The end becomes the start (of my journey to reach my potential).
Chapter 2 from my second book.
Just four months earlier on the preceding Friday 13th, my dad, Ivor John Spiers Fell passed away. He had always been suspicious about Friday 13th.
In the lounge room at 631, the property in which he lived with my Mum for over 50 years and after which my business is named, dad’s chosen chair sat opposite an old style stand-alone ‘box tv.’ On top of the tv Dad had a series of blocks. One set of blocks had numbers representing each date of the month, the other had days of the week. Each day, one of dad’s morning rituals was to get up from his chosen chair, go over to the tv and turn the blocks to the next day. 01 would become 02 and Tues would become Weds and so on through the month. Whenever it came to Fri 13, dad would turn the blocks face down so you couldn’t see the day or the date. He told me he was suspicious of that date and didn’t want to see it starring back at him as he watched his chosen shows on tv.
My father died on Friday 13th December 2019 which was difficult to comprehend, given his feelings about that date. Even more crazy that my business started to crash on the very next Friday 13th.
My sister Catherine and my brother Philip who lives in Frederick, Maryland, USA had travelled to 631 to be with dad and my mum just before he died. Whilst they were there with him, I was back on Australia’s Gold Coast. I had been across earlier in the month to ensure we spent some time together but had returned home a few days earlier. Before I left I had sent my children a what’s app message early on the 10th December to say:
‘Grandad is very thin and his breathe is very shallow. He is also so pale. He can only have a little time. Just wanted to let you all know. Make the most of everyday.’
Make the most of everyday. How many times have I replayed that line to myself since?
Then it was time to go. I normally enjoy travelling and I am more than happy to travel across the world on my own. I get lost in books, journalling, music, thinking (more extended Mozart time), reading newspapers pre Covid and sometimes writing. Although I am a conference speaker who is more than happy to be on stage in front of hundreds and even thousands of people, I also love my own space and quiet time. At heart I am an introvert but one who has learnt how to master the skills, like public speaking, to enable me to live a life full of purpose, travel and experiences, whilst doing work I am passionate about.
This flight I was consumed by something different. My final conversation with my dad. The final chapter of The Rocking Chair Test details this conversation and for those yet to read that book, I reprise it here:
📚For the sake of the length of this article - I haven’t added it here. If you are yet to get the book and want to read the chapter please message me and I will send it to you! This YouTube short describes how on my return from the UK, my perception of the conversation was changed following a walk and talk with Nick Bloor along a Gold Coast beach. Nick got me to reframe my dad’s meaning which has created an even greater passion and drive within me:
https://youtube.com/shorts/uV1PzJOqpPM?feature=share
In essence, to pass my own Rocking Chair Test, I needed to avoid going so far in life and business and then stopping or getting too comfortable with where I was at. Avoid being the ‘nearly man’ as in that situation - score the century, cross the finish line, climb to the summit, achieve the desired future state (as in living the life we wanted) and maximise the time and financial freedom to ensure I can help as many others as possible do the same for themselves.
I missed the century by 13 runs. Dad died on Friday 13th, on the very next Friday 13th my business crashed and our last conversation concerned me falling 13 runs short of what dad believed I was more than capable of achieving.
If I was to live life true to my potential and find the extra 13 runs, now was the time to do it. In fact, due to the global pandemic I was compelled to do it. I needed to play to my full potential on a daily basis.
So on Friday 13th March 2020, I committed. I fully committed. I decided to go #allin on my #pivot2win approach. I would keep going until I started to find some open windows.
‘There are always opportunities, just keep looking.That is #whatwinnersdo!’
👉Details of forthcoming What Winners Do events, my short form coaching programme and for Aussies only the opportunity to purchase a signed/personalised copy of The Rocking Chair Test please check out: whatwinnersdogift631.com 🦅