170-ARA Group sends Ange & Barns to Kokoda TOGETHER

At a friends' wedding in Brazil, the seed was planted by an old footy team mate to take on the Kokoda trek - and from then, I've been building towards it. I have the motivation, I've done some training walks, I have friends and family coming with me, I've paid my deposit, and thanks to an old friend from the Pennant Hills Football Club and the ARA Group, as of yesterday, I have financial backing.

If you try and tell me being part of the Pennant Hills Football Club isn't one pf the best things I've done in my life, then I'm not here - I sat down with my friend from the footy club yesterday to ask for financial backing for the Kokoda trek, and 2 sentences into my pitch, he stopped me by saying

"You've got it."

The backing means that my wife and I can do the trek together, and I get excited at the thought of taking on such a huge challenge side by side with my wife.

Far more than just a business transaction, this contribution will change mine & my wife's lives - I can't express my thanks to my friend and the ARA Group enough in this blog, but I'll give it a crack:

THANK YOU

There are still spots left on the trip, so if you want one to be yours, follow the instructions at the bottom:

Kokoda To Owers Corner

• Duration: 8 days
• Departs: 21/10/2015
• Arrives: 29/10/2015
• Price: $3,685
• Led by: Australian Led

To book your spot, email Kokoda Spirit (enquire@kokodaspirit.com) with your full name and preferred postal address and a Booking Confirmation letter will be emailed to you, once the letter comes through, put your deposit down ($500) to reserve your spot. 

169-Ange & Barns-Better Together-Leg 2-TAKE 2

I had to resend this blog as the video contained in the link of my wife & my honeymoon is some of my best work, but I don't think the link was working in the first release

Angela & my round the world honeymoon continues - this leg was Khao Lak. Thailand. If you enjoy this documentary even a fraction as much as we enjoyed our trip, you are going to love it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dpew6aHG7Y

168-Wife's compliment one of the nicest things I've ever heard

As we were listening to a sermon at Church yesterday, my Wife said one of the nicest things ever said to me.

The topic of the Sermon was that you can change people's lives by impacting your own backyard, not by feeling you have to change the world, I felt like it was a sermon that was talking directly to me, so I was pretty inspired as it was, then my wife lent over and whispered in my ear,

"You're changing people's lives."

I felt like Martin Short in the 3 Amigo's - I didn't know what to say, so I just went...

"Ugh."

Then in a bookstore near work a little while ago, I was browsing the biography section, and the importance of impacting your own world hit me like a brick in the face. There were shelves full of biographies - from a Bali Bombing survivor to an Australian autistic girl inspiring other autism sufferers by living life the way she wants, to the story on "The King of Vodka" - the story of Mr Smirnoff, to a lady who spoke out about wrongdoings by Mormon ministers. So many amazing stories by amazing people, but they were selling for as little as $3 a book, which made me realise that you don't need to change the entire world to change people's lives, just impacting your own little world can do it. Introduce yourself to your next door neighbor, say hello to a colleague at work you normally don't speak to, ask the guy you buy a packet of chewing gum off how his day is going - or better still, write a book, go back to church, or start a band. You're story might not be the biggest puddle in the pool to everybody, but it will be to somebody, so go and make that puddle bigger, and people WILL notice.  

 

  

167-Special offer from Australia's most "real" motivational speaker

Barnaby Howarth is a real Aussie bloke making his way in life like everyone else. As well as hating referring to himself in the third person, he has been telling his story through his motivational speaking, and he will be continuing taking his inspirational story around the world by offering a special, limited time offer.

Barnaby's next 10 motivational speeches will be offered at $2500, which comes as a natural progression after his first 10 speeches were at no charge, and his next 10 at $800, all of which were received with glowing testimonials from groups such as Toshiba, Chubb, NSWACTAFL, Marian College, The Hills Grammar School, Diabetes NSW, the GWS Giants & Sydney University to the Hornsby Soccer Club, the Sydney AFL representative teams & the Coolamon Football Club.

Writing in third person means I could just be talking myself up to sound good, but the proof of the quality of my presentation is in the pudding - I have a booking to deliver the keynote presentation at Diabetes NSW's inaugural Live Your Life ball, and I have speaking enquiries from Unilever Japan & Sydney, the American Heart Foundation, & a NSW Government conference in the Blue Mountains. I appeared on SKY television in New Zealand before Christmas & I have a book being published, so I am selling a proven product.

If you would like to take advantage of this unique opportunity, fill out the booking enquiry form on my website ( http://barnabyhowarth.com.au/bookings-contact/), or give me a call or send me an email.

Barnaby wishes you a happy Australia Day, reiterates that he hates referring to himself in the third person, and encourages you to take advantage of this sensational offer.

166-Wedding Album by Luke Turner & Lauren Eve released

I found myself crying on a public Sydney Bus this morning, and the blame lies solely on Luke Turner and Lauren Eve.

I started welling up as I was browsing pictures from mine and my wife Angela's wedding album that Luke and Lauren just released - (see the album here: http://lukelaureneve.pixieset.com/barnabyandangela/) I got emotional not just because the images brought back so many beautiful memories, but because of the gesture of Luke and Lauren to capture our day.

The importance of having good people around you hit me like a circa 1997 Troy Cook shirtfront while I was crying on the bus - on our wedding day, the weeks leading up to it, and the time since, our wedding photography, a potentially stressful part of a wedding day, was an absolute pleasure.

Being an ex-AFL footballer and a manly man with a healthy ego, I should point out that my "cry" on the bus wasn't a blubbering sob, it was just a slow trickle - I stayed strong.

If there are any questions about my masculinity, please direct them to Luke Turner and Lauren Eve.

165 - Ange & Barns Round the world honeymoon – leg 2 – Khao Lak, Thailand

Angela & I were married on November 2 & we have done more than we could have hoped for in a lifetime since then, and in 6 hours time the fairytale will continue when we board our plane for Thailand.

Since we were married, we have stayed at the Intercontinental with views of the Opera House & Harbor Bridge, stayed in a beach house on the Central Coast of NSW, spent 4 days in Auckland, New Zealand, went on a tall ship cruise with our parents, had Christmas with our families, went to the best wedding since November 2 when my little brother married my new sister, and now we are about to walk out the door to spend 21 weeks at a resort in Khao Lak, Thailand.

We are making a documentary about each leg of our trip, for the latest instalment, jump on Facebook and search for my post on New Years Day called: Ange & Barns Round the world honeymoon – leg 2 – Khao Lak, Thailand