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Hi this is Mike Lipkin. It’s January 1 2012 and I’m in Toronto.

Welcome to the Year of the Dragon. Specifically, welcome to the year of the Water Dragon. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the year of the Water Dragon comes once every sixty years. And unlike the wicked, fire-breathing dragons of Western mythology, China’s celestial dragon symbolizes bold and benevolent power. Dragons are ancient, majestic, wise, and intelligent. Dragon years are considered particularly auspicious for new businesses, marriage and children. Dragon years also tend to boost individual fortunes and the world economy.

Of all the Dragon years, the 2012 Water Dragon is most likely to bestow the Chinese Five Blessings of harmony, virtue, riches, fulfillment and longevity, adding even more weight to my belief that 2012 will be about breakthroughs, not disasters.

Last year, I coached clients in Africa, Asia, The Middle East, Europe and The Americas. The common denominator of winners is that they all saw themselves in emerging markets, irrespective of their geography. Whether they were from Ghana or Germany, Chad or China, Saudi Arabia or Singapore, they saw themselves as part of the global community of 7 billion people. They revel in their double-ability – that is their capacity to create new solutions for new opportunities that they help produce. Just like I’m doing now – I’m generating the possibility of a phenomenally successful 2012 with you, and then I’ll help you make it so.

The macro-economic global forecast for 2012 may be for slower growth. But that’s for mere ordinary creatures. Water Dragons breathe abundance into their environment. They are noted for their calm, visionary intelligence, and balance of right brain creativity with left brain logic. They understand the Crisis Paradox: in slow growth periods, the majority of people tend to lose their optimism and energy. They are worn down by their own anxieties. Their desire to thrive is replaced by their need to survive. It’s a simple case of supply of demand. The demand for bold aggressive action is greater but the supply is smaller, therefore bold, aggressive operators are highly rewarded.

It’s also called the Inspiration Dividend. Customers want something extraordinary and they’re willing to pay for it. Whether it’s the finely sung words of Feist, or the magical prose of Haruki Murakami, or the snug warmth of Canada Goose, or the functional beauty of Apple, or the satisfying taste of Johnny Walker Black, or the reassuring thoroughness of my accountant and physician, Water Dragons do whatever it takes to enhance their impact and enrich their communities. They are the reasons why 2012 will be the end of the old world and the beginning of a brave new world. Are you one of them?

So here are Lipkin’s Seven Moves of The Water Dragon for a breakthrough 2012:

1.    Exercise Care. Crises will come at you fast and frequently. Breathe. Think. Focus. Prepare all the time by getting better all the time. We can’t predict the crisis, but we can predict a superior result with superior training. Be patient when patience is called for. Act urgently when it’s urgent. And have the wisdom to know when to do what. But when you’re in doubt: act. Inertia isn’t your friend. There is no such thing as status quo. Everything is moving all the time. Life is a long march. It’s exhausting, exasperating and exhilarating in equal measure. Fatigue makes us stupid. No one is at their best when they’re redlining. When you’re out of gas, you’re out of the game. 2012 is an Olympic year. Train like an Olympic athlete. Own the podium. Go for your Gold. Take ultimate care of yourself so you can take care of everyone else. This is the first step because it’s the step upon which all others depend. If you don’t take this step, nothing else is sustainable.

2.    Be Comfortable with Tension and Ambiguity. 2012 will be a year of opposites that will continually pull at each other: hope and despair; enthusiasm and resignation; big and small; escape and engagement; interdependence and self-reliance; caution and courage. Success depends on our ability to hold two opposites in our minds at the same time and still perform powerfully. Find your centre. Sustain your balance. Live through your imbalances. Keep coming back to your core. How do you find your core? Mindful experience. Dial up your awareness – use every event to sharpen your mental blade. There is no “should”. There is only “it is” or “it isn’t”. Accept the way “it is” or “It isn’t” and make it the way you want it to be.

3.    Celebrate. Spread the kudos. Broadcast your gratitude. Be fascinated by your good fortune. Revel in your gifts. Whatever the time, make it a good time to be with you. Make every conversation count. Make every meeting a masterpiece. Talk and listen to others like they’re the person you would most like to be with at that moment. The way we engage others becomes their opinion of themselves. Motivate by example, especially when you don’t feel like it. Act like you mean it and the feelings will follow. Live every day like it’s one more than you deserve. Growing older is a privilege denied to many.

4.    Believe in Your Personal Mojo. Your Personal Mojo is your unique energy. It’s your one-of-a-kind charisma and courage. It’s your exclusive power of contribution and capacity to create new possibilities. It’s a kind of magic that we all have but very few of us use. The primary difference between Water Dragons and everyone else is that Water Dragons fully express themselves. They dare to go where others are afraid to tread. They know what they’ve been given and they know what’s expected of them. Whether they’re an Olympic Athlete like Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, or a legendary actress like Meryl Streep or Glenn Close, or an iconic performer like Oprah or Lady Gaga, or an internet mogul like Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page, They continuously explore and experiment with their limits. To quote the late, great Steve Jobs, “Those who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world usually do.”

5.    Make Big Promises And Keep Them. Whatever It Takes. If we make big promises, we excite others and we stretch ourselves. By keeping them, we delight others and we develop ourselves. Sometimes we need to make promises we don’t know how to keep. Then we need to find a way to keep them. And there’s always a way. Today’s limits are tomorrow’s springboards. Like any discipline, the more we practice making-big-promises-and-keeping-them, the more masterful we become. First, it becomes a way of thought. Then it becomes a way of life. What’s more, with every follow-through, we train others to expect us to deliver with our next promise. It’s a virtuous cycle. Their expectations become self-fulfilling: they believe in us, we believe in ourselves and together, our partnerships create remarkable results together.

6.    Keep Talking & Listening. Nothing happens until somebody speaks. We are the composites of our communication. The more people to whom we talk, the greater our influence. Water Dragons live to listen and share. They develop their social networks any way they can – online and in-person. They meet, tweet, and call. They proactively reach out to people different to themselves. They open themselves up. They are connectors. They develop a reputation for adding value. First, they educate, then they profit.

7.    Still your mind. These words are not the only sounds in your head. They’re part of your mental cacophony or chorus, depending on your mood. You may not even remember them a few seconds from now. Ambiguity and uncertainty are deafening. We’re all a mind beat away from pandemonium. Success is a function of the silence we can create around our focus. Turn down the chatter. Schedule quiet time. Make it a ritual. Pay yourself the time first – at least one seventh of your waking hours. We cannot cope with the tension unless we’re relaxed.

That’s it from me. Be a Water Dragon. May the flow be with you, may the current always be at your back and may you ride the wave of your dreams in 2012!

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Hi, this is Mike Lipkin. It’s Monday, October 17 and I’m in Toronto.

If you have a body, you’re an athlete, says Nike. We’re all competitors in the game of life and 2011 has been an amazing race, but it’s almost over. It’s a sprint to the finish line. It’s also a sprint to the starting line of 2012 – The year of the London Olympics. That’s what I’m training for. I want to be higher, faster, stronger, lighter, fresher, edgier, newer, sharper, gutsier and nicer. I have to be. 2012 will demand a whole new level of execution. I believe it will be a breakout year. The winners of 2011 will be heading into 2012 with the FLAME – Focused, Lean, Adaptive, Magical, and Entrepreneurial. Magical means the ability to amaze customers with unprecedented functionality and joy, while entrepreneurial means the ability to create new possibilities out of anything – ahead of the competition.

I know I’ll be ready for the surprises, crises, cataclysms and shocks of 2012 on one condition: I have to let go of everything that doesn’t serve me anymore. I have to travel light. That’s the only way I’ll get to my goals, and that’s why I loved the article on the London Olympics in the September 23 issue of the Globe And Mail. It stated:

Never have the modern Olympics paid so much attention to the ideas of impermanence and portability. In a radical departure from the edifice complex that has blighted previous Summer Games, London 2012 is shaping up as the first Lego Olympics.  ‘Touching the ground lightly’ is the phrase we use,” says Chris Jopson, a senior architect at Populous, the London firm that’s responsible for the overall design of the Olympic Park and its main stadium. The firm has a motto for building the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which begin on July 27 next year: “Embrace the temporary.”

Take the Olympic stadium. It is 75 per cent lighter than a typical stadium of its size, it was built of a new type of concrete that requires less carbon to manufacture, and its top deck is partly constructed of gas pipes left over from a failed pipeline project. Even more crucial, it comes apart, like a very large piece of Lego. During the Olympics and Paralympics, when it will be full to bursting for the athletics competitions and opening and closing ceremonies, it will hold 80,000 spectators. Afterwards, the top decks can be removed, down to 25,000 seats. It will probably end up at 55,000 seats, when its new tenant, West Ham football club, moves in after the Olympics.

LEGO. In my language, it’s short for letting go, taking apart, putting together, and connecting the blocks. It`s about Reducing, Repurposing, Reinventing, and Being Remarkable. It`s about being able to fast forward by acting now – knowing that failure leads to winning and winning requires more failure. It`s also about resilience and idealism in equal measure. The one is the bodyguard of the other. Everyone is enthusiastic at the start of the game, but it`s how they play to the end that counts. As Vince Lombardi said, fatigue makes cowards of us all. Trying to hold on to what`s past will ruin one’s future. There is only what works right here, right now. That’s why my new mantra is “Touch The Ground Lightly. Embrace The Temporary. Say Yes To Impermanence And Portability. “

What do you need to let go of? How can you be remarkable? What do you need to reduce, repurpose or reinvent? How are you building your resilience for a phenomenal 2012? What will it take to bring magic and joy to your colleagues and customers? I’m doing my best to answer these questions. That’s why I’m creating this message. And that’s why I’m recreating every assignment and every engagement for every client. If it’s not customized, crisp and fresh, it’s a waste of time. And that’s the ultimate sin where time is the resource we’re all competing for.

I hope the rest of 2011 is the best time of your life – why would you have it any other way? Choose to make it so. Be a model of what’s possible. Others will follow your lead while you follow theirs. It’s never too late if you begin now. And by the way, if you want to talk to me about how to enable your team to make every moment count, call me. 416-917-6007. I’m here for you but not for too long, just like everything else in life.

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It’s the week after Labour Day. It’s time to be lucky. You know why? Because LUCK stands for Labouring Under Correct Knowledge. There are two kinds of labour: the first holds one back, weighs one down and wears one out. This is the kind of labour that exhausts one with unnecessary tasks or details. This is the kind of labour that gives work a bad name and makes us long for Friday after a week that’s been too long.

The second kind of labour is what I’m all about. It’s physical and cerebral work in pursuit of a meaningful goal. It’s productive activity that delivers measurable results.  It’s the execution of a personal mission that is exciting and exacting. It’s what builds our mental muscle and gives our lives meaning. Someone who loves their labour finds it much easier to love everything else. Inner work life has a profound impact on our creativity, commitment and collegiality.

And yet all the research says it’s getting harder and harder to love one’s work. According to the most recent Gallup Poll, 52% of Americans believe economic conditions are poor, 76% believe they’re getting worse, 45% believe they’re struggling, 33% think their health is suffering, less than half say they’re happy. Americans now feel worse about their jobs than ever before. In Canada, The 2011 Environics Social Values Monitor revealed that almost 60% of Canadians do not consider their jobs secure. 42% believe their jobs are even less secure than 2010 and 48% are dissatisfied with their financial situation.

As president of Environics/Lipkin, One of Canada’s leading motivation companies, I’ve seen a widespread disengagement of people from their jobs over the past three years. We’ve all been rocked by the great recession and the tepid recovery. While unemployment is around 7 percent in Canada and 9 percent in America, underemployment may be double those figures. “Reorgs”, cutbacks and product or market withdrawals are rampant. Confusion may be the order of the day.

Thomas Friedman, writing in the New York Times on August 28 2011, expressed our global inflection point beautifully: “the European Union is cracking up. The Arab world is cracking up. China’s growth model is under pressure and America’s credit-driven capitalist model has suffered a warning heart attack and needs a total rethink. Recasting any one of these alone would be huge. Doing all four at once — when the world has never been more interconnected — is mind-boggling. We are again ‘present at the creation‘ — but of what?”

I love that question: We are again ‘present at the creation‘ — but of what? What are you creating that will make a difference, leave a legacy, add value or create happiness? How are you finding the meaning that motivates you to be magical? Yes, magical – that’s where you create a solution or experience for others that captivates, charms and empowers them to be extraordinary.

Here’s the good news: Through the 2011 Environics Social Values Monitor, one of Canada’s leading syndicated research studies, we have identified the seven most powerful trends that you can leverage to create your own personal magic. Each trend reflects a movement on values that drive people at the deepest level. If you use these trends to guide your thoughts and actions, you’ll create LUCK for yourself and those around you. And remember, if you like what you read, pay it forward. Knowledge is only power when it’s shared.

The biggest trend of all is Introspection & Empathy. It’s grown 54% since 2009. It’s the need to examine one’s actions and find meaning in one’s life while understanding others at a deeper level. It’s a move away from judgment and intolerance to acceptance and appreciation. There is an interdependence between self-discovery and external connection. Introspection can only occur through others because they are a mirror into ourselves. We’re only as good as all of us together. In the face of exponential change, no one person has the perfect answer. It takes a combined action to find the solution. So go within by reaching out. I am you and you are me, separated only by circumstance. We share a joint responsibility for helping each other.

The next biggest trend is New Social Responsibility & Community Involvement. This trend is defined as a deep feeling of belonging to one’s community and a pronounced feeling of social responsibility where mutual assistance plays a key role. It’s also a measure of interest in what’s happening in one’s neighbourhood, city or region. This trend is up 49% since 2009. There is an understanding that being alone will make you more vulnerable. It’s a coming together to take on bigger, more complex challenges. Call it the new social cocooning where likeminded networks enable their members to adapt and thrive. So join or form your groups and become known as a valuable contributor to them.

The third biggest trend is Social Learning & Cultural Fusion. This is an attraction to and interest in diversity. It’s a feeling that there is a great deal to learn from people different to you, Diversity is perceived as a source of personal enrichment, and a way to satisfy one’s hunger for discovery and exploration. This trend also measures the inclination to incorporate some of these new cultural influences into our own lives. It’s up 41% over the past two years. The influx of immigrants and explosion of social media is expanding the scope and scale of our conversations. Increasingly, we’re all plugged into the global village. The best insights may come from the most unlikely places. At Environics, we see a direct correlation between financial success and being outward looking – connected, committed and open to other’s point of view.

The fourth biggest trend is Vitality & Effort For Health. This is a sense that one has an abundance of energy and that one is connected to this energy. It also measures a commitment to transform one’s lifestyle through exercise and radical changes to one’s diet. Half the Canadian and American populations are over 40 and while two thirds are overweight, there is a rapidly rising awareness of the power of lifestyle to enhance one’s wellbeing. This phenomenon is combining with a recovery from the chronic fatigue of the past three years. People are adapting to the new realities. They’re evaluating their lives and realizing that the worst didn’t happen. The sky didn’t fall in. Canadians, especially, believe they’ve come through a rough time, but they’re well poised for the future. There is a rise in demand for people and resources that enhance one’s wellbeing. Optimism and feeling good is so 2012. Being pessimistic and cynical is so 2008. Deliver on other people’s dreams and you’ll make good on yours.

The fifth biggest trend is Rejection of Authority & Support For Government Involvement. This is a rejection of unquestioning respect and deference to those in authority. It’s a belief that authority should not be respected for its own sake. It’s also a questioning of the institutions for which one may work. The pursuit of efficiency may be mutually exclusive to one’s wellbeing. This trend is up by 49% since 2009. But here’s a fascinating counter-trend: Support for Government Involvement. This is a confidence in government’s ability to positively affect how society works. It’s a tendency to believe that the government performs a socially beneficial function. And this trend is up by 35% since 2009. At a time where surprise is the order of the day and no one has a clear roadmap to success, people are skeptical about the leadership ability of their boss or management team. Business cannot always be trusted to take of business but we appreciate the role of government in guiding us through the crises.

The sixth biggest trend is Equality Of The Sexes. This is a desire to transcend sexual stereotypes and see an end to discrimination. It’s a commitment to eliminating all differences between mean and women in the family, culture and economy. This trend is up by 32% since 2009. It’s also a measure of the rising influence of women. The Environics Social Values Monitor shows that women are far better equipped to handle change than men. They score higher on Idealism, Courage and Sociability.  Of the 17 million jobs projected to sprout up in the US and Canada over the next decade, the vast majority will come in fields that currently attract far more women than men. In fact men dominate only 2 of the job titles expected to grow the most between 2008 and 2018 – construction workers and accountants. Call it the “feminization of society” – after a brutal crisis, there is a great demand for nurturing, caring, friendship and tenderness – all traditionally female traits. If you are a woman, this is your time. If you are a man, learn from a woman.

The seventh biggest trend is Pursuit of Originality & Personal Creativity. This is a need to demonstrate one’s individuality, and use one’s imagination and creative talents in daily life – both at work and at play. This trend has grown by 24% since 2009. It’s fuelled by the rise in personal energy and creative opportunities, enhanced by technology and social media. It’s also driven by the need to experiment and explore new ways of being and living. We’re all new immigrants in this new society carving a path out of the wilderness.

That’s it for now. It’s time to get to work. Adapt to the trends and create some of your own. Go first. You may just be the one others have been waiting for.

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Today is my favourite private holiday – it’s the official start of summer. The season that reminds us how good it can be. In fact, the Random House Dictionary defines Summer as “the period of finest development, perfection or beauty previous to any decline.” Well, we’ll all decline at some stage but Summer is now. Our period of finest development, perfection and beauty is now. So let’s revel in it.

Today came just in time. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been playing hurt a lot this year. I’ve been tired. I’ve been stretched to straining point. I fell down seven times, stood up eight. I’m still standing but I can feel the fatigue like extra pounds on my body. I believe I can fly, but my wings need a rest.

It’s been a huge year filled with unpredictable moments of delight and disappointment. I won what I didn’t expect and lost what I did. In fact, that’s become my new normal. Past results are no longer an accurate guide to the future. They may even camouflage impending decline.

The biggest phenomenon I’ve witnessed this year is the collective Inflection Point we’re all experiencing. Our pathways are being recurved. Our professions are being redefined. Our businesses are being re-formed. Our industries are being fragmetized and re-constructed in strange and thrilling ways. It’s not just about change, it’s about imagining the right-now-future while we execute it.

There isn’t a single leader I know who isn’t feeling a little shell-shocked by the size and speed of the revolution impacting their business. The great ones are stepping up their game while they inspire their people to do the same. They may not have all the answers, but they’re asking great questions.

So how dramatic is your inflection point? What step-changes are you going through? Are you ahead of the curve? Or are you behind eight-ball? Or both? Or are you so busy doing that you haven’t taken time out to even consider the question?

The German Philospher, Nietzche, said, “Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least”. In other words, the Urgent should not take precedence over the Important. Doing should not occur at the expense of Thinking. Re-acting should not replace Pro-acting. And yet, that’s the norm. We’re running as fast as we can to stay in the same place.

The future belongs to those who prepare for it. Plan is a verb, not a noun. The signs are all around us and within us but we don’t see what we’re not looking for. So this summer, take a deep breath and relax. Release yourself from the tension and angst of your everyday concerns. Stretch out. Take the pause that refreshes you.

So here is Lipkin’s Summer Recipe for Lifetime Success:

1. Get into a Relaxation State of Mind beginning now. Think Summer – the period of finest development, perfection or beauty. Think about the people, places, things, food, experiences, and feelings that make you joyous. Imbibe the warmth. Get away in the next two months. New environments spark new ideas. Add to your collection of fabulous experiences. It’s going to be a whole new ball game for all of us in the Fall. We’re going to have to bring our A-Game every day until next summer. So relish the moment and replenish your Mojo – while you do the same for everyone else. I’m off to the Greek Islands in a few weeks, but I’m already in holiday mode while I’m working.
2. Look at your life through Fresh Eyes. Imagine you were someone new coming into your world. What would they see that you’re not seeing? What surprises would they find that may currently be hidden from your view? Why would they love being you? What would delight them that you’re taking for granted? Perspective is a view from a place where you are not. So go to that place. Look at things differently and you’ll develop different points of view. That’s why talking to others is so important. They are a mirror that enables us to see ourselves clearly. There is an ancient African adage that states, “A person is a person only because of other people”. So reach out and talk to someone.
3. Envision what you want to achieve in the next year. Envision why you want to achieve it. Envision how you’re going to achieve it. Envision who you will become. Paint a clear picture in your mind and share it with people you love and trust. Then look at it multiple times a day until it becomes real. Broadcast it on YouTube if you wish. Declare your intentions to the world and the world will conspire with you to make it happen. I’m living proof of this truth. I see myself as a preeminent coach to amazing leaders. I see the material I’ll produce to achieve that goal. I’ll be the relentless source of possibility and excitement that charges others up. It’s done. I’m in lag time. Yes!

Have a great summer! Relax, Refresh and Re-envision yourself so you can be hot, hot, hot in the Fall.

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Lady Gaga is my hero. According to The New York Times (05/22/11), she has become “the flashiest and most ubiquitous pop star of the 21^st Century”. She is “the queen that pop needs her to be”. She refreshes her image at Internet speed, while she sells multi-millions of albums and plays to sold-out arenas around the world.

But that’s not why she’s my hero. She’s my hero because she believes in Unicorns, so much so that she had one tattooed on her left thigh. Talking about her album, Born This Way, she states, “The unicorn for me is a mythical creature and magic. I believe this album attempts to annihilate the idea that magic is not real. I believe magic is real. I believe fantasy is real. I live halfway between reality and fantasy all the time.”

Her pace is also relentless. “No-one works like this girl”, said Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, her label.

The differences between Lady Gaga and Mike Lipkin couldn’t be more dramatic. But in one respect, we’re exactly the same – we both believe in magic and hard work. So what is magic? It’s an irresistible charm, influence or power that transcends experience and defies convention. Sometimes it manifests itself as an unexplainable wonder. And sometimes, we create it through our own purpose, passion, talent, courage and tenacity.

Spring is sprung. It’s the season of rebirth. The warmth is returning. It’s light until late. The blossoms are blooming. The birds are singing. The sights, sounds and smells of renewed possibilities are everywhere. It’s magical. It’s the time to rediscover, refresh, reinvent, and reset our personal resources.

Magic is the new game-changer because excellence is the new commodity. We expect excellence. We’re awed by Magic. It’s the ultimate differentiator. Sometimes, it’s a quantum leap and sometimes it’s a baby step. Sometimes, it’s once-in-a-lifetime and sometimes it’s everyday. But it’s always an experience that wins a standing ovation silently or out loud.

I know you have the Magic. The question is: are you making your magic real or are you letting it languish? Are you playing with passion or are you going through the motions? Are you transferring your joy to others or are you net neutral? Are you orchestrating their success or are you only focused on yourself? Are you engaged in something that fires you up? Or are you acting with apathy? Are you aware of your magic? Or are you on automatic pilot? Are you fully expressed? Or are you going unplayed?

It’s been a brutal winter, and I’m not just talking about the weather. The perfect storm is wearing all of us down. Whether we’re the dominant player or the underdog, it’s taking all we have to stay ahead of the curve. It’s easy to become cynical and fatigued. It’s easy to lose sight of our dream. It’s easy to be fearful. The majority of people are. Our research indicates that less than a third of people think that things are getting better. Less than twenty percent think their lives are “excellent”. Almost half say that they’re struggling to keep up with the challenges confronting them.

And here’s what I believe: it’s not going to get easier any time soon. So don’t bank on things getting better, bank on yourself getting better. Step back from the brink. Take a deep breath of spring air. Stretch. Think about your favorite things. Think about the best experience you’ve had this year. Think about your greatest strength. Think about the most valuable contribution you’ve made to anyone since January 1 2011. Think about the most valuable contribution that others have made to you. Think about what really excites you. Think about the biggest prize you want to achieve by December 31 2011. Tell someone you love them. Take the pause that will refresh you. And help others take it as well.

Here’s where I find my magic: My wife; sharing ideas with anyone; coaching others and being coached on how to achieve remarkable results; creating this video and podcast; physical vitality – being able to exercise vigorously without discomfort; watching or hearing extraordinary insights through podcasts on my iPad or iPod; barbecued salmon or perfectly prepared sushi; always fresh coffee from Tim Hortons; old Milwaukee beer on a hot day after an intense workout; creating a new program with my friend Teddy; winning a pitch for the next talk or seminar; Jack Bauer and Lady Gaga’s music videos.

Bring on the magic. Anything less makes you vulnerable. So here is Lipkin’s Personal Recipe for Making Magic:

1. Remind yourself why you’re gifted. I’m serious. You’re blessed with an abundance of assets. Take stock both inside and out. Gratitude is a source of great power.

2. Play to your greatest strength. Rediscover your Genius. It’s the one thing you do so well, others are amazed by it. In case you haven’t noticed, mine is talking and writing. What’s yours?

3. Set Yourself an Achievable Dream with a deadline. Motivation is an inside job. Keep your eye on the prize and the prize will pull you towards it. Imagine the possibility. Make it specific. Make it real in your own mind. Make it big, bold and bright. In my case, by the fall, I will create a mind-blowing, heart-warming, soul-stirring program on how to achieve colossal success with, through and for others.

4. Do the hard work. Practice your strength deliberately. Develop your capacity. Plug into your environment. Be the ultimate subject matter expert about your strength. There’s no magic bullet, just a magical journey. Be relentlessly curious. That’s why I’m creating this message. When the student is ready, the teacher always appears.

5. Bring Pleasure To Others. Be pleasure-able. Deliver delight. Enable enjoyment. Put a smile on others’ faces. Generate their laughter. Welcome them to well being. We all want to be with people who make us happy. Play this role well and you’ll be paid very well. Do it for the love and the money will follow.

6. Collaborate With The Best. Magic is a tribal ritual. It’s created by collective intelligence. It’s a partnership of people pooling their power and insights. It means becoming the kind of person others want to invite to their parties. It’s more than just being a teamplayer; it’s about being a catalyst – someone who precipitates unprecedented outcomes with energy and verve.

7. Reinvest and Reset. Burn bright but don’t burn out. Above all, take care of yourself. Pay yourself first. Recharge between sets so you can reset yourself. Take timeouts so you can be outstanding. Everything has its season. And every season has a beginning, middle and an end. But every season renews itself year after year. Just like you. This too shall pass so make it magnificent.

That’s it from me. Abracadabra. It’s the season to be magical so go cast your spell.

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It’s Election Time, And I’m Not Talking Federal Politics. Today is Election Day. Surprise, surprise: every day is Election Day. That’s the problem with life – it’s so daily. 24 hours is the new term of office.

We are all our own party. We have our own riding. We have our own electorate – they’re our family, friends, community, customers, colleagues, and fellow-citizens of our country and our planet.

How many people should be voting for you who don’t even know you exist? Why would they vote for you? Are more people voting for you today than yesterday? Or are they switching allegiances? How do you know? Simple: people vote with their legs – either towards or away from you.

Besides life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, peace, order and good government, no one owes you anything. Even freedom from fear isn’t guaranteed. Freedom isn’t free. Nor is acceptance, connection, recognition, fulfillment, or prosperity. It’s all earned, all the time.

It’s hard work but it’s not a chore. It’s the contest of life. It’s how we keep score. It’s how we constantly and conspicuously deliver superior value to our fellow constituents. When we tire of campaigning, others tire of us.

There’s a key distinction between people tolerating us and treasuring us. The passenger next you on the subway has little choice but to ride with you. Your colleagues could have no choice but to work with you. Your partner may feel obligated for better or for worse to stay with you. Your children may simply endure you. And your mother will always love you.

But what about those vital people in your life who have a choice? They can walk away at any time. They can choose where to spend their time, their effort, their energy, their support, their passion and their money. Are you their first choice? Are you on their Most Wanted list?

Again, I’ll ask you the question: how do you know? Are they calling you? Do they return your call? Are they talking about you to others? Do they give you preference? Do they tell you how much they value you? Do you see the smile and hear the delight in their voice when you’re with them?

Are you their pleasure? Or are you a pain? It’s that binary. It’s also a conscious strategy or an unconscious way of being. When people are engaged and inviting, it’s intentional. They demonstrate their appreciation for others. They put their best foot forward. They open up their charisma glands. They purr with pleasure. That’s what makes them beautiful. It comes easier to some than others but it’s always a learned skill.

So how’s your campaign going? Are you going to win the next seat or lose it? Are you mounted on the right platform? Do you stand for what counts? Is your message simple, relevant and consistent? What’s your visibility versus your competition? Are you earning your media? Is your franchise growing? How large is your financial and social capital? Who is championing your cause? How great is your will to win? How prepared are you to knock on doors until they open?

Stephen, Michael, and Jack have hit the road. So have I, and so should you. There is no such thing as a tenured incumbent. The status quo is quaking. Job security is a nostalgic whim. Customer loyalty is more perishable than your dinner this evening. Your competition is closer than you think. The next big thing is on the way and it could blow you away.

I know you know all of this. It’s simple but it’s not easy. We’re all lured by the mirage of continuity when things are going well, and even when they’re not. Our sense of entitlement and faith in the system gets in the way of what’s required to thrive, not just survive.

That’s the trigger: are you content to just carry on? Or do you want to see how far you can go? Do you seek the safety of the herd? Or are you willing to live on the tipping point? Whoever you are, someone is counting on you to go first. Whoever you are, someone is looking to you for inspiration. Whoever you are, someone needs your contribution right now.

Be a Candidate for what’s possible. Be the reason why someone says something or does something they would never otherwise have done. Give people something to rally around. Cynicism is so 2009. You can be idealistic and realistic at the same time. It may even be mandatory for success.

So here are Lipkin’s Seven Personal Campaign Rules to help you win:

1. Decide To Run. Get in the game. Find a passion that lights you up. Show your joy. Relish the challenge. In my case, it’s exciting people to excite people.

2. Make a Big Promise That Will Take All You Have To Deliver. Declare the irresistible value you will bring to others in a way that plays to your unique strengths. Express it in a way that enrolls others in your campaign. Make it so enticing they take joint-ownership of making it happen. In my case, it’s coaching people on how to define and live their dream life with others.

3. Be a Maestro. Develop your knowledge and skills to such a level that it occurs to others as a form of art. To quote the great Tina Turner, be “Simply The Best”. There is no substitute for extraordinary competence. You’ve already come a long way otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Take it to the next level, and then the next, and the next. There is no final one. That’s why I’m writing this. It’s my way of contributing and developing at the same time.

4. Be Memorable. Unleash your inner entertainer. Say it loud or say it soft, but say it. Make others’ day by making an impact. Make yourself bigger by playing a bigger role in the lives of your constituents. Decide on your style. Choose your moments and take them. In my case, it’s being this effusive and demonstrative in front of a camera. Or it’s the multiple sparkling conversations I have every day. Or it’s the opportunity to stand up in front of a live audience and wow them.

5. Get Out There And Meet Somebody. Campaigns are never won from the comfort of your office. Pick up the phone. Attend the meetings. Join the associations. Press the flesh. Look people in the eye and make a connection. And, yes, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkIn. Don’t just download, upload. Create your own podcasts and videos – that’s what I’m doing right now. It’s never been easier to broadcast your message to the world.

6. Make Good On Your Promises. Be who you say you’re going to be. Do what you say you’re going to do. Come through for others and they’ll come through for you. Build great alliances. It’s the Law of Reciprocation and it drives all sustainable wealth and wellness. We’re only as good as the people who return the promises we’ve kept.

7. Stay The Course. Life is a long march. We all go through our own seasons. Sometimes, we may need to lie low, but most the time we need to blaze our own campaign trail. That’s where the action is. That’s where the rewards are. It’s about stamina, mojo and resilience. And age has nothing to do with it. Some of the most energized people I know are well north of 70.

That’s it. I hope you’re inspired to launch or relaunch your personal campaign. And remember, when it comes to motivating your team, Vote Mike Lipkin. Yes, you can.

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We’re almost at the fifty-day mark of 2011. In dog years, an entire year has already passed. It’s been epic. The climate is changing dramatically, both physically and metaphysically. As Elisabeth Rosenthal asks in the February 13 issue of the New York Times: “What happens when 100 year storms are seen every 10 years, and 10 year storms become regular events? How many structures will reach their limits?”

My question is “How many people will reach their limits?” And my answer is “all of us”. 10-year storms are becoming regular events. The difference between the champions and the also-rans is whether our limits become boundaries that constrain us or turning points that redefine us. It’s that bipolar. Either we thrive on storms, or they swamp us. We seize the moment or we seize-up in the moment.

At the beginning of February, I hosted the 2011 HRPA Annual Conference for 2500 HR Professionals across Ontario and the rest of the world. The theme of the event was “Turning Trends To Your Advantage”. For three days, I polled delegates on their perception of what it takes to win in 2011. I then correlated their responses with the Environics Social Values Trends to discern the Ten Winning People-Trends of 2011. Some may strike you as self-evident and some may come as a surprise. But all of them will help you win in 2011:

1^st Winning Trend: Enjoy Your Work

This is the Uber-Trend. It’s the antidote to the post traumatic stress following the meltdown of 2008 and 2009. It’s about the pursuit of happiness in the pursuit of revenue. It’s the Fun-Factor that makes the Extra-Effort worthwhile. It’s about the smile, the laugh, and the special touches that elevate people’s moods in difficult times. Sometimes it’s embedded in the culture, and sometimes it’s the initiative flowing from a specific colleague or manager. But with so much time being spent at work, it’s important all the time. So ask yourself how much fun it is to be around you? Do others work with you because they have to? Or because they want to? No Kill-Joys Allowed.

2^nd Winning Trend: Be Inspired

Closely aligned with the first trend, this trend is the emotional engine that drives superior performance. As Nietzsche stated, “He who has a WHY to live, can bear almost any HOW”. It’s about being inspired by a higher motive. It’s about hiring out one’s heart as well as one’s head and hands. It’s about making a difference in something that makes a difference. It’s a 50:50 partnership between the employer and staff. It’s not the industry that defines the Inspiration Quotient; it’s the perception of the role that one plays in other’s lives. Inspiration can be the ultimate Game-Changer when everything else is commoditized. So how inspired are you? Are just laying rocks? Or are you creating a cathedral?

3^rd Winning Trend: Thrive on Austerity

The tide isn’t rising. As a rule, the market in North America isn’t growing. 1-3% growth may be the order of the decade. The mantra of the workplace is “cheaper, leaner, better, faster.” The winners are the “Adaptive Navigators” of the New Austerity. Their true resources are internal, not external. Their ingenuity increases in direct proportion to the challenges facing them. They feel the fear, but they alchemize it into excitement. They are confident in their ability and courageous in their actions. They back themselves especially when their backs are against the wall. They are the people everyone is looking for. So how lean are you? How are you demonstrating your ability to deliver a lot more for a lot less? And how skilled are you at helping the people around you travel light?

4^th Winning Trend: Matrix Yourself

Hierarchy is so boomer. The new reality is about heterarchy – where leaders and followers are interchangeable depending on circumstances. The matrix is the message. Dotted lines connect everyone to everyone so everyone has a license to create a better way. Influence is earned daily. Authority is by invitation only. Informal power and formal structures overlap. Titles are inevitable, and they’re even respected but they’re merely a credential. Whether it’s a commercial bank or a computer start-up, the passion for talent is egalitarian in the champion organizations. So how flat is your world? How accessible are you to others – both physically and psychically? Are you managing by title? Or are you leading by example?

5^th Winning Trend: Maximize Your Personal Value

In stripped-down organizations, the individual is decisive. When the rubber meets the road, it all comes down to the quality of the conversation between the representative and his/her client/customer. The bigger the scale, the more important every interaction becomes. Whether it’s an airline or a law firm, the individual is the ambassador of the company and the company is judged by the individuals it keeps. The winners appreciate their power and they exercise it every time. They play their A-Game and they keep raising it. They captivate their customers and they coach their own managements. So how accountable are you for making a difference? Are you aware of your own power? Because with great power comes great responsibility (with acknowledgement to Uncle Ben, Spiderman’s uncle).

6^th Winning Trend: Brand Yourself Fabulously

It’s one thing to maximize your value, it’s another to communicate it fabulously. The winners understand perception is reality. They know they’re defined by their words and actions. They’re conscious of themselves but they’re not self-conscious. They do whatever it takes to delight others. They understand how to differentiate themselves not just through the value they deliver, but how they make others feel while they deliver it. And by the way, this applies as much to corporations as it does to individuals. Function and feeling are intertwined. Show them the money, but show them the love as well. So what’s your story? What is your Magnetic Promise? What sets you apart from everyone else in your space? Why would the best customers want to buy from you? And why would the best performers want to partner with you?

7^th Winning Trend: Cross The Generational Divide

The Generational Divide may be smaller than you think. Boomers and Gen Xers are already close. But Boomers and Gen Yers can get even closer. There is a middle path where they can meet to create remarkable results. The best Boomers have the wisdom to meet Gen Yers more than halfway. With more than half the workforce over 40, they still have the power but they’re learning a new game that’s being defined by the Gen Yers. Experience can be a liability if it’s rooted in obsolete realities. The most successful organizations are characterized by a mutual admiration for each other. Mentoring flows both ways. Age has its advantages but youth has technology. So how supportive are you to the generations around you? Are you reaching out or shutting down? Remember, if you’re open to others they’ll open you up as well.

8^th Winning Trend: Master The Rules

In a post excess reality, every category is being constrained by terms of compliance that can verge on insanity. It’s as much about doing things right as it is about doing the right things. The pendulum has swung to the extreme and it may be a while before it swings back. So don’t complain, comply. The champions treat compliance like gravity. It is what it is. They operate within it. They’re creative in the space open to them. They don’t allow the “administrivia” to excuse them for not excelling. The process is not the enemy but one’s attitude can be. So how compliant are you? Have you mastered the rules of your game? Compliance can set you free to go deep on what really matters.

9^th Winning Trend: Build Your Social Graph.

Your commercial worth is a direct function of the number of people you influence. Connections are the new currency. You need to be LinkedIn, Facebooked and Twittered. But networking means a lot more than working the net. It means talking to people in person and by phone – especially if they come from a different place to you. It means building social reciprocity by reaching out and giving more to others than they expect. It means being personally philanthropic so you build passionate promoters – people who become your advocates because you make a massive difference to them. It must be authentic. It doesn’t matter whether you’re naturally gregarious or not. What matters is how much you matter to as many people as possible. So whom have you helped today? And how many more can you help?

10^th Winning Trend: Train To Win

Everybody loves to win but only a few love to train. Less than one out of five people have a regimented training plan – mental and physical. The urgent things are so pressing that we don’t find time for the things that are really powerful. It’s not about time-management. It’s about priority management. What matters most should receive the most time, right? But it’s the opposite. On both a corporate and an individual level, the winners find the time for what counts. They expand their capacity to be remarkable so they achieve more without doing more. So how are you training to win? What’s your plan? And how disciplined are you in executing it?

Those are my Ten Winning People-Trends of 2011. I hope they’ve enriched your perspective and energized you to be more. Let me know. This is Mike Lipkin, and until the next time, remember: There are so many people counting on you to be your best. As you step up, you take them all with you.

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Hi this is Mike Lipkin and welcome to the Year of The Maestro, pronounced my-he-stroh

Literally, Maestro is the Italian word for Master or Teacher.

It comes from the world of classical music, but it is also the ultimate professional accolade. Maestro is the title awarded to people who inspire us through their mastery of their art.

It may be the art of music, painting, theatre, dancing, cooking, manufacturing, design, business, presentations, consulting, sales, service or just living. But it’s the execution of those disciplines at a level that strikes us as art.

Art occurs to us as beautiful, appealing, extraordinary, rare, fulfilling, compelling, desirable, pleasurable and reassuring. It pulls us towards it. It opens us up. It makes us more simply by being around it.

The greater the demand, the greater the need for people who perform at the highest level. When no one else can, the Maestro can. And if they can, others will follow.

The number of Maestros around us defines the quality of our life. And the number of Maestros around us is a function of our Maestro-dom. Like attracts like. Life is a mirror that reflects back at us what we are.

Look around you. Are you a Maestro-Magnet? And are you inspiring others with your art? Are you bringing magic to their world? Are you being fully expressed? Or is your music going unplayed?

Make 2011 your year of the Maestro. Your brilliant best is in front of you. If you want to win, that’s the level you’ve got to play at. And it’s easier than you think.

Dramatic Differentiation is the Game-Changer. It’s what sets you apart so others want a part of you.

We’re all in competition for the same thing: Other’s Time. Other’s Time demands Other’s Sustained Attention.

Other’s Sustained Attention demands a Personal Impact that is fresh, phenomenal, memorable, meaningful, emotional, inspirational, and one-of-a-kind. Me-Too or SO-SO (Same Old, Same Old) is not an option.

We’re lucky if we get our Fifteen Minutes. We have to earn it through dramatic personal differentiation. Then we have to earn the next Fifteen Minutes and the next. In fact, our entire future depends on the caliber of Fifteen Minutes we can keep generating.

Here’s more good news: Dramatic Differentiation can be in the flick of wrist, the turn of a phrase or the wink of an eye. It’s the Law of Disproportion. The smallest distinction, the babiest action, the slightest touch, the skimpiest move can make a massive impact that ripples through our future.

So here are the Five C’s of the Maestro Model: Consciousness, Confidence, Competence, Capacity and Contribution.

It all begins with Consciousness. Maestros are intentional. They’re acutely conscious of who they need to be, what they need to do and why they need to do it. I’m conscious of being Fascinated, Amazed, Grateful, Stretched, Curious, Committed, Loving, Alert, Receptive, Ambitious, Vital and Light. I’m conscious of how I’m expressing this message. And, right now, it’s the most important thing I can do because it may be the most important thing you need to hear.

Confidence is constructed from consciousness. It is the bridge from safe to scary. It’s trusting oneself and others. It’s going where you haven’t been before even though you don’t know the way. It’s belief translated into action.

Confidence is your Teflon skin that protects you against self-doubt. It means never backing down when you know you need to back yourself. It’s the gift you give yourself. And it’s the gift no one can take away.

Confidence is a great servant and a shocking master. It needs humility to save it from becoming obstinacy. The distance between Hero and Zero can be horribly short. Humility means believing in oneself but not one’s self-importance.

Confidence is courage out loud. It means expressing our courage so others can follow. If courage is at the core of our character, Confidence is at the edge. It’s the quality that is most visible; that’s why it’s so vital.

I may be living proof of the Power of Confidence. I made the decision at the age of 17 to be confident. Even then, I wanted to be an inspirational speaker in the spirit of JFK, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and P.T. Barnum.

The only problem was that I stuttered. I got stuck on the consonants. Every speech was a matter of mind over stuckness. And yet I discovered something valuable: my flaw was fascinating to others. They gave me more time. They vicariously participated in my struggle while they thanked their respective gods they weren’t me. I owned an automatic differentiation and an ongoing opportunity to practice being confident, despite the humiliation that always hovering nearby.

Confidence precedes Competence because it attracts Competence. On the other hand, Competence without Confidence goes unused. It breaks my heart to witness the number of highly competent people who are leaving their skills on the table because they’re too afraid to fail. The real danger is not that we set our targets too high and we miss them. It’s that we set them too low and we hit them.

Competence At the level of a Maestro, (CALM) means you have the required knowledge and skill to perform at the highest level. It means you can carry the weight of the task’s demands and other’s expectations. It means you’re the benchmark by which others are judged.

CALM is the quality that takes people’s breath away. It’s the element that elicits the surprise and wonder that captivates others. It’s the behavior that begs the question: How does he do that?

Whether it’s Christian Bale in The Fighter, the myriad performers in Cirque Du Soleil, Steve Jobs hawking his next game-changer or the flight attendant who retains her cool courtesy on a 14-hour flight, CALM is the signal that cuts through the noise and doubt. It’s the one measurable success factor that can be seen, heard, felt, tasted and touched, but never faked. It’s where the rubber meets the road. And the more sophisticated the audience or participants, the greater the impact.

There is no short cut to Competence At the Level of Maestro. While the process can be accelerated, it’s always going to be a long journey because it has no terminal. The pursuit of CALM is a state of never-ending personal enhancement for its own sake. Sometimes it’s a pleasure and sometimes it’s blood, sweat and tears; but it’s always a passion that grows more intense over time.

CALM means you have risen beyond being a “True Pro” to being someone whose expertise is creating a new genre of performance. Invention, innovation, daring, radicalism and avant-garde are embedded in your everyday execution. It means sometimes going too far to know how far you can go and then immediately course correcting. That’s why all major progress ultimately depends on people with CALM.

Capacity: CALM cannot be created without Consciousness and Confidence, and it cannot be sustained without the Capacity to carry on.

Winning is not about who is right; it’s about who is left. It’s about falling down seven times, standing up eight. It’s about the size of one’s heart, and lungs. It’s about playing like your life depends on it, even though it doesn’t, although the quality of your life ultimately does

The future belongs to those who are conditioned to win. They take care of themselves first because they know everything else depends on it. They treat themselves like the athlete every human must be. They have a plan that’s just right for them. They know that they’re different – just like everybody else.

They love to triumph and they love to train – the one doesn’t happen without the other.

We’re all living in the confluence of a perfect storm. There is more to do. There is less time to do it. There are so many other people who can do it well and there are so many people depending on us to get it right. Anxiety, overwhelm and fatigue are the new normal. No matter how much the economy improves, uncertainty is the new certainty. The velocity of change is doing violence to our sense of well being. It’s exciting and exhausting in equal measure. Whatever it takes out of us, we have to put back in, and then some.

Our happiness is a direct function of our Capacity to handle anxiety, overwhelm and fatigue. It’s mental, emotional, physical and social. It’s the stamina we show in life’s overtime moments. It’s in the crises that we define who we are and what others become.

Contribution: Here’s what I’ve discovered as a result of talking to over a million people from 43 countries since 1993: all wealth is a direct reciprocation of the contribution we make to others. The more value we create, the more valuable we become; or rather, the more value-able we become.

For the Maestro, everything leads to Contribution. He is the cause others rally around because they feel stronger and luckier around him. The Maestro becomes their Talisman. He is their catalyst for luck, their lightning rod for fortune and the channel to their success.

That’s why Maestros are happy. They’re surrounded by people who feed them and feed off them. Maestros are at their best when they’re empowering others. They’re generous at a level that others consider crazy. Yet the more they pay it forward, the greater their payback. It’s a beautiful thing in life: we cannot help others without first helping ourselves. If all wealth is a direct reciprocation of the contribution we make to others, generosity is a force multiplier.

That’s it from me. This year, live the 5 C’s. Become a Maestro and your life will play out very well.

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We’re well into the final quarter of 2010. And here’s my mantra: Make this the best quarter ever. Finish 2010 the way you want to begin 2011: on a High.

2010 has been exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure. After the shock of 2009, this year has been resurgent. We’re living in a post-apocalypse reality. After the universal destruction of so many established models and beliefs, there is a new vitality emerging.

2011 will be a phenomenal year for those who are ready for it. Are you? Because if you are, you’re in the small minority. Our research indicates that 4 out of 5 people are closing out the year feeling beaten-up, worn-down and tired out. They’re dragging their tail to the finish line. They’ve just been through the most difficult two years of their lives. They’ve been forced to re-evaluate and re-create almost every rule of the game because they’re being confronted with a whole new game. And it needs to be played at a whole new level.

Only 1 out of 5 people are ready for the new game – even if they don’t exactly know what it is. They back themselves. They pursue a higher purpose. They’re travelling light. They’ve let go of what doesn’t serve them so they can discover what does. They’re coming out of the last two years younger and faster. I’m one of them, and if you’re reading this, so are you. I’m ready for 2011. I sense the possibilities and I see the opportunities because I’m hanging with the right people. They’re amazing. So who are they? And how can you become one of them?

They are a special tribe called Connected Catalysts. They are highly social, idealistic, ageless, enthusiastic, courageous, curious and generous. They may not all want to change the world, but they all want a world of change. They embrace the chaos because they know that’s the new world order. They feel the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt), but they relish it. They know that ultimate victory is in the hands of the Gods, so they play every game like the privilege that it is.

Here’s the greatest attribute of Connected Catalysts: They energize the people around them. They inspire them to do things they otherwise would not have done. Their secret sauce is other’s sauce of power. Think about the Connected Catalysts in your life. Think about how priceless they are to you. Think about how impoverished you would be without them.

Here’s Lipkin’s Ultimate Belief in Personal Effectiveness: Our individual ability to cause a difference is directly dependent on the number of Connected Catalysts we have recruited to our cause. Let me repeat that: Our individual ability to cause a difference is directly dependent on the number of Connected Catalysts we have recruited to our cause.

If you look, you’ll find Connected Catalysts everywhere. They transcend demographics. They emerge in response to emergencies. And here’s another heads-up: the more Connected Catalysts you find, the greater the likelihood that you are one. Like attracts like.

We become what we repeatedly do. So if you want to become a Connected Catalyst and make this the best quarter ever while you do the same for others, here are six actions you can take right now:

1.    Hold-On: It’s only a few short weeks to the Christmas break. Just like the rest of 2010, it will flash by. Anyone can handle anything if it’s short enough. Violent storms are always over quickly. This too shall pass. And it’s almost always easier than you think it will be.

2.    Game-On: The most you can do is the most you can do. So do it. Like Tim Hortons, be “Always Fresh”. Burn your excuses. Don’t give in to anything except the desire to be great. Connected Catalysts are extremely consistent. The people around them rely on them to be their best. Remember: in every meeting, you train people how to expect you to be in the next meeting. Train them to expect you to be brilliant. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

3.    Live Vicariously: Get your pleasure through others. See their success as your success. Be a walking pick-me-up. Never act in a way that makes others feel worse because they’ve interacted with you. Always act in a way that makes others feel bigger because of their interaction with you. Even when you have to be tough, you don’t have to be mean. Nice people win in the end – That’s Canada. Become a one-way ticket to the things that matter most to others. Build your relationships and they will build you. It’s that simple, but it’s not that easy.

4.    Concentrate: Converge your energy on what counts. Intensify your effectiveness by eliminating your distractions. Yes, you can. Most the distractions that derail us are manufactured from within. We’re all confronted with the brutal facts. No one gets a free pass to Nirvana. Everyone I know (and I know a lot of highly successful people) has their own tough row to hoe. The difference is the awareness they bring to their realities. Even pain becomes a clarifying force in the lives of Connected Catalysts. They’re aware of being aware. They concentrate on concentrating. They refuse to submit to the cacophonies of confusion around them. Instead, they understand the new game-changers and they master them. Do you? In my case, I need to concentrate on three things: being in total sync with the spirit of the times; being a coach who liberates people to obliterate their inner barriers; stripping away everything that interferes with the first two things.

5.    Accept The Offer: See everything that happens to you between now and December 24 as a gift. Yes, everything – especially the things you believe could be losses, afflictions, problems or penalties. The biggest opportunities camouflage themselves as insurmountable crises. You know why?  To test our commitment to our cause, our gratitude for our odyssey and our faith in the final outcome. There’s no middle path here: either you accept the offer or you reject it – and suffer the consequences that you create. And by the way, if you love LIFE, then breathe every breath as though it could be your last. One day, you will be right.

6.    Take Care: Eat, Drink, Pray, Party, Love, Read, Write, Fantasize, Listen, Dream, Share, Exercise, Holiday, Indulge and Sleep like your life depends on it. It does. You cannot give what you do not have. But what you have is what others need to have. So be generous with yourself. Be self-more so you can be self-less. Make sense? Let me make it even simpler: We need to burn brightly without burning out. For me, this entire message is about regeneration. Of course, it’s about inspiring others. But most importantly, it’s a deposit on my dream of inspiring others. Thank you for making it real.

Now go be a Connected Catalyst…

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Welcome back, it’s time to get working. July and August are just distant memories but September is here and it’s now.

So are you recharged? Are you regenerated? Are you ready to rock your world? Because that’s what it’s going to take. It’s about being amazing because that’s what your best clients and customers expect. Customer satisfaction is the starting point not the aspiration. The aspiration is Customer Amazement, no matter what industry you’re in.

I’ve had an amazing summer. And it’s not because I visited amazing places – which I did. It’s because of the amazing interactions I had with so many amazing people. From London, England to Gaspe, Quebec, I talked with people who dream of miracles. And so did you. Maybe your folks declared the pursuit of miracles as their goal, or maybe their intentions were described in a different manner. But everyone wants a miracle, whether they consciously know it or not.

The Collins English Dictionary describes  a miracle as “ a person or thing or event that is a marvelous example of something.” And who doesn’t want that? In fact, by that definition, not only can we pursue miracles, we can be them. What are you a marvelous example of? Parenthood? Professionalism? Partnership? Passion? Partying? Proactivity? There must be something. Find it. Be it. In my case, I hope you’ve noticed – it’s talking. I live to talk and I talk to live. My life is one long, engrossing conversation. And the fact that I can have it with you right here, right now when I’m not even in front of you is another massive miracle.

Hannah Arendt, the renowned German-American philosopher, described a miracle as follows:  The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws and their probability, which for all practical, everyday purposes amounts to certainty; the new therefore always appears in the guise of a miracle.

So we all want the “new” to be miraculous, not miserable. In the face of overwhelm, frustration and fatigue, we want a future that’s fabulous. We want to look forward to what tomorrow brings, not dread it. And yet, our research shows that only one out of four people truly look forward to the future. The rest are mixed in their emotions. They’re tentative about it. Of course they have things they anticipate with pleasure, but their overall outlook is colored with skepticism, uncertainty and doubt. New is not necessarily a good thing because it carries with it the possibility of mistakes, failure, hardships, more work and hard work.

What does “New” mean to you? Are you New? Or are you same old? Are you just tried and tested? Or are you prepared and powerful? And that’s where my message really begins.

Last week, I conducted a workshop with the amazing people from the Halifax Port Authority in a place called Pier 21, located in the Halifax Ocean Terminal. The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees from Europe and elsewhere from 1928 until 1971. It has been called Canada’s Ellis Island. It has also been called the Gateway to Canada.

As an immigrant myself, I can imagine the sense of awe and amazement experienced by the newcomers as they stepped off the boats into the new world. I can see them looking around in fear and fascination. They knew there was no going back. They knew the past was literally behind them, thousands of miles away. And so their future began that day.

Today is Gateway Day. It’s the day you walk through your own Pier 21. It’s the day you choose to look at everything around you as though you’ve just stepped off the boat into your new world. Look at things like you’ve never looked at them before. Look at people like you’ve never looked at them before. See everyone as your fellow immigrants into the new world.

Help others see new possibilities where previously they may only have seen problems. We’re all mirrors and lights to each other. Without each other, we have no bearing. Our  interactivity is the essence of our functionality. Isolation leads to insanity.

So be a Catalyst. According to the Random House Dictionary, a Catalyst is someone whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. I love that definition. It’s the ultimate secret of success in a single sentence. If that’s who you are, that’s whom other people will be for you – multiplied by an order of magnitude. It’s the Law of Reciprocation and it’s exponential. You don’t get an eye for an eye. You get an entire radar system.

Now that I’ve shared with you who you need to be, let’s talk about how you can be that person. It’s simple but it isn’t easy. You can only get there if you believe in miracles because that’s what it’s going to take – a person or thing or event that is a marvelous example of something. And that person or thing or event has to be you. Are you up for it?

Then here’s Lipkin’s 7-step Gateway Plan:

• 1.    Survive: If you’ve made it this far, you’ll survive. You’re designed to survive. You’ve got the smarts, the strength and the will to survive. You’ll always find a way to survive. Survival is a given. Extinction is not an option. So relax. And move on.

  2.    Believe in your mission: Are you just laying bricks, or are you building a cathedral? Every Catalyst I know is on a mission. They’re playing a bigger game. They’re driven by a higher purpose. They’re out to amaze the world. They’re crazy for their cause. Mine is exciting thousands of people into powerful action. My friend, Dani, is building the Great Canadian Brand. Another friend, Erez, is educating children by enabling their access to computers. Yet another, Karen, is building an enterprise that grows an entire regional economy by growing her people. What’s yours? If your mission is bigger than you, you grow. If it’s not, you’ll merely survive.

  3.    Love Your Reality: Your context is decisive. It’s not your circumstances that shape you, it’s how you interpret them. So love them. Your current reality is the only one you have. You’ve created it through who you’ve been and the choices you’ve made. Yes, you’ve created it. And you can change it – in a heartbeat. Accept accountability. And be the miracle you’re waiting for.

  4.    Build your knowledge and skills today: I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. There are no shortcuts. Without skills-mastery, you don’t stand a chance. You have to be the best at what you do. That’s why I’m building my communication skills with this video. And that’s why I’m always hungry for more knowledge. What’s your subject matter expertise and how can you enhance it today.

  5.    Create your Personal Method: Your Personal Method is your strategy for continual success. It’s how you apply your knowledge and skills every day to achieve amazing results. So the Tim Horton’s method is “Always Fresh”. The Apple Method is “Beautifully Functional Design”. The Jamie Oliver Method is “Simple, Healthy and Delicious”. My Method is “Always Be Excited” because I know I do great and I magnetize great to me when I’m excited. What’s yours?

  6.    Act like you mean it, right now: This is the step that everything else is merely preparing you for. It’s how you walk your talk. It’s the only step that others can see. We judge ourselves by our intentions but others judge us by our actions. The more we do the right things right, the more things turn out right. So act now. Adapt as you go. And remember: it doesn’t matter whether you feel like doing it. What matters it what you must do and how you need to do it to amaze and delight others. I know it’s a big ask, but I also know you’re up for it, right?

  7.    Measure, Monitor, Listen and Learn: Every day is our life in miniature. And every day is an opportunity to begin all over again with the wisdom gathered from the day before. So measure your results, monitor your evolution, encourage feedback and listen intensely to others. Learning is oxygen for the mind so breathe easy.

That’s it for now. Be a Gateway to a whole new realm of possibility. And revel in the miracles that follow.