Most self-help gurus warn us against watching too much TV. Spending time with your much maligned TV set does have advantages, however. You are, for example, able to watch a great film like 'Unforgiven'. It has lessons which can motivate us and enlighten us.

Near the end of "Unforgiven", the Schofield Kid (a novice assassin) kills a cowboy who has cut up the face of a prostitute.

The kid shoots the cowboy as he is 'taking a dump' in the outside toilet unprotected by his 'bodyguards.' He is obviously shaken by the experience of having killed someone so easily and drinks heavily to calm his mind:

"He ain't gonna to breathe again ever; all on account of pulling a trigger."

Clint Eastwood, as William Munny, the experienced killer of men, women and children, feels much the same:

"It's a hell of a thing killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

The Schofield Kid tries to make himself feel better:

"Well I guess he had it coming."

William Munny replied:

"We all have it coming, kid."

There are at least three powerful motivational truths in this brief extract from the film.

Firstly, life is valuable and easily taken away by someone pulling a trigger or by a drunk driver or by a disease. All of us need to 'seize the day'and make the most of the time we have left on this planet.

Secondly, we should feel bad about taking someone else's life away from them. I feel bad if I kill an insect or mouse. A little creature was enjoying its life until I ended it.

Thirdly, we all have it coming to us. We all reap what we sow. We need to make sure we sow the good rather than the bad. Our future will be the result of what we do now.

This is encouraging. We can influence our future to some extent at least. We just need to get busy sowing the seeds of a great future.

Every time we go for a walk we are sowing the seeds of a healthier future.

Everytime we do pushups or squats we are sowing the seeds of a stronger future.

Every time we archive or throw away some clutter we are sowing the seeds of a more organised future.

Every time we study some skill for half an hour we are sowing the seeds of a more skilful future.

Let's make sure that what we have coming is worth looking forward to.