Aha Moments

Celebration! Mom's 96th - Aha

Happy Birthday MOM! - 96

My mother of 96 just this week said to me that it would be great to be 100 and then, she proceeded to say, then I will start all over again!!!!  Now how is that for guts and determination for you!  A total inspiration.

We, my sister and I, had a lovely birthday party for my mother yesterday and about 20 friends came by the house to wish her well.  My sister, Sue, made all the sandwiches and goodies, just like a high tea for sure.  It was delightful.  A 86year old friend of hers brought a bottle of Cava and we had a sip of this.  In fact, firsts can happen anytime in life and always.  It was my mom's first drink of Cava!  Wow.  

I am heading back to Europe now, but I love this time of year so that I can spend this day with my mother.  It is always such a great memory and it makes me think that we ought to celebrate everyday with some celebration of sorts - it can be as simple as giving a blessing to someone, or telling someone you love them, or telling a colleague how great it is to work with them or or or.  These are all mini celebrations of life.  We have become, if we ever were, often so boring and not grateful for this life.  I included in that statement big time. When you see and spend time with people in their later years or sick people or children you really get this sense of how important it is to live and let live.  Yes we know that life is not a world of PollyAnna!  It can be tough yet we truly make it tougher until, we really stand back and watch a beautiful person or thing or situation happen in front of our eyes.  

This is what happened for me at my mom's party.  It was wonderful to see her 'hold court', entertain her friends, chat with them and just realize how important and exciting this little gesture was for her.  How do you do this in your life?  I watched my mom smile, chat, get curious as she opened her presents, host her friends and just get all dressed up in her beautiful outfit and of course her lovely new Zsiska jewellery I bought her for Xmas.  

Tomorrow my mother is heading to the Symphony to hear music from Fairy Tales with my niece.  How cool is this to have a Birthday week and just celebrate.  

Oh above all of this she hurt her knee on the weekend and was in pain - so the Cava helped dull the pain as well as have loving moments with friends.  

What do you to Celebrate!!!!  ongoingly!  I can sense that this is a new Aha for me.  Yeah!  

Lift our glasses to Mama for turning 96!!!

 

Service or Volunteering??? - Aha

Do you have conflicts over whether you are being of Service or Not?

I was just today having a conversation and coffee with a couple of friends today about this topic.  How did it arise?  

I was recently doing my yearly reflections and I did my life wheel again.  It is a wheel with 12 different areas of one's life on it such as Service, Money, Career, Family, Relationships and so forth.  You ask yourself the question, 'how satisfied am I with this area on a scale of 1 - 10?'  When I did mine I was most satisfied with 9 of the areas but Service, Money and Career jumped out.  Now I gave my Service rating low at 5.  Then you ask yourself what number would you be completely satisfied with and then you decide on what you need to do and how you are going to reach that number.  

It really sat with me this one of Service of which I have conflicted within me for years.  Am I doing enough service and if not, what do I want to do about it.  I then got to thinking - Service / Volunteering what are these two or are they the same.  

I began to realize in fact that I am doing a lot of Service in my life.  It is just done the way I do it.  In fact, I am doing Service everyday and have pretty much done this each day of my life.  For example, I come home to look after and be with my mother of 96, I may see an old person on the street and ask if they need some assistance, or I say hello and ask the bus driver in Singapore how they are doing, or I work with people all my life who I am either teaching, assisting, guiding or motivating.  This is all service.  

Then I asked myself if I am being paid for something is that being of service?  Of course it is.  Now volunteering is another word that is often used when 'giving your time to an organized charity'.  That is also service as well.  It is the giving and sharing piece here that is important.

We can serve in so many ways and we are doing this a lot of the time - it just depends on how you see it!  Take some moments now to think about how many ways you are being of Service!  Then make your decision on how you wish to do more - if you do?  -  and don't beat yourself up about it.  Just look at this and get curious!

Service truly comes from the Heart.  When you are doing this selflessly and allowing your heart to speak that is being of service to yourself and others.  Whether you are making money or not that matters not.  It is where this is coming from - the Heart.  

So over coffee, I had an Aha moment of realization with my friends that Service and Volunteering is a mindset.  It is how we perceive and feel about it and the greater social meaning of the words and actions themselves.  This mindset is connected to your Heart - go there and be still.  

I now feel happier about my life wheel and my conflict is gone.  Thanks friends.  I realize that in fact I am being of service so much of the time in my life so I raised my satisfaction level.  Yet now to raise it even higher, what is missing for me is to CHOOSE an organization or charity that fits with my purpose in life and I am passionate about.  That will then make me feel very satisfied in the Service area of my life.  Aha!!!  I have now changed my thinking about this.  A great new solution for 2012.  

The point of Service is to do it from the Heart.  

How are you being of service to yourself, others and the greater community?  Do you or did you have the same dilemma?  I would love to hear about your thoughts. 

PS - if you would like a copy of the life wheel - please contact me.

 

New Year's Eve - AHA!

How do you like to spend New Year's Eve?

It seems we all honour New Year's Eve in so many ways.  I have spent New Year's Eve in many different ways in my life.  I would like to share some of them.

 1. camping out in the wilds of Australia listening to the kookaburra's laughing at us crazy celebrating humans

2. going mad and getting rather wasted at a party in Pasadena California, then the next day watching the Rose Bowl Parade

3. dancing the night away in the show 'Frenezie' at the Moulin Rouge in Paris

4. sitting meditating in southern India at the southern most point of India called, Kanyakumari

5. being one of the millions it seemed in Soho, London during the turn of the century

6. spending the night chanting and meditating with my guru in Palm Springs California and drinking masala chai.

7. sitting at home in Brussels and having a super long conversation with a friend on the phone in Dubai.  

I am sure that you have also spent so many different ways in different parts of the world. Isn't it grand that over our life time we enjoy so many different ways to pass New Year's Eve.

My most favourite way and tonight I shall do this is - I will start by finishing off anything that has not beeen completed in the past year (pay bills - yikes!); throw out rubbish, paper etc; do some cleaning in the house; make a clean bed to sleep in; go for a walk or some exercise; eat some delightful food; sit and journal about my yearly reflections and what I want to accomplish and move forward with in 2012; read a little inspirational text; followed by meditating for over an hour as the clock strikes midnight.  It is simple, quiet and so comforting to the soul.  Yes that is my process and somewhat of a ritual.  

I would love to know how you spend your New Year Eves!  Happy New Year and may it be filled with a new vibrant energy and full of abundance and wealth in all areas of your life.  Be brave and bold - yet humble and kind.  

 Catch you in 2012!!!

 

Spending Time with the Elderly - Aha

Wisdom of the Elderly

When I come home to Victoria Canada to visit my mother I enjoy this adventure so much.  Just an aside Victoria has a saying about it the city - 'it is for the newly wed or nearly dead'.  I am beginning to fit into the latter!  

Well the nearly dead is figurative as the people here seem to live to ripe old ages.  Just when you think you are ready to kick the bucket, you revive yourself again.  My mother has certainly done this a few times.  Recently a lady of 111 was in the paper with a bottle of guiness next to her!  My mother is turning 96 next month and going strong, Archie down the road recently passed away at 104 and many years ago my next door neighbour when I was growing up died at 105.  

Regardless of the age, I love to attend the Monterey Centre which is the Senior Community Centre and it is a delight.  When I go there I am surrounded by wisdom and incredibly vibrant stories.  Of course when they remember them!  The people come from all over the world, so there stories are varied, cultural and of course range through the greatest changes this world has  ever experienced.  Many were born during WW1 then without saying passed through horrific experiences to the new technological world.  Even my mother skype's with me when I am away.  Of course, someone assists her.  

What I am getting at here is there is a vibrance in these people of over 80 and I am strengthened by this because there is still much to accomplish and learn.  I met a lady yesterday who is in her late 80's travels to locations around the world and paints.  She was fascinating in her outlook on life.  Also, while my mother and I were chatting with her the band was rehearsing in the background for a New Years Eve performance at the local seniors home.  The members of the band tour around the city doing performances and range from around 75 - 90.  Still going strong and having a great time.

Of course getting old is not fun when your body declines, sickness ensues, hearing and sight goes, memory loss and so much more - however, their is still life.  Think of getting older as vibrant and a new learning period.  Wisdom comes through looking at the world with a new pair of glasses and stepping outside of yourself.  We don't have to wait to be 'old' for this wisdom, it helps, but we can all step out of ourselves and our self-importance and live vibrantly.  

Let 2012 be a new vital energy for you and discover more wisdom.  Come to the awareness of this transformation.  No matter what age we are we can become aware and be full of vital energy.  It is a mindset!  

HURRAH for the ELDERLY!  Rock ON!

 

8mm Home Movies at Christmas! - Aha

How to bring a new spark into Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, our family has our traditional Turkey dinner, roasted potatoes, veggies, ceasar salad, cranberry sauce, gravy and of course the apple pie for desert.  It was as usual my sister Susan's special day to shine as she normally prepares the dinner.  The event was tremendous and my 95 year old mother was up for the occasion and enjoyed every last moment of it.  It is usually the exact same always - and may I say the location has not changed in over 30 years - my mother's home - or the family homestead.

Like most families the drama can play out at festive gatherings.  Christmas is no different and seems to be the catalyst for drama!  For many years our family usually ended up in some sort of an argument and then one person would leave and like a domino effect, everyone would say they had to go.  My mother and sister were getting really pissed off by this and wished that we didn't have Christmas at all.  

Finally, last year something changed!  First it seemed that 'young ones' had now grown up and were in their late teens just about to hit the 20's and they were now settled more.  Then we got to speaking about the old family 8mm home movies that we had hidden away and hadn't looked at for perhaps over 30 years.  The thought was lets get them out.  

So I rummaged around with my great nephew in the storage area in the basement, et voila, there was the 8mm projector, the screen, and we found all the reels of movies.  Now would it work?  Yes!  Again, it was as if the god's had blessed us and took us out of the arguing phase of our lives.  We watched many of the movies dating back to 1956 and the 'young one's' were able to see their parents as children.  It was so so so much fun and my mother was overwhelmed and excited to see my father and even her parents.

This year we did the same thing and in fact it was the excitement that made the evening yet again.  The home movies were the talk of the evening.  We watched some different ones from last year and again it was a powerful walk down memory lane.  My mother loved it again and so did all the clan.  

What I have realized is the power of history and how this can bond - of course it can move the other way as well.  However, in this case it has created a new event and happening in our family.  It has brought us closer together as we can now see in film the family fun, silliness and love.  

Do you need a new spark to liven up your Christmas?  We needed that spark in our family Christmas and it truly made the excitement - ie lets honour and also laugh at our past.  Good therapy I guess!!!!  Aha!

 

'The X Factor' - Soar Like an Eagle - Aha

Happy Holidays to you all!

Last night I was watching the wonderful X Factor finale.  I have been following this for the past many weeks in Singapore.  I believe that behind all of this there is a real learning and metaphor on so many levels.  I wish to share with you my Holiday Aha from this show.

Be your own X Factor - find your voice that is living within you.  The secret to this show is the mentoring / coaching.  Those singers who were in the top grew to find their own voices - the power of there mind, body and souls were aligned with integrity, connected and congruent.  The mentors saw the light of each individual that was there inside of not only the voice itself but the fullness of the spirit that creates the performance.  Let your voice soar like an eagle, blossom like a flower, and find this connection of mind body and soul.  We don't have to stand on stage and be singers - this is the metaphor for voice inside of us.  We all have voices in different fields - just let them be free to fly and perform.  

Those singers found themselves over months and that was so much due to the support, mentoring, coaching and believing in using your talents to the best they can be.  This is what I love about my work as a performance mastery coach.  This truly what we are doing - bringing out that truthful inner voice of performance.  I love it!

 This again was an Aha Moment for me this Holiday Season.  I am now reflecting on my true voice and how to allow it soar like an eagle.  

 May 2012 be the year that you soar like an eagle and find your X Factor.  It is not the end of the world as the Mayan calendar states but it is the end of the world as it exists today.  I invite you to take this to heart and create, believe and be your true inner voice - it is screaming to be heard - give it to humanity in a most enriching and positive way.  

  My blessings to you all.

 Kevin 

 

Kindness

Aha Kindness       

What is a little kindness to others in today's society?  What does it cost?  NOTHING!   Have you been kind to someone today? 

I am taking on a little campaign of my own here in Singapore.  It is about saying hello to the bus driver, asking him or her how she is and then saying thank-you when I get off. 

I would say that out of the many times I have now taken a bus, I am perhaps in the 1 percentile of people who actually acknowledge there is actually a driver who is operating the bus. 

I have watched the people get on the bus.  It is like seeing a bunch of robots sign in with their Bus Pass and not even looking at the bus driver.  No expression is shown and well I am quite saddened by this simple piece of courtesy.  We ought to be grateful for this little piece of kindness that we can give to the driver.  When I do this, the bus driver smiles, chats for a moment and well I feel better - and I know he or she does as well.  Sometimes when I get off the bus we will wave at each other and this feels good to share this. 

Now I have found this not to be just here in Singapore.  It is also rampant in Europe as well.  In fact, I want to engage with the drivers there and mostly they will grumpily say hello or not and just turn away. 

It brings me to the question - what has happened to humanity?  why are we unkind to our other citizens who are actually doing something good.  People will say oh it is there job - yeah - so - we all have jobs and why can't we be helpful, courteous and thankful to each other - what about even smiling?  Quelle Concepto!!!!  Think about what this does to the energy around you and within you. 

I must say I have been a culprit also in not recognizing people.  I say lets become more aware folks.  Let's have some aha moments here.  Let's start being kind - it costs absolutely no 'cash' at all.  In fact, it is creates benefits and cash in the bank, so to speak, when you do this - as others will then be return the favour - well most of the time. 

Start your own kindness sharing and giving campaign of sorts.  Gets others involved and begin a movement like 'Occupy Wall Street' but in this case for the bus drivers, or grocery check out people or others. 

Try to SEE OTHERS, HEAR OTHERS, AND FEEL FOR OTHERS!  -  as well as yourself.  Aha!!!

Aha! Singapore - back again

Aha Singapore

Now that i am here in Singapore again, it is time to begin sharing with you the moments of life here.  

Where am I living?  Well I am living in an HDB apartment with my boyfriend.  What is an HDB apartment?  This stands for Housing Development Board and it is the type of housing that most Singaporeans live in.  They are what we might refer to in the west as social housing - however, that is not the case in the least.  These are apartments blocks that are like apartment farms - what do I mean by this.  Well the apartment blocks go on forever and they are all little communities.  

Most of the Singaporeans own their apartments as the government encourages this by giving them financial breaks on buying.  They are still rather pricey these days for what I would say we have even in Canada.  Our apartment is newly renovated and very cool.  So extremely comfortable.  The bus is directly outside which takes me to the MRT - the underground - and then only 3 stops til Orchard - the main centre stop.  

We have a 'wet market' across the street to buy veggies and fresh meat.  There are also 'hawkers' where you go and eat for extremely cheap.  A 'hawker' is a little shop/restaurant of fast food and usually there are many of them in a row with different specialities.  In fact, it is generally cheaper to eat out at a hawker here than to buy groceries.  Plus you don't have to clean up!!!!  or have all the preparation or smells that accompany it.  The draw backs of the HDB are when people are cooking the smells of the food can be super and also they can be quite unappealing to the nose - such as the fish soup dishes.  I am still getting used to the many cuisines.

At the moment we are celebrating the 'Haji Day' - which is the muslim holiday.  Yet,  out the back I am listening to some clanging of what seems to be chinese cans and the squeeky sounds of chinese opera singing.  Again, my ears are not yet atuned to these sounds.  I am wondering if they ever will be.  Generally very high pitched sounds really hurt my ears.  

So the Aha's are high.  The adaptation challenging at times and well - when you appear to be the only 'Ang Mo' - white person - in the whole complex for miles, it can feel a bit odd, yet exciting on the other hand.  :)))  So the excitement goes on.  

 

 

Home Sweet Home - Aha!!!

Back Home in Victoria with Mom!

I have just returned from a lovely and most delightful ride on my bike around the waterfront in South Oak Bay in Victoria, Canada.  It is one of those incredible summer evenings where the sun is shining brightly as it approaches the horizon, the gentle breeze caresses my skin as I ride and across the water are the Olympic Mountains with small vestiges of snow adorning their tops. This is a glorious mountain range in Washington State, USA.  I have taken many photos over the years in various states of weather conditions.  

I have come back to nest at my mother's home for month.  Home Sweet Home.  She has lived there for 52 years and next year the house will be 100.  So celebrations of this old home.  In preparation of this I have contracted painters to give the house a new look of colour design.  It will be more of the Arts and Crafts style that has become very common here in Victoria.  

My mother of 95 is doing well.  She fell and broke her arm in May and has been recuperating since.  A slow process at her age as I am sure you are quite aware of.  On arriving home, I was excited to see that her progress was great.  She is moving her arm nicely now and not with a full range but it is getting there.  She is walking better and better again.  However, she is exhausted and sleeps alot.  I have realized that when you do not exercise you lose your stamina and as you get older that stamina and strength decreases faster than lightning speed.  So hence, the importance of staying fit.  

Our house is a large home and has 3 levels so to get into the house there are stairs and to go up to the bedrooms there are stairs.  Mom has been imprisoned on the main floor now for almost 2 months and has been chomping at the bit to go upstairs and look at her bedroom and especially all her clothes and jewellery.  So last night, with the assistance of her care worker, Cloris, we decided to take the big step or shall I say 15 steps.  We slowly went up the stairs and down again.  Mom was ecstatic.  By the time she got down she wanted to flop on the bed.  Good thing as it helped her sleep through most of the night.  Eureka it was a success.

Today mom wanted to go outside and walk a little.  So we challenged her fitness and determination
again.  We descended the steps and at the bottom was a wheel chair to take her for a ride.  She said no, I will use the walker.  So off we went slowly as she observed the garden and the surroundings.  This is the first time she has been out since May 20!!!  So she was excited again.  This time on returning to the house I thought she would collapse from the exertion of climbing the steps.  I had to help her up the stairs by pushing her gently by her butt.  By the time she got to the top she was totally drained.  She said, 'we will do this each day and I will improve'.  What a tenacious gal.  When I come home I feel like my mind goes into Mush - so I kindly call coming back to Victoria - Returning to Mushland.  Not sure what happens here, but it seems the air just relaxes you so much and my mind just truly goes on vacation to the extent that I often feel there is nothing left in it.  I guess that is good, except I don't want to leave that state of Mush after awhile and sometimes I feel I have lost my marbles and memory completely.  :))))  

So Aha! Home Sweet Home - it is great to be back when the weather is charming like this - the biking is super - air is clean and invigorating - mom is great to spend time with because who knows how much time we have left - plus also I am sure our family home will soon be sold - not sure when, but it will happen - in the mean time for its 100th anniversary it will have a new look - at least on the outside.  Aha!!!

 

 

Aha! Clic Clic Clic

Aha! CLIC, CLIC, CLIC

It has been long time since I have blogged. I am sitting in the Star Alliance Lounge at Mumbai Airport awaiting my Singapore Airlines flight back to Singapore.  I had some time so what came to me is to report upon my weekend engagement in Goa.

I was asked last weekend to deliver a motivational speech at EEMA - Event and Event Management Association - in Goa, which I did yesterday. This speaking gig came at a very last minute decision and invitation due to a follow up I had from my previous trip to India in July.  

I have not been to Goa before and it has been a dream of mine for sometime.  I can say though that I saw the airport and the hour and a bit drive to the hotel, the hotel and a drive north to the Marriott Hotel for the EEMAX Awards - Industry Awards.  The countryside is tropical, extremely green in this rainy season, spectacled with very colourful homes - some bright yellow or green or pink or blue etc. Very cool indeed.  There is definitely a flavour in the architecture of the colonial Portuguese era, plus many large Catholic Churches. 

I arrived last Friday and I had a technical rehearsal and it all went well.  I swam in the hotel pool which was massive. Oh, the hotel is called the Zuri White Sands Beach Resort. My first big surprise on arriving and checking in, was that I was given this massive suite to lounge and around and live in for a couple of nights.  It seems I get these lovely rooms, but end up being alone.  Damn - I hope that changes soon.  :)))  

There was a festive evening party reception with the theme of Carnival - yet all that was touching on Carnival was the decor of masks and bright coloured fabrics.  The entertainment was not especially wonderful for an events organization.  It did seem to please the audience though.  The atmosphere was certainly party party party though.  

I was there with Arjun of Global Entertainment Management, who is managing me in India and Asia.  This is a relatively new situation and we are still working out the details.  Very exciting though and I will chat about this in time.  I also met with many people that I had met up with in my previous trip to India in July.  This was tremendous to meet them all again so soon.  

On Saturday, I spoke for an hour.  My speech was called 'Curtains Up! Its Showtime.  In this speech I share some of the learnings that I have experienced and imbibed over my many years as a sportsperson, figure skating choreographer and director of large scale productions.  With that knowledge I have coined a creative process called 'CLIC + S'.  This stands for Connect, Listen, Inspire, Create + Service'. 

During my speeches, I like to have a bit of interactivity happening and I asked them to repeat 'Aha, Clic Clic Clic' when I would say a rhetorical question that started with 'What if'.  e.g. what if you connected more consciously? - they would repeat Aha Clic Clic Clic.

They enjoyed this interactivity and apparently from the word on the street, I became talked about and known as Aha, Clic Clic Clic.  That was cool.  So I sense this worked.  Yeah!  Sometimes you are shooting at the air with different audiences and you hope that when you try a new thing it will work.  Eureka it did.

Later that evening they had the EEMAX awards at the Marriott Hotel which was about 1.5 hours away from the Zuri.  So off we went in a rather old bus with quasi functioning air con - but it was great as I got to see a bit more of Goa - albeit from inside of a bus.  :))))

The EEMAX awards went off well.  It was super duper fun and it was a great honour for me.  Why?  They asked me to present the awards to winners.  So up I went on stage and handed out trophies.  The was a first for me.  Wow!  I was really excited and touched by this kindness.  When I got off the stage - people in the audience yelled out Aha, Clic Clic, Clic and then again when I was thanked with everyone else for speaking - a huge roar of Aha Clic Clic Clic resounded again.  How cool was that.  They got it!!!  

I only got two hours sleep that night before I again headed off in the early morning hours with the birds and rising temperature and humidity to catch my plane to Mumbai and then onto Singapore.  

The quick weekend was a great success and I met some absolutely wonderful souls.  I made more contacts and people came up to me with desires to work on a few projects and also discuss some speaking as well as workshops.  Now the follow up.  I am truly grateful to EEMA for this wonderful experience in Goa.  I will now venture to Goa again on a much different type of excursion the next time.  

Go Goa!!!!  Thanks EEMA for this Aha Clic Clic Clic experience of which I will reflect upon and remember for a long time.  Yes new Aha's were had.  One is Trust in the energy behind serendipitous moments. That is how I got to Goa!