Life Archives - Isucceedbook.com

success principles: there are many twists and turns as you make your way through life

Jul 112012

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Isn’t life interesting?

Start out thinking you’ll go one way and end up somewhere completely different.

The thing is that often times what we envisioned work or our dreams to be turn out to be quite different from what they end up being in reality.

We envision work being challenging and rewarding when it can turn out to be downright dull.

We dream of riches only to find that they don’t bring us the joy that we had hoped for.

But that’s all part of the journey.

If someone were to ask me what we are here for, I would say that it is to be the best you you can be.

And in doing so you find your unique talents and contribution to the world.

Sounds rather hammy I know but I truly do believe it.

We can’t all be successful doctors. We need teachers, lawyers, bankers, yoga instructors, scientists, physiotherapists, and, well, you get the idea.

Life isn’t just one path.

It’s a journey we all must take, each with our own unique destinations.

As you’ll learn from my podcast, I never expected to live where I live, do what I do, or study what I study. But that’s just what happened.

People can change. That doesn’t mean they will but they can…if they choose to.

I made a conscious decision to change my path.

It’s not been easy and I’m sure there will be bumps ahead but now at the age of 38 I truly do believe I have found my calling.

If you’ve found yours, great. If not, keep looking…each day brings with it limitless opportunities.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: the big 3 8…and the lessons I’ve learned

Expert Perspective

Jul 032012

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Life is short.

It feels like just yesterday that I was back in high school with not a worry in the world.

Fast forward 20 years and here I am. Living in a country I never thought I’d live in. Doing a job I never thought I’d be doing.

Time has a funny way of changing us.

Sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

For me, I look back on my life and smile. I’ve been a very lucky man.

I escaped death 4 times.

I built my businesses from the ground up.

I married the woman of my dreams.

I self taught myself photography, magic, success, marketing, and finance.

I am a changed man in many ways. I’m more positive, more open-minded, more creative, more dedicated than ever before.

It has been a good 38 years on this earth.

Turning 38 did make me think about all that I’ve gone through and today I thought share with you just a little of what I’ve learned.

Rather than write it though, I thought today I’d deviate from the norm and go audio.

The following podcast just scratches the surface of all that I’ve learned but I do think you’ll find it interesting.

Enjoy.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: I miss my dad…

Expert Perspective

Mar 132012

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

It’s been a little over two years since I said goodbye to my father.

He went to bed one Friday night and never woke up.

When I saw my phone ring the following morning I thought something was wrong but assumed it had something to do with my mother as the call came from his cell.

I tried to answer but missed the call.

I tried to call back but no luck. I noticed a message had been left on my answering machine so I clicked to check it.

“Dad just died. Please call as soon as you get this.”

When I was able to get through to her, I told my mother I would be on the first plane home…and 5 days later we said goodbye to the man who had been instrumental in my upbringing, my father (or Dad as I knew him).

It was toughest on my mother. She lost her companion of close to 40 years.

I cried but knew that I had to keep it together.

I had three people to take care of – my mother, my wife and my young son who was only 1 at the time.

My father died a happy man. The day before he had won his final golf game with his 3 best friends. He had gotten to see his only son grow up and met his grandson the previous X-Mas as well as seen him on weekly video chats.

If you’ve got to go, I guess that’s the way I’d want to go; knowing that I’d done well in life - Raising a family, living well, and enjoying all our crazy adventures.

Life is full of joy; with some pain thrown in for good measure.

The passing of my father was one of those moments I knew I would have to face one day, I just wish it hadn’t come so soon.

But isn’t that always the case.

So many people are in denial about the future.

They don’t see the problems coming their way in spite of signs all around them.

There are those who deny that they’re’re in financial trouble. Some deny their health issues and yet others deny their relationships are in trouble. And as often the case, people only find out when it’s too late for anything to be done.

Hindsight lets us see where we made mistakes but it doesn’t give us the power to fix them, all we can do is learn from them for our future.

For me, losing my father was a reminder of just how quickly everything can change.

We never think things like that will happen, but they can, and unfortunately, they do.

That’s precisely why we must prepare ourselves mentally and physically for what’s in store for us.

There’s no sense in simply ignoring what’s going on. Instead we must accept the situations we find ourselves in and work on figuring out a way to remedy them.

Very few people know what to do when there is a death in the family.

My father had his affairs in order and still it was time-consuming and draining. As soon as my son reaches manhood I will start teaching him how to deal with such a situation.

Some people might think that morbid but I think it’s simply good practice.

I want to help prepare my son for the world and everything that’s in store for him to the best of my ability.

School teaches us how to plot parabolas, analyze classic literature, and many other trivial concepts but it seems to have missed the boat on linking our education to real life. Theory seems to have replaced practicality.

In school we learn nothing about taxes, law, partnerships, marriage, money, investing, business, and death. And yet these are the things we all need to deal with at one time or another.

There are those who will argue with me on this issue believing that kids should be sheltered from the pain of life but sooner or later they will run into some crushing defeats. The better prepared they are, the faster they will be able to rebound.

My father was a generous man, I suppose he was successful. He could light up the room with his laughter, and was the ultimate storyteller.

I miss his stories but most of all I just miss being able to give him a call to talk about life.

Me, I intend to be around as long as I can for my wife, my son, my friends and for anyone who wants to learn.

I’ve started eating better, drinking more water, going to the dentist more regularly, flossing daily, leading a less stressful life and savoring each day that bit more.

I savor the memories of my father and believe the best thing I can do is simply be the best Adrian I can be.

My blog, my book and my seminars are just the beginning.

So thank your friends and family for being a part of your journey today, for none of us knows what tomorrow holds.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: are the best things in life free?

Expert Perspective

Dec 012011

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

From time to time I write a post talking about money or investing which, I know, does turn a few people off.

But I do so simply because my goal on this site is to share good ideas and to help whoever takes the time to read my articles or watch my videos avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made and to benefit from my knowledge and experience.

I’d be amiss if I were to avoid talking about those topics because our financial situation does play a big part in our lives.

That being said, today I thought I’d talk about something we all love – FREE stuff.

About two minutes ago I clicked over to Facebook and checked my timeline and saw a lovely picture entitled, “the best things in life are free.”

When I clicked the link it came as no surprise to see hugs, smiles, friends, kisses, family, sleep, love, laughter and good memories were all on the list.

It did miss out oxygen but otherwise a very powerful list and one that I try to live by each and every day.

Not a day goes by that I miss a hug and kiss from both my wife and son.

It has often been said that love is the most powerful force in the universe and I would have to agree.

People will do the most amazing things for the people they love and it’s important that we show those special people in our lives just how much they mean to us. Not just when we’re feeling happy but each and every day.

Each day when I drop my son off at his daycare we go through a little ritual that culminates in him giving me a jumping hug followed by a kiss.

No matter how late I am or what’s going on when I get there I never fail to do this.

Why? Because nothing could be more important to my son than knowing he is loved by both myself and my wife.

That will serve him well as he grows up.

It’s also just as important for children to see love between their parents especially at a young age.

Laughter is probably the best stress relief there is and with everything that we see or experience there’s nearly always something funny to laugh about.

And with a three-year-old in the house there’s never a dull moment.

People often say I’m a goofy kind of guy because I love to do silly things but I do so for a reason – I want to make people laugh.

Now there is a time and place for everything, so when it comes to work I’m dead serious but when I’m at the park with my son or playing with him at home I try to get into his head and think what would make him laugh.

So far, if you were to ask my wife or son, I think you’d find I’m a raging success in that department.

Good memories can only be created over time. But one doesn’t have to do something spectacular so nor spend a lot of money to create them.

In fact, the combination of both the highs and the lows allow us to understand just what is special.

I’ve stayed at 5-star hotels and I’ve staying in little huts overlooking the Philippine Sea that cost less than a buck a night to stay in (that was then I might add).

Both were amazing experiences, just very different ones.

That difference is also what allows us to appreciate what we have that much more.

In today’s modern society we have access to anything our hearts’ desire but in doing so the joy of getting is somewhat lost.

Today it takes no time to research how rockets work, or what a word means, or where we can find a book. If you’re like me you’ll remember that not that long ago these things took time.

It took more of an effort but when we got what we needed we felt a sense of achievement.

Many of the children I have had the pleasure of teaching don’t realize how lucky they are. They have accepted that life is this easy.

Each generation builds upon the next but the one thing we forget is that our body and mind thrive on challenge.

That is how we grow as individuals.

Take that challenge out and we run the risk of damaging ourselves.

But here’s the good news – challenge is also free.

Personally I love challenge and am always reminded of the words of my mentor, Jim Rohn, when he said, “Don’t wish it were easier…wish you were better.”

Ever since I heard that I made a decision to make myself better.

A better parent, a better friend, a better business man, a better manager. By becoming better I am able to handle situations that once I couldn’t.

The first chapter of my book, iSucceed, is devoted to gratitude and I start it off with a quote by Cicero, the great orator, and think it’s one worth repeating here. “Gratitude is not the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

So why not start by appreciating all that we have in our life that is free – the air that we breath, the friends that we have, the love that we share.

Do that and I think you’ll soon find that no matter how stressful your life may seem that today is a good day.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: if you’re reading this you live in an enviable place

Expert Perspective

Nov 102011

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

20 years ago the Internet didn’t exist.

20 years ago cell phones were for the wealthy.

20 short years ago the world was a very different place.

Go back even further and the differences are startling.

The other day my wife forwarded me a post by her personal trainer because she thought it would be something I’d like – she was right.

I have posted it below for your perusal but for those who want the quick version – our lives today are pretty dang good compared to how our parents and grandparents had it.

Take my grandfather for example. He earned a living washing windows.

Summer or winter he was out there, braving the English weather.

That is until he fell and broke both his legs.

From that time on he was forced to sell insurance and his wife (my grandmother) had to run a local store.

Life was hard and my father swore that he’d never go into business for himself because he had seen how hard it had been on his own parents.

So my father decided to work for a company. Textiles were his expertise but when much of the manufacturing jobs moved overseas in the early 80s he got laid off which forced my mother to pick up a few part-time jobs.

I don’t remember it but my father told me that he was the one who used to put me to bed in those days as my mother worked late.

But as luck would have it he got one job offer – in the Philippines which at the time no one even knew where that was.

A few months later I learnt that we were moving to the Philippines and that I needed to get some shots (not fun I might add).

What I didn’t know until many years later was that when my father came back from his first interview there his response to my mother asking him if the job was good or not was, “It’s good money but you’ll hate it.”

My mother said, “If it’s good for you then it’s good for us,” and at the age of 45 my mother and my father 35 said goodbye to the only place they had ever known.

Little did we know that decision would change the course of our lives forever.

Life was good there but it was by no means easy.

My father had to work long hours and I only saw him on the weekends.

It was next to impossible to get many of the things we had taken for granted back in England.

But with a little luck slowly things started to change.

So much so that I honestly can’t remember not having dinner with both my parents. Those days are a distant memory.

Parents often sacrifice in the hope that their children can live a better life than their own.

That was true with my own parents and I’m sure the same can be said about yours.

Today, if you are reading this on your phone or on your computer, you are enjoying a life that many of our ancestors would have thought of as a dream.

That doesn’t mean life isn’t without its challenges. No matter how good our lives are we will be constantly presented with challenges to which we can either rise to, or fall from.

I, for one, am grateful for everything my parents did.

Now it’s up to me to make sure that I do the same for my son. I’m sure that you will do the same for your children.

Why? Cuz that’s part of what makes life worth living.

Life’s not about just living but about making our mark and leaving the world a better place for us having been in it.

Appreciate all that you have around you because to live in the world we have today with all its modern amenities truly is a blessing.

Adrian Shepherd

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NEED MOTIVATION – YOUR GREAT-GRANDPARENTS MAY BE OF HELP

by Andrew Morgan

There are few things that give me the same kick up the ass I need when I unmotivated or pessimistic about things, than when reflecting on the lives my grandparents and great-grandparents led.

All the comforts of the 21st century make it easy to forget where we came from. Sometimes we just need an attitude shift, some reminder to put things in perspective.

Think back to when you were told stories of, or try to imagine the different lives yours would have had. Compare with how comfortably you are living now.

Anytime I think something’s tough I just think about my grandfather and his father.

Both coal miners. Neither of them saw daylight during winter.

to continue reading this article —-> click here

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life in Japan: the weather

Daily Life in Japan

Feb 032011

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

Anyone who has studied Japanese for more than a few years will have studied how to write a letter.

While in English we’re free to start off the letter any way we see fit, in Japanese letters often begin with a comment about the weather.

I remember our class asking our teacher why that was the case. Fast forward to today and I know why.

Japan has 4 seasons, and with each season not only comes dramatically different weather but also fashion and fruits among other things.

In winter it’s cold, and although in Osaka it rarely snows, it is cold.

For those of you from cold climates you might say, well, that’s nothing.

But to put it in perspective I would like to quote a Norwegian exchange-student from my days at Kansai Gaidai.

We were talking about the weather and I mentioned to him that for him the weather must be a walk in the park.

To which he said, “It may be colder in Norway but I’ve never felt colder than I have in Japan.”

He must have noticed the surprise in my face as he continued, “In Norway, I never saw my breath inside my own house.”

On the flipside, winter does bring with it the most amazing strawberries and apples I have ever tasted.

And my son wholeheartedly agrees as he gobbles down a variety of fruits each night.

Just the other day I was given a box of strawberries as a gift and they were, for lack of a better word, perfection.

I didn’t even know strawberries could taste that good.

Spring brings with it nice warm weather and cherry blossoms which mark the changing seasons.

It’s a lovely time, with hanami’s (basically picnics under the cherry blossoms) going on each weekend.

A personal favorite place of mine this season is Hikone castle which is located about an hour from Osaka in Shiga prefecture.

Summer comes next and it is hot. Hot I like.

I only wish there were more outdoor pools to swim in to soak up the rays.

Summer is more a time to head to the mountains to enjoy a reprieve from the heat.

Then comes autumn, which is, personally, my favorite time of year. It’s still warm and with the leaves changing colors Japan it’s a great time to wander around.

It’s a photographers dream with the mountains covered in reds, yellows and greens.

Japan is quite different from any other Asian country with a mix of ultra-modern culture and old traditions mixed in.

Add this blend of culture to the 4 seasons and you have a very diverse country.

So, make sure you bring your winter coat, and some swimwear cuz you’ll need both if you’re going to be here for a while.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: change

Business Philosophy

Oct 252010

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

For those of you who have read my book iSucceed or read my bio you’ll know that I run my own English school here in Japan.

But for the past two years I have invested a considerable amount of time into my writing.

As you can see the result of which is my book but what you might not know is that I have also kept numerous files of ideas for future books, programs, and projects.

I have files for

Ideas – at present 350+ pages filled with observations and tips
Business – 100 pages of sales, marketing and negotiation
Quotes – 1200 quotes that personally inspire me
Education – a collection of techniques, games and tricks
Titles – 150+ that I might choose to use at a later time
And many more

And all this has happened in the past two years.

I shudder to think what I would have amassed had I started in my twenties and can only wonder how much I will have accomplished by the time I hit 60.

Why do I bring this up? Because I’ve changed.

Ask my students, my friends and especially my wife and you’re likely to hear the same thing – Adrian’s different.

Notice I say different, not better, because that depends on who you talk to.

Some people might like who I’m becoming while others liked me just the way I was.

As we find ourselves changing we get torn between who we once were and who we are becoming.

It’s tough to let go of the past. Our habits, our work and yes, even our friends.

Most people find it too hard and end up back where they started.

The key to change is keep asking yourself one simple thing – what do I really want?

Either your goal is something that you will do whatever it takes for, or it isn’t.

If it isn’t, then you’ll soon find yourself finding reasons why you shouldn’t keep going.

A strong enough “why” will overcome any “how” that you come across.

The “hows” are the techniques, the tactics and the tools to accomplish our goals.

The “whys” are the reasons you are doing what you are doing. The “whys” keep you going.

I often tell my students that the hardest thing in life is not choosing between good or bad but rather between good and great.

Good is comfortable, great takes effort. Good is easier, great is harder.

Most people who are happy in their lives are living a good life.

They’re not willing to risk what they have to get the great.

And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as they are truly happy.

But for those of us that desire more out of life we realize that good just isn’t good enough.

I’m not sure how you came across my blog; maybe a friend said you should check it out, maybe you read iSucceed and wanted to find out more, maybe it was just pure chance.

Whatever the reason I encourage you to think carefully about just what you want out of life and if you truly do want to make a change to go for your dreams and success.

You will not regret it.

Adrian Shepherd

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