Archive | November, 2007

What I Would Tell My 15 Year Old Self

Life today is a lot different to when I was in my mid-teens. Whilst angst seems to be a mandatory stage in every teenagers life, I suffered from what I now recognize as serious depression. I was an outcast as school, I did a lot of stupid things, and I hated both myself and life in general.

You could say that I experienced the sour during these years, which is perhaps why life tastes so sweet today. In this sense, my experience really has made me the person I am today. I have no desire to change the past, but I do hope that some teenagers out there who are confused, angry or depressed find some value in this article. So then, here are 5 pieces of advice I would tell my younger teenage self.

How to Be Annoying

“You never know just how you look through other peoples’ eyes” – this is a line from a well known song when I was growing up (Pepper by the Butthole Surfers for those interested). There is definitely a lot of truth to this. That said, there are some things that, if you do them, are guaranteed to piss people off.

Now just to be clear here, the following are things I recommend you don’t do. And one more thing: I’m certainly not perfect, and there are a few things on this list that I’m guilty of doing. If anything, writing this list has helped me identify some areas I can work on.

How To Enjoy Life Every Day

By Peter Clemens 56

The “Every Day Mindset” is a simple, yet extremely powerful, way in which to live your life. What is this mindset? Put simply, it is a mindset that remembers that this day you are currently living will only ever happen once, and it therefore encourages you to make the most of it.

It is not about recklessly living life as if there is no tomorrow. The future is important to plan for, but it is important not to obsess about it to the extent that you neglect the present. Remember, the only way to get to the future is through a series of todays. Since this Every Day Mindset has changed my life, I would like to share with you 3 specific ways in which I apply it.

5 Essential Personal Development Podcasts

By Peter Clemens 9

Podcasts are basically pre-recorded audio programs you can download. The great thing about podcasts is that you can download an episode and begin listening to it in just minutes either on your computer or portable listening device (iPod, Blackberry, etc). This means you can listen to them anytime, anywhere (eg while jogging, driving, working out or taking a walk).

Below are 5 of my favorite personal development podcasts. Enjoy!

Review: What’s Your Expiry Date?

By Peter Clemens 17

At 18, Patrick Mathieu was told by the top heart surgeons in Canada that he would not live past 30. This news turned out to be the greatest gift he ever received.

In his book What’s Your Expiry Date?, Patrick shares his inspiring story of how at an early age he was forced to confront the fact that he would die. You see, Patrick was born with a “bad” heart that has confounded cardiologists since his birth. The death sentence Patrick was given at 18 proved to be a wake up call that forever changed the way he would approach life.

Left or Right?

By Peter Clemens 40

Look at the image of the dancer above. Do you see her turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If she is turning clockwise, you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Daydreams: Friend or Foe?

By Peter Clemens 9

This week I am back to full-time work after a short break. I kept myself reasonably busy during this time off, but one habit I did develop was to relax, both physically and mentally, during the mid-afternoon. On such occasions I would allow my mind to wander, or to “daydream” as this is commonly known. Daydreaming is basically a state of mind where the thoughts you experience are unrelated to what is going on in the environment around you.

Interestingly, this habit initially brought with it some guilt. I’m sure this was related to being in a “non-doing” state in a culture that increasingly values productivity. With time, however, I came to shed most of this guilt and use this period of rest in a positive way. The following are a selection of potential positives and negatives to daydreaming.

My Beef With Multi-Level Marketing

By Peter Clemens 36

Last year I had two different, and yet strikingly similar, experiences with Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). For those who don’t know, MLM (also known as Network Marketing) is a business model that combines direct marketing with franchising. In both instances, I chose not to become involved. In this article I would like to explain why.

My first encounter with MLM arose because a close friend invited me to a meeting to get my opinion on a business opportunity. As she later admitted, she was never interested in my “opinion”. Her mind was already made up about the opportunity, and this was just her way to get me to the meeting. Well she did succeed in sparking my curiosity, and since I had nothing else to do I went along. This first MLM opportunity was with a company called ACN and basically involved reselling the services of a telecommunications company.