LifeManual - View From The Flight Deck

LifePilot — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 01:57:00 +0000

LifeStories - Nathan Mellalieu

This is Nathan's Video

LifeStories - Nathan Mellalieu

LifePilot — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:28:00 +0000

We've started a new section on our site called 'LifeStories' - these are stories from people like yourself who have achieved their own vision of success using their values as their 'compass'. Nathan Mellalieu tells us his LifeStory here.

Happy New Year Message from Peter H. Thomas

LifePilot — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 23:24:00 +0000

Here we are again in the first few days of our new year with lots of new resolutions, dreams and goals. I could not help but wonder why at this time when we have so much strength in setting our goals for the year and we are so committed, do we fail so often and fall short of our dreams.

I believe it is because we lose FOCUS as our goals were not planned with our true values in mind. Right now at the beginning of the year we have our goals written down, we read them and do all the things that are required to be successful in the realization of our new goals. However, as we get back into the real world and have daily concerns and to dos to deal with, the goals that we felt were so important at the beginning of the year fall away to new found priorities, many of which sneak into your lives unexpectedly. We get into the rut of doing things that are not in alignment with what we truly value and want to accomplish for the year or in life.

If we really want to achieve our New Year's Resolutions we must have the personal commitment to plan goals that are values-driven and then keep these goals in focus through keeping them in alignment with what we truly value at all times. Keep the list simple. For example, if one of your values is health and your goal is to watch what you eat and not unconsciously put junk food in your body, the list could say: Eat Healthy. You should carry this on a piece of paper with you so that each time you stop to put food in your mouth you will automatically ask yourself "is this healthy"? I find that this system really helps me when I stop in at a coffee shop. I found that my favorite drink has become a Dopio Expresso with some foam (far less calories than Chai Tea Latte). I also no longer have a treat each time I have my coffee shot so this alone saves more than 500 calories a day.

When challenges arise in our daily schedules, we need to remind ourselves of what it is that we truly value so that we can prioritize accordingly. A good way of keeping on top of your values-driven goals is to put them right into your electronic calendar or to display them prominently on your computer desktop. For those of us who keep lists, diaries or manuals of any type, write down your goals and read them each and every day to remind yourself of what it is you truly value in order to keep your focus.

Happy New Year!

All the best to you,

Peter

Happy Holidays!

LifePilot — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:29:00 +0000

Just wanted to wish you all a very wonderful holiday, for those of you that celebrate this season! We want to wish all of you a very happy New Year, full of dreams come true and epiphanies that lead you to fulfilling your destiny!

Take care and all the best from all of us here at LifePilot!

Please check out our December newsletter - for our latest tips, stories and news!

Send a message of gratitude to your friends and family this holiday with this fun tool

And for some other fun -- here's some photos of the Head Office team:

LifeDiet? It's not a fad - it's all about a refreshingly simple eating strategy for a lifetime of nutritional health

LifePilot — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:21:00 +0000

That's right! We've written a new book that's all about healthy eating. LifePilot programs are all about finding your true values and achieving balance in your life. One key factor that keeps coming up for a lot of people we meet is that health is a huge value for them. So in honour of that, Rita Thomas and Erin Holm put together a wonderful nutrition guide and cook book that is all about balanced, healthy nutrition and delectable recipes.

This is a different kind of 'diet' book. It is about what you eat to have a vibrant, healthy life. It is NOT a fad diet, nor does it encourage you to do anything other than learn the tools you need to help you make smart food choices and be more healthy. In keeping with LifeManual, it provides the tools for you. It's up to you to eat well, but it gives you tips and solutions to a balanced and healthy nutritional lifestyle.

It also has a lot of wonderful, mouth-watering recipes for you to try and enjoy!

You can get pre-sales of this book right now in our LifeManual store. Or check it out at www.lifediet.com

And as with all of our LifePilot programs, net proceeds go to our community programs and charity!

LifePilot Invests in Values-Based Leadership

LifePilot — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:06:00 +0000

Our boss, Peter H. Thomas gave $500,000 to Royal Roads University last week to create the Todd Thomas Institute for Values-Based Leadership. You can read more about this in this article from our local paper, the Times Colonist.

It was a great day. First off, Peter gave a well-received workshop to the Royal Roads Strategic Council. I had a chance to see the keynote speech that took place later on in the afternoon at Royal Roads (that's right, I tore myself away from the computer screen for a few hours!) - it was really great. A highlight of the speech was when someone asked what we do when we have values that don't necessarily align with those of our life partners? Peter turned to the audience and asked his wife Rita to answer the question. Of course, Rita stood up and did the question justice. Basically the jist of the answer was that we can learn a lot about our loved ones from learning what their values actually are. They don't have to be the same. By honouring and respecting each other's values, we can understand each other more and find ways to make our relationships even better.

That evening, Royal Roads hosted a lovely dinner for some of the staff from Royal Roads and our group from LifePilot. I have worked here for a while, and I know how much work goes into building LifePilot into an organization that can make a difference for others in the world. I also know that Peter wants to honour his son, Todd, and it was very moving to see those two elements come together so fully on that day.

I look forward to seeing what 2007 brings!

LifePilot & the Canadian Navy

LifePilot — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:06:00 +0000

LifePilot is proud to have been able to meet with and give a workshop to a large group of Canadian military personnel from CFB Esquimalt on December 12th, 2006. Peter H. Thomas donated his time to offer the LifePilot values-based course to this group. The location at Royal Roads was fitting as well, and provided a beautiful backdrop to what turned out to be an 'epiphanous' experience for many.

The workshop was a great success and there was a lot of great feedback!

"LifePilot really wakes you up to live life today and not yesterday."

"It was a profound and moving experience which really helped me focus on what us most important in life."

"I have totally enjoyed the experience and feel great about it."

"The LifePilot workshop captured me from beginning to end."

"At this point in my life this workshop was needed. I was trying to figure out what to do next, how to plan my future - LifePilot opened my eyes and mind to plan my future based on my passions in life."

"LifePilot increases self-awareness grounded in a model that is both logical and possible to follow."

"LifePilot has given me the tool to start leading the way instead of following."

"I came in wondering what new things I would learn. I never expected to realize how much I wasn’t in control of my life. This will end today."

"It was a good, positive review of what I accomplished and to confirm my next plans."

"I am a single mom of four who bought a house in Victoria. I was told that I didn’t qualify. Your workshop proves that stubborness is an asset and I think more people need to know it. FUD."

Give the Gift of Gratitude...

LifePilot — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 17:43:00 +0000

We wanted to find something special that we could do to brighten people's spirits this holiday season. Something that wouldn't cost anything, that would be simple to do and yet would help make someone's day a bit brighter.

Chantal came up with this lovely sentiment and we all put in some time to get this little e-mail made for you to use. Each of us sent it out to people we love and are grateful for and it felt really good to make those people's day.

So just in case you didn't get it in our newsletter - here is the 'Gratitude E-mail' for you to send out to someone who has made a difference in your life.

LifePilot Events: PCMG opens LifePilot Executives & Professionals Workshop at BC Sports Hall of Fame

The Marketier — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:52:00 +0000

Last Saturday, PCMG Canada held it's first LifePilot Workshop in a series tailored for Executives & Professionals of Greater Vancouver. A big thanks goes out to the PCMG team for hosting a fantastic workshop at the BC Sports Hall of Fame. We'd also like to thank Jesse Dylan of the Good Life Show for emceeing the event and Andrea for sharing her inspiring life story.

“Find something you want to do and do it” – W. J. Clinton

The Marketier — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:11:00 +0000

Last Friday, I had the privilege of hearing the honorable William Clinton speak in Victoria, BC. His speech centered on citizenship, rather than politics, and was driven by his and his Foundation’s fundamental values of fairness and opportunity for all. I want to share the main questions that set the framework for his speech as they truly concern all and should be heard by all.

Mr. Clinton focused his time on four basic questions that he feels we should ask ourselves if we care about our world:

1. What is the fundamental nature of the 21st century?
2. How would we like to change it?
3. What are the steps necessary to change it?
4. Who will do it?

While Mr. Clinton went into a lot of details, examples and facts of our most pressing global problems of climate change, AIDS, and childhood obesity, and how our global society is one of unstable interdependence, the key take away at the end of the day was that we each need to do our part and can’t wait for our governments to change things. Citizens of a democratic society have the power to choose and we can do our part starting at home in our own communities, no matter how small our individual contributions may be, they will all add up if we work together. “The important thing is to find something you want to do and do it”, says Clinton. “Find one cause to support at home and one cause in the world.”

"It no longer makes sense for us to debate whether or not the earth is warming at an alarming rate, and it doesn’t make sense for us to sit back and wait for others to act. The fate of the planet that our children and grandchildren will inherit is in our hands, and it is our responsibility to do something about this crisis." — William J. Clinton

At www.clintonfoundation.org, you can read in detail about what Mr. Clinton describes an “unstable interdependence”, what actions his Foundation is taking, and what we as citizens can do to move to positive interdependence, reaching “an integrated global economy of shared responsibilities, shared opportunities and shared values.”

Positive Thinking Panel

aguynamedchris — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:08:00 +0000

Hey maybe you saw the Larry King special show on positive thinking, but if you didn’t you should.

Bob Proctor (www.bobproctor.com), John Assaraf (www.onecoach.com) Rev. Micheal Beckwith (www.agapelive.com) John Demartini (www.drdemartini.com) and JZ Knight (http://ramtha.com) were all on a panel that had some great thoughts on positive thinking. I would highly recommend that you take a minute to visit some of these amazing authors.

Greetings from Lisbon!

The Marketier — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 05:32:00 +0000

Our Chief Pilot, Peter Thomas, just returned from Lisbon where he gave a LifePilot Keynote address to kick off the Euopean Conference held by the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) - eonetwork.org. Peter is a founding member of EO and was thrilled to offer his time to share his entrepreneurial stories, insights and our LifeManual system for values-based living with a crowd of some 100 plus young entrepreneurs.

LifePilot Events: Marty Park talks to UVic Business Students and Mentors

The Marketier — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:32:00 +0000

Wow - what a full room we had at last Saturday's LifePilot workshop for UVic! We even had to bring in extra desks and chairs.

A big thank you to Marty Park, our newest navigator, for flying out from Calgary and volunteering his time to present to the UVic Business students and mentors. We know how busy you are managing your many business ventures and appreciated your entrepreneurial insight and excellent facilitation of the LifePilot workshop.

Also a huge thank you goes to Robin Dyke of UVic - we couldn't have brought the LifePilot University Mentorship Program to UVic without your support and dedication.

Some feedback from the event:

"I can't believe I've reached this age wihtout reflecting on the things that are really important to me. Thank you for opening my eyes. This may be the first day of my new life!"

"Fun and informative - take a friend - you'll learn something for sure!"

"Truly a life changing opportunity and program."

"What a great morning! I started to rethink about who I am, what I am going to do or will be in the future from the deepest inside me."

"Thank you for reminding me of the importance of values and inspiration."

"I thought everything was amazing - I think the only thing lacking is the amount of people that haven't had the chance to see this yet."

A Climate for Change

aguynamedchris — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:24:00 +0000

Fall is always a time for change. The leaves turn brown and fall off the trees, the days get cooler and shorter. As a kid, fall always brought with it a return to school. As an adult, I still find fall to be a time of year where I mentally prepare myself for change almost as a force of habit.

It was interesting then to see the interview Larry King conducted last night with recent TIME coverstory Barack Obama – a US senator with African-American roots from Illinois who has suddenly burst into the spotlight as a potential future president.

In the United States, there appears to be a ground swell of support for changing values in the political and social landscape. Everything from Guantanamo Bay incidents to political and corporate corruption (Jack Abramoff & Enron) to the continued body count in Iraq seems to be driving dissent towards a top-down, “we-know-whats-best-for-you” way of conducting government and business

Obama was recently endorsed by Oprah as her pick for president on a group interview on CNN’s Larry King Live. You may have also seen his witty interview on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart

What makes Obama special is his focus on values like co-operation, negotiation and inclusion. He speaks a great deal about past presidents like Truman and Lincoln who both led their country out of terrible wars and into new era’s of prosperity.

After 911 there was a need for certainty. The Bush administration delivered. Their tough-talking, damn-the-torpedoes approach delivered on it’s promise of vengeance and quick response.

However, with this year’s arrival of fall it feels like values are again shifting back to the pre-911 sentiments. The long-time common values of life, liberty, freedom and equality are starting to override the desire for security and certainty. It’s only a feeling, but I believe Obama’s sudden rise to public awareness is a manifestation of existing desire rather than a creator of it. Whether he becomes the next president or not, the message of community values is one that people are hungry to hear from their leadership.

LifePilot goes to San Diego & Homes of Hope

LifePilot — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 23:48:00 +0000

Phil and Jennifer Carroll hosted a LifePilot workshop as a gift to their family and friends last Friday at the Hyatt Islandia in San Diego – Bigsbee the Bumblebee was there too! They started out by learning about their values and goals, and then went on to build homes in Tijuana Mexico as part of the entire Homes of Hope weekend.

Thank you Phil and Jennifer for being such awesome hosts! And a big Thank You to Kathleen Tomes and Janet Lambert for helping us organize everything.

LifePilot Events - Ray Williams from PCMG talks to UBC Students

LifePilot — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:32:00 +0000

There were 55 UBC Business Students in attendance at the Renaissance Hotel Vancouver. We held the LifePilot workshop in conjunction with the EMP (Executive Mentor Program) “Kick-Off” luncheon.

Many thanks to Ray Williams of PCMG who volunteered his time to be our navigator for this event. He was a dynamic speaker that created an environment of inclusiveness with the audience.

Thanks to Adrian Pau - VP Special Events, EMP – for helping us bring the LifePilot workshop to UBC students this year.

Some feedback from the event:
"This was amazing - I am so happy that I got this priveledge - so lucky - I'm excited to get started on my goals"

"As students, we are constantly on the go. Today was an amazing opportunity to reflect on our lives and help us focus on which direction we want to head in our lives."

"As a new graduate, I feel it is important to learn more about myself and my beliefs. I enjoyed gaining a new perspective on my goals and what motivates me."

"It was an amazing way to realize the little things we can change to greatly increase the value and joy we get out of life."

"Very very good workshop because it's something that you can continue to do and remind yourself instead of one-time-only workshop that you forget in an hour"

"Great experience! I thoroughly enjoyed the speaker today. He was so captivating and engaging, yet completely non-judgmental. This workshop is a great tool for any executive looking to succeed in the often fast-paced world of business that often leaves us wondering if there could be more."

Lifelong Friends are a True Blessing...

LifePilot — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:22:00 +0000

Recently, we were cc'd on a series of e-mails from a dear lifelong friend of Peter's, Bill Beagan. These e-mails detail his thoughts on Peter, LifePilot and LifeManual. They are eloquently written and really capture the essence of what we're all about here at LifePilot. Bill sent his comments to his circle of friends and acquaintances. The staff here were so impressed, we thought we'd post a great big thank you to Bill and say that it is a true gift to have friends who think the best of you and put their own reputation on the line to say how they feel about you.

Our admiration goes out to you, Bill and to Peter too!

Here is a link to the text from the e-mails, if you would like to read what Bill wrote.

Have a great day!

The Life Pilot Team

What's re(a)d and blue and seen at Word on the Street?

LifePilot — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:16:00 +0000

LifeManual! Our big blue books were seen and read in Vancouver at the Word on the Street book fair!

Caroline, Chris and Chantal spent the day making contacts with the public and other book sellers and distributors.

Here is a photo of Caroline and her partner, Jeff at our LifePilot booth.

Here's another shot of Caroline, Internet Operations Manager, talking about how LifeManual can change your life...

Community Programming - LifePilot goes to Simon Fraser University

LifePilot — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 04:15:00 +0000

Part of LifePilot's not for profit activities include community programming, where LifePilot brings the LifeManual training for free to community groups such as university students at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.

On September 23rd, 2006, Peter Sage, our newest LifePilot navigator, gave a powerful and very moving workshop to a group of 40 students. Peter started by saying 'today is not about me giving you a fish, it's about me teaching you how to fish so you have a system for life.'

Peter, who volunteered his time to give the presentation, shared his personal experience and incredible stories with an avid audience - thanks, Peter!

Some feedback from participants:

"LifePilot has given me the ammunition to fight for the life I want to lead; the perspectives and insight given in this workshop is very valuable and will change the direction of my life."

"This workshop is inspirational and motivational. One of the best workshops I have ever attended - priceless!"

"It was an awesome experience. I have gained so much insight. I learned to really follow my values and set and accomplish my goals."

"This was inspiring, motivating and incredible. Peter truly lives by his words and that alone encourages me to do the same. WOW!"

LifePilot Events - Peter H. Thomas at WCG International

LifePilot — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 03:10:00 +0000

Peter H. Thomas was recently sighted in Vancouver, BC at the offices of WCG International. A gift to his staff, Ian Ferguson, President and CEO of WCG, wanted to give his staff the gift of a morning to build their own life manual.

A few comments from participants:

"Enjoyable, useful and inspiring day well spent."

"I thought the workshop was fabulous - full of energy that inspires, provokes thought and re-energizes the spirit."

The Good Life Show - August 2006 Edition

LifePilot — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:10:00 +0000

The Good Life Network Radio Show with Jesse Dylan - August 2006 show with Peter H. Thomas. Peter discusses the story behind LifePilot.

MP3 File

Visualization

LifePilot — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:10:00 +0000

So, this visualization thing… is it just daydreaming? No, but many people think so. Visualization is a crucial component of success for most champions, be they champions of sport, business or the arts. When a person is extremely focused on their goal, they will keep an image in their mind of what success will look like, and they play it over and over again. They don’t think about what failure might look like, because to do so might distract them from their goal. Our brain often can’t tell the difference between perceived reality and actually reality, so if you visualize yourself succeeding, your brain will have a much easier time believing that success is not only possible but inevitable.

Champions have got this technique down, but what if you’re new to it? Well, in that case, start with day-dreaming. Sit back and imagine what your success will look like – drink in every sight, sound and smell. Just don’t stop there. A champion takes that initial daydream and works backward, visualizing all the steps between that moment of success and the present day – then starts acting on it. If visualization gets you moving toward your goal, it’s working. If not, then, yeah, it’s just daydreaming. It’s up to you to decide which.

- Flight Lieutenant Ben

LifeManualOnline is Released!

LifePilot — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:02:00 +0000

Well, it's been a while since I've been on here. I hope you've all had a lovely summer!

Flight Lieutenant Ben, who has been writing to you through this blog all summer, is back at the University of Victoria completing the final few weeks of his MBA. We sure miss him here! He left some great articles for you, so you can watch for those to be posted over the next couple of weeks.

In other news, our VP, Chris Smith recently tied the knot with his lovely wife Paula. He took off for Hawaii for a honeymoon and learned how to surf! Now to get some photos to post here!

Here at the office (aka Superhero Lair), we've been hard at work at the many endeavours we do to raise money for charity. One of our key pieces is our online program, LifeManualOnline. This is such an exciting online course! It has all sorts of multimedia pieces that are fun to interact with and lots of downloadable bits that you can build your own LifeManual binder with. I love that kind of stuff myself, so I had lots of fun putting these components together. Of course, this is a 'living' courseware, as it will always have new enhancements and fun things added to it. Kind of like life - always something new to learn and to add! Peter (the author of the book and course), is an avid life-long learner and keeps bringing new and vital pieces to the program that he has found have worked best for attaining fulfillment in life.

Anyway, that's what I've been working on. You can purchase it on this site and we have a great deal on right now that I'm so happy about - you can get the program and the LifeManual book too all for $99!!!!! That totally rocks - because the regular price is over $200. Of course, net proceeds go to support children, youth and mental health charities, as well as LifePilot community programming - so you're not only helping yourself, you're helping other folks at the same time.

Next up for me - these guys here think I should get married. Hmmm, I dunno about that! As for LifePilot, we'll be taking LifeManual to Word on the Street in Vancouver, BC on Sunday, September 24th! We'll be there all day in front of the downtown Vancouver library on Homer Street. If you are in the area, please come by and say hello! We'd love to see you!

Have a great day! :-)

Caroline

LifePilot spreads its wings

Flight Lieutenant Ben — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:18:00 +0000

The boundless energy of Peter Thomas is legendary, but even so he can't be everywhere at once. With this in mind, LifePilot is pleased to announce two licensing arrangements to have experienced facilitators present the LifePilot Workshop. PCMG in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Conquest Training Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona, have both signed deals to take the lessons of LifePilot to an even wider audience. The fresh perspective offered by the excellent coaches and presenters from these two companies will increase the depth of the LifePilot product and improve our ability to reach a wide audience. Peter and the LifePilot team are still hard at work giving workshops, but now the team just got a bit bigger.

The Importance of Reflection

Flight Lieutenant Ben — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:11:00 +0000

Sometimes it seems like life is one endless series of way-points on the endless journey to some idealistic goal. As soon as we accomplish something - such as finish school, get married, complete a quilt - everyone congratulates us and then immediate asks about our next step. Another degree? When are you going to have kids? What's the next quilt going to be? With all this pressure to succeed, succeed, succeed, it's very easy to discard our success as soon as we achieve it, and push on toward the next way-point on life's journey.

Reflection is the oft-neglected process of stopping your forward motion and looking back. It's feeling a sense of joy and well-deserved pride in our achievements, where we look not at how far we have to go, but at how far we've come. Reflection is like a little break on the race through life: make sure you take it every now and then. Stop and look around at all the good things in your life, and compare life now to what it was in the past. Are you happier now? If so, great! If not, maybe it's time to reconsider the goals that have brought you to where you are.

In either case, Reflection is an invaluable part of our growth, as it either lets us enjoy our success or it helps us to realize that we need to change our course. Even when your life is super busy, don't forget to stop and reflect.