Very often I am asked the biggest lessons, or best advice, I have ever received.  Most times, people want a short, concise, and memorable response.

For that reason, I've spent alot of time thinking of the biggest life lessons I have ever learned, and I've now got it narrowed to two.  Just as important are the key world business leaders I learned them from...

Cue the drumroll......

They are:

1) Your freedom to choose (Thanks Stephen Covey!)

2) Take more risks (Thanks Richard Branson!)

Let's start with your "freedom to choose".  Everyday life presents us with a menu of choices on what we should focus on, and how we should react to what is happening around us.

Make no mistake, YOU are 100% responsible for what you give your attention to.

Everyday we make decisions about, what we are thinking about, our actions, our words, in short what kind of day we are going to have.  We choose what we allow into our minds and bodies, and who we spend time with.

You are FREE to make those choices, so choose wisely on how you "spend" your time everyday.

The second BIG lesson I have learned is about taking some risks.  I'm not suggesting going skydiving, but do something, anything to challenge yourself everyday.

We all know people who love to complain, yet never do anything about taking action to improve the situation they are complaining about.  I like to call this "comfortable misery"; I may be miserable, but I'm comfortable.

Be open to taking some risks, hang out with different people, read great books, take a course, find people who you admire and talk to them....just do something.

Remember the old definition of insanity "doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results".

Do something different today.

To learn more about these lessons from Stephen Covey and Richard Branson themselves, check out the new "Wisdom of Caring Leaders" corporate training video.

I show this fantastic 11 minute video at the end of my corporate training sessions, and audiences love it!  Honestly, it's pretty special to have Stephen Covey, Richard Branson, Anita Roddick, Jack Welch and Marshall Goldsmith back up what you just presented.