Sam Makhoul – Page 22

March 23, 2011

Have your ideas ever been burgled?

A dear friend of mine from New Zealand had his home burgled on the weekend. He took his family away for a great weekend to Lake Taupo for what he said “was the best break ever,” only to return home and find the front door open and belongings stolen. The most significant thing that was stolen however was his daughter’s innocence. For the first time she had to process the fact that there are ‘bad people’ in this world.

So how does one deal with such an event? Any parent will tell you that the best way to raise children is to continually distract them with more positive matters. (Children are easily distracted not because they are naive but because they live in the present.) The idea here is not to dwell on the event. Sometimes people spend too much time analyzing what went wrong and how it affected them emotionally. The issue grows in proportion to the amount of time they spend thinking about it.

It is no different in business. Ideas are stolen or ‘borrowed’ all the time. But I see so many entrepreneurs waste a lot of their focus and energy dwelling on it rather than getting on with it. They focus on the review mirror instead of the road ahead.

So whether you have been burgled in life or in business, the best way to deal with it is to learn from it, get over it and distract yourself with more positive matters. Focus on your mission and your goals. Wake up every morning and take action. Continue to eat well, exercise, love, laugh, create, innovate, communicate and build solid relationships with family, friends and associates. Very soon you will forget about the event.

What you choose to do in your future can never be burgled.

Sam Makhoul.

March 21, 2011

DOES CURIOSITY KILL THE ENTREPRENEUR?

The answer is no. In fact curiosity is a great teacher and a great asset to have. In business it is essential. Sure, we must temper curiosity with responsibility but we should not cripple our curiosity with fear of failure.

As children we are fearless. As we grow older fear gets in the way of our curiosity. We are taught that curiosity may get us into trouble. What a loss that is. In business and in life, nothing further can be from the truth.

Many great entrepreneurs and innovators (think Einstein) have a child-like curiosity for the world around them. They see opportunities. They poke, they prod, they make that phone call, they attend that seminar, and they connect with other like-minded people. Curiosity leads them to innovation. They try new things and question the status quo. They may fail at times but the beautiful thing about curiosity is that you even learn from such failures.

I was curious enough to recently attend a seminar by Dale Beaumont. I learned so much and met so many people, that it will change the course of my business forever. Curiosity led me to that.

So ask yourself this. Are you letting curiosity weave its magic into your life and business or are you living in the realms of fear, disguised as responsibility?

March 2, 2011

THREE SUPER NUTRIENTS

In our quest for good health we have forgotten THREE very powerful SUPER nutrients that can help us live long, healthy and happy lives.

I was at the World Wellness Project in Melbourne on Thursday 8th Feb. I had the privilege of briefly addressing the delegates about health and wellness. I planned to talk about “Hitting the Reset Button” but one of the speakers (John Toomey) said something, which I thought deserved to be elaborated upon. John mentioned how some people live to a ripe old age even though they may break all the rules of nutrition. Some even smoke and drink alcohol and still live into their nineties. Often, journalists interview such people with the hope of uncovering some wonder food that they may be taken – is it wine? Is it dark chocolate? Is it Gogi berries? Is it Pomegranate juice?

What they fail to realise and what many of us often forget is that there are nutrients for the heart and mind that are much more powerful than the nutrients of the body. Many experts now believe that the true source of energy and wellness comes from our thoughts and feelings – not our bodies. Physically, we are energy! So when we are feeling lethargic and down it does not always mean that our bodies lack certain nutrients. It often means that our energy is trapped inside of us, stagnant and unreleased. Why? Because we are not feeding our heart and mind these three key super nutrients.

These nutrients give us an energy explosion. They make us bounce out of bed in the morning and give us a purpose and passion for life.

You are probably wondering what they are. They are love, friendship & work.

When it comes to LOVE: Research has shown that people who are in a loving long-term relationship are much happier and healthier than their single counterparts.

When it comes to FRIENDSHIP: Research shows that people who have a wide circle of friends and who socialise often are much healthier than people who are isolated and lonely.

When it comes to WORK: There is overwhelming research showing that people who love what they do and who work from the heart rarely ever get sick.

Now I’m not suggesting that you are not familiar with the importance of love, friendship and work. And I am not suggesting that food is not important. What I am suggesting is that we haven’t been as deliberate and scientific about these three areas of life as we have with food, water and air. We have not treated these three super nutrients of the heart and mind with the same level of respect.

There are people who measure the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat they consume. They filter their water and their air. Yet they do not measure how they are travelling when it comes to LOVE – FREINDSHIP – WORK. Why? Because unlike food, air and water, these three intangible nutrients are difficult to measure. So it is difficult for us to reward ourselves when we meet certain targets.

So my challenge to you is this: are you as serious about love, friendship and work as you are about the water you drink, the food you eat and the air you breathe. I hope you are because you will find that these three super nutrients of the heart and mind will give you much more energy and vitality than food ever will alone.

February 27, 2011

Spread the Obsession

When friends and clients ask me what is the single most important thing they can do to become successful in their business, I respond with “Get Obsessive about it!” Most of them then accuse me of contradicting myself: “But you bang-on about living a balanced and complete life. How can I be obsessive about my business without neglecting other areas of my life – like my partner, my family, my health…?”

Before I reveal my response to this question I want to point out one very important fact. Anyone that I have ever come across in business (or in sport or the arts for that matter) is successful because they are obsessive about it. I have never met anyone extraordinary who is not passionately obsessive about his or her ‘thing’.

The truth is that if you want to be one of the best at anything you must be obsessive with your focus. It must be something that is on your mind daily and you must want it with all your heart – that’s what makes it an obsession.

Obsession is not a bad thing. Obsession is a great tool that the human brain is equipped with. This evolutionary trait is there for a reason. It makes us immerse ourselves into a passion and helps find a solution to problems that prop up.

The danger with obsession comes when you only obsess about one area of your life to the exclusion of the others. The way to avoid this is to “Spread the Obsession”. Be obsessive about all eight areas of your life: HEALTH – LOVE – FAMILY – WORK – LEARNING – FRIENDSHIP – WEALH and CHARITY. Focus with all your heart and mind on these areas.

When it comes to HEALTH be obsessive about the food you eat – be uncompromising. Exercise daily and relax often. When it comes to LOVE be an attentive partner and always be thinking about how to surprise them with acts of affection and fun. When it comes to FAMILY be caring and supportive to your mother, father, brother or sister. Be as thoughtful with them as you are with your friends – and listen without distraction. When it comes to WORK, only stay in a job that you really really love and always serve people from the heart. When it comes to FRIENDSHIP go out of your way to connect with friends. Turn off the TV and go visiting or engage with them on Facebook. Focus on how you can make your friends laugh because I believe that friendship should equal fun. When it comes to LEARNING prepare your own annual curriculum for what you want to learn about. When it comes to WEALTH focus on investing in yourself and in your dreams first before you invest in stocks or real estate. And when it comes to CHARITY learn to give of yourself and your time to others.

The truth is that I am obsessive. But I am obsessive about every area of my life. So if you are by nature obsessive, you should start seeing that as a positive trait and start spreading the obsession. It reminds me of the motivational mantra of “work hard – play hard” – which is not so stupid after all if you broaden your definition of “play”.

February 15, 2011

When Two Tribes Go To War

There has been one tribe that has dominated and crushed our health and happiness for over 60 years. It is a tribe that is motivated by profits before people. It thrives on deception and confusion. It sells speed and convenience.

That tribe is the fast food industry in all its guises.

It then joined forces with some other evil tribes: consumerism, debt and busyness. Then it went viral!

Big corporations used their financial power to dominate the airwaves of TV and radio with images of fun and frivolity to sell us anything that contained white flour, white sugar, salt, preservatives, colours, additives and food enhancers – Stuff with a long shelf life aimed at shortening ours. And we all bought into the deception. It seduced our thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, our bodies paid the price with the rise of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

But something is changing. Something is shifting. There is a roar in the distance as we look out over the digital landscape and see a tide of wellness warriors marching to the beat of one drum. Social media is in their hands. It gives them a voice so powerful that it is heard over the tops of many mountains and across many seas. How awesome it is – the rise and power of the individual.

Information is spreading. Farmers markets are growing. Organic produce is overflowing. Vegetable gardens are sprouting across backyards. And people in growing numbers are demanding respect for their health.

Yes, this wellness tribe is growing and it is up for a fight. A fight between natural and artificial. Between transparency and cover-up. And between the hope of a well future versus an ignorant past.

BUT this tribe is still not big enough to crush the might and power of the fast food tribe. The deception will continue for the ignorant and the too-busy-to-notice crowd. So every wellness warrior counts. Every voice counts.

So which tribe do you belong to? The wellness tribe or the fast food tribe? Or are you too busy to notice?

On the 24-25 Feb 2011, in Melbourne Australia, you have a chance to join the wellness tribe and meet face-to-face with some amazing wellness warriors and food philosophers. Who knows, you may become a warrior yourself.

Join the tribe now: www.worldwellnessproject.com