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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!!

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!

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(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!)

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On April 3 I promised to tell you some big news on April 15th. Well, sometimes things take longer than expected. Now I can finally let you in on the news!

First, the background… In the fall, I started working with a Speaker’s Bureau. After we had been working together for a while, Cathleen (the woman who runs Speaker’s Gold) introduced me to another speaker of hers because she felt that we ought to know one another, since our messages are so complimentary.

The gentleman’s name is Derrick Sweet and we hit it off right away. We had lunch to discuss the possibility of doing a joint speaking event. As lunch continued, we found ourselves more and more amazed at how well we got along and at how our messages and our styles meshed so well. Derrick told me that in addition to being a professional keynote speaker, he was also the Founder and Chairman of an international training and development company. (Naturally, I already knew this because I had done my research before our lunch meeting) The company is called Healthy Wealthy and Wise and its mission statement is: “To provide leading edge training and development programs in the areas of coaching, sales training, public speaking, and self-improvement. To empower our clients with new and innovative tools, skills and resources which enable them to reach their full potential.”

Derrick told me that he felt that my skills and my style would make me a perfect fit for the Healthy Wealthy and Wise team and asked me to consider accepting a position with them. I was excited at the prospect, because I felt that the HWW offering would be an excellent compliment to my role as a motivational speaker and author. Initially, I made the decision to become involved with the Certified Coaches Federation, which is the coaching division of HWW. In February, I became a Certified Coach Practitioner™. I was so impressed with the powerful program developed by the Certified Coaches Federation, and I was so blown away with the phenomenal reactions from fellow attendees, I decided that I needed to incorporate this into my own offerings. In April, I became a Certified Master Coach.

Since I had a 10-year career in sales, I was very interested to learn about HWW’s Sales Mastery program. Also, since I entered my first public speaking competition in the seventh grade and since I’ve been a professional motivational speaker for the past five years, I was also very interested in HWW’s Speech Mastery program.

Derrick and I continued to discuss opportunities and I’m pleased to announce that I am now a Senior Vice President with Healthy Wealthy and Wise! I am excited about this for two main reasons:

1. I truly believe in what Healthy Wealthy and Wise does and the value that it offers to its clients.

In the past, I have worked with more than my fair share of companies who’s vision didn’t match mine. I chose to work with them because I felt, “well, sometimes you have to compromise to put food on the table, and work is work.” Does that sound familiar to any of you? Well, you can only tell yourself that for so long before the disconnection between what you do and what you should do gets to be too much. I am so happy to be working with a company that has the same ideals and goals as I do!

2. It doesn’t require me to compromise my own message or mission, in fact, it compliments it beautifully!

For a number of years, I wore two distinctly different hats. On the one hand, I was a motivational speaker and author. On the other hand, I was a corporate sales person in the field of IT security. This split-personality situation was the cause of a great deal of personal anxiety for me. In 2003, when I decided to start my career as a professional motivational speaker, I wasn’t financially ready to leave my career in sales. So I did both. (Again, does any of this sound familiar to you?) And I told myself, that I would only continue with the IT world, until I was in a financial position to leave it behind. The problem was that my heart just wasn’t in the world of IT any more. After I would complete a corporate security sale, no one ever came up to me and told me how much better their lives were as a result of the product that I had sold them. But that is where my money was coming from. So I stayed. The next thing I knew, it was four years later and I was no closer to being financially ready to leave my career in IT sales.

And that’s when the Universe introduced me to Healthy Wealthy and Wise! And as Bogart said at the end of Casablanca… “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

To learn more about my work with Healthy Wealthy and Wise, including the Certified Coaches Federation, the Sales Mastery Course and the Speech Mastery Course – please visit http://www.Mathieu.com/

ENJOY NOW!

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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!

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I’ve just recently come to a terrifying realization.

I…. am an adult.

And not only am I an adult, but I have kids! Kids and a mortgage!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??

I wasn’t supposed to live past the age of 30. That was the deal. But here I am, nearly 38 and I’m now “in charge” of things!

I have two small children who are looking to me for answers! (This morning my 5 year-old son asked me about marriage!!!) I have a wife who is looking to me for help in paying the mortgage, taxes and all of the bills!

I wasn’t prepared for this responsibility. I’m not prepared for this responsibility!

When I was a kid, I had an excellent coping mechanism that served me very well. I realized early on that all I had to do was simply seek the approval of the adults in charge. This meant my parents and teachers. I wasn’t too worried about the approval of my peers. After all, they were just kids too. But adults in positions of authority – well… they held my future in their hands. So I learned how to get their approval. My internal thought-process went like this: “As long as they approve of me, I’m on the right track, I’m doing the right things and if all else fails, the adults in charge will take care of me.”

Well, in the last week, my internal thoughts have been: “Well now that I’m the adult in charge, who’s going to take care of me?? Who’s going to tell me if I’m on the right track? Who’s going to approve of me? How the hell did this happen?”

This is scary stuff folks! How do you people handle it? (I’m talking to those of you who are going through life with expectations of a “normal” lifespan.)

Please leave your advice and suggestions in the comments section below!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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Have you ever had the realization that you were spending time on something that just wasn’t worth it?

Have you ever looked at a situation and said “Life is too short for this!”

And I don’t mean the time you decided that the lineup at Starbucks was too long to wait. I’m talking about BIG things. Life altering things.

If you’re familiar with my story, it won’t surprise you that I’ve had more than my fair share of “life is too short” revelations over the years. In fact, I use this phrase on a daily basis! You see, when you live your life using the Power of Mortality™, it becomes part of your built-in decision-making process.

Here’s how it works: If something is causing you some degree of stress, frustration, anger, anxiety – or ANY other negative emotion, simply ask yourself: “Is this worth it? If I knew that I only had six months left to live, would I want to spend my time and energy on this?”

I’ll give you one example from my own life.

I was once engaged to a woman who is not my wife. That’s right, I bought the diamond ring… got down on one knee and proposed. And she accepted! We set the wedding date for a year later. But as I drove away from the scene of the proposal, I couldn’t help notice a feeling that wasn’t quite right.

Don’t get me wrong – I was happy. I proposed… she said yes… so of course I was happy. But I wasn’t thrilled. And growing up I always imagined that I’d be thrilled when I got engaged. As the months progressed, I became less and less convinced that I’d made the right decision. Was it just “cold feet”? I couldn’t be sure – after all, I’d never been engaged before.

And here was the really tough part. There was nothing about the situation that was wrong – it was just that I knew that it wasn’t right. If something were clearly wrong, then my decision would have been simple. But given that I couldn’t point to one thing as the source of my unease, I felt trapped in the situation.

It took a few months, but I eventually I managed to quiet down the voice in my head (the one that was telling me to ’suck it up and stick to your decision’) long enough to listen to my heart. And the second I did that, I realized one crystal clear truth:

Life is too short to spend it married to someone that you’re not thrilled about!

So I broke off the engagement (and the relationship) seven months before the wedding! We already had a deposit on a hall, we had already purchased the bonbonnières, and of course both families were gearing up for the nuptials. It was one of the most difficult days of my life and I was deeply sorry for the hurt that it caused my fiancée – but I knew in my heart that I was doing the right thing – life is too short!

(And for the record… my wife was the one who proposed to me! And I was so thrilled that I don’t even remember driving home that day!)

So what about YOU? Have you had any “life is too short…” realizations? Let’s hear about them in the comments!

I’m planning to interview some people who’ve made serious changes to their lives thanks to the realization that “life is too short”, so please come back soon to be inspired by their stories! (Or better yet, subscribe to email updates by entering your email address in the box on the upper right corner of the page or subscribe to my RSS feed.)

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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!

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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!

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How big are your dreams?

In my Mortality Manifesto, I encourage you to be constantly moving in the direction of your dreams. But how big are those dreams and what limits have you placed on them?

I read a news item last week and between the story and the associated photos, I haven’t been able to stop smiling. It’s a story about dreaming BIG and I want to tell you about it.

Have you ever thought about becoming an astronaut? What about simply a space tourist? Now let’s think about this for a moment… when you travel as a tourist, what are you left with when your journey is over? Yes, you have memories that last a lifetime. Yes, you have fun travel stories to tell. But for many people, the real legacy of a trip are the photos they take along the way. Imagine being able to amaze and amuse your friends with the photos that you took on your trip to outer space!

Well, that’s the kind of big dreams I’m talking about!

On August 11, 2007, a group of regular guys from Canada (southern Alberta, to be exact) launched a high altitude helium balloon from one of their backyards. Attached to the balloon was a box containing an ordinary digital camera which was set to take photos every 60 seconds. The box also contained a special tracking device to allow them to follow the balloon’s progress and retrieve it when it landed. Just above the box was a parachute (to slow down the descent when the balloon burst at high altitude) and just below the box was an antenna for the tracking device.

Sound crazy? I thought so. After all – how far up would something like that realistically go?

But guess what? This homemade contraption rose to an incredible 117,597 feet above the earth before the balloon burst! When it did burst, the parachute worked perfectly, ensuring the safe return of the camera. And the tracker enabled the men to chart the balloon’s progress and safely retrieve it.

So what does Alberta, Canada look like from space? (or at least 117,597 feet above ground)

(http://www.sbszoo.com/bear/sable/images/sbl3/117597ft.jpg)

For me, this incredible photo is many things. Of course it is a beautiful and awe-inspiring piece of photography. But more than that, it is a testament to the fact that we all need to dream bigger and reach higher. The fact that this was the third attempt by these men to accomplish this feat, serves to remind us that we need to persevere in the face of setbacks and learn from what didn’t work in order to improve for the next time. Ultimately, it proves that any one of us can have a photo album from “space” if we want it enough and are willing to work for it!

Ever since I saw this photo and read the story, I have been using this image as my background for both my notebook and my BlackBerry. And every time I see it – I smile and I dream a little bigger!

(Read all about the story and see more photos at: http://www.sbszoo.com/bear/sable/sable3.htm)

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Last week I overheard two ladies talking. Apparently they hadn’t seen each other for quite some time and were catching up. The part of the conversation that I overheard went like this: “Yes, I still find it hard to believe that I lost my husband eleven hundred and seventeen days ago.”

I was astounded when I heard that! I quickly did the math and realized that this woman’s husband had died over three years ago. Three years and she was still counting the days!

Now I’m not trying to downplay the tremendous grief that can come from losing a loved one. I certainly don’t question her right to feel the pain for as long as necessary – we all grieve in different ways. But the first thing that came to my mind was: “I wonder if she can tell me how many days they were married?”

Or for that matter, I wonder if she knows how many days old she is?

It is unfortunate that our society finds it more acceptable to focus on the loss of something, than on the joy of having it. Imagine the strange looks that I’d get if I met an old friend and had this conversation:

“So are you married now?”

“Yes, my wife and I have been married for two thousand, two hundred and twenty seven days! And we’ve been enjoying our son for seventeen hundred and eighty-seven days and our daughter has been lighting up our lives now for five hundred and ninety-nine days!”

It is often said that we don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone. Please do yourself and your loved ones a favor and be sure to cherish each and every day that you have together.

By the way, if you want to calculate things for yourself, you can go to: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html

ENJOY NOW!

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If you go to Amazon.com and search for the phrase “before you die” you will find an incredible number of books. You’ll find titles such as:

* 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
* 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die
* Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die
* Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die
* 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
* 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
* 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
* 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
* Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die
* Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die

What about you?

Have you made any of your own “… before I die” lists?

If not, why not? It’s a lot of fun!

If you have (or you would like to get started), I encourage you to share them via the the comments section below.

Make your “before I die” list and then get busy crossing off the items! You’ll thank me later!

ENJOY NOW!

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Are you living in the moment – or are you living according to an outdated “script” from the past?

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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

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How does my heart keep beating?

It’s absolutely amazing when you think about the fact that the human heart starts beating only 22 days after conception and doesn’t stop until death. On average, a person’s heart will beat 42,075,904 times in a year!

So how does my heart keep beating?

As you might know, I was born with multiple Congenital Heart Defects, which means that my heart formed incorrectly in the womb. You are probably familiar with the sound of a normal human heart. My heart sounds completely different. If you want to actually hear my heart, you can click the “play” button at the top of this post to hear the podcast audio version of this mesage.

When I was eighteen I met a cardiologist who told me that he and his medical team hoped that I’d live to be 30 years old. As you can imagine, coming to terms with that news at 18 was incredibly painful and difficult. However, it gave me a lot of insights and taught me a great deal about mortality.

That is why I became a professional speaker. My speeches and workshops, and now my book, teach people about the incredible joy and power that is to be found in embracing your own mortality.

Last March I turned 35! So I come back to my original question: How does my heart keep beating? And when will it stop?

Hey – here’s an even better question: How does YOUR heart keep beating? And when will IT stop?