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I saw these 3 words in a magazine advertisement and it got me thinking how these 3 dimensions can apply to our lives. Here’s how I look at it…

Latitude is about how broad your character is through the varied experiences that you have had in your lifetime.

Longitude is about your depth of character. The challenges you have faced and conquered in your past that have made you the person you are today.

Attitude is about your strength of character. When faced with a challenge or opportunity today, it won’t be your knowledge or skill you need most, it will be your strength of character, to take the next step.

We all need to be multi-dimensional in today’s world. Everything that has happened to you and everything going on in your life right now is adding to these 3. Enjoy the Journey!

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There is a great quote … Ships were built to leave the safety of the Harbour. You and I were built to live a life that has challenges. These challenges are never convenient.

Understand this when you put yourself out there, as you start to pursue your goals, as you state to the world that you want to be better, do better and achieve better. You are going to encounter challenges, situations that will not always go your way and some people who don’t want you to be excellent, for it may show them up.

Remember, that is OK, as it is all part of your journey, your adventure and your learning.

Excellence has no demarcation line.

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Just before going back to school my girls made the comment that they wish they had another week off. How many people do you meet who are wishing their life away, focusing on the impossible?

I have been guilty if it, I wish I was fitter, I wish I had another week to prepare for this program, I wish I knew what I know now back then, I wish I had taken more time to research that company, I wish it was Friday already, I wish I had listened to intuition, I wish … I wish … I wish.

Wishing doesn’t get the job done. Instead of wishing, each of us need to enjoy the moment, find the gift it is giving us and move on with it.

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You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied, is to do what you believe is great work; and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If every customer you served, every project you worked on, every assignment you completed and every person you worked with, could experience that love, what impact would it have?

What difference could you make to those people you connected with and more importantly what difference would it make in your life? What if this week, just for one day you followed your heart, what could you achieve? Doing great work, delivering excellence and making a difference is the way to be memorable in the hearts and minds of those people that count in your life.

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I am a great believer in putting yourself in inspiring environments and over the years a great man that has inspired me to be better, do more with my potential and achieve better results, is Paul Dunn.

He is speaking at a number of locations around Australia and if you have the chance, his presentations are something not to miss.

People rightly regard Paul as a legend. This new program [it’s appropriately called: INSPIRE!] changes businesses and changes lives. I can tell you that absolutely.
So I’m suggesting to you in the strongest way I know how, to register now. You can check it out (and register) right here:

20 February, Perth: http://bit.ly/INSPIREPK

21 February, Melbourne: http://bit.ly/INSPIREMK

22 February, Sydney: http://bit.ly/INSPIRESK

23 February, Gold Coast: http://bit.ly/INSPIREGK

24 February, Newcastle: http://bit.ly/INSPIRENK

For the past 17 years I have been looking inside businesses and talking with people about their challenges, whether they be internal or external to their markets and the one thing that comes up time and time again is: issues around communication. As you know we have more communication tools than even before … Emails; BLOG’s (thanks for reading this one), Twitter, YouTube, SMS, Mobile Phones and the Web. So why is this still an issue?

Simple: it has never been about communication, it is about connections. When you connect with someone they will listen to your message, hear your message and act upon your message, because they have connected with you. Not because they have to listen to you but because they want to listen to you.

If you truly want people to understand what you want to achieve and who you really are, stop telling them and start connecting with them heart to heart.

As you and I know, not everything goes to plan and it is so easy to fall into blaming others or a set of circumstances. Sure it can make you feel better, however it does not change anything.

Perhaps the better way to approach it is to ask yourself… What is the gift in what is happening to me? It could be a learning experience, an opportunity that is disguised as a challenge or a chance meeting that may never have happened.

When you take your mind off the challenge and look for the gift you will be surprised how fortunate you are.

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In 1997 at a WWDC, Steve Jobs gave a great quote …

Focus, is about saying NO.

In your life, what do you need to be saying no to? In the role that you are doing, what do you need to be saying no to?
He was not advocating being difficult, but simply to look at what is not serving you well and to stop doing it.

Too often we each put up with “OK”, “it’s not that bad” and “it will get better soon”, rather than stopping it now. We put up with feeling a bit uncomfortable over a long period of time that does not serve us well, instead of facing the uncomfortable or difficult head on now and getting it over and done with.

What do you need to say NO to in your life, business or career role?

One of the BLOGs I read is from Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi – http://krconnect.blogspot.com In his recent post he mentioned a book written by Bronnie Ware, an Australian singer songwriter who worked for many years in palliative care. She has now written a book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all. Most people had not honored even half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard. This came from every male patient that she nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partners’ companionship. They deeply regretted spending so much of their lives working.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to themselves, that they were content.

If you passed away in a week’s time, what would you regret the most that you did not do this week? I don’t think you would have been focused on finishing that report at work, however it would have been telling someone that you loved them, saying I’m sorry to someone close to you or completing something that was important to you.

How often do you play the “As Soon As” Game – as soon as this customer makes a decision, as soon as the kids go to school full time, as soon as I get this deal across the line, as soon as I get this promotion or as soon as this person is the boss – things will be better.

Socrates said it best, “He who is not contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

You need to find the gift in the situation for right now. You need to find the positive outcome and you need to find the joy now! That is not to say you that you don’t want to do better, be better and have better results. I see too many people wish their life away, rather than enjoying the moment.

Not everything will go to plan, but you will have more positive memorable moments when you find the joy in the moment.