Archive of Motivational Speaker

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, December 31, 2007

Writing Project: We Have a Winner!

The Writing Project: Well, we had some great entries and I want to thank you guys and girls who submitted a piece, for going to the effort and taking the time to share part of you. Writing for an audience is a tough gig and you all did great. You can take a peek at all of the submissions by clicking on the 'writing project' link in the right hand sidebar.
I know that some of you wrote creatively for the first time in decades (or perhaps, ever), so I commend you for that. You stopped contemplating and you started doing. The first step towards amazing.

Anyway, our special guest blogger for today (our last post of the year) is the winner of our little project, Leanne Magraith. Congratulations Leanne, you did a great job and we are honoured to have you share your creativity and talent with us.

Here we go.

Ignite that Spark of Belief.
by Leanne Magraith

"Life Sucks and then you Die". The slogan on the t-shirt was not the worst I had seen but I could tell I was going to have my work cut out for me. Tony with the attitude to match the t-shirt came into my office, sat down and made no eye contact. His gaze shifted from out the window to down at the floor. Tony was 23 and had never worked since leaving school at 15.

My job was as case manager of the very long term unemployed, at a time when unemployment rates where well over 10%. I had a caseload of almost 80 clients and in the last 6 months only one of my clients had found work. I was feeling pretty jaded and had formed the opinion that a lot of the people on my case load were just not interested in working. I started to go through the motions with Tony. I had my spiel down pat and asked the usual questions and got the usual monologue answers, "yes", "no", "dunno".

I completed the obligatory Newstart agreement that had to be completed in order for Tony to continue to receive Newstart Allowance (Unemployment benefits). I looked at my watch and found I still had 15 minutes left of the scheduled 45 minutes. Hey this is good I was thinking to myself... I'll have enough time to pop out and get a cappuccino before my next client.

At the end of the interview, I explained to Tony that I would be calling him back in six months time to review the Newstart agreement. I had already assumed that Tony would still be unemployed in 6 months time. Tony looked at me straight in the eye and said "I believe I can get a job before then and I was hoping you could help me". Far out brussell sprout... this was a rather eloquent statement from Mr mono-syllable with the bad t-shirt. Who needs a cappuccino for a pick me up when someone like this just blows you away with one sentence and that magical word - believe. I had become so jaded and cynical, I never even gave this guy a chance. I thought he was the one with the bad attitude but it turned out the person with the bad attitude was me.

I learnt some really valuable lessons working with Tony over the next few months. No matter how bad things may appear, there is always hope. Tony could have given up - the cards were definitely stacked against him. It wasn't an easy road for Tony as he had eight years of bad habits to work through and overcome like getting out of bed around 11am, and getting drunk or stoned most nights because he was bored.

Tony believed he could get a job and was prepared to do almost anything to get there. He lost many so called friends who didn't like the new "boring" Tony who stayed straight and no longer got drunk and stoned. Tony agreed to do a training course in tyre fitting which started at 7.00am - 5 days per week. Tony was the only guy on the course who turned up on time every day.

Tony's perseverance and commitment was nothing short of amazing, in fact he was an inspiration. He ended up being a mentor to a couple of guys on the tyre fitting course who were causing some problems and helped to pull them back in line. During the course Tony and the other course participants got 2 weeks work experience with a major tyre supplier. Even though Tony was by no means the best tyre fitter, he was only one who was offered full time work with the company. The employer stated it was Tony's attitude that won them over. Two weeks after starting work there Tony also managed to convince the manager to give another two guys a go - the guys that he helped mentor during the course. Tony went from strength to strength and ended up becoming second in charge in less than 2 years.

In Tony's case there was one tiny spark of belief just waiting to be ignited. You too can achieve amazing things in your life if you ignite your spark of belief. What fuel do you use to ignite that spark? How about good old fashioned passion, commitment, perseverance, hard work and a never give up attitude for starters? It worked for Tony and it can work for you too.

Give yourself the best Christmas present ever this year. Delve deep inside yourself and find that spark of belief and then ignite that spark of belief. 2008 is the year you can make it happen!

The End.

* Yay Tony! Well done Tony and well done Leanne. I love a good news story.
Enjoy your New Years Eve festivities Groovers, try not to consume more than your own body-weight in alcohol (I know it always seems like a good idea at the time) and I will be back blogging on Thursday January 3 to kick your ass, stimulate your mind and challenge your beliefs.
Be good. Or be good at it.

Ciao.

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Monday, December 24, 2007

Some Christmas Love from Uncle Craig

* Hi Gang. Sorry that you have to hear from me today (rather than our writing project winner) but we have had to shift a few things around to make it all work. We do have a winner for our project and he/she will be our guest blogger on New Years Eve; next Monday (some great entries, by the way).

Ho, ho, ho Groovers.

Wow, what a year!
Nearly three hundred posts (articles) and twelve months later, here we are. It's been a crazy ride and a steep learning curve for the bald man and I, but we have indeed lived, laughed, loved and learned. We hope that you have too. We want to thank you all sincerely for supporting us in our quest to create one of the best Personal Development sites in the world (a humble little goal). Just over a year ago, it was our goal to establish a totally free, on-line resource with some great teaching, some inspirational messages and some no-crap, practical life lessons; a website which would impact on lives and be used by millions of people every year.

Well, we're not there yet, but we are getting closer, our traffic is growing rapidly, we're doing some good (so we're told), we've built some fantastic relationships via the blogoshpere, and we've had some amazing feedback and encouragement from YOU! So thankyou so much.

I will be hanging up my keyboard for a short break from today and giving my tired little brain a rest until January 3, 2008. I will put my toes in the sand, feel the sea breeze on my face, eat some cheesecake, watch some sport from my big-ass couch, close my eyes often, be still and let my 'creative well' re-fill. My wish for you is a happy, safe, refreshing and meaningful time over your festive season. Have some fun, relax, play a little, and now and then, step away from the mayhem, and just be.

If you can, take some time to reflect on this year; the good stuff, the bad stuff, the planned, the unplanned and find the lessons. After all, the world is your classroom and every experience is another lesson, if you choose to make it that. Take some quiet time to consider the next twelve months of your journey; what you might do, create, change and give. Enjoy where you are right now, be thankful for what you have, but also let yourself get a little excited about your future. If nobody has ever told you that you are a spectacular and gifted person and that you can do great things, I'm telling you right now.

That's not self-help BS by the way, that's the absolute truth, but sadly, too many of you don't know it or believe it. Stop holding yourself back. Stop finding new and clever ways to under-achieve, and stop compromising your dreams and your potential. You deserve more. So make 2008 your year by choice. Not by luck, fate, chance or destiny. Be the architect of your own life, step out of those shadows, find your own voice and don't be scared to get your hands dirty. Remember, on the other side of fear is freedom.

Thankyou for letting Johnnie and I be a little weeny part of your life, it's been a joy and a privilege. Enjoy your break, have a great New Year and see you on January 3.

Lotsa Love

Craig Anthony Harper.
(and Johnnie 'the Hitman' Hopkins)

Merry Christmas xxxx ( )
(special air kisses and group hug)

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Friday, December 21, 2007

Your Best Body in the Least Time

Okay, the Exercise Science bloke has turned up today.

I'm taking off my motivator's hat, my philosophers cardigan, my story-teller's spectacles and my comedian's fake rubber nose (oh shit, that's real), and I'm putting my coaches whistle firmly around my neck. Being as this is the time of year when SO many people start thinking about re-inventing themselves physically, I thought it might be prudent and timely for me to chat about how we can do that effectively, via an appropriate exercise plan.

I know that the title of this article might sound a little irresponsible, but there actually is a healthy, sensible way to create significant physical change in a relatively short amount of time, if we manage all the variables properly, and if we consistently apply certain common-sense, scientific principles. I have worked with many people who have created amazing results in as little as six weeks by simply giving their body what it needed (rather than what their mind wanted).

I'm not interested in telling you how to rip off thirty pounds for an 'event', but I am interested in teaching you how to get in shape 'relatively quickly' in a responsible, safe and maintainable way; significant and permanent fat loss. Human bodies are simply organisms which adapt to stress (that is, get fitter, leaner, lighter, stronger), and when we stress our body the 'right' way (exercise being that stressor), it will adapt the right way. One of the problems is that many of us don't really know what we're doing. We think we do, but we don't. Our approach to exercise is random; no rhyme or reason, no science and we 'hope' rather than 'know', that we'll achieve our desired goals.

So what doesn't work?
1. Rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss (via extreme dieting) is invariably followed by rapid weight gain. It's unhealthy. And don't confuse rapid weight loss with rapid fat loss - two different things. Rapid weight loss translates to this: massive water loss, significant muscle loss and a little fat loss. Bummer.

2. Gimmicks. I know that you want the 'abdominator 4000' to melt your lard but it ain't gonna happen.

3. Pills, powders, potions. They won't get you in shape. I know my stance on this will piss a few people off. I don't care, it's the truth.

4. Reactive, emotional decisions. Once the emotion dies, so does the program.

5. The same program day in, day out. Read about this below.

6. Trying to 'undo' thirty years of abuse (food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, inactivity) in three weeks. Be realistic, and give your body a genuine chance. It wants to change but your head keeps getting in the way!!

Then what does work?
1. Variety. Vary your exercise program. Your body needs different kinds of training and activities. Your mind might not want it, but your body does. Same produces same, and that's what most of us do. We continually do the same or similar workouts and then wonder why our body ain't changing. Answer: because it doesn't need to. Give your body a reason to change and it will. Consistently training your body in different ways means that it has to keep adapting to that ever-changing stimuli. That equals results. Don't do what you like, do what produces results!! If you've decided to walk every day, ditch the walks and invest the same amount of time in seven different activities.

2. Vary the intensity. Instead of always jogging slowly for thirty minutes, occasionally run quicker for fifteen minutes. You'll know why. Instead of walking on the flat, try some hills. Swap your stroll on the concrete for a power-walk in some soft sand.

3. Progression over time. Whatever component of fitness we're talking about (aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, strength, power, speed, flexibility, agility), we need to ensure that our program is 'progressive' in nature, if we want to keep our body adapting over the long haul. Too many people are following a 'maintenance' program but don't know it. The result is a lot of time and effort invested for very little return. Frustrating.

4. Specificity. Find an appropriate program for YOU; the best program for you. We need to be doing the right type of training for our body and for our goals, not some random workout that we ripped out of a fitness mag. There's no use living on bench press, if your goal is to become a great endurance runner. Just like there's no point in running two hours a day if your goal is to build power, strength and speed. Many people are simply following the wrong program. Great attitude, great effort... wrong program.

5. The other stuff. Of course this amazing new approach to exercise needs to be wrapped around an appropriate lifestyle and eating plan. If you train perfectly but live on cheeseburgers and alcohol, it ain't gonna happen.

What can you expect?
If you follow my recommendations, you should see and feel change within a week. By the four-week mark you should experience significant physical changes and feel dramatically different. And by week eight, people should be saying something like, "you look like this unhealthy, fat bloke (girl) I used to know".

Enjoy your day an let me know how you go.

Craig.

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Thursday, December 20, 2007

Beyond the Adrenalin Rush; the Self-Help Danger Zone

In the course of my work (helping people create their best life), there's a place I'm always educating and warning my charges about. It's that place beyond the adrenalin rush. You've been there. We all have. Some of us go there ten times a year. Some of us get there in a day or two, and for others, it takes much longer. It's that place beyond the excitement, beyond the euphoria, beyond the initial rush of blood and beyond that temporary 'feeling' of motivation. I call it the Self-Help Danger Zone; the place where dreams are destroyed or realised, where momentum is gained or lost, and where we grow, learn and adapt, or crawl back to our destructive old ways.

Too often, it's the place where the chronic under-achiever and the habitual giver-uperer (a word) returns to his/her safe, boring, familiar, frustrating little box (habits, attitudes, behaviours, destructive relationships). And sometimes, but not often enough, it's where those people who are desperate for, genuinely ready for, and totally committed to, change, leave their emotional security blankets and psychological anchors once and for all.
That's right, forever.
Not for a while, but for the rest of their life.

By the way, do you know how many people who make decisions and set goals actually create forever change? While I don't have exact data on it, I can tell you with some certainty, not many!! And how many people invariably end up back where they started, or worse? Sadly, the vast majority. For some, once they hit the Self-Help Danger Zone it's all down hill. Every time.

They are champions of the short-term change. They can do anything. For a week or two.
"I've given up smoking ten times."
Actually, you've never given up at all, you've just taken a few breaks. When you give up smoking, you'll never do it again. Ever.

The 'Zone' is a very real place, and in our quest for our best life we will all end up there at some stage. It's what we do when we get there, which will ultimately determine success or failure. Many of us have a history of 'nearly' doing great things but once the euphoria and the excitement have died down (and they will), we start to 'find reasons' to stop whatever it was that we started.

Here's the cycle:
We get motivated. We make a decision. We change a behaviour for a while. We lose motivation. We revert to our old behaviours. Three weeks later, we start again.

Beyond the adrenalin rush (the excitement of starting something new) is a kind of an 'Emotional Bermuda Triangle' and we usually find ourselves (or maybe I should say, 'lose' ourselves) there, anywhere from three hours to three months after we make that decision to change something significant about us, our life, or part thereof. We lose motivation and focus, our mindset changes (for the worse) and gradually, our excitement is replaced with indifference. Our momentum comes to a grinding halt, and like many times before, we throw in the towel. We give up. Again. And like every other time, we rationalise it, we explain it and somehow, we make ourselves feel better. "Now's not the right time for me." Funny that.

We all have the ability to create incredible outcomes in our life, but many of us continue to find new and creative ways to under-achieve; to sabotage ourselves and to waste more time and potential. But panic not, there's always next Monday; the official day we start stuff.

In order for us to create forever results, it's imperative that even when the excitement, the euphoria and the adrenalin have worn off, we keep doing what we need to do to create our best life.

Some stuff to chew on:
1. Most people who start a diet don't last two weeks (more than half).
2. The majority of people (about 85%) who join gyms don't use their membership as they intended when they signed up (they don't go!).
3. The vast majority of people (nearly 100%) who do lose weight, regain it.
4. Every New Year millions of us make all kinds of resolutions that never result in genuine change, even though we desperately want it. Not because we don't have the potential or ability, but because we simply don't finish what we start.

I know we've had similar chats to this before, but it seems that some of us keep making the same mistakes and repeating the same behavioural patterns. Lately I feel like I'm constantly re-living the same conversations, about the same issues, with the same people!! Don't make those decisions and don't set those goals unless you're absolutely prepared (mentally and emotionally) for the realities and the challenges of life beyond the adrenalin rush. It's ain't about the next month, it's about your life.

The key to life-long change is this:
Doing what we need to do, irrespective of how we feel on a given day. Always finding a way. As I've said before, it ain't about motivation, it's about commitment and perseverance. Don't give me the talented person, give me the person who will talk less and do more. Give me the person who will get that shit done. Once and for all.

Are you that person?

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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

It's Hard to Find Good Elves.

Hello Groovers. Sorry 'bout the lack of inspiration this week.

Been kinda busy building all those toys, installing Sat-Nav on the sleigh and making sure that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph are good to go for the big trip. To be honest, I'm a bit worried about Comet; one of his hooves is a bit tender. He's been at the physical therapist three times in the last week but hasn't been icing properly, so I guess it's to be expected. Reindeers are so lazy. He might have to pop some anti-inflams for the big trip. Perhaps I'll put a Voltaren or two in his hay.
As usual I've been carb-loading so that I'll fill out my suit properly, and of course Mrs Clause has been giving me grief about over-working. She always does. It's hard to find good Elves these days. Between you and me, I'm actually looking forward to getting out of the North Pole for a night of peace and quiet.

It's so hard being Santa. You knew 'Craig Harper' was an alias right?
Oh, I'm sorry.

Anyway, our writing project is well under way and we have already received some great submissions. You guys are indeed talented. The cut-off for submissions is this Saturday Melbourne time, Friday U.S. time.

There will be a new post up tomorrow in the AM (Melbourne time).

Enjoy your night (morning, afternoon), I'm off to build train sets. I leave the computer games to the young tech-head Elves.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Writing Project on craigharper.com

Remember all those times when you thought, "I can write better than that big tool, Craig Harper?" Well, now you have your opportunity to show me (and the masses) how crappy I am, and how good you are. Yep, I'm going to give one of you an audience of thousands for a day right here on me.com. One of you will be my guest blogger for a day on the home page of this site (right where you're reading now) and you will have the opportunity to motivate, teach, inspire and challenge the rest of us.

If you are a budding writer, blogger, teacher, mentor, coach, motivational speaker or personal-development dude or dudette, then this is an opportunity for you to be widely read and to get yourself some exposure.

What's in it for you?
1) Some personal growth.
2) If you have your own blog, I will link to your site.
3) A public forum for you to share your ideas and talent.
4) The person who has their post (article) published will receive a one hour face-to-face coaching session with me (if they wish) and a signed copy of my book, Fattitude. If you are an interstate or international guest blogger, we will arrange a phone session at my expense.

Howzitwork?
1) Your post needs to be either educational, inspirational, philosophical, thought-provoking, entertaining, motivational, frickin' hilarious or a combination thereof.
2) Up to one thousand words.
3) No (bad) swearing.
4) No defaming individuals, companies or products.
5) If there is more than one outstanding submission, the bald man and I may choose to publish more than one post. All published writers will receive the same prize.
6) All submissions must be original and not have been published elsewhere.
7) Once you have written your piece, you can submit it by clicking on the 'email Craig' thingy in the left sidebar. The bald man will email you to let you know that we have received your submission.
8) All submitted posts will be displayed elsewhere on the site for your perusal. This Friday there will be a menu option displayed in the left sidebar of the homepage which says 'Writing Project'. You can simply click on it to take a look at all of the submissions.

Due Date?
No later than this Friday, December 21, 2007.
The best submission will be published Christmas Eve (next Monday).

* If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas or general comments, click on the comment thingy. Other than that, have some fun, don't panic and get writing!

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Monday, December 17, 2007

A Tough-Love Lesson from Mr Nasty Pants.

Nearly ten years ago I was on an overseas trip for a charity with one of my best friends, who happens to be a little older, a lot more spiritual and mostly, much wiser than me (not a big achievement). Anyway, during the course of a casual conversation, he shared a rather strong and insightful opinion on something close to my heart; me.

He offered some not-very-flattering feedback about yours truly; certain attitudes, behaviours and habits that he believed were holding me back and creating negative outcomes in my life. And being the defensive, precious alpha-male that I may have(!) periodically been over the years, I didn't want to listen to, or accept, what he said; I thought he was an insensitive jerk and I quite rightly cracked the sads. Okay, that's an understatement; I wanted to punch him on the nose. The feedback he offered was kind of blunt, honest and confronting for Mr. Funny Boy Craig. If we weren't on another continent, I would have got in the car and left. So mature.

Me flawed?
Me issues?
NO!!!!

Anyway, I decided to leave Mr Nasty Pants on his own and go for a long solo walk. After walking for about half an hour, I sat down under a big old tree to wallow in my self-pity; to revel in my woe-is-me-ness. I parked myself up against the massive trunk of the tree, put my toes in the grass and shut my eyes. As I sat there in that beautiful setting (I was in Africa), a ridiculous thought popped into my mind, "what if he's right... what if I am like that... what if that is how I come across to others?"

Don't you hate it when the voice of reason and logic tries to impose itself on your moment of emotion and self-pity? "I'm happy in my misery, why did you have to show up?" If I was standing, I would have stamped my feet like a four year-old.

Deep down I knew Mr Nasty Pants was completely right about everything he said, but my ego, insecurity and pride wouldn't let me admit that straight away. I didn't want it to be true. It hurt too much. How could someone who loves me, say stuff like that to me? The irony being that it was because he loved me, that he shared those thoughts. Tough love indeed. I needed it. I didn't want it, but yep, I needed it. I was deluded about certain things.

I sat under my tree for hours, thought and meditated deeply and then made the journey back with a different attitude. I apologised to Mr Nasty Pants and we spoke for an hour or so. For the first time in my life, I truly understood and appreciated the importance and value of listening to, and acting upon, constructive feedback and guidance from someone who's in a position to offer it (no matter how uncomfortable it may be). Until that point in time, I had considered myself to be quite evolved and open-minded. I was kidding myself. I heard what I wanted to hear. That day I learned about hearing what I needed to hear.

I have since discovered that one of the biggest barriers to real personal growth (change from the inside out) for all of us, is our inability to accept genuine, constructive feedback (as opposed to mindless abuse), and then to do something positive with it. I often work with people who are inches away from greatness, but their stubbornness, pride and fear keep them in a holding pattern for years. Under-achieving and frustrated. I've also worked with many people with far less talent and ability who have achieved much more, in much less time, because of their willingness to listen and learn, no matter how uncomfortable the process was. Because we are largely emotional, reactive beings, this process (accepting constructive, informed feedback and using it in a positive way) will always be one of our biggest challenges.

Because I know him well (Mr Nasty Pants), trust him completely and totally respect him, I asked him probably the three most important questions I've ever asked anyone in my life. You might want to find a trusted friend (mentor, coach) and ask these tough questions yourself.

(1) What do I need to do specifically to address these issues? (The ones he brought to my attention) Once I got over myself and actually listened to what he had to say, it made complete sense. Yes, it was uncomfortable, but it was the truth. And no matter what, I wanted the truth. It's hard to de-emotionalise things when we're talking about us, but on some level, we need to.

(2) How am I perceived by most people? The truth is, more often than not we don't know how we are perceived by others. We think we do, but we don't. We've all met the guy who thinks he's hilarious, while everyone else thinks he's annoying. And the shy woman who's perceived as a snob by her colleagues. Now, I'm not suggesting for one moment that we should obsess about what people think of us (that's called insecurity), or try and be something we're not (that's just stupid), but what I am suggesting is that we have a greater awareness of how people typically see us. This requires us to move to a new level of consciousness and involves hard work, some humility and some honesty. This way we will communicate more effectively, resolve conflict quicker, have healthier and more productive relationships, be better at our job and consistently create much better outcomes in all areas of our life. And possibly, be less of a pain in the ass.

(3) How do I need to change/what do I need to do differently to be more effective in all areas of my life? The objective of this exercise is not to beat ourselves up but to learn, grow and become a better version of 'us'. It's about consciously, logically and strategically developing and changing for the better. Maximising our potential, our skills, our opportunities and our time. Simple.

I know that for most people, this is not a fun process or an attractive concept. In the world of 'Personal Growth', it's probably the toughest thing to 'sell'. After all, we're addicted to the 'feel good' stuff; we hate that uncomfortable, confrontational stuff. I also know that most of you will avoid it, but for the few of you who do take up the challenge, it may very well be the most liberating, valuable and rewarding learning experience you ever have. It was for me. Thanks for the lesson Mr. Nasty Pants.

Enjoy your day.

Craig.

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Friday, December 14, 2007

Twenty Five Rules for Life.

Before I start today's post I'd like to pass on some link love to a few of my favourite personal development bloggers. This week's entries include Aaron Potts over at Today is that Day, Leo Babauta at Zen Habits, Phil Gerbyshak at Make it Great, Steve Olson at Steve-Olson.com, and Steve Aitchison at Change your Thoughts. If you get a chance check them out, they are all quality bloggers.

We've all got rules that we live by. Consciously or not. Some of them empower us and propel us towards happiness, significance and fulfilment, and others paralyse us and restrict us to a reality that we don't really want or enjoy. I always get asked about my beliefs, standards and values; the 'life rules' which I do my best to live by. I say "do my best", because I fail to live up to them on a semi-regular basis. Like you, I'm a work in progress.

Here's some of my 'Life Rules':

1. When everyone else throws in the towel, find a way. Always find a way. That will put you in the minority. The successful minority. Be creative, be tenacious, be diligent and do what most won't.

2. Finish what you start. Many of us are great at starting, crap at finishing. Doesn't matter how smart you are, or how much potential or talent you have, if you only ever half-do stuff; the 'Master of Incompletion'. Success is less about talent and potential, and more about commitment. Have yourself committed. So to speak.

3. Make the tough decisions. Most people would rather someone or something else make the tough decision for them. The biggest determinant of what our life will look like is the decisions we make (and don't make!!). It ain't fate, chance or luck; it's all you dude. Success is a choice.

4. Don't bullshit yourself. Be honest. You're an idiot at times. And a baby. And a sook. You know it. We all are. This admission is not to be confused with senselessly beating yourself up, no, this is about honest self-assessment and a level of self-awareness that most people will never have. You're biggest challenge will always be you. Maximise your strengths and develop your weaknesses.

5. Nurture and develop the spiritual you. This means different things to different people and I'm definitely not the one to 'define it' for the masses. However, it might add that dimension to your life that you've been lacking. After all, you're more than a body and a mind right?

6. Maximise your potential. Too many people die with their music still in them. The main reason for this is fear. Deal with your fear (and laziness and procrastination) or waste your talent and live a life of compromise.

7. Stop waiting for success to fall on your head. Too many people have a 'Lotto' mentality; they hope that success will 'happen' to them. They wait to be 'discovered' or for their 'big break'. Good luck with that. Get off your ass and create your own big break. Look for, and create, your own opportunities. Put on your opportunity-awareness glasses.

8. Hang out with high-achievers and avoid energy vampires. Self explanatory really. Wanna be a loser? Hang out with some and soon you'll be one.

9. Be in shape physically. This is not about vanity or ego. This is about function and health. This is about maximising your potential. If you're out of shape physically, it will impact negatively in every area of your life; relationships, career, finances, emotional state, mindset.

10. Change what you can and don't fret about what you can't. Too many people invest way too much emotional energy in things they can't change and way too little in the things they can and should. And in doing so, all they do is put themselves in a bad place emotionally.

11. Don't be a critic. You've got enough of your own issues and weaknesses to work on. People who constantly criticise others are typically insecure, envious, resentful and often jealous. Oh yeh, and very ugly.

12. Don't make excuses, make plans. Stop talking about it. Start creating it.

13. Become a master communicator. In terms of 'life skills', this is at the top of the list. Consciously and diligently work at becoming the most effective communicator you can be. It impacts on every area of our life. Consciously build and nurture great relationships in all areas of your life.

14. Invest into others in a practical way. Be generous with your time, your knowledge, your skills, your money and your love. The best return on investment has nothing to do with money.

15. Be completely responsible and accountable for where you are, who you are and what you are. Even if you have a 'reason' to blame - don't. It serves no purposes.

16. Control your emotions, especially anger and fear. When we act out of fear and/or anger we hurt others and ourselves. By the way, angry people get sick.

17. Trust and respect those who have earned it. This doesn't mean be paranoid and fearful of those you don't know well, it means what it says. Automatically trusting and respecting people is a recipe for disaster.

18. Don't base your expectations for your future, on your past. Too many people are hostages to their crappy past, so they simply create a crappy future. That's what they expect. Our history is not necessarily any indication of what our future could be.

19. Expose yourself to different ideas, cultures, places, environments and people. Often. It's crucial for your development. Too many people live in their safe, little (miserable) box for eighty years and then they die. Sad.

20. Get uncomfortable on a regular basis. Take risks. Physically, emotionally, psychologically and professionally. It's how we grown, learn, adapt, change, improve. 'Safe' is boring and unrewarding.

21. Laugh loud and often. If you're not having fun, if you're not happy, try plan B. Too many long faces these days.

22. Get clarity and certainty about what you want and don't want in your life. And then start building it. Stop waiting for some cosmic sign, start thinking for yourself and creating some momentum. Stop letting others tell you what to do with your life.

23. Don't spend your life waiting for the 'right time'. It's a myth. If you're breathing, it's the right time. This doesn't mean be irresponsible or stupid, it means don't waste years waiting for the planets to align perfectly. The 'right time' excuse is merely a form of procrastination.

24. Find the good. Consider every day an opportunity to live, laugh, learn and love. While many walk around with the world on their shoulders, choose to be different. Choose to be the exception. Choose fun. Choose to find the lesson. Choose happiness. Choose to be that person.

25. Humility. Live and communicate with drive, passion and humility. Arrogance and ego are ugly and destructive. Humility - not to be confused with weakness.

Well, there you have it, some food for thought. There's no right or wrong with this stuff because we all need to find our own truth and we all need to choose how we live our life. Hopefully my thoughts might stimulate you to think about your own 'guide to life', if you haven't already. Feel free to click on the comment thingy and share with us your three most important 'life rules' and why. Or just say hi and tell me I'm ace.

Enjoy your weekend, Loveyooozall ( ) - group hug

Craig

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Thursday, December 13, 2007

Living in Fat City.

If you live in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada or New Zealand, then you live in the same place as me; Fat City. Fat City of course, being more of a collective mindset, and a culture of eating too much and moving too little, than any geographical location, or 'literal' place. And while it's not a literal place, it is very real. If you know what I mean.

The weight of the average Australian increases by about 0.4kg (1lb) per year, every year. And it's pretty similar in most Western countries. It's predicted that Australia will be a totally obese population by 2050. There's a thought. What an achievement. This is the forecast, despite the fact that we are now more educated and aware, than any time in history.

As an Exercise Scientist, observer of humanity, and ex-fat bloke, there are plenty of things which fascinate me about living in Fat City (the culture, the habits, the behaviours, the thinking, the trends, the media), but here's my short list:

1. We've never be more informed, educated, resourced or equipped to combat obesity, yet we've never been fatter. We live in the information age, yet we do nothing with it. I'm amused by those who suggest that obesity is primarily an education problem, when in reality, it is (for the majority) a self-control problem. Self control: yes, that crazy, outdated notion I've spoken of many times before. We are bombarded with education but we choose not to learn.
Real 'learning' would have resulted in a large-scale positive change in behaviour, and of course, decline in obesity levels. It hasn't. In fact, if there was a positive correlation between the increase in education and the decline of global obesity, then we would see virtually no obesity at all. But... if we wanted to be cheeky and use 'selective science', we could actually conclude that the increase in education may have resulted in the increase in obesity. After all, there is a direct relationship: more education, more obesity. Yes I'm being sarcastic, but you understand my point. When it comes to diet and exercise, we know what to do, but we don't do what we know.

2. I am constantly amazed at our ability (as a society) to complicate the simple. How many more books, programs and breakthrough discoveries do we need? Here's a wacky concept, increase energy expenditure (exercise, general activity) and decrease energy intake (stop eating so much crap). A little scientific I know, but hey, maybe it could work. Of course it's simple, but it requires genuine and consistent effort. Simple, of course, not to be confused with 'easy'. And therein lies the problem. Which leads me to point three.

3. Our obsession with the quick fix. We don't wanna work for those results. We want someone or something to do it for us. We are precious and lazy. We are addicted to the shortcut. Give me the pill, powder, potion, product or surgeon that will make me beautiful. I am allergic to sweat and hard work is so '1985'. We are a culture obsessed with 'easy' and sometimes creating amazing requires a little effort. Or a lot. And we hate that. Sorry about that. I'll try and change it.

4. We love playing the 'blame game'. We would rather justify, rationalise, explain and blame someone or something for our obesity, than take complete responsibility for our fat selves. Of course it's not our fault. We are poor victims of situations, circumstances and genetics. So not fair. If what we do to our body (lifestyle, food, exercise) is the biggest influence on our level of fitness and fatness (which it is), then obesity is the result of poor decision making, rather than poor genetics. Even people with poor genetics can get in great shape, if they work with their genetics and manipulate the variables the right way.

5. I laugh when people get grumpy at me for telling the truth; what they don't want to hear. "Okay John, it will only take two weeks to lose that hundred pounds and that gut you built over the last thirty years, and yes, it will be easy, fun and painless. You will definitely look incredible by next Tuesday. Wednesday, tops. In fact, just leave your body here, I'll do it for you."

6. I marvel that people pay thousands of dollars per year to walk/run on a treadmill with a built in TV, radio and fan, when they could get the same physiological benefit (or better) heading out their front door and returning thirty minutes later. No driving to the gym, no petrol costs, no waiting for machines, no travel time.

7. Our inability to finish things. We start jogging. We stop. We go on a diet. We go off it. We join a gym. We go five times. We make resolutions. We don't follow through. We lose fat. We regain it. We start. We stop. We get fit. We get unfit. We operate on emotion. We always find a 'reason' to give up. We experience momentary motivation, but we never truly commit. Real commitment ("I will do this no matter what") creates life-long change, not temporary weight loss or occasional fitness.

8. The Victim. "But you don't understand my life, body, time restraints, problems, situation, history, challenges, injuries, medical conditions." Your problem isn't your body, it's your thinking.

* Tell me your thoughts and what amuses you about living in Fat City.

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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The Muffin-Top Pioneer.

It's the late seventies. I'm thirteen years old. I'm a tank. Gorgeous, but a tank.

I weigh the best part of 90 kilos (200lbs) and it's school swimming sports day. Yippee. I'd rather hit myself in the head with a hammer, but here I am. I don't want to swim but I have no option; it's compulsory. Private school rules. Everyone is put into a swimming section. Everyone races. I am in the remedial section; the home of the geek, the uncoordinated and the fat.

I am unfit. In fact, unfit would be a dramatic improvement. I aspire to 'unfit'. I am embarrassing. I am embarrassed. I long for the super-power of invisibility. I am addicted to cartoons (and chocolate cake) and I fantasize regularly about having my own special power. Flying and xray vision always rate highly, but right now, invisibility seems kind of attractive. I outweigh most of my teachers. My gut cascades over my bathers like an ice-cream spilling over the side of a cone. I am pioneering the muffin top, only on a slightly larger scale. I am wearing a T-shirt to hide my ample-ness (a word). A teacher approaches me.

"Harper, take off the shirt."
I feel sick and anxious.
"But Sir, I burn easily and I have sensitive skin."
"You can't swim in that, get it off."
"But I'm not allowed to, the Doctor said."
"Do you have a note?"
Dejection. Silence.
"No Sir."
"Get it off, you're swimming in one minute."

I turn my back on the multitudes and I remove my shirt. I suck in my stomach. That will help. Twenty seconds later I can't hold my breath any longer and my gut cascades once again. I walk towards the starting area and wrap my arms around my waist in a futile attempt to hide what everyone can plainly see. I live up to my nickname; Jumbo.

The starter calls the misfits up. The geeks, the uncoordinated and the fat kids mount the starting blocks. Apart from me, there's one other fat kid. Although, he's not really in my league, more chubby than fat. Fraud.

A funny thing happens.

As I'm perched there on my starting block, for a second I forget about my magnitude. Momentarily, I forget about how I look or what people might be thinking. Strangely, I analyse my opposition. For the first time in my life, I actually think I am an outside chance of 'winning' some kind of sporting competition. A completely unprecedented thought or experience for me. Of course I'm no chance, but I indulge myself nonetheless.

Somewhere deep within my totally un-athletic subconscious, I hear these words, "what if?" I allow myself to dream for a second and, in the context of the moment and the situation, I experience a strange emotion; excitement. The fear, anxiety and embarrassment have been replaced with something much more powerful; hope. A bunch of misfits, swimming in a race that nobody cares about, and there I am, primed. Excited and hopeful. Nice emotions. New emotions for me.

The kid who gets picked last for every sporting team can smell greatness. Great for me anyway; it's all relative when you're fat and thirteen. Looking back, I've often wondered about the psychology behind letting kids pick their own teams. Standing there on your own as the team 'captains' argue because neither of them want you on their team, is not an experience I'd wish on anyone. Some teachers weren't that smart in the seventies.

The starter's gun goes and I have the reaction time of a cat. An old arthritic cat perhaps. Incredibly, I am the first to enter the water. I amaze myself. I don't even know what 'the zone' is, but I'm in it. For a moment, I'm an Olympian. The splash from my dive into the water concusses half of the field. I don't care. I create a tidal wave and cause the other half to surf into each other's lanes. Okay, I made that bit up but it woulda been funny. My fat little arms pump like pistons and at the halfway mark, I lift my head and take my first breath.

To my astonishment, and everyone else's, I am winning. I am winning the meaningless race. But for me and the other rejects, this is our moment. To us it's meaningful. Very. I am not the only one trying. I look across the pool, and if endeavour and attitude mean anything, we are all world champions. What my 'competition' and the onlookers haven't factored in is my secret weapon; ultimate buoyancy. I am like a cork with legs.

While the skinny kids struggle to stay afloat, my body-fat allows me lie on top of the water like a yacht on the ocean. I am a human floatation device. For once in my life, my body is giving me an advantage. As the little, weedy kids struggle to not only reach the end of the pool, but more importantly stop themselves from sinking to the bottom and drowning, all Jumbo has to do is propel his highly buoyant self down the lane.

Another strange thing happens.

I hear cheering. And in the middle of it, my name. Another new thing. This is indeed, history in the making. I slide into the wall and I touch... first. I watch my competitors struggle to the finish and I am as happy as I can remember. A lady with a nice face reaches down pats me on the arm and says "well done young man." I feel incredible.

As I get out of the pool a man with a clip board approaches me and asks me something I've never been asked, "Are you the winner?" It is indeed a day of firsts. I love being asked that question. "Yes", I say proudly. "Well done", he replies. He takes my details, tells me my time and sends me to collect my first-place ribbon. All of a sudden, I'm not a fat kid any more, I'm a winner and I'm on my way to get my winner's ribbon!!

I love this feeling. This moment. I feel different. People pat me on the back. A teacher puts his arm around me and congratulates me. I love the attention, I love the praise and I love the encouragement. For a moment I feel normal. I have never felt normal in a setting like this. This feeling is better than chocolate cake, and that's saying something. The social outcast feels acceptance. It's healing. It's addictive. It feels so good.

Not too long after that day, I began to train properly. I changed my diet, I started to run and I lost thirty kilos (66lbs) over the course of about five months. And I learned many, many lessons along the way. About other people, about me, about potential, about self-belief and about the importance of love, encouragement and support. I learned that often, the people who get the least attention and encouragement are the ones who need it the most. I have always been mindful of that and have tried to live accordingly.

Over the last twenty five years, I've done lots of cool stuff. Spoken all over the world, worked on television and radio, met some amazing people, created a great company, written for newspapers and magazines but none of those things have given me the feeling and sense of achievement I experienced on that day thirty years ago. While I forget quite a lot of what I've done over the last two decades, I can remember that day and everything about it with absolute clarity. Every detail. Every feeling. Every emotion. It was a defining moment for me.

As an adult, I've learned that on some level, we're all fat, insecure kids craving attention, love, encouragement and support. I've also learned that to give those things, blesses me the giver as much as it does the receiver; it's healing for both. Everyday you and I have the opportunity to notice the un-noticed, love the un-loved, hug the un-hugged and to encourage and support those who are emotionally starving in a sea of humanity. We have the opportunity to make an incredible difference with a few simple words and a few minutes of our time.

Let's do that.

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Monday, December 10, 2007

Donald Trump: The One From The Fishing Store.

If you know me, then you know that, as a rule, I don't promote anything. I rarely recommend books, programs or workshops. Not that there aren't some great resources around, it's just that I choose not to endorse much unless it blows my socks off and it has made a significant impact on me personally. So I'm sitting here sockless because I have just had a sock-removing experience. The source of that experience was a film written and directed by Sean Penn called 'Into the Wild'. I have seen over a thousand films in my life and this rates in my all-time top three. Ever. If you haven't seen it, see it. If you have, let me know what you thought. On with today's Post...

Ever noticed how us humans inevitably travel the full circle? Kinda obvious really. Arrive on planet earth, walk around in our physical body for seventy or eighty years, get a job, have a few relationships, do some stuff, wear some bad clothes, watch some TV and then go elsewhere.
Or maybe nowhere, depending on your beliefs I guess.

Alright, there's a little more to it than that, but essentially, we come into the world with nothing, leave with nothing, and most of us spend several decades in between frantically trying to accumulate 'stuff'; qualifications, careers, assets, money, properties - what we ignorantly call, wealth.

We all want 'success', and on some level most of us believe that success is about how much we can 'get'. Directly or indirectly, consciously or not, we're taught from an early age that success is about the acquiring of financial wealth. That's the message we hear over and over again, so how could we know or believe anything else?

"Hey, look at what I've done with my life, I've accumulated all these things; I'm a success."

"Oh, we're so proud of David, he's a Doctor now (tick), drives a beautiful new BMW (another tick), and is dating a gorgeous young Lawyer from a good family (bingo)."

Tick, tick, tick... jackpot mum (mom) and dad, your son really is a success!
The fact that he's a selfish, arrogant, rude pain in the ass doesn't matter. As long as you can tell your friends at the country club about his 'success' (Doctor, Lawyer, BMW), life is good. After all, we know that success is not about what kind of person your son is, or what he might give back to the world, but rather, what he can get from it. You've gotta look after number one, 'cause nobody else will. Yep, all about Numero Uno.

The irony of 'wealth' is that some of the people with the most money are the p