ON THE WALLABY- 21st June 2006

"Those that are afraid of dying, never learn to live”- The Rose.

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

Over the past few months I have been undergoing what I guess could easily be called a “cathartic experience” in that at age 60, I have finally found both myself, and an inner peace that I have yearned for over many years, and risked all, and hurt some, in that process and in making my decision.

The words that I have reproduced below, written by someone I have never met, took on a whole new meaning as I looked deep inside the person who knew me best, myself.

He wrote about risk thus -

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk being called sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.

To place your ideas and your dreams

before them is to risk being called naive.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,

because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing,

does nothing, has nothing,

is nothing and becomes nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,

but he simply cannot learn

and feel and change and grow and love and live.

Chained by his certitudes,

he is a slave,

he's forfeited his freedom

Only the person who risks is truly free."

Risk is something that I am not adverse to and in fact, my whole adult life, in a business sense especially, I have spent most of my time “out there”.

In building our stock and station agency and auctioneering business to where we operated nationally, albeit from a small country town in NSW, we punted high and long and whilst we had the odd crash (including a Cessna 182 once!) we pulled off many deals and auctions that none one ever thought we could.

In this process of looking deep within, I then began to think of others I know who over their lifetime haven’t taken any risks and I wondered “have they ever really lived or have they just existed?”

The greatest gift of all that we are given is that of life itself and yet the majority spend their time, as Sterling Hayden wrote in his wonderful book “Wanderer”, stuck between the choice of bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life.

His actual quote reads:-

“To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea... "cruising" it is called.

Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about. "I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine - and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need - really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all - in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?" At the end of our days, as my late adopting mother Bettina always said, “there are no pockets in a shroud” and no matter whether you are a pauper or Kerry Packer- like in wealth, we all end up the same.

So are you “living” your life or existing?

I have taken the “ball of life”, punted high and risked that I am wrong. I’ll let you know how I went when the games over!

SOUTH WEST SYDNEY BRACES FOR AUSTRALIA/CROATIA WORLD CUP GAME

What an amazing game soccer (football) is and its ability to inspire people with Friday mornings game between Australia and Croatia being a great example.

With four players in the Croation team being born in Australia and a number in the Australian team of Croation origins, the scene is well and truly set for a within-household battle in many parts of south western Sydney (and doubtless other States with a Croation born component amongst their citizens).

With the children being born here in Australia and their parents in Croatia, I am already getting reports of some pretty animated discussions over the dinner table about the merits of each side.

Should be an interesting breakfast in many houses Friday morning as Australia needs either a draw or win to proceed to the quarter finals.

Carpe diem

Tony

Tony Fountain

Professional Speaker, auctioneer and author

Sydney NSW Australia

If you would like to subscribe a friend or colleague to these free “On the Wallaby” email bulletins, click here and place their email address in the subscription box .