This past week I’ve received a few important messages – not by email, phone or letter – but by the passing, or changes in the lives, of some noteworthy leaders, and who reminded me of a favourite story about Mahatma Gandhi.

Once while Mahatma Gandhi’s train was pulling slowly out of the station, a reporter ran up to his compartment window. ‘Do you have a message I can take back to my people?’ he asked. It was Gandhi’s day of silence, respite from his demanding speaking schedule, so he didn’t reply. Instead, he scrawled a few words on a scrap of paper and passed it to the reporter: ‘My life is my message.’

Gandhi worked throughout India attempting to be the change in the world that he hoped to see. A man of compassion and service to others, Gandhi lived his truth.

So this week, I’d like to pay tribute to a few other leaders, in the world of politics, business and community, who lived (or are living) their message.

Last week, politician Jack Layton, leader of the NDP and of the Opposition, lost his life to cancer. Just days before his death he wrote this in a letter to Canadians: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

An inspiring man and politician, Layton died just months after leading his party to a historic election victory, but his optimism and hope for change live on.

Leaving the world stage in another way  but still living, iconic business leader, innovator and creative genius Steve Jobs, just resigned as CEO of Apple.

In an address to Stanford graduates a few years ago Jobs gave this message: “You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life… Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

I don’t think anyone would call Jobs “foolish” but with courage and phenomenal innovation he has “connected the dots” to create one of the greatest computer companies of the modern era.

This week also marks the (13^th) anniversary of the death of my mother, a generous community leader and activist whose life touched many – most certainly, her five children’s. My mother’s message (engraved on her gravestone) was simple: “Love one another.”

When we live what we believe – when we walk the talk – our life becomes our message, and one that can inspire or motivate others.

Perhaps Shakespeare said it best: “This above all, to thine own self be true.” By being true to ourselves – our words, actions and intentions — we liberate others to do the same.

From authenticity flows honour… and truly inspired action.

The best way to spread your message is to live it.

Jack Layton was a different kind of politician who lived, and acted on, his message of love, hope and optimism for a better country; Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO of Apple but leaves a legacy of unbridled ingenuity and vision; and my mom’s message – well, what greater force is there than love, for a better world and an unlimited future?

In my life (while I’m here and upon my exit), I’d like to leave an equally simple message: Live well. Love deeply. Inspire and be inspired.

Thanks for being here.

Please leave a message.

Every life has a story; and every story can change a life.

This week I helped a client write her signature story, something I think is important for every leader, businessperson or organization to do.

Your  “signature story” reveals WHY you do what you do. And as Simon Sinek succinctly puts it: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

People connect far more to the essence or reason behind your work – your mission, vision or raison d’être — than to your expertise.

A signature story may or may not be dramatic, but it tells the tale of what happened to change, define or alter the course of your life and/or work. These are the moments or experiences that helped shape who you are, tested your imagination, strength or will, or fueled your passion. (You can read my signature story at the end of this post.)

Signature stories serve as models of possibility, examples of inspired action or new beginnings. They help your audience, clients or ‘tribe’ connect with you, as they illuminate the purpose, cause or belief that moves you to do great work, which in turn can inspire others.

Common signature story themes:

Signature stories may include an event that became a catalyst for change, a tale of transformation, or a time of deep diving for the soul. However, the ‘defining moment’ that alters the course of a life may not be dramatic. It could be as simple as making a decision… and acting on it.

Here a few possible themes:

1)    From corporate to conscious: For example, perhaps you left the frantic corporate world to pursue a calmer, more authentic life in work that feeds your spirit and soul.

2)    From the fall to the call: Perhaps a life of drug and alcohol addiction led to a moment of  ‘enlightenment’ when you decided to get sober and pursue a path of helping or counseling others.

3)    From the test to the testimony: Maybe your “test in life” (a weight problem, eating disorder, or severe illness) has led to your “testimony” of recovery, healing and health.

4)    From driven to deliberate: Maybe you were simply looking to change and re-focus your life from one of being driven to one of being deliberate – in your choices and actions.

5)    From victim to victor: For example, a loss of a job, relationship or home caused you to stop depending on (or blaming) others for your situation, and then take personal responsibility for your life and success.

6)    From the shadows to the light: This may be a period of despair, depression or a ‘dark night of the soul’ that ultimately led to an awakening or heightened self-awareness that revealed your own light. In other words, a time in your life when it was the darkest before the dawn.

Your signature story may or may not relate to one of these themes, but they might spark some ideas. Your signature story, like your written signature, is unique. So tell it your way.

Here’s my signature story (an edited version of a previous post), and why I believe the time to do what you love is always NOW.

Someday Is Not on the Calendar

You could say 1988 was the year that I lived like there was no tomorrow.

It had nothing to do reckless spending, learning to sky dive or being diagnosed with a rare, intractable disease; it had everything to do with making my self available… for life at full speed and spending time with those I loved, doing the things I loved.

We hear a lot about living in the present, embracing the moment and the power of now, yet often neglect to put the theory into practice; 1988 was my opportunity to change that …forever. The events of that year brought home the “power of now” with all the subtlety of a car accident—more accurately, two car accidents.

In February, a close encounter with a moving car brought life’s fragility to my attention. I was hit at a pedestrian crosswalk by a 16-year-old driver who passed a van, which had stopped to allow me to cross the wide boulevard of Portage Avenue. I bounced off the hood of her car like a bad dismount from a trampoline, was thrown about 15 feet from the point of impact and landed, smashing my right knee on the pavement. I was conscious throughout the entire “flight” and miraculously had no head injury or other fractures.

The ER doctor told me I could have been killed … I knew that. But a last minute action-hero-inspired-instinct to leap on the car’s hood probably saved my life, and certainly my legs.

Shaken but awakened by the incident, I didn’t let a battered knee and some crushed cartilage keep me from a winter escape to California with my 23 year-old sister and my sixty-something father.

That was my second winter escape with my sister, after a thrilling week in New York City where I took her (for the first time) as a belated Christmas gift.

Later in the fall, she and I rendezvoused with some of her friends in Montreal for an Amnesty International concert and a few days of old-world charm in Vieux Montreal. There’s a photo of all of us overlooking the city from Mount Royal, looking like college kids filled with optimism and standing at the top of the world. That scene is forever etched in my mind.

My adventures that year with my younger sister in New York City, California and Quebec marked 1988 as a year to remember – the months imbued with a feeling of endless celebration and joie de vivre. We were living large, living in the moment, and enjoying the languorous luxury of time without taking it for granted.

In November, we took a weekend road trip to visit our older sister Elaine for a quiet family celebration with a rural setting and home cooking.

On the highway home, in a pitch-black November night, my sporty Toyota Celica was hit head-on, and crushed, by a drunk driver. I survived; my younger sister did not. She died instantly, six inches from my side, in the passenger seat.

Looking back, I realized that I seized every opportunity that year to celebrate life, and all its opportunities. It was as if I had some advanced notice, if only subconsciously, that 1988 would be the best year available to live flat-out, laugh loudly, travel widely, and cherish each moment with loved ones… like they might be my last.

Nineteen eighty-eight was the year that my younger sister and I made ourselves available for the people, places and things that we loved.

We didn’t just read about being in the present, we lived it.

We said “Yes!” to everything the universe sent our way; we set dates, booked the time and, most importantly, showed up.

“Someday” was not on our calendar.

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Why do you do what you do?

I’d love to hear your signature story.

This week I’ve been drinking champagne, eating far too much cake, and planning intimate celebrations in subdued locations like New York City. Oh, and in between I’ve been creating some new work. Why? Because I’m a Leo, living in a Leo’s world, surrounded by several friends (and fellow ‘lions’) who have their birthdays between July 24 and Aug. 22, and who are operating under the (Leo) influence.

From an astrological perspective, Leo (symbolized by the lion) is ruled by the Sun, the centre of our solar system, and is the sign of play, creativity, self-expression, romance, leadership and being centre stage. “Leo energy” is all about stepping into the spotlight, says my friend and intuitive astrologer Lisa Zimmerman, and the highest expression of Leo is to be the Light for those who can’t find their own — and to empower others. Great… just a small task, no pressure.

Well, as a Leo who continues to uncover her own light, I’d like to share a few ways that might help you “embrace your inner lion-ness” (i.e., greatness) no matter when you were born.

1) Know that you have what it takes.

Lions did not become the kings (and queens) of the jungle by listening to others or following them around the savannah. You are the authority of YOU. Follow your own wisdom, discover your own answers, and see the challenge and opportunity in everything.

2) Know that you are valuable, and that your path is as important as anyone else’s.

Whether you are raising children (little human cubs), building an empire, or healing others … it’s all part of a powerful kingdom.

3) Love, honour and accept who and where you are right now.

Respect and acknowledge all the things that you’ve already created, learned and accomplished. As I recently read: “The greater the outer changes you want to make, the greater the inner changes that must be made first.” (from Creating Money by Sanaya Roman)

4) Honour and value your creativity and ideas.

Again, Leos are all about self-expression and creativity, but even non-Leos and non “artists” can be creative. My brother is a commercial real estate developer who transforms some ghetto-ugly, non-productive buildings into beautiful, thriving spaces. He loves the “art of the deal,” and says “buildings are my canvas.”

5) Commit.

Leos are notoriously loyal. Approach your work, life and relationships knowing that success requires bonding, commitment and occasionally surrendering to the great unknown.

6) Lighten up and live it up.

Leos have a high fun quotient. Oscar Wilde had it right when he said: Life is too important to be taken seriously. Life and work can involve, and integrate, deep play. A friend once said to me: “Barb, your life is like an endless vacation.” “Yes,” I replied, “and your point is…?”

7) Believe in yourself.

Lions are bold and decisive. No self-respecting lioness waits for approval or gives her power to others. “Go ahead honey, you slay the zebra and I’ll just hang out here by the watering hole.”

8) Be bold, brave and generous.

These qualities embody the “Essential Leo,” and you don’t have to be born under the sign of the lion to embrace this lion-hearted energy. Leos lead by example, through acts of courage and generosity. They live, and love, in a big way.  And the world can always use more of that.

9)  Step into the light, in order to share the light.

Leos reputably like to be the centre of attention. I don’t, and prefer to make my moves quietly. That said, one of my friends recently called me her favourite “inspirational rebel.” I believe when we step up and step out into the world boldly, without regret, we empower others to do the same.

What qualities help you embrace life more fully?