#35 lead with purpose

Some inspiration for you

When we are asked to guide, a single person or a group of people you are asked to change other people lives. The world has decided that you are the person that should do something. If you do not take a step with any direction and lead in whatever anyone wants you to do, you are not getting anyone else favor your failing them. Take the purpose to understand the scale of your responsibility and drive your people. For a good reason, for justice or whatever you find necessary. But do Lead with purpose, it may be one of the only times in life you get the opportunity, don’t waste it.

Your Canadian Brother.

#23 the movement class lesson five – back pain

Hey, look behind you, no not behind you, behind-you. When you think of your back do you think of an impressive set of shoulders or maybe your latissimus muscles, your butt? Well, you’re all right but this surprisingly complicated area of the human body is interesting. He’s made it easy with this one and broken down the muscles in the back into three;

The superficial group, which holds the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboid minor and levator scapulae. The intermediate group known as the respiratory group is a combination of serratus muscles and the deep group which are all of the wildly useful muscles that control and balance the movement of your spine.

The multitude of systems that are present in the back provide support to the head and thorax, and the ribs which are attached to the back. So before you reach for your ibuprofen and decide that your back hurts too much to do x and y, keep reading.

  1. Pull it, In my experience there is no better cure for back pain than prevention. A strong and healthy back will get you through the hard times and will ensure that you remain healthy for a long time. The back responds to pulling thing, so pull yourself up, pull something up, or pull yourself through the water and develop the muscles that keep your spine safe.
  2. Twist, the spine is not necessarily meant to twist and I don’t advise you to watch one youtube video and become a yogi but putting your body through the paces with regular movement supporting your back in less than regular movements, will be best. A burpee is tremendous, next time try two.
  3. Get up, there isn’t a practice more regulating than walking, I understand you are probably reading this and you are either on the subway looking down, or on your computer looking down, you’ll never see that goose coming… Walking chest out and take up space, look up and balance your spine on your pelvis like you are holding an egg with a spoon, notice the torque in places it should not be and stretch.

You’ve got this, the pain of failure defeats never trying at all.

Your Canadian Brother

#12 seasonal disorders or opportunities for growth?

We are in the thick of winter here in the northern hemisphere and it is pretty unpleasant to be cooped up and isolated and away from family and friends, but what a great opportunity for self development.

Here are three ways to kick winter in the face.

  1. Pick something up. How about that life-making to-do list that you’ve been putting off. Invest in yourself first and take courses that are now available online, or change up your routine by waking up at a different hour, and track and record what happens.
  2. Move. The world is huge, and if you are finding that your personal philosophy does not jive with your values, take the plunge and become a modern explorer, find out for yourself what color the grass is on the other side.
  3. Sharpen your sword. Always, always, suffer in self development, I hope that I will be able to retain my motivation for self improvement for as long as I possibly can. You’ve heard it before, your body is your temple, take advantage of this time.

You can do this, I have no doubts.

Your CDN bro

#10 three steps to learn anything

It is that easy. You will learn here how to understand your human limitations before making a demonstration of knowledge.

I am grateful for coffee. Boring I know.

  1. Get help. As much as we’d like to think we are unique butterflies, we are not, everything you want to learn has been studied at length in the past. Your success depends on finding the people who have been in your position in the past and learn everything you can from them. (in general as much as you can export your mundane tasks, see tomorrows).
  2. Start at the beginning. So much of what you see is designed to make it look easy. Whatever it is, it is not easy. Whatever you are learning or want to learn is probably simple, linear and logical, however it is not easy. You didn’t spend the first decade of your life learning calculus, no, first you learned what set of symbols represent numbers and grew your knowledge from there. As is the case for anything else, especially if your background in the subject is several decades old.
  3. Definite, persistent effort. You might discover along your learning that you are relatively really good at something. Do not fool yourself, your knack for a thing does not reflect your abilities, the dedicated pursuit of the thing, for hours, months and years will ensure your success.

You can learn anything,

Your CDN Bro.

#06 multicultural leading

I am grateful for my Country.

Tomorrows leader will not deal in one culture, especially in countries like Canada. Here is a three pointer on how to lead a multi cultural group.

  1. Your experience is not the same experience as anyone else around you. Whether it be immigrant, first generation or multi-generational Canadian, your experience varies, and there is no warning. For instance my parents found a better life here (I am a first generation Canadian) and nobody taught them and they did not take the time to learn about retirement planning, so far too late they were required to scramble for their retirement finances – not exactly where you want to be when you step into retirement.
  2. There is no, no. In my experience if you want to work, no matter what job nobody will tell you to slow down or stop. You will be judged and characterized and grouped but the only thing slowing you down will be you. What I often see is that people compare themselves to the lowest common performer with the justification “if this persons doing something (or not), I am going to do that thing (or not)”. It’s a pathetic excuse not to reach your potential, so stop, and re-evaluate.
  3. Define success for you. To some, a good harvest is a success, for others a culmination of their lives means earning a million dollars, and others have unattainable goals like winning the lottery (goals will be tomorrows topic). But for you, a desire to unabashedly chase your goal like a dog chasing it’s tail is required. It is simple, if your goal is G and your activities do not equal G but require you to subtract, you are doing it wrong. G = a(x) Goals must equal activities(x) that x marks the spot, defining what your G is means you can fill out the rest of the equation on your own.

Your CDN Bro.

Little dude holding onto my rucksack for dear life, It’ll be a trip boiiiiii.

#01 A Drive

I’m grateful for my job.

I’ve started reviewing the publications that I have collected that are relevant to my job and my future, I am sure that is not entirely interesting and all together relevant. But here we are. I was listening to the muscle intelligence podcast on my 12 hour drive for a chunk of time and really enjoyed Bens perspective on things that we have direct control over, essentially what we do is entirely controlled by us and there are only so many planes of effort that we can work on on ourselves, what we eat, what we consume, who we talk to, our breathing, how we exercise and how we sleep, that is how I think that I thought about going for a run today but didn’t because I spent the last two weeks working out pretty intensley and although a long walk or run would be great for my system im sure im just out of GAF right now.

Lets go… your CDN brother

Somewhere near Ottawa, Ontario