A Winning Attitude

A Winning Attitude (Richard Branson - From his book: Screw It, Lets Do It) Some you win and some you lose. Be glad when you win. Don't have regrets when you lose. Never look back. I know that you can't change the past, but I try learn from it. We can't all run big airlines or trains. Many of us have more modest goals. But whatever your dream is, go for it. Always be aware if the risks are too random or too hard to predict - like gambling on unknown factors or risking all on the spin of a coin - but remember, if you opt for a safe life, you will never what its like to win. My Message We can learn a lot from the above extract from Richard Branson's book. Never settle with whats just given to you. It's so important to always go out your way to go beyond whats required of you, in all areas of our lives, towards our careers, our families, friends etc. The message is simple... If you never take chances in life you'll miss out on the best things. Give up trying to avoid mistakes, because the only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake. Rise above the crowd, be outstanding and really go out your way to make your dreams a reality. Look around you... it's the ones who put so much commitment and effort into achieving their goals that are living life to the fullest, be that person and inspire us to become it too. May you have an awesome week, of unlimited possibilities Darren Zwiers The Quote: "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Albert Einstein"

The Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes: 1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. The Taj Mahal in India 3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona 4. The Panama Canal 5. The Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1. to touch... 2. to taste... 3. to see... 4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...) 5. to feel... 6. to laugh... 7. and to love. The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. My Message This story serves as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them… They are right in front of you. Don't take the simple things in life for granted because you don't realise how incredibly lucky you are to be breathing, thinking, smiling, reading this email. Most of you if not all of you are in good shape and by that I mean your body functions well, you in control of your thoughts and you are independent. Don't let a single day pass without acknowledging how good it is to be alive. Know exactly what your wonders of the world are and make sure to celebrate them. May you have a beautiful week filled to the brim with happiness and appreciation. Darren Zwiers The Quote: "There's a basic human weakness inherent in all people which tempts them to want what they can't have and not want what is readily available to them." - Robert J. Ringer"

The Moth That Fell In Love With The Star

The Moth That Fell In Love With The Star There once was a moth that fell in love with a star. All his friends and relatives mocked him, told him he was being unrealistic, and urged him to focus his efforts on some local, possible, attainable goal: a streetlamp, a porchlight, a candle or a lantern. Even a chandelier, if he must. But our Moth was in love with His Star, and he would not give up. So while all his pals, his parents, his sisters and brothers and cousins and aunts, soon burned themselves out around the local, ready-made luminaries, and wound up as charred bits of ash on the sidewalks, the porches, the floors and tables of the town, our Moth enjoyed a long and happy and healthy life in endless pursuit of his limitless Star. My Message These days, I imagine "ambitious" to have undertones of "you can't do that, can you". But there's no sane reason why it should be so. Many things are difficult, but millions of people have done them. Look back into the past, and you will see that we are doing what was once impossible millions of times every day. What's ambitious to one person is trivial to the next, and impossible to another. So don't judge other people's goals. You know your own limits, and what's safe and what's stretching you, and what's overstretching you (at the moment). You also know your own dreams, and if you have the courage to believe in even one little grain of sand out of your dream, then I think you're on the way to something good! I've written on this theme before but I think it's important to get practical with it! Can you think right now of one ambitious goal you would love to be doing... write it down. Now, think of the very first step to obtaining it... also right that down... The rest should follow! As I have been writing these emails for over a year now, I want to try something a little different. I have created a "Monday inspiration" page on Facebook. A place where you can share your ambitions and goals - click here. Maybe we can all identify ways to help our friends through this, after all we in this world together, so let's work in unity to make our lives awesome. I wish you all a week full of success! Darren Zwiers The Quote: The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. - William Shakespeare

The Little Wave

The Little Wave (Author: Mitch Albom - Tuesday's With Morrie) This story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the vast blue ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore and the rocks. “My God, this terrible”, the wave said. “Look what's going to happen to me”... Then along comes another wave, an older wave that had traveled further, It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him: “Why do you look so sad?” The first wave says: “You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?” The second wave says: “No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.” My Message How many times when a large challenge confronts us we feel overwhelmed and frightened?... too many times, if not all of the time. Ok ok we are only human at the end of the day, so its normal, but whats important is to never forget to look at the greater picture, to look beyond the challenge itself and identify what you are contributing towards. It doesn't matter how big or small the challenges are, the fact that its a challenge means that its a tool to help you grow and become greater than what you are. We are all part of this world and we all have our tasks and duties and just like the wave who is apart of the ocean he is adding his part to the greater good. Never be afraid of achieving great things in life, don't be frightened by the challenges life throws at you, they are yours to mold and sculpt you into the greatest you that could ever live. May you have an awesome week, where you get the opportunity to embrace challenge and rise to become the great person that you deserve. Darren Zwiers The Quote: “Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” - Stephen R. Covey