This video reminds me of the influence we can have when we choose to act consistently in a way that serves the world. Others get pissed off. They want to bring us down with them. Their playing small wants to keep us from playing big.

School Portrait (2011) from Michael Berliner on Vimeo.

It’s easy to give in. It’s also just as easy not to. Keep smiling, yo.

Pick of the Post: Pink – Heartbreak Down

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1. The Hidden Power of Smiling
2. Inspiration From Vulnerability
3. Enjoying the moment

Pick of the Post: We Are The In Crowd – Never Be What You Wnat

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Consider for a minute that the world, and humanity, had a right way of operating.

I ask you to consider this because we currently don’t live in that world. Laws, social interactions, gods, diets, languages used, business models, mindsets, educational systems, and moral and ethical practices (to name a few) all differ around the world and have been adopted as the right way of operating by certain populations – not all. Since there are many people that believe they have discovered this ultimate “right way,” it could be suggested that we currently live in a world that has many right ways of operating. And that no one really knows who is correct or not.

So, considering all of a sudden that there was an epiphany in our collective humanity and we all saw, understand, and followed an “ultimate right way,” we would then have a clear understanding of what the wrong way of living would be as well. I begin to wonder what would happen if who I was and what I did, today, fell under being wrong.

What if, under the ultimate right way, vision and goal setting was considered wrong and detrimental to society?
What if that transformational course or influential text I looked to for answers was wrong and full of lies?
What if the people I hung out with, who I considered to be spearheading the next revolution, were actually the ones promoting the wrong way of living?
What if the companies and organizations I supported with my money and time were blacklisted for being evil and corrupt?
What if the way I lead a team, the way I spoke, the way I spent my Saturday nights, the way I spent my Sunday mornings, the way I dressed, the way I thought, the way I presented a workshop, the way I danced, the way I made money, the way I showed gratitude, …. were all wrong?

They could be.

I don’t know.
In our world of many right ways, no one does.
We all have really good guesses though. We all have our right way that we would be willing to share. So I ask myself “What if I turned out to be wrong?”

Would I have spent my life in a tunnel-vision, judging others and their way of living, protecting my right (and ultimately wrong) ways and condemning their wrong (and ultimately right) ways.
Or would I have spent my life showing love and grace to myself and others, remaining rooted in my way yet able to incorporate, celebrate, and see the good in others’ ways.

If everything that I said, did, and believed in was wrong – would I still be proud of who I was for this world?

Pick of the Post: Florence + the Machine – Spectrum

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1. There’s Nothing Wrong With You (or Me)
2. All Talk, Wrong Action
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I make commitments at the beginning of each new year. What I wrote for my commitments for 2011 still rings true for why I do it today.

Resolutions die. Goals get accomplished and edited. But what we are committed to endures.

After updating my goals at the beginning of the month – to start the new calendar year with a BANG – it got me thinking about what I am committed to for the year. What can I commit to to ensure I am adding value to the world?

I dedicate 2012 to the following commitments:

1) Be Here, Now.

In the challenges, in the best of times, in the detours, in the adventures, in completing a list of things to do, in my yoga practice, in studying for exams – I am committed to take each day moment by moment. Refocusing my energy to enjoy what each moment brings. Every moment is a chance for me to be true to myself, my word, and what you read on this site. Every moment is also a chance for me to change the world.
2012 is about being fully in that moment. Now.

2) Lead with Love.

In all that I will do, start by adding more love to the situation. Before diving deeper into a difficult conversation, an opinionated argument, or a stressed out team environment, I am committed to being the one that brings a breathe of fresh air to myself and to others around me. I will be in it with them (be here, now), yet come from a place of love, grace, and forgiveness.
EPIC, JUICY love may just be the answer to what 2012 has in store.

Feeling for 2012:

Danielle asked Steph and I over Christmas dinner: “How do you want to feel in 2012?” In every area of your life, what do you feel like … happy, epic, challenging, rewarding, joyous? The feeling I offered in response, that still resonates with me now, is:

SEXY!

I’m talkin’ law of attraction attractiveness, meets humble inner confidence, meets big bold adventures, meets sweaty workouts and healthy bodies, meets standing in awe of something breathtaking (an accomplished goal or a beautiful beach sunset perhaps), meets crazy passionate love, meets magnetic personalities that live the dream every day, meets handstands in the middle of the room! It feels very Bold Affinity to me – which is perfect. My commitments will be fired up by this feeling.

So – what are you committed to for 2012? How do you want to feel this year?

Pick of the Post: Enrique Iglesias – I Like How It Feels

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1. Commitments for 2011
2. The 2012 American Election – Vote Canada
3. Benevolence by Jason Mraz

Every year I love writing this post. It allows me to take the time to reflect on where I came from, who played a large part in my life over the last year, and remember the rad adventures that made me smile from ear to ear. It’s like a yearbook of awesome. I especially love it this year as it is making this layover en route back to Copenhagen fly by (pun intended?).

As seen through the highlights of 2008, 2009, and 2010 – lots has changed. With a humble heart and really huge dose of gratitude, I share with you the best moments of 2011:

January

• Geeked out with Conor et all as we watched online when Sauder took home School of the Year at JDC West “one more time”
• Presented another award-winning workshop at the UBC Student Leadership Conference

February

• Got accepted into my MBA program at the Copenhagen Business School
• Spread a little love for yogis on Valentine’s Day with NoMoSolo
• Spent the weekend on Bowen with Zoe & Haas updating our vision + goals and laughing until we cried (I love that this is now a tradition!)

March:

• Celebrated borderless friendship when my fav gents from Ontario flew out west to join us for a hippie party and a road trip to the Great Big Sea concert

• Witnessed Peter’s epic surprise proposal to Joe. Holy love fest!
• Met a man that reminded me what it feels like to fall head over heels in love.
• Went up to Whistler to experience Camp Drishti 1 and to uncover my inauthentic leadership

April:

• Cheered like a maniac at my first roller derby with Woo and DFern. Go Public Frenemies!
• Headed back to Whistler for Camp Dristi 2 and experience the igolu principles by Susanne Conrad
• Snowshoe’d and ear candled the weekend away with sis in beautiful Manning Park

May:

• Cheered and clapped REALLY loud for Conor at his first performance with the Vancouver Men’s Chorus
• Rocked the stage at UBC Alumni Weekend with a session on Why Goals Are Not Enough
• Kicked an hour off my time at the BMO Vancouver Marathon thanks to a rad group of people

June:

• Re-vamped my blog with the help of the brilliant artist Michael
• Celebrated my Mom’s birthday out west. Real goodness + real conversations + real wilderness = real love.

July:

• Played my first round of golf on Bowen with Joe, Peter, and Preston
• Cheered on my best friend from a distance as he conquered the Spartan Death Race

August: (this month was E-PIC!)

• Headed down to Portland for the weekend with the best group of friends a guy could ask for

• Front. Row. At. Jason. Mraz. (need I say more?)

• Raced around in mud at the Whistler Warrior Dash

• Crushed my 100 before 100 – bungee jumping, hot air ballooning, making chocolate by hand…
• Celebrated my birthday with a rad party and a hilarious camping trip
• Said goodbye – to Vancouver, to my relationship, to my job – to say hello to the Life Europa

September:

• Moved to Copenhagen to start my MBA at the Copenhagen Business School
• Discovered Hamsa Yoga Studio - and the great people that are a part of that community
• Supported imagine1day’s 1 School 1 Day event with a run around Copie

October:

• Rocked out on a mat with Carlson when he came to visit

• Was a tourist in my own town during Culture Night
• Headed to London to rock out with the lululemon crew at the London Yoga Show and reconnect with friends from Van

November:

• Lifted Martin with two fingers at “Leadership Bootcamp” with my class thanks to some Butanese magic
• Made a Van-fam dinner with Calvin, Bonn, and Lanie

December:

• Partied the night away at a memorable Julefrukost with my classmates – fake mustaches, snapps, and all

• Had the best 2 weeks vacationing in Vancouver! Laughing with Steph at 6 am, getting sweaty with some of Vancouver’s finest people and instructors, dance partying (at every opportunity), eating great pie and sushi, meeting new friends who I believe will be shining in my life for a while, jamming on leadership theories, dating for 6 days, playing board games til the wee hours of morning (to FINALLY beat FLam at Settlers) – it was all so perfect. Thanks for the monumental end to 2011.

Holy wow. What a year. Correction: what a LIFE!
And now it’s 2012! Here we go again…
What are you celebrating from this past year?

Pick of the Post: Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

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1. The Highlights of 2010
2. The Highlights of 2009
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‘Twas the night before leaving, and all through the house.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (*phew*)
The luggage was loaded by the front door with care
In hopes that 4 am soon would be here.

The rest of the city all snug in their beds
Trying to recover from the snapps in their heads.
With Kristina in her room, and I down the hall
I was trying to bide time before my departure, that’s all.

When out from my playlist there rose such a clatter
I sprang to my comp to see what was the matter
A great little ditty had started to play
And my only response, “a dance party? Ok!”

The moon on the breast of the rain lined streets
Nothing was distracting me from these beats.
When what do my wandering eyes do appear
But my online booking, (this is where Kai would cheer)

With a click of a button, I was already set
For two-weeks in Vancouver (after 19 hours on a jet).
More rapid than eagles I’m glad airplanes fly
Cause I just can’t wait for the good times to arrive.

“Now sushi! Now dancefloors! Now laughing ’til we sleep!
On yoga! On jam seshes! On parties with rad peeps!
To the top of the mountains! To the edge of the seawall!
With my sis! And the crew! We’ll LTD it all!”

And then, in a twinkling, I looked at the time
It was almost the moment when my alarm was to chime.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
I smiled a big smile – I was Copie Airport bound!

I sprang to the metro, leaving my bike behind
Now excited to see what inflight moves I’d find
So hear me exclaim, as I leave out of sight
“Merry Christmas dear Copie, and to Van – see you Monday night!”

(In the meantime, enjoy this pick of the post – straight from my dance party to yours)

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When the internet shuts down in my apartment, does it mean that the internet no longer exists in the world?

No. It means that the way in which I am receiving it has changed. It means that in order to experience the internet again I may have to make some requests (from the handy repair guy), change my way of receiving it (from laptop to iPhone), or change my situation (hello coffee shop).

Taking steps forward seems easy when it’s something like the internet. Why don’t we apply this same framework to the other things that are omnipresent in the world?

Happiness.
Success.
Community.
Love.

People and circumstances will change. These things, however, will never leave us. They simply come in different forms at different times in our lives. To experience them again we need to make requests (of ourselves or of someone else), redefine what they mean to us (to change how we experience them), or change our situation (make a choice and act on it).

Just like the internet, Love didn’t go anywhere.
Love is always already here.

Pick of the Post: Nero – Crush On You

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What happens when I hear lyrics like this? Or watch a documentary about youth doing this? Or listen to a speech about this? I am moved to add my voice into the conversation, into the campaign, into the revolution.

The revolution I am adding my voice to is bigger than the (albeit important) determination of who has what rights and privileges. It’s about making love win, everywhere. Because when love wins, laws, privileges, and relationships shift (especially the ones we have with ourselves). When love wins, we celebrate and connect with people for who they are and what they’re up to in the world. When love wins, we are able to see what is possible in every area of our life and with everyone we meet. When love wins, we create relationships and practices that give back to ensure our global community can excel – naturally, socially, and spiritually.

Consider that we all didn’t wake up this morning by accident. That there is a purpose, a mission, a revolution that we are meant to be a part of. Some of us may be on the same revolution, others focusing their energy on a different one. The commonality is that the simple act of waking up is another reminder to us saying “Hey – you’ve got work to do here. The revolution you’re a part of still needs you.”

If this was true, what would you do today?

We will always have a choice. When you stand up to be counted, tell the world “This is my voice! There are many like it. But this one is mine.”

- Shane Koyczan

Pick of the Post: The Saturdays – My Heart Takes Over

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On December 6th, Hilary Clinton gave this powerful speech at the United Nations in Geneva. Her main message: since all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, human rights are LGBT rights. It is worth listening to – and then shared.

In a world where language creates my reality, I often ask myself: “Am I speaking words that give life or words that take life away?”

Thank you Secretary Clinton for breathing a ton of life into this world.

Pick of the Post: Nabila – Trouble

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