Stu Saunders Presentations

Stu-Pendous Blog - Motivation

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

A life defined

Feb 27, 2010

How you live your days defines your life.

I am not sure where I read that quote. I am not sure if perhaps I strung it together myself. The point though, is not new. Each and every day of our lives we choose to live how we want. It’s true you may have restrictions from bosses, coaches, parents, financial means, geography or physical ability but no one controls our attitude.

I once wrote a blog called the “Bitter Bus”, the point being so many of us live our days riding around as passengers on the bus of bitterness. We complain, whine, blame and make excuses. We exist rather then evolve. Each day is a chance to get better, to grow and to learn. Why not choose to be the star rather then the extra of your movie, your life, your day?

Today I had trouble getting out of bed, putting on my winter gear and venturing out into the deep snow with my dog Duke. I struggle through the packed ice and with each step I labour to the next. I think to myself, “turn around”, no I can’t. After the first five minutes have been conquered I get stronger, I search for deeper snow, for challenge. I move to the lake and embrace the cutting wind as it strikes my face, burning it. I pick up my pace, high step through the snow drifts. My Lab and I throw the stick for a while. His enthusiasm is never changing. Heading around the point I find the path back to my home. I take the hills instead of the path. My dog breathes heavy, panting, whining a little but continues. When we arrive back to the house, I peal off the gear and my shirt is soaked with sweat. I feel as if I won, I am an Olympic athlete that has conquered my foe. That foe is me. I am the only one that decides how I live.

Back on the couch, I pour my coffee, Duke is fast asleep on his bed. I open my Mac and begin to write. Already I feel as if I am winning.

Today I will CHOOSE to live fully, to live deliberately, to define my day. There is no bitter bus, it does not exist.

My life story is a result of my days. My mortality is my coach, reminding me that I must win, play hard and find a way. I am the star and not the extra, the passenger or the observer.

Are you?

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Feb 27, 2010 at 6:38 am | Permanent Link | Comments (3)
Moments of Clarity

Oct 23, 2009

Have you had them? Do you ever find yourself say… “Yes! That’s it.”?

When you do, you need to jump on those moments. You need to embrace those moments. I am searching for one right now. The winter is coming, blah, it’s a time that I always start to question my future. What do I want to do with the next 20 years. I am approaching my 20th anniversary of what I do. Working in and with schools. 20 years, 2 decades that is a long time. I am truly blessed to have a good team and a wonderful support system. We have amazing clients and even more amazing staff. This year we worked with thousands and thousands of young leaders. It’s amazing what we do. I wonder if it’s what I want to do for the next 20 years.

This is not bad, it is a healthy question. One you need to ask frequently. Am I happy? Nothing is perfect. There are always ways to make it better. You can grow exactly where you are planted. Change can come not from always moving, complaining or quitting but from attitude and approach.

I like that.

I think I just a had one of those moments.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Oct 23, 2009 at 3:39 am | Permanent Link | Comments (1)
Hallmark happiness

Jun 21, 2009

Here I sit on my deck on a beautiful sunny Sunday, I reflect on my good fortune. I have three children. All amazing and unique in their own ways.

I am a single father and don’t get to see my kids nearly as much as I would like or probably should.

Today is also Father’s day. The holiday was started in 1910 and became an official holiday in 1972 after president Nixon signed a congressional resolution. It’s mostly celebrated in North America. The day really became big when the Hallmark greeting card company realized there was plenty of money to be made. More money is made on Mother’s day then Father’s day but there were no shortage of people lined up yesterday buying a card at the last minute.

Please don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the idea of a day dedicated to recognizing the role of a father in a child’s life. Their role has been downplayed for most of history, their rights have been pushed aside in most custody cases. I am all for a one day “special” high five, a nice hand made card and a cup of tea made for me. I think though that we NEED to celebrate our loved ones; family, friends and colleagues every single day. It’s not in a card on a specific day that has great impact, it’s the phone call when you least expect it or the hand written note that arrives in October for no reason. Those are the moments that I would cherish much, much more.

So today celebrate your dad, grandfather or friend who works hard to raise his children. The real challenge and gift is to do it again some other day, not on a calendar but in your heart.

Please follow me on Twitter. I will be sending out a FREE Twitter Cast called “Breaking from the heard” on Friday for all those that are following me in Twitter.

https://twitter.com/ylccstu

Posted by Stu Saunders in Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Jun 21, 2009 at 12:06 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (2)
seventy three

Apr 6, 2009

Here’s the amazing thing. My father is 73 years old. He and my mom who is 70, have been living in the jungle for 5 weeks in Costa Rica. Their days are full of adventure. Hiking through the mountains, riding rafts down the river, waking at 5 am to swim under a waterfall.

I just got a bunch of pictures from them. The one I have included is of my father repelling down a cliff into a warm pool at the base of a waterfall.

He’s 73 years old. Stop putting off the life you were destined to live people. Do something amazing today. His actions have inspired me for sure.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Apr 6, 2009 at 10:01 am | Permanent Link | Comments (5)
Rejuvenate

Apr 2, 2009

I am sitting at my dining room table. Steaming cup of coffee in my hand. My windows are open. The song of a thousand birds echo from the trees. I close my eyes and feel their excitement to be awake. They are soaking up the brilliant morning sun. I look out to the grassy hill in my front yard. The long grass has been pressed down by the snow. It looks like a heard of wild animals had perhaps stampeded through.

Amongst the open yard there are two radically different worlds. A small patch of snow is holding on. Defying the warmth of the sun. Refusing to melt away into the soon forgotten season. Inches away, a small patch of neon green bursts through the trampled grass. Reaching for the sun. Its tiny leaves stretched outwards like a father waiting for his child to fall into his arms.

I see myself as both the snow patch and the green new growth. Holding onto my past, trying not to let go of the coldness of what I know needs to be cut free. I live though for new growth… reaching for brighter, warmer days. To grow and learn and be stronger, more alive.

What are you doing today to grow? Let what you know needs to… go.

Spring.

Rejuvenate.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Apr 2, 2009 at 8:04 am | Permanent Link | Comments (7)
Short… sweet

Mar 25, 2009

I am sitting at my favourite Starbucks enjoying a latte. I know all the staff, I am a regular. The manager is sitting at the table beside me. She has just promoted a young barista to a shift supervisor. I am happy to see her so excited. I open my Macbook and look at my dozen new emails.

“I don’t know it you heard?” says the manager as she leans over to me.

“No, what’s the news?” I reply.

“Sandy the other Starbucks Manager, her husband passed away on Sunday.”

“How?!”

“Sudden, don’t know all the details. Went into hospital on Wednesday and was gone on Sunday.”

“How old?” I asked.

“39”

“I’m 39.”

We were all silent for a few minutes.

Life is short, we need to make it sweet. Be great, be awesome. Stop complaining about silly things that are truly silly. Hug your children, love your spouse, smile at a stranger, lead without title.

Now.

You know this stuff. I talk about it all the time. This is not new.

“The sad part about it is we all go back to our lives and not think about it in a few days.” the manager adds as I empty my inbox.

True.

Need to stop that, need to stop.

Posted by Stu Saunders in Goal Setting Leadership Family Life Learning and Growing Motivation on Mar 25, 2009 at 1:26 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (6)
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 1:15 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 3:16 am | Permanent Link | Comments (8)
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 4:44 am | Permanent Link | Comments (10)
Impossible

Nov 20, 2008

It’s hard to guess if the new President-Elect will be as great as many people believe that he will be. It’s hard to predict if he can or will bring great change to the United States and the world. There is no way to say if he will be “successful”.

There is one thing that we can say for sure. The fact that he was elected is one of the most significant political/democratic changes that has happened in the last 100 years. It’s perhaps bigger for me and my generation because we weren’t there during MLK, no really able to understand the importance of Mandela or Ghandi. We had seen great leaders like Terry Fox and Bono (I know he’s up for debate with some). Though to watch a man rise from obscurity to the highest office in the US and one of the most powerful positions in the world is truly an inspiration. To see the celebrations that took place on the streets of not only America but around the planet made me weep.

I believe the world is tired of war, greed, hunger and sadness. The idea of one man being able to change the planet is daunting but still exciting. Nothing is impossible. If you would have turned to Martin Luther King in the sixties and said… “In about 40 years a black man will be President.” he may have said it was possible but the vast majority would have said “Impossible!”

If there is one thing that I have learned it’s that nothing is impossible. You decide, you create your future. What do you want to do? What future do you see for yourself. American’s have a habit of saying, “Only in America!”. Although I do believe that America is a place that was founded with the ideal of possibilities, if you look around the world, in all sorts of countries, you will find incredible stories of people that have done the impossible. The country is irrelative, it’s the person and their will to survive, to succeed, to do more.

I believe in you! Do you believe in you? Stop saying that you can’t… I believe that you can.

One of my favourite parts of the campaign was a video/song that will.i.am created based on the “Yes we can!” speech. Below is the follow up to that song. If you can’t see it it’s on youtube

Start today, be possible, yes you can!

Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership Learning and Growing Motivation on Nov 20, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permanent Link | Comments (3)
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