Dear PB Readers,

I am a sucker for David beats Goliath stories. If there is five seconds left in a hockey game I still believe there is time to score. Even if a person comes from the wrong side of the tracks, I still honestly believe they can make it to the top. If you are a "feel good" PB reader then I have a great movie for you - "St. Ralph" is an incredible movie about a 9th grade boy who believes if he can win the grueling Boston Marathon, his effort can deliver his mother from a coma. One part comedy, one part believing in something bigger than you are, St. Ralph may be the feel good movie of the summer. Beside being a fantastic movie for the entire family, St Ralph has a huge Canadian connection.

Toronto 's Mike McGowan is the writer and director of this fantastic movie. Mike grew up in Toronto running for St. Mike's and eventually going to the USA on a running Scholarship at UNC. Mike's greatest running claim to fame occurred in 1995 when he personally won the Detroit Marathon. Mike believed he could make a difference in the world with his writing and didn't let the fact he was a Canadian in an American-based Hollywood industry stop his dream of producing a movie the entire world could see and enjoy. Mike's overnight success began a decade ago when he produced a small film called "MY DOG VINCENT" and has continued with many articles in magazines and children's novels.

Regardless of whether you are a runner, you will enjoy St. Ralph. While running is the backdrop, believing in a cause that is larger then you is the theme that makes the story so powerful. Mike filmed much of the movie in Canada and used the historic AROUND THE BAY ROAD RACE for some of the authentic running footage. Psychology research continually indicates that people who have a passion for projects that make a difference in the lives of others are much happier in their own lives and much more likely to survive heart attacks and bouts with diseases like cancer. Getting a full budget world class movie from your head to the screen is no small feat. Toronto's Mike McGowan struck a home-run just getting the production completed and into local cinemas. Major awards from the Toronto and Paris Film Festivals are great indicators for this sentimental Canadian film. Take time to get out to this film and bring your friends and family with you. Check out more details of the film at www.amazefilm.tv/content/main.html

Welcome to readers of our 235th consecutive Personal Best Weekly Newsletter. I believe you get more of what you think about. Mike McGowan thought and believed he could be a small Canadian writer who could produce a world class film. This weekend his film debuts across the country. Simon Whitfield believed he could be a teenage kid from Kingston, Ontario who could win the Olympic Games Gold Medal. Five years later he was. Much of our society limits our possibility simply because they are not creative enough to dream. Our goal each week is to be a positive source to help keep your dreams alive (or to awaken dreams in some of you who have allowed them to go dormant).

Next week I will summarize the nearly 400 emails from readers sharing their perspectives on achieving excellence. From those who have communicated that Excellence comes from love and inner passion, to those who believe excellence comes from a drive born out of fear of failure. As usual I am very pleased that you take the time to email ideas and feedback. Please keep it coming. Also please send me emails of new friends, family and co-workers who should be getting our free weekly positive newsletter. Have a great week. barrie@personalbest.ca or www.personalbest.ca.

APRIL 11th PB HIGHLIGHTS

* DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER QUOTE ON PLANNING
* YOU HAVE A CHOICE
* TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK TERRY FOX BEGAN HIS JOURNEY
* JOIN BARRIE & FRIENDS FOR JUNE 2ND CALEDON GOLF FUNDRAISER
* MAY 7TH SWIM, BIKE OR RUN SKILLS CLNIC OPEN TO ALL IN CALEDON
* FOUR TIPS FOR FAMILIES
* RIGHT TO PLAY FOR KIDS

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER QUOTE ON PLANNING

"Plans are nothing. Planning is everything."

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

YOU HAVE A CHOICE:

(Reprinted from previous PB newsletter)

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant in South Philly. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him "how he was doing", he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

One day, I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life.

"But it's not always that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said, "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life."

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: he left the back door of his restaurant open one morning and was robbed by three armed men. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. " She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours --that no one can control or take from you -- is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

April 12th , 1980 Canadian legend Terry Fox put his leg into the Atlantic Ocean and began his marathon of hope. In the theme of running a marathon (St. Ralph trying to run the Boston Marathon to save his mother), Terry Fox had to run a marathon every single day to try to save the lives of millions of people with cancer. Terry's goal was to raise one dollar per Canadian ($24 million) in his Marathon of hope. While cancer ended Terry's journey before he got to the Pacific Ocean , he has raised over $360 million and touched the lives of millions. Today people who have the same cancer Terry died with, have a significant likelihood of living a regular length life span.

JOIN BARRIE FOR JUNE 2ND ATHLETE FUNDRAISING GOLF TOURNAMENT

Once a year I host a non-profit golf tournament to help athletes who have world class talent and little financial resources. This year's tournament is Thursday June 2nd at the beautiful Caledon Golf and Country Club. The afternoon 18 hole social tournament includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, draw prizes, silent auction gifts, a great post-day supper and a motivational speaker. Often this is my only 18 holes of golf for the summer. Please consider joining me in this fun, motivational and important fund raising day. To register for the tournament, or the evening only supper, or to donate some draw prizes for the day please contact Judy Riseborough at golf@c3online.ca.

MAY 7TH C3 KICK OFF

Interested in improving you running? Want to have some instruction in cycling or swimming or stretching? C3 will have their kick off spring Clinic at Mayfield High School on Saturday May 7th from 9-5pm. More details at www.c3online.ca.

C3 Web Site

FOUR POSITIVE TIPS FOR FAMIILES

1. Help your children learn to isolate the crises that come into their lives. The upsets of life do not have to be permanent, pervasive and personal. Treat them as opportunities for growth rather than as total disasters.

2. Teach optimism to your children. They will be more motivated, more successful, have higher levels of achievement, plus have significantly better physical and mental health if they look optimistically at life.

3. Spend more time with your kids. Spend face-to-face time on bigger issues than the job list.

4. Model for your children with your words and actions that adversity can be gilded with hope and can bring gifts of growth, self-esteem, courage and self-reliance.

RIGHT TO PLAY

Right To Play is an organization started by former Olympic Speed Skater Johan Olav Kauss. Right to Play is an organization that brings sport to kids in under developed countries. Kauss has recruited many fantastic athletes around the world to be his fund-raising ambassadors. My good friend Ironman medalist Jasper Blake is one of Kauss's Canadian Athlete Ambassador and participated in Ironman Arizona this past weekend. If anyone would like to sponsor Jasper and his goal to help kids you can go directly to his website.

TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON'S LIFE.

http://membership.righttoplay.com/jasperblake