It's funny. When people find out that we're involved in property, their faces take on a sad frown and they say "oh it must be so difficult for you at the moment".  That makes us smile.  We had a call from the BBC earlier this week asking us to contribute to a forthcoming programme called "Property Watch".   In the course of the conversation, the Producer asked us if we were feeling negative about the business we were in.  "Far from it", we replied, "there's never been greater opportunity for those who choose to see it that way".  But while property is our main focus, and it's great to feel so passionate about something, we'd be the first to admit it's not the be all and end all of everything.

We were driving back from speaking at the Lincs Property Investor Network on Friday, when we had a phone call to tell us that our seven year old niece Alicia, had been involved in a serious accident and was in hospital.  From being jolly and looking forward to the weekend, the atmosphere in the car changed instantly.  It was a wake-up call for us to hear our family members in such distress, and, as we changed course to drive to the hospital, we pondered about what matters most in life.

When he began teaching at Cornell, the Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov said he knew just two things: One, life is beautiful, and two, life is sad. The reason life is sad, he said, is because it's going to end.

Too many of us spend our days moving with the hustling crowd, mindlessly doing more or less what everyone else is doing, stuck in a routine, acting like we have all the time in the world. That is, until we get a wake-up call and learn that someone close to us has had a bad accident or is suddenly very ill.

Increased awareness of our own mortality or fragility needn't lead to fear and anxiety, however. We can use it as an opportunity to answer the question posed by poet Mary Oliver, "Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Do you know?  Or are you so consumed with projects, deadlines, and responsibilities that you haven't given it much thought lately?

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. And this realization is a good thing.

Viewed from the prospect of eternity, we are really no more durable than the mayfly. Many spend their time just as frivolously. Others are bored. As author Susan Ertz quipped, "Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."

Greek mythology, on the other hand, gives us the story of Tithonus, a Trojan who was granted immortality by the gods but grew to hate his life.

Whatever path he chose, he could always take it later. Whatever options he faced, ultimately he could have them all. Time became meaningless, oppressive even. He lost his passion for life. In the end, he petitions Zeus to release him from eternity. He begs for mortality so that, once again, his choices might matter.

Each of us has been granted an incomparable gift, a brief stay on this beautiful little blue ball. How will you spend it? To what end will you use it?  What difference will you make?

These are the most important questions we can ask ourselves. And the answers can be read in the way we live our lives.

Patients in nursing homes routinely express more regret for the chances they never took than the ones that worked out poorly.

We believe that success in life is achieved by taking consistent massive action, making good choices and staying responsible to them, and always looking for the positive in every situation.  It's also about contributing value to others wherever possible even if it's something as simple as a friendly smile or letting someone know that you appreciate them. 

Throughout his life, Charles Darwin remained a courageous thinker and an industrious worker. "A man who dares to waste one hour of time," he once wrote, "has not discovered the value of life."

Singer Bono, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and granted numerous awards for his activism for world poverty, said in a recent interview, "I'm tired of dreaming. I'm into doing at the moment".

Bono (who we have had the privilege of meeting during our time in the TV industry), is someone who has chosen to live life on his own terms and in service to the values that matter to him most. He uses his fame to draw attention to the issues that matter to him.  It is unlikely that you or I will ever accomplish as much. But that's okay.

For most of us, born without the immense talents of a da Vinci or Beethoven or Einstein, the true measure of our lives is not what we achieve - and certainly not what we accumulate - but rather who we are and the number of people we touch along the way.

In these days of constant doom and gloom, our friend Jeanette McLeod, drew our attention to this totally inspiring video that we could like to share with you.  We hope you get as much out of it as we did.

What has any of this got to do with property, you might ask?  It's got everything to do with staying motivated and committed and finding people whose values you share to help you move forwards in all areas of your life, including business.  At times like these, extraordinary times, some settle into an inertia born of a perceived lack of control over their destinies. And others reach determinedly for the next rung. They both take the same amount of energy with very different outcomes.

One of the best ways to stay committed and motivated is to network with like-minded people, whether it be on-line or at networking events.  As a member of our community, you have both options.  You can join our forum at http://www.propertytribes.ning.com/ or attend one of our networking events, the next one being in Guildford on Sunday 15th March, and join a group of people who are committed to finishing strong.  Register here.