Recently a colleague and International Expert on stress and performance arrived to join our department at the University. Keen to show him the pleasures of Waiheke Island where we live and catch some fish I had my boat serviced and awaited his arrival from the USA.

The day dawned bright and full of promise and my teenage daughter and friend decided to come along for the ride. After sorting out some issues with the motor we dropped them at their own private island and beach while Dr John and I attempted to catch dinner.

A week later my daughter asked in a nonchalant kind of way, “Dad were you trying to get that doctor interested in Healthy Thinking”

Definitely I replied, he is on the program and excited about our research into how Healthy Thinking can improve Heart function, brain performance and we are doing some really cool experiments.

“Oh” she said after a slight pause.

Why I asked?

Well Dad I’m only 15 and I may not know much about Healthy Thinking (in fact she does) … but you know how you were grumpy and cursing at your recently serviced motor on the boat when it wouldn’t start?

“Yes, kind of…” I begrudgingly replied having conveniently forgotten about my boat motor tantrum.

Well Dad its not a Good look if you are trying to get an international expert to help you with research on Healthy Thinking!!!

Suitably chastised I agreed.

Then she hit me between the eyes with the obvious.

Dad I am only 15 but what that tells me is, either

Healthy thinking doesn’t work or

You are not applying it!!!

Tens of thousands of people have found that it has worked… So as I have been saying since its birth, Healthy Thinking is like Anti Virus software for the mind. If you dont run it it doesn’t work.

Even the founder can switch off his anti virus software!!

One of the COGNITHERAPEUTICALS is use to switch on my anti virus is “Everything Happens for a Reason”

I often get challenged about the reason for tragedies. Today I read an article about the tragic death of a teenager of similar age to mine.

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10642027&ref=rss

She was sitting on a boot (trunk of a car) on a beach when it started to move, she fell off, hit her head and died a few days later in hospital.

The reason for this is that life is risky and a small mistake can have tragic consequences. Our brain is delicate and its blood vessels can rupture or block with what can seem like a trivial insult.

In my 20 years of experience in working in Hospital Emergency departments I have seen countless cases like this. It is not a rare event.

Look after your minds, look after your brains.

Its been a busy couple of weeks with multiple presentations to the Ministry of Health, Rodney Wayne Hairdressing in Queenstown and today I flew to Taupo to train some Real Estate agents courtesy of the Property Press. Lucky I bought shares in a plane based on Waiheke Island as there was no way I could have made all these speaking engagements without my own wings. It was a fantastic day to fly today from Waiheke to Taupo and back. Some days you do wonder why you maintain such a hectic pace and am working at the hospital Emergency Department tommorow night. The emails of thanks and audience responses help you keep at it. To take my own medicine I have the weekend off and very much looking forward to watching for the first time my son playing cricket. It is his second game ever so will be fun. Having the right attitude and being mindful of being in the moment is one of the only ways to cope with such a hectic schedule. What sthe point of being on the ride of life when you are worrying so much about what is coming up or what has gone before. As I say the only thing that is real is what is happening right now. Whatever has happened in the past, is only in your memory, whatever will happen in the future is only in your imagination.

Besides the emails we get on returning from speaking trips saying how the seminars have been a life changing experience (for the better) for many people, we get to meet many eclectic, colourful and inspirational characters in their own right.

One is definitely Rodney Wayne, founder of the country’s most successful Hair Salon networks. His leadership and passion for the business stick out like Vidal Sassoon has done over many years. His staff are one of the most glamorous crew I have spoken to on the planet and the buzz of team and the pride they have in their leader and their brand is something to behold. I can see why my wife gets her haircut there!! I would too if I had some. It seem a bit ironic a bald man speaking at a hairdressing conference but the message about Healthy Thinking crosses all hair types. It was a fabulous evening and as much as motivating the audience I came away being motivated by their sense of a team and passion for their industry and brand. If you look at the photo you may say I was motivated by the glass of fine Central Otago Pinot Noir in my hand but I can assure you it was my first and last glass of the evening!

How passionate are you about your leader and your brand??

As I sit here watching the sun struggle up through a layer of cloud over the Coromandel Peninsula, I’m grateful to have the opportunities that lie ahead for the day. My kids are still asleep, ready to wake and get to school, my wife is working at NZ Fashion Week and the cat and the dog want feeding. I am charging into the manuscript for my 3rd book, have plenty of speaking and clinical work coming up, and Spring is here. Not only that, I am about to buy shares in my own plane based on Waiheke Island. Have a speaking job in Methven on Saturday in the South island to a group of Doctors on “Healthy Thinking”. Taking my 13 year old son and Co-pilot and we then have 10 days in a Camper van around Wanaka and the South Island. We will be walking in Primeval Forests, looking for Greenstone, catching up with friends and exploring Lord of The Rings Countryside.

Life could not be much better really. Some of you may be thinking “Lucky ……….!!”

Well I have to inform you that luck has not had much to do with it. Plenty of blood sweat and tears in fact. Many years of study and sacrifices in libraries, exams, writing books, speaking in all sorts of places to all sorts of audiences. Things that have not gone to plan. Computers that haven’t worked, travel plans that have come unstuck broken limbs, all sorts of crazy stuff that makes life what it is. many hours learning to fly, more exams, medicals and evading dodgy weather!! Wouldnt swap it for anything.

As I sit here typing, looking out over the Hauraki Gulf, the day cant decide if it going to be grey or fine. I am not sure it has much choice as sheets of low cloud laden with moisture start to fill the horizon at speed from the South West. As I sit here I cant help but think of a friend who passed away about a week ago. Having worked plenty of shifts at the hospital as a doctor in recent months you get to see a lot of sick people who have terminal illness.

I am grateful to see this day. To have the opportunities it will bring and the challenges I will face. I remind myself that Happiness is a State of mind and of my old school motto, Carpe Diem, ”Seize the Day”.

Not only is it good to be breathing, its good to be happy about it. So get out and get stuck into it yourself.

Well sometimes you have to take a breath and take stock of what has happened. Just over a month ago I had never been to Kuala Lumpur. I am now on my third trip, speaking at the 14th International Conference on Thinking. Other speakers include Edward De Bono, Tony Buzan the inventor of Mind Maps, Glenn Capelli and other legends of Thinking.

Last night at the Gala dinner I had the pleasure of a full table of Thinkers including Kevin Warwick, the father of the Cyborgs and world renowned Professor of Cybernetics. Check www.kevinwarwick.com

From growing brains from cells, using cultured rat brains to move robots, inserting electrodes into Parkinsons disease sufferers brains, and electrodes into his own nervous system, it was always going to be an interesting dinner conversation.

Having been fascinated by the Human Brain since I was 5 years old, it was a night to remember.

Its been a month to remember and another highlight has been securing Google as a client. Someone from Google heard me speak at a conference and was then selected to speak at the Annual South East Asian offsite GOOGLERS conference at the Hilton in Kuala Lumpur. It was a great experience walking into Google HQ and meeting the team. Having spoken to hundreds of companies I would have to say Google and their management team have put the most effort I have seen into helping customising a presentation pre conference and it paid off. It is a pleasure working with people who care as much about your product and your message. Most corporates do, but Google certainly are the great that become exceptional. Looking forward to further meetings next week.

If you have read the previous blog entry about the boy from an orphanage who wanted to become a Pilot I will give you an update. If you havent read it, maybe read it first then come back to the next sentence.

I am so pleased to report that despite the Fortune Tellers, The Doom Merchants and the majority of people who told me he wouldn’t get a passport, he did!!!

Not only that but he got to go on the flight deck of a jet, then fly from Singapore to KL. He then met the CEO of Air Asia X who sponsored his flight and the wonderful team at Air Asia. He then spent the afternoon in the simulator and then flew back to Singapore. From small seeds big things grow and the dream became a reality in 3 short weeks. We are now in the process of setting up a trust fund for him. The plan is extra tuition for Maths, Physics and English over the next few years as he is 14 and receiving a basic education in Batam. Will keep you posted!

If you havent read either of my books on Healthy Thinking, you may not know that on June 3rd 1994, I was asleep in a thatched hut, on the island of Java at a World famous Surfing Resort called Grajagan, the Pipeline of Indonesia. Now resort at the time was probably stretching the imagination as there is malaria, snakes, razor sharp coral and tigers around the jungle camp. While the thatched hut accommodation was basic, the food was amazing and the surf, well it does not get any better.

I was on my second year doing a stint as a Doctor at the camp late May, and was given the famous Hawaiian,Gerry Lopez’s hut (who as legend has it spotted the perfect reeling point break from a plane), right on the point, 20 metres from the high tide mark, looking directly at the world class tubes.

Little did I know that at a few days later about 2am June 3rd an Earthquake in the Java trench was about to send a 20 foot high Tsunami hurtling towards me. While written in my books and not the topic of this blog, the Tsunami smashed through my hut, carrying me several hundred meters into the jungle, killing about 450 people in the surrounding villages.

So when the Boxing day Tsunami hit 10 years later, I knew I had to go and help. We organized a medical relief mission to the Indonesian Island of Nias, just off the coast of Banda Aceh. On return we raised about $8000 for an orphanage on Nias. This was hit and partially destroyed by a subsequent earthquake.

Last week while speaking in Singapore at the Asia professional Speakers summit, a small group of us led by Scott Freidman, visited an orphanage on the Indonesian Island of Batam. As it turns out, about 80% of the 30 orphans are from Nias. One of them is a 14 year old boy. He wants to be a Pilot. Many of these children dont have any documentation, or even birthdays. The orphanage has to choose a birthday for them.

Being a pilot myself, it struck a major chord. Not long ago a friend of mines son was 14 years old. I asked him what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to be an electrician. I said, Dont do that, I think you would make a great Pilot. I took him flying with me then in a helicopter and he was hooked and we flew many missions together around New Zealand. Now at age 27 he has a good chance of being one of the youngest Airbus captains ever and is a co pilot with Virgin Blue.

So when this kid from the orphanage said last Saturday he wanted to be a Pilot, I knew I had to try and help. He is bright, very keen, slightly shy and a nice kid..

That night I went to a big New Zealand ball in Singapore. I was telling a client from Microsoft about the day. She said she knows a Singapore airlines Captain, who may want to help. I was thinking maybe we could just charter a small plane and at least take him flying.

A few days later I chaired a session in Kuala Lumpur and the speaker before my session was Azran Osman Rani, CEO of Air Asia. Of course I immediately approached him and asked for his help. Of course he said yes. You dont get to be CEO of such a large company at a young age of around 32 without being able to make sudden important decisions.

On the flight back to New Zealand, I sat next to an Iraqi man, who happened to be a Pilot for Air Hong Kong, but he lives in New Zealand. I told him this story. He said, but this is IMPOSSIBLE. You cannot go from such a position of having nothing, to being a commercial Pilot, and gave me all the reasons why it would not work. I looked him in the eye and said, I like that word Impossible, it makes me try harder.

About 15 minutes later he leaned across the seat, looked me in the eye and said, you are serious about this is arent you. Of course I said yes, why wouldnt I be? he then said, the CEO of my airline I know, I will ask him if we can possibly help.

Which is my point, unhealthy thinking often stops us from trying, Healthy Thinking helps us have a go, and to try harder.

If you want to help this kid either by helping him fly or financially we are looking to support him through our Charitable trust, the Healthy Thinking Foundation. Email me tom@healthythinking.biz and I will send you a photo and maybe, we can help. How do we know if its impossible unless we try?

It just occurred to me, I dont know his birthday, I dont even know his name. But I do know I want to help. He could do with it.

Being both a doctor and a motivational speaker Swine Flu has affected both businesses in a different way. There has been an increase in requests for Anti Virals like Tamiflu, plus patients with mild symptoms worried about Swine Flu. My family have asked me to do less doctoring and more speaking as they are worried that I will be more exposed and at risk from patients presenting with “the flu” so I am more likely to infect them.

Myself, I went and stocked up on Tamiflu as I am about to head to Asia for a week on a speaking tour. If there is a risk working as a doctor, I am sure there is a risk being at airports. I am due to fly to Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur for a series of lectures and seminars.

However my Hong Kong client sent me an email to say that “DUE TO SWINE FLU, WE ARE CANCELLING ALL MEETINGS INVOLVING 10 PEOPLE OR MORE” As we had alot more people booked to hear me speak, company policy means we had to postpone.

Lucky my travel agent from MONDO Travel, Mike, is a Healthy Thinker. Despite multiple ticket changes, re issues to try and fit in a tight schedule he remains calm and unstressed. Its the nature of the business.

If you think about it, if you didnt like changing things, why would you become a travel agent?? Its all about what we expect in our jobs. Thats another BLOG topic.

So I need some Healthy Thinking myself.

I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HONG KONG. A chance to do 4 gigs, teach alot of people Healthy Thinking and catch up with colleagues.

Not to mention the revenue would have been handy to help pay for the tens of thousands of $$$ we have just spent on our on line Healthy Thinking program!

Crisis = Opportunity.

• It is an opportunity to spend more time in Kuala Lumpur
• Less traveling, more time to prepare for my other gigs
• More time to network at the HR conference in KL
• I could get a huge client in KL
• I could get another gig (speaking engagement)
• The Hong Kong client has only postponed, not cancelled, so another trip to Asia, next one I could take my wife who Loves HK!!
• Next trip I will spend more time in HK. This trip was only 24 hours!

The whole point of Healthy Thinking is that I probably spent about 60 seconds being disappointed. Any more would have been a waste of time. Any more may have put my blood pressure up and altered my immunity. I may have increased my risk of Swine Flu! Not getting sick and not wasting time is a good thing.

Time is not spent on anxiety but on looking for solutions and keeping productivity up!. It is not stressful, opportunities are exciting!

So is Swine Flu real or imagined? The economic aspects are real. Mexico must be feeling it. The reality is that “The Flu” is a deadly disease in its own right. How virulent this one is, time will tell.

Having a Healthy Immune system will help protect you against it.

Being stressed “lowers your immunity”

Hats why Healthy Thinking is so important, not just as a productivity tool, but as a COGNITHERAPEUTIC against disease.

I will keep you posted as I head to Asia!!

If you want to book me for a Speaking engagement (I have a spare day!!), plus a few later in the year, contact Louise Ryburn at Celebrity Speakers, louiser@csnz.co.nz

Its a great opportunity!!

Well I survived my spell of night shifts in the Emergency Department despite being viraemic (flash word for having a bit of a cold). More importantly, so did the patients. While Vitamin C, some anti cold remedies, paracetamol and coffee helped keep me awake and alert so did my COGNITHERAPEUTICALS. These are the therapeutic thoughts that like antibodies I can draw on to fight stressful situations. My software (mind) can generate these thoughts that create a sense of wellness and then stimulate my hardware (brain) to generate neurotransmitters, like dopamine, GABA, serotonin and endorphins, giving me a buzz working (no it wasnt the cold remedies!!).

Once upon I time I would dread going to work in a busy Emergency Department as a doctor on a Saturday night, let alone Easter when it tends to be busier and many friends and family are relaxing. It all came down to what I was telling myself when I walked through the door, saw the full waiting room of patients and thought “Oh no look at all those people!”. Now I have trained my mind to stimulate my brain to get excited when I see a full waiting room, also to feel grateful when I see an empty one. Just like crunches at the gym can strengthen your AB’s, you can strengthen the neural networks in your head that stimulate these chemicals that make you feel good. the advantage of “feeling good” is that your hardware is working well, you are less likely to make mistakes, and people are less likely to complain.

Your concentration and memory improve, you enjoy your shift and look forward to the next one instead of dreading it! Healthy Thinking and COGNITHERAPEUTICS can generate what I like to call a “THOUGHT BUZZ”.

I tell myself when I see the waiting room full and the endless stream of ambulance staff bringing in trauma victims or people having heart attacks, I choose to think, “More People to help” or ” I studied long and hard to have this privilege of working in an Emergency Department” or, “I can use my skills and get more experience in this case” .

It really works, I enjoy the difficult cases, the procedures and volunteer for resus cases, the seemingly mundane cases and the ones no one else wants. Like a druggie looking for their next fix, I ENJOY MY JOB”. I get a THOUGHT BUZZ and energy, just by changing what I think!!”

The trick is to create that same THOUGHT BUZZ, when the shift finishes. Just as much as I enjoy my job, I enjoy coming home to relax, or do something adventurous.

Right now my wife and son are away for a few days holiday visiting our oldest daughter, my youngest daughter is away for the day riding horses, while our middle daughter is about to start her first job as a lawyer tomorrow. Its just me and the cat and the dog at home for a lazy Sunday afternoon. A time to get my spearfishing gear maintained for the next adventure, do some reading, drink coffee and read the paper. Relaxing allows my brain to make more healthy neurotransmiiters.

Another way to stimulate them is extreme adventure. I have just returned from a Black Water Rafting adventure with my 14 year old daughter and her 2 friends. Underground caving, jumping off waterfalls backwards into an abyss several hundred metres underground with your butt in an inflatable tube is full on adventure. My son and wife refused to come due to the thought of being underground going over waterfalls in the pitch black with head torches and having to do it with screaming teenage girls! I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

One needs alot of Healthy Thinking to cope with the vagaries of the teenage brain and not get stressed at some of their behaviour, but if managed correctly, TEENAGERS can be fun!! But thats the topic of another Blog, if not my next book!

I have just returned from a magnificent 5 days in Western Australia speaking at a Conference on Emergency medicine. I gave a keynote address to about 200 rural doctors on the importance of attitude and how it can affect our health. In the audience was the Deputy Premier for Western Australia, Dr Kim Hames who is both the Minister of Health and Aboriginal Affairs.
Following the conference I had an email from a Paeditrician, Associate Professor Christine Jeffries-Stokes thanking me for my presentation and reinforcing our message of “It’s not necessarily your diabetes that will kill you, but your attitude towards it that will!”
Professor Jeffries-Stokes is based in Kalgoorlie, a Gold town in Western Australia with a high indigenous population. As with most indigenous populations, the incidence of diabetes is huge. Having worked in Fiji I heard a claim that up to 40% of hospital health care costs are related diabetes. The pain, suffering and loss of quality of life is immeasurable.
What Dr Jeffries-Stokes and her amazing team are doing is changing peoples attitudes towards diabetes by using a mix of modern and traditional techniques. Titled Wanti Sugarba it talks about the sugar monster through things like puppet shows for children, and involves practical workshops in growing fruit and vegetables and how our attitudes toward food and nutrition affect our health.
I was so impressed with the program and what they are trying to achieve in a remote and difficult environment that we are looking at a sponsorship arrangement where 50% of our profits from books sales, corporate training and our e-development in Western Australia can go to their mission of raising another $3 million.

We see many of our attitude profiles that relate to lifestyle diseases related to smoking, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The Denialist (I only smoke socially), The Justifier (you have to die of something) and the Extremist (I CANT stop) cause cognitive blocks to behavioural change.
Stress can be a huge part of diabetes and poor sugar control and is backed up by Professor Jeffries-Stokes research. When we feel stressed we secrete cortisol which elevates our blood sugar to cope with the fright and flight response. Our pancreas produces insulin to counter the high blood sugar, putting it under stress and our cells with their pumps and channels are working harder.
Sometimes we eat more in response to stress, thereby fuelling the insulin resistance cycle. It seems fitting that our stress reducing software and e-development can benefit those that need it but dont have computers and access to our Healthy Thinking tools via the web.

Speaking of stress it is Good Friday and I have just returned yesterday from Australia. Hosted by the team at Rural Health West I had a fantastic time 24 hours post conference. I managed to surf epic waves at Yallingup and then free dive for monster crayfish and abalone south of Margaret River with a doctor I met at the conference. Crystal clear warm water with lots of fish it was awesome. I was very impressed with the coastline, the hospitality and the people, not to mention the SEAFOOD. I will be back and have had many offers to work!
Somewhere along the way I sat next to someone sneezing and unwell. Unfortunately its Good Friday, the sun is shining, I feel like crap and am armed with a box of tissues, facing starting work at 10.30pm tonight and a 10 hour shift at Auckland City Hospital Emergency Department, not to mention Saturday and Sunday night as well.
As my sinuses squeak and body aches I hope it passes quickly. Its times like this that one really needs the right attitude. It is not an easy environment to be in, 3am in the morning with a waiting room of intoxicated people, while through another unseen entrance multiple ambulances with multiple trauma, heart attacks and strokes flood the department.

I find it useful to immunize myself (along with Vitamin C and paracetamol) with certain COGNITHERAPEUTICALS or therapeutic thoughts before I go to work. If at any stage I start to feel sorry for myself I can choose to think, At least I only have a minor cold, and am not in that Ambulance.
It is interesting as many people have asked me “What are you doing over Easter?”. When I reply, working nights in the Emergency Department I often get “Poor you” “Rather you than me” or “I couldnt stand that”.
Call me weird but I think its a privilege to do so and actually look forward to it (maybe not so much with a cold). Whats the point of me not? No fun for me, no fun for the staff and no fun for the patients. While fun is probably not the right word, enjoyment of what you do is important. As I often say, if you cant change your attitude, change your job.
Having just had epic waves and diving and then as of Easter Monday I have 5 days off with the family in the school holidays, I cant complain!
Bring on the COGNITHERAPEUTICALS AT 3am as I reach for the tissues!
Lets hope it works, I will keep you posted!

Well its a been a VERY BIG WEEK. The infant that was Healthy Thinking has grown up. From the embryo that was an idea that became a book which became the child which was the keynote developed into an adolescent workshop and TV series. Like watching any child growing up there have been highs and lows and some parenting mistakes. Now its REALLY growing up!!

A HUGE sense of Pride this week with the launch of our psychometric test for Attitude and our Development e-treatment program to help change them. It is a world first. Thousands of hours of our time, overview and input from psychologists, doctors, educators not to mention $$$ have been poured into the project.

We are now moving into our next phase of research and testing into the the power of the tools to change attitudes and behaviours. Initial feedback has been overwhelming positive.

Our aim is to immunize people with preventive Healthy Thinking to reduce lost time illness, injury, stress and anxiety at work and home. We already know from our research that 92% of people found Healthy Thinking very effective or effective at home. In addition 75% thought that a Healthy Thinking training program created long term behavioural change at work. Of these 100% of them thought the change would be permanent.

Like any parenting job, many long hours, sleepless nights and effort from the creators and “family” of advisors leaves a sense of pride as the tools continue to grow up and develop. Most importantly they help people.

As a reward for those who want to be involved in this research we are offering half price to use the tools over the next month or so. You can either enroll for full price in the Attitude Profiling tool and E-learning course or get a “research login” by emailing me direct at tom@healthythinking.biz

I am confident you will achieve a similar pride and sense of purpose we do from seeing our tools “growing up” and as we try and reduce conflict and improve productivity globally.

Well I have just returned from a stint as a Doctor on a Russian ship in New Zealands sub antarctic islands. It was part of a Heritage Expedition. What a buzz, albatross, penguins and sea lions as we visited Snares, Auckland and Campbell Island 700 kms south of the bottom of New Zealand. A life long dream and ambition filled. Stories of many other ports, many I have never heard of. some like Vladivostok and Petroplavosk Kamchatsky I have visted. Travelling and seeing new lands is certainly good for the perspective and the soul. I remember reading a quote once from St Augustine, THE WORLD IS LIKE A BOOK-THOSE THAT THAT NEVER TRAVEL ONLY GET ONE PAGE.

Well I am up at 5am to get some work done before a meeting to finalise our e-learning content, then catch a plane to Wellington in my role as Chairman of an IT company that runs the IT for Capital and coast and Taranaki District Health Board. So another page today!

I have been woirking quite a few shifts in Auckland city hospital Emergency Department as a Doctor, seeing the tragedy of the human condition in all its forms. While seeing people die is certainly not a new experience for me having been a doctor for 20 years, it does always remind me how transient and tenous our lives are. We are only a heartbeat away sometimes. It always reinforces how important it is to live your dreams and enjoy the moments we have. You never know how many you have left, so make the most of what you HAVE.

Whether it is the albatross of the Southern Ocean, a black backed gull at your local beach or any local bird in flight, marvel at the sight of it and drink it in. You will miss it when you are gone.