I Just Want To SIMPLIFY My Life!

Have you said it lately? I bet it’s crossed your mind recently — that you’d like to simplify, and get rid of some of the pressures, some of the clutter and complexity in your life. And I think I know why this wave of wanting to simplify is washing across our culture. I think the last couple of years of economic turbulence have caused a LOT of people to truly re-think what’s important to them. Everyone has been forced to consider carefully what matters, and if you were measuring your level of success by your wealth or the size of your house — you’ve been disappointed in yourself on some level. My view is that many people are mad at themselves for getting caught up in the race for the bigger house, nicer car and more expensive watch. So many people fell for the lie that it’s about how much money you have, and got sucked into the story that the marketing world wants us to believe — that consuming more is the path to happiness. Perhaps like you’re many people – myself included – who allowed the ‘busy-ness’ of daily life to consume you, and cloud your vision of what really IS important.  I was incredibly blessed with the birth of my son Cooper last year, because the timing of him coming into our life forced me to get clear on the importance of family.  Having Cooper arrive in the midst of an economic collapse was a powerful experience for me, because suddenly, it almost didn’t matter what the economy was doing. And I think each of us, in our own ways, has had experiences over the last year or two that have acted as a wake-up call to what we are here for, and what we need to focus on. For me, it’s caused me to think very deeply about what I want to accomplish with our education company, SimpleWealth.  I’ve gotten clear on what our future looks like, and that we have an obligation to help others understand and improve their relationship with money. We’ve recently announced our next major event that is happening this fall, and the word ‘major’ probably doesn’t do it justice.  In just a couple of months, I am blessed to have an incredible list of world thought leaders coming to Calgary to join me in trying to reshape the meaning of success and prosperity. The 2009 Engage Today Conference is the most incredible 4 Day Program I’ve ever seen put together.  We set a very high standard on this one, and I’m thrilled that it’s coming together like it is. Having people like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sir Richard Branson and Dr. Stephen Covey attend this program is very humbling, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I believe the time has come where we need to try and reset the definition of success, and to recognize that anyone who uses money to define success is setting themselves up for failure. Part of the Dalai Lama’s blessing when he meets someone includes the wish of prosperity on the individual.  Think about that a second — someone who has taken a vow of poverty wishes you prosperity when you meet him.  How can that be? It’s because enlightened thinkers like the Dalai Lama recognize that success and prosperity are not defined or measured in monetary terms.  And that’s the message I’m hoping to spread through the 2009 Engage Today Conference. When I spent time with Richard Branson in May, the thing that struck me most about him was that — against everything you would likely assume — he lives the most incredibly SIMPLE life.  He’s present, in the moment, and he’s having a massive impact on people around the world. That was a key lesson for me, and that’s why I think he’s such an incredible person to be learning from in today’s challenging times. If you haven’t already heard about this event, I’d suggest you check it out.  It literally is going to change not only the lives of the people there, but I believe it’s going to be the start of a global shift in thinking, and a reshaping of how people measure their lives. Pretty deep stuff, I know.  But when I think about the unbelievable leaders and influencers that are going to be at this event, I think this is going to be the start of something significant. I don’t normally promote events or anything on my blog, but this one is worth mentioning. The time has come.  Something’s got to change.  And this is our way of affecting that change, of becoming a catalyst for very important and timely discussions.  If you’ve found yourself saying “I want to simplify my life“, then I’d suggest checking out the website and seeing just how incredible the program is that we’ve created.  And I sincerely hope to see you there! Visit the website at:  www.EngageToday2009.com,]]>