What is?

A while back 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 churning 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

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 2011 be different for 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

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

2010 Questions

It seems everyone’s heads are in 2011 already. That end of year feeling! I have picked up on various conversations about next year and the expectations that people have for it. Part of setting up a great 2011 is about finishing 2010 well. Do we simply kiss it goodbye and relax now until the next years starts?

I am a firm believer in the power of the right questions.  Many of us look for answers, but few sit down and think about the right questions to ask. Questions have the uncanny knack to open up possibilities, to get us thinking out the box and perhaps break down the limitations we put on ourselves.

Perhaps a great way to end this year would be to ask yourselves some good questions. At least commit some time to jot down some thoughts about 2010 which could really support a strong transition into 2011.

Use these as a guide:

What energised me the most during 2010?
Which relationships have been my most effective this year? Why?
Which relationships put my under the most pressure? Why?
What strengths did I see in myself during 2010?
Under which conditions in my professional capacity did I see myself thrive?
What were some of my barriers to success this year?
What did I avoid doing that I know I most needed to do?
What did I do that surprised me?
What ideas or concepts that I thought about really resonated with me?
Who inspired me this past year?
What can I do to finish off this year well?

All the best with finishing this year well!
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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

Whose page is it anyway?

Whilst engaged in some team building a team leader approached me with this question:

“Do you think that I will ever be able to get everyone on the same page?”

I was intrigued by his question so asked him what he meant by the same page. He described a scenario whereby ideally he wanted all of those in his team to ‘get what he gets!’. As he continued to speak I realised the error in this leader’s way of thinking. Ultimately what he desires is for everyone to do what he wants them to do. The page he is speaking about is in fact, HIS page. He is asking why is everyone not on MY page.

Now there needs to be a page, that’s for sure. But it certainly can’t be yours alone. The page represents a place whereby whatever it is you do together is working to its optimum potential. The optimum potential of a team is equal to the sum of all of the potential of the individuals in the team. Leaders then need to move away from ‘telling’ their teams about a page but rather involve them in becoming part of the page.

As we spoke I encouraged him to get used to the fact that diversity creates tension. Tension can go two ways. Toward conflict or toward innovation. He gets to choose which path he wants to take and then act accordingly.

The answer to the first question then is yes. Yes, you will be able to get everyone on the same page. It all depends on your method.

Step 1: Let go of what you think the page should look like

Step 2: Involve others in creating the page sharing your perspective and inviting the perspectives of others.

Step 3: Allow moments of tension and choose to see the potential amidst the tension

Step 4: Act

Step 5: Continuously dialogue as you go.

Then step back and enjoy a page that doesn’t just look and feel like you, but is a result of what is around you. Perhaps this new page will be even more awesome than the page you so eagerly fought for on your own?

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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

Automatically Stupid vs Very Clever

In moments of pressure we often become automatically stupid. We say what we didn’t mean to say. We do what we didn’t mean to do. We freeze. It seems that outside of the pressure zone we’re very clever. We have clarity of thought, can find the right words, feel calm & seem to be able to see the bigger picture. Much like preparing for a speech versus giving a speech. Perhaps one could look at rugby as a bunch of very clever people shouting the odds at the automatically stupid referee!

I have huge amounts of respect for people who are able to remain very clever in moments of pressure. Their minds seem to be in a state of ‘rest’ or ‘relaxed alertness’ seemingly being able to read the situation, make the right call and be successful.

What if we could get ourselves to a place of doing what we most need to do (very clever) whilst under pressure?

Sportsmen understand the importance of remaining very clever under pressure. There are consequences for ‘dropping the ball’. It may mean their position or their pay cheque. Hence the ratio of time they spend training versus performing.

So what about us? We have positions. We perform as spouses, friends, colleagues, citizens, employees, leaders, managers, individuals...

What is the consequence of our lack of performance under pressure?

How much time do you commit to training versus performing?

The following Acronym is aptly named REST. It breaks building toward the state of relaxed alertness into 4 training methods.

R - References

This is the acquiring of knowledge & principles which we can call on under pressure. Imagine you have a book shelf in your head. As you engage in learning you fill that shelf with books. You store sentences, paragraphs & insights which you can call on in moments of pressure in any given context. Commit time to learning.

E - Energised

Remaining energised is essential to avoiding being automatically stupid. Engage in spiritual, mental, emotional and physical activities that you know work to keep you energised.

S - Self Talk

Negative self talk is a powerful way of putting pressure on yourself. Often we take our own ‘limiting beliefs’ into situations. “I can’t do this!” or “I am going to fail!” These limiting beliefs rob you of the positive foundation that you need to be very clever under pressure. Speak positively over yourself.

T - Triggers

Triggers are those things around you which always put pressure on you and cause you to be automatically stupid? Triggers could be words people say, or particular individuals, situations or simply the taxi drivers. Being aware of them allows you to consciously approach them differently slowly breaking the power they have over 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