It is a true story that reveals one of life's lessons - a tough lesson that had to be experienced to be understood.

During the time I spent writing The Power of Subconscious Goal Setting , I was hit by what seemed a brutal and cruel twist of fate.

The hard drive on my laptop burned itself out. All 180 pages that were written over the last 15 months were lost in a fleeting moment.

All efforts to recover my manuscript were in vain and I was left with the painful task of starting again from scratch.

Almost 12 months later whilst on a trip to Sydney Australia for a seminar I was to hold, life threw me another cruel test.

My driver and I pulled up in the main entrance to a major hotel in Sydney. As we were standing inside at the counter to check-in with the car parked in plain view of us, some low life smashed a back window and ran off with my laptop.

The manuscript which had grown to around 200 pages again was once more.lost! I now understand the term "backup".

I can admit to you now that this second loss was crushing for me. I was angry and hurt. I wanted to throw things and scream. But at no time did giving up ever cross my mind.

Why?

Because I had something driving me. It was something more important to me than any obstacle I was to experience. It entered my every waking moment.

It was the words of my father who was told by doctors he had only months to live. I remember him saying to me, "Scott, I just want to see my 60 th birthday. I want to see you have my grandchildren before I die. I want to know that you have continued our family name". These words drove me.

I wrote the book The Power of Subconscious Goal Setting for several reasons but the only reason that kept me going was to write a book that would give my Dad a dream.

Because at the time when I began writing this book, he had little in the way of goals. He was worn out from the hospital visits, the drugs and the effort.

His terminal illness had taken its toll on his weak body. The doctors' pessimistic outlook only weakened him further.

You may or may not have experienced something like this but it's hard to stand by and watch something like that.

The thought of just letting my Dad's life just drift away in the opinion of doctors' was too much to take. So instead, I made the decision to write something that would change his life. This became my driving force.

When Dad finished reading my 3 year project he phoned me. I will never forget the conversation. It was one of the most memorable conversations I have ever had. It was a conversation filled with tears of joy and words of hope for the future.

My goal had been fulfilled because it created a new resolve within my Dad.

On Tuesday, October 4th 2005, my father achieved his goal... he turned 6o years of age.

I made a surprise flight to Melbourne to be with him. At my side was his 11 month old grandson he had not yet met in person.

Andre (my son) and I surprised Dad by staying outside as my sister Jodie went inside to get him.

He walked out into the driveway and there we were.

And even though my Dad thanked me for giving him one of the greatest moments of his life, it is him I must thank - for giving me mine.

Because the day he unearthed that driving reason within me, he helped push me closer to realising my potential.

So I share this with you today in the hope that it may help you uncover your driving force. It matters little what we drive on the outside. It is what drives us from the inside that gives us life's greatest ride.

. . . . . Find your inner driving force and you will taste success like never before.

The possibility of failure will melt into the distance and you will realise that obstacles are a part of the journey.

Obstacles are the test of just how much you want to succeed. Pass the test and you can do anything. You can defy the odds.

My father taught me that.

P.S. Here is a picture of my Father holding his Grandson
- Goal Achieved!