Toronto, 5.21pm, Sunday, August 23 2009

Watch the Video

It’s always hard conjuring up the right thoughts to enable my readers to be remarkable. No matter how often I write these blogs, it never gets easier. The blank screen is always an intimidating sight. Finding the relevant words and organising them into compelling sentences and paragraphs gets more difficult every time.

Surely, it should be simple by now?  Surely, the words should just flow?  Surely, the process of writing should be quick and smooth? Or surely not. Last week I realized it’s meant to be hard. It’s meant to challenge and stretch me. The greater the resistance, the greater the benefit. Without the barriers and blocks, my mind can’t develop itself. It’s the very hardship that makes the effort worthwhile. There’s a direct correlation between exertion and excelling.

It’s called gravity. Without it, we become weak and stupid. Our minds, muscles and bones waste away. Literally. According to the Globe and Mail (08/20/09), fit and robust people blast into space and return six months later a much frailer version of themselves. They are prone to dizziness. Their muscles are thinner and weaker. And listen to this: their bone density has decreased by up to 12 percent – around eight times faster than it would have on earth. Scientists say it’s like aging at warpspeed.

What’s the moral of the story? Intensify your personal gravity. Take the path of maximum resistance. Take on impossible tasks. Be unreasonable in your expectations of yourself and others. Celebrate your crises. Bless your barriers. Love your losses. Marvel at your mistakes.  Make friends with your frustrations. Honour your opposition. Embrace your enemies – both inside and out.

Here’s what I’m discovering: happiness is not about plain-sailing or easy-riding. Those moments are there merely to prepare us for the next monumental challenge. It’s not about the pursuit of expedience by evading problems. It’s about the pursuit of mastery by seeking them out. Run towards the bear. Remember Napolean Hill’s immortal words, “Within every setback or obstacle or disadvantage there is the seed of an equal or opposite or greater advantage or benefit.”

By the way, I’m not just talking about raising your mental game here. I’m encouraging you to increase your physical exertions. If zero gravity wastes away your muscles and bones, the opposite must also be true. Go push against some resistance. Let them see you sweat. The season of leisure is almost over. Game on…

7.10am, Friday, August 7 2009

We’re into the Dog Days of August. Long, slow, humid, hot days washed down by cold beers is the way it’s supposed to be. This is a time for languid movement and luxurious reflection. It’s summer time and the living is easy. It’s the hiatus before the storm as we prepare for the action that explodes after Labour Day. Or is it?

August is the new September. All around me I see the signs of commercial awakening. On both sides of the border, I see more than green shoots. I see bursts of colour as the green shoots begin to flower. Financial services, Health-Care, IT, Energy, Automotive, Government – they’re all coming back. New businesses are being ignited, older businesses are reinventing themselves, the best are getting ready for a Great Fall.

I’m having my busiest August since I arrived in Canada in 2001. I’m running with a pack of clients who have adapted to the new realities. They know it’s tough. They know their markets are tight. They know their margins are sliced. They know their Customers are hurting. They know the competition is intense. But they also know this is the best time for the best to bring out their best. Anything less means oblivion. I’m serious. Survival and winning are becoming the same thing. Either you demonstrate your superiority or someone else eats your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Have you noticed that even the Celsius levels have dropped? August isn’t hot and slow any more. It’s cool and fast. So if you’re on vacation, enjoy. Kick back and relax. But think about how you’ll kick your game up a few notches next month. Plan your moves. Imagine the possibilities. Relish the opportunity to think not do. Prepare to be preeminent – that’s where you become the benchmark by which all others are judged. What would that take? Who would you have to be? What would you have to create? How far would you have to go? And how can you get there with passion and grace?

Some things to think about on this first Friday in August. Let me know your thoughts as well.

Rest Easy Today. Hunt Well Tomorrow…