Peter Clemens, Author at Possibility Change

Watch Where You Point That Finger

There is a saying that when you point a finger in blame at another person, you have three fingers pointing back at yourself.

The recent hoopla surrounding the bailout of the Detroit Big Three reminded me of this saying. It is obvious that the bailout is hugely unpopular, and there is understandably a lot of anger being directed at the management of these car companies for the many, many poor decisions they have made over the years that have contributed to their current state. But are they solely to blame? I think not.

The sad truth is that the car companies have been producing big stupid gas guzzling super-trucks for a good reason – people have been buying them! And the reason people have been able to afford these gas guzzlers is because of the low taxes on gasoline in the US compared to the rest of the world. Why are taxes so low? Because there would be an uproar if politicians tried to increase them!

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The End of Wealth

By Peter Clemens / 14 Comments

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know there are some major problems in the world’s financial markets at the moment. Working for a global bank, I guess you could say I have a front row seat for this debacle that in recent days has worsened with the stunning collapse of Bear Stearns (Update: and all the other recent collapses! There are too many to mention now….).

Much of what I have read has blamed Wall Street for turning the problems related to subprime lending into a major global problem. But I also recently read this Newsweek article where a former mortgage broker shares his insights into the fraud and greed that has plagued his former industry:

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Eckhart Tolle’s Guide to Writing

By Peter Clemens / 23 Comments

All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.

Recently I was listening to an episode of the Oprah / Eckhart Tolle podcasts. Tolle described how he writes, and I was struck by the simplicity and peacefulness of the process. If you ever experience writer’s block, or if the words you do write feel forced, this guide may prove to be the solution for your troubles.

The following is a summary of how Eckhart Tolle writes:

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What Makes a Good Life?

By Peter Clemens / 12 Comments

Some time ago now I came to realize that how we define particular words – success, happiness, love, etc – can have a major impact on the way in which we live our life. One term that I hear thrown around often is “good life”, eg “he lived a good life” . But what is a good life exactly? This term will mean different things to different people, and yet I believe there are some ingredients that all “good lives” share. Here are a some of these ingredients:

Being present in the moment

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The Perfect Day

By Peter Clemens / 19 Comments

Every so often life gets a bit hectic and crazy. When this happens, one thing I like to do is to slow down and think about my perfect day. This is not a perfect day in the sense that I can do whatever or be wherever I want. It’s nice to picture myself on a beach somewhere drinking coronas or skiing down the slopes of Whistler, but what is of more benefit to me is to visualize (and even better write out) the perfect day that I can experience right here, right now (as Fatboy Slim would say).

This exercise is based on a simple, but very powerful belief: it is possible for each of us can live happy, consciousness, and meaningful lives each and every day. Everything in our life may not be “perfect” – perhaps we are lonely, want more money, desperately need a holiday, dream of a better body or are bored with our work – but I believe with a shift in our mindset we can start enjoying the present, while still working towards the future we desire.

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How to Sharpen Your Networking Skills

By Peter Clemens / 10 Comments

Last week I was on a 4 day training course in Downtown Vancouver, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to sharpen my networking skills. I am normally fairly quiet and introverted, so I often need to make an effort when it comes to networking and the like. That said, I have come a long way since my days of being painfully shy.

The following are some of the most important networking lessons I have picked up in recent years, plus a description of how I applied them last week. If networking is one of your weaknesses, I strongly recommend you try some of these suggestions.

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Yes We Can. Simple Ways You and I Can Make a Difference.

By Peter Clemens / 17 Comments

Some people naturally care about their community, the environment and other people. For others, like myself, this caring does not come so naturally despite knowing that we should care. We need a little push to help us take action. If this is you, I would like to share some very simple ideas that will not only helps others and the environment, but also help you.

Recently I completed a driving test to attain my Canadian driver’s license. When I received my license in the mail soon after, I also received a request to sign up as an organ donor. I wasn’t an organ donor back in Australia, I guess because when I was initially given the option at age 17 (when I received my Australian driver’s license) I didn’t really care that a simple decision on my part could save the life of another human being.

Anyway, with my new outlook on life I have realized that being an organ donor is one simple way I can potentially make a difference in the world. After all, my organs aren’t much worth to me if I’m dead, right? Now if you don’t like the thought of being an organ donor, or you have some other reason not to be, that’s cool. There are many other ways we can each make a difference.

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Getting Over It, and Getting On With It

By Peter Clemens / 21 Comments

In 2004 I returned to Perth, Australia, after a year of traveling overseas. I returned to a city with a ridiculously strong economy. Demand from China had driven commodity prices to record highs, and the mining industry was booming. For those unfamiliar with the geography of Australia, Perth is the capital of Western Australia, which is approximately one third of the land mass of Australia (ie it has A LOT of land for mining). In recent years, people have been flowing into Western Australia (in particular Perth) from across the country and, as a result, housing prices have soared. In fact, in November 2006 Perth overtook Sydney as the most expensive city in Australia with a median house price of $564,000 (I believe this has since reversed). Three years earlier, Perth house prices were less than half of those in Sydney.

During this period, there seemed to be endless news stories about the booming economy and soaring housing prices. Also, the banking job I had at the time meant I was dealing with housing appraisals every day. It was obvious that many people were becoming wealthy, but since I did not own any property and had little invested in the share market I was not one of these people. And for this reason, each housing appraisal or story of the booming economy was like a nail being driven further and further into my skin.

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One Year On. How Fatherhood Has Changed My Life.

By Peter Clemens / 24 Comments

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since the most nerve-wracking, yet exciting and wonderful, moment in my life. It was a moment that seemed to take forever to arrive (in addition to the standard 9 months, Kathryn went 2 weeks overdue), but when it did I knew that my life would never be the same again. And I couldn’t have been happier….

In this article I want to share with you how fatherhood has changed my life. Although this is a very personal article, I believe there are many lessons that anyone can take away from my story. The realization that I was to be a father was a catalyst for change in my life, but I am sure there are a number of different paths people can take to the outlook I have today.

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What Is Love?

By Peter Clemens / 16 Comments

Ahhh yes… love is in the air. Valentines Day – that day you either eagerly await, dread, or are just plain indifferent to – has rolled around again. Personally, I think it is nice to have a day where you do a little bit extra to show your partner how much you love and appreciate them (assuming, of course, that you have a partner).

So what is love? Many a great mind (and probably a few poor ones too) have contemplated this question. I doubt there is any other topic more written about, whether in the form of a story, a poem or a song. So for today’s article I went in search of some of the best quotes on the subject.

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17 Tips for Being Organized, Staying Sane, and Getting Things Done

By Peter Clemens / 21 Comments

If you read last week’s post Well… I Have A New Job, you will be aware that I am now also working as an editor for the popular self improvement blog Pick The Brain. I was very excited when I was offered this job a month ago, but I also realized that I would need to be on my best game if I were to perform well not only in this new role, but also in all the other roles I have in my life.

In the past being organized has not been a strength of mine. I was that person in university who would hand an essay in that I had had months to work on with only minutes to spare (and this was only after several frantic coffee-filled days of last minute research and writing). Anyway I have changed a lot since then, so as promised last week I will let you into my life and show you how I have prepared myself for this new commitment. I hope, of course, that you may pick up a couple of tips and tricks that may be of benefit.

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