The other day I was given the opportunity to assist in a team building program at Balik Pulau, Penang. The journey to the program venue was scenic and something different from my everyday travels to work. It was a good and fruitful experience to go to somewhere different plus having different activities for team building. Thank God for a beautiful weather, good food and great people.
During the program, I have observed five -(5) key take-aways as learning from the program (and people). Please take note that the learning is based on my own opinion and opportunity given. Enjoy reading and if you like, perfect practice the learning shared…
1. Invest some time in the nature
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” – Vincent Van Gogh
During the program, the people and I were required to walk around the program venue to experience different activities. While walking about, enjoy the fresh air, new surroundings, new experience, new thoughts, new feelings… some how, there is something triggering the sub-conscious. With you own past experience and the new triggers (our 5 senses and environment), comes a new encounter.
The world is truly our playground, there are many things that we can do and learn. Certainly by creating a habit to invest some time in the nature can help to rejuvenate us. We do not have to go far to other states or countries to travel. Just by going to the nearest park where you are staying, is definitely worth the trip.
It is also a good practice to break the monotony and introduce a new activity to our lifestyle. A walk in the park, stroll with our loved ones, enjoying observing people, sound of children playing… take some time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Recharge yourself by investing some time in the nature.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
2. Be engaged
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
During the team building program, there were different activities for the groups at different times. I noticed that most of the people are engaged. The people who are engaged are the ones having the most fun and enjoyed the most from the program. Like any other programs, there were a few of them who were not participating (not sure what was their issue; some assumptions I can come up with – not happy as they were requested to attend, out of their norm and comfort zone, and many other human challenges or perceived problems).
For me, since we are there and the people around us were the closest people that we had at that time (should there be any unforeseen or unwanted event happened, but nothing happened on that day, thank God!), why not just have fun and be part of a bigger picture (movement, objective, goal, team)?
We are constantly making choices and the decisions that we make will lead to the outcomes that we get. While we can, let’s make the choice and decide to do our part to contribute in making this world a better place. (suddenly the song “Heal the world” by Michael Jackson comes to mind ;-p )
The choice is yours – to be involved or not… the team is moving towards their goal and getting the results they want. Just like the flight, it will not wait for us… when the time comes, it will just take-off (with or without you).
Our attitude determines our altitude (results, outcome).
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson
3. Allocate time to celebrate your wins or losses
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. At times we hit the target, other times we missed. It takes a lot of perfect practice to be able to constantly and consistently hitting the mark. We definitely feel great when we are able to win. The question is how do we handle or failure?
FAIL is the acronym for First Attempt In Learning. As what I have learnt from NLP certification, failure is a feedback, it means that we may not be doing the right thing, taking the right action or not doing long enough to get the results that is expected (or the results that we want).
When things do not go our way, we have the right to have a bad day, and if everyday is a bad day… something is not right. We need to fine-tune (perfect practice, adjust, learn from the failure) and make it right to get the results that we want.
Someone in the team (at work or loved ones) may have disappointed you or you may be feeling let down (or to put it into a stronger word… betrayed!)… in my humble opinion (and I am still learning), there is no point harbouring ill feelings, use that experience to create a better you. Take action to build yourself, improve yourself or do something for others. What can be done differently to get better results? How can we respond (react) to the event to get better outcomes?
“Celebrate your successes. Find some humour in your failures.” – Sam Walton
4. Create memories
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” – L.M. Montgomery
During most of my training, I will remind the participants that… “Today only comes once in your lifetime… we cannot go back to the time that had passed, make the best out of everyday!”
Everyday is unique and special. It is special because we want to make it special. The memory of the day we create can either be a pleasant one or not so pleasant at all. Of course we are not able to control the event that happened (especially the negative ones)… we can somehow filter the ones that we want to create or the learning that we want to adopt.
Another friend of mine shared with me a very interesting phrase, “And this too shall pass…”
Good or bad times, the day will pass and will never come back again. Enjoy while it lasted… choose to create the memories that you want. That you can take control of, my friend. Make the choice, decide, take action and be willing to pay the price. It makes it easier for us, when we are willing to do what it takes to make things happen.
Whatever the outcome is, learn to appreciate that we are alive to experience them. I am sure there are a lot of people who want to be experiencing what you are going through, right now.
“Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.” – Bob Dylan
5. Attitude of gratitude
“When I started counted my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson
What is that not to be thankful about? Great weather, good food, fantastic company, awesome experience…
Be thankful that we are able to experience such wonders and joy in our lives. There are a lot of people in this world who celebrates with the little that they have and yet there are some who focuses on what they do not have to be miserable.
Please pause and ponder for awhile, are you able to see, smell, touch, taste, walk… there are so many things that you can do to create the memories that you want. Starting today, starting NOW… you can immediately shift your paradigm to focus on the positives. Feeling thankful and be grateful for what you have. All the good times that you had, the learning that you have experienced. Knowledge, skills, exposure… you have a lot more than other people.
It is all in the state of your mind. What are you focus on? What you have or missing? On the things you can control or not? What stories are you telling yourself and what is the meaning of the stories?
You need to take action to change what you can and focus on creating new stories for your life. The moment you change your focus, you are giving power to it. Believe you can and you are already half-way there… the rest will be the actions that you will be taking to make the best out of yourself.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
Now the ball is in your court… how are you going to start making positive change to yourself and people around you. When are you going to invest some time in the nature? How are you going to engage with people around you? Who are you going to celebrate with (whether you win or lose)? What memories do you want to create? How are you creating the memories you want? What are you thankful for?
These are some of the questions you can start to… “Change your habits, change your world!”
