Indelible Adventures: A Fortunate Life...

A number of years ago I read a book called “A Fortunate Life” by A.B. Facey and which is considered an Australian literary classic, selling over a million copies. I guess the fact that A.B. didn't learn to read and write until after his return from the Great War at the ripe old age of 20 years has a lot to do with it, but for me as I read his uncomplicated and straightforward tome it was more than that. It was his underlying acceptance of his lot in life, he didn't complain about his life’s hardships or his struggles but rather how lucky he was to have lived such a wonderfully rich and amazing life.

The book itself was published shortly before his death in 1982 and was written at the urgings of his kids, with the entire manuscript being written in longhand…okay, that in it is a feat unto itself. Clearly, it was the culmination of many years of work; of first remembering the stories but then to weave them into a single story must have been both painstaking but also to a large degree very enjoyable.

His frame of mind is what intrigued me the most, and if you get a chance it’s an entertaining read to be sure.

I can hear you all saying “okay, so what?”

Actually, remembering the book was triggered by a conversation I had over lunch earlier this week with one of my ex-players who I coached back in the early 1990’s for Australian Rules football here in Canada.

In those days Craig was a university student who took to football like a duck to water, him and his mate Warren both loved Aussie Rules and were very keen to learn the game and be the best they could be. Both excelled at the game, but as the conversation continued I realized that it was much more than just a game they learned during those years.

Today, Craig is a very successful executive with one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies with a career clearly on the rise, and Warren is a high-powered public prosecutor for the Provincial Government.

As Craig and I sat and talked over lunch, we reminisced over those years and the enjoyment that we all got from being part of the team. We had the right mix of people and chemistry to develop a strong and unique culture that has bonded us for more than 20 years, and is still strong to this day.

As we talked it seemed as though each of us has taken away a consistent set of life lessons that has shaped our values and lives to this day. For me it boiled down to these five things during our conversation:

Commitment to the team and to each other and to do whatever it takes to be successful, to give 100% and do my absolute best no matter what. Always play fair but hard.

Self-belief in that you can do anything if you absolutely believe in it, and go “all-in” to make it happen. The only person you have to convince is yourself, ultimately you have to believe.

Attitude is central in the way you live your life. For me this so important, and one of the things I constantly reinforce with Zach and Sami – “each day, YOU get to choose and decide on how you want your day to be. No one else dictates that - you decide!”

Passion is the difference maker when it comes living your life. If you're on a team look into your teammates eyes, can you see the burning desire to do whatever it takes to be successful? Life is too short not to surround yourself with like-minded people.

Courage to lead, the courage to be first and put yourself on the line, the courage to be authentic and real, the courage to chart your own path, often in the path of adversity or against the tide of popular thinking.

It was uncanny because as we talked (the Pizza was amazing btw – Pizza Libretto on the Danforth for those interested in the best pizza in the city!), we shared these similar themes through our life’s stories. Not surprisingly as I look around each of my old teammates these commonalities are clearly there, with each one of them taking these life lessons and applying it as a foundation for the amazingly rich and rewarding lives they now all lead.

Who would have thought that a recreational football team would have had such a strong influence and impact on the lives of those that played on that team. I’m not sure if any of you have seen the HBO series “Band of Brothers”, but to me the stories lines are aligned in terms of the lifelong bond that was created during our time together.

If you choose to read A.B. Facey’s story you'll see what I mean, because although he may not have said it in so many words; these same common values and threads that Craig and I talked about are also woven into his story.

It’s an interesting juxtaposition of time and space but a commonality that begs the question of refining your own values and beliefs to live “a fortunate life”. Now that could be a great self-reflection point if you're up for the challenge. J

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The photos come from three different photoshoots I had this week. Enjoy!