World Cup Passion

After my last post Larissa sent me a PM and asked why I wasn't posting something tied to the biggest sporting event in the world. Great point, so here I go.


Whether you are a soccer (football, fussball, futbal etc.) fan or not, the one thing that is utterly undeniable is the passion that is generated during the World Cup. (Disclaimer - I am German born and hence have a slight leaning towards the performance of a particular team). The players' excitement, the fans' exhilaration and the announcers emotion - it is fantastic!
Did you see the Mexican coach after his team scored the second goal against Croatia?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHVfeFoVles


The Mexican goalie runs to the coach to hug him and celebrate with him, as does the rest of the team. Of course they hug the goal scorer and applaud the person that made the pass, but more interestingly they want to share the moment with the coach.


Forgetting the exhilarating and truly thrilling passion, is it not interesting how some teams rally around their coach, their leader? We have, of course, the players that push everybody away so that they can celebrate in the limelight by themselves, but much more exciting and rewarding are the players who want to share the celebration with the team and the leader.


What a culture that coach must have brought to that team!


While I may not want my leader to necessarily jump for joy and hug me every time I reach a goal, there is something to be said for having a team that will come to you to celebrate their success, because they know you will celebrate with them. What a rewarding environment that coach must have brought to that team.


So while you may not be able to do that much about your leader, the more important question is:


What kind of leader do you want to be?

The Power of Habits

I was listening to CBC radio where they discussed an extreme case of habits. An FBI agent had been practicing disarming an individual with a gun. It was the same procedure every time:

• Stay calm

• Analyze the situation

• Approach the suspect in a non-threatening manner

• Look the person in the eye

• Quick movement, point the gun away from yourself

• Twist the gun out of the hand of the person with the gun

Every single time the FBI agent would hand the gun back to the partner and they would practice this over and over until it became a habit.

One day, said FBI agent encounters a person with a gun on the street. The FBI does everything like the training; analyzing, staying calm, removing the gun and then…gave the gun back to the suspect.

How could this happen?

It was the habit that was formed in training, perform the manoeuver and hand the gun back to the partner to do it again. In the real world situation, based on the habit that was formed over time, the same happened again. The gun was handed back.

What can we learn from this? Building habits can be a powerful influence in our lives. It can be both positive and negative. If you have a bowl of ice cream with every dinner, before you know it, it has become a habit. No meal will feel complete unless you have the ice cream.

So I guess what I’m challenging you to do it is to look at your habits, identify the negative ones and define what positive one you’d like to implement.

Remove the negative ones from your life. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

For the positive ones, schedule them every day into your calendar until they become a habit.

 

Best of luck!

Passion at work

There are some things that are so easy to be passionate about. One can get passionate about one’s spouse. It is easy to get passionate about one’s kids, watching them during their piano recital or playing with or coaching or watching them with their sports. My neighbour is passionate about his bicycling, he wears it on his sleeve and it is great to see! It is easy get passionate about hobbies and pastime activities; I love the freedom of my motorcycle!

That’s the easy stuff. How does one get passionate about or at work?  The number one way to get passionate about work is to start your own company in a field you love. You would put your all into it and it would be your passion. You would eat, live and breathe that company and your clients would benefit from it.

How about being passionate at the organization you work for? It is easy to push that responsibility off to someone else. I usually hear that senior management sets the corporate culture. If senior management isn’t passionate, how can I be passionate?

It’s all about attitude!

One person I work with greets me with a happy hello every morning and asks me how my evening was. Now there is a person who makes a conscientious effort to get up every morning with a smile on his face and greet a world full of opportunities.

So, passion can be generated internally and you have to generate it. If your organization is passionless, maybe it is up to you to create your own internal passion. I find passion infectious. Create passion in the little things you do and eventually the passion will take over you mindset. Try it. I think you’ll find you enjoy work more and so will others around you. If you can’t get passionate where you work, it may be time to move on.

Happy Easter!

I hope you have a great Easter weekend.


Spend the time with the family, contemplate what is important in your life and take the time to look ahead. Is your life how you thought it would be? If it isn't, change it! All the power is within you. All you need, is the first step. Do that this weekend.


Evaluate where you are today.


Look to see where you want to go.


See what it takes to get there.


Make the plan to get to where you want to go.


And most importantly...take the first step!


Have a great Ester weekend.

We all have to do some good...

Please support me on the ride by giving a donation.




Thanks and happy health!




The Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart: Mr. Oliver Huls - Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Ode to Parents

Ode to Parents

By Oliver Huls

 

Now that I have children of my own

And I understand

The love that you have

And the sorrow and joy you have felt

How can I ever thank you

 

You loved me

You hugged me

You taught me respect

You made me get a job

You held me when I cried

You implemented curfews

You taught me how to save

You made me clean my room

You were proud of my success

You taught me how to drive a car

You taught me how to ride a bike

You came and watched my sports

You disciplined me when required

You taught me how to eat properly

You had to know or meet my friends

You taught me the value of education

You sacrificed your time and money for me

You stayed up with me all night when I was sick

You encouraged me to work harder through my losses

 

So here I am

With kids of my own

And I finally understand

And I struggle how to tell you

How grateful I am

For the love you provided

But I’m proud to say

Because of the way you raised me

That I found a way to

Thank you

 

I will love my children

The way you loved me

The Dash by Linda Ellis

Have you ever read this poem? Have a read. It is a great reminder of why we were put on this earth. Save a copy, clip it to your bathroom window or something, but read it and read it often!

Do you have any other poems like this, please share!


I decide to take down the poem as the author is quite litigious. Look up "The Dash by Linda Ellis" on Google and you will find it.


Basically it is a motivational poem about making something of your life.

If you don't do it, someone else will...

Have you ever had one of those moments when you want to do something and then fear or nerves hold you back? I know I have. What I have figured out though, is that if you don't get over your fear, someone else will do it in your place.




Should you open up that new business? Yes! As long as you have done your research and your due diligence, then yes. Because if you don't, someone else will.




Should you apply for that new job? Yes! If you have researched the industry and the company and have found that it is a progressive company with a great cultural workplace attitude, then yes. Because if you don't, someone else will.


Should you approach you manager with that new cost saving idea? Yes! As long as you have though of the potential shortcomings or service interruption or quality, then yes. Because if you don't, someone else will.




I could give many more examples, but the point I'm trying to make is that you might as well go for it. I know somebody who had a great business idea, but just didn't have the gumption to take the leap. Of course, someone else came up with the same (or similar) idea and has done quite well for themselves through that new business. My friend is still mad at herself to this day.




There are times in life where, once you have done your research and your planning, you need to take the plunge. You need to go for it. If you need mentoring support or emotional support, surround yourself with the right team and take the leap.




What's that simple but oh so strong Nike slogan "Just do it!".

Faster, Higher, Stronger

OK, so I took some time off for the Olympics. What could be more motivational than watching the Olympics? I'm not talking about the person who was supposed to win, but the person who did his or her personal best and ended up on the podium - that's motivational!


The Olympic motto is faster, higher, stronger. Maybe we should put that on the mirror in our bathroom so we see that every morning! Imagine, rather than doing the routine, looking at everything we do; can we do it faster, can we set our goals higher and work stronger to get there? I think so! When I look around I see many people who are comfortable just being; just doing their jobs, not striving for anything, not exerting themselves at anything. That's ok, but then don't complain about your lot in life!


Were there any moments in the Olympics that you found motivational?


From the current just finished Olympics, I have to say the passionate way the Canadian ice hockey team responded late in the third period and then to go on and win the game that looked like a sure win for the USA? Inspirational!


I still remember Joannie Rochette when her mother passed away four days before her performance at the 2010 winter Olympics and she went out and competed anyway. Never mind the exceptional physical feats of the many - that is motivational.

LIFE: The Decision that Will Change Your Life

"Don’t yield to the great temptation to be accepted by others. Don’t allow others to tell you who and what you should be. Don’t succumb to circumstances that might imprison your life forever." Merv Hillier


The quote above and the points below are borrowed (see link for full article) from Merv Hillier. It's such a well written piece that I shared it with my staff and family alike.


Dare to be who you are meant to be!






"1. The Need for Acceptance
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a psychology theory on human motivation, is often interpreted as a pyramid representing how we are driven and motivated by various influencers: physiology, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualization. While self-actualization is at the top of the pyramid, our need for acceptance is of equal importance.
To illustrate this point, football and hockey were not my best sports in college. I excelled primarily at soccer and baseball. But in Canada, soccer and baseball had not yet risen to prominence, so to fit in and be accepted, I joined what every young Canadian should be a part of – a local hockey team. I had purchased all new equipment, and I looked really good. In my first game, I scored three goals. My team was impressed. Unfortunately, I didn’t score any more goals for the rest of the season, which was not so impressive. As a result, I was reassigned as a defenceman. It was decided that if I couldn’t score, at least because of my size, I could physically stop the other players from scoring. Throughout this experience, I allowed my need for acceptance to convince me that I should be part of something I was neither skilled at nor enjoyed.
In everyday life, we do much the same. To be accepted, we are convinced we must wear a certain brand, drive a particular car, live in a chosen neighbourhood, or dine at a specific restaurant. We are always under pressure to fit in and be accepted. For many, it becomes an obsession to the point of destruction. It can be exhausting, discouraging and demotivating, especially if we don’t receive the response we seek.
Why do we do that to ourselves?


2. Dealing with Difficult People
I am tired of people trying to define my life for me, especially difficult people. These types can be so imposing that their behaviour borders on bullying. I respect those who have been given exceptional responsibility and which may be reflected in a title, position and even wealth. However, their status does not give them the right to lord over me.
Over the last 37 years, I have dealt with many different types of people. Nonetheless, the ones who make me laugh are those who sit proudly in their chairs and highly believe in their own self-importance. Their style, language, comments, behaviours and attitudes are amusing. They actually believe there is a hierarchy of human value, of which they occupy the top rank. We are all created equal; no race, colour, age, gender, economy, culture, place, religion or philosophy has the right to value anyone more than others. Unfortunately, I have found that our personal anxiety and insecurity become the bully’s licence to manipulate and control our lives.
Why do we allow them to do this to us?


3. Dominated by Circumstances
Some of the circumstances in which we find ourselves can be debilitating. Whether it is a situation due to relationship, health, finances, location, employment, friends or family, it can be overwhelming. But circumstances do not and must not define us. Circumstances are temporal; they need not be permanent, nor must they be definitive.
I remember that one of my brothers was travelling a tough path early in his life. Each evening, he would sweep through the streets, looking for bottles that could be returned for cash. He would then use the money to purchase gas so he could drive to work the next day. Nonetheless, that circumstance did not define who he was, and he did not let it prevent his ability to achieve. He believed he was capable of great things. Within a year, he had changed jobs and was given an opportunity to restructure and develop a financial services business, which eventually made him a multi-millionaire.
Why do we submit to circumstance?"






http://cmao.informz.ca/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=5113&ptid=213&brandid=5021&uid=900064122&mi=385437&ps=5113

I have a dream…

One reads a lot about how one should stop dreaming and to be a realist instead. I disagree. We need dreamers in this world. Dreaming spawns imagination and imagination spawns new ideas and innovation. So dream away like all the great minds have done in the past. If we had a world of non-dreamers, maybe we wouldn’t have such things as electricity or cures for such maladies as polio.

I remember an old manager of mine telling me that you need to dream of things you want or want to change. You need to put it in your screensaver or in a little note or some photos that you look at as you start your day, every day. Of course, once you have dreamed it, you’ll need to prepare a plan to see how the dream is to be realized, but I would argue – no dream – no prize.

On another day I’ll write about how hard it is and how badly you must want it to turn the dream into a reality, but for now…dream! Let your imagination run wild.

100%

I was watching the 2014 Grammys with my daughter Sunday night. Watching Kendrick Lamar & Imagine Dragons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6vJJzAjieU and watching the crowd react to the performance just got me thinking. There was passion and enthusiasm galore by the entertainers.
They were not checking their e-mails, they were not thinking what they were going to do after the show. They were 100% focused on their task, the on-stage performance.


Here is my take-away. Give 100% to everything you do. When you are meeting somebody, don't check your e-mail, don't answer your phone - give that person 100% attention.
When you are working on a project at your desk, don't answer the phone, don't check your e-mail - give the project 100% of your time.


When you are going to watch you kids play soccer, put away the phone, clear your mind and enjoy the game. More importantly after the game, give them 100% of your attention.


In this world of so-called multi-tasking it sometimes feels like nothing is getting done to its fullest potential while lots of things get done at not quite the optimum level of performance.


It's like many other things you want to do different, you have to think about it, force yourself to do it every time until it becomes a habit. After it becomes a habit you won't even have to think about it because it'll just be part of your personal make-up.


So make a conscientious effort to give 100% attention to whatever it is you are doing at the time. I think you'll find that you'll make a better employee, perform better in all you do, be a better parent and spouse and become a better person overall.

I don't know

When is the last time you heard somebody say "I don't know"?
Why won't people say "I don't know"?
It seems that nowadays everybody is an expert on everything. Rather than getting a mediocre explanation or solution on a topic that somebody does not know anything, or very little about, wouldn't you rather get an honest "I don't know". How refreshing would that be? I don't know, but let me look into it or let me do some research.
In this new world of Google search everybody truly believes that by reading a one or two paragraph excerpt in Wikipedia you will become an expert or can talk about something with authority.


Don't get me wrong, I have and do use Google search for all kind of things to get answers and learn but...


Is the job environment so competitive that we are afraid to admit we don't know something?


I don't know.

Make the play...

Doing the Leafs game last night Harry Neal made a comment on "making plays. It went something like this:


There are some people who make the plays, some people who watch the plays and some who miss the plays...


It just got me thinking that you have a choice, if you put your mind to it.


Which one do you want to be?


I'm a Leo, so I want to make the play. It works great on a sports analogy. I used to play soccer and the passion I had for that game was second to none, at that time. Nobody would beat me on the side as I was so determined to not let anybody. I would get the ball, because I wanted that ball more than anybody else.


So what is different in everyday life or your working life?


I think the key is twofold, find the passion and make it a habit.


If you were passionate about sports or music or whatever it was, how can you transfer that passion to everyday situations? I would offer that one accomplishes that through small steps. If you want to start jogging, don't just say you want to go jogging. Rather read up on it, research it, talk to some friends, get excited about it. Build up the passion. Find our what steps need to be taken to be successful.


Then you build it into a habit. But even building the habit should happen in small steps. Don't try to run 20km on the first day! Build it up so that you can succeed, so you don't lose the passion! You set the alarm 40 minutes early every day and you go. After awhile it isn't all that hard and after a little longer, you'll feel strange not doing it. Then you know that you have built your habit!


Make it happen, be the person that makes the play...

Strive

Good Monday morning.


It will probably take me a little while to get the hang of weekly or is it daily updates?


Here is something I posted on LinkedIn when Mandela passed away.


It seems appropriate to post to start the new year 2014!

Strive.

Strive to forgive.

Strive to be ethical.

Strive to be honest.

Strive to be selfless.

Strive to be humble.

Strive to be resilient.

Strive to do what is right.

Strive to lead by example.

Strive to act with humility.

Strive to live with a purpose.

Strive to believe in something.

Strive to treat others as equals.

Strive to leave behind a legacy.

Strive to meet fear with courage.

Strive to continue to educate yourself.

Strive to stand behind what you believe in.

Strive to let your actions speak for yourself.

 

Strive to be…