“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push.

A smile.

A world of optimism and hope.

A “you can do it” when things are tough.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

It is better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than to be a pessimist who is always right.     

The nature of life is constant change.

The world is not the same today as it was yesterday, and it will be different still tomorrow.

We can be victims of that change, or we can drive change.

Benjamin Franklin used to say:  Drive your business or your business will drive thee.

Think about it, he wrote this thought almost 200 years ago.

_________________________________________________________________________

The steps towards reaching your goal and overcome your resistance to change.

Visualize the end result.

Plan.

Take action.

Obstacles will appear.

Persevere.

Receive feedback.

Adapt your plan.

Take action again.

More obstacles will appear.

Persevere.

Celebrate victory. Reward yourself.

Don’t be afraid of change!

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose.

Lyndon B. Johnson

________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________

It’s up to you!

One of the things that stands between us and our quality of life, is the underlying fear of death. From the moment we don’t fear death anymore, we don’t fear life either. When we get rid of the fear of dying, we get rid of a lot of others fears with it.

The moment that we become almost fearless, we can enjoy life to its fullest because of our willingness to take risks.

Isn’t it ironic that people who are ready to take on more risk are often the ones who are reaping the rewards? And even when they don’t get the big prize, they are having fun enjoying what they love the most, and that in itself is the reward; the satisfaction of a job well done.

My hope is that some young people understand this concept as early as possible. So much time and frustration could be avoided.

Yes but what if I fail? Try again.

And what if I fail again? Try again , and again, and again.

And what if my friends laugh at me? Ask yourself ; what risk are my so-called friends taking?

Did you take the time to identify YOUR fears of failure?

“Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift”

Mary Manin Morrissey

____________________________________________________________________________________________

It seems to me that Natasha Richardson had almost everything going for herself. She seemed to be happily married to Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson. She had two sons. She came from a famous British family of actors and actresses. I assume that she was financially wealthy. She left this world unexpectedly at the age of 45 (16747 days).

On 16 March 2009,  Natasha Richardson sustained a head injury when she fell while taking a skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant Resortin Quebec, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) from Montreal. The injury was followed by a lucid interval, when Richardson seemed to be fine and was able to talk and act normally. Paramedics and an ambulance which initially responded to the accident were told they were not needed and left. Refusing medical attention, she returned to her hotel room and about three hours later was taken to a local hospital in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts after complaining of a headache. She was transferred from there by ambulance to Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur,Montreal, in critical condition and was admitted about seven hours after the fall. The following day she was flown to Lenox Hill Hospitalin New York City, where she died on 18 March. An autopsy conducted by the New York City Medical Examiners Office on 19 March revealed the cause of death was an “epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head”, and her death was ruled an accident.

Source Wikipedia, January 14, 2011

____________________________________________________________________________________________

It reminds me of an incident that happened to me on October 1 st 2005. I was coaching at the hockey school. I wasn’t wearing my helmet that morning… I fell on the ice and hit my head really hard. My wife was sitting on the bench and heard the sound of my head hitting the ice. (do you remember how noisy it is at the arena?) I didn’t hear a thing but I sure felt it. I was completely dizzy. It took me a good 30 minutes to start feeling normal again. When I read Natasha’s story, it makes me realize that what happened to her could have happened to me.  I am so thankful that my life was spared that day.

This is another reason why I try to live each day like it’s the last.

Does this make you realize how fragile your life really is?

If your answer is YES…

Start living now!

“Making a decision usually means taking one of two roads.

One is doing the right thing.

To take the other road, you have to sit back and spin a story around the decision or action you are taking.

If you find yourself thinking up an elaborate justification for what you are doing, you are not doing the right thing.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Wayne Sales

 former Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes it takes less time to do the right thing than to create the story.

And you won’t feel guilty about not doing what you knew you should have done.

“ I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy. ”

Marie Curie (1867–1934)
Polish-born French physicist and chemist
two-time Nobel Prize winner

____________________________________________________________________________________

I admit that I’m very impatient. But this attitude goes against the laws of nature.

When you plant vegetables, you have to be patient to witness the results.

When you learn a new skill or a new language, you will need perseverence.

When you invest in a financial vehicle, the return on your investment will take time.

When you start exercising after a long period of rest, you will not look like Vin Diesel in two weeks.

There will be obstacles. There will be frustrations.

It’s part of the process in your journey towards self-improvement.

You need a long term vision to overcome all the challenges that will stand on your way.

It takes many years to make an overnight success.

“The future will depend on what we do in the present”

Mahatma Gandhi

(1869-1948)

______________________________________________________________________________________________

We all know this, it is so simple to understand when we read it. However, the challenge is not only to read it and understand it, the real challenge is to practice what we understand so well.

Yes, practice it day in day out, especially when you have distractions, a bad day or a good day.

Whatever is your dream, your project, your goal, pursue it relentlessly without wasting time.

You need a burning desire to keep you absorbed and focused, even when you have so many responsibilities and distractions.

When we face a challenge, we should try to focus on the future instead of the past. Instead of worrying about who did what and who is to blame, we should focus on where we want to be and what we want.

It is important to know exactly what we want and we must act on what we want. Action is what will transform our circumstances towards a more desirable future.

Let’s use our past experiences to guide us; while being appreciative of our present conditions, let’s dream of an outstanding future for ourselves, our family and friends and the rest of humanity.

“Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.”

Anne Frank

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most of us know exactly what has to be done and when, but sometimes we just don’t do it.  Why?

I have some important papers that I know I should put away, and I know I should have put them away many months ago. Why?

I’m the only one who knows about it, I procrastinate and I’m being lazy with this task. Why?

Because I prefer to do more exciting things…

Today, I’ll put the papers away.

I know I should have done it a long time ago and I know I’ll feel better after it’s done. It will give me satisfaction.

This is an example that is not very important, but my question to you is the following;

How many things or tasks in your life are left undone or unfinished because of plain laziness?

If there are too many, what will you do about it?

Just for today…

Don’t hurry.

Don’t worry.

We are only here for a short visit.

So don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

I’m astonished how so many people in so many fields of activity and from different backgrounds are wasting so much time. Think of all the kids who are wasting too much time on video games instead of learning practical and useful skills.

Think of all the adults who are wasting too much time watching television or surfing aimlessly on the Web.

Think of all the people of all ages wasting time on the phone or chatting on the net. What a waste of resources.

Of course, we need to relax once in a while and it is good sometimes to do some mindless activities.

But how much is too much?

Laugh as often you can.

__

_________________________________________________________________

Apologize when you should.

______________________________________________________________________

And let go of what you can’t change.

___________________________________________________________________

Click on this image to enlarge.

One man who I recently saw, age 94, responded to my question, “So how are you doing?” with the following: “I have some aches and pains, you know, but at my age, everyday is a bonus.”

What a great attitude!

This is an attitude that I rarely witness with a lot of younger people.

This man of Polish descent is a first generation immigrant.

He had to face many challenges during his lifetime.

Yet, he’s still going strong.

I have seen him exercising regularly for the last 25 years.

Even if he has been retired from his regular job for many decades, he chose to be more physically active than many people half his age.

We don’t have to wait until we reach age 94 to appreciate the fact that every day is a bonus.

Why?

Because every day IS A BONUS… even for a toddler.

Do you remember how much time and energy you have wasted in pursuing your former desires?

The same thing could happen now with the desires that excite you currently.

Try to tame your present desires, calm them, you will save so much time.

When we become obsessed with our desires, it is good to ask ourselves: WHY? WHY? WHY?

Write down your thoughts on a piece of paper.Try to figure out why you want what you want sooooo much.

It is a good investment of our time to question ourselves about the most recent craving because  the consequence of our choices could put us in debt for 5, 10, 20 or 30 years,

The buying impulse lasts for a moment. The monthly payments will last for months or years to come.

Wouldn’t it makes sense to ensure we want to commit to this investment or to these expenses.

And if the specific desire doesn’t cost money, try to evaluate how much of your personal  time it takes.

 Try to remember also that expectation is better than realization. 

The plot:

A romantic comedy about an American family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple. Gil and his fiancée, Inez, are in Paris, having a vacation with family and by chance with friends. Gil is a successful but dissatisfied Hollywood screenwriter, now working on his first novel. Inez and the others are very demeaning both to Gil and the idea of him writing a novel.

While alone walking at night, Gil gets in a car with some friendly strangers. Gil soon discovers he has been transported to the 1920s, an era he admires and idolizes in his to-be-novel. While there, he encounters and interacts with famous literary icons and artists who help him with his novel and his life.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________And

And here is the lesson to remember from this movie…

In the end he discovers that longing for a “golden past” is a recurring theme of any time period, as some prefer to be nostalgic about a romanticized past rather than accepting the messy present and uncertain future.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When we read about the lives of the great achievers of the past, we are often impressed with their accomplishments. What we fail to realize is that many of them had their own struggles and daily frustrations to deal with.

Just like us!

The grass always seems to be greener elsewhere.

But is it really?

The challenge at any given time (or era) is to use the resources that are available to us in the best possible way.

And before you start making excuses, try to rembember this quote from Jackson Brown, the writer,

If ever you have doubts about what to do, just imagine that today is your last day on this planet and then all your doubts will disappear, and you will see clearly which way to take or which choice to make.

Scarcity leads you to clarity.

The challenge is to eliminate all the non-essentials before Life forces you to do it.

Will you?

If I died today
Who’d turn off my coffee pot?
Would there be a street parade?
Would I just be an after-thought?

If I died today
Would I still be a waiter?
Could I fly around like superman?
Would I make the Sunday paper?

I wonder who I’d see
Cryin’ standin’ over me
Who would just send their regards?
Would anybody say “at least he’s in a better place?”
And who would get this old guitar?

If I died today
Would my mama keep on prayin’?
Would my buddies go out drinkin?
Would my alarm clock keep on blinkin’?

If I died today
Would I need to be ashamed?
Would I be easy to forget?
Could I live with my regrets?

I wonder who I’d see
Cryin’ standin’ over me
Who would just send their regards?
Would anybody say “the world will never be the same?”
And who would get this old guitar?

If I died today
Could I see my room from Heaven?
Would my family talk about me
At Christmas and Thanksgivin’?

I wonder who I’d see
Cryin’ standin’ over me
Who would just send their regards?
Would anybody say “what a good guy, what a shame?”
And who would get this old guitar?

If I died today
Who’d turn off my coffee pot?

Have patience with all things, with everyone, but mostly have patience with yourself.

Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections because it takes time to make a permanent change.

Rome wasn’t built in a day… and they had more resources than you do personally.

Today is a good day to pause, to reflect and to praise yourself for what you have accomplished so far.

Every day is a new day for each one of us. 

There is a fountain of youth:

it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love.

When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Sophia Loren

Italian actress

“ Today is a new day. You will get out of it just what you put into it… ”

_____________________________________________________________________

Mary Pickford (1892–1979)

Canadian actress, Academy Award® winner

For every minute you remain angry,
you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.

___________________________________________________________

Ralph Waldo Emerson

___________________________________________________________

We are disappointed when we lose money or when we don’t receive the salary increase we were expecting.

But how do we react when we lose a good idea which has come to us while reading, listening to someone or while travelling?

An idea that could have improved our life, or better, that could have  improved the world.

If you lost the thought, you already forgot about it, didn’t you?

What if this one good idea was more precious than millions of dollars?

Just like Oscar Wilde used to say:  We know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

We should always take the time to write down our ideas in a notebook, or in our PDA.

We can never know when these notes could be useful to us.

I encourage you to start collecting your thoughts in a place where you can read them later.

You will be amazed that you are the one who wrote this idea or how your own thinking has evolved over time.

Every one of us can produce good ideas. Write them down and avoid losing them forever.

Will you?

Those who believe they have plenty of time get ready only at the time of death. 

Then they are ravaged with regret. 

But isn’t it far too late? 

Buddhist Master Padmasambhava

______________________________________________________________________________________________

It’s tragic that so many people don’t really appreciate life until they’re at the point of dying.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to face death at a young age, not once, but twice.  The first time was with a ski-doo accident at age 7, and the second time was a car accident at age 19. The second one was a real awakening for me, my first wake-up call. This is when I started to question and seek a meaning for life. I started to become aware of my own mortality.

I think for most people, how you face life has a lot to do with how you face death.

So what about you?

How do you view death?

Do you use life to prepare for death?

Or

What about using  the prospect of death to live a more satisfying and fulfilling life?  

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Every day, I witness too many people who are complaining. (myself included)

If only we would realize how short life really is, we would stop complaining and stop wasting precious time.

Since our time is so limited, doesn’t it make sense to figure out what we really enjoy and try to spend as much time as possible doing what we like?

We all have responsibilities, but we also have spare time, and it is in that spare time that we can improve our quality of life.

One of the ways I found to minimize my own complaining is to count my blessings every day. When I focus my attention on what goes well in my life, I notice that there is much more good than bad. If you have time today, take a piece of paper, make two columns, one for the good stuff and the other for the bad things.

Chances are that you will write much more on the side of “good stuff”.

Good health, good friends, healthy family members, good food everyday, living in a safe country, able to give money to charity, easy credit to buy the dream house, the big screen TV or the new car.

And the bad things…

Since I  have started doing this exercise many years ago, it has helped me realize that there is more good than bad for most of us, most of the time…if we choose to look at things this way.

It is an exercise that has to be repeated every day when possible, or as often as possible. When we neglect counting our blessings, there is a chance that people around us will notice it in our attitude. I could compare it to taking a shower, if we skip it for too long, someone somewhere will notice…

Do you find yourself complaining too much?

Don’t you think it’s a waste of time and energy?

Will you try to write down a list of the good things in your life?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

In other words, we should try to be fully aware of each moment, to do one thing at the time with people, to be active and productive and to simply be ourselves.

Happiness is often the result of being too busy to be miserable.

 Anonymous

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nature does not hurry,
yet everything is accomplished.

 Lao Tzu

____________________________________________________________________

This time, like all times, is a very good one,
if we but know what to do with it.

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

_____________________________________________________________________

Week ends are the right time to catch up things that you really care about.

Don’t miss the opportunity.

Monday will be knocking on your door very soon.