Fluke or fate

Tonight, I met a business man who told me he is rarely at a loss for words.  Yet, recently, when bush fires burned out of control in rural Victoria, Australia, that all changed.  He ventured out to an area under threat because it was near where he owns property.  His instinct was to save it.   Most people he knew thought he was crazy. Rather than run away to escape, he chose to walk right into the fire. If you've ever known anyone who has said anything like this when bush fires are raging out of control, then you know that this could mean taking one's life into one's own hands.  Firemen do what they can, but at a certain point of no return, when fires blaze out of control, staying or leaving is ultimately a property owner's choice.

This man to whom I spoke is in his mid-sixties and he owns a general store in a particular remote town. Its a historic site and has much sentimental value for him and his family. As he was making his way there, he struggled to breathe in thick smoke.  He heard about people in the community losing their homes amidst 230 degree temperatures. He was aghast at the cinders he passed, yet he adamantly continued to travel toward his property. He saw firemen backburning along the way.

He remained convinced that if he let fear take over, then misfortune would be imminent. Somewhere in his past, he remembered hearing that a coward dies many times before his actual death.  This would be a mental suffering. His temperament refused to permit him to think that way. Instead, he extinguished his fear like he envisioned the firemen would extinguish the fires.  He told himself nothing would frighten him. He moved forward when most people turned back.

To this day, he has no idea how he found courage to forge on when people were fleeing.  When he finally arrived at the site of his general store, everything around this structure had burned down. This property was the only thing left standing.  Many people look at the situation and feel it was impossible. The owner decided angels must've intervened. Inside that store were priceless family albums and items of sentimental value which could never have been replaced. Now, he won't have to make the effort. He is more grateful than he ever was. He believes in miracles.

The owner of this store doesn't consider himself a spiritual man. However, this experience renewed his faith in Forces beyond him for which he has no explanation. He is pleased to still run that general store that has been in his family for generations. Funny how the old town is being rebuilt around it already when originally, it had emerged later after the people, the other way around.

The time is now

Think of the last time you contemplated taking a risk.  You can learn to realize that your mind creates a vision of what you think will happen as the result.  Your mind has power to convince you to go ahead with something or not. Did you ever try telling yourself 'the time is now?'

Think of the swimming pool or the polar dip in the early morning back at summer camp. The water wasn't always the most inviting temperature, but you discovered you could psych yourself up to get it over with. Maybe such experiences ignited your anticipation and excitement.  How did you get that adrenalin pumping? Was it the prospect of winning a prize? Was it the prospect of being first? proving you could when others said you couldn't? Did you do it to prove it to them?

In order to take risks, you also need to develop a willingness to make mistakes and to be ready to face disapproval. Realize that you don't have to be afraid of getting results you don't foresee.  The way to tackle challenging issues is to face them head on.  This leads to personal growth. Once you face something that scares you, the fear and self-doubt no longer control your mind.

Ask yourself if you're willing to take chances even when success is not guaranteed. It's wise to assess the varied levels of risk before you jump into any situation.  What would you be willing to lose? What do you think you could gain? Just because a prospective venture differs from anything anyone you know has done doesn't necessarily mean taking the associated risks wouldn't be right for you.  Learn to separate your views from those of others. Be open to opinions, but be weary of basing your own choices on someone else's opinion. After all, who knows you better than you?

It's never too late to take a risk that you might have put off for whatever reason. Be ready to reassess where you are and the nature of your circumstances. The point will come where you may feel you should give yourself a last crack at a dream. As you sense you're getting on in years and may not have the energy or stamina to reach certain goals down the tract, you may find yourself saying, 'now or never.' If you dream of getting involved in a financial venture and the money becomes available, that may indicate the time is now. If your heart has been encouraging you to express feelings toward someone before they marry someone else, listen to your gut. Signs will present themselves. It's in our interest to keep our eyes peeled and act accordingly. 

Holding back or moving forward

Everyone is bombarded with ideas of success. They come from people you know and don't know. You can choose to believe what people say or not. You have freedom to define your own views.

For some people, success is the ability to get out of bed in the morning and to feel as though they have a place to go and things to do there.

For others, success is defined by the ability to be patient and bide their time.

You may think success is explained by preventing yourself from doing what you might regret, or creating a vision of your future and taking steps to make it happen. Examine your feelings.

Whatever you decide, your understanding of success is a way to verify your existence. Moving forward is as much a state of mind as holding yourself back.  You are your own compass.  You orient your direction and you identify your course.  Change your itinerary as you see fit.

Uplift your soul

If there's one thing I've learned in all my perceived encounters with people who seem to represent guardian angels, or other positive forces, their gestures of kindness uplift my soul.

Each morning, when I awaken, I sense the warmth of light that beams in through my window and I'm grateful to have been given another day.  I have come to recognize the act of guardianship. Its a feeling I associate with intense light, and strong feelings of comfort and support that energize me. I've been fortunate to meet people in my life who have opened my mind to new opportunities I hadn't thought about before. I've learned helping people also helps myself.

I send out positive feelings to an older woman I know to be suffering from an illness its within her power to get under control.  It's a wonderful feeling to learn that she's experiencing a change of attitude about her health which is already ensuring her recovery.  She tells me she has always believed in angels and that people seem to show up and help her in her life just when she needs a helping hand. 

She told me she recently had a dream.  She was told her time had not yet come.  She found herself crying, then her fear about her uncertain health seemed to disappear. She had a feeling of being embraced by love. She awoke and realized someone already in her life had been helping her and she had not noticed to what degree. She became more grateful for what was already right in front of her. This man was there when she had to go to the hospital.  He represents more than an Earthly guardian angel. It took her time to realize how much he cared and how much she did.

This woman still denies that her health choices affect her illness, but she has felt increasingly close to the spirit world that has given her strength through very difficult times.  She is slowly letting go of bitterness and negative feelings.  She is developing new faith in people who have entered her life who help her see beyond her earlier life of deep distress. She has discovered more to her life.

Derek Pingle & the benefits of blood, sweat & fears

What you do every day inspires someone somewhere, but do you think about that?  The question is, are the choices you make contributing to improve someone else's lifestyle alone or, are your choices bringing you closer to realizing your dreams? You define the kind of wealth you seek, what this entails, and what steps you're willing to take to create and achieve it.

You may have heard that hard work and persistence are key to becoming a champion. Lance Armstrong, eight time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, would concur. You also need to sense deep inside that you have the power to become this image, that you are in fact, already there.  How do you permit this mindset to empower you to shape your life?  Remind yourself that a sense of completeness and fulfillment are not only for the chosen few, but for the few who choose this path and convince themselves they have what it takes to finish their own race.

I heard a profound story tonight directly from Derek Pingle.   He recounted how at age 24, he became a race car driver. At that time, he dreamed of being an Australian national car racing champion, yet he encountered stumbling blocks that he permitted to deter him from his dream.  Later in life, he tried again and had a terrible accident which totaled his car, landed him in hospital and triggered a stroke. 

Nonetheless, he recovered, bought a new car and tried again.  He competed in many races, stubborn and resilient, lost some and won some.  He worked hard, yet wasn't completely convinced he would win and thus, he didn't. At the height of his career, he achieved only second place which really ate away at him. Soon after that, he retired to focused on developing businesses with his wife. Nonetheless, Derek and his brother still maintained a dream they would oneday race to driving victory. When Derek lost his brother suddenly, he decided that his brother wouldn't have wanted him to let his dream die.

Understand that between them, Derek and his wife evolved to be working ~200 hours per week in 6 businesses.  They earned what they saw as an acceptable income, but felt at a loss for time to live the life they desired.  They describe how they took a chance to become involved in a marketing business which enabled them to create passive income and cut back on other business commitments. This new venture prompted Derek to buy another racing car.  He decided he would again pursue his dream, this time, for his brother too. It was now or never. He went for it.

Derek hired a German trainer who put him on a strict triathlete's exercise regimen which he admits he really despised. He also became very disciplined with his new diet. Friends and media told him repeatedly that nobody his age had ever attempted what he decided he would accomplish.  His 24 year old daughter became his greatest supporter and racing team manager. Born in 1958, this Australian man became the oldest ever Australian Yokohama Formula 4000 car racing champion in 2006. This was a dream he had had over 24 years. He savoured the moment.

The financial freedom Derek worked to create through his marketing business enabled him to change focus.  He gave up being involved in diverse ventures and operations throughout South East Queensland, including Pingel Homes, which won more than 100 industry awards.  He chose to surround himself with people who stretched him and added new value to his life.  He did mental mind conditioning with cue cards which he kept in his pocket and read every day. He read race track maps with ideal speeds written on them to visualize what he wanted. he did everything he thought he had to do adn he asked experts to help him.  Ultimately, he  told himself he had what it takes and he grew to believe that.  He realized that difficulty hadn't caused his past failures, rather, it was his lack of faith in himself.

Derek Pingle paid the price for his victory in blood, sweat and overcoming his nagging fears.  He realized the person he became in the process of winning races was the person he'd been hiding all the time.  He has taught me the value of nurturing a teachable spirit inside myself. Quite frankly, it's humble and exhilarating to feel like a work in progress.  I accept and benefit from new skill sets all the time.   As I help other people learn the business that helped Derek change his lifestyle, I sense I will not achieve the success I envision for myself unless I also help others realize the value of their own untapped potential.  It makes me feel good to inspire people to reconnect with their dreams on a regular basis, and make promises to themself they are committed to keep.  Savor your own journey. As you search for new kinds of meaning in life, you can overcome your own fears.