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What Day Is It?



In Australia, we are celebrating Father’s Day today – as we always do on the first Sunday in September. I am not yet a Father (but the practice is going well) so when my niece wished me a happy Father’s Day I had to tell her it wasn’t for me. She then decided it should be changed to Boy’s Day.

I think Boy’s Day better reflect’s the intent of the day. What defines a family today is so broad. With blended families, mended families, nuclear families, same sex families, generational families, functional families and even dysfunctional families one title does not fit all. For many of us, we have or have had Father Figures who we reflect on today even if they are not our fathers.

The commercialisation of “Day’s” that we have is not something I enjoy. It feels like we have the celebration for the sake of company profits. Yes there is a loose connection to a good intent but the underlying theme is having a “Day” for a specific person or role.

Today I will be following the advice of my niece Darci and celebrating Boy’s Day.  I will be giving thanks to all the men and boys in my life who have had a positive impact on me or parts of my life. From my brother to my father-in-law, mother’s boyfriend, Bromance, brother-in-law and many others.  Big thanks to you all. I hope you have a great day and I really appreciate your support, guidance and love.


What is this day for you?

Image: www.thedailygreen.com  George Marks/ Getty Images

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Just Keep Swimming

I am having one of those moments.  You know those moments? They usually occur just before a breakthrough. They are when you have been doing a lot of work, giving support and resources to others, inspiring those around you, working diligently on your project or focus but you just don’t seem to be getting the traction you want.


A friend once told me, “Don’t quit before the miracle happens.”  
Malcolm Gladwell would say, “Don’t quit before the tipping point happens.“
Calvin Coolidge would say, “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.“
Dory would say, “Just keep swimming!“
Shakespeare would say, “Once more unto the breach dear friends.“


With these in mind I continue the path. I will look at my obstacles as sign posts that I am actually moving forward. No obstacles means I am not doing anything. I have put on loud music that fires me up (thank you Foo Fighters) and I will just keep swimming once more unto the breach and not quit before the tipping point happens as I press on.


I am having one of those moments. Most of us do. They are not good, not bad, they just are. 


How do you move through yours?







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In For A Penny, In For A Pound

Yesterday I spent the day in the audience at Millionaire Hot Seat. A friend of mine had applied to be on it and was successful. It took a little while but he got the phone call and it was his chance to win A MILLION DOLLARS!!!! (Sorry, I went a bit Eddie there for a second). As part of the deal, my friend could invite people to be in the audience – how could I resist.

Now I have signed my life away so I can’t tell you any detail, except to say that my friend won some money but that is all you will get from me! I can talk in general terms about the process as I have been in the audience of other shows. Now anyone who has been to a taping of a game show can tell you that they record several episodes in a row. You probably expect this. It gives them economies of scale. The get a set put together, get the celebrities in, get all the crew together – so it makes sense to shoot several episodes all at once. Some even shoot a couple of days in a row.

There is a person who is the Audience Fire-Upper. I am not sure of the technical term (I think it’s Warm Up Guy), but it is their job to let us know what is expected of the audience, what is going on during the recording, when to clap, when to cheer, when to cheer louder and to entertain us at other times.  Michael Pope is who we saw yesterday and he has been a Channel stalwart for many years. Another is Brian Nankervis (of RocKwiz fame).

It’s the warm up persons job to get us enthusiastic and keep us enthusiastic for the entirety of the show. In fact the entirety of the five shows that they are recording on any given day.  As you would imagine, everyone is excited for the first show so its all good. The second show, people start to lag a little. When it gets to the third show, people have the “I’m an expert and I know this stuff. Why am I reacting like a monkey to a trainer?”

Now naturally energies lag but my question is this, if you are not willing to perform your part of the role, why are you there? As the old saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound. This is not just of TV audiences, this is for work, relationships, community groups, professional associations, school, and even your hobbies.  As Yoda said, “Do or Do Not, there is no try.”


So what in your life are you merely involved in? Where do you need to shift from being involved to being committed? Applauding and cheering loudly halfway through the fifth episode of a taping is one thing, but what about the areas of life that are of far more significance to you?

Do or Do Not, there is not Try!

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What A Success!

As you may know, yesterday I ran 5km (well most of them) up and down the hills of “The Boulevard” in Kew, Melbourne.  It was a crisp start to the day that ultimately gave way to a burning sunshine. The question that some asked me is “What was your time?” and my answer is, “I don’t know”. The time of the run was not important to me. It was the time I had on the run that WAS important.

A huge thank you to those of you who supported me financially. I have raised just under $1,000 for mental health research. I was blown away by your generosity – thank you. My commitment to my sponsors was to “Put the Fun into Fun Run.”  I am pleased to announce it was a huge success!!  
To start with, our team of five was called the Frankenfurters named after Frankenfurter on the Rocky Horror Show. For fun I had T-shirts made up with Frankenfurter on the back.

Franky
But my team mates felt we should take it one more step. When I arrived they presented me with fishnet stockings and then whipped out the makeup. So I ran 5km in fishnets, lipstick and eyeshadow. I must say, that is a first, and it added to the Fun!

During the course of the run I had one of my team mates with me so she can verify what I did. As we ran I sang (quite loud), gave a running commentary on the running, yelled support to random strangers and friends, told jokes and basically had a laugh. I knew I was successful in my mission to bring Fun to the Fun Run when at the very end a girl who I had not noticed said to me, “I have been listening to you the entire run and laughing all the way. I even kept one of my earphones out just to listen to you.” Compliments don’t come much bigger.

As important as the end goal it, the time you have along the way is often more important. Are enjoying success as you go?

By the way, here is a picture of me at the end of the run in makeup and fishnets. 

WGM

PS Donations are open until the end of September. If you still want to donate visit my donation page. 

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Putting the FUN into Fun Run

OK – It’s only 3 days away and I am already working on the mental side of the fun run.

Essentially that means telling people I must be mental to be doing it!!  But most people know I am joking, it is another facet of the FUN.  To make the run fun, I am doing it with a team of 5 people from my Step Into Life class. We agreed that our team name should be Frankenfurters, named after the character in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

A few of them think I should be running the 5km in fishnet stockings, high heels, makeup and pearls. I don’t mind a little cross dressing, but not during a run!  So this is what I am wearing instead


This gives the essence of Frankenfurter and the practicality of running in a T-Shirt!!

The great news is that without even leaving the house, my fun run has been a HUGE success.  Due to the generousity of my friends, family, choir, Farcebook crew and readers of my blog and newsletter, I have raised  $670 for Mental Health Research.  I am so thrilled and grateful to everyone who donated.  If you haven’t donated yet and still want to, visit my donation page.


So as you sleep in, play with your kids, have a cafe breakfast, watch Sunday morning TV or do what you do on a Sunday morning, I will be out running 5km with a stack of other people. My commitment is to add some fun to the fun run so I will be telling jokes (no guarantee on them being funny), chatting with anyone near me, and maybe even singing some Rocky Horror Show tunes.  Oh yes, I will be running too!!

Thanks again for your support.


Warwick


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Is It OK to give compliments?

I love looking at ladies shoes – particularly Nine West.
Not in a fetish kind of way, just in a “I appreciate them” kind of way. Guys shoes always seem so boring but ladies shoes have so many fabulous styles.

Over the years I have commented to ladies when I like their shoes. Most often they are complete strangers to me. I figure they have put a lot of effort and money into looking good and if I like their shoes, they would want to know.

A couple of weeks ago I was informed that giving compliments was “not nice”!!!

Wifey and I were having lunch at a winery on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.  As we were chatting a couple walked past on the outside of the cafe. Wifey pointed out to me the ladies boots that were really cool. We then continued with our lunch.

As we were leaving, I pushed my chair back and bumped into the diner behind me. It happened to be that lady with the boots. I apologised for bumping in to her and then said, “By the way, they are really nice shoes you are wearing. Are they uncomfortable?”
“No they really aren’t even though you think they would be”, she replied.
I then went to pay the bill.

As I was waiting for the credit card to process, someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was the shoe lady’s boyfriend. He got my attention and then said, “You have just paid my girlfriend a beautiful compliment. Don’t do it again, it is not very nice.”
I said “OK” and he went on his way.

I must confess, it span me out a little. Why would someone not want to receive a compliment? Why should some one care that a random stranger said something nice about a piece of clothing their partner was wearing? Was it wrong of me to compliment the Shoe Lady?

I will continue to give strangers compliments. I think that one guy was a bit possessive. If I was shoe lady, I would be considering whether I wanted to spend a lot of time with someone who goes out of his way to discourage compliments!

Compliments are free and they are also priceless. They go straight to the warm and squidgy bit inside you that jumps with delight when you receive one. For some reason, compliments from strangers make that jump even bigger. It is more than OK to give compliments, it is one of the best things you can do.

So thanks for reading this, and by the way… I like your shoes!




Image: www.ninewest.com.au 

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What About Me?



It happens to all of us. We have days when our energy is down, our emotions are down and even our mood is down. Everything seems too hard and you just want to get back into bed and tell the world to go away.
When clients ask me what is the best thing to do when you get in these spots or have periods of depression, I tell them to do this.

  • Get up
  • Have a shower
  • Put on some nice clothes
  • Leave the house
  • Go to a friend’s place
  • Ask what is happening in their life and DO NOT talk about yourself

Thinking about ourselves and asking What About Me does nothing to lift a depressed state – frequently it makes it worse. So put yourself to one side and focus on somebody else and what is happening for them.  Once you get out of your own way and stop asking What About Me, you will be amazed how your mood, energy and emotions shift.
Have a great week

Warwick 
PS I have decided to do something significant about Mental Health. This Sunday I am running 5km in the de Castella Fun Run (I am not counting on lots of fun though!). Money raised by this fun run goes to Mental Health Research.  I would love your support and sponsorship. You can see a picture of my crazy family and donate to the cause here.

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Is It Really You?

Who Are You
Who are you? No I mean REALLY?

Too often we have masks we wear at work and then a different one for friends and then another for family and then another for our charity groups. After putting so many different masks on we often lose who we really are.

On top of that we have the expectations from society, our parents, our partners, our colleagues, our superiors, our inferiors and even ourselves.

So who are you really? What do you stand for? What do you like? What don’t you like? There are so many things that go into making up who you really are. Once you know, BE the authentic you.
You don’t need to be a certain way because others expect it or want it or need it. Be the authentic YOU that way no-one will ever need to ask Is It Really You?

PS Ladies if you are still developing the real you, a friend of mine is running a one-day workshop in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane called Raunchify. It’s worth looking at!

Image: Paul Downey  

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Have You Got Spirit?

Have You Got Spirit?
faith
There is a trend sneaking up on us. Business is getting spiritual. It is not just the fringe business either. 

  • ANZ Bank has been teaching Meditation as part of their Perform, Grow and Breakout sessions.
  • World Vision frequently has prayers before meetings (granted it is a Christian Organisation but not all who work there are Christian).
  • Aetna International (a large multinational insurance company) and HP also encourage staff to grow spiritually.

I am not saying put on a robe, shave your head and sit in the corner chanting. I would have you consider the following:

  • Why do you do what you do? Money, provide for others, build a business and then what? What is next? What gives it meaning?
  • What do you want from your life? What is your purpose? What keeps you getting out of bed day after day?
  • How do you give to the world rather than receive from it?

My experience is that those that bring a sense of spirit to the workplace are focussed on what really counts to them and better prepared to ride the ups and downs of life.

So Have You Got Spirit?

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Can You Do It Again?

Cust SvceAccording to a recent American Express Global Customer Service Barometer Survey 25% of Australians think businesses take their custom for granted while 10% think businesses don’t care about them at all! Is your business like that? Is the service you give like that?

Speaking to the Master of Million Dollar Relationships, Danielle Storey, the secret to continuous excellence in customer service is consistency. While it is important to have some kind of process to provide excellent customer service, once is not enough. Whether you are giving great service to your customers, your internal customers or even your suppliers, you need to be able to do it time and time and time again.

From simply answering the phone in a professional manner, welcoming people who come into your business, thanking customers for paying their invoices or having an ongoing loyalty program, it is consistency that really counts. Make sure your systems and process are simple and straight forward enough so you can do it again and again and again.

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Smile!

A new friend who attended one of

my presentations recently liked what I had to say about smiling. She found a poem that someone had given her and shared it with me. I love it!! So I wanted to share it with you.

SMILE FOR YOU

Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin,

When he smiled I realized I’d passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile and then I realized its worth,

A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected,

Let’s start an epidemic quick and get the world infected!




Now you can pop a smile on your face and pass it on!

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What Are You Doing?



What a big news weekend!

Aussie Cadel Evans won the Tour De France, a Norwegian man did unspeakable acts, Amy Winehouse died and my Bromance got engaged. Like most big news, within a week we will have forgotten about it or moved on to other things.

Yes some of the news was tragic, some of the news was unexpected and some of it was shocking. For most of us it will have minimal real impact. The lasting impact for each of us comes from our own actions.

Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This goes well with the concept of “Be where your hands are.”

Cadel Evans said both his training and rest process before going in to the Tour was “near perfect”. Amy didn’t want to go to rehab and Bromance had been carrying around the ring waiting for the “right moment”. It is the actions that we take right here and right now that will determine our results in the future.

So what are YOU doing?




PS Congratulations to Bromance!
PPS If you are in Melbourne and want

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some further tips, ideas and Sparkenations come and see me speak at Ian Berry’s Book launch on Thursday 28th June. More info here.
PPPS If you are SERIOUS about getting more out of your life and building a life of your dreams, come to the three day Serious Abundance seminar in Melbourne 5-7 August where I will be sharing the stage with Dr John Tickell, Tracy Bartram and others. More info here

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Are You Willing?

I almost can’t believe it.


It has been a week without TV!


Last Tuesday, Wifey and I decided that we would turn off the TV for a month. So we turned it off at the wall and unplugged it. Me….who doesn’t feel safe unless I am sitting there with at least one remote control in my hand!!!


A few friends asked us why. Quite simply, there is nothing on. Australia’s new FreeView is a joke. All they have done is watered down the existing programs with additional reruns. So on any particular night, we would watch the best of a bad lot. I

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found myself getting angry that I was wasting my life. Bruce Springsteen said it best, 57 Channels and Nothing On!


So we decided to try a month with out TV. We can use the extra time to read, play games, exercise or even…….talk!! Communicate with the one we love?? OUTRAGEOUS!!


Anyway, it’s been a week and I have survived! No TV, no movies, no DVD’s and no computer games. No sport wasn’t an issue for me because unlike most Australian men, I don’t enjoy watching (or even playing) sport. I don’t miss the news because most of it is “infotainment”. It is what rates, not what I need to know. I can get what I need from the internet or in discussions with friends.


I don’t miss the advertising. I can still buy things and not need anyone to tell me about it. I haven’t missed any of the cop shows or lawyer shows (but I am sure CSI Geelong is not far away!) I haven’t missed the vegging out in a mind numbing stupor.


I have enjoyed the conversations. I have been more industrious in my work. I have played my bass guitar. I have been gripped by the books I have read. I have delighted in the friendships I have participated in. I have explored the internet (and found a lot of rubbish there but Lego Death Star Canteen was funny! It does have some swearing though so be warned!)


Are you willing to join us?


I am not trying to create a new movement or a new month thing or a ribbon day or anything. I am just suggesting that your life would be enriched by turning of your TV for a month. You never know what you will find. You may even find yourself!



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Are You In The Wrong Spot?

Art Maths
A friend sent me some samples of the funny (and sad) responses students give on tests.  One of the the responses was this picture.

It made me laugh out loud. But then I looked closer.

The dimensions on the legs have excellent perspective. The artist has captured the feeling of the person with the arms stretched out and smiling face. The pigtails are observing gravity. To me, an uneducated observer, this student is an excellent artist or at least has excellent potential.  To even see that this quadratic graph could be altered into the feminine form is fabulous.

This picture screams to me that this student would prefer, and possibly be better suited to, artistic subjects rather than math subjects.

I have seen the same in businesses and organisations. People whose skills are far better utilised in a different role than the one they are employed for. Workers who would be better managers, managers who would be better workers, customer facing staff who are better suited to behind the scenes, support staff who are better customer facing – you have probably seen the same.

If your default view of the world is not suited to your current role, change your role! Apply for a transfer, seek out alternatives, work on a project team – do what it takes to support your natural skills. You will be more successful, happier and get better results on your next exam!
I would give this student marks just for their interpretation of the question!

So are you in the Wrong Spot?

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Come and Hear Me Speak!

I RARELY post commercial information but there are two events I am involved with that I really wanted to tell you about.
I won’t waffle on about each even, just keep it short and sweet.

The first one is a book launch.  A good friend of mine Ian Berry has just launched his new book “Changing What’s Normal”. To celebrate he has asked me to join him and Geoff McDonald to speak at a 90 minute seminar on Thursday 28th July.  Your registration includes a copy of the book and you get to hear three speakers to inspire you to live a beyond normal life.  Find out more detail and book your place here.

The second thing is late last week I was asked to share the stage with Dr John Tickell, Tracy Bartram and Dr Rosemary McCallum for a three day seminar on Serious Abundance.  I am so excited about this!  We will be sharing with you ways you can cut through the nonsense, get rid of the rubbish and live the life you want.  
You will learn: 

  • Ways to have more fun in your life
  • Financial Skills and methods to improve your relationship with wealth
  • Work Life balance techniques to allow yourself time to connect with those who count
  • Wellness – eat without being on a diet and have a healthy relationship with food
  • Ideas to live with more passion and conviction.

Find out more about this event, including the Early Bird Special that ends Friday 15th July, by clicking here. 
As I said I am thrilled about both of these events. If you need a quick burst, come along to the book launch. If you are serious about giving your life a shake up and building something you truly desire, come to the three day seminar.

I look forward to seeing you at either event.

Warm regards




Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy 


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