Toronto, 11.30am, Sunday, February 15 2009

Life is good. It’s a gorgeous, sunny day. I’ve just taken my two terrier/poodle mongrels for a walk. My wife made me a delicious brunch of cheddar-cheese omelette on freshly baked wholewheat bread washed down with a bold Starbucks blend. I’m about to attend a coaching session by an Apple Genius on how to produce a Hollywood quality iMovie. Then I’m going for a one hour swim at the Toronto Athletic Club. Then I’ll spend a couple hours reading John Steinbeck’s Winter Of Our Discontent in the company of a great South African Red. Then I’ll enjoy a dinner of cedar-wood-smoked trout with my family, followed by an award-winning German movie we rented for $3.95 at Blockbuster. It doesn’t get better than that. Whatever else is happening elsewhere in the world today, my day is as idyllic as any day of mine can be.

Together with all the people and canines who will share my day, I created it. I chose the activities, but they will make the activities real. I reached out to them, but they were ready to reciprocate. They designed their day to sync with mine. They made themselves, their facilities and their gifts available to me. Today is an extraordinary day. But so is tomorrow and the day after. Sunday may be more leisurely and relaxed, but on any given day, I will choose both my activities and my attitudes to make it a special day. All around me, there are people and facilities standing by to conspire with me to create happiness. I’m acutely aware of them. I’m grateful for them. Every one of them risked their wellbeing to give me mine. The folks at Apple took colossal risks to create their magic. The folks at the Toronto Athletic Club placed a 25 yard swimming pool on the 36^th floor of a downtown skyscraper to give me my aquatic workout. Steinbeck risked the critics and won the Nobel Prize when he created Discontent. Every step of the way, I’m enjoying a pleasure because someone had the passion and commitment to produce remarkable things. And that’s truer today than ever before.

I’m creating my own happiness but I cannot create my own happiness on my own. It takes a village, a global village of people – alive or dead, known or unknown. I want to reciprocate by helping others create their own happiness. That’s why I’m writing this – it gives me pleasure and it helps me stretch my capacity. But I want to be the reason why other people are savouring their life at a higher level as well.

As tough as things are out there, out there is a pretty amazing place and it’s getting more amazing all the time. There are an abundance of resources and opportunities present to the people who are alert to their presence. In fact, they may even more abundant in these times because less people are looking for them. The opportunities haven’t diminished, people have. So protect yourself against personal diminishment. Nourish your appetite for exploration, experimentation and innovation. Take a chance by being a source of wonder and happiness for others.

Seriously, what could you do right now to make someone happy? And by the way, I’m not offering you this possibility because I’m Mother Theresa. There’s gold in lighting other up. They’ll reward you very well for your contribution. They’ll choose you over all others. They’ll talk about you and your fame shall make you even more desirable. So go do it. And tell me what you’re doing just as I’m doing with you right now.

And remember, no matter how bad your world gets, it’s still Nirvana compared to the alternative. It’s still full of miracles, marvels, delights, delicacies, teachers, angels and adventures. They’re in front of you right now. See them. And be seen.