Most self-help gurus warn us against watching too much TV. Spending time with your much maligned TV set does have advantages, however. You are, for example, able to watch a great film like 'Unforgiven'. It has lessons which can motivate us and enlighten us.

Near the end of "Unforgiven", the Schofield Kid (a novice assassin) kills a cowboy who has cut up the face of a prostitute.

The kid shoots the cowboy as he is 'taking a dump' in the outside toilet unprotected by his 'bodyguards.' He is obviously shaken by the experience of having killed someone so easily and drinks heavily to calm his mind:

"He ain't gonna to breathe again ever; all on account of pulling a trigger."

Clint Eastwood, as William Munny, the experienced killer of men, women and children, feels much the same:

"It's a hell of a thing killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

The Schofield Kid tries to make himself feel better:

"Well I guess he had it coming."

William Munny replied:

"We all have it coming, kid."

There are at least three powerful motivational truths in this brief extract from the film.

Firstly, life is valuable and easily taken away by someone pulling a trigger or by a drunk driver or by a disease. All of us need to 'seize the day'and make the most of the time we have left on this planet.

Secondly, we should feel bad about taking someone else's life away from them. I feel bad if I kill an insect or mouse. A little creature was enjoying its life until I ended it.

Thirdly, we all have it coming to us. We all reap what we sow. We need to make sure we sow the good rather than the bad. Our future will be the result of what we do now.

This is encouraging. We can influence our future to some extent at least. We just need to get busy sowing the seeds of a great future.

Every time we go for a walk we are sowing the seeds of a healthier future.

Everytime we do pushups or squats we are sowing the seeds of a stronger future.

Every time we archive or throw away some clutter we are sowing the seeds of a more organised future.

Every time we study some skill for half an hour we are sowing the seeds of a more skilful future.

Let's make sure that what we have coming is worth looking forward to.

John Watson

John Watson was born in Shanghai at the start of World War II on Dec 31st 1939

His father, a British civil engineer, was given the choice of working in the mines of Northern China for the occupying forces or going to a concentration camp. He refused to work for the invading forces.

As a result the whole family were imprisoned in a concentration camp in the middle of China in 1942. Eric Liddell (featured in the Chariots of Fire) the Scottish runner and missionary was imprisoned in the same camp.

In 1945 the family was rescued by American troops who were parachuted in. John's most treasured possession from this time is a plane made of bullets given him by one of the US soldiers. The tail parts have been lost but most of it remains. He also remembers being given a bottle of coca cola by one of the US troops and has been an addict ever since!

They moved to England and then, when John's father died, to the Isle of Man.

John went to school in the Isle of Man and then taught Physical Education at a prep school in Hertfordshire. Around this time he had three mystical experiences of contact with God.

He then studied English Literature at Cambridge University and later became an English teacher in South East London but, after 5 years, he did a diploma in Religious Studies and began teaching about religion full time.

After 33 years teaching in three London Comprehensive schools, John retired from teaching. He received several awards and commendations for teaching both religious studies and the martial arts. He still teaches martial arts after beginning training in karate at the age of 37. The style he now teaches is Choikwangdo, a brilliant self-defence and health oriented style founded by Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi in 1987.

In his retirement he began studying internet marketing and continued his study of the psychology of achievement and self development. This has always been a key interest.

John plans on writing reports and books on both teaching and on achievement in general. He feels that many schools let their students down by not teaching enough about how to study (by using mind maps for example) and about how to set goals and how to start saving money for their early retirement!

John's main aim is to make the most of his own potential and to help others make the most of their's. He also wishes to pass on whatever he knows of the meaning of life and to discover more and share more about the truths behind the universe.