)

ENJOY NOW!