Youth Leadership Camps Canada

Stu-Pendous Blog - Leadership

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

• Doctors orders

  Feb 19, 2009

  I am a baseball fan, not obsessed, but a fan. My team is the Toronto Blue Jays.

  Roy Halladay is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Won the highest honour a pitcher can get, the Cy Young. Won 20 or more games twice. Was part of 5 all star teams. Good at what he does.

  A.J. Burnett, another pitcher, left the Blue Jays this year to sign a BIG deal with the New York Yankees - 86 million dollars. He was asked about his time in Toronto, he said he learned a lot from the Ace Halladay. He learned from one of the best.

  Halladay was asked what he thought of the compliments that Burnett showered him with… here’s his response;

  “It’s nice to hear those compliments, and I’m glad to be a part of that…but I think I learned things from him as well,” said Halladay. “And that’s the great part about baseball, if you keep your ears open and pay attention, you’re always going to learn something from somebody.”

  Roy hit the nail right on the head… except that statement isn’t only true in baseball it’s true in life.

  Keep your ears open. Listen. Learn. Lead.

   

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Feb 19, 2009 at 12:27 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• Lesson’s from a tea cup

  Feb 17, 2009

  Sitting in a Starbucks, just finished interviewing a great young man for a possible job with our organization. I asked him what his passion was… great question.

  I was looking around the coffee house and saw a tea cup for sale, it has a tag attached to it that read…

  sip.
  talk.
  write.
  read.
  eat.
  listen.
  be.

  I love that. Aren’t those powerful words and actions. I like how each word is followed by a period. Which means that each one is singularly important. We need to SIP. We need to TALK. We need to WRITE. My favourite is BE, because we need to sometimes stop pushing for tomorrow and BE in the moment. Live in the moment now, do what you love now, cherish the moment now.

  It was a beautiful night this past Sunday and the sky at my home was incredible, millions of stars. My daughter suggested that we put on our winter gear and grab the sleds and enjoy the night. So much laughter… beautiful. My favourite moment, my BE, was when we lied down in the snow and looked up… magnificent. That was a time to not think about the next day, week or month, but to BE in that moment.

  Write down each of those words and then write a little after each word. Sip - Who do you have coffee with? Talk - Who do you have conversations with, are you spending enough time in good conversations? Write - Do you journal, write letters (real letters, cards, notes)? Read - What are you reading? Gossip rags or great books? Eat - What do you eat? Good food, bad food, healthy food? Listen - Are you listening to yourself, your body, to what matters (two ears, one mouth for a reason). Be - Are you in this moment. Enjoy it!

  Write your list, in your journal and perhaps share it here on STUpendous BLOG. Maybe you will inspire someone else with your list.

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Feb 17, 2009 at 5:15 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• There is a difference

  Feb 12, 2009

  I am sitting in the Apple Store at The Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto. I am so excited about the vibe… I want to buy three more Macs. Here’s why Mac is SO successful, they take customer service to a completely new level. There are more then a dozen Apple reps walking the floor, but not so much to sell, but to help. I do mean help.

  Yesterday we came in to just make some inquiries about Mobile Me and ended up having a 30 minute chat with Scott “our” guy. He spent so much time with us. Answered every question, calmly. Then Angela mentioned that she was having some issues with her iPhone. Next thing you know Scott had made us an appointment to get her phone looked at. No charge, no hassle.

  All the staff wear t-shirts that say different cool sayings like, “I could talk about this stuff for hours.” or “Not all heroes wear capes.”, there are other fun cool sayings. I am sitting across from a man who is about… 60. A young man from Apple, wearing a shirt that says, “No pain, all gain.” is spending tons of time with him, no frustration, no time constraints. It’s not like when you go into a Future Shop or Best Buy and everything is password protected and they hover over you like you’re a thief. It’s friendly, it’s… cool. That’s the what a leader is… different then the mass, friendly, helpful and a hero.

  Oh, I just had to add this. Angela just met with Matt our “Apple Genius”, explained her challenge and then Matt said… “Ok, let’s get you a new phone.”.

  Done, no other questions. Awesome.
  

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Feb 12, 2009 at 1:05 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• Cani

  Feb 9, 2009

  I am a lover of learning. I love to learn it’s that simple. A true leader is in constant evolution. If someone says they “know it all” then they have stopped growing, growing is all about who we are as humans. I was listening to an audio program yesterday while I was running (great time to learn) and was hit with an awesome idea. The idea of CANi. I put the I in small case because that’s what you do (iPhone, iPod). Here’s the HUGE Idea… CANi stands for Constant And Never ending Improvement. That’s what life is all about, constant improvement. If you stay the same and do the same stuff and live the same routine eventually you will get left behind, depressed, stagnant… you get the idea.

  The greatest leaders, organizations, companies are committed to CANi. In everything they do, every single day! So here’s the question, are you committed to CANi? The answer should be a resounding YES! Ask yourself these three questions before you fall asleep at night, write it in your journal or simply tell someone.

  1. What did I learn today?
  2. What made me think today?
  3. What do I want to learn tomorrow?

  I would challenge you that if you don’t have an answer for number 1… you need to think about CANi!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing on Feb 9, 2009 at 10:14 am | Permanent Link | Comments (4)

• It all matters

  Feb 2, 2009

  Just read an article today about Michael Phelps the multi gold medal winning US swimmer. It seems that he was photographed at a party with a hash pipe, smoking… drugs. Ok, I know it’s not a big deal, an elite athlete, millionaire now, what’s a little puff between friends. I can tell you how BIG of a deal it is. He has now lost over 2 million dollars in corporate endorsements, with many more looking at contracts with a fine tooth comb… for a way out of their relationship.

  I googled Michael Phelps today and found over 51,000 images relating to the story, 285,000 web links and a new Facebook group. What we do every day, in an instant can ruin a lifetime of hard work. I am always worried that I will make a mistake and be wrongly labeled or maybe properly labeled. What we do in today’s world is and can be placed on the internet so quickly that, like a tattoo, it can be hard and costly to remove. Take time today to think about what you say, do, how you act, who you associate with, where you find yourself and what situation you put yourself in. If you know that something you are going to do could cause you possible ramifications then maybe you should just say no… Think twice act once, it may cost you more then 2,000,000 dollars. Here’s a great question to ask yourself… “Is what I am about to do going to make me, my family, my current or future kids proud?” If not, maybe reconsider!

  

  Side Note: I never add on to my blogs but I did want to add on a thought due to some of the comments. I want to be clear that I am not judging Mr. Phelps, we all make mistakes. What I am saying in 2009 we no longer can live as life care-free as we once did. One mistake can possibly be broadcast to the world almost immediately. It is important again to think twice and act once.

  “It may take 30 years to build a reputation. It can take only 30 seconds to destroy it.”
  - Jim Collins

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing on Feb 2, 2009 at 2:20 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (3)

• There, right there

  Jan 27, 2009

  I love getting up early, very early. Love it. Truly! I was up today at 4:30 and I was reading some great quotes. Check out this one.

  “For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.”
  —Evelyn Underhill

  I am not sure who Evelyn is but she hit the nail on the head. I had three of our summer staff come visit yesterday and they went for a walk around the property. When they came back they commented on how beautiful everything was. True, so true.

  Take a moment to today and look around you and see the loveliness all around. It’s right there, there and there…

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Jan 27, 2009 at 7:16 am | Permanent Link | Comments (7)

• Today

  Jan 24, 2009

  Today is an important day, the most important day, in fact thinking about it right now, I believe this is the most important day of my life. Sure, there have been days that stand out as spectacular, even life changing, but today has to be number 1.

  I am sure at this point you are wondering what I an talking about? Stu what’s happened? What is the big news? Did you win a lottery? Did someone donate 1 million dollars to camp? Did Jennifer Aniston ask you out on a date? Were you named Time Magazines Person of the year?

  NOPE!

  Still the most important day though!! Still confused? Ok, I will let you in on why today is SO huge, for all of us! It’s because we are alive. We have a choice to live fully! I know, I know… cheesy! But stop and think about it though. Isn’t it great to have an opportunity to do something with your day? To follow up on an idea! To spread love and kindness, to laugh and play! I am in Kingston this morning and I was enjoying a morning coffee at the hotel looking out over the frozen lake, sun shining, bouncing off the white snow and ice. I was reading the paper and opened it up randomly to the obituaries… I started to read… Died at 91, 87, 93, 78… I started to think wow those are full lives. “Survived by their three children 8 grand children and 2 great grandchildren…”

  Then I came to Mike’s obit, “Lost his battle to bone cancer at 16, mike is survived by his parents, two brothers and his dog Corky. Mike lived each moment to the fullest, making us laugh even on his last day.” Sixteen, wow. I bet you Mike would have liked today, it would have been the best day of his life because he got just one more. So, today is the most important day of my life… thank you for being part of MY journey and thank you for reading the STUpendous BLOG! Now go and have the greatest day of your life!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Jan 24, 2009 at 11:27 am | Permanent Link | Comments (5)

• Long time

  Jan 15, 2009

  It has been a long time since the last blog… I have been busy. Trying to get my year started and create days full of accomplishment and joy. Life has a way of pushing you, giving you a challenge here and there to see if you’re on the ball or if you are missing the point.

  I have to admit to you that it has been a hard start to my 2009. I started a really big project and I am struggling to get it done. I have set myself a fairly lofty goal that if I complete it for 365 days has the potential to change my life. It’s not a diet or an exercise plan, it’s a way of living. It’s a conscious choice to be a leader in my own life, if you can’t lead you how do you lead others?

  So I apologize for not being here. I am committed to being better at that. It takes a little swallowing of my personal pride to say that I am not doing all that I can each day. It’s also something that you need to recognize before you can change it. So… I am recognizing it.

  What are you NOT doing that you thought you might be doing in 2009. What New Year’s resolution have you had problems sticking to? Here’s the good news, it can be January 1st any day! You can start again tomorrow. It’s your life and there’s no rule saying when you can or can not make a change! So get to it!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Jan 15, 2009 at 10:39 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (5)

• The still pond

  Dec 31, 2008

  When I was a child I used to live by a giant pond. It may have in reality, been a tiny pond but as a small boy it seemed giant. I used to wade in knee deep and catch frogs and bring them home to keep as pets only to be told to release them later by my parents. There was a big old apple tree that we used to climb and rip off the crab apples and see who could throw them the furthest, if you hit the pond you were king. Then there were those days when you would sit by the waters edge and be in harmony with the crickets, the bull frogs and the birds. On those days I would peer down and see the reflection of a boy with unkempt hair and dirt on his face. Sometimes I would wonder if I would ever grow up, if I would stay that boy forever.

  Reality is I grew up. We all do. Some faster then others. Now as man in my 39th year of life, approaching 40 I stop and reflect. Some people I know spend their days still avoiding the reality of getting older, they fear the idea of being more mature, or responsibility. They still drink like they did when they were 21 years old, they sleep away their days with excuses. I even have a friend who lives with his parents… 39 and still at home. He says he has it “perfected”. Maybe he does… who knows?

  I have other friends still who are executives in big companies. Making lots of money and holding great positions of power. Although I wonder if that choice has cost them some of the innocence of life, some adventure. Then there are a few people I know who travel the globe choosing to live the ways of a transient, a gypsy. Country to country living off of this adventure called life.

  As I sit in my home at 5:55 am on New Year’s Eve day and write this blog I reflect back to that pond and then travel through my life. Looking at the adventure that it has been. The places I have gone, people I have met, the mistakes I have made and the celebrations I have been part of. I wonder what will come next? I wonder where I will be in 12 months. Who will I be in one year. I will be different, but how? The amazing thing is, as opposed to when I was a child catching frogs by the pond I am in charge. Sure life can throw you obstacles and challenges but it’s how I, as an adult deal with them.

  I wonder now if I was able to look down at that reflection in the pond what and who would I see? Who would look back at me?

  At the end of each day, after spending hours at the pond I would hear my mom or dad’s voice yelling for me to come home. I would run to my house and be full of stories, many I wouldn’t tell, many would remain my own secret wondrous adventure. Then after dinner I would find my bed and fall asleep dreaming of what was next, what would happen tomorrow? Never knowing what the next chapter would hold. It’s the same thing today. I have more control of my reactions but no more control of the day, or year that shall unfold, but I shall make the most of it.

  Happy New Year to all the STUpendous BLOG readers. Thanks for your comments and thoughts. I love writing it and I love that people read it. These are just my thoughts, not always right and quite often up for debate, but they are mine.

  Each year at this time I write my top ten wishes for the year so hear goes my top ten for 2009:

  1. A cure for Cancer.
  2. My dear friend Laura to get better.
  3. A cure for MS.
  4. Strength for my sister in law Arlie.
  5. Patience and understanding. We all could use more of that.
  6. For all of my family to all have a healthy and happy year.
  7. For my nephew CJ as he embarks on his new journey to the West. Be safe and be wise.
  8. For Brenda and Rich’s baby. May it be healthy and full of joy!
  9. YLCC, OSLC and the YLCC LTC to have another great year!
  10. I wish for PTY to be a success and that I have the strength to live the life I know I can.

  What are your wishes for 2009? Share them here on the STUpendous BLOG!

  Talk to you next year!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Dec 31, 2008 at 8:44 am | Permanent Link | Comments (10)

• Colours or colors

  Dec 29, 2008

  I am reading a book to my daughter, she received it from her Grandma for Christmas. She asked me to read it to her, not because she can’t read but because I believe she feels it will ensure that we can spend more time together. I am more then happy to do it. Although I find myself sometimes putting her off… I guess it’s because I think there is something else I should be doing. In reality though what could be more important then spending time with my children? I learned the value of not being a “commercial dad” a long time ago. Putting your children to bed during the commercial break is not a very good way to end your child’s day and fill them with great thoughts before they fall asleep.

  Which brings me back to the book, the story is about a little girl who can see a colour in everything. She sees the number two as pink and the number four as pale blue. She also sees people in a unique colour, her mean older sister she’s sees as a murky swamp water brown, her best friend as the warm orange glow of ambers in a campfire. Very descriptive and beautiful. When we finished the first chapter she turned to me and said, “What colour do you see me as dad?”, hard question. “Rose pink, because you are loving and caring and roses are given by loving and caring people and they are pretty just like you!”

  I felt pretty good about my answer, “What colour am I Emily?” I returned the question.

  “Thick Green Grass!” She said confidently.

  “Why Green?”, “Simple, it’s because grass is strong and holds the world together and that’s what you do for us.”

  Wow, how do you beat that? I smiled and hugged her a little longer then usual. I am truly blessed to have the three children I have.

  So here’s a question for you… What colour do you see yourself as and why? Are you happy with the colour you see and what could you do to be a little brighter and more bold?

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Family Life Learning and Growing on Dec 29, 2008 at 12:31 am | Permanent Link | Comments (5)

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