 It was Norman Peale, in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking”, who popularized the concept of “any action is better than no action at all”. The controversial clergyman argued that, “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”
It’s an intriguing thought, the lack of action resulting from fear. So, when I asked Jack Canfield, famed author of the hugely successful “Chicken Soup For The Soul” series, to write the foreword for my book “Pushing The Boundaries”, I knew he’d address this fact. “Are you ready to take chances to achieve your goals? Or is fear standing in your way?”, Jack asked. He added, “What is it about successful people who have pushed beyond boundaries to succeed that makes them unique? It’s this: they have the confidence and the courage to take risks in order to get ahead.” I think patience is another quality that works in this context. It’s patience that creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. It’s impatience that breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. “Fear is the single biggest thing that holds us back,” Jack wrote. “Unless you can step past that fear, you’ll just end up playing it safe and avoid trying new things. And that means it’s unlikely you’ll ever fulfill the dream most of us have of living a more rewarding life.” Jack Canfield added an intriguing coda to that thought: “Remember this: fear is all about what might happen, not what will happen. And even more importantly, all your fears are self-created by your imagining a negative outcome. You have the power within you to overcome that fear by using the same power of imagination to envision the positive outcome you want, and then take the kind of calculated risks that can lead to success.” I love that thought, because it confirms that we do have the ability to affect our lives positively if we want to take the right steps. One other quick thought on this subject. I’ve recently been asking people, “Is there anything I can do for you?” The reaction is, typically, one of surprise: folks just aren’t used to others wanting to help them out of the blue. But I think it’s important for those of us with means to offer assistance to those who may be lacking such benefits. And when people realize my offer is real, with no strings attached, whether they take up the proposition or not, there is genuine pleasure expressed that another person might even consider their state of life. Try it sometime: I think you’ll be pleased with the result.
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 I’m a lucky guy: been making up for lost time by traveling to some great locations. My travel agent’s got me accustomed to cruising on small ships which, while more costly, offer dynamite service, great food, small crowds, etc.
Recently, my companion and I booked a Greek Isles cruise which was outstanding. We ended up traveling on a cruise line we had not been with before, Azamara. Our accommodation was fine (although the bathroom is small, certainly when compared to other cruise lines I’ve sailed with: Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Viking). Food was very nice, the staff were terrific and the entertainment was awesome. But on the less than enthusiastic side, paying for the internet is an annoying, nickel-dime process they need to abandon. Also, their website needs work: before leaving, we devoted an afternoon to reviewing shore excursions. We booked several and had those bookings confirmed, However, two days later, we revisited the website to discover no bookings were listed. We literally had to start all over again on the ship. Also, in attempting to book in online, we were told not to do this until May 15: kind of strange when our tour began on May 13th!! But here is where Azamara really fell down. One of the excursions we booked for the island of Santorini offered free time at a beach. This appealed to us greatly and is why we booked that tour. The brochure boasted about: “…briefly stopping at the Agios Nektarios Church before enjoying some leisure time at the black-sand beach Kamari is now famous for.” In fact, this was accelerated by Azamara’s The Insider report: “Black sand beaches, crystal clear waters… make the island of Santorini a wonder to behold.” But imagine our surprise when it came time to visit this beach, it turns out it wasn’t even on the tour agenda! The tour guide announced the last stop as a winery visit, one which was never even mentioned in the tour descriptor. The guide was totally taken aback when I asked her about the beach: “The beach?” she said. “We don’t have any stop at a beach.” “But the tour description clearly said that there is to be a stop at the beach where we will have free time,” I explained. “It also says nothing about a winery.” “No beach on this tour,” she replied, as though it was me who had the facts wrong. It’s as though she was leading a totally different tour. We were not amused. We had bought this excursion strictly because of the beach. In fact, we had worn swim suits under our clothes, expecting to swim in the sea, which we love doing. Returning to the ship, we decided to visit the customer reception desk. Here, we calmly explained what had occurred and requested the charge for this excursion be removed from my bill. But the lady there said she couldn’t do that: I’d have to talk to the Excursions Department to accomplish this. Now, I didn’t think I should have had to talk to anyone else about this. But apparently I had no choice. So I waited until that desk opened up, later at 5pm, and met with a gentleman there (Mathew). I explained, for the second time, what the issue was. After a lot of back and forth (and I should explain, I never lost my cool: I’m always polite in any kind of situation) during which time he looked at the descriptor of the tour which clearly mentions the beach stop with free time, and does not list any winery visit. At this, he explained they’d have to call the people who ran the tour and request a subtraction from the bill from them. “We’ll have to get back to you after we talk with them,” he said. “We’ll let you know.” Now, this left me asking a question: does Azamara even care about their customers? Because this attitude certainly reflected the opposite point of view. I mean seriously: if you care about customers, you don’t treat them this way. You apologize profusely, remove the charge form the bill, and then if you need to work this out with some sub-supplier, great, you do so on your time. But you don’t involve me. I didn’t hire Azamara’s suppliers, they did. It’s not my battle. It’s theirs! To make matters worse, having said they’d get back to me soon, 2 days later, I’d heard nothing. So I went back to the Excursions desk and asked what was going on. “We have not heard back from the tour operator,” was all Mathew could offer. (Perhaps someone might have contacted me and said this!?) Anyway, 5 days later, the day before the end of the cruise, we received a message saying they would reduce our bill by $17.80 each. Well, I gotta tell you: that is an insult! It’s truly offensive. So I suggested to Azamara that they could keep that seventeen bucks times two: it’s obviously more important to them than it is to us! Oh, one other matter: my travel agent received written confirmation of free wifi and the upgraded drinks package being provided to us during this cruise. But surprise! After boarding the ship, we discovered neither was being offered to us! Nor was there any interest in fixing this situation. Overall, the trip to the Greek Isles was wonderful. But I don’t expect I’ll travel with Azamara again: they clearly have no understanding of customer service.  I have a friend who’s a great supporter of the British monarchy acting as our head of state here in Canada. I disagree, and thought I’d share a bit of the dialogue between us. But just to be clear, I don’t suggest banishing the monarchy. Let those who love that kind of pomp and circumstance enjoy it. But what I do say – and I’m now supported by 65 per cent of Canadians – is that our ties to the monarchy should be cut.
My pal says… I think Charles, is intelligent, sensitive and creative in responsive to change as seen in the coronation....and many other things. And my reply… While you obviously think King Charley’s a swell fellow, I – and many others – cannot forget his churlish performance against his poor wife (ultimately contributing to Diana’s untimely death), all the while ignoring his two sons who so needed his support and guidance after their mother’s public passing, while he galivanted around with Camilla Parker Bowles. He’s a fop who talks to flowers and enjoys his time with Queen Cami, “the Rottweiler". (I actually thought very well of the late Queen Elizabeth, but find it hard to say “Queen Camilla” as though she’s an equal in that role.) Lovely. Let him carry on. Just don’t call him my head of state. I’m told… And, beyond the constitutional necessities, the monarchy engages people's normally pretty boring lives and adds a terrific spark and dimension in those boring lives! To which I say… Surely that’s what we have Spongebob Squarepants for (heh, heh). ...a really a little cost given other so much other govt waste. One of the reasons only 30 per cent of Canadians feel any kind of connection to the Queen or to the Governor General is that over the last 10 years, the per capita bill for supporting the monarchist framework – including expenses incurred by the royal clan on Canadian soil, as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars devoted to running the offices of the Governor General and our 10 provincial lieutenant-governors – has more than doubled. For instance, are you aware that the Ontario lieutenant-governor employs nine staff members? And that the B.C. office shells out piles of cash each year to run a 102-room official residence for its lieutenant-governor? And as for the Governor General: she or he has literary awards and cuts ribbons and plants trees and travels to Nunavut and eats seal meat. But what else? The role is no longer relevant nor needed. I sure don’t feel good paying out these heavy sums when we so badly need the money for education and healthcare. Too easy too be so critical and no suggestion for another important, historic and very engaging You know, I admit I don’t have the political or mental horsepower to create a replacement system. But lots of other nations have done so: surely we can follow their lead. Like Germany... And then there’s this… Tom Freda, national director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, says of Canada, “I see a country that has been too lazy to take the last step to independence. This is a matter of will, of laziness that we just don’t care enough about our Canadianness to feel that this is important.” Well, you know what, I do think it’s important. As do a growing number of Canadians. According to data released just 3 days ago (in the midst of coronation glee), only 19 per cent of Canadians would prefer that the country remain a monarchy. That’s down 12 points since a similar poll conducted in September 2022. We decided long ago that we needed a Canadian flag without a Union Jack on it. That same logic should apply to our head of state. We don’t need a foreign queen or king. Nor do we need their representatives here. The perception is that Canada is not fully independent: we’re a nation demanding international respect, yet we have a head of state who is not chosen by us, who is selected by birth, who comes from one family only, that family having decided centuries ago to outsource their responsibility as rulers (to a Prime Minister), that lives in various castles, in another country, on another continent, and they only visit here occasionally. What does that say about Canada? Freda: “It’s the 21st century. If we’re going to be an independent country, we bloody well better act like it.” OK, I’ll leave the last word on the subject to Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian Ambassador to the UN: "The monarchy hurts Canada’s standing in the world. It’s time to let go.  Call him a legend. An icon. A superstar.
But the reality is, Gord Lightfoot never thought of himself as any of those things. “I’m just a guy from Orillia,” he’d say. And now he’s left us. At age 84, Gordon Lightfoot passed away yesterday. I’ve been listening to the accolades and stories on the radio about this troubadour from those who knew him, or claim to have known him. Which brought to mind my own encounter. No, not as drinking buddies or at a concert lining up for autographs. This was decidedly different: we were two guys watching our kids play floor hockey. Let me explain. Back in the day, in Toronto, my two young sons Charlie and Jamie enjoyed the sport of floor hockey. It was played mornings in the school gymnasium. Now, in order to get access to the gym, the team had to play at 7am. Having been a “ morning man” at the radio station where I worked years before, I was used to waking up when the world was still dark. And so, I’d get the boys their breakfast and we’d hop in the car to make our way to school. (BTW, the nice thing about driving in Toronto at that hour: very little traffic!) The boys would head in to put their books and lunches aside, change and head to the gym. And I always ventured into the gym as well, grabbing a chair and hanging out to watch. What the heck: I was there anyway and I always enjoyed seeing my boys play sports. I think there may have been one time where another parent was present, but typically, I would be on my own, sitting at the end of the gym, watching. Well, one fine morning, who should walk in but Gordon Lightfoot. I recognized him immediately. I knew the man lived nearby, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised his kids went to the same school. Now, I don’t know if it was the early hour or the impact of substances, but he looked a little “uneven”. Anyway, he ventured over to the chairs near to where I was ensconced, sat down, drank from a coffee cup, and watched the game unfolding. Never said a word to me and I, being the respectful guy I am, didn’t bother him either. This went on for three mornings, neither of us so much as acknowledging the other guy. Until one day he ventured in and saw me there again. This time he nodded, said “Hi” and then focused on the game and his coffee. I replied “Hi”, and that was that. Then, a couple of mornings later, when Gord walked in, I mentioned something about a new coach (teacher) being in place. This apparently took him by surprise and he asked me “Why?” I won’t bore you here with the reason, but I did share it with Gord and that seemed to satisfy him. And it was at that moment the ice was broken. From there, I guess he realized I wasn’t some groupie or an autograph hound, and over the days we went on to talk about our kids, their abilities, the town of Orillia (where he hailed from and where I visited often) and more. It was fun, and you know, there was a quality about him even then that here was a guy whose thoughts could be pretty inspiring. Never saw Gord again after floor hockey season ended. And I certainly can’t claim he was a friend, as so many are now doing. Yet, we did share some lovely moments as parents that I won’t soon forget. Gordon Lightfoot was surely a marvellous songwriter and performer. We’ll miss him. But we Canucks can be proud he was one of us. Rest easy Gord… it was a pleasure spending time with you.  Did you know that the 4th Thursday of every April is "Take Your Daughter To Work Day"? I can’t look at this event without recalling Ruth Lowe, one of the earliest female ground breakers, who wrote the song in 1939 that kicked off Frank Sinatra’s amazing singing career, “I’ll Never Smile Again”. She also wrote Sinatra’s theme song “Put Your Dreams Away” and nearly 50 other songs for Hollywood and Broadway. But here’s what’s amazing: Ruth accomplished all this in what was very much a man’s world: Tin Pan Alley, that assembly of songwriters in New York City who composed the popular music of the 20th century. Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Vernon Duke… the list goes on and on with hundreds of entries, virtually all the songwriters being male, most of them writing in teams as well. But then there was Ruth Lowe, a single female writing both lyrics and melody to “I’ll Never Smile Again” (putting her alongside Irving Berlin and Cole Porter as two gifted tunesmiths who scored with both the words and music). You’d be hard put to call up more names of female song writers who worked in Tin Pan Alley back then, managing to shatter the glass ceiling the way Ruth did. I’m pleased to have been selected to write about the fascinating life of Ruth Lowe in my book “Until I Smile St You” (untilismileatyou.com). And I’m pumped that plans are well underway to turn this into a major feature film. So, as you consider “Take Your Daughter to Work Day”, think about Ruth Lowe, who never let her gender nor good looks get in the way of a stellar career.
 This Saturday, April 29th, is Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. This is the time where readers and industry professionals celebrate indie bookstores across the country, recognizing the hard work of booksellers. After all, they are the heart and soul of the publishing industry. And just in case you think Canadians aren't buying books, you ought to know that in 2022, almost 52 million physical books — worth $1.1 billion — were sold in Canada.
So, as a Canadian author of 10 books and counting, may I ask that you consider buying your next book directly from your favorite local book store? They’ll sure appreciate it. And so will I.  I ran a marketing agency for most of my career in which we produced advertising plus lots of other corporate communications activities. I was proud to be in that industry. But today, my pride is withering.
Why? Well, most people know that the famed interviewer Larry King died a few years back (it was in 2021). And yet, people get mail from him today stressing the need to take the pills he endorses to handle prostrate supplements. The letter quotes Larry stating the pills have “changed his life”:. Yeah… maybe changed it to having no life at all? Don’t the marketers promoting this product realize we know Larry ain’t here no more!! Seriously! And then there’s a full page "How dare you" ad in this weekend’s Globe and Mail signed by Col. Harlan Sanders – that’s Col Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame – complaining that KFC is selling their chicken too cheaply. Sure. OK. But Harland Sanders died in 1980!! That’s 43 years ago!! And you know what: I think most people know that. Not necessarily the date he died, but ask folks and they’ll tell you the guy’s been 6 feet under for some time. Don’t know about you, but when a company wants me to buy their product or service, and then treats me like a moron, I’ll turn my back on ‘em right away.  It was Norman Peale, in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking”, who popularized the concept of “any action is better than no action at all”. The controversial clergyman argued that, “Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”
It’s an intriguing thought, the lack of action resulting from fear. So, when I asked Jack Canfield, famed author of the hugely successful “Chicken Soup For The Soul” publications, to write the foreword for my book “Pushing The Boundaries” (https://www.pushingtheboundaries.life), I knew he’d address this fact. Jack asked, “What is it about successful people who have pushed beyond boundaries to succeed that makes them unique?” For Jack, the answer is this: they have the confidence and the courage to take risks in order to get ahead. I think patience is another great quality that works in this context. It’s patience that creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. It’s impatience that breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. So, when Jack asked, “Are you ready to take chances to achieve your goals? Or is fear standing in your way?”, he didn’t talk about anxiety, discouragement and failure, but focused on fear. “Fear is the single biggest thing that holds us back,” he wrote. “Unless you can step past that fear, you’ll just end up playing it safe and avoid trying new things. And that means it’s unlikely you’ll ever fulfill the dream most of us have of living a more rewarding life. But remember this: fear is all about what might happen, not what will happen. And even more importantly, all your fears are self-created by your imagining a negative outcome. You have the power within you to overcome that fear by using the same power of imagination to envision the positive outcome you want, and then take the kind of calculated risks that can lead to success.” Jack tells people that everything they want that they don’t already have is just on the other side of fear. “Having the conviction to reach beyond your fears and take chances means you’re ready to achieve lasting success,” he says. And frankly, he confesses that unless he was willing to do just that himself, he’d still be teaching history in a Chicago high school rather than running a multimillion-dollar enterprise as he does today. One other quick thought on this subject. I’ve recently been asking people I come into contact with, “Is there anything I can do for you?” The reaction is, typically, one of surprise: folks just aren’t used to others wanting to help them out of the blue. But I think it’s important for those of us with means to offer assistance to those who may be lacking such benefits. And when people realize my offer is real, with no strings attached, whether they take up the proposition or not, there is genuine pleasure expressed that another person might consider their plight in life. Try it sometime: I think you’ll be pleased with the result.  Did you know that April 17 is National Volunteer Week?
This brings to mind that those of us who volunteer our time or talents are actually happier people, just one of the facts I learned when writing my most recent book “Being Happy Matters” which will be published soon (beinghappymatters.life). I interviewed 37 people from around the world and discovered that we are each accountable for our own happiness. In fact, we have the power to choose happiness for ourselves by controlling how we feel. I also discovered there are things all of us can do to increase happiness in our daily lives, such as… Hang out with happy people: it's contagious; absorb their habits to become happier. Be loving: you'll get love back. Happiness grows when you engage in the things you love to do. Be grateful: focus on what you have, not on what you don't have. Enjoy normalcy: take pleasure in the ordinary things in life. Simplify! Practice saying “No” to others to create time for yourself. Learn how not to take stuff personally: a sense of humour is an incredible skill for happiness. I hope that helps if you are seeking greater happiness in your life.  If you follow this blog at all or visit my website, you’ll know I’ve chosen to help raise funds to find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS and colloquially as Lou Gehrig's Disease. It’s an illness that weakens muscles and can even cause changes in behaviour and thinking. The effects of ALS grow more severe over time and eventually become fatal: the average survival for someone diagnosed is 3 years. There is no cure. Yet.
In the quest to discover effective treatments for ALS, researchers have long faced a significant challenge: the lack of a widely accessible, shared source of data from people living with the disease. But today, my friends at ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) have revealed some exciting news: the launch of an ambitious global initiative to significantly accelerate the discovery of treatments. It’s called ARC (ALS Research Collaborative) and will allow researchers to answer complex questions – which have the potential to lead to transformative ALS treatments – in a matter of minutes. Want to know more. Click here: https://www.als.net/news/als-tdi-unveils-als-research-collaborative/ And if you can join me in donating to end this terrible disease, please do so here: https://www.als.net/donate/?soc=blog707 Thank you. |
