The Priorities of the Public

Recently my attention was diverted to the television where I noticed that not only are there still quite a few realities shows around but they now seem to have taken a dark and sad twist. We are privy to the details of peoples lives through shows such as "Intervention", "16 & Pregnant", "The 680 lb Virgin", and "Hoarders". I bring this depressing little corner of American media up because it got me thinking about people and their priorities.

In the beginning of each "Hoarders" episode, the producers introduce you to the people profiled and there is a caption on the screen which reads that "3 million Americans have the disease of hoarding", that many live with the condition for their entire lives undetected and that it is a crisis that brings them to rectify their living situation and deal with their disease.

These folks seem like good people, many of them are either raising children or have raised children in what can only be described as absolute squalor. The homes are always rental properties and the people have always had financial issues which are exacerbated by the spending and wasting involved in their lives.

Now of course this is an extreme example about the skewed priorities of regular people highlighted by A&E or other media outlets for the horrification and entertainment of the general public but I was thinking about the priorities of the people I see on a day to day basis. Generally their own health is pretty close to bottom of the list. Typically it is work, kids, home, spouse, themselves (but this can mean anything from a Sunday of golf with two hours at the nineteenth hole to a massage). Until recently when I met this woman who had had enough and decided to realign her priorities. She has a twelve year old son and a highly demanding job which requires her to move every 2-4 years and after ten years of this and gaining an additional 30 pounds she has had enough.

So much of what we talk about is the 5 Spheres - Social, Intellectual, Spiritual, Physical, Emotional. It is interesting to see the result in someones life when these are dramatically off-kilter. It is incredibly easy to do within our own little bubble but important beyond words to help those that are asking for it to see where they need to add that balance.


-Angela Tames

The Learning Curve

First day back at school for a lot of kids today - so in honor of this occasion, I dedicate this blog to the idea of continued education...

Last year, I went to renew my certification and chose to do it through a different governing body than I had previously done - it meant going back in and re-learning a lot of basic principles that I figured I already thought I knew (and although I knew them - I quickly realized that I didn't know them as well as I had assumed...!). This year, I'm going to be adding on a couple of more certifications - one is a variation on the first, but the other is in a system, or line of thinking anyway, which is far more developed than anything I've been using so far.

It's humbling. And the whole process has made me realize two things - firstly, that for everything I know, there's a hundred variables that I don't... but more importantly, that I love continuing to learn.

They say "ignorance is bliss" - and I suppose, on some level, it is. Before I knew how much I didn't know, I was ignorant to how much more I need to learn - and I think it's an exponential paradox. The more I learn, the more I need to continue learning...

And I'm loving every minute of it.

~Guy

true rules

With September charging along, our final quarter is approaching. Our fourth quarter sets ourselves and our year up for success. This planning of our success carries over to next year and so on and so on…

What is success? I would like to share with you a set of rules that measure success. This is actually a contract created by some innovative parents for one of their young boys. But after reading through, it is amazing how simple yet effective the concept is.

What if we all (us, friends, families, customers) followed this contract to a tee?

Pillars of Success.

1. Manners.
· I look people in the eyes when they are talking to me
· I say please and I say thank you when asking for & receiving things
· I say pardon when I have not heard what someone has said
· I address adults as Mr. or Mrs. _____ (even if they say “call me xx”)
· I go to the door and greet people with Hello when they arrive and Goodbye when they leave.
2. Integrity.
· I act the same as I would act if mom or dad was around, when they are not.
· I treat people with the respect and dignity with which I’d like to be treated
· I do what I say I’m going to do when I say I’m going to do it.
· I tell the truth, no matter how bad I think it is
· I accept responsibility for both good and bad things that may happen as a result of my behavior.
3. Focus.
· I focus on the task in front of me at 100% and not something else.
· When I’m playing sports, it’s on that sport
· When I’m in school, it’s on the teacher & task
· When I’m at play, it’s on having a good time.
· I do not interrupt or disrupt other people’s focus.
4. Effort.
· I give 100% of what I’m capable of every day, every play (in work and play)
· I do not give up. I keep trying until I find the solution or answer.
· I do not take short cuts. There are no short cuts in real life
· Where there’s a problem – I focus on the best & quickest solution possible.
· I realize losing & failure are a part of real life and sometimes, despite my best effort I will have to deal with losing and failure. I will do this with class.
5. Confidence.
· I believe that I am a good, hard working, smart, able boy.
· I believe that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to doing.
· I don’t accept put downs or negative criticisms from others
· I Can I will I Am.

With a couple modifications here and there, this template needs to be followed by as many people as possible. Print this off and look at what you can do during the next week.

Can you follow this contract?

thanks matt

Think Outside the Box

Charles H. Duell, Director of the US Patent Office once said, ‘Everything that can be invented has been invented.’ That was in 1899: clearly he was in the box!

Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally or from a new perspective. The basic idea is that to be creative you need to challenge your own assumptions and look at things from a fresh angle. You need to break out of conventional thinking formed by past experience. The phrase is generally held to have originated with the classic ‘nine-dot’ creativity puzzle.

Get a pen and some paper and copy the nine dots arranged in a square above. To solve the problem, you need to join all nine dots by drawing no more than four straight lines. The straight lines must be continuous – i.e. you must not lift your pen from the paper once you start drawing.

If you’re like most people, you will have tried to solve the problem by keeping your lines inside the ‘box’ created by the dots. But if you look at the instructions, there is no requirement to do this. So have another go at solving the problem, allowing yourself to draw outside the box.

The lesson of this exercise is that we can’t solve the problem as long as we are thinking ‘inside the box’ created by our assumptions. Once we start to think ‘outside the box’ we open up many more possibilities and it becomes easy to solve the problem. This is true in so many areas of life – our education, past experience and habitual thinking patterns keep us trapped in limiting assumptions. It takes a real effort to challenge the assumptions and think 'outside the box'.

The Big Decision...

IMC

This past Monday morning, I made the decision and registered for next year’s Ironman Canada. After spending the weekend in Penticton and feeling the unbelievable energy that surrounds this event and then watching the race on Sunday – the decision was easy – and I can honestly say I have never been so ecstatic about anything before.
From the moment that I saw the swimmers in the water with their pink and blue swim caps and the sun hitting their wetsuits, to hearing disc wheels fly by and then the look of complete elation when the runners where coming down the last stretch knowing they were steps to victory – I knew that I needed to be in their shoes – everything just clicked.
More importantly, I would have to say; watching Scott, Chris, James and Caroline complete their first Ironman was absolutely amazing and inspirational. Seeing them throughout the day – as they rode, ran and crossed the finish line was unbelievable. Their dedication, drive, physical and mental strength throughout their year of training was perfectly exemplified this past Sunday and was astonishing to watch.

Completing an Ironman has always been on my to-do list. As one of the world’s most prestigious events, it would always come up in the back of my mind and I knew that one day I would complete one – and my time is now. The excitement for this upcoming year cannot even be put into words. All I do know, is that my heart skips, and I start to smile when I think about running into the water at 7am with 2500 other people to start my 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42.2km run.
The very early mornings, the brick sets, the back-to-back days, and the longs hours are what I’m looking forward to. It is going to be an amazing challenge on a variety of levels. Physically, mentally and emotionally it is going to be a journey of a lifetime – one which I will never forget – starting from the moment I knew that this was what I was going to do.
The next year is not going to be easy – it will have it ups and downs. However, what I do know is that August 31, 2010, I will be a competitor at Ironman Canada.

-Nina Mathers

Ego

Anyone else following what's going on with the Phoenix Coyotes? I mean, if you're an NHL fan, you most likely know what's happening - but how about everyone else?

In a nutshell: Jim Balsille, and incredibly wealthy businessman (co-CEO of Research in Motion - the Blackberry empire) has been trying to buy an NHL franchise for years. He's done things the right way, the wrong way - any way possible, really, to try and get a team... and the big thin is, he wants that team to be in Canada. Meanwhile, for the last fifteen years or so, Gary Bettman (the commissioner of the NHL) has been pushing the NHL's expansion - specifically into the States. In his tenure, he's added the Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He's also relocated the Minnesota North Stars to Dallas, the Quebec Nordiques to Denver and the Winnipeg Jets Phoenix.

There's your back story.

Now Balsille and Bettman have a bit of a history - Bettman has already blocked Balsille's attempt to buy a team when Balsille was making a bid on the Nashville Predators... and even then, he planned to move the team to Hamilton. And here's where it would appear that ego seems to be getting in the way...

Frankly, I don't know a lot about Balsille - and admittedly, we may only be getting the "pro-Balsille" slant in Canada, since he's a) Canadian, and b) trying to bring another team back (nobody in Canada has ever forgiven Bettman for moving the teams to the States). Truthfully, Balsille may be a complete dillhole for all I know.

But Bettman? Bettman's ego seems to be standing in the way of the process from occurring naturally. Yes, they need to be careful about selling franchises - given that the performance of one is a reflection of all of them, and terfore we need to ensure that every person who has $200+ million dollars can't just buy a team on a whim - but at the same time, the Coyotes are losing money every single year. And this, in my opinion, is where the ego is exposed...

Remove Balsille from the equation. The Coyotes are in such financial straits that they had to declare bankruptcy - so when someone comes in with a bid that's significantly larger than the other ones, with a business plan that projects an audience and growth equal to or better than what's being seen in Phoenix (or ost of the other expansion teams for that matter), why stop it from happening?

Well, if you're Bettman - you'd have to admit you were wrong. You'd have to acknowledge that putting a hockey team in Atlanta, Nashville, etc... was a bad idea. You'd have to expose yourself to the possibility that, despite what you've been working on for the last 15 years... may not be the right direction.

Learn from this. Learn to take yourselves and your ego, feelings, persona - out of the equation. Recognize that although some of the things you've done may have been great - you can't possibly be right all the time. AND - times/circumstances change... sometimes you have to be willing to adjust to them, or watch everything you've accomplished begin to fall apart.

Every good leader needs ego - you must have the strength of conviction to see things through the tought times and make them work, not flipping your position in moments of adversity. BUT - and here's the hard part - every great leader knows when it's time to admit you may have been wrong.

Are you good? Or great?

~Guy

2weeks in the land down under..

On Aug 18th, 9pm we walked into VVR and left for Australia. An adventure in the making from the past year which stemmed from a world record ride in 2007.
We approached the check-in desk with excitement and handed over our passports. ‘What are in these boxes?’ the Air Canada rep asked us. ‘Bikes’, we replied, ‘We’re riding from Cairns to Melbourne in 8days to raise awareness for Juvenile Diabetes’Startled she asks, ‘With your push bikes!?
This would be the first of many questions asked to us the entire time we were on the road in Australia and we would soon find out way.
Some history..That world record ride was competed just 2yrs ago. A promise made from a dad to his daughter that he would heal her. A group of committed individuals came together and planned out a 5man reply ride across Canada. In their efforts, a Gunnies Book of World Records was established and with close to 1million dollars were raised for Juvenile Diabetes the event was an overall success.Just 1yr ago we were contacted to develop a major event for a group of friends and with a second Canada relay in planning stages, an Australian reply would be that extreme effect they were searching for.Training protocols were designed in Canada and ground operations and media were controlled by Australia. We later found out that Nelson works on big movies and can literally make time stand still on set – logistics were under way.With an unexpected drop in the world economy and a couple major natural disasters in Australia, the money was not coming in as expected and coincidently the group first interested were all dropping out. Literally the last one the day we got there.
Regardless, with planning, caring and focus the ride was going to happen and would be successful.
At times we seem to forget or not believe that WE CAN achieve what we aspire to. Yet, it's only a matter of setting out the plan (setting goals), having the confidence to do it (believing), and putting in the work to make it a reality (executing the plan) ~ Curtis Christopherson
On our flight to Sydney our 16hr trip was upgraded to business class which gave us a bed to sleep in versus a seat. Wow, that’s the way to roll. This was again, the first of many lucky moments during our 2weeks in the land down under.
Matt, Curtis and I took off on the 18th but arrived on the afternoon of the 20th. Jumping from Sydney to Cairns we arrived in a summer oasis even though it was their winter. A group of 3Australians picked us up. We knew it would be an interesting time when they showed up wearing all the riding gear driving the van. Nelson (ground operation), Micky P (sponsorship and media) and Cameron (rider and comic relief) Our first night was spent getting to know each other and let’s just say that we enjoyed Cairns hospitality..the next morning was slower than normal, but the day was spent preparing the vehicles, bikes and last minute details. By this time we were getting to know the rest of the team. Steve arrived (the 5th rider) and Andrew (filmer). The whole team was amazing and their general attitudes from the beginning were so solid… generous and caring hearts mixed with an Australian personality is a winning mix.
Our daily rides were commonly started off with an hour group ride followed by 2hr solo shifts until dark including a group ride into town. Our plans included hotels in the beginning because of permit issues with riding at night, but we soon figured out that riding at dusk until dawn is actually very dangerous. The roads are full of wildlife and trucks driving in teams to save gas (ironically bikers ride in teams to save energy)
Day1 was a ride to Townsville which was full of riding through sugar cane fields and farm land. With hills in the distance one really gets the feeling of open space. The temperature is gorgeous and the rest of the scenery is breath taking. We stayed in a very cool hotel in Townsville and had a great meal down the street from our restaurant. Funny thing while we were getting ready for dinner, we were taking turns in an ice bath (this causes fresh warm blood to get in there to warm you up later and clears the lactic acid out of the muscles – a huge deal when needing to recover from physical activity) anyway, mid ice bath the fire alarm went off and we all piled outside wearing shorts and towels. Meeting what seemed to be 100ppl behind a restaurant dressed that way was pretty funny…
Day2 was a hot ride to Mackay. The card games in the back of the RV, the hilarity of our cultures coming together while riding the east coast of Australia was proving to be noticeably the best road trip ever. The time together was spontaneous, fun and interesting. We were learning about each other and Matt, Curt and I were getting passed major information from our new friends about their land and we were all witnessing the visuals right in front of us…
Day3 was spent riding towards Rockhampton. The morning was misty and crisp. This quickly was replaced with some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the surrounding areas…we ate sugar cane standing in a field, we saw many wild animals and birds and experienced new foods like; pies, monkey burgers and ice poles...my stomach was sore from laughing all the time!
Day4 we raced to Brisbane. This was a long day with hard riding, a stop by police and lots of photography. Everything was a treasure waiting to be seen. This day, the team was comfortable with each other spirits were total high as even the support crew (everyone) took turns riding. All the guys gave it a try and rode with us on occasion. They all looked great out there!
Day5 was a big media morning in Brisbane followed by a tricky departure of the city. The morning was difficult, but we were rewarded with some of the most amazing riding ever. What if you could ride your bike at Surfers paradise and then end up taking a quick dip at Byron bay…unbelievable.We slept in the RV just outside of Port Macquarie with our focus of getting to Sydney the following day.
Day6 was a long push into Sydney. The riding was hilly and big. The heat was pounding down on everyone. We were working very hard. The recovery time is important and we seemed to balance everything well. The moral was consistent and the energy stayed positive. We arrived a sunset into Sydney and just made it to ride across the harbour bridge into the sunset with the opera house to our side. The visuals were absolutely amazing and with a quick fix of Curt’s bike on route keep the team rolling together.It was a little colder in Sydney was we were getting lower down the coast, the city seemed like home and we really enjoyed the pizza and beer we found down by the water…
Day7 started off with a media event at the opera house and an amazing ride out of Australia’s largest city. We rode through forests and along beaches…cliffs and coves…towns and estates, this ride was the greatest of all time. We rode along the sky sea bridge which hangs out over the cliffs as it curves right off the side of the mountains. Many car commercials have been filmed there because of the raw beauty and architecture.To help us appreciate the positives there must always be a little adversity along the way. That night we hit and killed a very large kangaroo. This only enforced the decision to not ride at night and to finding the solution of doing 200km pickups from time to time to stay on track. Safety first was proving to be the best option.
A very late night by all and an early start for Day8 into Melbourne. We camped along the way near Twin Rivers. There was plenty of riding to do before arriving at our finishing point. We had come so far and the entire time felt like so much longer. The long road traveled with providing us with a challenge through adversity into victory. The team dug deep to get us to our final destination…Melbourne
We arrived to a staging point where we repaired our second flat, ate some baked goods and met up with a rider for the last 30min cruise. The entire ride at times felt like home and our last moments felt like we were on Point Grey road (bigger and better maintained mind you!) the team exchanged smiles and pats on the backs. We came around the corner and were met by a party at a swim club. The last of its kind in Melbourne where there are bars in the water enclosing a shark free zone built in the early 1900s. High fives and a jump off the pier completed the ride.
We did it! The final celebration began and believe me, the last 30hrs in Australia was jammed full of fun and good times…the travel home on the 31st coincidentally was about that long as well…
The teams wished each other well, friendships have been created and memories were established.
Thank you to all who made this trip possible for us. Your kind words support and positive energy was appreciated.
We completed what we set out to do. Raise awareness for Juvenile Diabetes and ride across a country with friends…what’s next?

Be sure to experience everything posted on our Innovative Fitness group page on www.facebook.com 2007 world record ride www.teamh2v.com2009 Cairns to Melbourne in 8days www.cyclebetes.com.au