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A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #5

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, rse, , , , , , , ,


(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Move over, Jana has arrived. 

In a 5 feet 5 inches frame, and just over twenty years, this woman has already managed to pack what would take most several lifetimes to accomplish. 

For starters, Jana is more than half way through completing a self-funded medical degree (sans financial aid).  Already she has co-authored a research paper with one of the world’s top neurosurgeons (Dr. Charles Teo). She’s the VP of an executive board of a medical student organization. And she tutors other medical students.

She’s also one of the world’s youngest Bikram Yoga teachers.  And has taught yoga across Australia and around the world.

On the side, Jana plays and writes music and is currently working on a record and training for a marathon.

In her words, her career Nirvana is: ”becoming a surgeon as well as working to change our global healthcare systems.  I want to see medical care become more about education and prevention than drugs and treatment. This is where yoga comes in…”

Jana embodies a hybrid existence.  If you ever meet her, you’d agree that she comes across as ambitious and determined, yet at the same time she’s free-spirited and peaceful.  And if you look close enough, you’ll soon realize that inside her a left and a right brain co-exist in harmony. Like most left-brained doctors, Jana’s rational and factual. Whenever I’ve practiced yoga with her, she has explained, with clinical details, the medical benefits of every pose, and has been very quick to point out when someone’s pose is out of alignment.  Yet, unlike a doctor, she’ll admit that some things have happened in her life by pure chance – without any scientific explanation. Like Bikram Yoga.

She wrote to me: “I met Bikram Choudhury, (the founder of Bikram Yoga) …It was a chance meeting. He looked at me from across the dinner table, called me over and said: ‘You’ll become a yoga teacher. I know more about your life than you do and I can see your life’s path…’”

“A week later I deferred my (medical) degree, found people to take over my apartment…sat my final exams for the session, got my vaccinations and medical health all checked, and left for (Los Angeles) with $1000 in my bank (account) to study to become the youngest Bikram Yoga Teacher to date at that time.”

She goes on to say: “It wasn’t a choice. It was a path. Yogis say that everything has a ‘dharma’.  (The) wind’s dharma is to blow, fire’s dharma is to burn and humans’ dharma is “love, truth and sacrifice”. When you’re living your dharma they say all falls into place and so I think at that time and ever since, things just falling into place means that I’m on the right track, living my dharma, so to speak.”

Note to self: In a new world, unrules are the new rules of success.

More than a schedule, a day in the life of Jana sounds like a rap song where the rapper is left breathless:

“I wake at 5 most days, meditate, teach yoga, do a yoga class, go to clinic which is where I’m a student doctor, leave and teach another yoga class, then go home to study medical and yoga topics and sleep at 12am, get up and do it all again.”

She ends her line of thinking with: “There is a lot to do! I don’t watch television and I don’t think I could tell you the last time I felt like I was ‘wasting time’… Life is efficient…”

Note to self: There is no such thing as an unimportant day.

And how does she manage to lead such an efficient life?

As driven as Jana is, she lives by one mantra – and one mantra alone:

“I know the relative importance of all parts of life and know my health, mental and physical, is number one.”

As a true yogi, she wrote to me: “No matter what path you’re on – for me becoming a doctor – if you don’t have your own health, you have nothing. Like Bikram says: ‘The most important thing in your life is you  – not what you do or what or what you know or what you study or who you love – because without you, there is no your life.’ So having a complimentary practice like yoga, exercise, meditation, should be something you make time for everyday… we should praise, maintain and appreciate our health.”

And sounding like a doctor who has just finished writing a prescription, she explains: “I have so much information about how yoga and meditation lower blood pressure and benefit every system of the body. Since I started (practicing) yoga I have barely had a cold, I sleep less and feel better, I crave better foods and I feel incredible. I want everyone to have this accessible to them before they reach for medications and…fast food. It would save our healthcare system billions if people learned how to balance their lives and their health… not to mention the life years it would save.”

From what she wrote to me, it’s clear that she practices what she preaches:

“Every day that I got home from study, I would think: ‘I’m learning about health, but I have no time or outlet to be truly healthy myself. What am I doing? Even though I am learning. I’m getting fatter and unhealthier and more tired everyday.’ Then I found Bikram Yoga. It gave me the health and energy to study health at university. It was the perfect counterpart that kept me sane in an intellectual world where it is easy to go mad. There were so many times before I found yoga that my medical exams would push me nearly to the edge of a nervous breakdown; often tears and really catastrophic thinking patterns. But now I breeze through with the knowledge of how to be efficient and how to be calm and equanimous.”

Note to self: More than anything else, respect your health.  You’ll last longer. 

In spite of her achievements, Jana is far from perfect.

As she admitted in an email: “I stumbled over a few things on the way to being accepted into medical school. I missed the date of application for medical school when I was in my final year of high school because I had moved out of home, had a turbulent time and was not given guidance on the matter!”

This mishap landed her in a medical science degree for two years before she could transfer to the Bachelor’s of Medicine program. 

Note to self:  So what if at first you don’t get what you want? If you try hard enough, some day you’ll get it.  How badly you want something will determine how hard you work towards it.

True to her self-awareness, she leaves us all with:

“I would say that this multidisciplinary approach has meant I can relate to a lot of people and that I feel very satisfied but I also often feel overworked and like I am never giving enough to each part of my life individually! The solution…the balance…I’m still working on that.”

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #4

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, , , ,

(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Meet Nigel, a high achiever no matter where he finds himself.

In his own words: “You see, I was brought up to believe that to be successful – and you had to be successful – you needed a good education, work hard and go for the money.  So, I got a solid education and worked hard for the money…”

In spite of his upbringing, Nigel has not been afraid to create his own definition of success. On several occasions, whenever he has felt that his values have been compromised, he has made changes.  That’s how Nigel has paved a way to his career Nirvana. 

Note to self:  Success is in the eye of the beholder.  Only you know what success means. Give yourself a chance to create your own definition.

Like many, Nigel began his career in the corporate world.  At that point, he went for money and flashy titles (and lots of toys).  During his first job out of college, he excelled as an investment banker in Mexico.  Later he jumped to a more tantalizing opportunity with a US multinational in the FMCG sector.  After almost two years he wanted to improve his business acumen and completed an MBA at Thunderbird.  Out of grad school he landed a dream job with another US multinational and worked his way up the ladder to Marketing Manager.  Achievement, timing and luck were on his side as he was transferred to Sydney, Australia as the Marketing Manager of a brand portfolio worth over a quarter of a billion dollars.  While at the top of his game in the corporate world, working 60 plus hour weeks, he decided it was time to re-evaluate his priorities and to re-define success. 

As he described it to me in an email: “The change catalysts for me were my health, values and reshuffled priorities.  Long work weeks (60hrs +) and short sighted senior executives…ate away at my health and pushed me to compromise key values – like respect and wellbeing.  I could no longer live unhealthily and according to the shallow values of others.”

He resigned his corporate job looking for a more balanced existence. That’s Nigel’s career Nirvana.

His next move is a paradox.  In search for what he calls ‘just being’, when most would’ve been content with lying on the beach and reading all day, he and his wife accepted a position as house parents at the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS).  The times when I visited them, they looked that they were far from ‘just being’.  Although it looked like he had shed the coat of stress that corporate life tends to brand people with, he remained very active.  A major part of the job description of an AIS house parent is to look after the emotional well-being of young athletes who are living away from home pursuing a dream to make it to the Olympics or to become professionals. At times that meant catering for the needs of 70 teenagers. Albeit, by most standards these teenagers were easy to manage since their training demands kept them out of trouble (drugs and alcohol), there’s no real way around the demands of a teen-ager, let alone 70 at a time.  Like the need to be driven to sports meets and matches, to have their injuries kept in check, to be entertained and in general a need to be recognized and acknowledged.   Still Nigel describes it as something that he did well – and could’ve done with his eyes closed.  I believe him.  The times that I saw him in action I noticed that all the kids loved and respected him. And Nigel seemed to be loving every minute of it.

After three years of ‘just- being’, Nigel and his wife agreed it was time for a change.  Based on his self-knowledge, he decided to move into entrepreneurship.  Once he explored several options, he decided that buying a franchise was the logical way for him to transition into business ownership.  Following a breach of contract from the franchiser Nigel decided to sell the business. 

Today Nigel lives a balanced existence – using his skills in communications, marketing and business at one of the world’s most renowned scientific research and development agencies, CSIRO – and exists in harmony and balance with his pillar values.

Note to self: What matters most is how you do things – not what things you do.

By most standards, Nigel is an analytical person. After all he was trained by some of the world’s top marketing machines; the FMCG sector and an MBA.  However, he recognizes that analysis and planning are not what played the biggest roles in his search.  He says: “There isn’t a magic formula or one way.   I believe that every experience teaches you something about yourself and what you like, dislike and are willing to accept.  The beauty of this life of ours is that we have a choice.  Choice isn’t the scary part.  What keeps us awake at night…is the consequence of that choice.  Ground yourself with a simple question: what is the worst that can happen and where does this stack up against my priorities and values?  If you see Mr. Death and his sickle on the horizon, maybe you should rethink your plan.”

Note to self:  Avoid paralysis by over analysis.  If you can handle the foreseeable worse case scenario, go for it.

Nigel also feels that what has worked for him is: ”Recognizing….no, understanding that I have a choice and realizing that I could live happily with the consequences of my decisions…”

Note to self: Decisions have consequences.  Today you are the product of past decisions you’ve made.  Start with the end in mind.  Decide what you want to become – and determine what decisions will get you there.

Looking back he feels that: “Listening at times to that inner voice might have saved me from some big mistakes.”

Note to self: Learn to listen to your inner voice. Trust it.

Nigel leaves us with one final message: “Try not to become too idealistic and remember whatever path you choose will take work and effort.”

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #3

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, rse, , ,

(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Meet Pablo. A Colombian who grew up in Cali, the world’s passion capital. 

In spite of living in the US since 10th grade, passion continues to run through his veins.  As he wrote to me: “Ever since I remember it has been my wish to be an entrepreneur and to drive forward a business that I am passionate about…”

That’s where Pablo’s career Nirvana lies.

Note to self: Your passion is a big (fat) clue to your career Nirvana. What are you passionate about?

Today, as the Chief Philanthropic Officer (CPO) and brain-child of Helping Mind, Pablo is able to fully express his passion. As a not-just-for-profit, Helping Mind stands for more than profit.  Like any conventional business, it must recover its production costs, yet like a non-profit it’s driven by a cause. 

That cause emerged from Pablo’s dreams while working in corporate America, with Microsoft, developing distribution channels in the Caribbean.

In Pablo’s words: “During my corporate years I worked on my free time on a business idea of a company that would produce great quality products and truly give back to people, (helping) them and their communities both locally and abroad.  Travelling to Colombia and seeing the level of poverty and need always made me think about the need to start a company which like Helping Mind (would) truly…empower people to progress.  I’m convinced that by helping people and empowering them to become better individuals…I will obtain a true sense of spiritual accomplishment and leave a mark or legacy long after I am gone.”

His dream became a reality earlier this year, when Helping Mind’s e-commerce site was launched.

As one of his fans on facebook wrote on his funwall:

“This business idea hits the center of the bulls eye of our collective social consciousness. Corporate America needs more entrepreneurs like Pablo. Good luck and count on me on whatever I can help to make this a success. YES YOU CAN!”

Pablo credits his grandfather as his source of inspiration. 

“…My grandfather…was truly my inspiration, an honest and hard working individual, someone who loved to serve and help his community and friends. (He’s) someone who provided me with the ethical compass that has guided me throughout my life.”

Note to self: Open up to positive role models – welcome their shining light into your life.

As smooth as Pablo’s ride may sound, it had a few detours along the way.  After working with Microsoft he set up a small family business.  And for the last four-and-a-half years, he worked with a financial institution that did not survive the recent economic shake up.

Even so, Pablo is still smiling and optimistic as ever. He says that: “Given that Helping Mind is a new company we still have a lot of terrain to cover.  We are sure we will cover this terrain happily and we will be help lots of people throughout the life of our company.  For the time being there hasn’t really been something that hasn’t worked (for Helping Mind), besides the occasional drawback on something due to an external factor – which we can’t really control.  At this point we are really excited that things are moving forward well and that we have launched a great graphic t-shirt collection in the US that will enable us to help people in need. …I certainly have absolutely no regrets besides sometimes wanting to go to sleep earlier which lately I haven’t been able to as I am juggling many things at the same time.  In a nutshell Helping Mind is now a reality and we are only moving forward.”

Note to self: As long as you’re learning, nothing is the end of the world.

When I asked Pablo about the major lessons he’s learned throughout his career he wrote back: “Listen to your inner self, surround yourself with good positive people, do a bit of research, believe wholeheartedly that you will succeed and drive forward your business execution with focus, determination, professionalism and lots of passion.”

Amen!

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #2

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, , , ,

(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

It’s time for you to meet Jo.  Jo’s lead is quite interesting to follow.  Had you met Jo a few years ago, most probably it would have been at a hospital and she would’ve introduced herself to you as ‘Dr. Martin’.  Had you been one of her patients you would most probably have cancer (but G-d forbid).  That’s because Jo was an Oncology intern.  If you meet Jo now, like I did a few months ago, she’ll greet you with a warm red-lipstick smile that goes from cheek to cheek, and she’d ask you – in her young yet husky voice – to please call her ‘Jo’ or ‘Joey’.  She won’t ask you to undress, instead through a microphone, she’ll ask you to take a seat anywhere you like in the auditorium.  Soon after she’ll launch into a most energetic presentation, packed with practical tips and advice about what it takes to succeed as a professional public speaker.  That’s because now Jo is an inspirational speaker and mentor.  She delivers her insight across the world through public speaking engagements.  And Jo knows success well.  In fact, she made over $1.25 million in sales her first 12 months as a professional speaker.

To the untrained eye, Jo’s career metamorphosis comes across as total madness.  After all, what does Oncology have to do with inspiration and professional public speaking? After being on different career paths, Jo found the common thread that led her to find career Nirvana.

Note to self:  Be honest with yourself.  Only you know what feels right.

By most standards, Jo has it all.  She did well in school, she’s a doctor and a successful entrepreneur.  To top it off, she’s sexy and has a loving relationship with her life partner.  Yet as much as it seems that Jo has it all under control, she oscillated between career paths before finding her career Nirvana. 

Note to self:  Not having answers is not a sign of failure. More often than not it’s searching for answers that brings about success.

At the age of 8, before she even knew what a Paediatrician was, Jo decided to be a doctor – and announced it to her parents (which made them super proud, especially since both are Pharmacists).  Until she reached the sixth grade it was possible to say that Jo was one of those lucky ‘born-to-be-a-doctor’ types.  All that changed after she enrolled in the school’s drama program and discovered a passion for performing.  From that point onwards, her decision to become a doctor began to feel ‘not quite right’ because when she was not acting, she was longing it.

After finishing high school, she took a year off to travel the world with friends.  Perhaps she was hoping (and praying) that she could leave behind her longing to perform and continue life peacefully following her childhood decision to become a doctor. Yet her indecision was so evident, that it was at the very last minute, while speaking with her mom from a phone booth in Greece, that she decided to apply to med school.  As she confessed at our interview, that was only because she missed the admission’s audition to drama school.

Jo found med school challenging and she enjoyed it.  Except she never was sure what type of doctor she’d become. Finally Oncology found her – after two out of her five rotations during her Intern year were in Oncology.  Even if she did not think much about her indecision at the time, it seems as if her thought process was being interrupted by her longing to be on stage. 

After grueling months working in the Oncology ward, she finally cracked open.  And at the end of her first year, she decided to enroll in drama school.  Her decision came about almost as harshly as new teeth break through a baby’s gums. The catalyst was the passing of a patient she came to know well.  That same night back at the hotel room, she realized that the patient could’ve been her.  As she sat there debriefing after a long and emotional day, she asked herself: ”If I had 6 months to live (like my patient did) would I be doing today what I’m doing?”  Her answer was a resounding no.  That intense moment stripped her of all inhibitions and pretensions.  And once her gates of honesty opened up, answers started to flow downstream from her core.  In Jo’s words she said to herself: “Instead I would go to drama school and I would learn how to act, and I would try my hand as a professional actor.”

That was Jo’s first ‘if not now, then when?’ moment.

When telling me this, Jo made it a point to let me know that her decision to switch paths was not based on a dislike of medicine – or on feeling completely and utterly exhausted after working 12 to 14 hour days. It was because the practice of medicine was not giving her the benefits that she wanted, emotionally.

Note to self: Feelings don’t lie. They don’t know how.  When things feel right, it’s because they are. When they don’t, it’s because something needs to change. Learn to listen to your instincts and to trust them.

When I asked Jo if she has a way to tap into her feelings, she shared with me a method, which seems simple by most standards.  Jo uses a balance sheet model made up of assets and liabilities.  When it becomes clear that the liabilities are outweighing the emotional assets of an opportunity, she knows that it’s time to change. And change she does, and quickly. 

Six months after starting the drama program at one of Australia’s most competitive academies, she began to feel something she did not expect.  Especially not after she had given up a career as a doctor to pursue her dream to be an actor.  Although drama school helped Jo fill an emotional void and scratch a major itch, it did not do a complete job. She realized that performing was missing a key ingredient (drum roll please)…making a real difference in people’s lives.  Although this realization took Jo by surprise, she told me that she did not panic.  Instead, she focused on finding a solution. 

Note to self: It is how you respond to set backs that determines how quickly you recover from them. 

As tempted as she may have been to go back to practicing medicine, she knew that was not a sustainable option. That wouldn’t satiate her emotionally.  Around that same time she started to train in executive coaching.  There is where Jo found a path that allowed her to make a difference in people’s lives and to feed her emotional craving to perform.

Note to self: Cultivate an abundance mentality.  Be open to having ‘this and that’.  Don’t limit your decisions to either/or choices.  Dare to ask yourself: “If I could have it all, what would that be?”

Soon Jo realized that she has a talent for improving people’s morale and empowering them to take responsibility for their lives.  Her business as an executive coach, working with some of Australia’s largest corporations, grew at such a quick pace that she began to feel that drama school was holding her back.  That was when she decided to quit drama school to work full time on her growing coaching business.   Her work caught the attention of one of the world’s top results coaches, Chris Howard. He invited her to join his organization as Head of Research and Training.  Even though that move involved a considerable down grade in income, she decided to accept because she knew that the opportunity would pay back in know-how.  

Note to self: Learning is also a form of earning.  It’s an investment in your career path.

1. Be open to learning.

2. Read inspiring material.

3. Repeat.

She spent the next two years developing business with Chris Howard’s company.  Jo was so good at what she did that eventually she became the face of Chris Howard on platforms across the globe: UK, USA and Australia, replacing him on stage. 

Note to self: When you’re passionate about what you do, success is likely to follow – and quickly.

Two years later, after spending months at a time working away from her family and her boyfriend (now life partner), she decided it was time to come closer to home.  She made up her mind on her 30th birthday while she was celebrating it in London with work friends – instead of at home with her family. 

That was Jo’s second ‘if not now, then when’ moment.  Within a few weeks she quit her job. 

Note to self: Take action.  When it feels that it’s time to go, your feelings are probably telling the truth. Refer to lesson #3.

For the next nine months Jo went through what she calls a pajama phase. She did nothing. (Or as little as an over achiever like Jo can handle)  Then, after several professionals in the public speaking circuit approached her for advice, she realized she had a lot to offer. That’s how her current company was born.  She now spends most of her time helping entrepreneurs express their passion and find businesses that support their lifestyle.

Note to self: Nothing is the end of the world.  Not even quitting your job or selling your business or even getting fired without having another opportunity lined up.

Jo admitted to me that she never has had a plan or has taken time to weigh up options.  She simply relies on her instincts and a deep knowledge that she will be all right – no matter what.  And that’s how it has worked out for her until now.

It almost seems that Jo’s instincts where being guided by a two-circle venn diagram model.  Something inside of her knew that at the intersection of medicine and performing emerges success coaching and professional public speaking. Because she was willing to listen, her instincts guided her to her career Nirvana.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this fell from the sky, like a pie, on Jo. Although she has this inner sense that whatever happens she’ll land back on her feet, Jo is an extremely hard worker.  She admits to have worked herself to exhaustion on several occasions.   She says that this tends to happen when she’s enjoying so much what she’s working on, that she stays on a roll for very long periods of time. That leads me to Jo’s greatest strength – her self-awareness and brutal self-honesty.  Both make her very down to earth and approachable.

You’re a baby step away from your career Nirvana…no bullshitake.

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, , , , , ,

In the 6th century BC, Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher and central figure of Taoism, said:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

To Lao’s words I’d like to add:

”That journey is completed a (baby) step at a time.”

(shame Lao didn’t get to see Bill Murray starring in “What About Bob?”)

History lesson aside, how on earth do you make that work for your career? 

Kaizen.

(what da!)

Kaizen is the Japanese word for ‘improvement’.  Kai stands for ‘change’ and Zen for ‘good’.  It’s the name given to the philosophy that focuses on gradual, continuous, and incremental improvements – in every aspect of life.

It’s the implementation of that philosophy that turned the Japanese manufacturing industry into a world superpower after it was blown to pieces during World War II.

Take it from the lion’s mouth – Toyota’s President:

‘Why do you think Toyota has been successful so far?’ ‘We’re doing the same thing we always did: we’re consistent. There’s no genius in our company. We just do whatever we believe is right, trying every day to improve every little bit and piece.  But when 70 years of very small improvements accumulate, they become a revolution’ – Katsuaki Watanabe.

Now I’m determined to make Kaizen part of your modus operandi. 

If you look at the upper-right hand corner of my blog (below my picture), you’ll see a box labeled: Power Boost.  Inside that box, you will find easy-to-action tips that will be updated regularly.  The sum of the tips will lead you to career Nirvana one step at a time – a la Kaizen style. 

No bullshitake.

Power Boosts were designed as a series with the main objective to empower you to claim control of your career and keep you in the seat of power. That means that they follow a logical order which has a beginning, but not an end.  It also means that you can start taking Power Boosts at any time. (What about now!) If you happen to miss one or even a few, don’t sweat it.  I have them saved in an archive – and I’ll happily send them to you. (Simply send me an email or leave a comment.)

To be taken in small – concentrated doses.

It will take you a few minutes each day to action a Power Boost. 

Here’s why?

1. Reading the Power Boost – 10 seconds flat

2. Taking action NOW (Like a shot of fresh wheatgrass, it has a short shelf life) – 1 to 5 minutes, on the clock.

3. Repeating – do the math.

Start small, start NOW!

 

 

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World, Hero #1

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, nirvana profesional, , ,

(This post is part of a pact I made. Click here for the full story.)

Meet Victor.  For twenty years Victor was an entrepreneur.  Now, after he switched career lanes, he works with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD as part of the team of computer engineers that is responsible for developing software for flight and non-flight projects. 

Victor did not find his career Nirvana in a blink. For more than 20 years, Victor was a suit-and-tie-wearing business owner. However, underneath it all lay dormant a passionate engineer.  And it may have taken twenty years for that engineer to come out and play, but when it finally did, it made a splash.  It was the awakened engineer that drove Victor to sell his business, move states and go back to school.  It was that same passion that drove him to complete a Masters in Computer Science (MS) at Georgia Tech after being away from academia for twenty-five years.

Note to self: Passion is power.  Tap into yours.

This is what Victor says about passion: “Try to find a way to say every day, ‘Cool, I get to go to work today!’ Pursue what you enjoy.  If you do so with passion, and you do it well enough, you’ll find a way to make a living.  I always wish I had pursued what I liked to do, engineering, from the start … I would be at the top of my game right now!  I love my job.  I’m willing to work very hard at it because it is truly rewarding.  I feel a part of something important.”

By most standards (even high ones) Victor is a smart guy.  Aside from his MS, he also holds a BS from MIT in Computer Science.  Yet for two decades he remained in a path that did not fulfil him.  As he wrote to me: “I didn’t like my job/company for many years.  I never wanted to be a businessman, but somehow found myself stuck with the position, and with the company.”

What was holding him back?

In his own words: “Fear of failure, too much debt, didn’t know what to do with myself.”

Note to self: It’s never too late to change – no matter what your circumstances are.  Never, never, never give up on your passion. Instead keep looking for ways to make the change happen.

Now that he’s transcended to the other side, Victor says:

“Seek advice from someone older, smarter, wiser. Many, like me, create our own barriers.  Get professional help if you feel stuck.  Always stay positive, never give up! (And) Work really, really hard.”

How did he manage to let go of twenty years of professional baggage and debts?

He met a life-partner who was understanding and supportive.  What he wrote to me gave me goose bumps: “I got married.  (My wife) has been incredibly supportive.  I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to make such changes without her by my side.”

Note to self: You’re not alone.  Reach out for the support, guidance and help that you need to make change happen.

He also sold his business, which helped him get out without incurring the large expenses involved in closing a business.  Part of the deal was that he would stay on contract as one of the VPs.  This bought him time to decide his next move.

Note to self:  Keep asking ‘how can I make the change?’ and continue to explore options until you find one that works.

What has Victor learned from his process – that you and I could too?

“If you don’t like what you’re doing, be willing to explore something else.  If you’re in school and don’t like your major, change it, or try courses in other disciplines.  Going back to school was both the hardest, and one of the most rewarding, things I’ve done in my life.  Georgia Tech was a chance to do it better (the second time around).  And I did!  And loved every minute of it!!!”

 

Photo? Courtesy of NASA

Yes you can…find career Nirvana (this is my pact)

autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, estratégico y sostenible, liderazgo, nirvana profesional

For the remainder of 2009 I’m making a pact with my readers (that means you and your friends) to regularly blog about real life stories of people who have looked for and found career Nirvana.

Out of this commitment to you, was born the series:

A New Kind of Hero for a New Kind of World

My main intention when committing to this project was to empower you to find your own career Nirvana.

In the real life stories that follow you’ll have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of remarkable professionals who carved out working lives that are in line with their values.   You’ll learn about career paths of people who have different qualifications and experiences, and come from different cultural backgrounds, genders and age groups.  Each person followed a different path and was guided by different philosophies.  As you’ll soon discover, they each value different things.  In light of their differences, they share a common achievement.  They all arrived at a point in their career where they feel excited about going to work every day.

Their differences prove that there aren’t any hard and fast formulas to achieving fulfilment at work. That means that your uniqueness is your strength. In other words, it is by being true to yourself and genuine that you stand a greater chance of reaching career Nirvana.  It also means that no one but you can take you there; it is your responsibility and something you must aspire to.  Otherwise you risk waking up one day, wondering how you got there – feeling lost and miserable.

Why heroes?

These individuals are 21st century heroes.  (Not heroes in the traditional sense, although one of them saved lives as an Oncologist) What makes them heroes is the fact that they had the courage to save their own lives. They achieved that by recognizing that they could not afford to waste time in meaningless work.  Then they took corrective action.  By doing so they serve as examples to us all.

What is career Nirvana? (and who came up with that term)

My husband, a bowl of oatmeal and my kitchen in Sydney (without the dryer running in the background) provided the inspiration.  Hoping to stroke my ego, I then Googled ‘career nirvana’ to find out if anyone had made any claims on it. Although there are some entries, I’ve decided to keep the term because I believe it describes well what most people I’ve interviewed are looking for. 

Here’s the deal.  Both career stamina and job staying power are passé.  In this new world, being self-aware and open to change are the traits that will lead employees and business owners to career Nirvana, the point where people feel fulfilled in their work lives.

Career Nirvana is a journey – guided by an attitude – it’s not a destination. 

These individuals, although some are multi-millionaires, did not set out to become rich.  While some are quite successful in their fields, they did not start their journey looking for success or recognition.  Granted that each individual is fulfilled by different things, each one set on their journey looking for a more meaningful existence.

These people have had the courage to make changes. Something along the way got them to change perspective, to flip the switch.  Whether change happened almost in an instant after an intense experience – like the loss of a loved one – or whether it took years to materialize, these people changed how they view the world around them.  Yet it’s not possible to describe all of them as extreme risk takers.  Even so, they all had the courage to look inside and to be, by most standards, brutally self-honest.  In large part this is what allowed them to surpass their own status quo.

All admitted to have worked past their fears.  Some, as natural risk takers, tended to take immediate action, others read books, others recurred to professional help, while others counted on the support of loved ones.  Whatever it took, these people took action – in spite of their fears.  This is not a cliché – it’s how it worked in real life. I won’t give away more.  Read for your self to find out.

How do I decide which people to feature?

Qualifications? Experience?  Looks?  Not really.

Indeed, some of the people I have interviewed to date hold degrees from prestigious institutions (and there’s a Dr in the group).  Some have been in the work force for more than twenty years.  And most have sex appeal.  Even so, the main criteria I follow is:

No bullshitake

That’s right. 

Among the stories that I receive, I choose to feature the ones I find are real and human. Although I’ve chosen to label these people ‘heroes’, they are not super human.  They are people, like you and I – with fears, dreams and needs. 

On that note, if you feel that my blog is worthy of your story, I’d love to hear about it.   If you’re not sure, please let me be the judge – I’d love to hear from you.  To save you time (and typing) I suggest that you don’t go ahead and write out your story. Instead contact me: silvana.avinami@gmail.com I’ll send you a list of questions which hopefully will focus your thoughts and as a result reduce your writing time.  In advance, thank you for contributing to my community of readers. Namaste.

Stay tuned for Victor’s story, career hero numero uno.

Now, future – both matter

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, , , , ,

It’s true that being in the now has its benefits. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever been in the zone and experienced flow while doing something.  You’ll know that in the zone is where you reach your optimum performance. Out of simple and effortless doing come our best results. 

Professional athletes know this.  Next time that you watch an NBA game, pay close attention to how a player shoots a free-throw. Notice how they follow a ritual.  Every player follows a slightly different routine but each one is looking to centre themselves and get into the zone as quickly as possible before shooting.  They know that when they are in the now, there are no thoughts involved – and hence no interruptions. Just pure being.  It’s from that state that they perform their best.

In spite of this, even Eckhart Tolle, the author of the Power of Now, admits that the future is important.* That same NBA player would not be so eager to score that point if he did not have a sense of the consequence of his actions. He knows that his shot counts toward something bigger.  And he knows that to reach that something bigger, he must mind the small things – like making that single free-throw, out of the hundreds that he shoots during a game.

The concept of having something larger to work towards and minding the small things transcends into our own work lives.  Setting five-year goals for your career will give you something bigger to work toward.  Having long-term goals works like a magnet.  Goals will guide each and every moment of your life and infuse your day with a reason for being.  At that point it will make perfect sense for you to pay attention to the small things.

Set goals and just watch what happens.  Notice how your perspective on things changes.  I’d love to know.

 

*Click here to watch Eckhart speak about the power of now

Cool photo?  Thanks flickr

Why my first guest blogger is anonymous

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This is a big leap of faith for me.  

For the very first time since this blog was launched I’ve reached out to ask a reader to write a guest post.  This reader is one of those highly talented but unassuming people who likes to fly below the radar.  That’s why he has asked me to keep his post anonymous.  For the purpose of this post, lets call him Joe. (This reader is also in the habit of sending me quite relevant and thought provoking comments via facebook.)
 
I agreed to publish Joe’s post – even if it meant leaving out his real identity – because I believe that doing so is very much in line with my vision for this blog; and my writing career in general.  In order to inspire and empower my readers, I do not believe that I need to brag about anyone’s flashy titles or qualifications. What adds real value to my readers is a person’s insight and experience.  That is what I believe everyone should wear like a badge of honor – not whether they are a CEO, a director or have an MBA. And that’s exactly why Joe’s words deliver.

I hope that like me, you’ll find many lessons in Joe’s search for his career’s ‘g-spot’.  


Finding “that”*

I was at a funeral recently and arrived a few minutes late.  I was taken aback to hear how inspired and passionate the priest was delivering the speech.  This was probably because he was a close friend of the person who died. He said something very important that we often forget because we are too busy living our daily lives: “Leave a mark before you go and do it by living to the fullest”.
 
I’ve been thinking about his words ever since.  
 
Plenty of priests, rabbis, monks, parents and friends repeat this. As do we, but are we really doing it? Only the person inside each of us can really answer this.
 
When Silvana invited me to participate in this blog I was a bit cautious about what to write.  After considering several subjects, I decided to write about how we go about finding the right career and choosing what we do – because I believe that our decision resonates beyond what most us are aware of.
 
A career is not about academics or money it is about finding the lifestyle that makes us truly happy, something that if taken away from us, makes us cease to exist.  What we study or even the jobs we hold are not what define us. It’s deeper than that. It is how we chose to live and what we are 24/7 that defines us.
 
Then how does one go about finding the path to live to the fullest?  
 
Some are born knowing what they will do, others grow into something, others have a great talent and others happen to find it by some crazy accident.
 
For me, finding the right path, the right job, the right place to be and live, what I call “that” has come after searching and falling for many years. I have shoved my nose into so many industries, places, jobs and what not that I think I have more stories than answers to the question above.
 
And what is “that”?
 
A friend of mine once said that being in love is wanting to be at the same place every day and not getting enough of it. That’s exactly “that” because finding the perfect career or lifestyle is about loving what you do to keep doing it forever.
 
Today I work in the music business.  I’ve been doing so for over 5 years.  To be honest I am not leaving it until someone drags me out after they have killed me. Growing up I never dreamed of doing something like this nor was music an important part of my life, like it is for everyone in my industry. I stumbled upon it after 6 years of being a serial entrepreneur, working in the telecom industry, recycling, aeronautics and the internet. (I got to know the internet industry quite well when the Y2K stock market bubble blew up in my face, hard.)
 
I used to think the music business was easy: you have a talented musician, show him on a stage and thousands will come by some magical reason. I decided to embark on this “easy” task by buying music business books and making phone calls.
 
Then I hit a brick wall so hard it took me a while to get up. This is an industry like any other, governed by laws, treaties, costs, financial projections, negotiations, contracts, inventories, time management and all the little things we deal with in any business. Artists are products.  And I cannot tell you how many thousands or hundreds of thousands there are, plus the millions who want to make it. If you want cutthroat by all means join in.
 
The difference with other industries is that this is a qualitative one. Every product we sell reaches the senses, nothing more. Music hits the emotions like no other vehicle and for some reason it fit me perfectly because all business decisions are based on how the qualitative mixes in with the quantitative, the money. How do you pick a single for a new album? How do you know how to charge for a single concert? How do you sell your artist to an ad agency who wants to place his/her song and image for a brand? We don’t sell carpets that cost $100 to make and sell it for $200 because it fits the market price range. We sell talent and this cannot be measured. This is the beauty of it.  That there are very little formulas in this business; we make them up as we go. For some reason that I still don’t know I am perfect for this (or I like to think so) and want to continue at it for a long time. Since I found it somewhat by accident I am lucky enough to say that “that” found me, but I had been looking for it as well, I just did not know that it was the music industry. I am plain lucky I guess.
 
When it comes to making the right career choice it may sound a bit silly but do it from the gut, which is nothing more than mixing brains and heart. In other words, there is no magic in finding the right career.  It just takes a lot of wanting to explore, falling down and getting back up a million times until you find “that” or it finds you. Being what you do will make you do it well.  Most importantly it will define how far you want to take it.
 
I like Oriental philosophy very much so I’ll leave you with this quote from Confucius: “Find a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
 
 
*Read at your own risk

You’re invited to a private celebration

alcanza metas, autoconciencia, empoderamiento, empoderamiento profesional, encontrando significado, liderazgo, , , , , ,

Although I’ve been writing since I was seven – I was the kid who was writing while most others were drawing – fifty-two weeks ago I took my passion for writing to the next level by embarking on a book project.

During the eight-thousand seven-hundred and sixty-six hours that have gone by since that day, aside from completing a manuscript, I learned many lessons which stand to benefit aspiring authors and anyone else who has been dreaming about taking on a major project in their life.

Sharing those lessons with you is my own private celebration. Welcome!

The right time is when you decide the time is right.  There never really is a right time to start a major project.  Particularly one in which a. the end is not clearly in sight and b. the return on investment is uncertain.  To make it happen, you must carve out a time for yourself. No one else will if you don’t. 

Prioritize.  I’ve heard from so many people who I tell that I’ve written a book things like: “I also want to write a book…but I’ve so many other things going on.”  Stop, I say.  Ask yourself: “How important are all those ‘other’ things in comparison to writing a book – or completing a major project?”  If you had six months to live would you regret not being able to complete your book or major project? Or would you regret not completing all those ‘other’ things?  To find out, right now, take time to figure out what is most important for you.  I guarantee that when you know the answer to: “what will lead me to a meaningful life?” it will become quite difficult to focus on things which do not lead to that, and ignore those that do.

It’s an investment in you.  Completing a major project is certainly an investment in you.  Even when the return is not in sight, investing in you will pay back one way or another – even if your bank account does not show it right after your project is complete.  It could be that an opportunity will arise because of a skill you acquired, or a connection you made along the way.  It’s key to stay open to possibilities.

Only listen to those who support you.  Block out all others who don’t. Imagine that you decide to run a marathon.  For most of us, that’s a gigantic undertaking – I should know, I ran the Disney World Marathon in 1998. Now imagine it’s race day and that you’re running alongside your best friend.  All along the way, your friend is saying something along the lines of: “You won’t make it. What where you thinking when you signed up for this?  You’ll never make it since you’ve never run a major race before and your parents never ran a marathon. You just don’t have what it takes.  Even if you make it to the finish line – which I doubt that you will – you won’t amount to much.”  (Take a few deep breaths)

Now imagine that you’re running and instead your best friend is saying something along the lines of: “I know you can do this.  Even if you haven’t before, there’s always a first time for everything.  Even Olympic athletes have their first event.  Trust me, deciding to sign up was the hardest part.  All you need to do now is place one foot in front of the other.  You’ll make it a step at a time.  Guaranteed. Besides, you have all the time in the world. I’m right here besides you if you need me.  I’m so proud of you.”

The former is how my accountant sounded when I called to ask him on day four of my writing career how I should track my expenses.  My book would not be complete had I paid attention to his words of warning.  The latter is how my husband, family and close friends sounded.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I made it to the finish line in large part because of your support. Namaste.

Start with the end in mind.  For those of you who have participated in a race, be it a 5k, a 10k or a marathon, you know how it’s possible to visualize the finish line.  It’ll take more creativity when you’re engaging in a project.  Even so, it’s vital that you take time to visualize your completed project, that’s your finish line.  When you do, aim to include as much of your senses to your visualization exercise.  If you can, draw a picture of your end result. Then keep your drawing near your work station.  I guarantee that’s what will keep you going – even when times get tough.

Be methodical.  It’s likely that there will be uncertainty while you’re undertaking a major project.  For that reason, it’s vital that you have a degree of control over the process.  To achieve that I suggest that you approach your project methodically.  Doing so will help you stay on track and be productive. 

During the year that I spent writing, I followed a ritual.  My main aim was to give my book the best version of me every day.  Just like an athlete aims to be in the best shape possible for a major event, I treated every day of this past year as a major event.  First, to make sure that I was alert and energetic every day, I did not drink alcohol during the week and went to sleep between 10pm and 10:30pm every night.  Without fail I woke up at 5:10am every weekday to meditate for 20 minutes.  Then I read for 30, and had a 60-minute work out.   Every day I made sure I ate a balanced breakfast and that I was writing by 8:30am.  Finally, I closed every day with what I call a ‘wrap up and psych up’ session.  I took five to ten minutes to evaluate what I had accomplished, and to develop a to-do list for the next day.  Every Thursday morning I would take twenty minutes to evaluate my progress for the week and to set goals for the coming week.  Each time I completed a task, I would cross it off my to-do list. Task by task, my book came to be.

Manage your expectations.  Even that I was committed to following a process – and those who know me, know I’m quite disciplined – there were times when my creativity was not there.  At the beginning, when I experienced this, I would get anxious.  With time I learned that letting go, and not resisting my feelings, helped get me back on track much faster than those times when I insisted on fighting the feeling.  Some times it helped when I got up from my chair and did a 20 to 30 minute meditation.  Believe me, for an ambitious, methodical, control-freak like me, initially lying down in the middle of the day to ‘do nothing’ was not easy.  But I found that doing so helped me get back on track. I learned to see those 20 to 30 minutes as an investment.  If I stopped for 30 minutes, in return I would receive hours of productivity. If I insisted on squeezing material out of my tired mind, I would at most get frustrated. 

Be thankful.  Every single day I took time to acknowledge how lucky I am for having the opportunity to focus on one of my dreams.  To remind myself to say ‘thanks’ I carried a gratitude rock in my pocket and one in my bag. Seeing it made me stop to say: ”thanks for this opportunity”.  This exercise kept me focused, and reminded me to not take a single day for granted – that means I gave my writing the best of me every single day.

Right now ask yourself what can you do to get closer to your goals.  Drop what you’re doing and go do that one thing right now.