MANDELA SAID IT BEST

It is not often that I repeat the words of others, enough people are doing that already so why should I add to your inbox overload. But there are times, and there are words and phrases that very often do require repeating every now and then.

As most of you are aware by now I am a child of God, and as such believe adamantly in sharing Gods message of love, compassion, and understanding which I trust comes through in my many blogs. Throughout my years of travel and mentorship I have continuously been faced with the insecurities and feelings of inadequacy that many of those I mentor face today. Feelings that are not really justified, but genuine feelings never-the-less.

In 1994 Nelson Mandela made a very powerful inaugural speech that went some way in addressing those insecurities, a part of which I wish to reproduce here. He said:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most.

We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?'

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us.

And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Powerfully deep words, words that highlight the fact that we are much more than what we think we are. We have been blessed with the power to think for ourselves, the power to do as we see fit or have the desire to do. But we are so often afraid to stand out from the crowd for fear of not fitting in. We often don't follow our dreams, passions or desires for fear of what others might say or think.

Nelson Mandela used his God given power to change a nation and eventually the attitudes of the world. And he did it from the confines of a prison cell. All that we have to do is change the ways of our personal world, change our thinking, and change how we see ourselves as well as how we see other people.

Surely not too much to ask.

Read his words over and over. Go do as Nelson says - Let your light shine and by so doing give other people permission to do the same. You are indeed brilliant, you are gorgeous, talented and famous. SO LET IT SHINE

For more information on the work of David’s organisation, to book him for your next conference, or just for a private one-on-one chat contact him at info@davidhooker.net,/p>

BIRDS CAN'T FLY IN A VACUUM

The other day I was talking with a realtor friend of mine whose ear appears to be continuously connected to her cell phone. You need to know that she is one of the most dedicated and hardworking sales person that I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with. I was praising her on her work ethic when she said that she has to work harder than everybody else due to all the setbacks and challenges that she has to face and is still facing.

When I asked her about what type of setbacks she said that nothing in her life is easy and that she gets frustrated when things don't go her way. That’s when I asked her that all important question, "Did you know that birds can't fly in a vacuum"? It stopped her in her tracks and after thinking for a few moments she asked me, "What the blazes has that got to do with me and me being a realtor".

It has a lot to do with her, as well as all of you reading this blog.

You see, birds need resistance just to get off the ground, let alone fly. They flap their little wings (big ones if it's an eagle) against gravity and with the smallest amount of wind resistance they get off the ground and away they go. Place the bird in a vacuum and it will have to walk everywhere. Not quite what it is suited for.

Another example would be yachts. Hoist the sails and wait for the wind to blow, then tack your sails into the wind and let the angle of the sail go against the wind and ultimately drive the yacht forward.

Everywhere you look success is preceded by resistance, even the basic act of giving birth - that baby has to fight to get out of the mother’s womb, it's not an easy journey, but to succeed the newborn has to struggle. Just like the chick in the egg. The bird has to fight to break the egg if it wants to survive. Break the egg on behalf of the bird and the bird will die.

So you see struggle and adversity are all part of the journey toward success. That’s when my realtor friend looked at me and said, "You mean my struggles are going to continue?" "Yes", I said, "only now go and enjoy them, don’t fight the wind of resistance, learn how to use the wind resistance to trim your sails and look forward to unlimited success."

So my friends, next time that you see a bird flying high in the sky, or hear that baby's first cry remember that they overcame adversity - be ready for a wind of change and don’t live in a vacuum of negativity.

David has travelled the globe sharing his thoughts and ideas on how to generate personal success. His step by step process is a must to see. To book David for your next conference contact him personally at: info@davidhooker.net

You Cannot Plough a Field by Turning It Over in Your Mind

I wonder how many hours you have spent lying in bed at night tossing and turning restlessly with ideas, thoughts, and worries going through your mind envisaging varying outcomes relating to your restlessness.

And oh my goodness, the next morning, we wake up exhausted, tired, and wanting to go back to bed instead of facing the day’s challenges that inevitably lie ahead. This is not an uncommon phenomena.

It is a common factor that many writers and poets get inspiration whilst asleep and have note pads by the side of their beds so that they can immediately write down their midnight thoughts – and then go back to sleep again. Waking up in the morning with heads full of ideas.

Inventors and designers do the same - they take their unsolved problems to bed with them and when the brain is resting they get their best ideas in vivid dreams waking instantly, writing down the dreamt solution and then back to sleep.

This process works for these people because they have programmed their brains and thought processes to work in this manner. They are positive thinkers and believe that solutions to every problem and every challenge is just around the corner. Sleep helps unclutter the mind, and pen and paper by the side of the bed tells the brain that you are ready for the answers. And then when you wake up you wake up with solutions, and ideas, that can easily be worked on and followed through the next day.

But at the end of the day this process is only effective because these type of people are dedicated and focused on their work and their cause, meaning that they will not allow anyone or anything to interfere with their dreams, goals, or aspirations.

They say that you can't plough a field by turning it over in your mind. Meaning that you have to get your hands dirty. You have to be goal focused. You've got to just pull your finger out, stop procrastinating and just get down to it. Letting nothing stand in your way.

I know that without even meeting you that you have ideas, thoughts, problems, challenges, affecting your sleep patterns as well as your future financial independence.

So what are you going to do about it? Go to bed early with a pen and paper by your side. Tell your brain to find a solution. Write it down and then get into action.

Remember that you can’t plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

To speak with David directly, or to book him for a one on one mentoring program, or to have him speak at your next meeting or conference you can call email him at - info@davidhooker.net

ME STOP DAY DREAMING? NEVER!

That phrase “stop day dreaming hooker” still haunts me even to this very day. It doesn't haunt me in a negative or damaging way, more of a sad way for the damage that it has done to the many people that went through the education system when I did and had the same phrase repeated to them.

My school back in the sixties was a good school, ok teachers, boys only (damn shame about that) so not many of what you would call distractions. My favourite subject was English language and literature with all other subjects going to the wall - the only exception being athletics. I loved running and held the school record for the 100 yards sprint, mile and 3 mile as well as cross country. I loved the freedom it gave me and hearing the cheering ringing in my ears gave me the motivation to keep going. No-one cheered for you in maths, history, or woodworking classes so they bored me.

I loved looking out of the classroom windows wishing that I was somewhere else, running through the forests, beating other runners and was often reprimanded by my teacher who would shout at me "Hooker, stop daydreaming"

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My daydreaming got worse when a new music teacher came to our school, a Mr Bamber, who wanted to start a school band as well as a madrigal choir. And man did he capture my imagination. He was enthusiastic about music in such a way that there was no other alternative other than to go along with his dreams and perform.

And his arrival at the school lead to me daydreaming even more, looking out the window and imagining all sorts of things in my life where I would achieve everything and be at the top of everything. Unfortunately that bought even more attention on me from the teachers who continually shouted "Hooker Stop DayDreaming" - I can still hear it today ringing in my ears.

However I have come to learn over the years that daydreaming is an integral part of success for what your mind can perceive so it can achieve it. To have success you have to see success. And with the thought of nothing but success on your mind your brain will program your actions to take you in the direction of your dreams provided that you maintain focus on your dreams and never let them go no matter how many people tell you to stop daydreaming.

What did my continual daydreaming lead me to? Top brass player in the Royal Air Force. Leader of a 17 piece dance orchestra. Drummer in a 4 piece group. Vocalist and Trombone player in 7 piece show band. Leading role in many stage plays. Barber Shop Quartet. Singer. International Public speaker. Stand-up Comic......the list goes on and on, and still yet I am accomplishing more of my daydreams. And still some call me a day dreamer.

I am excited that I still have dreams, that I can still see a new and exciting future ahead of me, that I have no regrets, that I am continually dreaming and planning. And believe it or believe it not I never fail. You can't fail when your dreams allow you to feel success mentally. Reality is perception and what you perceive you will achieve.

Dream the way you want to be. Feel your dreams. Touch your dreams. Smell your dreams. Taste your dreams. The only mountain that you ever have to climb in life is overcoming people saying STOP DAY DREAMING! Follow and believe your dreams. Every time someone tells you to "stop daydreaming" just tell them that you are planning and living your success.

David is an international coach and mentor as well as an internationally recognised public speaker. To book him for your next conference or seminar contact him at – info@davidhooker.net

YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO GET 100%

One of my recent blogs was about a friend who felt guilty about taking time off from work. She stated that when she wasn’t working she felt guilty and that she should be doing something that was work related.

You might also remember from the same blog about the mother who was glad that her children had gone away so that she could work and that it would be a challenge to have to "get back to parenting" upon their return.

I have since had cause to think more about these two statements as I am coming across more and more people who place the importance of their work and jobs above the importance and value of their home and their family.

Of course I am only too aware that we all need to work. That we need to provide for our families, and that without an income we cannot feed and clothe our family. That being said it is an ongoing challenge not to let everything get out of balance, and not to put work above family.

I have always believed that one needs to build their work around their family's needs, and not the family around the business needs. It is understood that we can so easily become engrossed in our work with the challenges, decisions, and responsibilities that accompany a job but we must step back and not let anything interfere with the sole purpose of working, and that is to provide for the family.

When we become too engrossed in our work what happens is that so often love flies out the door. Kids become a hindrance, partners appear to be unsporting, everyday needs of the family become distractions to our work and we can’t wait for the weekend to be over so that we can get back to work.

A friend of mine is currently studying for exams, exams that if passed will be a step further towards a much higher and well deserved income. Always a good thing to do for the family will benefit from the hard work. However, in some people, the desire and need to get the highest marks, get 100%, to be top of the class is of such paramount importance that nothing else matters other than that target of 100%. And this friend of mine is not alone. There are many of us out there where being the best, being #1 is seen to be the ultimate achievement. And that’s OK but only if it’s not to the detriment of the family.

At the end of the day just passing an exam, to the best of one’s ability is just as good as getting 100%. In all the interviews that I have ever carried out not once have I asked a candidate what marks they got, all I need to know is did they get the grade, and can they apply what they have learned.

I don’t want an employee who cares more about their work than their family because an uncaring employee will always lack empathy and eventually become an uncaring manager.

When we worry too much about our jobs and not enough about our family we stand the risk of losing both the family and the job.

To comment on this blog, or to talk to David with regards to booking him for your next conference contact him at info@davidhooker.net

STRESSED? DUMP IT DON'T RECYCLE IT

Being a regular frequent flyer I have obviously amassed an amazing amount of air miles with Air Canada, and yes, despite the negative press that Air Canada gets on a regular basis they are still my favourite airline. They have taken me safely around the world numerous times continuously bringing me home safely. Not always my luggage, but always me.

I am the type of flyer who has learned to pack minimally, many times getting all that I need l into my carry on – just a matter of packing carefully. So you can imagine my frustration and sometimes irritability at seeing passengers cramming way too much luggage into the overheads, taking up the space that other passengers are entitled to use whilst others are having to stuff bags under their seats which is way too uncomfortable, and in some cases having bags taken away and placed in the hold - all because of uncaring passengers have no thought or care for others.

Now because of this bad behaviour airlines are carefully measuring every single bag that passengers are bringing onto the flight, and if it does not fit the accepted dimensions then into the hold it goes. And now, on top of that we are getting charged for our baggage in an attempt to alleviate the problem being caused by selfish travelers. Oh yes, I almost forgot, it is also a money grab for the airlines, which airlines are experts at doing in a plausible way.

Excess baggage causes many a headache for all of us and unfortunately we are all carrying excess baggage with us in our daily lives. This excess baggage is very often attached to our finances whereby we are living way beyond our means. Or perhaps the excess baggage is associated with a major disagreement with our partner where hurtful statements were made that we can’t forget or forgive.

The more we carry this excess baggage around the more stressful it becomes and then the harder it is to shake it off. Stress is one of the biggest diseases that we suffer from in this the modern age and is the underlying cause of many of today’s illnesses.

If we don’t deal with the issues causing us stress immediately so the greater the potential damage that can be caused to our health from that stress.

Stress is like a glass of water. Hold a glass of water in your outstretched hand. How heavy is it. Not much eh. But keep on holding it in your outstretched hand, without wavering for 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes. That very light glass of water gets heavier by the minute until such time that it gets so heavy that you can hold it no longer.

Well the same applies to the self-imposed stress that we all place upon ourselves. The longer that you hold onto baggage/stress the heavier it becomes until such time as everything around you collapses. Is that what you want? Is that REALLY what you want? I don’t think so.

Life is too beautiful and far too precious to ruin it by thinking of, and focusing on baggage that you insist on carrying around with you. Either deal with it or just dump it. God has given you the divine power of thought, the ability to choose. So choose.

DUMP YOUR BAGGAGE AND DON’T RECYCLE IT

SECRETS? - THERE ARE NO SECRETS

If you are anything like me you are actively banging away at your keyboard running your business and / or family life. I know that I spend many hours communicating with my hundreds and hundreds (if not thousands) of contacts around the world who have either attended my seminars, followed me or written privately seeking advice and guidance – thank goodness for Skype!!!

I spend hours listening to those who contact me, thinking deeply as to how best I can advise them, to encourage them to keep on going but with a small bit of fine tuning. I don’t have all the answers, no one does but I dig deep into my wealth of experience, tapping into my memory banks recalling advice and suggestions that I have picked up along the way on my journey to a better and clearer understanding.

I can safely assume that my words of guidance have some merit for my contacts are continuously seeking me out time after time to either update me on their successes, to celebrate with them, or to just ask “one more question”.

But what I do is not the point of this blog.

No doubt, again like me your inbox is also fall of garbage from scam and spam emails all trying to infiltrate their way into your data base, to steal your money, or to share with you the latest virus. And no matter what steps you take to avoid these nuisances they always manage to screw up your days with deletion, spam protectors and whatever other steps you follow to protect yourself – what a load of timewasters.

But they are not the ones that truly get my goat (British for “get on my nerves”). The ones that in my mind do the most damage are the individuals that fill my inbox, and yours no doubt, promoting the latest “Secrets” to success. “The secrets that no one else dares share”. Or how about this one, “How to make your first Million” – the list just goes on and on. Watch this short video, buy this amazing book, join my free seminar, pay for 10 sessions, and so on. Learn the secrets to my success here !!!!

The only true secrets to success are desire, determination, and passion. That’s it.

Watch any baby as it emerges from the mother’s womb and be fascinated by the determination, desire, and passion that the baby has for survival. Regardless the challenges that that small bundle of joy might have been born with it only knows one thing – SUCCESS.

That baby does not need motivating, does not need to know any secrets, does not need to read any books. All it knows that it has to survive, is not aware of any deficiencies, and has an in-bread desire to achieve at all costs.

At the end of the day the Key to Success IS YOU. YOU are the key, YOU are the secret, YOU have the power to achieve what you set your mind to achieve – that is IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF – as the new born baby does.

Believe in your decisions. Believe in your chosen direction. Stick to your plan.

And finally DELETE ALL THOSE EMAILS OFFERING THE NEXT UNKNOWN SECRET.

For more information regarding davids work, or to book him for your next conference or seminars contact him at info@davidhooker.net

ZAIDY - A VERY DEAR FRIEND

Moving to Canada almost 20 years ago was a major step for me. I was already close to being 50 and knew that it was going to be a major wrench for me to pull away from my family, a family that I loved and still do, love so dearly.

It’s a dilemma that we are all going to face at one time or another. Grabbing a life changing opportunity or letting it pass by and living a life of regret. My decision to grasp it was an easy one as my children were well into adulthood and had children of their own and on top of that my mother had always taught me to grab whatever came your way and not to live a life of regret – a principle that I live by today and have passed onto my children – all of them! For those of you who have ever had to make that leap of faith from one continent to another will understand the challenges – new currency, new culture, new friends, in fact new everything. Challenging yet exciting.

During my first few months I met many great people and made many, many friends (Canadians are such a nice bunch of people), but of all those friendships one stands out more than most and has truly stood the test of time. These friends are a middle aged Jewish couple, 15/20 years my senior who immediately took me and my new wife, (yes I remarried in Canada) into their hearts and their home introducing us to their entire family. Certainly a joy to behold.

When we gave birth to our two beautiful girls it was always difficult to find babysitters, but even more challenging was that our two girls didn’t have a Grandma or Grandad whom they could visit and share their little secrets with as all grandchildren love to do. But Buby and Zaidy (the Jewish name for Grandma and Granddad) immediately stepped up to the plate and played the role of adopted Grandparents taking our two girls into their hearts. They loved our girls like their own causing much confusion amongst their friends as to how a Jewish family could have non-Jewish Grandparents. Buby and Zaidy spent most Christmases with us helping us celebrate the birth of Christ and just wanting to be a part of our family – true and dear friends.

In recent years Zaidy has been struggling with cancer and although he has been fighting it with amazing bravery and spirit it has now taken over his entire body progressing to brain cancer.

Is he sad and miserable? Absolutely not! He is laughing and joking and smiling almost continuously, or as much as he can. “Where’s the Hook?” he asks from his hospital bed (he always refers to me as “the Hook”) and smiles when we visit him.

Throughout the years that we have known and loved Buby and Zaidy they have always had a good outlook on life. Always laughing, smiling, never complaining, moaned or criticized any aspect of their lives. Even during times of pain has he complained? No. He might have winced but not complained.

As a Christian family we value our Jewish friends for what we have learned from them and reflect fondly on the many lighthearted conversations we have had about religion and my teasing him about his passion for that Canadian game that I am beginning to appreciate – Hockey! His adopted Grandchildren have visited him hospital and are very happy for him, which might appear to be strange, but they both say that he’s had a happy life and should be even happier that he is going to heaven to be with God.

I am oh so grateful that Zaidy came into our families lives. We value very much what we have learned just by watching him living his life which has been an amazing example of loving, caring, and compassion.

True friendships outside of marriage are very valuable and extremely important when it comes to the life that we wish to lead. So often we surround ourselves with people or crowds that appear to be exciting, and daring because we are so desperate to “fit in”. And the reason we want to fit in is because we don’t know where we are going in life. Many times we just feel lost and lonely and being in the wrong crowd can’t help us.

Surround yourself with mentors, people who see you for what and who you are and not for what you might become. Surround yourself with non-judgemental and non-opinionated people who are secure and happy with their own life’s direction whom you can admire and respect for who they are. Learn and gain from their strengths and not from the weaknesses of those around you. Zaidy was all these things to our family.

During these precious days I want to say thankyou Zaidy. For being a friend to my wife and I, for being a Grandfather to our children, and for teaching me, through your example how to be a true ambassador of life.

God Bless You

WHY NOW AND NOT THEN

This strange title for a blog came to my mind as I was trimming the trees in my backyard and dragging the efforts of my labors down to the fire pit for burning at a later stage.

Whilst I was tearing away at the foliage my wife was on hands and knees diligently weeding out all the stinging nettles that are sprouting up all over our lawn making it not all attractive to look at. The trouble being that as I mow the lawn it spreads the seeds of these nettles encouraging them to spread even further. Not a pretty site.

Our house is beautiful and is my semi-retirement home sitting on the lake in Port Perry, Canada. It is my dream home and with all the work that we have done is stunning, to say the least. My wife is a genius when it comes to construction work, she can do it all, and gets it done right first time. Me? I put a shelf up, open a window and guaranteed the draft will blow it down. So I make the beds and do the cooking (some of it).

So here we are today, out in the heat, working on our garden doing something that we should have done months, if not years ago. We have a lot to do, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and graft to get it looking right. It’s not just a few hours work, it’s going to be days if not a couple of weeks. Blisters, dirty finger nails. Muddy sweat running down our cheeks, and aching bones at the end of the day.

So why are we putting ourselves through all this pain? Why now. Because we want to sell our home, well not want to but have to due to my wife’s work. (That’s another story). So why now and not “then”,” then” being earlier than now. “Then” being weeks before, or months before, or better still when it NEEDED to be done. Yes we would of course sit out on the deck watching the sunsets and see the weeds growing, We knew that they needed dealing with, but we could always get round to it later. As I cut the lawn I knew that I was cutting the heads off the weeds which in a way hid the weeds and took them out of my minds eye – I could deal with them later. But there was always something else that got in the way of our dealing with the weeds.

There were Bar-B-Q’s, parties, meetings, TV shows, excuses and even more excuses – all of them good reasons for not dealing with the weeds. Had we dealt with the problem “then” it would have taken only minutes each day, but now it’s taking hours each day.

So why NOW and not THEN. We have new motivation, we want to sell our home and have to everything possible to encourage someone to want to buy our home, make a decision.

This dilemma of now and then faces us in all our lives, putting off until tomorrow what can be done today. We very often delay business decisions because we are too busy and then we suffer later due to inactivity – filing of taxes, hiring/firing staff/servicing/staff training/purchasing/marketing. We also very often delay making decisions that affect our family lives – addressing internal conflicts/keeping in touch with distant love ones/taking time to listen to and hearing our children.

We are all continually being bombarded with daily decisions and if we were to deal with them, face them as they arose then life would be oh so much better. I was always taught to start the day with the most difficult and arduous task and finish the day with the easiest and simplest, that way the day finishes on a high note.

So guess what. From now on my garden will be weeded on a daily basis. D.I.N is my new motto – DO IT NOW why not make it yours as well.

To book David for your next conference or meeting contact him directly info@davidhooker.net

THE KING IS DEAD

Like most of us I expect that you are into at least one type of music be it jazz, classical, pop or whatever. If so I am trusting that you might at least have heard of that great blues master BB King who sadly died recently. His impact on the blues scene was immense with a following that took him and his music around the world affecting all genres of music leaving a legacy that in many ways has affected all musicians everywhere.

As we look back over time we can all identify individuals who have made an impact on our lives, who have affected history and changed the way in which we either live or view life. In some cases it could be the person we married, or the child that we now nurture, or just someone who crossed paths with us at some time or other whose opinion or thought process made us stop and rethink our opinions, our lifes direction, or caused us to slow down and take stock – which is always a good thing to do.

The most well-known of all people that impacted our lives was of course Jesus Christ, and no matter what your beliefs are there is no doubt that this one person impacted us more than anyone else.

Many radio stations took time out to discuss the passing of BB King and his impact, playing his music and telling his story.

There was one interview of BB that made an instant impression on me making me reflect on the man. At a performance BB was being asked questions by his young audience and one budding guitarist asked him what type of strings he used. This questioner was keen to find out the answer as he believed that with the correct strings he could produce the same sound as BB.

BB's answer was profound. "It's not the strings that matter, it's what's in your fingers that matters. Your fingers make the music, what you feel in your heart as you touch those strings is what makes the music".

That answer was quite disappointing to that young guitarist for he was looking for 'the secret', and what he learned was that there is no such thing as secret to success, to achievement.

What is in your heart, in your soul, your deepest desire is what drives you on to success and happiness and ultimate achievements. Don't seek outside for satisfaction, look inside yourself for that is where you will find your true self, your true desires and find true satisfaction.

Don’t ask others what their secret for success is, they really don’t know. Follow what is in your heart and perform your task to the best of your ability, doing your best is what attracts attention and others to your mission and vision.

BB King did not set out to have an impact, he just wanted to perform and pour as much love as possible into his task.

Do what you love and love what you do. It worked for BB King, why not for you.

ARE YOU TRULY COMMITTED

As I sit and write this blog Canada is preparing for the hosting of the Pan Am games, the coming together of athletes from around the world all with one goal in mind - to do the best that they can. Of course they all want to win, but just the fact that they qualified to participate will be enough for many of them.

Interesting isn't it - years of practise, day after day, hour after hour, stretching their bodies further than they have ever been stretched before. Approaching one pain barrier in preparation for the next. Focusing their minds on what lies ahead, ignoring all negative influences that surround them and just focusing on one thing . . .participating in the games – which equals SUCCESS.

What are you focusing on, I mean TRULY focusing on. Are you focusing on a goal/project so much that you are prepared to give up anything to achieve your goal?

Remember the story about Christ who died for what he believed in?

I am not expecting you to die for your belief but I am expecting you to make a strong commitment to what you believe in. A commitment so strong that regardless of those around you, the stumbling blocks that will inevitably be placed before you, the mental pain barriers that will have to be dealt with, you will get up and overcome the challenges and trials that you will inevitably face. Are you prepared and ready to face the challenges?

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you."

William James 1842-1910, Psychologist, Professor and Author

To boom David for your next seminar, conference, or training program please email him - info@davidhooker.net

IT'S A CAT AND MOUSE GAME

Life is all about going after what we need first and then what we want second. Need has to comes first and then comes want. Sometimes unfortunately we tend to forget what we need and only focus on what we want. And sadly, when we actually get what we want we soon get fed up with it, it loses its glitter and then we want more.

Many people want the latest cell phone, must have 3D television, must be the first to get the Apple watch, and must have the newest iPad. Although we are not all financially secure we are living in a throw-away society, whether we can afford it or not. In days gone by we threw things out because they no longer worked, today we throw things out because there is something new on the market that shouts out BY ME!

Sadly many of us are living our lives just like that. We throw away relationships because temporarily it is not working or we just want a change. We throw away our marriages because we have forgotten how to love each other and have stopped working at it. We throw away the love of and for our children because we fail to understand THEIR needs and focus only on our own. We throw away our health because we have forgotten how to value our bodies and have no idea how they work, or perhaps we just don’t care./p>

We have also forgotten the need to love our neighbors. Imagine the world if we all loved and cared for each other.

I was always taught that you can’t have what you want until you want what you have. Quite profound eh! If we spent more time appreciating exactly what we have, being thankful for the important things in our lives and enjoying what we have instead of hankering after what we don’t have life would be so much different. Imagine a life of contentment.

They say that life is a game of cat and mouse, chasing after what we want and being chased by those trying to give us what we don’t need.

In a cat and mouse chase the mouse mostly wins. Why? Because the cat runs for the food she wants. The mouse wins because she is running for the life that she needs. The fear of loss is always a better motivation than the desire of gain.

Look after what you have because by chasing after what you don’t need you could lose everything.

PROTECT YOUR FLOWERS AND DESTROY THE WEEDS

It doesnt matter whether or not you're a gardner or not so I am going to assume that you can tell the difference between weeds and flowers - beautiful and ugh, positive and negative.

If you leave a garden untended it very quickly gets overgrown with ugly/negative weeds. It is those weeds that strangle the beautiful flowers and cover the ground so thickly that the beautiful flowers have absolutely no chance whatsoever of growing or surviving. Its interesting to note that weeds don't need planting, they just grow. Flowers however need attention, they need love and need protecting from the weeds.

We are surrounded on a daily basis by both positive (the flowers) and negative (the weeds) influences that can affect us in a myriad of ways. Negative influences are so damaging and just like the garden need weeding out on a daily basis and if neglected will smother and destroy your attitude, your project, your business, your life.

To avoid the damage that can be caused you need to be continually working on your attitude to block out the weeds/negativity. How? Mix with positive people. Dont listen to negativity - walk away. Believe in yourself and your decisions. Dont be impatient - it takes time to build a beautiful garden/business. Nurture your business with love.

We were all created from a seed. A seed of love. That seed was nurtured in the mothers body and cared for by the beauty of Mother Nature. Each seed is already pre-programmed to be whatever it was meant to be. You were pre-programmed to be successful and NOT to be a failure. You were not designed to fail. Once out of the womb it is for you to look after yourself, to feed/nourish/water yourself. It is for you to keep the seeds of negativity (the weeds) away from your life and your future. Keep the weeds away and believe, have faith, and trust in your destiny.

Spend more time in your garden and not in the garden of others.

I'VE BEEN AWAY

Yep, that's true, I have been away reviewing my life, my activity, my past, and my future. And no matter what you say that is a tremendous amount of reflection. Of course I have been working throughout the past years but I have been questioning the direction that my life has been taking me.

For those of you that don't know me that well I have been a public speaker on the international stage for 4 decades travelling to and working in 37 countries with audiences from a few hundred to many thousands. I have been blessed with a fabulous life and loved every minute of it.

But recently I started questioning myself as to what are my true motives. Have I been working for the benefit of me, or for the benefit of others. Perhaps that is a question that we should all be asking ourselves - why are we doing what we are doing?

I spent an amazing year living and working in India which is where my transformation started - I urge you all to do the same, it would change your lives forever (it did mine). I learned that money is not the be all and end all of life, living life is. It was this outlook of life that started my reflection.

Instead of me focusing my speaking presentations on how to make more money my focus is now on how to make more out of your lives.

During the past couple of years I have spent a lot of time with myself, finding myself, looking inwards and assessing how best to use my God given talents in a way that helps others develop their own talents to also help others.

My Christian upbringing has always frustrated me for although I have always believed that there was more to life I could never come to accept that there was a God or some super being that controlled everything. That was beyond my comprehension.

During my questioning and doubting many doors have opened before me offering opportunities for learning about myself, learning about others, and gradually accepting that there is something out there. It doesn't matter what it is or who it is, or what we call him or how we describe our God, because we all need something to believe in and or someone to talk to in private moments. It was during my private moments that my new life's direction was decided upon.

I have now learned that by living what we believe, and not just talking about what we believe is the key to monumental success in all that we do.

Join me on my exciting journey of discovery.