Peter Thomas- Five Foundations
Fun
A New Year, A New Beginning
Jan 3rd
Hello and Happy New Year from Costa Rica!
Another year has passed us by…did you live it to your full potential? January 1st is a day that I look forward to with every passing year—out with the old and in with the new. It is a time that allows us to reflect on our accomplishments and road bumps, while providing the foundation for new goals of improvement. I truly believe with all my being that everyone can have a fresh start—and what better time than now.
If you have read my book, or followed me this past year, you can understand why I thrive at this time of year. This is the time to sit down and really think about what you value in your life. Is it good health? Do you want to focus more on your career path? Or would you just like to spend more time with family and friends? These are all wonderful goals, but we must remember to RUMBA when setting our resolutions.
The biggest mistake that we make is setting “umbrella goals”—or goals that are vague and can cover a whole realm of to-do lists to accomplish them. Be realistic and specific when outlining your resolutions. Rather than vowing to “do better at work” or “exercise more,” or “to communicate more with friends,” focus on numbers. Remember what gets measured gets done. By specifying that you will attain a 10% increase in your numbers this month; or work out three days a week for at least 30 minutes; or you will call one friend a week to catch up—these little pledges will create attainable milestones for a successful year.
As for me, I have my resolutions; and will be sure to cherish each moment that I have fulfilling them…whether its eating breakfast with my family or swinging from the tree tops of Costa Rica. remember that it’s ok to start small, but start now.
Kicking off the Path to Greatification
Sep 20th
In the beginning of every new journey or venture in my life, the part I look forward to most are those who I meet along the way. With the Be Great tour getting kicked into gear, we embark on our voyage to Phoenix, Arizona. Excitement and anticipation building inside, I can’t wait to get on course with my agenda.
My first stop was at Phoenix’s Boys and Girls Club. As you will come to know, my passion for aiding in strengthening the courage within the children of today to become the leaders of tomorrow is undeniable. There is something about kids that just inspires me. Their pure look out on the world, so honest and uninhibited by responsibility, gives the sense of endless opportunity. They are at the time in their lives where dreaming isn’t frowned upon, its encouraged. My visit to the Boys and 
Girls club reminded me just that. I made some wonderful new friends, as they taught me some new tricks at pool –and I attempted to teach them some tricks of my own—their inventiveness and creativity astonished me. As you’ve heard me mention before, rediscovering your talents is an amazing process, a bit like searching for a long-lost treasure you buried as a child. Being able to approach any situation from your own angle is an essential building block in forming the foundation to your personal world of innovation.
Any day that I get to surround myself with a room full of dreamers and potential pioneers is a day to cherish. From my wonderful experience at the Boys and Girls club, my next engagement was to judge the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. I was able to speak to the six finalists as they shared their drive and passion for success as the next generation of leading entrepreneurs. After an epic two day event of rigorous interviews and meetings, it was an honor to announce student, Brent Skoda, as the Southwest Regional Champion for his online nutritional and fitness website.
In time when so many feel the hammer of defeat and the inability to go after their dreams, it’s refreshing to see such an indomitable group of young adults living their dreams every day. The dreams that you have as a kid are invaluable to hold onto—harnessing that drive towards a greater goal. With the love and support you can give to a child, you are nurturing their ability to take risks. Who knows, one day the child teaching me new tricks at pool could be the winner of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.
Freedom on the Open Road
Aug 23rd
Stop. Back up. Reevaluate. That’s what I did the day I had the scary realization that I was a workaholic with no real awareness of what my priorities were in life. We all love the security that money brings us, but money is the one thing that you can always gain again. You will never have the opportunity to regain lost time with loved ones, or your health, and the happiness that comes from those purities in life. The day that I realized that health, happiness, freedom and integrity were going to be the core values that I based the rest of my life and decisions around, was the day that I truly saw clarity in my future.
Since that very day that those values were written down, they have been instilled in everything that I do. Yes, my success is a product of those values, but I attained it the way I saw fit. If a deal questioned my integrity, I turned away until approached with the respect that everyone deserves. If my health began to suffer due to my work, I made sure to find balance that allowed me to integrate my workout into my work. But one of the values that I look forward to living most is my freedom—freedom to do what I want in life, both in business and in my personal life.
One thing you need to know about me is: I love my Harley. I love riding on the open road, the wind in my face, and nothing but the horizon in front of me. It is the ultimate sense of freedom. It allows me to appreciate and reflect the past days, weeks, and years of my life—the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. It is the ultimate cleanse of the spirit. To visit this mental sanctuary, each year I have a commitment to ride a minimum of 2,000 miles on my Harley. This year we totaled over 2,800 miles. Traveling from Phoenix to Vancouver, BC we had the opportunity to ride through places such as Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley and Moses Lake—all beautiful in their own. To say the ride was awesome just doesn’t shed the appropriate praise that it deserves.
No matter how many pictures you take along the way—though you may capture a mere glimpse of the scene—a picture will never do justice in articulating the freedom, the health, the closeness within, and the feeling of just being totally alive that I experience when taking that journey on my Harley. The inspiration is so empowering that I will catch myself singing song lyrics at the top of my lungs, happy to be miles from anyone—as so are they for being out of earshot of my voice.
Freedom is my bliss.
