When I receive emails like this one, it is confirmation that people are ready for a new message of richness:

I spoke to you briefly after your recent presentation at the NECA convention in San Francisco. I was glad to hear of your organization and your stories about all the people who have done so much for so many. I can relate first hand what a wonderful experience it is to volunteer your time and talents to help someone who is less fortunate.

Our church, Sonrise, in Rotterdam, NY, learned about an organization called YUGO in Mexico. They needed volunteers to rebuild a local church in a poverty stricken village in Mexico, south of Tijuana. The pastor there could not afford to rebuild, and the people had no money. The old church had been torn down because it was unsafe. Our church sent a team of adults and teenagers to YUGO, which provided facilities to set up tents so we had a “home base” to operate from. Every morning our build crew, which I was a part of, drove in a van over twisting dirt roads through the worst poverty I have ever witnessed to reach the church site in the village. We spent a week there rebuilding their church, and the people started coming back even before we were done. They held a bible study one night in the main structure once we had four walls and a roof, they were so excited. The pastor was very pleased and appreciative of the work we had done. You could see his mood improving every day as the work was completed. While we were building the church, the teen groups were out visiting the nearby orphanage, playing with the kids and just showing them love and attention. My son was there, and the stories he told me brought tears to my eyes, to know they made such a difference in those kids’ lives, just by being there. He had the time of his life being there, and I know he will do it again, I was so proud of him. I make a good salary at my job, and I have had the opportunity to travel all over the country, and abroad. I never considered myself rich, but I never felt so good or had a better time than when I volunteered my time and energy to help those people who could not help themselves. I can’t wait to do it all again someplace else, our pastor said we may be sending a team to Africa next year, I’m already saving my money, I will be there, and I will encourage my friends to go as well.

God bless you and your organization for sharing your stories and motivating people to serve others, to “Love their Neighbor as they Love Themselves”.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I am almost finished reading a book called The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss. If I am able to implement what I am reading, October will be a much difference month than September. I probably worked 15 days in a row in some form or fashion and for many more hours that either my wife or I would have liked. I must confess I haven’t been working smart and on more than one occasion I have lamented that I should have been doing things like playing with or reading books to my kids, spending quality time with my wife, having devotional and quiet time, or exercising. I set a goal (and a blog) to exercise every day for one year and until last week, my X-plan wasn’t going as well as I had hoped. Though last week, I achieve a goal of doing seven different types of exercise in seven days. But I digress. 

Ferriss synthesized things for me that weren’t new but the context in which he structured it has caused me to re-think some things. I am making a note to post in one month with the results - results that IF I follow through on, will make my work and life more rich. I’d like to do more of what I talk about in my Living Rich speech and give away my time and talents. It will take awhile to get to the 4-Hour Week but I’m planning on working more efficiently and I think my family, my clients and I will all benefit. Plus implementing some new procedures and new thinking will create time for the things that matter most.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

During a recent routine annual physical, my doctor noticed some swelling in my stomach. That led to x-rays, a sonogram, and then last Friday a HIDA scan. It looks like a pretty good possiblity that I will be selling my gall blader on ebay.

When doctors start having to look carefully in places inside your body, one can’t help but wonder. I am NOT a worrier but the earlier findings did cause me a moment to pause and ponder my mortality (you can imagine my wife thought about it a little too). It’s reassuring that my doctor isn’t worried, so I’m not. If even it was something serious and I was looking at a shorter life than planned, I really have no regrets. Life has been good. I have experienced lots of love, laughter, and living and thankfully the gall blander just doesn’t seem to really be necessary.

I like to think that IF I were looking a the end of life (and I’m NOT!), I’d handle it with the grace, dignity, and humor of Carnigie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch who has cancer is only expected to live a few months. He gave his last lecture last week. It’s worth more than a quick watch. It’s worth a lifetime semester. His ”last lecture” was delivered without the sad tone one might expect. In fact, Pausch is quite funny and totally gets what this blog is all about…Living Rich. He values what is important and has lived a live with passion, meaning, and purpose.

Both Wall Street Journal and ABC news covered it. There are two versions below:

1) WSJ version - about five minutes 

2) ABC News Version - about 18 minutes

What would you say if you were giving your last lecture?

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

It’s been a rough few days - healthwise. After nursing our kids through whatever the virus of the month has been, I finally succumbed to the creeping crud. It hit me Saturday and I spent late Saturday afternoon and evening with my pillow either on the couch or in bed. Sunday was a carbon copy. By yesterday, I was “over” it only I wasn’t OVER IT! I had a fever, stomach virus and had eaten almost nothing. ”I CAN’T get sick,” I tried telling myself as I thought about my pending trip.  It was getting inconvenient and I began the internal dialogue, mumbling and complaining about it. After taking a smorgashborg of over the counter medicine, the best came in watching this clip of Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker without arms and legs. I blogged about him recently. You just won’t believe what he can do and without complaints. If I could only be so “healthy”.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Twenty years ago today, I was released from prison. This is not something many people know about me and frankly, I have not told too many people what today means to me. I served time in Tallahassee, Florida - three and a half long years. Each day was the same grind. I lived for weekends when the drudgery of the week was less. My prison was the IBM Corporation where I was employed right out of college. I truly was a fish out of water and yes some days I felt like I was incarcerated. The times that I was jazzed at work were after we had been given opportunities to attend training programs or motivational speakers. Some of the motivational speakers and corporate speakers I heard at IBM, helped me decide that professional speaking is what I would do in my own life. I was also heavily influenced by a few books I read.

The summer before I started at IBM, I had spent living with my brother in Chico, California. As fate would have it, an old roommate of his had left a box of books in the spare bedroom of my brothers apartment. There were two books on the top of the stack that I read cover to cover - The Magic of Thinking Big by David Swartz and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Those two books started me on a journey toward goal setting and having a positive attitude. They are books I will always treasure. After I graduated from college, a professor at Florida Southern College where I received my undergraduate degree, gave me the book The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandio. I didn’t start reading that book until I was in a very down place at work (almost getting fired can make most people a bit down). I credit that book as a life turning point. Those three books all contributed to my departure from IBM on this day in 1987. I remember my friends thinking I was crazy. My family didn’t understand. My co-workers thought I had lost it by leaving what Tom Peters called one of the best companies to work for in the world. Only my golden retriever dog seemed to understand. I remember taking her for a walk on decision day (the day I needed to tell management my career plans). I had applied for an educational leave of absence hoping to finish my masters degree at Florida State University. My plan was to take a year off IBM, finish a few remaining courses, while determining if I could make a go at it as an entrepreneur. I thought if it didn’t work out, I could go back to IBM in another position. The managers who reviewed my leave application did me the greatest favor ever by saying no to my plan (of course I didn’t know it at the time). I remember being in a big field with my dog as tears flowed down my face. I truly didn’t know what to do. I had just bought a house, a Jeep CJ7, and was on the verge of becoming president of a company that had no assets and no customers! As crazy as it sounds, I asked my dog (maybe it was God - I am a bit dyslexic) “What am I supposed to do?”. After our walk, I went home and stopped at the mailbox before going in my house. There in the box was my answer on the cover of Success magazine. The cover article was titled “IBM Renegades: Where are They Now?”. While I haven’t (yet) graced the cover of Success magazine, I do feel like a renegade sometimes. As I took the road less traveled. Independence can be bliss.

So tonight, I celebrate my 20th anniversary of leaving IBM and starting my own business. It’s been a journey with lots of twists and turns but worth the ride.

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It seems fitting today to introduce the latest project: The Worlds Biggest Blog Party. You are invited to party on. I hope you’ll join the fun.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

- born without limbs

- twenty-three years old

- Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting.

- motivational speaker

- passionate about reaching out to youth

Goals:

- to become financially independent by the age of 25

- modify a car to drive

- be interviewed and share story on the ” Oprah Winfrey Show “!

- write several best-selling books (His first is in progress entitled “No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!”)

Even if Nick doesn’t meet his goal to become financially independent, he’s already rich!

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

This morning, we had futurist Dan Burrus speak. Dan is author of Techno Trends and a great guy. He always has great things to say and is one of the most giving guys that I know. For some reason, he has always taken an interest in me and my growth and usually we have a few minutes to talk. I am looking forward to those minutes.

Things that I like that I heard today:

From Patricia Fripp quoting her brother musician Robert Fripp when he was asked why he didn’t retire after 40 years as a musician: “I have an obligation to use my talent”.

From Deepak Chopra accepting the Master of Influence Award:

1) I listen as much as I speak

2) Emotionally bond with the person for whom you speak

3) Have a great awareness of the needs of others

4) Harness compassion, caring, creativity to help others.

DeWitt Jones: “We are overwhelmed with opportunity”.

Fun: I had breakfast this morning with Mark Eaton, former center for the Utah Jazz. At 6′0″, I rarely feel like a short person. Being with Mark, who stands 7′4″, I felt like the smallest guy here.

Ross Shafer was brilliant. He is one of the funniest speakers I have heard quoting Dave Hopla, a record holding basketball player “Once we have a certain amount of success, we stop doing the things that got you to that level.”

Quoted:

John F. Kennedy: “The Only reason to give a speech is to change the world”

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks
about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover,
increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

After giving a keynote speech recently, I had breakfast with a guy named Ed
Gallagly, a CEO for over forty years. He was in the audience where I was the
motivational speaker. I was honored by his presence and realized that he was
obviously committed to something I believe in: Life Long Learning. The
contrast was interesting. In the audience sat this seasoned CEO with
extensive experience who has traveled all over the world, has heard the best
of the best industry and professional speakers, has networked with other
industry leaders and given advice to other CEO’s sitting there listening to
a relatively young (18 years speaking) professional offer view points on
life, success, and living rich.

I truly was humbled when I reflected on it. He probably could have given my
speech. When I thought about how he sat through my presentation with all the
wisdom he had, it blew me away. Of the many things he shared with me that
day, I was most impacted by a story he told me of how he counseled a CEO of
the IBM Credit Union (now called Visions) several years ago. He was telling
him about the needs that the community had and how the credit union could
use their influence to help. He told that CEO “Whether you are doing good
because it’s the noble thing to do or whether you are doing it for purely
selfish reasons, you’ll be the ultimate benefactor when you give.” Some
people live an entire life and don’t get that. He, fortunate for me and the
others he’s mentored, led, and taught over the years, understood it early and
has shared it all over the world. Now it’s your turn….

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks
about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover,
increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for businesses,
professional associations, insurance companies, and health care
organizations. For more information go to  www.TimRichardson.com

I read Tuesday’s USA Today, that Gainesville, FL, is the best place to live in the USA according to Cities Ranked & Rated (in case you are wondering, Modesto, CA was at the bottom of the list). I like Gainesville but I don’t think it would make my top ten list (and it has nothing to do with the fact that I am a graduate of Florida State University!). Other cities that made the list that I personally like are Colorado Springs, CO, Bellingham, WA, Ann Arbor, MI, Asheville, NC, and one of my favorite places, Fort Collins,CO. It’s where my best friend Bill Walter who I wrote about recently lived for many years.

I think any place can be great if you focus on how you live, not where you live. Abe Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make their mind up to be.” I am writing this from Key West, Florida where I am quite happy at the moment, but after my keynote speech tomorrow, I’ll head to Lansing, MI (another very cool place) and I’ve decided that I am going to be happy there too. Why not!? For the most part, I am happy where ever I am. I am happy when I am home with my wonderful wife and children. I am happy waking up early to the sounds of the birds. I am happy in my career as a motivational speaker. I am happy when I get to inspire other people to make a difference in their communities and in their jobs. I am happy writing this blog and my new book. I am happy when I spend time talking to friends, whether they are old friends from high school or college, professional speaker friends, or new friends that make me think. I am happy skiing down a long snowy slope with evergreen trees on either side, or on a glassy lake without another boat in sight. I am happy making a child smile, particularly my own. I am happy when my children help others and feel good about it. I am happy when the Florida State Seminoles beat the University of Florida Gators… whether it’s in Gainesville, FL or CA.

If you’re happy and you know it, let me know. I’d love to hear your best places to live list and the things that make you happy where ever you are living.

Ponder thought: One of the plans I have for my Richest People project is to write about the best cities to live in from a giving standpoint. I would like to include cities where philanthropy is embedded in the fabric of the community, encouraged outside the classrooms, preached about from pulpits and practiced religiously in every day life. What do ya think?

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

I received an email this morning that intrigued me. I immediately was reminded of Dear Abby. Though I am not in the business of dispensing advice like this, for some reason, I felt compelled to write. At first, I thought it was one of those, “send me your bank account number and I will deposit millions of dollars into your account” emails. The way he contacted me made me realize that wasn’t the case so I decided to respond to a man from Pakistan who is depressed about his future.I am not sure how he found me or how I can help him since there have been times when I have been uncertain of my future. I know that one idea in a book, seminar, sermon or by an encouraging friend has the potential to change a life. Words are power – spoken or written.  Below is his email and my response to him. I would love to forward him some advice from some of my blog readers. How would you respond if you got such an email?