Toronto, March 18, 10.13pm

The Call To Inaction is growing louder by the day. “When in doubt, do nothing” is the new mantra.

Hesitation, equivocation, indecision, fence-sitting, hedging, and avoidance are becoming habitual responses to the Economic Crisis. Survival Instincts are smothering bold initiatives. Wherever I go (and I go to a lot of places) I’m hearing the vocabulary of contraction: save, wait, suspend, cancel, refrain, hold, delay, postpone, downsize, rationalize, lay-off, wait-and-see. Dr No rules.

Doing nothing has become the “responsible” option. Not making mistakes is the new priority. Minimizing losses is the new goal. Or, as someone told me yesterday, “Flat is the New Up.” Yup, the wagons are being circled. Fear is the prism through which the future is being viewed by the majority of people.

So why am I smiling? Why am I pumped by the possibilities? Why is my Mojo multiplying? What’s feeding my passion? The Few, The Fabulous, The Talented and The Brave. In the midst of the doom and despair, there are cadres of can-do performers who are bucking the trend. They’re viewing the crisis as an invitation to greatness. Their instincts are to create in the face of destruction, grow in the face of shrinkage and reach out in the face of withdrawal. Without these intrepid souls, the hole would be even deeper.

I’m talking about people Like Dani Reiss, CEO Of Canada Goose, who is creating a new breed of Goose-people, and “Making Cold The New Cool” with his array of goose-down, made-in-Canada parkas. See http://www.canada-goose.com/home.htm .

I’m talking about David Komlos and his unique Syntegration processes that optimize large group interaction and unlock new solutions to complex problems. See  www.syntegrity.com .

I’m talking about Martin Perelmuter and his team at Speakers Spotlight who find opportunities where others find nothing. See www.speakers.com .

I’m talking about Salim Khoja who motivates thousands of Canadians every year through his mega PowerWithin seminars – www.powerwithin.com .

I’m talking about Rick Tobias and his crew at the Yonge Street Mission who are committed to being a pivotal agent of change in the community – see http://www.ysm.on.ca

I’m talking about Rick Williams and his turned-on troops at WFG – See http://www.wfg-online.ca/ .

These are just a few of my favourite people. They understand one primary truth: Actions create Habits. Habits create Character. Character creates Destiny. How you act in the next 24 hours will determine who you become in 24 years. Now more than ever, the future belongs to those who are willing to create it. And that means taking action today. It means looking, listening, learning, trusting, doing, inspiring, falling, rising, experimenting, over and over again. It takes guts and resilience. But it’s all made easier by one fundamental realisation: there’s no other way to be. Timidity is not an option. Neither is recklessness. It’s about being exactly who we need to be so we can do what we need to do. That’s my Holy Grail. Think about it…