10 speakers. 10 things to know before you die. We have an impromptu tête-à-tête with three Canadian speakers participating in tonight’s Top Ten event at the Isabel Bader Theatre. Curious about life’s bigger questions? Maybe they can help.
Tonight, ten Canadian personalities — from music mavericks to storm chasers — will come together to bequeath onto you the little nuggets of wisdom that make them who they are and got them to where they are today. Top Ten is the pet project of actor-turned-entrepreneur-turned-motivational man Stuart Knight, who, by day, travels the country dishing out his own brand of gusto and bits of “go-getter” encouragement through workshops and seminars. Knight, who may very well one day be Canada’s own version of Ronald Reagan, got the idea when he was working on his latest project aimed at inspiring the masses, a speech about the things people should know before they die.
When the producers of Risky Business — a new investment-for-the-everyman show debuting on the Slice network this September — approached Knight to participate in an episode, he combed his contact list and reached out to his closest ties, propelling Top Ten into an evening of bucket list proportions with buzz to rival Hugh Jackman’s Toronto stint. Instead of simply sharing his own quips on meaningful living, Knight decided to round up ten Canadian somebodies and give them each ten minutes to talk about theirs, offering the audience a TED Talks treatment with tidbits on everything from how to succeed in business (without really trying, if you’re lucky) to making peace with carbs.
“I knew what kind of speakers I wanted,” says Knight. “I wanted people with big personalities, lots of experience, an impressive resume and a joy for giving back to others.” So who made the cut? Actresses Lisa Ray and Kelly Carlson will each be talking about making things happen and making the most of life (Ray is a cancer survivor), and War Child Canada founder Dr. Samantha Nutt will school you on the importance of making a difference.
And although you’re probably still debating because it’s not coming from all-knowing Oprah or spiritual powerhouse Amma or even Montel’s guru Sylvia Browne, the roster is very much equipped to offer you enlightenment, or something like it.
“We need to get out and expand our minds past the intermittent dialogue that pops up between text messages and status updates,” affirms Knight, who also just wrote a book called You Should Have Asked — The Art of Powerful Conversation. “I’ve seen firsthand the magic that can come from two or more people having a conversation about something that has greater value than what happened on The Hills last night.”
Knight believes in the significance of these sorts of conversations and this idea of existential convergence, and, in a way, I do too. So in advance of tonight’s celebration of being alive and living in spades, I played therapist with three Top Ten speakers to see what they say about life’s tricky queries and their counsel on life’s not-so-random follies.
George Kourounis, on your comfort zone
Life experience: Professional storm chaser and host of OLN’s Angry Planet
Area of expertise: How I’ve been able to overcome my own fears to face some of the most dangerous natural disasters and forces of nature. Also, how to pull yourself out of your own comfort zone to where real personal growth is.
The best piece of advice you’ve received:
When I was growing up, my parents were always supportive of whatever I wanted to do. It wasn’t advise per se, but giving me the freedom to explore what I really wanted to allowed me to realize that there was no set path for my future, and even more importantly, that I could decide my own path.
The worst?
Anybody that tells you that you can’t be successful doing what you love isn’t doing what he or she loves.
One thing you want to do before you die:
I really want to visit Mount Erebus in Antarctica, the most southern active volcano in the world and it has a very rare lake of lava inside its crater. I’m dying to get down there and get inside that crater.
On the importance of taking risks…
Without some risk taking, we cannot grow. It’s only when we stretch ourselves outside the shape of what we’re comfortable with that we truly feel fulfilled and once that stretch is made, we almost never shrink back to that old form. That applies to everyone, not just thrill-seekers.
On being in the middle of a tornado… [which actually happened to him once]
I don’t consider myself that much of an adrenaline junkie. For me, it’s all about nature, and documenting it at its most fierce. Getting caught inside a tornado, even a weak one, is like being inside a blender full of bees. Debris is flying around everywhere, power lines are exploding and the wind can easily flip a car.
On being knocked down and getting right back up…
There have been times, especially when I’m in extreme environments, when I didn’t think I could take another step. One person could find himself in a horrible situation and decide that there’s no hope, yet another person could be in the exact same situation and see it as a challenge to be overcome. In a world full of constant change and problems, our attitude is the only thing we really, truly have complete control over.
Rex Harrington, on partnerships
Life experience: internationally renowned ballet dancer, judge on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, and alumni and current Artist-in-Residence at the National Ballet of Canada
Area of expertise: I will be speaking about partnerships in life and on stage, and how life is really a dance that needs a good partner.
The best piece of advice you’ve received:
Live in the moment, have no regrets, and don’t beat yourself over past mistakes. Move forward and see the glass half full.
One thing you want to do before you die:
I want to jump out of a plane.
Your biggest fear?
Not being loved and dying alone.
“I’ll never forget…
that we are all the same; we each want to be loved and understood and heard.”
On taking criticism…
Criticism can be helpful if you don’t take it personally.
On working after retirement…
We never retire, we just move into another field. As a dancer, I am passing on my experience and knowledge to the next generation.
On “making it”…
You have to want it to succeed, and not do it for others.
On (finally) getting married [to his partner of six years]…
Can’t wait.
Donna Dooher, on food
Life experience: chef, cookbook author and owner of Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village
Area of expertise: I’ll be examining (and resenting) the notion: Does food trump sex in the Western world?
A life-changing piece of advice you’ve received:
Learn to forgive.
What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Those lime green elephant pants look great on you!
One thing you want to do before you die…
Spend a week in bed eating chocolates, drinking champagne and … !
Your biggest fear?
Losing my ability to taste.
“I’ll never forget…
The first time I ate a fresh oyster. It completely changed the way I thought of food. I remember place, the time and the fisherman who opened it for me as if it were yesterday.”
On our obsession with carbs…
Obsession hits the nail on the head. We’re an obsessive society and the humble carb is the latest “bad for you ingredient.” Remember high-carb diets?
On fad diets…
I’m writing a diet book. I’m calling it The All You Can Eat Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesdays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. with High IQ Water and Probiotic Yogurt Diet. I should make a killing.
On eating well…
To eat well is to eat fresh, seasonal ingredients and to be mindful of their source. And to prepare them simply — and always in the company of those you cherish.
Top Ten happens tonight at Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles Street West. $40-$60, tickets available at http://toptenevent.eventbrite.com/, with portion of proceeds benefiting The Stephen Lewis Foundation to support HIV/AIDS relief efforts in Africa. 7pm.
