The world needs more cheerleaders!! :) The Oilers are on to something!

I was listening to the radio today and they were talking about how although we try to encourage people to do more work/be more creative/work harder by offering rewards, it has been proven (through 40 years of research apparently :)) not to work. Humans are interesting creatures; we aren't solely motivated by 'rewards', but get excited about seeing progress and are encouraged by the opportunity to be creative. :) They talked about finding ways to make even tasks that seem repetitive an opportunity to think outside of the box.

This got me thinking about how wonderful it would be if everyone felt empowered. Can you imagine how incredible the world would be? How many problems could be solved by this explosion in human brilliance? What would it take to give everyone feelings of confidence...to feel inspired to wake up and share their gifts with the world? Instead of waking up worried that they aren't good enough, that they will make mistakes, that their wrists will be slapped. In a future post I will share with you another Margaret Wheatley quote about power, control and progress. :)

I know all too well what it's like to question your abilities, your skills, yourself. Feelings of inadequacy and uselessness are never fun emotions, and I'd be lying if I said I never experienced them. I'm very lucky though, to be surrounded by cheerleaders who give me little 'pick me ups' when I need them the most. I worry about the people who aren't as lucky. When life hurts, we all need to be surrounded by a blanket of support...to help us feel like we're capable once again.

I realize as I read this over that I'm combining a few unique topics. You're probably thinking - there's a difference between feeling inadequate and being inspired in your work. And there is. I agree, but I argue that in order to be inspired with what you are doing, you need to have a certain baseline of feelings of potential. You need to have the confidence that either you have the skills or with training, reading, practice you will gain the skills needed to be successful. Without those feelings of potential, you lose hope and without hope, why would you try?

That's what I think we need -- little angels to go around every night whispering in peoples ears that they have potential.

Real change can happen!

This story inspires me! It reminds me of the changes that everyday people can make with a bit of passion! A group of dads saw that something needed to be done, brainstormed, found a great idea, and then saw it to the end!

Taxi Cool program wants to keep kids from taking the wheel intoxicated

Work Life Balance -- Definable?

I know I'm pretty young in my career; I'm really just getting my feet wet. This transition into the real world has made me quite attune to some of the 'intricacies' of the working world that might become the status quo for those who've been at it for longer.

Work life balance is a concept I'm carefully studying. I love examining people's approaches to their careers and their personal life...there are so many ways to approach it that can lead to equally fulfilling lives.

I'll share a few memorable moments that have helped shape my questions:

- Today I was talking about hobbies with a woman who has had a quite successful career. She mentioned that she really never got into any interests because she was so committed to her work. My initial reaction was one of sadness -- how could work be it? Afterwards I then questioned my automatic assumption that her work couldn't provide her all the fulfillment she needed. I started to think about this strange world we live in -- the pressure/stress people feel at work and also the potential pressure people feel to have a list of hobbies/activities to make life interesting. If someone finds so much meaning in the work that they do that they devote their 'life' to it, should that not be celebrated? Is there a level of healthy workaholism?


A really brilliant colleague of mine shared a secret tip with me. At the end of each week she examines her spirit, reflecting on where she is at as a human being. This seemed like such a simple exercise, yet so powerful. And I think it holds the answer to my question about achieving work-life balance. I think by putting our working life and non-work life into separate boxes, we've artificially constructed this separation of self. Really, at the end of the day does it matter whether we are paid to find our oomph or if it comes from volunteering or other activities? Somedays I know my spirit soars from work (I'm really lucky that way), other days it's from spending time with family or friends...other days I get it on a run.

Anyway, today I was just reminded of how often we are hit with conflicting messages (work hard but don't work too hard) and become stressed out about scheduling in the 'stress relief' that we're told we need!

What I'm taking from today: Don't let life become a massive to do list, where even 'spirit lifting' activities become a chore. Do what energizes you -- and if that's work and YOU feel balanced, that's fine!

The Roots of a Movement?

I'm sure most of you are well aware of my well honed ability to mull! Lately the facebook cartoon campaign to end violence against children has been on my mind. I find that it is such an interesting concept; particularly insightful are the pockets of negativity that have been directed towards it.

As you read some of the earlier posts, you'll see that I am admittedly an idealist. I recognize that the world's problems won't be solved in a day, but I wholeheartedly believe that a solution is possible. This view makes me hurt when I see people 'complaining' or 'dismissing' people for changing their profile pictures. I know that the small act of switching a profile picture won't immediately improve how children are viewed in society (even though I really wish it could), but I will never dismiss its potential or question the intentions of those who do it.

All movements have had to start somewhere!! I was incredibly impressed how quickly it spread. People who I never expected would 'care' were some of the first to change their profile pictures. We were given a glimpse of how much people care about children -- and now comes the exciting part, leveraging that enthusiasm!! It's not that people are inherently lazy, but infrastructure is needed to support moving passion to action. :) BUT, we mustn't be like "all you suckers who thought you were making a difference by changing your pic need to follow it up with $, time, etc" ... instead let's acknowledge and embrace the first step people make! Not complain that it wasn't big enough!

:) I'm reminded of a quote by Margaret Wheatley "There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about". The discovering process takes time and in today's world maybe a facebook campaign to kick start it! Let's celebrate people caring, becoming engaged, finding their voice!


Lessons for today:
- Embrace people's passions! Assume people are coming from a place of good intentions.

- Celebrate what is! Forget about how you had hoped it would work or what you had expected to happen! Well not completely forget, but gently let it go! Be mindful of the learning opportunities, but don't let it impede your ability to be excited by the beauty of the lessons of the moment.

Embracing Learning Opportunities

I'm going to pull this blog out from hibernation!

Starting today, I'm hoping to capture at least one opportunity for learning!

Lesson # 1:

- Embrace youthfulness! :) In 10 years, I'll be kicking myself for all the wasted worry about my inexperience. Instead, I'm going to embrace the potential for growth.

Update! :)

Over a month has passed since my last post. It's crazy how time flies. I think I can describe my experience like a person who's never used a treadmill before. As I started I was a little uncertain about the fact that I was on this machine that was moving, I wasn't sure if I could handle it, how to react to it, etc. Then over time, I realized that if I kept putting one foot ahead of the other, I was ok. Walking, a skill I was familiar with already, could be applied to solve the problem. I had the tools to deal with it! Life is good! Then, just as I was getting comfortable with this walking thing, I began to notice that the speed was being altered... there were periods of increasing pace which took me off guard...but once again, just needed to get my bearings and do what I knew how to do. Then, just as I was getting comfortable again, the whole treadmill started to move upwards. A little less surprised by this "shake up", I knew I could manage the incline by adjusting my pace, maybe doing some strength training on the side to build up my strength and skills.

I think I mentioned this before, but I'm continuing to become more comfortable and excited to experience those uncomfortable moments where I'm pushed out of my element and forced to grow. It's fun to see how far my limits can be stretched.

Sports and Society

I'm so excited to see how the World Cup unfolds ... I just watched a clip on the news about how it is uniting South Africa. I find it incredible to think that sport holds so much power.

I've been listening to a lot of community members talk about community assets and memorable experiences where they felt connected and a lot are around sports. Building the local rink or playground, participating in community soccer leagues, going for nightly walks in the community were highlights in a lot of people's lives.

The potential of sport to contribute to the development of a better world is under-recognized...one day we'll finally get it.