Motivational Speaker

TV Host Author

Exercise Scientist

Radio Presenter Educator

Welcome to the website of the world's No.1 Motivational Speaker
(as ranked by Google)

motivational speaker - craig harper

Home

Motivational Speaker
Email Craig
Article Library
Podcast Interviews
Forum
Book Reviews

When Craig's not Speaking...

Telephone Consultations with Craig

About This Site.
This site is the website of motivational speaker Craig Harper. A constantly updated, one-stop information, inspiration, education and motivation station. Unlike many similar sites, it is a totally free resource for anyone who is serious about moving from mediocre to amazing in any area of their personal or professional life. With hundreds of articles covering a wide range of subject matter, great interviews with cool people and inspirational video posts, there's more than enough brain-food to keep you busy for hours. Okay, days!!
Enjoy.

Craig's Best Selling Books,  DVD's, CD's

   
personal development dvdDVD - Renovate Your Body
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also available on CD).
 

Craig Harper - Fattitude.Fattitude.
While many books focus on food, Craig Harper teaches that creating life-long change is more about the dieter, than the actual diet. This book is perfect for people who have a history of 'almost' getting in shape.

   
Craig Harper - Food for thought.Food for thought.
In this book, Craig Harper walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.
   
Craig Harper - So you've decided you want to get in shape (again).So you've decided you want to get in shape (again).
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.
   
Craig Harper - Food, Exercise, and Lifestyle DiaryCraig Harper - Food, Exercise, and Lifestyle Diary. If you're serious about your training, nutrition, and lifestyle - Craig Harper's training diary is an invaluable tool.


  The Web craigharper.com.au

 

Personal Training

 

Gecko Kids Fitness


Health Blogs - Blog Top Sites

Perth to Paradise - Sponsor Jack

 

Sites that Support Craig

 

  

 

Welcome to Craig's site.

Craig Harper is a leading motivational speaker and educator. He is a highly sought-after corporate coach and is considered to be a leader and pioneer in the areas of personal and professional development. Working with hundreds of teams, companies and a wide variety of organisations on numerous continents over the last twenty years has given Craig a unique insight into, and understanding of, human performance and all its variables. Craig has an ability to educate, inspire, challenge and make people laugh all at the same time!
 

Renovate Your Life Blog


Monday, April 2, 2007
Excess
* Excess (noun): more than or above what is necessary or usual. Unnecessary indulgence.

Is it just me, or do some of you also feel that perhaps most of us actually have... 'enough'.

Perhaps we don't actually need a 'better' computer with more ram, mega-thingies, or gigga-wotsits.
Maybe we don't need a phone that makes coffee, has built in satellite navigation and can guide the space shuttle back to earth.
And what if we do get the TV that's sixty feet wide... surely there's an eighty footer comin' out soon isn't there?
Perhaps we should wait for that big boy.

Could it possibly be that, as a culture, we've lost a little perspective?
Call me crazy, call me wacky, call me old-fashioned.

Today I took my very manly scooter to the bike doctor for a bit of love... his regular check-up.
I handed over the keys and Brady the bike shop guy handed me another set of keys for a 'courtesy' bike; a motorbike to get me around for a few hours while the scooter got a once-over.

The courtesy(!) bike was a Kawasaki ZX14.. a $20,000, 1400 cc, 200horse-power, 300kph (180mph) weapon; one of the fastest production bikes in the world.... 0 - 100kph (0 - 60mph) in under 3 seconds.

'Cause ya need that.

All in all though... a reasonable exchange for the 19hp, 0-100 in sixteen minutes, Taiwanese scooter.

So I put my helmet on, hopped on the beast, slipped it into first, let the clutch out, twisted the throttle and took off. I casually slid the ZX into second, looked down and was already on the speed limit... three gears to go, hardly any revs and I was doing a very lazy 80kph (50mph).

What's the point of this, I thought.
An exercise in frustration.
Like giving a four year-old a bag of sweets and saying "here you go... just don't eat any of them."
Great in theory; a bike that'll get me out of the state in seven minutes, but I can't actually use any of the power... unless, of course, I want to get to that speed limit in two seconds. Sure I can out-accelerate a Boeing 747 and possibly break the sound barrier... but then what do I do? It's kinda like building a mansion with fifty rooms and only ever being able to go into three of them; pointless.

"Sure my place has fifty rooms... I've never been into forty seven of them.. but apparently, they're very nice."

Why do we build motorcycles which will go 300kph when the fastest we can go (in this state anyway) is 110kph? And then.. why do we get really excited when they bring out a new bike which does 330kph (200mph), when we can still only do 110?

We don't need... we can't use it... but we want it anyway.
And when they build one which goes 400... we'll line up for those too.
Cause we love bigger, better, faster... more.

We love excess.

And while we're at it, let's get one of those gigantic go-anywhere four wheel drives with some of those ridiculous wheels and one of those obscenely enormous motors that get ten feet to the gallon... and then let's commute around suburbia in it and see exactly how much additional carbon-monoxide we can pump into our already polluted atmosphere.

A Hummer perhaps... you never know when you might have to contend with some stray artillery or perhaps a hand grenade from an irate passer-by.

To me it seems that we live in a world of excess.... and contradictions.
While billions (no, not millions) are wondering if they'll eat in the next week, if they'll ever learn how to read or if they'll make their fifteenth birthday, Western corporations are seeing if they can build a robot that can pour us a drink and do the vacuuming while we watch our sixty foot TV.

Because we certainly wouldn't want to get off our asses would we?
Imagine having to pour your own beer... or do housework.
So 1974.
Such unnecessary hardship.

Those starving people... they just don't get how tough we have it.
They don't have to deal with the stress that we endure on a daily basis.
We need all this stuff.

Apparently.

I don't know if it's an expression that's used outside of this country (let me know), but in Australia there's a common saying often used by blokes:

"He who dies with the most toys... wins."

And while many people would suggest that this expression is meant to be a joke and tongue-in-cheek, the reality is that for many people, it is anything but a joke. It is actually some people's mantra; they would never articulate as much... but look at how they live; they don't need to say it. If you want to know what people's values and principles are (what's important to them) look at how they live their life.

Australia; the accumulation nation.

We love stuff.
And as much as we can get.

The other day here in Melbourne I was sitting at an intersection on the chick-puller (girls clearly dig me on that scooter) when I noticed the guy in the car next to me was changing the music on his 'in-car entertainment system' with his remote control!
'Cause you wouldn't want to have to lean all the way over (a full ten inches) and twist those knobs or push those buttons manually wouldya?

Might pull a hamstring or tear a rotator cuff.

So in an act of tough-love, I opened his car door, ripped the remote out of his fat, lazy hands, broke it in half, pulled him out of the vehicle by his ears, slapped him on the back of the head and shared a valuable and timely life lesson with him.

Alright, I didn't really.. but geeez I wanted to.
I momentarily fantasized about it.

(You wish I did do it... don't you?)

Bad you
... you're becoming like me.

When is enough stuff... enough?

When will we realise that we don't need 1,200 TV channels... perhaps 600 is enough.
One of my friends just put a dish on the roof of his house that's the size of a Hyundai... apparently it picks up Japanese TV stations... the fact that he only speaks English is irrelevant; he wants it. When I pointed out that he didn't speak Japanese he looked perplexed... then I realised that it wasn't about actually watching the Japanese stations.. it was about being able to tell his mates that his TV could get Japan.

It is about his ego.

Yes, I told him.
Of course.

Sometimes, less is more.

Waddya think?

Let me know (and where you're from).

31 comments 

Click play above to see motivational speaker Craig Harper in action.

Receive Craig's new articles automatically by entering your email address below:

Email:

Privacy Guaranteed. 100% Spam Free.

Delivered by FeedBurner

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper
Craig Harper is one of Australia's most respected motivational speakers and educators. Some of Craig's recent clients include:

  • Alinta

  • Telstra

  • ANZ Bank

  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia

  • National Australia Bank

  • Corporate Express

  • Pricewaterhouse Coopers

  • Department of Infrastructure

  • Department Planning and Community Development

  • Simplot Australia

  • Porter Davis Homes

  • Rothschild Merchant Bank

  • Royal Children's Hospital

  • Fernwood Fitness Centres

  • Flour Daniel

  • Brivis

  • Sensis

  • Western Water

  • South East Water

For more information on booking Craig click here.

Some nice words about Craig:

"We had our annual conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive and fun way. He was loved by all!"

Ally Memic, IMCD, Australia

 
Craig's Most Popular Articles
A Shove with Love - A Kickstart to Change
Accountability Partners are Us!
The Fifty Success Habits
Toughness
Eight Steps to Getting out of that Rut
The Sixty One Year-Old Skater Dude
Low Fat Meals that Aren't.
A Dog's Life
Craig Meets Lance Armstrong
Smells Like Team Spirit
The Value of Criticism

Single? What's WRONG with Him?

Celebrate the Weirdo

Weight-Loss Bullshit

The Muffin-Top Pioneer

The Thief of Time
Living in Fat City
Sure, girls are cool.. but I so don't wanna be one
More articles like these...
 
   
 
Recent Life Lessons by Craig
Knowing what to ask
Rules
The King of Bling
The Night Walker
The Shrinking Family
Emotional Quicksand
How to Smoke Fifty Cigarettes a Day and be Healthy
The Change Myth
The Impossible Conversation
Revelation from a Gossip Mag
More life lessons like these...
 

 

Positive Blog Network

 

   

   
   

Motivational Speaker - Archived Articles click here for more lessons and laughs

 
         

Craig's Best Selling Books,  DVD's, CD's

   
personal development dvd

 

 



DVD - Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper

In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also available on CD).

Craig Harper - Fattitude.

 

 


Fattitude - Craig Harper
While many books focus on food, Craig Harper teaches that creating life long change is more about the dieter than the actual diet.

Craig Harper - Food for thought.

 

 

Food for thought - Craig Harper
In this book, Craig Harper walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.

Craig Harper - So you've decided you want to get in shape (again).

 

 

So you've decided you want to get in shape (again) - Craig Harper
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.

 

Terms of Use | Privacy | Copyright 2007 craigharper.com