Team Dance

Choreographed a dance this morning, took the better part of an hour to do about a minute of music. It made me appreciate the value of teamwork; there were twelve of us, and we hit our groove. The ideas flowed and there was a great buzz of creativity. I was shocked when we checked the clock, because I had hardly noticed the time. There was very little arguing as we all headed toward our common goal. The dance itself was a very Charleston/jive piece and a whole bunch of fun.

There are a few things that make me loose track of time: teaching, writing, dance and reading (I will forego sleep to devour a great book). These are things I am passionate about and strike a chord within me; I find that I can flow in a manner that is productive and pleasurable, savouring the moment. I have no idea what triggers you, but you can always see when someone is in his or her groove. My one friend, Jon, can spend hours on the guitar, practicing and experimenting. I have other friends who get absorbed into games, the kitchen or even driving. What makes you loose track of time? Let me know.

Child's Stage

I went to watch a “Sir Cliff Richard” tribute this last week. Despite a half-filled auditorium and fairly lethargic crowd, it came across pretty well. The vocals had been worked on and there was a variety of numbers that could connect with most people. More could have been done with the set, although my experience on stage enables me to see past the greasepaint.

I remember as a child going to the theatre with magical expectation to watch characters and situations that were larger than life. I have fond memories of pantomimes and musicals that exploded off the stage and firmly into my mind. Having been on stage as a dancer and an actor, some of the glamour and gloss has been lost from my perception. I now see the cardboard and not the trees. Sometimes growing up has its disadvantages. We loose a bit of the childlike innocence that once inhabited our judgement. That’s not all we loose though. How many things have we stopped doing because it’s not an adult thing-when did you last kick a soccer ball for fun, or lie on the floor and create something out of lego? Why don’t we climb trees as adults or dance with the carefree abandon of youth? Who said that it has to be “this way” for adults? I have been challenging the mental blocks that society has placed on me as “not proper” to stop me doing positive things I would otherwise enjoy. I’m happy to dance around the house and to climb trees, and if I pass a couple of kids playing basketball, I’ll ask for a shot-I may not make the basket, but I’m a step closer than I would be if I never tried.

I’m gearing up for my Pacific Institute facilitator’s course next week. I have spent the last week sitting in as an observer watching another Master facilitator in action. One of the problems has been that I have always struggled to describe what TPI does. This week I managed to come up with something that helps…

“…pushing out the boat a bit more each day, going further away from the land till we are comfortable on open seas and can feel the wind and spray on our face, feel the warmth of the sun, and be at peace.”

It’s all about stretching out where we are as individuals, companies and nations in a smooth manner that inflicts positive change around us. I have really enjoyed going over the material from the first course and was surprised by how much more I got out of it the second time, and by how much I have changed over the last two months. A positive step.

Image is everything

Advertising gears a world to product and image. We spend hours in the gym and a fortune on clothing and grooming products. For many the car we drive and the neighbourhood we live in determine our worth and value in the eyes of others. Often this all takes place at the expense of character and moral development. We judge and are judged by the external image we portray without bothering to see what’s on the inside.
I’m not against looking good, I buy new clothes and gym regularly. But who wants to open a well-wrapped box that says “Belgium Chocolate, 70% cocoa solids” only to find a scattering of stale nuts dipped in substandard goo that barely passes as flavoured sugar, let alone chocolate.

I have had people tell me that I should no let the personal issues in peoples lives determine whether or not I should hire them; after all, what they do in their free time is their business. So, is a man who treats his wife like a kitchen rag going to treat the women in the workplace any better, or is a woman who can’t stick to budget at home going to have the same problems in handling the office petty cash? How can you trust someone in business who repeatedly asks you to lie to his wife about his whereabouts?

I love the concept of ‘wyswig’-what you see is what you get-to know that the well-groomed gentleman who walked in carries with him a presence of a character and integrity that I can trust. At the same time, I would much rather deal with a “shady looking” young man in a “skater” rig that will get the job done than some young fob who can’t tie his own shoelaces. What do you think?

Laughing

Ok so I had a draining week. It had peaks, but generally I was tired and bit emotionally drained. A combination of late nights and preparing for the next two weeks out the office have compunded things. Despite all that I sat down with a group of friends this evening and we ended up laughing for an hour or two-over various things, memories and good jokes. It was a time to let our hair down and unwind. I feel better now, aided by a slab of 70% cocoa solid chocolate. Routine breaks and laughter are good for one. It has been a welcome relief as I face a three week period of intense work with little time off-I'm already planning the break at the end of it.

Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon was a prolific writer up until his death last week. With multiple best sellers and a whole host of successful novels he has left an impact on the publishing world and in the lives of his readers. At the risk of raising the ire of thousands of Sheldonites, I did not enjoy his books. Then again, I wasn’t really the market he was writing towards. His content and style has never really gripped me and I failed to get much satisfaction from many of them(except The Doomsday Conspiracy). What I could appreciate was the fact that he had a model that worked. Many of his books follow the same basic pattern with the twist at the end and speak of the trials and success of women. It is a pattern that made him successful and appealed to the market he captured. It is a secure way to do business-find what works and keep doing it, with modifications along the way as times change. I’m not saying it’s the best way, but it sure made Sidney Sheldon a lot of money.