Lately, I’ve been hit by a wave of ‘busy-ness’ around me!

My daughter can’t join me on an evening walk – since she’s too busy, with class tests to study for and homework to finish.

My cousin can’t attend our niece’s wedding – because he’s too busy, has project deadlines to meet, work backlogs to wade through.

My nephew can’t come to our family dinner – as he’s too busy, has assignments to get done, an after-hours training program to attend.

It’s crazy!

Yes, I understand being busy. It’s my default setting! But I don’t understand letting busy-ness interfere with other important things in life.

I feel like screaming at them: Get Over Yourself!

We all like to feel important.

And yes, you really are important. There’s only one of YOU – and you are special. What you do matters, in a deep, significant, unique way.

But spin it as much as you like, you aren’t quite indispensable… no matter who you are, no matter what you do.

And the best way to realize that is to imagine a world where you no longer exist.

• Will your company or factory or hospital really grind to a halt because you no longer work there?

• Will your friends give up all else they are doing and mourn your absense for the rest of their lives?
• Will your family starve and suffer and waste away hopelessly without you around to take care of them?

Obviously not.

If you stop going to work tomorrow, your boss will either have you replaced, or set up processes to work around you… or maybe even abandon your project. True, it will hurt in the short run – but adaptation is key to survival, and we are hard-wired to adapt, evolve and survive.

Life rolls on – with you, without you, in spite of you.

The day you start realizing that, accepting it, and integrating that reality into your belief systems is when you really start enjoying the unique preciousness that’s YOU.

Oh, and you’ll also have more fun!

It was 3 a.m. I lay wide awake in bed. It was pitch dark. The dead silence was broken only by a buzz of hungry mosquitoes.

It was matched by my buzzing brain.

I had an idea. No, scratch that. I had a HUMDINGER of an idea. A fabulous, fantastic, brilliant idea. One that might conceivably raise enough money to fund 50, or even 100 heart operations for kids.

Afraid I’d forget it by morning, I hopped out of bed. Sat at the dining table with a sheet of paper. For thirty minutes, I scribbled furiously, outlining the idea in bullet-points.

Then, I dropped off to sleep.

= = =

Many “sensational” ideas look stupid in the light of day.

This one didn’t. In fact, it looked even better in the morning than it had at night.

And so, I set out right away to put it into action, little knowing that by taking that small step, I was setting off tremors that would gather force and become an earthquake.

A near-disaster that would shake the very foundation of everything I had worked for online since 1996.

But I’m getting ahead of my tale!

Let me tell this step by step…

= = =

My idea needed a way to process payments. P*yP*l came to mind as the obvious choice. Recently, they had started operations in India. I believed that would streamline the process of getting a non-profit account approved easily.

How wrong I was!

After submitting a ton of paperwork and documentation, their review team turned down the application, stating unique legal regulations as their reason.

Fine. I would have to live with that. I began looking for alternatives.

That’s when the first shock-wave hit.

= = =

By a weird coincidence, or a convoluted connection, I got email notification that my primary BUSINESS account with P*yP*l had been locked.

I could no longer receive business payments unless some information was provided, and my case reviewed by their compliance team.

To cut a long story short (and because that case is still pending resolution), I can’t use this account any more. For nearly ten years, it was my primary solution, deeply woven into multiple elements of my online business.

Literally overnight, it stopped working!

After an hour of stunned acceptance, furious ranting, and expressing my opinions about the situation in choice phrases learned while treating drunks and junkies, I calmed down enough to list out a set of priority actions to salvage my business operations.

Notice that the key words I emphasized above were “primary solution”.

No one serious about their business can afford to let everything hinge on one (or even two) critical points. I have multiple payment processing options set up and waiting – including a back-up P*yP*l, 2CheckOut, Clickbank, eJunkie and others. (Soon, I will have many more, as I’ve learned from this experience that you can never have enough ‘insurance’.)

Anyway, a couple of hours later, I had flipped the switch – and things were limping back to normal.

I dropped off into an uneasy sleep… but had I known what was to follow, I may never have closed my eyes that night!

= = =

Next morning, I sat at my desk. Fired up my computer. Opened my Eudora inbox to check email.

And my jaw dropped!

Right at the top of the queue was an email from my web hosting company of six years – stating (with no reason given) that they were closing down their service in a month, and asking clients to transfer all their sites to another host.

Normally, this wouldn’t matter. Web hosts go out of business all the time. It would be a mere job of moving files from one server to another.

But the reason I chose this host – and paid a much higher price for it than comparable services charged – is because of one feature unmatched by anyone else.

An AUTOMATED shopping cart / auto-responder / affiliate control panel.

They integrated and coordinated multiple scripts into a cohesive system that even a non-techie could plug into and get working instantly.

It made setting up sales processes ‘point and click’ easy. And I had over 150 products listed on it. Now, all of them would have to be moved!

Worse, at that point I had no idea if my P*yP*l account would be re-activated quickly, or if it would take longer.

• Where to move my hosting?
• What payment process to set up?
• How permanent was this move?

All I had at this time were questions.

I need to find the answers.

Quickly.

But that’s when the phone rang. And I got some information that drove these problems clear out of my mind!

= = =

It’s often true in life that when you think you’ve hit rock-bottom, things slide so far lower that you wish that all you had to deal with was that earlier condition!

My non-profit work (funding life-saving heart surgery for under-privileged children with congenital heart defects) is supported by a State Government subsidy which covers almost 50% of our expenses.

For a while now, payments had been delayed. Our perfusionist, who had been following up on this, was the person calling.

He had good news. And bad news.

The payments were approved. We’d soon get the money for operations performed since November 2009.

But… and here’s the bad news… that would be the FINAL payment!

“What?” I gasped. “Why is this the final payment?”

The program had changed. It was being merged with another Government program, one for which our Foundation’s project had not been approved.

We were just about to lose 50% of our funding!

= = =

Ask any Type-A personality, and they’ll tell you this.

The times which bring out our toughest determination to overcome the odds is when they are stacked hopelessly against us!

Looking back, I’m proud to say that not for a moment did I see this as a crushing defeat.

No, it was like waving a red flag to a bull. I was ready to CHARGE!

Way back in the 1970s, tennis matches at Wimbledon were made entertaining by the antics of the brilliant star, Jimmy Connors. At critical points in a crucial game, Jimbo would stand at the baseline, and pump his fists, with a hoarse cry that charged up himself – and his horde of vocal supporters.

Not surprisingly, he often went on to win the match!

I’ve followed the “Jimbo system” for years. And I did it again – pumped my fists, and roared! It charged me up – as it always did.

And then, I went into overdrive!

= = =

The days that followed are a whirl of activity. I don’t quite remember clearly the sequence of events.

First priority was the Government program subsidy. I talked endlessly with my team. Brainstormed various ideas. Contacted several friends, many with influence and connections.

All the networking, negotiating and focused activity paid off – fast.

Within a week, we had signed a new memorandum – approving our program for the new subsidy… which, incidentally, is 25% HIGHER than the earlier scheme!

We were not just back – we were back with a BANG!

For the same amount raised in donations, we will now be able to perform 25% more surgeries, help 25% more children!

For that, I will forever be grateful to the caring people who helped make it happen. This is team work at its brilliant best – and without these special people in my corner, nothing like this might have happened.

But there wasn’t much time to relax and celebrate.

While this was happening, storm clouds were still gathering on the business front – with another hurdle looming through the murky gloom!

= = =

David Perdew is a genius at business and networking. His NAMS (Niche Affiliate Marketing System) workshop always has attendees raving over the quality of his coaching team.

He’s also a caring, generous man.

Many weeks back, David had contacted me about a plan to raise $10,000 for the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation at his NAMS-4 workshop. Earlier this year, NAMS-3 had raised money to sponsor one child’s surgery.

David wanted to make this event’s fundraiser better – and bigger!

Amid all the scrambling I had to do with re-structuring my online business and getting our CHD program approved for funding, I also had to honor my commitment to help David get his fund-raiser set up.

I drafted several email promotions sharing stories of the little kids we had helped. I blogged about the event and its impact. I contacted other supporters for help in spreading the word.

And I even managed to squeeze in an audio interview with the incomparable Roger Carr for the event.

Pre-launch was underway. Over 300 JV partners were aboard, eager and ready to promote the fund raiser, when… guess what happened?

Yep. David got a note from the same payment processor, saying NAMS were not permitted to raise funds!

By then, nearly $2,500 had been collected – which would fund at least 2 operations.

Now, they wouldn’t.

That is, if we sat back and did nothing!

= = =

It never is fun to re-work a website. Even more boring is to merely edit code that shifts payment processing from one service to another, and sets up order links for the new system.

But successful people do the things the less (or not yet) successful people don’t want to do.

It took nearly two full days – but finally, most of my profitable products were set up on alternative platforms… and sales were trickling in again.

The good news is that, while shifting over 600 MB in files over to a new host, I was able to plan and organize my sites in a more logical way. It had grown unwieldy over the years, and this was a ‘forced’ chance to do some much needed housekeeping.

At the end, I’m happy to say everything now has a more clean, streamlined feel – with less flab and bloat. The affiliate program too got revamped, and there’s a fantastic affiliate toolkit to go with it that should make many more people a lot more money than before.

Want to take a look at some parts of the new process?

Ok. Here’s the affiliate program sign up page. And here’s one of the many new sub-sections that have been built upon the ashes of the ‘lost empire’

= = =

The digital dust is settling from all the moving and re-decoration of my online store.

And our surgical team is gearing up for a renewed burst of operating activity which will touch the lives of many more little children.

The NAMS4Kids fundraiser is also exploring alternatives that will help get the funds into use at the earliest opportunity. They are nearly at their ambitious target of $10,000 – and intend to go higher!

With so many determined minds working hard on finding solutions, there’s no question we’ll find one – or even many – that will help kids with CHD live.

In the end, the biggest lesson of all is this…

Failure Is NOT An Option!

That’s at the root of a ’success mindset’. Anything worth achieving or attaining WILL present obstacles and challenges along the path.

One movie clip that I kept watching over and over during the dark days of this past month was this from ‘Rocky Balboa’, where Sylvester Stallone offers some of the best worldly advice I’ve had from a motion picture…

“It ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can GET HIT and keep moving forward. How much you can TAKE and keep moving forward. That’s what winning’s about!”

Watch the clip here

= = =

The surge of adrenaline has slowed to a trickle.

And an unbelievable sense of relief has permeated my mind. It’s as if a heavy burden has been lifted off my shoulders at the thought that everything built up over a decade and a half hasn’t (yet!) come crashing down around me.

But this doesn’t mean everything will be sunshine and roses all the way!

Paul Farmer’s brilliant and inspirational biography taught me a precious lesson. There are “Mountains Beyond Mountains“. And you just keep climbing every one of them, as and when you arrive at them.

Hugh ‘Gaping Void’ Mac Leod has a business card cartoon which I keep pinned to my calendar. It reads:

“Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.”

He goes on to say,

“You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.”

Scary words! Coz they are eerily true.

Are YOU ready to scale your private Mount Everest?

Then read what I’ve got to share with you about my private personal mentoring program… and see if it’s right for you.

= = =

“Your SUCCESS MINDSET…”

That’s the title of my private personal mentoring program. It has been in the planning phase for over THREE YEARS. And finally, earlier this year, I launched it as a pilot trial for only 48 members.

Around 75% of them went through the entire program. And they all said it was well worth studying my process, that it gave them powerful insights and perspectives into how to improve their business and boost their success level to a new, higher plane.

Now, with the recent events under my belt, I’m even more eager to share my SUCCESS MINDSET coaching with you.

I applied these principles to stay focused amidst the biggest challenges to my business and non-profit work – and came through it, battered and bruised perhaps, but still alive and kicking.

That’s the big thing. When you survive the punches, you have a shot at winning!

I want you to have a shot at winning, too.

Learn a little more about what’s in store in the program. The sales letter is still rough around the edges. It needs more polish, design and copy editing – but has the core message in place.

Only if it’s right for you at this time, consider joining.

You’re only signing up for a trial. For one month.

At the end of that time, I will evaluate your performance and participation. ONLY IF you are engaged and involved, and ONLY IF I assess this coaching is of value to you on a continuing basis, will I send you the link to continue with the rest.

You will anyway receive a multiple in value for what you pay for the trial month, so there isn’t any chance that you’ll feel let down or ripped off. Just in case you do, I will cheerfully return even your initial payment – but then, you cannot join this program ever, later on.

So think carefully about your decision.

• Is it right for you?
• Do you have time to commit?
• Are you ready for a trial?

If you said ‘Yes’, learn more here – and then join.

CLICK HERE for more information about your ‘Success Mindset’

Someone asked me once what it is like to hold the heart of a child in my hand.

“It must be so tiny,” he said. “How can you see to put the stitches in?”

I thought for a moment.

“It is tiny,” I agreed. “It is the size of a hummingbird.”

“And sometimes that is what I think of when I listen to some little hearts. The frantic beating, the flutter of a heart desperate to fly freely inside a child’s chest.

“I think, ‘There is a hummingbird in this child’s chest. A ruby-throated hummingbird, desperate to live, desperate for the nectar of life.’

“And I imagine that I must approach it carefully, and hold it gently, but firmly.

“When I hold it I can feel the warmth through my gloved hand.

“I could think about how I hold the future of the child’s life in that hand. I could think about how I hold the laughter, the joy, the tears, the future of that child in my hand.

“But it would overwhelm me to think about all that they could be and I could not do my job. So I ask my assistant to think about those things for me.”

“Who is your assistant?” he asked.

“Why you of course!” I smiled.

“Me?”

“Yes, let me show you. Empty your pockets into your hand.”

“Everything?”

“Yes, everything.”

I watched as he did as I asked. Then I began to remove the items one by one.

I took away his keys. I took away a pack of gum, a breath mint, some loose change. I took away a parking stub and a small charm until the only thing left in his hand was his wallet.

Then I closed his fingers over it gently until he was holding it securely.

“You are my assistant. In your hand you hold the life, the laughter, the love, the future of a child. Her heart is only a little smaller than your wallet.

“I have taken away all the things in your hand that are your life – the keys to your car, the entertainment of an evening, the sweetness of candies. All that is left is what matters – a donation.

“You are the one who truly holds her heart in your hand. You are the one who can afford to think about what her life could be like. Will you do that?”

He looked at me with tears in his eyes and asked, “And then what will you think about?”

“I will think about hummingbirds. I will think about how to slow the tiny flutters and how to stitch the holes. And I will think about what I can do to save her life.

“I can… because you hold the most important part in your hand.

You hold the possibility of life.”

Make a difference. Heal a child’s heart. Click here to see how.

(With deep gratitude to Becky Blanton – for putting into words the feelings that were trapped in my heart!)

Imagine…

A tiny little two year old girl in my out-patient
clinic. Bright eyes. Long, curving eyebrows. Jet
black, curly hair.

But her breathing is labored. Her chest heaves
and falls with every heart beat.

Her pinched, anxious face is intense with the effort
it takes to suck air into her starving lungs.

I place my stethoscope over her heart… and can
hear the loud roar of turbulent blood flowing
across the hole in her heart.

It’s pushing twice as much blood into her small
lungs, flooding them with fluid, choking her.

She needs treatment. An operation to fix the hole.

Her family doesn’t have the money for it.

. . .

Imagine…

A large, brightly lit hall in a hotel halfway
across the world. Smartly dressed men. Beautiful
women. All power-networking in a business climate.

There’s energy crackling in the air. Here are some
excited entrepreneurs, gathered to learn how to
boost their business success, and generate more
wealth.

It’s the NAMS workshop.

And David Perdew walks on stage. He makes a short
announcement.

Its impact will reach out to a little girl in India
- and save her life!

. . .

Imagine…

A smiling little face, clutching a stuffed toy and
hiding shyly behind her mother’s saree as she peers
at me from her hospital bed.

The relieved smiles on her parent’s tired faces, as
they look lovingly upon the relaxed, healthy face of
their little girl.

Priyadarshini is no longer fighting to survive.

She had her surgery. Her VSD has been closed. The
money for her treatment became available.

Because People Like You Cared Enough To
Make a Difference!

Attendees at NAMS donated $1,300 in a day – to fund
her treatment.

While they learned to build a business, they also
saved a little life.

. . .

Imagine…

The feeling of deep satisfaction and joy that comes
from being able to do this.

The sense of purpose and wonderment when you become
part of a child’s future.

The excitement and energy that is a natural result of
being involved in a worthwhile cause.

I Want That Feeling For YOU

That’s why I’m inviting you to join NAMS4Kids – on
August 20th.

You can be a part of a massive giveaway event which
will raise AT LEAST $10,000 to fund heart surgery
for kids.

But first, I’d like you to listen to a rare interview
I did with Roger Carr about this event. Here’s the
link:

Listen to the interview

Then, decide if you want to be a part of NAMS4Kids.
I hope you will want to go here, and take the next
step:

Learn more about NAMS4Kids – click here

Thank you from my heart.

Maybe you have little time and want to get right to the point. So, here’s an executive summary of the NAMS4Kids event.

What is NAMS4Kids?

At the NAMS Workshop in Atlanta later this month, we plan to raise at least $10,000 to sponsor heart surgery for kids from under-privileged families through the Dr.Mani Children Heart Foundation.

How will we do it?

By running a GIFT GIVEAWAY, where hundreds of partners throw in a valuable gift that people can download for free – and inviting them to make a donation when they do so.

Register to pick up your gifts – click here

How can I help?

By contributing a gift of your own to the event. And then, spreading the word about it to your audience.

Where do I sign up to add my gift?

Click here to join now.

Or get more details by reading about the NAMS4Kids giveaway.

Anything else I need to know before I go there?

1. All the proceeds of this fundraiser go to support a child’s life-saving heart operation.

2. The biggest referrers can win cool prizes – including a HP Mini 210-1084NR 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook

Ok, now go on and join now as a contributor.

Or just register to pick up your free gifts – and also tell a friend or ten about it.

My favorite line in a song goes:

 "We may not change the world in one day
 But we still can change some things today
 In our small way!"

I’ve made it my motto, in a sense.  And keep
trying to make SMALL changes every day – that
sometimes make a BIG impact.

Today, I’m inviting you to join me… in one
small change that YOU can make happen -

   To Your BIG Advantage!
 
What will you do?

Give a gift.  

A small one.  That ties in with your business
or brand.

But a valuable one.  That will be of benefit

to people who receive it.

You Get TWO Benefits

#1 – You get to grow your list massively
- or build it up from scratch

#2 – You get to save a child’s life – and
be a part of a very special team

Go here to start now

How does it work?

Sign up.  Get the info.  Create (or select)
a gift you’d like to add to the giveaway.

A short sample or lead in to a product or
service you are selling, or something related
to it, will work well in attracting new leads.

When thousands of people see your gift next
week (when the BIG promotion kicks-in) you’ll

be rewarded with a flood of new subscribers
…and the warm feeling that comes from knowing
you helped save a child’s life.

Who can join?

You can.  Even if your list is tiny.  Even
if you’re just starting out.  Even if you

don’t know the first thing about promoting
it.

Because we’ll show you exactly how to change
something today… in a SMALL way!

It starts here – click

All success
Dr.Mani

P.S. – The cut-off date isn’t very far off,
especially if you plan to create a new gift

for this event.  So join today.

If you upgrade your listing for just $17,
you’ll get better positioning – and can list
TWO gifts in the giveaway.

On Twitter, during the Heart Kids Tweetathon in September 2009, I said:

“Retweets alone don’t matter.”

They really don’t. Neither do clicks on links.

Donations do.

Caring does.

Involvement, too.

Passion helps.

Those are the things that make a difference.

Not more ‘clicks’ on a link to ‘measure your influence’.

Anyone can click. Because it’s easy. And means NOTHING.

That’s why when my new friend Nate St.Pierre (founder of ItStartsWith.US) shared a daring plan to “hijack” the FAST COMPANY “Influence Project”, I got excited about the social media experiment that had devolved (in my humble opinion) into little better than a link-bait viral tactic.

Nate wants to turn that public perception around.

In a style that’s his unique own.

By using YOUR ‘influence’ – to touch people you see, meet, talk to, care about, and engage in your daily life.

Read more about this exciting twist to the “Influence Project”.

I hope you’re curious enough to send Nate your email address to learn more.

He promises to delete the list after the event ends.

I trust he will.

I’m also sure you’ll go back to join his group – and continue to do cool stuff, like the monthly “love bombs“.

All hands to the decks… ship ahoy!

EAVB_UUXUUIGGIE

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings”

- Rudyard Kipling, ‘IF…‘

Imagine this:

You spend 15 years building an online business and fund raising process.

You work within constraints that are seriously limiting, even crippling – but forge a way through it all, to set up a tenuous (but working) system.

You wake up one morning to an email which notifies you that the hinge on which the enterprise swings has come undone – and everything is in ‘free float’.

• No order buttons work.

• No donations can be accepted.
• No subscriptions will be paid.

In short, everything that had been automated, systematized and organized was suddenly gone!

How would you feel? What would you do? Where would you turn?

This was my dilemma last Wednesday.

But telling a Type A personality something cannot be done is the surest way to bring out all his latent energy, drive and determination to the forefront!

I went into over-drive.

Five days later,

• I have an alternative payment processor set up, and am taking orders in my business again.

• I have completely re-designed my non-profit website from the ground up – with a revised strategy that will bring in three times more in contributions to charity.
• I have started working on a new business plan to double (or maybe triple, or better) my business profits – of which a portion goes to charity, again.

In other words, by staying focused on what really matters – little children getting life-saving heart operations – I was able to look beyond a disaster that threatened the very existence of my online business and fund raising, and create a functional alternative… in less than a week!

Today morning, I was reading Seth Godin’s LINCHPIN, and came across this passage:

“What does it take to lead?

“The key-distinction is the ability to forge your own path, to discover a route from one place to another that hasn’t been paved, measured, and quantified. So many times we want someone to tell us exactly what to do, and so many times that’s exactly the wrong approach.

“Diamond cutters have an intrinsic understanding of the stone in their hands. They can touch and see exactly where the best lines are, they know. The greatest artists do just that. They see and understand the challenges before them, without carrying the baggage of expectations or attachment. The diamond-cutter doesn’t imagine the diamond he wants. Instead, he sees the diamond that is possible.“

Long ago, I stopped imagining the business and non-profit I want. I’ve focused on the one that is possible. So, when something shifts, I shift with it – to reach my goal.

Do you?

Social media promotions are double-edged swords.

On the one hand, you have a chance to delight a whole new audience, grab mindshare and win evangelists. But on the other, it’s oh-so-easy to lose fans – as IndiaPlaza.in will very likely discover soon.

I’ve had some pleasant online shopping experiences with them before. And to be offered a gift certificate for Rs.500 was a nice incentive to ‘Like’ them on Facebook.

Well, it seems a few thousand others felt that way – because there are over 6,500 fans on their FB page today.

And then, I got the gift certificate. Went shopping. Selected some books and a phone. Reached the checkout page. And discovered that my coupon IS NOT VALID for these items!

What a waste!

Of my time. Of the hard-earned goodwill. Of an interesting social media campaign.

When a business wastes my time, they lose me as a customer. I have little patience for games like this. As a result, IndiaPlaza.in probably lost out on many future purchases (my online book buying every year alone is quite a nice chunk of change!)

And who knows how many more people will be annoyed by this approach.

Consider the alternative.

• They could have given away Rs.500 on ALL purchases.

• And sent buyers a nicely designed promotion piece when the order shipped.
• Maybe even another coupon, or a thoughtful gift – to say ‘thank you’.

• Offered an email newsletter tailored along related interests.
• Tied in repeat deals with a referral program.

Oh, there are so many options to have scaled this up, and boost life-time value of their already happy clients.

Instead, a narrow-minded focus on immediate profit has likely destroyed a multiple in future value.

I’m planning a social media promotion shortly. In it, I will be giving away my ebook, which sold for as much as $27. And I will be PAYING anyone who reads it $5 out of my pocket.

Why?

Because I can. And it will create interest. A buzz. Get people talking. And most important, because it will change some lives – since the book is powerful, and people will read it.

This recent experience is a valuable lesson for me. Of what not to do.

What are your thoughts?

Imagine me lying on a couch, disappointed, in pain, face swollen like a balloon. A toothache (and surgery to fix it) left me reading a book at home, instead of being at a Seth Godin presentation at Hyderabad.

I was reading LINCHPIN… And had an epiphany.

I have always been hyper-competitive. A work-a-holic. Obsessively driven to be very good. Great. World-class. In just about everything I did.

That attitude has led to some interesting accomplishments over the years.

But somewhere along the line, something changed. Maybe it was the sudden death of my colleague, or the heart surgery of my good friend, or just ‘growing up’. All of a sudden, things that once seemed all-important didn’t seem so much any more.

It opened my eyes. I saw I was on a treadmill, running ever faster to stay in the same place.

So, I hopped off!

That was a scary decision. And unsettling. For an over-achiever, not having things to do, or a map/plan to do it, always is.

I started afresh with a modest goal – to fund one child’s heart surgery, through an untested approach. I created and sold information products, using part of the profits (along with donations) to do it.

The first led to the second, then the fifth, and twentieth. Today, the non-profit Foundation I set up in 2003 has sponsored SEVENTY heart surgeries for under-privileged children born with congenital heart disease.

This year, in 2010, I am well on track to hit my target (as stated in my book, “47 Hearts“) of performing 47 operations…

Yet the thrill from this is not a fraction of when I funded the first one!

Something is wrong.

The feelings of lassitude, restlessness, even frustration, had little to do with my toothache. They had been around for much longer. This was my chance to introspect about it.

Lately, I’ve been comparing myself against others, to my disadvantage. Like the guy who did a million dollar promotion. Or the other who builds his list by 400 new subscribers every day. Or the one whose blog gets 8 million visitors every year.

And the conversation in my head goes:

“Hey, look at what he’s doing. You can’t match that!”

“Oh, yeah? Sez who? Sure, I can.”

“Talk’s cheap. Show me.”

“Ok, I will!”

That’s my Type-A personality kicking in, struggling against the shackles to try and hop back onto the treadmill. Except the treadmill is now going faster than it did a few years ago. And the conscious part of my brain now realizes that however fast you run on a treadmill, you ain’t going nowhere!

That’s when a passage in LINCHPIN brought about the epiphany. Seth Godin writes about ‘art’ and ‘gifts’. He says:

“Art is the product of emotional labor. Art is a gift. The design of the iPhone is art. It changes the way some people feel. And there is a gift as well. People who see the iPhone but don’t buy one still receive the gift. An ugly iPhone would cost as much as the beautiful one. The beautiful part is the gift.“

And in one of those magical moments of synchronicity, so many things snapped into place in an instant inside my mind.

I realized that the work I did (create and sell infoproducts to fund heart surgery in kids) is “emotional labor”.

And that the ‘gift’ is how this work inspires many others to reach out for their own dreams, and live them.

The flood of comments, emails, testimonials and feedback from hundreds of people has told me how they drew energy and encouragement from seeing my purpose-driven work.

It motivated them to keep going. It made them take heart in their own purpose. It gave them faith in an industry niche that isn’t all sunshine and roses.

Until now, I had ignored that, or hadn’t valued it highly enough. I had taken my eye off the ball, to try and focus on things that were more important – to someone else!

Sure, a multi-million dollar promotion sounds attractive – until I realize that I don’t need one.

To hit even my ambitious stretch goal of funding 500 heart operations every year, I need (500 x $2,250) = $1,125,000 – which is halved with a subsidy from our State Government, leaving me with a funding target of only $560,000.

But even if that never happens, just having come so far along the path to a crazily impossible goal, to touching 70 little lives (and hundreds of bigger ones) through my ‘art’, suddenly seems so much more fulfilling and satisfying.

Sometimes, a paradigm shifts when we attain new heights, explore new opportunities, pursue new goals.

At other times, it happens when we see better just exactly where we stand.

Thank you for helping me see better, Seth!

And Happy Birthday, too.

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