I opened my first business in 1990. I was twenty-six years old, dumb and full of enthusiasm and hope. My first employee was a young trainer named Matt. He was nineteen, good looking, built like superman, and had the personality and the charisma to match. He was cheeky and very lovable. He was like the younger brother I never had (I'm an only child). I took him under my wing and mentored him. In return he became a great trainer, ate all my food, and made me laugh.

Between the two of us we had no business skills, no administration or management skills and overall, no real clue about running or growing a company. We had lots of enthusiasm and hope, but not much else. It was enough.

We bluffed and fluffed our way through our first year in business. Matty and I spent the best part of twelve hours a day together. We trained together, ate breakfast and lunch together, spoke about the meaning of life and all of the relative variables, discussed the many complexities and attractions of the female of the species, and got to know and understand each other well. We even went to the States together for a training/working holiday. Essentially, it was an excuse to visit lots of gyms, have fun, and chase girls. We called it a research trip.

It would be fair to say I loved him and cared for him like a brother. We had amazing times together and I loved that he never had bad days. He was never grumpy, rude, or unpleasant to be around. He had boundless energy and he was always a joy to be with. The girls loved him and the guys wanted to be him.

You may have gathered by my use of the past tense that Matty is no longer with us.

One day I was at work and the phone rang. On the other end was a client of mine who is an intensive care nurse. She was crying so much that I could hardly understand what she was saying. My heart sank and I felt instantly sick when I realised that she was telling me Matty had been in an accident and that he was on life support in the intensive care unit in which she worked.

I remember that day well. I had a million things going on, appointments all over the place, and no free time. I was immersed in my very important schedule doing my very important things. Doing all the things that mattered, I thought.

One short phone call made me realise how unimportant my to-do list was. Instantly I had all the time I needed because my little brother was dying in the hospital. No time issues, no motivation issues, no hurdles. Nothing and no one would stop me from going to be with him. Suddenly all that really mattered was my friend. My very important day and all of my worries, challenges, and responsibilities seemed like insignificant, meaningless crap (in the perspective of that moment and that day).