A weird thing I do is scribble in books. Do you know how many people I have offended by writing all kinds of notes in books?

Many times, people looked at what I was doing to my books with complete disbelief.

I wouldn’t write in other people’s book, of course, I write notes only in mine. I write comments with pencils and markers, jot down definitions, translations and I wouldn’t hesitate to rip a couple of pages from the book if there was no copier around me. The books can be quite messy after I’m done with them. I have a lot of respect for the message of the book and a complete disrespect for material support itself.

Why do I write my ideas in books? These are some of my reasons… Books are tools for me, books are interactive when I take notes, books are conversational when I argue with their content, they feed my mind and feed my soul. When I’m done with a book, it doesn’t look too good, but it saves me a lot of time later on when I refer to the book once again.

I encourage you to become a student of life by taking notes, taking pictures or by writing a journal.

Some people told me they don’t have time to write their thoughts. I think that we have a tendency to find time for the things that we really enjoy. We just have to see the value of doing it.

One day, perhaps you’ll be happy to look back at your notes and re-discover what you were thinking 1, 5, 10 or 25 years earlier.

Will you take time to write your thoughts?

Today I am posting the lyrics of this song from Nickelback. If you take the time to read these lyrics carefully, you will realize how much wisdom they contain. The point here is not whether you like or dislike Nickelback.

The point is simply to pay attention to the lyrics. This is why I did not include a link to the song itself. I didn’t want to distract you with the music.

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If Today Was Your Last Day lyrics
Songwriters: Kroeger, Chad;

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day’s a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What’s worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts ’cause there’s no second try
So live like you’re never living twice
Don’t take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you’re dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you’d finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes
‘Cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
‘Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you’re dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you’d finally fall in love if today was your last day?

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.”

Carl Sandburg

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Our time is like a bank account; every day we each have 1440 minutes that we can withdraw and we choose to invest as we want, the difference with a financial bank account is that we cannot make a deposit, only withdrawals.

What will you do with your withdrawals today?

Many people working with me have told that they have trouble following my ideas. They are absolutely right. Sometimes, I have a hard time following my own ideas.

Why do they say that?

It is because I don’t hesitate to change my mind even if  I think or say the exact opposite the next day.

I think it is Ralph Waldo Emerson’s fault. He wrote many years ago:

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

What is the wisest thing to do?

Is it to try to defend a point that  no longer stand in the light of newly acquired information?

Or is it simply easier and faster to change your mind and change your direction?

So what if I said something yesterday and I change my mind today? Doesn’t it prove that I am more experienced and more knowledgable?

One of the most important qualities we can develop in a time of rapid change is flexibility. 

Today, perhaps the most important factor affecting our life is the speed of change. We are living in an age where change is taking place at a faster rate than ever before in human history. And if anything, the rate is increasing, year by year, if not day by day. Change today is not only faster, but it is also discontinuous, not following a straight line but starting, stopping, and moving in unpredictable directions. Change is coming at us from all sides and in so many different ways that it is often impossible to anticipate what might happen next. 

Change causes enormous stress for people who are fixed or rigid in their beliefs about how things should be. They fall in love with what they are doing  and are unwilling to change, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Don’t let this happen to you. 

To remain flexible, you must constantly be open, alert to new ideas and knowledge that can help you. One new idea can be enough to change your entire life.

Another driving change is the rapid growth and development of new technology.  Every advance in technology aimed at helping people to get things done faster, better, cheaper, or easier. And the speed of technological change is increasing every day. It’s exponential.

Be willing to admit, in each area of your life where you experience stress or resistance, that you could be wrong or that you have made a mistake.

Why?

Because it will happen to all of us at times.

What will you do to make sure you are not resisting change?

Will you be brave enough to change your mind?

Sometimes we are hesitant to start something and all we need is a good K.I.T.A. ( Kick in the ass)

Once we’ve started, we can experience a feeling of satisfaction and sometimes pride.

Satisfaction of a job well done.

Try to remember a task that you have been delaying for a long time.

Try to remember the feeling after you finally did what you knew you had to do.

You were probably thinking… Why didn’t I do this before? Why didn’t I get this out my way or out my mind?

Another benefit of a good K.I.T.A. is to move you beyond your comfort zone.

I read another good book recently. I recommend you to read it. It is a very short new book by Seth Godin.

The Title is “Poke The Box”

What I like about Seth Godin is that he delivers the same message over and over in hundreds of different ways.

You will be challenged by messages that tell you :

Start something.

Initiate something.

Take a risk.

Act now.

Will you kick yourself before life circumstances do?

Will you remain a spectator or will you become an actor?

Do you complain much?

What does it get you?

Probably not as much as you think.

Sometimes you may get attention for a short time.

Or, you may get your way sometimes. 

However, in the long run you are probably wasting your time.

You are likely getting a bad reputation and not getting much done.

Are You Whining or Doing Something About It?

I woke up one morning and I experienced this enthusiasm for life.  I had this urge to live every day of my life like it’s the last one.

This is what I wrote…at 7 A.M.   ( I read this a couple of days later and asked myself: Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like this all the time?)

There are so many places to visit, people to meet, books to read , books to write,  movies to watch, sports to practice, dances to learn , museums to visit, conversations to have, businesses to build, gardens to cultivate, pictures to draw, wine to taste, meals to cook, children to play with, jokes to laugh at, cars to drive, planes to fly, dogs to walk, great cities to discover…

My biggest challenge is to choose what I want first and foremost. My time is so limited and at the same time when I compare myself to other species, I have so much.

I look at the ravens and the squirrels in my backyard, no sooner that I put the bread and seeds for them to eat, a bunch of them come and pick some pieces. These creatures don’t waste any time and their lives are short and simple, yet very efficient.

What is the point of this comment? It is that some of us, humans, have a tendency to complicate simple things when we should just enjoy the moment.

We have so many possible activities to indulge in when we really think about it, it is overwhelming. Think of the type of teas and coffees to try, newspaper, magazines to read and web sites to discover.

It’s a world of unlimited possibilities.

Life is too short not to live to the fullest and not to do what we love to do.We have to live our passion in order to be completely happy. Maslow wrote many years ago , “What a man must be, he must be in order to be happy”.

Personally I try to constantly spend more time to work on the things that really make me happy.

I enjoy working on projects that make me enthusiastic. I spend quite a lot of time reading, writing, visiting art museums.I take my time to understand the works of art, the painter or the sculptor’s intentions. I like to exercise and to enjoy the outdoors activities to breathe some fresh air.

I really enjoy travelling and discovering new countries and new cities, new cultures and new people.

Ask yourself:

What are the limitations that are preventing you to live your dream’s life?

What do you really enjoy doing when you have free time?

How could you spend more time on what you really care about?

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P.S. Here is an interesting TED talk on the secrets of success… ( short, inspiring and humoristic)

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html

If you dread going into work today, perhaps it is because you are leaving a piece of yourself at home.

Ask yourself:

Am I taking enough risks at my job/ in life?

Am I too afraid of making mistakes at work/ in life?

Do I push myself outside of my comfort zone at work/ in life?

Am I able to re-invent myself at work/ in life?

Am I creative enough at work/ in life?

Am I getting along with my family members, my friends and co-workers?

Am I doing something good for someone for free?

Time Flies! Use your time well by avoiding meaningless busy work.

At every instant of every day, you are making a choice of how you spend your time.

You have a very limited amount of time, so your time is extremely valuable.

You can’t do everything you consider doing, or everything others demand of you.

You establish your real priorities in life by your choices of how you allocate your time.

Whenever you spend time on some mindless activity you have chosen your priorities…

But have you chosen well?

Life goes quickly and the clock is ticking.

Time is life’s most precious asset.

A human life has a potential of approximately 36525 days to live. (100 years)

Did you ever stop your daily activities to think about that?

Every night when I go to bed, when I fall asleep , I have one less  day to live.

Yes I know, It sounds obvious, but when was the last time  you really considered that? Were you ever aware of this?

This is what it looks like.

36525,36524,36523,36522 if I am a newborn.

27395,27394,27393,27393 if I am 25 years old      

18263,18262,18261,18260 if I am 50 years old      

9131,9130,9129,9128 if I am 75 years old

1826,1825,1824,1823 if I am 95 years old

365,364,363,362 if I am 99 years old

This scenario is based on a perfect life potential, in a perfect world.

Now, in reality, my life expectancy will be influenced by which part of the world I am born in. It also depends on whether I am born a male or a female.

Life expectancy may vary between 35 and 85 years old depending on which country I am born in.

For example if the life expectancy in my country of origin is 35 years old , I should expect to live 12780 days as a potential.

If the life expectancy in my country is 85 years old , I should expect to live approximatively 31046 days.

Next comes the hereditary factors on which I have very little control over, like an unexpected and unforgiving cancer and other uncontrollable circumstances such as car accidents, sport accidents, plane crashes…

Something to think about.

How long do you expect to live?       

One of the greatest difficulties to accomplish our goal is the constant disruptions from other people. The second one is our own lack of discipline when we recuperate a few minutes.

We are, indeed, many times our own worst enemy.

It is so easy to get sidetracked by email, the news or the distraction of the day, a sick child, losing the momentum after a long holiday or change of routine after travelling.

It takes a very strong desire and a strong vision to keep the focus on the important things that relate to our project. It also takes a deadline to get the job done.

When we keep our focus, we usually save a lot of time in the long run.

If you suddenly had all of your days free with no commitments or responsibilities…

What would you do?

You should start planning a “dream list” today.

Work on  this week by writing down the activities and goals you’d like to accomplish one day. Learn to swim? Start an exercise program? Write a book? Finish your basement? Then schedule an hour of time this week to work on your dream list. It might be a small, slightly indulgent non-urgent task, or a single piece of a much larger goal.

Typically your daily to-do list is packed with work and household responsibilities, leaving your personal pursuits as an afterthought. Planning small pieces of time for your dream list each week gives you a better, balanced life. And, don’t make it a major undertaking, a little progress each week will  add-up to an accomplished goal before you know it.

Remember: though the year is already one-fourth complete, there’s still tons of time to pursue your hopes and dreams. Get started this week.

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.

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
 

Helen Keller

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Helen Keller was not born blind and deaf; it was not until she was 19 months old that she contracted an illness described by doctors as “an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain”, which might have been scarlet fever or meningitis. The illness did not last for a particularly long time, but it left her deaf and blind.

For the rest of her life, she has learned many lessons even with what most of us would consider severe handicaps.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. One of the greatest things in life is to keep your mind young.”

Henry Ford

Industrialist

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Not a bad quote for a so-called uneducated man…

You’re going to die. I’m going to die.  Everyone around us is going to die.

As a culture we don’t really like to talk about death. We prefer to be obesssed with youth, beauty, vitality, wealth, productivity, appearances and technology.

I also don’t talk about death that much because it seems like such a morbid topic, a real “downer.”  

When turning 45 recently, I’ve been thinking about life and death a lot this past week.  I was on a run a few days ago and thought to myself, “I wonder what it’s like to know you’re going to die?”  Then I thought, “Wait a minute, we’re all going to die, we just don’t know when.”

As simple as this thought was, it reminded me once more about the brevity of life.  I don’t live my life all that consciously aware of my own death.  My own thoughts about death often force me to avoid thinking about it altogether.  I do catch myself worrying about dying; sometimes more often than I’d like to admit, especially with our kids being as young as they are.

Contemplating death in a conscious way doesn’t have to freak us out.  Knowing that our human experience is limited and that at some mysterious point in the future our physical body will die is a kick at the right place.

But the best part of talking and thinking about death is this one: It’s a great “wake-up call to action”. It reminds us constantly that time is short and that we must use it in the best possible way.

Did you ever try to calculate how many potential days you have left to live according to the life expectancy?  (male, female, country of origin, hereditary factors.)

Once you figure this number out, re-organize your Top 5 priorities and start working on them ASAP.

Sometimes, our adult responsabilties (kids, career, aging parents) seem to stand in the way of progress. I admit life can be very challenging at times, but somehow, there is always a bit of personal time that we can recuperate if we pay attention. If you put these minutes to good use, eventually they will turn into hours of productive time. Day by day, you will slowly get closer to your dream.

I don’t know who wrote this text, but I like it very much.

What I CAN Change

• You can’t change your entire life, you can only change your next action

• You can’t change a relationship with a loved one, you can only change your next interaction

• You can’t change your entire job, you can only change your next task

• You can’t change your body composition, you can only change your next meal

• You can’t change your fitness level, you can only start moving

• You can’t de-clutter your entire life, you can only choose to get rid of one thing right now

• You can’t eliminate your entire debt, you can only make one payment, or buy one less unnecessary item

• You can’t change the past, or control the future, you can only change what you are doing now

• You can’t change everything, you can only change one, small thing…and that’s all it takes

 What will you change today?

When it comes to relationships with yourself and with your loved ones;

Love is spelled  T-I-M-E.

Invest time with yourself and on yourself.

Invest time with the people you care the most.

Invest time on the projects that fulfill you the most.

Invest time to make a difference, to leave a legacy.

Invest time walking barefeet in the green grass.

Invest time observing people wherever you are.

Invest time enjoying the moment as often as possible.

Invest time being thankful for everything you have.

This way, you will love your life even more…

Renew this prescription every day.

Turn your weakness into a strength!

One of the most inspirational stories ever told is the story of Dumbo the Elephant. Throughout most of his young life, Dumbo was persecuted for having big ears. As a result, he hated his ears because they always brought him down. One day, however, he falls from an airplane, but then something amazing happens. Dumbo begins to flap his ears, and he can fly! The very things that had brought Dumbo down his whole life are now lifting him up.

A good book that explains how to turn your negatives to your advantage is…..

How many times in your life did someone make fun of you only to realize later on that it was actually your strength??????

How many times did someone criticize you for doing something good????

How many times did you feel guilty because of other people’s personal beliefs?

How can you learn to turn your “weakness into a strength”?

Next time you feel this way, try to remember Dumbo.

Today is my birthday and the timer on my computer is reminding me that I have only 20088.75 days to live. (55 years)

(If Life offers me the opportunity and health to live 100 years).

At the same time, I’m very thankful for the first 16436,25 days lived so far.  (45 years)

This is a good day for you and me to revisit my first post. The first post explains best “la raison d’être” of this blog.

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Why 36525 days to live !

Life goes quickly and the clock is ticking.

Time is life’s most precious asset.

A human life has a potential of approximately 36525 days to live. (100 years)

Did you ever stop your daily activities to think about that?

Every night when I go to bed, when I fall asleep , I have one less  day to live.

Yes I know, It sounds obvious, but when was the last time  you really considered that? Were you ever aware of this?

This is what it looks like.

36525,36524,36523,36522 if I am a newborn.

27395,27394,27393,27393 if I am 25 years old      

18263,18262,18261,18260 if I am 50 years old      

9131,9130,9129,9128 if I am 75 years old

1826,1825,1824,1823 if I am 95 years old

365,364,363,362 if I am 99 years old

This scenario is based on a perfect life potential, in a perfect world.

Now, in reality, my life expectancy will be influenced by which part of the world I am born in. It also depends on whether I am born a male or a female.

Life expectancy may vary between 35 and 85 years old depending on which country I am born in.

For example if the life expectancy in my country of origin is 35 years old , I should expect to live 12780 days as a potential.

If the life expectancy in my country is 85 years old , I should expect to live approximatively 31046 days.

Next comes the hereditary factors on which I have very little control over, like an unexpected and unforgiving cancer and other uncontrollable circumstances such as car accidents, sport accidents, plane crashes …

Something to think about.

How long do you expect to live?       

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Today,

Balance activity with calmness,

wealth with simplicity, 
persistence with innovation, 
community with solitude, 
familiarity with adventure, 
constancy with change.

The other night I heard Keith Jarrett stop a concert mid-note. While the hall had been surprisingly silent during the performance, the song he was playing was quiet and downbeat and we (and especially he) could hear an increasing chorus of coughs.

“Coughs?,” you might wonder… “No one coughs on purpose. Anyway, there are thousands of people in the hall, of course there are going to be coughs.”

But how come no one was coughing during the introductions or the upbeat songs or during the awkward moments when Keith stopped playing?

No, a cough is not as overt or aggressive as shouting down the performer. Nevertheless, it’s heckling.

Just like it’s heckling when someone is tweeting during a meeting you’re running, or refusing to make eye contact during a sales call. Your work is an act of co-creation, and if the other party isn’t egging you on, engaging wth you and doing their part, then it’s as if they’re actively tearing you down.

Yes, you’re a professional. So is Jarrett. A professional at Carnegie Hall has no business stopping a concert over some coughing. But in many ways, I’m glad he did. He made it clear that for him, it’s personal. It’s a useful message for all of us, a message about understanding that our responsibility goes beyond buying a ticket for the concert or warming a chair in the meeting. If we’re going to demand that our partners push to new levels, we have to go for the ride, all the way, or not at all.

Seth Godin  ( blogroll)

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So many times, in different  circumstances, I am guilty of not giving my full attention. My mind is wandering in many directions and even though I am there physically, I am elsewhere emotionnally and mentally.

Examples? Yes I’ll give you many…

One of my kids will come to me to ask me something and I will give them a quick answer and expect a quick understanding.

A colleague at work will come to ask me a question and I will give them an quick answer so I can resume what I was doing.

Keeping our smartphones ON in a meeting is very rude to others and very distracting as well. ( I have stopped doing this completely)

Giving our full attention in every conversation is essential to building and maintaining good relationships.

Another surprising thing is that we often act this way with people we care the most about.

Many times, I have fooled myself by thinking I was saving time by multi-tasking. VERY WRONG.

Giving our full attention to people we care about is a good investment of our time and the time of others.

Stephen

“As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what they can.”

Julius Caesar

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Why do we worry so much?

What do we get out of it?

What’s in it for us?

It is true that we worry more about the unseen and the unknown.

Many people who have written or spoken about worry have told the statistics story. The earliest source that we could find of the story and most probable author was Thomas S. Kepler. He wrote about a woman who realized fears were ruining her life. She began to keep track of what was worrying her and she found:

40% of the things she worried about were about things that would never happen.

30% of the things she worried about were about things that had already happened, water under the bridge.

12% of the things she worried about were about others’ opinion. When she thought about it, she realized that criticisms are often made by those that are jealous or insecure; therefore unjust criticism is a disguised compliment.

10% of the things she worried about were needless health worries, which made her health worse as she worried.

8% of the things she worried about were “legitimate,” since life has some real problems to meet.

If you consider the above as probable statistics, it would seem that only 8% of the things that you worry about are worth the worry. Next time you are worried about something, perform a check to see if the worry is in a category other then the 8% category and if it is, perhaps logic will help free you from the worry.

Will this matter a year from now?

How much time do you spend worrying?