There is every reason to achieve and every reason to go forward into your future and as such Michael T Myers’ philosophy and every day mantra is:
“It’s not that I can’t do it, but how can I do it?”
So, what led a boy who grew up in the city and then lived most of his life in Outback Australia to this realisation?
As a young boy, any opportunity to get out of the city and into the country was always eagerly welcomed! Michael learned how to shear sheep and work in a woolshed at aged ten and by twelve he was helping to muster cattle and operate tractors and harvesters. He revelled in the ability to be hands-on and learning practical stuff!
After leaving school, Michael tried a variety of positions but was never really settled until he had the opportunity to ‘help out’ a mate which included a move to the Northern Territory.
When he arrived in the NT, it was known as “The Wild West” and then as now, it is a large multicultural place peppered with colorful characters and steeped in pioneering history.
Since leaving school Michael has worked in twenty-four income generating positions, been employed by ten businesses and two governments. He has contracted to five large firms and owned several businesses. Michael also entered partnership agreements five times to achieve goals that were otherwise unobtainable.
His working career has allowed him to indulge his desire to see as much of the Northern Territory as he could and achieve as much as possible then apply his knowledge elsewhere to improve and help others.
Michael has been an employee, a business owner, a developer, a renovator, an investor and a landlord. He always looks for innovation and how he can improve the future for others.
At times, like many other people, Michael has had some poor outcomes. He also had at least two monumental failures but has always managed to turn things around. Michael’s attitude to strive for new opportunities and to accomplish new goals has always been an exceptional quality.
Some agricultural ventures have failed because of living in a desert climate but not to be daunted Michael eventually found a crop that would survive the extreme temperatures of minus 4 to 29 degrees in a 24-hour period only to be stopped again by the high cost of water.
There has always been a new place to visit or something else to learn and Michael has travelled many kilometres in the pursuit of experience, knowledge and education. To achieve his goals a minimum 3000-kilometre return trip has been something done as a necessity over the years.
The best thing that ever happened to Michael was giving up a long-term job for the most incredible position he has ever held. It was challenging, paid no money, Michael was on call 24 hours a day, was responsible for others and had to learn completely new management skills. Multi-tasking was also required!
His interaction with others became extremely versatile and he was given many opportunities to learn, expand and move forward. Michael became the primary care-giver for his two young sons.
He has said: “If you ever get the opportunity to do it, grab it with both hands, the rewards are enormous, it’s only for a short period and the experience can never be repeated!”
Married to Heather, their two grown sons are now pursuing their own lives and careers on the east coast of Australia. Michael and Heather are currently sponsoring their third child, Getachew, who lives in Ethiopia. They are also keen supporters of Guide Dogs for the Blind SA/NT.
Michael has also always had a passion for sports.
Being involved in a variety of sporting groups throughout the community he competed in an international competition for Archery and was ranked 537th in the world. Michael also umpired AFL until at the end of one game the spectators became so involved in the proceedings that the umpires required a police escort from the field!
His love of motor sport has helped others in a variety of classes in speedway oval track for many years.
Michael was invited to be the Director of the first Special Stage Rally in Central Australia which featured Collin Bond as the celebrity guest and ‘A Grade’ competitors came from around Australia to compete against locals.
Michael now runs his own car, a 1993 Toyota Soarer, in straight line racing at the drags. His fastest time is 114 miles per hour (180 km/h) finishing the ¼ mile (405 m) run in 14 seconds.
After recently closing a business Michael has undertaken a new career in inspirational public speaking. His life experiences and exposure to failure have provided him with the necessary skills to assist others when they have faltered or fallen on hard times. With his skill set Michael uses a common-sense approach to helping others solve problems and improve their situation.
His underlying objective is to help others add value to their outcome and for them to see their full potential.
With a laid back, ‘taking things in his stride’ attitude, Michael T Myers is giving back to society and helping others to overcome what is rapidly becoming an epidemic in our disconnected world: risk taking and the fear of failure. Michael willingly shares his experience and is happy to share it with you.