Please click here if you can’t see the video.

Today is the first time that we deliver our feature article as an online video. In this 8-minute movie, we will present a summary of 2 workshops I attended recently. For more background information, check the paragraphs below; otherwise, we invite you to enjouy the video and tell us what you think of this new format.

Background to today’s video

Between the 23-26 of June, Annalie Killian coordinated and delivered an absolutely awesome Innovation and Thought Leadership festival in Sydney, and I was one of the lucky few people external to AMP that was allowed to purchase a ticket to this event.

The conference was a resounding success, and was innovative in its own right. Using a combination of international and local thought leaders, the 4 days were spent in discussions about Emergence and COnvergence. The resulting presentations and discussions were shared using online video and twitter updates amongst others; and featured a story-telling competition at a local pub where several researchers and PhD students had to tell us of their research in under two and a half minutes each.

The highlight of the 4-day conference to me where 2 exciting workshops by international luminaries. The first one was delivered by BJ Fogg, a leading researcher at the Persuasive Technology Lab @ Stanford University. In this workshop BJ shared  his main findings in the field of captology, the study of computerised persuasion. From this workshop I walked away with a real understanding of the 3 core elements required for effective persuasion, and an understanding of how to use computrised technology to achieve persuasion in online interactions.

The second workshop was based on story-telling, and was delivered by the other Spike Jones, a Word-of-Mouth marketer that is part of the US-based tribe @ Brains on Fire. In this workshop Spike explained the key ingredients to effective story-telling, and shared the FIRE framework. If you want to find out what FIRE stands for, then you better start watching the video

We hope you enjoy today’s installment of Reflections of a crazy Colombian, and invite you to leave your comments about this new format for our online magazine.

ABUNDANCE
Another poem by The crazy Colombian

A life of abundance.
Material Abundance:
to have the choices
to do what I want,
when I want,
for as long
as I want,
for the rest of my life

Spiritual Abundance:
to give meaning
and purpose
to my every action
of my every day
of my every year
of my every life.

Physical abundance:
to provide a strong
and resilient
vessel for this
life I call mine,
and for the life
of those
that I cherish
and love.

Complete abundance:
Wholesome abundance.
Not wasteful,
nor selfish,
nor greedy abundance;
but abundance instead
that works in harmony
to assist me in
creating
the life
I was born to live.

For more poetry, visit the following links:

• Tomorrow - a poem inspired by Bradley Trevor Grieves book by the same name
• Reflections of a Peaceful Warrior - a poem inspired in a talk given by Dan Millman in Sydney (April ‘08)
• Loneliness - poetry in the Zen tradition
• Samsara - another Zen poem that explains the concept of Samsara
• Que es poesia? - a liberal translation into english of Gustavo Adolfo Becker’s famous poem
• Joy - An uplifting poem about the nature of happiness
• Unusual times - a poem reflecting on the nature of changing and unusual times
• Queda Prohibido - a poem by Pablo Neruda, with translation into English
• Play - A beautiful poem about growing up
• Tender, Loving Care - an ode to Motherhood, released on Mother’s Day ‘09

or you can visit The crazy Colombian’s new book Zen and the art of photographic story-telling

Have you ever considered whether the timing of your actions is just right? There’s a lot we can learn from other people’s success, and this morning I was thinking of George Sorosthe wisest investor of all. George has managed to achieve unprecedented levels of financial success in the global markets, regardless of whether we are in a bear or a bull market. How does he do it? According to someone who knows what he’s talking about (not me!), George achieves this through getting the timing of his actions just right.

If you’re like me and enjoy learning from other’s peoples success, this article will give you food for thought. I am including 5 questions that should provide a quality starting point for your own reflections on whether your time management is right or not:

1. Are you spending the right amount of time with your loved ones?
2. Are you investing 20% of your time or more on your most important goals?
3. Are you saving any time by learning how to do something (anything!) better, cheaper or faster?
4. Are you exercising often enough and for long enough?
5. Are you giving yourself a break often enough and long enough to recover from the daily grind?

I would love to hear your answers to these questions (please use the comments section below). In the meantime, I would really appreciate if you can help me get the timing of these articles right. Below is a quick poll that will assist me in determining the best frequency for publishing new articles. If you can spare 10 seconds, please read the options and choose the most appropriate one. In return, I will ensure I carefully consider the feedback I receive and adjust in the most appropriate way.

Please click here if you can’t see the survey

Note: Today’s article come to you courtesy of Robin Sharma, best-selling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, The Greatness Guide and  The Saint, the Surfer and the CEO: A Remarkable Story About Living Your Heart’s Desires

Welcome back to Reflections of a crazy Colombian. In today’s article we will share five investment strategies that you must consider in these troubled times. I have mentioned this article comes to you courtesy of best-selling author Robin Sharma. Ok, time to be transparent: Robin did not write this article. However, the article is inspired on the last installment of his regular newsletter Leading without Title, of which I am subscriber. I hope you will enjoy the show.

INVESTING IN THE DOWNTURN

Most people these days are scared. The economy is going down the toilet, the swine flu pandemic is in full swing, and tax return season is around the corner. Whilst I am not sure which of these is more scary, I do know that fear is not the greatest decision-making tool at our disposal. So to help you navigate these troubled times, I am going to share five investment strategies you should seriously consider.

Despite the title of this article, I am not really saying you have to follor these recommendations. As best-selling author Dan Millman says,

“You don’t have to wait to make positive and empowering changes; You don’t have to go to school;You don’t have to go to work; You don’t have to go to war;You don’t have to behave as other people expect or desire you to. You don’t have to do anything. Just recognise that every action or inaction has consequences, and that your willingness to accept these consequences gives you the power and freedom to choose who you are, where you are, and what you will do”.

Whilst it is true that you don’t have to follow these recommendations, I suggest you consider them and make a choice.You might find unimaginable benefits from implementing one of the following five strategies:

1. Invest in your team
2. Invest in your brand
3. Invest in new markets
4. Invest in your values
5. Invest in yourself

Why are these investments good during a recession? Because they either require little money (ie. you can afford it), provide exponential returns over time (ie. will position you to reap the rewards of the next upturn), or both. Let’s explore each of them in detail.

1.  INVEST IN YOUR TEAM

Do you know someone who has recently been downsized? Then you know the current labour market is in pretty bad shape. Yet precisely because of that, it provides an incredible opportunity for companies with good leadership. It has never been so easy to attract, motivate, and retain world-class talent. Many organisations are in such a hurry to cut costs down that they are not thoughtfully looking at people’s talents and potential before they mindlessly start downsizing. You don’t have to make the same mistakes! If you are downsizing, take your time and conduct due diligence to ensure you keep the best people in your team. On the other hand, if you don’t need to downsize, invest in the future by bringing the best people into your team. With the current conditions in the labour market, now is the perfect time to build that team of great spirited people Herb Brooks talks about. If you want to know how to build a great team, check our latest video of the month “Building a great team - a tribute to Herb Brooks“

2. INVEST IN YOUR BRAND

Stand out! This is one of the easiest times to make a good impression without having to go out of your way. Have you noticed that everyone is negative; bad customer service abounds; investment in long-term Innovation is close to non-existent; and cliches such as “people are our greatest asset’ are surprisingly absent? Yes, as uber-marketer and brand expert Seth Godin has so eloquently put it, You Are Boring. To stand out, stay positive and take the path less travelled. Make a good impression. Choose your attitude. Aim for Customer service excellence. Feed your creative self. Implement at least two of these tactics, and great rewards will come to you.

3. INVEST IN NEW MARKETS

When the markets are as hardly hit as they are now, it creates a fantastic opportunity for investment. No, I am not talking about buying the right shares (although buying shares in companies with strong cash flow and disciplined management teams is a great share investment tactic).

What I am talking about is opening new markets. Despite what TV pundits would like us believe, not every sector in the economy is in a recession. If you find an emerging market, this is a great time to build a business there. You might just find that your biggest challenge will be getting the funding for this venture; after all, banks have kind of stopped lending these days. But that’s ok; there are literally millions of people who do not know what to do with their money. Think about it: if you had cash available, what would you do with it? There are almost no investments with a decent rate of return available to retail customers; so build a simple yet solid business case, and go get Other People’s Money. Just make sure you treat it as if it was your own, and you should be able to do pretty well.

4. INVEST IN YOUR VALUES

Times of uncertainty like the current ones beget us to Get back to basics. Under current economic conditions it is perfectly acceptable to follow a strategy of sticking to your knitting. Figure out what you’re good at, who your most valuable customers are, and what are the services and values you stand for; Then spend some time going to those customers, reminde them of what you stand for, and offer your services. By building a business based on integrity, you can create growth, even in the most depressed of markets.

If all else fails, go back to fundamentals: Renew relationships with your loved ones, and savour the simple things in life. They usually are both priceless and free, so no economic downturn will ever take that away from you.

5. INVEST IN YOURSELF

Would you be surprised if I said this is one of the best times to invest in learning new skills? Despite your memories from school, learning can lead to increased levels of passion and engagement; you just need to find out something you WANT to learn (as opposed to something you think you NEED to learn). If you are like most people, you are likely to have been running yourself to the ground like a hopeless workoholic without a 12-step program; After all, short-term profits for either yourself, your company or both often place unsustainable demands on your time, and a growing economy provides ample opportunity for short-term profits. Unfortunately, chances are you invested close to zero in your learning and development as you focused on short-term returns. As Robin Sharma says, “to be a better leader, [ you must] become a bigger person.“. Do yourself a favour and invest some resources (time, money or ideally both!) in yourself. Go learn a new skill on something you enjoy. It will make you a better father, a better mother, a better worker, and ultimately a better human being.

Nowis the time to stop reading and start moving. Just pick one of these five investments and take immediate, massive action today. I promise you won’t regret doing so.

Today’s edition of “Reflections of a crazy Colombian” comes to your courtesy of Neil Strauss, best-selling author of The Gameand Emergency

Today I received an email from best-selling author Neil Strauss (I am in one of his mailing lists), and it reminded me of the Boy’s Scout Motto ,Be Prepared. Neil became a famous best-seller author a few years ago when he wrote a fascinating expose of the underground community of Pick Up Artists (PUA) in LA and the internet. Since then, Neil has written a new book in which he shares the myriad of things he decided to learn when he finally understood that we live in an uncertain, dangerous and somewhat unreliable world (and just in case you’re wondering, no, it was not the Global Financial crisis, the swine flu crisis, or the latest California earthquakes that shook him into action)

Back to the email I received; In his newsletter article, Neil complains about the insane shifts in media attitude towards his book after the latest wave of ‘crises’. Since I found his argument rather compelling, I want to share it with you. Rather than try to repeat it in my own words, I am going to be a lazy bum and transcribe his email here.

Before you read Neil’s words, I want to provide one last warning: In his email, Neil generously provided a link to a fantastic PDF resource where he debunks the top 10 myths about the best ways to survive a crisis. To avoid overloading Neil’s web servers with download requests, I have uploaded the PDF file to Google docs, and changed the link that came with the original email to this new one. If you find the PDF useful and want to learn more about Neil’s ventures, visit him at neilstrauss.com

Diego,

I’ve been wanting to write this email “rant” for about a month.
But I keep starting it, then stopping it. It’s hard to get the tone
right without showing too much frustration:

If I thought doing the media circus for The Game was tough,
discussing Emergency has unexpectedly been even more of a challenge.

In about half the radio interviews I’ve done prior to last month,
the host has asked, with some disdain, “Prepare for what? What do
you think’s going to happen?”

And then, suddenly, when the swine flu panic hit, those same
people suddenly started calling and asking if I could do another
interview offering their listeners survival tips.

Same thing happened after the California earthquakes last week.

We live in a world that seems to REACT to emergencies, rather
than PREPARE for them. Leading to a situation in which the panic
can be more dangerous than the disaster itself.

But why not prepare ahead of time?

It doesn’t take that much time or money.

There’s a certain peace of mind that comes from knowing that when
the next inevitable panic seizes hold of people, not only do you
know what to do, but you have the equipment and skills on hand to
take care of yourself and those you love.

That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy this list so much and the emails
I’ve received from you. Many of you who’ve read Emergency have gone
on not just to learn preparedness yourself, but to actually take
CERT training and join volunteer rescue groups to give back to the
community.

And so I thought I would try to give something back with this email,
rather than just vent my frustrations about the hypocrisy of the
media.

So I prepared a list for you of the ten most common myths about
surviving terrorism, fires, earthquakes, um, shark attacks, and
other emergencies both likely and unlikely.

Just like the Game, where I learned that many of the so-called
common-sense things I learned about attraction were wrong, in
Emergency I learned that much of the wisdom I learned growing up
about survival was actually wrong.

And, in the right situation, the wrong survival tip can kill you
(whereas the wrong sarging tip can only humiliate you).

So here is a little PDF of top ten survival myths, followed by the
truth. It is dedicated to the woman I saw in the airport wearing an
N95 mask during the swine flu panic while rubbing her eyes with her
bare hands.

You can find it here:

https://docs.google.com/gb?export=download&id=F.c7afc073-7763-4907-b89f-44698248d124
(right-click to download)

Enjoy, and if you find it useful, pass it on. After all, as you’re
reading this, there may be a shark lurking in the bushes outside,
just waiting to attack. Don’t be caught with your guard down.

On a serious note, if you do have any tips to add to it, email
stslimjim [@T] gmail[D0T] com with the headline LIFESAVER and I’ll add them
to an updated version.

And don’t forget, learning survival isn’t just about not dying,
it’s also a great adventure.

To Life,
Neil

To learn more about Neil Strauss, visit his web site at neilstrauss.com or browse his list of books at Amazon.

To read more interesting articles by The crazy Colombian, visit our recommended reading page at bestof.crazycolombian.com

The crazy Colombian has gone truly crazy! We are supposed to be on a blog about getting the life we want, and he wants to talk about team building?

Yes my dear readers, I want to talk about how to build a great team, and I will use the video above as a starting point. The two key points I want to explore today are

1. Why bother building a great team, and
2. How to go about it

And don’t worry; I am not going to suggest you go on some stupid team-building exercise that uses motivational techniques usually reserved for fit members of the army. Nor will I ask you to partake on goofy exercise that  require you to use ropes, nails, martial arts, paint, hot embers or a goldfish (and if you don’t know what I am talking about, you are obviously one of the few lucky ones who has never been sent on a company day off-site to be the victim of so-called team-building experts (in which case you will probably smile when  you watch with this video in Youtube)

But back to the topic: Why should you care about building a great team? And how do you go about it?

You should build a great team around you because you can’t go through life alone

Let’s first define team. There are 3 reasons why you should have a great team around you

1. Because there aren’t enough hours in the day for you to do everything yourself
2. Nor are there enough hours in your week to do everything you have on your plate right now
3. Bur most importantly because you don’t have enough hours in your life to learn every possible skill you will need to live the The life you were born to live.

But you already knew this, didn’t you? Otherwise, why do you have an accountant, paid cleaners, nannies /daycare, a doctor, or any of the other myriad of professionals you pay hard-earned money to provide services to you?

Most people fail to realise that there are a lot of teams around them. Almost everyone builds teams around them by accident, and fail to realise that it is entirely within their capacity to build, shape, and re-shape those teams. Work colleagues, families, professional organisations, companies we buy from; they are all part of your Life team. So don’t make the mistake everyone makes, and relinquish the power (and responsibility) to carefully construct the best possible team around you. When choosing a new team member (be it a friend, husband, or accountant), be very clear on why you want them to be a part of your team.

Follow this simple piece of advise, and you will be on the way to achieving unimagined levels of efficiency, effectiveness and happiness. And that is the reason why you should care about building a great team.

How to build a great team

There are 3 fundamental steps for building a great team:

1. Have a goal in mind. Stephen Covey has previously said that the first habit of highly effective peopleis to start with the end in mind. So figure out what type of life you want, and turn this desire into a SMART goal.
2. Identify the help you will need. Once you know where you want to go, find out what you can (and should) do by yourself, and what you should (or could) get help from professionals. Be creative in this step, and keep yourself honest; Continuously remind yourself that just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should do it (Don’t believe me? Answer this question: can you drive your car off a cliff? Should you? There you go!)
3. Find the best person to help you. The last step is then to find new team members for each of the things you decided you need to get done, but you can’t (or will not) do yourself. It is critical in this step that you look for the best person for the job, given all of your constraints (time, money, location, etc). Remember that finding the best person for the job is a very different thing than finding  the perfect person for that job (Hint: Sometimes the price of excellence is accepting imperfection)

Parting thoughts on the video of this month

Before I go, I want to share with you a few quotes from the video above. I hope they will make you think:

• On what being part of a great team is all about:

If you want to settle old scores, you’re on the wrong team. We move forward, starting right now. We start becoming a great team, right now! … Skating, Flow, creativity, that’s what this team is all about, not old rivalries

• On perseverance under duress:

What the hell is wrong with you? Put your gear on. I said, put your gear on. ‘But the doctor told me I can’t play‘. Yeah, Yeah, you got a bad bruise. You know what? Put your street clothes on, because I have no time for quitters. ‘Come on Herb, nobody is quitting here‘

• On the importance of hard work (Einstein: Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration):

Do you want to win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don’t have anough talent to win on talent alone. Try again!

• On having the courage to stand out and be uncommon:

Hey, where are you going? Back on the line. This can not be a team of common men, because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon.

• On the importance of clearly defining what’s the team you’re playing for:

I play for Massachusets.

Who do you play for?

I play for the United States of America

That’s all gentlemen

For more great videos with amazing commentary visit our Video Archive.

Image: Never grow old courtesy of who.log.why

Today I found that the Mother of a dear friend of mine passed away. I was sadenned by his loss, and amazed to see that he turned his story into a blog article to discuss the realities of euthanasia. Before you continue, I strongly recommend you read the article at Dan Millman’s blog. In case you don’t have the time to follow my recommendation, here are a couple of excerpts from his article:

My parents lived far from us but closer to my sister, who called me one evening to tell me that mom had taken sleeping pills and was unconscious.  Left alone, she would have quietly passed on. But even though she had a DNR (do-not-resuscitate) order in her Living Will, the facility was required to call the paramedics, who revived and intubated her and took her to a hospital.  I flew to Los Angeles to join my sister who was standing vigil at the hospital.  My mom’s first words to me were:  “I love you.”  Her second words were, “I want to die.”  Under the circumstances, we understood and respected her wishes. She had lived a good life until the past few years. Now she wanted to go.  She might have died quietly without the benign interference of those doing their duty to “help.”

We asked the doctor to remove the IV (intravenous) line that was hydrating her and helping to keep her alive.  Since my mom had been begging him to do the same, it was done.  She ceased taking any food or water.  Gradually, slowly, her kidneys and other systems began to shut down.  It took two weeks, with some medication to ease her passing, before she died.

Some say that suicide is a selfish act, even a cowardly one. But I don’t feel that way about my mom’s dying. It was her right and her choice. In some cases, the suicide of a parent, a child, a sister, a brother, a friend, can inflict bring great sorrow and psychological suffering to family or friends who grieve that loss. Our actions, even though they may seem to affect only us, touch others.

(…)

Let me reiterate and make clear:  Suicide to escape troubling thoughts or emotions (including depression) is a tragic waste of life.  Like dropping out of school too early.  But there are times, for purely physical reasons, as in the case of terminal, debilitating illness or other condition — that if someone has decided, after an extended course of deliberation (rather than on impulse) decided to end their life at a time of their choosing, others should honor (or at least accept) that choice.

As I finished reading Dan’s story I had tears in my eyes. He is, has been, and will always be my teacher. At a time like this, Dan reminded me through his actions why I have always followed his teachings to the best of my ability. Not only did he deal with the situation in an admirable way, he also chose to make his pain public because he believed his story could enrich the debate about Life Choices. He chose public good over privacy. And for that I decided to write a response to the article in his blog:

Dear Dan,

thank you for the generosity you displayed by sharing such a personal story with us, your peaceful warriors in training. As I read it, tears welled up in my eyes. Perhaps it was because I had just finished reading an email from my own Mum with some reflections on old-age and the fallibility of our heroes from younger days(I have transcribed the mail at the end for your readers). Perhaps it was because I could feel the pain and serenity with which you had to go through it all. Or perhaps it was because, once again, you showed us the way to deal with painful and difficult times by exercising our choice to act as peaceful warriors at heart.

As I read your story, I was reminded of many of the Universal Laws of Spirit, and of many of the lessons you’ve been teaching us through both your books and your seminars. I was comforted to see you and your Mum exercise the Law of Choices at such difficult times. I was inspired when I saw  the law of Action in practice as you chose how to act despite deep and conflictive emotions. I was brought to tears by your mastery of the Law of Compassion in supporting and loving your Mum through her final choice. But more than anything I was in awe of the power of training: through your behaviour in these difficult times, you reminded us all of what it really means to be a Peaceful Warrior: to exercise our power of choice and act in a calm, balanced, compassionate, and decisive manner even under the most troubling or most emotional circumstances.

Thank you for being my teacher. In these last lines I want to offer you my condolences for your loss, from the bottom of my heart, and say Thank You for sharing your sadness with the world in such a public manner. Thank you for inspiring us all to live more peaceful lives. If there was anything at all I could do to support you and your loved ones through this period, you know where to reach me.

With a sad heart and inspired soul,

Diego
The crazy  Colombian

***************
OUR PARENTS
**************
(A translation of a forwarded email powerpoint presentation,originally in Spanish)

Our Mothers and Fathers were the heroes of our earlier years. But we continue feeding these stereotypes until much later in life. Then one day Dad starts mumbling, talking of things without head or tail. Mum starts having trouble finishing sentences and remembering little (and big) things). And we ask ourselves - What happened to them, our heroes?

They reached old age. Yes, our parents are now officially old. And no one, absolutely no one (especially not them!) prepared us for this event.

It is such a big surprise! One day, out of the blue, the lose their gait, show their vulnerabilities and weaknesses in all their splendour, and acquire silly traits. They are sick and they are tired, and the time has come for them to stop looking after others and start being looked after. Their day has arrived, and now it is our turn to return the Tender Loving Care with which they spoiled us all these years.

It is a long road they have walked, and their experience has given them some unique yet universal wisdom. They share with us what they know, and what they don’t know, they make up. Long-term plans are a thing of the past, and now they devote all of their time to small and exciting adventures - like hiding from us and their doctors the unhealthy pleasures they’ve been forbidden to continue.

While this age is sometime difficult for them to deal with, it is much harder for us, for they remind us we’re never truly in control of our lives.

So let’s show them their efforts were worth it. Let’s show them their love and compassion founda new home inour hearts, and let’s carry out any and all actions we can to share our love with them. Let’s do as much as we can so that when tomorrow , when they no longer are with us, we can remember them with love; remember their smiles and forget the times we caused them to cry.

At the end of the day, our heroes of yesterday will forever be our heroes. Thank you Mum for the love you showered me with every day. Thank you Dad for the guidance you always gave me. Thank you, Mum & Dad, for being my heroes, forever. Thank you.

I hope Dan’s story, my response to it, and the article I transcribed will provide you with some food for thought. If you wanted to say ‘Thank You’ to either Dan or to your parents, I encourage yo to do so below in the comments section of this article.

Want to get a head start in life? Follow this simple 2-step process:

1. Go to bed at 10 PM at the latest, no exceptions

2. Wake up at 4 AM and get started on your day

By the time most people will be getting up, you will already be half way through your day. It doesn’t matter whether you devote those early hours to exercise, meditation, goal-setting, reading, or work. Whatever you do, you are almost guaranteed to do it twice as fast as usual, as there will be no distractions. Then the half day you got ahead of everyone else will be as productive as a whole day.

Sounds crazy? Let me know what you think by clicking in the survey below (or by dropping me a comment below that).

Image: Loving mother courtesy of The crazy Colombian

A paradox of love:
The greatest mystery
of this world we live in.
How to be the best parent,
the best mother,
the best father,
the person your child deserves?

In balance lies the answer;
give all your love,
unconditionally.
Protect your child
from the evils of this world.
Uncage his spirit
and encourage him
to explore our beautiful universe
in all its glory.

Teach him the lessons he needs
to be happy,
well adjusted,
socially responsible,
safe,
successful,
at peace.

Let him make the mistakes
that will be necessary
for him to truly realise
the meaning of those lessons,
for it is only through experience –
sometimes painful,
sometimes scary,
almost always uncomfortable,
that we learn the lessons
that truly matter in this world.

Give him love;
Shower him with presents
of the heart;
Be Spartan with the presents
of this physical world;
Always be there for him,
But don’t force your presence,
your ideas,
your perspectives and
points of view
upon him.

Listen to what he has to say
and offer advice only
when he asks for it,
when he truly needs it,
or when he rightfully deserves it.

Talk with him,
not at him,
of the things he wants to
talk about.
Connect with him through words
about his world,
even if his world is too naïve,
too innocent,
too boring
or too childlike.
For it is only through his eyes
that you can truly comprehend
what your child desires,
craves,
fears,
needs help with.

Play with him,
learn about his favourite toys;
Spend quality time
with him and all his friends;
real, or imaginary,
it doesn’t really matter.
Let yourself go
in the bliss that we all have
when we play
for play’s sake;
when we don’t look at games
as competitions,
networking events,
ways to enhance
our social status,
or events to should be watched
from the comfort of your couch.
Let yourself enjoy the moment
when your child plays with you
and shows you
how to experience games
as rare
and wonderful opportunities
to share a laugh;
give some fun;
live the moment
with someone that you love;
enjoy the game
for what it truly is:
a moment of active joy,
with no responsibilities;
all fun,
no harm.

The greatest mystery
we’ll never uncover:
How to be the best parent,
that your child deserves?

The answer is quite simple,
yet impossible to act upon
every single day:
Give yourself unconditionally,
Spend all your love on him;
Set him free to learn,
and live,
and love,
discovering his passions,
finding his own heart,
his own path;
support him through this journey,
as a guide who knows some roads,
not a leader that knows them all.
Balance your needs with his,
Your wisdom with your foolishness;
And show him that you’ll always be there for him;
especially when the hardest proof
of love is demanded of you:
To let him go,
set him free,
send him on the road to
find and be himself.
For it will be
in that simple moment of surrender
that your love will flower
and help you find the peace,
the happiness,
the self-fulfillment
you’ve been seeking all your life;

It will be in that simple moment
that you will live,
for just a second
but will always be
forever in your heart,
the realisation you always
knew how to be the best parent,
the best mother,
the best father,
the person your child deserves,
Always has,
Always will.

For more poetry, visit the following links:

• Tomorrow - a poem inspired by Bradley Trevor Grieves book by the same name
• Reflections of a Peaceful Warrior - a poem inspired in a talk given by Dan Millman in Sydney (April ‘08)
• Loneliness - poetry in the Zen tradition
• Samsara - another Zen poem that explains the concept of Samsara
• Que es poesia? - a liberal translation into english of Gustavo Adolfo Becker’s famous poem
• Joy - An uplifting poem about the nature of happiness
• Unusual times - a poem reflecting on the nature of changing and unusual times
• Queda Prohibido - a poem by Pablo Neruda, with translation into English
• Play - A beautiful poem about growing up

or you can visit The crazy Colombian’s new book Zen and the art of photographic story-telling

Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present
- Albert Camus

Welcome to the last of four installments in this article series . If you’re new to it, you might want to head back to our first one and start from the beginning. The ‘Fish! Series’ explains in detail the four basic principles of the Fish! philosophy, and how adopting them can help you have a happier life. Today, we will discuss the fourth and last principle: Be Present. I hope you enjoy it.

Principle # 4 - Be present

Being present means not spending time brooding over past events or worrying over potential future events. You should instead focus your attention in the present moment. In the context of the Fish! philosophy, Being Present means devoting your undivided attention to the person in whose company you are with. In this article, I will extend this definition to paying attention to tasks, people or moments.

This means that Being Present is…

… turning off the TV when your partner asks you an important question so that you can really listen to her and engage in the conversation

… asking  “can you please wait 2 minutes while I finish this so that I can pay attention” to your colleague who just dropped in and started talking to you as you were in the middle of writing an important email

… Closing your email while you are in that boring teleconference, so that any email you write gets the attention it deserves; this way you can also fully engage in the conversation happening over the phone

… Focusing your attention in what you’re doing while washing the dishes rather than daydream so that you can make sure you don’t miss that morsel of food that is stuck under the plate

… Creating the right time, environment and ambience to engage in daydreaming and creating a vision for the life you want to have rather than doing it while you’re driving so that the quality of your dreams is high (and avoid having a car accident!)

On the other hand, being present is not…

… Always turning the TV off because someone asked you a question at home. Instead, ask them to wait for a commercial break, or check if it is truly important.

… Assuming every email you are writing is more important than the issue your colleague was asking about when you told her “Don’t hassle me - can’t you see I’m busy?” Be present instead by waiting for an  answer to your question ‘Can you wait 5 minutes while I finish this?‘  and then making an informed decision on who / what should have your attention at that moment.

… Allowing others to determine who, when, and for how long gets your undivided attention by automatically accepting every meeting invite you receive. Start making a conscious decision about which activities benefit the most from your involvement, and shape your calendar to including  more of those. When an invite is not in your ‘Yes’ list, then develop an assertive and effective way to say ‘No’.

… Saying you can’t wash the dishes - ever - because you aren’t good at concentrating while doing them. Why not take to heart the challenge of improving your focusing skills, and embark in a competition against your ‘personal best‘ instead?

… Thinking only about you and your need for ‘daydreaming time’ to the detriment of others around you. Instead, make time for each task, and choose to Be Present in the moment because (as Dan Millman has famously said) there are No Ordinary Moments.

As you can see, Being Present requires mindfulness,  respect and compassion for others, and  choosing an attitude of “I am in charge of what I give my own time and attention to“.

What does it take to Be Present?

Being present is both incredibly easy to do once, and almost impossible to do all the time. Our world is full of distractions and multitasking-enabling technologies, so our ability to Be Present is constantly under siege. Just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Here’s some ideas on how you can Be More Present:

1. Choose your attitude. Being present requires an understanding that You, and only You, are in control of where your attention is directed. Choosing the attitude of “I am in control of where I focus my attention” allows you to decide Who/What are you going to Be Present for.
2. Make a habit of choosing. Develop the habit of making a conscious choice about who/what will receive your attitude on any given moment. To encourage you to do this, try to reflect on the following question throughout your day: Who/What am I choosing to give my undivided attention to right now?
3. Practice meditation. Being present while doing things is a simple extension of the practice of mindfulness that we engage in while meditating. Practice meditation, and Being present will become easier.
4. Understand the Law of Action. As explained In Dan Millman’s book The Laws of Spirit, “Doing leads to understanding and action turns knowledge into wisdom“. It is only through your choices in every day life will you acquire the wisdom to practice develop the habit of Being Present.
5. Go for a walking meditation. As explained above, practicing meditation helps you be more mindful and enables you to more clearly see the choices you make. Why not extend the practice of meditating while resting with your eyes closed into something you do while walking? In this show from Radio National you can listen to a program that describes why and how to go for a walking meditation.

Why Being Present?

Not long ago I would try to multi-task all the time; You know the drill: Try to complete some house chores while your partner is trying to talk to you about something important, and at the same time keep an eye on the kids to make sure they’re safe. Over time I have learned that by trying to do too many things at once, I was doing neither of them particularly well. On the  other hand, giving my undivided attention to one thing at a time has led to much better outcomes. Such is the power of focus.

When you give your undivided attention to someone you send a very simple yet powerful message to that person: You matter to me. I care. I’m all yours. Do this often enough, and the quality of your relationships will skyrocket.

Giving your undivided attention to a task sends the Universe a vital message: I strive for excellence in my outcomes. When you do this, the Law of Attraction will kick into action and enable you to get better results with less effort.

Focusing your undivided attention in the moment sends your subconscious an essential message: I am worth it. In today’s world of increasing eating and mental disabilities, the development of self-confidence has become a goal in itself. But without a sense of self-worth, self-confidence simply can not be attained. By paying attention to every moment, you are reaffirming your sense of self-worth, and paving the road to a more balanced and happy life.

Develop the habit of Being Present for other people, for the tasks you carry out, and for every moment in your life, and your relationships will thrive, you will be more successful, and you will live a happier life. Does it sound a bit far-fetched? Perhaps; but I challenge you to try it for 30 days, and return to this article to share your results. Go on, take a dare and show us if you’re a mouse or a man.