 "Photo: Alison Parker")
Life is too short to delay the things that you are passionate about, said Phil Keoghan. The host of CBS's hit show Amazing Race addressed a small audience of students on Friday sharing, among other topics, his views on life and their origins.
The lecture focused on his new book, however, the tone was more inspirational than promotional as he shared many personal stories, including a near-death experience that led him to his life philosophy.
"There are too many people out there who aren't doing what they really want to be doing," said Keoghan.
He realized this after an eye-opening experience. One day while scuba diving, he became trapped in an underwater shipwreck. He didn't think he would make it out alive, but when he surfaced he had an epiphany.
Life is too short, he told himself, and promptly made a list of things he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime.
On that list was to trying to break into the American entertainment industry. Originally from New Zealand and with no connections or green card to work in the United States he had to stumble through the process using nothing but creativity and cleverness. Eventually, after hounding an agent he had never met and gaining an audition, he worked his way into the business, and became the host of CBS's popular show The Amazing Race.
Now, after completing a number of his goals, Keoghan has taken time to reflect. From this period came his book, No Opportunity Wasted, which combines the narrative elements of his exciting life story with his own deeper personal philosophy. He hopes the book will help others find the courage within them to do what they really want to do.
"When asked, if you were to take your last breath tomorrow at two o'clock, what one thing would you regret the most?" said Keoghan, "Many people couldn't answer ... when they could, the two most common excuses were that they didn't have time or they didn't have money."
From this problem Keoghan hatched his latest show, also titled No Opportunity Wasted, which gives ordinary people $3,000 and 72 hours to chase their dreams. The idea behind the show is that given a limited amount of time and a limited amount of money, people would be motivated to do things they never thought possible.
In one clip from the show, an amateur fresh water diver overcame his fear of sharks by diving in the ocean for the first time and swimming among the sharks. The show, for Keoghan, was the perfect extension of his philosophy in both entertaining and helping people. Though the show never really caught on in the United States like Amazing Race did, Keoghan said he remains proud of his work.
Other themes from Keoghan's philosophy included the power of imagination and finding creative solutions to seemingly impossible problems.
"Imagination is your currency," said Keoghan, regarding the ingenuity of those who had the least. "Some of the poorest people I knew growing up were also the most creative - because they had to be."
Be the first to comment on this article!