There is something about the sweat dripping of my face, the mind raging with endorphins, and the lactic acid burning in my body that reminds me “I don’t feel this way by sitting on the couch!”
Sweat is earned.
After a sweatfest in Vancouver over the holidays, I became aware that my level of sweating had gone down substantially since moving to Copenhagen. Since I bike for at least 40 minutes every day, I’m on the move more than I was in Vancouver. However, the intensity (read: sweat factor) had severely decreased. So this past week I cranked it up by adding some new sweaty pursuits to my yoga practice – ensuring I was sweating once a day.
I took my new helmet (and new bike lights) out for their first 8 am ride of the year with the unofficial CBS MBA cycling team (also known as two rad classmates of mine). Leave it to them to find the only hills in Copenhagen! They like to sprint up hills, race each other along the seaside, and kick out 65 kms in -4 degree weather like its no big deal.
I don’t know which was more painful: the lactic acid building up in my quads or my toes going completely numb -slash- freezing. It reminded me of that time when Steph and I decided to do a crazy ride just to eat a cookie. It was great and I’m actually looking forward to the next one.
AND, after 25 years of having my siblings rule the pool, I joined a swim team. (Now all the Corker kids can smell like chlorine!) The first practices have been great. I’m slow – which motivates me to become fast. I also love being coached. Intentional feedback rocks my world – and my stroke!
2012. The year of swim-bike-shavasana. It’s my own little Scandinavian sweatfest.
On Saturday night, I took to the online airwaves to present two workshops on “Getting Out Of Your Own Way” for the UBC Student Leadership Conference with the best co-presenter I could have asked for, Krystal Gabriel. She was live and alive in Vancouver, while I was connecting in from Copenhagen via Skype. I loved it. It was different. It was challenging. It pushed me as a presenter. We won an award for it (#humbled). And, best of all, I learned a ton. Such as:
No matter how prepared I am, things can always go wrong.
30 minutes before the session, we are online, the sound works wonderfully, the video we are going to show is fully loaded, and we’re ready to begin. 5 minutes before the session, technology decides to stop working and I’m lost in cyberspace. Mini-”oh sh*t” moment, a few deep breathes, and we’re back online ready to make up the lost 5 minutes. “We got this,” I remind myself.
Seeing the audience is key.
Krystal faced the camera towards the live audience in Vancouver so I could actually see who we were presenting to. It made me feel less far away. Especially when I saw a familiar face or two in the crowd. (Thanks again familiar faces for being there by the way!)
There is no substitute for preparation.
Krystal and I spent enough time with the material itself and ran through the actual flow and dialogue of the presentation to ensure that, even if I couldn’t hear everything she was saying, I could know exactly where she was, what point she was driving home, and how to make a smooth transition into what I was supposed to say. The focus we put on this was much more intensive than either of us would do normally and the results were great.
It’s valuable to leave room to recover. And, whatever happens, it’s always recoverable.
While playing our video in session number 2, technology decided to play a game on us again and terminate my connection to Krystal. I looked at my blank screen and thought – “Well, the video is 2 minutes long. We have 2 minutes to get back online. Easy.” Switching presenters for different segments, playing videos, asking questions from the audience – all great things we added in just in case my connection went down and we needed to keep the flow of the presentation going. (Some may argue to include those in any presentation you give. I wouldn’t argue with them.) PS. Check out the video we used about what it looks like… and feels like… to get in our own way.
Do what makes a live presentation great.
Repeat the big points. Make them laugh to give their brain a break. Be vulnerable. Play fun music before and after the session. Have a dance party to said music. (Feedback said they liked that part ) Give them something they can use now. Leave space for silence (not hard to do when there is a slight delay in the conversation anyway due to it being online).
Follow and engage in the online conversation.
By following the hashtags of the conference, we were able to find out what people were tweeting about and incorporate that into our conversations (both on and offline). It made it feel more like I was actually a part of the conference and less like I was simply sitting in a room talking to a computer. It was also helpful to know where our audience was coming from so we could meet them with the right energy level.
Presenting with someone that loves it, rocks.
Krystal was a serious rock star. Not only does she love presenting (and can manage the bumps and hiccups along the way with complete ease), she loved the material as much as I did. We could have gone on for hours about the stuff we presented on. I know that if ever I come across a topic that I think “how will I EVER present this,” I know I am not the right person to be presenting on that topic. Listening to someone present what they are passionate about is friggin inspiring. Thanks Krystal for being the rock of the presentation and for inspiring me with your passion for living a really rad life!
(Digital high fives! Proof that we had a blast together!)
Thanks to all that made taking the plunge to online presenting great. Hope the rest of your day on Saturday was #awesome.
to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state
to make active or promote the growth of
to increase value or change the use of
The verb develop has the Latin prefix “de” meaning “away” or “off,” which, in English, generally indicates removal or reversal.
Other words with this prefix include: destroy, deactivate, deplane, detach, and defuse.
So maybe the process of developing someone (like ourselves) to this “more effective or advanced state” doesn’t require the addition of new skills and abilities. Maybe the process of developing ourselves calls us to remove things, to take things away, to get out of our way, in order to use the skills and abilities we already have and just haven’t been able to use effectively yet.
Development isn’t a game of Pokemon. We don’t need to catch em all – be them courses, skills, or habits. (That’s a fun game though!)
Development is a game rooted in archeology, where we dig deep to find the monumental treasures that were already inside us!
(Seemed an appropriate post considering that I am presenting at the UBC SLC tonight from Denmark on “Getting Out Of Your Own Way” with Krystal Gabriel. Can’t wait to rock my first digital workshop with her! #outofmyway)
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?
“Last weekend a young man asked me how I remain so positive.
“It seems all the negativity in the world doesn’t affect you,” he said.
I had no more than a minute with the young man so I offered this:
It’s all about where you choose to put your attention,
and I choose to be happy.”
What’s a holiday without a little 100 before 100 list crushing!?!
For Christmas, the lovely Danielle LaPorte bought me two handmade wrist malas (or prayer beads) from Tiny Devotions and, by doing so, helped me cross off #38 – Rock out with some handmade mala beads!
The black cord mala has beads of carnelian. Tiny Devotions says:
Carnelian is a very strong stone of abundance that restores vitality, creativity and motivation. It aids in success in business and is believed to aid concentration.
The purple cord mala has beads of jasper and sandalwood.
Jasper is known as the supreme nurturer that sustains and supports during times of stress. Jasper also inspires determination of all worthy pursuits. Sandalwood brings the elements of meditation and peace. It is calming and draws us within.
Thanks to D, I have one more tool to keep me honest about my intentions this year. I think this also means that I am also one step closer to being a full-fledged corporate hippie – the perfect amount of Wall St mixed with the perfect amount of Woodstock
… or whatever the Canadian versions of those are.
People who have been through a goal setting workshop or session with me know that I focus on really thinking with a mindset that “anything is possible” before starting to write down my 10 year vision. It helps me remove current restraints and really dream big. One of my favourite examples to explain this is to suggest that in 10 years I will be the President of the United States of America.
The things that currently deem this as “not possible” are current laws, my current level of experience (or rather inexperience) in the political system, and, probably most importantly, my current lack of any desire or drive to actually be the President of the United States. Since I was not born in America, the current laws say that I can’t be President. Consider, however, what would happen if in 5 years a law was passed that said ONLY Canadians can be the President of the United States. How would the current laws then stand in my way or help me in achieving my fictitious 10-year goal of being President? Would I still deem my goal “not possible?”
The video below was sent to me by one of my clients about the upcoming 2012 American election – and the fictitious Canada Party that is running. I had to laugh. Looks like more people are dreaming of what the States would be like if Canadians were running the show.
Things change. Plan for it.
Then do something to make that change happen.
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?
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”
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 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?
I am your biggest fan and your burst of energy. I am the possibility of community & empowerment; gratitude & vibrancy. I am here to change the world - by helping you change yours.
) Give them something they can use now. Leave space for silence (not hard to do when there is a slight delay in the conversation anyway due to it being online).
December:
