Watch this powerful little video. It’s only 60 second long.

If you recognize yourself in it - ask yourself these two questions:

1. What is the character doing that I need to STOP doing?

2. What isn’t the character doing that I need to START doing?

Intentions are a great first step, but we need to constantly and consistently support them with certain beliefs, emotions and actions.

That is, until they actually invent the great machine from the video clip!

I know you have a million things on your to-do list (and they were all due yesterday), but I need your focus for just a few minutes. (How many times a day do you hear that?)
We all know that we success in any endeavor requires a certain level of focus. Everyone understands that this is important.

Everyone also understands that this is much easier said than done. Millions of people tuned in to see Oprah and Eckhart Tolle discuss the concepts of living a life that is focused in the moment. So are we to assume that those millions of people have now discovered their life’s purpose and are living in the moment? Not likely.

Life gets in the way. Sometimes it feels as though we are trying to swim upstream against the powerful currents of time.

In past posts, I’ve offered numerous tricks for staying anchored against the currents of time. Often they are inspired by “normal” yet unusual things such as a zen roadmap for your life that I saw in Japan.

Today I received another piece of wisdom from the Universe.  Musicians David Byrne and Brian Eno released a preview MP3 from a new album that they are doing together. The title of the album?

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

Think about that one for a while and you’ll find that it really helps anchor you in the moment!

ENJOY NOW!

Hello everyone!

I’m actively working on Phase II of my life’s mission. This involves a new book, a new series of keynotes and some web-based programs and audio programs. But the part I’m most excited about is an intensive weekend retreat/seminar that I’m developing which has grown out of my current workshops.

If you would like a sneak-peek and would be interested in providing feedback - please let me know and I’ll put you on the list of “insiders”.  Just send me an e-mail with “Fearless Focus” in the subject line.  My address is patrick {at} mathieu {dot} com.

ENJOY NOW!

Lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of offering my book, “What’s Your Expiry Date? Embrace Your Mortality - Live With Vitality“, to the corporate world for bulk purchases.

Companies are often looking for meaningful and impactful items to use for promotional or marketing purposes. I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of these kind of items. All too often these sorts of giveaways miss the mark because they are something that you look at once and toss away. Or they may be something useful, like a pen or mug, but still miss the mark because there is no emotional investment in the item and therefore no transfer of that emotional attachment to the company or organization that gave it to you.

On the other hand, a small, (7.1 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches - 6.4 oz) attractive, hardcover book is not something that is likely to be thrown away. In fact, a hardcover book is something likely to be passed from person to person, thus easily having an exponential impact. And if the message of my book is something that resonates with the message of the company or group, imagine the emotional attachment and goodwill that will naturally be engendered by receiving this sort of promotional or marketing item! (I know that Deepak Chopra certainly appreciated the copy I gave him when we had a chance to sit down and discuss The Power of Mortality™)

So here’s my pitch:

• If you know of a company or a group that is looking for a promotional item that carries real impact…
• If you know of a company or a group whose message is complimentary to The Power of Mortality™, or whose products or services would be a natural fit with the message behind The Power of Mortality™ (just off the top of my head, I can think of how easily this would fit with industries such as health care, financial services, insurance and direct sales)…
• If you know of a company or a group that would like to be associated with a book by an author who was a guest for a full hour on Oprah & Friends…
• If you know of a company or a group like this… then I want to hear from you!

Depending on the quantity ordered and the desired budget, we can put together packages whereby the company/group would receive:

• an attractive name-plate on the inside cover
• 1/2 of the back cover for their message
• a star-burst or top banner on the front cover

We can also add options that could include:

• a keynote presentation (or a number of them) for the company/group
• a workshop (or a number of them) for their company
• custom-written articles for their newsletter, corporate blog or website

Anyone interested in opening a discussion about this should contact my manager Allan at:
allan [at] mathieu [dot] com.

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who became famous for his “Last Lecture”, has died at the age of 47.

I’m sure that you’ve heard his story, watched him on Oprah, seen a video of his lecture or read his book.

I applaud Randy for two things:

1. When told that he had six months to live, Randy chose to focus on the LIVING part and not the dying part!  So many of us make the opposite choice.

2. Randy took a very selfless approach to the precious time that he had left and generously used his experience to help others examine their own lives and priorities.

And that’s what the Power of Mortality™ is all about!

Thanks Randy!

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Let me ask you: “Are you dancing your own dance?”

If you haven’t already seen this video from Matt Harding, you owe it to yourself to watch it.

Here’s the YouTube link just in case the embedded video isn’t working properly.It’s an amazing accomplishment and I dare you not to be moved by some of the scenes. The concept is so simple, and yet the result is so profound! What’s even more amazing is the story of what pushed Matt to begin this globe-trotting, silly dancing odyssey. I won’t tell you what his career was before doing this video or why he decided to turn his back on that world, (I’ll let you read that for yourself on his Wikipedia entry) but I will say this:

 

The world needs more people who are willing to put principles first,
fearlessly dance their own dance
and who are willing to choose the life they want!

I love this philosophy!

I just happened across a web page called “The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the Twenty-First Century”. On the “ABOUT” page I found this:

Back in high school, after reading Space-Time and Beyond for the umpteenth time and drinking one too many zombies with my friend Henry, we came up with a theory:

In the infinite set of universes, there had to exist a particular universe in which the events in our lives were being watched as a TV show.

We then made a solemn vow to live the kind of life that got high ratings.

This is the continuation of that story.

What a fantastic way to look at life! I love it!

So… here are my questions to you:
1. If your life were a TV show, what real TV show would it resemble? (Or would it be unlike anything on TV today?)

2. If you had to have a famous actor playing the role of you - who would it be?

and here’s the big one…

3. In a universe of infinite TV programs to choose from - would you choose to watch a show about the life you are currently living? (If not, maybe it’s time to choose the life you want.)

Let’s hear your answers in the comments section.

I know that it’s Monday.

I know that a lot of people like to complain about Mondays.

But before you complain, either about Mondays or anything else for that matter, take a few minutes to watch this video.

Now, what was it that you were about to complain about?