Warren Macdonald's Unlimited Adventure

Adventures in Personal Leadership Series- Orlando FL Event

A Test of Will: One Man’s Extraordinary Story of Survival
February 19, 2009
8:45am-10:00am
Warren’s story is a gripping tale of profound courage, strength of spirit and sheer tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds. A story that will both haunt and inspire you from the first moment of catastrophe.
Warren will not only share about his story of how the strength of the human spirit and boundaries of the human potential were stretched to the limits by his accident and the two horrendous days trapped beneath a massive slab of rock, but also will share about his experiences with the healthcare team as a patient undergoing bilateral leg amputation and the associated recovery process. Warren was the first person with an above the knee amputation to reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro. His story exemplifies a mindset of looking for opportunities
rather than obstacles.
Session fee of $75.00 includes Continental Breakfast and Warren’s presentation.
To register, please contact Ann Meyer at
616.802.6593 or annmeyer@cpmrc.com

More details at: http://www.cpmrc.com

Download CommunityLeadershipSeriesFeb09

Value

I spoke at a meeting last week for a branch of a well know financial planning firm here in Canada

A couple of things struck me on the drive home that I want to share with you, as I think there’s an important lesson here for all of us.

 

While it’s great that, despite a horrendous year in the stock market, their reps still delivered outstanding sales, I couldn’t help thinking that in order to have really provided value to their clients, an astute advisor could have stepped in BEFORE the crash to protect their clients money.

Now, before you say “that’s nice, but nobody knew the crash was coming”; that is simply not true. The simple truth is; we didn’t want to see it coming…

It’s great to know our products; that’s important, but to deliver the kind of value that makes you the ONLY choice in your line of business; that puts you in what Joe Calloway calls a Category of One. And believe me; if you could have saved your clients from the pain of watching 30% of their portfolio evaporate; you'd have no need to worry about competition.

Something to think about for all of us:

What’s the value I’m bringing to the table, and what do I need to do to best deliver it?

Brican Interview

Doing an end of year clean-up and came across this interview I did back in August for a chiropractic company called Brican.
Enjoy!
Download 07-08-08-MacDonald

Have you thrown your TV out the window yet?

If not, here's a compelling reason to do just that...

Seriously, we simply can't afford to give these bozo's access to our minds...

For those that don't like to read...

here's a great video of one of my favorite authors Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma", "In Defense of Food") speaking at the Gooogleplex.
I'd say enjoy; but that wouldn't be quite right...

The Certainty of Uncertainty

It doesn’t matter whether we’re in a recession or not. Only one thing is certain. The game has changed. It had to; it was totally unsustainable and simply could not go on. The lessons here are numerous; I ask you to focus on one to begin with.

Are you going to adapt to the new game, or continue trying to play the old one?

You can’t change the outcome of whether we go into a recession or not. It’s too late for that now. We need to focus on what we can change, what we can do to determine how this period of, let’s call it “uncertainty”, affects us.

Sorry, I have to digress here now that I’ve used the “U” word. I’ve been watching the economy steam towards what’s happening like there’s no tomorrow for some time now; nothing was more certain in my mind than this outcome we have now. North Americans and the western world in general have been living above their means for decades, we can all be certain of that. On top of that, oil is a finite resource. Now that we’ve seen the $100 barrel of oil, we can be certain we’ll see the $1000 barrel. It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when.

Rather than get all depressed and overwhelmed by the above, let’s look at what it means. If we can make decisions and take action on what we know is true, we can move into uncertain times with certainty. We can move away from living in dreamland to creating a more sustainable future for our children, and their children, and their children’s children, etc, etc…

Some questions for you to ponder in moving forward:

• What measures can I take to protect myself and our members during this period of uncertainty?
• What kind of opportunities may come my way as a result of the changes taking place, and am I well positioned to take advantage of them?
• If not, why not?
• What do I need to let go of in order to move forward?

Remember, the key point I’m always reminding people of:

When you change the way you see the world, you change the world.

What kind of world do you want to create?

Is that the world you’re seeing now? If not, its time to take a fresh look…

Opportunities in Health

I’ve been speaking to a lot of healthcare groups lately. A common thread running through the entire health sector is that people are incredibly stressed; not just those working in healthcare, but the majority of their patients are showing as a result of incredibly busy lives with increased demands being made of their time and energy. It’s a familiar story, one we know all too well. Who isn’t stressed these days; really? What is becoming more and more apparent to me though is that while the sector faces some very real challenges; those working within it also have an incredible opportunity on the horizon. For some it may have already arrived. What I’m talking about is the opportunity to finally have the work they do recognized; to receive validation for the contribution these people make to our lives each and every day. I see a big shift coming. It’s been a long time coming, but with the current wave of “greenwashing” were seeing at the moment comes an emphasis on organic food and wellness in general. Were also seeing more and more proof, in case we need it, that stress has a very real and extremely detrimental affect on our lives. Were finally starting to realize that we are what we eat, and probably more importantly than that; we are what we think; or we manifest what we think. As more and more of us figure this out, and we begin to make the shift from a sickness system to a true health and wellness system, we’ll be looking to our health practitioners to guide us. Those in healthcare need to be ready. You don’t want to be stuck in the old model (well, it’s the current model for most people) which says you’re so stressed there's no possible way you can be of help to anyone else. You need to practice what you preach; be an example for people of what they should aspire to. You’re in a position to be at the forefront towards a kind f sustainability we should all be interested in, environmentalist or not; the sustainability of ourselves; our own wellbeing. You’re in a position to be there; to be there for people, when this shift takes place. It’s an exciting time if you let it be, full of opportunity. Bit only if you see it…

Yes We Can.

A guy called Michael Rupert turned me on to this very simple yet very powerful train on thought that I now apply to any situation I don't understand or need to understand more fully. "Show me how the money works. Who's making it; where it's going". I bring this up now; inspired by a video I want to share with you in this post. It reminded me of the times I've fought; for my independence and mobility; for the forests of Tasmania; against bureaucracy trying to treat me as a number. In all of these instances, the motivating factor was never money; far from it. I see a time coming, sooner rather than later, when some among us are going to choose to fight; indeed, many have already begun. I'm not talking about a war in another country; Rupert’s "show me how the money works" puts that in it's rightful place. No, I'm talking right here on this continent. When it begins; when the images begin to fill television screens across the nation, as indeed they always do when people protest against the IMF or the G8; stop and ask yourself; "how does the money work in this?" Do these people have anything to gain by protesting, and if not, what is driving them? Please don’t fall into the trap of thinking it's because they have nothing better to do. I had plenty better to do in my days as a front line activist; but once I'd seen the devastation being wrought on one of the world’s pristine wild places I simply could not turn away. I chose to fight. For something I believed in. For money; not likely. I had to give up well paying work to do so.

With all this being said, I have to precede this video with a disclaimer. Don't for a minute think that I'm interested in influencing how you vote. Or even suggesting that you vote. Those of you who've been reading these posts for a while will know my beliefs lie in their being much more power in how you spend each dollar, effectively voting with your wallet, than who you choose to elect as your leader.

No, the reason I'm sharing this video with you is because the message that will.i.am wants you to get is that the power to change is in your hands, nobody else’s. That this world we live in right now might be working fine for you; I know its working fine for me; but it's not working for everybody. It's not working for the families being caught in our "friendly fire" in Afghanistan and Iraq; it's not working for our soldiers coming home blown to bits if not in a box; it's not working for the children being born with AIDS throughout Africa; it's not working for the children working in sweatshops to make our cheap stuff; it's not working for those who've just defaulted on their mortgages (did you  know the banks had been on selling our mortgages?); and it's not working for any of us who've lost or had a family member diagnosed with cancer.

We can change. It won't be easy; we're going to have to give up some stuff. But it’s not working; and if you think that’s ok because its working for you; think again. We're all connected. If you think that sounds airy fairy; think again. It's the biggest thing I've learnt, and if anything, my life has been all about learning. Trust me on this. We have to change, and we can. You can.

To view in higher res and read will.i.am's story about this song, go to: www.dipdive.com

More Media

Wow, George Stroumboulopoulos is a popular guy! I've had lots of requests from other programs since being on Geroge's show; the next one coming up this Frdiay (Jan 25th).

I'll be talking to Sarah, Rich & Cam on the Drive This! program which airs on the Hardcore Sports Radio Channel 186 on Sirius Satellite Radio, going LIVE across North America on Friday at 5pm (ET). The show airs again Saturday morning at 7am (ET), and is then available via podcast at: http://www.hardcoresportsradio.com/podcast/

Is s strange merging of the medias, the show is also broadcast live on The Scopre television Network, Friday only at 5pm ET.

Enjoy!

Warren

For Canadians: Warren on "The Hour" Monday night at 11pm!

For the Cannucks out there, I wanted to give you a heads up that I have just come from the CBC recording studio in Toronto doing a pre-record for "The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos". The show goes to air Monday night, January 10th 2008 at 11pm in all time zones. In case you miss it, you can check it out online at: http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1883

I really enjoyed chatting with George. I like his style. Not overly dramatic. Not vapid like some of the presenters you come across; but engaging. Which was nice, because what I hoped to get across (let me now if I succeeded) is the richness life brings when we get real, when we fully engage. For me that connection has always come from the outdoors, and is still a work in progess really for everyday life inside the bubble we've built around us.

Anyway, you be the judge; let me know what you think.