To every woman and man that gave their lives in defense of freedom and the country I call home, THANK YOU!

As we come together today to remember all those who have fought and died for our freedom, I sincerely hope that no one should ever have to again suffer or give their life because of another humans decision to wage war. We are now a mature race, we have no excuse for intolerance and the need for war. We MUST find a peaceful solution to our differences. There is no longer an excuse for killing thousands of our race because of ideology or worse still ego or greed.

For everyone who has died, been wounded or disabled or who have been affected by the devastation of war… I hope you find peace.

For all who are bereaved… I hope you find comfort;

For those who are faced with mental, emotional or spiritual suffering because of the things they have endured… I pray you’ll find wholeness.

For all who caring for the sick and working for peace… I wish you all the power of the universe and for all who lead our world in this new millennium, I pray that you will guide your actions and decisions by wisdom and compassion.

During our time of memorial today, may we be stirred in our sentiments and sympathies. May our gratitude for our freedom be rekindled. May we seek peaceful resolutions to strife around the world. May we accept each others cultures, customs and uniqueness and learn to appreciate each others differences, instead of hating them. May we learn to relinquish our fear, vanity, pride, greed and stubbornness so that we may never again inflict the pain of war on another human being.

A few years ago I was at the memorial service at Toronto General Hospital. I would like to share with you the poem that was read that morning. Thank you Derek S.

“They shall not grow old, as we that are left to grow old;

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them. Lest we ever forget.”

Namaste,

Chad

“If the universe brings you to it, it will bring you through it.”

There’s some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you’re not superstitious. Please make sure to pass this on.

ONE.  Give people more than they expect and do it happily.

TWO. Marry someone you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.  Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you ,’ freak’n mean it.

FIVE.  When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.  Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.  Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze, not because your religious, but because it’s polite.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson!

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship..

NINETEEN.  When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.   Smile when picking up the phone… The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE.  Spend some time alone.

What is the point of life?

Why are we here?

Who am I?

What do I want?

What makes it all worth it?

Where are we going?

Now some of you who know me are not very surprised, but those are some heavy thoughts for a 14 year old yes?

The frightening thing is, I answered those questions with a knowingness and a conviction that gives me shivers even to this day when I remember it.

The sad thing is, I have been ignoring these answers for many years because they were either too grandiose to come true or to simple so I thought they could not have been right.

While at a workshop called Your Sacred Gifts this past weekend I discovered something inside myself. Something remnant of those contemplations many years ago. I found again the answers and the knowingness to those questions and the conviction to LIVE them. I found a purpose to my life. A purpose that will set me down a path that is bigger than anything I have done before. A purpose that will help me achieve one of my biggest dreams.

“To fundamentally change the way we as humans live our lives so that we can live a more positive, engaged and enlightened life. A life of purpose, contribution, and love for our human sisters and brothers.”

I believe I have come up with a way to make this dream a reality. I will share it with you soon, but first I want to share with you a few of the “hints” that I have been getting over the past few years as to what that purpose might look like. Unfortunately I was not open enough to see those hints when I first saw them.

Now I am.

This video is one of those hints.

Do you or someone you’re close to have a habit of “talking trash” about other friends and family members? Whether griping about how annoying Uncle Marvin is or remarking on what a hypocrite your sister Susan is, some people can’t seem to help but constantly focus on the flaws of others. It may seem like harmless venting, but it usually only has a negative effect on everyone– the one talking, the one listening, and the one being talked about. There’s nothing uplifting about criticizing and judging others.

It’s true that sometimes negative behaviors need to be discussed and addressed with the appropriate parties. If you have a genuine concern about someone that could affect the well being or safety of others, then obviously that should not be ignored. However, ideally the conversation can be held directly with the individual you are concerned about, or with good intent with others who may be involved or affected by the behavior. The simple way to determine whether or not you should be speaking about someone else’s issues or behaviors in the first place is to ask yourself the following:

• Am I talking about this person out of genuine love and concern for all involved, or do I have other motives?
• Is talking about this person going to resolve or help the situation at all, or am I just reinforcing my negative views?
• Is this something I could address with him/her personally, instead of spreading the information around?

Is there any “trash” that you would be better off removing from your own talk? Who, if anyone, do you regularly say negative things about? Is there anyone you speak with who regularly “trashes” others? What are some positive ways you could redirect negative conversations without being offensive or hurtful?

Keep in mind that the person “trash talking” may not even be aware of how negative he/she is being, so rather than reprimanding him/her for being negative, it’s usually more effective to simply acknowledge that you understand what they’re saying (without necessarily agreeing) and then change the topic to something more uplifting. It’s amazing how much better it feels to be a person who focuses more on the good in others, rather than focusing on their faults. If you’re already that kind of person, then give yourself a little pat on the back for being so wonderful. On the other hand, if you’ve got some room for improvement in this area, then today is a good day to start.

“Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”
~Albert Einstein

If you want to learn more about the Producer Power Hour or Garrett Gunderson check out these websites.

http://www.producerpowerhour.com/

http://garrettbgunderson.com/

Last month I had the pleasure of seeing Sean at the Engage Today conference in Calgary (where he stole the show even with speakers like Sir Richard Branson & The Dalai Lama.)

His story will not only touch you, but inspire all of us to overcome our own challenges and enjoy the life we deserve.

You HAVE to see it to believe it.. he’s an incredible guy.  He needs 300,000 people to watch this pilot for the show to get picked up as a full series.. PLEASE.. watch the Biography Channel THIS Sunday, 7pm/11pm PST, 10pm EST.

Please tune in and support Sean as we try and get his show to be picked up by the BIO network.

Thanks for listening,

Chad

I am thankful for her love and support of her partner Chris Martin. Without her support, love, and acceptance of Chris’s situation, role, and his gift. We would not have had the pleasure of attending the Cold Play concert very recently at Calgary’ Pengrowth Saddledome. A concert that could easily be one of the most mind blowing live musical events of my life. Not to mention the countless hours of enjoyment from all of their albums.

So Thank You to Gwyneth for being ok; with Chris’s adoring fans, for being strong enough in your self to know it does not matter how many women(or men) want him, for spending so much time apart, and for loving him for the gifts he shares with the rest of the world.

So to Gwyneth and all the women in the world who love, support and encourage your partners to give thier gifts in spite of how hard that might be, you have my eternal gratitude.

Thanks for listening,

Chad

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “The Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.*

-Albert Einstein

It happened this morning while riding the subway in Toronto. But it was not the situation or the place but the fact that my computer had no battery left, & at that moment I was “open” & “present” enough to get it.

You see in an effort to get my own business going I have been working every spare moment of my life! Until this morning.

Instead, I pulled out a book that my girlfriend had given me a couple of weeks ago. She told me to read it because the woman in it is very much like her & perfectly describes where she is at in life. However, that alone was not what triggered the direct experience either.

I think was a the trumpet solo on my iphone actually. That combined with the notion that “I want a spiritual teacher” from the book(which is something I have been looking for as well, for some time now) that made me realize “IT’S ME! HOLY SHIT, IT’S ME!”

What you ask? Everything! All the good that has come in my life, the responsibility on me to create the amazing relationship I want, my financial status, everything I want in life is up to me to make it happen. I have known this for most of my life but when you REALLY KNOW, and take ownership of it like I dis this morning, it almost knocks you to the ground.

Sounds like allot of mumbo jumbo, I know. Skippy would say that “I have been drinking purple Kool-aid again”. But that is the amazing profound experience of having a direct experience. It is a moment of clarity that only the one who is having it can truly get it, and yet more ofter than not, I want to share it with everyone.

I believe that the more of these each of us have, the better our world will be. Which is why despite the fact that I know I am gonna catch flack for saying it, forget the fact that I have never been comfortable sharing my thoughts… I am .

Because I know how much of a change it has made in my life and that it may do the same for you.

Come learn how to practice this technique so that all it takes is a subway ride, or a trumpet solo to feel like you are LIVING life.

These links will take you to those that have showed me this work. Go on have a look. Make some time if you are busy. It may just lead to one the most profound moments of your life.

Enlightenment Intensive

Illmination Intensive

Thanks for listening,

Chad