in case of an emergency oxygen masks
will fall from the ceiling they please
put yours on first before helping others
we’ve all heard this but you can tell
from my accent I’m from Texas and when I
yeah when I flew here all the airlines
say it they all say even United
surprisingly and the I think the
interesting thing about this is it seems
quite selfish but I think being self is
actually really important to be able to
help others I’ll get into that my
emergency happened when I was 24 years
old by that time I’d of course finished
high school I scraped through and I
didn’t know what to do and I had a chat
with my career advisor and he said look
you should go to university and get a
degree and I did I went to university
and three and a half years later I came
out the other end $19,000 in debt and I
had this degree I had no idea what it
was but I had it and everyone around me
was they were stoked they threw their
hats up in the air and they had huge
smiles on their faces but I was left
kind of feeling a bit unfulfilled they
didn’t really resonate with me for
whatever that reason was and I became
quite curious about life and what was
important to me so my knee-jerk reaction
was to go backpacking around the world
like I’m sure many people here have done
and if you haven’t you I’m sure you will
just bouncing around from country to
country continent to continent but I
stopped very suddenly when I was 24
years old I was in Canada at that time
and I received a phone call in the
middle of the night from a friend of
mine back in Sydney where I’m from and
he broke the news to me that one of my
close mates growing up a guy called
Chris who I’d surfed with and went to
school with and played rugby with and
had plenty of beers with Chris had died
overnight very suddenly very
accidentally of course it was it was
tragic then you stopped me in a
community in our tracks and and I didn’t
really know what to do and so I just
began asking those questions at that
point that everyone would in a similar
situation what am i doing why am i doing
what I’m doing whatever it is I am doing
am I am i doing it well and the more I
thought about that question at 24 in
Canada just the more confused I got
there was no clarity but there was one
thing in this kind of process of
mourning
you will that popped into my head it was
a hypothetical when it was simply this
if Chris knew somehow knew he had the
foresight to know that he would only
have 24 years on on earth
what do you’ve lived the same way or
give it another chance would he have
changed everything and I thought about
it and of course I couldn’t ask Chris
but I thought about his life and what he
did he loved the beaches he loved his
family he loved his mates he loved sport
he loved being a big kid rightly or
wrongly by anyone else’s code Chris
lived this life that really reflected
who he was
I thought amazing a life far too short
but one really well lived
I then at 24 in Canada turned that
question at that moment on myself and I
simply thought if today was my last day
on earth could I look back at everything
leading to this point and be proud and
happy at what I was doing and how I was
doing it and it took me an instant to
realize I wasn’t happy I didn’t know who
I was I didn’t know what it was I stood
for I didn’t know my principles my
values or anything like that and that
was confronting but I realized at the
same time that I had an opportunity to
change that I’m living so I got a pen
and a piece of paper and I just simply
began writing down things that I thought
would make me smile things that I
thought would allow me to experience the
world and grow in some way shape or form
that I wasn’t aware of and so one thing
on this piece of paper led to 10 to 20
to 50 to 100 things and I looked down at
this bit of paper and I got really
emotional why had no one told me to do
this before but I didn’t care it made
complete sense in that moment to drop
everything in my life to pursue this
list and that’s what I did and you’re
gonna judge me and that’s fine but I
flew straight to Las Vegas because I’d
always wanted to marry a stranger there
now so it’s amazing what you can do in
your country so I uh long story short I
I met a stripper called Cristal and I
proposed to Cristal she said she said
yes she was an exotic dancer we were
covered in mud we were in a pool of mud
in a bar she said yes she wasn’t doing
anything the next day was her reasoning
so I went out and I shopped for a
wedding chapel when I found this one
it’s very cute the say I do wedding
drive-through stretch Hummer I don’t
know any of these people in front they
just heard what was happening and turned
up
and an Elvis impersonator included it
was all going so well of course
something was gonna go wrong and that
was that I got stood up I thank you I
got stood up by by crystal my
bride-to-be which left me quite
red-faced on top of this hammer because
it was the first sort of tick from my
list and there was a huge herd or a huge
spanner in the works and I didn’t know
what to do and I and I simply thought
well I’d have to create an opportunity
here I think that’s what we all have the
ability to create an opportunity and I
just looked down at the crowd and I said
look is there anyone else here who’d
consider marrying me and would you
believe there was her name was Chevalley
she was the receptionist of my hotel
that I was staying at has it happened
she’d always wanted to marry someone for
a day as well she was looking for the
right person and and it was great we got
married Elvis was fantastic of course
with a very awkward moment when he asked
us to kiss because it was the first and
the last time that we ever touched and I
only say that I know what you’re
wondering and the answer’s no so this
was it’s kind of like my first tick
hurah hurah but if you take away all the
materialistic elements because that’s
kind of silly really but if you take
away all the materialistic element and
you just think about this conceptually
that day sort of changed my life because
I’d achieved things before I mean we all
have you guys are doing an amazing
degree let’s hope I I did a degree I
traveled but there were typically things
that people just told me I should do and
yes there’s merit to going through there
and getting there but this was the first
time that I’d identified a goal for
myself but for no other reason other
than the idea that I liked the idea of
it myself I went through there and I got
there forgetting what it was but that
moment made me feel immediately
empowered and in control of my life and
really happy in that moment I could not
stop smiling and I got my piece of paper
my list out of my pocket and I looked at
it and I thought well why would I stop
and so that’s what I’ve done I’ve just
kept on going I’ve been going for nine
and a half years actually I’ve ticked
off 72 item raised a lot of money for
different charities which has been
thrill and it’s been turned into books
and TV and all that kind of stuff that
doesn’t really matter but there is
something to be said for this concept or
maybe not I don’t like it
bucket-list just seems so trashy and so
like centric around death things to do
before you die hurry up you’re gonna die
it’s just about life this is just a list
of things that I think allows me to be
me in fact I’d go as far as to say that
now I’m realizing it doesn’t really
matter the things or the amount of
things that we tick off our list this
for me is just uncovering Who I am on a
on a deeper level and now I’m learning
to be that I think in fact this is about
purpose we should all be living Purpose
Driven lifestyles in everything we do
educationally of course professionally
in the community personally I think
growth is a huge one we should all be
growing
wouldn’t it be sad if this was as big as
we got spiritually or emotionally or
physically because we’re gonna be here
for a lot longer we hope and of course
connection is important an event like
this fantastic thanks for coming along
Wow no worries
but connection I think I found at 24
starts with yourself and when I was in
Canada I realized that I hadn’t
connected with myself that’s the shame
we need to be doing this so why did it
take a loss in my life to consider for
the first time what I wanted to do and
why do we hear that story at narrative
in our community so often and there I’m
sure there are people in the room
they’ve gone through something like this
being diagnosed with the terminal
illness well somebody in the room who
has been involved in a car accident and
we hear this story so much that if those
people are lucky enough to survive
they’re the ones who go out and climb a
mountain or write a book or start a
company start of charity having family
propose learn the violin go back to
university who knows but why should it
take a dark moment for us to consider a
lighter moment and I think the answer is
it shouldn’t we don’t need to wait we
all have the opportunity to give
ourselves what I think is the most
powerful word permission right now we
can all make that decision to give
yourself permission to consider who we
are acknowledge your values identify
your principles have a look at what that
list might be not a list of frivolous
things but meaningful things because
we’re all so different of course I think
that’s the first step
and what I’m finding is that we’re all
we all have this choice choice is what
brought you here today again thanks to
being here plenty of people didn’t come
but you did I think ultimately we choose
to be happy and we choose to be unhappy
which used to be successful I think we
choose to be unsuccessful choice means
that we are accountable we’re not in the
passenger seat we are slap-bang in the
driving seat and of course this is just
my thoughts but if this is right what
I’m essentially suggesting is that you
have the ability now to consider what
you want to do and through choice and
action you get to do it and if that’s
right the question therefore becomes
what do you want to do what’s on your
list
have you considered it professionally
personally within the community so we’re
all so different it could be something
it scares you
it could be something that comforts you
could be emotional physical financial
experience so it doesn’t really matter
the only thing that matters is that you
know so if you have something in your
head right now great but if not why not
I think something that is very good for
growth in general but I can only speak
to myself as this idea of the comfort
zone I’m sure you’ve all heard that
getting out of your comfort zone I think
is really important that area where
you’re stepping into the darkness not
really knowing what’s going to happen
you kind of feel a little bit out of
control
I get it I speak a lot thankfully but I
get it every time I speak and right now
I can barely see you because of the
lights but I my palms are sweaty you
know those feelings you my throat’s kind
of a bit restricted I don’t know what’s
going to happen I can hear some of you
laughing but I can also hear some of you
aren’t it makes me really awkward I’m
out of my comfort zone but I don’t mind
it’s I think that’s where we grow again
I think that’s one of these crucial
things we should be trying to do every
single day and I’ll show you a quick
video that just kind of captures this
really well
number 98 on my list is to get onto a
red carpet I’m not for the challenge for
this not for the notoriety the challenge
I don’t belong in a carpet not wealthy
I’m not famous I just wanted to try and
get on there so I googled red carpet
events the biggest one in the world is
not the Oscars it’s the Khan Film
Festival so I thought well I’ll just go
there they’ll have an amazing carpet so
I just got my credit card out not
wealthy by the way just got my credit
card out and I and I flew to the South
of France
with one goal to get onto the carpet
don’t ride up to the side of the red
carpet
we’ve been an excellent see no one is
Russell Crowe is gonna be there cometh
bailout
Thanks so I got on the red carpet it’s
not the greatest thing that’s ever
happened to anyone in the room and you
probably don’t care and that’s fine but
I did I tried everything I had to hire
that suit or rent it for our 80 euros I
wasn’t wearing stocks I was an impostor
I had to buy those sunglasses for about
5 euros to and after all the other
options were exhausted my last kind of
opportunity as I saw it was to hop onto
that fence and and pretend that I had a
headpiece on which office Lee didn’t and
I crawled under and I started walking
across this road and I remember thinking
halfway across the road I have never
felt this scared in my life
I was I could feel my heart pounding as
my chest I was sweating profusely I was
well out of my comfort zone it was
exactly where I wanted to be I didn’t
really care what happened but I did get
to that final fence to the security
guard separating me from the red carpet
and I remember seeing it behind him and
he said something to me like I don’t
even know actually I was so worried I
was I’m scared and I just looked at his
feet and I just mumbled something back
to him for whatever reason he just
opened his armor and I thought I can’t
believe this so I put my right foot on
this red carpet and then I put my left
foot on there and I just kept on walking
and I was honored and I felt euphoric I
felt so complete I felt like the most
successful human that has ever graced
our planet
don’t laugh like I know it’s not true
but that’s the way we feel every time we
achieve something that’s important to us
of course the question is what’s
important to you
I hope it’s far better than this but
what is it that is the question a funny
part of the story is I shouldn’t have in
there obviously
there for half an hour in the end
remember speaking to various celebrities
and they all left to see the movie I was
the last person on that carpet but there
were still thousands and thousands of
people staring at me and the paparazzi
were all focused on me and I remember
thinking oh I don’t have an exit
strategy so I thought I just need to
crawl back down to the fence so I walk
down there and just before I hopped
under I thought I’ll have fun with this
so I ended up just signing autographs
for half an hour yeah so um so that was
that interestingly it’s a pretty selfish
story so far yeah it’s pretty
self-indulgent hey me look what I did
thankfully this changed and this whole
thing has been a wonderful accident the
question I was asking myself what’s on
your list began to get heard by other
people around the world and I didn’t
sort of think this would happen but
media started following me and so too
did just this thought that well if he
can do it why can’t I people would email
me and say because of you I’ve started a
list but then people would start
emailing me later saying because of you
I’ve now done this this and this whether
it’s published poetry become a CEO
reconnect my dad save an animal someone
yell something out skydive perfect we
all have these goals and dreams we don’t
live in a society where we’re really
told to pursue them a hundred things had
accidentally become this catalyst for
people to consider and pursue something
was happening this journeys bigger than
just one guy in a list who cares about
that really I changed my website wasn’t
about me it’s now an online community
where people are sharing their goals
helping each other pursue these goals
how awesome and my life changed when I
heard from this guy here called mark
this is where my life just changed in
trajectory it wasn’t selfish anymore
somehow had it changed he saw me on TV
back home I’m a huge deal in Australia
I’m not I’m not
and he said I’ve seen you I’ve saw you
on TV I’ve come up with a list of 150
things can you come down to Melbourne
and shave my head and so I I did I
shaved marks head really easy but I got
to meet mark of course and I learnt that
we both have goals and dreams but we are
very different Mark’s a quadriplegic it
wasn’t always this way the age of 30 he
went backpacking to Greece he got bitten
by a tick and contracted Lyme disease
within four months he lost the ability
to move he cannot move muscle on his
body cannot speak he’s have ventilated
asleep at 9224 care 24-hour care team
it’s horrible and as I was shaving his
head I could see it meant a lot to him
but I knew I could do more and I said
what else can I do and he said something
that I couldn’t understand to his
translator and his translator said oh
Marx always dreamt of completing a half
marathon and I I’m quite slow on the
uptake and I looked at mark in his
wheelchair I said well happy you know
how can I help you and Mark looked at me
and it was the first time I ever
understood him say anything and it was
this push me which is sort of funny but
if you think about it it’s sort of deep
so simple yeah that hadn’t happened
before and I said why is no one offered
to push you before he said I only came
up my list yesterday which is like an
interesting thing we need to be
identifying our goals I didn’t tell him
that I hate running but immediately I
signed us up for the Melbourne half
marathon where something happened which
is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever
I guess a chest
[Music]
they don’t wanna do
[Music]
but I’m scared too bad if there is a
I would say another day now could be too
the greatest thing I ever did was help
someone and that person was me and
because of that I was able to help
others and there’s something to that I
really do think that in case of an
emergency we need to be putting our
oxygen masks on first and then doing
that it’s just like a natural arc
I think selfish is putting your mask on
and then you know reclining and ordering
a cocktail and and a selfish but trying
to help others is certainly what I think
you know is you should be done it’s
where this journey is going at least
what’s happened with me since mark is
that I’ve been approached by lots of
people who need help in very different
ways people who are you know in
wheelchairs people who were very
able-bodied people who were wealthy
people who have nothing people who are
lonely and I’ve been able to through
having no resource myself other than
time and care and energy be able to make
a difference that was turned into a show
it all sounds so glorious but it’s not
because for every one person I helped
there were plenty more who weren’t being
helped that’s an issue and I didn’t know
how to solve that
but what happened very naturally and
organically is that people on the other
side of the equation started following
me going hey do you know anyone we can
help so again I’m quite slow but I had a
light bulb moments and I thought well
why don’t I just connect all these
people on one side who need help with
all these people on the other side you
can help because by that you’re sort of
scaling altruism
I really have a belief that innately we
all have this ability and desire to help
other people out you’ve heard it on
stage all today we all have it but the
problem is we don’t necessarily know the
best avenue to do so and that’s what I’m
committing myself to do I’ve moved to
this wonderful country of yours I’m
building a platform where I’m going to
try and engage people to help each other
out as simple as that and I’ll leave you
with historic sort of sums up where this
is all that now and I call it operation
snow bunny fight Friday in my room
seemed like a good idea when I put this
together I got an email from a guy
called Adam and basically he told me the
story of his auntie there her name’s
Helen Helen had gone through a tough
trot she she got diagnosed with a
terminal illness didn’t have long left
and he said would you go and visit her
in hospital
and so I so I did and I spoke to her and
we had a chat about if you imagine that
situation I didn’t know this lady but we
spoke about life and we spoke about
death of course and I asked her a
question that I asked everyone and that
is well what’s on your list and she said
I’ve never touched snow I’ve always just
wanted to see snow in real life and then
just touch it and I also want to drink
butterscotch snaps in the snow and I
thought fantastic and I said let me help
you out and she went no it’s okay and I
said look like I really want to so I put
it to my community social media and I
said this is Helens story can anyone
help her out and within two days someone
started up a go fund me account me at
three and a half thousand dollars a
night it where’d hotels donated ski hire
flights Husky drawn sleds a crate of
butterscotch snaps it was amazing I rang
Helen and a husband Michael up in
hospital and I said we’ve done it Helens
response was aren’t people good and I
said I couldn’t agree more
it’s the only reason I’m able to do what
I’m doing people are good I booked a
flight she was due to leave in two weeks
time
sadly four days before that flight
Michael called me up and delivered the
horrible news that Helen had passed away
she wasn’t able to tick off her last
item from a list but phone call ended on
an amazing high where he said well one
of the last conversations I had with her
she said to me that she knew she wasn’t
gonna be able to achieve her last goal
she wasn’t able to go to the snow but
she didn’t want to keep any of the
goodwill that had been donated including
the money which would mean really
helpful for a funeral cost for example
she said that she wanted all of that to
be passed on to the next person who I
was able to find who wanted to go to the
snow in her last moments on earth all
she wanted to do was help and so I went
back to my community I said do we know
anyone who wants to go to the snow and
that’s where this lady Pam came into the
equation she emailed me said I know
you’re looking for someone to go to the
snow I went once when I was a kid and
I’ve always hold on to that dream that I
can go one more time
Pam’s lived a hard life lonely no family
no friends survived two cancer’s she’s
77 and she hoards her houses it’s busy
let’s say and I met her and I said I
think I can help you out I rang up
Michael and I said is it okay if we help
Pam leaser
absolutely and sure enough this story
ends up really well
she yet she got to go snow snowing
snowing skiing let’s say she got she got
to go on the Husky drawn sleds she she
it was an amazing couple of days for her
down there she got wildly drunk on
schnapps but the reason I’ll tell you
the story and and and and how I’ll end
is that in this middle photo you’ll see
that there’s a lady in pink they’re
they’re complete strangers Pam called me
the night before she was due to fly and
she said oh look I’m 77 I I don’t like
going outside I have anxiety etc can you
come with me I need a chaperone and I
couldn’t I was actually here and and I
said yeah but I think I might be able to
find someone so I went to my social
media and I said can anyone take the
week off to spend a week with a 77 year
old hoarder who wants to snowboard and
it’s not the greatest pitch ever but
this girl here Mel and the pink within
10 minutes replied and said I’ve taken
the week off work I’ll do it and she
held her hand for the entire week people
are good I’m good you’re good we’re all
good and I think this whole journey
started with one simple question is
what’s on your list and I urge you as a
takeaway to ask yourself that question
ask yourself ask the person next to you
ask your friends your family ask a
stranger because the potential of
answering this question could change not
just your life but the life of people
you haven’t even met yet and I think
that’s an idea worth spreading so thank
you so much for your time I really
appreciate it I hope you had a fantastic
day thank you to the team and yeah take
care you