H O R I Z O N S

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I was marveling at the amazing stunts that Shaun Whitebrought to the Halfpipe in the Olympics. http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-snowboard/athletes/shaun-white_ath1023740ln.html

While other competitors executed difficult Olympic worthy programs they were made to seem simplistic and luster lacking after having watched Shaun White. This charismatic ‘surfer dude’ type takes to snowboarding like a duck to water. I sit and enjoy the experience with Shaun sucked into the vortex of the moment of glory.

While I vicariously enjoy the moment with Shaun I can’t help from begin my ‘armchair analysis’.

As someone whose business is reliant on marketing, I begin to question the wisdom of rebranding at this stage of Shaun’s career. In a Prince like maneuver (remember his attempt to become that symbol thingy) http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/prince-faq/general-faq/, Shaun is attempting to rebrand from the ‘Flying Tomato’ to notoriety as ‘The Animal’. Beyond questioning the wisdom of this, I can’t get the image of ‘Animal’ the spunky Muppet out of my head. Then I find out that this is the inspiration. I guess I get it now. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978057399&grpId=3659174697259360

I press beyond that because truth is Shaun has proven himself a demigod entitled to change his name as he wishes. I go back to relishing the moment of the realization of a life’s dream.

Shaun’s affable personality is evident from the tender age of 14 as he explains to an interviewer that he was no longer in school because they did not view snowboarding as a valid sport. Consequently, they felt he was spending too much time out of school and he was asked to leave. This week Shaun’s pursuit of his dream was validated by the world.

As ‘The Caribbean’s Private Island Specialist’, I have met hundreds of folks with a dream. The scenarios are as varied as the individuals, but at the heart of the matter is always ‘The dream’, our personal propulsion. This leads me to think for a moment on our (HG Christie) portfolio of private islands providing access to dreams. Ranging from 265K to multiple millions these dreams are within reach for many. (Check a few of them out on the links below.) This was the subject of a recent French TV shoot I was involved in (more on that another time).

http://hgchristie.com/index.php/details/index/Id/17946

http://hgchristie.com/index.php/details/index/Id/20068

http://hgchristie.com/index.php/details/index/Id/20037

http://hgchristie.com/index.php/details/index/Id/11941

We sometimes forget to listen to our dreams. We get distracted or we lose hope. Yet today, I head into my day encouraged by ‘The Animal’ to go for the dream and reach for gold whether others view it as valid or not. I look forward to helping others find their dreams too.

“Wonder if I can get the guys in the band to call me ‘The Animal’ now? I am the drummer after all.”

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• Shaun White Olympics 2010 Video: The Very Best of the Legendary Snowboarder(bleacherreport.com)