Have you ever felt that, for whatever reason, time is no longer on your side? If only you could stop the clock or turn it back. No such luck.

In his famous, I Have a Dream speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently reminded us that:

“We are faced with the fact, my friends, tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at flood – it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, “Too late.”

Many of us, from time to time, feel similar sentiments, especially today. These are uncommon times. Uncertainty and fear are creeping around the edges, sniffing at the centre.

We all face barriers and challenges of one kind or another and have setbacks occasionally. That’s how life goes. It’s the familiar dance – one step forward, two steps back.

In the dance of life, time waits for no one. The trick is to keep dancing -with the fierce urgency of now.

I invite you to join me on Facebook, Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn or email your thoughts and comments to drew@drewsimmie.com

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Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your own experience or your own convictions.
Dag Hammarskjold

If you knew that today was the last day of your life, would you keep on doing what you are doing?

How often have you asked yourself such a question or one like it? You know…  it isn’t the answers you get from others when you ask, but the questions you ask yourself  that will determine what kind of person you will ultimately become.

We all have a box of fears that keep us from asking the tough questions and doing what we would really like to do. One of our greatest is the fear of death. You can’t ignore death but don’t belabour it, either. The greatest loss isn’t death. The greatest loss in life is dying with the dream inside you before you had a chance to manifest it.

Each of us has a unique flame in our hearts for something that makes us feel alive. It is up to you to find yours and keep it lit.

Life is short. To the best of my knowledge no one has ever reported back, so vow today to take action. Find and embrace your passions, leverage them together with your special talent, the one thing you do better than anyone else and just go for it. Listen to yourself. Don’t listen to others. Their opinions, fears and views are theirs. Not yours.

But here’s the thing: You must take the first step. Don’t sit around wishing you were doing something else.

It takes courage. Be bold. Be scared to death. That’s OK. Be brave, but determine that today, right now, your are going to step out in the direction of your dream and live your own life your own way.

Come hell or high water.

I invite you to join me on Facebook, Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn or email your thoughts and comments to drew@drewsimmie.com

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Like a pair of giant needles, technology and globalization have knitted us together, impacting on every aspect of our lives.

Whether we’re in Toronto, Toledo or Timbuctu, we are living in one, huge global village – interconnected, interdependent and demanding we broaden our horizons. Our smart phones and You Tube have seen to that.

A world view is a set of expectations and biases we form that shapes how we see and feel about other people in other countries and, indeed, even in our own cities and neighbourhoods – each with their own world view.

We are not the same, of course. Our cultures, religions, educational backgrounds and societal differences  can easily make strangers of us if we let them. Still, as the world get smaller and as times get tougher, we need, more than ever, to broaden our world view and make the effort to get along.

I invite you to join me on Facebook, Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn or email your thoughts and comments to drew@drewsimmie.com

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Often we can achieve an even better result when we stumble yet are willing to start over, when we do not give up after a mistake, when something doesn’t come easily, but we throw ourselves into trying when we are not afraid to appear less than perfectly polished. Sharon Salzberg.

The people who are good in the long run often stumble in the beginning.

So if you fail when you first start out, it is well to remember that is just part of the deal for ultimate success.

Every failure is a chance to learn and to do better the next time.

Becoming good in the long run is the result of your effort, tenacity and executing smartly. The funny thing is, the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get.

I invite you to join me on Facebook, Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn or email your thoughts and comments to drew@drewsimmie.com

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The enemy of art is the absence of limitations. Orsen Wells.

As you are starting out another new week, here are five questions to ask yourself:

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

3. When is time to stop calculating risk vs rewards and just do what you know is right?

4, Do you celebrate the things you have?

5. When was the last time you tried something new?

Hmmm…

I invite you to join me on Facebook, Twitter, connect with me on LinkedIn or email your thoughts and comments to drew@drewsimmie.com

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