Stu Saunders Presentations

Stu-Pendous Blog - Archives for December 2008

These are the thoughts of speaker, author and camp director Stu Saunders.
For Stu’s original blog, you may still access his archives here.

Thanks-o-meter

Oct 14, 2008

Here’s an idea. Take a a full of day and make sure you thank everyone who dies anything for you during your day. Holds a door, buys you a coffee, lends you a book, whatever it is. Keep a list of the act of kindness. You may be surprised how much you say say thank you! Keep track of how many people say thank you during your day as well. See if it equals. This world we live in could use more kindness. You are directly responsible for how your day unfolds and you have the ability to affect those around you.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Oct 14, 2008 at 5:08 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)
5 Minutes

Oct 8, 2008

The other day I was in Quebec City and I was speaking at the International Camping Congress. Now I have spoken for years to many different groups. Some audiences in excess of 3000 people. I have shared the stage with a Kennedy, Movie Starts, Best Selling Authors, Olympic Athletes, Television personalities and even a couple of Governors, Premiers and even two Prime Ministers. I love my job and I am honoured to be asked to speak each and every time.

This speech that I did at the conference was perhaps one of my most fulfilling. I was proud of myself after I had finished! Here’s the thing, I was given only 5 minutes to speak! Now as a speaker that seems sort of funny. I am used to having at least 60 minutes to get a powerful message across to my audience. So I was challenged with such a short time. It was also a group of my peers. People that I respect SO much. So for the first time in a long time I was nervous.

I wasn’t sure what I would say until I got up on stage in front of the microphone. It hit me just moments before I spoke. I told my audience of close to 700 that I didn’t have enough time to tell them anything useful because I only had 5 minutes. If I had more time I said I would tell them about the lessons I have learned from my days as a camper, CIT, counsellor and camp director and owner. I then told 5 very short stories and the powerful lessons I learned from each of them. Each time saying I wish I had more time to tell them that story.

When it was done I was honoured to receive a warm round of applause. I had actually spoken for about 10 minutes. Later that evening a man who is one of the most respected in all of camping Mr. Jack Pearse took the time to find me and let me know that I had done a superb job and that he had learned from my short speech. I was at a loss for words. All I could muster up was a “thank you”.

I have done more “important” speeches to larger groups and not felt nearly as satisfied after that 5 minutes on stage. Here’s what I learned, you don’t need hours of time to make a point. Sometimes we only need a be a few minutes to say thank you or to support a friend or even impart some wisdom, no matter how insignificant it may be upon a group of leaders. Today I am happy. Thank you to all those who helped make the International Camping Congress such a success, and thank you for only giving me 5 minutes!

Here’s today’s question… Please take a the some time to write the question in your journals, answer it and share your thoughts here on the STUpendous BLOG!

“If you could impart some wisdom to friend, colleague or family member and you only had 5 minutes what would you say?”

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Oct 8, 2008 at 8:27 am | Permanent Link | Comments (3)
Your children

Sep 26, 2008

I have three amazing children. Got thinking this morning while I was journalling. It hit me like a bucket of COLD water. When my kids are reflecting on my life after I pass what will they think of me, my life, goals, accomplishments, how I chose to treat people?

So I wrote a list of the qualities that I would love them to say when asked… “What was your dad like?”

Even if you don’t have children you can benefit from the exercise. Picture you have lived a full life and your future children are sitting around having a coffee with a reporter. The question is “Tell me about your dad/mom, how did they live? What did they teach you?”

Take the time to write this list in your journal and share your list here on the STUpendous BLOG!

Here is something else to think about when you finish the list. What if it all ended tomorrow? What would they say now? Don’t wait to create the life that you want to live! Don’t wait to treat people with kindness, love and respect! Don’t wait to care about a cause bigger then yourself. Don’t wait to get up and see the sunrise, play in a puddle or work harder at something you love! Don’t wait!!

Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Sep 26, 2008 at 7:35 am | Permanent Link | Comments (5)
Show time

Sep 20, 2008

Can’t help but wonder how some people show up on a daily basis. Show up for work, school, social events and life in general. I work with young people every day and sometimes I wonder what they are thinking when they put very little investment into making their days more fulfilling. They don’t “try” to be better. They have to understand that they aren’t going to be 15, 16 or 17 forever. They must realize at some point they will have to start to make something happen.

I was working with some students the other day and found myself in awe of some of the negative attitudes of some of the grade nines. One young man had his pants so far down his legs he looked he forgot to get dressed. I watched him as he struggled to walk, looking awkward at best. I mentioned that he might find it easier if he pulled them up a little. He replied, “F u Old man!”

Hmmm, I thought what was his plan for the future? What were his goals and dreams. I think you all know this! How you show up for life every day is the direct cause of your future. I hope that you understand that most people in life that are successful in business, sports, family and life that are people who show up fully! What you wear, how you talk, who you associate with is a direct connection to how your life unfolds.

So stop and look at yourself today. Are you making yourself the best you can TODAY? Don’t just show up, show up fully! You never know who’s watching and what opportunity is about to present itself.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Sep 20, 2008 at 10:38 am | Permanent Link | Comments (2)
Waiting

Sep 13, 2008

We live in a instant gratification society. We expect everything fast and then faster! If our computers don’t load in tenths of a second we say it’s slow, we can’t wait for a picture to be developed, or good food to be made. The idea of unplugging from the cyber-super-fast world is scary.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday, I was expecting all sorts of “results” and I received none. I was told that I have to wait now until next week. That’s frustrating. My first reaction was to be angry and start to question and blame. Then I realized that we as a human race could benefit a little from learning the art of waiting. There is a skill in be able to wait. In my case I want to know now, but in other cases we want to get results because we are excited.

Here is the challenge today, take some time to sit in silence and do nothing. See how long you can wait there without moving. Be still. Try and do it for 30 minutes. Then write what you felt, thought about and experienced in your journal. Also, please share you thoughts here on the STUpendous BLOG!

I can WAIT to read your response!

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Sep 13, 2008 at 3:11 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)
Fresh obsessed

Sep 2, 2008

Isn’t the first day of school grand!! Isn’t it the best day of the year for all students and teachers at every level? I think so! I spoke today to a group of freshman students at a local college. Had a great time, fun group. Before the presentation I was chatting with the Vice-President of the college and noticed a few students skipping out to do… well to go… they were on their way to.... well actually that’s the point. They probably went to wander around, sit somewhere, go to the coffee shop. One guy said he was going back to bed!

I couldn’t help but think, they don’t get it. They are missing out. I know as a fact then when you are in school it seems like it will last forever. But trust me as someone who left college almost 20 years ago, it doesn’t last forever, not even close. After the presentation as 57 year old man walked over to me and thanked me. I asked if he was a teacher at the college? His response was brilliant…

“Nope, I am making up for a lot of lost time, pissed away my youth doing pretty much nothing. I am going to get some of that time back. It’s a privilege to learn!”

Why does it take us all so long to realize the good things. So, as you start another school year today commit to fun and make sure you also commit to celebrating every day the opportunity you have to learn! Be obsessed with the learning opportunities you have in front of you! It’s a chance for a FRESH start!

Here’s today’s question… Read it, write it, answer it and SHARE your answer here on the STUpendous BLOG!

“How will you take advantage of your NEW school year? What will you different to learn and grow?

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Sep 2, 2008 at 8:50 am | Permanent Link | Comments (8)
The flower between the rocks

Aug 27, 2008

I am taking some time to unwind and reflect on my wonderful summer. I am trying to get back into my routines that exist for the ten months of the year that I don’t work at our leadership camp. I am so positive about the future of our programs and where we are going as an organization. I believe we have gathered the best team we have ever had and I try and celebrate them every day. In fact today we will have our annual end of summer celebration at my cottage in Georgian Bay.

I was talking with a friend of mine who is planning a huge conference in Quebec City. I am one of the speakers and couldn’t be more excited. While we chatted she was concerned about the slow arrival of registrations. We were also talking about a dear friend who is battling cancer and doing it with a very positive attitude. As we were ending the call she said that her challenge didn’t seem so bad compared to cancer.

I hung up the phone and looked out into the Bay and noticed a lone daisy rising up from the rocky shore. It stood strong in the wind, the waves lapping against the rocks. Got me thinking, we need to put our life in perspective more often. Not dismissing our challenges and failures but celebrating the 1% actions we take towards our goals, the good stuff that we have done.

That flower represents to me the strength of the positive, the perseverance of the human spirit, the light of a true leader. So grow where you are planted, learn from your mistakes and remember that someone else is watching how you handle your challenges. Is it with grace or negativity?

Here is today’s question… Read it, write it, answer it and share your thoughts here on the STUpendous BLOG!

How do you celebrate your challenges? What have you learned from your failures? How could you handle the next road block differently?

Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Learning and Growing Motivation YLCC on Aug 27, 2008 at 7:32 am | Permanent Link | Comments (5)
The right reasons

Aug 25, 2008

15 years ago after the first summer of YLCC, by summer I mean 3 days, I decided that I wanted to make it part of my life. I wanted to expand the camp program from 3 days to a week. We did that, then it was two weeks, then three and four. We grew as big as we could then made the big switch to a new camp site and added two more weeks. For a long time we felt that six may be the longest. Then 2008 rolled around… Eight weeks later, all I can say is wow! It was a resounding success. I couldn’t be happier.

I took last night to decompress and reflect. I tried to figure out why it was so good, so stress free. I figured it out, the team. We created a fantastic team this year. There was no drama, no stress, no real challenges. Was it 100% perfect? No, but that’s fine because we learned. The other big component to our fantastic summer was my Senior Staff, simply the finest total group of people I have ever had the privilege to work with. In years previous I had held onto people, or allowed people to stay at camp because of sentimental reason. I had hired those that had “great resumes”, I had struggled with trying to always show them I was proud in the past. It was hard.

This year we put together a dream team that work for the RIGHT REASONS, the camp and the campers. Their soul goal was making YLCC world class. They did it.

So thank you for a summer that camp directors and owners can only dream of. Thank you to the wonderful, young and dedicated group of counsellors that made that pure leadership impact on every camper. Thank you to Wakonda, thanks to all of our parents for trusting us and most importantly thank you to the campers for making deposits.

BSE

Here is today’s question… Please read it, write it in your journal, answer it and share your thoughts on the STUpendous BLOG by adding a comment.

What are you truly thankful for today?

WHAT A GREAT BUNCH OF LEADERS! - Thank you!

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Motivation Team Work YLCC on Aug 25, 2008 at 3:12 am | Permanent Link | Comments (8)
Failure = Success

Aug 13, 2008

Speaking at a conference on entrepreneurship in Ottawa and spending some time with a lot of amazing people. Young and old. I asked the group what they have learned being a creator of business, what would they tell someone who is only considering being self-employed?

Here is what one amazing 21 year old artist told me…

“If you believe in what you are doing, don’t worry about the failures and the detractors. If you work hard and never give up, you will succeed.”

How many of us give up at the first sign of diversity? The first wrong turn, or the first put down? The answer is too many!

So take some and recommit to the dreams and goals you have. I believe in you. Remember the only true failure is one you don’t learn from.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Aug 13, 2008 at 8:48 am | Permanent Link | Comments (1)
Dream - Dare - Do

Aug 5, 2008

Had a great few weeks. I apologize for being away the past couple of weeks. Camp is so busy! So full! So fun! I truly love it. In fact the more I get into the summer the more I realize that it’s almost over and I need to cherish these last few weeks. It is a long 10 month “off season”!!

One of the highlights of the past few weeks happened last Monday. We were blessed to have two amazing individuals visit us at camp! Steph and Matt are two West Coasters running around North America for the environment. Each of them running their own marathon every day, 42 kms each… 26 miles. They have a DREAM… Run around North America, raise awareness and one million dollars to help the environment. They are DARED themselves to do it… After thinking of the idea they got the people needed to believe in them and put it together. They had more then enough people tell them they were crazy (that will happen with any big dream you may have). Then they actually got themselves to DO it! They took what we teach each day at our camp and in our leadership programs... To Dream, Dare and DO!

Is it easy? NO! Does it make life harder? YES! That’s the beauty of truly living isn’t it? You can spend your life as the passenger in the back seat of life or you can be the driver! The very real possibility of failure exists everywhere and with everything we try that’s new! We need to understand and accept this. If we don’t we will simply become the rock that gathers moss not the rock that is carved into the beautiful statue! It’s ok to be afraid, just don’t let that fear stop you. If I had you wouldn’t be reading this BLOG right now on this website and I wouldn’t have ever met Steph and Matt!

This is me running with Matt and Steph for the Run For One Planet DREAM!

For more information PLEASE check out their website and see how you can help!

What is your DREAM? I DARE you to DO it!

Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Aug 5, 2008 at 6:49 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)
Displaying Page 2 of 5 « Prev 1 2 3 4 Next » Last »