HOW DO YOU MEASURE GROWTH?

On a dreary November morning, sore throat and sore body, from a heavy week of coaching and consulting, I prep for a conference call with international colleagues laced with a mismatched feeling of gladness. After two solid hours of professional shop talk and personal sharing, I come away with mixed emotions. 

As an entrepreneur, I have recently found myself always questioning my impact by what is being measured. Is the program I’ve designed going to derive a return on investment? Is my positive intention going to help people grow healthier and happier? Are my risky efforts worthy of reward? After the phone call, I left immediately unsettled, slightly discouraged by the review of past results, but yet again, a mismatched feeling, a hopefulness for the future. 

At the unlikeliest of times, my Ironman mind jumps in to set counter arguments to any naysaying, as a form of self-preservation and adaptability. I end up in a rabbit hole of inner dialogue, conflicted by what people define as success, and then by how people measure 'growth' and equate it to success. I end up at a fork in the road between two colossal destinations: success versus significance.

As I tread deeper into the waters of conventional business, acronyms such as: ROIs (return on investment, KPIs (key performance indicators), ROO (return on objective), CPL (cost per lead), ROE (return on event), CRO (conversion rate optimization), all provide objective data on a company’s growth and ‘success’, but my inquisitive Ironman mind can’t help but question the definition of ‘success’, and put it up against what has been my life’s focus, the measure of significance.     

As I miss targets, sink a few sales, and ghost on some leads, I can’t help but question my business acumen, entrepreneurial service, and sometimes, when really vulnerable, I question my self-worth. 

But knowing my inner warrior philosopher, I manage to flip the switch and remember the law of opposites. The answers of one side of the coin always elicit questions from the other side of the coin. 

As some enjoy quantity as a measure of growth, some enjoy quality. Take the human: Height, Weight, IQ tests, Instagram Followers, etc., are all objective measurements of 'growth'. To only define a human's growth potential by these metrics that are seen seems very limiting and reductive. 

The unseen, the unspoken, the uncertainties, and the unknowns are factors that also grow us as human beings. So big question then, how do we measure growth when considering the immensity of the immeasurable? 

We cannot deny that the measurement of growth and success through numbers is point blank necessary. It’s the tip of the iceberg. But what lies below the tip is where growth should truly be measured. The strength of a tree lies in its roots. The precision of politics lies in its positioning. The magnitude of marketing lies in its deeper meaning. The power of passion lies in its purpose.   

I pick my entrepreneurial self up from self-deprecation and defend my impact by what isn’t being measured. There is an iceberg of greatness that people simply can’t measure from the surface.  

Starting a new business, signing up for a race, seeking therapy, these are all activities that force us to go out on a limb. The courage to do so comes from our self confidence. And that self-confidence stems from our competencies and certainties. We start these risky journeys out of a desire to shake things up. We’ve reached a level of comfort and certainty, that life becomes a bit bland or what’s routine is simply not rewarding anymore. So we commit to new journeys out of our yearning for growth. What entices us is the unknown, the uncertainty, the unpredictability. Is there a happy medium where growth can play at its peak with a balance of certainty and uncertainty? I believe our growth needs both, and therefore an effective means to measure it.

In business innovation, striking a balance between feasibility - the ability to be functional, viability - the ability to be self-sustainable, and desirability - the ability to be marketable, is the recipe for ‘success’, but as I more deeply consider growth, success seems like a stopping point. How do we elevate our approaches to growth measurement to consider ‘significance’? Things like respect, trust, connection, love, friendship, knowing, influence, power, faith, etc. 

I believe we can create better tools to help us measure both quantity and quality. I believe we can refine our definition of success and growth to a blend of statistics and significance. I foresee our world shifting beyond the binary, beyond the need to measure the microscopic data set and the anecdotal survey series, beyond the wins and losses.

By first measuring growth by merit and meaning, we enable the entrepreneurs of the world to explore new frontiers, not in fear of delivering a KPI or ROI, but in the pursuit of delivering significance.        

My TedxToronto 2019 Takeaways

IDENTITIES WORTH SPREADING

This takeaway blog article is a quick dive into my relationship with the Ted Talks method of information sharing. I share some quick takeaways from my TedxToronto 2019 experience, and finish with an update on my current status with experiential education with regards to how I plan to refocus my work in social innovation for 2020.

I haven’t been to a live Ted Talks in many years, and for many years I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t because of the enjoyment factor, nor the value. I recently realized that back then, my appetite for live Ted was being satiated elsewhere. I realized now that I stopped attending the live TedxToronto event at the same time I started creating 2.0 Toronto, my own version of the Ted conference.

Photo collage from our signature event formats: The Summit - a fitness and wellness concert. The Mindshare - a peer to peer boutique Ted Talks. The Mastermind - a panelist podcast presentation, and The Masterclass - a workshop for working-out then working inward.

Ted Talks was the inspiration to my 8 year run with 2.0 Toronto. By creating a platform that served to better connect its professionals through live skill sharing and storytelling, I was able to elevate the standard of what our profession could offer its professionals and their beneficiaries. Whether 2.0 carved a dent in Toronto fitness or not, I was personally thriving with purpose and meaning far beyond my imagination, as if I had spoken on the Ted stage itself… 8 years in a row!!! The combination of experiencing the Ted format, with my rising leadership in the fitness industry, and the desire to solve systemic problems, all inspired me to create something from the head by the heart.  

A full circle has run its course now, and I am back to 9 years ago.

Before I commit to creating another organization for the next 8 years, and call it 3.0, I wanted to take this time to share my takeaways through this blog. This year’s TedxToronto was held on Saturday, October 26, 2019, at the Evergreen Brickworks. The theme was ‘Rise’, where 12 speakers ranging from artificial intelligence, to climate change, to the business of sport, to indigenous fashion, spoke from their heads and hearts, to spread ideas that aimed to help all of us rise as citizens of Toronto. I had a wonderful time supporting friends, connecting with like and unlike minds, and reuniting with a cultural phenomenon so uniquely integral to my past, present, and future.  

Kardinal Offishall, the TedxToronto 2019 host with the most character, charisma, and charity.

Kardinal Offishall did a solid job hosting this year’s Ted talks. The crew chose well. He is truly a Toronto spokesperson and Canadian ambassador, someone you can rally behind. I initially thought of him as a jovial, Jar Jar Binks kind of jokester, not truly knowing his depth of character, but in seeing him live and slightly out of his element as a show host, he came to life in the spotlight with true humility, humour, and honour. He was easily able to raise the energy when needed as an expected big stage performer. He poked fun at himself to share his down to earthliness. He sided with the audience on slight production misses but maintained a tasteful composure as a Ted representative. Kardi also challenged the audience to go deeper on tougher topics while also taking us into his processing journey. He spoke genuinely about his life, and brought forth sincere stories with the Ted cast and crew that helped remind me of the relationships I’ve had with 2.0. The hours of dedication he put forth voluntarily was very surprising and admirable, considering he could have been conducting other more lucrative opportunities. His relatability was outstanding. Would be great to see him again in this role. FYI, his 6th studio album Pick Your Poison is set to release this year, hoping to hear some collabs with other musicians that support the Toronto Raptors ;)

Here are my quick takeaways from each of the speakers:

1. Danielle Goldfarb of the Riwi Corporation pedals the need for a wider set of perspectives to uncover and voice the real truth. It’s the voices of the unheard that provide our data with less bias. These are the blind spots that differentiate what we know from what is actually happening. 

2. Cassandra Diamond of BridgeNorth underlined that mental health problems do not exist in a vacuum. Mental health, just like our physical health, are all intertwined holistically within all of our systems that co-act to keep us alive. They also influence and are influenced by those that surround us, the places we go, and the things we do. Getting out of a difficult situation takes a tremendous amount of courage and energy, but staying out of that situation is a whole different ball game. It requires a yearning beyond our own self-healing to self-actualize. 

3. Umbereen Inayet of Nuit Blanche advocates for freedom fighting beliefs via narrative therapy. The question of who owns power and who holds that responsibility is perhaps within the eyes of the beholder. Focusing on our own narrative and creating our own art is about expressing oneself in everything we do. This right emboldens when we join together with others that believe in journeying united. 

4. Anthony Morgan is a Civil Liberties Lawyer who spoke about integrative reform. He believed that we have a priority issue with a focus on problems before people. What clicked for me was his words, “we can’t arrest ourselves out of gang violence”, just like we can’t outrun a bad diet. What I took away from his talk was the importance of using past issues to reconstruct systemic solutions. We often solve what’s right in front of us, the symptoms of deeply seeded issues. We need to trace these symptoms back to their source, and reverse engineer our laws to enable a new level of liberty. 

5. Gulshan Allibhai, owner of Lahore Tikka House spoke eloquently about ethnic enclaves as reflections of diversity that must be protected and preserved like historical heritage buildings. She insisted that landlords, developers, and investors must listen to communities to retain its authentic character, and not homogenize the beauty of our diversity. Diversity is not only our strength but it’s truly our value to the world. 

6. Mark Cohon, Mr. CEO, and past Commissioner of the CFL spoke about the secret ingredient to success. His impressive background and stellar speaking ability elevated the entire conference for me. His business savvy impacted my own thoughts on my career journey, considering my current career progression into more business and consultancy. He said that success doesn’t come from shareholder value, profit margins, and breaking into new markets, it comes down to one thing, and that is trust. Trust is all about connection, deeper connection, connection to the human. To me, that’s truly 2.0.  

7. Esie Mensah is one of the most epic, beautiful humans I have seen. She is a world renowned dance choreographer. Having worked with Rihanna and Drake, she has hit the top of the totem pole of the dance world, but with more hoops to jump through than you could ever imagine. Esie spoke about the shade of our skin as a limiting or liberating factor to success. She emphasized how twisted our mentality has become about how race, skin colour, and ethnicity have influenced value. Our view of success should come from the merit of the spirit instead of the shade of the skin. Her story encouraged me to stay committed to my lane and pace, for the times when merit isn’t being recognized for the right reasons, not hold anyone to that, and allow that commitment to become the momentum force out of the negative. She uses her ancestors as mentors as they are the root force and guide to her future.

8. Andrew Reeves is an Environmental Journalist that also spoke eloquently with great insight from such an odd back story about gigantic Asian Carp fish. I came to quickly understand his message, that the wrongdoings are our own doings, and the wrongs are ours to right. His contribution to improving the environment comes from the reporting of outcomes. I believe his work is integral to inform the public and get the message out there that climate change and its issues are on every single one of us to resolve. I am reminded of my favourite Marshall McLuhan quote: “On spaceship Earth, there are no passengers, we are all crew.”

9. Michelle Xuereb is a Director of Innovation, which I currently identify with to the utmost. As I also innovate in my field of fitness and wellness, a key ingredient to our ability to innovate comes with adapting ahead instead of coping after. Foresight is one thing, but fore-action is what counts in this ever-changing hyper-sped up world. Her words about taking action over achieving perfection is one that hit home with my current projects. I am currently struggling at times with a paralysis by analysis, and writer’s block when designing programming for my projects. What I’ve been working with this year are two business principles; 1. Put forth a minimum viable product with low hanging fruit, and 2. When at bat, aim to get on base instead of aiming to hit a home run. Also, two human principles: 1. Meet people where they are, and 2. Know how you want to show up.   

10. Sage Paul is an indigenous fashion designer and artist and hit me with a simple message that reminded me that what I wear is a political decision and message. The fast fashion industry has gotten me to think twice about what I shop for and where I shop for it. The movie ‘True Cost’ was a game changer for me. Sage took that to the next level by bringing those thoughts to local impact and local levels of influence. 

11. Joseph Palermo is a software engineer and known for his company’s viral ‘deepfake’ audio of celebrity podcaster Joe Rogan. He spoke about machine learning and artificial intelligence. With all this fear surrounding the technologies that will enable anyone anywhere to manipulate the voice and video of another, Joseph assured us of some solutions, but many of us didn’t buy it. What I know is Murphy’s Law, what can happen will happen. Joseph alluded to the need for more focus and attention on researching the implications and implementations rather than just the impact of this new machine learning advancement. With great power comes great responsibility. A fun fact, Joseph is a family friend and we’ve been trying to connect for many years, and we finally did! Super proud of this guy! Let us continue to support Joseph’s research and development not only as an engineer, but as a human activist. The more we support brilliant minds to push the boundaries on the offensive, but also on the defensive in regards to machine learning and technological advancement, I hope that due diligence will create a foundation for a future of sustainable exploration and positive discovery.

12. Shireen Ahmed is a Muslim Sports Activist and believes that sport is a vehicle for cultural connection, as Torontonians, we are all witness to how The Toronto Raptors, our championship winning NBA basketball team single handedly brought an entire country together. We recognize the power and positivity of sport, but need to remind ourselves that sport should reflect the entire populous, not just the privileged. A camera only has one lens to receive input, but many outputs to influence how we perceive. Just like Danielle Goldfarb on data research, it's not the squeakiest wheel that should get the grease, it’s the wheel that doesn’t squeak that should be heard. Not all problems of injustice are heard. It is up to those in places and spaces that can see and hear what’s between the lines, behind the curtains, and below the surface, to shine the light on the darkest of destinies. Whistleblowing is one thing, but informing with integrity and intelligence is another.

The crew of TedxToronto 2019 at the end of the conference.

I called this blog article ‘Identities worth spreading’ as a spinoff to the signature Ted phrase ‘Ideas worth spreading’ because I felt the conference encircled personal stories of identity in an ever changing social landscape in Toronto. Toronto, as diverse as it is, is a truly beautiful mosaic masterpiece, but to be honest, sometimes a complex mess of a puzzle. With many minds coming together to share their cultures, values, morals, beliefs, and ideas, the ability to do so in a united, harmonious, and effective manner, is as dumbfoundingly challenging as was my 120 mile ultramarathon this summer. When I leave a dinner table of diversified thinking with an agree to disagree mindset, I can’t help but question the value I received from it. Did I leave feeling more informed, more confused, more aware? I guess value and return on investment comes down to expectations, but when time is of the essence and their are too many cooks in the kitchen, what gives? How can we grow better together while acknowledging our differences, and ultimately, get sh*t done.

My resolve has come down to creating better platforms.

Bill Gates’ recent docuseries on Netflix, “Inside Bill’s Brain”, unpacks his latest projects while providing us an insider view on how he thinks and behaves. What I’ve taken away from Bill is his ability to integrate innovators from various fields because of his tremendous processing power for innovation. He is obsessed with solving problems, and collaboratively doing so with others very different from himself. He has no problem raising funds, researching and developing solutions, but finding the right people at the right time at the right place and for the right reasons is something beyond masterful.

As I reflect back to appreciate all that I’ve done, something I am working more on, I can’t help but encourage myself to be more grounded, be more down to earth, and work on the foundation instead of the future. As I look forward to all that I would like to accomplish, I can’t help but encourage myself to better pace my affinity for progression as I do with my ultramarathons. Rather than push through one project after another, and pivot from one opportunity to another, instead I should focus on better positioning myself in front of people akin, at strategic places, at the most aligned of times, for the right reasons.
In other words, pick my battles.

With the incredible opportunities I have been given over the last few months, I am of course overwhelmed, but overjoyed. I have been given platforms to provide more betterment to others, and as such, will create better platforms for 2020. My hope is to go back to the roots of 2.0, and recreate a new version of the Summit, but this time, with partners that have an admirable balance of passion and purpose, that truly believe in innovation integration with respect to health, humanity, technology, and economics.

Thank you for reading. See below diagrams for my mind mapping inspiration.

VISION POEM

Vision Poem

I HAVE A VISION …

I have a vision.
A premonition.
My soul's recognition.
For a new religion.
The need for progression,
Without perfection.
The need for expression,
Without obsession.
The need for affection,
Without deception.
And the need for question,
With time for reflection.

I have a vision.
A shared mission.
A course correction.
A “we”conception.
A new convention.
Perhaps an illusion.
A naive solution.
A premature evolution?

I have a vision.
Inspired by creation.
Guided by curation.
Achieved by connection.
A complex decision.
A new-age position.
A worthy revision.
But worth a listen.

I have a vision.
A strong suggestion.
To relieve congestion.
With heartfelt intention.
And soulful direction.
A global contribution.
Through Law of diffusion.
A Millennial revolution.
Without retribution.

I have a vision.
Universal integration.
Unique determination.
United destination.
Rooted in revelation.
Rallied with redemption.
Radical reformation.
A needed dissemination.

I have a vision.
A story of nonfiction.
When delivered with conviction,
It’s met without restriction,
Or any contradiction,
Because it’s not my decision,
It’s a world vision.
A cure for division.

The change of our nations,
Starts with variations,
Of these next level presentations.
With more iterations,
Of these 2.0 facilitations,
We deepen the correlations,
Of these loving sensations,
All for our future generations.

2018: "Dear 2019, am I ready for you?" ...

… 2019: “Dear 2018, ready as we’ll ever be.”
By Julian Ho

My body of work this year speaks for itself. The amount of time and energy I’ve spent writing reflective psycho/socio/emo posts, contributions to magazines, and amassing lyrical pieces for an eventual guidebook/memoir, have left me all written out! But, in Julian fashion, I’ve reserved a few short special submissions that reveal my most impactful learnings of the year. I don’t expect this to be anything new to you, or life-changing to you, in fact, I didn’t think it to be that to me when I first came across them, but life’s full of surprises and a butt load of ‘ya never knows’. So I hope you enjoy this last blog submission of 2018.
(5 Short Chapters, 10 minute read)   

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CHAPTER 1 - TWO GAME-CHANGERS

One foot forward, from two steps back.
A single success, from many failures.
A lightning-fast blink of a high, from forever-seeming lows.

However much pain, discomfort, and sadness they bring, negatives are a necessity. The negatives in life are a necessity because they birth the perspective for positive. They push the human spirit to see the light in the darkness. The negatives reveal the cards that have been dealt and ultimately force a play of the hand.

2018 has been a year of adapting with action. Through the negatives, I’ve learned to course correct, cope quickly, and let go of loose ends. Rather than hold on to what was, I’ve honed in on what’s now, to push towards what’s next. As I reflect on 2018, two profound perspectives have allowed me to cope immediately with adversity:  

1. Things don’t happen to me, they happen for me.

2. I don’t have to, I get to.

These perspectives are coping mechanisms. They shift the state of mind. They change the perception of the negative, and alter the biochemistry of our knee-jerk reaction. They force the mind to respond with reminders not reactions. As simple as the mechanisms may seem, they trigger a much needed flip of the switch. The quicker I came to these mechanisms following a hardship, the quicker I was able to switch out of the downward spiral of negative thinking. What I’ve learned is that we all have this mechanism of gratitude, but what makes this mechanism life changing is understanding when to wield it. Timing is everything.  

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CHAPTER 2 - GAMIFYING GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a compelling antidote for all of life’s adversity and hardships. Tony Robbins says it’s the solution to fear and anger. This year, it’s taught me how to navigate through 3 different types of breakups: a breakup with my core team, a breakup from a brotherly friendship, and a breakup with a girlfriend.
Gratitude has taught me the necessity for the negative. I’ve always known how negative can act as fuel towards a path of positive. But am I truly learning and evolving if these negatives are recurring? Big question for 2019, how can gratitude help me navigate away from negative, rather than out of negative. How can I break the cycle of lose then win, fail then succeed, heartbreak then redemption? To gamify the power of gratitude so as to not fall into the same cycle, is to wield it before and during, rather than after the fact.

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CHAPTER 3 - 5 LOVE LANGUAGES

Another Tony Robbins quote has got me strategizing, “When expectation is traded for appreciation, your world changes instantly.” I come from an upbringing that sets high expectations and high standards in everything. So it’s difficult for me to not hold others to my own high expectations and standards. This has been my barrier from a young age. As I look back at the breakups, another major game-changer that has helped me this year is a needs and wants assessment tool called The 5 Love Languages. This immensely helpful tool is all about better communicating how you give and receive love.

The 5 love languages are:

1. Receiving gifts

2. Quality time

3. Words of affirmation

4. Acts of service (devotion)

5. Physical touch

I’ve found these guidelines extremely helpful when navigating all of my relationships. It’s helped me understand myself better. It’s helped me understand people better. And it’s helped me to appreciate the power of listening, observing, and learning from relationships. Ultimately, changing my perspective on ‘relationships’ as an integral source of continuing education for life.  

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CHAPTER 4 - 5 SAYINGS

As a man of action, I’ve already accumulated 5 sayings that will give me hope, courage, and appreciation for the year to come. These anchor-points act as go-ahead goals, positive triggers, and means to gamifying gratitude.

1. “Be the change you wish to see” is my mission for 2019. I accept the challenges that will confront me, and understand the answers they will provide me. I will stay in my lane, do what I do better and better, and hope my humility will keep me in check. With a year of harnessing tools, honing behaviors, and hacking healthy habits, the question “who can you love becoming” is getting clearer and clearer. I am becoming the force I’ve always felt.    

2. “Dig the well before you’re thirsty” is my mandate for 2019. The first rule to being a go getter is being a go giver. I am paying it forward, giving back, and making ‘giving’ a mandate of who I am. Growing up, I’ve always admired those who gave without asking for anything in return. These people understood that the act of giving is receiving. But what those people sacrificed from a life of selflessness, was themselves. I believe that we must have a balance of selfish and selfless. The success of this balance comes from how we communicate the importance of “me time” for the benefit of “we time”. You are only as good as your own health and well-being.

3. “Darkness is your candle” is my reminder for 2019. I’ve had more downs than ups this year of 2018. I can’t help but look back in shame, regret, and sadness. Though I am optimistic, I am realistic, forgiving, and compassionate. I continue to strive for clarity and understanding, but more importantly acceptance. Answers to why will not give me solitude and peace, I know this inside already. So I continue on with consistent growth and betterment, where the journey and the destination is all the same.

4. “I am because of you” is my mantra for 2019. It is the translation of the Zulu word ‘Ubuntu’, which speaks to our connectedness as human beings. A philosophy founded by compassion and humanity. It will guide me towards a higher understanding of my work for 2019, and support my vision of “I am because we are”, the powerful knowing of the we in the me.  

5. “Things don’t happen, they are made to happen” is my mechanism for 2019. I know there will be ups and downs, good times and bad, but as long as I see obstacles as opportunities, I will seize them with a respectable effort. I will pay attention to my surroundings and make decisions consulting past patterns and long-term considerations.

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CHAPTER 5 - FINAL THOUGHTS & FUTURE FOCUSES

2019: Journey to Interbeing: a study of the forces that connect us all. This interbeing theme is more of a focus than anything. It’ll anchor my energy towards researching what connects us all, as an effort to better collect techniques and tools to share with you. It’ll also encourage me to become a better curator of experiences for my 2.0 Toronto organization, as we have pivoted our audience from the general public to now peers and professionals in the industries of health, wellness, and fitness. Inspired by the work of Seth Godin, 3 understandings our team has been sharing underline this year’s journey to interbeing:

• Connection is the new currency

• Stewardship is the new leadership

• Collaboration is the new continuing education.  

The 2.0 Mindshare #2 in September. Professionals in health, wellness, and fitness came together to share their IQ and EQ innovations. This peer to peer coaching platform will act as the future of our developments for 2019.

Things that we’ll be diving into this year are the forces that connect us all: negative forces, positive forces, nature, nurture, love, time and timing, 4 elements, 4 seasons, and the 5 senses. Along with research, we’ll be putting our focus towards sharing our learnings through new projects we’ve always dreamed of conceiving. Below is a sample of our new long sleeve t-shirt. Purchase will be available at the end of January.

Thank you as always for supporting me with your readership. I appreciate the time and attention you’ve spent here. It means so much to me.

With love and chi,

Julian

Shifting from Summer to September and a poem called "Rather"

As the gloomy winds of change sweep the streets clean of summer, I take stock and purge. I swap from saying yes to saying no, from being everywhere to being just here, from thinking why not to what now?

There are times that I want to look back. There are moments I so badly want to relive. There are answers I still need to question, and questions I still need to answer. But I know there is solace in the shift, meaning in the momentum, and motive in the movement. There is reason to rise up, let go, and live on.

As I shift from summer to September, my spirit still clings to the marvels made under the sunshine. I am lured by the lust. I long for the love. But my soul is rationally reminded by the sadness of the sunsets. The ups had their downs. The highs had their lows. The cons outweighed the pros.  

As the season changes, I am naturally confronted with a desire to reflect. I write to release. I write when I’m lost. I write to get found. I start by letting go of what was then, so that I can shift to what will be. I needed to scribe this poem to shed some skin, to emote the elusive, and to honour the learnings from love.

On an aside, it’s interesting to see the seasonal switch. I’ve gone from Chance to Chet, iced coffees to hot teas, and getaways to grind away.
As is the haunting beauty of life.

RATHER 

Rather let go because of what it is than hold on to what it was.
Rather what it became than what it will become.
Rather because of this and that, than just because.
Rather grow, apart, than grow apart.
Rather break it than fake it.
Rather wake up than make up.
Rather get to than have to.
Rather by you than by me.
Rather for you than to you.
Rather it’s me than it’s you.
Rather fight me than forget me.
Rather us now than us never.
Rather us never than us maybe. 
Rather oh well than what if.
Rather to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. 

10 QUESTIONS FOR YOUR BECOMING

As a Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Integrative Movement Practitioner, one that consults philosophy, psychology, and scientific principle first, before providing answers of guidance, I enjoy asking myself the deepest of questions without the expectation of an immediate answer. I believe the best questions encourage deep thought and introspection....i.e., "that's a great question, give me some time to get back to you", or "wow, never thought to ask that, I'm going to meditate on that".  

Sometimes the best of questions yield better questions and not answers. The best example I can think of is asking 'why?' three times, not just once, THREE times. Also, the fourth best question is asking 'why not?', because it usually prompts action rather than more thought. Questions should hopefully arouse energy, excitement, and justification for action. So here are my top 10 questions I've gathered from my study with the Chek Institute and my own personal clinical experiences with clientele, that have nudged thinking, feeling, and action all at the same time. I am sharing these questions I use in paid consultation because I find them to be such a great resource, they need not be withheld. My dream is that my work be known to help the greater good rather than just the privileged few.  

Use these 10 questions wisely. Create space in your schedule to truly immerse in the process. Revisit these questions every 6 months to a year. Remember, you get out what you put into it. 

For assistance on how to approach this questionnaire, here's an interesting TED Talk that helps you better understand 'questioning'. It teaches us that 'how' we think is more important than 'what' we think; how we frame a question can elicit a better answer. When you understand that biases and beliefs may affect the authenticity of your answers, you become aware of your reactive thinking, and produce discerning, more rational thinking, with emotions held at bay. I know, this is a lot of pre-homework before the actual work, but it's worth it ... you're worth it ;)

  10 QUESTIONS FOR YOUR BECOMING

1. What do you dream about? (“I have a dream, that one day ...")
   What haunts you? ("I lose sleep over ...") 

2. What gives you a sense of purpose? What gets you out of bed every morning?

3. What will you be remembered for? What is your legacy?

4. What do you love enough to change for? What are you passionate about? What do you do that makes you feel amazing?

5. Describe 3 optimal environments that enable you to get into the zone, achieve a sense of flow, be at your best, and do your most meaningful work?

6. Name 3 people that you would surround yourself with to help you on your journey?

7. Describe a recent success that gives you hope for the future.
   Describe a recent failure that fuels your future.

8. What are your greatest fears? What’s holding you back?

9. What is the income you need to live your desired lifestyle?
   What other measure do you use to quantify/qualify your desired lifestyle?

10. Who can you love becoming?
    
    Describe your ideal self:
    6 months from now
    1 year from now
    10 years from now

Lastly, here's a past blog that I wrote about 'thinking' as an action. A great follow up you can use after answering so that the next time you revisit your answers, you can assess the condition of your mind when you answered. We are what we eat, who we engage, and where we frequent.
http://www.julianho.ca/blogroll/2017/4/2/high-performance-living-solutions-part-55

Thank you for taking the time to read this. It's been a while since I've posted something. But I'm back on the writing wagon and it feels oh so good. 

(kinda) Surfing into 2018

(kinda) SURFING INTO 2018 😜

Naive and hopeful. 

On the last morning of my trip to Honolulu Hawaii, I was determined to surf. The fam trip was jam packed with group activities hence solo surfing was not held priority. The evening before, I scoped out the rental costs, boogie boarded out beyond the borders of safety, just to get a sense of it all. I went to bed early that night, nervous to wake early for something I’ve feared since learning to swim properly earlier this year. My dad knew I’d been wanting to go the whole trip so he woke me up and told me he’d escort me for the hour I had to squeeze in before flying home. While still half asleep, I brushed him off and defeatedly said I’d go for a run instead...

For many of us self-betterment geeks, we’ve heard of the saying “Fail hard. Fail fast. Fail often.” Well, as easy as that sounds, before even experiencing the almighty sensation of failure, you first have to overcome the decision to TRY. So in bed, after opting out to my dad, I reminded myself of one of my favorite class quotes of 2017,

“I can accept failure, everyone fails, but I can’t accept not trying.”

— Michael Jordan

So I pulled myself out of bed, splashed cold water on my face, got ready in a flash, and being my father’s son, my dad knew. He sensed that I flipped the switch, that I turned on the Ironman determination I had been on vacation from.

Just doing me: determined, daft, and dashing ;)

Earlier on the trip, I snorkeled like a fish, I open-ocean-water swam like an Ironman, I hiked like a Sherpa, I skydived like an adrenaline junkie, I SUP’d like a stoic, and I monk-moded a fam jam packed vacation with minimal complaints and criticisms (Dale Carnegie would have been proud). I succeeded in rounding out 2017 like the guy I’ve always dreamt of becoming.

Just a few examples of epic actions paired with epic backdrops. 

Well, my physical prowess of 2018 couldn’t have started off any worse. As it stands, to surf successfully seems much further away than swimming my first Ironman or hiking my first mountain range. I went 1 for 30 attempts (to be honest, that 1 time up was barely considerable). As fit and coordinated as I am, I struggled to the max.

I swallowed enough salt water for the year of Epsom salt baths, wiped out epically enough to top highlight reels, and had my ego Aloha-handed to me on a lei’d lined silver platter.
As sh*tty as the act of swallowing your pride is, it’s much nicer than being force-fed your pride... the ocean knows no difference; nature doesn’t give two sh*ts about your pride. The challenge to continue on while being hammered wave after wave was a fight with no compromise. You are tested while on your hands and knees. There’s no time to negotiate mercy. It’s go time or wipe out time. It was a battle of bravery and belittlement.

Seeing fellow surfers of all ages and sizes swoop and swerve so gracefully was the worst for me. “If that kid can do it, so should I!” “How can they do it so easily?!?!” “I must be doing something wrong.” My mind went through hundreds of failure justifications: board was too small, board wasn’t waxed enough, waves were too big, not enough time, not enough technique, etc. I left with nothing intact except for my board leash on my leg.

Optimistic failure. Grateful failure. Successful failure. Whatever I want to label it, bottomline, I failed. But one major takeaway was that moment in bed, that TSN turning point, that split second switch up from thinking about it to acting on it... from "f*ck that" to "f*ck it" ... from “no way in hell” to “hell yeah!” It’s not the pinnacle moments of success that 2018 will be known for, nor is it the surfing moments of failure, it’s celebrating the turning points and the pivots.

“Trying and failing is better than failing to try.”

Whether it’s successfully skydiving out of 2017, or surf failing into 2018, I am grateful for the colourful experiences to reflect upon and share with you. Thank you for reading.

See you on the other side of fear.

TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM 2017 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE

Here is a quick Top 5 summation of my favourite quotes and notes from this year's Canadian Positive Psychology Association Conference on Resilience. 

DR. MICHAEL UNGER

1. Dr. Michael Ungar Nurturing Resilience Video - "With better navigation and negotiation skills, we can improve resilience" 

• Nurture navigation/problem-solving via experiential learning (games, curiosity, and friendly competition)
• Provide opportunities to negotiate/communicate with environment, resources, and other people (encourage play and creativity)  
• Make programs culturally and contextually relevant (foster ownership and agency to encourage adherence)
   

DR. TIM PYCHYL

2. Dr. Tim Pychyl Procrastination Puzzle Video - “All procrastination is delay but not all delay is procrastination"

• Procrastination Tip 1 - Precommit: implement your intentions ahead of time by using 'If-then' statements 
• Procrastination Tip 2 - Employ a "Just start it" mindset vs. "Just do it" mindset - implies small steps versus big steps towards behavior change
• Procrastination Tip 3 - Minimize distractions > Strengthens focus
• Procrastination Tip 4 - Avoid multi-tasking > Strengthens efficacy 
• Procrastination Tip 5 - Swallow the biggest frog first thing in the morning
   

DR. MARTIN SELIGMAN

3. Dr. Martin Seligman - "PERMA-V acronym model for happiness stands for - Positivity - Engagement - Relationships - Meaning - Achievement - Vitality"  

• Short Perma Model Explanation Video
• Longer Positive Psychology Ted Talk Video (the one that got me hooked 4 years ago)
   

LOUIS ALLORO

. Louis Alloro Tedx Talk "On Being a change agent" video

• "We can't do things differently if we don't think differently."
• "We have to learn how to learn together." 

LOUISA JEWELL

5. Louisa Jewell - Failing well video 

• Practice non-contingent self-esteem. Boost your morale during times of high and low pressure. Condition positive self-talk after failures and successes, and the ones that don't count, because at the end of the day, they all really do count. 
• Master your inner constructive self-criticiser by imagining your best friend rather than your worst enemy. Find a balance of optimistic and realistic. 
• "Failure is not a great teacher. It is only a helpful teacher when you can fail well." 
• Focus on getting good rather than looking good.

Bonus Quotes to ponder

• “Between stimulus and response lies a space. In that space lie our freedom and power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.” - Viktor Frankl
• “On planet earth, there are no passengers, we are all crew” - Marshall McLuhan 
• "No mud, No lotus" - Thich Naht Hanh

MANTRA POSTERS FOR 2018

Mantra Posters for 2018. Here are inspirational mantras that have helped me with prioritizing life principles and practices. I revisit these every month to stay on track. 
Take a poster, focus on practicing it for a month, and create behaviors that enable rather than limit. See the world with a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Foster a perspective of abundance versus scarcity. Be curious. Be humble. Be better. Be brave. In 2018, have the courage to become the you you've always wanted to be.  No one's stopping you.     

PRESENCE OVER PRODUCTIVITY

Simply put, being present is being productive. Focus deeply on one thing at a time, rather than a million things at once. When our attention is channeled and present, we unlock our most productive mental states: flow, mindfulness, self-awareness, proprioception, and peace of mind.

PURPOSE OVER PASSION

They say the candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long. To avoid untimely burnout, we must pace our passion with purpose. When we set our intentions according to our priorities, we can justify the intensity with a healthy balance. Thus giving us the opportunity to burn bright and twice as long.

FELLOWSHIP OVER MENTORSHIP

When we see our fellow humans as brothers and sisters, we see following as leading, studentship as leadership, and teamwork as dreamwork. 

SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE

The beauty of running comes with the ugliness of the grind. Develop substance by embracing the struggle. You'll find your greatest strength in times of weakness. On game day, rise above your stylish gear, and rely upon your substance and grit, because in time, substance will become in-style.

DIRECTION OVER DESTINATION

Let's be realistic, the outcome of your race can be influenced by numerous things beyond your control, e.g., the weather, other runners, sleep the night before, etc., but how you perform is a direct reflection of how you train, of which you have full control over.

They call it process goals versus outcome goals. Instead of focusing on the outcome goal of the race, i.e., your goal time, focus on improving your technique (conduct a gait analysis and consult a run coach), your nutrition strategy (self-experiment on your long runs), your recovery protocols (research mobility and massage techniques), and your mindset. Set goals that will enhance the process of practice, and as a result, your destination on race day will reflect the direction of your training.

PEOPLE OVER POWER

“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

FUNCTION OVER FORM

Focus on attaining functional competency and integrity, then beauty and form will undoubtedly follow.

CALLING OVER COMPETITION

Climb the mountain not to be seen by the world, but to see the world. Hence, you will never face competitors, only companions.

LEGACY OVER CURRENCY

A legacy is built upon enlightened action: living what you love without compromise, leading by example without expectation, and leaving an impact without words. No money can match the memories you make. Take stock of the stories you author, and write the book you've always dreamt of reading.  

BRAIN OVER BRAWN

The classic story of David and Goliath teaches us to think before taking action. By deploying strategy before strength, and using the mind before muscle, we are reminded that thinking can be the first action. Don't undermine the power of prioritizing thoughts and actions.

INTENTION OVER INTENSITY

Manage your intensity by prioritizing its impact with an intention. When we set a destination, a goal, or a purpose, we can better adjust the settings of how high, how fast, and how far. Run this weekend with the intention of learning, listening, and celebrating life. It's a privilege to have a choice over how and why. Run with gratitude.

GIVING OVER RECEIVING

Because giving is receiving.

What do I know about love?

Love is tough. Love can be rough.
Love takes more than it gives.
Love breaks more than it builds.
Love hurts more than it heals.
Love harms more than it helps.
Love kills more than it keeps.
Love wrecks more than it reaps.
But what do I know about love?

Love is real. Love can heal.
Love smoothens the shaky waters.
Love broadens the narrow rivers. 
Love expands the tightest creaks.
Love softens the sharpest peaks.  
Love heightens the dullest foods.
Love lifts the lowest moods. 
But what do I know about love? 

Love unwinds. Love binds.
Love wilts. Love builds.    
Love passes. Love lasts. 
Love lingers. Love triggers. 
Love is pain. Love is gain. 
Love is pity. Love is witty.
Love is gone. Love is won. 
But what do I know about love? 
 

Numbness makes us feel.
Hurt makes us heal. 
Guilt makes us give.
Loss makes us live.
Pain makes us care.
Shame makes us aware. 
Deceit makes us trust. 
To love is how we must.  

But what do I know about love?

IRONMAN REVELATIONS

INSPIRATIONAL REVELATIONS by Julian Ho

A medal that represents more than just a physical effort. 
It represents integrity, perseverance, and patience. 
It represents support, teamwork, and family.
It represents life's ups and downs, and its many knowns, and many more unknowns.

After completing my first Ironman, I yearned to put my thoughts out in writing. I feel I express myself the best this way. I enjoy blending an inspirational tone, with poetic devices, and flip back and forth between matter of fact and whimsical. Below are two creative excerpts I found refreshing to let out. They each resonate my Ironman mindset before, during, and now more than ever. Oddly but not-surprisingly, the voice of Bruce Lee kept arising in my head leading up to my big race, so I encourage you to read as if he was narrating. I think I really channeled his spirit to become an Ironman. Thanks Bruce! The last piece is a cumulation of personal reminders that developed over the course of my year-long training. They are bits of life wisdom I hope to one day share with my children. Enjoy!

Swim 3.8km, Bike 180km, Run 42.2km.
Completed my first Full Ironman in Mont Tremblant on Sunday, August 20th, in a time of 11 hours and 36 minutes. Ranked 407 out of 1937 racers.

"When you resist, you resist yourself."  

When you are frozen in fear, pushed to the depths of the uncomfortable, and backed into a corner, you can’t help but fight fire with fire. It is human nature to fight back. It is normal to flee from danger. It is common to freeze.

While overcast by the darkness, frozen by the cold, nearly defeated by the onslaught of resistance, life offers us an instant; a creak of light in the dark, a split second to make a choice.

Instead of resisting what you think is inevitable, you take a pause. Somehow, the lights switch on, you snap awake, and in a flash, you relinquish control. One grasp, one step, one stroke, you come face to face with the resistance, you feel it, you see it; truly and beautifully. You take that micro-moment to accept what it has to offer; a realization ... that the resistance, the darkness, the fear, is you.

It has been you all along. It has been the nightmares that disturb your dreams. It has been the distractions you day dream of. It has been the dreams you doubt and drive away. Dreadful narratives that dig you deeper into darkness.

You breathe. You sight. You wait. You then remember.
You are your own worst enemy. You put yourself in the corner. You told yourself those stories. You chose to fight fire with fire. 
You breathe. You sight. You wait. You then remember.
You are in control.

Clarity cools like a breeze at your back. The calm of confidence begins to spread. You release with a sighing laugh. You harness this humbling reality, take what it has shown you, persevere with more patience, and a peace of mind. The resistance has now become your resilience.

The bike was perhaps the most uncomfortable experience I've had in a long time. I talked the most to myself throughout the process. Things I would say to my classes like, "you got this man!", "dig deeper, its there, trust your training", "breathe", "don't give up", "PUSH IT", "just get to the run", all the motivational accoutrements I had in my toolkit, I pulled out. I thankfully finished the 180km distance. And did it in a time of 6 hours and 8 minutes. That was the first I've ridden the 180k straight through too. 

"Calm is a superpower."

Within the most powerful cyclones, there resides an almighty eye. A center point that anchors the storm. It stabilizes the chaos, and gives the storm it’s true power. Without this point of calm, the storm would have no focus and no foundation.

Calm is a complex force, it is not stillness, it is control of movement. It is not quiet, it is the control of noise. It is not peace, it is the control of chaos. It is this universal quality that quantifies a person’s deeper strength. Under the harshest of conditions, the state of calm is truly a superpower. Once honed, the calm can make winning and losing, succeeding and failing, achieving and quitting, equally rewarding. Perspectives can change. Paradigms can shift.

When you are calm, you see that finish lines are starting lines, and stopping points are stepping stones. When you are calm, the asymmetries and imperfections in life foster a fascination for deeper meaning. When you are calm, the mystical somehow manifests in the everyday mundane. When you are calm, your child-like curiosity is peaked at every turn. When you are calm, you become aware. When you are aware, you align. And when you align, you actualize.

You will come to know this superpower when a storm evokes a calmness within.

After my swim, I was elated to be alive, and in return, I felt the most alive I've ever been in my life. My fear of water as a child has turned into a 30 year challenge to conquer. That day marked the day I overcame my fear, and made it a part of me. The 3.8km swim took me 1 hour and 28 minutes. I still look back in disbelief.

Top 5 old-man wisdomS
(Lessons learned from this Year-Long Ironman journey)

1. Self care is health care.

• Don’t be lazy, take responsibility. You are a leader by example. 
• Don’t take things for granted, take ownership. You have the resources. 
• Don’t rely on others, take initiative. You must think long term.  

2. Striving for better is better than striving for best.

• Being the best is overrated - it has as much unnecessary pressure as it does prestige. 
• Best just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• Your best will always be someone else’s good, but your better is just as good as someone else’s better.

3. Be great by being grateful and be grateful by being great.

• When you are humble with your successes, you hit the heart strings.
• When you balance the selfish with the selfless, you earn respect.
• Demonstrating gratitude is done best by doing great things.

 4. Movement and meditation is different from Meditative Movement.

• Separately, exercise and innercise are good, but together, they are great.
• It takes repetition and rhythm to get into flow.
• Meditative movement happens with unconscious competency and physical autonomy.   

5. Rather the pain of discipline than the pain of regret.

• Training adaptations occur when simulating race conditions
• Technique gets you to the start line, tolerance gets you to the finish line
• QBALB for those tough times

Thank you to my parents for capturing this moment I will remember for the rest of my life. They were the crew that helped me get to the start line, and to many more finish lines. 

A 2.0 BLOG EXPERIENCE

PHOTOGRAPHY + POETRY + QUOTES + SAYINGS + SONGS

2.0 is a platform.
2.0 is a language.
2.0 is a mindset.
2.0 is a vessel.
2.0 is a fellowship.
2.0 is a mosaic.
2.0 is a movement. 

A place to create. 
A place to curate.
A place to collaborate.
A means to communicate.
A canvas to dream.
A path to pave.
A journey to adventure.
A world to wonder. 

Dream with Desire. 
Travel with Time.
Live with Love.
Create with Curiosity.
Sing with Soul.
Dance with Destiny.
Act with Ambition.
Think with Integrity.
Play with Passion.
Unite with the Universe. 

#ALWAYSBECOMING
"Nothing in this world is constant except change and becoming. Everything flows, nothing stands still. Becoming is the process or state of change and coming about in time and space."

#HERETOCONNECT
"The cosmos is within us. We are made of star stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself." 

#LIVEWHATYOULOVE
"It's ok to reinvent yourself as many times as it takes to live out your most authentic self.” 

#JUSTDOYOU
"Be you. Do you. For you." 

HIGH PERFORMANCE LIVING SOLUTIONS PART 5/5

HIGH PERFORMANCE LIVING SOLUTIONS PART 5/5

MY THOUGHTS ON THINKING

Life is a balance between the forces of yin and yang.  Yin is anabolic, whereby life force energy is nurtured, restored, and built up. Yang is catabolic, whereby life force energy is expended, transformed, and broken down.  Paul Chek, my holistic coaching guru, says these two forces dictate your baseline health and must be managed by 4 doctors: Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, Dr. Happiness, and Dr. Movement. These 4 doctors govern 6 foundation principles of a holistic healthy lifestyle: Sleeping, Nutrition, Hydration, Thinking, Breathing, and Movement.  

The yin force is managed by Dr. Diet and Dr. Quiet who prescribe sleeping, nutrition, and hydration protocols.
The yang force is managed by Dr. Happiness and Dr. Movement who prescribe thinking, breathing, and movement protocols.  

When I was first introduced to the foundation principles, I was curious to why thinking was a yang force. Does thinking take up energy and if so, as much energy as movement? We know that in order to grow stronger, we must stress our bodies through exercise. Does thinking require the same kind of stress but to the mind?

“All stress summates: one’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual stressors are all interpreted identically at the cellular level.  ”

— Paul Chek

The act of thinking can be a gift, a tool, and a curse. As a gift, it can be used to imagine, explore, and philosophize without boundary. As a tool, it can be used to solve problems, innovate, and create without barrier. As a curse, it can inflict anxiety, cause conflict, and be misused without border.

Thinking is defined as the process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something. This blog is going to explore the tool of thinking. I will share how I sharpen it when it becomes dull, how I quiet it when it becomes loud and obnoxious, and how I take care of it when it becomes misused. I’m going to dive into 3 common struggles with thinking and share the strategies I’ve used to manage it as a curse, maintain it as a tool, and appreciate it as a gift.

STRUGGLE #1 - MONKEY MIND

My desire for data is insatiable. My appetite for ideas is gluttonous. My mind is animal-like in hunger and endurance, machine like in analysis and processing. I have so many questions. Questions with answers that are questionable. Questions that answer, and questions that pose as answers. It never ends.

I tend to overanalyze situations. I rarely underthink my options. I most often generate an overabundance of solutions. As a result, I end up losing sleep by dwelling on the past, overthinking my future directions, and grappling with my present opportunities.

This ‘monkey-mind’ is a buddhist term for an unsettled, restless, and indecisive mind. It happens to those that have a will like a horse, but an undecided heart of an ape; inconsistent and strong. In the case of monkey mind, the tool of thinking seems to be the problem itself.

As simple as it may sound, when we are faced with indecision or a restless mind, having no tool in hand may be the best solution. When I’m in my head all day long, the only way to get out of it is through my body. My monkey mind quiets when I move. Distractions dissipate. Confusion clears. Calmness flows. Solitude strengthens.
 

STRATEGY #1 - MUSHIN (NO-MINDEDNESS)

The Japanese call it ‘Mushin’, the state of no-mindedness, where a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion is thus open to everything. Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat or everyday life. There is an absence of discursive thought and judgment, so the person is totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts.

To set up Mushin, I first recognize that thinking requires energy, and that energy comes in the form of yin and yang. These two forces must be balanced depending on how I desire to express and experience myself. To enable a state of mind ready for Mushin I check in with the following acknowledgments:   

As much as I yang, I know to yin.

As much as I work-out, I know to work-in.

As much as I am awake, I know to sleep.

As much as I create, I know to absorb.

As much as I get out, I know to put in.

As much as I think, I know to be thoughtless.

When my monkey mind becomes uncontrollable, I resort to what I am best at controlling; physical activity. I acknowledge that I need to move my body in order to settle my mind. I hit the gym and work-out, hit the trails and run, or roll out my yoga mat and stretch. When I’ve finished exercising, my energy rebalances, my monkey mind calms, and I enter a state of Mushin.  No-mindedness takes time, practice, and patience. It is a powerful strategy to combat a powerful struggle.

Takeaway:

• Use Mushin to quiet the Monkey.
• Use the body to quiet mind.
• Use fitness to augment focus.
• Then use focus to augment fitness.   

STRUGGLE #2 - MENTAL CONSTIPATION

I could write an entire blog on the quality and the quantity of the data we absorb daily. I could write another blog on the unlimited access to information we have via the internet. I could write about our relationship to screens as our medium for everything. But I think I’d rather write about constipation! 

Just like we need to eat, digest, absorb, and eliminate our food for biological adaptation, we also need to do the same with our thoughts and feelings.

I find it extremely therapeutic to balance the processes of input and output. I see myself as an intermediary vessel that filters energy and life. In order to achieve what life has to offer, I must listen, adapt and evolve with my surrounding environment. Like a dance, I must be able to send and receive energy to my partner harmoniously in order to create something beautiful. When this ‘dance’ between the self and the environment is acknowledged and respected, opportunities to adapt more effectively and efficiently unveil themselves.  

As beautiful as it is to INTAKE (learn new information, read mind expanding books, and consume delicious food), it is just the same if not more beautiful to RELEASE (be able to share ideas, express our learnings, and take wonderful poops!)

It’s almost impossible to concentrate on anything upstairs when you’re plugged downstairs! The release of the mental, emotional, physical can be seen as the highest priority on the hierarchy of needs. Imagine yourself as a glass full of water, in order to take in more of anything, something must come out. Hence why I believe that the inability to release is a priority problem to resolve, e.g., writer’s block, chronic injury, and physical and emotional constipation.

STRATEGY #2 - SAMANA VAYU

I came across this yogic term translated in English as “balancing air”. While I am still learning yogic philosophy and its many holistic principles, I take Samana Vayu as the overseeing force of the digestion of everything from food to thoughts. To adapt, evolve, and live well without dis-ease, I am learning that it must start with committing to daily practices that allow me to release. Below are a set of rituals I perform to honour the force of Samana Vayu, a tool of balance for the mind, body, and spirit.
 

• BREATHING routines combined with flexibility and mobility exercises to release mental, emotional, and physical tightness.

  • To create balance of space for mindfulness, restorative movement, and stability.

• Blog WRITING / Journaling to release pent up thoughts and shed ideas.  

  • To create space for new ideas and playful imagination.  

• ENGAGE in deep conversations to vent and let go of harmful thoughts.

  • To create space for clarity and calmness

• Perform various forms of artistic EXPRESSION to balance the biochemistry and spiritual unease/uncertainty.  

  • To create space for self love, gratitude, and awareness.  

• Consume a sufficient amount of fluids and dietary fibre to aid in DETOXIFICATION and the release of waste product.  

  • To create space for more effective nutrient absorption and energy production.

• High intensity EXERCISE to stimulate catabolic metabolism and emotional stress/ tension release.

  • To create space for repair/regeneration and vitality/immunity improvement.           

I look at this list of “best practices”, and can’t help but feel as though they may have lost their value and charm due to the high saturation of their preach. I could Google “Top 10 things to do in order to live a high performance lifestyle”, or “Top 5 activities to improve mental health”, and you’ll most likely find these solutions. We know what to do, we know when we have time to do them, and those times in the year when we feel most motivated to do them, but the true solution lies not in committing to these practices out of duty and obligation; “because they’re good for us”, or “because Julian said so”, but understanding that the “best” in “best practices” come from committing to them for their potential; their potential to make you the best version of yourself.

Committing to these practices are an investment in health because they create space and time. Time for happiness, time for joy, time for fun, time for love. They justify our innate necessity to grow and develop not just with the intention of adding years to our lives, but life to our years. They enable a life of optimal performance. They give us hope and justification to self-actualize. Time is precious and absolute. If you understand where I’m going, you understand that engineering health in your favour is your one option for optimizing the precious time you have on earth. So let’s make the most of it.

Takeaway:

• Unlearn to learn, decondition to recondition, let go to move on

• Life is lived well with less weight

• The digestive system pertains not only to the body  

STRUGGLE #3 - PARADOX OF CHOICE

“You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.”

— Jiddu Krishnamurti

To be human is to be multi-talented.

To be human is to have a mosaic appreciation of different cultures, societies, and beliefs.

To be human is to consume a colourful array of foods, engage in multisensory experiences, and undertake multidisciplinary education, at random, with a variety of people, within a diversity of environments.

To be this kind of human is to also be an idealistic, affluent Westerner.

I understand that abundance is also a luxury. In relation to the rest of the world, it is the luck of the draw, how the cards have been dealt, and a privilege. Which makes the paradox much more pressing. My awareness of this imbalance motivates me to see abundance not as luxury, but as possibility.

We are experiencing a renaissance of the renaissance man. Known for their polymathic abilities, people like Leonardo da Vinci were ‘multi-potentialites’, generalists, jacks of all trades and masters of many. It was the boom of alchemy that enabled these men. People like Albert Einstein were enabled by the boom of physics. And now, it was the boom of technology that enabled Steve Jobs. The access to infinite information via the internet has empowered our evolution from specializing to generalizing. Many of us no longer play one instrument in the orchestra, instead the orchestra is our instrument of play. We are conductors, managers, and directors.

I no longer aim to become the best at one thing, I aim to be great at many things. But this desire for the many is a noble curse, a double standard, and comes with its paralyzing consequences. This confusing bombardment of opportunity leaves us stuck at many forks in the road, with many roads untravelled, many decisions unmade, and much time wasted. Modern abundance dilemmas such as FOMO (fear of missing out), and FOBO (fear of a better option), have been proven to be responsible for many of our anxieties and indecisions. It’s interesting to see that some option is better than none, but it does not follow that more options is not better than some.    

STRATEGY #3 - FISHBOWL MENTALITY

What I’ve come to understand through Barry Schwatz’s Ted Talk on the paradox of choice is that boundaries are more liberating than limiting. Being a fish in a fishbowl is in fact not so confining but comforting, and thus confidence building. He says that “if you shatter a fishbowl so that everything is possible, you don’t have freedom, instead you have paralysis.” It seems as though technology has smashed the fishbowl for us and we are all paralyzed with choice. In order to solve for this paralysis, it is our responsibility to pair the realistic with the idealistic, and set the boundaries to our abundance.   

Barry Schwartz

Everyone needs to develop a fishbowl mentality. I’ve found I work best when I have structure, boundaries, and a framework. It enables confidence and creativity, it sets a realistic range in regards to expectations, and it empowers autonomy. I am able to prioritize, set realistic goals, and accomplish things with a sense of closure. When I have a framework and format to work within, my potential and polymathic tendencies are controlled and curated. I therefore grow and development in concert with the fishbowl, towards larger environments and more complex ecosystems. No longer is the abundance of choice paradoxical or paralyzing, it is actualizing and enlightening.    

Takeaway:

• Abundance is not luxury, it is possibility.
• Freedom is found within the framework.
• Framework provides focused freedom.

I end with a principle that inspires me every day to introspect, philosophize, and wonder:  

“The health of your consciousness is a result of the consciousness of your health.”

Consciousness is the state of being aware of oneself and one’s surroundings. If we wish to control our thinking and focus our mental efforts, it is our responsibility to learn about our minds. Dandapani, a Hindu priest, speaker on self-development and an entrepreneur, speaks on solutions to the struggles of the mind in his Ted Talk called Unwavering Focus.

Dandapani

What I have learned from the 3 struggles of Monkey Mind, Mental Constipation, and the Paradox of Choice is the necessity to devote time, energy, and attention to quiet the mind, release it of its thoughts, and provide it structure.

It is due to my dedication to …

1. The study of philosophy.

2. The practice of mindfulness and flow state.

3. The application of positive psychology.

That have enabled me to cure the curses of thinking by using it as my favorite tool, and seeing it gratefully as a gift.

Thank you for reading. 

#alwaysbecoming #justdoyou #appreciationasfuel #becauseyoureworthit #livewhatyoulove

HOW TO KICKSTART A HIGH PERFORMANCE YEAR - CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5 - ADAPTABILITY IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR FUTURE HEALTH.

Yours truly with Michol Dalcourt - a real life Jedi Master. I am learning that the word 'fitness' is currently under reconstruction and reexamination. Michol is revolutionizing not just fitness, but overall health coaching. I am extremely grateful for people like Michol because he is basically carrying the industry's future on his shoulders by providing us with truth via high impact science, research, and clinical practice. He is equipping us with the tools and platforms to truly make a difference. Here I am star struck to be in his company as it's not often you get to meet your heroes. 

Michol Dalcourt, inventor, author, founder, speaker, and consultant to Equinox, states that adaptability is the key to optimal health and aging. Humans have evolved over centuries because they have learned to adapt to their surroundings. Here are Michol’s 5 factors that regulate adaptability and my interpretation of them:

1. Variability - the ability to diverge, distribute, and display multiple skills to cope with changing environments

   • A multi sport athlete

   • An executive

2. Resiliency - the ability to endure resistance/adversity/stress and quickly recover from it  

   • A trail runner

   • A tradesperson - chef, mechanic

3. Tolerance - the ability to practice patience and maintain composure during times of stress and discomfort

   • A rock climber

   • A teacher

4. Versatility - the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities

   • A gymnast

   • A salesperson

5. Flexibility - the ability to bend without breaking

   • A ballerina

   • A manager   

“Relatively few people die of old age. Most die because the body loses the capacity to withstand physical or environmental stressors. Making successful aging a priority means increasing the capacity for adaptability in every system of our biology.”

— Michol Dalcourt

Are you adaptable? Variable? Resilient? Tolerant? Versatile? Flexible? I believe we obtain each of these 5 factors innately, and have the ability to express them more fully with just a few simple physical activities. Here is how I am improving my adaptability through the 5 factors:

VARIABILITY - Build a 7-day multidisciplinary workout regimen

I have the luxury of exercising in a variety of facilities, hence why I take full advantage of the opportunity to move in so many ways. This forces my mind to be continually stimulated and challenged and never grow stagnant, one that embraces change. Variety is the spice of life! Below are just some physical experiences that display my yearning for variability. 

The following is a peek into my weekly physical activity schedule. I typically spend 30-60 minutes a day being vigorously active, then another 60-90 minutes of moderate activity commuting on bike, teaching classes, or training clients, throughout the span of a day. Some classes I teach and clients I train are strictly coaching, so to dispel the myth, I do not exert myself physically all day everyday.   

• Monday - Swimming & Stretching

• Tuesday - Cross Training Circuit: cardio, powerlifting, calisthenics

• Wednesday - Endurance: Row, Ride, Run

• Thursday - Proprioception, Coordination, Balance: Bosu ball, Swiss ball, Medicine ball, Kettlebell, Vipr, Jump Rope

• Friday - Swimming & Shvitz (steam, sauna, intermittent cold/hot shower)    

• Saturday - Random skill building day: Hip hop, Obstacle Course, Fusion Pilates, Trail run, Soccer, Basketball, Archery Tag, or Hike

• Sunday - Restorative day: Massage, Myofascial therapy, Cryotherapy, Float Spa, Epsom Salt Bath, Naps, Stretching, Breathing  

RESILIENCY - Suboptimal Conditions Training (aka ‘Just Plain Stupid’ training … not recommended)

Last year, when ramping up for the 125 km Canadian Death Race Ultramarathon (completed in the summer of 2016 in 17 hours), to build resilience, I forced myself to train in suboptimal conditions. Some interesting, ‘just plain stupid’ training sessions included:

• Barefoot running in the winter

• Trail running in thunderstorms

• Fasted long runs (+20km)

• Full stomach runs

• Hungover runs

• No water runs (10km)

• Underdressed runs in the winter

• Overdressed runs in the summer

Now time for a run! No puking allowed! 

TOLERANCE - Once a week, commit to an uncomfortable activity you’re not good at, and don’t stop until it becomes comfortable and something you’re at peace with.  

Swimming was my achilles heel. It was a deeply seeded fear since childhood. I read the book Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh, and recognized that my fear of water and weakness with swimming was based on my inability to let go and relax. So I started to work on my breathing with the Wim Hof Method, I used mindfulness practice more often during the day, and blackmailed myself with accountability by publishing my goal of racing my first ever triathlon. I invested in an expensive wetsuit, got myself a few training partners, and wrote about the experience. Now I am swimming twice a week, 10 laps straight through without breaks which is a phenomenal improvement from not being able to do 1 lap without being gassed! Swimming is now something I look forward to (on a side note: this feels extremely odd and amazing to type out, because I never would have imagined feeling this way! Yay me!)         

Wim Hof aka The Ice Man. Known to be able to withstand extreme cold by controlling his Autonomic Nervous System through a systematic approach to breathing. 

VERSATILITY - Learn through different vehicles of content on the daily.

Below is a typical day in the life of my learnings. I am in the investment phase of my life where I have the time and determination, but also the discipline to always be learning. (Click the links to learn more)  

• Online articles (8am - Brainpickings)

• Books - Nonfiction (8:15am - Einstein Biography by Walter Isaacson)

• Podcasts - while commuting (11am - Ted Radio Hour)

• Conversation - meetings and brainstorms (2pm)

• Music - playlist programming (3pm - Spotify browsing, Pitchfork)

• Movement - solo workout & experimentation/ class rehearsal (3:30pm)

• Cooking - mindfulness and flow practice (8:30pm)

• Online Video - research & downtime (10pm)

  • Philosophy - The School of Life

  • Film - Nerdwriter1

  • Lecture - Paul Chek, Ted Talks

• Books - Fiction (11pm - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman)

Founded by modern day philosopher Alain de Botton.
#ideastoliveby
#developingemotionalintelligence

FLEXIBILITY - Stretch the body daily so that you can expand the mind with more ease and less resistance.

Daily stretching has become a recent ritual in my life. It has allowed me to move with certainty and safety. It keeps my mind sharp and clear by quieting the nagging body tightness, aches, and pains. I get to stretch multiples times in a day because I perform them in the classes I teach, and with the clients I train. Here are some stretches I do religiously at home. (Click the links to see the videos)

• 90 / 90 Hip Stretch by Paul Chek

• Brettzel, Brettzel 2.0 by Gray Cook

• Hanging by Ido Portal

• Couch Stretch by Kelly Starrett

• Pose Method Running Stretch Routine by Dr. Nicholas Romanov (FF to 6:20 for my personal favorite stretch!)

Kelly Starrett, author of 'Becoming a Supple Leopard' and 'Ready to Run', known as Crossfit's Physiotherapist, he is the guru that made myofascial self massage, mobility, and flexibility mainstream cool and part of gym culture. 

IN A NUTSHELL #5 - Be a detective in your adaptability investigations. You are more variable, resilient, tolerant, versatile, and flexible than you know. From the smallest displays to the largest, you’ve got to celebrate your actions. Acknowledge them and affirm them. Use physical activity as your source of motivation to transcend these transferable skills. Start with creating a weekly routine that is multidisciplinary. Take in information through multiple vehicles of content distribution to stimulate the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. And finally, believe in adaptability as a new religion for aging successfully, devote yourself to ongoing self-development, have faith, because you are not who you are going to be, you are always becoming.   

Michol Dalcourt and I, 5 years ago when I was just starting out! My hero then, my hero now. I will be flying to Solana Beach, California this April to learn intensively with him and his faculty at The Institute of Motion. I am excited to join his brigade of cutting edge, holistic, and forward thinking Health Coaches. Will be a dream come true. 

HOW TO KICKSTART A HIGH PERFORMANCE YEAR - CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4 - DON’T SET GOALS!!!!  SET THEMES, INTENTIONS, AND MANTRAS TOO!

THEMES
I believe in setting annual themes. If the Ted Talks Conferences does them, I will too, and so should you. This year's themes are “The Future of You”, at the Ted 2017 conference in Vancouver, Canada, and “Builders, Truth-Tellers, Catalysts”, at the Ted Global 2017 conference in Arusha, Tanzania. A theme sets the tone to your pace, it keeps you accountable to the path, and it grounds you to your humble beginnings.

My theme for 2017 is “APPRECIATION AS FUEL”. I will make a conscious effort this year to balance in more slow with the fast. I will view patience above productivity, because being patient is being productive. I will appreciate all that I have done because none of it would be possible if it weren’t for all that has been done for me.    

GOALS

I believe in setting monthly and quarterly goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely). My background in solo and team sport has engrained in me a need to set goals that coincide with a season of competition. Most commonly in a year of sports training, we have 4 cycles: In-Season, Post Season, Off Season, Pre-Season. Periodization is the term used to describe the balance of these cycles. An athlete’s training intensity and volume are dictated by the goals for each cycle, and ultimately aim to maximize the most important one of the 4 cycles; the In-Season performance.

As it relates to my year of running, I am currently in winter pre-season cycle, building up for spring time, where I will be aiming to be at my peak shape for my first race of the year. I am going to be running the Barcelona 100km Ultra in March, so now it is important that I build baseline strength through stability and proprioceptive work, and work on mental plasticity and endurance through training diversity and experiential education via a variety of class participation and instruction. My weekly running mileage will steadily increase from here on out.

I believe in enhancing my external goals with internal intentions. Both goals and intentions are highly dependent on circumstances and context. Goals are not always achieved as we cannot predict the future, but if set right, intentions can always be fulfilled because we have full control over how we think and act in the present moment. Here are some of the differences between goals and intentions.

Examples of intentions vs. goals that I personally use:   

• Swimming - Goal is to swim 10 laps in 15 minutes. Intention is to swim with calmness and finesse from first lap to last lap.

• Studying - Goal is to read 1 chapter before bedtime. Intention is to read to absorb and enjoy.

• Nutrition - Goal is to chew food for at least 20s per mouthful. Intention is to savour every bite as mindfully as possible.

INTENTION

My 2017 theme of ‘appreciation as fuel’ will be actualized with the help of the intention, “patience over progress”. I have been using this intention before each and every one of my classes that I participate in and I am finding it very spiritually soothing and freeing. When we pace ourselves with patience, we are provided with time to reflect, time to regenerate, and time to just be. The importance of creating time and space in our lives provides us with the chance to progress, hence why patience is progress on so many levels.

MANTRA

“I am one with the force and the force is with me”. This mantra was repeated over and over by Donnie Yen’s character Chirrut Imwe in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Even though his character wasn’t ‘force’ sensitive, meaning he didn’t uphold telepathic and telekinesis abilities, he was the most ‘forceful’ in every other way possible.  First off, he was blind, secondly, he was an incredible martial artist, and thirdly, he had the zen mentality to stay calm and focused under the most treacherous of times. It was easy to see that his abilities manifested from the power of faith and his devotion to the ‘force’ religion as demonstrated through his mantra.       

Mantras are believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers. They deploy the language of spiritual expression.They are considered meaningful linguistic instruments of the mind. Some mantras have ritualistic and literal meanings, and some are just sounds with ambient tone. They exist in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and in Japanese Shingon tradition. Mantras can have philosophical themes, moral principles, and a call to virtuous life.

As mystical as it sounds, I believe we are all ‘force’ sensitive. I believe in the pseudo sciences, the metaphysical, and all iterations of the alternative healing arts. I believe there are many things we do not understand, cannot compute, and most certainly aren’t ready to comprehend. But at the end of it, faith and hope, and the devotion to believing are all we truly have. So why think of life as ‘to be concluded’ when you can think of life as a ‘to be continued’? Set themes, goals, intentions, and mantras for the sake of developing your spiritual self, for it will elevate your physical, mental, and emotional self.   

[As a participatory activity, I’d like you to create your theme, write down your top 3 goals/resolutions from Chapter 1, and put together a mantra for 2017.]
(Please pause your reading, write them down now if you haven’t yet, yes, I’m serious! Go! Now! GO!)

IN A NUTSHELL #4 - It is in you to change, all you must do is be willing. Themes, goals, intentions, and mantras are all tools for self development, they are tried, tested, and true, all you must do is be willing to use them on your journey. Don’t find yourself, create yourself. May the force be with you.  

HOW TO KICKSTART A HIGH PERFORMANCE YEAR - CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3 - BLACKMAIL YOURSELF WITH ACCOUNTABILITY.

Accountability is what keeps me writing. I adhere to my writing because I presume that people will read and follow up with me. This positive pressure that I comply to puts my integrity in check. The blackmailing comes as a self-regulating feedback mechanism I weaponize in my own head. I make it so that if I were to not write, and write without thoughtfulness and care, I’d force myself to feel as if I’ve let people down. I deploy a sense of shame, disrespect, and disloyalty. I regulate myself by making deals and deadlines. If not delivered in a timely and high quality manner, I punish myself with physical training or limit my rewards. It sounds like harsh psychological warfare, but I find accountability with consequences extremely effective.

My recent surge of blog writing is my way of recounting the Equinox High Performance Living Symposium, and holding myself to revising what I’ve learned. Accountability can be powered by a sense of responsibility. I share because I care about my reputation and the legacy I aim to create. I feel a sense of responsibility to pay it forward. Without the duty of reporting to you, my accountable audience, I’m not confident in saying that I’d still be writing as enthusiastically. As a torch bearer in my industry, I feel responsible for reporting on the valuable information gained at the Symposium, and it would be on my shoulders if the information was not relayed.

Equinox 2017 Marketing campaign ... shock and awe approach. 

Accountability works best in environments where you have control over what you do and how you do it. Group fitness classes are so effective because you have full control over your output. You get out what you put in. And you have the social accountability of the class and the instructor’s guidance. This is also why blog writing to me has been a recent source of positive self-growth. I have full autonomy over it and I have an audience. This blog is my sanctuary of wild expression where I am the king of the castle. But what happens to compliance and adherence when you have less control over the environmental factors? Where you may not be the king of the castle?

Let’s take diet for example. Why are we more susceptible to bending and breaking with our diet? Is it due to the natural bearing on social engagements? If so, I’d suggest that you control what you can, and when you must ‘cheat’, enjoy it to the max and don’t feel guilty about it, just get back on the healthy bandwagon as quickly as possible and don’t look back... easier said than done right??? Well, wasting time ruminating on dietary choices is like standing still in quicksand, no decision is the worst decision, you’ll be submerged in no time! Rumination is putting one’s attention on the symptoms of distress and its causes and consequences without offering solutions. Here are some strategies that use accountability to regulate a high performance lifestyle:

• Hold yourself accountable to daily thematic diet challenges like ‘Monday vegan day’, ‘Tuesday clean day’, ‘Wednesday no eating out day’, ‘Thursday green day’, ‘Friday water day’, ‘Saturday fun day’, ‘Sunday fast day’. This streamlines focus, it limits rumination, and decreases the paralysis by abundance of choice.

• Metcalfe’s Law states that the more users in a system, the more valuable the network. So if you come from a family household, include all members on your daily thematic diet challenges. If you are a leader in your office, include all members on your monthly workout challenge. If you have a tight knit group of friends, include all members on your Lent challenge. Inclusivity is vital. The more the merrier.

• Schedule in ‘fun days’ where you explore new restaurants and mind opening cultural experiences with a foodie group … and make that foodie group your fitness crew!

• Make an investment out of your “cheat days” so that it becomes something to look forward to and something to learn from. We work well with incentives and here’s an opportunity to be mindful and strategic about it. So if you’re going to cheat, don’t go to McDonald’s, go to Bar Isabel, or Planta, or Union, or Richmond Station, or Byblos. Make it count.

• Lunch pals: pair up with a coworker and make lunch for your peer one day of the week. It is much more difficult to feed someone junk and unhealthy food. It puts you in the parental place of responsibility for someone else’s wellness. Some positive pressure is always good in friendly doses.         

• Weekly or monthly challenges: NOBNOM stands for No Booze No Masturbating for 30 days (random I know! But it’s actually becoming viral in the world of lifestyle design!) Another option for those who don’t have a problem with Masturbation is NOBNOC which stands for No Booze No Complaining. Start the challenge by making it public. Put it out on your social media feeds like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, nominate friends to do it with you. I can’t guarantee they’ll join or talk to you ever again, but it’s worth a try!   

Tim is definitely my go-to for inspiration on lifestyle design and optimization. His podcasts deconstruct the habits and routine practices that make high performers who they are. His unique blend of philosophical & utilitarian personality tease out the most relevant of information. His community is responsible for the NOMNOC challenge.  

IN A NUTSHELL #3 - Blackmail yourself with accountability. When it comes to your goals, blog about them, post about them on social media, email friends and family about them, make promises to peers in order to stay focused and committed to them. “Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results”. Put whatever it is you want to accomplish out into the world, because when held in the head, it doesn’t mean anything to anyone. Put your integrity on the line. Hold yourself responsible. Make yourself a missionary. Carry the health, wellbeing, and future of your industry on your shoulders. Create challenges because without challenges, there is no change.     

HOW TO KICKSTART A HIGH PERFORMANCE YEAR - CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2 - RESOLUTIONS ARE LIES … UNTIL ACTED UPON

“A Timeless Perspective for 2017”, is where I candidly shared my current state of mind by reflecting on my upsides and downsides of 2015 and 2016. As a way to better process what was needed of me to move forward into 2017, I took the blog’s 3 categories (Reflection, Reassess, Reframe), and expanded on them by setting new year resolutions to each. In order to realize my resolutions, I needed to pair them each with a follow up action. All too often we put an idea out but don’t follow up with how to actualize it. Hence why I believe resolutions are empty promises, blank statements, and white lies, until an actionable behavior is attached. Since we know that actions speak louder than words, actions are effective forcing functions that breathe life into resolutions. Below are my resolutions and actions that may act as suggestions to inspire. Please use mine as a template example of how to process yours.    

1. REFLECTION

   Resolution - Appreciate old experiences and how they’ve served your growth up to this point.
   
   Action - I will take 10 minutes on the weekend to go through videography and photography of my 2.0 Toronto Holistic Fitness Events, view them with gratitude and appreciation, without judgement or criticism.  
   
   (Click the links below to view the history of 2.0 Toronto videos)
   2.0 Toronto 2012 (The prequel to it all! Funds raised for Sears Kids Cancer Foundation)
   2.0 Toronto 2013 (Inaugural Annual for Humber River Hospital Foundation)
   2.0 Toronto 2014 (Second Annual @ Mattamy Athletic Centre for Rogers Youth Fund)
   2.0 Toronto 2015 (Third Annual @ 99 Sudbury for The Stop Food Community Centre)  
   2.0 Toronto 2016 (Fourth Annual @ The Extension Room for CAMH)

2. REASSESS

   Resolution - Be patient with your default patterns, conditioned behaviours, and biases. Provide them time to reset and reprogram and appreciate what they’ve allowed you to accomplish.
   
   Action - To become inspired and refreshed, I will converse with peers on the weekly with regard to teaching tips, new learnings, and obstacle manoeuvres.

3. REFRAME

   Resolution - Reorganize the time you spend according to how you spend it and who you spend it with. Listen to those that speak to you with tough love. Learn from those that challenge you. Love those that support you no matter what.
   
   Action - I will attend two classes a week, not of my own, one that puts me out of my comfort zone and another that allows me to thrive in my comfort zone, for the months of January and February.

As a participatory activity, I’d like you to state your top 3 new year resolutions and attach a follow up action to each. Share them with someone to enhance your adherence.
(Take a pause on reading and give yourself the opportunity to go deeper).

IN A NUTSHELL #2 - Set resolutions that sound as if they came from a parent or a mentor. They are the best teachers because they know you the best and aren’t afraid to tell it to you straight. Pair that resolution with an action and write it out in the first person. Be specific and simple to avoid any chance of not doing them. Once you have your resolutions and actions decided, share them to enhance adherence levels, and schedule them in as they relate to the context of your life. Give them a chance to work with the other priorities in your life. Ideally, these resolutions and actions will complement rather than compete.  

HOW TO KICKSTART A HIGH PERFORMANCE YEAR - CHAPTER 1/5

CHAPTER 1 - BE FASCINATED BY UNCERTAINTY

In Part 3, I promised to provide you more direction, so I apologize if my new year's resolution blog entry didn’t deliver any concrete solutions, the intention was to be honest and vulnerable with my feelings about the unknown future. I wanted readers to know that there can be many ways to look at coping with uncertainty. I am currently investigating this age old art form, a science that escapes even the most intelligent, a philosophy that some of the wisest men forget, but a principle quality that children grasp innately and effortlessly, a coping method called ... FASCINATION.

You can see uncertainty with passive fear and neglect, or you can see it with active fascination and curiosity. Uncertainty can paralyze us. It can prevent us from living what we love. But it can also invigorate by inviting us to be children again. It can encourage us to explore with curiosity rather than consequence. When we have the courage to be fascinated, we explore an optimistic side of ourself that views pain as temporary, sadness as necessary, fear as trivial, and death as a door. With fascination, we employ curiosity as an investigator and detective, not a crippling judge and critic. To cope with uncertainty, here are some thought directions I am currently taking to foster fascination.

Shoshin is a concept in Zen Buddhism and Japanese Martial Arts used to explore without preconceptions. When I use Shoshin, I investigate with a child’s mind, one that is open to many possibilities. I do my best not to use an expert’s mind, because then I narrow my possibilities.

Law of Opposites is the philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, by which “the observation that everything in existence is a combination or unity of opposites”. With Shoshin, I invite myself to be curious with the feeling of uncertainty, just like a child would with a closed door. I question what I am uncertain of - not knowing what’s behind the door, and follow up with the law of opposites strategy; I focus on what I am certain of - knowing that when I open the door, I will have an answer. Behind the door can be another question, it can be an answer I was not expecting, or it could be one that I was hoping for all along, either way, I have fostered a step forward, through the door, by being actively fascinated and curious.

I remind myself to think about what I have control over - the physical ability to open the door and walk through it. I assert that all negative feelings such as uncertainty, fear, and sadness, all have an opposite feeling, and that my feelings can slide back and forth along this continuum of emotion. The Law of Opposites allow me to appreciate my ability to slide back and forth and not see either side as good or bad, but as just laws of nature.

Shoshin allows me to explore without jumping to conclusions. The Law of Opposites allows me to see the truth in Georg Wilhelm Hegel’s quote, "contradiction in nature is the root of all motion and of all life", and how uncertainty is simply a natural part of life, something to be fascinated by. 

My most often used approach in coping with uncertainty is just saying “F**K IT”. A book by John C. Parkin that a friend recommended me beautifully describes this method.  “Saying Fuck It is like massage for the mind - relaxing you, releasing tension, giving up on things that aren't working. This title argues that saying Fuck It is a spiritual act: that it is the perfect western expression of the eastern ideas of letting go, giving up and finding real freedom by realising that things don't matter so much (if at all).” Most often, it’s the time we spend ruminating in anxiety about the uncertainty that kills us. These two little words pack a punch. They are motivation unparallel to any that can be given by a coach, words that will change your life because they were uttered by you to yourself. Go ahead and try it, it’s empowering as F**K.  

IN A NUTSHELL #1 - Just like any relationship worth cultivating, our success with uncertainty requires that we be patient, clearly communicate intentions and expectations, and commit to the process. We must be able to see uncertainty as something to be fascinated by instead of something to be fearful of. Marx’s law of opposites comforts us with the knowing that the uncomfortable sensation of uncertainty will always eventually flow to a sensation of certainty. And finally, when in doubt, just say F**K IT and take action.       

A Timeless Perspective for 2017

REFLECTION

As I write this blog on the eve of the new year, I can’t help but look back on my perspectives from years before. As some regard new year’s eve as just another day in the year, I believe it to be a milestone day of celebration, deep reflection, and introspection. At the close of 2015 and welcoming of 2016, I with-held from thinking about the future and pushed myself to think back on the year’s accomplishments, failures, and life influencing events. At the turn of 2014 into 2015, I forced myself to look forward, focus on growth and development, and not look back into the past. I gave each year a theme: 2015 was “ADVERSITY as fuel”, and 2016 was “AUTHENTICITY as fuel”.

Adversity was a word I needed to face and confront, and therefore be vulnerable and open to. The hardships and suffering I endured that year molded the vehicle I transformed myself into. I secretly used hardship, pain, fear, and anger to fuel my progress in education, career, and physical fitness. This machine I became set all time high records of performance across all aspects of my life. Did I feel good about it? YES! Did the good feeling last? Unfortunately no. ‘Adversity as fuel’ was not sustainable.   

As a result of 2015’s unsustainable ‘adversity as fuel’ theme, I made ‘authenticity’ my new word. I needed to reconnect with myself, rekindle faith in my gut instinct, and entrust in those around me. I needed to shift away from using negatives as a motivator, and instead use the positive of self discovery as a guiding light. The oneness and sense of self-awareness I gained from this thematic shift enabled me to scale all of the groundbreaking achievements of 2015 and raise the bar even higher. My sizeable successes brought me to an esoteric state of pride and joy, a place in my career that I never dreamed would be possible. But this exponential growth came with its costs.

To be completely honest and open, my mind currently resides in a place of uncertainty, pressure, and trying times of rumination and self-doubt. I look back at this outstanding breakout year, and rationally examine its costs and benefits. I conquered new heights and milestones for “my brand”, but what did I do for me? I wrote a hero’s journey for the character Julian Ho, but left no ink to acknowledge the real author of the story. I was selfless when I could have been a little more selfish. I was selfish at crucial times when I should have been more selfless. This imbalance has retired me to a place of limbo. Do I feel good about the year’s accomplishments? YES! Has the good feeling lasted? Unfortunately no. The feeling evaporates every day that goes by. ‘Authenticity as fuel’ will continue to serve as a source of motivation, a beautiful theme for a life narrative, just not one for a single year of life.     

REASSESS

What happens now? The surge of questions start to flood my mind...what’s your gameplan for 2017? What do you want to accomplish? What did you learn from 2016? How can you improve? Can you scale your successes and outdo yourself again in 2017?

Looking back, I see 2015 as the answer to the question ‘what are my limits?”. That year I laid the framework for ‘what’ I needed to do to test my limits physically and mentally. In order to become the man I wanted to be, I needed set and conquer goals that would shape the hero I was to become. I essentially created the mountain I needed to set afoot, and climb it at a pace beyond my mere mortal sensibility. I tested myself and explored new frontiers I always imagined.   

Looking back, I see 2016 as an answer to the question of ‘how can I exceed my limits?’. In order to outdo the man I had become in 2015, I needed to set afoot the same mountain but climb with more bravado. I needed to shift more focus on fine tuning my execution. How I achieved things became more important than what I achieved. 2016 brought me to a level above and beyond the framework of 2015, to a place where I could love the man I was becoming. But was I climbing to the top of the mountain to see the world, or be seen by the world? I tested myself and explored new frontiers I never imagined.

REFRAME

Looking forward to 2017, I feel a desperate need to remove myself from this pattern of climbing. This mountain analogy is just getting old. I need to change it up. I’m tired of climbing and believe there’s another way to create an impact that is sustainable. I need to refresh myself in those present moments, and not retreat to the memories of the past.

Over the last two years, I’ve come up with mantra phrases that power my performance. I’ll read these every so often to reset, refuel, and reinvigorate. I add new phrases to the list when an epiphany occurs and the right words come along. Now that I read them with introspective eyes though, they remind me of an idealistic man that wants to be seen by the world.

Direction over destination

Presence over productivity

Calling over competition

Legacy over currency

Purpose over passion

Intention over intensity

Substance over style

Function over form

Giving over receiving

Brain over brawn  

I look back at all that I’ve accomplished and can’t help but look forward and feel more pressure than pride, more self-doubt than self-satisfaction. Is my future bound to “Moore’s Law”, a doubling of growth year to year, perhaps infinitely? Is it reasonable to increase the scale of all of my efforts from 2016? Raise the bar even higher? Run two 125k ultramarathons, run 4 marathons, win two 5k road races, compete in a full Ironman instead of a half, create 8 masterclasses instead of 4, and double my 2.0 Summit guestlist from 100 to 200? It’s tough to warrant another go at it just like it’s tough to climb a mountain that gets steeper and steeper with no end in sight. When is enough, enough?

When people say “the journey IS the destination”, I completely agree, but I find it doesn’t justify the value of the destination. In order to fully understand something’s value, it must be taken away or somehow forgotten. In the case of life’s journey, a vast amount of effort must be placed on traversing the journey and experiencing it to the fullest, but what I’m getting at is the appreciation of the journey. “The sweet ain’t as sweet without the sour.” The journey wouldn’t be as sweet if we didn’t go off track sometimes, if we didn’t feel the pain and sorrows from the struggles, and if we didn’t lose our sense of direction and purpose once in awhile. What joy does the destination bring when we journey without appreciating each and every step?  

I feel a new beginning is about to arrive just beyond the horizon. Instead of recreating the steps and reconquering the mountain of that idealistic man, I will not climb to be seen, I will climb to see again. This journey will be fueled by APPRECIATION and it will be guided by the mantra “Patience over Progress”. Appreciation requires that we be patient with progress. Progress requires pacing. When we pace ourselves with patience, we are provided with time to reflect, time to regenerate, and time to just be.

Though it may sound like I am in a state of limbo; lost, dazed and confused, the arrival to this realization is one that may save me from enduring another race up the mountain I may never come back from. As I enter my 30s, one thing I could never have predicted was my ability to self reflect, self monitor, and self love. Part of me really wants to take off up the mountain and never look back, but another part of me knows that the mountain will always be there. I love who I have become, someone who is self aware and satisfied, but also someone who is fascinated by being unaware and uncertain, unsettled with what is yet to come.