I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you

Receiving bad news is never easy. However, what to do when we get bad news can take almost super human effort as we process exactly what it is we are facing. What have we lost? What price will we pay? What unfinished business is there left unresolved. Who can help?
Our new normal can knock us of centre. So, I'm sharing this not for sympathy or empathy but in the hopes that when the day comes and you are suddenly thrust into a "New Normal" you'll have some ideas on what to do and how to face it.
I was 27 the first time I was given catastrophic bad news. I had cancer. Then several days after surgery the news got worse. Michael you're cancer has spread it was in four locations. Well with over 25 years come and gone since that day it's much easier to talk about now. However it was a life altering moment.
I'd gone to the doctor for an appointment. At the time it seemed like the "flu" I had was hanging on and was attempting to make me a permanent host! I'd felt flu like for six plus weeks. I'd started sleeping 18 to 20 ours a day! Me. Mr Energy.... Not this time. So when I'd gone to the Doctors office for

Michael H Ballard 2019

I prepared them by calling a family meeting.

I was living in Halifax and at the tine only had my spouse living with me

My brothers where both still living at home with parents at the time

asked if they could be at the phone that night

Told them i was setting up to fight a fight and wanted them to be on my team

I boldly assigned tasks

humour team - movie nights books of jokes cartoons etc from used book store etc

inspirational music

prayer team

second opinion medical team

called people asked to be kept in loop

of one positive thing happened every week and don't expect to get anything back

but a weekly update

gave them my condition

I've been inside these types of appointment offices so many times.

asked them to not come down for a visit

till we had everything verified

and knew exactly what options where and what I/we had to face

I you wish to skype and chat we can do that

also the relaxation skills are more important than ever to practise

helps optimize body for health and healing

Skype I'm ResilientMichael

also on your team someone to build a list of support groups in your area that could offer some type of support

skill building, emotional, etc

So one thing to consider How will you how do you describe / define yourself starting now

I was a "Lean Keen Healing Machine!" ...

Yes between my pray teams. theme musics, some for up, some for calm, some for emotions and some for self hypnosis, prose & poetry, and prayers and my exercises to manage my energy the over experience was much better than most there

So until next time, Imagine Yourself with more Resiliency for Life.

Michael

Michael Ballard specializes in helping people, schools, organizations and communities learn how to become more resilient.

Hiring and Contacting Michael

To interview Michael, book him for your 

next event or to contact him you can do that through your favourite agent or speakers bureau or direct at:

www.ResiliencyforLife.com

 

You can purchase Michael's programming on:

Udemy.com video programs at:

https://www.udemy.com/u/michaelhballard/

 iTunes.com audio programs at:

https://itunes.apple.com/album/id997763796?ls=1&app=itunes

Faith Hope and Courage progrramming is at:

http://www.michaelhballard.com/grace-noll-crowell-poetry/

Michael’s Social Media includes:

https://twitter.com/ResilientMichae

https://about.me/resilientmichael

https://www.linkedin.com/company/resiliency-for-life/

Stuff: Do you own it or... does it own you?

Stuff

We all need some, we almost all want some more, yet who owns who? In this the second decade of the 21st century we are marketed at constantly. Buy more, spend more, get more. How? With the best stuff. Clothes, cars, jewelry, housing, shoes, accessories, places and stuff. All can be so much fun to own, experience and use. But how does it all add to your life? 

Yet out of all this what truly helps build us up? Develop, deepen and widen our ability to thrive? Yes a good raincoat for a rainy day is very useful, a proper pair of winter books are very useful on those days when the temperature dips to -24C (Very cold in F) with wind chill.

Beautiful, fast stuff. 

So why talk about stuff? Well resilience research tells us that how we chose to define ourselves from the inside out plays a role in how happy and successful we are in our lives. Plus how much we enjoy the journey. So, I ask again: Do you your stuff or does it own you?

We are defined in part by what and who we surround ourselves with. Yet if it all was taken away from you tomorrow what would change? Would you still be you, or does your stuff define you so much that you'd feel empty? Would you be able to move forward? Again, nothing wrong with having stuff. Just be careful your stuff does not own you.

Until next time Imagine Yourself with more Resiliency for Life.

Michael

To book me to speak at your next event:

Connect with me through your favourite bureau or agency.

Connect directly: Inquiry@MichaelHBallard.com

 

Check out our Faith Hope and Courage Project at:

http://www.michaelhballard.com/grace-noll-crowell-poetry/

Instant Gratification or a Life that Matters

Instant Gratification vs. A Life that Matters

We live in a world of excess and lack, in so many categories.  Some of us have too much to eat or not enough to eat. Some of us have no clean water, others more than they need.  How can those of us with enough share with those who have not enough?

During this times it is vital for each of us to pay attention to what matters to us in the short term and the long term. What values, what skills what behaviour will help keep us safer, more engaged and more fulfilled?

Sonja shows us mastery with a classic pose. 

Mastery is a topic that is often ignored in a world filled with instant gratification.  It is all about the process, the language, the skills and the people we need to know and avail ourselves to to become better at, and in time become more successful at the many areas of life we have the opportunities to grow into.

How and with who will you gain added mastery in life? What area(s) do you want to work on? A life that includes a focus on mastery is a life that is enriched and deepened. Given  our very superficial life style in most of this current civilization we can all benefit from working towards growing and gaining added mastery. It will deepen your resilience.

Also mastery in life can help us feel safer. We gain a sense of control over parts of our lives that help us as uncertainty in other areas grows. Plus sharing can assist us develop and deepen out sense of passion and purpose, two keys to living a life with mastery. This can make it easier to share.

Sonja shows us a a very difficult pose.
Making the difficult look easy is often a sign
 of Mastery and a love of what one is doing.
You can connect with Sonja for business at:
@omaklubi on Facebook

How and with who will you gain added mastery in life? What area(s) do you want to work on? How will mastery help free you up so you can prosper and share?

One of my favourite ways of sharing is through Kiva. They offer several ways to share with others. They provide loans through our sharing and over time the small business owners pay back. They have an impressive 97.1% repayment rate. 

Mastery as a way of life offers many rewards. How, in what  and with who will you develop yours? Investing in mastery pays dividends for a life time.

So, until next time Imagine Yourself,

with more Resiliency for Life.

To book Michael for your next meeting or association event  have your favourite agent or speakers bureau contact him at: MichaelHBallard@GMail.com

Michael Travels from Toronto Canada

The Two Engineers

Connecting, Engaging and Communicating

I was about six years old. Dad came in through the door after a day of work with a spring in his step, and a little more upbeat than usual. He gave me and my brother the always wonderful hug and kiss and then Mom got hers. Then he could not wait to share that he'd had a most unusual day at work.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” 
― Helen Keller

I remember it like yesterday. He look Mom in the eye and the conversation went something like this:
"Well today one of the company's  lawyers, RCMP and my Boss and his Boss paid me a visit. I been asked to work on a project."
Mom: "Oh really what' it about?"
Dad: Well that is were it gets very interesting. I've had to sear and oath on the bible for a 40 year oath of national secrecy.
Mom: "Wow... very exciting and interesting."
Dad: "Yes, it seems I'll be helping build things like nothing I've ever worked on before"

In the weeks and time ahead Dad would come home and share the people insights into what he was experiencing working on these TOP SECRET projects.

I can remember this as one of his most insightful conversations with my Mom and I like it was yesterday. He shard his work experiences on communications, engagement, team building and successful outcomes. We learned that day that my Dad was a part of two projects. Each one equal in importance, yet getting these vital projects launched and completed where happening radically differently.

Project One was being lead by a technical professional who included the whole group in the decision making process. Dad told us he had a large roll of brown paper, He'd roll it out, stick on the wall, the floor or a work bench 9where ever there was room) and with his magic marker sketch out key points, drawing of various parts with time lines. Then he'd hand out tentative diagrams of each component. Then he'd turn to the group and ask for feedback on each point he's put up. How to make it better, faster, safer, more effective etc. Some might say he was interested in 360º feedback.


Project Two was being lead by a technical professional who would come to the group, assign tasks, drop off the appropriate paperwork and leave. NO time. Busy, busy busy is what he projected (Perhaps feeling overwhelmed?). He  could be found in his office if you had questions. He as considered argumentative 

Well after a many many weeks of this behaviour from both leaders, at the beginning of a new week and a new shift Project One Leader showed up to congratulate the team that they where ahead of schedule and below budget! Great news. Seems those in charge where very impressed. The team leader thanked them all for their contributions for help push this vital project forward to ensure it was a success!

A while later Project Two Leader arrived called a meeting and then started to "tear a strip off them" What type of people where they? The project was way off track in all categories. Behind, well over budget, raw material, partial and broken proto type waste was over the top. 
My Dad was amazed at this professionals lack of insights or basic understanding of humans and how to connect, engage and inspire others.

Plus both teams had same individuals on them, except for the Leaders. Hmmmm.

So, I ask myself daily who am I and how do others see me?
How do others see you?

Until next time, Imagine Yourself deepening your Resiliency for life.

Michael

To hire Michael to present at your next event contact him through your favourite speakers bureau or agency.

Perspective

Point of View 

Have you ever found that despite your best efforts things are not turning out as planned?

Could it be you? Perspective and our ability to consider OPPV's? Other People's Points of View can help us gain added insights into who thinks what and why.

I have a friend who works with the public. He tells me that one of his  biggest frustrations are male adults who talk to him as a child to him as the adult. As if he is the parent and the customer is the child.   He says he finds it exhausting to deal with this style or type of behaviour. I'd agree.

So how do others perceive you? What things about your style help you engage & connect with others? 

Is there anything about your style that makes others want to detach and pull away?

So, Resiliency is in part about engaging and connecting with each other. So what do you do that builds perspective in your life and is there any part of your style that blocks you?

So until next time imagine yourself with more resiliency for more life.

To contact Michael:

To book Michael for your upcoming event

contact him through your favourite agent or speakers bureau. 

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Failing Forward!

Failing Forward

Life is short. So, to have the best experiences we all need to take risks. There are so many ways to take those risks. One of them is in the hobbies we chose.  

One of the best examples of being a risk taker in hobbies was my Dad. He tried his hand at wood working with modest to wonderful results. He tried his hand at gardening with amazing results several ways for over 50 years in his flower gardens with his amazing mix of annuals and perennial flowers and shrubs. Plus his vegetable garden and especially his tomatoes garden was year in and year out amazing and the results come August and September always very tasty.

However in one of his hobbies he took a wide variety of risks. The outcomes where in turn varied. Which hobby was that? It was his wine making hobby. I can tell you some of his wines  where very nice. World class No. But that was never his aim. It was done for fun, enjoyment and sharing time with those that helped him. Some of his wine offerings to attempt to be polite where less than average. Yikes! His Parsnip Wine was awful. Yet lots of laughter and joy occurred as he recounted how my garden had yielded a bumper crop of parsnips. Some longer than 14" long and and very  large in diameter . A few bushel baskets worth. I could only freeze so much for  them for later, BBQ them for now and give away so many. So, Dad decided to turn them into wine. "After all son, they are related to the sugar beet. This will be interesting." Interesting indeed it was. It was not his best tasting batch is for certain. It was as always his best effort. However Parsnip Wine was not something I'd wish to taste again. Yet I so appreciate the joy and the curiosity he shared as he did batch after batch from the  many variety's of grapes, to dandelion, to wild bush cranberry (too sour for me) ranging from modest to amazing outcomes.

So what do you do that stretches you out? What do you do to create some big, some small positive outcomes with some not so great outcomes.

So until next time Imagine Yourself with more Resiliency for Life.

Who me? Worry?

Why Worry?

I bumped into Elmo after a
meeting  at a children's hospital
Nothing like time with Elmo to add
some Joy to life.

There has been many words written about the act and process of worrying. I'm not here to convince you to stop. I am here to ask you how much time you've invested in worry and what change in outcomes has it created?

Now I'm not talking about the typical thought "Hmmm did I lock the door this morning - when I left for work?"  Nope not at all. That is a very normal thought for many of us a couple times a month. 

No, I'm talking about what I call "Deep Worry". A habit of spending time often lost in worry about:

We all face so many choices! 

- What if
- If only
- I, We, We're, They're not: Ready, Able, Up for this....

Learning to replace negative worry with action orientated self talk can be and is life affirming and changing. 
So, until next time, 
Imagine Yourself with more Resiliency forLife.

Michael

Hiring and Contacting Michael

To interview Michael, book him for your 

next event or to contact him you can do that at:

Inquiry@MichaelHBallard.com

www.MichaelHBallard.com

You can purchase Michael's programming on:

Udemy.com video programs at:

https://www.udemy.com/u/michaelhballard/

 iTunes.com audio programs at:

https://itunes.apple.com/album/id997763796?ls=1&app=itunes

Michael’s Social Media includes:

https://twitter.com/ResilientMichae

https://about.me/resilientmichael

https://www.linkedin.com/company/resiliency-for-life/

http://www.resiliencyforlife.com