This week (15th April) saw the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster when 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives. The wound is still raw, some still demand justice. Football fans and the authorities had seen it coming for years; the problems of terraced football stadiums and over crowding. The symptoms were there but it took a fatal blow before anything changed and stadiums became safe places for fans.
It is an all to often similar pattern. It takes a sheer 'heart attack' of one form or another before things change. We saw it with the Herald of Free Enterprise, Formula One Racing and maybe even the G20 demonstrations in London last week. We often need a fatal wake up call (if you pardon the mixed language here) before change takes place. Its the same story for people and for organisations.
The intentions of the keynote is to give participants a non lethal heart attack (in a nice kind of way) and give participants an opportunity to look at the bigger picture of life by examining the subject of 'How you would like to be remembered at the end of your life?'
Life is beautiful, exciting, passionate and yet fragile. Speaking at funerals every other day of my life I know all too well that tomorrow is promised to no-one and yet if we lived everyday of our lives as it it were our last we would discover the real and deeper meaning of our professional and personal lives and our truest life passions.
What I am offering is lifestyle management training with a twist, an edge and a dash of humour. Death and funerals are possibly the last taboo subject and yet, as Steve Jobs the founder of the Apple Mac said, death is the greatest motivational tool ever invented.
Self awareness leads to self control and opens up the possibilities of change.
Many people and organisations have been motivated to change by a sheer heart attack, that's why I entitled this keynote 'Who wants to live forever?'. Its not a homage to Freddie and some wonderful Queen lyrics, its an invitation, a reminder to live life as if every day was the last. If we do, one day we will be right and we will have a lasting legacy to celebrate.
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Much wisdom here, Neil. Thank you for it. And thank you for the Steve Jobs quote!
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right: death is much more inspirational than it is given credit for.