Inspired by: Kyle Maynard. Last year I had the pleasure and honour of getting to know Kyle Maynard when we were both attendees at the same conference. One day, as we sat next to each other at lunch, we chatted about his book ”No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life”. I remembered seeing Kyle on Oprah. You can view it here. I urge you to watch it:
I am pretty much in awe of Kyle. He is a motivational speaker, inspirational person, and has a best-selling book. Kyle was born with no arms and no legs. He is a champion weightlifter and has been an Abercrombie and Fitch model, photographed by Bruce Weber.
Right now – as you read this – Kyle is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Read that again. He is climbing Kilimanjaro. I’ve been closely following his blog here.
Kyle is gracious, smart, fascinating and a total gentleman. I’m humbled just to have met him.
Reading: It’s Rising Time! What is Really Takes for the Reward of Financial Freedom by Kim Kiyosaki. I have always believed the “a man is not a financial plan” dictum. So it’s great to read this book by Kim Kiyosaki (pictured below with my Rocky who loves learning about finance). The reality is that, as women, we know that a man is not a financial plan. But I can’t tell you the number of smart women I know who let go of control of their finances when they believe they have met “the one”. The problem is, as divorce statistics will tell you, “the one” doesn’t always last.
Regardless of that, one of the key reasons women eschew financial responsibility is because they say “it’s boring” or “I just don’t get it”. I can’t tell you how much that drives me crazy. I urge you – whether you’re male or female – to take your finances seriously, to build wealth while you can and ensure, quite simply, that you don’t have to worry about money.
Buying: Warm clothes. I’m currently in the Yarra Valley. This is where the horror of Black Saturday happened thanks to the scorching heat that fateful summer. However, yesterday, it was about 11 degrees in the morning and, as I had tried to pack efficiently, I only brought were summer dresses and sandals.
In order not to freeze to death (I’m not one for the cold), I got in the car (freezing) and simply drove until I found a shopping centre. Sadly, this shopping centre didn’t exactly have my usual favourite boutiques so my wardrobe now boasts some new jeans, jackets and shoes from none other than Target! Wear it with confidence, I say.
Writing: My new book. Yes all will be revealed soon but I’m just loving being in the zone and writing. It’s a wonderful amalgam of my passions for both business and writing. The chapters are fully mapped out and the manuscript is well underway. I’ll keep you posted!
Planning: My speaking engagements for 2012. This week alone, I’ve diarised six speaking gigs over the next six months. Conference and event organisers are obviously getting in early. I love speaking – there’s something magical about connecting with an audience, seeing the nods and the lightbulbs go on. If you’ve ever thought of speaking to build your profile and your business, I highly recommend it.
Posted on 13 January 2012
