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LTI Profile: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

Live To Inspire — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:51:19 +0000

“My left brain is doing the best job it can with the information it has to work with. I need to remember, however, that there are enormous gaps between what I know and what I think I know.”
~ Jill Bolte Taylor

Who here has heard of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor? I hadn’t heard of her until this year when she was profiled in Success Magazine, but since then I have sought out videos of her talks on both TED.com and Oprah’s Soul Series. If you haven’t heard of Dr. Taylor, or even if you have, I encourage you to keep reading. In May of 2008, TIME Magazine chose Dr. Taylor as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Her story has been featured in Success Magazine, she appeared as a guest on Oprah’s Soul Series in early 2010, and gave a keynote presentation at TED2008. Her story is intriguing and inspiring, which is why I share it with you today.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist. What is that you ask? Since I had to look it up myself, here is the definition – in short, neuroanatomy is a branch of neuroscience which deals with the study of the structure of the brain and the nervous system. In 1996, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor became a neuroanatomist with first-hand knowledge of how the brain really works when one morning she woke up to discover that she was experiencing a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain. Now, I would imagine most people, if they were to experience something like this, would freak out a little bit and call for help. However, being a brain expert allowed Dr. Taylor to observe what was happening within her body from an objective point of view, and because of this has been able to go on to share her fascinating story through interviews and her book “My Stroke of Insight“.

Two and a half weeks after the incident, Dr. Taylor underwent major brain surgery to remove a golf ball size blood clot that was placing pressure on the language centers in the left hemisphere of her brain. It took eight years for Dr. Taylor to successfully rebuild her brain. Since that time she has gone on to become a successful author, speaker, and overall brain and life activist.

I share with you now Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s presentation from TED2008. May it be the beginning, or perhaps the continuation, of your relationship with this fascinating and inspiring woman. Click here if you cannot see the video below.

Did you enjoy this video? Want to learn more about this amazing woman and her experience? Read “My Stroke of Insight” by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor or visit her website today.

“When we are being compassionate, we consider another’s circumstance with love rather than judgement… To be compassionate is to move into the right here, right now with an open heart consciousness and a willingness to be supportive.”
~ Jill Bolte Taylor

Susan Boyle Dreamed A Dream

Live To Inspire — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:25:07 +0000

Call it coincidence that I was catching up on ‘Glee’ this weekend and witnessed yet another moving rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables. I call this coincidence because days before I had started working on this blog post on Susan Boyle. Who is Susan Boyle, you say? Susan Boyle is the middle-aged woman who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2008, and despite being mocked and judged by her physical appearance, went on to perform one of the most captivating television performances of all time. The song she sang – “I Dreamed A Dream”. Now, I’m not one to watch a show like Britain’s Got Talent. Seeing as I live in Canada I’m not even sure I would have been given the opportunity. However, the buzz on this performance has refused to go away and a few months ago I broke down and looked up Susan Boyle on YouTube. Seven minutes later I knew I had to share this inspiring story, and share the inspiring video of her performance.

“I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It’s not a beauty contest.” ~ Susan Boyle

Susan grew up singing at her local church, and after winning several local singing competitions was convinced to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. The funny thing is that in the days leading up to her audition, Susan wanted to withdraw from the competition because she felt too old. Luckily, at the tender age of 47, Susan pushed past her doubts and took to the Britain’s Got Talent stage, proclaiming that her dream was “to become as successful as Elaine Paige”. As you will see in the video, no one could expect what was about to happen, and Susan Boyle’s rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” (ironically, a song about a broken dream and loss of hope) went on to be proclaimed by one of the judges as the “biggest wake-up call ever”.

“Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. [...] There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.” ~ Susan Boyle

Since her performance on Britain’s Got Talent in 2008, Susan has gone on to release her own album entitled “I Dreamed A Dream”. It topped the Billboard chart for six straight weeks and narrowly missed becoming the best-selling album of 2009. On December 13, 2009 Susan appeared in her own television special “I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story”, featuring a duet with Elaine Paige.

Why do I share this story with you today? First of all, it’s hard not to feel inspired after watching the video of her 2008 BGT performance. Second of all, I feel this is a great story of overcoming criticism, judgment, and self-doubt to see the realization of a dream. Susan Boyle dreamed a dream, and because of this has provided inspiration to millions.

Watch the Video:

Susan Boyle – Singer – Britains Got Talent 2009

“How to Succeed in Anything By Really Trying”

Live To Inspire — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:55:05 +0000

Do you ever wonder what you can really do to make things happen for yourself? According to one of the many good points in the book “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis (copyright 2008), “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body…It’s not knowledge that’s power; it’s the application of knowledge that provides the power, which contributes to success.” Knowledge and study are the keys to expanding your mind and skills, which then opens the door to many personal and professional opportunities. Let me now share with you five key areas where Lyman MacInnis offers up advice on how to develop important skills that will benefit you for life in his book “How to Success in Anything by Really Trying”.

Learn how to Listen – Too often we approach conversations as a competition. We want to make sure that our opinion is heard, but unfortunately this comes at the expense of really listening to the other person or people taking part in the conversation. One way that we can work on being genuine and present in a conversation is to listen for intent and understanding. When someone is talking, listen to what they are saying. Don’t just be waiting until a break in the action so that you can add your two cents. Also, keep eye contact and don’t interrupt. These two bad habits will get you on the fast track to hurt feelings or a reputation that you don’t really care. Another way to listen is not with your ears, but with your eyes. Observe body language and facial expressions. If you’re paying attention, you will be able to empathize with how that person feels and really be able to be there for them. Working on becoming a good listener will build relationships and show others that you can be trusted.

Develop Communication Skills – Not only is listening important, but so is the ability to write, converse, and speak in public. Writing skills are important for getting your point across in a clear and concise manner, especially in the workplace. Be human, be specific, be positive. With hundreds of emails coming at people every day, becoming an effective writer will set your emails apart. Other skills to work on are being able to hold a conversation with just a few people or to speak in front of a larger audience. The experts say that learning to speak in front of large groups is one of the best ways to boost your confidence in all situations. Just remember these key ideas when speaking in public – be excited, know your topic, rehearse, and keep it simple. If you need practice with this, seek out the closest Toastmasters Club in your area.

Be Great in Social Situations – Do we see a trend yet? Learning how to talk to people is important. It’s a great way to learn new things, it’s a great way to get to know new people, and it’s a great way to make the most of your professional network. One key to improving your conversation skills is to learn to ask questions and listen. When drawing a blank, draw on the five W’s – Who, What, When, Where, Why. People love to talk about themselves. Especially to someone who is actively listening and taking a genuine interest in what they are saying. Another thing to remember in conversation is to let other people contribute, even if you know the answer or have an opinion. Say less than you know and let others speak. Add value where you can, but make sure you’re not dominating the conversation.

Learn how to Make Decisions – This one is tough. When your brain is overloaded with information, how do you make the best decision? According to Mr. MacInnis, the best thing to do is to gather information and don’t rush your decision. If you need to make a rushed decision, always say no. It’s easier to overturn a “no” than it is to overturn a “yes”. Also, use neutral emotions. Don’t make a decision when you are angry, humiliated, or even enthusiastic about something. In the end, don’t over-complicate and don’t fear error. We learn the most from the mistakes we make, so if you made the wrong decision just make sure to learn from it and move on. The next time you will have that additional knowledge to make a better decision.

Evolve – In order to survive and in order to succeed, we need to evolve. The times are a’changin’ and we need to change with them. It’s the survival of the most adaptable. Don’t be resistant to change. Go with it and see where it takes you. Usually where you end up is a lot better than where you would have been if you would have refused to change and evolve.

So, would I recommend reading “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis? I definitely would. His points are well laid out, and if you’re tight on time, he summarizes every chapter at the end with his key ideas. If you are one of those people who are always looking to improve, Mr. MacInnis touches on a lot of different areas that are applicable to our every day lives. After all, refusing to expand our knowledge and change puts a limit on what we can achieve. “Putting a limit on what you will do inevitably puts a limit on what you can do, so never put limits on trying new things or on doing old things in new ways.”

Read the book and let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting.

6 Ways to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours (2)

6 Ways to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours

Live To Inspire — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:41:11 +0000

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” ~ William Penn

Everyone is given 24 hours in a day. Usually eight of those hours are for sleep, eight are for work, and eight are for you time (or family time). Just like your bank accounts, learning to budget your time is key to reducing stress and achieving your goals. It’s not about time management, it’s about self-management. You have a choice for how you spend your time. The key is finding what works best for you when it comes to planning out your days.

“Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it.” ~ Author Unknown

If you’re looking for some tips on how to plan your days, I have six great ones listed below for making the most of the hours given to you:

1) Time is wasted in minutes, not hours. Make the most of all the time you have, even if it’s just a minute here and there.

2) You can’t do everything, but you can do something. Make sure you keep clear in your mind what is important / not important and urgent / not urgent. Tasks that seem to be urgent, may not necessarily be important. “First Things First” by Stephen Covey dives into this theory, and shows you how you can categorize your important and / or urgent tasks.

3) Make a To-Do list – Plan & Prioritize. Another one of Stephen Covey’s key ideas is all about prioritizing your to-do list, but first you need to plan it out. This means making a list somewhere. Whether it be in your daily planning journal, your blackberry, your Google Calendar, or in a fun web app like TeuxDeux.com, write it down! Put all your tasks in front of you, then go to work on prioritizing what you need to tackle each day.

4) Be Realistic. I know each of us think we are super human and can get ten sizable tasks done each day, but guess what, sometimes that just isn’t possible. Sometimes we have tasks that will take up a big chunk of our day. Or sometimes we get distracted by more urgent tasks that come up out of the blue. When you are planning your day be realistic. Otherwise you will just end up frustrated at the end of it when you are looking at your ten tasks and only three have been completed.

5) Make a decision – Get it Done, Delegate, or Ditch. In other words, don’t procrastinate. When a task comes to you, decide which one of these three things you are going to do with it and make it happen. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in “I’ll look at that tomorrow”.

6) Complete one task each day that you don’t want to do, and tackle it in the morning. We all have those tasks that we know we need to do, but for whatever reason we just don’t want to do them. Maybe it’s making a dentist appointment, or maybe it’s calling that difficult customer. Whatever it is, make a goal to get it done early in the day. That way you can carry on with the rest of your day doing the things you don’t dread.

“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” ~ Lee Iacocca

Keeping these six steps in mind, try to budget a few hours each week to working on your goals. Even if it’s just a couple hours a week, that’s better than nothing. In addition to this, sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do. If you are always on the go, make sure you give yourself time to relax, meditate, or kick back and read a book. Those moments will give you more energy than you’d expect to refocus and take on the other tasks of the day.

Please share your time-management / self-management comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” ~ Lord Chesterfield

What is The Strangest Secret?

Live To Inspire — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 03:26:37 +0000

“The Strangest Secret” is a recorded essay by Earl Nightingale, which was first shared in 1956. It has sold over a million copies and is the only gold record ever achieved for the spoken word. It’s message is simple – you become what you think about. Below I have broken out the four key ideas from this essay. All credit for the following goes to Mr. Earl Nightingale and his essay “The Strangest Secret.”

The Definition of Success

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. A success is the school teacher who is teaching because that’s what he or she wants to do. A success is the entrepreneur who start his own company because that was his dream — that’s what he wanted to do. A success is anyone who is realizing a worthy predetermined ideal, because that’s what he or she decided to do … deliberately.

“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice… it is conformity.” ~ Rollo May

Goals

Have you ever noticed that a person who becomes successful tends to continue to become more successful? And, on the other hand, have you noticed how someone who’s a failure tends to continue to fail? The difference is goals. People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going. It’s that simple. Failures, on the other hand, believe that their lives are shaped by circumstances … by things that happen to them … by exterior forces.

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

We Become What We Think About

A person who is thinking about a concrete and worthwhile goal is going to reach it, because that’s what he’s thinking about. Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn’t know where he’s going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety, fear, and worry will thereby create a life of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing … he becomes nothing.

“A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” ~ Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor

As Ye Sow— So Shall Ye Reap

Our mind can do any kind of job we assign to it, but generally speaking, we use it for little jobs instead of big ones. So decide now. What is it you want? Plant your goal in your mind. It’s the most important decision you’ll ever make in your entire life.

The 30-Day Test:

1. Write on a card what it is you want more that anything else. Make sure it’s a single goal and clearly defined. You needn’t show it to anyone, but carry it with you so that you can look at it several times a day. Think about it in a cheerful, relaxed, positive way each morning when you get up, and immediately you have something to work for — something to get out of bed for, something to live for.

2. Stop thinking about what it is you fear. Each time a fearful or negative thought comes into your mind, replace it with a mental picture of your positive and worthwhile goal. And there will come a time when you’ll feel like giving up. It’s easier for a human being to think negatively than positively. “Act as though it were impossible to fail.” ~ Dorothea Brande

3. Your success will always be measured by the quality and quantity of service you render. We’ve got to be of service first before we can expect money. Don’t concern yourself with the money. Be of service … build … work … dream … create! Do this and you’ll find there is no limit to the prosperity and abundance that will come to you.

Take this 30-day test, then repeat it … then repeat it again. Each time it will become more a part of you until you’ll wonder how you could have ever have lived any other way.

Want to learn more about “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale? Here are some links that will be of use:

Google Video
Online Article

What do you think about “The Strangest Secret”? Do you think it’s something you can put to use in your life?

Will Smith: Representing What Is Possible

Live To Inspire — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:24:26 +0000

Thanks to a very loyal fan of this blog, I was recently given the link to a great Will Smith video montage on YouTube. The name of it is Will’s Wisdom (check it out here), and I found this video to have many great thoughts on life. Viewing this video actually lead me to explore YouTube a little more to find other videos of Will sharing his wisdom and insight. The video provided below is just one of his many available interviews, but I wanted to share this one with you because of the following 5 ideas. Take a look at the list, then watch the video. What’s one key point that Will makes that stands out for you?

Represent the possibilities. Will doesn’t want to be an icon, he wants to be an idea. He wants to leave an impact on people by representing what is possible. In your life, how do you represent to others what is possible?
Make a choice, don’t leave your life to be an effect of someone else’s decision. We are who we choose to be.
Create for yourself what you want. Make a decision to create something, then study and learn it until you can create it. What’s one thing you would like to create? Now what is the first step in making that happen?
Do not be outworked. You have to be willing to hustle the most. When you choose to outwork everyone else around you, you will be the last person standing. What extra step can you take to be better?
If you stay ready you don’t have to get ready. Learn to better yourself continuously in all areas of your life – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Which of these areas can you improve on and what’s one step you can take to do it?

Will Smith segment on Travis Smiley

What did you think? Did you find one key point from this video that made you think about something you can change or make better in your life? Please share in the comments section below, and thanks for visiting.

Turn Your Life into Gold: 5 Lessons from ‘The Alchemist’ (0)

Turn Your Life into Gold: 5 Lessons from ‘The Alchemist’

Live To Inspire — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:05:57 +0000

‘The Alchemist’, by Paulo Coelho, was first published in 1988. It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, and has been translated into 67 different languages. It is one of the bestselling books of all time, and also my favourite book of all time. It is a journey of exploration and self-discovery, as we follow the main character Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his personal legend and find his treasure at the Pyramids in Egypt.

Alchemy was an early, unscientific form of chemistry that sought to change base metals into gold. The novel ‘The Alchemist’ shows us how to change our lives from what they may be today into the life we have always dreamed of. ‘The Alchemist’ is full of wisdom and gentle reminders that anything is possible when we believe in ourselves.

Below I break down 5 lessons that we all can learn from ‘The Alchemist’ (note: all quotes in this post are from ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho):

1. The fear of failure is the greatest obstacle to happiness

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

What would you attempt in your life if you knew you could not fail? So often we hide behind excuses of not being able to do this or that, but the real story (most of the time) is that we’re too afraid to take a chance. It is our fear of failing or looking foolish in front of others that keeps us from being who we want to be.

“I am afraid that great disappointment awaits me, and so I prefer to dream”.

In ‘The Alchemist’, Santiago was comfortable with being a shepherd. He knew how to be a shepherd, he trusted the sheep and they trusted him, but being a shepherd didn’t truly make Santiago happy. He dreamt of travel and adventures. Eventually, Santiago sold his flock of sheep and embarked on his great journey to the pyramids. He knew that by denying himself this adventure he would be denying his happiness, and so he took a leap of faith in himself and set off towards his dream.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.”

2. The real treasure is in the journey itself

“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”

Take a minute to think about your past successes and the moment you realized that you had achieved something great. Was that realization the defining moment of your success? Or was it all the hard work and sweat that you put into achieving your goal? As the saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination. The same could be said for success or happiness. It is in the journey where you will find your true self.

“Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor being severely tested.”

Santiago’s dream was to make it to the pyramids, but the adventure that he found himself on in order to get to those pyramids taught him more than he ever thought possible. By the time he reached the pyramids his life had changed forever. Through the journey he found who he truly was, and he found his true happiness.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. “

3. Everything is possible no matter what was said or done in the past, because today you decide it will be possible

“The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.”

Too often we get bogged down in our past, and in memories of events that we think define us and restrict us from moving forward. The truth is, however, that we can decide today who we want to be. We may have some baggage, and we may have future dreams, but today is the only day where we can define who we are and what direction we want our lives to go.

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

The only life Santiago knew was being a shepherd, but one day he made a decision that he wanted to know more. He wanted to get out of Spain and see the rest of the world, and from there the rest of the story develops. The same goes for all of us, in that the rest of our stories are based on the decisions we make today – we decide to be better, we decide to be happy, we decide to be successful. It all starts with that decision.

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

4. You already know what you need to know

“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”

When was the last time you asked everyone else what to do, even though you already knew what you wanted to do, but you just wanted someone else to say it? We already know most of what we need to know. Just because you consciously don’t think so doesn’t mean it’s not there. I once heard a statistic that the ratio of our unconscious knowledge to our conscious knowledge is 1,000,000,000 to 1. Yes, our unconscious mind knows 1 billion times more than our conscious mind does. All we need to do is trust ourselves and find time in our day to listen. Listen to the sound of the wind in the trees. Listen to the birds singing. Listen to what you already know, and trust yourself.

Santiago had to learn this lesson along his journey. He spent days upon days on the back of a camel, traveling across the vast emptiness of the desert. This left only time to listen to the sounds of the desert, and to listen to what was within him. We don’t all have days in a desert to do this, but taking a moment to be still could turn out to be the best part of your day.

“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”

5. It is up to you alone to live your greatest life

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

We all make choices every day about who we are and what we are going to do with our lives. Think back to your last conversation today. Did that conversation reflect who you really want to be? Was your tone kind and understanding? Or were you impatient and harsh? We make thousands of decisions in a day, why not consciously make the most important one – what can I do to ensure I am living my greatest life? No one else will provide this to you. This is something you have to own and be accountable for. You alone can live your greatest life.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

Santiago made one decision to pursue his dream. He took control of what he wanted his life to look like and he followed that dream. That doesn’t mean his path was easy. In fact, it was very difficult at times, and there were moments where he even thought about buying another flock of sheep and returning to be a shepherd. But his resiliency won out, and he continued on. Hard times will come to us all. This is a fact. But if we carry on and commit to living our greatest life no matter what, at the end of the journey we will look back with no regrets.

“When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true”

So, have I convinced you to read the book yet?

Inspiring Moments from the 2010 Olympic Games

Live To Inspire — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:46:59 +0000

As I write this post the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games are drawing to a close. In the eyes of many these games have been a great success for both Canadian athletes and for all Canadians who have supported them and cheered them on. In total, Canada won 26 medals – 5 Bronze, 7 Silver, and 14 Gold. Those 14 Gold are the most ever won by a host nation, and beats the record for the most gold medals ever won at a Winter Olympic Games.

Like many Canadians, I have been absorbed by these games, watching every possible moment. Celebrating our successes and feeling sadness for our disappointments (I still love you Melissa Hollingsworth). It saddens me that the games have to end, but I am grateful for all the moments that I have been able to share with my fellow Canadians. Today I am going to share with you, thanks to the CTVOlympics Channel on YouTube, my favourite moments from these Olympic Games. If you are not familiar with this channel, you can re-live hundreds of Olympic moments here.

So without further delay, here are my favourite moments from the 2010 Olympic Games (note: links will take you to YouTube):

Alexandre Bilodeau: Gold Medal Moment – Men’s Moguls

Team Canada: Gold Medal Moment – Men’s Hockey

Jon Montgomery: Gold Medal Moment – Men’s Skeleton

Joannie Rochette: Bronze Medal Moment – Figure Skating

There are so many moments that could be listed here. Take a browse through YouTube to find many more, and share with me through your comments what your favourite moments were. Thank you for visiting!

“Welcome to Canada – Make Us Better.” (0)

“Welcome to Canada – Make Us Better.”

Live To Inspire — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:39:04 +0000

The quote in the title of this post is from a story that John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has told many times over. As the story goes (source: http://www.vancouver2010.com), when John Furlong arrived in Canada more than thirty years ago from Ireland, a customs officer offered a warm but specific greeting: “Welcome to Canada – make us better.”

Dedication, Perseverance, Courage. The Olympic Games offer us a unique opportunity to celebrate the characteristics that allow an athlete to rise above the competition, and through this they offer inspiration to every person who follows them. Although commercialism has crept into every facet of our culture, these games, at their core, are not about money or fame. They are about sacrifice and pride. They are about striving to be the best that you can be, and wanting to inspire others to do their best. Raising the flag of each country on the podium isn’t just about “see what I did”, but more “see what you can do.” We can all be better – in sport, in our actions, in life. We can all strive to be that person who doesn’t say I am better than you, but rather I will help you to be better. We can all be better for our families, for our friends, for our environment, for the stranger on the corner without a jacket or a warm meal. As John Furlong said, in one of his many pre-Games speeches, “You know, the Games are about sport and are about athletes. But they’re also about unleashing the very best in every one of us. They’re about letting the star, the hero out in every person. They’re about a country rising to the occasion…truly rising to the occasion. You know, we can all be better; we can all do better.” (source: www.vancouver2010.com)

Every so often we get the chance to watch others excel, and it touches us in a way that makes us ask ourselves how can we be better? How can we inspire others to be better? What steps can we take to make our family, our community, our country, our world better? Just like with every Olympic medal, every remarkable life begins with one courageous step. What step can you take to raise your life to the next level?

I will end this post with more words from Mr. Furlong from the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies. I hope these words resonate as much with you as they did with me, and let them be the spark or nudge that will help you live a life of great significance to those who know you, and to those that don’t. (source: www.cknw.com)

“As you, the best Winter Olympic athletes of all time, enter the arena prepared for you here in Canada to compete in the honour and glory of sport. Seizing the moment to inspire the youth of the world through your heroic efforts, you carry with you the hopes and the dreams of so many.

You are role models for our children – heroes, giants, human champions, the best ever. You are living proof that men and women everywhere are capable of doing great good, and that in life as it is in sport, we should always give our best and never, ever give up.

You are our beacon of hope in a world so much in need of peace, healing, unity, generosity and inspiration. Youth the world over aspire to be just like you. You compete with such bravery, conviction and pride.

As the Olympic Cauldron is lit, the unique magic of the Olympic Games will be released upon us. Magic so rare that it cannot be controlled by borders. The kind of magic that invades the human heart touching people of all cultures and beliefs. Magic that calls for the best that human beings have to offer. Magic that causes the athletes of the world to soar and the rest of us to dream.

Through our example tonight and over the 16 days to come our children will begin to dream and believe in what is possible. Lives of great significance begin with a spark, a nudge, a gesture. Together let us touch as many as we can, while we can.”

Live To Inspire Today

Live To Inspire — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:46:57 +0000

“Today my old skin has become as dust. I will walk tall among men and they will know me not, for today I am a new man, with a new life.”

- Og Mandino

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