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In leadership,

STU!

Day 11, half way through the 22 day challenge. It really has been amazing. People have been asking me what is this 22 day challenge? It’s actually quite simple. The idea is to take the 15 areas of my life that I need to improve and commit to 22 days of non-stop work on them. No excuses, no days off.

Why 22 days? Simple, there is a common belief that it takes 21 days to form a habit. So to make it for 22 days is to engrain the habit a little more. You can do it too! Just pick those 5, 12, 15 or 19 things that you want to change, write them down, keep a check list and then really commit to them. Watch the magic happen. Only pick the changes that truly matter to you!

Last night was special, magical in fact. I was the MC of the annual Soldiers Memorial Hospital Golf Tournament and auction. What was incredible wasn’t just the fact that that we raised $130,000 for the hospital, it wasn’t the fact that we were able to buy a new stretcher, infant weight monitor and a vital sign monitor. People were generous and there was lots of fun to be had.

My favourite part of the evening and the most magical was when we started the live auction. Now, I am not an auctioneer, but I was able to encourage the crowd to spend over $20,000. The first item up for bids, a fifty dollar bill. Our hope was to raise $100. The idea was that people shouldn’t come to charity auctions looking for a bargain. The point is to raise money! What happened next was awesome… The first bid was $50 (by me), then $100, everyone clapped we had done it, doubled the value. Then someone at the back said $250! What, wow!? I thought we were done, someone else said $500… then $750, the crowd was really excited. Finally an older gentleman put up a single finger… One thousand dollars. We closed the bidding. We had just raised $1000 for a fifty dollar bill. I was almost in tears.

I asked the winning bidder what drove him to spend $1000 for a 50 dollar bill? His answer was brilliant…

“We have a universal health care system, aren’t I part of this universe? We all need to work together.”

I think if we all had that attitude about our communities, companies, our lives, friends and families we would all be a lot better off. It can’t always be about me, it needs to be about us. Together we truly are better.

Let’s open the bidding at $250! Do I hear $300?

I write a lot. I am not the best writer and I usually have lots of mistakes. I am lucky though to have some trusty proof readers. You can tell when one of them has read my material and when one hasn’t been proofed. One of my favourite things to use is the “…”. I use it to signify a pause, a moment to think. When the reader should stop and consider the thought that has been written.

In life we rarely take time for the “…”. We live at a pace of such speed that we miss what is happening all around us. I was going for a run the other morning and got to my favourite spot on my route. It’s a little stream that runs through a forest, goes under the road, continues for another 150 feet and then eventually spills into the Lake. As I was running by I heard splashing, I turned quick to see three very large pearch swimming up stream, perhaps spawning. I slowed down to look. I turned looked to my left at the other side of the stream, winding away and disappearing into the woods. There, about 40 feet up was a Blue Heron. It was flipping small fish into its beak, one after the other. This moment was amazing. It was time for the dot, dot, dot.

I find as I continue on the 22 day adventure (day 9) I am discovering more about myself, life and the world around me. I am taking time to absord life through my skin, eyes, nose, ears and touch. It’s beautiful. It’s calming.

Take some time today to stop, absorb, listen. It can change the course of your day.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have some life to absorb…