It is unfortunate that the members of CMA Ontario are being bombarded with so many confusing messages regarding unification of the accounting profession from sources including our CMA partner organizations, other accounting bodies, the media, various websites, blogs and social media channels. I’ve also received a number of comments and questions directly. As I read all the messages, I wonder how anyone can discern "wherein lies the truth"?
Read MoreIt was 10:00 am, July 1st, 2011, Canada Day. While many were enjoying the birthday celebrations of Canada becoming a nation, my great event was arising from my hospital bed and finally enjoying a hot shower. The nurse greeted me with “It’s time Mr. Hillier”. And so the strenuous process began. A small woman with great sensitivity to my dignity and self-esteem, helped me roll out of bed, stand up, and prepare me so I could shuffle into the shower. Sitting on a stool, while water gently rolled down my body, she took her brush and soap-soaked cloth and scrubbed me clean.
Read MoreI remember when London Life launched its marketing campaign called “Freedom 55”. Its premise was, if you invest with us, by the time you reach age 55, you won’t have anything to worry about. How many people with great anticipation bought into this advertising, only to realize that on their 55th birthday, freedom from worry had not been achieved?
Read MoreThe story has been told of a minister who was prominent in his church order, adopting as his key mission, the issue of poverty, its impact on individuals and families and how it should be reduced if not totally eliminated, especially in such an economically developed and comparatively rich society as North America. The minister made “poverty reduction” the focal point of many of his writings and talks.
Read MoreI own a Jeep Liberty, nick named “Libby”. It was purchased 10 years ago. It has been driven over 210,000 kilometres. As I look at its worn exterior, it reminds me of the places it has been. Libby has transported the kids and mom and dad to and from high school, university, skiing, snowboarding, and the cottage, and to trips to the U.S. and within Canada. It has been a loyal, trustworthy friend. Through the rain, snow, sleet and scorching sun and humidity, it never complained but just ensured its passengers were safe, comfortable and reached their final destination.
What amazes me about spring is that regardless of how brutally hard the winter has been, without exception, the leaves bud, the flowers bloom, the grass turns green and even the weeds (unfortunately) sprout. Winter cannot and does not prevent spring from falling forward!
I’m left with the question then, where do they (the trees, the grass, and the flowers) all get their strength from?
Of course the answer is that within nature itself is a hidden strength that sometimes becomes invisible due to circumstances, but without fail overcomes all the challenges of winter and eventually springs forward, demonstrating to all of creation that nothing, not even the harshest winter, can hide it or prevent it from rising again. It’s an amazing lesson for us all.
Have you ever asked the same question about life?
I know of so many people, that regardless of their difficulties, who are able to “fall forward”. Falling forward simply means that, as was written by some wise individual, “It’s not how many times you fall down but rather how many times you get up that matter”. So for some, the challenges of life may cause them to fall but regardless they are able to summon the strength to get back up and go forward. And there are some who do it over and over again.
Where do such people get their strength from?
Strength to overcome life’s challenges may come from several sources.
Several years ago I was involved in a restructuring of one of my businesses with the Smith Group of Companies. We were close to bankruptcy and I was close to burnout. For many years (after I had been appointed President), I was part of a CEO peer group. Upon my first appointment as President in my late thirties, I believed it was necessary to create an advisory relationship with other CEOs to help me in developing my judgment and decision making as I assumed greater roles and responsibilities. I remember attending one of my CEO sessions, and going into it, I was weary and worn from dealing with such debilitating business issues. I was expecting some pity, sympathy and TLC from my “likeminded CEOs”. What I got instead was a strong rebuke and increased pressure to stay focused on the job at hand. I left that meeting somewhat disappointed and for a while discouraged. Later I spoke with one of my “CEO Buddies”, Sab Ravalli, and he explained it this way.
Sab said it would not have been helpful if all they did was express sympathy and took some pity on the struggles in front of me. Rather, the best support they could provide me given the situation was to help me stay focused, to ensure I was thinking properly, and my judgment and decisions were sound. He explained the difference between “good time friends” and “real friends”. Real friends give, good time friends take. It was easy for me to criticize what they had done since I was not able to see and understand at first the actual support and strength they were providing.
I have never forgotten that lesson from Sab. I have several friends in my personal and professional networks who have helped me stay on the straight and narrow. In times of discouragement, confusion, weakness and vulnerability, the strength that I needed was given by those friends. And of course it would be wrong for me not to say that my wife Linda has been such a great source of strength in my life, more than I ever deserved.
There is an advantage that LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. provides. As business and social networking sites, it allows me (us) to list and identify all the friends in our network. At any one time I/we can draw on those in our network or we can make ourselves available to those who need real help. I have a site on LinkedIn that has identified hundreds in my professional network. I also have a business Facebook site that identifies some (“a few”) real friends in business. And I have a family Facebook site that gathers all of my immediate family together. If anything, it has shown me that in my network, I can draw on many for strength. It is a great feeling and provides much reassurance since though the joy of spring and summer is upon us, winter will undoubtedly come again.
The challenging part is that much time is required in cultivating good friends and there is a danger that social networking sites cause us to neglect that. Just as a good harvest requires much planting, fertilizing, weeding and cultivating, so does the development of our professional and personal networks or relationships. Remember that technology is intended to be an enabler, not a replacement!
Nature does have a lot of inner strength. But it is amazing what results from a healthy relationship between nature and humans. My garden will grow for awhile unattended, but with my full involvement it will flourish.
The ability to fall forward is very much then dependent on the total sum of your channels of strength. Those who have fallen and get back up quickly and even stronger seemed to have understood that.
I had left Hyderabad at 9:00 pm in the evening on my way to Mumbai in order to connect to a 2:00 am international flight to Frankfurt to get home to Toronto. I finally arrived at Frankfurt 8:00 in the morning. With only 1.5 hours between connecting flights, I rushed to the lounge to take a shower, make a change of clothes and have some breakfast. As I entered the sitting area, it was then the news of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan reached me. As I watched the TV monitor, I like everyone else was shocked!
My daughter Joanna is in Mokpo, South Korea. My son Richard was in Chile. My wife Linda was at home in Oakville, but with the time difference I was not able to connect with anyone. My immediate concern was Joanna. I didn’t know if the earthquake and/or tsunami had affected S. Korea in any way, and of course of greater concern was the potential risk arising from the damage to the nuclear reactors. Upon arrival at Pearson International Airport at 1:00 pm, I finally was able to connect with Linda, and she assured me that Joanna was fine. However, much to my surprise, I was told Richard was being evacuated out of the Chilean village he was staying, and directed to higher ground to avoid the danger from a potential tsunami that was expected to reach the area at midnight. After much worry and continued loss of sleep, the warning for Chile had been lifted. I could finally relax that both kids were safe. Yes, my kids were safe, that’s all that matters. But as I watched the news, tens of thousands of people had died, hundreds of thousands of people left homeless, and a world in mourning, I felt helpless and sad. While my family was safe for now, I realized, the emotions I was carrying, was nothing compared to the mom or dad, the son or daughter, who had to face such tragedy was feeling.
I was left thinking how can I help? What can I do? I had this driving need to contribute in some concrete way but was left doing what most of us might do, texting on my cell phone a number that automatically contributes a small amount of money to a charitable fund for relief efforts to those hurt or displaced by such a awful circumstance. But certainly I could do more!
Several weeks have passed now. Other events crowd the news. The situation in Japan remains grave, the death toll rises, the threat of a nuclear meltdown increases, and the needs of hundreds of thousands homeless and hungry Japanese grow. But our attention has been redirected to a war in Libya, a war ignited for control of the country and for a dream of democratic freedom. Other wars continue, some costing the West $2 billion a week, but to be truthful I struggle with the reason, why, the purpose, the need for such destruction (with this type of destruction not being natural but man made).
But then another war (albeit peaceful) broke out at home, with a federal election being forced upon us in Canada (an emotional war). This will be our fifth election in seven years. Another $300 million dollars spent. A billion dollars expensed over seven years. While I appreciate our democratic freedom to vote, and will do so at the polling booth in a few weeks, I can’t help but question why? Why so many elections? Why such uncertainty? Why such waste?
Our governments (plural) report there is no extra money to address the growing needs of the infirmed, the unemployed, the widowed, and the homeless or to invest in new jobs. There is no money for schools, health care, transportation and seniors. However, over $1,000,000,000 has been spent to finance five elections in seven years. With election campaigns come promises of expenditures in areas where previously there was no money available.
So I am brought back again to my question: Why?
When we decided to begin writing this column several years ago, I was told it cannot be used for any political reason or influence. So I won’t.
What I will say is that with freedom comes responsibility. Our governments seem to have lost sight of that. I hope we don’t. I hope that when we are asked to vote, to exercise our democratic freedom, that so many are fighting to obtain, we as CMAs show leadership and understand our responsibility that is attached to that freedom.
Get out and vote! Please!
A friend of mine was telling me the story of being in a Chinese restaurant and upon receiving his fortune cookie and opening it, he was taken back by the wisdom written in so few words on a tiny bit of white paper. It said: “It is better to pursue a great vision and fail then have no expectations and succeed.”
If certain people hadn’t experienced failure in their lives, we today may not be enjoying the benefits of their failures. There are great stories of those whose lives were stamped with the mark of failure only to have become some the world’s foremost leaders in various elements of life.
Tom Hendry from Cutting Edge Innovations is quoted as saying:
“Well, I believe that every human being was born to achieve. Yet many times I have met people who believed that they were talentless, unintelligent or that their lives were ruined by adversity and ultimately failure."
"Failure is inevitable to every one of us, whether it be personal, in relationships or in business. Everyone fails at something. No one is perfect. It is also failure that will drag us kicking and screaming out of our comfort zones. It will take us on a journey deep within ourselves and that is where we will find our strengths. This is where we find the Benefits of Failure. It is also where we will find our greatness."
A good example of the above is the life of famed Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling.
Rowling’s life is defined from being on government benefit with a young baby to amassing £500 million in 2009 (not that money is the ultimate definition of success but rather simply one measure). All because she didn’t give up when publishers initially rejected her book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. Consider the following about her life.
In 2008 Rowling delivered an inspirational address to the graduates of Harvard. This is an edited excerpt of the first half of that address.
The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination
On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure.
Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. What I feared most for myself at your age was failure.
The fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person’s idea of success, so high have you already flown.
Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.
So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.
You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned.
So given a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone’s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.
“To gain the world but lose our family in the process is not success at all.”
If you visit any book store and go to the life section, you will find numerous books providing the 7 or 10 steps to success. If you just follow these simple rules you will enjoy a life of success and prosperity. People must buy the books because book stores continue to display and stock them. I’m not one to really put much faith though in what they have to say. I’d rather hear from people who have had the experience and learning to provide the advice and counsel instead.
I just returned from a trip to India. I was there to meet with the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmadabad and the India School of Business-Hyderabad to discuss implementing a joint MBA/CMA program like we have with so many Canadian universities. My predecessor David Hipgrave sowed the seed at these leading academic institutions and after three years of watering that seed I was pleased to finally confirm that we have a pilot group of IIM-Ahmadabad students enrolled in the CMA program (we will call them the fruit of our labour!!). In addition, the ISB is seriously considering the same program for their students. We were also able to develop relationships so that we share our research products, which will eventually be provided to all the CMA Ontario members through our PDI website. I must admit, I was pleased with the success after so much effort.
Once back at my hotel, I sat and read the local newspaper. Inside was a special feature honouring business leaders for the success they enjoyed. Each leader was asked to reveal their “mantra of success.” I found their expressions very interesting. Here are a few of the quotations:
It’s all because.... “My success which has been recognized by The Time Group, is all because of my family, my sons, and also my highly dedicated staff without whose hard work I would not have been here to receive this honour.” BS Sandu, WWICS Group, Mohali
We need a global sight… “The most challenging thing an Indian entrepreneur has to face is integrating family with the business. That is an exception, which is not found anywhere else in the world. We need to think globally and have a global sight. We also need to have more training programmes to generate good people to work for us.” Neerja Saluja, SEL
Honouring commitments…“I believe that my success lies in the values imbibed in us as children. We owe our knowledge and skill to our father and are grateful to have learnt early in life how to take our venture to greater heights. Having higher aspirations and honouring commitments to achieve them.” Sanjeev Kalra, Deepak Fasteners, Ludhiana
Strong will and positive thought…“To be successful I think that one needs very basic qualities. Strong will, positive thought, determination to succeed through hard work and support of family are the main factors that help an individual explore his/her skills. There are no shortcuts to success.” Pawan Goyal, Chemical Resources, Panchkula
Start building a dream from scratch…“Family support is most important in life. When aiming to reach such heights and start from scratch, one has to be very careful and consider the whole family’s opinion. It is a privilege to have such an opportunity in India where family values and ties still hold key importance in any venture.” SK Punj, Sri Sai
University, Palampur
Be passionate…“An achiever has to be persistent with his dream, along with the support from his/her family, it’s a good team that makes your venture successful.” Rajan Pratap Singh, Sunrise Immigration, Chandigarh
Success is not money… “Money is not the measure of success. I had at a point earned enough money for me and my family and later realized that greater success lies in using that money to make everyone around you grow along with you. It is my family who has supported me all throughout.” IS Brar, Zanders Engineers, Mohali
And there were more:
A vision for the future…
Do it differently…
The target should be very clear…
It’s about firm belief…
The ability to take risks…
Professionalism…
I took my failures as my stepping stones to success…
Strong will and positive thought…
No short cut to success…
Success means happiness…
Futuristic approach…
Drive the dream…
Spirituality is the key…
Faith in humanity and God…
I was challenged to stop and think about what I would write if were to be asked the same question. What would you write?
As I read the article again I noticed a common word in most of the quotations. It was “family”. Many of those quoted recognized the influence family had on their success and with great success it was important not to lose focus on family. That caused me to take my phone and call home just to let my family know that in the middle of some contained celebration, I had not forgotten about what is really the most important focus in my life and that is my family.
On February 21, 2011, let’s celebrate family. Whether they are near or far, alive or departed, let’s be forgiving and thankful and recognize that “to gain the world but lose our family in the process is not success at all.”
I recently visited a store where this quote was on the wall behind the sales counter: “Experience is a hard teacher for it gives you the test first and the lesson later!”
As we begin another year, like most of you I find myself saying, “Where has the time gone?” It’s not only 2010 that has disappeared so fast but a whole decade! As I do look back, we began the 21st century paranoid about the disruption to our world from a possible computer breach brought on by what the techies called “Y2K”. But it never happened! Then we ended the decade paranoid about the disruption to our world from a possible economic collapse which was called the “great recession”. But that massive worldwide disruption never happened! In between those ten years, how many things were we worried about that never happened to the extent we thought they would? Or even if we look at the things that did happen that caused us fear and anxiety, how many of those things did we overcome and leave behind us? No doubt we all can quote so many examples. Why then do we worry so much about tomorrow? Why do we allow our fears to prevent us from having a full and abundant life?
I added a few extra vacation days to the holidays in order to relax after a busy schedule. I was really interested in seeing the movie “The King’s Speech” after hearing so many good reviews about it. The movie was a great lesson in how we allow our fears to paralyze us and rob us of the enormous opportunity to contribute to and receive from what life has to offer. But it was also a great lesson that with the support of family and friends, discipline and training, those fears can be replaced with drive and motivation to be the people we are capable of becoming regardless. How King George was able to overcome his fears and deliver the King’s Speech was itself very motivating but the actual content of the “King’s Speech” was equally as uplifting. You’ll have to see it yourself, if you haven’t already, to know what I mean.
I sometimes wonder why the New Year calendar begins with the first full month of winter, itself a cold and dreary time of year especially since it follows a month of excitement and celebration. The winter can be a tough season to endure. But then I realize I missed an important truth. If I can not only get through but turn January into a month of excitement rather than a time of resentment, how much more wonderful will spring and summer be!
Inspired by Jim Rohn’s The Art of Exceptional Living, just like there are four seasons, there are four lessons that are crucial to your life. By becoming aware of them, learning from them, and applying them, there is no doubt that you will craft a very fulfilling life (authored by Frederic Premji).
Handle the Winters
Every year, winter comes. It always comes. We deal with it by preparing for it. Whether it’s changing our clothing or changing our way of life, we always get ready for winter; because we know it’s coming. The same applies to your life. Rough times WILL come. No life goes smoothly without a problem from beginning to end. Thus, you have to be ready for it, for when it does come, you are not stuck in the cold without a coat. Be ready to handle the winters in your own life.
Take Advantage of the Spring
Every year, after a long winter, comes the spring. This is a time where opportunities arise. Flowers blossom and creatures come out of their hibernation. The same thing applies within your life. After a challenging time, you will be faced with a great opportunity. It is your duty to take full advantage of the spring when it pops up. This is your moment to plant the seeds of greatness to come. You will never see all the beauty that is in life and in nature on this planet if nature decided not to awaken one year in the spring! It does though because it is meant to do so. Hold your own existence to that same standard. Make your springs the springboard to getting where you want to go.
Protect Your Summer
After having planted your seeds in the spring, soon the summer will come. This is a time where you can reap the benefits of your crops. As well as being a time of joy and comfort, it is also a time to be careful. As Jim Rohn points out, “all good will be attacked”. If you are not careful, your crops will be either stolen, destroyed, or spoiled. Therefore you must do whatever it takes to protect your crops. Once you have achieved something in your life, you must defend it. You must stand up for it, and protect its value. Otherwise you may find yourself losing it.
Take Responsibility in the Fall
As the autumn comes, the trees change color, lose their leaves, and the weather gets cooler. As you gear up for another winter, it is the best time to take full responsibility of what happened in the previous seasons, both good and bad. This is the time where you can open yourself to learning the lessons that the previous seasons taught you and put everything into perspective. They say that the fall is the time of the year where there is more depression than any other time. This is due to people not taking such responsibilities and learning from previous successes and/or mistakes. Only by doing so can you be ready once more to handle another winter that is coming, and plan for the following spring and summer.
So what season of life are you in? Are you beginning to experience a winter of discouragement blowing like an icy wind through your life? Or do you still feel the exuberance of spring renewal, or the lazy warmth of summer rest? Perhaps the winds of change have brought an autumn of reflection in your life.
Be determined that through each season of the year, you will learn from your experiences so that you are challenged and encouraged to discover what's truly important in your own life. When the test does come, and it eventually will, you (and I) will be able to pass with honours. That is the secret to abundant living!
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