Hoops and Freedom i

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Copyright © 2007, 2012 by Home Connection Pty Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except where permitted by law.

ISBN: 978-0-9803125-0-8 (E-Book) 978-0-9803125-1-5 (Paperback)

www.neelraman.com Hoops and Freedom iii Praise for Hoops and Freedom

“Hoops and Freedom is a great story filled with timeless success principles. Buy it and read it today!” − Ruben Gonzalez, Three-time Olympian, Author of The Courage to Succeed

“This book is brilliant! It conveys powerful messages in a simple and compelling story that keeps you wanting to know more. Neel Raman has masterfully integrated universal principles in such a way that will appeal to athletes, business people, parents, teenagers and everyday people alike. I’m sure you will enjoy uncovering his password for life.” − Kris Barkway, Golf Professional, Author of The New Golf Paradigm

“Hoops and Freedom is truly one of the most inspiring, encouraging, motivational books of the year. It speaks to everyone who has ever had a dream. In it, Neel Raman definitely challenges you to the next level in life and work... and that challenge is going to reach out and touch the world.” − Christopher Guerriero, Best-selling author of “Maximize Your Metabolism” and Business/ Personal Coach

“A captivating, intriguing, revealing and inspiring read! It reads visually! Wow! Food for mind, body and soul! In his book, Hoops and Freedom, Neel Raman has masterfully combined: metaphysics, archetypes, street gangsters, wisdom and rap. Rich in its themes and wisdom, elegant and skilful in it’s writing - this book is profound, clever, funny, captivating, motivating. Shawn’s story becomes so very familiar… His journey of enlightenment - becomes our own. A compilation of truths – some new and some known. Elegant in its simplicity. The perfect book for ‘in the home’ and ‘in the zone’. Read this book just to discover the password!” − Julieanne Formosa, Actor, BA (Performance)

“This is a book for anyone who knows that there has to be more to life than the daily grind. This is a remarkable book which will touch all of us in some profound way no matter what our age, creed or culture. It is for those who are prepared to learn more about themselves than they could possibly have imagined. Neel brings inspiration, compassion, and his own

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experience as a coach to a story that takes you through the personal growth of a young man who learns along the way that, like all of us, he does have a purpose in life and that the only person stopping him creating and living his dreams is himself.” − Suzanne Bosworth, Writer and photographer

“It is a rare book that speaks the truth of how to go for a life that you truly love. It shatters the myth that you have to be someone or something in this world to make it and that you are not free to go for what is true in your heart. The lessons that you are taught are like ancient wisdom, simple and uncomplicated, every bit relevant to today’s world.

It is a gift that you can apply to your everyday life and not only for our young people to be taught practical lessons to learn to go for their dreams but for everyone who wants to live from their hearts. It has given me the tools to use to go for a life of freedom.” − Carmen Perez, Mother of 2

“To move beyond the fear of change and honour who we truly are. Hoops and Freedom is a beautifully written book about a young man’s journey through life. With clarity, vision, and in a language that speaks to all people-that of the heart, Neel offers the reader the gift of knowledge and awareness of our own power in choosing to live a fulfilling, joyous and abundant life. A reminder that ‘change happens in an instant, all you have to do is make the decision.’ Inspirational!” − Rosemary Spiteri, Small Business Trainer

“If we have courage to believe in ourselves, then we can be whoever we want to be and A wake-up call! Extraordinary! A well written book, with the main character relating to all of us at some level and at some time in our lives. It made me realize that the choices we make are not always in our best interest and we choose whatever we wish to choose. If only I had known all this when I was a child! Every school child should learn this about themselves. One thing I know for sure now is that I will be in control of my own life from now on.” − Colette Ogle, Wife and Mother of 2

“I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to find a reason to greet the day with passion and enthusiasm. I checked my emails this morning with the intention of getting them

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over and done with before proceeding with the tasks at hand. Your book had arrived and all of a sudden it is mid afternoon and I have done nothing I started out to do! I was caught up in the main character’s journey. I just love the way his teacher explains things to him. I can hear myself so often in the main character’s responses and his resistance to let something new into his life. I am not a basketball fan and felt a little awkward following in the first few paragraphs, but the story unfolded very quickly and I was swept up in it.” − Ghislaine Achkar, Mother of 5

“This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn about ones’ true visions, and the skills needed to achieve those visions. A book that combines sport with practical tools which helps you to identify what are your true visions, and the techniques you need in order to ensure your visions and goals are reached. A fantastic read! It captures you with modern day characters and leadership, and is written so well that you don’t want to put the book down; you eagerly want to know what the next lesson is for the main character and of course, for yourself.” − Ken Thompson, Factory Manager

“Read this book if you want more out of life! In the past, I haven’t always been successful in staying focused on my goals but after reading this book, I knew exactly why I lost focus. Now, I am more disciplined, have more energy because I understand my emotions better. The book is powerful and entertaining, and discusses principles that are relevant in today’s world. I loved the way the lessons are taught and it showed me that I can have what’s in my heart. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start living the life of their dreams.” − Ramesh Choudhary, Graphic Designer

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Dedication

To my parents, who have always wanted the best for me and gave me more than I could have ever asked for.

To all the people of Fiji, both present and former residents, who wish for a united and peaceful country again, and want Fiji to be the home of paradise it once was.

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Acknowledgements

Firstly, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to my parents for their love and support throughout my life. Their only wish for me was to be the best I can be. I wouldn’t be where I am in life today without their influence.

I would also like to express my gratitude to all my teachers, trainers, coaches, fellow students and colleagues for sharing their knowledge and wisdom with me. I know that my life has changed as a result of their honesty, integrity and dedication to the truth.

Finally, I would like to thank you, the reader, for making a decision to invest in yourself and taking the step to improve the quality of your life. I have a simple philosophy in life: Life is a game and you can choose to play your game of life. As you assimilate what this book has to offer, you will be on your way to playing your game and living the life you have always wanted.

I wish you every success and happiness that you desire in life. Here’s to your freedom.

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Table of Contents

ContentsPreface...... 1

1. The Wake-up Call...... 3 Certain Events in Life Are the Triggers for a Change to the Old Ways of Doing Things and/or Behaviours

2. In the Club...... 16 When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear

3. What’s the Password?...... 27 Introducing the Password for Life, and Implementing the Cornerstone of Every Creation

4. The Two-for-One Offer...... 47 Uncover Why You Do What You Do, and Connect With Your Most Creative Skill

5. The Purpose of Life...... 61 Everything in Life Serves a Purpose – Learn the Most Important Thing about Yourself

6. It’s All About the Focus...... 75 Discover What Determines Your Experience of Life and How Your Beliefs and Values Shape the Direction of Your Life

7. Action Speaks Louder than Words...... 91 It’s Not about Talking or Being Busy – This is About Going Directly for What You Want

8. The Tragedy...... 100 Life Will Throw a Curve-Ball at You When You Least Expect It – That is an Invita tion for You to go to The Next Phase Of Your Journey

9. The Power of Choice...... 116 Engage Your Inherent Nature to Get What You Want

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10. The Rescue Attempt...... 133 Confront Your Fears So That You Can Be In Alignment to Receive Your Rewards

11. Freedom in Paradise...... 143 The Meaning of Freedom – Dedicating Your Life to the Service of Others!

The Password for Life...... 157

Free Online Consulting ...... 159

Other Books by Neel Raman...... 160

About the Author...... 161

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Preface

I grew up with the belief that in order to be successful in life, I needed to work hard, have a good education and get a good job. Without truly understanding the meaning of ‘successful’, I did work hard, finished high school, attended university and graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Industrial) with second-class honours. After started my working career in production supervision and supply chain logistics, I expected my life to be ‘good’ and for me to be happy. But as the years went by, I was unfulfilled, unhappy and lacked direction in life. I was ‘going with the flow’ of life. That was not part of my life plan!

Someone recommended that I read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and that book really gave me a wake-up call as it revealed that hard work, a good education and a good job did not necessarily mean a happy and successful life. After reading that book, I started wondering if life had more to offer me than what I knew. So I started investing into myself and learning who the real ‘me’ was and what was the reason why I was here. I spent years attending training sessions, seminars and workshops, and was really interested in finding out what made people happy and fulfilled in life. I decided to model people who had done what I wanted to do in life. I made a lot of changes to my life and now I am on a totally different path in life and on my way to living the life I have always wanted.

This book is my version of what I believe are some of the most important universal principles that you can live your life by. These principles have been around for a long time and when applied, they will certainly make a difference to the quality of a person’s life. I once heard a quote which I have adopted as a powerful premise in my life: ‘If you hear something for the first time, you are meant to hear it. If you hear something more than once, you are meant to share it with someone else’.

Having experienced and witnessed the changes people have made to the quality of their lives by adopting these simple principles, it is my honour to be able to share them with you through the vehicle of a story that is entertaining but at the same time, very powerful. I have developed a deep love for the concept of The Hero’s Journey described by Joseph Campbell, which reveals the phases a person goes through during transformation to finally come home to who

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they really are. It is my privilege to be able to share with you my understanding of what true freedom really means. I really encourage you to apply what you will learn from this book and see what a difference it makes to the quality of your life.

I wish you every success, happiness and fulfilment in life, and I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Neel Raman

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11 The Wake-up Call

Certain Events in Life Are the Triggers for a Change to the Old Ways of Doing Things and/or Behaviours

“Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement.” ~ Henry Ford

T he crowd groaned in unison as the official blew his whistle. Shawn Miller had been fouled hard by an opposing West University player as he was going for a lay-up. The official called a ‘flagrant foul’, which meant that Shawn would get two free throws and his team would get the ball when the game resumed. Shawn’s team, Walton University, were down two points, with the score at 74–72 and only 16 seconds left on the clock. This was the Championship game of the State University Basketball Competition, in which more than 20 universities had participated. Walton University had beaten their first round play- off opponents by 10 points, their semi-final opponents by nine points and their conference final opponents by four points. Now they were facing West University from the opposing conference, and it had been a close, hard-fought game all the way through. Shawn was considered a good free-throw shooter, with around a 75% accuracy rate. He had made both his attempts from the line in the game so far and had scored eight points. The crowd started chanting “Walton, Walton, Walton,” as this was a home game for them. The majority of the 3000 spectators in the stands were Walton supporters. A few of the players also had their families in the stands. The official signalled two shots as he bounced the ball to Shawn at the free-throw line. Since it was a flagrant foul, nobody could stand along the key, which meant that it was Shawn, the basketball and the hoop. He instinctively wiped his sweaty palms on his baggy, sky blue shorts and moved his feet behind the free-throw line. “I can’t have the official disallow a free throw because my feet were touching the line,” he thought. Shawn started revving himself up. “It’s Miller time, baby!” he said to himself as he pumped his chest. “It’s Miller time!” Shawn’s mind was racing. “I can’t miss these shots,” he thought. “If I make them, Mr Karl will call a timeout with the score tied and we will have the ball for the last possession. He’ll then call a play and we’ll have the chance to win the game.” He composed himself and bounced the ball three times, as was his usual routine. He looked up at the ring and thought, “I can’t

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1 miss this shot.” The ball left his hand and a hush of silence came over the crowd. To Shawn, 1 everything was in slow motion as he followed the trajectory of the ball. It appeared as if the ball floated through the air for an eternity. Suddenly the crowd gasped loudly as the ball hit the right side of the ring and bounced away. Shawn had that sinking feeling in his heart and he cursed, “Damn it!” The crowd murmured as the official bounced the ball back to him. “We can still win it if I make this shot, then all we need to do is to score the last basket,” he thought to himself. Again, he wiped his palms on his shorts and bounced the ball three times. As much as he tried to concentrate on what he was doing, he could hear the West University cheerleaders chanting, “Don’t stress, ‘cause we come from the west and we are the best!” “Damn it, concentrate Shawn, concentrate!” he admonished himself. Everyone suddenly went quiet as Shawn was ready to take the shot. He intentionally spread his fingers on the ball so that his hands would have contact with a greater amount of surface area. As the ball left his hands, he held his breath in anticipation. The ball hit the back of the ring, then the backboard, and bounced right away from the hoop. It was what is known in basketball terms as a “brick”. It was an awful shot, and the West University cheerleaders went wild in their chanting of their slogan. The majority of the crowd sat in stunned silence. Some of them had lowered their heads and others were looking around with their mouths open as if they were expecting someone to comfort them. Mr Karl called a timeout. Shawn lowered his head and his shoulders sagged as he walked to the bench. His team mates came up and patted him on his back and tried to comfort him. They all asked him to forget about it and concentrate on the next play. But Shawn was dejected and he felt his eyes welling up. This 22-year-old student had never let his emotions get the better of him in front of his team mates. Mr Karl gave him an “it’s alright” pat on his shoulder and tried to smile at him. “Alright guys, let’s run the Walton play here. Mark, I want you to inbound the ball to James with you, Shawn, setting a screen.” Mr Karl drew up the play on his little whiteboard. “Gary, you will rotate to the low post, and Pat, you set the screen for James to come around and take the shot from the high post. If they foul, I want the ball to be in James’ hands as he is our best free-throw shooter. Are we all clear?” Mr Karl’s commanding voice laid out the play. Everyone nodded and he instructed, “Have your game faces on, boys! This is it! No second chances! On the count of three, Walton!” “One, two, three, Walton!” was heard as everyone’s hands touched. Then James, the team captain, yelled out, “What time is it?” “Game Time!” was the team’s animated response.

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1 The starting five made their way onto the court. Shawn was still lamenting over his missed 1 free throws. He could not help but think that he had let his team down. Suddenly, someone from the crowd supporting West University yelled out, “Hey Shawn! It ain’t Miller time! It’s home time, boy!” He could hear laughter coming from that section where the heckler was and soon enough a chant of “choke, choke, choke, choke” was heard. This got Shawn’s blood boiling and all he wanted to do was to run into the stands and knock that heckler’s teeth down his throat. But Shawn knew that he could not do that. His captain, James, gave him a look that said “Come on, let’s go!” Shawn was totally dazed; his mind was not on the task at hand. All that he could remember was the chant of “choke” he had heard moments ago. He felt angry and his body was very tense. All his team mates were in position, with Shawn setting a screen that would allow James to run and receive the ball from the inbound play. The official blew the whistle and, as Mr Karl had drawn up, Mark threw the ball to James. The opposing player that Shawn had screened off took offence at the amount of force Shawn had applied on the screen and elbowed him in his right ribcage. With everything that had gone on in Shawn’s mind and the state he was in, he totally lost his cool and charged straight into that opposing player, who landed flat on his back on the floor. One of the officials blew his whistle and signalled an offensive foul on Shawn. The ball had been in James’ hands and he was running the play as had been drawn up. Now, the ball would go to West University and six seconds had been knocked off the clock. It was now down to 10 seconds left in the game! A few sections of the crowd started booing and Shawn knew that it was directed towards him. His team mates stood in total disbelief, their hands on their hips. Now the ball would be inbounded by West and all they had to do was run out the clock. Walton had to ensure they fouled the player with the ball as soon as it was thrown in. Walton had no timeouts left – a major disadvantage because they would not be able to move the ball up the court without stopping the clock. A few of the players on the West bench had started celebrating and gave each other high-fives. As soon as West inbounded the ball, their player was fouled by Mark, which meant that they would get two free throws, as Walton was over the foul limit. The West player, who was one of their better free-throw shooters, calmly made both free throws, which made the score 76–72 in favour of West. Mark inbounded the ball to James, who dribbled the ball up the court to the opposing three-point line, stopped and had a shot. Although it looked like a good shot, the ball hit the ring and bounced away. The West centre got the rebound and quickly threw the ball out to their point guard, who then ran the clock out. Walton University had basically given up any hope of winning the game. The buzzer sounded and the West University players and their

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1 supporters went crazy. They had won the State Championship! They rejoiced and gave each 1 other hugs and high-fives. After shaking hands with the ecstatic West University players, Shawn and his team headed straight to their locker room. Inside, the players hung their heads in silence. Nothing needed to be said. Mr Karl congratulated the team for the season they’d had and said he was proud of what they achieved during the season. Next year would be their year. Mr Karl then went and sat next to Shawn. “You know, son,” he spoke softly, “although this was only a basketball game, how you behave on the court mirrors how you choose to live your life. Tonight was one experience you will not forget in a hurry. Brace yourself for the journey you are about to go on.” With that, Mr Karl gave him a pat on the back and walked away. Shawn was in no state to even comprehend what his coach had said to him. It was close to midnight when Shawn got back to his house. One of his flatmates, Ray Reddy or ‘Red’, as he liked to be called – was watching television. “Hey, man,” Shawn greeted him in a dejected voice. “I am surprised you are home on a Friday night.” Red regarded himself as a businessman and a ladies’ man, and he was very well connected. If anybody needed something done, Red would have the connections to get it done for a fee. This stocky, black-haired 24-year-old was not a university student but had become a flatmate through one of the other flatmates, Andrew. Red had left university after two years and had no intentions of going back. Shawn and Red very rarely socialised together, so he didn’t really know all the things Red was involved in. “I was at the game tonight and didn’t feel like doing anything afterwards. You played good but were unlucky at the end,” Red spoke in a reassuring voice. “Yeah right,” Shawn replied bluntly as he climbed up the steps to his bedroom. “I am going to have a shower then I’m going to bed. I’ll catch you tomorrow.” While having a shower, all the events of the closing stages of the game played out again in Shawn’s mind. He tried to block them out by attempting to remember the lyrics of his favourite rap song, but it was to no avail. Even as he lay down on his bed, he was overcome by his emotions. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. He had no idea what to do. He tossed and turned and tried to force himself to sleep but that made him feel even worse. The only thing he felt like doing was to be alone at his favourite basketball court. Shawn knew he had to get out of the house. He got dressed, went downstairs and got himself a glass of orange juice. Red had gone into his room and Shawn was glad no one would see him leave the house. He got into his blue, three-door Hyundai Excel and drove out to his favourite court. He knew there

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1 wouldn’t be anyone there, as he had come to the court a number of times late at night. 1 He parked his car on the street next to the court. The reflection from the nearby street lights gave off enough light onto the court to shoot either free throws or jump shots from close to the hoop. Shawn grabbed his basketball from the car and walked onto the court. He could hear muffled sounds of music in the distance. Litter and debris scattered the side of the street, along with overturned garbage cans. A couple of stray cats ransacked through the garbage. Most of the lights in the apartment blocks and houses were out. Shawn started shooting hoops with no real purpose. He just wanted to be alone and feel sorry for himself. Around 20 minutes had gone by when a white Volvo pulled up about 15 metres or so from the court. The driver of the car turned off the lights and Shawn stopped to see who would get out. The neighbourhood wasn’t totally safe. There had been a few muggings and drive-by shooting in recent months. But no one got out of the car! Shawn kept shooting hoops but also placed great attention on the car. A further 20 minutes went by and the car was still there. Nobody had got out. Shawn decided not pay any more attention to it, and he shot hoops for a further 15 minutes without any passion before getting back into his car and driving home. “That was bizarre,” he thought to himself as he drove. He kept looking in his rear-view mirror, hoping the car would not follow him. To his relief, nobody followed him and he got home without any incident. He went straight to bed, hoping to forget his experiences from the Championship game. The radio alarm came on at 10 o’clock and the local news bulletin started. Shawn yawned and stretched his arms on his double bed, staring at the ceiling. The events from the previous night and early that morning were going through his mind. Then the sports news came on and the announcer started with, “In a dramatic State Championship Basketball game last night, Walton University grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory against West University, thanks mainly to Walton player, Shawn Miller, who missed two critical free throws in the final seconds of the game and also committed a bizarre offensive foul. West University ended up winning the game 76–72, sparking jubilant celebrations among the team and their fans. For Walton, it is better luck next year. Nice one, Shawn!” Shawn cursed and banged his radio alarm shut. He covered his face with his hands. All the emotions from the previous night came rushing back. He wished he could stay in his room and not have to face anybody until he was ready. He turned on his mobile phone and found out he had three new text messages from his parents and a couple of friends. All three messages were along the lines of “You played well but were unlucky towards the end of the game. Hope you are alright!”. As he read those messages, it made him feel even worse, as the messages

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1 implied that he should or would be feeling down. He turned off his phone and tried to go back 1 to sleep. Less than an hour later, Shawn awoke to the sound of a loud knock on his bedroom door. “Who is it?” he barked out, very annoyed that someone had disturbed him. “Hey man, it’s Dwayne. What are you up to today? Do you want to go into town?” an animated voice came through. “Nah, I’m tired and still sore from last night. I want to rest today,” Shawn replied. In reality, he was too embarrassed to show his face to anybody. “Yo, man! It’s going to be good for you to get out and try and forget about last night. I want to check out a couple of places in town and it’ll be cool if you came along.” Dwayne Carter, a 22-year-old part-time commerce student, was about two metres tall, had short, black hair, was athletic and was a real salesman. He could sell ice to an Eskimo, such was his ability with words. It was his ability to communicate that landed him a part-time job at the local bank in town. Dwayne would always be up to something, as he usually had very high energy levels. Unfortunately, not all his intentions were good. He had been in trouble with the law previously for minor offences, like stealing from a newsagent and drink driving. It was a miracle that he got himself a job at the bank given his criminal record. “No, I don’t want to go into town. I will be going for a drive when I get up.” “Okay, suit yourself.” Shawn looked at his watch, it was now after 11.00am. He wished time would go faster. The sun shone brightly outside and the light peered through the draped curtains in his room. On Saturdays, Shawn would either hang out with his university friends at the shopping mall or he would play basketball in the afternoons. Saturday nights were for letting loose in town at the dance clubs. But today, he was not up for anything. Those activities with his friends masked all the things that were going on for him. He wished he could have some clarity and direction in his life. Shawn had been studying engineering for the past five years and for the most part of it, he’d been forcing himself to meet the requirements of the course. The field of engineering did not excite him. Now in his final year, he had been questioning himself in recent months if engineering was what he really wanted to do. As the completion of his degree got closer, he couldn’t help but feel that he could be doing something with more purpose than working in the engineering field. His family were of the mindset that in order for him to have a good life, he needed to have a good education and then find himself a good job, which would provide him with security for the rest of his life. Those beliefs had been projected onto Shawn’s older

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1 brother, Vincent, as well. Three years older than Shawn, Vincent Miller had also attended 1 university and attained a Bachelor of Science degree. He now worked in a laboratory for a chemical company, and from what Shawn had heard, Vincent did not enjoy it at all. Shawn knew that he did not want to be in the same situation as his brother. But he had no idea what would get him excited and passionate. He knew he enjoyed basketball, whether it was playing with friends or shooting hoops by himself. The basketball court was his haven, where he could get away from everything. He did not have to worry about university assignments or exams, filling out job applications or calling up prospective employers. The basketball court was where he could let go and be himself. He never placed high expectations on himself but he also wanted to win whenever he played competitively in either a team game or one-on-one with somebody else. Winning at basketball would always give him a buzz and it would drive him to perform in other areas of his life. As much as Shawn dreaded leaving the room, he felt really hungry, so he knew he had to face his flatmates. He visited the bathroom first to have a shower, and 20 minutes later, he went downstairs and prepared himself a late breakfast. Dwayne had already left and Red was nowhere to be seen. His other flatmate, Andrew Griffin, was in his room – music came from inside. Shawn had his usual cereal of Sultana Bran with milk and peanut butter on toast. He sat at the breakfast table flicking through the latest department store catalogues that had been placed in their letterbox. Andrew came out of his room and greeted Shawn, “How’s it going, man? What happened to you last night? How are you doing today?” “I’m alright. A bit tired though. I’m going to go for a drive down to the courts.” “That’s good, man. You have to get out and forget about last night. Me, I need to take care of some business. Some fool owes me money and today is payday,” Andrew replied with a look of excitement. Andrew did not attend the university. He was a friend of Dwayne’s and had a reputation of being a gangster. He hung out with really tough guys and had certainly been a bad influence on Dwayne. This 22-year-old had no interest in studying and fast made a lot of enemies. His statement of “taking care of business” meant that he was going to collect money from someone who owed him for a favour Andrew would have done for him. The favour could have been either getting copies of assignment answers or copies of exams, providing drugs, or lending money to desperate students struggling to make ends meet. He regarded the university as his neighbourhood and the students as his customers. Andrew never had a shortage of students coming to him, requesting to bail them out of tough situations for a fee. If the fees were not

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1 re-paid on time, then some of the students would have an unfortunate accident. 1 Shawn had heard stories about Andrew at university and had always tried to keep his distance from him. It was bad enough that they were flatmates. He did not want anything to do with Andrew apart from the hellos and goodbyes. Frankly, Shawn did not involve himself with his flatmates at all. He very rarely did anything with them in terms of socialising or playing sports. After breakfast, Shawn got changed and decided to go for a really long drive. He drove to a park at a suburb about 45 minutes away, where he had played pick-up games in the past. Only a handful of people knew him there, and Shawn hoped he could play a relaxed social game or even shoot hoops himself. It would give him a chance to reflect on his recent experiences. Arriving at the courts, Shawn parked his car in one of the many spaces. Three other cars were there: a car similar to his Excel except that it was red, an old model silver Toyota Corolla and a white Volvo. He did not pay much attention to them. The park offered three full-sized courts, and the middle court was free. The first court had eight teenagers playing a game using the whole court. They were all around 17 or 18 years of age. The far court had one man shooting hoops alone. From what Shawn could make of him from his car, the man looked to be in his mid-thirties, dark-skinned, bald-headed, about two metres tall and solidly built. He certainly looked like a basketball player. He was shooting jump shots, and had an amazing accuracy with them. While sitting in his car, Shawn counted how many shots the man got in before missing one. At one stage, the man made eight baskets in a row before missing one and then made a further eight again before missing. Shawn was impressed with the shooting skills the man displayed, so he finally he got out of his car and with his basketball, he walked onto the court. Shawn went to the middle court and started with some simple lay-ups until he had warmed up his body. Then he started shooting free throws hoping to correct the flaw in his technique which be believed had resulted in him missing those free throws last night. But, to his surprise, it was effortless – most of the shots were going in. “I must have been unlucky,” he thought to himself. “My technique would not abandon me like that. What a time for me to screw up, though!” Now he tried to put himself back in the same situation as last night. He imagined himself being at the free-throw line ready to shoot those two free throws. He tried to remember what went through his mind when he looked at the hoop as he got ready to shoot the ball. Nothing important came to mind. But Shawn did remember telling himself how important the shot was and that he could not afford to miss. He had to get it in or else he would be letting his team and the fans down. Shawn took a shot. The ball hit the ring and bounced out.

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1 “Hmm,” he thought to himself. “Just like last night.” 1 He took a few more shots with limited success. Most of the shots looked good, but for some reason they kept hitting either the ring or the backboard and bouncing away. The youngsters playing on the next court had taken a break and had been watching him with interest. They found Shawn’s antics quite entertaining. His body language was different whenever he missed a shot. After five minutes or so, one of the boys came up to Shawn and asked, “What are you thinking about when you miss your shot? And more importantly, what are you thinking about when you get the ball in?” “What are you, some sort of an expert at basketball?” Shawn retorted. “No, I was looking at you and the other guy, and he’s making almost all of his shots while you are missing a lot,” the boy replied. Shawn had not paid any attention to the other man on the court. So, he stopped to watch the man shoot, and all he could hear was the sound of whoosh as the ball kept going through the net. That sweet sound of making a basketball shot is what Shawn loved. It brought music to his ears. The accuracy with which the man kept getting the ball through the hoop impressed Shawn. “You know, there has to be a difference between what both of you are doing, and I am trying to find out,” the boy commented. “I think the guy has been playing basketball for a long time and he has got good skills,” Shawn replied, mainly to try to justify his situation. “I’ve only been playing for five years, so I am still learning all the techniques.” “You know, I think it has something to do with your focus. Let me ask you a question that might seem strange at first. Have you seen Star Wars Episode 1?” the boy asked. “Yeah, why?” “Well, do you remember one scene, the character Liam Neeson played says to the boy Anakin Skywalker, something like “Whatever you focus on, you will end up getting.” It was before that big race when he said that. And as you know, Anakin won that race.” “That’s fiction. It only happens in the movies,” Shawn laughed. “I have been trying it and sometimes I even shoot hoops with my eyes closed – and make them!” the boy replied excitedly. “Hey, look at that guy now!” By now, the man had his back to the hoop and threw the ball over his head from the free- throw line. The ball went straight through the hoop. The man took five shots and they all went in. After realising that he had an audience, the man looked at Shawn and the boy and smiled. Without saying a word, he proceeded to pick up his gear and walked off the court. Shawn

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1 felt that competitive tingle in his body. He wanted to show the boy that he could do that as 1 well. So, he positioned himself at the free-throw line, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to himself, asking for the ball to go in. As the ball left his hand, it felt like a good shot. To his dismay, it was an air ball! The boy laughed and said, “Keep trying, man! You still have a lot to learn. I’ll see you.” With that, the boy went back to his friends on the other court. It agitated Shawn that the boy had left him alone because he was convinced he could get the ball to go in with that trick shot. He wanted to show off and now he couldn’t. He hated it when he got himself into situations that made him look bad. If there was one thing Shawn portrayed on the court, it was having a sense of style. He had the belief that even if he did not play basketball well, he absolutely had to give people the impression that he did by looking good. This applied to the clothes he wore, the shoes he had on, and also how he responded to a challenge. What just happened to him was exactly the kind of situation he tried to avoid. Furthermore, it annoyed him that he had tried to prove himself to some kid that he did not even know. In disgust, he practised a few more shots throwing the ball over the head, but they all missed. So, he went back to shooting normal free throws and experienced even more heartache as he missed eight out of 10 shots. “Stuff this!” he thought to himself and walked off the court towards the car. He did not even say goodbye to the boys, who had resumed their game. Reaching his car, Shawn saw a note stuck on the windscreen. “Oh damn! A parking fine! Who the hell gives parking fines at a public court on the weekend?” he growled as he grabbed the note. Surprisingly, the note was not a parking fine, but simply said, “Life is just like shooting hoops. Play the Game!” It was signed, “Coach.” Shawn looked around but saw no one. Only the red Hyundai Excel and the old Toyota Corolla remained. The white Volvo was nowhere to be seen. “Damn bloody kids!” he muttered to himself. “Does the whole world know I screwed up last night? I wish I had seen the person who put this on my car.” He crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it on the ground. He did not care that he had littered or if anybody saw him do it. He looked at his watch, it was getting pretty late in the afternoon. The spring weather meant that the temperature would slowly start to fall and it would be dark pretty soon. He had to get home and get ready to go out with his mates. All his team mates had assumed that they would win, so this night had been planned as a night of celebration. Shawn knew that being around his friends and having a good night out would do him a lot of good. As he got into his car, he turned on his mobile phone to check for any new messages. There were none, which meant that the night out was still on as originally planned.

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1 Driving back home, Shawn made a mental note to stop at the store close to home and pick 1 up some snacks. He craved some corn chips and his favourite salsa dip. The radio in his car was playing, “The best things in life are free,” and that made Shawn laugh. “Yeah, the best thing for me is to live in a house with an indoor basketball court, four or five bedrooms, a huge yard with water works, maybe an outdoor basketball court as well, a pool, and to top it off, it would be great if it was free, too,” he sarcastically commented to himself. “Some of these people live in a fantasy world.” Within a few minutes, a bus overtook him. On its side it had an advertisement for a product with the phrase, “Get a whole lot more out of life!”. “That’s true! I should get more out of life. If I only knew how,” he thought to himself. “Maybe I’m meant to find out the hard way.” Shawn was pensive the rest of the way home as he kept thinking about how, in only a couple of months’ time, his life would change when he finished his university studies. Then he’d be out in the real world looking for a job and starting off his career as an engineer. He cringed at the thought of working as an engineer somewhere. When he arrived at the local store, he went to the aisle where all the chips and other snacks were located. He grabbed a bag of his favourite corn chips and headed to the refrigerated section, where he picked up a tub of spicy salsa dip. At the checkout, the cashier looked at Shawn and casually asked, “What’s the password?” Shawn was caught off-guard by the question and responded with, “What did you say?” The cashier smiled and said under his breath, “Never mind. You’ll soon know.” Shawn wanted to get home so he did not pursue the conversation any further. He paid for his snacks and got back into his car. “Man, this has been an interesting day,” he thought to himself. “I hope tonight is a good night. I am not in the mood for mind games.” Arriving home, Shawn left his snacks on the kitchen table and rushed into his room to get ready for the night out. For once, all his flat mates were home, in their rooms. As the bathroom was free, Shawn went in and, 20 minutes later, he was dressed and heading downstairs to have some corn chips and salsa. He decided to wear black jeans, with a white tee-shirt and a blue, short-sleeved shirt, along with his black boots. His flatmates were all in the living room, dressed for a night out, also. “Where are you off to tonight?” Andrew asked Shawn. “I am going to Groove and Bounce with the rest of the team. It should be a lot of fun,” Shawn replied as he munched away on his chips and salsa dip. The Grove and Bounce

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1 was a popular hip-hop club in the city where Shawn and his friends went quite often. And so 1 did his flatmates and their friends. “What are you guys doing?” “Dwayne, I and a few other guys are going to be driving out into the city. We’ll grab something to eat and hang out in a club somewhere. We might see you in Groove and Bounce later in the night,” Andrew responded. “What are you doing, Red?” “I’m going over to a lady friend’s place for a bit of action, if you know what I mean,” he replied with a smile on his face. “That’s cool,” Shawn commented. “Since you guys are going into the city, can I get a lift with you?” “No problem, but only if we can have some of your chips,” Dwayne replied cheekily. “Help yourselves. You don’t have to ask.” A few minutes later, the four of them left the house together. Red left on his own, and Shawn got into the back seat of Andrew’s three-door Black BMW. Within minutes, they cruised on the motorway, headed for the city. Andrew had an Eminem CD playing, and the song was the theme song from the movie 8 Mile, “Lose Yourself.” As the song played, Shawn really listened to the lyrics, and was quite taken back by their impact. He contemplated the words, “You only get one shot, do not blow your chance” and “Success is my only option, failure’s not.” For the first time in his life, Shawn began to question whether he was a success or failure in life. For the most part, he did not have an answer. He did not really understand the definition of success. He had been conditioned to believe that success was a symbol of status in the world. The more wealth a person accumulated, the more successful they were perceived to be. Shawn felt the anxiety rising in him, and he resolved it by asking Andrew and Dwayne, “What are you guys doing with your lives? Have you got plans after this year is over?” “Yeah sure,” Andrew replied. “I’ve got an established client base for my business at the university plus I am always looking to venture into new things, right Dwayne?” “You better believe that! I don’t know how long I am going to be working at the bank, but Andrew is going to hook me up with one of his projects.” “What kind of project?” Shawn asked, quite interested. “Oh, nothing you’d want to know,” Dwayne responded casually. “But it’s something that will give a high rate of return with no initial investment. I don’t think you’d be interested.” “Of course I am! Anything that will set me up financially, I am interested in. It’s pretty tough out in the world.” “Man, how would you know?” Andrew butted in. “You are still living in the comfort and safety of university life. You haven’t had a real job yet so you don’t know what the real world is all about. Me, I take what I believe I am entitled to.”

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1 “What do you mean?” 1 “What I mean is that if I want something, I figure out a way to get it and most of the time I am successful with that approach. Now I am taking things to a whole new level and people will have more respect for me. Who knows, you may get an invitation to join us.” Shawn suddenly felt uncomfortable being in the car with them. His instincts told him that nothing good would come from being involved with Andrew and Dwayne. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get out of the car and be with his friends. Nobody said anything for the rest of the trip. Eminem’s music drowned out the rest of the silence. It wasn’t long before they arrived in the city and Andrew pulled over a couple of blocks from the Groove and Bounce. Dwayne got out, enabling Shawn to get out from the back seat. He shook hands with both of them as he said goodbye. “Have a great night!” Dwayne instructed. “And don’t forget the password, man!” “What the hell is this thing about a password? Am I missing something?” “See you later, Shawn!” Andrew called out as the black BMW drove off.

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22 In the Club

When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear

“In the magical universe there are no coincidences and there are no accidents. Nothing happens unless someone wills it to happen.” ~ William S. Burroughs

I nside the Groove and Bounce, the atmosphere was lively and upbeat. Everybody looked excited and in a friendly mood. Drinks were being served at the bar, and although the queue was long, people waited patiently to get served. Most of the people in the club were university students, dressed casually in spring clothes like jeans and sports shirts or tops. Some of the guys looked trendy, dressed in their street outfit, with baggy pants, sports tops, bandanas and high-top street shoes or basketball sneakers. Groups of guys stayed with their friends in their own little groups. The club had two levels, with the main bar and the dance arena on the ground floor, and tables and lounges on the next level. The top level also had pool tables and served hot food as well. Usually people who did not want to dance, but wanted to sit and relax, went to the top level. From previous visits, Shawn had noticed that most of those who stayed at the top level were businessmen, sports agents, gamblers, pool sharks or others who were not associated with the university. The only time Shawn and his friends went upstairs was to get food or play pool. As Shawn wandered inside the club, brushing past the shoulders of excited young adults, he noticed the guys greeted each other with street handshakes and a touching of fists. Shawn had a chuckle to himself as he realised how much those greetings had become part of his everyday environment. He looked around for his team mates and spotted them close to the dance floor, mingling with a number of beautiful young women. James, the team captain, spotted Shawn and waved to him to come and join them. The group was large, with 15 people holding drinks and casually chatting. When Shawn joined them, it became nine young men and seven young women. Everyone looked jovial, and Shawn greeted his friends with the traditional street handshake and hug. He knew some of the girls, having seen them around the university, but a couple of them were new.

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2 “Shawn,” said James, “meet Natasha Robinson and Sandra Walker.” 2 Shawn felt a spark inside him as he made eye contact with Natasha and shook her hand. She was a slim, athletic and relatively tall young woman with long straight black hair. She wore a black tank-top and pants with a studded belt, along with black dancing shoes. On her right wrist, she had a silver bracelet, with a watch and a couple of rings on her left hand. She also had a gold chain with a heart pendant around her neck. All Shawn could think was “Damn!” Her friend Sandra, also an attractive young woman, had shoulder-length black hair and wore a silver, skin-tight dress. She was slightly shorter than Natasha and wore large, sparkling earrings that glittered as she moved her head. Natasha smiled at him and said, “I’ve seen you around before.” “Yeah?” Shawn asked, impressed that a woman as stunning as Natasha had noticed him. “Where? At the university?” “No, I’ve seen you in the club a couple of times and I’ve also seen you playing basketball at a few courts,” Natasha replied with a smile. “Oh right! What course are you doing at uni?” “I am not a university student.” “So what do you do?” Shawn asked as he moved closer to her, ensuring he could hear her over the loud hip-hop music. “Well, that is an interesting question. I don’t really do anything that fits any conventional description of ‘doing’. I regard myself as a freelancer.” “What’s a freelancer? What does that mean?” “I show up at certain places to carry out a task or a mission. It’s pretty simple.” “That sounds pretty unstable, having to go from place to place and project to project. How come I have not seen you before?” “People see me for the first time when they need to see me. Hey, you haven’t got a drink! Let’s go to the bar and get you a drink. Does anybody else want a drink, since Shawn and I are going to the bar?” Everybody else declined the offer so Shawn and Natasha headed for the bar. Glancing around, he saw a large number of people dancing away, doing their hip-hop moves to Snoop Dogg’s “Signs”. The lyrics had a good rhythm, and Shawn started miming them, “I’m not sure what I see, Cupid don’t fuck with me, Are you telling me this is a sign? …” Again, Shawn found himself brushing against people’s shoulders as he and Natasha wriggled

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2 their way through the crowd. A lot more people had entered the club tonight than was normally 2 the case. Natasha led the way and she smiled at everyone as she went through the crowd. Just before they reached the bar, Shawn bumped into his basketball coach, Mr Karl, who was also heading for the bar. “Hey, Mr Karl! How’s it going? I’d like you to meet…” Shawn started. “Hi Natasha,” Mr Karl interrupted him. “Nice to see you again! Hey Shawn, what’s happening?” “Hi Mr Karl. It’s good to see you too,” Natasha replied. “It’s been a few months since I last saw you.” “You two know each other?” Shawn asked as his curiosity rose. “We sure do,” Mr Karl laughed. “I only see her when something is on. It’s funny, but I was told I was going to run into you right here, Shawn!” “Who told you that?” “Natasha here knows. All I was asked to do was to give you this note. The guy is playing pool upstairs. I think you will recognise him,” Mr Karl replied, handing him the note. Shawn hurriedly opened the little piece of paper. Inside was written, “Is the password – Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk?” It was signed, “Coach”. “Is everything alright?” Natasha asked as she had noticed the puzzled look on Shawn’s face. “I don’t know if this is some sort of a joke or not. I keep getting asked about some sort of a password. I don’t know what the hell it means. Who is this guy and where is he?” “He’s upstairs. Hey, I’ve got to get back to my group but if I were you, I would go and talk to him,” Mr Karl advised Shawn, then turned and ordered himself a scotch on the rocks. “He will give you what you are searching for.” Mr Karl shook hands with both of them as he said goodbye. Shawn ordered himself a vodka and orange, and a gin and tonic for Natasha. He hesitated to go upstairs, fearing that his team mates were up to some prank. “What do you know about this guy?” he asked Natasha. “All you need to know is that you’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain by meeting him. He certainly changed a lot of things for me in my life. Come on, let’s go and meet him.” “No, I think I’ll leave it for some other day. I don’t want to meet a person who likes to play pranks and thinks it’s funny. Stuff him!” “What have you got to lose anyway? Will you feel embarrassed when you see him?” “I think some of the guys are up to something after what happened last night,” Shawn

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2 responded as he had a sip of his drink. “If it isn’t a joke, then I guess I will miss out on seeing 2 this genius, won’t I? I really have no reason to see him. Man, I am about to finish an engineering degree! Do you know how hard I worked for that?” “Aren’t you looking for some answers in your life? Why do you go to the basketball courts in the middle of the night when nobody is around? Huh?” “How do you know that?” “Shawn, you cannot go through your life being ignorant of the signs you are receiving! As you may have heard before, to most people, ignorance is bliss! But ignorance is pain! If you want to go somewhere in life, you cannot get there unless you know where you are. Right now, you don’t want to know what is going on for you nor where you are in your life.” “Maybe some other day when I am in a good frame of mind,” Shawn responded. “Do you know that the road of ‘some day’ leads to a town called ‘Nowhere’? Think about that! You can go back to your friends and pretend that everything is fine and your life will be the same as it is now.” “I guess it won’t hurt me to talk to him. Are you coming with me?” “Yes, I will introduce you to him, then I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Natasha replied with a smile. By now, they had finished their drinks, so they returned their empty glasses to the bar and headed for the stairs. Shawn glanced at his watch – it was almost nine o’clock. He felt really hungry, so he decided he’d buy some food upstairs, first. He went for a tandoori chicken wrap, his favourite item on the menu. “Do you want anything?” he asked Natasha. “I will have a Greek salad, thanks.” As they waited for their food to be served, Shawn looked around the room, hoping to see the man who had sent the note before actually meeting him. This room upstairs was about the size of an auditorium, with lots of tables and chairs, and leather lounges. At the opposite end to the bar and the food counter were half a dozen pool tables. Most of the tables were occupied and everyone appeared to be having a good time. Showing on the giant rear projection screen that stood against one of the walls, were the American NBA’s Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers from the 1980s, locked in one of their classic struggles. Shawn did not recognise anyone, so he assumed that the person he was about to meet was someone he had not seen before. “Lead the way,” Shawn instructed Natasha after they had been served their food. “I won’t tell you who he is at first because I want you to spot him. All I’ll tell you is that he is playing pool at one of the tables.”

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2 They walked towards the pool tables and sat down at one of the empty tables, and started 2 to eat. Almost everyone playing pool had their backs to them. As Shawn continued eating, he noticed that at one table, one man had not moved for a while because his opponent kept making all his shots. The man wore a black bandana and black jeans with a blue Hawaiian shirt. When he stood upright, he was about two metres tall. His black boots made him look taller. Shawn noticed that the man waiting for his turn was shaking his head in disbelief. For a split second, Shawn thought the man at the pool table had glanced towards him. “I’m going to have a closer look,” Shawn said to Natasha as he finished his tandoori chicken wrap. She nodded in acceptance and he walked over to the table that had caught his interest. The man wearing the bandana saw Shawn approaching and greeted him with “Namaste, Shawn! What’s happening, young man?” “You!” Shawn exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” “Why, can’t I come to this club and have a good time?” he responded. “No, what I meant was, I didn’t expect to see you here of all places. Do you play pool as well as you shoot hoops?” This was the same man Shawn had seen at the basketball court shooting all those free throws and jump shots, and making shots with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he had a sinking feeling that this was the person he was meant to meet. All his inadequacies and lack of self- confidence started to surface. Shawn doubted he could be as good as this man. “Well Shawn, I don’t regard myself as being good or bad. I just know what I want,” the man replied. “Do you want to play a game?” “Did you leave that note on my car windscreen today?” Shawn ignored his question. “Oh yeah! Did you like it? It’s true, isn’t it? Life is just like shooting hoops or playing pool. You just have to play the game! So, do you want to play?” “Aren’t you playing against him?” Shawn looked at the man who had been waiting for his turn for a long time. “I meant you can play the winner of this game. We haven’t been introduced. My name is Kevin Coachman. My friends call me ‘Coach’.” “Nice to meet you, Kevin,” Shawn offered his right hand for a shake. “Okay, I’ll play one game, then I want to get back to my friends.” “You can call me ‘Coach’,” he replied as he sunk another ball into a pocket. “Two more shots then it’s all over.” True to his word, two shots later, Coach had won the game. His opponent shook his hand

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2 and left in a state of disbelief. Coach positioned all the balls on the table and then took out a 2 coin to toss to see who would have the first shot. Shawn called “Tails”, which was the winning call. He took the first shot, which scattered all the balls around the table without sinking any. Coach then took his first shot and proceeded to sink six balls in a row before a ball banked off a bumper and failed to go in. Shawn felt embarrassed that he was getting his tail kicked and he proceeded to play a poor game. Within five minutes, the game had ended, with Coach the victor. He pumped his right hand in the air and with a grin on his face, he shook hands with Shawn. “You will get better with time,” he assured the young man. “You were in the zone. You are much better than I am.” “Is that what you think? Do you believe that I have better skills than you or I have more experience than you?” “That’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Shawn replied as he avoided eye contact with Coach. “Huh! Okay, let’s go and meet your friends. I am in the mood to dance,” Coach started moving his shoulders to the rhythm of the music. “Who are you with?” Shawn looked around. “I’m here alone. I often go to clubs on my own so that I can really let loose and have a great time.” “Before we go downstairs, why did you leave that note on my car and also give Mr Karl that note?” “‘Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk!’ Do you know where that’s from?” “I didn’t think anybody would remember that fourteen years later! That was from a TV commercial that Shaquille O’Neal did in his rookie season,” Shawn replied quickly. “Very good! You do have a great memory and also a love for the game of basketball. But what does it mean?” “I don’t think it means anything. It’s just a phrase.” “Well, I tend to think it’s more than just a phrase. To me, it signifies being true to yourself and having passion. It says to me that if I experience a result, I’m the cause of it. In other words, I create it. That means I can celebrate my result or, if it is not what I expected, I can learn from it.” “You got all that from that one phrase?” Shawn raised his eyebrows. “How did you take it when I was excited after winning our game of pool?” Coach asked looking directly into Shawn’s eyes. “Well, I thought you were showing off and rubbing it in my face.”

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2 “But you see, Shawn, I was celebrating the result I got, but I was also aware that I have to 2 show respect to my opponent.” “So, what are you saying?” “In life, there are times when there is more behind what we experience,” Coach replied as he straightened out his bandana. “Why do you think we met?” “Because you wanted to meet me or you enjoy having fun at other people’s expense.” “No, Shawn. There is a great saying, that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Our meeting like this is no coincidence. You want to learn something different. You know that there has to be more to life but you don’t know what it is. With the end of a phase of your life fast approaching - the end of your university studies, you are really searching for answers. You are heading down many roads but they all going nowhere, which to you is not satisfying. Am I right?” “Well, I think of it as being similar to someone on their wedding day. They have jitters and nerves,” Shawn felt uncomfortable and shuffled his feet. “I’m the same. I don’t know what’s going to happen and I am hoping that everything will work out fine for me.” “Have you ever been married?” “Hell no! I’m too young to get married,” Shawn chuckled. “Then how do you know what you feel like is what a person getting married feels?” “Well, I kind of assumed…” “Shawn, the way you have been thinking has got you to where you are today,” Coach interrupted. “But, that way of thinking is not going to get you where you want to go. In order to go where you want to, you have to really get to know yourself first. You have to know and become aware of why you do what you do. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever you have done in the past will not necessarily work in the future. The past is over!” “That’s fair enough.” “I can say to you that if you want your life to be the same as it has been for the last five years, then keep doing what you have been doing. But I know that is not going to happen because you have to do something different when you leave university. So, you are kind of venturing into new territory. Let me ask you this, who are you?” “I’m Shawn Miller, an engineering student,” he replied with a laugh. “I know your name and what you are studying, but who are you?” “Well,” Shawn paused and marshalled his thoughts. “I’m a caring person, I think. I try to help other people when they need help. I’m reliable. I’m considerate. I think I’m a really good

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2 person.” 2 “That may well all be true, but really, who are you?” “Look, I told you, I’m a student, but soon I will be an engineer,” Shawn replied impatiently. “I get on well with most people. I know I’m not a thief or a gangster. I’m not a murderer and I’m not a bad person.” “Without wanting to spoil your night, the way you define yourself has a huge impact on what you experience in life. There is so much I can tell you about who you are but you must be prepared to find out yourself. It comes down to a choice of whether you want to find out what your life is really about or you want to continue down the road you have been on. Right now, your identity has been created by how you have defined yourself to yourself.” “Who are you and how do you know this?” “Right now, all you need to do is decide if you really want to know who you are. I’ll promise you one thing right now: I will only tell you the truth. You will go beyond what you think is possible. What’s it going to be? We need to get on the dance floor, man!” “I need to think about it.” “Alright, you think about it,” Coach started heading downstairs. “Remember as I’ve said, your way of thinking has got you to where you are right now. Nothing will change if nothing changes. And I am around only for a short time.” Downstairs, the atmosphere was electric. Everyone was in a party mood, and bodies moved and shook on the dance floor. Some highly-skilled dancers really lit up the floor with their routines. A number of people tried to imitate them but without success. Shawn looked around for his friends and Natasha but he could not spot them in the crowd. With Coach leading the way through the crowd, less than a minute later, they reached the middle of the dance floor. In perfect synchronization, as Shawn and Coach looked at each other, the DJ changed to a new song. It was 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” With reckless abandonment, Coach started moving and grooving, and singing the lyrics. “Go, Go, Go, Go, Go, Go, Go Shawty, It’s your birthday, We goin’ to party like it’s yo birthday, We goin’ to sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday, And you know we don’t give a fuck it’s not your birthday…”

Coach did not care that his moves were all over the place. He was having a great time. Shawn, more self-conscious, tried to create some space between himself and Coach. He did not want

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2 people to know that he was dancing with Coach because the man simply did not look good! 2 “Come on, let yourself go,” Coach yelled out to Shawn. “Dance like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t worry about trying to dance cool. That’s not you!” “I’ll try,” Shawn shouted back as he started to move freely with his shoulders and hips. A few songs later, Shawn felt more relaxed. He found himself dancing really easily and surprisingly, had a really good time. He wasn’t concerned about how he danced. He loved the thrill of getting in touch with his body. It was the same thrill he got when he played basketball. The basketball court was a world of its own where he could instantly gain great pleasure. He enjoyed the sensation of gliding through the air as he laid the ball off the backboard into the hoop. Now, he was experiencing the same ecstasy on the dance floor. It was like nothing he had felt before. Coach sensed the change in Shawn’s body movement and moved closer to him. “What’s the experience like for you now?” he asked Shawn. “I feel great!” “What will happen when you finish dancing?” “I’ll be the way I was before I started dancing,” Shawn gave him a perplexed look. “It’ll be cool, man!” “So, you don’t think you will be in a state like you are in now? Why is that so?” “Because I’m enjoying dancing and being in a crowd of happy people.” “Doing what you love gives you a lot of pleasure and joy, doesn’t it?” Coach remarked with a grin. “Do you get that same experience while studying to be an engineer?” “Let’s get a drink at the bar,” Shawn gave Coach a little pat on his back. “I see where you are going. I admit that I don’t always enjoy what I’m learning because I have got no interest in the subject. But at the same time, I have to be realistic too. It is not possible to achieve something without hard work and struggle.” “So, you’d rather continue doing something that does not give you pleasure and joy?” “It’s not that bad,” Shawn remarked as he ordered another vodka and orange. “I know it is going to get me a secure future because I’ll be in a profession that is in demand.” “What I’m hearing is that you are prepared to spend a huge part of your life doing something that does not make you happy. Will you receive any satisfaction by doing so? Why did you want to be an engineer in the first place?” “Well, I got good marks in maths and science in school, and it was a good career choice, with the potential to make a lot of money. And my parents also thought that I would be secure for the rest of my life by having a good profession.”

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2 “It sounds like your decision was based on other people’s opinions and what you thought 2 you had to do, right?” “Hey, why are you asking me all these personal questions? You asked me before who I was, let me ask you the same thing: who are you?” “Good question, Shawn,” Coach stated as he took a sip from the glass of water he’d ordered. “I am someone who totally lives in his heart and I absolutely love what I do. I love to empower people and serve them in ways that will allow them to take the blindfolds from their eyes.” “Yeah, whatever! What’s that got to do with me?” “In a sense, you found me because you were looking for me. I’m here to give you a chance to find out what you are really all about. Like they say, do you want to know how far down the rabbit hole you can go?” “I don’t understand all that crap, anyway. What good will it do to know about all that stuff?” “Notice how different you are right now compared to a few minutes ago when you were on the dance floor,” Coach raised his voiced slightly. “Dancing made you feel free and alive, and now you talk like you are about to go to prison. In a way, that’s what you are doing to yourself. You are giving yourself a prison sentence where you will spend your life following the rules, following the crowd, and living your life like everyone else around you. The end result will be that you will be like everyone else, unhappy and pretending that everything is fine. Let me tell you that you can only pretend for so long before it becomes too painful to continue. By then, life has gone by and you will have a lot of catching up to do.” “That doesn’t sound too good.” “Shawn, remember I told you that I would only tell you the truth?” Coach smiled. “The truth is that you are not meant to be an engineer. You have a much greater mission to carry out while you are here!” “And what’s that?” Shawn responded like someone who had their whole world turned upside down. “You are meant to be a leader in the world. You are a leader of a global community that will rejuvenate people and empower them to realise their destinies and create their dreams.” “That sounds really interesting,” laughed Shawn “But I think you are talking to the wrong guy. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” “Shawn, what would you be doing with yourself if you had all the time and money in the world?”

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2 “Well,” Shawn thought for a minute, “I’d go on holidays, travel the world, buy myself sports 2 cars, have my dream house and buy all sorts of things, man!” “Then what will you do? How long will that last before you are left feeling unfulfilled? Everything you said was about you.” “I’ll keep doing the same thing.” “So, how will you grow as a person? And what will you contribute to society? Are you that selfish as a person?” “Hey!” Shawn stared down Coach. “I’ve seen you at your basketball games. You have this look on your face when you are going on the court. Why are you always so serious?” “That’s my game face,” replied Shawn with that same look on his face. “It shows everyone that I mean business.” “What you need is to connect to your ‘VIP FACE’!” remarked Coach. “That’s all you need!” “VIP FACE?” Shawn repeated, puzzled. “What does that mean?” “That’s for you to find out and share with the world,” the man extended his hand and Shawn shook it. “Thanks for a great night. I’m out of here. Next time you see me is when you are ready to find out what you want to know. The ball is in your court.” “How will I find you?” Shawn called after Coach as he walked away. “You won’t. I’ll find you!” With that, Coach disappeared into the crowd leaving Shawn at the bar by himself thinking about what had just happened. He rubbed his eyes with both his hands, then motioned to the bartender. “Double vodka and orange, please!”

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33 What’s the Password?

Introducing the Password for Life, and Implementing the Cornerstone of Every Creation

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate achievements.” ~ Napoleon Hill

I t appeared that Coach knew when it was a good time for him to leave the club. He hadn’t been gone more than half an hour when the activity in the club increased ten-fold. The notorious gangster, Nitro, and his gang of four had arrived. As was usual with powerful and dangerous thugs, they made their entrance after midnight. Nitro was known to be an extremely dangerous man. While it was well known around town that he was involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking and dealing in guns, nothing had ever been proven against him. He regarded himself as a smart gangster and a person not to be messed with. By now, Shawn had had a couple more drinks and, although still sober, he felt a little tipsy. As soon as he spotted Nitro and his gang, he immediately finished his drink and tried to disappear into the crowd of people on the dance floor. But it was too late. Nitro had seen him and was headed straight his way. Shawn froze and kept staring Nitro’s way, fearing the worst. Although he knew who Nitro was, they had never spoken before. Shawn expected to get verbally abused by this burly, bandana-wearing, tall, bald gangster. “Hey, you trying to run away from me, fool?” Nitro addressed him in a condescending way. “You’re one of that punk Andrew Griffin’s flatmates, right?” “Yeah, so?” was Shawn’s frightened response. “That punk’s been messing in my territory!” Nitro barked at him loudly. “You tell that fool that he owes me a lot of money for messing up my business! And I want my money!” “Why don’t you tell him yourself?” “Because that fool’s been hiding! He’s a goddamn punk! You tell him I want my money. Otherwise I’m coming to your house. Yeah, that’s right! I know where you live.” “Hey, Nitro! Look who just walked into the club,” one of his men beckoned him towards

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3 the entrance. 3 “Well I’ll be damned!” Nitro exclaimed. “Let’s go!” Within seconds, Nitro was up in Andrew’s face demanding his money. A heated exchange erupted between the two groups of men. From his position at the bar, Shawn could tell that Andrew had no intention of backing down against Nitro. Dwayne and another man were with Andrew, and the groups started finger-pointing at each other. Suddenly, they pushed and shoved each other, and within seconds, arms started swinging and fists flying. Bodies started hitting the floor as a swarm of security officers rushed in to break up the fight. They were all separated, and words to the effect of “It ain’t over” were heard as Nitro and his men were escorted out the door. Security officers held back Andrew, Dwayne and the other man, fearing another fight breaking out if they let them go outside as well. The security officers motioned to the crowd to get back and give the men some space. Some of the dancers looked terrified, and demanded of the officers whether it was safe to go outside. A couple of women immediately requested that they be escorted to their cars. Andrew and Dwayne were questioned about the fight and, after a few minutes, they were allowed to move around in the club, with a couple of security officers in close proximity. With witnesses backing up their case – that they did not start the fight – the club management decided not to throw them out. Shawn took the opportunity to go up to them while they were on their own. “You guys alright?” “Yeah, we’re alright,” Andrew straightened out his shirt. “Those fools jumped us, man!” “Nitro was pissed off! He wants the money you owe him,” Shawn said. “How do you know that?” Andrew looked suspiciously at Shawn. “Did he talk to you?” “Yeah, right before you guys walked in. He said he knows where we live and he’s going to come to our house.” “Oh shit!” Dwayne cut in. “It’s on now! That fool is going to learn the meaning of respect. No one treats us like that!” “What are you going to do?” Shawn felt a tingle down his spine. “Man, we are going to take care of business,” Andrew replied, the hatred in his eyes evident. “My man, Henry G, right here, is going to hook us up with some guns, man! We’re going to show them fools that they are going to pay for messing with us.” “I’ve got connections everywhere and I can get all the guns we need,” Henry G blurted out. “Those suckers are going to get theirs.”

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3 The so-called gangster Henry G was wiry and short, but he spoke like he was seven feet 3 tall and built like a heavyweight boxer. All three guys were really hyped up now and were out for revenge. Shawn knew that this conflict wouldn’t end well, and he was resigned to the fact that he was now involved in their affairs. The life that he had vowed to stay away from was pulling him in. There had many cases where young men with bright futures had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd, and ended up in a life of crime, or worse, with no life at all. “Those punks have got some nerve,” Andrew was fuming. “It’s personal now and shit’s going down, man!” “Hey guys, you should have met this guy tonight in the club,” Shawn tried to change the subject. “His name was Kevin Coachman, or ‘Coach’, as he wanted to be called. He is an amazing pool player and I’ve seen him before on the basketball court, and the man is unbelievable. He asked me who I really was and told me that I’m not meant to be an engineer. He’s prepared to teach me a few things.” “Sounds like a dealer to me,” Dwayne offered his opinion. “You don’t go around telling people what they are or what they meant to be. Don’t get caught up with him, man!” “Yeah, that’s right. I’ve never heard of a Coach or Kevin Coachman,” Andrew spoke with a level of distrust in his voice. “That’s probably not his real name, anyway. He might be trying to get you to join his crew. You might as well join us since you know us. How much is your degree going to pay you, anyway? You can make ten times as much rolling with us.” “How many successful engineers do you know?” Dwayne cut in. “Why don’t you find out? Ask someone at the university. Then you’ll know how much your degree is going to be worth.” “No, my education is important and I am going to finish my degree in a couple of months’ time,” Shawn replied quickly. “I don’t want to live a life of violence and crime. That’s not what I want for my life.” “Look around you, Shawn,” Andrew added. “People are struggling, unhappy and poor. There is a lot of crime around because people need to survive. They don’t have a choice and nothing is changing for them. The system is failing. Only the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.” “So, what are you doing about it?” Shawn retorted. “Choosing a life of crime?” “I’m going to take what I am entitled to by any means necessary,” Andrew replied, poking his chest with his finger. “I won’t let this unfair system deny me what I want in my life. I know I will make a lot of enemies along the way, but so what!” “I’m the same, Shawn,” Dwayne pitched in. “Although I’m a part-time student and I work

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3 part-time at the bank, they are only resources that I’m using to get what I want. If you join 3 us, you too won’t have to worry about being poor and broke ever again… Man, I need to get some fresh air. I’m going outside for a few minutes.” “Look, I don’t want to get involved with you guys,” Shawn started moving away from them. “I always thought you guys were up to no good and I was right. I don’t want to be friends with people who live a life of crime. I’m going to join all my friends.” Shawn’s body language was that of someone overwhelmed and confused, with his shoulders drooping and his arms by his sides. He spotted his friends standing in a group talking. He looked around hoping to see Natasha, but she was nowhere to be seen. Shawn asked if anybody had seen her, but nobody had for quite a while. They all assumed that she had left as her friend, Sandra, wasn’t there either. Although the music was playing loudly, a dampener in the atmosphere in the club was apparent. Quite a number of people had left, and Shawn’s friends also got ready to leave. “Did you all see the fight?” Shawn asked the group as he shook his head in disbelief. “Yeah, what was that all about?” James was the first to respond. “Two of your flatmates were involved! What were they thinking?” “Man, those guys are crazy…” Shawn started to respond. Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass mixed with the whine of bullets filled the room. In an instant, the music stopped playing, and bodies hit the floor. People screamed and shouted as semi-automatic machine gunshots sprayed the club. Women cried and yelled for help. Scattered glass went everywhere. While the gunfire lasted only about 30 seconds, it felt like an eternity. People kept falling over each other as they tried to find cover. As the gunshots ceased, the sound of screeching tires indicated a car was speeding off. With terrified looks on their faces, people started to gingerly pick themselves up off the floor. Some had tears streaming down, especially the women, who hung onto whoever helped them up. With what had gone down, some people were wobbly on their feet and struggled to stand up on their own. The scene inside the club resembled a war zone, as if a bomb had exploded. Tables and chairs had been overturned, with drinks spilt on the floor, and broken bottles and glass scattered everywhere. Security officers moved with a great sense of urgency. The club staff went around helping everybody up and checking to see if people had been injured. As screams echoed from outside, several security officers rushed to the scene. Shaken, Shawn slowly got himself off the floor and examined himself for any injuries. He had some minor cuts on his arms and a small bump on his head. He took his handkerchief out of

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3 his pocket and wiped the blood off his arms. He then started helping his friends and others 3 around him to their feet. While visibly upset, most people were thankful to be alive. Apart from cuts to their bodies, nobody inside the club had been seriously injured. “Hey, someone’s been killed outside,” James rushed over to reveal what he had heard. “And two security guards also received gunshot wounds to their arms and shoulders.” “Do you know who got shot?” Shawn asked, in a state of panic. “No,” James replied. “Let’s find out.” “We want to know what’s going on outside,” Shawn addressed one of the security officers guarding the main exit door. “We might be able to help.” “Sorry, but we are not letting anyone out of the club until the police arrives,” an officer put his arm out to block the door. “I can hear the ambulance and police sirens. It shouldn’t be long now.” By now, Andrew and Henry G had managed to get out of the club. Shawn and James used another exit door to sneak outside and rushed to the scene. There, they saw Andrew and Henry G yelling at the club staff to do something for the person that was lying on the ground. As Shawn went in for a closer look, he saw that the person who had been gunned down was Dwayne! His body was motionless. Shawn felt a sense of grief come over him as he had never been at a scene of a drive-by shooting before. He had lost someone he knew! As Shawn stood there, unsure what to do, he overheard a woman telling one of the guards that she’d seen a black sports car with tinted windows drive by. She guessed that it may have been a Porsche model car. Another chimed in that the registration plates had been missing and the shots had been fired from the back seat. From all accounts, nobody had seen the faces of those inside the car. “Does anybody know the man who was shot?” asked one of the police officers. “He was my flatmate,” Shawn responded as he walked towards the officer. “My other flatmate is here too.” “Okay, sir, I need the both of you to come with me to answer some questions please,” the officer instructed Shawn. “This may take a while.” Shawn followed the officer, still in a state of shock. “I can’t believe this happened,” he blurted out. “I was speaking to Dwayne only a few minutes ago. And now he’s dead!” Life suddenly felt really precious. Then it dawned on him that something had to change if he wanted to get himself out of this world. He realised that he had to make an important decision then and there. He recalled a saying, that change happens in an instant, and all he had to do

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3 was to make a decision. Shawn made a decision right then and there to see his professor at 3 university and also to speak to Mr Karl to find out more about Kevin Coachman. After over an hour’s worth of questioning by the police, Shawn and Andrew were allowed to go home. Andrew went his separate way with Henry G, and Shawn caught a taxi home with one of his friends who lived in the same suburb, thus bringing to an end an eventful night. Shawn spent all of Sunday at home, answering further questions by the police. Andrew had not come home after the shooting incident but the police had successfully contacted him. Apart from what he had already given in his previous statement, Shawn did not have any further information to pass to the police. His family had also heard about the incident on the news and had contacted him to alleviate their fears. The game from Friday night was no longer a topic of interest. It did not seem so important now. Early on Monday morning, Shawn decided to go to the Engineering faculty. Since he did not have any lectures or classes that day, he had a lot of time to find out what he wanted to know. He found the professor of the Engineering faculty, Tim Anthony, at his desk reading the morning newspaper. The professor had spent almost his entire adult life at the university. He was in his late fifties, with balding, grey hair, around 170 cms tall, with a heavy waistline. His glasses made him look very pleasant. The professor conducted himself extremely professionally and courteously when dealing with students. Shawn had only spoken to him a few times before during his five years at the university. He regarded Professor Anthony very highly and respected his opinions, as he always came across as a person who spoke the truth and had a lot of integrity. With three knocks on the door, Shawn was invited to come in. “Good morning, Professor Anthony,” he greeted the man, who looked at Shawn above the frames of his glasses. “You might not remember my name, I’m Shawn Miller and I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions, please.” “Ah, yes Shawn. Of course I know you!” came through the Professor’s pleasant voice as he put the newspaper down. “It’s been a pretty dramatic weekend, hasn’t it?” “What do you mean?” Shawn asked, hoping that he would not mention Friday night’s game or the shooting at the club. “First on Friday night, you were closely involved in the exciting conclusion to the Championship game and now this,” he pointed to an article on Page 3 about the shooting incident. “Were you at the club?” “Yes, unfortunately I was. That was my flatmate that was killed. It could have been me.” “It’s unfortunate that our young men behave the way they do these days. I wouldn’t like to see you get involved in street crime and other illegal activities. You know better than that.

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3 Now, how can I help you?” 3 “Well, Professor, now that I am reaching the end of my course, I wanted to know if you could tell me about past engineering graduates. Do you keep in touch with any of them?” “I occasionally get phone calls and emails from past students telling me which company they work for, what their roles are, and sometimes they even tell me how much money they earn,” Professor Anthony spoke precisely. “It is very rare that I speak to a past student who is passionate about what he is doing in his job. I must be honest with you. I was very fortunate that my chosen profession is what I really love to do. I enjoy meeting the young generation, who are the future of our country, and I’m able to share my wisdom and knowledge with them.” “Yes, I know a lot of students look up to you and are very grateful for your services,” Shawn politely interrupted him. “Thank you for your kind words. It is very rewarding to know that I’ve made a difference in the lives of young men and women. But unfortunately, not all students at the university are doing what they love, or learning to do what they love. I can only speak for the Engineering students I’ve gotten to know, and most of them are doing Engineering because they want security in their lives. They are hoping that a university Engineering degree will give them long-term safety and comfort by getting into a well-established company.” “I’m one of those students.” “You see Shawn, once students get into the so-called real world, a lot of them find out that it is not what they had expected or hoped for. After a period of time, and it is normally within the first twenty-four months, they don’t experience any job satisfaction and end up looking for other jobs or roles, hoping to get some enjoyment out of their work life. But unfortunately, they are only resolving their pain, and while it may make them feel better for a short period of time, in the long term it makes them miserable and stale. What tends to happen is that a lot of people end up staying in their jobs because they don’t believe there is anything out there that is worthwhile pursuing.” “What do you think they should do?” “I’ll also say this as well,” Professor Anthony tapped his fingers on his desk. “If by some chance they do connect with what they would love to do, then their circumstances get in the way, like paying for their lifestyle, supporting their families, or not having the time to do something different. In other words, fear gets the better of them and they become victims of their own circumstances. You know what fear is, don’t you? It stands for ‘false evidence appearing real’.

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3 To answer your question, it all comes down to a matter of faith and truth. Once you know 3 who you are, why you are here and what you would love to do, then you should have faith that the universe will support you on your journey.” “Shouldn’t this information be made available to students earlier, like before they begin their course?” Shawn was starting to feel like he had wasted the last five years of his life. “I agree with you, Shawn,” the Professor exhaled like someone fighting a losing battle. “Our young men and women should be taught and encouraged to live from their hearts and to pursue what they love. It should be taught at an early age in schools as well. That is the only thing that can bring a sense of meaning and purpose to a person’s life. For you, it is important that you connect with people who are doing what they love, and you will be able to see how much passion they live their lives with. So, if you ever get the opportunity to learn something about yourself, take it! That’s the advice I’ll give to you.” “Interesting you say that, Professor,” Shawn commented, touching his lower lip with his left index finger. “I met a man on the weekend who kind of turned my world upside down by telling me that I was not meant to be an engineer. He said that I was meant to be a leader in the world by creating a global community. Then afterwards, I spoke to my flatmates who told me to be careful of the man and asked me to join them in illegal activities. Then suddenly, one of my flatmates was gunned down. I feel really confused and lost at the moment.” “Shawn, you need to make a decision to go for the truth. You know in your heart what you need to do, and you will need to be courageous to go through with it. Remember one thing, though: your peer group defines your standards. In other words, who you surround yourself with determines the standards you are going to live your life by. You will meet people who will try to drag you down to their standards mainly because they are afraid of being left behind. They would rather drag you down than see you succeed.” “Professor Anthony, you have been really great,” Shawn stood up and extended his hand for a shake. “I guess right now I am quite fortunate because I do not have any more exams or assignments. All I have left to submit is my final-year project, which is almost complete. So, I have time to learn things about myself. Thank you so much for your time and I will talk to you very soon.” “It was my pleasure,” Professor Anthony smiled at him. “Good luck with whatever you choose and don’t forget the password, will you?” “Oh, not you too,” Shawn groaned as he walked out the door. Shawn left the Professor’s office with a sense of nervous apprehension, and confusion as

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3 well. While it felt like he had to make a decision which could potentially affect the rest of his 3 life, he could not comprehend why things were happening to him and why he was being given signs inviting him to learn something new. He had another port of call, and that was to speak to his basketball coach in his office at the other side of the university, next to the gym. Shawn headed in that direction. He looked at the surroundings and people on campus with new eyes. He nodded and smiled in acknowledgement as he walked past other students. They had a mixture of looks on their faces. Some looked cheerful and pleasant, while others looked like they would rather be somewhere else. Shawn pondered about the last five years of his life as a university student. He realised that he had grown and matured as a person, but in terms of where he wanted his life to go, he was still a novice. After a brisk five-minute walk, he arrived at the office, where Mr Karl was doing some paperwork. Mr Karl had been the basketball team coach for the past four years, and had a sound knowledge of the game. While he emphasised the importance of staying fit to his players, he wasn’t exactly the ideal role model when it came to fitness. Built more like an overweight wrestler, his tree-trunk legs made him look shorter than he really was. By the look of his receding grey hairline, his lifestyle was catching up with him. The wrinkles on his forehead gave away his 45 years of age. “Shawn!” Mr Karl extended a hand, concern on his face. “I heard your flatmate was shot at the club the other night. I’m so sorry. Were you still there when it happened?” “It was crazy, man! It was a miracle more people weren’t killed. I was downstairs near the bar when the shit hit the fan!” “Luckily for my group as well, we were at the other end of the dance floor. It sure was messed up that night.” “Mr Karl, what do you know about Kevin Coachman?” Shawn got straight to the point. “Why? What did he say to you? Did he shake up your world as you know it?” “Man, he told me that I’m not meant to be an engineer! I don’t know what he wants from me!” “You met him because it’s your time. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Do you know what I was doing before I became the basketball coach?” “What?” “I was working a desk job in a marketing company, trying to sell things that I did not even care about,” Mr Karl shook his head as if he could not believe his previous occupation. “I was miserable, unhappy, and it affected my family life. I was fortunate that I met Coach, who

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3 told me that I should be serving people through a team environment and through a sport that 3 I loved. Now, it’s great! I get to have fun being around the game of basketball, I am able to influence the lives of young people, and my family life could not be better. I made the decision to go with the unknown and find out what I needed to know. And my life has never been the same since.” “So, he’s alright then? What else has changed for you?” “I developed a discipline in my life, and they are now habits. Take one of the greatest basketball players of our time, Michael Jordan. When he was playing in the NBA, he used to practise hundreds of jump shots each day, which resulted in him being a tremendous shooter and scorer. They were his practice habits and it became a part of his life. Also, consider cleaning your teeth! It is now a habit for you, isn’t it? I bet it wasn’t like that when you were young. I bet your mum or dad would have reminded you many times to clean your teeth until they knew you had formed the discipline to do it automatically. So it has to become a habit in your life. Therefore, you need to become aware of what your habits are and what steps you need to take to live and improve them.” “Would you have been able to get to where you are today without Coach’s help?” Shawn asked curiously. “Probably, but it may have taken a long time,” Mr Karl shrugged his shoulders with his palms open. “He is able to see something great in everyone and he helps them see it for themselves. It’s like being Michael Jordan: be the best you can be. And aim for the stars! Even if you don’t quite reach the stars, you certainly will go a long way from where you are right now. It’s your choice and decision.” “Hmmm! Well Mr Karl, thank you for your encouraging words,” Shawn gave him a street handshake. “It’s all good. I’m sorry about costing us the game on Friday night.” “Don’t worry, son. That was only a game of basketball. The game of life is more important and that’s the game you need to play well in.” “See you later, Sir! Thank you.” Outside the office, the first thought that came into Shawn’s mind was, “That’s it! I’m going to speak to Kevin Coachman. Now, how the hell am I going to contact him?” At that very instant his mobile phone rang. The caller ID was blocked, and it showed up as “private number calling”. “Hello.” “We don’t have much time,” a voice was heard at the other end. “Go home, pack some clothes and drive to Lerner Field.”

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3 “Coach, is that you?” Shawn was unsure. 3 “Yes.” “How did you get my number and how did you know when to call me?” “That’s not important, Shawn,” Coach responded. “We really haven’t got much time. We have a lot to get through, so you need to get yourself to Lerner Field as soon as possible. You will receive further instructions when you get there.” “Okay, but how can I call you if something goes wrong?” Shawn was moving faster towards his car. “Can I have your number?” “Just focus on the task at hand. Be at Lerner Field within forty-five minutes.” That was the end of the conversation. A sense of panic overcame Shawn. “Shit, forty- five minutes! It takes over half an hour to drive there! And what sort of clothes am I packing? Where will I be going? Goddamn it! What the hell am I doing?” Thoughts ran amok in his head as he ran towards his car which he’d parked on a campus car park. Hurriedly, he got in and raced home, while being very well aware of the speed limits on the road. Arriving home seven minutes later, he rushed upstairs to his bedroom and, trusting his instincts, he packed as many clothes and personal accessories as he could into a sports bag. He was back downstairs in less than five minutes and decided to leave a note for his flatmates: “I am going on a trip and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I’ll call you guys later. Shawn.” Rushing back into his car, Shawn drove like someone in a hurry. Since it was mid-afternoon on a Monday, not a lot of cars were on the road. Lerner Field was about five suburbs away, and it didn’t have any special features. It had a couple of football fields, along with a half-court basketball court, and a coupe of swings for the young kids. Shawn had no idea why that was the place he had to go to. For now, all he was concentrating on was to be there on time. He arrived with about a minute to spare based on when he had finished talking to Coach. Not a car was in sight and nobody was around! As he got out of his car, a thundering sound came out of the sky. It was a black and yellow Bell Jetranger helicopter, landing on one of the football fields about 30 metres from him. Shawn saw a person get out of the helicopter, who started running towards him. He could tell it was a woman, and she looked quite athletic. As she got closer, he saw it was Natasha! “Hi Shawn,” she greeted him with a smile. “You ready to go?” “Where are we going?” Shawn’s heart was beating faster, knowing that he would be getting

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3 into the helicopter. 3 “Somewhere not too far from here,” Natasha replied with her usual mysteriousness. “It will be a new experience for you.” “Is it safe to get on?” Shawn asked with a look of concern on his face. “I’ve never been in a helicopter before.” “Don’t worry, it is very safe. You aren’t afraid of flying, are you?” “Not really,” Shawn tried to put on a brave face. “Like I said, I’ve never been in a helicopter before. Who’s the pilot? Do you know him?” “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you? You will feel better once you know who the pilot is.” “What about my car? How long are we going for?” “Don’t worry about your car. Make sure it’s locked. How long we go for depends on you. Come on. Grab your bags and let’s go!” Shawn did as instructed and jogged behind Natasha towards the helicopter. He could not make out who the pilot was through the sunglasses and the headset. Natasha got in first, and as soon as he was about to step in, he looked at the pilot and saw that it was Coach, who had a wide grin on his face. “Welcome Shawn,” he greeted him loudly. “What’s the password?” “Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk!” “No, that’s the old password,” Coach laughed. “You need a new password, man! From now on, it’s VIP FACE. That’s the motto you are going to live by. Get in and close the door behind you!” Seconds later, the helicopter was airborne, flying low over the suburbs. Shawn had never dreamed of riding in a helicopter and yet here he was. With his headset on, he could not help but want to find out more. “How long have you been flying a helicopter?” he asked Coach. “For about a year or so.” “Where are we going and what’s the rush?” “It’s about a thirty-minute ride and we are going to a very special place. I’ll tell you more about why we had to rush when we get there. Sit back and enjoy the ride.” Pretty soon, the helicopter was flying along the coastline and the view was magical. Being the middle of the day, the sun streamed through, and the reflection of the helicopter could be seen on the water. Waves crashed against the cliff edges and seagulls skimmed the water

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3 looking for food. Shawn had not realised that the coastline was so close, but on reflection he 3 realised that it was so much quicker to travel a long distance by helicopter than by car. He noticed that Natasha also had a look of excitement on her face. “What do you do for Coach?” he broke the silence. “I’m part of his team and I help in whatever way is required to achieve our result,” she smiled at him. “It’s great to know that we make a positive impact in people’s lives.” “How long have you been part of Coach’s team?” “A couple of years. My life is totally different now and I am a much more focused person than I used to be. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. You probably won’t recognise yourself soon anyway. You will be richly rewarded in ways you cannot even comprehend now.” Shawn nodded and looked out the window, still admiring the scenery. The rest of the ride was in silence and, as Coach had informed him, they were slowing down to land now that a half-hour had passed by. The property had a helipad with the letters ‘SC’ in the middle. Coach made a joke that he wouldn’t have a problem finding a parking spot. He landed the helicopter without a hitch and as they got out, he looked at Shawn and said, “Welcome to Success Centre. Here you will learn to be successful and you will be rewarded in all areas of your life.” The Centre had a number of buildings, generously spaced out. Half a dozen cars were parked near the main driveway, including a white Volvo. No animals were in sight and the property was well-maintained, with the lawn short and the hedges along the property evenly trimmed. Trees were scarce: it looked like trees had been removed to make way for the buildings. At the east end of the grounds, open to the sky, was a full-size basketball court. An artificial golf- putting green was also there. Man-made paths lead to each building and they all had flower beds along their sides. Violets flowered along the path which led into what looked like a small temple that was decorated by flowers. Not too far from the temple was a teepee, and it had a bed of rocks all around it. Coach, who was standing next to Shawn as he scanned the property, gave him a pat on the shoulder and said, “Natasha will show you around. Go and have some lunch, and I will meet you on the basketball court in an hour and a half. I have to do some work first.” With that, he headed towards what looked like the main building. Natasha led the way into a large cottage, which displayed a sign at the door, ‘Know Thyself’’. She showed Shawn to a room and it was very modest to say the least. It had a wardrobe, a table and chair, and a single bunk bed. After dropping off his bag, Natasha led Shawn into the living room, where a

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3 number of people were sitting around a table having lunch. 3 “Shawn, I’d like you to meet Larry, Mike, and you’ve met Sandra,” Natasha introduced him to everyone there. “They are all part of our team. You will get to know everybody quite well. Help yourself to some food.” Shawn shook hands with Larry, a slim, average-height man. He wore glasses and his black hair looked very scruffy and in need of a haircut. He also looked malnourished, as he hardly had any muscles in his body. Mike, on the other hand, was taller than Shawn, solidly built, and had a marine-style haircut. He wore a stud in his left ear and he looked like someone you would want on your football team. Shawn exchanged pleasantries with everybody and helped himself to some green salad and roast chicken pieces. He sat next to Mike, and over the course of the next hour, he got acquainted with everybody. He got to know what they did there, how they came to know Coach, and what was planned for them. The only thing Shawn did not know was what was planned for him. Before he knew it, an hour and a half was up, and it was time to meet Coach on the basketball court. Coach was already there, dressed in black track pants, a white tee-shirt and basketball sneakers. Shawn had decided to get changed and wore shorts with his favourite basketball jersey and sneakers. He looked like a basketball player. “Are we playing one-on-one?” he asked. “No,” Coach replied quickly. “I said that your new motto in life is going to be VIP FACE. It is your password for life. Now you get to find out what that means and what that’s got to do with you. But before we do, would you like to know why I live my life using VIP FACE as my motto?” “Yes, for sure!” “I’ve always been interested in knowing what makes the difference in people’s lives. I was desperate to know why some people seemingly had all the knowledge, wealth and resources available to them but they were totally unsatisfied with their lives, whereas some people had the most challenging upbringing but were able to turn their lives around and have an extraordinary quality of life. I am a great believer in modelling people who had done what you want to do in life. So, I spent time reading about them, attending seminars and workshops, listening to audio programs and watching DVDs about people who were successful and happy in life. And do you know what I learnt from all my research?” “What was that?” “That the difference between people who were successful and happy in life, and the

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3 people who were stressed and unfulfilled in life came down to only a handful of basic universal 3 principles. It had nothing to do with the level of education a person had, or how smart or good looking a person was, who they knew or how much money they had. The people who were happy with their quality of life consistently applied certain principles to their lives. They established a discipline and a habit to live according to these principles. And the good news is that these principles are very simple and can be implemented in your life straight away. That’s what you are going to be learning here.” “That sounds very interesting. I’m keen to learn these principles,” Shawn commented. “Why do you call it ‘The Password for Life’?” “I’ve used the letters of the principles that I consider to be important and have come up with the phrase VIP FACE because it is really easy to remember,” Coach answered with a grin. “Each time you look in the mirror, you see your face. Now, each time you look in the mirror, I want you to connect with your VIP FACE. It is an easy way to connect with what is important in your life. Does that sound pretty simple?” “Very much so,” Shawn agreed with a nod. “Each time I look in the mirror, I will be able to remember my VIP FACE. I can do that.” “Okay, are you ready to get started?” Coach asked as he bounced the basketball a couple of times. “Alright, let’s do it” Shawn said enthusiastically. “Start off by taking a few free throws from the free-throw line.” Shawn walked up to the line and, as was his customary routine, bounced the ball three times, paused and shot. Whoosh! Nothing but net! Shawn was impressed with himself as Coach bounced the ball back to him. Again, he followed his usual routine and, as he was about to shoot the ball, he heard a loud burst of laughter behind him. It was too late to hold back – he was already through his shot. The ball hit the front of the rim and bounced away. Feeling very annoyed, he turned around to see where the laughter came from. He saw Natasha, Mike, Sandra and Larry looking at him, smiling and waving. Before he could open his mouth, Coach threw the ball at him and instructed him to shoot again. He had the same experience, with everybody laughing before he took the shot, and he ended up missing the shot. The next three shots were the same. “Okay, what’s going on?” Coach grabbed hold of the ball. “Everyone at the back is a nuisance,” Shawn responded in disgust. “I can’t concentrate with all that noise they are making.”

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3 “So, what’s your vision?” 3 “Huh?” Shawn was taken aback. “That’s what the ‘V’ stands for in VIP FACE,” Coach started. “The first principle is you must have a clear vision of what you want. A vision is a clear picture or image of the desired end result you want and are aiming for. What is it that you are going for? What is your outcome?” “I was trying to get the ball in the hoop,” Shawn protested. “Were you? To create your vision, you must start from the vision. Right now, you are starting from where you are and you are ending up all over the place because you have allowed external factors to influence you. The ball does not lie. It is very evident that you have not got a clear vision in mind.” “What’s having a vision got to do with me shooting hoops? It’s obvious that my goal is to get the ball in the hoop.” “Everybody has a vision,” Coach explained, unconcerned about Shawn’s resistance. “The thing that differentiates people who get what they want from people who don’t get what they want is that the vision they have moves them in the direction they want to go. You’ve probably heard the saying that, without vision, people perish. Let me point out what is going on for you. The first shot was great! It was on the money. Then suddenly you got distracted. Your mind went into trying to cope with the situation that you found yourself in rather than keeping your vision in mind. Suddenly the distractions became a buffer around your vision and the reasons why you believed you couldn’t get what you want were the very reasons which prevented you from getting what you want. I can safely guess that in your life, you have tried to go for things that you wanted, and at some point, you may have had a very clear vision in mind, but when something unexpected came up, you hesitated and stopped yourself from going for what you wanted.” “That’s a pretty good guess,” Shawn confessed glumly. “There have been numerous occasions in my life when I was really keen on something but then chickened out because I didn’t believe in myself. I let the distractions, as you said, deny me what I wanted. I have stopped myself from starting relationships, doing fun activities all because I let other people influence my actions.” “It’s good that you can acknowledge what you have been doing. Before any change can happen, being aware of what you currently do is really important. For you, there is a belief within you that there is a right way to get what you want. But it goes deeper than that.”

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3 “Really?” 3 “A belief you have that you may not be aware of is that you believe that you are incomplete and unworthy,” Coach continued. “You’ve experienced rejection or disappointments on many occasions, and that has unconsciously reinforced your belief that you are not worth loving. A classic example is Friday night. You let distractions and other people’s actions affect you. Why? Someone who is complete as a person will not worry about all that. You made it mean something about you.” “Wouldn’t you get upset if someone elbowed you in the ribs or chanted ‘choke’ at you?” “For me, it’s not a matter of getting upset. What is more important is the meaning I give to my experiences. If someone elbowed me in the ribs during a basketball game, I would say to myself that, ‘He thinks I am a threat to his team so he is trying to get an advantage’. So, I would just laugh at him. Similarly, if people chanted ‘choke’ at me, I would say something along the lines of, ‘They’re jealous’. And I would ignore them.” “Easier said than done,” Shawn spoke like the Coach’s words had struck a nerve. “It’s all about getting to know yourself at a much deeper level, Shawn. You have been following the process all your life because you need to know you are on the right track. You believe that what you truly want is not possible because you cannot see beyond what you already know. You think your dreams are impossible to create because they are beyond what you know, so you cut down on your visions. Remember, small visions have no power. You allow the distractions to cloud your visions. That’s why, when you shoot the ball or play the game, what you perceive to be distractions prevent you from obtaining your vision.” Shawn pondered for a moment and said, “You’re right. This sucks. What should I do?” “Let’s try a little experiment, shall we?” Coach was suddenly beaming. “Place your feet together, and now point directly in front of you with your right index finger. Okay, with your feet together and while still pointing straight ahead, turn around clockwise and go as far as you can safely go.” Shawn spun around as far as he could and he almost moved his hand 180 degrees. He was pleased with his effort. “That was pretty far, wasn’t it?” “Okay, try this now,” Coach ignored his question. “Close your eyes, and visualise this exercise. Still with your eyes closed, picture yourself turning around as far as you can. Pretend that you are really flexible and can rotate your body three hundred and sixty degrees with your feet together. Visualise that result and feel the joy and exhilaration of doing it.”

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3 After a half-minute pause, Coach continued the exercise. “Now, once again, with your 3 eyes open and feet together, point straight ahead with your right index finger, turn around clockwise.” This time Shawn almost effortlessly went further than the first time. He went past the 180-degree mark before turning around again. “Hey, that was really powerful,” Shawn said excitedly. “I went at least twenty percent more than the first time.” “That’s right! That is the power of vision. The secret is to create your vision in advance. When you visualise a result before it actually happens, you are telling your mind that is what you want, and you naturally get attracted to that result. That’s the power of having a large vision and visualising what you want.” “That’s awesome. How can I use it in my life?” “Let’s see if we can relate it to an area of your life. What is something recent that you have had trouble with or have not been able to create?” “Well, I’ve been sending out a lot of job applications but I have not been able to get one interview,” Shawn replied with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. “Okay, do you have a vision in mind when sending out your job applications?” “No, I’m doing it because that’s what the careers advisers have told us to do.” “What are some of your thoughts and emotions regarding the process of applying for jobs?” “I’m really annoyed, frustrated and I feel lost. I think that it‘s not fair, my subject results probably aren’t good enough, and there’s something wrong with me,” Shawn responded glumly. “I don’t even know why I’m applying for those jobs.” “That’s where your problem is, Shawn. We are touching a principle of focus that we’ll go through in more detail, but it looks like you don’t have a true or strong enough vision to focus on. What you are focusing on are the reasons why you can’t have it, that is, to get an interview and then a job offer. All your negative thoughts and emotions are causing you to doubt your ability to get what you want. You are not focusing on your vision at all. As a result, all those doubts show up in the reality of you not getting any interviews. Can you see that?” “Hmm, a very interesting way to find out what is going on,” Shawn scratched his head. “So again, what do I do about it?” “To create anything you want, you must know your vision. So, start from the vision and then visualise the result you want as if it has already occurred. Then take the appropriate action. Here, let me show you.”

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3 Coach went up to the free-throw line, and with the ball in his hand, he paused and looked 3 only at the hoop. The rest of the team were laughing in the background as he shot the ball. As if in slow motion, the ball sailed through the air and went through the net with a sweet whoosh. It never looked like missing. “Now you try it,” Coach invited as he moved aside. “Do you know how big the ring is?” “In size? Not really.” “Do you know that if you climbed up a ladder, you can fit three balls side by side over the ring?” “No, actually I didn’t know that,” Shawn confessed. “And I reckon a lot of people won’t know that either.” “It is important to know that the ring is big. Similarly, in life, you must have large visions because small visions will not inspire you. It’s important to realise that the universe will always give you exactly what you need if you have a clear vision. Now that you’ve realised that the hoop is bigger than you thought, let’s see you take the shot. Remember to visualise what you want to happen, which is to see the ball go through the hoop. Nothing but net!” At the line, Shawn bounced the ball once and never took his eyes off the hoop. In his mind, he pictured the ball soaring through the net and him experiencing the joy of making the shot. Without even thinking, he was compelled to shoot the ball. True to his vision, the ball sailed through the net with that sweet whoosh. “Weren’t you distracted by everyone this time?” Coach grinned widely. “What? Were they trying to distract me again? I honestly didn’t even hear them. I must have completely blocked them out.” “Very nice. Take a few more shots.” Now, with a clear vision in mind and with total focus on what he wanted, Shawn could not miss. It was effortless. He continually visualised the ball going through the hoop. He made seven shots in a row and soon everybody, including Coach, was clapping and cheering. A sense of relief came over Shawn as it dawned on him that he had learnt a valuable lesson. Everything starts with the vision, and it is so important to know the vision. He realised that so many people never get ahead in life because they don’t have a vision of what they want or which direction they want their life to go. “Having a clear vision is so powerful,” thought Shawn. He recognised that it was an amazing thing to know that the vision could be created in advance in his mind and that he would naturally be attracted to that vision. “Now that we’ve covered that, would you like to know what steps you can take to get

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3 yourself some job interviews?” Coach asked enthusiastically. 3 “For sure,” Shawn answered keenly. “Don’t worry. They will become very evident as you learn more of the principles to live your life by,” Coach had a laugh. “That’s all we are going to do for now. You can work with the others until dinner time. Then we’ll go for a drive.” It dawned on Shawn that the lesson he had was the start of a lot more to come. Without saying a word, he followed Coach back to the cottage.

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44 The Two-for-One Offer

Uncover Why You Do What You Do, and Connect With Your Most Creative Skill

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ~ Albert Einstein

D inner came and went in a flash. Shawn had spent the time getting to know everyone and also helped out with the preparation of the meal. When he had the opportunity, he called his home, but Andrew wasn’t there. So he left a message on the answering machine indicating that he was on a life-learning field trip, and he’d be gone for a few days. He also took some time to call his parents and said a quick hello. After dinner, everybody went to their cars and left to carry out the tasks they had been assigned. Shawn and Coach left last, and they headed over to Coach’s car, the white Volvo. Coach had changed his clothes, and was looking quite stylish. After they’d buckled up, he started the engine, and soon they headed back towards the suburbs. The plan, Coach had said, was to drive through the neighbourhoods and then visit some clubs. Shawn had no idea why they were going to clubs on a Monday night but he went with it. Coach was the first to start a conversation. “Today, you learnt about the importance of having a strong and clear vision. That was the first principle. Now, I want to introduce the second principle.” “That’s the ‘I’ in VIP FACE, right?” Shawn chipped in. “Yes it is. I call it the two-for-one offer. You are actually going to become familiar with the principles of Intention and Imagination. So, you learn one and get another one free. Tonight, we will talk about the importance of having an intention. The second principle is: your intentions drive your behaviour.” “Okay, intention drives a person’s behaviour. That’s pretty straightforward.” “It is, but we often forget how our intentions control our lives. I want to get you to know what drives your intentions or what is behind the intentions that drive your actions. So, let me

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4 ask you this: what was your intention behind wanting to meet me and wanting to learn from 4 me?” “You kind of forced me into making this decision,” Shawn was defensive. “You made it sound like something bad will happen to me if I didn’t change my life.” “I didn’t force you. I didn’t have a gun to your head. It was totally your choice. So, what is your intention?” Shawn thought about it for a moment. “Well, I guess then it is to learn something new and important from you that will help me in my life.” “Okay, that’s reasonable. Intention is like a commitment that you make to yourself, isn’t it? You make a commitment so that you can reach a certain outcome. Intention gives you direction. It’s like a controlling force that we all have within us. But people often have problems which result from a disconnection from their true intentions.” “What do you mean?” “Not having an intention is like being lost,” Coach explained. “You don’t know where you are going or what you are doing. True intentions will always reward you with what you want, whereas false intentions will result in obstacles or challenges. Intention is a force that exists in the universe. It is like an invisible force that you cannot touch or see. And everything and everyone is connected to this invisible force. But do you know how people use this force?” “How?” “They use it to either avoid pain or to get pleasure. That’s what motivates or drives people to do what they do. You may hear people say that they are afraid. They have a fear of failure or success, or a fear of rejection, but that can all be summarised as pain. Now if I ask you, why do you play basketball, what would you say?” “That’s really pretty easy. I love playing basketball because I am around other people and having fun, I know I am doing physical activity, which is good for my body. And also, basketball is a cool game. It is simple and involves using a variety of my natural skills.” “If I summarise it, you get pleasure from playing basketball?” “Yeah, I think that’s an accurate summary,” “Now, let’s see if we can find something that you do to avoid pain,” Coach pondered for a few moments. “Okay, earlier today on the basketball court, why did you wear the clothes that you did?” “I wanted to wear basketball clothes because you said to meet you on the court,” Shawn replied, somewhat defensively. “I wanted to look like a basketball player and I didn’t want you

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4 thinking that I didn’t belong on the court and was some kind of loser.” 4 “In other words, your intention was to get pleasure and avoid the pain behind what you thought my judgement of you would have been had you not worn what you did. Can you see that?” “But I don’t think I do things to avoid pain all the time,” Shawn was not convinced. “I didn’t say ‘all the time’, but what you do can be the result of a combination of avoiding pain and getting pleasure. At university, did you ever receive an assignment which had a due date and you knew you had to do it, but you left it until the very last moment to get it done?” “That’s what a lot of students do,” Shawn laughed. “Then why did you decide to do it at the end?” “Because if I didn’t do it, then obviously I would fail the assignment and could potentially fail the subject as well.” “In other words, you didn’t want to experience the pain of failing the assignment or subject, right?” “Yes, you are right,” Shawn agreed, rather surprised. “But, there was something else there; you left it right until the last moment before you got it done. So, although you had a lot of time to get it done, you procrastinated, right?” “Yes,” Shawn was embarrassed. “Do you know why you procrastinate?” Coach asked. “Not really. Maybe I’m lazy.” “Maybe, but the real reason we procrastinate is because we think that doing what we need to do is more painful than doing nothing. That is, by not doing anything, we experience less pain than doing something. So, with your assignment, just before it was due, to you, it would have been more painful if you didn’t do the assignment, and that drove you to get it done.” “That means, without realising it, I have been controlling my intention and using it to either avoid pain or to get pleasure.” “So whatever is the greater force will determine what you do. And for most people, the need to avoid pain is by far the greater motivator and that determines their intentions behind what they do. In your case, it was painful to do your assignment but as you got closer to the due date, it was even more painful not to get it done and that drove you to get it done.” “Man, so everything we want or do is to either get pleasure or to avoid pain. Okay, what’s your intention behind why you want to teach me?”

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4 “It’s obvious that it gives me pleasure to teach you,” Coach smiled at him. “Also, I want to 4 get you to realise why you do what you do, and also invite you to be all you can be. You have gifts that you need to share with the world, which in turn, can inspire other people to step up and be all they can be.” “If pain is the greater motivator, what can I do to change that behaviour?” “It all comes down to what you want and why you want it. This is why you will learn that the letters of the password are all linked, and they will support you to get what you want. In other words, you will get pleasure and lots of it. Ultimately, that’s what we all want, but we try to get it in different ways. To answer your question, if you want to change your behaviour, you must change what you are linking pain and pleasure to. It is that simple. And how you do that is by learning to control the focus of your mind. Don’t worry about that for now. We will go through that a lot more in the days to come. All I want you to understand right now is that you always have an intention whenever you are motivated or driven to do something. At times, you may not be aware of your intentions consciously. But know that your intentions are driven by your desire to either avoid pain or to get pleasure. Awareness is the key before any change can happen within you.” “Thanks for that lesson, Coach. That’s given me a better understanding of some of my behaviour patterns. So, what are we doing driving around here tonight?” By now, they had been driving for over 20 minutes and were going through a neighbourhood which Shawn very rarely visited. While it was a well-known and popular area, it had a reputation for being rough. The streets at night usually had so-called ‘gang’ members either driving around in their cars or walking the streets. These ‘gangs’ were mainly teenagers or young adults looking to occupy their time by carrying out activities that weren’t always in accordance with the law. Graffiti had been sprayed on building walls, on fences, and at the train station. Even large garbage bins weren’t spared the indignity of being vandalised. Litter on the streets was not an uncommon sight; people’s pride in their neighbourhood had been eroded through years of neglect and vandalism. Abandoned buildings and burnt-out liquor stores gave the suburb a bad look. Coach pulled the car over a couple of blocks from the train station. “I wanted to show you what is happening around you,” he responded to Shawn’s question. “I’m afraid that our young people are being taken advantage of and influenced in a negative way. They are being introduced and attracted to a life of crime. Unfortunately, those choices the young men and women are making are not going to be sustainable in the long run. Living a life with limitations

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4 and restrictions is not what they want. I want you to help me free them from their limitations so 4 that they can see life for the beautiful thing it is. Young people are the future of our world.” “What are we going to do?” Shawn said, looking around nervously. “I want you to see what goes on out here at night. Someone or some organisation is infiltrating our streets with drugs, alcohol and guns, which is leading to all the violence that surrounds us. The source of it may be here in Midtown. Whoever is doing this is very smart and sophisticated. They cover their tracks well. Your flatmates, Andrew and Dwayne, while he was alive, may have been involved, which could have been the reason why he was gunned down. But I think it goes much higher than them. They probably were just being used, like pawns. This is where you come in, and this was the reason for rushing.” “And what was the reason?” “There isn’t time to waste. Since you can relate with young people, you will have to find out information that we can use to help our youth, and bring whoever is responsible to justice. For your information, over the past few months we have helped over a hundred young people get out of the unenviable situations they were in. Now they, in turn, are helping others.” “Are you saying that I may have to do something illegal?” “No, not at all,” Coach allayed his fears. “The key at this stage may be your flatmates, Andrew and also Red. I don’t know much about Red’s story, but Andrew may be part of the chain, and we have to find out how long the chain is. But for now, we will observe what’s going on around here.” “What about the police? Can we go to them?” “Nobody has got any proof. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the cops are part of the illegal operations.” “What hope then have we got?” Shawn was fuming. “Bloody cops! They’re all the same!” “No, they’re not. Don’t let a handful of corrupt cops determine your opinion of the whole police department. The police do such a good job for the community, and don’t be surprised if they already have an undercover team on the case. This has been going on for months. Hey, have a look at what’s happening now!” They observed a group of teenagers with spray cans in their hands, defacing the fence surrounding the train station. Since it was almost 10 o’clock, the station platforms were vacant. Even if there had been a guard inside the station, he wouldn’t have been able to see what was going on outside. This group of four boys, between the ages of 15 and 18, spent the next 15

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4 minutes spraying designs and letters on the fence. While Shawn and Coach could not clearly 4 see what they were spraying, it was evident that they took great pride in displaying their artistic talents. They had team chemistry and synergy between them, as they took turns spraying paint on the fence. “Do you agree that they are getting pleasure out of what they are doing?” Coach broke the silence. “Looks like it. They seem to know what they are doing and they are very creative.” “Those guys have a lot of natural ability but, unfortunately, it isn’t being harnessed in a positive way. They’ve got a lot of energy at their disposal and they haven’t been able to find an avenue to use that energy so that they can improve themselves. That’s where you and I can make a difference.” “Yes, if there is a way of getting a message to teenagers to invite them to learn about what drives them. It is obviously painful for them to be at home and to utilise their time more productively. If only we can link pleasure to learning for these young people, then that would make such a difference.” “I am glad you have recognised what an opportunity there is to make a difference,” Coach remarked. “Mind you, the same thing applies to adults as well. Gambling, drug addiction, alcohol, over-eating and violence are some examples of what adults do to get short-term pleasure. You will get more clarity as time goes by. Let’s see what happens when that car goes past.” As he spoke, a silver Mercedes Benz proceeded slowly along the street as it approached the train station. Rather than driving straight past the station, the car stopped right next to where the teenagers had been spraying the fence. Instead of running away, the youngsters went over to the car and started talking to the ones in the front seat. After a couple of minutes, a package the size of a folder was given to one of the boys. In return, he reached into his pocket and handed what looked like an envelope to the occupants in the car. Seconds later, the car did a U-turn and drove off. The boys abandoned their efforts on the fence and headed toward the train platform. “What do you think that was all about?” Coach asked with a sense of excitement. “That looked a bit suspicious, didn’t it? It could have been a drug exchange. I wonder what was in the envelope. It could have been money. Maybe these kids are selling drugs on the streets. What are we going to do?” “Maybe they are selling it to people they know. There’s nothing to do right now. We’ll

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4 have to be patient. I want to take you into one of the clubs so that you can see what goes on 4 in there, even on a Monday night. Did you recognise that car at all?” “No,” Shawn replied. “I don’t know anybody who drives a Mercedes Benz. I hope we don’t have to walk to this club.” “It’s easier to drive to the club,” Coach laughed. “It’ll be safe tonight.” The club was on the other side of the station, and it took less than three minutes to drive there. It was a total contrast to the other side of the tracks. Here, cars lined the streets and also in the club carpark. Most of the fast-food outlets and restaurants were still open. It was almost like a different world when Shawn and Coach stepped inside the club. The music was loud, with a band playing on the small stage. The hundred or so slot machines were almost all occupied and glasses of alcohol was a common site on all the tables. “Tell me, what do you see?” Coach asked as they found themselves an unoccupied table. “I see people trying to win money on the machines. I see people who look like they’re having a good time,” Shawn commented as he looked around. “That’s true. Without wanting to judge people, I believe they are trying to resolve some pain in their lives by either drinking alcohol or gambling. There aren’t too many happy faces around. Even the band members are going through the motions. Some people may have a sense of emptiness in their lives, and they are trying to change that feeling with alcohol, and with the gambling. But don’t get me wrong, some people are here to have a good time. From my experience, though, people usually resolve some sort of tension or stress at clubs on weeknights. Stress is another word for pain. People are trying to avoid pain.” “Why are you showing me all this?” “You have been shielded from the outside world in your university life for the past five years and have lost touch with what is going on. This is for you to recognise that you can make a difference in the world, if you choose to. People’s experience of life can be positively impacted by adopting some simple principles, or as I call it, the password for life, which I intend to share with you. Then hopefully, you’ll share it with others.” “Oh damn, Coach!” Shawn suddenly ducked his head. “Nitro and a couple of boys just came in. Quick, let’s go behind the machines before he sees me.” “Who is this guy, Nitro?” Coach asked as they took cover. “After you left the club on Saturday night, Nitro and his boys had a few words with me and then had a fight with Andrew and Dwayne,” Shawn spoke softly as he peered in the direction

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4 of the new visitors. “They got kicked out of the club, and I reckon they were the ones who shot 4 Dwayne. Nitro is a very dangerous man.” “What, are you afraid of him?” Coach joked. “But seriously, don’t get yourself involved with guys like that! Have a look! It looks like they are doing some sort of a deal.” While everybody at the club was oblivious to what was happening, Shawn watched as Nitro talked to a couple in their early twenties for a few minutes. With a handshake, a small pack was exchanged between them, and Nitro was paid a handful of cash. It was almost as if he was fearless. With a nod of the head, Nitro and his associates left the club. The couple remained at their table, pretending like nothing had taken place. Coach and Shawn waited a few minutes before walking out from behind the slot machines. Coach led the way and they walked right past the couple as they headed to the bar. He ordered a couple of glasses of orange juice, and as they drank at the bar, they kept their eyes on the couple to see if they could find out more. But the couple talked at their table without doing anything suspicious, as if nothing had gone down. After finishing their drinks, Coach and Shawn headed back to the car. On the drive back to Success Centre, Coach was motivated to do something. “That guy Nitro could be like Andrew and Dwayne,” he predicted. “He is probably doing the dirty work for someone else. These young guys are caught up in a bad situation. Something has to change, otherwise it is going to get more violent and dangerous. Hopefully the others will have something to report as well tonight.” Once they got back to the Centre, they found that everybody else had returned as well, and were talking in the living room. Natasha spoke first. “We saw what looked like deals happening at Oakbridge. Young guys were exchanging small packages. Sandra and I didn’t see any adults involved.” “I saw similar activities at Clear Valley,” Larry reported his findings. “And I saw what looked like some university students selling stuff to teenagers at Wallmond,” added Mike. Coach stood up and went over to the large street map that was on the wall. “Okay, so we’ve got Midtown, Oakbridge, Clear Valley and Wallmond,” he observed as he placed pin flags at those locations. “Who can tell me if there is a trend here?” “I reckon they are all within a twenty-five-kilometre radius of the university,” Natasha observed. “So, I think that the source could be somewhere at the university.” “Great observation, Natasha,” Coach said, nodding. “Yes, I totally agree with you. Something is going on at the university. That’s where Shawn is going to be very useful as

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4 none of you are students there. So tomorrow, Larry and Mike, can you both head over to the 4 university and see what you can find out? You girls know what to do, and Shawn, you will be with me. Tomorrow you are going to learn about the power of your imagination and how it influences your life. It’s been a long day, everybody. Thanks for your help. Get a good night’s sleep and the journey will continue tomorrow.” “Goodnight all,” Shawn headed to his room to digest an eventful day. Shawn got up early in the morning to a pleasant, sunny day. As he walked outside, he looked up at the cloudless sky, and smelt the freshness and fragrance of nature in the air. He also observed Natasha walking inside the temple, wearing an orange robe. As he looked around, he saw Coach doing some stretches on the basketball court with Larry. From their poses, it looked to Shawn like they were practising yoga. And the mat gave it away. Feeling compelled to do something, he hurriedly went back inside the cottage and changed into his training outfit. He then stretched and limbered up. After a few minutes, he decided to go for a jog around the property. Coach and Larry noticed him running and gave him a wave and smile as he went past. Half an hour later, Shawn was back at the cottage, ready to have a shower. Breakfast consisted of fresh fruits, a selection of bran cereals and toast. Shawn looked at everybody’s faces – they all looked fresh and alive. Not a lot was said at the table. Everybody was enjoying their breakfast. Although Shawn was not normally a morning person, he felt very alert and sharp. He‘d only felt like this when he had basketball practice in the mornings during the season. He recognised that it would be great to start every day feeling the way he did. Once breakfast was over and the table had been cleared away, everybody paired up as agreed the previous night and drove off. Coach asked Shawn to accompany him on a walk. They headed towards the back portion of the grounds, behind the temple, where dozens of huge oak trees grew. “Today, I said you will learn about imagination,” Coach spoke first. “What do you know about imagination?” “It’s something I used a lot as a kid,” Shawn laughed. “I remember imagining being either cops or robbers when playing with friends. It used to be a lot of fun.” “What is it, then, and do you use it now?” “I don’t think I use my imagination a lot now. I think it is a way of experiencing something that is not present.”

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4 “Yes, in a way, it is an action of producing mental images of something that is not present, 4 or something not in a person’s experience. I bet I can show you that you are using your imagination every day. What would you say if you had to pick what influenced your actions the most, your rational mind, that is, your intellect, or your imagination?” “I’d say it’s my rational mind because I normally think about any decision I am going to make, then act.” “Alright then, let’s test it out,” Coach had a smirk on his face. “Can you pick up one of those planks, please?” Coach pointed to a pile of planks. Shawn picked one up. It was about three metres long and less than half a metre wide. He placed it on the ground in front of Coach. “Okay, walk across it a few times,” he instructed Shawn. “What’s the point of this?” Shawn asked, embarrassed as he walked across the plank, back and forth. “Pretty easy, isn’t it?” Coach was enjoying himself. “Okay, now place the plank over those two 44 gallon drums, and walk across it again a few times.” “This is ridiculous,” Shawn grumbled as he walked across the plank, which was now a metre or so above the ground. “I’m not going to fall off, if that’s what you think you’re going to make me do!” “Again, pretty easy, isn’t it? So, you’ve just proven you can walk across this plank even when it is above the ground, right?” “Yes! It’s too damn easy.” “Follow me,” Coach walked amongst the oak trees. “See that ladder? Can you see that plank between those two trees? Why don’t you climb up the ladder and walk across that plank a few times, just like you did before?” “What? Are you crazy?” Shawn exclaimed. “That’s about twenty metres above the ground! I could fall off onto those rose bushes and break a bone or something!” “But you said that it was easy to walk on a plank above the ground. It’s the same width, only a bit longer.” “Yeah, but that was when it was either on the ground or close to the ground!” “Can you see what is happening here, Shawn? You are afraid of falling off and your imagination is saying to you, ‘What if I fall off?’ You are probably picturing yourself falling off, and that is the message your mind is getting. Isn’t that right?” Shawn looked at Coach, realisation beginning to dawn. “You’re right, that’s exactly what

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4 happened! I immediately pictured myself falling off, felt myself hit those rosebushes, and break 4 an arm.” “You see, Shawn, your imagination is a powerful force inside of you. This is the principle you need to know. Your imagination is the strongest creative force that you have. It will always defeat your rational mind. Let’s think of another example. Have you ever been at a clothing shop and your rational mind said that you would look good in whatever piece of clothing you looked at, but in the end, you decided not to buy it?” “I remember when Michael Jordan came out of retirement the first time, he wore number 45 on his jersey for the Chicago Bulls. It wasn’t long before he changed back to his number 23. I saw both his jerseys in a sports store once and wanted to buy the number 45 jersey, thinking that it would be a collector’s item and that I would look cool wearing it. Then, for some reason, I imagined people telling me I was out of style and I wasn’t staying with what was happening in the NBA. In the end, I didn’t buy either of the jerseys.” “So your imagination won again. You imagined people saying those things to you, which in the end influenced your decision. Can you now see that your imagination will overrule your rational mind?” “I think so…” Shawn didn’t sound very convinced. “Tell me another scenario.” “What about in an exam situation? Have you ever done poorly in an exam even though you had prepared for it and studied hard for it?” Shawn cast his mind back, and then nodded. “I once sat a Physics exam in my first year of university and I knew I was well prepared for it. I had done all the assignments and lab experiments and I knew I was ready. But, right before going into the exam room, I got all nervous and started imagining making mistakes and failing the exam. I couldn’t think straight and doubted my ability. What happened was, I did end up failing the exam. I was so disappointed that that had happened.” “Again, your imagination defeated your rational mind. What happened in that situation was that your fear of failure, along with your mental image of making mistakes, was stronger than any confidence you had built up through studying and preparing. Therefore, your fear dominated in your mind, and what resulted was the product of your fear, you failed the exam!” “What should I have done in that situation?” “Obviously, positive thoughts would have helped,” Coach replied with a smile. “Do you know your mind can carry only one thought at a time? In your scenario, you should have told

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4 yourself things like, ‘I have studied for this exam’ or ‘I am prepared and I am going to pass 4 this exam today’. That would have prevented you from imagining yourself performing badly and failing. Does that make sense?” “Yes, absolutely,” Shawn nodded. “That makes total sense. So my imagination is playing a vital role in my life?” “Very much so. Imagination is so important. So you must develop the ability to connect with and use your imagination. Your imagination is the instrument of your soul. Now, let’s go and have an experience of it on the basketball court.” Once they were on the court, Coach walked up to the free-throw line and, with the basketball in hand, took one look at the ring, then closed his eyes and after a pause, shot the ball. He didn’t need to be concerned. It was nothing but net. “I saw you do that at the courts that day,” Shawn complimented him. “You’re obviously a very skilful shooter.” “Basketball is as much a mental game as it is a physical game. Similarly, in life, whether you want to create wealth, or have a relationship, or create a career or a business, it is more psychology than it is mechanics or techniques. Yesterday we talked about knowing your vision. Today, we are combining vision and imagination. You can imagine a vision occurring without having to know anything about it. In basketball, shooting is much more than good mechanics. It’s the belief in yourself that comes first. That also applies to anything you want to create. Do you want to have a go?” “I’ll try with my eyes open first, just to get my bearings right,” Shawn laughed nervously. “Okay, know your vision…” He comfortably made his first shot and then proceeded to make his next three shots. Coach then reached into his pocket and took out a headband, which he gave to Shawn. “Put that over your eyes.” Shawn took his time getting himself prepared to take the shot. With the blindfold on, he bounced the ball once, had a pause and then took the shot. The ball bounced off the ring, hit the backboard and bounced away. “Did that go in?” he asked as he lifted the blindfold. “Yep, off the backboard and in,” Coach replied with a smile. “Take a few more shots.” “Oh right!” Shawn yelled out excitedly. “I saw Michael Jordan do it once in a game, where he shot a free throw with his eyes closed.” Again, he bounced the ball once, had a pause and then imagined the ball going through

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4 the hoop like before. When he was compelled to shoot, he took the shot. This time, the ball 4 sailed ever so sweetly through the air and through the net as it made that whoosh sound. “I know that definitely went in,” Shawn looked proudly at Coach. “How come I didn’t hear the whoosh sound the first time?” “It’s because I wanted you to believe that it went in,” Coach responded with a wide grin. “It’s all in the mind, Shawn. Now you believe you can do it, and that is the message you are giving your mind. As a result, you are experiencing the dominant thought in your mind, that is, the ball going through the hoop. It’s a pretty simple concept, isn’t it?” “You’re a trickster, aren’t you?” Shawn laughed. “But I am glad you did. Now I feel comfortable shooting it blindfolded.” Shawn then proceeded to take quite a few more shots. Although he did not make them all, he made the vast majority. Coach had the ball back to him as soon as he took the shots so that he would not stop to look at the result after each shot. Coach gave a running commentary as Shawn kept taking the shots. Although it was a simple lesson, Shawn really got to experience how powerful his imagination was. And he had fun in the process. After about 15 minutes, Coach called a stop to shooting free throws. “Now we are going to take it up a level. How about standing with your back to the hoop and throwing the ball over your head into the hoop from the free-throw line?” “Do I really have to? I think that I’ve already learnt the lesson.” “This will really assimilate what we’ve talked about today. For someone like you who has played a lot of basketball, shooting free throws can be relatively simple. But throwing a ball over your head into the hoop is not something that is usually practised. You might see it on TV during the half-time entertainment. I’ll have a go first.” Coach had his back to the hoop at the free-throw line, paused for a moment, and then threw the ball over his head. The ball hit the front of the ring and bounced away. “You missed!” Shawn exclaimed. “It’s not that easy, is it? What does that mean, now that you’ve missed the shot?” “It means nothing,” Coach smiled at him. “You will become more familiar and comfortable with what to do next when something does not go your way. For now, I will imagine the ball going through the hoop and me celebrating.” He tried the shot once again and paused a little longer before throwing the ball. This time, the ball hit the little square on the backboard and bounced straight into the hoop. Coach pumped the air with his left hand as Shawn retrieved the ball. To prove that it wasn’t a fluke,

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4 he took a couple more shots, and they were better, as the ball did not even touch the ring as it 4 went through. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he motioned to Shawn that it was his turn. With a sense of trepidation, Shawn positioned himself at the line and hurriedly took the first shot. It was an air ball! “Take your time. Allow yourself to imagine the ball going through the hoop,” Coach reassured him. This time, instead of resisting his negative thoughts and his doubts, Shawn allowed them to come through. Surprisingly, as he did, those negative thoughts disappeared as quickly as they had come. Now he imagined the ball sailing through the hoop and he imagined the pleasure it would give him when he actually made the shot. With his eyes closed, he tossed the ball above his head and all he heard was the sweet sound of whoosh. Coach came over and gave him a high-five with a huge smile. Shawn was absolutely elated. This was exactly how he had imagined he would feel when he made the shot. He thanked Coach for his encouragement and went back to the line to try it one more time. Once again, he experienced success, and the message got home loud and clear. Connecting with and using one’s imagination was extremely powerful. “A lesson well learnt, Shawn. Just remember, everything is created twice: first in your imagination and then, and only then, as reality itself. Also realise that your brain does not know the difference between something you vividly imagine and what you actually experience. Therefore, it will serve you tremendously if you keep imagining the result you want before it actually happens. What will tend to happen is that you will gravitate towards what you are imagining and, pretty soon, that will become your reality. Now, as they say, business has picked up. There is a surprise in store for you after lunch. A lot of your questions will be answered as well.” Shawn took a few more shots and was successful most of the time. He left the court with a sense that the journey was just getting interesting.

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55 The Purpose of Life

Everything in Life Serves a Purpose – Learn the Most Important Thing about Yourself

“Synergy - the bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr

L unch was an extremely lively affair, with everyone keen to share what they had experienced so far in the day. “Sandra and I saw a few young people doing some strange things at the markets,” Natasha reported. “Some of them were university students and little bags of white powder were being exchanged with hand shakes. It was so blatant.” “That’s right, and they did not care that they were doing it in broad daylight either,” Sandra added. “Well, Mike and I did not spot anything suspicious at the university,” Larry chipped in. “Maybe it’s because a lot of the students were in class and it also could have been because they were at the markets doing their deals!” Shawn shared his experiences of using his imagination and the success he had on the basketball court. Everybody congratulated him and told him that the lessons would get more powerful as time went along. “Now, this is where things get interesting,” Coach spoke up. “Natasha, can you please take Shawn to meet Budd?” “Budd!” Shawn asked. “Who is that?” “Budd is a nickname we have given to a very special person we know,” Coach answered. “He is a person who has incredible wisdom, and we gave him the nickname after Buddha because he lives like a monk. He is a very spiritual person, and your life will be blessed when you meet him. He certainly changed the direction of my life. He will put you in touch with who you are and what is true for you. The funny thing is, we don’t know his real name.” “Sounds like a special person,” Shawn commented. “It should be an interesting meeting.”

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5 “Yes, it will be for you,” Coach added. “Natasha has already met him and she will tell you 5 all about it. Larry, Mike, and Sandra, can you please compile all the photos and information you have collected?” “Photos? You guys all take photos?” Shawn asked. “Yeah, we usually have a camera with us wherever we go. One of our latest cameras is this built-in camera in our sunglasses,” Mike replied. “It is pretty groovy. That helps us compile evidence that we will be able to use later.” “Where do you store all the information?” Shawn asked as he looked around the room. “It’s not in here,” Larry chipped in. “It’s stored somewhere else safely.” “Alright, we all know what to do,” Coach spoke after there had been a break in the conversation. “Natasha, you and Shawn better head off soon because you have a long drive. I’m going to go to my office and look through some of the evidence we have.” Once lunch was over, Shawn got ready to leave with Natasha. He realised that he was now on his own with this beautiful woman, and he felt his heart beat faster. He had this sense of nervous excitement within him that he had not felt for a while. Natasha led the way to the car, a silver BMW Z3 Roadster. “Is this yours?” Shawn asked as he examined the car closely. “It belongs to the Centre and we all get to use it,” Natasha replied as she got in. “How do you guys afford this place and all the things that you do?” Shawn asked as he buckled up. “This place is Coach’s creation. He has worked with and helped out people who are supporting the vision of the Centre, which is to help as many people as possible live magnificent lives. And so, through the generosity of people whose lives he has affected, we never have a shortage of anything. There are actually quite a lot of generous donors, so the five of us have all that we need to continue Coach’s good work. We are always looking for people to come and join us, and to really free more people from being victims of their circumstances.” “Hmm. And you’ve been involved here for almost two years, you said. What were you doing before?” “I worked in a retail store as a shop assistant. I also used to help out a bit at community centres in my free time, and that’s how I got to meet Coach. The first thing that he said to me was that I would make a great herald.” “What’s a herald?” Shawn asked, a bit puzzled. “It’s like what I did with you – I was the link between you and Coach. In other words, I gave

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5 you the incentive and the encouragement to go and talk to him. I removed the resistance you 5 had to find out something about yourself that could improve the quality of your life. Coach basically explained that I had gifts that were being under-utilised and he invited me to come and learn about ‘The Password for Life’. I hesitated initially and had no idea what I had got myself involved in, but soon enough, after the lessons with Coach, things started to change in a positive way in my life. I started to enjoy my life like never before and I saw results that inspired me to keep doing positive things. Since then, I have been personally involved in connecting many people to Coach, and they have all experienced a dramatic change in their lives. I also found Coach’s approach really simple and easy to implement. It’s true what he says: each time you look in the mirror you will automatically connect to your VIP FACE. It’s now become a habit for me. It has been a great journey of learning and I am still learning. I don’t think that will ever stop.” “That is really fantastic. I’m glad that Coach has made a big difference to your life. So, you’ve met this guy Budd, right? What did he say to you?” “Oh, he told me quite a few things,” Natasha replied with an evasive smile. “Many of those things are in the pipeline. It’s like the universe is conspiring to bring those things into my life.” “Like what?” “He mentioned that I would be part of an organisation that would help free people. At the time, I didn’t expect that I would be working with Coach, but he did say that I would have a person as a mentor in my life.” “And that person is Coach?” “Yes.” “What about in the future?” Shawn continued. “What about having a relationship and having a family?” “Oh, I got insight into that as well. That is going to be interesting when that all happens.” “Where is this man, Budd, located? How far away is he?” “All in all, it’s about an hour’s drive,” Natasha responded, looking at her watch. “We’re about ten minutes into our journey. Tell me about you. What do you want in life? What are you afraid of? Where do you see yourself in two years, five years, and in ten years?” Shawn thought for a few seconds. “Part of me is not really sure about what I want. I guess Coach recognised that and wants to help me. In terms of fear, I don’t really fear anything except travelling in an aeroplane.”

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5 “What’s scary about travelling in a plane?” Natasha interrupted him, laughing. 5 “When I was little, I think about six years old, I was on a plane with my family when the plane suddenly starting dropping. An old lady had a heart attack and died. I can still remember the people on the plane trying to revive her. It was so sad, and the worst thing was that they put her on a stretcher and took her to the back of the plane. I remember looking at her face as they carried the stretcher and I started crying. I swore that I would never travel in a plane ever again. To this day, I’ve had no reason to travel on a plane and I don’t want to.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” “That was one moment I remember being afraid as a kid,” Shawn had tears in his eyes. “That’s what I am really afraid of.” “It was a pretty awful experience for you and I don’t blame you. But that was a long time ago. Planes are safer and more comfortable. Plus, how will you be able to travel to another country without flying?” “Right now, I don’t have any reason to fly, plus with all the bad publicity about airline safety, I am not interested. I am comfortable where I am.” “Okay, where do you see yourself in the future?” “I thought that I would be working as an engineer and possibly a career in management, but it looks like that may change. I hope to be in a good relationship and then eventually have a family.” “So what’s your life purpose?” “Huh?” Shawn replied. “I don’t know.” “Most people go through life without really knowing why they are here. Everything is the world has been created for a purpose. This car, your clothes, your shoes, a basketball. Everything serves a purpose. You and I are no different. That’s what you will be learning today.” “That’s the ‘P’ in VIP FACE, right?” “It sure is,” Natasha smiled. “‘P’ for Purpose. As I see it, everything in life comes down to this. I’ll leave that for Budd to go through with you.” “It’ll be good to know my purpose in life.” “Hey, by the way, I heard about what happened at the club after I left on Saturday night. That was terrible what happened, with your flatmate getting killed.” “It was just going to be a matter of time before something like that happened to him.” “What about your other flatmate? What does he do?” “The other guy is Red. I’ve only known Red personally this year. But I’d heard of him

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5 before. Lots of people talked about him. He has a reputation as a ladies’ man.” 5 “What’s his background?” “He’s a university drop-out. I don’t really know what he was studying because he doesn’t talk about it. He’s got a lot of connections with people and is very resourceful. I think he’s got an Indian background. If I remember correctly, he said he was from Fiji.” “I’d like to go there one day. I heard that it is so beautiful over there. It is heaven on earth, and the people there are so friendly and hospitable.” “Okay. How much longer have we got to go?” “We’re about ten minutes away,” Natasha replied as she looked at her watch. “We are going to a temple on a hill. It is really beautiful. I think you will like what you see.” True to her word, they arrived at their destination right on time. The parking area comprised of a couple of cars. The temple was golden, with dozens of wide, shallow steps leading up to its entrance. The outside of the temple was decorated by flowers and it had a couple of Buddha statues as water fountains. The steps had flower petals scattered on them, which gave a warm welcome to anybody climbing up to the temple. Natasha and Shawn went up the steps and, before entering the temple, they took off their shoes. Natasha led the way and at the front of the temple, they saw a man sitting near the altar. He looked to be either praying or meditating – he had his eyes closed. The inside of the temple had a lot of flowers along the sides and at the altar. A red carpet lined the middle, with candles lit on either side and at the altar. The aroma was of burning incense. Natasha went up to the man, knelt in front of him, bowed down and whispered a few words. The man looked in the direction of Shawn and then nodded. He then proceeded to touch Natasha’s forehead. After about a minute, she bowed her head again, then stood up and walked towards Shawn. She whispered in his ear that she would wait for him outside, and to take as long as he needed. With his heart beating faster, Shawn slowly started walking towards the man. He wore a full-length white robe and Shawn was reminded irresistibly of the monks he’d seen in many a kung-fu movie. He had a narrow face, and long, thin, white whiskers growing from the point of his chin. He gave a warm, pleasant smile and had a face full of the wrinkles of wisdom. “What’s happening, homie?” he greeted Shawn with a huge grin, and put his right hand up for a high-five. “Hello…” Shawn stuttered his reply as he returned the high-five, totally caught off guard.

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5 “Surprised? What did you expect?” he asked, still grinning. 5 “I wasn’t expecting a greeting like that.” “Oh, you know! Us monks, we’ve got to get with the times and the language, homes. You can call me Budd. You are Shawn, right?” “Yes. It’s really nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.” “Oh, you shouldn’t always believe everything you hear. You are a lucky man to be under the wing of Coach. He is a good man. So you’ve come to find out the truth about who you are and why you are here!” “Yes, please!” “This is the next principle you must know. You have a purpose in life and it is to live a life of purpose. The Great Buddha once said, ‘Those who have failed to work towards the truth have missed the purpose of living’. There is nothing higher than the truth of who you are. You have a mission in life, and that is to win your game of life. You need to have a purpose for doing what you do.” “How do I know what my purpose is and how do I know if it is true?” “You can decide what your life purpose is. You can come up with it for yourself. As I said, the purpose of your life is to live a life of purpose. For long-term joy and fulfilment, you should ensure that whatever you do in life, you continue to grow as a person and you also contribute to others. On our planet, growth represents life. Everything on our planet is either growing or dying. That’s why it is so important to keep growing as a person. Similarly, you experience true fulfilment and joy when you contribute something beyond yourself. The truth is that you already know what your life purpose is. It’s in your heart. All you have to do is to connect with your heart and you will have a profound experience of it. Once you have a sense of your life purpose, qualities will awaken within you that will start working towards you attaining your life purpose. The universe will do its part in assisting you as well.” “If it’s so simple to know what your life purpose is, then how come so many people don’t know what it is?” “There are many reasons why people don’t live a life of purpose. Some people are not prepared to accept that they are here for a reason, which means that they don’t know the purpose of their game of life. What then happens is that they set up restrictions and conditions on themselves as to how they should live out their lives. Some people give up when they have experienced a challenge and failed. To them, it is easier to stay where they are and not play that game. In other words, they don’t get out of their comfort zone and go beyond it. They

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5 rationalise their decisions by saying that they don’t have the time, or their life is not too bad, 5 or it’ll take too long, or it’ll cost too much, or it’s too far away, or they’ll do it tomorrow. Other people put so much pressure on themselves because, to them, it’s a life-and-death game. Yes, life is a game and you can only play your own game. But people lie to themselves. They make up reasons as to why they aren’t prepared to accept the truth that they are here for a purpose. The game is different for everybody.” “I realise that the game will be different for everybody, but what is the starting point, or where do I start from?” “If you were told today that you had a life-threatening condition and had six months to live, what would you do?” Budd asked. “I would do everything I could to live longer. If I thought my time here was limited, I would do all I can to contribute in some way to the world. I would help out at youth centres and community centres, talk to as many people as I can and inform them to get the most out of life everyday.” “Your time here is limited. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier if everybody was told at childbirth that they had a life-threatening condition and only a limited time to live. Would that change people’s perspective on life? Would that make people want to spend more time at their jobs or spend more time doing what really matters to them? We tend to keep putting off things until tomorrow. One day, for all of us, there will be no tomorrow. Let me ask you this: what’s stopping you doing all the things you mentioned right now?” “I’ve got commitments and responsibilities. I don’t want to let go of what I’ve invested a lot of my time and energy into. Plus, I don’t know if I’ll be able to support myself doing what I want to, anyway. There is no guarantee.” “You’re right, there is no guarantee. There is also no guarantee that you will be here tomorrow. But as I’ve said, the universe will conspire to help you when you are on the path to living your life purpose. That’s the truth! You need to have faith and trust that you will be supported. With regard to commitments and responsibilities, we will always have them to some extent in our lives. It is important to remember that you should not do anything to the extreme. Everything should be done in moderation. Once you do know your life purpose, you can gradually start taking steps towards it and, over time, it will become clearer and clearer. Then you will find that you will have no choice but to live your life purpose.” “Okay, I recognise that my ultimate life purpose is to experience happiness and to contribute in some way, and it will be great to experience happiness everyday in my life. I am really keen

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5 to connect with it. What’s the starting point?” 5 “One way is to use a simple meditation process. I call this ‘The Child Within’ meditation. Have you ever noticed how young children know what they want all the time? Similarly, as a child, you knew what you wanted in life, and this meditation is about reconnecting to the child in you. Take a moment to recall one place you enjoyed being as a child. It could have been a playground, the garden, in your home, at your school. Where was one place where you just loved to be?” Shawn thought for a couple of minutes. “It was my backyard at home,” he said at last. “We had a really big yard and I loved playing games in the yard. I also enjoyed taking care of the yard and getting my hands dirty.” “Great! That’s where you are going to go back to during this meditation,” Budd smiled at him. “You will be using your imagination now. Are you ready?” “Close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. Just acknowledge everything that is going through your mind right now... all your thoughts and feelings and let them come through… Now, imagine that you are walking through a forest. Allow yourself to notice everything about the forest: the sights, the smell, and the sounds you can hear... Continue to imagine walking through this forest. Receive whatever you get… Now, imagine that you come across a path in the forest and you decide to follow the path. Notice what it’s like to walk along the path in the forest... As you walk along the path, you come across a fork and you take the left fork. Again, notice what it’s like to walk along this path in the forest... Now, as you are walking along this path, it leads to a clearing and you find yourself walking into your backyard at your home when you were a child... There in your backyard, you meet yourself as a child, when you knew who you really were and what your life purpose was. Let the younger you tell you what is important to you in life. Allow yourself to use your imagination and make it up. Take as long as you need to and when you are ready, start sharing what your younger self told you.” Shawn was in that meditative state for nearly 10 minutes. When he opened his eyes, the tears welled out. He took a couple of deep breaths and composed himself. “That was absolutely amazing! It’s unbelievable that such a simple process can be so powerful.” “You just accessed your intuition. Your imagination is the bridge to your intuition, and it is

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5 available to you all the time. When you use your intuition, you tap into an unlimited source 5 of information that is available to guide you in your life. Once you establish a relationship with your intuition, you will receive such clarity on any aspect in your life. So, what did you experience?” “My younger self told me all sorts of things,” Shawn replied excitedly. “He told me the purpose of my life was to smile and enjoy myself. When I do that, I get people around me to have fun as well. He said that I was a natural leader and that I would be working with young people and adults, and empowering them to live the lives they really want. He said that I will be creating a global community that will be built on some simple principles and, when applied, people will get in touch with who they are and what they are here to do in life. The community will be about empowering people to get what really matters to them in their lives. I will be an example to other people of what is possible in life. It’s funny, but Coach also said the same thing.” “What’s true is true,” Budd added with a chuckle. “You have heard this before: ‘The truth will set you free’. That meditation is a step towards freeing yourself and coming home and connecting to who you really are. It is a step towards recognising what freedom really means.” “Yes, now I understand. My younger self also said that working as an engineer is not what my life purpose is. It is to connect and serve people in a powerful way. I will be sharing my love and wisdom with people, who in turn, can share it with other people. He said that I will create a beautiful relationship with the woman of my dreams and have a family. Part of my purpose is also to be a father and a role model to other people. He also said that I will be travelling around the world and sharing my message as the community I create continues to grow.” “That’s quite a bit of information you know now that you didn’t know before. As I said, it was always within you. All you needed to do was to tap into it.” “What happens now? Now that I know all these things, what do I do with it?” “Good question. These now become the visions you want to create. Like in basketball, your outcome is to get the ball into the hoop, these are now the outcomes you want. So what you do next is to establish results or outcomes for yourself. You have to document them and review them on a consistent basis.” “So what can I do now?” Shawn asked excitedly. “Wait here for a few moments while I go and get something for you.”

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5 As Budd walked away, Shawn reflected back again on the experience he just had. He 5 recognised what a gift he had been given. When Budd returned a couple of minutes later, he had handed Shawn a journal and a pen. “Here, start documenting what you want,” he instructed Shawn. “Answer the following questions: 1. What results or outcomes do you want? 2. Why do you want those results? What is your purpose? What will you experience when you get it? 3. What actions can you take to get those results? It’s so simple but so many people fail to write down the goals they want in life. Something magical happens when you document your outcomes and keep reviewing them regularly. I suggest that you read your life goals every day so they are installed in your mind, and you will naturally gravitate towards them.” “In a way, I am creating a plan for myself, with this being one of the most important plans of my life. I have read in the past that the most successful people in the world have the results or outcomes they want written down. Those results then become real and tangible.” “Take some time now and write down what you want according to those three questions,” Budd instructed him. “When you are finished, write down something you can do today that will move you towards achieving one of those results.” Shawn sat himself down in a comfortable position of the floor and spent the next half- hour documenting what he had received from The Child Within meditation. He felt tingles of excitement in his body as he wrote down his plan. Writing down his goals for the first time in his life made him feel the way he did on a basketball court: excited and passionate. It was pure delight. Budd sat by the altar, waiting patiently for Shawn to finish. “One action I can take now is to learn more from Coach,” Shawn spoke up after he had finished writing. “He may be able to give me ideas on how to create my community and also give me guidance in creating others goals, like a relationship.” “Do you see what happens when you get excited about a particular project that you want to create? All of a sudden, you are now receiving insights about it. That is part of the magic that happens when your goals become real. You will be receiving insights all the time and you will need to be aware of when you need to take action. There is something else you can do daily to ensure that you keep giving energy to what you want to create.” “And what’s that?”

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5 “Again, it is very simple and very effective. When you wake up every morning, sit up in 5 your bed and visualise the results you want in life for about ten minutes. Really imagine that you have already attained the results you want. Allow yourself to experience what it’s like to get your results. When you first start doing this, other thoughts will enter your mind and will distract you from what you are visualising. But don’t worry. That will improve over a couple of weeks as your mind becomes trained in visualising what you want. Always bring your focus back to what you are visualising. What will happen is that your mind will become more disciplined and stronger, and you will get better insights as to what actions to take to create your results.” “That’s it? It sounds pretty simple.” “Yes it is. But that’s what’s powerful about it. Usually the simple things can give you the best result. Do that every morning and you will notice what a difference it makes. Also, every night, before you go to bed, take about five minutes to reflect on your day. Ask yourself what you learnt from today and what you would do to improve the next day. Again, giving yourself time to reflect on your day is going to assist you tremendously.” “That’s a total of fifteen minutes per day. Ten minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, right?” “Yes, that’s not much, is it? You may find that challenging initially but you will have to get yourself to do it because the rewards are huge. Pretty soon, you will be spending more than fifteen minutes visualising each day. As a minimum, though, fifteen minutes per day to get you started.” “I’m pretty sure I can do that. I’ll get up ten minutes earlier if I have to and I know it will become a habit for me. Thank you so much for your insights. Is there any way I can repay you?” “Take the journal with you. If your life is worth living, then it’s worth recording. Review it regularly, daily, is what I suggest,” Budd had a huge smile on his face. “The way to repay me is to go out and live your life purpose. I am living mine and I love to share what I know with those who want to listen. Continue to share with everyone you know the importance of living a life of purpose.” “I intend to share this with people I know. My family will be excited to learn about this.” “Remember, Shawn, now that you are excited about the results you want to get in your life, all your thoughts will start working towards creating those results. A lot of your abilities that have been dormant within you will now be awakened. They will start giving you insights

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5 so that you can bring all your visions into reality.” 5 “Thank you, Budd,” Shawn bowed in front of him. “This has been one of my most rewarding experiences ever!” “Go and serve those you can,” Budd touched his forehead. “Peace to you, homie.” “I hope to see you again soon,” Shawn acknowledged him with a handshake. “Take care.” Outside the temple, as Shawn put his shoes on, he felt energised and vibrant. He rushed down the steps to the car, where he found Natasha reading a book. “How did it go?” she greeted him as she put her book away. “Man, I found that experience really amazing. Did you go through the same process – The Child Within meditation?” “Yes, I did.” “So, you’d know about the daily visualisation processes as well? Honestly, that was a great experience and very rewarding. I am really excited about creating the things I saw during the process.” “That’s great,” Natasha replied as she started driving out. “I told you that you would be surprised when you met Budd. I still remember the day I first met him. It was incredible, and what I wrote in my journal has either already happened or is in the process of happening. What was one big thing you found out about yourself?” “I found out that I will be creating a community that will support and empower people. Funnily enough, that was one of the things Coach said to me when I first met him.” “Isn’t that amazing, huh?” Natasha chuckled. Shawn then proceeded to tell her as much as he could about his experience in the temple. He read out things he wrote in his journal, and they both shared a good laugh reliving the experience. The energy in the car was positive and high. As it was now late in the afternoon, a lot more cars were on the road, with people going home after work. About half an hour into the trip, the look on Natasha’s face became serious. She constantly checked the rear-view mirror, and Shawn sensed that something was not right. “Is everything alright? You look a bit concerned.” “Don’t look, but there has been a car following us for the last fifteen minutes,” she replied. “I don’t know for sure, but I am going to find out.” With a sudden burst of acceleration, she changed lanes and started overtaking a number of cars. Shawn had a peek out the rear window and saw a black Porsche Boxster sports car

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5 accelerating as well. 5 “Oh no! I think it might be the same car from the club on Saturday night involved in the shooting!” he exclaimed as he slumped back into his seat. “What are we going to do? What do they want?” “I don’t know, but I think people are getting nervous about all the work we have been doing over the past few months,” Natasha replied, her eyes concentrating on the road. “We might be making some enemies, which means we are getting close to uncovering something.” “Can you lose them?” Shawn asked, now really concerned as he looked out the back again. “Let’s see if the lessons I had at driving school are going to pay off. We’ve got to get off this road and lose them in the backstreets.” As the next exit approached, their pursuer was only a few hundred metres away. Now they weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were following Natasha and Shawn. After she took the exit, within a couple of minutes, they encountered a red light. As luck would have it, they were the first car at the red light. It was peak-hour traffic, and Natasha impatiently banged her hands on the steering wheel as she continued to look through the rear-view mirror. The other car was now about six cars behind, desperately trying to get closer. “Uh-oh! You better go now,” Shawn ordered. “Two of them have got out of the car and are coming our way. Go! Go!” With the lights still red, Natasha took off, narrowly missing a car that was doing a right turn from the opposite direction. Four streets down, she did a right turn into a narrow alleyway and sped through it. She suddenly hit the brakes hard and then reversed the car into an unused garage space. “Quick, get out and move those garbage bins in front of the car.” Without objection, Shawn jumped out and moved five large garbage bins in front of the car. They provided good camouflage. “I think we’ll be here for a while,” Natasha said as he got back in the car. “The good news for you is that they probably don’t know you are in the car. They are after me because of what I know.” “What do you mean?” “Over the past few months, we have gathered a lot of evidence which can potentially implicate a few well-known people as being involved in illegal activities. Now things are getting serious, and it looks like they will do whatever it takes to get their hands on the evidence.”

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5 “What sort of evidence are you talking about?” 5 “We have photos, audio conversations and video footage. So far, we have evidence only on the frontline people, who are mainly university students. We haven’t been able to locate any warehouses or depots where the illegal products are stored. While we know something is going on through the university, we don’t know how high it goes. Also, we don’t know who else is involved as there are many social, legal and political figures involved with the university in some capacity.” “Where do you store the evidence? At the Centre?” “I’ll tell you this because I know I can trust you,” Natasha looked into Shawn’s eyes. “We have an underground room at the Centre where everything is stored on a computer. Only those who are part of the team at the Centre have got access to that room. To get in, you have to use a security card and also a password. The good news is that all the evidence is backed up at Coach’s house, and nobody knows where that is.” “So Coach doesn’t always stay at the Centre?” “We only stay at the Centre when we are working on a project together. I live about an hour away from the Centre. I have to be really careful that I am not followed whenever I go home. That’s why it’s great having the helicopter, as I have my own car parked close to a park. People have been trying to find the location of the Centre for a long time. That’s why we cannot risk being followed back there. I’m going to call Coach and tell him what’s going on.” Shawn slouched in his seat as Natasha started talking to Coach. It dawned on him that he was involved in a journey that was as dangerous as it was exciting.

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66 It’s All about the Focus

Discover What Determines Your Experience of Life and How Your Beliefs and Values Shape the Direction of Your Life

“Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.” ~ Henry Ford

“O kay, we are going to leave the car here,” Natasha said as she got off the phone. “What? How are we going to get out of here?” Shawn exclaimed. “Relax. Coach is going to pick us up in the helicopter. We have to focus on getting to the high-school football field, which is not far from here. Come on! Let’s get out of here. We’ll catch a cab.” After locking the car and putting a cover over it, they hurriedly walked down the alleyway to the opposite end they drove in from. Once on the street, they cautiously looked around to try and spot the other car. With no sign of the car, they started to walk towards the centre of town. The taxi rank was located next to the train station, which was about five blocks away. People on the street appeared to be in a rush to get to some place, and drivers honked their horns impatiently as people crossed the street wherever they wanted to. School children loitered on the street and near the train station. Natasha and Shawn did their best to move casually. Three taxis were at the stand. The drivers stood by their doors, talking away. They hopped into the back seat of the first one in line and instructed the driver to take them to the local high school. As the driver pulled out of the taxi rank, they lowered their heads below the windows and stayed low for the whole trip. A short ride later, they arrived at the high school. They got out, paid the driver, and started running towards the football field. Nothing in the sky indicated that Coach was approaching, so they waited behind the goal posts. “This is all rather exciting, isn’t it?” Natasha broke the silence with a smile. “This is getting to be too dangerous,” Shawn paced up and down. “We don’t even know what they would have done if they had caught us. Man, they even got out of the car to get to us! This is not safe anymore.” “Like I said, we must have people concerned otherwise they wouldn’t be coming after us.

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6 We all have to stay strong and stick together. Listen! I can hear Coach coming.” 6 In the distance, they could see the black and yellow helicopter approaching. Within a minute, Coach had the dirt on the football field blowing through the air as he landed the helicopter. Natasha and Shawn raced towards it to jump in. “Pretty eventful afternoon, huh?” Coach yelled out his greeting. “Quick! Shut the door! I can see a car coming our way fast!” As they took off, the Porsche Boxster raced onto the football field as if they expected to catch the helicopter. They could see the passengers brandishing guns in their hands, making threatening gestures. “How the hell did they know we were here?” Natasha shouted as she put her headset on. “Coach, who else knew you were coming here to pick us up?” “I told Mike, Larry and Sandra,” Coach shouted back. “Maybe those guys were able to talk to the cab driver who dropped you at the school. Well, the main thing is that we are safe and are making progress in our project. Shawn, do you want to put your headset on? How was your meeting with Budd?” Shawn complied and responded in a loud voice. “Yeah, it was an amazing experience. He told me a lot of things which were great, and we also did a simple meditation process. Some of the information I received was what you had already said to me. While I am excited about the prospects of what lies ahead in life, I am getting very concerned about how dangerous things are becoming. One of my flatmates is dead and now there are people trying to get me.” “This is where the journey gets interesting,” Coach responded with a slight chuckle. “Whenever you go for something that is out of your comfort zone, you are bound to face great obstacles, which will challenge you. There are a couple of options: you can opt out and go back to your life the way it was, or you can make a decision to go into unknown territory and face whatever you have to face. It’s really up to you, Shawn.” During the rest of the ride, Shawn contemplated in silence what he had got himself into. Even though he was scared to death about the prospect of being shot at, he knew that his life would remain the same unless he did something different. He remembered Coach saying to him that nothing changed unless something changed. He decided to play it by ear and take things one day at a time until the project was over. After they landed at the Centre, everybody came out to greet them. Coach asked everyone to gather in the living room for a team meeting. “Okay, everyone. It has been an eventful afternoon, especially for Natasha and Shawn,” Coach started the brief. “It appears that we are making a lot of progress and we are also

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6 upsetting a few people. Therefore, it is imperative that we stay alert at all times and be on our 6 guard for any surprise attacks. Desperate people tend to do desperate things.” “And we also need to keep an eye on Shawn,” Natasha pitched in with a little smile. “Naturally, being new to this game, he is very concerned for his safety.” “Don’t worry, Shawn,” Larry added. “We’ve got your back. It looks like this project may come to a dramatic end pretty soon.” “Alright, everyone. It’s been a busy few days,” Coach spoke again. “How about we have the rest of the evening off? After dinner, we can watch a movie and relax a bit.” “That sounds good,” Natasha replied with a grin. With a sense of renewed excitement, everyone headed out of the living room for some personal time. Mike and Sandra offered to prepare dinner. “It’s going to take a couple of hours to prepare,” Mike warned. Shawn decided to go to his room and have a lie-down. Coach and Natasha had a quiet conversation together, which only lasted a couple of minutes. All Shawn wanted to do was to have some time to himself to reflect on his day. As he lay on his bed, thoughts like ‘What have I got myself into?’ and ‘Why is all this happening to me?’ raced through his mind. The harder he tried to relax, the more intense his thoughts were. Pretty soon he had his head buried under a pillow and had reached a state of total mental exhaustion. He dozed off, wondering what was in store for him over the next few days. It wasn’t long before he was awakened by Natasha knocking on the door. “Dinner’s ready, Shawn.” Dinner was a low-key event, as everybody had switched off and was not talking about the project. After their meal, everyone gathered in the living room to watch the movie “Honey”. With all the dancing in the movie, the night ended with everybody re-energised and excited about the next day. Shawn got up the next morning feeling as if every muscle of his body was knotted into ropes. With a stretch and a yawn, he reluctantly decided to read what he had written in his journal. All the excitement he had about his visions the previous day had vanished, and what he had written appeared unrealistic. It all seemed like wishful thinking, and there would be no chance at all that he would be creating those things he wrote down. But something inside him made him read it and visualise all those things he wanted. Although he didn’t truly believe that they would happen, a big part of him wanted it all to happen. So he spent the next few minutes imagining what it would be like to have those things he wanted and what it would be like to do those things he wrote down. That process helped him relax a bit more and, once

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6 that was done, he went outside for his morning exercises. 6 Once breakfast was over, Coach instructed the team to go and continue their investigations in the suburbs near the university. “But be very careful,” he cautioned. “Remember what happened to Shawn and Natasha yesterday.” He then asked Shawn to follow him as he went outside. “Today you will get to see more of the Centre. How are you this morning?” “I’ve got this massive headache,” Shawn complained. “I think I might need an aspirin or something. It’s from all the stress.” “So you got to spend some time with Natasha,” Coach ignored his complaints. “Nice girl, isn’t she? Did she tell you she likes basketball and also hip hop dancing?” “No, actually she didn’t. I’m not surprised, though. She looks like a very fit young lady. Anyone can tell that she is naturally athletic. Did she ever play basketball for a team?” “No, she just plays socially. You should see her when she is dancing, man. She’s got a lot of good moves. She is a very talented girl.” “She sure is!” “What did you guys talk about during your time together?” “Oh, we talked about what happened when she first saw Budd and what he said to her. Obviously, we talked about what I had been learning and also my experience with Budd. After seeing Budd, that’s when we had all the drama yesterday afternoon.” “Hey, by the way, how’s that headache of yours?” Coach asked. “What headache?” Shawn was taken by surprise. “Oh that? It’s gone!” “Which brings me to today’s lesson. We are going to talk about the principle of focus.” “Ah, that’s the ‘F’ in VIP FACE, right?” Shawn asked the obvious. “That’s right. The principle is: whatever you focus on, you attract and expand. What do you think just happened with your headache?” “I don’t know. It just went away.” “What happened was that we started talking about Natasha and suddenly your focus changed from your headache to something else. As a result, you experienced something different.” “So what are you saying?” Shawn asked, still confused. “If I change my focus, my experience changes as well?” “Exactly! You experience life in one of two ways. The first is through the use of your physical body and what you are physically feeling at that moment. The second is through what you

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6 are focusing on, that is, what you are paying attention to at any particular moment. Does that 6 make sense?” “I think so,” Shawn replied, unconvinced. “So what is this thing called focus? You’ve heard me mention it before. What is it?” “It’s something upon which attention or activity is concentrated.” “That’s exactly right,” Coach replied, surprised. “What you are going to learn today is to control and direct your focus, in particular your mental focus. Remember I said I have modelled people who I consider to be successful? There are many good explanations of focus and what it really means. What I am going to share with you now has been explained by two great teachers of our time, Robert Fritz and Anthony Robbins. The explanation of how focus plays out in our lives, and how they are relate to our beliefs and values, in my opinion, has been explained best by them, and that is something I believe is worth sharing with others. Are you ready?” “Yes, let’s go,” Shawn replied. “Here we go. Everything you experience in your body really comes from what you are paying attention to. And that determines how you feel, and then, how you behave. The power of your focus really comes from controlling the focus of your mind.” “Now, how do I control the focus of my mind?” “There are two things you can do to control your focus. The first thing is you can control what you are focusing on, that is, what you are picturing in your mind, what you are saying to yourself and what you are paying attention to in your body. The second thing is you can control how you are focusing, that is, the magnitude of the pictures in your mind, the volume of the sounds you are hearing, how bright the colours are in your mind. So, by controlling what you are focusing on as well as how you are focusing, you can change the reality you create. But the ultimate power comes from focusing on your vision or outcome. That’s what’s important to all of us.” “Can you give me an example?” “Do you know where we are going now? We’re going ten-pin bowling.” “Really? You have a bowling alley here?” Shawn was surprised. “This Centre is amazing. There is an underground gallery. The entrance is in the teepee. Down there, we have a couple of pool tables, a bowling alley and pinball machines, plus a few other things. Today, you will experience how to control your focus with ten-pin bowling. When was the last time you went bowling?”

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6 “That was a long time ago, and it was really boring,” Shawn groaned. “Can we shoot hoops 6 instead?” “Become aware of what you are paying attention to right now. You are linking an experience you had in the past with ten-pin bowling to the present experience. Your shoulders are slumped, your head is down and you are also looking down. So what do you think will happen? Will you have an experience that will be enjoyable or not enjoyable?” “Not enjoyable.” “I want you to imagine that you will have a good time and make the most out of the experience. Also, change your body posture. Imagine that you are doing something that you really enjoy.” Shawn closed his eyes and imagined himself laughing and cheering when his bowl scattered the pins. He also imagined that it would be like when he finished playing basketball: he would be invigorated and full of energy. Almost automatically, his posture became more upright, his shoulders squared, and when he opened his eyes, he looked directly into Coach’s eyes. “I enjoyed that,” he remarked. “I feel different in my body. It’s like I already know I am going to have a good time and I’m excited. What a simple process!” “Yes, it is,” Coach laughed. “The way you use your body has an effect on how you control and direct the focus of your mind. Are you ready to go downstairs?” They had arrived outside the teepee, and Coach led the way inside. It had a trap door in the floor, and when Coach lifted it up, it revealed some steps that led underground. He switched on the lights and suddenly a whole new world lit up. It resembled a games arcade, only smaller. The place looked immaculate, with everything stored and stacked neatly. Pool tables, pinball machines, miniature basketball hoops and a simulated racing car were features of the room. This was the ultimate gaming room to Shawn. A huge grin came over his face as his eyes scanned the scene. “Now, this is what I’m talking about!” he beamed at Coach. “I’d love to have a room like this at my home.” “So you like it, yeah? Have a look around the room and notice everything that is red. I’ll give you twenty seconds. Go!” “Alright, time’s up,” Coach spoke again after the silence. “Okay, close your eyes and tell me everything that you saw was green.” “The pins had red…oh, you said green,” Shawn was stumped. “Um, uh…pool table was green…um, uh…man, I can’t remember too many things green!”

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6 “You can open your eyes now. What happened? How come you couldn’t remember what 6 was green?” “I was totally focused on things red. I hadn’t even considered other colours.” “That’s because we humans cannot focus on everything and therefore, we delete a lot of details. That is, we don’t pay attention to or we ignore what’s going around us at any given time. What happens is that we actually live our lives believing that our experience of the world is real. Let me ask you something else. When was the last time you went to a party?” “About a month ago,” Shawn had a smirk on his face. “It was one of the guys from the basketball team’s twenty-first birthday party.” “What do you remember about it?” “It got pretty rough and guys started pushing and shoving each other. It could have gotten out of hand, but luckily they were separated quickly. That’s what I remember most from that night.” “You see, Shawn, I can guarantee you that a lot more happened that night at the party. Your brain is like a camera that can focus on only so many things, and therefore, a lot of things were deleted. There are only so many things you can focus on. You remember the fight but that was not the whole experience of the party. Just like a camera can create close-ups, where you can make images look bigger and brighter than they really are, your brain does that as well. So if you focus on what’s wrong or what’s not working in a situation, then all you will experience is obstacles. Similarly, if you focus on what’s going right, you will be in a better frame of mind and will have a more joyful experience at that moment in time. Whatever you focus on determines how you feel, behave, act, and ultimately determines your experience of life.” “So what determines our focus in the first place?” “It’s the way we define and evaluate things and give them meaning,” Coach replied calmly. “It is also based upon our beliefs of what is important to us and our values. Firstly, let’s look at the way we define and evaluate things. When we define and evaluate things, we give them meaning. In other words, we take an experience and represent it in a certain way. Take the word ‘represent’; it can be broken down into two sections: re-present. Therefore, we take an experience and re-present it in some way, which in turn, affects the way we feel and behave. Definitions and evaluations are representations of a situation. They are the process of asking and answering questions. Does that make sense?” “If that’s so, do my thoughts have anything to do with what I focus on?”

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6 “The way I look at it, thoughts are nothing but the process of asking and answering questions 6 to yourself. You could also say that thinking is nothing but the process of evaluating things. Whenever we are in a situation, our mind is always evaluating: ‘What does this mean to me?’ and ‘What do I need to do?’. The questions we ask ourselves determine what we focus on. Whatever questions we ask ourselves, if we ask with an expectation that we are going to get an answer and we give our brain time to find an answer, then we can be assured that we will get an answer. Any question you ask, your brain will give you an answer, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with present reality. Your brain is like a computer with millions of definitions and evaluations stored away, just like a database. Whenever you ask a question, your brain will search through its files and make up things in order to answer your question. For example, if you ask questions like, ‘What have I got myself into?’ or ‘Why do things like this always happen to me?’, then you will get answers based on how you’ve defined yourself, others and the world.” “You must be a mind-reader. I was asking myself questions like those last night and I got answers along the lines of, ‘I’m an idiot’ and ‘I don’t know what the hell I am doing’. I must say, that made me feel quite lousy.” “That’s right,” Coach added with a gentle smile. “Whatever question you ask yourself, you’re going to get an answer. Your questions therefore determine how you feel. If you have certain emotions or feelings on a consistent basis, those feelings are coming from what you focus on. That is, if you experience certain emotions consistently, it is because you are asking yourself certain questions on an ongoing basis. So if you ask questions like, ‘What have I got myself into?’ or ‘Why do things like this always happen to me?’, then your brain will tell you reasons which will probably make you feel lousy and disempowered.” “What would be a better question, then?” “A better question to ask could be, ‘What can I learn from the experience that will be of benefit to me in the future?’ What your brain will then do is come with answers that will be more empowering and assist you in the learning process. What I am saying to you is that the quality of your life comes down to the quality of the questions you ask yourself.” “Wow, I always knew I had a lot of mind chatter, but I never realised what effect it was having on my life. That really makes sense. The questions I ask myself determine my focus. All I have to do is to ask empowering questions and I will get a better answer.” “Exactly! Asking questions is a very powerful tool. When you ask a person a question, it instantly changes what they are focusing on and it changes the way they feel. It also changes

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6 what they are deleting. By asking an empowering question, it brings back into focus what they 6 may be deleting, which could end up empowering them. Questions change what we delete, and we human beings will always be deleting things. Therefore, it would make more sense to delete things that disempower us and to focus on things that empower us. And also, by asking a better question, you tap into faculties within yourself that will assist you to get what you want. Anything that is created externally starts internally. The resources you need are inside you, and a better question will prompt you to go into yourself to get a better, empowering answer.” “Hey, I thought of some empowering questions I can ask myself,” Shawn commented excitedly. “I can ask questions like, ‘What can I take from this experience that will serve me in the future? How can I take advantage of this situation? What can I do to make today more enjoyable than ever before? What can I do to connect more with my friends? What can I do today that will help me find out who is involved in the illegal operations near the university?’. Those are some of the questions that come to mind.” “That’s great, Shawn. The more you practise asking empowering questions, the more likely it is to become a habit. Remember what Budd said with regard to your visions – spend the first ten minutes of each morning visualising what you want to create. At the same time, you can also ask yourself some questions that will start your day off on a good note. Try asking:

‘What am I grateful about in my life now?’ It could be your family and friends, your health, or just being alive.

‘What am I happy about in my life now?’ It could be that you are about to finish university or you are about to start a new phase in your life.

‘What am I excited about in my life now?’ It could be that you have become friends with a beautiful woman like Natasha or that you are learning new things.

‘What do I enjoy doing in my life now?’ It could be being able to play basketball and having fun with friends.

Try asking yourself these questions in the morning and notice what difference it makes to your day. Do that for about three or four minutes daily and you will feel empowered and centred.

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6 Be grateful for what you already have. When you are grateful, you are rich. When you are not 6 grateful, you are stressed and unfulfilled. Are you prepared to start to incorporate this simple exercise into your life? Remember: what is wrong is always being made aware to you, and so is what’s right.” “Hmm. That sounds alright. I’ll give that a go. Three or four minutes are a small investment in return for the rewards that I will get. You also said that our beliefs and our values determine our focus as well. Can you expand on that, please, so that I can better understand it?” “No problem. What we pay attention to, what we focus on is based on our values. We all have a system of values that guides our everyday focus. Remember we talked about what drives our behaviour; the need to avoid pain and the desire to get pleasure? Taking that into account, our values tell us what situations we should pay attention to if they are going to give us a lot of pleasure. Similarly, we have values that we pay attention to to avoid pain, and they are our painful values. We have different labels for different levels of pain and different levels of pleasure.” “But why do we need to find out our values?” Shawn interrupted. “It’s because we want to know what our brain is focused on and what it is paying attention to consistently. If you know your values, you know what your brain is paying attention to the most. If you change your values, you can change what you focus on and pay attention to daily, what you notice, what you do and act on, and therefore the results you experience in your life. By knowing your values, you at least know what direction your brain and body are being pulled in life.” “What’s an example of what you call a system of values?” “Okay, which of these would you rather have?” Coach replied. “Security, love, adventure, success, comfort, connection, excitement? Which one would you pick?” “Hmm, let me think,” Shawn pondered for a moment. “I would say adventure would be my first choice.” “Why?” “Well, it’s because being adventurous will allow me the opportunity to experience life to the fullest and have a lot of fun,” Shawn smiled as he spoke. “Life to me is an adventure.” “That’s the point I am trying to make, Shawn. We all have different values in life, and therefore we will focus on different things. While adventure may be at the top of the list for you, for others it may be any one of the other categories. There is no right or wrong. We are all different and have different values. When you know people’s values in life, you will then

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6 be able to identify what is important to them in life. Say, for example, you are in a relationship 6 and your partner’s top value is success while yours is adventure. Do you think it would be useful to know that in a relationship?” “Of course! That way, if we are right for each other, then we can take appropriate steps to understand each other’s values better.” “That’s right. Knowing what matters to each person is really important and can be very useful in understanding a person’s behaviour. Similarly, we all have values that dictate what we try to avoid, that is, avoiding pain. Which one of these experiences will you try to avoid the most? Anger, depression, humiliation, embarrassment, frustration, rejection or physical pain? Which one would you choose?” “That’s really hard to pick. I’d try to avoid all of them.” “That may well be true, but do you realise that you will avoid some of those situations more than others?” Coach remarked. “If you had to choose one, which one would it be?” “In that case, I will say rejection.” “Why?” “To me, rejection is the ultimate form of pain. Now that I come to think of it, I hadn’t realised that I have been doing so many things in life to avoid experiencing rejection.” “It’s good that you can be honest with yourself,” Coach commended him. “As I have mentioned before, awareness is the key before any change can happen. Just as rejection is the thing you will avoid the most, other people may have something totally different. By knowing what people do to avoid pain, it can greatly assist them in determining why they do what they do. Does that make sense?” “Very much so. But where do our values come from in the first place?” “Before I answer that, something you should keep in mind is that the principle of focus states that whatever you focus on, you attract and expand. Therefore, if you are trying to avoid rejection, that’s your predominant focus, and that’s what you are going to attract: more rejection. In answer to your question, our values originate from our past experiences. They come out of pain and pleasure. Most of your values were formed in your childhood. When you were growing up and did something that your parents really liked, then you either got love, attention, or you got held. In other words, you were rewarded. Likewise, when you did something that your parents thought was not right, then there was some form of pain. It could have been rejection, being yelled at, or physically punished. That’s how some of your values were formed. Then you went to school and experienced different values being formed based

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6 on your relationships with your teachers and other kids at school. Then you went to high school 6 and university, and again more of your values formed. Basically, who you were around on a consistent basis shaped and formed your values. And your values dictate your decision-making ability.” “I now understand where values originated from, but how do our beliefs play a part in our lives?” “Well, let’s talk about what a belief is. A belief is really an emotion. It’s an emotion that you hold within yourself about the meaning of something. Your beliefs can either empower you or disempower you. They cause you to experience certain emotions which, in turn, determine whether you are meeting your values or not. Your beliefs and values together determine what emotions you are going to experience in any situation. Some of the common limiting beliefs people have are I’m unworthy, I’m not good enough, I don’t belong, I need to control myself, I’m insignificant, I cannot trust myself, others or the world, I don’t have the capacity, there is a right way, I’m powerless, I’m not capable, and I need to be perfect. Unfortunately, these beliefs really hinder our progress and limit what we can achieve in our lives.” “I realise that we all need to have beliefs. That’s what makes us human. But can I change any of my beliefs?” “The key is to be aware of what beliefs you have playing out in your life,” Coach responded. “Becoming aware of them is a first step towards taking the power out of them. As for changing your beliefs, you can do that in an instant. Let me ask you this: if you wanted to believe that you are successful in life, could you do so right now?” Shawn thought about it for a few moments. “Probably, but it also depends on my definition of successful. All I have to do is to change the way I breathe, change my posture, and focus on what I am successful at in life right now.” “Excellent! That’s exactly right! It is really simple to change your beliefs and take on beliefs that will empower you. Like you said, it is all about the focus.” “That makes sense,” Shawn nodded. “Wow, look at the time! It’s already past eleven o’clock and we still haven’t even started bowling!” “Okay, let’s get it started, man,” Coach instructed as he started entering their names into the computer. “Let’s have some fun. I am going to call myself Mac10. What do you want to call yourself?” “MTime for Miller Time!” Shawn laughed. “You’re going down, brother!” “Remember, here you are going to put into practice what you have learnt so far. Use the

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6 principles of vision, imagination, intention, purpose and focus.” 6 “Yeah, no problem,” Shawn replied hurriedly. “I’m up first.” Shawn grabbed the bowl he had chosen and paused briefly at the line before he bowled. His bowl rolled down the lane and sent six pins scattering. He muttered to himself as he waited for the bowl to come back. With his next shot, he knocked down two more pins. Not totally satisfied, he sat down as Coach prepared himself for his first shot. Coach took a few moments and closed his eyes and visualised what he wanted. When he was ready, he walked up to the line and bowled. Strike! Without saying a word or showing any emotion, Coach sat down. Shawn got up, feeling a little pressure to perform. He decided to do what Coach did, so he closed his eyes and imagined a good bowl. As the let the bowl go, it veered to the right and scattered seven pins. He’d left a single pin on the right, and two on the far left still standing. Shawn cursed to himself and made a mental note to avoid the gap and aim for the two pins as he waited for his bowl to come back. He composed himself and aimed for the pins. The bowl dissected the space between the pins. He couldn’t have done it better. “Damn it.” Shawn cursed himself as he sat down. Again Coach followed the same routine from before and bowled. Strike! With a smirk on his face, he sat down. Shawn was embarrassed that he wasn’t doing as well as Coach. With a sense of apprehension, he forced himself to concentrate harder and imagined knocking down all the pins. When he was ready, he bowled with a lot of force. The bowl skittered into the pins and sent them spinning. For a second Shawn thought he had a strike, but as the pins stopped, he saw that one had survived. Although the result was better, Shawn felt a pain in his arm because he had exerted so much force. He kept wringing his hands until his bowl returned, and this time all he wanted to do was to gently knock down the remaining pin. After taking aim, he bowled, and it narrowly missed the pin and ended up going into the gutter. Again disappointed with his shot, he sat down and folded his arms as he watched Coach take his next shot. This time, Coach did not follow what he had done previously. He had a quick pause at the line and hurriedly bowled. The bowl rolled straight down the middle and looked on track for a strike. However, as the pins went sprawling, four remained, in two pairs, evenly spaced between each other. As he waited for his bowl to return, Coach started wringing his bowling hand and gave his forearm a quick massage. He composed himself and without really focusing on what he wanted, he bowled. He hit one pin only. Coach had a huge grin on his face as he sat down. “Did you notice anything different that time around?” he broke the silence.

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6 “Yeah, you rushed your shots and it looked like you were imitating what I did previously,” 6 Shawn replied, unimpressed. “That time, I did rush my shot. I had no vision. And since I did not imagine what I wanted, that’s exactly what I attracted. I did not get what I wanted. Whatever you focus on, you will attract. My focus was really on giving you a demonstration of what you were doing. That’s why I rubbed my arm and rushed my shot. This is no different to shooting a free throw. Know your vision, imagine the outcome that you want like it has already happened, and with your focus on the end result, take the shot. Does that make sense?” “Of course! I should have known. It’s like shooting a free throw. I have to focus on my vision and imagine that it has already happened. That’s pretty simple. I was focused on what was not going right. Therefore, I was annoyed, frustrated and felt pressured to perform because you were doing so well. Hmm. Let’s see if I can do better this time.” With his bowl in hand, Shawn paused at the line, closed his eyes and imagined the result he wanted. He visualised the pins falling down and feeling ecstatic about it. When he felt he was ready, he opened his eyes, took a couple of paces and let the bowl go. It looked really good and Shawn believed that he had his first strike. To his dismay, the last remaining pin wobbled gently but did not fall over. He turned around with an expression on his face that said, ‘Oh so close’. As he waited for the bowl to return, he closed his eyes again and visualised knocking down the remaining pin. He scooped up the returning bowl and composed himself by again visualising what he wanted. With a feeling of certainty, he let the bowl go, and it never looked like missing. With the end result he wanted already achieved, he turned around and punched the air and let out a ‘Yes!’ Coach gave Shawn a gentle high-five as he got himself ready for his next bowl. He went back to what he did initially and achieved the same result – a strike! Coach made it look so easy. Over the course of the next six rounds, they both had results better than each other’s. Shawn got a couple of strikes and also experienced failing to knock down the full count of pins. Coach had similar results, but was the eventual winner of the game by 14 points. “You were too good for me,” Shawn congratulated him with a handshake. “Thanks. I hope you learnt something about the power of your focus. After I highlighted what you were doing with regard to your focus after three rounds, what were you focused on after that?” “My focus was on getting a strike each time. If I didn’t get a strike, then I tried to knock down all the pins with the second bowl.” “Okay, that’s fine. Do you want to know what I was focused on?”

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6 “What was that?” Shawn asked curiously. 6 “I was focused on winning the game. That was my ultimate intention: to win the game! One of my intentions was to get you to experience how powerful your focus is and also, more importantly, get my overall end result: to win the game.” “I had that intention at the start but after I had a couple of average rounds, I started focusing on hitting strikes,” Shawn interrupted. “It’s interesting that my focus changed because I had a different outcome in mind.” “Being clear on what you want is so important. Everything else flows on from there. Now, do you want to have more fun? Let’s see how you will go as a racing-car driver. Do you want to have a go racing at the Indianapolis track?” “Oh right! I was hoping to drive the car. What do I have to do?” “You will be racing in a simulated race with five other cars,” Coach explained the instructions. “You can reach speeds over three hundred kilometres per hour. What you focus on is going to be vital in the race because the chances of hitting other cars are very high. And of course, you will be travelling at very high speeds. Here, let me turn on the screen and set everything up.” “And everything’s the same as a normal car, right?” “To make it easy, the car is an automatic, so you don’t have to worry about changing gears,” Coach replied as he programmed in the race. “All you have to do is concentrate on your acceleration, brakes and steering. If you know what you are doing, the rest will fall in place. Okay, are you ready? Rev the car a bit.” “Man, this sounds like the real racing cars,” Shawn raised his voice above the roaring sounds of high-performance engines. “Yeah, I’m ready! Let’s get this race started!” “Watch the signals. Good luck!” Shawn kept his eyes on the lights and, as soon as they turned green, he pressed down the accelerator hard. To his surprise, all five cars beat him off the mark and he was in last place. Within seconds, the cars came to the first corner of the circuit. Shawn decided to be cautious going around, and when he hit the straight, he floored the accelerator and overtook two cars. For the next couple of minutes, he was in fourth place and making ground on the first three cars. As the cars approached another corner, he slowed down to take the corner when suddenly his car was hit from behind. His car started spinning off the track and headed towards the wall. “Oh damn! The wall!” Shawn yelled. He feverishly tried to steer the car back into the middle of the track, but to no avail. The

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6 car slammed into the wall with such force that the front of the car buckled, causing the hood 6 to fly off. The car spun out of control as it bounced off the wall, and eventually came to a stop a few hundred metres away from the initial impact. “Not bad for the first time,” Coach laughed. “Almost everybody has a similar experience. So what happened?” “Oh man! I realise what I did. As soon as I was hit from behind, my focus was on trying to avoid hitting the wall, and that’s exactly what happened. I hit the damn wall!” “That’s an excellent observation. That race shows what happens to a lot of people in life. Their focus is on avoiding the things they don’t want. They try all sorts of things to get rid of those things they don’t want. But the law of the universe is that whatever you focus on, you attract into your current reality. As a result, people get more of what they don’t want. Wouldn’t it be easy to focus on what you want and trust your natural ability to manifest it? In the race, you had a split second to make a decision as to where you wanted to go. But instead, your decision was to try and avoid where you didn’t want to go. And bam! That’s exactly what you got! See how easy it is to fall back into what you’ve done in the past? The truth is, you cannot be focused one hundred percent of the time. You will constantly need to shift your focus to what you want. The key is to be aware of where you are and what is going on for you at any moment in time. From there, it is about re-focusing on what you do want. Once you start making it a habit to focus on the outcome you do want, you will bring yourself into alignment with that outcome, and the universe will conspire to attract that outcome for you. As I’ve said before, it’s all about your focus. Whatever you focus on, you will experience as reality. I hope that has made sense to you.” “It’s interesting how quickly we can change our focus. It all makes sense now. My focus determines my experience and my reality. That’s pretty neat.” “What I’m hoping you will realise is that it is so much easier to focus on the result you want. The first thing is to know what result you want, and then focus on that result.” “Thanks, Coach,” Shawn remarked. “It has been a very important lesson for me.” “Great. Let’s have some lunch, and afterwards, you’ll be introduced to the principle that makes everything you want become your reality,” Coach replied as he started walking towards the steps of the gallery. Shawn followed him, knowing that he was being initiated into a different way of living his life. He could feel tingles in his body as he knew that his life would never be the same again after he left the Centre.

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77 Action Speaks Louder than Words

It’s Not about Talking or Being Busy – This is about Going Directly for What You Want

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” ~ Japanese Proverb

D uring lunch, everybody remained quiet. Only four of them were at the table, as everybody else was on assignment. Shawn noticed that Natasha appeared a bit distracted and was not there in mind. Coach looked unconcerned as he munched away in deep thought. Natasha rushed through her meal and, within a few minutes, she excused herself, did her share of the cleaning up and left the room. Shawn assumed that she was upset about something and felt reluctant to catch up with her. “Shawn, it will be good for you to go home tonight and have some time away from here,” Coach broke the silence. “Have a short half-hour break now and then I would like you to work with Natasha, who will go through the next principle with you. I have to get some more work done on all the evidence we have collected so far.” “Okay, that’s fine. I’m looking forward to going home and catching up with what has been happening.” “Enjoy your session with Natasha. You’re in for a surprise!” After lunch, Shawn headed to his room to relax before his session with Natasha. In his mind, he played out asking her out on a date. He used the principles he had learnt so far to get clear on what he wanted. His imagination ran wild with conflicting images. One image was of him feeling excited as Natasha said yes to his invitation, and the other image was of her being furious with him and saying, “You have got some nerve to ask me out on a date after the day I’ve had”. The thought of her rejection sent shivers through his body. That was not a result he wanted, and he tried to remember the lesson from the car simulator. All he had to do was to focus on the result he wanted. He decided that he wanted to have a good time with Natasha that afternoon and connect with her. It wasn’t long before she knocked on his door. “Are you ready?” she asked impatiently. “This shouldn’t take very long, and then Coach

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7 will take you home.” 7 “Where are we going?” Shawn asked as he followed her outside. “You are dressed for basketball.” “That’s right, genius. You and I are going to play a little one-on-one basketball game.” “What? You want to go one-on-one with The Great One?” Shawn asked with a tone of arrogance. “Oh, ‘The Great One’, huh?” Natasha restrained herself from bursting out laughing. “Okay, we’ll see how great you are.” “I don’t want to brag but I’m going to take you to school. I love playing one-on-one. By the way, how are you doing? You look a bit distracted.” “I’m a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work we have to do,” she admitted. “There’s a lot to be done, and Coach believes that something dramatic is about to happen, which is why we need to sort out all our evidence.” Shawn tried to reassure her, while at the same time, contemplating if it was a good idea to ask her on a date. At the court, Natasha went over the rules of the game. “We’ll shoot free throws to determine who gets the ball first. The usual rules of basketball apply. Each basket will be two points, and if you are game enough to shoot from behind the three-point line, then that will be worth three points if you make it. Play fair and call your fouls. A foul will result in the other player getting the ball. No free-throw shots. Whenever someone misses a shot and the other player gets the rebound, they have to take the ball outside the key before they can score. If the player gets their own rebound, they can try and score again without having to take the ball outside the key. The first to thirty wins. How does that sound?” “It sounds like you are going to get a lesson, old-school style,” Shawn laughed as he stretched his arms and legs. “The Great One is going to take you to school, girl. You can take the first free throw.” From the free-throw line, Natasha casually made her first shot. Shawn followed her lead and also made his first shot. They both made their next two shots before Natasha finally missed. Something about her motion made Shawn wonder if she’d done it deliberately. She passed him the ball to start the game. Brimming with confidence, Shawn bounced the ball to Natasha for a check to start the game. With his first move, he tried to drive past on her left side, but she slapped the ball out of his hand, regathered the ball, stopped and took a jump shot, which went in. Slightly embarrassed, Shawn checked the ball for Natasha, who faked a jump shot

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7 which had him over-reacting. She then effortlessly drove to the hoop and laid the ball off the 7 backboard into the hoop. “Not bad,” Shawn complimented Natasha, more to take the focus off how easily he was scored upon. “Four to nil and it’s your ball.” Without saying a word, Natasha once again faked to take a jump shot. This time, Shawn did not leave his feet and tried to cut out her driving lane. Sensing that he was on his heels, Natasha casually stopped and took a jump shot without any contest. The ball went through the hoop to the sweet sound of whoosh. This time, Natasha couldn’t contain herself. “Is there something wrong with The Great One?” she started taunting him. “Going one- on-one with The Great One isn’t very challenging.” “Yeah, alright! It’s time to get serious. Your move!” As Shawn checked the ball, he moved up closer to Natasha to put more pressure on her. She took her time and faked a drive to her right before doing a cross-over and driving from her left side. She laid the ball off the backboard with her left hand as her body shielded her from Shawn’s attempt to block the shot. That move really impressed Shawn and he now realised that he was competing against a skilled opponent. He was getting his tailed kicked! With Natasha’s next possession, she took an uncontested jump shot, which hit the ring and bounced away. Shawn got the rebound and took the ball outside the key. With total determination, he drove hard to the ring and used his body to shield off Natasha as he laid the ball off the backboard with his right hand. With the score at 8–2 in favour of Natasha, Shawn once again drove right and scored with a lay-up. Sensing an advantage over her in driving, he once again drove right and scored. With his confidence growing, he decided to pull up and take a jump shot on his next possession. The ball never looked like missing, and that basket tied the score at 8. As his confidence grew, Shawn got his swagger back. Over the next few possessions, he comfortably took the lead and, finally, with the score at 18–10 in favour of Shawn, Natasha called a timeout. “It looks like all the lessons from Coach are having an effect on you,” she complimented Shawn. “Now’s a good time to introduce the fifth principle from VIP FACE. We are considering the ‘A’, which stands for action. In order to get the result you want, you have to take action, which at times, can be challenging at the start.” “I should have guessed, ‘A’ for action. What’s action got to do with the game we are playing now?” “Okay, at the start of the game, I was doing well and scored easily. It’s fair to say that you

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7 felt some negative emotions. Those emotions were giving you a message. Then what did you 7 do? Because you felt frustrated that I was beating you, you changed your method and started driving towards the hoop and scored. What then happened was that your confidence grew and you did it again.” “Yeah, I drove past you quite easily,” Shawn interrupted proudly. “I increased the tempo and went on a run. That gave me momentum.” “That’s exactly right. All the principles you’ve learnt are starting to fall into place. You first start off with a vision of the result you want. Then you make the intention to get that result and imagine getting that result. Now, with your focus totally on that result, take the next obvious action. Isn’t that so straightforward? Yet, how often do people reach the stage where action is required and they hesitate or are afraid to take the action? This reminds me of a great quote from one of my heroes, Dr Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.’ How appropriate is that in the game of basketball? Whenever a player has the ball, that first step determines the outcome during that possession. Their first step is the action they take to get a result. Can you see how important it is to take action?” “Very much so. Action leads to some kind of result. That creates momentum and then, taking action becomes easier. In basketball, taking action is the nature of the game. I’ve always taken some sort of action in my life, but it hasn’t always been with a vision in mind.” “You must also keep in mind that sometimes you won’t get the result you want,” Natasha added calmly. “For example, in basketball, your first step may result in you palming or carrying the ball, or you may be called for a travelling violation. The important thing is that when you don’t get the result you want, you need to adjust your approach and take the next action. If you don’t get the result you want, just say to yourself, ‘So what’, and keep going for what you want. It is always about the end result. Also, it is really important to know if your approach is working or not. If it isn’t, then obviously you need to change it. But all too often, when people encounter hurdles, they tend to compromise and cut down on their visions. They settle for so much less than they deserve because they allow obstacles to come between them and what they really want. They allow the negative emotions they experience to control their actions.” “I hear what you are saying, but don’t we always experience negative emotions? It’s hard to imagine a person who doesn’t have negative emotions at one time or another.” “Emotions are what make us human. But if a person is always experiencing negative emotions, it is because of the habits they have in their life. It comes down to what they are

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7 focusing on. Coach has already been through that with you. Our lives are defined by the 7 emotions we experience every day. Emotions are really triggers for us to take action. They cause change and, as you’ve learnt, change happens when a decision is made and acted upon. Let me give you an example. In the lead-up to an exam, what was the predominant emotion you experienced weeks or days before the exam?” Shawn pondered for a few moments. “I would say it was…nervousness. I had fear inside me.” “Okay, so the emotion of nervousness or fear was sending you a message. It was telling you to prepare yourself for the exam. That could have been through studying, doing your assignments or whatever.” “That’s pretty obvious. Everyone gets nervous before exams or other important things. And they will do what’s obvious, which is to prepare for it.” “The point I’m making, Shawn, is that when the emotions do come up, it is important to acknowledge what they are and then take action towards the result you want. You shouldn’t let a negative emotion discourage you from taking action.” “Okay, can you give me another example?” “What do you do when you feel overloaded with things in your life or you feel overwhelmed?” Natasha asked with a smile. “Ha, I normally get stressed and then I try to figure out what to do first,” Shawn laughed. “Excellent. In other words, you prioritise what needs to get done first. Then the next obvious thing is to take action with what is at the top of your list of things. This whole discussion is about taking action. Remember, nothing is ever disastrous. You can always learn something from an experience. One important point to remember is not to cut down on your vision and settle for something less than you deserve. There is always a way if you are committed and willing to keep taking action towards the attainment of your result.” “You are wise beyond your years,” Shawn complimented her with a smile. “Thank you. Coach will go through with you another ability you can use to effortlessly take action towards what you want. For now, just recognise the result you want, know where you are in relation to that result, and take the obvious first action towards that result.” Natasha paused for a second, then continued. “Sometimes, you need to do nothing as part of taking action. It’s called ‘receiving’, and at times the action will be to allow the result you want to happen by itself. That’s the beauty of knowing what action to take.”

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7 Natasha smiled and said, “Well, that was a pretty decent timeout. How about we finish off this 7 game? What was the score again, eighteen-all, wasn’t it?” “Nice try! It’s eighteen–ten my way and I have the ball. Hey, by the way, something I’ve realised, in our basketball practices, we were told about the importance of the fundamentals. It was about the small things and doing them well consistently. I can see now how taking small actions all the time will build on the ability to take action. Like Coach said, it’s like building a muscle. The more you work on developing an ability or skill, the stronger it becomes. I thought I’d share that. Okay, let’s play.” Over the next 15 minutes, they both played hard but fair, trying to get the better of each other. As the game progressed, the chemistry between them grew and they really enjoyed each other’s company. They both went on scoring runs and used their entire repertoire of skills. They also taunted each other, but in a friendly way. The score was close all the way, and it reached the point where it was tied at 28-all, and Natasha had possession of the ball. “Next basket wins,” she called out as she contemplated her next move. “I don’t know how you are going to tell Coach that you were defeated by a girl. What will your friends say?” “I don’t have to worry about that because it’s not going to happen. Let’s see what you got.” Natasha faked a drive to her right side, which caused Shawn to check his position. She smiled and looked directly into his eyes. With a sudden burst of energy, she drove right and went past him in a flash and hit a fade-away jump shot. Shawn had recovered well and altered the shot by touching the ball with his fingertips as he jumped up to block the shot. The ball hit the side of the ring, and he grabbed the rebound and went outside the key. With his focus totally on driving down the lane, his first step enabled him to get around Natasha, who was still trying to position herself after her missed shot. As if in slow motion, his feet left the ground and he stylishly finger rolled the ball into the hoop. In her attempt to block the shot, Natasha also had jumped up as he had left his feet. Shawn’s momentum carried him into her body. She fell backwards and landed on her left elbow. Natasha grimaced in pain as she grabbed her elbow. Shawn was extremely concerned and rushed over to attend to her. “Are you okay?” he asked with an apologetic look on his face. “I think I’ll be alright,” Natasha responded gingerly. “You got me good. You got the basket in and the foul. It wasn’t a charge because I was too close to the hoop.” “The score doesn’t matter. Let’s go inside and get an ice-pack on your elbow.” “I want to catch my breath here first for a few minutes before I get up,” Natasha grimaced

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7 again. “You played well. Now, you don’t have to worry about telling people that I beat you 7 one-on-one. Maybe next time the result will be different.” “You really surprised me with your skills. I had a lot of fun. It’s been a while since I had so much fun playing one-on-one.” “I haven’t played a lot lately but I still make sure I stay healthy and look after myself. By the way, it’ll be good to have a good rest tonight at home.” “So, you are going home as well?” Shawn asked, surprised. “I am. Coach wants to do a few things and he suggested we all have some time away from The Centre.” Shawn’s heart started beating faster as he realised that it was a good moment to ask Natasha out on a date. He remembered the lesson he had about taking action and that nothing was ever disastrous. He told himself that the outcome he wanted was for Natasha to say yes and that they would have a great time. He also acknowledged that he was nervous and he allowed all that emotion to come through. He recognised that his emotion was telling him to prepare himself to do something. Coach’s words were going through his mind: “Focus on the result you want”. Shawn took a couple of deep breaths and took action. “By the way, Natasha, I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner with me sometime?” “Sure. That sounds great,” Natasha responded in a flash. “Oh…okay, great,” Shawn replied, surprised. “I was thinking about going to the university this afternoon to see if I can find out anything new. If you like, you can meet me there, and then after that we can get something to eat.” “You won’t die wondering, will you? You sure move fast. It’s fantastic to see you receiving all the lessons and taking action. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We might see something suspicious at the university. Hmm, my elbow is so much better now. Wow, I’m excited, but I want to go home and have a bath first. Oh, I just remembered. I have to go and get the car we left in the alleyway the other day. Well, all of a sudden, this has become a busy afternoon.” “If you want, we can catch up another day,” Shawn offered. “Ah ha! Notice what you are doing? You are cutting down on your vision. Don’t let the conditions that you believe need to exist before you can have what you want influence your actions. Don’t worry! I’ll get everything done and we’ll have a good time after we are done at the university.” “Thanks for reminding me. I was a bit worried for a few moments there. I thought I was

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7 pressuring you but like you said, there is always a way if you are committed. Let’s go back 7 inside and ice that elbow.” Back in the house, Natasha strapped an ice-pack around her elbow and got herself a drink. Coach and the rest of the team were also back, relaxing in the living room. “How’s the evidence coming along, Coach?” Shawn asked as he grabbed himself a cold drink. “It’s coming along quite well. I have sorted it according to suburbs, potential suspects and by the category of the activity. I shouldn’t be much longer before we are in a position to take it to the police department. We have done a lot of work over the past few days, so I think it will be good for everyone to have a break tonight and go home.” “That’s a good idea,” Shawn replied. “I had a really powerful lesson with Natasha about taking action. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury to her elbow. But she’ll be okay, won’t you, Natasha?” “I’ll be alright. I’m looking forward to having a bath and having a good rest.” Shawn wasn’t comfortable telling everyone that he had asked Natasha out on a date, so he kept that to himself. She didn’t mention anything, either. After a few minutes, Coach instructed them that it was time to leave and he would be in contact with them. He advised Shawn that he would drop him off at Lerner Field and he would drop Natasha somewhere closer to where her car was parked. Half an hour later, Coach landed his helicopter at Lerner Field, and Shawn waved goodbye to Coach and Natasha. Shawn gave her an affectionate smile as he closed the door of the helicopter, and she reciprocated with a gentle goodbye wave. Within seconds, the helicopter took off and Shawn started walking towards the parking area. He was delighted to find his car still there. As he started to unlock the door, Red and a couple of his friends pulled up in the parking area. Shawn looked at them in surprise. “Hey, man. I’ve been looking for you,” Red called out from his car. “Where have you been the last few days?” “I have been with friends,” Shawn responded. “After what happened at the club, I needed to get away.” “You know the cops have been asking me a lot of questions and were also looking for you, too. You are not hiding anything from me, are you?” “No, what’s there to hide? You sound concerned about something.” “I am a bit concerned about who I can trust now and who I cannot trust,” Red replied

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7 seriously. “I need to keep my enemies close and my so-called friends closer. Well, did you have 7 a good time while you were away?” “It was really good. I’ve learnt a lot of things which I did not know before. What have you been up to?” “I’ve been taking care of my business and eliminating some of my problems. I have a feeling there are some people plotting against me.” “Are you going back to the house?” Shawn changed the subject. “No, I’ve got a few things I need to take care of first and catch up with a few people. Are you going straight to the house?” “Yes, I’m going to have a shower and then I’m going out for a while and will be doing a few things.” “Okay then, I’ll catch up with you later,” Red extended his hand for a shake. Moments later, Red drove off and Shawn put his bag on the back seat and got inside his car. He sensed that Red was very nervous and was looking to find out what he could. He made a mental note to let Coach and the team know about Red. He gave himself a few minutes to allow everything that had happened over the past few days to sink in, and he acknowledged that he would never be the same person again. A smile came over his face as he remembered the one-on-one game with Natasha. “Finally, The Great One is going back home,” he thought to himself.

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88 The Tragedy

Life Will Throw a Curve-Ball at You When You Least Expect It – That is an Invitation for You to go to the Next Phase of Your Journey

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” ~ Michael Jordan

A rriving back home, Shawn was relieved to find that Andrew wasn’t there. He went upstairs to his room and looked around at everything there like it was the first time he had been in the room. One thing he did notice was that he did not have any books that were informative, empowering or that gave him guidance in his life. All he had were his engineering text books, which he knew were going to be of no use to him in a couple of months. He was grateful that he had been opened up to a new world of endless possibilities. An hour later, Shawn had showered and gotten ready for his afternoon and evening with Natasha. Although he still had a lot of time to spare before meeting her, he was itching to get to the university and share his experiences with someone. Before he had the chance to leave the house, Andrew arrived home. “Oh, look who it is!” Andrew said with an exaggerated start of surprise. “The boy has returned from his odyssey. Where have you been, man?” “I’ve been hanging out with some new friends for the past few days. I had a good time. What’s been happening with you?” “Things haven’t been the best. There is a lot of heat around at the moment.” “What do you mean?” “After Saturday night at the club, things have been a bit crazy,” Andrew replied. “Since then, Nitro and his boys have been more active than they have ever been before. Something is going down but I don’t know what. And, do you know where the hell Red’s been?” “I spoke to Red not too long ago. He said he had some business to take care off. I think he’ll be back tonight.” “I need to talk to him about a few things that he might know. He knows a lot of people. I

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8 want to find out if he knows anything about Nitro and who he is working for.” 8 “Sorry, man, but I have to go,” Shawn headed towards the door. “I’ve got a few things to do and I should be back later tonight.” “Hey, I might need your help soon in one of my projects,” Andrew added quickly. “I don’t think so, man,” Shawn replied. “I’ve got other things to do and I’m going to be very busy. I’ll talk to you later.” With those words, Shawn walked out and got into his car. He looked at his watch, it was 4.50pm. He was due to meet Natasha at 5.30 and he knew that he would make it to the university with time to spare. He also realised that it was an opportunity to observe students arriving for night classes and to look for anything suspicious. Shawn arrived at the university and parked near the gym. He sat in his car and simply looked around. Many students were still around on this Wednesday afternoon, and quite a lot of them arrived for their classes at the gym. Classes offered included aerobics, squash, indoor soccer, basketball and weight training. Shawn had never been very fond of the gym and only went there for basketball practice and the occasional game. He could not see anybody familiar, so he got out of the car and started walking towards the Engineering faculty. He put on dark sunglasses and pulled a cap lower over his eyes, as he did not want to be recognised. Although he did not know what he and Natasha would find that afternoon, the prospect of doing something positive and towards a good cause excited him. The Engineering faculty consisted of five separate buildings. Two of these were four-storeys high. Most of the professors, lecturers, tutors and assistants had offices in one of the four-storey buildings. Since the faculty was so large, it had two car parks solely for Engineering students. All the academics had their own dedicated parking spaces, so it was easy to spot who was at the faculty and who wasn’t. Since all the day classes had finished, only a few cars were left in the car parks. Only a few evening classes were offered at the Engineering faculty, and usually most of the professors and lecturers were gone by 5.30pm. Shawn had agreed to meet Natasha outside one of the smaller laboratory buildings. He arrived there on time. Hardly anybody was there after 5pm and it was a really good spot to observe the rest of the faculty. Since Shawn had been a student for the past five years, he knew most of the patterns of the academics at the faculty. He knew who worked back late and who left at a reasonable time. One particular car caught his attention, but before he had a chance to contemplate what was unusual about that car, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

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“Oh, hi Natasha,” he greeted her. “You startled me. I didn’t even hear you.” 88 “Not much of a sleuth, are you?” Natasha laughed. “If I had been a bad guy, you’d be in a lot of trouble or dead.” “Give me a break. I was looking at that car. I think it belongs to one of the new professors who joined the faculty this year. By the way, did you get your car?” “Yes, I did. Someone had left a rude note on it, saying if I left it there again I’d regret it. Now, what’s so unusual about that car?” “I don’t remember seeing it around at this time on other days. If my hunch is right, that car belongs to Professor Mick Lock. The guys call him Professor Mix-a-lot because he’s forever trying to mix with the students, which is a bit strange for a professor to do.” “That’s a lead we can follow right now,” Natasha replied excitedly. “We’ve got to stay out of sight. Let’s wait and find out what happens.” “Okay, the best place is inside one of the labs. It will be empty and we’ll be able to see the car clearly from there.” “Sounds like a plan. Lead the way.” Ensuring that nobody would see them, they hurried inside the empty lab and locked the door. As they looked out the window from their vantage point, they could see the car and also the main entrance of the building where all the academics had offices. Twilight was falling and it wouldn’t be long before the remaining daylight would disappear. They could see a few people make their way to their cars in the car park. Half an hour passed and nothing unusual was observed. Looking at his watch, Shawn noticed that it was now past six, and he was anxious to “officially” start his date with Natasha. “Looks like there’s nothing happening here,” he said, looking at his watch again. “We might as well leave and go and have dinner somewhere.” “Let’s give it ten more minutes,” Natasha suggested. “You never know what could happen. We might get a surprise.” “I was thinking we can have dinner somewhere close by. That way, we won’t have a long drive home. It has been quite a tiring day.” “Good thinking, Batman. It’ll be great to sleep in tomorrow morning, maybe until seven o’clock. Hey look! There are a couple of people coming out of the building. Do you recognise them?” “One of them is Professor Mix-a-lot,” Shawn replied excitedly. “I can’t make out the other person, but he looks like one of Nitro’s boys. I wonder what he’s doing here.”

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8 “Now, this is very interesting. Why are they looking around?” 8 “It looks a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?” Shawn remarked, peering hard through the windows. “We need to get a closer view of what’s going on. What do you think we should do? Go outside?” “I reckon we should follow the Professor. Come on, we’ll take my car, which is in the next car park. Where’s your car?” “It’s at the gym,” Shawn replied as they hurried out of the lab. “You can drop me back there later tonight. Hurry! We don’t want to lose him.” After a brisk walk three-minute walk, they reached Natasha’s car and hurried in. She pulled out from the car park in a flash and drove closer to where the professor’s car was parked but ensured that they were out of sight. From her car, they observed him handing the other man a briefcase and shaking hands with him as they parted company. The younger man got into his blue BMW sports car and drove off. Shawn took note of its registration number, and wrote it down in a notebook that Natasha had. As the professor drove off past them, they ducked their heads below the dashboard. Natasha gave Professor Mix-a-lot a reasonable head start before she turned on her headlights and started following him. As Natasha followed the professor, she remained at least two car-lengths behind him. The professor didn’t appear to be in any rush as he adhered to all the speed limits. The further away from the university they got, the fewer cars were on the road. After about a 15-minute drive, it became apparent to Natasha and Shawn that the professor was heading towards the wharf. He took the industrial drive, which had very little traffic. Natasha ensured she stayed back far enough. Professor Mix-a-lot pulled into one of the parking lots a few yards from the marina. Natasha had to quickly drive into a narrow, adjacent road and turn off her headlights. From their spot, they could not see the professor’s car, so they got out and started to make their way towards the marina. They used the pedestrian walkway, which also allowed them to blend in with the few people who were taking evening walks. Natasha had brought her digital camera along because her instincts had told her to do so. They noticed the professor walking towards one of the boats, with a briefcase in hand. That section of the marina was not well lit, so it would be relatively easy to snoop around without being spotted. Shawn and Natasha waited until Professor Mix-a-lot disappeared down into the boat before making their way towards it. “Good thing I brought my camera,” Natasha whispered. “Something is not right here. We have to be very careful.”

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“Are you sure you want to do this? What if somebody else arrives while we are here?” 88 “That’s why we have to be on the lookout at all times,” Natasha grabbed his arm. “I like the name on the boat, The Crusader.” “We can’t even see inside it,” Shawn added impatiently. “Don’t even suggest going onboard. What else can we do to find out what’s going on?” “Not much at this stage. Come on, let’s get out of sight and wait.” “This is an interesting first date, isn’t it?” Shawn chuckled as they found a safe spot to hide. “It wasn’t what I had expected tonight.” “Isn’t it great to get surprises? It’s part of what makes life interesting and exciting. By the way, with this camera, I will be able to turn off the flash and still get good pictures. I reckon this professor of yours is up to no good.” “Yeah, I always thought it was strange that he was trying to mix with the students. I wonder if he has been getting students mixed up in drugs. What do you think was in the briefcase? My guess is it has either got drugs or cash in it.” “That’s a good guess. I don’t know about you but I am getting a bit hungry.” “I wish you hadn’t said anything about that. Now I’m going to be thinking about it. I would really love to have some Subway right now.” “I wouldn’t mind some Thai food,” Natasha said casually. Suddenly they both stopped speaking, as they heard voices heading towards them. Shawn felt a tingle in his body as he usually did when he had nervous energy within him. He looked at her for assurance, and she placed her index finger over her lips. The voices now got louder, and Natasha carefully stretched out her body until she was flat on her stomach. She positioned her camera with the entrance to the boat as the focus. Shawn felt uncomfortable crouching down, so he decided to lie flat on his stomach as well. From their positions they could see three men walking towards The Crusader. They all had dark clothes on, along with baseball caps, which made it hard to identify them. They sounded animated and intense. Shawn and Natasha could vaguely make out the three men as they approached. One man was relatively short and stockily built. The other two were athletically built and were of average height. Natasha clicked away with her camera as they stopped at the entrance of the vessel. From the lights onboard, they were able to see the faces of the three men. Shawn and Natasha got the shock of their lives. One of the men was Red! The other two were Nitro and one of his henchmen. Natasha ensured that she got pictures of all three men

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8 climbing on to the boat. When they had disappeared down into the boat, she turned around 8 to Shawn, who looked like he had seen a ghost. “Now, isn’t that a surprise?” she whispered excitedly. “Your flatmate is involved in illegal activities.” “I can’t believe it. That means he works with Nitro, and they are Andrew’s enemies. They are the ones who got Dwayne killed. I don’t think Andrew knows that Red is not what he seems. He’s been playing them all along.” “And he’s been playing you as well. He’s your nemesis.” “Okay, what do we do now? If we get caught, we will be in a bit of a predicament.” “You think! We can’t risk being seen. We have to find out whose boat it is. My guess is that something has got to be up for everybody to be meeting together. Obviously Red will have informed everybody about what you have been doing.” “What? That means I’m in danger. Hey, I think it’s not safe for me to go home tonight and maybe not until this is all resolved. I can’t stay in the same house as Red. And my car is still at the university. Oh, I’ll have to ask Coach to help me out.” “You can stay over at my place tonight,” Natasha said softly. “I wouldn’t worry about your car. You can leave it there tonight. I’m sure we’ll all get together to work out a plan.” “Man, my legs are killing me,” Shawn complained. “I wish they would all come out quickly.” His words were prophetic, as five men started to emerge from The Crusader. Shawn and Natasha recognised four of the men, but could not recognise the man who had been on board to begin with. He was tall, with glasses and grey hair. He looked very fit for someone that appeared to be in his fifties. Shawn had a quick glance at Natasha, who shook her head, indicating she did not know who he was. She took more pictures as the five men stood on the boat, winding down their meeting. From their position, Shawn and Natasha could hear only snatches of conversation. Words to the effect of ‘we haven’t got much time’ and ‘take care of them as soon as possible’ were heard. But they clearly heard Red say, “Don’t worry, they won’t be an issue any more”. Shawn felt a chill go up his spine, as he assumed that Red was referring to them. His breaths got shallower and he felt more and more uncomfortable with his presence there. Natasha whispered a ‘shush’ at him as the five men shook hands. The tall man, who appeared to be the owner of the boat, turned out the lights and locked the entrance to the boat. Shawn and Natasha observed Professor Mix-a-lot and the tall man, who now had the

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briefcase, going their separate ways. Red, Nitro and his friend walked away together. 88 “Okay, it’s time to take action,” Shawn suddenly felt a surge of confidence. “I say we follow Red and Nitro and find out where they are going. Then we can inform the police.” “We haven’t got any concrete evidence yet,” Natasha pointed out cautiously. “I agree with you. We should follow them and then we can tell Coach what we find out. He might recognise who the tall man is.” “Come on, let’s get to the car,” Shawn got himself up and helped Natasha to her feet. “We’ve got to stay out of sight. I hope the three of them get into one car.” With absolute caution, they slowly made their way back to Natasha’s car. Luckily for them, people were walking in both directions, which made it easy to blend in. As they approached the car, they noticed Red and his two colleagues get into the familiar black Porsche Boxster. Nitro’s friend was the driver, and he was in a rush. As the car zoomed past them, they lowered their heads and covered their faces with one hand. In a flash, they started running towards their car. They both jumped in and Natasha sped off in the same direction as the Porsche. For the first couple of minutes they had no sight of the car. Shawn trusted his instincts as he instructed Natasha which direction to go. He had a hunch that they would go back on the main road and head towards town. Initially, it felt his hunch was incorrect, as they could no longer see the car on the four-lane road. Evening traffic still filled the road, and spotting the Porsche was proving difficult. “There they are,” Shawn suddenly blurted out. “Yes! I knew I had to be right. Phew!” “Well done. It’s good to know that you are listening to your inner voice. This is really good that we can follow them for a change. I’ll see if I can get closer so you can write down the registration number.” With a burst of acceleration, she drove her car into the gutter lane, as the other car was in the middle lane. She drove close enough for Shawn to read the registration number before falling back behind five other cars. “Nice driving. You’d probably get an audition for a role in the Fast and the Furious movies. You’ve got some skills.” “It helps if you have good teachers. Plus, I’ve had opportunities to practise as well. Alright, you know Red better than me. Where do you think they are going?” “I’m not sure, Ninety-nine,” Shawn laughed. “I’m hoping that we can make a huge discovery tonight that will help bring them down.” “Me too, and I’m going to be so glad when it’s all over and they are all in prison. I’ve got

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8 no time for people who take advantage of our youth.” 8 “I’ve got issues with Red now,” Shawn added. As he had a sip from a bottle of water, he continued, “I wish we could stop somewhere and grab something to eat. My stomach’s rumbling.” “Have patience,” Natasha replied, uninterested. “Food can wait for now. This is more important.” “I’m sorry, you’re right. I should focus on the task at hand.” “Look, they are taking a detour. That leads to the industrial part of the town. I wonder what’s there.” “From what I know, that area is where a lot of companies have warehouses,” Shawn predicted. “They’re only open during business hours. Slow down a bit. It will be easy to see where they are going.” As Natasha slowed right down, they noticed the other car drive inside a complex which housed four separate warehouses. Each warehouse had its own parking area, and they observed the car drive to the back of the warehouse so that it could not be seen from the road. Natasha turned off her lights and pulled into the driveway leading into a warehouse on an adjacent street. The driveway into the grounds was blocked by a locked gate. “Come on, we have to go over there,” she instructed as she turned off the ignition. “We need to find out what they are doing here.” “How are we going to find that out? You aren’t suggesting sneaking inside, are you?” “Don’t worry about the how. The answer will present itself when we get there.” “You got the camera?” Shawn asked as they started hurriedly walking towards the warehouse. “Yeah, right here,” Natasha patted down on the left pocket of her pants. Moving like secret agents, they made their way to the warehouse. Shawn ensured that they weren’t being followed and he suggested they walk leaning against the wall of the warehouse. It didn’t have any windows, which made it easy to walk against the wall. All it had were fire exit doors and roller doors, which were all locked. The warehouse wasn’t particularly large. It covered an area of approximately 450 square metres and would have been about seven metres high. Shawn peered out the back of the warehouse. He saw half a dozen cars parked there along with the Porsche. The yard at the back wasn’t particularly clean. Old garbage bins, broken furniture, and wooden crates made the property look untidy. Rocks ranging from the size of a person’s hand and larger were scattered everywhere along the fence. He motioned for

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Natasha to have a look for herself, and after she had a quick glance, she leaned back against 88 the wall with a disappointed look on her face. “This is really risky with all those cars,” she whispered. “There could be a dozen people in there.” “I have an idea,” Shawn whispered back. “I reckon there will be skylights on the roof. Let’s see if we can climb on to the roof.” “Are you crazy…?” Natasha started to reply. But Shawn had already ducked his way out towards the back entry door. He ran past the door to the other side of the warehouse. Natasha had no choice but to follow suit. She elbowed him in the ribs to convey what she thought about what he had just done. Shawn winced softly and pointed to a ladder, which was fixed against the wall and went all the way up to the roof. He gave Natasha an ‘I told you so’ look and motioned for her to go first. She cautiously climbed up the first few steps and then quickened her pace. Shawn gave her a bit of a start before following her. As he looked up, he chuckled as he got a good view of her butt. “Nice,” he thought to himself as he climbed to the top. On the roof of the warehouse were a dozen skylights, evenly spaced. Shawn did a little dance because he was thrilled that his hunch had paid off again. Natasha was already on her knees, looking through the plate glass. She called him over, and when he looked down, he got a huge surprise. Inside the warehouse they saw at least 10 men, carrying out a variety of activities. Some of them packed what looked like white powder from larger bags into bags the size of a person’s palm. A lot of precision was being applied to that activity, with the use of electronic scales. A couple of other men opened wooden crates and took out what looked like handguns and semi-automatic machine guns. They packed the guns into black briefcases and black sports bags. Shawn also spotted half a dozen open briefcases, which were full of cash. Shawn and Natasha looked at each other with their mouths open. She punched her fist in the air as if to say, ‘We did it’. Shawn nodded and indicated to her to take pictures. As she clicked away, he observed Red giving instructions to Nitro and a couple of other men. He looked very angry and made gun gestures with his fingers. Again, Shawn and Natasha looked at each other with fear in their eyes. Shawn tapped on his watch to indicate it was time to leave. Natasha made her way to the middle skylight and took more pictures. She then nodded and signalled to Shawn to start heading back down. When they both got back on the ground, they let out a huge sigh of relief. They leaned against the wall again to compose themselves.

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8 “We finally got them,” Natasha whispered excitedly, her eyes wide open. “Let’s get out of 8 here and call Coach.” “I’ll go first,” Shawn whispered back as he peeked around the corner. “It’s clear. I’ll wait on the other side.” Natasha nodded and Shawn crouched low as he made his way across the back door. It was still open. As he made his way across, an angry voice pierced the stillness of the night. “Hey, what are you doing here?” barked a man who had been walking towards the building from where the cars were parked. “Hold it right there.” The man pointed a gun at Shawn, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He slowly started raising his arms until his palms were up to his shoulders. He felt his heart skip a beat and he hoped to hell that the man did not know Natasha was there as well. “Who the hell are you?” the man asked threateningly, pointing his gun closer at Shawn. “Err, um… sorry, man,” Shawn stuttered. “I got lost and I was walking past because I saw the lights on over here.” “Hey, I know who you are,” the man cut in. “You’re that sucker who…” Smack! Natasha had sneaked up behind him and hit him on the head with a rock twice the size of her hand. The gun fell out of the man’s hand as he dropped to the ground. Natasha ensured he was out cold by kneeing him in the back of the head as he lay moaning on the ground. Shawn picked up the gun and put his right hand on Natasha’s shoulder. “Thanks for that,” he blurted out softly. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” With those words, they ran as fast as they could towards their car. Shawn ensured that Natasha stayed in front of him as they ran. As they approached it, they heard voices coming from the warehouse. As Shawn was about to get in the car, he saw three men running towards them. “Go, go, go,” he shouted as he jumped in. Natasha reversed without turning on the lights, and made a loud screeching noise as she took off. Gun shots were fired at the car but they were well out of range. As she raced out towards the industrial drive, she turned on the lights and looked in her rear-view mirror. Nobody was following them, yet. “Damn, that was close,” she broke the silence. “I’m going to go back on the main road.” “Thanks again for saving me back there,” Shawn smiled at her. “You may have saved my life.” “Yeah, you owe me one. Let me call Coach. I’ll put him on speaker phone.”

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“Hello, Natasha,” Coach answered with a pleasant voice. “Where are you now?” 88 “Hi, Coach. I’m in the car with Shawn” “What do you know?” Coach asked. They both then proceeded to tell Coach everything they had experienced, from observing Professor Mix-a-lot at the university to the experience they had at the warehouse. Natasha also mentioned that she had taken a lot of photos and they now had concrete evidence. Coach was delighted with what they had uncovered. “That is tremendous news,” he congratulated them. “Well done to both of you. Right now, you have to get that car off the road. Natasha, I’d suggest that you go straight home and lock the car in your garage. Be careful and make sure that nobody is following you. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for you to have a hire car.” “That’s good, Coach,” Natasha interrupted him. “Do you want me to email you the photos tonight? Maybe you’ll recognise the tall man on the boat.” “Yes, please do that. I’ll call everybody else now and schedule a team meeting for tomorrow morning. When I get your email, I’ll call you back and let you know when and where we’ll meet.” “Hey, Coach,” Shawn cut in. “It’s not safe for me to go back home. My car’s still at the university. It will be best if I left it there tonight. I’ll stay over at Natasha’s place tonight, and tomorrow I’ll figure out what I’m going to do.” “Okay, Shawn. Maybe you’ll have to stay at The Centre until this all gets resolved. Alright, I’ll talk to both of you later tonight.” “That sounds like a plan, Coach,” Natasha added. “Okay then, be careful and no funny business at home, you two,” Coach laughed. “Very funny, Coach,” Shawn replied. “Goodbye.” “Alright, we’ve still got work to do tonight,” Natasha pretended not to be amused by Coach’s comment as she hung up the phone. “Are you still hungry?” “You bet I am. I hope you’ve got food at your place.” “Yes, I’ve got food at home. What do you like?” “I’m easy. I’ll have whatever you’ve got.” “Okay, a quick stir-fry sounds like the go. Can you keep an eye out for cars coming up fast behind us?” During the next 25 minutes of the drive, they talked about what they had seen at the warehouse and who else they suspected was involved. They laughed at the conspiracy theories

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8 they came up with. It was close to 9pm when they arrived at Natasha’s place, a relatively new, 8 five-storey apartment building in a quiet neighbourhood. Natasha had a lock-up garage, and she backed her car in there. She ensured that she took out everything she needed from the car as she locked both the car and garage roller door. She then led the way upstairs to her apartment on the second level. The apartment, a modern, two bedroom place, consisted of a good-sized kitchen and a spacious lounge area. It was well furnished, with two single recliner sofas, a three-seat sofa bed and a six-seat dining table. One of the walls had a 42-inch plasma television mounted on it, along with a complete home theatre system. Natasha had set up her laptop and printer on the dining table. She also had a couple of large Buddha statues in the lounge room and the second bedroom was set up as a meditation room, with an altar and candle stands. Her bedroom had a queen bed, along with an ensuite. Shawn was impressed with her apartment. “You’ve got a really nice place.” “Thank you,” she responded as she turned on her laptop. “Make yourself comfortable while I email the photos to Coach. There are drinks in the fridge.” A few minutes later, the photos had been sent and Natasha started preparing a meal for both of them. A Thai stir-fry was the order for the night. Coach called back as they were having their meal. “Hi Coach,” Natasha answered the call as she put it on loudspeaker. “Did you see the photos?” “I certainly did,’ he replied excitedly. “This is huge. You both have confirmed my suspicion. The man you saw on the boat is Thomas King. He is a highly-ranked police officer. All along, I had suspected that corrupt cops were involved in dealing guns and drugs, and we now have proof of it.” “So what do we do now?” Shawn asked, unable to hold back his curiosity. “Tomorrow morning, I’d like to go and see the head of the police department in town with Larry and you, Natasha. You can explain how you got the photos. For now, we’ll say that Larry was with you when you took the photos. It will be best at this stage if we keep you out of the picture, Shawn.” “That’s fine with me.” “In the morning, can you both catch a cab into town?” Coach continued his instructions. “We won’t worry about hiring a car for now. Natasha, I’ll pick you up on Johnston Street at 9.30am with Larry, and we’ll go to the PD with our evidence. Shawn, Mike and Sandra will

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pick you up and bring you up to speed on all the other evidence we have collected so far. I 88 would like the three of you to be around after we finish at the PD, then we’ll all head back to The Centre in two separate cars.” “How long do you think we’ll be at the PD?” Natasha asked. “I’d guess about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. I’ll make a call now and arrange a meeting with the Chief of Police. I haven’t spoken to him before but he knows who I am and what we have been doing.” “Okay, that’s good, Coach,” Natasha added. “We’ll see you in the morning.” “Goodnight, Coach,” Shawn said. “Talk to you tomorrow.” “Goodnight, guys. Get some rest tonight.” Shawn and Natasha stayed up for an hour after their meal talking about the next day and what they hoped would come out of the meeting with the police. Shawn wasn’t too convinced that going to the police was such a good idea at this stage. He suggested that it would be safer to go to the media and present the evidence that way. But Natasha had a different point of view. She thought that by going to the police now, action would be taken quicker, without the culprits being aware of what was going on. Soon enough, they got quite tired, and Natasha suggested that Shawn sleep on the sofa bed. She gave him some old clothes to sleep in and laughed at him as he tried to put on one of her tee-shirts. It was a bit tight. As they said goodnight to each other, they had a moment when they both felt awkward, as they didn’t know what an appropriate way to say goodnight was. They gave each other a quick hug. Shawn drifted off to sleep wondering if he should have tried to kiss her. Shawn got up the next morning around seven o’clock and noticed Natasha meditating in the spare room. He did a quick visualisation of what he wanted that day and did some stretches in the lounge room. After a shower and breakfast, Natasha called a cab to take them into town. The ride lasted 45 minutes. Shawn was curious to find out what Natasha had visualised for her day. “What is your intention for today?” he asked. “I want to have a productive meeting with Coach and Larry at the PD. Also, I want things to go well when the police take action to bring everyone to justice and for nobody to get injured or killed during the bust.” “Okay,” Shawn replied as he pondered her response. Something in Natasha’s words caused him concern but he did not know what it was. His instincts were telling him that something was not right, and that it was a bad idea to be going

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8 to the police. Unable to articulate his concern, he remained silent the rest of the ride. They got 8 off on Johnston Street where Coach, Larry, Mike and Sandra were waiting for them. After quick greetings, the two groups went their separate ways. Coach led Natasha and Larry around the corner to his car, whereas Shawn got into a car, a black Ford four-wheel drive, with Mike and Sandra. Mike drove with Sandra in the front seat and Shawn in the back. Over the next hour and a half, Mike and Sandra shared all the evidence they had accumulated so far. It consisted mainly of pictures of people dealings in drugs and guns, and it implicated some students Shawn knew. Nitro and his boys featured prominently in all the evidence but Shawn did not recognise everybody in the photos. To his surprise, he hadn’t seen Red in any of the photos. Sandra put on a DVD in the car player, which showed footage of people having conversations in cars and on the streets. Some of the dialogues mentioned ‘The Professor’ and ‘The Chief’, without actual names being used. Suddenly, Shawn’s instincts kicked in and he wanted to know more. “I’m guessing that ‘The Professor’ they are referring to is Professor Mix-a-lot,” he said. “But who is ‘The Chief’?” “We don’t know that yet,” Sandra replied. “Maybe after everyone is captured, someone will confess and reveal who The Chief is.” “You know, this may sound crazy, but my guess is that The Chief is who Coach has gone to see,” Shawn blurted out his hunch. “This is not good!” “The Chief of Police?” Mike laughed. “No, you’re mistaken. He is quite well respected in the community. He does a lot of work to help make the communities safer. He has also helped out many young men, and a lot of them have joined the police force. He has received bravery awards and citizenship awards. No, I don’t believe that he is the king-pin. If anything, he probably has task forces working on this twenty-four seven.” “My gut instinct is telling me that there is someone well known and respected at the head of all this,” Shawn insisted. “Like in the movies, the bad guy is usually the person you suspect the least. My guess is that Red, Nitro, The Professor and others are pawns being used. Someone else is pulling the strings.” “I agree with you that someone else is running the operation but, like Mike, I don’t think it is the Chief of Police,” Sandra added. “I’m sure we’ll find out who it is soon, though. Everything seems to be coming to a head.” As they further discussed the evidence that was being shown to Shawn, he once again felt uneasy. Before he had a chance to voice his concern, the phone in the car rang.

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“Hi, Coach,” Mike answered the call on the speaker phone. “How did it go?” 88 “It went really well,” Coach replied, with a tinge of excitement in his voice. “The Chief of Police was very surprised with all our evidence and thanked us for our investigative work. He said he would get things happening straight away.” “That’s great, Coach,” Sandra chipped in. “Hey, Coach?” Shawn cut in. “Did he ask how many of us were involved in collecting the evidence?” “Why, yes he did. I told him that the three of us were the only ones involved. He asked us where we would be going after the meeting and I told him we’d be going via the freeway to our business premises. I didn’t tell him where it was.” “Where are you now?” Mike asked as he started the four-wheel drive. “We are heading for Freeway 187,” Coach replied. “Follow us, but don’t get too close.” “Gotcha,” Mike responded as he headed for the freeway. “Hey Natasha, how did you find the meeting?” Shawn asked gently. “It was very positive. The Chief said he expected to take care of things within days and tie up all loose ends. He was a bit edgy, though. Maybe he had a lot of meetings on today. But overall, I’m glad this will all be coming to an end shortly.” “Excellent news,” Shawn replied. “What’s the plan now, Coach?” Sandra interrupted them. “We’ll go back to The Centre and stay out of sight for a couple of days. I’ll keep in touch with The Chief to get updates on what they are doing. We’ll mainly be working with the police department, feed them the evidence we have got, and assist them in any way we can.” “This all sounds exciting, that our hard work is going to pay off,” Sandra added enthusiastically. As they travelled on the freeway, all six of them talked about the possibilities of having a safer community and the difference it would make without the temptations of drugs and guns around. They all agreed that while a lot more work had to be done, what they were doing was a step in the right direction. They laughed and joked about Shawn’s comment about the Chief of Police. Coach and Larry dismissed his theory but Natasha had been quiet during the discussion. Before Shawn had a chance to question her about her opinion, he noticed a black Volkswagen van with tinted windows and no registration plates speeding past them. Coach’s white Volvo was five cars ahead of them. “Whoa, check out that van!” Shawn blurted out. “That driver is in a rush alright!”

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8 “Hey Coach, there’s a black Volkswagen van heading towards you,” Mike warned him. 8 “Yes, I can see him. What the hell…?” Coach’s voice cut out. From their car, they saw the driver of the van force Coach’s car into the gutter lane before getting in front of him and forcing him to hit the brakes hard. All the cars in front of Mike also hit their brakes hard and suddenly car after car slammed into each other. Mike, who had his eyes on what was happening with Coach, failed to hit his brakes in time and slammed into the car in front of him. As the airbags burst open, which momentarily blocked Mike and Sandra’s view, Shawn looked out the window and saw two men wearing ski masks and with guns in their hands get out of the van and run towards Coach’s car. Within seconds, one man opened the front passenger door and fired into the car. The other man opened Coach’s door and fired at him. The sound of gunshots was loud and rapid. Shawn, in absolute shock, saw Coach’s body sag out of the car and hit the road. Before he had a chance to react, he saw the two men drag Natasha out of the car, kicking and screaming, force her into the black Volkswagen and drive off. Overcome with fear, Shawn got out of the car and started running towards Coach’s car. By that stage, Mike and Sandra had freed themselves, and also ran to the scene. There, in spreading pools of crimson, lay Coach and Larry, motionless. “No!” was all Sandra could scream as she burst out crying.

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99 The Power of Choice

Engage Your Inherent Nature to Get What You Want

“The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.” ~ James Allen

A mbulance sirens got louder as Mike comforted Coach, who desperately gasped for air. Sandra attempted to revive Larry, but he did not respond. Shawn did his best to keep people away, as several had gotten out of their cars and had come over to the scene, wanting to help. When the paramedics arrived, they tried to revive Larry but to no avail. They placed him on a stretcher, then into an ambulance and drove him away. Another team of paramedics placed an oxygen mask over Coach’s mouth, and they carefully him moved into another ambulance and took him to the nearest hospital. By then, the police had arrived, and had taken control of the traffic. The freeway, now gridlocked, needed the help of tow trucks to finally get the traffic moving again. The police interviewed witnesses, and took down their details and statements. Shawn, Mike and Sandra, still in a state of shock, were questioned at length. They were offered counselling, which they all declined. Mike wanted to know if it would be possible to get a ride to the hospital, since his car had to be towed away. The police officer in charge instructed one of his officers to take the three of them to the hospital. Their concern for the safety of Natasha was growing stronger by the minute. At the hospital, they received the devastating news that Larry had died. Coach was still alive but in critical condition, and the doctor in charge stated that his chances of survival were minimal. With that news, Sandra burst out crying, and Shawn and Mike, while trying to comfort her, were also overcome with grief. Tears flowed freely. Shawn made a promise to himself that if Coach survived, he would dedicate his life to the service of other people. He acknowledged that he would do whatever it took to support others and make meaningful contributions to the world, like Coach had done. Time went by at a snail’s pace as the three of them waited at the hospital. It was late in the

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9 afternoon, and by that stage the media had become aware of the incident. Reporters desperately 9 tried to get close to them. They all knew it would be best not to talk to anyone from the media yet. Police officers and hospital staff did extremely well to keep the reporters away. As the afternoon progressed, they did not receive any further news on the condition of Coach except that he was still critical. Shawn had been questioned at length by investigators, as he had seen most of the incident. By now, the Commissioner of Police, Nick Davis, was involved. He personally came to the hospital to talk to the three of them. He was an overweight man in his early sixties, slightly shorter than Shawn, with receding grey hair. He wore glasses, which made him look much older. “I’m sorry about what happened today,” Commissioner Davis spoke with sincerity to Shawn, Mike and Sandra. “You can be assured that we will do all we can to bring the killers to justice.” “That’s nice, but what have you done so far to find Natasha?” Shawn asked bluntly. “You do know that your police officers are involved in this, don’t you?” “We are following leads on the getaway vehicle and I am confident that we will find her very soon. We have had a suspicion that some of our officers are corrupt, and dealing in guns and drugs. And I believe that you have evidence that could lead to the arrest of some of our officers.” “Yes we do,” Mike replied quickly. “But how do we know we can trust you?” “I’m giving you my word that I will get to the bottom of this,” Commissioner Davis looked all three of them in the eye. “My word is my bond. If you believe that your lives are in danger, I will provide around-the-clock protection for you. As I said, we already have leads that we are following regarding the whereabouts of the van that was used today. It’s only a matter of time before we safely rescue your friend and arrest those who were involved.” “What do you want us to do?” Mike asked. “Firstly, can you please tell me everything that you know? I’d like to get an idea of what you all have been investigating. Obviously, the bad guys are very concerned, which is probably why your friends were shot. But honestly, I do not understand the kidnapping of your friend. It doesn’t make sense! They could have killed her if witnesses were a concern to them. But we have to take it one step at a time. Now, can you tell me what you know?” For the next half an hour, Shawn, Mike and Sandra told him everything they knew. They showed him the photos and played the recorded conversations of people that they suspected

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were part of the operations. Mike also mentioned that Coach had collected evidence, but 99 nobody knew what it was and that it was stored at Coach’s house. He added that nobody knew where Coach lived and, even if they did, knowing Coach, he would store it in a safe place. The only hope they had was if Coach was able to survive and tell somebody where he had placed all the evidence. “What else are you going to do to find Natasha safely?” Shawn asked desperately. “This syndicate operation is like a chain linked together,” Commissioner Davis explained. “But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. What we will do is find that weakest link. And right now, the easiest and quickest way to act is to go after the Professor. We will set up a sting right away and hopefully, he will be caught in possession of drugs and cash. We should be able to do an audit trail if he has a large sum of money and see where it came from. Once we arrest him, we will question and interrogate him, by any means necessary, to get more information from him.” “What are you going to do about the Chief of Police?” Shawn asked, with anger building inside of him. “I will have him put under surveillance immediately. I take responsibility for what has happened to your friends and I am ashamed that a few bad seeds have tarnished the whole police department. They will get what they deserve. I guarantee that!” “I think it will be best if we are given a police escort back to our Centre, and it will be even better if the officers protecting us are in unmarked cars,” Sandra added. “I will feel a lot better if I know we are being protected.” “That’s the least I can do. Whenever you are ready to go, I will ask two of my men to follow you and give you around-the-clock protection. I’ll give you my mobile phone number. Call me anytime if you need anything or if you have any more information.” “Thank you, Sir,” Mike replied. “Sandra and I will go to the Centre now and start looking for other information we may have in our database that could assist you. And Shawn, if you don’t mind, can you please stay here and let us know of Coach’s progress?” “Sure, that’s fine. Somebody needs to stay here, and we can take turns.” Turning to the Commissioner, Shawn asked, “Are you going to watch my house? Red has to show up eventually, I hope.” “Yes, we are already on it. Don’t worry, we’ll find Red very quickly. I will be in contact with you all.” With those words, he shook hands with all three of them and left. Shawn gave Mike and

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9 Sandra goodbye hugs, and when they left, he went into the waiting room area, where the 9 evening news was on television. As the story of Coach and Larry’s shooting came on, Shawn broke down in tears. He buried his face in his hands and allowed his emotions to come out. He now realised how much of a bond he had formed with Coach, Larry and the rest of the team in such a short period of time. Now, for the first time since the shooting, he feared for the safety of Natasha. Shawn’s body tensed up as he started imagining what Natasha would be going through. Fear totally overcame him, and for a few minutes his breath was very short and shallow. Then, out of nowhere, he recalled the lesson he had with Coach about how the power of focus could assist a person. In an instant, he changed his focus to what he wanted: for Coach to fully recover and for Natasha to be found and rescued safely. With his eyes closed, he also started imagining everybody involved in the incident being arrested and brought to justice. As he continued imagining what he wanted with absolute certainty, he felt his body relax and his breathing return to normal. He told himself that everything was going to be alright. As Shawn totally concentrated on the outcome he wanted, he did not hear a nurse whispering to him, trying to get his attention. She eventually tapped on his shoulder and he looked up with red eyes, startled. “The Doctor wanted me to give you the message that Coach’s vital signs have improved,” she said. “He had four bullets inside him and they had to be removed. He’s extremely fortunate that none of the bullets went through his heart. But he’s still in a critical condition although he is improving.” “What are his chances of making it through this?” Shawn asked. “All we can hope is that Coach’s body responds after the operation,” she replied. “I have to go back now. You will be kept informed of any further changes to Coach’s condition.” “Thank you.” As the nurse left, Shawn felt like something magical had just happened. He had shifted his focus to what he wanted, and the universe granted him his wish. Now, he knew with total certainty, Coach would pull through. Coach was a fighter and he would not go down without giving his all. Shawn smiled as he recalled the lessons Coach had taught him. As those lessons came back to him, he realised that he would have to do his part to bring Natasha back safely. He now realised that he had powerful instincts, as he had predicted something would happen when Coach went to see the Chief of Police. He thought, ‘What is a better question I can ask

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myself now?’ He took a few deep breaths and allowed his inner wisdom to come through. 99 The first thought that came through was, ‘If Red has taken Natasha, where would he not go?’ One by one, he eliminated all the usual spots Red frequented. Their home, the nightclubs, the warehouse, the university and his friends’ homes were not places Red would go to. While this surprised Shawn, he continued to ask himself questions. ‘What resources do I have at my disposal that I can use to help find Natasha?’ A voice inside him said, ‘Budd, Budd.’ Shawn opened his eyes in a flash, like he had been given an electric shock. ‘That’s it,’ he thought. ‘I’ll go to Budd and receive guidance from him.’ He pondered what he had received for a few moments. He then asked another question, ‘Where would Red go if he did not want to get caught?’ His mind told him some place where the law wouldn’t be able to easily get to him. As Shawn continued to ask more questions, he got a sense that he would play an integral role in rescuing Natasha. He closed his eyes again and centred himself by taking a few deeps breaths. He remained in that meditative state for another half an hour. Desperate to do his part to find Natasha, Shawn called Mike and asked him to swap places with him at the hospital. He wanted to see Budd right away even if that meant going to the temple at night. Mike agreed and organised for an officer to watch over Sandra at Success Centre. When he arrived at the hospital, Shawn asked the officer who had given Mike a lift to take him to see Budd. Although mentally tired, Shawn gathered himself by doing some deep breathing during the trip to the temple. That helped him to focus on what he wanted to achieve from his meeting with Budd. An hour later, he was at the temple, looking at the same flight of steps he had seen three days ago. As Shawn climbed the steps, he wished that Budd would give him guidance as to what could be done to find Natasha. The flower petals on the steps gave him a sense that he was going into a special place. Once inside the temple, to his surprise, Shawn found Budd still there, sitting at the altar, with his legs crossed, eyes closed and his hands resting on his thighs. He looked to be in a deep meditation. Budd must have sensed Shawn’s presence because he opened his eyes as Shawn walked in. Budd signalled to him to come forth to the altar. He stood up and gave Shawn a fatherly embrace. “I heard about what happened today and I’m really sorry,” Budd started the conversation as they both sat down. “It’s a terrible thing for a precious life to be taken away at such a young age. I see that you have come here for guidance, young man.” “It’s not fair what happened to Larry, Coach and Natasha,” Shawn spoke as tears ran down his cheeks. “I’ve been learning this week about having a vision and focusing on what I

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9 wanted in life, but there was no way I wanted or focused on what happened today. Why did 9 it happen?” “Son, life’s not fair, because that’s how you are defining life right now,” Budd spoke softly. “I cannot say why it happened but I know it happened because of the choices other people made. Your friends may not have visualised that incident, but at some level they knew what could happen. Therefore, they attracted that reality for themselves.” “So what you are saying is that our thoughts have the potential to determine our reality?” “As you have learnt, your thoughts and emotions play a major role in what you attract in your life. Right now, what you need to know is that you have choices in life. While you may not be able to influence everybody else’s choices and actions, the truth is, life is all about choices. The direction of your life – your destiny – is shaped by the choices you make. You are here right now because you made a choice to be here. Everything happens for a reason, and now is the right time for you to learn about another principle from the concept of VIP FACE.” “I think I know what it is. The ‘C’ in VIP FACE is choice, right?” “That’s right,” Budd replied with smile. “The word choice is loosely used a lot, and it tends to lose its effectiveness and power. Whenever you are going for a result or outcome, you connect to that outcome by making a choice to create that outcome. When you decide to make a choice, you start to connect with energies and resources that would otherwise go unutilised.” “I still don’t think I’m clear about what you mean by choice,” Shawn interrupted. “Well, choice simply means the act of choosing or selecting. It is an alternative action or possibility. It implies that there are many options available. In the context of what we are discussing and for simplicity, the word choice is mentioned with reference to the result or outcome we want. In other words, when we want to create something, we formally make a choice to create it.” “Okay, so what you are saying is that I should always make a choice when I am creating something?” “Yes, the power of choice is often overlooked. The ability to make choices is a developed ability. It takes practice. The more you practise making choices, the more you will develop the ability to make right choices, which are the ones that lead you effortlessly to the results you want. Initially, you may not make right choices, that is, choices that move you towards what you want. But with practice, like in sport, you will certainly get better.”

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“That means making choices is a vital part of any creative process,” Shawn commented. 99 “It will serve you to make choices. Not only do you choose the results you want, but you also make choices about your actions, your values, your focus, your priorities, and how you can continue to connect to all the results that are in your best interest. It is an ongoing, organic process. The quality of your life is found in your ability to choose the meaning in any life circumstance. You can choose to decide what something means. You can give it a meaning. You see, making choices is a formal process. It engages the part of yourself that is strongly determined to create the result you want. Making choices forces you use your will. That gives you your drive to keep going for what you want, even when things may appear to be not going well.” “What can I do, or what can people do, to improve their ability to make choices when they haven’t had much experience in doing so?” “We are always making choices. When someone has had limited experience in making formal choices, what they will normally do is succumb to their immediate demands rather than choosing the results they want. For example, for a student, it is easier to be on the Internet, watch television or play video games than it is to do their homework or assignments. Also, it can be easier to succumb to peer pressure and take drugs than to consider the outcome of a healthy life. We make some choices better than others. The ability to make empowering choices is a learnt ability. Awareness is usually the first thing when learning a new skill.” “What do you mean by that?” Shawn asked with raised eyebrows. “It is important to recognise what you do or, in general, what people do with regard to making empowering choices. Firstly, people can eliminate all available options so that only one choice remains. A typical example is in the way in which many people leave their jobs. Differences of opinion with their boss or colleagues result in a dislike for being at work. Over time, comments or remarks made to them are taken as criticism, and soon it becomes harder and harder to work in that environment. They develop resentment towards management and colleagues. As you have learnt, we human beings delete things. So now, all they focus on are the disagreements and what’s not going right for them, which adds fuel to the resentment in their mind. What eventually happens is that they reach a stage where they can’t bear the discomfort anymore and they leave. They justify their decision by saying, ‘I had no choice but to leave’. They believe they were forced into that decision.” “Hey, I know people who have ended relationships by saying they had no choice but to leave. That is a common statement.”

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9 “By saying ‘I have no other choice’, all other possibilities are deleted from a person’s 9 awareness and focus,” Budd continued. “So, they have a very limited experience of life. Another thing people do is to choose only what they think is possible and achievable. Right from the start, they limit what they can choose for themselves. Let’s take you as an example. What do you want to do as a career?” “I want to do something I enjoy. That is, something that will involve fun, physical activities and/or sports.” “Then why are you doing an engineering course?” “It’s because that’s what I thought would provide a stable career, and it was an achievable goal in a certain time-frame,” Shawn answered softly as he looked down at the floor. “Also, my parents thought that would be a good, stable career and encouraged me to do it.” “You see, Shawn, you have done what so many people do. You did not believe in yourself that you could choose what you truly wanted to do, so you compromised and settled for something much less than what you wanted. That same way, people limit their choices as to what is possible. That is why many people have no drive and do not enjoy what they do. They have chosen much less than what they deserve and their spirit is not connected to what they are doing. Therefore, they are uninspired and lack passion about their choices in life.” “Wow, that’s quite sad when you put it that way. I have been doing what so many people do.” “But the great thing is, you are learning something different and you will be able to use your awareness of what you have been doing so far in life to your advantage. Awareness of your current reality is a very powerful tool to propel you to make choices that are in your best interest.” “What’s another way to avoid making empowering choices?” Shawn asked keenly. “I’ll share one other thing people do. You have learnt about the importance of having a vision or final outcome. But what people do is to choose the process instead of the final outcome.” “Isn’t the process important, though?” “Don’t get me wrong, life is a process, not an outcome. You will spend the majority of your life in the process of creating outcomes or results. It is important to be aware of where you are in the process of creating an outcome. But what I mean here is that people choose to do so many things without having their outcome in mind or in their focus. What happens then is that they use up so much energy doing things that are not that important with respect

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to their desired outcome. They go off in directions that don’t necessarily support their vision. 99 Therefore, they don’t tend to get the result they are seeking.” “What’s an example of what you’ve just said?” “I believe that we human beings have one ultimate goal in life, and that is to be happy and feel good,” Budd continued. “There are many words to describe it: freedom, abundance, joy, wealth. But we all choose different ways to be happy. Most of the time, people tend to be in the process of doing things that will make them happy, and for a lot of people, what they do is not aligned with what they truly love. They make choices without having their ultimate goal in mind. What then happens is, they are not truly happy physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. Again, they compromise and settle for less than what they want. Does that make sense?” “Very much so. Now, can you help me please?” “Let me ask you this: what do you want?” “I want the killers to be found and punished, and for no harm to come to Natasha while the police search for her.” Budd pondered on Shawn’s response for a few moments, and then said, “You are clear on one of your outcomes, which is to bring the killers to justice. But for your other outcome, you are choosing something you don’t want, which is for Natasha not to be harmed in any way. As you should know by now, whatever is the predominant focus in your mind, you will create that result. Therefore, you must choose the outcome you do want rather than the outcome you don’t want. A common example is when people choose not to be overweight or fat instead of choosing to be healthy. So they get caught in the process of doing things to avoid gaining weight merely out of fear of getting illnesses or diseases associated with being overweight. And the majority of the time they struggle, because it creates a conflict within their system. Their actions are then focused on trying to reduce the fear or concern they have created within themselves rather than focusing on having good health. When you are choosing things that are in alignment with your highest nature, you will receive energy from them. Before looking at what we can do to help Natasha, now is a good time to discuss the final principle from the concept of VIP FACE.” “That’s the ‘E’ and I can safely guess it represents energy, right?” Shawn said with a smile. “Good guess. Energy is such a big topic and it can cover so many aspects. I will talk about energy in the context of what we want to create in our lives. Everything in the universe is energy.

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9 Everything is made up of the exact same thing. If you examine anything in the universe under 9 a microscope, you will see a mass of energy vibrating. If we consider the big picture, we have our universe, then we have our galaxy, then we have our planet, then we have living things and individuals. Inside individuals there are organs, then there are cells, then there are molecules, then there are atoms, then there are protons and neutrons, then there are sub-protons and sub-neutrons, and then there is energy.” “Whoa, that sounds too complicated.” “There are a lot of levels to talk about when we refer to energy, but in a simplified version, everything is energy. The question is: what is energy?” “I can give a scientific explanation based on what I have learnt in my studies. Energy is something that can never be created or destroyed. It has always existed and it exists in many different forms.” “That’s a pretty fair description. What we are saying here is that we are all an energy field, working in a larger energy field. As a premise, we are all connected. Everything in the universe is connected, it is one energy field. Therefore, everything is energy.” “How can I use this knowledge to assist me?” Shawn asked impatiently. “By becoming aware that everything is connected, you can tap into a whole new world of information that is available to you at all times. There is an infinite amount of information waiting to be tapped into. Now, if we are saying that everything is connected, wouldn’t it make sense to connect to the outcome we want?” “Huh? What do you mean by that?” “You get energy from the outcome you want by connecting to it,” Budd explained. “And you can do that by using your intuition and imagination. In a sense, you literally step into the outcome you want and choose that outcome. When you access your intuition, you are informed by the outcome of what action you need to take to create it. Can you now see how all the principles are so closely linked and are designed to assist you?” “I can see that but I’m still not sure what you mean by stepping into the outcome we want.” “Remember when I led you through The Child Within meditation and we connected to your life purpose?” “Yes, I do,” Shawn nodded. “What you did then was to step into the vision of your life purpose and you connected with it by using your imagination. You then made choices to create what you visualised by

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recording it in a journal. As I said to you, the more you visualise it, the more energy you get 99 from it and the more real it becomes. And, it is so easy to connect to it and receive energy from it. Energy is like switching on a light. It serves a purpose. Therefore, everything you do should serve a purpose.” “So why is it that my energy levels vary? Some days I will have a lot of energy, and some days I really struggle to stay motivated.” “Motivation doesn’t always last because it is a condition that you believe comes from an external source,” Budd replied with a smile. “What you need is inner drive, and you must develop habits that are in your best interest. One way is to make choices every day. It sounds simple and it really is. The more you practise living your life from the principles of VIP FACE, the more you will develop habits that will empower you and move you towards what you want.” Budd paused for a few seconds and continued, “In answer to your question, your energy levels vary because of one thing, and that is your emotions. Energy is drained by needless and endless concerns. As you have learnt, emotion means ‘energy in motion’. The way you use your body has a huge effect on the energy levels you have. Right now, you are hunched over as you are sitting down. Although you have experienced a tragedy today, you should realise that everything happens for a reason. Each experience is an opportunity to learn from and grow as a person. By using your body in a positive way, you are more likely to have positive, empowering energy. On the other hand, by holding your body in a lethargic, depressed way, you are less likely to receive energy that will drive and inspire you.” “You are right. I can change my energy levels in an instant by changing my focus. And obviously, my energy is affected by other factors as well, like my diet, what kind of exercises I do, and how frequently I do them.” “That’s exactly right. A very simple yet powerful way of increasing and maintaining your energy level is to practise meditation and yoga. By consistently meditating and doing yoga, you will develop the ability to block out any mind chatter that you have, which can create disempowering emotions and drain your energy. It’s like when you want to grow a muscle in your body - meditation and yoga takes practice, and over time you will strengthen your ability to quieten your mind chatter and to receive intuitive wisdom that you can use to your advantage.” “I’ve kind of known that meditation and yoga is a good thing to do,” Shawn added. “Now that you’ve pointed out that it can assist me in maintaining my energy levels, I will certainly

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9 try to incorporate that into my life. What’s a good way to meditate if I’m starting out?” 9 “Start off by visualising things that you want to happen in your life. Develop your ability to use your imagination, and what that will do is strengthen your intuitive ability. The Child Within meditation is a good one to use. Over time, you can add mediation music and just be with your own experience. You will amaze yourself as to how you will start to experience your world. Your level of awareness of what is going on around you will increase dramatically.” “Thanks for that. What you have shared will really help me. Now, how do I make the choice to help find Natasha safely and punish the killers?” “Okay, making a choice is a three-step process,” Budd replied calmly. “Although it may appear a bit strange, you have to trust the process. These are the three steps. Firstly, know what final outcome or end result you want. Secondly, know where you are right now in relation to that final outcome or end result. That is called your current reality. Thirdly, receive action steps to move you from where you are right now to where you want to end up. It’s like creating a bridge from where you are right now to where you want to go. That’s it! The process involves visualising each of the three steps, which is also known as ‘tuning in’.” “Tuning in? What are we trying to find, a radio station?” Shawn joked. “Well, radio stations and television stations operate on certain frequencies. As we have discussed, everything is energy or vibration, so we are tapping into that vibration when doing the three steps. Because everything is connected, that’s how we can connect to the vibration of the result we want.” “We can do that even though it hasn’t happened yet?” “Yes. This is where you allow your intuition or your inner wisdom to inform you of what you need to know. It is where you allow your imagination to take over. There is a wealth of information around you that, once tapped into, can direct you towards your final outcome.” “Okay. Let’s get started.” “I’ll guide you through the process and I’ll do it as well,” Budd changed his posture to be more relaxed. “It will work best with your eyes closed. Okay, we’ll start off by taking a few deep breaths. Inhale deeply on the count of one and hold for a four count. Then exhale on a two count. It’s a 1-4-2 count. Do that at least three times… Become aware of any sensations in your body and everything that you are feeling and thinking. Acknowledge them all and recognise that they don’t matter right now… Start off by imagining there is a circle around you, and that circle represents your vision circle. Now imagine stepping into the vibration of the vision of you helping to find Natasha safely, and all those involved in her kidnapping and

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the murder of your friend being brought to justice. You may get a sense of it, or you may see 99 images, or you may receive a symbol or sign. Accept whatever you get and take as long as you need to. When you are ready, open your eyes and share what you received.” After about 40 seconds, Shawn opened his eyes. “Well, that was a different experience. I don’t know what it means.” “Whatever you received, share it and we’ll both interpret it,” Budd spoke gently. “What I got was a shootout between the police and the kidnappers,” Shawn spoke, somewhat unsure of what he was saying. “I saw some of the bad guys getting shot and some of them surrendered to the police. It didn’t take long to capture everybody involved in the guns and drugs operation, including all the crooked cops. It’s weird, but I did not see Red or any sign of Natasha. I don’t know what to make of it.” “It will serve you greatly if you do not use the words ‘I don’t know’, because you are not allowing yourself to be open to receive intuitive wisdom. The skill you want to develop is the ability to expand your imagination, and you do that by making things up. In other words, when you receive a vision, a symbol, or a sense of something, you interpret it by stating what’s obvious to you about it. The best way is to make it up and keep speaking. What we are going for here is the truth, and the truth has a ring to it. That means we make up what we have received until it rings true. Whatever is not true will fall away, and all that will remain is the truth.” “I interpreted it the way I could, and I now understand the importance of speaking positive or empowering words. It’s becoming clear to me that the words I chant and the way I use my body as well has a huge bearing on what I experience. Now, what did you make of how I interpreted what I received, and what did you receive?” “From what you shared, it sounds like it will not be very difficult to catch everybody involved and destroy the illegal operation. What I received was that the police would get everybody who was involved – not only in the shooting of your friends, but also those who were trafficking guns and drugs. I got a sense that some of them are really scared and ready to turn themselves and others in. I saw many police task forces carrying out a structured operation, and in one night almost everybody was rounded up and arrested. I also received that you will play a huge part in finding Natasha. I got a sense that she was being taken to a location that was very tropical and surrounded by water. I got a sense that she was very scared but was still trying to stay strong. Also, because it was an isolated place, only a couple of people were watching over her. I was also informed that you will receive a ransom demand.”

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9 “What? A ransom demand!” Shawn blurted out angrily. “These people are going to get 9 theirs! And I know Red is involved in it.” “Now is a good time to do the second part, which is to tune in to current reality or where you are in relation to the vision,” Budd continued calmly. “Here we want to receive what is coming up for you in terms of your beliefs, your concerns, or your fears. Again, you will either get a sense of it or you will receive an image or a symbol. This will work best if you close your eyes. Would you like to give it a go?” “Yes, I’ll have a go.” “Once again, take a deep breath and hold it until a count of four and then exhale on a count of two. Do that at least three times… Like before, become aware of any sensations in your body, and everything that you are feeling and thinking. Acknowledge them all and recognise that they don’t matter right now… As before, imagine that there is a circle around you, and define it as the circle of your current reality. Now imagine stepping into the vibration of your current reality and receive what you need to know. Take as long as you need and when you are ready, you can share what you received.” Shawn became emotional as he tuned in. His eyes were teary when he opened them and looked at Budd. “I got how afraid I am right now. I am scared because I’m not sure if Coach is going to make it and I fear for the safety of Natasha. I feel like I’ve lost members of my family and I want revenge. I’m angry and I want to see everybody involved in the shooting of Larry and Coach, and the kidnapping of Natasha to be dead. I am afraid for my own safety and I fear that my life can be taken away just as easily. I am trying to protect myself by being at The Centre and here at the temple. That’s what I received for my current reality.” “That was an accurate account of your current reality. It is really important to be true to yourself and admit truthfully what is coming up or what is going on for you. But remember, your current reality is not who you are, but who you were. It is the residual outcome of your past thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions. Also know that every experience is an opportunity to learn from and to continue to grow as a person. Therefore, in current reality, you become aware of what you are doing now because of your limiting beliefs and conditioning. At times, your values may be in conflict as well. Now, what I received was quite similar. Right now, you are feeling a lot of pain and you want to resolve it by either hiding from the world, or you want to lash out at people. A big part of your focus right now is revenge. In current reality, nobody has any clues as to where Natasha is being held. I also received that you know you will have

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to do your part in helping to find Natasha and you are afraid of what that may involve. It is a 99 fear of not wanting to get out of your comfort zone. Overall, you are afraid of losing Natasha. That’s what I received in current reality.” “That is very accurate,” Shawn replied, his voice quavering. “I am really afraid that something terrible can happen to Natasha, and although I want to help, I don’t want to be challenged and be taken, as you said, out of my comfort zone. And it’s true, I want revenge on everybody involved. This doesn’t feel too good right now. What do I do?” “Now we are at the third stage, and it obviously is very important. The third step is the receiving phase, where you put yourself in alignment to receive your vision. It can be seen as a bridge to get from your current reality to your vision. The receiving phase is about taking action, which you have learnt about. The distinction here is that once again we will use the tuning-in process, where we use our intuition to inform ourselves of what action we need to take to get from where we are right now to our vision.” “Will that happen in one step?” “The bridge can vary, depending on what you are tuning in to. At times, the action you will receive is to do nothing, and at times it will be a specific action to take. You can also receive multiple actions to take. It all depends on what you are tuning in to. All you need to do is be open to receive the truth. The universe will inform you of what you need to know.” “Is it the same process?” “The process is slightly different,” Budd explained. “You once again, start off by taking a few deep breaths. But this time you will step into the vibration of the vision again and look back at your current reality like it was a point in time in the past. Then ask to receive what was the next step you took to get from your current reality at that point in time to your vision, like it was already manifested. In other words, you are looking back at the past and looking at what you did to create your vision or to reach your final outcome. Does that sound quite straightforward?” “I think so. I will give it a go and see what I get. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time, does it?” “That’s right and also know that you may have to do the process again until the vision is created. Okay, let’s give this a go. Once again, it will work best if you have your eyes closed. Take a few breaths as before using the 1-4-2 count… Notice what is going on for you in terms of what you are thinking and feeling, and acknowledge that it is an indicator of where you are right now... Imagine stepping back into the vibration of your vision. Experience what you did

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9 before... Now, while in your vision, look back at your current reality like it was an event in the 9 past. Ask to receive the next step you took to get from current reality at that point in time to your vision. Take as long as you need to, and when you are ready, you can start sharing.” “Oh my God!” Shawn blurted out when he was ready. “This is quite amazing. The action step I received was to work with Mike and Sandra, and provide the police with the locations where we knew drugs and guns operations took place. The three of us are to help out the police by getting our friends to provide information on what they know about illegal operations. The tragedy of the incident yesterday will give people the incentive to bring the criminals to justice. With respect to finding Natasha, I received that I will have to make a difficult choice. It will be a choice to either overcome a great fear in my life, or to continue to stay in my comfort zone and possibly deny myself the chance to learn from this experience. That’s basically what I received. I did not get any further information as to what this choice will entail.” “That is a powerful bridge,” Budd commented with a smile. “You are already getting the hang of using your intuition. Everybody is inherently intuitive. It is in our nature. I hope you can now recognise the power of your intuition. You can receive information that your rational mind can’t always provide. The more you practise using your intuition, the more potent it will become, and it will serve you more powerfully. Now, what I received was that this whole experience is an opportunity for you to grow tremendously as a person. The next action step I got for you is that you will have to visit a place you have never been before and that’s where you will find Natasha. The image I saw was one with a tropical feel to it, with a lot of coconut or palm trees around this place. It was also surrounded by clear, blue water. I received that you will play an integral role in helping to find her, and in the process of doing that, you will conquer a great fear in your life and connect with what you love.” “Okay, that’s all great, but what do I do now?” “Whenever you receive action steps to take, you must follow them. From what you received, you should now work with the police. That’s what I would do first, together with Mike and Sandra. But remember, when you are taking action steps, you will need to know that they are working and directing you towards your outcome. Keep tuning in to this choice and keep getting what action you need to take. It’s like saying, if your approach is not working, change your approach until you reach your final outcome. Initially, it may feel like nothing is working out, but trust yourself to be able to get the outcome you want. Some of the action steps may lead to an unexpected creation or realisation that may not have come about if you had not taken the action. The analogy I will use is that if you are on a ship and the ship changes course

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by two or three degrees, initially it will appear like nothing has changed and you are heading 10 99 in the original direction. Over time, though, you will see what a huge difference that slight change in direction made. It will take you to a whole new destination. That is the power in taking action. Know that you will get what you want if you continue to take action.” “Yes, I understand that now,” Shawn nodded in acceptance. “Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. What I’ve learnt today is that my intuition is a powerful tool that I have with me at all times. And, there is a wealth of information around me that can give me clues to get whatever I want.” “That’s wonderful, young man,” Budd replied as he stood up to farewell Shawn. “The process of tuning in does not have to be a chore. You can do all three steps in five minutes or less if you want to tune in to know how you are going. Go out there and find Natasha. I know you will, and you also now know that you will.” “Thank you so much, Budd,” Shawn gave him a hug. “We will come back here to thank you when it’s all over.” As Shawn walked down the stairs from the temple, he knew that what had happened to Coach, Larry and Natasha was a test for him and an invitation to grow as a person. He realised this was going to be an experience that would forever change him, and make him a stronger, more powerful person. He could not wait to work with the police and do his part to find Natasha safely.

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Confront Your Fears So That You Can Be In Alignment to Receive Your Rewards

“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acting in spite of your fear. Do what you fear and the fear will disappear.” ~ Ruben Gonzalez

O ver the next three days, Shawn followed the action step he received intuitively and worked with Mike and Sandra to help out the police as much as he could. By now, they had gotten to know Commissioner Davis quite well and they knew he was a man who could be trusted. They had shared all the evidence they had with him, and he, in turn, shared how they were progressing with their investigation. Coach’s condition had improved after his operation and he was now classed as stable but still in a serious condition. Shawn, Mike and Sandra still took turns to be at Coach’s bedside. Their presence gave him strength, and it started to show in his rate of recovery. As Budd had intuitively predicted, Natasha’s parents had received a ransom demand of $10 million in exchange for her safe return. From what Commissioner Davis told them, they could not trace either where the call came from or whose voice it was, since it was scrambled. The police had set up an operation base at Natasha’s parents’ house to monitor any further communication from the kidnappers. Almost unsurprisingly, there had been no activity on the streets since the gunning down of Larry and Coach. Red, Nitro and their crew had all gone underground and were nowhere to be seen. The police, under the command of Commissioner Davis, advised Natasha’s parents to comply with the kidnappers’ demands. At the same time, they orchestrated a sting that would enable them to catch the kidnappers during the exchange of Natasha and the money. The kidnappers knew exactly what they were doing when they took Natasha because she had very wealthy parents. Being stockmarket investors, they had access to large amounts of cash. When Shawn had initially heard about the ransom demand, he was taken back and reacted by getting angry. He then remembered that that was what Budd had said would happen. He

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10also remembered that Budd intuitively received that those involved in the kidnapping were 10 10 scared, and ready to turn themselves and others in. Shawn also recalled what he had received, which was that some of the bad guys would get shot by the police, and that would prompt others to surrender. The kidnappers arranged for an exchange on Tuesday night at 11pm at a place called Carson’s Point, a lookout on a hilltop. It would be easy to spot other cars in the area, as it had only one road in and out of that location. Only one person from Natasha’s family was allowed to be present when the money and Natasha were exchanged. They did not specify how many people they would send, but it was made very clear that if they sensed anything that was suspicious, Natasha would be shot dead. The kidnappers told Natasha’s parents to be under no false illusions; they were in complete control. Natasha’s dad, Robert, agreed to the kidnappers’ demands and told them that he would personally make the exchange. As per the instructions received, Robert had to be unarmed and the money had to be placed in two black sports bags. At the location, Robert had to get out of his car, place both bags a couple of metres in front of him, and wait until they arrived. The plan of the police was to allow the exchange, and once Natasha was with Robert safely, they would follow the car and capture the kidnappers when they got to their destination. If by any chance the police lost track of the kidnappers, they had a backup plan: both the bags would have a little tracking device hidden inside. Wherever the bags went, the police would know its exact location via GPS. Commissioner Davis had allowed Shawn and Mike to be at Natasha’s parents’ house when they were not at the hospital with Coach. After much persuasion, he also agreed for them both to ride in one of the police cars that would be part of a fleet of cars that would follow the kidnappers’ car. With everyone given clear instructions on what to do after the exchange was made, Robert headed out alone in his car towards Carson’s Point. He was given a reassurance that it would be unlikely that the kidnappers would harm him or Natasha after the exchange was made. As suggested by Commissioner Davis, Robert wore a special belt that had a little camera fitted inside the buckle. That would allow the police to monitor the exchange and intervene if necessary. The camera was an amazing little invention that would provide video and audio no matter how dark the night was. The police team assigned to the operation rode in six unmarked vehicles, fully armed and ready to move in if instructed. A couple of police helicopters waited on standby as additional backup resources. Shawn and Mike rode with the officer in charge of the operation in the

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10van that would watch Robert’s interaction with the kidnappers on a monitor. The police had 10 scouted Carson’s Point prior to Robert going there and had founds three spots where the police cars would wait. Those spots were well out of sight but still close enough for them to move in if anything went wrong. As Shawn rode in the police van, he had all this nervous energy within him, like he did before an exam or a big game of basketball. But this time it was more intense. He kept looking at his watch, knowing that it was getting close to 11pm. He was confident that the police had planned the operation in great detail and that by the end of the night it would be all over, with Natasha safe and sound. From their position, they observed Robert getting out of the car and taking both bags out of the boot. It was a couple of minutes before 11pm, and as Robert turned around 360 degrees, it gave the officers an idea of what was around in the area. It was totally deserted, with no sign of any human movement. They only things they could see were the parking area, the road that led to the area, and the surrounding natural environment. Robert left the lights of his car on, as he was instructed, and now stood a few metres in front of the car, with both bags in front of him. At precisely 11pm, the lights of two vehicles came out of nowhere, and they stopped side by side about 20 metres in front of Robert. They both were black Volkswagen vans with dark windows. The door of one of the van opened and two men wearing ski masks, with guns in hand, dragged out another person from the van. That person had their hands tied behind their back and had a hood over their head. The door of the second van opened and a man wearing a baseball cap, with a gun in his hand got out. “Have you got all the money?” his voice blasted through the quiet night. “It’s all here. Two bags with five million dollars in each bag,” Robert responded, his voice quavering. “One of my men is going to come and take those bags, and we will check the money first before releasing your daughter,” the man continued. “Do not move from where you are or try anything stupid. Is that understood?” “Yes.” One of the men who had gotten out of the first van started walking towards Robert. The other man had his gun pointed at the side of Natasha’s head. As he reached for the bags, he gave Robert a glare, and then an arrogant smile came over his face, with his teeth clearly visible. The man took the bags to the man who gave the instructions and they searched through both bags, taking out bundles of notes and flicking them under the lights inside the van. After

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10a couple of minutes, they looked satisfied and agreed that all the money was there. 10 10 “Okay, this is what we’ll do,” the man spoke again. “We will leave your daughter right where she is standing now. Do not move until we have driven off and don’t try to follow us. Do you understand?” “That’s fine with me. All I want is my daughter back,” Robert replied desperately. “If we find out that you have tricked us in any way, we will kill you, your daughter and your whole family,” was the man’s chilling threat. “Okay, let’s go.” Robert kept still as both the vans turned around to drive off. Natasha looked uncomfortable and wriggled around, trying to free herself. The first van had barely driven five metres when it suddenly stopped and the front passenger window was lowered. One of the men wearing a ski mask lent his head out the window and fired a shot at the back of Natasha’s head. As she fell to the ground, both the vans sped off. “No!” screamed Shawn as he watched the monitor. Tears ran freely down his cheeks. They also heard Robert crying hysterically as he raced over to Natasha’s body and removed the hood. It wasn’t her! It was Andrew! He lay there motionless, the blood pouring from the bullet wound in his head. For a few moments, Robert did not know what to do. He knelt over Andrew’s body as if frozen. He then got a grip on what was going on and checked for a pulse. He had none. Andrew was dead! “He’s dead. He’s dead!” Robert yelled out. “What do I do now?” The officer in charge called him on his mobile phone. “Robert, can you please remain calm? My men are heading your way right now.” “Can you follow the van, please?” Robert blurted out. “Oh God! Please find my daughter!” “We are sticking to our plan, Robert,” the officer spoke calmly. “We can see them on our monitor and we’ll get them tonight. Remember, if they wanted to kill your daughter, they would have brought her along. So it’s unlikely they will harm her. It will be best if you went home because there isn’t much you can do tonight. One of my cars will drive you home. I will stay in contact with you throughout the night as we make progress.” “Okay,” Robert agreed. “Please keep me informed.” As the officer hung up, he turned to Shawn and Mike. “I’m sorry about what just happened,” he spoke calmly. “That was totally unexpected. We will get them tonight. We have solid evidence against them to put them behind bars for a very long time. The man who was shot was your flatmate, wasn’t he, Shawn?”

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10 “Yes, he was,” Shawn had his left hand over his face. “I can’t believe Andrew got shot! I 10 don’t understand how he ended up being here tonight. Why did they shoot him?” “I’m not sure but we will find out,” the officer replied. “Can we come along with you as you follow the two vans?” Mike asked. The officer thought about it for a few moments. “Alright I’ll let you come along on one condition; you must remain inside this van at all times. It is going to be very dangerous. When we take them down tonight, then you can come out and greet your friend.” “Okay,” Mike replied with a nod. “We want to be there when Natasha is freed. I know she will want to be with her friends for comfort.” “Let’s move out,” the officer instructed the driver. As they rode in pursuit of the two vans, it dawned on Shawn what a dangerous situation Natasha was in. He realised that they weren’t dealing with petty criminals. These were ruthless villains that would do anything to get what they want. And the chances of them leaving potential witnesses alive were slim. Shawn realised that professional criminals always tied up loose ends. That thought sent a chill through his body. He thought about what had happened to Andrew and realised that it was not surprising that his life ended the way it did because of the choices he made. He looked at Mike, hoping to get some sign of support, but Mike was looking out the window, contemplating things as well. Shawn and Mike did not speak for most of the ride. They both listened intently to the radio communication between all the vehicles following the two vans. The officer in charge was studying a road map, trying to work out where the criminals were heading. They were heading further inland, well away from any residential area. By now, a police helicopter also followed the two vans. The cars in pursuit of the kidnappers ensured that they remained out of sight as they used the tracking devices inside the money bags to follow them. As Shawn thought about what he could do to help, he got an idea which he felt compelled to share with Mike. “Mike, do you think it will help if we tune in to see what the police need to know before they attack tonight?” he asked softly. “You know, I was thinking of that, too,” Mike confessed. “Let’s quickly tune in and see what we get.” They both accessed their intuition and allowed whatever they needed to know to flow through. Shawn was the first to share what he received. “I got that right now the police are outnumbered,” he revealed. “And if they go in and try

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10and gun down the kidnappers, the police casualties will be high. My instincts are telling me 10 10 that they need more backup.” “Yes, I got something very similar,” Mike added. “Right now, there isn’t a coordinated plan when they police reach the kidnappers. If they use force, lives will be lost unnecessarily. I got that we need to convince them to call for more armed officers to assist them. It will be quick enough for them to get here if they radio for help now.” “Now that we received all this, should we just tell the officer?” “Yes. At least we’ll know that we did our part.” “Sir, can we talk to you for a moment?” Shawn gestured at the officer in charge. “I hope you can trust us when we tell you what we are about to.” “Right now, you don’t have enough men to take down these guys,” Mike blurted out. “Can you please call for backup? You can use the helicopter to bring more officers here quickly.” “What are you guys talking about?” the officer gave them a perplexed look as he took off the headset he was wearing. “Not counting us, we have four other cars with a total of 16 armed officers. We should be able to take down the bad guys with that number.” “But you don’t know how many men they may have at their hideout,” Shawn objected politely. “We’ve got a sense that you’ll be outnumbered and lives of your men will be lost. You can prevent that by calling in more reinforcements.” “How do you guys know this?” the officer asked suspiciously. “You can call it our sixth sense, or gut instinct,” Mike replied. “Please, trust us on this. Our friend’s life is at stake here and so too are your men’s lives.” The officer thought about it for a minute. “Okay, I’ll radio for backup now and get an idea of how long it’ll take for them to get to where we are. It’s better to go into battle with the numbers on your side.” “Thank you for that,” Shawn responded sincerely. “We want to ensure that everybody makes it back home safely tonight.” The officer nodded and got back on the radio. Shawn felt relieved that more armed troops would be joining the operation. A further 20 minutes passed before the kidnappers turned onto a dirt road that led to a large farmhouse. The police cars in pursuit had their lights turned off, and they stopped well short of the dirt road. The officer in charge started giving out instructions via his radio that nobody was to move in until the backup arrived. Shawn and Mike remained inside the vehicle as the policemen gathered around for their instructions. They all had bulletproof vests

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10on, were heavily armed and wore night-vision glasses. Word came through that the backup 10 team would be there in less than 15 minutes and there would be a further 10 armed officers arriving. The plan was to scout the farmhouse while they waited, and establish positions that would surround the farmhouse. As the officers moved out, Shawn and Mike were desperate to get out of the vehicle and get a better look at what was happening. They peered through the windows but could not see anything in the dark. The officers all paired up, and as they started communicating what they saw from their vantage points, it became evident that the farmhouse was well guarded. Over a dozen other vehicles were on the property, and at least six men patrolled the house with AK47s in hand. It would be very difficult for the officers to approach the farmhouse without being detected by the guards. As the information came through to the officer in charge, Shawn realised that the only way they would get in would be to take out the guards. The police had the element of surprise on their side, a formidable advantage in combat. As word came through that the helicopter was only seconds away, the eight teams of officers got ready to move in. The plan was for those on the ground to take out the guards using silencers, then storm the farmhouse at the same time as the extra officers dropped down on the farmhouse via the helicopter. Suddenly, the radio went quiet. Even the sound of the helicopter could not be heard. Everybody waited for the go-ahead. The officer in charge looked at his watch for no apparent reason, then gave the order for the teams to move in. The first few seconds after the order, nothing was heard. Shawn imagined the silencers were being used to take down the guards outside. He sat in the vehicle, tightening his fists as he tried to cope with the tension that was in his body. Then suddenly, gun shots deafened the quiet, clear night. The sound of the helicopter came out of nowhere. People screamed in panic as the sound of machine guns went off. The quiet night had now become like a war zone. For a couple of minutes, bullets sprayed with reckless abandon. The farmhouse became like a war-torn city under attack. Screams and groans were almost as loud as the gunfire. As the sporadic firing ceased, communication came through from one of the teams that the site had been secured. There had been 11 fatalities, one person was in a critical condition, and 15 suspects had been captured. No police officer had been injured. The officer in charge instructed the teams that the area be totally checked again, as well as the cars, before declaring it to be under control. In under a minute, it was confirmed that the farmhouse was all secure, so the officer in charge allowed Shawn and Mike to accompany him inside. As they entered, they saw what

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10a devastating effect the police officers had had: bodies lay on the floor, broken glass was 10 10 everywhere, and furniture was either smashed or toppled over. Some of the captured suspects had bullet wounds and held onto various parts of their bodies. Puddles of blood covered the floor. Shawn looked around frantically. Where was Natasha? “Where is she?” he asked, almost in a state of panic, as she was nowhere to be seen. “I’m sorry, but she is not here,” one of the officers replied. “We have searched every room, every closet and there is no sign of her. We have looked for any hidden trap doors but there are none.” “What the hell do we do now?” Mike asked angrily. “Can you interrogate any of the captives?” “I’m afraid we can’t do that here,” the officer in charge replied. “We can only do that at…” “Sir, this man is trying to say something,” an officer shouted loudly. As they hurried to the man, Shawn saw that it was Nitro. He was bleeding from the mouth and had wounds to suggest that he was shot four times. Nitro beckoned to Shawn to come closer. “I…I’m sor…sorry,” he painfully tried to speak. “Red…Red has the ger…girl. He has take… taken her out of the count…country.” “What!” Shawn exclaimed. “Where is she? Where is she?” “In…In his home count…ree, Feeg…,” was all Nitro could utter before his eyes closed and his body became still. “Nitro, Nitro,” Shawn yelled as he shook his body. “He’s gone, Shawn,” Mike put his hand on Shawn’s shoulder. “Red’s from Fiji and that’s where he’s taken her. Come on. We’ve got to find a way to get her back.” “This is becoming worse than a nightmare,” Shawn moaned as he got himself up. “I can’t believe it!” “What can the police do now?” Mike asked the officer in charge. “What options have we got?” “We’ll check all the flights out of the country since the day of the shooting,” he replied. “Then we’ll have to deal with either the police department or the military in Fiji and ask for their assistance.” “Red has many resources, and I’m pretty sure he would have left the country under a false name and used a false passport,” Shawn predicted. “But it beats me as to how he could have

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10gotten Natasha onto a commercial flight.” 10 “I reckon he would have used a private jet,” Mike offered his theory. “Like you said, he’s got access to many resources and he does not have a shortage of cash. If he receives word that we have taken down his men, it could be the end of Natasha. We need to work fast.” “Okay, boys. It’s time to get out of here,” the officer in charge said. “We’ll take the remaining prisoners to the station and get their statements tonight. Shawn, Mike, you both better go home and get some rest. There’s not much else we can do here tonight. I’ll contact you in the morning and fill you in on any new information.” “Please call us at any time if there is any information at all that you can tell us,” Shawn pleaded with the officer. “I know Red best out of everybody working on this case, and I will be able to assist greatly.” Emotionally drained, Shawn and Mike hitched a ride home in a police car. They felt beaten. They had come so close to finding Natasha but ended up encountering another challenge. Although physically tired, Shawn kept asking himself questions like, ‘What is the gift in this experience?’ and ‘What can I do as a result of this experience?’ For most of the ride home, he tried to tie in everything he had experienced that night with what Budd had told him a few days ago. Events and the meaning associated with those events started to make sense. As he immersed himself in his thoughts, he had an epiphany. It suddenly became clear to him what he needed to do. Once they arrived back at The Centre, Shawn couldn’t wait to reveal to Mike what he now knew. They decided to call Sandra first, and brought her up to speed with the events of the night. After hanging up, and as they sat down to discuss the night, Shawn spoke first. “Mike, what’s happening with Natasha right now is what Budd said would happen. He said that Natasha would be taken to a location that was very tropical and I would play a huge part in finding her. What happened tonight with the shootout was what he said would happen as well.” “You’ve come up with something, haven’t you?” Mike interrupted. “Everything happens for a reason and it is an opportunity to learn from it and grow as a person. I know what I have to do and what the gift of this experience is.” “Well, what is it?” Shawn took a deep breath. “I have been given an opportunity to overcome one of my biggest fears in life. That is overcoming my fear of flying and going after the person I love. This is what I received as part of my bridge when I tuned in with Budd. This is the difficult choice I

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10have to make, and right now there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will go to Fiji and 11 10 find Natasha.” “That’s awesome, Shawn. It will be an experience where you will use your wisdom rather than your physical strength to get to Red and find Natasha. He has got a head start of least a couple of days and he is a local as well. So he will blend in quite well with the local people.” “Right now, I don’t think that matters,” Shawn spoke with certainty. “My focus is on finding Natasha safely and I now know in my heart that she will be okay. She is a strong young woman, and will most likely be asking herself empowering questions to also learn from her experience.” “And also, I think that the local people will help out as well because they are peace-loving people, from what I know of Fiji. The local authorities will also assist you. Looks like in the morning, you need to start making arrangements to go to Fiji.” “Yes, I will. I truly believe that after the captured suspects give their statements tonight, the police will arrest everybody else within a couple of days, including all the police officers involved in the operation.” “It’s been a long night and we need to get some sleep,” Mike yawned. “In the morning, we’ll have a better idea of what actions to take.” “That sounds like a plan,” Shawn agreed. “Have a good rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

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The Meaning of Freedom – Dedicating Your Life to the Service of Others

“The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.” ~ Jim Rohn

A fter an uncomfortable night’s sleep, Shawn awoke at 8am to the sounds of someone banging on his door. “Shawn,” yelled Mike through the door. “The Commissioner is on the phone.” In a flash, Shawn got out of bed and followed Mike into the living room, where the Commissioner was on speaker phone. “Good morning, boys,” he greeted them jovially. “I have news about major developments that have occurred early this morning.” “You found Natasha?” Shawn asked hopefully. “I’m afraid not. What I can tell you is that after the confessions of those criminals arrested last night, we have successfully decimated the illegal drugs and guns operations. Many prominent members of our community were involved, including the Chief of Police, a few academics at the university and other notorious criminals. Early this morning, on my orders, special task forces raided the homes of all those implicated, and they are all now in custody. That includes the Chief of Police, who reportedly was the king-pin. As we speak, they are going through all the legal processes that have to be done before their initial appearance in court. That’s the good news.” “What about Red and Natasha?” Shawn asked. “Well, this guy, Red, is fairly high up the chain. He can pull a few strings to get things done his way. That’s how we believe he was able to get out of the country and take Natasha with him to Fiji. What we also know is that a figure of two million dollars is supposed to be wire-transferred into an offshore bank account today, which he will be able to access. After discussions with Natasha’s father, Robert, we have decided to proceed with the wire transfer, so that he assumes that everything went to plan. The reason he has taken Natasha hostage is

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11that he believes that he can get more money from her family in return for her release.” 11 11 “Do you have any leads as to where he would have taken her?” Mike asked. “From the confession given by one of the captives, the plan was for him to take her to an island resort. Which one, though, we don’t know.” “Aren’t there many island resorts in Fiji?” Mike asked, unimpressed with the lead. “Yes there are, but that can be narrowed down quite quickly because to get to the island resorts, boat is normally the only way to go,” Commissioner Davis explained. “Only a handful of resorts can accommodate chartered airplanes. Also, the use of helicopters is very rare. That means the local authorities will be able to track down which boats have been used over the last couple of days.” “Sir, I want to go to Fiji to look for Natasha because I know that’s what I have to do,” Shawn interrupted. “Can you please help me to speed up all my travel arrangements?” “Are you sure you want to do that? This guy, Red, is a very dangerous man.” “I lived with him, and nobody knows him better that I do. I know how he thinks and I will be able to anticipate his moves.” “This is highly unusual, but you have to do what you have to do. I know you are very fond of Natasha and I will do all I can to help you. If possible, will you be ready to travel today? Do you have a passport?” “Yes, I’ve got a valid passport. Man, I know I can be on a plane in a few hours. I’d like some time to mentally prepare myself. One thing I learnt from Coach is that you become what you speak. And right now, I’m going to say that I had a fear of flying and I will totally allow myself to enjoy the plane ride.” “That’s great, Shawn. You sound like someone who knows what he wants and will do whatever it takes to succeed in reaching your outcome. I will make all the arrangements and get back to you very soon.” “What you will experience in Fiji will always be with you,” Mike commented as he hung up the phone. “You will be able to draw on that experience to remind you that it takes courage to go for what you want. Your decision to go to Fiji will be a profound event in your life.” “Thanks Mike. You and Sandra have been of tremendous help to me, and also to Coach. You can still help me with my research on Fiji and with the main things I need to know. I’d like to go to the hospital first and see how Coach is doing.” “Okay, you go to the hospital and relieve Sandra, and I’ll do some research on the Internet. When you come back, I’ll go to the hospital and Sandra can stay here.”

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11 An hour later, Shawn arrived at the hospital. He greeted Sandra with a hug and brought 11 her up to date with what Commissioner Davis had told them. Sandra was relieved that all the criminals were in custody and got excited by the prospect that Shawn would be going to Fiji to find Natasha. She gave him her full support and said that she would work with Mike to help prepare him for the trip. As Sandra left, Shawn asked for an update on Coach’s condition from the doctors. Coach was still unconscious, but improving by the hour. The doctors were confident that the worst was behind him and that he would gradually regain strength in his body. A definitive timeframe wasn’t given for Coach’s recovery. Shawn gained inspiration from the news that Coach was improving. He told himself that one of the possible lessons from Coach’s shooting was that he needed to stand on his own two feet and apply the lessons he’d learnt from Coach to his life straight away. Shawn would have been at the hospital for an hour when his mobile phone rang. It was Commissioner Davis calling to say he had pulled some strings and got the green light for Shawn to be on a plane leaving for Fiji late that evening. He would arrive in Fiji at 6.30am local time the next morning, where a local police officer would meet him at the airport. All he had to do was to pick up some travel documents, including his plane ticket, from the Commissioner. Shawn thanked him sincerely and told him that he would come to the police headquarters before lunch to see him. Shawn then called Mike to tell him the news. Mike offered to come to the hospital so that Shawn could go and get himself prepared for the trip. When Mike arrived at the hospital, he had with him information about Fiji that he had looked up. “This is what I found on the Internet about Fiji,” he started. “Fiji comprises over 300 islands, many of which are uninhabited to this day. The majority of the population live on the two main islands, which are called Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The population is around 750,000 and it comprises two major races, the indigenous Fijians and the Indians. The Fijians own the majority of the land. Tourism and farming are the main sources of income for the country. The indigenous Fijians are heavily involved in the tourism industry, whereas the Indians do the bulk of the farming. You will see a lot of sugarcane farms, especially on the western side of the main islands.” “Which island will I land on?” Shawn interrupted. “Most international flights land at Nadi Airport, which is on the larger island of Viti Levu. Road is the preferred mode of transportation.” “What about the language? I assume English is spoken there?”

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11 “There are three main languages: English, Fijian and Hindi. Since you will have a local 11 11 police officer with you, you shouldn’t have a problem communicating. It will be good if you can greet people in both Fijian and Hindi. To greet a person in Fijian, you say ‘Bula’, and to greet a person in Hindi, you can say either ‘Namaste’ or ‘Kaise’. But most of the time, you will be speaking in English.” “That’s pretty simple,” Shawn nodded as he looked at his watch. “I’d better go and see the Commissioner, and then pack a few things for my trip. Thanks, Mike, for your help. I’ll try to stay in contact when I’m in Fiji.” The rest of the afternoon went by in a flash as Shawn prepared for his trip. Before he knew it, it was time to head to the airport. He ensured that he had his passport, travel documents and all other essential requirements for his trip. After saying goodbye to Sandra, he got a lift to the airport, where he queued up to get a boarding pass for the Air Pacific flight. After going through all the security checks, he realised that he had over an hour and a half before his flight took off. He found a seat in the departure lounge, where he allowed all the emotions that he had within him to come through. He once again told himself that everything in life happens for a reason and a purpose, and that he would focus on the outcome he wanted - to find Natasha safe and sound. He recalled the lessons he had from Coach and Budd, and used the principles of VIP FACE to get a sense of certainty that he would be successful in his mission. Soon enough, Shawn found himself relaxing and also smiling, as he felt certain that he would accomplish his outcome. He continued to ask himself empowering questions, and by the time he boarded the plane, he was totally focused and relaxed at the same time. His apparent fear of flying wasn’t even in his consciousness. The crew aboard the Air Pacific flight were friendly and hospitable. The female air hostesses were impeccably dressed in their colourful uniforms and wore hibiscus flowers behind their ears. They greeted the passengers with a traditional Fijian ‘Bula’. Shawn had been assigned a window seat, and as he made himself comfortable, he looked around at the passengers in the seats near him. He told himself that everybody, including him, would have a pleasant trip. Once in the air, Shawn relaxed and watched the in-flight movie. As it had been a hectic day, after the meal service was over and the movie ended, he decided to have a nap. Although he was slightly cramped for room, it wasn’t difficult for him to drift off to sleep. The flight went by quickly, and it wasn’t long before the passengers were being asked to prepare for landing at Nadi Airport. The early morning sun was breaking through the horizon, and as they descended,

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11Shawn observed the lush, green landscape of the country. He also observed many small islands, 11 which he assumed could be hiked around in a few hours. Shawn chuckled at himself as he thought that flying was easy for him now. He wondered if he had missed out on opportunities in the past to travel to other countries when he had been asked to. But he quickly changed his focus by saying to himself that the past was over, and whatever happened in the past wasn’t a true indicator of what would happen in the future. After landing at Nadi Airport, Shawn followed the rest of the passengers to the main terminal. He noticed that the airport was very basic at best. The airport itself could only accommodate three 747 planes at most. The terminal building was equivalent to the size of one of the buildings at his university. Once he was inside the terminal, he observed three Fijian men dressed in blue ‘Bula’ shirts and wearing ‘sulus’, which he had read was the traditional dress of the Fijian men, playing guitars and singing Fijian welcome songs. Shawn smiled and nodded at them as he walked past. He joined the long queue of people waiting to be checked by Customs. Only three people worked behind the counters, and it was a long, slow process. Shawn was surprised at how humid it was even though it was only 7.00am. After a wait of about half an hour, he got the all-clear from Customs and picked up his bags. The security check was almost non-existent. After his bags had been scanned, he was allowed to go through without being asked any questions. He concluded that tight security probably wasn’t required for a small country like Fiji. Once he got to the waiting area, Shawn looked around to see if anybody was waiting with his name on a placard. He saw no one. So he wandered around hoping that someone would ask him if he was looking for anyone. As he started walking outside, a couple of cab drivers asked him if he needed a lift. Shawn politely declined, saying he was waiting for a police officer. As soon as he said that, a burly-looking Fijian in his forties, over 180 cms tall, with broad shoulders, a moustache and a short afro, walked towards him. “Are you Shawn Miller?” he asked in a heavy Islander accent. “Yes, I am,” Shawn replied, partially intimidated by the size of the man. “Bula.” The man grinned, flashing his huge white teeth. “Bula. My name is Jone Pedro,” he extended his right hand for a shake. “Commissioner Davis asked me to take good care of you.” “Hi. Nice to meet to you,” Shawn replied. “Do you have any identification on you? I’m new here so I want to make sure that you are a police officer as you say.” Jone reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and revealed a badge,

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11which confirmed that he was a police officer. “Are you happy now?” 11 11 “Thanks for that. Where are we going first?” “You must be hungry, eh?” Jone asked, as he offered to carry Shawn’s bags. “Have something to eat first, then we go.” “Do you have any information on where Red is?” Shawn asked as he followed Jone into a café at the airport. “The last bit of information we have is that he was at a place called Musket Cove Island Resort. We believe that he has got access to a speed boat and he has two other men with him. That has become a problem if we want to catch him quickly.” “How is that a problem?” “Since he has a boat, I don’t think he’ll stay put for a long time. He may stay a day or two at an island, then move on to another island.” “I don’t see how that is a problem,” Shawn asked, puzzled. “He’ll eventually run out of islands, won’t he?” “It’s not that simple, boss,” Jone replied with a little smile. “You see, Musket Cove Island is next to what is known as the Mamanuca Islands. That consists of over a dozen islands. And next to those islands are the Yasawa Islands, which consist of almost twenty islands. That means we’ve got a possibility of over thirty islands on which they could be hiding out.” “Damn, that makes it hard. It doesn’t matter, though. We have to do whatever it takes to find them. I know Red can get pretty lazy at times, so he may not move to the different islands too soon.” “We don’t have many resources like in your country. I have only two other men that I can spare to come along with us. I don’t know if the people we are looking for have guns or not. We hardly use guns here in Fiji.” “Are you going to take any weapons with you?” “We’ll each have a revolver, which has only six bullets,” Jone replied sheepishly. “We’ll also have a couple of old M16 rifles in the boat. If that fails, we can always throw coconuts at them.” “Obviously, overpowering them by force may not be our best option,” Shawn replied as he ate his pancakes. “We’ll have to outsmart them. I suggest that we have to somehow sneak up on them and take them by surprise. Maybe we can sedate them. Do you have any sleeping agents you can use to put them to sleep?” “Yes, we have local potions that we can use,” Jone laughed. “If you sniff it, you’ll be out

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11for hours. Okay, it’s about 8.30 now. I suggest we go to the station, pick up my two men and 11 head for Musket Cove Island. We’ll take a police speed boat.” Shawn followed Jone to the car park, where he had an old, red four-wheel drive jeep parked. As Shawn got in the front passenger seat, he instinctively put his seatbelt on. Jone laughed at him and said that in Fiji people did not wear seatbelts, and it was not policed. Shawn realised that those in charge of implementing the law weren’t following it themselves. Once they drove out of Nadi Airport car park, Jone headed towards downtown Nadi. The ride was bumpy from potholes on the road and due to the condition of the vehicle. Shawn grabbed onto his seat as Jone started overtaking cars on the single-lane road. Although the speed limit was 60km, Jone was going at close to 80km. ‘That’s not setting a good example,’ Shawn thought to himself as he looked around at the countryside. The roadside had endless coconut trees, and he also noticed many sugarcane farms. A couple of the farms had been burnt, and groups of men were manually cutting down the cane in the burnt fields. On the road, open-windowed buses with school children drove past, and the children had their arms hanging out the windows. Despite his worry, that made Shawn chuckle as he realised that the lifestyle here was so different to what he knew. A locomotive train went along on the rail tracks pulling at least 30 carriages of cut cane. When Shawn asked Jone where the train was going, he was informed that it was going to the sugar mill in the city of Lautoka, half an hour away from Nadi. Once they got to the police station, Jone introduced Shawn to the two men who would be coming along. They were Timoci Drua, a slender, tall, athletic Fijian officer, and Jagdeep Chand, a wiry, medium-height, dark-skinned Indian constable. After exchanging pleasantries, they headed to the local marina, where they boarded a relatively modern police speed boat. Timoci operated the speed boat, and they headed towards Musket Cove Island Resort, located about 14 nautical miles west of Nadi. The water had an aqua colour at first and, as they travelled further away from the marina, the colour of the water changed to a deep blue. The water was calm and the speed boat glided majestically along. Timoci knew exactly which course to take, and it wasn’t long before they slowed down as they approached the Musket Cove marina. The scenery was magnificent. Nestled amongst coconut plantations and gardens were many villas and bures – traditional huts with thatched roofs of coconut leaves – along with all the modern luxuries of an island resort. As they pulled into the marina, Shawn noticed how clear the water was. It looked perfect for snorkelling at any time. The sand on the beach was bleach-white, and many of the tourists

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11were sunbathing. Next to the marina was a shady outdoor café. It provided a pleasant backdrop 11 11 to sit and watch the comings and going on the water. To Shawn, the island represented a perfect blend of traditional island lifestyle mixed with a few modern facilities. ‘This will be a good place to come for a holiday,’ he thought to himself, but he quickly changed his focus to the task at hand. Jone asked them to wait there while he went to make a few enquiries. He came back 15 minutes later with the news that Red, Natasha and the other two men had been there, but they had left a day ago. The people managing the island resort had not noticed anything suspicious in their behaviour at all. They guessed that Red and his two men had taken Natasha towards the Mamanuca Islands. Jone suggested that they stay there and wait until sunset before heading out towards the Mamanuca Islands because that would allow them to approach the islands without being detected. Jone also advised that the staff had offered them lunch and a couple of bures to rest in. The chef at the resort had prepared a traditional Fijian ‘lovo’ - food cooked under the ground over hot rocks. This was the first time Shawn had tasted food cooked inside the earth, and he couldn’t believe how succulent and tasty it was. The chef had prepared a smorgasbord of root crops, a variety of meats and vegetables, and fruit. Although tempted to overeat, Shawn remained vigilant and only ate as much as his body required. He also ensured that in conversations with guests at the resort he revealed as little as possible. His standard response was that he was on a business trip scouting a few islands. In the afternoon, he was shown to a modern bure. It had the usual facilities of a hotel room. Shawn decided to lie down on the queen bed, and he dozed off within minutes. After refreshing himself with a shower and a light dinner, Shawn, Jone, Timoci and Jagdeep headed out in the speed boat towards the Mamanuca Islands. They had changed into dark clothes and had all their gear ready. Jone suggested that before they reach the first island they turn off the lights on the boat and turn off the engine and paddle the boat to shore. The trip from Musket Cove Island to the first island took less than 20 minutes. As they approached the island, the engine was shut off and the lights turned out. Timoci and Jagdeep started paddling gently towards the shore. They had ensured that their radios were working, and the plan was to split up. Shawn would be with Jone, while Timoci and Jagdeep would go separately. The first island was relatively small, and once they got to shore, they secured the boat and spread out. The population of the island was very small, and it took them less than 30 minutes to search all the bures. Natasha and Red were nowhere to be seen. After a quick team meeting,

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11it was decided that they would go to the next island. It was larger: the actual resort area was 11 about twice the size of Musket Cove Resort. The majority of the island was undisturbed forest. The team split up again, and this time it took longer to search the resort area. Once again Natasha and Red eluded them, and nobody on the island could remember seeing them. The apparent lack of success made Shawn anxious. He could feel his heart beat faster as he knew he was so close to finding Natasha, but like always, Red was a step ahead. He closed his eyes and asked for a sign or a symbol representing what he needed to know. With what he received, it became clear to him that he wouldn’t find Red or Natasha at night. He had this sense within him that he would find them during the day. But he realised that they still had to go through with their plans for the night and continue to eliminate the islands that Red and Natasha weren’t on. Shawn shared with the team that it was unlikely that they would find them that night. He also suggested that it would serve them to stay the night on one of the islands. Jone was happy with Shawn’s suggestions and made the decision that they would search one more island, called Malolo Island, and then spend the night at Castaway Island because he had friends who worked there. As Shawn had received, once they reached and searched on Malolo Island, they found no one. The search through the island by the four of them took over an hour and by the time they were ready to leave and head for Castaway Island, they were all physically exhausted. Timoci steered the speed boat towards the marina, and this time he left the lights on and did not worry about shutting off the engine as they approached Castaway Island. He masterfully guided the boat through the coral reefs, and although it was late at night, they could clearly see the white sandy beach from the lights at the resort and from the moonlight. From his initial count, Shawn could see more than 50 bures along the beachfront. As they got off the boat, all Shawn’s thoughts were on Natasha’s wellbeing. After Jone had arranged accommodation with the resort staff, Shawn was offered a beachfront bure for the night. Jone, Timoci and Jagdeep had agreed to share a larger bure that could sleep four people. Shawn’s bure had the features of a modern hotel room, except it had a ceiling fan instead of air-conditioning. With the gentle breeze coming in from the ocean, Shawn decided to sleep with the windows open. Before going to sleep, he made a choice that he wanted it to be all over the next day, with Natasha found safe and well, and Red and his men captured. He remembered Budd’s lesson of visualising the result he wanted. He felt his body relax as he knew that everything would come to a climax the next day.

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11 Next morning, Shawn had a quick breakfast with Jone, Timoci and Jagdeep, and they left 11 11 Castaway Island around 9.00am. The plan was to head to the next island, called Mana Island. That was one of the more popular island resorts in Fiji according to Jone, and he commented that it would be easy for a criminal to blend in and keep a low profile on that island. The boat ride was less than 20 minutes, and Shawn was amazed at how close the islands were and that each offered such a relaxing environment. Once they arrived at Mana Island, they saw a crowd of people on the beach and in the water having fun. Kids were playing ball sports, adults were on water skis, playing volleyball or just enjoying the morning sun. Shawn paused on the marina and took in the beauty of the scenery around him. Jone called out to him and told him to keep his mind on the job. Shawn, slightly annoyed, gave himself a couple of slaps in the face to shift his focus to the task at hand. He wore a cap and dark glasses as a disguise, as he did not want to be spotted by Red. As the four of them walked towards the reception area, Shawn looked at all the people around, who were a combination of tourists and locals. He assumed they either worked on the island or were also visiting. As he looked around, a stocky, bald man wearing sunglasses and talking to a female tourist caught his attention. “Hey, I think that’s Red,” Shawn hissed as he grabbed Jone’s arm. “He’s shaved his head and he’s up to his old tricks trying to impress the ladies.” “Jag, you stay here with Shawn, and follow Red if he leaves,” Jone instructed. “Tim and I are going to talk to the staff and organise help from the security here.” “But don’t do anything until we find out where Natasha is,” Shawn gently pleaded. “We don’t want him to panic.” “Okay,” Jone agreed, then started talking in Fijian to Timoci as they walked away. Shawn used Jagdeep as a shield to block himself from Red’s line of sight. Red looked to be enjoying himself and laughing with the female he was talking to. After a few more minutes, he shook hands with the lady and started walking away. Shawn looked at Jagdeep and, without any words spoken, they both nodded and started following Red. He wasn’t in any rush, and walked towards an oceanfront bungalow. Two men sat on deck chairs outside the front door. Shawn did not recognise the two men at all. Red stopped and said a few words to the men, then went inside the bungalow. “Can you stay here and watch them?” Shawn asked Jagdeep. “I’ll go and inform Jone about where Red is and see what plan he’s got.” “Okay, you go,” Jagdeep nodded as he hid behind some garden plants.

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11 Shawn hurried off to the reception area and found Jone and Timoci talking intensely with 11 the staff. He told them where Red was, and they brought him up to date with their plan. It was to overpower the two guards and barge inside the bungalow and take Red down. While it sounded like a good plan, Shawn did not agree with using force. “We don’t know if they’ve got guns,” he objected politely. “If they have, when you guys go in, the chances are that you can get shot. Why don’t you use the sleeping potions and take down the guards that way?” “And how do we get to them?” Jone asked, unconvinced. “Do we just approach them?” “You could dress up as resort staff and offer them complimentary drinks. Then, as they having their drinks, you take them down. Then you can knock on the door and entice Red to come outside.” “Yes, that could work. I checked with the hotel staff and they have confirmed that it’s just the four of them, three males and a female. The chances are high that the girl is inside a room in the bungalow. Okay, we’ll get ourselves ready. I want you to stay out of sight. Maybe stay behind the bungalow.” “No problem. But I’d like to see you guys take down Red’s men first,” Shawn chuckled. It took everybody 10 minutes to get ready to execute the plan. The resort security men had been instructed to stay at the back of the bungalow in case Red tried to escape. Jone and Timoci had dressed themselves in white shirts and blue sulus, and they each had a large tray with an assortment of alcoholic beverages. As they walked towards the bungalow, they caught up with Jagdeep, who told them that everybody was still there. Shawn made sure he stayed well back and out of sight. Jone and Timoci flashed big, wide grins as they approached the entrance to the bungalow. The two guards immediately stood up and moved their right hands behind their backs. Jone and Timoci continued grinning and got the men to smile, and then have a little laugh. Jone and Timoci placed the trays on the outdoor table and started pouring drinks for them. The two guards drank their first drink in a flash and looked pleased that they were getting complimentary drinks. Jone suggested they pour whatever drinks they wanted. With smiles on their faces, the two men momentarily turned their backs on Jone and Timoci. That was the opportunity they were looking for! As one, they reached into the pockets of their sulus and took out a piece of cloth. They grabbed the two guards in choke-holds and placed the cloths over their mouths. As the men struggled, Jone and Timoci tightened their hold. Within 10 seconds, the guards’ arms fell to their sides – they were both out. The men were dragged

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11to the ground, where a few of the resort security men tied their hands and moved them away 11 11 from the entrance of the bungalow. After composing himself, Jone knocked on the door, saying it was room service with complimentary drinks. Shawn hurried to the back of the bungalow, where two other security men were waiting. For a couple of minutes, nothing happened. Then suddenly, the back door burst open and Red came rushing out. He had a gun in his hand and fired at the two security men. He hit both of them in the shoulder and as they fell to the ground, he jumped over them and ran. Shawn, in absolute desperation, looked around for something he could hurl at Red. He found a rock the size of his hand. He grabbed it and directed his focus at the heels of Red. He threw the rock, javelin style, with all the force he could muster. The rock hit Red’s heel with such an impact that it caused him to fall face-first to the ground. The gun fell out of his hand, several metres away. Red winced in pain. Shawn raced towards him and picked up the gun. “What’s up, Red?” he mocked him as he lay on the ground in agony. “It’s all over. Your game has finally reached its end.” “You little shit,” Red yelled out angrily. “You will pay for this.” “Worry about your jail time first, man! You may never be released.” By now, Jone, Timoci and Jagdeep had come rushing towards them. Red hands were tied behind his back. Shawn raced inside the bungalow, desperate to find Natasha. There she was! She was tied to a chair in one of the bedrooms. Her face was gaunt and the tears were flowing, but she was smiling. Shawn smiled at her and felt his heart beat faster. He hurriedly untied her and gave her a big bear-hug. Natasha burst out crying as they hugged. “It’s all over,” he comforted her. “You’ll be home soon.” “How are Coach and Larry? Are they okay?” were her first words. “Coach is going to be okay,” Shawn replied gently. “I’m afraid Larry didn’t make it.” “Oh no!” “Are you okay?” Shawn asked. “I’m tired, but fine,” Natasha replied wearily. “How did you find me?” “That’s a long story,” Shawn suddenly felt himself relax. “The Great One can tell you all about it on the plane.” “The Great One?” Natasha chuckled. “I wonder if The Great One is a good kisser.” “Well, you can find out…” Shawn started to respond. Natasha gently placed her lips over Shawn’s lips and they kissed amid cheers and applause from Jone, Timoci, Jagdeep and others who had gathered around.

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11 “Let’s go for a walk,” Natasha suggested with a smile as they stopped kissing. “Let me grab 11 a drink and a couple of glasses first.” After thanking everybody for their help, Shawn and Natasha walked towards the beach, holding hands. She had picked up a bottle of champagne from one of the trays that Jone and Timoci had used. They headed towards an area on the beach where they had total privacy. As they sat down, Natasha poured the champagne into the glasses she had brought along. “To good health and freedom,” she toasted as they clicked their glasses. “This is one experience I will not forget in a hurry. You are now officially my hero.” “Thanks, but I’ve now had two realisations: what it means to be a hero and what freedom really means. I’ve realised we are all heroes in our own unique way. Being a hero doesn’t necessarily mean being a great hero, or a superhero like a Batman, Superman or Spiderman. Being a hero is about following your heart and being courageous enough to keep going in the face of adversity.” “That sounds really neat. What then does freedom mean to you?” “I’ve also realised that life is not an outcome, it is a journey. And freedom to me is about having faith to go on that journey, to come back to who we truly are. Freedom is about living your life purpose and continuously growing and serving others. I overcame my fear of flying because that is what I needed to do in order to help find you. Everybody has fears, small or big, which they can overcome. Freedom is about living your life to the fullest without restrictions or limitations. We were all born great, and freedom is about sharing that greatness with the world. Freedom is about making decisions and taking action so you can get better results in life. From now on, I am choosing to be free.” “That’s great, Shawn,” Natasha smiled at him. “I’ve learnt to live each day as if it was my last. Life is such a gift. This is one experience I’ll remember for a long time. Now tell me, what else have you learnt from this experience?” “I have come to realise that what Coach said to me the first time I met him is true. I am a leader and I know my purpose in life is to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. I once read in a book that the world can always use another great leader. And that’s what I intend to be. I’ve realised that all the principles of the password for life, VIP FACE, is really important. But the one that I am most drawn to is the principle of focus. Therefore, I now want to create a community called Focusville, where people can learn and practise living from the principles of VIP FACE.” “Hey, that’s awesome, Shawn,” Natasha put her arm around his waist. “You can start by

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11creating the community on the Internet. Wouldn’t it be great if you can create Focusville on 11 an island here in Fiji? That will give people an opportunity to get rejuvenated and really have a great time while learning and assimilating the principles of VIP FACE. I know I would love to be part of that vision of yours.” “Oh right!” Shawn replied excitedly. “Natasha, welcome to Focusville, a community dedicated to the empowerment and freedom of the human spirit. It is where you can connect to your VIP FACE and live the life of your dreams.”

Nothing more needed to be said. This had been the journey of a hero and a heroine. Shawn and Natasha sat on the beach and looked out to the ocean, enjoying the beauty of what paradise and freedom was meant to be like in the beautiful country of Fiji.

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The Password for Life: VIP FACE

V VISION Vision is a clear picture or image of the desired end result you want or are aiming for. You must have a clear vision of what you want and the secret is to create your vision in advance.

I INTENTION & IMAGINATION Intention is like a controlling force that you all have within you. It gives you direction. It is like an invisible force that you cannot touch or see. Your intentions drive your behaviour. Imagination is an action of producing mental images of something that is not present, or something not in a person’s experience. Your imagination is the strongest creative force that you have. It will always defeat your rational mind. Your imagination is the instrument of your soul and it is the bridge to your intuition.

P PURPOSE Everything that has ever been created has served a purpose. You have a purpose in life and it is to live a life of purpose. You can decide what your life purpose is.

F FOCUS Focus is something upon which attention or activity is concentrated. Whatever you focus on, you attract and expand, and whatever you focus on determines how you feel, be- have, act and ultimately determines your experience of life.

A ACTION In order to get the result you want, you have to take action. Action leads to some kind of result, which then creates momentum.

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C CHOICE Life is all about choices. The direction of your life - your destiny, is shaped by the choices you make. When you want to create something, you formally make a choice to create it.

E ENERGY Everything in the universe is made up of the exact same thing. Everything in the universe is connected - it is one energy field. Therefore, everything is energy.

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About the Author

Neel Raman is the author of Building High-Performing Teams and Hoops and Freedom and founder of Focused On...®, which provides experiential leadership and high performance training programs. As a certified coach and a leading authority on the topics of high performance, personal leadership and professional coaching, Neel has helped leaders and organisations increase performance, productivity and profits. Neel holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree and has extensive experience managing multi-million dollar business operations.

As a life-long student of success and peak performance, Neel has been personally trained and mentored by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® book series, which has now sold over 500 million books worldwide. As a trained facilitator of Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles™, Neel is able to bring the latest tools, strategies and technologies to organisations who want to up-level their performance and results.

Neel lives in Sydney, Australia and you can find out more about him at www.NeelRaman.com and www.FocusedOn.com.au.

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