(Hey, did we ever decide what we we’re calling that last decade? We had the 80’s, then the 90’s but what is the name for the decade we just finished? And what are we in now? The “teens”?)

Well, it’s a new year and the beginning of a new decade!  Why not take this opportunity to create a new life for yourself?

As I mentioned on December 1st, there are some big changes coming for me in 2010.

I have been writing and speaking about the Power of Mortality™ for six years now. As you are probably aware, my message is closely tied to my life story, and since life continues to grow and evolve, my message has evolved as well.

If the Power of Mortality™ was about waking people up to the importance of their lives, then my next step involves helping people get into action when it comes to creating their dream lives.

I am thrilled to invite you to join me at ChooseTheLifeYouWant.com as I discuss a three-step process to help people live the lives of their dreams. Lives of significance. Lives that are fearless, focused and free from regret.

Choose The Life You Want (CTLYW) simply builds on the discussion that was started with The Power of Mortality. Naturally, the concept of embracing your own mortality is one of the cornerstones of the CTLYW approach. If you haven’t already read and signed the Mortality Manifesto Pledge – do it now!

I am replacing my Mindful Moment newsletter and podcast with a weekly email newsletter called “Fearless, Focused Fridays“. The idea is to give yourself a few moments on Friday to reflect on your dreams and head into the weekend and following week with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity.

You can subscribe to receive Fearless, Focused Fridays, as well as CTLYW blog updates via email or RSS feed. And you can subscribe to get updates on other news such as the upcoming book, public workshops and weekend retreats.

As I begin this new chapter, I want to sincerely thank you for being part of my journey so far. I would be honored in you would continue with me as we both begin to choose (and live) the lives we want!

ENJOY NOW!

You can get a look at my heart at the same time as you are checking out my new website called Choose The Life You Want.  The site doesn’t “officially” launch until January 1, 2010, but you can have a sneek-peek right now!

Here’s the link!  While you’re over there, you might as well subscribe!  Then come back here and tell me what you think!

2009 has been a year of challenges for me.  Actually, the last two years have been challenging for me.  This is why I haven’t been very active in blogging or podcasting. To those of you who used to look forward to my regular messages – I’m sorry that I’ve been sporadic in my communications.   The good news is that I’ve learned a lot of lessons during these times.  Lessons about myself and lessons about life.  And beginning January 1st (just one month from today) I’m going to start sharing those lessons with you.

• If you found value in The Power of Mortality™, then I’m sure you’re going to love what’s next!
• If you enjoyed my first book “What’s Your Expiry Date?”, then I know you’re going to love my next book!

A new blog, a new website, a new podcast, a new book … all coming in the new year!

What’s next is the evolution of the message that started with The Power of Mortality™.  That evolution is the journey that I’ve been on for the past 24+ months.  And let me tell you… it’s quite a ride and the journey is just beginning!

I can’t wait to share it with you!  Are you up for it?

“I was stuck in this job, feeling like I was just on a treadmill of having to earn enough money so that I could afford to buy the house that was near enough to my job. It was just like this crazy cycle. On Sunday nights, me and my husband would be just grumpy and unhappy about having to go back to work. And I’d think, you know, we don’t have to do this. … I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself.”

Could that quote be from you?

It’s actually from a woman named Roz Savage who decided that she’d had enough of the “perfect life” – husband, corporate career, big house, little red sports car.  She decided to give it all up and row solo across the Atlantic.

While I don’t share her vision of rowing single-handedly across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a 23-foot carbon-hulled rowboat – I absolutely LOVE her resolve in deciding to choose the life she wanted.

And how did she come to this life-changing conclusion?  She wrote two obituaries for herself. (A woman after my own heart!)  The first obituary was based on a life that continued along the path of the “perfect life”.  The second was based on a life of following her dreams.

While I haven’t read her book yet – I encourage you to read this interview that Roz did with the Globe & Mail newspaper: “Goodbye husband and career, hello high seas”

This article came to my attention via a Twitter post from my friend Bill Star. Bill is the CEO of My Life List™ which is a fantastic, free online community dedicated to helping each of us to design a “life list” that really matters.

So,  back to my original question: “Could the quote at the top be from you?”  Do you feel like you aren’t being true to yourself? Here’s how to get started on choosing the life you want:

1. Download and sign my free Mortality Manifesto Pledge.

2. Like Roz, write your own obituaries. One for the life that continues with the status quo and one for the life you would love to be living.

3. Sign up with My Life List™ and start creating and designing your new life step by step. There’s a wonderful community there to support you so you won’t feel like you’re alone on the Atlantic. (Unless that’s what you want to do!  In that case – talk to Roz!)

4. Come back here and share what amazing things you’re up to!

CONNECTING

Roz Savage – Twitter: @rozsavage Blog: http://rozsavage.com/blog/

Bill Star – Twitter: @mylifelist Blog: http://mylifelistceo.blogspot.com/

And I need your help!

- Please pass this video on to family and friends!

- Post it on your Facebook or MySpace pages!

- Share it via your own blogs!

- Spread the news through Twitter!

- Vote for it on StumbleUpon, Digg, and any other social bookmarking utility!

Let’s see how many people we can get to Take The Pledge!

Thanks!

• Talking on cell phones (WITHOUT headsets!)
• Eating (and not just nibbling – I mean hamburgers)
• Very aggressive driving (like they were trying to protect their pole position in an F1 race)
• Heated arguments with someone in the passenger seat
• Putting on lipstick by looking in the rear-view mirror.
• ALL AT 75 MPH!

It was crazy!

I kept asking myself: “What are they thinking? Do they think they’re invincible? Or maybe they have a death-wish? What is it that would make someone drive like that?”

Later I realized that those drivers have simply lost their respect for how powerful and dangerous automobiles can be.

Remember when you were first learning to drive? You would finally get the car back safely into the driveway and then realize you’d been holding your breath the entire time and your hands were welded to the steering wheel in the “10 and 2″ position. Driving was new to you and you realized that those keys bring a great deal of responsibility.

But something happened, didn’t it?

Maybe it was the 100th time that you put the car back safely into the driveway, maybe the 200th time, but somewhere along the way, you started taking it for granted that you were a “good driver” and little by little, your respect for the road and the machine began to wane. Nothing bad was going to happen to you.

IF YOU’RE LUCKY – the wake-up call for you will come in the form of having your driver’s license suspended, or some other “warning”. If you’re not lucky, the consequences could be much more dire.

But that problem isn’t just limited to our experience with the automobile, is it?

When we are first born we are given the “keys” to this fantastic body of ours. If you’ve ever watched a baby take its first steps, you will know that the look on the child’s face is even more intense than their expression when they back Dad’s car out of the driveway for the first time.

When we are young we have a tremendous amount of respect for life and we live every second of it. We live life one cheerio at a time.

But something happens, doesn’t it?

Maybe it was the 2,000th time you woke up, maybe the 5,000th time, but somewhere along the way, you started taking it for granted that you were going to always wake up and little by little, your respect for the privilege of being alive began to erode. Nothing bad was going to happen to you.

Well, I’m here today to tell you that I’m hereby SUSPENDING your license to live!

That’s right!

I’ll give it back to you if you PROMISE (not to me – to yourself!) that you will work to recapture that same awe and wonder for each new morning and you will go to bed each night filled with gratitude.

Do you promise? Really?  Good – now please sign this – your life depends on it!

No need to thank me – just doin’ my job!

As you may know, I have recently made a choice to increase my fitness level and decrease my body mass and body fat percentage.    I am using all of my skills and expertise to ensure that this choice becomes a reality for me in a fast and efficient manner.

This week, (the first week of my program) I paid very close attention the self-talk that was coming up around my lifestyle choices.  I found that I was really embracing the exercise components of my plan, but I was having some difficulty around food choices.  I was eating well, but not consistently.  Towards the end of the week, I found myself making some “bad” choices when it came to snacks.  As I tuned in to the self-talk around these choices, here is what I heard:

“Yummm! I’m going to have some of this – just as a treat.”

“That’s a bad idea and it’s out of line with my goals.”

“Yeah, I only live once. Do I want to live a spartan lifestyle, or do I want to enjoy myself? I deserve this little treat.”

WOW!  Those are a lot of unconscious beliefs at work there!  Let’s take a look:

• First, you can see that my Power of Mortality™ mindset is working against me with the excuse that I deserve a treat because I only live once and I could die at any moment.  That’s an absolutely silly excuse now that I’m aware of it!
• Second, I am equating sticking to my plan as living a “spartan lifestyle”.  How likely am I to stick with something like that?
• Third, I am further equating this to a lack of enjoyment and self-deprivation. I’ve even gone so far as to make it an either/or situation – “spartan lifestyle” or “enjoy myself”.  Hmmmmm.. no wonder I’ve struggled with this in the past.

I recently wrote about the fact that nothing has any meaning except for the meaning we give it. I said: “Once we realize that we have complete control over the meanings we assign to things, we gain a tremendous amount of power.”  Here’s how I shifted my meaning in this situation.

I zeroed in on my phrase “Do I want to live a spartan lifestyle, or do I want to enjoy myself?”.  As I heard the words “spartan lifestyle” I was able to instantly shift the meaning. When I heard the word “spartan”, I thought of the movie “300” which was an incredibly violent and gory movie full of guys with fantastic abdominal muscles. (I choose to believe that these were computer generated abs courtesy of Pixar Studios!)

That one shift has made all the difference!  Now, when I hear my self-talk whining about not being able to eat something, and I hear “do I want to live a spartan lifestyle?” I think of those guys and their abs and I answer: “Hell yes,  I want to live a lifestyle like that!” (The great abs part of the lifestyle – not the death, violence and gore part.)

Then I visualize the negative and limiting self-talk as the messenger in the movie who is standing at the edge of the well and I kick him backwards into the abyss!

I imagine myself as the main character in the movie, standing there with rippling abs and armed with a celery stick, ready to take on thousands of invading chocolate bars or cookies! This a completely silly and ridiculous way of thinking and that’s precicely why it works for me. I find it fun and easy to do!

And more importantly, it breaks the pattern in my head about what my healthy choices mean (lack of enjoyment and self-depravation) and helps install new, supportive meanings and beliefs.

So this week, I encourage you to consciously tune in to your own self-talk and be on the lookout for limiting beliefs that might be working against your goals and objectives. If you need help… I’ll be over here eating celery and doing situps!

I just finished writing a blog entry called “Oprah’s Big Mistake“.  In the article, which revolves around Oprah Winfrey’s weight gain, I offered the following words of advice: “It’s all a choice.” (Please read the article before you unleash your pro-Oprah fury on me!)

And I truly believe that!  I believe that we need to choose the life we want to live. I believe that the path to the life you want comes from choices that you make moment to moment, day to day. And I believe that we have to start making those choices right now.

So I’ve decided to put this theory to the test!

Right now, I weigh more than I’d like to.  Since I’m a tall person with a big frame, I carry my weight well and I don’t really consider it an issue.  But deep down, I would like to be leaner and more fit.  If I’m really honest with myself, I will admit that if I were truly choosing the life I want, I wouldn’t choose to weigh this much.

So I’m going to put my skills to the test.

• I’m a Certified Master Coach and I empower people to achieve incredible results.
• I’m a powerful motivational speaker and author and I specialize in personal and corporate transformation.
• And most importantly, I know the power of taking responsibility for your own life and the power of making a choice to pilot your own life.

So… here we go.

Today, January 18th 2009, I weigh 218.5 lbs and have a body fat percentage of 26%

I am making the choice to get myself down to 195 lbs and 17% body fat.

I’m not putting a timeline on this, I’m just going to be consistent with my choices and let it take as long as it takes.  I’m in no hurry.

My plan? I plan to use all of the different approaches with which I’ve had some success in the past.

• Choosing alkalizing foods
• Proper hydration
• Walking
• Push-ups (I’m using the hundredpushups.com program)
• Sit-ups (I’m using the twohundredsitups.com program)
• AND YOU!  I’m going to be reporting on my progress via Twitter and Facebook, so if you would like to see how I’m doing and offer encouragement – then please follow me on Twitter or become my friend on Facebook.

One of the reasons that I can speak so confidently about the Power of Mortality™ is that I live it on a daily basis.  I want to bring this same resolve to the topic of choosing the life you want. Making a choice is the first step. Acting on it is where things really start to happen!

“And what happened was, um.. life took over… life took over.  I started getting overwhelmed.”

Excuse me – what was that?

I had to back up and listen to it again, but that’s what she said.

I was dumbfounded.  How can Oprah get overwhelmed because “life took over”?

So I kept watching the video clip.  She spoke about insomnia and being exhausted.  “…many a day I didn’t want to come into work. I didn’t want to come into work because I’m so tired.  Too much work, not enough play, not enough time to come down, not enough time to really relax.”

While she is talking, we see footage of Oprah running around back stage, being tended to by hair and makeup people, in meetings, and in the studio for her radio program.  At one point she enters the frame of the camera while walking down a hall.  She has a coat draped over her shoulder, looks at the camera and says: “Done with that – on to my next job.”

At that point, Oprah lost me completely.

Here is one of the wealthiest women in the world talking about being overwhelmed because of ‘work’??  I can only imagine how that comment would have sounded to someone who is working two (or more) jobs in order to try to pay the rent and put food on the table.  Wikipedia indicates that Oprah’s 2008 salary was $385 million dollars.

I found myself inadvertently yelling at the computer: “Oprah! Have you completely lost your mind??” Who is making you go to work each day? Who controls your schedule? You’re Oprah Winfrey for godsake! You can do whatever you want!”

Clearly Oprah was making a HUGE mistake.

Then I calmed down and decided to do some more research. Now, I believe that the video clip was edited to be a sensationalistic teaser, designed to get you to tune in to the Oprah show to hear more.  After reading an article on her website, titled “How Did I Let This Happen Again?“, I discovered that she doesn’t blame “life taking over” for her weight gain.  She has a thyroid condition.  But she also doesn’t blame the weight gain entirely on the thyroid condition.

She writes:

What I’ve learned this year is that my weight issue isn’t about eating less or working out harder, or even about a malfunctioning thyroid. It’s about my life being out of balance, with too much work and not enough play, not enough time to calm down. I let the well run dry.

When I stop and ask myself, “What am I really hungry for?” the answer is always “I’m hungry for balance, I’m hungry to do something other than work.” If you look at your overscheduled routine and realize, like I did, that you’re just going and going and that your work and obligations have become a substitute for life, then you have no one else to blame. Only you can take the reins back.

That’s what I’m doing. These days I’ve put myself back on my own priority list; I try to do at least one hour of exercise five or six days a week. As I work out, eat healthfully, and reorder my life so there’s time to replenish my energy, I continue to do the spiritual and emotional work to conquer this battle once and for all.

If I could offer a word of advice to Oprah, it would be this: “It’s all a choice.“  Especially for someone as powerful as Oprah.  She can choose how much or how little she wants to work.  She can choose to utilize the army of personal trainers, nutritionists, doctors and specialists that she has available to her.  Or she can choose not to.

For her sake, and for the sake of everyone who is looking to her for an example, I sincerely hope that Oprah realizes the power of choosing the life you want.  This is a choice that you make moment by moment, day by day.

~~~

Note: Writing this article has moved me to put my words into action.  Read Choose, Then Act!

1. Dying is not a choice.
2. Everything else is. Everything!

Allow me to explain.

If you were born, then you will die.  That’s the rule.  There is no getting around it, it’s a package deal.  You don’t get to choose not to die.  You also don’t get to choose when, where or how you are going to die.  Everyone dies. Men and women, rich and poor, sinners and saints.  One day, our time on this earth will come to an end.  If you would like some help accepting this, I suggest you start with my Mortality Manifesto.

But here’s the good news! Although dying is not a choice, everything else in our lives IS a choice.  Absolutely everything!

I’m sure that some of you are mentally arguing with me right now.
“It wasn’t my choice to lose my job!”
“It wasn’t my choice to be in a car accident!”
“It wasn’t my choice to be raped!”
“It wasn’t my choice to…”

Even when it seems like we don’t have a choice – we do.  (sshhh! Come closer – I’m about to tell you the meaning of life!)  Ready?? …There is no meaning of life!  At least not until we give it one.  Life just is.  Things just are. People do what people do.  Stuff happens.  It’s you and I that are constantly assigning meanings to everything.  A snowstorm is just a snowstorm – it doesn’t mean anything.  If you are a commuter facing snarled traffic on a Friday drive home you will assign one meaning to that snowstorm.  If I am the owner of a ski resort who is now anticipating a booming weekend, I will assign a completely different meaning to that snowstorm.  Same snow, different meaning.  If you’re still not convinced that the quality of our lives is dictated by the meanings we choose to assign to everything, then you need to read (or re-read) Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

Once we realize that we have complete control over the meanings we assign to things, we gain a tremendous amount of power.  In fact, if we really take this seriously, we can tap into an unlimited supply of power and energy.  Just for a moment, I want you to imagine living your life without ever feeling like you are a victim of other people or external circumstances.  What would that life look like and how different would it be from the one you’re experiencing right now?

(Seriously – take a moment and do this.  Don’t worry, you can go back to your regular life in two minutes – or never – if that’s what you choose.)

If you aren’t happy with the results you’ve been getting so far, or even if you are happy but know that there is always room for more, NOW is the time to make the change!  All it takes is a choice.

Isn’t it time that you begin to choose the life you want?

If you are interested in how to do this, then stay tuned!  That is precisely what I am going to be writing and speaking about in the upcoming weeks and months. Also, please forward this to friends and let them in on the secret – it applies to their lives too!

(PS: Getting back to Point #1, the ‘death thing’, for a moment… although dying is not a choice, the meaning we choose to assign to it absolutely is!  Even more exciting: once you accept and begin to really use Point #2 on a consistent daily basis, you won’t even care about Point #1 anymore!)

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I just read a funny blog post written yesterday (Dec 30th at 11:32pm) by an acquaintance of mine named Chip.  It was titled “Eeek!” and the first paragraph says:

How has this happened? I had big plans to implement before the end of the year. I mean, I still have 24.5 hours but I plan on sleeping for at least 5 of those.

Do you find yourself in the same boat? I think that’s one of the reasons that people like to celebrate the new year – it allows us to turn the page on things that may not have worked out as we’d hoped and start fresh with a new set of goals, dreams and resolutions!

But unless you make some different choices in 2009 than you made in 2008, I guarantee that you will find yourself on Dec 30, 2009 saying: “Eeek!”

It really is that simple.  Whether or not we achieve our goals, has less to do with the actual goals, dreams and resolutions and more, much more, to do with the choices we make and the actions we take.

My resolution, my goal, my choice for 2009 is to help as many people as possible to begin to live the lives they really want, rather than the lives they’ve been getting by default.  I am working on three new books (a children’s story about the Power of Mortality™, a book of rituals that I’m working on with a co-author, and a follow-up to What’s Your Expiry Date?) and I’m going to have a powerful weekend seminar/retreat ready for the fall.  All of these exciting projects have the same objective: empower people to choose the life they want!

I want to make sure that from now on, at the end of December we aren’t saying:

“Eeek! How did this happen? Oh well, I’ll try again next year”

Instead, I want everyone to be left with the amazing feeling that you get when the roller-coaster pulls into the station and you say:

“YEAH!! That was a blast, let’s go again!”

So, who’s coming with me?

Happy YOU Year to everyone!!

The site is packed with all sorts of other useful information on dealing with changes – from career and finances to family and relationships. Check it out!

If you find that my message offers a useful point of view, please take a moment to share it with anyone who might also benefit from hearing / reading it.

Also, please share your thoughts in the comments section!

Subscribe to the Mindful Moment Podcast.

(By the way… if you have only listened to the audio version and are wondering what is so special about April 15, 1994. Wonder no longer!)

“Don’t underestimate the impact you have on others. Those close to you & those you will never meet. You’re more powerful than you realize!”

My friend from The Bahamas, Sherry Cooper Barmania, made the following comment on that thought:

“I often think of this when I see a child being yelled at, tugged or berated in public by a parent or caregiver… don’t they realize what the impact is on that child?
That is when I over-nice the next person I see – to add some balance to the world.”

My response to her:

“Sherry – here’s a thought… next time, be “over-nice” to TWO people! Let’s try to tip the balance to the positive side for a change! Are you up for it?”

Well, Sherry has accepted the challenge!  What about you?  Will you join us in shifting the balance? Are YOU up for it?

If you are, then let’s hear from you in the comments section!

(PS: You can follow me on Twitter here and add me as a friend on Facebook here.)

Well, I just came across a very simple and visually appealing version of that idea. Bonus: This version doesn’t mention that unfortunate “death” part.

Converse (the shoe company) has a very simple illustration of how powerful the present moment can be.  I’m quite ambivalent about their shoes, but I LOVE this message!  What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

WARNING:  If you see a link at the bottom for something called KISSINGWITHROSS.COM – don’t click it!  You’ve been warned and I cannot be held responsible for any mental anguish that results from ignoring my warning.

Last week I had my annual check-up with the cardiology team.  These are not your standard cardiologists – these doctors are specially trained in dealing with adults with congenital heart conditions. (Public Service Announcement: If you, or someone you love, was born with any sort of heart defect [as 1 in 100 babies are], then you need to be sure that you are being followed by a congenital heart specialist – not just a regular cardiologist.  For more information contact the CCHA in Canada or the ACHA in the US)

I have been having annual checkups since I was born (except for the seven or eight years after receiving my ‘expiry date’ – you may have read about those years in my book).  One of the diagnostic tests that they almost always use during these checkups is called an echocardiogram.  It’s the same technology that they use on pregnant women to check the progress of the baby and it gives you a fascinating look inside the human body.

So I have had the privilege of being able to watch my own heart as it does its thing.  I’m guessing that I’ve probably seen this “live and in person” about 31 times. And I have a powerful video clip of my own heart that I keep on my BlackBerry (Ask me to see it the next time you meet me).  For me, watching my heart is like visiting with a wise old friend.

Now my heart bears little resemblance to yours.  (If you haven’t already listened to my heart – you can do that here.) All my life I have had cardiologists tell me that if someone were to intentionally build a heart the way mine is built – it would never function.  But mine does!  I know that I am a walking miracle!

And that humbling fact was brought home to me once again last week as I lay on my side watching my heart beating away – doing things that it’s not supposed to do.

As I reflected on this miracle in action, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and drive sweep over me.  “I’ve been given a tremendous gift here!  Who am I to squander it by living an ‘ordinary’ life?”

Isn’t that a powerful realization?

But you don’t have to have a freakish heart to tap into that same feeling. Your own body, whether young or old, healthy or not, is a miracle of nature!  You have the ability to turn food and drink into muscles and bones.  You pull oxygen out of the air and turn it into thoughts and dreams.  And all without any effort on your part!

You’re a miracle in action too!  So please tell me you’re not planning on living an ordinary life!  No matter what sort of live you’ve been living up to this point – it can all change now!  With the very next beat of your heart, you can decide to live your life on purpose.  And if you ever get discouraged or doubtful… put two fingers on your wrist, feel the driving rhythm of your pulse and tap into that motivation from within!

ENJOY NOW!

The article made me sad as I read about the debate over how to best indicate a patient’s wishes about their treatment choices. Some are uncomfortable with the idea of putting DNR (for Do Not Resuscitate) on someone’s wrist and feel that somehow “a white dove carrying an olive branch” (Seriously! I’m not making that up!) or “the initials A.N.D., for ‘allow natural death’,” are a better idea.  They even go so far as to say that it is a “gentler alternative”.  What??  A gentler alternative? Really?

I never cease to be puzzled and amused at how our Western culture tries to sanitize the concept of mortality and death. The very word “death” is a taboo.  When I was writing my first book, I wanted to use “death” in the title.  EVERYONE told me that I would be crazy to do this.

“You’d be crazy to do that!” they said. (Really, they did) “It will alienate people!  No one will look at a book with ‘death’ in the title! They’ll see that word and run the other way!”

I’m well aware of how our society reacts to this unfortunate fact of life (which is ultimately why I chose to call my book “What’s Your Expiry Date? Embrace Your Mortality – Live With Vitality“), but my question is: WHY?

Everyone dies.  No exceptions.  Saying that is not morbid, it’s just a fact of life.  We don’t get carried away by a white dove with an olive branch – our bodies just stop working.  So why do we run from the word?  Why do we hide from the concept?  Does ignoring and denying the inevitable really add to the quality of our lives? I want to hear from you on this one in the comments section.

This morning I was looking at some amazing photos that Jose’ has on Facebook.  As soon as I saw them, I realized that I had to write a blog post about them, so I dropped him a note to ask if I could use them. He wrote back and told me that I was welcome to use the photos.  He also told me that there was a story behind them – and what a story it is!  So today, I will bring you Jose’s story.  Then, in my next blog entry,  I will give you the post that I was originally inspired to write when I saw these fantastic photos.

Here are the photos (Jose’ is the one in the white t-shirt) – Click on each one to see the larger photo):

And here’s the story behind them, as told by Jose’:

I was scared of heights. A couple of years ago the German girlfriend I had at the time took me sight seeing on top of Cologne cathedral. Going up the never ending stairs did not make me realize how high we were going as we had no windows around us. When we got to the top and realized the height, I simply froze, got hold of the wall behind me and was shaking with panic. Well it took her and some other tourist around 45 minutes to get me down. I went down the steps facing the wall and my girlfriend talking me about silly stuff to deviate my frightening thoughts.

Last year I started working on myself and getting my life in shape. One of the things I had to work on was the fear of heights. I was going to be in Hawaii for a conference regarding personal development and I decided to take action to defeat this fear of heights. I booked a skydive 5 weeks before the jump and from that day I created a mind movie where I saw myself boarding the plane with a smile and no fear and also watched myself jump off the aircraft with a big smile and screaming with joy having the time of my life. I went through this mind movie at least once a day till the jump and while doing so I said aloud to myself “I am going to skydive and am going to have fun”. Well, I jumped and it was a live performance of my mind movie and did not feel any fear for not even a fraction of a second. Now I know that with the right mind-set I can achieve what I want.

Do I have some powerful friends, or what?

Now I want you to consider doing three simple things:

1. Use the comments section below to tell us how you’ve overcome fears.

2. Forward this to any of your friends who are having difficulty facing their fears.

3. Join Jose’ and I on Facebook!

ENJOY NOW!

I’ve just come across something incredibly powerful and I wanted to share it with you.  I’m not sure if it will have the same impact on you as it did on me, but I feel strongly that I need to share this new perspective with you.

I have just started going through an audio program called Abundance For Life – Trance Breaking, Wealth Making.  It’s done by Paul R. Scheele from Learning Strategies Corporation. This morning I was listening to the introductory CD while having breakfast.  In the CD, Paul talks about his background and about how he came to work in the field of personal development.  He relates the story of working for the summer, at the age of 19, in a hypnotherapy clinic. After the summer, he was asked to take over the therapist’s client load because she was ill.  As he became more and more adept at hypnosis techniques, he made a very powerful realization.  Here’s the gist of the story:

Paul was giving a demonstration  of hypnotic trances to a church youth group.  Essentially these are induced states of mind (“keep your eyes on the swinging watch…your eyelids are getting heavy”) that bypass our critical faculties and allow suggestions (“you no longer enjoy smoking”) to be more readily accepted by the mind.  In this particular demonstration he was giving,  he worked with a young man and suggested to him that his foot was glued to the floor.  Sure enough, the young man COULD NOT move his foot!  Next, Paul suggested to the boy that he had forgotten his own name and would not be able to recall it when asked.  As you can guess, the boy was completely unable to recall his name. When both of these trance demonstrations worked, Paul had a powerful realization:

Now at that moment, instead of thinking how powerful I was as a hypnotist, I immediately felt illuminated as if I was standing in a shaft of light from heaven.  I thought: “Oh my gosh! We’re doing this to ourselves all the time! We’re taking perfectly reasonable abilities – perfectly reasonable resources of mind and throwing them out, simply by accepting the suggestion that ‘I cannot’.”  Everyday normal human resources, human capabilities, vaporize – become impossible to access – simply by focusing the mind in a way that makes us believe that they are not available.

Isn’t that a powerful perspective?  Today, I want you to listen carefully to your own self-talk.  See if you can notice how many times you limit yourself.  Notice how often you glue your own feet to the floor.  Who’s really holding you back?

ENJOY NOW!

If you are interested in learning more about the Abundance for Life program, you can visit Learning Strategies Corporation’s website here.

Many people dread Monday because it means that the weekend is over and they have to go back to work.

After you look at this photo, ask yourself… is your Monday morning really as bad as this guy’s?  How much must he dread going to bed on Sunday night?

So…Is your job really all that bad?

Image from Flickr © All rights reserved. PC Virus

I couldn’t have said it better myself!!

Take a long, hard look at those blobs.  Count them out and see where you are right now.

And then remember that 936 is just the statistical norm.  It’s not a number that you are guaranteed, owed or otherwise entitled to.

To further put this in perspective… last month Dave Freeman, the man who co-wrote 100 Things To Do Before You Die, died at the age of 47.  That, my friends, is only 564 blobs.

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!

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!

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!

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How much of your time do you spend focused on things over which you have absolutely no control or influence?

I’m talking about things like the weather, the price of oil, the wars and conflicts that are raging around the world, terrorism, global warming, the stock market. And the list goes on and on. Sure, we can and should “think globally and act locally”, but how often do you find yourself worrying, stressing or obsessing about these things?

But what about the “smaller” things over which you have little, if any, control or influence? I’m talking about the thoughts and actions of others. It might be your boss, your clients, your spouse or your kids. Depending on who we’re talking about you might have some level of influence, but it is a very fine line between “attempting to influence” and “attempting to control”, isn’t it?

And what happens to your quality of life when you are preoccupied with things that are “out there”? You know the answer to that question very well, even if you don’t like to admit it or even think about it.

I have recently discovered Byron Katie and her philosophy called “The Work”. You may already be familiar with her since her first book Loving What Is was published a number of years ago. In it, she says that there are only three kinds of business in the Universe: mine, yours and God’s. She goes on to say that stress comes from mentally being in any business other than your own.

If you think about this for a minute, you’ll probably agree that focusing on someone else’s business is a recipe for stress and conflict. But there’s another consequence to focusing on God’s business or someone else’s business and that is that you are not focusing on your own business!

Just let that sink in. Who’s living your life if you are spending your time and energy trying to live everyone else’s lives?

Now let’s look at this in terms of the Power of Mortality™. When you woke up this morning you were given a tremendous gift – a gift that was not owed to you – the gift of more time. The gift of another day on this earth. Do you really want to spend that time trying to live someone else’s life?

If your goal is to live a happier, healthier, more productive life – doesn’t it seem natural that the best way to go about it is to put your energy into your own affairs? After all, it’s much easier to change the way YOU are thinking about something than it is to change the way THEY are thinking, isn’t it? The sooner we start to choose our own life, the sooner our life will be the one that we want to choose!

So the next time you find yourself stressed, just stop and ask yourself these two simple questions: “What is it that is causing this upset?” and “Who’s business is that?” (And then thank Byron Katie).

PS: For more information on “The Work”, including some powerful video clips of “The Work” in action, please visit: Byron Katie’s website.

ENJOY NOW!

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.

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.

Earlier this morning, I had to take my son to the emergency room of our local hospital. (Don’t worry, everything worked out fine and he’s good as new already!)

As we were going through Triage, the nurse assessed my son, started a chart for him and then sent us to the registration clerk. As we were sitting at the clerk’s window, I noticed that MANY people had written graffiti on (or scratched graffiti into the paint of) the metal frame around the clerk’s window. (I snapped the picture above. Click to enlarge)

What jumped out at me though, was something that was written in the very center. Along with the usual graffiti and name-writing, I read the following:

You’ll be ok

And somehow, those simple words made it just a little easier to sit with my son in the waiting room of a hospital’s emergency department! So “thank you” to whomever wrote those reassuring words.

Now I’m challenging each of you! Tomorrow, please find a small, random (and legal please – no graffiti) act of kindness that you can perpetrate that will help ease someone else’s day-to-day existence!

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 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 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?

I encourage you to watch this fantastic, throught-provoking presentation (it’s only 18 minutes and 44 seconds long). If the embedded video below isn’t behaving properly, then you can find it at this link.

Then I encourage you to read (and listen to the podcast) about my own experience and the lessons I learned from my stroke in 2006.

If all of that leaves you feeling left out (hehe!) you should read my post titled: How to have a STROKE. It gives you all of the insight and none of the hospital food! How’s that for a deal?

As soon as everything has been finalized I will make an announcement.

Thanks for your patience!

I recently got a message from one of my subscribers.  She was concerned about the silence and asked if I was still OK.  The answer is “Yes, I’m OK – thanks for asking!“.  There have been some big changes underway with me lately.

I’ll share these changes with everyone on April 15th.  Why April 15th?  Because it is a very significant day.  Do you know why? Give me your guesses in the “comments” section.  The first person to give the correct answer will receive a free copy of my 365 Personal Expiry Dates. (Hint: it has nothing to do with taxes)

If you want to find out how/what I’m doing/thinking in-between blog entries, you can follow me on Twitter.  My latest “tweet” (as they’re called) appears on the right side of my blog under the heading The Latest From Patrick…  If you use Twitter, you can follow me here.

So… what is the significance of April 15th?

We spend a lot of time talking about the ends and the means, but it’s also worth considering whether the journey is worth the reward. If you have to compromise what you do just to keep doing it, what’s the point?

Seth is talking about running a business, but I would encourage you to read the article and consider how you might apply it to your life.

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As most of you know, I developed the Power of Mortality™ in 1994. For a number of years it was simply my own personal philosophy. It was how I lived my life and it worked wonderfully!

Then in 2003 I realized that my story and my philosophy can help others with their own personal life challenges. I decided to use my considerable talents as a communicator to help people implement the Power of Mortality™ to live a life that is fearless, focused and free from regrets.

• I began giving keynote speeches.
• I started an e-mail newsletter that now reaches people in 30 countries around the globe.
• I began conducting workshops.
• I wrote a book.
• I began doing television and radio interviews, including Oprah & Friends.
• I was featured in newspapers and magazines.
• I started a podcast.
• I started a blog.
• … and I have many other plans in the works!

It has been a very rewarding five years and I have met many fantastic people who have shared with me how they have applied the Power of Mortality™ in their own lives. Their stories have always touched me deeply.

You will notice though, that all of my efforts so far have been on the level of one-to-many. Countless people over the years have asked me if I can work directly with them. They wanted to supercharge their experience with the Power of Mortality™ by having a one-to-one relationship with me. So far, I have not offered that type of service because I felt that I lacked the proper tools and framework for dealing with someone on a one-on-one basis.

However, I am thrilled to announce that I have just finished my training with the Certified Coaches Federation and I’m now a Certified Coach Practitioner! This training has given me the skills and techniques that I wanted to have in place before I started working with people on a one-on-one basis.

So for those of you who’ve read my book, attended one of my presentations or simply just been following my blog or podcast – I want you to take a moment to consider the following: Possibly something about the Power of Mortality™, or a certain aspect of my personal story, has touched something deep inside of you. You might have noticed that it has awakened long forgotten dreams and goals. Or perhaps you are now experiencing something in your life with which you would like help. If you want to achieve a certain goal or overcome a limitation I would be honored to offer my services. Together we can use the Power of Mortality™ to create a life for you that is fearless, focused and free from regrets!

You may want to consider booking a free 30-minute initial session with me. After we’ve had an opportunity to complete that call, you will have a solid understanding of the possibilities that are available to once you hire me as your coach. Here is how to reach me:

Phone: +1-519-763-6245
E-mail: patrick@mathieu.com
SkypeID: barcodeguy

This is the next level in the evolution of my mission to use the Power of Mortality™ to help transform the world! I invite you to come and play with me on this delicious journey called life!

ENJOY NOW!

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”
- Zig Ziglar

I’m not a doctor, but I have two prescriptions for those of you who like to remain freshly bathed in motivation.

FIRST

Symptoms: Lack of focus. Early morning lethargy. Feelings of “what difference will today make in the big picture?”.

Prescription: 365 Daily Expiry Dates.

Dosage: One per day for 365 days.

IMPORTANT DIRECTIONS: Once you have read the daily note, you MUST throw it out. No matter how much you like the message, you can’t keep it. This is to remind you that life comes at you one day at a time and you aren’t able to save up the good days and throw out the bad days.

SECOND

Symptoms: A need for audio motivation. Desire for variety of motivational information and material. Wish to help others at the same time as helping oneself.

Prescription: 52 Motivational Interviews.

Dosage: One per week for 52 weeks.

KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS: An overall feeling of self-satisfaction and happiness that comes from the knowledge that a portion of the proceeds of this program are being donated to fight Alzheimer’s Disease.

Now, take both of these and call me in the morning!

ENJOY NOW!

I was listening to my iPod and I happened to choose the album Welcome To Wherever You Are from the group INXS. As I listened to it, I remembered a very surreal moment in my life. I was in southern Japan, wandering by myself through the city of Miyazaki. It was 1994 and I was 24 years old. I had no idea where I was going, but I was enjoying the fantastic sites and sounds of this new place. (Perhaps it’s different now, but at that time Miyazaki had very few “foreign” tourists, so it was not nearly as “westernized” as Tokyo.)

As I strolled the streets, I came to one of the many bridges that cross the river which cuts through the city. At the side of the bridge, there was a large sign that included a map of the surrounding area. I went to the map, hoping that it would shed some light on my whereabouts. Everything on the sign was in Japanese, except for a red “x” that appeared on a road just beside the river. There was an arrow pointing to the “x” with the English words: “The Place Where You Are Right Now“. (I really wish I had taken a picture of that map!)

I broke out laughing because as I looked down at myself, I realized that I was wearing a t-shirt that I had bought at an INXS concert back home in Montreal. The t-shirt had the album cover for “Welcome To Wherever You Are”. So here I was in the middle of a strange city on the other side of the globe from my home, wondering where I was – and the answer came back loud and clear.

THIS is the place where you are right now and welcome to wherever you are!

As I listened to that album yesterday, the Universe reminded me of that day and of the fact that the best way out of any situation is to be at peace with where you are right now. Once you can make yourself welcome in that place (no matter how unpleasant or stressful) you have some power with which to choose where to go next.

So the solution to my mini-crisis is to simply get very present to where I am now and not worry about the future. Hmmm…. that sounds like very familiar advice… where have I heard that before? Well, I guess we all need reminding from time to time.

ENJOY NOW!

Oh. In case you’re wondering how I got “un-lost”…. after continuing to study the map, I managed to decipher that there was a koban or “police box” a few blocks away. When I was done with my exploring and ready to head back to the place I was staying, I made my way to the koban to ask directions to the correct bus stop.  The officer stationed at the koban didn’t speak English, so he phoned someone else (to this day, I have no idea who he called) and I told the person on the phone which bus I was looking for. That person had no idea where to find it, but they translated my request back to the police officer, who gave the directions to the person on the phone, who then gave them to me! What an amazing trip! It was a lot of fun! (I’d post some photos from my trip, but no one would believe that they are me.  I had a full beard and a big head of hair!)

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I have a question for you.

I want you to be really honest with yourself when you answer this question:

How much of your life is dedicated to “being right”?

I’m currently taking a seminar series and one of the things that has come out of that seminar is the idea that we waste an awful lot of time and energy focusing on the idea of being “right”.

If you honestly reflect on this, you’ll see that I’m right! (ha!)

But the real issue isn’t about being right or wrong. The real issue is about how long you hold onto that feeling of righteousness. It’s also about the cost of that sort of mindset.

Let me give you an example: Two friends are driving somewhere new for the first time. They are old friends and haven’t seen each other in a while so they have a lot to discuss. They are having a fantastic conversation when the road comes to an end and they can only turn left or right. There are no signs to indicate which way they should go and the directions they were given didn’t include this information either. One friend, we’ll call him Mr. Left, says “I think we should go left.” The other friend, Mr. Right, says: “No, I’m positive that we should go right.” But Mr. Left is behind the steering wheel and decides to go with his instinct, so they turn left.

Now I want you to consider two scenarios that unfold from this point.

Scenario 1
Mr. Right is very vocal about his opposition to the decision to go left. “You’re wrong. This is the wrong way. Turn around and go back,” he tells his friend. But they continue driving. Mr. Right, convinced that they are going the wrong way, cannot sit still. He keeps fidgeting in his seat and steaming over the fact that his friend didn’t listen to him. For his part, Mr. Left can sense his friend’s displeasure and is now getting worried about whether or not he made the correct decision. Twenty minutes later, it is very clear that they made the wrong choice at the intersection, so they turn around. Mr. Left feels very bad about this. “See, I TOLD YOU SO.” says Mr. Right. Clearly he was correct. The facts have supported his position. But then why doesn’t he feel any better? As they drive back, his mind has escalated beyond being upset that his friend didn’t listen to him and has now started thinking about all the other times his friend didn’t listen to him. And about all of the other people in his life who might have dismissed his ideas or opinions. ANOTHER twenty minutes and they are back at the same intersection, only this time they proceed in the correct direction. “We’re now forty minutes later than we would have been if only you had listened to me!” yells Mr. Right. Ten minutes later they arrive at the destination. They are both very stressed out and neither of them is speaking to one another.

Scenario 2
In this scenario, Mr. Left still decides to go left and Mr. Right still thinks that this is the wrong decision. However in this scenario Mr. Right has let go of the need to be right. The two men continue their conversations and appreciate the new scenery. After twenty minutes, it is very clear that they made the wrong choice at the intersection so they turn around. “Told ya so!” jokes Mr. Right. Twenty minutes later they pass the intersection without comment because they are too busy with their engaging conversation. Ten minutes after that they arrive at their destination, having had an extra forty minutes of fantastic discussion.

So, how important is it to you to be right?

Oftentimes we are given a choice between being right and having peace. Peace of mind and peace in our relationships. I’m certainly not advocating that you let people walk all over you in the name of “keeping the peace”. You should still stand up for what you believe is right. My advice is to let go of the need to be right as soon as the decision is made, because if you cling to it beyond that point, you are living in the past. And living in the past can only lead to suffering. Living in the past breeds regrets and resentments. And you and I are above that. We’re after lives that are FEARLESS, FOCUSED and FREE FROM REGRETS, aren’t we?

(You know I’m right!)

ENJOY NOW!

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!

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.

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!

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!) 

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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!

Too often in the Western world, negotiation is seen as the domain of union officials, real estate agents and used car dealers. We expect a certain amount of negotiating when making some purchases but we fail to see how much more we could be getting out of life simply by asking! I don’t think I’ll be using all of the hardcore tips from Tim’s article, but it did a great job of reminding me that we need to look at life from time to time and say “Is that the best you can do for me?”

Don’t settle for what’s being offered just because you’re afraid to ask some questions that may seem uncomfortable at first! You’re life is worth more than that – isn’t it?

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I, Patrick Mathieu, have given up my quest for happiness.

That’s right, I am no longer striving to achieve happiness.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my happiness experiment. I also wrote about how I thought that the key to happiness was in carefully choosing your reactions. But now I’ve come to realize how foolish that is and I’ve given it up.

Why? Because “happiness” is a noun. A thing. A thing that can be lost or found. And I now realize that I don’t want to have happiness, I want to be happy.

The difference isn’t just semantics or word games. It makes a real difference in your life whether you are chasing some elusive state of mind or actually embodying a way of being.

So I am going to BE happy.

Correction – I AM HAPPY.

The Power of Mortality™ is about cherishing your life and recognizing it for the “limited time offer” that it truly is. By forcing ourselves to come face-to-face with our own mortality, we come to realize that underneath it all – we are happy to be alive!

Not convinced?

Imagine that you were drowning and someone pulled your head above the water so that you could breathe fresh air. In that moment you would understand just how happy you are to be alive. So the next time you are having trouble finding happiness, I invite you to hold your breath. And keep holding it. Hold it … … … until you remember that you’re happy to be alive.

Happiness is being.

Everything else is a story that we’ve added on to make things more complicated.

I’ve given up the story.

ENJOY NOW!

The article is at I Will Change Your Life . com where my friend Peter recently asked me to write a guest post. (Thanks again Peter!)

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- Are you one of those people that needs to ALWAYS have things planned out?

- Are you someone who needs to have a contingency plan for every possible outcome?

- Do you usually hold off on making a decision until you have ‘all the facts’, but never seem to get around to taking action because there may be something else you aren’t considering?

If this sounds like you, I want to give you some advice that might just be very liberating for you. Either that, or it will be completely terrifying for you!

Life is meant to be LIVED, not planned!

So many people today use ‘planning’ as a delay tactic to hide their fear.

• Fear that they will be wrong
• Fear that things won’t ‘work out’
• Fear that they will look foolish

And since fear is such a pervasive part of our modern society, we completely justify this obsession with planning as a ‘responsible’ or ‘rational’ thing to do.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not advocating that you make snap decisions or rush into action. I’m saying that life is a full-contact game and if your strategy is to mentally play out every move to its logical conclusion before you start moving, you won’t actually be living – you’ll be staring at a clipboard on the sidelines until the game is over.

Now I’ll bet that 20% of you are saying: “Thanks Patrick, but I already spend more time in action than in planning”.

20% of you are saying: “You know what? I do plan too much and I like the idea of getting into action more quickly. I’m going to give it a try! Thanks for the push Patrick!”

10% of you are saying: “Patrick, are you crazy? Give up the comfort zone that ‘planning’ offers me? Never!!”

But I’ll be there are at least 50% of you who are saying: “You know what Patrick, I think you are on to something here! It sounds like a good idea and it definitely warrants further research. I’ll add that to my ‘to-do list’ and look into it as soon as I get a chance.”

Well, if you’re in the last category I’m not letting you off the hook that easily. I’ve put together a reading list for you.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell

Jump In!: Even If You Don’t Know How to Swim by reality TV mogul Mark Burnett

Screw It, Let’s Do It by Sir Richard Branson

And for those of you that don’t want to wait to start researching, read this fascinating interview that Tim Ferris (author of the Four Hour Work Week) did with invention guru Stephen Key and pay particular attention to question #2.

ENOUGH! Start Living!!

ENJOY NOW!

I believe that the secret to successful resolutions can be found in my Mortality Manifesto’s concept of daily living. Allow me to explain.

Let’s say that you smoke cigarettes and would like to stop. But you’ve been smoking for so many years that you don’t know how to live without cigarettes. In fact, you actually think of yourself not just as someone who smokes, but as “a smoker” – it has become part of your identity.

Making a New Year’s Resolution like: “I will stop smoking in 2008″ is the equivalent of saying that you will completely change a major aspect of your personality overnight. Of course, you can enlist nicotine gum, patches and hypnosis to help you with this transformation, but you are still trying to make a drastic change all at once. On top of that, by making this change at the beginning of the New Year, you are proclaiming that this change will last for the entire year ahead. When you’ve been cigarette-free for three weeks, you are likely to focus less on the 21 days that you’ve succeeded and more on the 344 days left in 2008! Talk about overwhelm!

The Mortality Manifesto encourages you to ensure that your every thought, word and action are moving you in the direction of your dreams. But the real key to successful resolutions comes in the last line of the Manifesto, which reads:

“This is the gift I give to myself – today and every day!”

You CAN change a major aspect your personality overnight – provided that you are only trying to change it one day at a time. As If you commit to doing that each and every day, I believe you can have anything you desire in 2008!

Make it an outstanding year by making each day an outstanding day!

ENJOY NOW!

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In my last podcast, I spoke about how happiness is a choice.

This week I get the chance to put my money where my mouth is. My wife left on a business trip on Saturday and she doesn’t return until late next Friday night. That means that for seven days I am a single-parent to a five year old and a two year old!

Talk about Living the Power of NOW!

When I was speaking with a friend of mine recently she said, “I don’t know how you do it. I’d go crazy after a couple of days.” The truth is, I’ve had practice. This summer my wife was sent to China for 10 days and in the month of November, she has three trips that have her gone for a total of 15 days.

But instead of focusing on the fact that I’m outnumbered by little people who have way more energy and persistence than me – I choose to focus on the fact that I’ve been given the gift to really spend some with my kids and be fully present to their lives.

I’ve seen too many people who view parenting as yet another item on their “to do” list and for the most part, that attitude is reflected in the way their children behave.

Now don’t get me wrong. When I’m running the show alone, there can be some crying at my house. There can be yelling. And there can be tantrums. And the kids have had some rough times too! But when things get too crazy, I just remind myself that I have a choice about how I react. And I always choose happiness.

And you want to know an amazing side-effect of choosing happiness? It seems to rub-off on the kids too! I’ve found that when I’m more relaxed and happy about things, the overall mood in the house is relaxed and happy. Which means that when the tears come over a toy that isn’t being properly shared, they tend to disappear quite quickly. It’s as if the kids understand that they too can choose to be happy or not.

ENJOY NOW!

I love what he has to say about TODAY! It’s as if he is reading my mind!! (But he has a much more interesting accent!)

Give yourself the gift of taking 5 minutes to watch and listen.

ENJOY NOW!

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Ask any parent what they want for their children’s lives and I’ll bet you get the same answer: “I just want them to be happy.”

Sounds reasonable – right? So then why don’t we wish the same for ourselves?

More and more I’m beginning to believe (not just think, but truly believe) that happiness is a choice. Forget the fact that you’ve probably seen that phrase on a coffee mug or poster with a cutsey kitten photo, the fact remains: you can choose to find the negative or positive in any situation. Don’t believe me? Just ask Viktor Frankl.

So here’s what I’m doing about it. I’ve decided that starting today, happiness is my highest priority! After all – life is too short to not be happy as much as possible. I’ll tell you how I’m going to do it so that you can join me in this experiment.

First – I’m going to try to stay focused on the present moment – every moment. To do this, I’ll need to try to turn off the narrating voice in my head – no small task. I’ll start by re-reading one of my favorite books: The Power of Now

Next – I’m going to look for something in each moment and situation that I can be happy about.

Finally – I’m going to spend some time each day thinking about things as I’d like them to be. I’ll ask myself, “What would be really great? What would make me so happy I’d be giddy?”

Another important key to all of this is gratitude. It’s very difficult to be negative and grateful at the same time. Thankfully, I have LOTS to be grateful for!

Now some may call this “wishful thinking” or accuse me of pushing a Pollyanna attitude. That’s OK. My guess is that these people will not be happier than me!

I don’t expect this experiment to be easy. But I do expect the results to be profound. Check back to see how I’m doing (I’ll provide updates in the comments section of this post.)

Do you have any suggestions on how I can make the most of my experiment? Do you have any experience with this sort of attitude? Let’s hear about it in the comments.

The answer to the question goes against logic and common sense, but it didn’t surprise me a bit! After all, I’ve known the answer to that question for thirteen years.

I encourage you to read the article for yourself and please feel free to leave comments below.

By the way: here are some other links to articles about the same research

Death-Defying Thoughts  – findcounselling.com

How our minds counter the fear of eventual death – anxietyinsights.info

Faced With Death, Our Minds Turn To Happier Thoughts – sciencedaily.com

So today it’s confession time. Ready? It’s a big one.

I have not been living my own message.

It’s very difficult for me to admit. And the past year was so challenging because I was “preaching” one thing and “practicing” another thing. I feel like a fraud.
Somewhere along the way, I allowed myself to fall into a number of traps:

Trap #1 - Listening to “them” rather than listening to my heart.

In my heart, I always knew that The Power of Mortality™ was an intimately personal message for individuals. After all, I’m talking about YOUR life and death. Instead, I allowed myself to be swayed by other “experts” who tried to convince me that in order to “make it” as a professional speaker, I had to be speaking to corporate audiences.

This trap was like very slow moving quicksand for me. It kept me paralyzed for months and months as I tried to find the right corporate audience. There aren’t too many companies that will pay to you tell their employees that life is short and they need to live with power and passion. And I just couldn’t bring myself to twist my message to fit a corporate agenda that wasn’t in line with the ideals of the Power of Mortality™. (“Ladies and gentlemen… that’s how embracing your mortality today will help you sell more photocopiers!” – I don’t think so.) I wasted so much time and energy trying to find the right fit that I drained myself and began to allow doubts to creep in. Doubts about the value of my message and doubts about my ability to deliver it.

Trap #2 – Losing focus

After my first year of speaking, audience members kept telling me that I should write a book. So I did. And I’m thrilled that I did! I’m quite proud of What’s Your Expiry Date? It was a lot of fun and it allowed me to reach an entirely different audience. But the process of writing a book is no small task. I’ve often said that it is the closest that I’m ever going to come to experiencing childbirth firsthand!

Writing and publishing a book demands a lot of attention and energy. And I allowed myself to get swept up in that process and somewhere along the way I began to think of myself as “a writer”. I knew that something was wrong when I found myself worrying about my Amazon ranking. Then in the spring of 2006 my book distributor declared bankruptcy. They hadn’t yet paid me for all of my book sales through Wal-Mart and Chapters, so in an instant I lost a very large sum of money and I was without distribution.

It took a long while before I was able to regain focus and remind myself that I was a speaker with a book, rather than an author who speaks.

Trap #3 – Buying into my own hype

As I mentioned in my “Down From The Mountain” post, I had consciously set myself up as an expert – a “guru”, if you will. The more success I achieved, the more I needed. My ego was now running the show and the more my ego took over, the more difficult things became. I became very preoccupied with carefully orchestrating each and every move I made. I wanted to be 110% certain that any new action would be “properly” perceived and would contribute to my success. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I let things become all about ME, rather than all about YOU – the people that I set out to help in the first place.

I’m sorry.

(And the real irony of the situation is that by allowing that to happen, not only did I lost sight of YOU, but I lost touch with myself too!)

So now, with this new clarity and new humility, I am going to get back to living the principles of the Mortality Manifesto! I am taking ownership of my circumstances. I’m going to recapture my life again and I am going to live from a place that is more inline with my beliefs of a life that is FEARLESS, FOCUSED and FREE FROM REGRETS!

And I’ll start with freedom from regrets! As I said, I’m deeply sorry that this unfortunate turn of events happened, but I won’t waste any time or energy with regrets. As I say in the book, “hang on to the lessons and let go of the circumstances that brought them to you.” ONWARD!

ENJOY NOW!

I was constantly comparing myself to “experts” in the self-help and personal development fields and questioning why people would listen to me. I was second-guessing myself at every turn.

So, I decided to simply turn myself into an expert! After all, no one else was talking about harnessing mortality as a motivating force. “Oh sure, there are lots of ’survivor stories’ out there,” I would tell myself. “But my message is different.”

In May of 2003, I made a decision to put myself up on a mountain top and hang out a sign saying “Caution: Guru At Work”

Well, it’s time to come down from the mountain.

I want to be crystal clear about something. I have never lied about my story or embellished it in any way. What I have done, is spend an inordinate amount of time concerning myself with how I was being perceived. And somewhere along the way, I began to get caught up in the ego drama. It might have been the first time I walked into a bookstore and saw my face on the shelf beside Dr. Phil. It might have been some of the profound and moving feedback I’ve received from people who’ve seen me speak or read my book. While their stories have touched my heart, they also fed my head. I was operating from a position of pure ego.

All of this has recently come roaring to the foreground for me because I’ve been going through a rather challenging time for the last year, but I’ve taken great pains to hide it from people for fear of harming my status as a “self-appointed guru”.

No more!

I now realize that it is, and always has been, my story about facing my own mortality that helps people. My public image might contribute to how likely people are to listen to the story in the first place, but in the end it is the message that must shine through. I have also come to realize that my story is an evolving one. One that is made up of ups and downs and if I’m serious about helping others, I need to be serious about sharing myself with them.

In the past, when I have been deciding whether or not to share some part of my life with others, my number one question has always been: “How will this make me look?” Today, I want to pledge to you that my new number one question will be “Will others find this helpful in their own life journeys?”

Stay tuned… big things are coming!

ENJOY NOW!

As I read the news item, this part really jumped out at me:

The cost-effectiveness ratio (the cost of treatment to an additional year of life) was $143,614 for localized lung cancer (a cancer that is confined to one area of the lung), $145,861 for regional cancer (a cancer that has spread within the lung but is contained within it) and $1.2 million for metastatic cancer.

Now if I’m reading that correctly, they are saying that if you are an elderly person with lung cancer, it costs between $143,614 and $1.2 million to keep you alive for one additional year! If we average that out, that works out to be:

$496,491.67 per year of life

$41,374.31 per month

$10,343.58 per week

$1,477.65 per day.

Have you ever thought about your life in terms of a “cost-effectiveness ratio”? Let’s take today for instance. What kind of day are you having?

• Good?
• Bad?
• Average?

Would you have paid $1,477.65 for today?

I’ll bet that your answer to that question depends a lot on whether you are fit and healthy or whether you have metastatic cancer.

So here’s my suggestion: If you wake up tomorrow: live the day as though you had to pay someone $1,477.65 for the privilege. (And if you feel the need to actually pay someone… I accept cheques or PayPal!)

ENJOY NOW!

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What would your life look like if you were FEARLESS, FOCUSED and FREE FROM REGRETS?  It’s time to Revolutionize Your Life!

FEAR – I want you to think about fear for a moment.

• What has fear cost you over the years?
  • In terms of money
  • In terms of wasted opportunity
  • In terms of erosion to your self-confidence and self-worth
  • In terms of relationships
  • In terms of your health

• How many of your day-to-day decisions are made based on fear?

• How many of your fears have been with you so long, that you no longer recognize them as fear? Here’s a clue – do you ever find yourself using these words to explain why you didn’t act on something:
  • Responsible
  • Levelheaded
  • Mature
  • Reasonable
  • Prudent
  • Safe

How much impact does fear have on your life today?

REGRET – Now I want you to think about regret for a moment.

• If I were to give you a pen and piece of paper right now and ask you to write down any regrets you have, would you:
  • Stare blankly at the paper for five minutes and then hand it back to me – empty
  • Write for a few minutes and then hand it back to me with a shake of your head and a sigh
  • Ask me for more paper, a more comfortable chair and a box of tissue – and then tell me to come back tomorrow – with food

How much impact does regret have on your life today?

FOCUS – Now I want you to think about focus for a moment.

• On a scale of 1 – 10, how focused would you say you are?
  • How would your spouse rate your focus
  • How would your children rate your focus
  • How would your parents rate your focus
  • How would your coworkers rate your focus
  • How would your friends rate your focus
• How much of your life is spent focused on the past (regrets) or focused nervously on the future (fears)?
• How much sleep have you lost wondering if you are on the right path or making the right decisions?

How focused is your life today?

Now – here’s the really big question – How happy are you with how your life has turned out so far?

Let me ask that another way:

If you were just informed that today was your last day on earth, how ready would you be to accept that what you have, is all you are going to get?

Is it time to revolutionize your life?

I can help you! We can do it together – through the Power of Mortality™

ENJOY NOW!

I have always known that a fantastic way to really make something your own is to create a ritual around it. In that spirit, I created a ritual that helps me to create my day each and every morning. I’ve been using this ritual every day now for a number of years, and I’ve hd fantastic results.

The ritual simply involves making an espresso on my gas stove (something I do each morning). If you don’t drink coffee you can easily adapt it to tea.

I tell myself that the coffee represents the raw talents and skills that I have been given, useless on its own, but incredible once combined with the other elements. As I add the coffee, I focus on all of my abilities and I choose which of them I want to use that day. Perhaps it will be a day where I am speaking to an audience. Or a day where I am focusing on writing. Or maybe I’m going to be networking and meeting new people.

As I add the water, I tell myself that it represents life itself, without which nothing can happen.

The espresso maker represents TODAY. It holds a finite amount of “life” (water) and you can only put a finite amount of your skills and talents (coffee) into it. You cannot make tomorrow’s coffee today and you wouldn’t want to drink the coffee you made yesterday, so each and every day you must create a new brew.

The gas represents the Universal Source (or God, if you prefer), always available for the asking.

The spark that lights the burner is what happens when I bring my full attention to the moment and realize how connected I am to the Universal Source.

So then, when I am mindful of my incredible partnership with the Universal Source, I ignite a powerful force that ALWAYS works, whether I understand it or not. I don’t have to DO anything beyond acknowledging and allowing. It ALWAYS heats ANYTHING that is placed within the circle of its flame – it makes no judgments or discriminations. Once I have combined this endless power with my talents and skills and with life itself, the result is INEVITABLE!

Just as when I combine coffee and the water with the heat, the result is INEVITABLE.

And so it is!

As I prepare my morning coffee I consciously remind myself of these elements, thus turning this into an important ritual that centers me and prepares me for the day ahead. It is how I create my day.

What will you do with YOUR day?

ENJOY NOW!

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I still find it hard to believe that one year ago today, I had a stroke.

For the benefit of those who don’t know the background, let me start at the beginning and give you the highlights

• I was born with a very complicated heart condition and my parents were told that I wouldn’t live to see my first birthday. Since the doctors didn’t understand why my heart was working in the first place – they opted not to touch it.
• I lived a relatively “normal” childhood with no surgeries, no medicines and no hospitalization. It was a miracle!
• At the age of 18, I met a cardiologist who told me that my life was more than half over! His exact words were: “We hope you live to be 30.“
• Six long, torturous, depression and anger filled, years later – I finally came to terms with this prognosis. I accepted my own mortality and as soon as I did I realized that it was the most liberating and empowering thing I had ever done! I coined the term “Power of Mortality™” to describe this new way of living.
• I got married at the age of 30.
• We had our first child when I was 32.
• When I was 33, I realized that my mission in life is to help others by sharing my story and my concept of the Power of Mortality™, so I began my career as a professional speaker.
• We had our second child when I was 35.
• At the age of 35 I wrote my first book, “What’s Your Expiry Date? Embrace Your Mortality – Live With Vitality“
• And then at the age of 36 I had a stroke.

By then, I had been living the Power of Mortality™ for twelve years. I had been speaking about it, writing about it and teaching others about it for three years. And at the age of 36, I was given a chance to walk my talk.

As I have previously written in a post titled This Is NOT A Test, (which I wrote a year ago from my hospital bed), I walked into my office that morning and had no idea what my computer was used for. Next, my right arm went numb and the vision in my right eye went blurry. At that point, I realized that I was having a stroke.

And then the most remarkable thing happened! Rather than panic, rather than loose my cool, rather than be gripped by fear, I decided to sit down for a second. I sat in my office chair and asked myself: “Well, I wonder if today is the day?”

My mental dialog continued: “And if I am moments from death, how do I feel about my life at this moment? Am I ready to go?”

I ran a quick mental check:

• I just finished a good breakfast with my wife and children.
• I kissed them goodbye and told them I loved them as they left the house.
• My mother, brother and friends all know that I love them.
• I don’t need forgiveness from anyone that hasn’t already forgiven me.
• I don’t need to forgive anyone that I haven’t already forgiven.
• And I owe the bank lots of money!

So the answer is ‘YES’ I’m ready to go!

But I didn’t die. I didn’t but I know that I will. One of these days today will be ‘the day’. And thanks to the Power of Mortality™, I know that I will be just as ready to go then as I was a year ago!

ENJOY NOW!

Fr. Guido starts with the premise that insurance companies have statistics that say how long we are expected to live. He says that men are expected to live 78 years. Then he proposes a radical idea. He suggests that we should start out with 78 candles on our first birthday cake and then take one away every year. “That way, we know how much longer we have to go.”

He says it will give us something to shoot for – the goal of cleaning the cake.

All joking aside, imagine for a second how differently you would consider the upcoming year if you tried the countdown cake idea.

The Power of Mortality™ is not about death – it’s about life!

• It’s about appreciating how truly precious and important your life is by contrasting it with your inevitable death.
• It’s about using that contrast to help you get clear about what you want out of life.
• And, it’s about using these newfound insights to make choices and take actions that move you in the direction of your dreams.

So how does that apply to your day-to-day life?

Well, once you’ve mastered the Power of Mortality™, the focus is no longer on your mortality, but on how you choose to live your life each day. The mantra is:

Fearless! Focused! Free From Regrets!

How powerful is that?

• Imagine how different your life would be if you were fearless!
• Imagine having no regrets about past actions, decisions or events!
• Imagine living your life each day with a clear focus!

You’d be unstoppable, wouldn’t you?

• The Power of Mortality™ will change the way you view your job or career.
• It will change the way you view your family life.
• It will change the way you view your relationships.

In short – the Power of Mortality™ will change YOU!

And I think that’s precisely why the Power of Mortality™ terrifies some people. They just aren’t ready to have their life shaken up. They’ve grown comfortable with living their life “by default”. But the reality of the situation is that one day, whether they are ready or not, their life will be shaken up. That’s just how it works.

I also think that’s why the Power of Mortality™ excites so many more people. These people realize the fact that facing their death – and their life – on their own terms, puts the control and power back into their own hands!

Which will you choose?
Will you try to control death? Or will you take control of your life?

You can get started with the Morality Manifesto.

Today, I read something that reminded me of my article and I thought I would share it with you.

How many of us live our lives perpetually on “autopilot”? We have routines that have become so routine that we don’t even realize we’re doing them anymore. And it starts as soon as the alarm clock goes off in the morning. Many of us sleepwalk through our ‘morning routine’ and don’t really wake up until we’ve been awake for hours (if we wake up at all… but that’s a topic for another discussion).

So please consider Brett Kelly.

This man takes his coffee seriously. And I mean s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y. Read for yourself.

Now I’m not suggesting that we all need to become coffee aficionados or that we devote nearly as much time to our morning coffee as Brett does. I am, however, suggesting that we follow his lead and look at our morning rituals to discover how much of our life is run on autopilot and where can we make some changes to put some thoughtful, flavorful life back into the mix.

ENJOY NOW!

I really wish that John Brandrick had read my book or heard me speak!

A report from Reuters last week described how Mr. Brandrick, a 62 year-old man from the UK, reacted to the diagnosis that he had pancreatic cancer and would probably die within a year. It seems that he decided to quit his job, stop paying his mortgage, sell or give away nearly all of his possessions and spend all of his money meals and vacations.

(I’m sure you can guess where this is going!)

Yes, just as Mr. Brandrick was coming to the end of his money, the doctors revised their diagnosis. He didn’t have pancreatic cancer, but merely an inflammation of the pancreas that was not life-threatening.

Oops!

So let’s all learn a lesson from Mr. Brandrick’s experience.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1. Ask yourself what YOU would do if you were told that you had a year left to live? Write out your answers.
2. Look at the list of things that you wrote down. Cross out all of the things that you are already doing.
3. Now look carefully at the remaining items – the “new” things you would begin to do, or the changes that you would make in your life. Ask yourself why you aren’t doing them now. Are they not important enough?
4. Finally, I want you to realize that very few people ever have the luxury of a one-year warning. Have another look at your list and circle any items that you REALLY want to be able to accomplish before leaving this earth.

What this comes down to is an exercise in priority setting.  We all have priorities, but from time to time they need to be reevaluated to see if they are still valid.  And the best way I’ve found to cut through the clutter and uncover your true priorities, is to examine your priorities from the persepective of someone who is acutely aware of their mortality.

ENJOY NOW!

Technically, it was a Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA. As I lay in the hospital for a week following the event, I realized that, thanks to the Power of Mortality™, there was nothing – not one thing – in my life that I needed to change! How many people could say that when faced with their own death?

Thankfully, I made a full recovery from the TIA and suffered no deficits or after effects. Two weeks ago, when I first wrote about this in “Mindful Moment“, one of my subscribers suggested that TIA could also stand for “Teaching In Action”. I really liked that idea! So, in the spirit of using acronyms, I would like to present a short lesson on “How to have a STROKE“.

S – STOP!
You can do it. You can take some time for yourself. Let the rest of the world take care of itself for a while. You owe yourself this time. Besides, if you don’t stop once in a while, life has a habit of stopping you.

T – Take stock of your life. Who have you become? Who did you intend to be? How do you feel about that? Be honest with yourself.

R – Realize that you are not owed any specific amount of time on this earth. Likewise, you need to realize that your loved ones are not guaranteed any specific amount of time.

O – Open yourself up and listen. You’re listening for the small voice inside of you. It may take a few minutes or it may take a few days, but you will hear it. This voice comes from your heart of hearts – listen to what it has to say about your life. The process of tapping into the Power of Mortality™ isn’t something you can “think” your way through. It must be felt at the core of your being. The problem is that most of us are very out of touch with the core of our being because we are too busy letting life live us. We never intend for it to happen that way – it just does.

K – Keep in mind the principles of the Mortality Manifesto. Commit to aligning your life with your dreams. Commit to paying attention to your thoughts, words and actions. Realize that everything in your life happens because of your thoughts, words and actions and it is up to you to ensure that these three things are moving you in the direction of your dreams. Free yourself from fear and regret by keeping your focus on the present moment.

E – Embrace your life by embracing your mortality. EVERYDAY!

Let me finish by saying that I sincerely hope that this is the only STROKE that you ever have to experience. However, if you approach this exercise with a sincere heart and actually work though the process I know that you’ll be ready for whatever life brings your way in the future.

Just as I was wrapping up my series of Mindful Moments on the topic of Living the Power of Mortality™, I was given the opportunity to put my beliefs to the ultimate test!
Last Tuesday, October 10th, I suffered a stroke. It was 08:30 in the morning and I was alone in my home office when it hit.

It was like any other morning. I had breakfast with my family and saw them off as they left for daycare, school and work. After I finished my espresso I sat down to start up my computer, but all I could do was sit and stare at the login screen. It was as though I had never seen the screen before in my life. I had no idea what to do. But at the same time, a voice in my head said ‘You do this every day! Come on!’ Then my right arm went numb and I had trouble with the vision in my right eye. At that moment I realized that I was having a stroke. (If YOU don’t know the warning signs of a stroke, do yourself a favor and learn them.)

Thankfully, I didn’t panic. Remembering something I had once heard, I went to the bathroom and took three aspirin to help reduce the impact of the stroke. I looked at myself in the mirror and made all sorts of funny faces to ensure that both sides of my face were still working. Seeing no signs of paralysis, I tried to talk out loud. Let me tell you – unless you’ve been through this, you can’t imagine how scary it is to discover that some part of your brain is on strike and you can’t even string together a simple sentence!

As I write this, it’s now Monday afternoon (October 16th) and I’ve been in the hospital since Tuesday. Thankfully, I have no paralysis or lingering effects from the stroke. I’ve felt perfectly normal since Tuesday afternoon. The doctors say I had a TIA (transient ischemic attack). I’m still in the hospital so they can monitor my response to the anticoagulation drug that I’m now going to be taking. (In case you are wondering.. typing with an IV drip in your hand is not an experience that I’d recommend trying.) I’ve been told that I should be discharged later today or tomorrow.
I was talking with a friend yesterday who asked me how my teachings held up to real life testing. She thought that perhaps my enthusiasm for embracing mortality might have changed because of the stroke.

I’ve now had seven days to reflect on the events of last Tuesday. Seven days to think about my situation. I’m pleased to report that the Power of Mortality™ works – even in the face of a stroke! Yes, I was scared when my brain wasn’t responding properly, but I wasn’t afraid!

Perhaps most significantly though, over the course of the last seven days of reflection, I have not uncovered a single thing about my life that I feel needs to change. How many people can say that when faced with their death?

What about YOU?

Will you be able to say that when you are finally faced with your death?

Would you like to be able to?

Start with the Mortality Manifesto.

ENJOY NOW!

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Why is it that we are obsessed with age?

Actually, let me rephrase that. Why is that it we are obsessed with YOUTH?

This weekend, there was a “trade show” in Toronto called “The New You Show”. It was being billed as “North America’s Largest Cosmetic Enhancement, Anti-Aging Show.” When I saw an ad for it – I had to stop and re-read it. Yes, an entire weekend-long event dedicated to pretending you are younger than you actually are!

Now perhaps I am alone in feeling that this obsession with youth is a bit odd. Personally, as someone who was told that he would be lucky to make it to the age of 30, I take great pride in each and every grey hair that appears in my beard. For me, the issue isn’t so much how young you look, but rather how young you feel. And I’m of the opinion that how you look is a direct result of how you feel.

I was really tempted to attend the “The New You Show” for no other reason than to ask the attendees, exhibitors and presenters one simple question: “At what age is it OK to actually look your age?” Do these people plan to live to be 95 but still have the world convinced that they are no older than 69?

My suspicion is that our society’s obsession with youth stems from a direct result of our fear of dying. After all, the young (and the young-looking) are going to live forever, because dying is for the elderly. Isn’t that the way we think? Will a chemical peel, stomach-stapling and liposuction really fool the grim reaper?

This week, I want you to spend a few minutes looking closely at your face in the mirror. I don’t want you to think about how you used to look when you were younger and I don’t want you to think about how old or tired you may look now. In fact, I am making it a rule that each time you are looking at your face in the mirror this week, you MUST be smiling! Simply take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come and give thanks for the journey thus far!

ENJOY NOW!

“Health nuts” are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
- Redd Foxx

Last Friday, I received the following e-mail from a Mindful Moment subscriber (she kindly agreed to let me reprint it here):

Patrick:
Reading your Mindful Moment comments this Thanksgiving brought forward a very important message often overlooked. At first I was puzzled that you chose this for Thanksgiving. Soon it became clear.The following morning at 5:15 a.m. my oldest daughter Jamie was in a severe motor vehicle accident and was transferred to a trauma center in Hamilton with a fractured pelvis and back as well as a small bleed on her brain.

How quickly our normal routine lives can change. A knock at the door and a police officer and the beginning of something you never imagined. As my husband and I drove home from the hospital tonight and did our usual venting of exactly how blessed and grateful we feel, how incredibly lucky Jamie had been, and how wonderfully supportive our family, friends and entire community has been, the importance of your message shines through.

I hope all my daughters have known they are loved unconditionally but there will never be a time that I will hesitate to say it.

God bless you and promise to give your son a HUGE hug from his “friend” Debbie.

-Debbie

Friends, I want each of you to promise me, and promise Debbie, that as soon as the goose bumps on your arms go down, you’ll run to your loved ones, or at the very least pick up the phone and call them to let them know just how much they mean to you! Promise?

Now I want you to imagine that this is the last time you would ever see that person again.

• Imagine how long you would take to say goodbye.
• What would you say?
• What would you make absolutely sure they know?

Our need to say goodbye is tremendously strong. The book Final Gifts by two hospice nurses, Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley, is filled with very touching stories illustrating dying people’s need for closure.

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho recently shared the following story:

During the atrocities that accompanied the Bolshevik revolution, thousands of people were arbitrarily arrested, beaten, stripped and executed with a shot in the back of the head. According to one witness: “at the most tragic moment in our lives we have an absolute need to not feel alone. So most of the victims asked to say goodbye – and since there was nobody nearby, they embraced and said farewell to their executioners.”

Life is full of uncertainties. We never know when we will be saying goodbye for the last time. Now I’m not advocating that you say your final goodbyes each and every time you leave for work or head to the store for milk.

What I am suggesting is that from time to time we need to check in with ourselves to ensure that those whom we love know how much they mean to us.

I will consider my life a success if I can go to my grave knowing that there is no one to whom I didn’t get the chance to say the words “I’m sorry”, “I forgive you”, or “I love you”.

Is there anything you are leaving unsaid?

I also find that simply observing nature is a great way to remain mindful of how precious life is and of the incredible power that each moment brings. If you notice a houseplant in the morning, it will be leaning towards the window that receives the morning light. If you look at it again in the evening, it will have moved towards the window that receives the afternoon light. Any yet… if you were to sit and watch it all day, you would be hard pressed to notice any movement!

I find the same thing with a sunrise or a sunset. If you spend five minutes watching the sun break over the horizon, you will be astounded at how much our planet rotates in only five minutes! And yet in the course of our hectic days, we barely perceive any movement of the sun through the sky. Every time I see a sunrise (or a moonrise for you night owls) I am left with an acute sense of the importance of every minute of the day! I’m filled with a renewed sense of respect for the time that I’ve been given and the last thing I want to do is waste a moment of it on the trivial things that so often clutter up our lives

Now that we are about to enter autumn (my favourite season) nature again provides us with an excellent display of the power of time. Have you ever been out in the fall and suddenly said to yourself:

“When did all the leaves change color? They weren’t like that the last time I looked!”

Well, the leaves don’t suddenly change color all at once. Just like the houseplant doesn’t suddenly swing around in another direction all at once. It all happens minute by minute

I would like to suggest an exercise for each of us to help fine tune our appreciation of the power of time. My suggestion is to pick a tree (not an evergreen) that you are able to observe each day. It could be in your yard, on your street, or along your commute to work. The important part is that you are able to observe it each day. Starting tomorrow – notice the color of this tree. Do the same for the next day and the next and so on, until the tree has no leaves left. This exercise has two benefits. First, you will be sure to witness one of nature’s dazzling displays as the leaves change colors and eventually come to rest on the ground. Second, I’m quite sure that taking a moment each day to observe the rhythm of life being acted out in front of you will help you appreciate each and every day that you are given. I know that it works for me!

In my presentation “What’s Your Expiry Date?” I talk about the fact that we are often so preoccupied with time and schedules that we can forget about the things in our lives that are truly important. Having a child in your life really makes you aware of how precious each moment is.

Today is my son’s 10-month birthday and I can hardly believe that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him for 10 months already! My wife and I know how blessed we are to have a healthy, happy baby in our lives and we often talk about “the old days”. No, not the days before we were parents – but the days since we brought our son home. Like the day he first smiled, or the first tooth (he has 6 teeth now!), or the day that he began to crawl. It has only been 10 months, but already so much has changed and it changes one Cheerio at a time.

Too often we get caught up in something I call “the once trap”.

“Once I get that promotion…”
“Once I meet someone…”
“Once I lose this extra weight…”

It is very easy to try to live our lives in the future. Our goal-oriented society just adds to the pressure. But we need to be mindful and remember that ONCE is exactly how many chances we get at living THIS day.

I know that it won’t be too long before my son no longer finds wonder in each Cheerio. But this morning, he has taught me another important lesson and reminded me to savour every bite of life.

ENJOY NOW!

If this resonates with you, you need to take the Mortality Manifesto Pledge – and start choosing the life you want to live!