| Reader Views is happy to be talking with Kieran | | | | prosperity, balanced relationships, health, happiness, |
| Harrop, author of the inspirational book "Voyage to | | | | peace and presence. As you give freely of yourself |
| Destiny: Sailing to Success." Kieran is being | | | | serving others and as you follow your life purpose, |
| interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor for | | | | you will find abundance flow into your life. You are in |
| Reader Views. | | | | the flow, on a ship in the sea of life, and every |
| Juanita: Thanks for talking with us today Kieran. | | | | moment counts. You can see people who have |
| Please tell us about the inspiration and birth of your | | | | accumulated billions of dollars and yet they are |
| book "Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success." | | | | unhappy. Better first to be happy, to be living life on |
| Kieran: Hi Juanita, it is a pleasure to talk with you. The | | | | your own terms, living your dream to your potential, |
| inspiration for my book began as I was sailing into | | | | connected in the Now - a spiritual being. The money, |
| the open Pacific in my small sailboat, after graduating | | | | the health will follow once you begin to live your |
| from university. I was living my dream and wanted to | | | | dreams. |
| share the exhilaration I felt with as many people as I | | | | Juanita: What significance do you give to meditation |
| could. It occurred to me that sailing itself was the | | | | and journaling? |
| ideal metaphor for the journey to success, happiness | | | | Kieran: The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat |
| and the realization of dreams. Just like sailing, if you | | | | Hahn said, "It is not an option not to meditate," and I |
| want to be successful in life, you must choose a | | | | agree. Meditation is the best way I know to become |
| destination (know where you want to go), chart a | | | | free of the mind and the ego. Our mind is constantly |
| course (create a plan of how you are going to get | | | | active throughout the day with thousands upon |
| there), and then weigh anchor and set sail (take | | | | thousands of thoughts. The thoughts we have today |
| action on your plan). | | | | are the same thoughts we had yesterday and the |
| The more I thought about the metaphor, the more I | | | | day before. Our thoughts can imprison us because |
| liked it. It is a simple and accessible theme we can all | | | | we identify with them. In a sense, we are possessed |
| relate to. You can be a potato farmer plowing his | | | | by our thoughts. So to become free, to become a |
| fields near Boise, Idaho, and still want to stay on an | | | | discoverer on the seas of success, to break our |
| even keel in the eye of a storm, come hell or high | | | | limiting beliefs and thought patterns, we must first |
| water. We all know what it's like to weather life's | | | | become conscious. Consciousness is awareness of |
| storms, to have the wind taken out of our sails, to | | | | what we are thinking and feeling in the present |
| go with the flow or be on the right tack because we | | | | moment. It is to become Present. It is an awareness |
| experience these feelings in our everyday family, | | | | of the "I" that is doing the thinking. Meditation is the |
| work and social lives. The metaphor also works for | | | | best way to become aware of the constant flow of |
| the inner journey towards peace, happiness and | | | | thoughts and to learn how to turn them off. We are |
| spiritual well-being. With-in us all is an infinite sea of | | | | not the thinker. We are not the emotion. We are |
| potential. When we connect with this Source, we | | | | something much deeper, much more peaceful and full |
| suddenly find ourselves in the flow of the moment, | | | | of grace. To experience that greatness, that internal |
| on the right tack and living life to its fullest. | | | | power, that deep peacefulness and secret that |
| Juanita: What type of guidance and information will | | | | dwells within behind the static of the thinking mind, is |
| your book provide to readers? | | | | the key to the universe. |
| Kieran: Voyage to Destiny, Sailing to Success | | | | I believe in journaling also. Perhaps if I was a painter, |
| provides a simple methodology to achieve the | | | | the canvass would be my medium. In Voyage to |
| potential we are all born with. There are simple, | | | | Destiny: Sailing to Success, I recommend buying a |
| practical steps anyone can take to live life to its | | | | Ship's Log (a journal) to record your dreams, goals, |
| potential. I just mentioned some basic steps are to | | | | successes and life lessons. A study at Yale University |
| choose a destination, chart a course and to set sail. I | | | | showed that the three percent of people who had |
| go into these steps in detail and answer the all | | | | written goals were worth more than the other 97% |
| important question, "What is your purpose and | | | | combined. Catherine Cox studied the habits of 300 |
| ultimate destination in life and how do you get | | | | geniuses and discovered that all of them were |
| there?" The book also discusses concrete techniques | | | | compulsive diary keepers. Studies have also shown |
| such as visualization, treasure maps, positive thinking | | | | that retention of information is greater when the |
| and affirmations that are designed to manifest the | | | | listener takes notes. Retention becomes much more |
| prosperity and well-being you deserve in your life. | | | | effective when the listener reviews the notes |
| Voyage to Destiny teaches the reader how to | | | | between 2 hours and 12 hours after the lecture. All |
| become an explorer: To set a new course into the | | | | these notes can go into your Ship's Log. When I am |
| seas of success by breaking down limiting beliefs | | | | reading, attending a seminar, or listening to an audio |
| replacing them with fresh pathways in their minds to | | | | book, I have my Ship's Log handy where I can jot |
| prosperity, health and happiness. | | | | down great ideas that will propel me to my dreams. |
| Juanita: Do you really feel that we can truly realize | | | | Juanita: How do our thoughts - positive and negative |
| any of our dreams? | | | | - tangibly influence our lives? |
| Kieran: Certainly! If you can think it, if you can keep | | | | Kieran: As you think so shall you be. Think positive, |
| that thought in your mind, believe in it, and | | | | abundant, peaceful and loving thoughts and your life |
| persistently and consistently take action towards it, | | | | will be filled with wealth, abundance, peace and love. |
| then your dream will come true. | | | | This is tangible. This is reality. You literally create your |
| Juanita: Tell us a little more about the metaphor of | | | | reality with your thoughts. A theory as to how this |
| the sailing voyage and how you've applied it to the | | | | works is that all things are energy. That red |
| realization of one's dreams. | | | | Lamborghini that you've always wanted is nothing |
| Kieran: Life is like a voyage at sea. At birth your soul | | | | more than a pile of atoms. Atoms are made up of |
| is put to sea in the vessel of the body. You can be | | | | electrons, neutron and space. Look more closely at |
| on the right tack, going with the flow and sailing to | | | | the neutrons and electrons and they too are mostly |
| success. Or you can be in the eye of a storm, | | | | space - space and energy. Your thoughts, too, are |
| beating to weather and even lost at sea. | | | | energy and energy attracts like energy. So if you |
| When I left on my sailing voyage that lasted seven | | | | hold an image of that red Lamborghini in your mind, |
| years, I was living my dreams. I keep meeting sailors | | | | you can literally manifest that car into your life. How |
| who were much older than I (in much larger sailboats) | | | | it works concerns me less than that it works. You |
| looking at me in envy. I understood that although | | | | don't need to know how engine works in that |
| these successful men and women were realizing their | | | | Lamborghini for you to get in and drive. Likewise, |
| dreams they wished they had realized them earlier in | | | | even through we may not be sure how thinking |
| life. I decided to analyze what I had done to make | | | | positively brings positive change in our lives, this |
| my dream come true so that I could model the | | | | should not deter us from thinking positively. |
| methodology for future endeavors and share my | | | | Juanita: Have you always had your positive outlook |
| discoveries with others. First, I had the insight. A | | | | on life? |
| friend took me out on his boat, I felt the swell come | | | | Kieran: I think I was born a positive, happy-go-lucky |
| in off the Pacific, and I instantly knew that I was | | | | soul. I was also fortunate to come from a loving |
| going to sail off on an adventure. That I didn't know | | | | home and receive an excellent elementary education |
| how to sail did not deter me in the least. Then, I just | | | | in a private Catholic school. However, with the onset |
| kept the image of my dream (buying a sailboat and | | | | of adolescence, a combination of arguments at |
| sailing it into the Pacific) emblazoned on the canvass | | | | home, a hard time in the public high school system |
| of my mind. Although there were many obstacles, I | | | | and escape into drugs almost knocked that optimism |
| seemed to sail through them. There is something that | | | | and confidence out of me. It took me almost losing |
| happens once you find your passion that makes you | | | | my life and two months in the hospital for me to |
| unstoppable. | | | | realize how precious life is. I had to rebuild myself |
| Of course, I had a plan. I knew that I needed a | | | | from the ground up and discovered meditation along |
| sailboat and would have to learn to sail it. For that I | | | | the way. There is no looking back. I feel I learn |
| needed money. I was a very good treeplanter and | | | | something new every day. Through the light of |
| knew that with two years hard work I would have | | | | consciousness I dissipate limiting belief systems that |
| enough to buy a sailboat. Those were two wonderful | | | | used to hold me back. I feel like a child again, with |
| years, because I had direction and I knew where I | | | | times of peace, wonder and extreme gratitude for |
| was going. Even though it was hard work, I was | | | | the present moment. |
| already living my dream. I planted mountains and | | | | Juanita: Who has inspired and influenced you |
| valleys of good karma on my way to the coast | | | | throughout your life? |
| where I bought my beautiful boat. So, to use the | | | | Kieran: In grade 4 or 5 I remember I was inspired by |
| metaphor, I distill it into three basic steps. | | | | the life of St. Don Bosco. When Don Bosco was a |
| First, you must know where you want to go (choose | | | | very young man, he dreamed of a regal man and |
| your destination). Second, you figure out how you | | | | woman who dressed him for a great battle. The |
| are going to get there (chart a course). And third, | | | | battle was on behalf of a multitude of poor, unruly |
| you take action on your dream (weigh anchor and | | | | and neglected children. He was told he had the |
| set sail). You take responsibility for where you are | | | | character and traits to help these poor children, to |
| now, understanding that you, and no one else, is the | | | | conquer their unruliness and make them his friends. |
| captain of your ship. The trick is to be passionate | | | | This dream was so powerful and vivid that it lasted |
| about it. Have a big dream that will get you up out of | | | | for the rest of his life which he dedicated helping the |
| bed each morning greeting the day and saying, "I'm | | | | throngs of abandoned young people living on the |
| so grateful for this day. I'm so grateful for the | | | | street in hopelessness. I love the stories of men and |
| opportunity to take steps that will bring me closer to | | | | woman who where inspired by powerful dreams - |
| my dreams. I'm so grateful be living my dream!" Once | | | | from Joseph and his dream coat to Martin Luther |
| you begin living a purpose-driven life with the wind of | | | | King. |
| grace filling the sails of your mission, everything you | | | | My two mentors right now are Eckhart Tolle and Dr. |
| do will be imbued with intention and passion. | | | | Wayne Dyer. Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of |
| Juanita: Why do so many people struggle with | | | | Now has put words and context to what I have |
| reaching their own potential? | | | | experienced meditating. Every word of his books is |
| Kieran: Most people struggle with reaching their own | | | | pure gold. Dr. Wayne Dyer is a classic. His books have |
| potential because of a lack of vision and focus. Once | | | | inspired me to higher levels of greatness and |
| you know the purpose of your life and once you are | | | | understanding of the human spirit. Like a lighthouse |
| passionate about it, there is little that can stop you | | | | pointing a way through a channel in the rocks to new |
| from realizing your dreams. Life becomes a breeze | | | | seas of human potential, his voice has guided me on |
| and you cannot help but sail to success. | | | | my personal voyage to my destiny. |
| This is not to say there is magic pill for success. | | | | Juanita: Kieran, what would you say to someone that |
| Sailing takes time. My sailboat averaged about 4 | | | | is struggling with finding their own personal power? |
| knots as I moved down the coast of North America, | | | | Kieran: Personal power can be generated by taking |
| about the same speed as walking. This is not a | | | | action on your dream. Procrastination is the opposite |
| quick-fix solution, but an organic process that works. | | | | of personal power. Once you know your heart-felt |
| The good news is once you decide that what is | | | | purpose in life, you must take action. Every time you |
| important to you and you decide to get it, you are | | | | take a step on the path of your purpose, you |
| on the course to success. The voyage itself is the | | | | generate personal power. For someone who is |
| reward. | | | | struggling with this process and is waiting for |
| Juanita: You mention "choice" frequently in your book | | | | motivation I say, "Take action first and motivation will |
| - Choose a destination, choose success...etc. What | | | | follow." You must take action or you, the part of |
| are your thoughts on choice and how it affects all | | | | you that is most important, will be missing in action. |
| aspects of one's life? | | | | At first your actions may be small (say buying a |
| Kieran: Choice is of integral importance. Not only does | | | | journal for your Ship's Log), but notice how that small |
| Jean-Paul Sartre say that at every moment that we | | | | action makes you feel. That positive feeling will |
| are free, but also that we are chained to that | | | | inspires you to take more action and generate more |
| freedom. At every single moment during the day you | | | | personal power. That first action has begun a |
| are free to do anything that you want. You can, at | | | | perpetually expanding wheel of action to personal |
| this moment, follow your dream, or you can deny | | | | power to action to personal power. Soon you |
| your freedom, power and responsibility for your life. | | | | become unstoppable. |
| Most people decide to abnegate the power and | | | | Juanita: Please tell us about Target Success |
| freedom in their lives. This in itself is a choice. They | | | | Enterprises and your drive to help others achieve |
| do this because to accept the power and freedom | | | | success in their lives. |
| that they have is to accept responsibility for where | | | | Kieran: Target Success Enterprises is dedicated to |
| they are in life. They cannot blame their parents or | | | | help people and organizations realize their dreams. |
| their teachers or their genetics or their environment | | | | Working for a tier one companies I'm surprised to |
| anything else for where they are at this moment. | | | | see the employees have no idea where the |
| This can be difficult to accept for people who have | | | | corporation is going. People and organizations need to |
| blamed, complained, judged and justified all their life. | | | | follow the same process as a ship at sea. The first |
| Taking control of your life is like coming out of the | | | | step is to ask the questions, "Where are we going?" |
| musty dark hold of a ship that has been battered at | | | | and "How will we get there?" Then you must take |
| sea. You open the hatch and pull yourself on deck | | | | action on your plan. In the case of an organization, |
| only to discover there are no sailors or captain on | | | | the goal and the plan must be communicated to all |
| deck. To your utter amazement you understand that | | | | the employees in person. If the organization is too |
| you are the captain of this ship, because it is the | | | | large for the CEO to deliver the information at each |
| vessel of your life. You stagger to the bridge and | | | | location, then he or she has to delegate the message |
| take hold of the helm in your shaking hands as you | | | | (in person) to someone who will. As with the |
| turn the ship in the direction of your dreams. | | | | individual, in a company of any size, understanding |
| Choice equals creation. Once you realize you can do | | | | and communicating the goals and strategies of the |
| anything at this moment, the world becomes an | | | | company cannot be understated. Again the goal must |
| incredibly beautiful place full of potential and flow. Oh | | | | inspire the employees to new heights of |
| sure, there will be times when you need to vacuum | | | | engagement, greatness and potential. |
| the house, wash the dishes and change diapers, but | | | | Juanita: How can your readers find out more about |
| when you do these task under your own volition, | | | | you and "Voyage to Destiny?" |
| fully in the moment, knowing that they are in | | | | Kieran: I encourage readers to visit my website at |
| alignment with the big dreams you are passionate | | | | and send any questions to Juanita: Kieran, thank you |
| about, day-to-day work become exhilarating. | | | | for this in-depth and inspiring interview. We |
| Juanita: How important is spirituality in the | | | | appreciate that you had the time to talk with us |
| achievement of success? | | | | today, and have given us much to think about. Do |
| Kieran: Spirituality is a major component of success. | | | | you have any last thoughts for your readers? |
| Everything is imbued with spirit and energy. There is | | | | Kieran: Thank you so much, Juanita. I appreciate the |
| a life force that flows through us and all things in the | | | | opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions. |
| universe. The chair you are sitting at, your computer | | | | Last thoughts? |
| and your body are made up of electrons and energy | | | | We have only one life to live. Seize the moment and |
| which flows from one object to another. Another | | | | make it yours. The world is at your feet. Simply set |
| word for this life force, this flow, this energy is spirit. | | | | sail into the seas of your passions and desires and |
| Success is when life force flows through you in such | | | | make your dreams come true. |
| a way that you have abundance in your life, material | | | | |