PEr: Where you come from, doesn't determine where you're going

The Oscars this year had a shared theme – both in the films and in real life: redemption, moving on from the past and a note of hope. All four acting categories were won by veteran performers who have never been nominated – as Michelle Yeoh put it: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you, you are past your prime’

Imagine what it would be like if your annual salary became your monthly salary.

As you begin to look toward the future and look at yourself right now, it’s very important to say yes to whatever dreams you have of doing more and experiencing more. It took quite a few years for me to act on that first thought I could become a public speaker. And that’s exactly what I did. I made the decision early in my career to refine my public-speaking skills.

Buckminster Fuller said “Every child is born a genius, but the process of living degeniuses them.” Because we’re told more about our limitations than our potential, most of us go to our graves and take our music with us. That’s a lot of awesomeness hiding inside; all you have to do is explore.

Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75. They’re walking dead. You can tell by the way they walk, how they look in the face, when they speak with you. People who make it in life have energy. If you’re excited about what you’re doing, you will convince yourself and others. Whatever you do, you want to have the kind of excitement that is so contagious people want to be around you

I want to warn you when you go after your dream, you’re going to experience some disappointment. ?Courage is the capacity to go from failure to failure within losing enthusiasm.

But what do we say instead, “Well, there’s always tomorrow.”

No. There are no guarantees you’re going to show up tomorrow. A lot of people who were here yesterday are not here today. There are a lot of opportunities that were around yesterday and they’re not here today. You can wait, but remember what Abraham Lincoln said, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” Who wants to go through life picking up leftovers? The simple fact is: the present is all we have.

Look at ways to increase your value in life. If you’re working on a job, find ways to make yourself indispensable. Learn how to do more things and to do them more effectively.

I used to have a tremendous inferiority complex about speaking before people that I felt had more going for them than I did. I’m not university trained and I felt that university educated people were the most intelligent people on the planet. Why would they listen to me? That’s the way I felt. I had to realise my own value and appreciate that I was a worthwhile person, even though I didn’t have the background.

Our minds have the power to both help and harm us; it’s up to use to use that power wisely. ?We don’t always have the power to change our circumstances, but we can change how we feel about them.

Whether you agree with that concept is up to you. I’m not a doctor or psychologist. I’m someone who’s learnt from my experiences, mistakes and growth. As a leader and coach, I’ve successfully helped hundreds of people who thought that happiness and success simply wouldn’t happen for them – to exercise new and powerful ways of thinking that bring about beautiful and positive changes to transform their lives.?