We all know only idiots, BIG idiots would jump off a moving train. And you guessed it! I’m the idiot who jumped….

On the day I jumped I was only 14 years old and I was on a train with my best friend Wayne. As the train arrived at our station, the doors open while the train was still moving.

I looked down and I saw the platform racing beneath our feet.

I looked at Wayne and I said:
”Let’s take a chance and jump!”

He looked at me and said: “Brother, I’m not an idiot! You jump!”
Well, I thought he was coward! I found the courage and jumped.
What do you think happened?

Well, as soon as my feet hit the platform, my knees buckled and I went tumbling and sliding along the platform.

There was no skin left on my knees, my elbows or the side of my face. It hurt!

I was covered in bruises and blood.

But even worse! I was embarrassed! I felt stupid! I was the idiot who jumped.

….and it wouldn’t be the last time, no, no, no!

Contest Master, Toastmasters…..
In 2004 I was on a different kind of train, a comfortable train going nowhere. I had a good job, with a good salary and it was……BORING!

One day, after lunch, sitting at my desk, trying not to fall asleep,

 I got an email from a friend of mine:
“ Hi, Paul. Tim here. Do you want to go open a school in China?”

I thought about it for a long, long, very long, time – 2 minutes - and I replied: ”Sure Tim! Let’s do it.”

Well, next I had to send an email to my wife.

So I said:
”Hey babe, quit your job. We are going to open a school in China.”

Her reply:
“Huh!”

Two weeks later we both found the courage, took a chance and jumped. We quit our jobs, packed our bags and moved to China.
In China we were surrounded with an amazing staff, amazing students and amazing supporters!

And …
….we failed! - We didn’t fail small! No, no, no, no! We failed BIG!

For one year It felt like I was tumbling and sliding along that platform in far away South Africa - But at the end it,…. it wasn’t our bodies, but our souls that were covered in bruises and blood.

I knew that as a leader I had failed. The school was bleeding money, and we had been cheated, and that was on me!

And then it happened. I received an email, a Donald Trump style email: ”You’re fired!”

I was devastated. On the day I told our staff we are leaving, tears were streaming down my eyes. For a guy like me, that’s hard.
But even worse, I felt stupid, I felt embarrassed because I was the idiot who took a chance and jumped.

…and this time, even worse, I made my wife jump with me.
Was it a mistake? At that time, it felt like it. But was it?

Well. what happens when you jump off a moving train? From experience, I know!

As soon as your feet hit the platform you go tumbling and sliding along the platform, and yes, you get covered in bruises and blood! It hurts! But if you survive, there is only one thing to you can do.
Stand!

And so, after fighting, failing and getting fired in China for one year, we stood. And when we stood we find our self in a new place, on a new journey surrounded with unexpected blessings.

Blessings that would never have come, if we did not take that chance and jump….

What blessings?

The blessing of time. With no job, nowhere to go, - we spent 6 weeks travelling China. We climbed mountains, played with Pandas and danced on the great wall.

The blessings of work: When I came back to Taiwan I was given four wonderful job opportunities.

The blessing of opportunity: Realizing I have no idea of how to run a business, I registered for an MBA and get the best job of my life.
I must confess, going to China, it wasn’t the first time I’ve taken a chance and jumped. No, no, no.

I’ve done it many times in my life.

I decided to move to Taiwan in 10 minutes, and on the second day I lost all my money and my passport.

I decided to buy a house in 15 minutes, and on the third day it got flooded with water.

I decided to get married in 20 minutes, and on my wedding day, my wife, she ran away.

To take a chance and jump takes courage, and I’ve done it many times, and every time I’ve been covered with bruises and blood. It hurts!

But when I stand, I found myself surrounded with unexpected blessings.

My passport and money, it came back on the same day.

That house I bought, I sold three years later for a profit
And my wife! Well she came back 10-minutes before the wedding and we’ve been happily married ever since.

I am on a new train now, a comfortable train to… nowhere. And I know its time to find the courage, to take a chance and jump again!
How about you? Maybe you are happy where you are in your life right now and comfortable! And that’s okay!

But maybe some of you, are like me! You are on a comfortable train to nowhere and secretly its killing you.

You know you need to find the courage to take a chance and jump! But you are afraid. You are afraid of the bruises and the blood!

Don’t be. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and jump because when you stand you will be surrounded with unexpected blessings.
So why don’t you join me, and together lets take a chance and jump!

Contest Master!