Inspiration – Page 4 – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

“The Chance of a Lifetime”

From Camdiluv at https://flic.kr/p/7Ls5GD

Tonight I decided to go through some e-mails. I’m actually down to 40 in my inbox now, which is some kind of record for me I’m sure. I stumbled upon a blog link for bestselling author Seth Godin‘s blog. Having written 14 books and started many (mostly failed) companies, he’s definitely accumulated some wisdom over the years. The blog post that was sent to me was titled “The chance of a lifetime“. I recommend the read, but in the end, there are two passages that resonate with me. I’m writing them here to remind me. Today was a day in which, for whatever the reason, I felt a bit down. These quotes came at a good time :).

“The thing is, we … live in a world that’s filled with opportunity. In fact, we have more than an opportunity — we have an obligation. An obligation to spend our time doing great things. To find ideas that matter and to share them. To push ourselves and the people around us to demonstrate gratitude, insight, and inspiration. To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing.”

“You get to make a choice. You can remake that choice every day, in fact. It’s never too late to choose optimism, to choose action, to choose excellence. The best thing is that it only takes a moment — just one second — to decide.”

The Year of… 2013

How is it that the years just seem to fly by? I guess with age, time seemingly passes more quickly. That doesn’t mean that life gets any more dull! On the contrary. I’m hoping for a wonderful 2013 filled with all the ups and downs that make life worth living (cough cliché). With that said, hoping for a wonderful year is very different than taking actions for a wonderful year. I joked with some people that I would be coming up with vision and mission statements in order to promote action. That’s probably more formalized than how I would like to approach the year; however, I do enjoy creating lists, setting goals, and documenting progress, so perhaps it is appropriate to think about 2013 in the context of a few important focal points rolled into a personal vision. How do I want to approach the next 365 days? I take this question fairly seriously, but not in a new year’s resolution sort of way. I feel like the holiday season provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year, to become (re)grounded by family and friends, and to think about the upcoming choices and attitude of the next year.

2012 was the year to be inspired by love; love for the things I choose to do, the experiences for which I yearn, and the relationships that are so important in my life. I also wanted to be more introspective and try to understand and trust the emotions that the year would throw at me. In retrospect, I experienced things within and beyond my control that caused strong emotional responses, both incredible and not so good. 2012’s goal to be “inspired by love” did not end last night at midnight, and it’s something I will be working on in the coming year. That aside, it was a great year with some important life changes, as well as amazing experiences like the Banff Challenge and the Inca Trail hike. I wonder what exciting things will happen next!

When I was thinking about my vision statement for 2013, I began reflecting on the important points on which I wanted to focus. There were many jumbled thoughts…

Action. Complacency is not an option. As someone once told me, “Do something and something will happen”. Life offers so much opportunity, and it’s really a shame not to take advantage of what’s in front of me. Don’t waste time! Time, once it’s gone, is something I can’t get back. In that regard, I truly want to live life as if it were my last day. I’ve updated my list and I’m ready and committed to crossing things off. And for the things not on my list that will present themselves within the next year- I’m ready to seize the opportunities and embrace the adventure.

Financial Control. I need to get a better handle on my own finances. This includes monitoring my spending over the next month, cutting costs where necessary, and creating a budget to follow. My list includes paying off certain loans by the end of the year, and I’m going to do my best to make that happen.

Health and Fitness. I know the importance of preventive health. This includes regular, scheduled physical activity (because for me, without a schedule, it won’t get done). But it has to be within the restrictions of my never-ending injuries. Exercise makes me feel so much better about myself. I can’t fail on this. I need to push myself even more. Sleep needs to be higher on the priority list. I also want nutrition to be extremely important, which involves actually learning about nutrition, understanding the relationship between diet and exercise, and implementing new recipes!

The Outdoors. Push myself outside of my comfort zone even more. Explore. Experience. Enjoy. Travel. Be in awe.

Ownership. Own my choices, and be honest with myself. Acknowledge there are things I cannot control; just work on ways to be okay with myself and my own choices. Know and/or create my own boundaries. Again, own my choices, and be honest with myself.

Peace.

So what will 2013 bring? My personal vision is to work toward achieving a sense of peace while living a life dedicated to honesty, commitment, challenge and happiness. I think the extent of this will become more clear as time progresses, but it involves staying true and honest with myself and with the people in my life; committing to the improvement of myself, my relationships, my health and my fitness; facing challenges head on, whether they are personal, financial or professional; and remembering that I am the only person responsible for my own happiness. This approach to the year may sound lofty, involved, and me-centric, but we work the hardest for the best things in our life, and this is where I feel focus and work are needed. My hope is that other aspects of my life will fall into place, and my actions will be aligned with this goal. However the year unfolds, I know it will be a good and overall positive 2013.

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

“Congrats Son!!! They say a rolling stone gathers no moss.” That’s what my dad wrote me when I sent the family news about a change that’s happening…

Today is my last day with the Alberta Kidney Disease Network (AKDN) at the University of Calgary. Although I am excited for the opportunity to come, I am sad to be leaving such an amazing group of academics, researchers, colleagues and friends. I have spent the last several weeks wrapping up studies, transitioning tasks, and documenting several details that my brain has accumulated over the last few years. Over time, my workspace had become a reflection of me, so it was interesting and a bit disconcerting to clean it and remove all of my personal belongings. It has also been strange to hear that my computer and accounts will be deprovisioned and my access will cease at the end of today. It all just seems so formal and official. Well, I guess it is pretty official… today IS my last day :S.

It’s crazy to think that 3 years and 8 months ago, I boarded a plane, suitcases in hand, to start a job in Calgary. I remember telling people that I was moving, and they proclaimed, “You’re finally going somewhere hot!” Well, not really. In fact, Calgary was never on my radar until I stumbled upon a posting for an analyst position with the nephrology group at the UofC. After a quick phone interview and some reference checks, I was offered a position. At that time, I was also offered a comparable position in Toronto, but given that I have an odd yearning for adventure, Calgary seemed like the better choice, for me. I told myself that I’d give it 6 months to a year. Little did I know that the decision to uproot myself and head to Calgary would be one of the best ones I’ve made. At this rate, it could be a while before I return to the GTA. Crazy!

As for where I’m going…

During the summer, I came across an opportunity for a Senior Analyst position in Chronic Disease Management Provider Education within Alberta Health Services (AHS, the health authority for Alberta). I can’t quite remember how I found the posting, or why I was looking in the first place, but after reading the description, something told me that I should send in my CV. So I did. Months passed by and I kind of forgot about it…

One morning in mid-October, as I was brushing my teeth and getting ready for work, my phone rang. It was someone from AHS wanting to arrange an interview a few days later. It was a funny conversation exchange, since I was literally in the middle of brushing my teeth, so after the initial introduction, my muffled response was “I’m brushing my teeth. Can you hold on a second?” What followed was an interesting few weeks, with an interview at the AHS Southport office, some further discussions, and eventually an offer of employment. I weighed the pros and cons heavily, but in the end, the opportunity was too good to pass up. And now I start next Monday. Yikes!

I truly believe that my experience with the AKDN has been amazing, and I could never thank my bosses enough for taking a chance on me. It’s quite the risk to hire someone over the phone! I have watched the research group grow from fairly humble beginnings to the research powerhouse it is now, with many analysts, trainees, knowledge translation personnel, principal investigators, and staff. I have met some of the most genuine people who I can truly call my friends, and although I know I will continue to see them, it won’t be the same without the random chats in the hallways, the intellectual stimulation of a multi-faceted team, the collaboration within the group, and the walks to the cafeteria for lunch. I’ll miss YouTube video breakdowns, the judging of workplace attire, and the general jokes, ridiculousness and hilarity. Working with the AKDN has also provided amazing opportunities to take courses at the University of Michigan, attend the SAS Global Forum in Las Vegas, return to Guelph for the SSC, and travel to Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. These trips have helped me grow professionally, but have also affected my life in very significant ways :). Lastly, I couldn’t have asked for a better boss and mentor, Brenda. She has been such an incredible role model in many ways, and has supported me in my professional growth at every step, including this change. Even though she did not want to see me go, she is happy knowing that I will continue to grow in my career and be challenged. I have ambitious goals of working my way up to the management level, and I know that if I can emulate Brenda, even a little, I will do okay.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the last few years so special.

There was a day last week, as I was driving to work, when I couldn’t help but notice how pretty everything looked. Snow had fallen the night before and so the trees had a generous dusting of snow. I love that look. And then I began to feel kind of sad and anxious because I realized that I would not be making that drive much longer. But sometimes change is a good thing, and I am quite optimistic that this new venture will be an amazing one. It’s similar to the feeling I had when I decided to move across the country for the unknown and trust that it would all work out in the end. And so, I’m nervous about the upcoming transition, but I’m excited nonetheless. A rolling stone gathers no moss :). I’ve always liked that saying. Moss is kind of icky anyway.

For The Kidney Foundation. What a Feeling…

After a wonderful 7 days of hiking, $25,000 goes to The Kidney Foundation of Canada!

This morning I awoke in my apartment. It’s a bit of a change from the many days spent being pampered by Fairmont. Did Banff’s Big Mountain Challenge come and go, just like that? It sure did. And I know that it did because I’m ridiculously tired!

After our second attempt at Mount Temple and our successful ascent of Mount Eiffel, Dan and I transferred back to Banff. The last hike of the challenge was Sulphur Mountain, which is iconic for having the Banff gondola ride to the summit. On Monday morning, we were quite stoked that we had made it to the final hike. Only one more hike. A much shorter hike than Cascade, or Fairview and Saddleback, or the Tea House Challenge, or Sentinel Pass, or Mount Eiffel. One more hike and The Kidney Foundation of Canada would receive a cheque for $25,000. It was a good feeling.

To the Sulphur Mountain summit. The last hike in the challenge.

The morning was filled with much excitement. A few friends made their way to Banff to join us for the final hike, and it was all hellos and hugs as we gathered at the trailhead. Global TV was on hand to film parts of the trek for a segment, and Jeff from Banff Lake Louise Tourism would accompany us to document the journey to the summit. Paul from Parks Canada was our guide, stopping occasionally to tell us about Sulphur Mountain, as well as the flora and fauna of the area. As always, there was lots of fun and laughter… and it was educational! Sulphur Mountain was more intense than I thought it would be due to its steady incline and many switchbacks, but we all persevered.

As we neared the top of Sulphur, the group of us gathered, ready to walk the remaining few metres together. I won this contest because of the support of many people, so it was quite symbolic to have a bit of an “entourage”, as we joked :). This contest was also never about just Dan and I. Yes, we did get to hike in the mountains for a week and enjoy the comforts and luxuries offered by Fairmont, but it was all to experience the beauty of Banff and Lake Louise and to tell others about how amazing these areas are, while keeping the ultimate goal in mind: supporting The Kidney Foundation of Canada. We reached the summit to the sounds of cheers and much applause. I knew there would be an event at the summit, but I don’t think I was quite expecting to feel so overwhelmed and so much joy at the end of the hike. I was even caught saying “Oh my God…” on camera! Stuart Hart, Director of Sales & Marketing Development at Banff Lake Louise Tourism, was there to lead the closing ceremony. The mayor of Banff, Karen Sorensen, was also there, as well as representatives from Brewster Travel Canada, Fairmont, Parks Canada, Global TV, Banff Crag & Canyon, and The Kidney Foundation. Some tourists were also present for the hoopla, taking photos and offering their congratulations.

Me holding a cheque for $25000! (Note: It's not the real cheque... :D) — Me holding a cheque for $25000! (Note: It’s not the real cheque… :D)

Stu began his speech by thanking the sponsors, the media, and Dan and myself for a successful and rewarding event. There were many congratulations, hand shakes, and happy faces. It was an indescribable feeling to be standing there with friends, supporters and onlookers. We had just completed something amazing… something big; I knew that much. But I think I was a little beside myself the whole time. A huge thank you to all involved in putting this contest together, and to those present at the closing ceremony. It was then time for a photo op and the presentation of the cheque. I had heard through the grapevine that there would be a massive cheque, and there was!! This was extremely cool. I’ve seen on TV when people are presented with gigantic abnormally sized cheques for grandiose things, so it was quite awesome to help Stu hand over a cheque for $25000 to Diane Kashuba, Manager, Communications for The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Southern Alberta branch. (Actually, because of everyone’s kindness, the total raised/matched/won was $26,762. Incredible!) Once the presentation concluded, there were several media interviews with Global TV, Banff Crag and Canyon, and The Calgary Herald. It was all smiles for everyone involved.

Being interviewed by Global TV's Jayme Doll — Being interviewed by Global TV’s Jayme Doll

Jeff from The Real Banff and I posing for a photo

I’ve been sitting here for a while, trying to reflect on the entire experience. I’m thinking about that initial e-mail from Dan informing me about the contest; the excitement of gaining votes for the competition; coming in second place, but then, by a twist of weird fate, being announced the winner; watching the amazing generosity and support for The Kidney Foundation during the donation phase; living in luxury at the Fairmont Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise; the incredible amount of hiking (about 65 km and 7 memorable hikes) I was able to do over seven days; all of the media attention; sharing this amazing experience with my good friend Dan; and reaching the summit of Sulphur Mountain, great friends by my side, and watching The Kidney Foundation receive a cheque for $25,000. Something that started so small with the submission of a photo turned into something so much more. I’ve met new people, either in person or via social media, and these encounters have moved me the most. It’s a pretty surreal feeling when I hear that someone has received two transplants before, and she is so happy that I’m helping raise awareness about organ donation and The Kidney Foundation; or when someone e-mails me to tell me that she has recently been diagnosed with kidney disease and that she is scared, but it makes her feel better knowing that there are individuals out there helping to combat this disease… and she’s referring to me as one of those individuals. I’ve come to know a mother who lost her son to kidney disease on the day of his scheduled transplant. She has honored her son’s exceptional life by creating a foundation in his name. How could I not be a little bit changed after this contest? The Big Mountain Challenge has occupied my mind for about three months, and I have to say it has been one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, and unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I never enter contests, and so, I never win contests, ha! I’ve now been reminded that anything is possible. I really don’t know how to thank everyone who supported me, Dan, the Big Mountain Challenge, and The Kidney Foundation of Canada, except by saying a sincere “Thank You” :). This experience would not have been possible without you.

Rick

Thanks everyone for supporting Dan and I!

The Calm Before the Storm

Lake Louise

Today’s post will be short and sweet. After spending a glorious 3 days at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, we boarded a Brewster Travel Canada bus and headed to Lake Louise. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is quite something, with Lake Louise, Mount Victoria and the Victoria Glacier as its backdrop. The glacial blue-ness of Lake Louise always amazes me when I see it :).

Our welcome platter 🙂

The blue of Lake Louise. So pretty.

Listening to Bruce, our canoe guide

Everyone needs one of these Lake Louise photos!

The main included activity for the day was the Voyageur Canoe Experience, where we spent a lovely hour or so canoeing along the shores of Lake Louise. It was a fairly relaxing and calm day. But it was all in preparation for tomorrow when we take on the ultimate scramble: Mount Temple. As we drove from Banff to Lake Louise, we could see Mount Temple in the distance, completely covered in snow, and towering above many of the other peaks in the area. Daunting? A bit. Conquerable? Absolutely. You taunt me, Mount Temple. Challenge Accepted.