She did more than decide. She accomplished. And now she’s about to row….gasp…the Pacific. By herself. At the age of 40.

“It was the year 2000, I was 33 years old, and it looked like I had the perfect life. I had a job as an IT project manager in the City of London, I had a husband, a comfortable home, a little red sports car. Life seemed good,” says Roz on her website.

“Fast forward to March 2006. I am 38, divorced, homeless, and alone in a tiny rowing boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. My last hot meal was 2 months ago, before my camping stove broke. My stereo is bust. I’ve been unable to make contact with shore since my satellite phone stopped working several weeks ago. All four of my oars are broken and I’ve had to patch them up with duct tape and makeshift splints. I have tendonitis in my shoulder and saltwater sores on my backside. I have battled 20 foot waves, sleep deprivation, self-doubt and depression. But now I feel I have never been happier, because at last, after 3000 miles and 103 days at sea, I am about to arrive in Antigua at the end of my voyage.”

So many of us buy into the pretty picture life. The nice home. The nice cars. The functional but passionless relationships. Roz broke free of it all — and now she’s truly alive. That took courage. It took a decision to live fearlessly.

Roz and I spoke for well over an hour yesterday on the phone. I was flattered that she wanted to interview me as much as I wanted to interview her. She asked me about my personal transformation, covered in Fit Over 40, and how I “motivate” myself.

“Motivation is like crack, Roz.” (You could hear a pin drop… ; ) “Motivation is short-term fuel; inspiration lasts forever. I teach others how to self-inspire for life.”

From there a great interview was born — on both sides of the telephone!

Wait until you hear Roz’s entire story. Exciting stuff to say the least. If you want to check out Roz’s rowing website, it’s RozSavage.com. You can even contribute to her upcoming Pacific Rowing Fund if you want. There’s a lot of inspiration on her site, so check it out and drop her a word of encouragement.

“I am realizing my dream, one stroke at a time.”

That’s how it happens folks…one stroke, one bite, one rep, one step, one day at a time. Add those days up and you get decades.

Don’t let life slip up on you. Decide, today, to take action toward a goal, a dream, and a destiny.

P.S. Roz sent me an email after our conversation yesterday. I won’t share all of it, but this really moved me:

“Jon, [that] was one of the most inspiring and helpful conversations I’ve had in a long time…I’d been struggling to get going with my writing, but now I’ve been working solidly at my book ever since our conversation. If you look west from Dallas you may see my halo shining!

We all need inspiring, even people like Roz who has done what most would consider impossible.

It doesn’t matter who you are — we all need mentors. Roz is now one of mine, that’s for sure. And trust me — I need, love, and attract mentors like there’s no tomorrow. Everyone has their days. I’ve had my share during the past several weeks. The strain of personal issues could have derailed me…but they haven’t. My role models are strong. My inspiration is growing.

But I’m not superhuman. Neither is Roz…and neither are you. Welcome to a very popular club.

Speaking of inspiration, Roz will be listening my M-Power Audio Series to help keep that inspiration flowing during her Pacific Row. I’m thrilled to be a part of this adventure, if only from a distance.

What ocean do you want to cross today? Is it the ocean of life-long weight “loss” (I call that fat-burning)? How about the journey from Negative Outlook City to a land of endless but honest optimism?

Read my Living Manifesto if you want to hear my raw thoughts on the matter.

It all beings with a decision.

[jB]