Three years ago we were blessed on day one of the Think and Grow Rich Summit 2013 event I hosted to listen in as Dave Liniger, Co-founder of RE/MAX International shared his amazing story of not only business success, but how he overcame incredible odds to survive a major, life-threatening illness. That day in San Diego the audience gave Dave a standing ovation at the end of his talk as his message of hope and motivation inspired everyone in the room. There were few dry eyes in the building as it was a moment I will never forget.
Fast forward to yesterday, April 7th 2016 in Denver, nearly three-years later Dave and I were once again reunited on stage to discuss his Trailblazing success and get an update on life and business. We were also joined by his K-9 friend Max who was both kind and large in presence.
Here are the three quick lessons I took away from his moving speech that are just as relevant today as when I shared them back in 2013. In a future blog post I’ll reveal a few of key highlights from our interview yesterday in Denver.
#1: Health is everything. When you lead an active lifestyle and assume it will never be taken away, when it happens, it changes everything. Dave reminded us that money is great, but having good health is even more valuable. At one point, he asked everyone to stand up. As we all stood, he made a poignant and emotional comment that we were all truly rich because we could stand, while many others around the world could not. The message was easy to see: never take the gift of good health for granted as things can change when we least expect it and without warning.
#2: Never give up. Dave’s can-do spirit was easy to see and he mentioned several times that many friends, mentors and books inspired him during the dark days of dealing with pain and physical rehabilitation. I found it interesting how he also mentioned the many lessons in persistence early in his career, the books that influenced him, and how they all combined to help him push forward one painful step at a time even when some days quitting when have been much easier.
#3: Your support system can make or break you. He recalled that the love of his family, the trained medical staff, co-workers, friends and books all served as a powerful reminder and motivator that he was not alone on the road to recovery. His journey was not easy, and still continues today, but that this support system is something we should all be thankful and grateful to have like he has in his own life.
I must say that out of all the amazing talks over the three days, Dave’s speech was my personal favorite. It was real, genuine, authentic and extremely emotional. It has helped serve as a powerful reminder in my own life that each healthy day is a gift which is priceless and should never be taken for granted. Thanks again Dave for giving us the blessing of your time, stories and wisdom!
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