Living and Learning

I read this quote this past week and it is stuck in my mind!   As spring comes, I am thinking about re-awakening my mind and body.  It is a time of renewal for many people.   We spring clean our houses, garages, maybe your body - but how about your mind?  How active has it been - or when is the last time you upgraded and re-awoken your mind.

Maybe we focus on this more in the fall when much of the population is heading to school.  As we spring into action this season, consider renewing yourself by trying something new and bringing yourself back to being passionately curious.

1. TED(x) Talks

Got 21 minutes?   Take a time out, or eat breakfast over a TED talk.  Start your morning with a side of knowledge, along with your fiber and fruit.  Here are top talks about happiness.   A fitting topic for spring, no?

2. MOOCs - Free Mass Online Open Courses

Have you tried a MOOC?  I tried my first this past winter.  It was a neat experience.  Cousera has a ton of topics offered - a new course starts practically each week!

3. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We're a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.

4. Local Library Programs

Check out what is available to you at your local library.  I have taken origami classes, explored career planning and had the opportunity to meet some interesting people in my neighbourhood

5. Volunteering

Looking to leave the world a better place?  Why not learn about your community or city through volunteering.  Clean out the local river, help out at the local food bank.....get out there and learn more through volunteering.

6.  Pretend to be a tourist in your own city

Date your city.  Get to know more about it's history and the people that walked down Main Street many decades ago.

7.  Trade a skill

Want to pick up a new hobby or skill?  Maybe you don't have the cash flow? Try Swap City  or Trade School each of these organizations runs using a barter system.


8.  Look  in your drawers

Hobby drawers - or maybe in your junk drawer or down in the basement you have a box or bin of forgotten hobbies.  Did you take up cross stitch, or  maybe stamping?   Bring it back out and get back to something that was once important to you.   Grab a book from a library or try our next suggestion to get your creative juices flowing again!

9.   Pinteresting....

You might have heard of this one a lot recently - Pinterest.  This site is a digital scrapbook that you share with friends and family.  You can pin images related to topics from fashion to food, and dyi or silly things like pictures of a dreamy guy; everything can be pinned.   Related to gap years - why not start pinning pictures of your dream travel spots?

10.  Open Culture - Open online sources are developing daily.   Have a peak here.    Loads of options are available as we move towards open cultures online.


Well - as you start to consider your plan for spring renewal in your home -think about spring cleaning your mind!   So, at the dinner table you can ask the time old question:  What did you learn today?

Olympics 2012: Always Do Your Best

The world is focused on the London 2012 Olympics.  News of wins and losses grab newspaper headlines across the globe.  We are privy to inspiring stories of people from all over the world.   Did you watch Hiroshi Hoketsu of Japan?  He has held the title of the oldest athlete at the games for several years: he is 71.Maybe you watched the incredible speed and determination of Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee from South Africa.  He certainly captured the attention of many at the games.  The games also start to blur the lines of what is possible and impossible.  Agreements that we have may have made with others and ourselves. 

There are thousands of athletes at the games and it would be a shame to only focus on those that made headlines and the podiums.  We must celebrate all of the athletes and all the of the time they put into preparing in their sport.   Others we need to celebrate, and this has been captured in many commercials, are the families and coaches that have supported these athletes.  They are the leaders behind the leaders - the motivators behind the role models.    If you have been reading about the games, you will see that many individuals have mottos or words that they go back to when it comes to preparing for the big race, journey or event.    This is not too far of from moving forward during times in our lives when we feel in the midst of something big or something deeply important.  As the games continue for another week, Miguel Ruiz's five agreements comes to mind; in particular, always do your best.  Let's read more about the five agreements. 

According to don Miguel Ruiz, everything we do is based on agreements we have made — agreements with ourselves, with other people, with the universe, and with life. But the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves. With these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible.

The Five Agreements:

1. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORDSpeak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
   
2. DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLYNothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering
   
3. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONSFind the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
   
4. ALWAYS DO YOUR BESTYour best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
   
5. BE SKEPTICAL, BUT LEARN TO LISTENDon’t believe yourself or anybody else. Use the power of doubt to question everything you hear: Is it really the truth? Listen to the intent behind the words, and you will understand the real message.

In times of broken world records and even Olympic dreams it is ever so important to review what is impossible in our minds.  What we believe to be possible, what we strive for in our day to day lives must always reflect values that we hold true.  These values are ideals that we have agreed to uphold in how we lead and live our lives.   While we see hundreds of athletes achieve great heights, we must also find ways to set goals and aim high in our day to day lives.  The five agreements can help us to make sense and manage the blows when we do not always achieve what we set out to do.   This week, we have reviewed how to to do your best - watch the Olympics and cheer for those that do their best in the headlines and the podiums, but also, by being there by representing their countries. 

Miguel Ruiz's book is an incredible addition to a personal library.  It is a short read and travels well.  Take some to review the agreements.   How might you bring them into your day to day? Or do you have other mottos that you live by?

Redefine Possible

Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out. 
Karl Augustus Menninger

Redefine Possible - Overcome Fear

The world has played witness to two very interesting and powerful experiences for two motivated individuals. A man crossing Niagara Falls and a man climbing a mountain. Two individuals who decided to redefine possible.  I am borrowing this idea of "redefining possible" from  Spencer West and Free the Child - one of the two men I previously mentioned.  If you have not followed his journey to reach Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjarro what you might not know about Spencer is that he will be accomplishing this feat with out....feet. Training for a year, Spencer and the team set out Africa's tallest free standing mountain to raise funds for clean water projects in Africa.   Check out the team reaching the summit below. 

 Seven days later.......

The first video captures some insights into how Spencer's journey started.  His life changed course from what others anticipated what would happen.  In his case, a story was written even before it had a chance to unravel.   Sometimes that is what we need - a change in direction to re-educate our minds how to think, believe and dream differently about the path in front of us or the life we choice to live.   The second video is of Spencer achieving this incredible milestone!  One of the pieces that stood out to me as I followed Spencer was the incredible sense of team between the climbing group.  With a team, anything can be possible. 

What is on your bucket list?  Big or small redefine possible for yourself!  Who is on your team to help you achieve re-writing your story? 

WHAT ABOUT TAKING A GAP YEAR?

Last week we explored three common myths about taking a gap year.  A gap year is a unique opportunity to take time away from your regular routine based on your budget, timeline and goals.  But what about school -good question!  This week we are exploring a theme of myths related to post-secondary planning and a gap year.We hope it answers some of your questions,future gappers and families!

Part Two: What about a post-secondary education? 

Going back, getting started and why a gap year can help!

En route to Colca Canyon, Peru

4. They/You will lose a year. When personal discovery and learning takes place, - nothing is lost! Gappers have experienced many different scenarios when working with universities/colleges. Start by looking into your university/college to see if they offer a deferral (or sabbatical) option so that you can delay the start of your first (or next) year. If you have to re-apply, consider building your portfolio and experiences over the course of a gap year to demonstrate your commitment to education in your field.  Some individuals are not ready to embark on their next educational steps after high school.  Here is a video we have put together where some of our clients share their stories about taking a structured gap year.

5. They/You will never return/go to school. By taking a gap year and committing to learning more about the world around you and how you fit into the larger picture  you have the potential to return more motivated, passionate and dedicated to a field that truly inspires you. This renewed sense of energy and self awareness helps young adults commit to an educational path or direction that engages them now and  in their future.

6. Universities/colleges frown on gap years. Gap years have been encouraged in Australia and the UK for decades - they are just starting to be recognized in North America.    Check out what Harvard, Parenting Blogs and Princeton have to say about gap years in North America. Want to help us put gap years on the radar of universities and colleges?  Please sign our petition on the top right corner of our blog!

Join us again next week as we explore part three in our series: stories of our gappers! We will start to share with you the plethora of stories, experiences and adventures of the individuals we work.

Have we de-mystified gap years for you? Have you started dreaming or planning some time away from your regular routine? Let us know below!

Not sure what to do next? 

What about taking a gap year?

 Are you feeling undecided about going straight to University or College? Or do you have a young adult that just is not ready  for the next step? Perhaps you're just back from your first year post secondary experience and it just didn't fit well or wasn't as interesting as you thought . How about taking a gap year?  Join our conversation for the next few weeks as we explore what a gap year entails and some common myths about taking a gap year or a break from your regular routine. 

                 Part One:  Three Common Myths about a Gap Year                                   

1. It has to be one full year. Not true! Gap years are a conscious and purposeful step away from ordinary routine. Gap years can range from a few months over the summer to over a year.  Some gappers work for a period of time to finance their experience.  Also, there are many ways to be creative with the time you have available to take a break from your regular routine.  Typically, it is encourage to have at least four to six months.

2. It is expensive. A gap year can meet any budget with some careful planning. Properly searching out organizations that are cost-effective and safe can be done. You can also choose local experiences, earn money and learn to save by having a job that expands your horizons! Working within your budget will help this year be a success!

3. It has to be overseas. Gap years can be experienced anywhere: locally, nationally and internationally! Remember to look at your goals, budget and at travel advisories when deciding where to travel.   Learning, about others, yourself and your passion can happen anywhere as long as you are open to the experience!

Have you started to think about your gap year or a gap year plan for the young adult in your life? Leave a comment below or get in touch with us to start chatting about your plan and how we can help!  Join us next week as we explore three more common myths about taking a gap year and discuss the question: What about school?

From Vision to Reality: Setting goals to create the life you really want

“Whatever we focus on becomes our idea of reality”  - Anthony  Robbins

So why should we set goals?  I think the answer to that question is offered in the following quote by Lewis Caroll  “If you don’t know where you are going any road will get you there”
In other words, setting goals is critical on a journey to personal success because much like any other journey, if you set out without having a destination in mind it becomes very easy to feel adrift and lost in the world.

Goals provide us with a clear sense of direction, and create both a long term vision, and the short term motivation to get us to where we want to go.  By giving us clarity, goals also help us to focus in on what is really important, without getting derailed by fears and/or side tracked by all the distractions we face on a daily basis.

A few things to remember about goals and goal setting….

The first step is to think big…think of goals that will inspire!!! When we visualize our dreams as possible, we create a powerful energy and momentum to get us moving and start to take action.

Achieving a compelling goal is not an easy process.  Once we have a list of “wants” for different areas in our life, it is useful to remember the acronym SMART which offers a proven formula for setting the right kind of goals. SMART stands for: 
S-specific
M –measurable
A –Attainable
R –realistic
T- time bound

SMART goal setting helps to set targets and breakdown those big picture goals into realistic chunks with a step by step action plan to get there. 

It is also important to list the reasons we want to accomplish a goal and put it in writing.  The more reasons we have, the more motivated we will be to do something about it.  And when we put things in writing we take the first step in turning a simple wish into an attainable goal.
Lastly, when we with surround ourselves with reminders (such as posters, symbols, inspirational statements, etc.,) that represent our actual goal, we are most likely to stick with our goal even when feeling discouraged or distracted because our attention will be pulled back to what matters most.

In the end, when we finally do achieve a goal, it is important that we recognize and reward our accomplishment. Achieving goals can be a huge boost to self confidence.  We can take pride in our achievement and recognize the ability and effort it took to get there.

A Gap Year provides the perfect opportunity to begin the process of goal setting for young men and women who may be feeling burnt out, or are unsure of their interests and want some time to explore who they are.  Or maybe they want to carve a path that’s different from the traditional model of success.  It is a time when they can start asking themselves those critical questions… the questions that will help them make better decisions and more authentic choices throughout their lives.  Questions such as … What do I truly want out of life?  What do I want to achieve?  What do I want to learn? What do I need to be fulfilled?  In a sense goals define our “possible selves” and as these young adults begin to discover the answers to these questions, and start to identify and achieve specific goals to help them turn their vision into reality, they will find greater sense of meaning, increased motivation, more confidence and ultimately enjoy greater happiness.  

Want to learn more about goal setting or how a gap year can help your son or daughter start to set the compelling goals that will maximize his or her potential?  Contact mygapyear at www.mygapyear.ca