Toronto, Sunday, June 21 2009, 12.20pm

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With everything on your plate, it’s amazing that you found the time to read this. And with all the voices in your head, It’s even more amazing that you can actually focus on what you’re reading. The ultimate prize for me is to keep your attention long enough to share my gifts with you. That means this blog better be remarkable. So here  goes…

Your hopes, dreams, goals, desires depend on one factor above all else: Presence. That means your ability to capture others attention long enough to give them what they want. It’s that simple. And it’s that impossible. But impossible is temporary. Today’s impossible is tomorrow’s no brainer. Today is a good time to take on the challenge.

Whose attention do you need to capture? What do they want? How can you give it to them? And why you,  rather than anyone else who is desperate for the attention of the people whose attention you’re desperate for? It’s a dogfight. It’s a struggle. It’s the new defining moment, one moment after another.

It gets even more interesting: your competitors are becoming more interesting. They’re becoming more charismatic by the day. They’re inventing better, cheaper ways to give your customers what they want. What’s more, your customers know it. They’re comparing your offering even as you read these words. It’s a beauty contest and it’s getting ugly, unless you’re winning. Are you? Do you own their imagination? Are you the segue to their hopes and aspirations? Are you their edge, their secret sauce, their silver bullet? Or not?

Are you even trying? And I don’t mean just doing your job well. That’s so not enough. I mean consciously turning your promise into something breathtaking. I mean designing a pitch that brands you as a special talent with the wherewithal to make your clients famous? And by the way, this blog isn’t just for sales or marketing folk. It’s for anyone who serves or lives with anyone else. That’s right. You have to bring this level of Presence to the people with whom you live, work and play. Because if you don’t, someone else is guaranteed to fill the gap.

So what does it take? How do you become your own idol of the silver screen? How do you unleash your star within? How do you shine brighter so others are attracted to your glow? A lot of things. Things you’re already doing. Things you need to begin doing. Things you need to stop doing. I’m literally writing a book on this subject. This blog is an exclusive preview of what’s to come. But here are the first four things for you to contemplate as you pursue your own preeminence:

Be damn good at what you do. Without raw competence, nothing else matters. In extreme times, damn good is the new acceptable. Anything south of that standard makes you vulnerable. It means your survival is a function of your clients’ ignorance. When they find someone better, you’ll be history in a heartbeat. What’s more, they’ll tell hundreds of other people how you duped them. Your reputation may never recover. Am I exaggerating just a little bit? Maybe, and maybe not. But act as if what I’m saying is the truth. Paranoia can be a powerful driver of success.

Believe in yourself and what you do. Without intense self-belief, Presence will escape you. Others will believe you if they believe that you believe. Doubt, hesitation, self-deprecation will block out your light. The current realities conspire to make us all question our worth. Engage in the question, but find the answers that support your passion. Confidence is attractive. Uncertainty is not. Tell yourself whatever story you need to believe. Become your own best coach because the alternative is an opponent who will crush you. It’s self-destruction. I see it every day. I battle with it every day. This blog is one of the ways I use to immunize myself against it. In fact, of all the blogs, I’ve written, this may be the best. To me, my words seem more muscular and masterful. And that belief inspires to me to write even more words. The fact that you’re still with me means that I’m not entirely delusional.

Help others believe in themselves and be damn good at what they do. Everyone needs a champion to help them win. We’re all looking for the Yoda, the Gandalf or the Lombardi to transform us. We crave the wisdom that delivers the perspective that sets us free. Every breakthrough moment is preceded by something another person has said or done with us or to us. So be the bearer of empowering news. Don’t go spewing your advice indiscriminately. But offer it with sensitivity and discretion. Even more importantly, take the actions that lead to others success. Build a reputation as a force-multiplier and others will be attracted to your cause.

Always be communicating. Seize every opportunity to talk, write, share, broadcast, call, present, blog, tweet, or upload. Before others are drawn to you, they have to know about you. Then, they have to know you. Then they have to trust you. Then they have to believe in you. Then, they have be re-recruited every day with insights and messages that inspire them. It’s a tall order. It’s an unreasonable standard to live up to. But thousands of people are living it. They’re the vanguard. The rest will follow. Where are you? At the vanguard? Or buried in the mass of people who follow.

Hmm, that’s it for now. Let me know your response. I need your reciprocation. Help me help you live at the vanguard. Until the next time, do something remarkable that excites someone else to do something remarkable. Every act is a cause set in motion. And the chain of consequences never ends.

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Toronto, Sunday, May 31 2009, 8.30pm

I`m a little ashamed. Actually more than a little. It`s been four weeks since my last blog. I`m the champion of disciplined consistency, and I`m the one who falls off the wagon. Typical. How many people do you know who used to be disciplined, but they lost their passion? Or how many people do you know who used to be great, but they faded into mediocrity? Or how many people do you know who complain about how they could be great if only there weren’t so many people getting in their way? Too many, right?

I was on the verge of becoming one of those people. I could tell you that I’ve been too busy. I could tell you that I’ve had to put out too many fires. I could even tell you that I needed to take a break. But whatever excuse I gave you would be just that - an excuse. The truth is that I began to drift. I ran into roadblocks that frustrated me. I lost engagements I should have earned. I lost deals I should have won. I lost an edge I should have kept. I procrastinated on doing the important work because I told myself I had to do the urgent work. And I caught myself just in time.

When you don’t do what you know you must do, it prevents you from doing anything else well. Why is that? Because you’re constantly thinking about what you must do that you haven’t done. It interferes with every other activity. It’s the discordant thought that gets in the way of the masterpiece. You know it. Other people feel it. And the more you procrastinate, the more discordant the thought becomes. Sometimes it becomes so discordant, it’s painful. And that’s where the great decision must be made: take action and resolve it. Or do nothing and succumb to it.

I see it all the time: people who have resigned themselves to do less because they’ve lost the will to do more. How about you? What have you put off? Where have you drifted? How have you let yourself down? Think about it. This could be a defining moment for you. It’s the moment you choose effort and application over inertia and regret. It’s the moment you reclaim your self-purpose over self-pity. Maybe most importantly, it’s the moment you shine a light for others rather than disappear into the darkness. Pretty heavy, man. But that’s how I’m feeling.

The time is always right to do the right thing. So It’s 8.30pm on Sunday, May 31 and I’m setting myself free. I’m reclaiming my purpose. I’m taking action. I’m baring my soul as I scour my mind. I’m plunging back into what I love to do: communicating with you wherever you are. That’s the irony: I love to write. But it’s always hard. It always takes a few hours before the words begin to flow. It always involves a showdown with the white space of nothing before the words come out to play. I sort-of, kind-of, semi-know what I’m going to say before I say it. But the words always emerge differently. It’s an act of will, but it’s also an act of faith. I can push myself only so far, then I need the inspiration from a higher source to go further. If you invite it, it will come. The point is you have to be serious about your invitation. The muse only appears when she knows she’s deeply desired.

“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day” said Shakespeare. A minute turns into an hour, turns into a day, turns into a week, turns into a month. That’s’ what happened to me. It seems like in the blink of an eye, I lost a month. I can’t change that. What I can do is renew my commitment to my self-purpose in June, beginning now. I will make the time to make the message to make the impact on the people who have made the time for me.

It’s a privilege to talk to you. It’s also a necessity. If I don’t talk to you, I don’t live my purpose: I don’t excite you into action. And if I’m not exciting you then I’m disappointing myself. But not tonight. Tonight, I’m stepping up. I’m recharging my mojo. I’m going from slumped to pumped. And I hope I’m doing the same for you.

Being Inspired is never a solo activity. It’s a dance between willing partners who trust each other to make the right moves. These words are mine. What are yours? Seriously, How are you going to reciprocate? For my sake and for yours. I crave your kudos. I love every call. I vicariously experience every breakthrough.

It’s one thing to feel pumped now, it’s another to sustain it later. So here are Lipkin’s five ways to be on-purpose through the clutter, the noise, the complexity and desire for distraction.

1. Beware by being-aware. Stand guard. Catch yourself drifting. Think about who you need to be and what you need to do. Keep it front and centre. Make it a priority before it becomes a penalty. Anticipate the ecstasy of action and the agony of remorse. Intensify both emotions. Dramatize the pleasure of fulfilment, magnify the pain of wimping out. Tell yourself whatever story motivates you into action. My story is that keeping you on-purpose is my reason for being. If I don’t do that, I have no reason to be there. And that’s about as painful as it gets for me. On the other hand, just one call from you makes it all worthwhile.

2. Don’t worry about the result. Fear of failing is one of the biggest causes of failure. Focus on the game. Trust in the outcome. It may be different to what you expected, but it’s always what it is meant to be. Failure is never failure unless you become the failure. What do I mean? Failure is always an event. It’s a result you didn’t want, but it may be exactly the result you need. My biggest successes have come from my biggest “failures”, including six months of clinical depression sixteen years ago that inspired me to become a Motivator. It’s only when you say the fatal words - “I am a failure” that your prediction will come true. Understand?

3. Act boldly. The best thing to do is the right thing to do. The next best thing is the wrong thing.  The difference between right and wrong is often miniscule. Every action creates its own momentum. Be on-purpose. If you act with courage and conviction, the world will conspire with you to succeed. The mark of today’s winners is a personal confidence that is not grounded in the data. It can’t be. Too much is changing all the time for anyone to be fully backed by the facts. Big steps require huge leaps of faith. So act like you mean it. And if at first you don’t succeed, do it again. But incorporate your learning from the first time.

4. Collaborate with the Best. In the last week, I’ve had conversations that have stretched me to the max with leaders from Novartis, Pfizer, DHL, Canada-Goose, Dynamic Mutual Funds, Syntegrity, Bydolan, Environics, The BC Civil Service and Deloitte. Everyone of them contributed to these words. I’m coaching them, but they’re enabling me by bringing me into their world. I’m becoming part of them and they’re becoming part of me. Who are you becoming? What kind of company are you keeping? What kind of conversations are you having? Are you being exhausted, excited and unsettled by your conversations? How are you contributing? And what are you getting back? Remember: all wealth is a reciprocation of the contribution you make to others.

5. Condition yourself like an athlete. If you want to win, you have to prepare to win. So what is your training program? Mentally, Physically, Emotionally, Socially and Spiritually, how are you achieving your peak state? Being the best is never easy, but it can be enjoyable if being the best is what you enjoy being. I’m at my happiest when I’m playing at my best. I’m in Nirvana when I’m recognised as being the best. It’s also how I make a living. Anything but the recognized standard of motivational excellence doesn’t cut it for me. Seriously, if I’m not the best, why would anyone want to learn from me? That’s my standard. What’s yours? See yourself as the best. Train to be the best. Then trust in the plan coming together just the way it should. I’m living proof that it usually does.

That’s it. Thank you for your attention. Go be Great.

Toronto, May 5 2009, 11.OOam

Here’s Lipkin’s Paradox: The quieter the times, the louder you need to be. In quiet times, the majority of people go quiet. When demand is low, their morale is low. Crushing times crush people’s spirits. The work isn’t diminishing but people are being diminished by the work. Just look around you. Listen to the prevailing dialogue. You won’t hear the language of freedom and possibility. You’ll hear words of desperation, complaint and blame. So here’s our choice: follow the crowd into oblivion. Or lead them into opportunity. What are you doing? What better time than now? What better place than here? And what better person than you?

So what does it take to create your own mojo? How do you continuously conjure up your own magnetism to attract the best and the brightest to you? How do you build your resilience so you can take it to the next level when others are giving up or caving in? Those are the questions that inspire and torture me all the time. As the world’s self-appointed Chief-Motivator, I have to be up almost all the time. Every conversation, every call, every meeting, is an opportunity to create a WOW or succumb to same-old-same-old. It’s a conscious choice and it’s an acquired skill. But most of all, it’s the ultimate hallmark of Champions. It’s Resilience & Idealism beating Fatigue & Cynicism not just sometimes, every time.

Resilience and Idealism go together like white on rice. Resilience, rhymes with Brilliance, is defined as “the power to return to the original form after being bent or stretched; elasticity; buoyancy; ability to recover readily from illness or adversity”6. Idealism is simply the pursuit of one’s ideals, those things that inspire you to be your best. That’s when you’re playing from your “original form” - the way you’re designed to play. Idealism puts the buoyancy and elasticity in Resilience.

Without Idealism, you’re simply Cynical. You still carry on - because you have no choice, but you’re jaded and negative. You distrust the motives of others because you distrust your own motives. You disbelieve in generosity and extraordinary possibility. You’re tired of it all. You’ve given too much too often with no reciprocation or return. Now you’ve gone too far to come back again. It’s just too damn hard. And people are just too damn unreliable, unpredictable and self-centred anyway.

There’s no buoyancy or elasticity in Cynicism. It dries up the spirit and replaces it with Fatigue. Check it out: observe people who aren’t idealistic. See how much of an effort everything seems to be. Taste their bitterness as they reluctantly take on tasks that require great effort. It’s like gravity multiplies itself against them. They create their own resistance and then they complain about it. Their condition becomes chronic and they die a little more each day. Cynicism is fatal but it is treatable. It requires the discovery of a cause or the reconnection with an ideal that has the power to inspire the cynic into action.
That’s the Main Thing: to find the one thing that makes your life worthwhile.

Nelson Mandela declared his Main Thing in his statement from the dock at the opening of the defense case in the Rivonia Trial in Pretoria, South Africa on April 20 1964:

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”

What’s the Ideal you live for? What’s The Main Thing that inspires and sustains your Resilience every day? In your own way, how are you living with the conviction of Nelson Mandela. I’ll tell you mine: I want to excite people into action. Through my stories and my insights, I want to light the fire within everyone I meet so they live their Ideal Lives. That’s the Ideal I live for. And that’s why I live in Toronto, Canada. It’s energy, openness, civility, tolerance, diversity, and resources make it the perfect space in which to spread my message. I’m in the right place at the right time doing the right thing to create the right results.

Here’s another reason why you want to be an Idealist: Idealism is one of the fastest growing trends tracked by the Environics Social Values Monitor. The pursuit of meaning, fulfillment and contribution is fashionable. And so is talking about it. It’s the theme of the decade. So get with it. The people who are thriving on the cusp of change are experiencing a new sense of drive and vitality, as well as a heightened sense of adaptability. With so much at stake, the new Champions are putting their stake in the ground. They are choosing to stand for something - their Main Thing.

Let’s wrap this up with Lipkin’s Five Ways To Sustain Your Resilience and Idealism:

1.    Take the hits. Every day is an experience in extremes. The Highs are exquisite and the Lows are exquisitely painful. Every person goes through them. No-one escapes unscathed. How you handle each experience determines what kind of experience you have next. So savour the Highs, tolerate the Lows. Learn from both. And remember: whatever you’re going through is what you were destined to go through because that’s what you’re going through, so go through it.

2.    In good times, prepare for bad. In bad times, prepare for good. This too shall pass. And it shall pass quickly. When times are good, be mindful. Harvest the learning and save the resources you’re creating. When times are bad, see things that others cannot see. Look in the right direction. Trust that you’ll find what you’re looking for. Keep The Faith. Stay The Course. Fight The Good Fight.

3.    Be Idealistic. Find the Ideal that makes you great. Focus on the Main Thing that empowers you to live the life that’s right for you. Stand guard against Cynicism. Strengthen your buoyancy and elasticity by constantly re-minding yourself why your life is an extraordinary gift. Be great-full.

4.    Declare your commitment loudly with your words and actions. In darker times, shine brighter. Voice your optimism. Do the things others are afraid to do. Say the things other are afraid to say. Step into the space of opportunity. Be bold, not stupid. Be swept away by your enthusiasm. Showcase your relish for the challenges at hand. If your style is quieter and low-key, then whisper your passion. And amplify it with action. Others are counting on you to go first.

5.    Practice deliberately. Break through your awkwardness by doing the things you’ve never done before. At first, it will seem unfamiliar and difficult. The result may not be what you want. The temptation will be to refrain from trying it again. But you must - over and over until you achieve mastery. Switch off the automatic pilot. Practice with a heightened awareness of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, what’s working and what’s not. It may never get easier, but you will get better. I believe easy is your wake-up call. If it’s too easy, it’s time to kick it up a notch.

Toronto, April 25, 9.30pm

Give Yourself More Time For The-Things-That-Will-Create-More-You

The Main Thing is to do the thing the way the thing is meant to be done. The more skilled you become, the faster you may be able to do the thing. Or not. There is a gestation period for everything. Sometimes the gestation period can be accelerated and sometimes not. If you’re producing another human, no matter how skilled you are, the process is going to take as long as it has always taken. There are ways of doing it better. But there are no ways to do it faster.  On the other hand, if you’re producing a fine wine or a smoky Single Malt, the better you become, the longer it takes. In fact, the producers of these beverages tout the longevity of their processes as proof of their superiority.

The world is full of people who try to accelerate processes that cannot be accelerated. Doing it faster has become an end in itself. They go for the quick win or the short cut. And they usually come short. You can always tell when something has been done faster than it should have been. Something is incomplete. It provokes dissatisfaction. It insults the person for whom it has been done. It says it could have been done better if more time was invested in it. It’s crude when it should have been polished or amateur when it should have been professional or careless when it should have been oh-so-careful.

Here’s my version of the Serenity Prayer:

O Lord, help me understand what can be speeded up.
Give me the patience to understand what cannot.

And give me the wisdom to know the difference.

So take as long as you need to take to do what you do well, but no longer. Trust your instincts, learn from experience and listen to your clients or customers. Resist the siren call to hurry up what haste will destroy. And give yourself the time to do it right even if you think you don’t have any more time. Here is my plea to you:

Give Yourself More Time For The-Things-That-Will-Create-More-You

I making this plea because it will help you start what you need to start and finish what you need to finish.. When so many things are being forced upon us, we are forced to do what we may not want to do. Even worse, we may be forced to do things that are diminishing our personal power. You know what those things are. They are the things that make you want to gag, scream, cry, groan, sigh or run away. And you know what’s even worse than that? The more successful you become, the more you will have to do the things that didn’t make you successful in the first place. They’re also likely to make your success short-lived. It’s called Lipkin’s Curse: Success attracts the Administrivia that eventually destroys it.

Unless you’re a monarch, a magnate or a major bigshot, you’re going have to find a way to manage your administrivia. There’s no way around it. But you’re also going to have find a way to do more of The-Things-That-Will-Create-More-You. Hey, if I can you can. I’m a micro-entrepreneur running a business with two employees and a network of hundreds of partners. I have to master the small-stuff or bad stuff will happen. But I also know that if I don’t do The Main Thing like writing these words, I’ll die. I’ll lose my power, my focus, my clarity, my value-to-others, my vitality, my reason-for-being. I’m not hyperbolizing here. Sharing these words with you is my lifeblood.

So how do I find the time to write when I’m engaged in the 24-7 quest for survival and success? It’s a non-negotiable priority. It’s a night-time, weekend-time, lunch-time, any-spare-time pursuit. Not all the time, but when it needs to be done. Whenever you don’t do what you know you should do, it’s never a matter of ability. It’s always a matter of priority. Once you commit to your priority, you’ll be amazed at how much time will open up for you.

One final comment: Even the most solitary actions are partnerships with others – especially the most-important-others-in-your-life. I began writing this piece and others early this afternoon. It’s now late at night. My wife accepted it. She actually encouraged it. She helped me create the space and the quiet to do it. No fuss. No guilt. No complaints. Help your partner do the same by being that kind of partner for her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to celebrate the day’s words with my partner. Sweet.

Toronto, April 13 2009, 10.20pm

I won’t lie to you, it’s been a tough few weeks. I’ve questioned myself. I’ve questioned my power. I’ve questioned my business model. I’ve questioned my future. Although about 6.5 billion other people are being impacted by the global economic meltdown, it doesn’t make it any easier for me to know that. This is a struggle that is as individual as it is collective. It’s a struggle that brings us face to face with the doubts and the devil within. No matter what our past success may be, the future holds a special terror for us all.

But like you, I soldiered on. I have people who depend on me. I have people who believe in me. I have people who have already paid me to help them manage their future. Failure is never an option. Giving up is never an option. Breaking down is never an option. Never. That’s not what is at stake here. I will survive. You will survive. Human beings are designed to survive. Survival is a given. Soaring with the eagles is not. Up there is where I belong, gliding in the slipstream of angels. Until last Thursday, my wings felt heavy, waxen and sluggish although you would never have guessed it. I fought the good fight, delivered the good talks and walked the good walk. It was an effort. It was what a professional does in the absence of heartfelt lightness of being. In a way I’m proud of my ability to transcend my inner feelings. But I was also alarmed at the disappearance of my natural joie de vivre and inbred readiness for the crises ahead. Sound familiar? I’m often asked how I stay so motivated all the time. Now you know. I don’t. I suffer and slip and stumble just like you do.

It all changed last Wednesday. It could have been the way my wife kissed me that morning. It could have been the effortless three kilometres I swam at the pool on the 36th floor of The TD Tower in downtown Toronto. It could have been the rise in Dow Jones. It could have been the three engagements I won in quick succession. It could have been the extraordinary conversation I had with my friends, Ken Allen and Christian Roy. It could have been the completion of my new video series. It could have been any of these things. What I believe is that my light returned. Something is stirring. Something spectacular. The energy is resurging. The passion is reflowing. The determination is recharging. And the opportunities are re-multiplying. It’s the beginning of the next phase, whatever that phase is.

We all need a day like last Wednesday. When you’re ready, they will appear. I was ready then. I’m ready now. I’ll be ready tomorrow. And that’s the message of this blog: Be Ready. When your light comes shining, your power will be released.