"Life can change in an instant..."

Lessons from a plane crash

Ric Elias got a second chance. He was fortunate. He got an opportunity to re-focus, to re-evaluate what was really important to him. If you had the same "opportunity", what three things would you focus on? More importantly, what are you waiting for??

Get clear - get focused - get started

"You don`t have to find out you`re dying to start living"

How much do we all take for granted? How much do you take for granted? Why does it take something monumental, traumatic or even tragic for us to focus on our true values and begin living our lives everyday, rather than living in the fantasy of "One day I`ll...."?

 I have no answers, only questions.....

Here`s someone who could teach us all a lesson and he didn`t have the luxury of time.

                                                               What do you think?

"37, The Age When Men Are At Their Happiest?"

According to the latest research life begins at 37 for men!

"It's the age at which many have established themselves on the career
ladder and started a family.

And it seems that 37 is when most men feel happiest, too.

A survey has revealed that by the time they have reached their late 30s,
the majority of men are in a happy relationship and have formed close
circle of friends with which to socialise.

The poll found that 43% of the 1,000 questioned said becoming a father
was the happiest day of their lives, followed by getting married (35%).

Phillip Hodson, fellow of the British Association for Counseling and
Psychotherapy, said men of 37 typically benefit from health and life
experience.

He said: 'It would be logical to think that men would be happier when
they are younger, when they are fitter and healthier.
'As men get older they become more prone to illness and more feeble.

'At 37, you are young enough not to be disillusioned by life, which
comes with the midlife crisis.

'But you are also old enough to have developed self-confidence, earned
some respect and authority and to have a sense of achievement.' "

Top moments in a man's life

1. Becoming a parent (43 per cent)

2. Getting married (35 per cent)

3. Seeing his favourite sports team winning the league (18 per cent)

4. Buying a new house (17 per cent)

5. Seeing a country sports team win a significant title (14 per cent)

6. Proposing to a partner (13 per cent)

7. Graduating/finishing full time education (9 per cent)

8. Buying a new car (7 per cent)

Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2226289/Life-begins-37-Men-happiest-age-having-climbed-career-ladder-started-family.html


O.K. so that`s what the research concludes, and many people will believe it, but here`s a better, more empowering belief:-

You decide when life begins - you can have it now, however old or young you are. Some people are hanging in there waiting for life to get better, waiting for "something" to happen and then they will be happy. Supposing it doesn`t? How long have you got? 

Happiness is your birthright - claim it now. 

Life will only change when you change, and until you change nothing changes.

Why not decide to make every moment count? After all, you just don`t know how long you`ve got. 
I strongly advise watching this clip of Randy Pausch giving his last lecture (preferably the full length version)

"The 5 Regrets of the Dying" - Number 2

"I wish I didn`t work so hard"

Here is the second major regret recorded by Bronnie Ware  an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives:-

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. 

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle." 

The question we need to answer is, are we also on the "treadmill of a work existence"? The sad truth is that most people are. Many people I meet are stuck in a rut, doing a job they don`t like with people they don`t care about while all the time wishing they could be doing something else. The old saying still holds true - no one on their death bed ever says, "I wish I`d spent more time at the office."

Don`t we owe it to ourselves to step back occasionally and re-evaluate what we are doing and why we are doing it? Of course it`s not easy, nobody said it was. It`s not about doing what is easy - it`s about doing what`s important. Why not take the time out to sit down and write down your top 5 values. What are the 5 things you value the most in life? What do you stand for? What do you believe in? What would you fight for and maybe die for? 

Those are your core values and as such are fundamental to your motivation in life. We do or don`t do things based upon what is important to us. Most people have never asked themselves what drives them, what`s really important to them. The truth is, you can never truly be happy with who you are or what you do if you are not living a life in alignment with your true values. Those who bitterly regretted working so hard did so because they felt what they were doing was essentially pointless. 

Are you engaged in something that you fundamentally love, that gives you meaning and purpose in life? If not, is it worth considering what really is important to you and pursuing that regardless of what people might think? Many successful people were laughed at and criticised at the beginning.....

"Winner vs Loser" - It`s always a choice

The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.
The Winner is always has a programme;
The Loser always has an excuse.
The Winner says, “Let me do it for you;
The Loser says;" That is not my job"
The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.
The Winner says," It may be difficult but it is possible";
The Loser says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult."
When a Winner makes a mistake, he says," I was wrong";
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says," It wasn't my fault."
A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.
Winners have dreams;
Loser have schemes.
Winners say," I must do something";
Losers say, “Something must be done."
Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.
Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.
Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.
Winners believe in win/win; Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.
Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.
Winners are like a thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.
Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.
Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.
Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things;
Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.
Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: "Don't do to others what you would, not want them to do to you";
Losers follow the philosophy, "Do it to others before they do it to you."
Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

Source unknown

Quote of the day


"Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them."


                                             Laughter is the best medicine!