Journeyman Stories

Last Tuesday I finally met Brian Tracy. We have been preparing this event for a while that I was glad he was finally here. This guy has been teaching success principles for decades and I couldn't wait to meet him in person. With a room full of people, I was wondering how I was going to find him and ask for a picture (so that I could show off..). I had my camera ready, and I followed him wherever he was going, and I finally got a chance to talk to him. He agreed to take a picture with me. He did not know he was with an upcoming superstar (if I don't say it, who will? Lol) For fans of the great game of Basketball, I hope you are enjoying the moment. The Playoffs are on baby! For non Basketball fans, you have no idea what you're missing. The Playoffs are for the Big Boys only. It's an endless fight that will lead to the ultimate goal of the NBA championship. The series are tight (except Miami crushing New York in their first game), and injuries are “monnaie courante” as w...

I thought I would write this blog on Sunday, but after what I thought would be a quick trip to Hamilton Ontario, I got home almost at 11 pm. I couldn't write at that time as I was exhausted, my only hope was that the inspiration would be still there when I wake up. Then I thought I would write it on Monday morning, but my work could not allow it. The good news is that I am here writing now. Aren't you glad? It's about time you left your computer now. You have been waiting for a long time. Last week I wrote about how I was becoming a huge fan of Simon Cowell of the X Factor TV show (among other shows). To tell you the truth I was hoping to get an e-mail or phone call from him to thank me, but I am still waiting (patience is a virtue I have learned). I guess he is busy producing artists (he doesn't know what he is missing for not calling me lol) Once again, I watched a few clips of the show this week (don't worry, I have other things to do as well). Do you know what m...

We finally got to say the last goodbye to our friend Gentille this week-end. It was an emotional week-end but everyone agreed on one thing. She went home in peace. Once again, you will be missed Gentille. It feels like I am back to normal now. By the way, Toronto people, did you feel the wind today? I wanted to sing “I believe I can fly” because that's how I felt when I was outside. Just the other day my wife was asking me why sometimes I go to sleep with my earphones plugged in my ears, all night long. Trust me, it's not that I am avoiding hearing me snore. I don't snore (even though my wife tells me the opposite lol). I told her that I constantly need inspiration, even while I am sleeping. I explained to her how the mind works (I am not really an expert in the field, but I have read a bit), how our subconscious mind is still at work even during our sleep. So, why not give it some instructions so that it could work for us... I am constantly in search of inspiration, and it...

I can say that I am rather pleased to get back to work today after a quite emotional week-end. It has been a very long time since I cried the way I did these last few days. As I was about to go to bed last Friday, around midnight, I received a phone call from a good friend of mine. At first I was surprised to hear the phone ring at that time. I thought it was an early long distance call as it was Saturday morning back home. I picked up the phone, and my friend on the other side of line asked me if I was sleeping already, to which I responded no. She then asked me to go to a place I could be alone. I went upstairs, and all this time my wife was asking me what was going on. I did not tell her at first (myself I did not know what was going on). Five minutes later, she joined me upstairs to find me crying on the phone. She asked me what happened, and I broke the news: My good friend Gentille had passed away... A few weeks ago I wrote about her in my blog. For over two years, Gentille had b...

They say that everything happens for a reason. I totally agree. But it is not that easy to see when things are happening to you that you cannot understand. It is only after the fact, looking back that we can connect the dots. Then, we can understand that all the things happened for a reason. If you really think about it, life is a mystery. I can even say that life is a miracle. We can predict all we want but nobody really knows what tomorrow holds (all of a sudden I am a philosopher...) Never in my dreams have I thought that my life would be like this, until I met this precious friend. This person changed my life forever. After many attempts to have a friend like this, I finally gave up. You see, I had a checklist to follow, if I met any friend who did not meet these requirements, either there was not a chance to be with the person, or I will do my best to make them change (try that one..) As I said, I finally gave up. It was too hard for me. I had to let go and focus on the things I c...

I first met her few years back when she was new to Canada. At that time she was looking for a place to rent and my job at that time involved helping newcomers to Toronto to find accommodation. I do not remember if she got the place thanks to my help, but what I do remember is that we have been friends ever since. We have so many things in common. The books we read, the movies we watched, the music we listened to, the food we liked (not in terms of quantity lol) even Basketball and Tennis. Years went by and we kept in touch. She would share with me her life story, sometimes asking for my advice, and I would do the same. About two and half years ago, she started saying that she was not feeling good. Countless times she went to different doctors but they could not find what was wrong with her. What she knew was that she was in pain. It started with her legs, then it got so bad that she could not move from her house. And then one day, they finally found it. Guess what? She had cancer.... I...

It's now early Monday morning. I am getting ready for my final presentation of a series of workshops I have been doing the last month or so. I feel fresh as ever. Do you know why? Because I did almost nothing over the week-end. Almost nothing is an overstatement. But I did something that I have not done for a long time: Relax. It's been very intense the last few months (for many reasons), and, as my business partner went to England for a whole week, I said to myself that I could also take some time off. Why not? On Saturday we went for a movie. Have you seen Denzel's “Safe House”? Very intense one. My wife got mad at me saying that we should have not watched the movie because Denzel's character died at the end (sorry for those who are planning to watch it. I just ruined the party). I laughed so much because I had nothing to do with it. After the movie, we went for a bite in the nearest Japanese restaurant. For some reason, my wife could not eat any of the food. She did ...