Today is St.Jean Baptiste Day, a day of celebration in Quebec.

It's also a reminder to other Canadians that Quebec almost voted to separate from our country back in October 1995. In the sovereignty referendum that year, the "No" side squeaked by with a razor-thin 50.6% to 49.4% win. 

In the weeks leading up to the vote, it looked like the "Yes" side would win, and suddenly there was a sense of urgency in the rest of the country. 

The referendum was all anybody was talking about. 

Canadians started letter-writing campaigns to convince Quebecers to remain. 

There was a huge "Unity Rally" that took place in Montreal a few days before the vote, and transportation companies (buses, trains and planes) reduced their fares to make sure as many Canadians could get to Quebec for the rally as possible.

I was in grade 12 back then, and I can remember the sense of urgency felt by everyone. For months the Separatists had trailed in the polls and the rest of the country assumed that the vote wouldn't be close. Most expected a result like that in the 1980 referendum (which was about 60-40 for the "No" side). 

But once the "Yes" side gained momentum and took the lead, it lit a fire under everyone to do something about it. 

There are two ways that people handle bad situations: 

Some roll up into the fetal position, moan, and adopt a "woe is me" approach. 

Others roll up their sleeves and take action to ensure a good outcome. 

It's not easy to deal with challenging times, but they're bound to happen in life. If you go more than a few years without some sort of big challenge, you're a rare exception. 

It's like that old saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. 

If you're a coach feeling a sense of urgency with your coaching business, check out my Secret Coach Club print newsletter. 

It could be what you need to turn things around. 

The deadline for the July issue is this Saturday, June 30th at 11:59 pm EST: 

Marc