I want to use this opportunity to say a big “thank you” to you – my family and friends for the deluge of calls, mails, messages and facebook wall greetings for my birthday. I had earlier planned that I will respond to everybody one by one, I actually started, but, with over 1000 people to reach, it became overwhelming. I have decided to dedicate a full post to all of you.

I have also wanted to do this earlier, but my packing and preparing for this trip to Mauritius has made it difficult for me to get on with it. I’m currently in Mauritius, it’s been described as a paradise, as a beautiful french island on the east coast of Africa behind Magadascar. It’s all true and more! More about Mauritius later 😉

Being here on this island has not made it easy for me to communicate and update my blog, but even if i don’t finish this, I will ensure that today I post this article. The more I reflect on the advancement of my years, the more I try to answer the question of priority. What is really worth ones time, and what is a share waste of life and time. As I journey along, and meet with different types of people from around the world. It’s clearer to me day after day, that the essence of life is to make the most of it in serving a unique purpose. So today, while I thank you profusely, I’ll also like to challenge you deeply.

If you can take these few points to heart, and act based on them in the next 30 days, you will notice remarkable differences in your life.

1. Upgrade

The software that you are currently running is limited in its capability to deliver the future you desire. If you want more out of life, you must be willing to upgrade yourself from time to time. Yesterday’s thinking wouldn’t usher you into tomorrow’s realities. The proof that life needs to grant you your desire is your willingness to improve yourself to qualify for it. Wealth or award unqualified for, is like a gold ring in the snout of a pig. The cry of the hungry sould ought not to be give me, but make me. The resources available for man on earth are without limit, we all approach life with our utensils and plates, what you get is not limited by what is available, but by your spoon and plate size. Step up, upgrade, develop yourself.

The reason you don’t have more is because you haven’t become more. Upgrade yourself. How, you ask me? Upgrade your life by upgrading your knowledge, upgrade your experience, upgrade your relationships. change your mind by feasting on great books, watching great DVDS or listening to audios. If your current job doesn’t offer you an opportunity to upgrade yourself, you are approaching a dead end.

2. Invest in People

I once worked in an organization that used the caption -“people are our greatest assets”. It sounded good in those days, and we regularly debated if this was our reality or not. Take this from me however, in this life, the greatest assets you have are not the investments you have made in things. The greatest investment you and I will ever make, is in people.

Invest in people by being a part of their success, dethrone me, myself and I and do things in the service of others. Go an extra mile to make a difference in someone elses life. Don’t run through life stepping on toes, touch a few lives in your journey. Invest in people’s lives. Let people be able to say your name and be happy about the value you added. Remember though, that even when you do things with the best of intentions, people might missunderstand you. Human beings are quite interesting, so as you invest in people expect a few abnormal things, and take on the wisdom of the wise sage who said, “in the morning, sow your seed, in the afternoon don’t hold back your hand, we can’t predict which will bring results, so let’s just keep sowing”.

3. Own Your Life

Sadly, many of us are slaves. We wake up really early, travel long distances and work  late psychologically chained to our desks until we are permitted to go grab lunch. We close late, travel long distances to get back home, spend little time with our families and snore away to be rudely woken up by the alarm clock. We wake up when the alarm bell rings, not when we have finished sleeping. Many of us live in these sophisticated 21st century slave camps, and are gradually losing the essense of our lives. We get to earn a living, which is just enough to keep us existing. Our lives can be summarized rightly by the name the company gave us. “I am the Regional Sales Manager” – it’s usually as simple as that.

You can own your life, and enjoy freedom! Freedom to chose how you want to spend your spare time, when to go on vacation, when to have a break, and when to finish sleeping. Owning your life starts with a desire and then a decision. You need to start taking steps from today to own your life. Don’t die a slave, leave a legacy.

4. Leave your Shores

Our experiences are as limited as our willingness to try new things. You and I can’t discover new territories if we do not decide to lose sight of shore. courage is not the absence of fear, it’s acting in spite of fear. You need to learn to leave your comfort zone, and pick up new skills, and new experiences.

“I am shy” – that’s rubbish! “I don’t know how to sell” – nauseating! We put ourselves within limiting definitions and expect a great life non the less? It doesn’t work that way. If you want your life to be exciting, pick up new skills, be a part of new experiences. Be able to tell great stories in your old age to your grand children. Dare, don’t say I can’t, say I’ll try. Gold is tested and purified by fire. Get some fire into your life!

5. Be Deliberate

Too many people want to stumble into success. I have good news for you, it is possible to stumble into success! If you stumble in however, you will ultimately stumble out. Don’t read and say, now I know. Be deliberate! Do things that you know can help you achieve your dreams. Hold yourself up to very high standards. Don’t stroll through the grand stage of life, tango, dance or waltz.

If the experts say that success happens by doing A and B, do it! Don’t leave your life to chance and happenstance. Define what you want, find out the price and pay it. Every result has a how, find the hows and be deliberate.

Hope you find this really useful. I’m enjoying Mauritius by the way, as we are having fun, we are putting things in place to ensure that this great company (Holidays and Cash Ltd) gets the endorsements and credibility requirements required to get her to tipping point. You can join us too if you want… Leave your Shores!