COURAGE: The Terrific 6!

On January 31, 2012, I attended the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s Forum entitled, "Row2Recovery- The Atlantic crossing"- a story of inspiration and courage. Despite the injuries, against all odds, where a team of six phenomenal men accomplished a task bigger than themselves.

CREW
Front row L-R

Lance Corporal Carl Anstey

Corporal Neil Heritage

Co-Founder Alex Mackensie

Back row L-R

Corporal Rory Mackensie
Co-Founder Ed Janvrin

Lieutenant Will Dixon 

CAMPAIGN

Situation/Mission: “To help wounded servicemen and women to go beyond injury and achieve the extraordinary.”

Task: Launch a campaign “to shine a spotlight on people with disabilities and challenge misconceptions about what life is like for an injured soldier and their family.”

Action: “An Epic 3000 mile voyage across the Atlantic in a rowing boat to Barbados.”

Result/Mission accomplished: Arrived at Port St. Charles, Barbados after 52 days and greeted by family, friends, loved ones, the press and other parties.

They are truly STARS!

Not only was it a wow moment for me, I was humbled and inspired by their stories, experiences and perspective. It was such an honor to meet such amazing people.
Damian McKinney, CEO of McKinney Rogers said it best, "They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things."

It’s a journey one can only imagine and very difficult to understand, unless one have traveled that same path. We can however, appreciate and respect great service and a job well done. Simply Epic!

Advice & Tips gained from this extraordinary panel:
"Even people with the resources to help will question if what you're doing is possible."
"Belief makes a difference, dream big!"
"Find something you truly believe in, commit to it and then times that by 10." ~Alex Mackensie

"In life it's the people you love & the ones that love you that are the most important things."
"Never think you are worse off than anybody." ~Rory Mackensie

"Perspective does not allow you to have a down day." ~Will Dixon

"If you have the right people who work well together, you can overcome anything."

"Success in a decision, a state of mind, you can overcome the obstacles." ~Ed Janvrin

"Have the motivation and passion to keep going. Have a plan, work hard and don't give up." ~Carl Anstey

"You have a massive task, split it down, confirm accountability, move in and take control." ~Neil Heritage

I hope you are inspired by their honest and motivating words. This message is not only for entrepreneurs, but for anyone with a passion to achieve a specific goal(s).

Follow your dreams and allow yourself to shine! Remember to help others along the way. 


Peace & Love
Celia Collymore, Chief Purpose Driver

Row2Recovery

Mckinney Rogers

Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation

SMART Goals

STAR Method

Friends Helping Friends

Three months ago, a colleague/friend and I were having a conversation, and out of the blue she asked me if I would be her mentor.

At first, I was a little taken back, but soon realized that this person trusted me, and believed that I had the ability to help her get where she wanted to be.

"Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

“You know that I will be taking this very seriously, so get ready,” I said.

Here’s the thing – we’ve known each other a few years and I always told her that she had choices, and I questioned what was holding her back from reaching out for her goals. In her, I saw potential.

But it took for her to ask, and for me to respond, to make what I call the ‘coaching alliance. At that moment where suddenly things are clearer and a person is ready to take the next step into the unknown, and have faith as their guide.

That day, my friend chose to move forward with her life, and I couldn’t have been happier to be there through her journey.

On that very day I gave my friend a few challenge questions to think about over the weekend.

Let’s talk strategy, I told her. Together, we both agreed upon a plan, including:

1. An agreement to work together for three months, with a meeting every Wednesday during our lunch time.

2. A Q&A about her life experiences, specifically, her concerns, fears, accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses.
3. Created short-term, mid-term and long term goals.
4. Provide her with books, articles and online resources.

5. Introduce her to the art of networking.

6. Focus on interview skills and self-presentation.

The result: As time went on, and we followed our strategy, I began to see subtle changes in her.

More confidence. A positive outlook. An emerging belief that she could achieve anything she put her mind to.

With increased confidence, my friend found herself mentoring relatives, changing her approach in conversation, thinking and acting differently.

The growth wasn’t just one-sided; I too grew in my abilities as a better person, coach and mentor.

This is her testimonial:

Celia,

I want to take the time to say thank you for coaching/mentoring me. You've taught me to set goals and to take steps to achieve them, to believe in myself, go after my dreams, take initiative for the things that matter most to me, and how to be fearless. You pushed me past my boundaries. You have truly shown me the meaning of professional development. You have a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude, and you gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to wake up and take my life and career seriously. Thank you again.

~Desiree

  

Image Source

Stepping Stones: When, Where and How do you start?

When my colleague/ friend was getting ready to plan her wedding, she had one desire - to walk down the aisle in the best shape of her life.  So she turned to me, given my reputation as a fitness buff, and my years of experience as a college basketball player. She knew that if there was anyone who could help jump start her on accomplishing her fitness goals, it was me.

First, we talked strategy: setting goals (in her case, 35lbs by May 2011), planning a workout schedule and commitment time frame. Then we chose a gym near work, discussed nutrition goals, took baseline measurements and photos to document the process. I also required her to keep a food journal and write her daily intake. So far, we’ve kept track of her weekly/ monthly progress in a shared spreadsheet using Google docs.         

In six months my friend will be walking down the aisle looking and feeling great! It is a wonderful pleasure for me to inspire, motivate, encourage and support her on this amazing journey filled with fun, challenges and an overall life changing experience.

Much of my motivation on being fit comes from my years of playing basketball. To play basketball and to play it well, I not only had to be in shape, but accountable for what I did off the court, including what I ate and being a role model. So I immersed myself in understanding health, fitness and nutrition. It is basketball that gave me a sense of structure, discipline, dedication, and accountability. It is only reasonable to say, that what I enjoy doing are things that involve challenge, focus and rigor.

One of my goals is to become a personal trainer in the near future, something I didn’t envision in my life until I found people telling me all the time that I would be great at it because I had the “it” factor or that I knew how to motivate others. And when I found myself showing people at the gym how to use weights properly or people coming up to me asking for help and guidance, that was when I had my “aha moment.” People around you have a knack for identifying traits and strengths you possess that you may be blind to.

I have always known that no matter what I do, I am driven by one simple purpose - to make a difference in the lives of people…one promise, one person at a time. Now that I have found new purpose, I have to take ownership of my goals and make things happen.

So what is your purpose? Have you reflected on who you really are, your passions, your desires and your potentially bright future? Or, are you scared of change and stuck on the “what ifs?”

We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that tomorrow does not happen without the plans we must make and the steps we take today. If we don’t embrace life, or reflect on our goals and take a small step forward, we will never be closer to doing what we would love to do. Take your step today.

"I am here to train you and work your butt off. And I'm not playing." - Shawn T, creator of the Insanity Workout Program

Resource: SMART GOALS
Bridal Fitness picture source