Believe it or not

You’ve heard of the secret, of the powers of positive thinking and the powers of the subconscious mind… I thought i would share a few things I planted into my mind at a young age that came to fruition. Well, sort of.

One of my earliest memories, around the age of four, was seeing Mr. Clean commercials in beautiful black and white. Here was the big dude, getting the job done, white t-shirt, pants and an earring, if I remember well. But as a child, a child raised on those cheesy Hercules cartoons, no less, I was impressed with Mr.Clean! I concluded bald guys were strong. I learned later that there is some truth to that as there is a correlation between high testosterone and baldness. Anyhow, many years later, I’m a bald man, and i must say i wear it well lol.

As a child to my early teens , I was chubby and I remember hoping and praying I could have a flat tummy. Many of my friends were rail thin. I got the perk of getting to play Santa in grade 6. But here I am, at 61, with a flat stomach when most 61 year old no longer do. I planted the seed, the affirmation.

In sixth grade, the name Bruce Lee gained significant importance for us. Until that time, movie fights mostly involved the John Wayne-style roundhouse punch, and kicking was considered feminine. Everything changed after we watched a double feature: “Fist of Fury” and “The Chinese Connection.” These films completely altered our perspective. By Monday’s recess, we were all imitating kung fu fighting techniques. I was so inspired by what I saw that I later studied martial arts and ran my own school for 12 years. That initial exposure planted the seed of my interest.

As a child, I was also a fan of Jerry Lewis. I would climb onto our picnic table, holding a skipping rope as my microphone, and do impressions. This interest led me to participate in two comedy plays later in life.

At 18, before returning to college, I worked the evening shift from 3-11, which allowed me to get home in time to watch the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I dreamed of one day taking his place; however, living in Cornwall, not Burbank, California, I ended up co-hosting the “Man to Man” show on Your TV Cogeco with Stephen Douris. While I didn’t become a superstar, the desires planted in my youth did manifest in smaller ways, realizing many of my ambitions—though there are more I haven’t mentioned.

I share this to inspire others to develop their talents, believe in themselves, and, as the saying goes, “Aim for the moon, and even if you miss, you’ll still be among the stars.” Follow your dreams.