1. Pilot your life
Welcome to issue no. 4 of Pilot your life. October 2009
Are you a participator or a spectator in life?
During my travels in Arizona and Utah this year I rafted on the
Colorado River and rode on the Durango & Silverton Railroad which
winds its way alongside the Animas River.
Several of my photos prompted me to think about the way we journey
through life.
In the two photos below, the river guide is doing all the rowing, with
the others just there for the ride (spectators drifting along with someone else deciding their
course).
In these next two photos, people have their own paddles and are right in the action
(participators steering their own course).
Which group do you identify with, the spectators or the participators?
Are you quite happy to go with the flow and let someone else control your destiny?
Or do you want be in control and tackle the challenges that life throws your way?
It’s true that sometimes you do need to be a spectator and relax and recharge the batteries,
but there is no direction. It’s like flying in a balloon which goes wherever the wind carries it.
When you participate, there are fears to be overcome and challenges to be met but the spirit
is invigorated and you grow as an individual. In other words, you are the pilot in command of
your own life navigating your way to success.

2. Pilot your life
There’s another way of looking at these photos too, particularly if you’re a manager with staff.
There are two styles of leadership here.
One, where you do most of the work, the direction is solely yours and staff members are just
there to follow orders (spectators). There’s no real involvement, responsibility or motivation
on their part and participation is sometimes not encouraged.
The other, where you are the leader, but you have a proactive team and staff members are
stake holders in the direction of your business (participators). Your work load and stress are
lessened, people are empowered to be creative and innovative and you’re all literally in the
same boat where everyone’s actions determine whether you sink or survive.
So, another great tip for how to pilot your life (personal or business) is:
Be a participator not a spectator
Participators paddle their way through the rapids and spectators wind up in the whirlpools.
Two of my presentation topics are:
Teamwork
Personal development
For another superb view of floating down the Colorado River near Moab, Utah, email me at
fran@franwest.com and I'll send you a photo which you can use as your desktop wallpaper.
Visit: www.franwest.com
Phone: 61 8 82706623
Email: fran@franwest.com for speaking engagements, purchases and the first three issues
of the newsletter.

3. Pilot your life
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Bye for now,
Australia's Life Pilot
Speaker, Author, Adventurer
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