What do I want? What do I Really, Really Want?

When I first came to New Zealand, I had no idea about the bi-cultural environment I was walking into.

My wife's family were generous with me, sharing their culture with me, being patient with me as I made mistake after mistake due to my ignorance.

I used to say: "I only open my mouth to change feet!"

But patient were my new family and also larger than my family back home. And there was an amazing venue called a "Marae" which is a meeting place for the family, the tribe and visitors.

I was standing talking to two elder Maori men. We were waiting for the time to be invited into the eating hall for lunch.

One of them said to me: "You know Mike, we Maori dig our graves with our teeth!" He then went on to talk about the traditional food that had been supplemented with boiled up fatty meat with lots of dumplings, MacDonald's burgers and Kentucky Fried Chicken. "It's all killing us!" he went on to say.

That was 12 years ago and lots has changed on the Marae. Healthier food is being served and many more Maori are making healthier choices.

But its not just Maori that do this. We all do it.

We dig our graves, we create our lives, we either create a legacy or destroy it - all these things are like our diet. We do it every day, usually three times and it's the little actions that make up our lives - that create the results over time - the little everyday actions.

We grow our lives with our thoughts, our actions and our habits.

I am proud to be associated with my wife's family.

Just by admitting that they are digging their graves with their teeth, they are taking the first step to transforming their lives.

Acknowledging "What's so" leads to "So what?" which leads to "What do I really really want?" which leads to "This is what I want and this is when I will have achieved it" which leads to "How can I achieve this?" which leads you to an "Action Plan" which leads you to "Actions in your Diary"....which leads you to Change!

It all starts with....

Admitting that you are creating your life with your current actions and habits.....and asking yourself - What do I want? What do I really, really want?