Yesterday, I listened to an interview with Michael York, the film star. I listened half-heartedly at first and then with fascination. By the end of the conversation I had discovered at least one inspiring truth i.e. It is well worth listening to other people without prejudging what they can teach you.

It is amazing how much other humans can teach us. But if we don't believe that they can teach us something, we will not listen to them nor will we read their books or listen to their audios or watch their videos and DVD's. We will miss out on huge amounts of valuable information.

Michael York (D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers) went to the USA about 30 years ago and has lived there longer than he lived in the UK.

He was not tempted to join other UK actors like Oliver Reed in alcoholic and drug excesses. He could see no sense in not being at his best. Life is too interesting.

He now lives in California with his American wife where it is easy to live a healthy lifestyle. He asks: "Why wait until you get ill and then go to a doctor to clean up the mess? Why not take preventive measures to keep you in optimum shape? We take care of our cars; why not our own bodies?"

He takes herbs and vitamins and a chiropractic treatment once a week. He does not believe in treating the head (or mind) without taking the body into account. He prefers a holistic approach.

He has a thoughtful faith. "I have a faith but not a faith that wears a label. It's an amalgamation of all sorts of influences. I was raised in the Church of England and was brought up with the beauty of the English Bible. It never leaves you but I get resentful at fundamentalist Christianity when it becomes my God and not your God."

Agnosticism is part of his amalgamation of influences: "There's nothing we can be sure of until we pass into the next dimension."

He was very impressed by a comment from his friend Peter Ustinov: "You know, we are united by our doubts and divided by our convictions." York comments: "In the world today, that is so true".

When he was asked "Do you believe in an afterlife?", he gave a fascinating and inspiring reply:

"If you get into the study of health and the body you find out that we are all energetic organisms. The whole world is a compact of different energies. It seems quite plausible that there is a different sort of energy operating after life"

"Do you meditate?" "I have tried to meditate but I am a little impatient I confess. I do listen to classical music, if I can, all day. That is an equivalent of meditating. Somehow those great rhythms do wonderful things to your mind and body."

I learned a lot from Michael York yesterday about health, meditation and life after death but the greatest lesson of all was:

Have enough faith to listen to other people, whoever they are, and to read their books. You might learn something worth learning! You might even be excited and inspired.

You don't have to agree with everything other people say but at least listen to their views and you may well hear something you have never heard before or have never heard expressed so well before.

If you have a stack of books you have not read or a stack of videos you have not watched just start reading and watching. You might be amazed at what you will learn!

Even if you have read the books before or watched the videos before, read and watch them again. It is surprising how much valuable information we forget. We all need reminding and inspiring again and again.

John Watson

John Watson was born in Shanghai at the start of World War II on Dec 31st 1939

His father, a British civil engineer, was given the choice of working in the mines of Northern China for the occupying forces or going to a concentration camp. He refused to work for the invading forces.

As a result the whole family were imprisoned in a concentration camp in the middle of China in 1942. Eric Liddell (featured in the Chariots of Fire) the Scottish runner and missionary was imprisoned in the same camp.

In 1945 the family was rescued by American troops who were parachuted in. John's most treasured possession from this time is a plane made of bullets given him by one of the US soldiers. The tail parts have been lost but most of it remains. He also remembers being given a bottle of coca cola by one of the US troops and has been an addict ever since!

They moved to England and then, when John's father died, to the Isle of Man.

John went to school in the Isle of Man and then taught Physical Education at a prep school in Hertfordshire. Around this time he had three mystical experiences of contact with God.

He then studied English Literature at Cambridge University and later became an English teacher in South East London but, after 5 years, he did a diploma in Religious Studies and began teaching about religion full time.

After 33 years teaching in three London Comprehensive schools, John retired from teaching. He received several awards and commendations for teaching both religious studies and the martial arts. He still teaches martial arts after beginning training in karate at the age of 37. The style he now teaches is Choikwangdo, a brilliant self-defence and health oriented style founded by Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi in 1987.

In his retirement he began studying internet marketing and continued his study of the psychology of achievement and self development. This has always been a key interest.

John plans on writing reports and books on both teaching and on achievement in general. He feels that many schools let their students down by not teaching enough about how to study (by using mind maps for example) and about how to set goals and how to start saving money for their early retirement!

John's main aim is to make the most of his own potential and to help others make the most of their's. He also wishes to pass on whatever he knows of the meaning of life and to discover more and share more about the truths behind the universe.