söndag 29 maj 2011

about 4 impactful experiences

Ok, so I figure I owe myself writing this blog post capturing 4 very impactful experiences.

1. Meaningful Kenya

2. Marketing Academy Boot Camp

3. Marathon in Copenhagen

4. Bikram Yoga

Meaningful Kenya

Safari – pictures captures this experience better than any words possibly can: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150206554944273.331551.518259272. However, what I will remember from Masai Mara in some sentences are:

  • Will and Peter - awesome guides that quickly turned in to nice friends. Together we created an empowering environment where dreams were shared and learning took place.
  • Masai community – living in harmony with all aspects of society. Having the opportunity to spend a few hours with these amazing people was simply amazing. Sure, a bit touristic, but equally, very important for me to experience. Could I imagine changing my life so as to live like the Masai tribe? Not sure. I probably wouldn’t survive longer than a week…- that aside – living in a mutual beneficial relationship with nature is possibly the most important thing I have to learn – knowing that it is possible. Other practices of the masai tribe I found less impressive, e.g. polygamy – however I wasn’t there to judge – just learn and thus suspending my judgements was critical to really enjoy and immerse in the experience.
  • Close connection to nature and with the animals of course stood out. E.g. seeing lions showing compassion and love. Experiencing a leopard hunt was incredible and watching cheetahs chilling under a tree was so powerful.
  • Majken getting ill was less exciting, but she patiently recovered and was determined to enjoy the experience though being from the back of the car, waking up to take the amazing pictures that now shapes what we remember from the magical days in Masai Mara.

Kibera

Kibera – Caro took us to Kibera. It was a difficult meeting simply because never before have I seen so many difficult realities. I think I had a naïve aspiration coming to Kenya, trying to think about a systematic approach to at least in theory tackle extreme poverty. I left Kebera not knowing where to start. It moved me and then and there I knew that Kenya had moved me for live. Spending some hours playing football and reading with the children was amazing. On the surface it seems so small, i.e. to have a kindergarten that impacts 20 children every day, but having been there, actually experiencing it made me realize that these initiatives are so important and they really make a difference. They are absolutely critical.

Retreat

Retreat – from Kibera to retreat at a very nice hotel in mombasa. In the beginning a shock. How could we go from the slum to a luxury hotel? We were there to celebrate Majken’s big birthday, but felt confused. Seeing all western tourists exploiting beautiful Kenya felt un-real and wrong. Unfair, I know, but that was how we felt. We transformed our confusion to four very impactful days. We created a flow with meditation, powerful conversations, exercise, good food, healthy life and relaxation – amazing. Majken and I discussed our collective 2016 vision and also our individual visions within the scope of our collective vision. We are clear and it feels great – now we need to bring it to live!

Precious sisters

Precious sisters – spending time with a dear friend, hosting some sessions and participating as mentors at the precious sisters event in Nairobi was incredible. It probably gave me so much more than what I could give back to the girls and the organization. The precious sisters thought me about the power of a dream and that anything is possible with a bit of support from people that genuinely care. Precious sister will become the structured way in which I will come back again and again to Kenya. Sometimes in person, but always in my mind, heart and will.

I call this experience meaningful Kenya.

The Marketing Academy Boot Camp

The Marketing Academy Boot Camp – outstanding. Deserves a blog post on its own. The Programmes for life leadership development program combined with the thought leaders sharing their experiences and the amazing fellow students made me expand my leadership vision. It is now, clarity, compassion, choice and CONVICTION. Conviction being the addition. Having the fundamental belief, being convinced that you can be or do whatever you want is something that I believe great leaders embody. Gratitude the best word to describe how I feel about the boot camp. Anticipation is what I feel about the year ahead.

Marathon in Copenhagen

Marathon in Copenhagen – absolutely exhausting, but so much fun and an amazing catalyst for living a physically healthy life in 2011. I completed the race. A stretch, but so enjoyable. Will I do it again – most probably yes!

Bikram Yoga

To conclude this quite long Sunday post I felt like sharing about my bikram yoga class on Friday. I was super close to pass out several times doing yoga exercise in 40 degrees C. After the class I concluded I felt physically fit, but spiritually a bit tired and confused. 2011 has been an amazing year to date, but I also feel to need to ground myself again. Come back to my practices, but also visit my family in Sweden. I miss them and it doesn’t feel right knowing I haven’t been home yet this year.

This post was about celebrating the last few months to enable me to look ahead and move on. Thus writing has also been about thinking about what the nearest few months will be about. While enjoying the bank holiday weekend the emerging themes are:

  • Continue the momentum Majken and I have in our relationship
  • Become part my close family lives
  • Take my work through the nearest months with excellence and then gain clarity about my next professional challenge
  • Fully immerse myself with what the marketing academy has to offer – being clear that this is an experience for me to:
  1. Critically evaluate the leader I want to be
  2. Build my marketing philosophy

I think this is it for now. Time for bed as an early start with some golf on my bank holiday Monday in on the agenda tomorrow!

Until later

Emanuel