Archives for May 2015

The biggest move of my life… for now!

I made the big move… and you can do it too!
Early 2005, I was 18 years old. I had a dream. I wanted to move out where the mountains and the ocean were. Still living at my parents in a small Quebec town near Montreal, I was dreaming of that West Coast lifestyle that all of us see in the media.
I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was desperately waitingly for the UBC application response to know if my life was going to change on a dime. As I stressfully opened up the letter, I started reading the depressing news: Rejected!
I didn’t let that stop me, I decided to make a smaller move to Ottawa keeping in mind that one day I will make the move to Beautiful British Columbia. I did everything to get closer to my goal. While studying in Ottawa my girlfriend at the time went on a student exchange, which allowed me to go visit and spend two weeks on the coast. I was hooked. I could feel that I was one step closer to my goal, I could smell the victory.
Fast forward two years, I decided to join the Canadian Forces and luckily I was based in Esquimalt, BC, for a summer while still in university. I felt even closer to the ultimate goal until a girl decided to steal my heart a few months before I could scream victory.
Since there is a girl in every great story, this one is no different. We decided to give our relationship a try making me move to Quebec City going Eastern instead of Western.
After three years of amazing shared moments together, I realized that the Eastern Canadian lifestyle was never going to meet my expectations, aspirations, and dreams. Was I going to wait to have kids, a mortgage, car loans, and other grown up commitments only to wake up at 35 years old with an unaccomplished dream haunting me?
I needed to make a heartbreaking choice. I started weighing pros and cons, trying to see myself in the future, making my life goals and plans; one, three, five, ten, twenty years from now, and what I really wanted my life to be.
I took a leap of faith, trusting that everything was going to be OK and decided to go for the big move. The discussion that I feared so much to have with my girlfriend needed to happen. There was no hiding anymore. I had to man up and leave the boy behind because this was going to be a grown up discussion.
For as long as I can remember, this was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do in life. Leaving someone not because it is not working anymore but because the adventure is calling and deep inside I knew it was the right thing to do.
I have now been in the North Vancouver for about three years living the life that I had envisioned for myself and even more. As challenges and goals are a source of energy for me, I never thought I would go back to school to complete a second degree, build as many friendships as I did, and I sure never thought about owning my own business within only three years of being here.
My goals are very different than they used to be as I have shaped my life the way I wanted it to be. Today I am reaching even higher, and using my full potential to see what else is possible.
Now that you have read my story, I am asking you. What are you afraid of in life? What stops you from taking actions towards building the life you envision for yourself?
I am not going to lie; it is hard. Nothing in life that is worth getting is ever easy to grasp. It needs efforts, reflection, patience, character, and action. But, when you set your mind on something, stop worrying and listening to distractions, things start to shift, and magical changes start taking place.
Now that I have shared my story with you, I would love for you to share yours with me as well. Sharing your story might just be the beginning of your great adventure.
 

Max Charron-0467-2-1 2Maxime Charron: Max is a unique individual.  He likes to challenge himself and enjoy life by doing what he loves; a day in the mountains hiking, biking, skiing is just as valuable as working on his business with a client on different projects. It doesn’t matter to him as long as he does what he loves and surrounded with positive people. He also aspires to public speaking in corporate sustainability. As giving back to the community is very important to him, he finds time in his busy schedule teaching business basics to elementary school students through Junior Achievement, raising money for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, and do inspirational speaking to high school students. Connect with Max thought his website www.leadingahead.comFacebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

5 Epic Questions To Help You Find Your Life Purpose

Imagine this, you’re 15, no clue what you want to do with your life, and probably not even thinking about it, when your best friend blurts out “I want to be a musician.” Just like that, he decided.
At the time when this happened, I didn’t give much thought to it. His parents didn’t seem to mind, they were supportive and seemed to think it would be a passing phase. Slowly though he built his life around music- lessons, small gigs, auditions, more lessons, failed auditions, successful contracts…. building his entire life around this primary focus while most people around him floundered to find direction.
Don’t get me wrong, most people don’t just tap into their life’s work at 15. He was definitely unique.

The Pursuit Of Purpose

 
Most of us have no clue what we want to do in our teens or 20’s and find ourselves trying different things in an effort to figure out what we are good at, enjoy and can succeed at. The funny thing is that most people go after what they think they are good at and not necessarily what they want.
Even after making good money between 18-24, I changed careers and pursued a passion-based career, it wasn’t until I was almost 30 that I clearly defined what I wanted for my life.
Chances are you’re more like I was and have no clue about what you want to do, or you have an idea, but it seems blurry. It’s a struggle that almost every adult goes through. You find yourself asking questions like:
What am I really good at?”
“What am I passionate about?”
“What could I do to be fulfilled?”

I get emails all the time from men and women who are searching for a deeper sense of purpose and want guidance. One of the biggest challenges facing people is their idea of “life purpose.” Most people define purpose by accomplishments or goals. People think “If I am achieving things, making money and more successful than others then I am accomplishing my purpose,” right? Not exactly.

What Purpose Is

 
So many people think that their career IS their purpose and get lost in the fact that their career is simply another accomplishment, title or piece of their identity. Purpose is separate from your career, it is separate from how much money you make, whether you climb Mt Everest or not and separate from how many businesses you own or run.
Other people think “Life Purpose” is some higher calling, some divine purpose which they need to seek and figure out and can only be told to us by some ethereal being, or by holding a crystal while dancing naked in the forest high on D.M.T (although that could be a blast). While our purpose may be a form of higher calling, and I’m not here to discuss religious beliefs, few people today find their life purpose by going on a pilgrimage.
Here is our reality: life is finite, not infinite. We have a certain amount of time here which is completely undetermined to us. No one knows for certain how much time we have or what we are ultimately supposed to do with it. It’s like being given the world’s best and most intricate game without instructions. This does make it challenging to know where to begin, how long you have or who you should invest your limited time and energy with.
When people ask “What should I do with my life?” or “What is my life’s purpose?” what they’re actually asking is “What can I do with my life that will be important?… What can I do with my life that will make a difference?”
This is a much better place to start, as it points to a way of being rather than what you are doing. So many people feel like they are not living their lives’ purpose because what they are doing with their life doesn’t match who they want to be as a person.
I’ve worked with men for years now and one of the most common questions I get is “What should I do with my life? How do I leave a legacy? How can I find my life’s purpose?” These are impossible questions for me or anyone else to answer for you, they are questions that you must come to answer, by you, for you.
After working with hundreds of people, doing research and asking people who are living their purpose, I created these 5 questions for you to tap into what you are meant to do. I might not be able to give you the answer, but I can certainly ask the right questions to help you find the answer.

5 Epic Questions To Help You Find Your Life Purpose

 
1. What Problem would you give anything to solve?
One of my favourite sayings is “If you want to make a billion dollars, solve a problem for a billion people.” I’m talking about real problems, not the kind that help people be more complacent, like an ingenious way to turn on your tv just by saying “Turn on TV” or a self-cleaning toothbrush. I mean real issues like how to cure a disease, fix modern day education, help inner city kids get a head start in life, how to educate third world children, feed the 7.5 billion people that live on this little blue marble… you know, the easy problems.
 
2. What is true about you today that would make your ten-year-old self cry?
This may sound like a strange question but as kids we were all dialed into our hearts. We knew what we loved and for the most part, we didn’t care what people thought about it. We would openly express what we wanted to do no matter how absurd or outlandish it may have seemed. This question will point you to passion. It will help remind you of something that you may have forgotten about.
 
3. What makes you forget to eat, sleep, poop and have sex? (Maybe not the last two)
What drives you? What would you give up your ‘days off’ to do?
We have all had those moments of complete flow where we feel like we could keep doing what we are doing for hours, days, weeks and months. This is essential. If you can’t stand what you are doing, you’re probably not doing the right thing.
 
4. What is the cost of living this purpose? Are you willing to pay it?
Purpose stopper 101- maybe you have a purpose, a way of being that calls you to play bigger, be better and give more to the people around you, but you’re not willing to pay the toll. For some, who we want to be and what we are willing to do are very different things. Everything has a cost, in this case, there is likely something you will have to give up to gain full access to your purpose.
For example, a high performing CEO whose purpose is to dramatically improve community access to clean water or resources, is likely going to have to give up all the limiting thoughts that may get in the way of his potential rising and purpose activating. He may also have to give up the ways in which he maybe wasted time in the past- trading partying for high quality sleep to be at his best, trading drinking beer and eating crap for early morning workouts and clean foods to keep his mind sharp and body agile.
Most people don’t even think about this, they simply think “Well, when I tap into my purpose then I’ll be able to to do x,y & z AND keep doing the things I’ve always done.” The problem here is that some people have limiting beliefs and behaviours that impact their ability to truly live their life purpose. Letting go of these is the cost one must be willing to pay to level up and live their greatness.
 
5. You have one year to live from today, what would you do and how would you want to be remembered?
Write. It. Down.
Share it with someone you love and trust.
Imagine that you spent one year being the person you dreamed of, just one year. In the grand scheme of things that’s not very long. What would it take? What values would you want to live? What beliefs would stand in your way? What would you want to do? What would your obituary say? What would people say about you and who you were?
Oh, and if you are writing a bunch of crap that sounds cool just to impress a bunch of people, you’re probably not moving in the right direction. Take two steps back, connect to your ten-year-old self and remember what problem YOU want to solve.

It is at the intersection of being and doing that we find purpose. – Tweet this.

 
Uncovering one’s purpose in life is so much more than what you will ‘DO’ in this world. It is about who you will be, what you are committed to giving back to, who you will help and who you will be of service to. It is about getting off the couch and making a difference in other people’s lives and being a part of something bigger than yourself.
So be brave. Answer the questions and take some action.
Start being the Man the world needs.
If you are looking to expand your potential and are looking for the community to help make it all happen, join us for ManTalks Monday: In Pursuit Of Purpose on May 25th 2015. More event details can be found HERE
Connor BeatonConnor Beaton is the founder of ManTalks. He has learned so much about himself because of the incredible Leaders and Mentors who have been a part of his life.
A true believer in the power of reciprocity and that what you give to others you will get in return. Connor believes he is here to be of service to others, to contribute, in some way, to your life.

My Trust Mantra for the perfect adventure

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
Martin Luther King Jr
Ages ago, I was listening to a podcast that talked about the Huna principle that has become a mantra of mine.

“Everything is working out perfectly.”

These simple words have helped me stay on track and keep my head. When I’m feeling upset, stressed out or like things aren’t going the way they’re supposed to, I repeat this mantra in my head (or out loud) until I restore my trust.
Using this mantra helps in two ways. First, it reminds you that regardless of how bad a situation may seem, it is, in fact, the way things are supposed to be going, because if it weren’t it wouldn’t be happening. Once you can sink in and trust that this is true, a sense of calm washes over you, and the situation seems a lot less stressful.
The second is an element of the law of attraction. If you believe that your situation is wrong and not going the way it’s supposed to, “it sucks” or something along those lines, then you attract more negative things to you. The universe says: “Well, you think this is shit, so I’ll keep proving it to you.” Once you regain your trust, you will often find that miraculously, things just start going better for you. Once you relax and get back into a positive state of mind, you will attract more positivity towards you!
In the fall of 2013 I set out on a 3000 km cycling trip down the west coast from Whistler, BC to just outside San Diego, California. At first, this trip may not seem all that out there, a lot of other people have done the same and more challenging rides. But, I’ve never ridden a road bike, or done any long distance riding until about three weeks before leaving on this trip.
I did this trip solo and camped the whole way down the coast, carrying everything I needed with me. With food and all my gear, my rig weighed an average of over 100 lbs! If you’ve ever tried riding a 100 lb bike before, you’ll know it’s not an easy thing to do, especially up the hills, some of which are over 2000 vertical feet high.
My body and mind were pushed to near the breaking point quite a few times, especially at the beginning, where any journey is invariably the hardest.
Along the way, I encountered numerous events that forced me to simply trust that everything would work the way I intended and just keep moving.
Since I was going to be away for two months, I decided to sublet my room while I was gone. After showing it to a number of different people with no success, I tried one final attempt to find someone the morning I was scheduled to leave on my adventure. She seemed like a good fit, but couldn’t commit on the spot, so I had to leave without securing someone to cover my $1100 a month rent while I was gone.
I didn’t have the budget to cover the adventure without subletting the room, and that was so scary, but I just had to trust that it would work out. I’ll admit, it was rather stressful at first, but once I was a couple of hours in and almost reached Squamish I got a call from her saying that she wanted to take it!
I could have postponed or cancelled the trip, but I chose to trust and continue, and the universe did its part and helped get it all worked out.
Trust is not just important for going on adventures and accomplishing huge goals. Having a better sense of trust can help immensely with stress, anxiety, and fear as well. For all of these states are essentially a lack of trust that things will go the way you desire.
By strengthening your trust, you will not only make your journey through life more enjoyable, you will also end up attracting more of what you want into your life and reach your goals that much faster!
I have definitely strengthened my trust a lot through my many adventures, however this is not the only way to do it. Other practices such as the use of mantras, like the one I mentioned earlier, “everything is working out perfectly,” meditation… etc helps a lot too.
In the end, having trust when things are going well is easy. It’s only being able to be positive and have trust in the face of fear and uncertainty that will help you thrive and have the life you truly desire. And the best way to make that happen is to put yourself in situations that force you to trust and have faith that things will work out perfectly.
So get out there and go on your own adventure!
 

Dave Weale“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked what I wanted to be wen I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

That is the foundation of Dave Weale’s beliefs and what he teaches all of his clients. Dave is a happiness coach. His clients end up being able to free up their time so they are able to focus on pursuing their passions and truly live a life they love!

He does this by teaching about mindfulness and meditation and works with people to help improve their Health, Wealth, Love and Trust. He helps people reach peak health, make more money, create more love in their lives, and trust that we are all in this together and that everything is working out perfectly!

Connect with Dave on his websiteInstagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hypem, and Pinterest

 

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