A Short But Deserving Life
Pick up Terry's challenge this holiday season and carry it forward.

"I remember promising myself that should I live, I would prove myself deserving of life." ~ Terry Fox, founder of Canadian Marathon of Hope

I write this week from Toronto as I prepare to deliver a sales seminar to a Canadian sales team. During one part of my seminar, I reference some of
history's greatest leaders and how they used pride and passion to change the world. In preparing for this meeting, I wanted to make sure I referenced
some of Canada's best and was moved by one particular person. What was so special about Terry Fox was that he was not famous, rich, political or .healthy. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and had one leg amputated at the age of 18.

While in the hospital, he was so moved by seeing children dying of cancer that he felt he had to do something to help. So he created his personal Marathon of Hope and decided to run (with one healthy leg and one prosthetic leg) from one end of Canada to the other to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Alone, Terry would run 26 miles a day through towns and villages. Soon the message spread and media outlets picked up on the story. With television microphone in hand at the end of one long day of running, Terry passionately asked every Canadian to give just one dollar to the cause (25 million Canadians).

Unfortunately, after running for 18 months straight and 3,339 miles, Terry was having trouble breathing and knew something was wrong. Doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his lungs and he would need surgery. The run was over and soon after so too was Terry's life at the young age of 22. And though he was gone, Terry proved to thousands of people the power each individual has to change the world. Terry never crossed the finish line, but because of his love, passion and selflessness, countless individuals helped Terry meet his $25 million dollar goal. I will never meet Terry, but by learning his story this week, he reminded me of the responsibility I have to be, as he puts it, "deserving of life."

So this week, let's make a deal. I'll find a way to do my part and you do the same. And by doing so, we can bring Terry's spirit back for the Holidays
and help him impact the world just a little more.

To learn about Terry's Marathon of Hope for cancer research, go to www.terryfoxrun.org. To view an inspirational video of Terry's story, click
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VboVtLFCb0A&feature=related.

To contact Brian Sullivan, visit www.preciseselling.com.