The Oprah Winfrey Show
Living Life in the Driver's Seat

Ted Leonsis and Phil Keoghan faced death at an early age. Both realized that life is too precious to take a backseat in what goes on. Like Joe Kita, they made lists of all the things they wanted to do in their life — and in some cases, the crazier, the better.

Playing Offense
Ted "If you write it down, you have the road map... the steps to get there are easier." — Ted

Ted Leonsis, a top media executive, was returning from a business trip 20 years ago when his plane was forced to make an emergency landing. Ted prayed, asking for his life to go on. He promised to be a good person, do good work and "play offense" with the rest of his life. About a week later, he wrote down the 101 things that he could do to live a fulfilled and self-actualized life.

The List
Ted As a result of his determination to live life to the fullest, Ted has accomplished many of the incredible tasks on his wish-list.
bullet Get an honorary degree.
bullet Own a sports franchise.
bullet Go one-on-one with Michael Jordan.
bullet Change someone's life via a charity.
bullet Have his children become individuals.

Passion Became His Purpose
Phil "It's fulfilling your dreams no matter how small they are." — Phil

As the twenty-year-old host of a New Zealand adventure show, Phil Keoghan almost died while diving underwater to explore a ship wreck. Faced with the possibility of death, he was filled with an overwhelming desire to live and to take risks. His determination set the stage for his show, Adventure Crazy.

The List
Phil made a list of 100 adventures, some he's already achieved are:
bullet Group bungee jumping.
bullet Hand feeding wild sharks.
bullet Renewing wedding vows underwater.
bullet Go to a nudist resort.
bullet Exploring the worlds longest underwater cave.
bullet Eat dinner at the top of a volcano.
Next? Phil wants to climb Mt. Everest and go into outer space.

Phil says that we should make these lists personal to us — only we know inside what will make ourselves most fulfilled.

Related Resources
  • Visit Ted's charity, e-Buddies, at www.ebuddies.org
  • You can see more great adventures on the Travel Channel. Phil's new show The Amazing Race will air on CBS this summer.
From the show, Another Shot