Home Sweet Home!

I had the rare opportunity today to go back my old high school to speak. What an awesome time! As a high school student, I was in almost every dramatic production at my school for the three years I was there (I didn't skip a grade, we just didn't have grade 9 in high school then) and it was great to be back on that stage again.

After my presentation I had a few students come up to me to let me know how my presentation affected them and a little bit about their dreams and goals and what they were struggling with in their lives. It is so rewarding and interesting for me to hear from real students who are going through real life issues, and see how they are able to be strong, stay focussed, and overcome the obstacles in their way.

I hope everyone at MHS today, got something out of what I had to say. I sure got something out being back home!

Something to think about for this week:
What have I always wanted to do, that I haven't gotten around to yet? What are my long-term goals that I haven't taken any action on? Start working on your goals and dreams today. Keep me posted on your progress. I look forward to hearing from you.

Check out Mark's website: www.MarkBlackSpeaks.com

Leo Hayes Lions

Leo Hayes Lions

I had a great day today speaking in Fredericton, NB at Leo Hayes High School. LHHS is a new high school in Fredericton with about 1600 students, and they were totally awesome! Their energy was fantastic.

I got a great message from one of the students at Leo Hayes this afternoon. She told me about how much my message had touched her. What she doesn't know is how much her message touched me. It's messages like hers that make me remember how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing.

Speaking to students and other people about their potential and their dreams is my dream, and now I get to live it.

Here's the deal:

A lot of people never live their dreams. They think it's because that's just the way the world works, but their wrong. Lots of us are out there living our dreams, and all you really have to do is believe. If you believe it's possible, believe you can do it, then you can.

So go out there and live your dreams.

Mark's West Coast Tour

Lacombe Composite High School

Well it's been a few weeks since I last published my blog. I'm happy to say that the reason for that is that I've been very busy. In addition to putting the finishing touches on the first draft of my book "Live Life from the Heart", I've just started my West Coast Speaking Tour.

At the begginning of next week, I'll be speaking in Maple Ridge, BC at Westview Secondary. If you are a school in the Vancouver Area and you're interested in booking me for Monday, contact me at Mark@MarkBlackSpeaks.com.

I had the priveledge to speak to the students at Lacombe Composite High School yesterday. They were truly an awesome group!

I have to admit that I walked into their school not feeling super "motivational". I'd just had a LONG trip from NB to AB (5 hrs in the plane and 2 more by car); had a near-deaht experience driving to Red Deer the night before (long story); and was going on about 5 hrs of sleep. I wasn't the "perkiest" I've ever been. But when I walked into their school, I was greated by so many friendly faces and enthusiastic and positive students that their energy was contagious!

Isn't that often the case?

Moods, energy, vibes etc. are contagious. It's a powerful thing for us to know and to be conscious of in our daily lives. Someone's bad mood can quickly be turned around when they're surrounded by positive people. Similarly, a positive person can be dragged down, when they are surrounded by constant negativity.

The Black and White

This week, keep an eye out for negativity and do your best to push positivity out into the world to overcome it. You can't single handedly change everyone's mood, but you can help make the environment in which you work, study or play, a more positive one. Good luck.