Monday morning inspiration | Tribes

Good morning and happy Monday!

Tribe. It’s a common enough word, yet not a word you hear everyday. But last week I heard it everywhere I went. Someone raised it in a meeting, pointing out the diversity that exists in the workplace. Someone else, a speaker at an event, gave this advice to be successful in life and in business: “Build your tribe”. 

What she meant was that to be successful, you need to build a community of people around you who both support you and who share your hopes and values. Some people might call this being "on the same wavelength". 

So I just want to say this: thanks for being part of my tribe. You inspire me everyday.

And because March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day (of Lord of the Rings fame), and he happens to be one of my favourite authors, I want to share a quote from one of his most famous books, The Hobbit:

“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” 

I do wish you a good morning and an inspired week. The rest I leave up to you!

Monday morning inspiration Feb 4 | The Snuggle Factor

Good morning and Happy Monday!

“Why do I live here?” is the question I ask myself every winter when the deep freeze descends and the air outside hurts my face and my spirit. But there could be a bright side.

A study by the University of Michigan found that cold activates a special receptor in fat and nerve cells that in turn activates a gene associated with longevity. Mammals have this receptor, so in theory, cold weather could increase your life. (Interestingly, wasabi also activates this gene…so maybe we should all eat one of my special sesame-tuna sandwiches with wasabi mayo).

I found these more practical reasons to be grateful for the cold. We tend to cozy up to those we love, reducing stress (the snuggle factor..remember hygge?). Cold burns more calories (and maybe because of this, or because of the layers of clothing we wear, our body image tends to improve). Cold also helps you think more clearly because your body burns less glucose (studies suggest that too much glucose affects mental acuity).

Embrace the cold and have a snuggly, smart and inspired week!

Monday Morning Inspiration | Shift in Perspective

Author's Note: This morning I am sharing an inspiration from a Monday morning a few weeks ago.

Good morning and happy Monday!

I was chatting last week about how people get entrenched in their ideas and become unwilling to consider other options. “It’s got to be blue”, says one, while the other is set inextricably on yellow. Neither one is willing to shift. Result? Conflict.

It reminded me of a course I completed many years ago while pursuing a certificate in facilitation and negotiation, called Shifting from Positions to Interests. People tend to get entrenched in their position, without considering what the underlying reason for that position is. For example: Maybe the goal is to evoke an atmosphere mimicking the feeling you get outdoors, and thus you think blue is perfect because it represents the sky. Your colleague thinks yellow is perfect because it represents the sun. You both want the same thing, and yet your positions (blue vs. yellow) get in the way.

In work, as in life, it is worth discovering underlying motivations, as this could reduce conflict and help people reach their common goals. It involves a shift in perspective. The piece of fine art created by “environmental artist” Thomas Deininger displayed in the link below illustrates what a shift in perspective can achieve:

http://www.tomdeiningerart.com/marilyn.html

Monday morning inspiration | Imagine Better

Author's note: Every Monday morning, I send a small inspiration to my team. I've been doing this for over a year now. Since they seem to like them, I will share some of them with you too.

Good morning, and happy Monday!

I picked up a small book this weekend. It turned out to be the commencement address given by J.K. Rowling at Harvard in 2008. I laughed as I read the opening, "Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility, or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out I can't remember a single word she said".

I've had four Convocations, and I can't remember a single word either. And that is why I choose to share a quote from hers (Rowlings), which I think is inspiring:

"If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already; we have the power to imagine better."

Wishing you a transformative and inspired week!