It is father’s day today (Sunday, June 17th, 2007) in the UK, USA and many other countries around the world.

Father’s day is becoming an important day of celebration and gradually catching up with the more popular mother’s day worldwide. Now the fifth most popular purchased greeting cards in the USA are for father’s day cards.

Whereas mother’s day is seen to be more sentimental, I believe father’s day is seen more as a day of practical gift giving such as DIY tools etc. However the most popular Father’s Day present is apparently the gift of a tie.

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Last Friday, I went back to my old school after over 20 years and presented to young people who were about to make career and university decisions. It was an amazing day going back to my roots after so many years. So much had changed and yet so much was still the same. Amazingly one of the teachers from my days was still there.

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Later this week, I will be delivering some workshops to around 300 pupils at my old school, over 20 years after leaving.

In all those years, everything I have achieved and experienced, both in my personal and professional life, has its foundation in the few years I spent at this school. So it is quite a privilege and an honour to be invited to speak to so many young people about to leave school and make their own way in life.

Whilst preparing for my workshop, as I put together my story, I realised that the best thing I could share with them would be some of the things life has taught me. Here are my 10 things in no particular order:-

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I was lucky enough to visit Nirvana school once again in 2005 .

This was my third ever visit to the school, based in Pondicherry, South India. Depending on the prevailing weather and the taxi driver you get, the school is about two hours drive from Chennai.

Upon my return that year, I created a new website for Nirvana school - I felt I had to create a suitable tribute to the amazing work being done by a remarkable 65 year old woman, Vinumassi.

It just shows what is possible when you become clear about what is important in your life.

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Many years ago, when I first got involved with Nirvana school, I gave a short ten minute speech about my recent visit to the school. The speech was after a golf tournament held to raise money for the school.

There were about 50 people in the audience, and though I knew most of them, I was extremely nervous. It was my first ever major public speech about a topic that I am very passionate about.

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In one my recent posts, I wrote about letting people know just how much they mean to you.

On the same theme, sometime ago, I was sent the jumbled passage below – read it through and grasp its powerful message:-

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The greatest thing of my life in the last few years has been to be able to be of service to others. Whether this has been through my newspaper articles, books, coaching, charity work, public talks or even just by directing someone to the tube station, there is a certain buzz in helping others and contributing.

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Every now and then I will be writing about inspirational people whom I have been lucky enough to meet. By looking at their examples, we too can learn lessons about how to live a life of fulfillment, passion, contribution and being the best we can be.

I am starting with Vinu massi, a remarkable lady in her sixties who almost single handedly started Nirvana School in the mid nineties. Her story has a lot of useful learnings for all of us.

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Have you ever met someone for just a short time and your life has changed dramatically?

Or have you met someone who is so committed to helping others and is willing to go half way around the world for a year to do just that?!

Well,this is a story about one such person, Bridget Ellery.

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As we look around the world today and all its challenges, I often wonder what sort of world we are leaving behind for our children.

Whilst most of us continue to live as if there is no tomorrow and we use up our natural resources like they are ever lasting, pause for a moment and realise that there is only one certainty about our life. Sooner or later we are all going to die. Accept it or not, every day brings us closer to that day.

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