What is?

Not so long ago I was sitting on my colleagues balcony looking out over the ocean. The weather presented a medium to heavy rain, pretty strong winds and all round grey hue which was the opposite of what I wanted to see and experience on this particular day. Being down the coast, surfboard in the back of the car it would be great for a light SW wind, slightly overcast with patches of sun and a crystal clean swell bringing in perfect peaks! Instead I had to succumb to looking out over the washing machine churching salty sea water in all directions.

At some point during our time on the balcony I turned to my colleague (Liz) and exclaimed “The weather is terrible.” She sat quietly looking out over the sea and then turned to me with some insight which I now call a ‘pearler!’
“What if,” she said, “the weather, rather than being terrible, simply is?”
The weather is? The weather is... the weather is! It made sense straight away.

Liz in a moment was teaching me a valuable life lesson. By saying that the weather was terrible I am instantly creating a label which I associate with being negative. That will determine how I feel and how I act given the state of the weather. In essence then, the environment around me has a direct bearing on how I feel. By saying the weather is I am accepting that this is simply what it is today. This gives me the chance to choose how I will work with the weather. This shift in perspective means the environment can dish out what it wants as I have the choice to enjoy every moment by simply letting go of my own ‘wants’ allowing myself to be present in the NOW and decide from there. It made perfect sense.

I remembered straight away this particular day on cycle tour. We had 191km to do. 30km in we hit this sign. For the next 146.6km we continued to cycle dead straight, not one bend! We could see the trucks coming 10 minutes before they passed us. One can’t actually explain what it feels like to be out in the middle of that ride, feeling absolutely broken and dejected and tired with nothing but a bike, hot water and thousands of Aussie flies. But that IS the situation and the only thing you can do, right there in that moment, is work with what you have. I drank the water and peddled the bike. 13 hours later I was downing a huge coke and a chomping on a massive burger. Satisfying!

Being in the NOW is about working with is around you right there and then. It may allow you to enjoy what you’re experiencing that much more. Or it may encourage you to continue and push through circumstances which are difficult.

Either way, all we have is the NOW - so why not be present and give it all you’ve got?

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

The Ferris Ride

Raindrops keep falling on my head - Burt Bacharach

I spent some time with well know musician and Durbanite, Roly Struckmeyer, a couple days back. We met at a corner cafe under the new ‘green’ windmills that restaurants seem to be buying to save the environment. Only problem is the bats seem to be flying into them and chopping themselves in half. I have heard Roly play several times, but lately have been doing some work with him which has opened up the opportunity to get to know this incredible songwriter.

The conversation was one I could have over and over again. Amidst a fascinating life story I was interested by his comment that he wanted to be known as a ‘songwriter’ before ‘performer’, hence his hero being Burt Bacharach! Certainly great songs like ‘Let it Be’ have made more tin than some small African countries but for him this not only about the money. “I work off a formula when I write songs” he remarked “I pen down lines that I find myself thinking or saying. At some point the lines will marry and merge creating a song. Some of the songs you hear had their chorus written years before the actual verse!”

In essence, what I loved was that this was an amazing combination of thinking and doing, a beautiful relationship between what inward and what is outward. The contrast is musical in itself. Roly does what he does because he is aware continuously, listening to what happens around him. The result is songs which are an absolute expression of who he really is. His messages are powerful.

Our lives so often can be out of rhythm. To often we are to busy DOING to take the time to THINK. Your outputs slowly drain of an real representation of who you really are and what you were created to do. We can all take a lesson from one of Roly’s songs - Ferris Ride - which states;

‘Take this moment to unwind, cause time is what we try to find. Everybody loves the Ferris Ride, but we should still be dreaming of the rain’

“The Ferris Ride” Roly says, immediately making a repetitive circle motion with his hands “is that rut humans get into, round and round doing the same thing. What we most need to do is take a moment to think & to ask questions. Nowadays we dream of money, wealth etc (which keeps us on the ride!) and we’ve lost the basic love and togetherness that we used to have for each other as human beings.”

Roly says it all and through a piece of music and a humble guitar challenges us all to remember what is of value and to step off that Ferris Ride. Think and Do. Inward, Outward.

(Join Roly Struckmeyer and Gareth Gale as they join Appletree for the Ferris Ride experience in Durban, 28th january - see www.appletreelive.com for more details. Roly’s website is www.rolystruckmeyer.co.za)

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LifeLifeNow is written by Travis Gale who has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

A Vision to Fight For!

Yesterday, whilst driving to Mafikeng (thanks to Airlink being grounded!) I noticed the beauty of the surrounding areas. It is summer which always means bigger and better sunsets set against a lush green countryside thanks to all the rains. There are always storm clouds brewing which play games with the sun allowing her to pierce the landscape with tunnels of light and shadow. Then I got excited! So excited that I actually began to move to Joe Cockers ‘Unchain my heart’ which was being played on Jacaranda FM, the only radio station I could access out there. My excitement had less to do with the countryside and more to do with the fact that I was experiencing it in such a way! I had noticed it! I thought about how much driving I had done of late and how much my inner thoughts had clouded the ability to actually see what was around me. I realised that my thoughts were always of ahead of me, wondering, plotting, puzzling. So what was different now?

A few days ago, I had an honest look at my life. Knowing 2010 is going to be a big year I knew that I needed to live in such a way that created space for my God-given calling to be lived to the fullest. This meant clearing away the clutter and taking a good honest look at that which I deemed to be ‘worthwhile good ideas’ yet were actually distractions. I changed the order of my priorities. I sat and reflected on what I knew to be the vision I want to fight for. As the vision grew larger in my heart and mind again, me and my desires seemed to diminish. Although this was hard at first, soon a sense of freedom set in. Already it feels simpler, lighter and easier. I feel like I am living in such a way which gives me the best chance to make this vision happen.

Today’s world will dish out many a distraction. We simply walk amongst a myriad of options. Some options will be a mile away from where you need to be and you will know it. Others will be just a shade off, a shadow of the ‘real thing’ but have the same consequences. I encourage you to spend some time reminding yourself of the vision you are meant to fight for, so as not to be ensnared with unnecessary distractions.

We need you living how you were called to live, doing what you were meant to do!

Everybody dies but not everybody lives

Everybody dies but not everybody lives
(sticker on unknown SA traveller’s Hilux in Botswana)

Arriving at the Botswana border I saw what is basically every young adventures dream - a converted 4x4 equipped and ready to take on any terrain that was thrown at it. Every piece of equipment needed was attached, from rooftop tents to water containers, two spare tires, jerry cans and even some funky stickers alongside a toy dinosaur (which had the border officials a bit baffled - probably thought he was smuggling lizards!) Then the owner emerged. He was probably in his late 50’s sporting a white beard, a broad smile and joined by his wife. I could see as I spoke to him that his eyes had seen many places, let alone this 5000km journey they were only a day away from completing. He told me about the night his camp was visited by Lions. Then the 150km dangerous drive to Drotsky’s caves in the desert. Not to mention the Caprivi and Namibia escapades.

Turns out his car cost a total of R40 000 and the modifications another R50 000 - thats R90000 for a dream machine that will guarantee adventure and memories! I thought about it. He knew what he wanted. Every weekend for the past few years this man would spend time modifying his vehicle, piece by piece. He would painfully weld, glue, measure and cut his way to living his dreams. Every little addition meant more ability, more comfort, more adventures. His heart was set on what he loved and his actions followed suit. He didn’t speak about about being ‘out there’ - that’s actually where he was. His INTENTIONALITY meant that he lived his dreams. I would love to be one of his grandchildren for a weekend visit!

The point is short term pain leads to long term pleasure. And thats the point - we either live with the pain of discipline (intentionality) or the pain of regret. Imagine a man sitting on a rocking chair empty of adventure because he never started with that first drill into an old Toyota Hilux. Luckily for him, it’s not the case.

What about you?
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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Taking in some air

‘It is not about how much air you have, it’s about how you use it!’ Hanli Prinsloo

I recently did a free diving course with Hanli, a world champion freediver, hailing from Cape Town. She taught us about the 3 phases of breath hold as we all stretched ourselves in the pool and out at sea to dive both deeper and longer. The first phase is the ‘feel good’ phase. Your lungs, full of oxygen, feel as though they could last forever. The second phase is the ‘awareness’ phase. Here your body recognizes you’re not breathing and begins to react. It feels uncomfortable and you begin to tense up. Then the 3rd phase begins - the ‘fight’. Now the diaphragm is contracting. You feel as if you are about to die. But you have to push through!

The interesting thing about the fight phase is that the contractions you are experiencing have nothing to do with the amount of O2 you still have left. In fact the body is reading higher CO2 levels and the diaphragm contracts to expel it. You can fight by telling your mind that you do, in fact, have air!

Its the same with insight. It feels good to have those ‘aha’ moments. Reflecting on our new goals, especially around new years brings a sense of positivity as we look ahead to the difference we can make to our lives. As we begin on our new path we reach awareness phase. Your new way of life goes against all the long held habitual patterns you have lived with for so many years, and it begins to hurt. And that is when you must fight!

Fighting is about acting on your insight. Fight with the reality that you do have what it takes to change. All that resistance is simply your sub conscious hanging onto a comfort zone. Those negative thoughts are not true! Every little step you take feels like short term pain. But short term pain leads to long term pleasure - and that is where you want to live.

The amazing thing about breath hold is that it really is all in the mind. Your body has breath. Your mind just needs to hold onto that. You have what it takes to break through the wall of chaos that exists between insight and action. Your mind just needs to hold onto that!

May 2010 be different for you.

Leadership Energy

There is classic mexican proverb that says ‘Whats down in the well, comes up in the bucket’

Many of us, especially at this time of year, could do with a whole heap load more of energy. Our own ‘energy wells’ are depleted leaving us little to draw from. Rather than make new years resolutions that fade away into oblivion, why not rather focus on keeping our energy wells full during 2010? Energy can be broken down into 4 key areas - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. 2009 has dished out what has been an emotionally & mentally draining year for many. Given these wells are all connected some might find that it has impacted on their physical and spiritual lives as well. So break it down. Which areas need attention? What do you need to do differently in 2010? Each well can be filled with activities that range from 2 minutes to a weekend, but the key is to focus on them daily! Nutrition, sleep, exercise fill the physical. Healthy relationships, positive thoughts fill the emotional well. Learning about something you love fills the mental well. Prayer, walks on the beach, quite time fill the spiritual well. Or find an activity that works across the board, like surfing does for me!

The point is, if you do not fill the well there is nothing to draw from. Unfortunately it is human nature to wait for a crisis before we make a change, but so often it is to late. Energy is not a luxury, it is a necessity. May you be strong enough to put yourself first so that you may contribute not just time, but energy to your families, businesses and ultimately to the world.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Leadership Principles for the 21st Century

Leadership expert Travis Gale will write a regular feature sharing relevant tips and advice in the area of leadership development and growth.