Category: Success

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The Importance of Everyday Contributions

I recently heard a story of an elderly African American woman, Oseola McCarty, who washed and ironed clothes all of her life in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

She had quit school at age 12 to care for a sick aunt. Oseola never married or had her own children but she loved her nieces and nephews and her extended family wholeheartedly.

Every week for almost eighty years, she would put the dimes and quarters that she earned in the local First Mississippi National Bank in her town, saving for the big day when she could no longer work.

As the story goes, the bank manager spotting her in the bank one day asked her if she knew how much she had saved. Unable to read or write, Oseola said she had no idea and when told the vast amount she had little realisation of how much that sum was. Continue reading “The Importance of Everyday Contributions”

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Small Steps

Many years ago in a business studies class, the teacher told all of the students to begin everything with the end in mind.

The teacher even gave us the seemingly morbid assignment of writing our own eulogy and vividly imagining what people would be saying at our funerals. He said that we should really visualise and imagine the detailed conversation about us and all the good things we would like people to say.

The next step was to work backwards to the present day to make it happen. He asked, “Now how are you going to make those things come true?” Continue reading “Small Steps”

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Equality of Opportunity

The Brebner’s were never known for our desire to just sit and talk about the weather and each of us has a voice capable of talking to a crowd to action – without a microphone.

Yes, our family is a lively bunch and many times over the Christmas lunch table, Mum would make failed attempts to settle down the high levels of debate. The voices rose louder between in-laws and out-laws furiously talking over each other with a passion more expected at a football match than a family gathering.

One of the many battles that ensued over the years has been the question of equality for people and what that means in a practical outworking. Continue reading “Equality of Opportunity”

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Reading the Waves

I was talking to a minister friend of mine a while ago.

He shared with me that the seminary he was located at was set by the ocean and he often would wander along the sand and contemplate his life in his time off.

He told me that he would see the surfers out the back of the swell sitting up on their boards, watching for the wave they would choose to ride. It fascinated him so much at how they made their choices, that he would watch them for quite a while.

In his curiosity, he noticed they would sit up on their boards and observe carefully for a time. Then they would relax back down again, choosing to pass on waves which my friend had thought looked like impressive surf waves to ride in on. Continue reading “Reading the Waves”

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Security v Risk

One of the big needs of humanity is security. We see and hear people selling us security in so many ways.

They do this all while we sit on a thin veneer of 30-mile thick soil on the surface of a rock which is actually a giant super-heated nuclear reactor. We literally are flying through space at a ridiculous speed, trying to avoid every other rock going faster and in different directions. Where is our security here?

My point is that security is never a sure thing and playing for safe is in the end, just an illusion. Continue reading “Security v Risk”

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Persistence for the Win

So many of the ‘greats’ who we honour in life made many big mistakes and had significant failures. We do not remember their failures because they did not let those failures dominate their future.

Dwelling on the past failures produces nothing but negativity and makes a situation in which our brains build neurological pathways that re-enforce the beliefs about the event and our failure. Continue reading “Persistence for the Win”

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My Story

A person with Tourette’s Syndrome and its related behaviours was not going to fit the mould of standard high school education without difficulty. That difficulty has turned out to be a gift as I achieved far more by not fitting into the standard plan.

I am Dave Brebner. I am a successful teacher, career coach, husband, father of six, son, brother and friend. This is my story and I want to share it with you.

Continue reading “My Story”

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People of Influence

A short time ago, I ran into an old friend who was very angry. He ranted about other cultures and was even happy to cut me off from his circle of relationships because I would not join him in his worldview of certain situations.

It is not the first time I have encountered this lately and am concerned at what I know is the mis-information out there and the fact that people are riled up over things they have no control over with often no first hand evidence of any of it. Continue reading “People of Influence”

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Your Ideal Employee

People with Tourette’s syndrome often have a challenge in finding work, particularly in the public eye.

While many of us have very subtle symptoms, commonly known as ‘tics’, there is a perception among the general public that all sufferers use foul language, scream or yell spontaneously, have profound body movements, and that the condition is completely outside of our control. Continue reading “Your Ideal Employee”

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Your Biggest Asset

I recently read a letter Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Empire, wrote to his 16-year-old self.

It really touched me as he, like many of us, struggled in school. He had Dyslexia, which made him fall behind in class and find school rather irrelevant.

As a teen with Tourette’s, I had my fair share of unwanted attention from schoolmates and was occasionally an embarrassment to others who did not understand. Continue reading “Your Biggest Asset”

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Supportive Culture

“The future is coming!” I heard someone claim in a talk to an amused audience several years ago. At a glance, it appeared to be a very strange thing to say, and a rather obvious statement.

However, since then it astounds me how many people I run into, both socially and professionally, who would claim that it is a stupid comment, yet behave as if the statement is not true at all. Continue reading “Supportive Culture”

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Important v Urgent

I wanted to share a story with you that keeps me on track with what is important versus what is urgent.

A friend once told me about a discussion he heard in which a paramedic likened many people’s overly busy lives to car accidents. He said when arriving at a scene of destruction, someone who is untrained in procedures will often tend to take notice of the victims who are screaming, have minor injuries and attracting a lot of attention.

In making this choice, they will neglect the ones who are not arousing attention and who are often quietly slipping away.

Continue reading “Important v Urgent”
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Breaking the Limits

Many great leaders were unpopular and considered social, technological or spiritual heretics for their views when they challenged the accepted thinking of their times.

There are times when going against the advice of those in places of authority is foolish and in poor judgement. It may be going against the obvious hard won experience of ‘elders’ who have trodden the path on which we wish to embark.
Continue reading “Breaking the Limits”

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Creating Contentment

It is often a personal internal change that brings about a change in our outside worlds.

We hear people cry out for peace on earth but they are neglecting peace with their neighbours, relatives, and co-workers. The fact is that peace starts on the inside of our person and without it, there is no peace on the outside. I observe that most of the conflict in the world comes by comparing each other’s ‘stuff’.
Continue reading “Creating Contentment”

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Rising Potential

What is potential? I like the definition that is an untapped energy source or a latent ability that can be developed and lifted.

When have we reached our potential? I do not know if anyone can answer that question. With ideal conditions, we may have gone further in our goals. Maybe though, the obstacles that got in our way were actually catalysts to strengthen us to push on further.
Continue reading “Rising Potential”

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Good Advice v Opinion

It is amazing how often people have an opinion to share these days.

When I was younger, people often listened to a discussion on a subject they knew little about and were interested in hearing other people’s views. These days, with the advent of mass media and the digital age, so many think they are informed about things and want to advise you.

Continue reading “Good Advice v Opinion”
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Changing Outcomes

In the relatively new science of brain elasticity, it has been shown that we have the power to change our brains, even physically! Our neurons are constantly being renewed and pathways of habits and opinions are constantly being formed, reformed and re-enforced.

Backing up new ways of thinking with actions that support the ideas helps solidify the mindset.
Continue reading “Changing Outcomes”