Redamancy (the act of loving in return) and compersion (the joy from another’s joy) are a couple words that really ought to have a higher profile in the lexicon of relationships.
Last weekend I attended the World Domination Summit (The what, Steve? Come again.) and I’m still reeling from the experience.
WDS was started five years ago by Chris Guillebeau, the author of The $100 Startup and The Happiness of Pursuit, and blogger at The Art of Non-Conformity, where he’s chronicled his quest to visit every sovereign country on Earth (which he’s now achieved). It’s a gathering of his community in celebration of the core values of community, adventure, and service, held annually in the amazing and beautiful city of Portland, Oregon.
Caught this music video during an interlude at WDS this past weekend. Nice fit of visuals to the tune.
Earlier this week I returned from a 3800km cross-Canada road trip. I’d moved to Calgary back in late January but had decided to fetch my stuff in Montreal during the summer. To make it a little bit more interesting (and cheaper), I chose to Uhaul it back DIY-style.
And it was indeed an interesting drive. I figured I’d capture some of that interestingness by snapping photos through the windshield at random intervals along the way.
When I look at the pics in my photo library, they seem kinda boring. But dropping them into an animated gif seems to show off the charm and mix of Canada’s beautiful landscape.
Such is life
to walk down the street
and not help but smile
to see the thousand colours
blur into one sight
to hear the hundred languages
form into one voice
to understand it all
and be none the wiser
Such is life
Last week I presented The Herd of Cats to a great audience at the World Conference on Disaster Management in Toronto. Although I’d floated the premise out there before at CPRS Ascend in Banff last spring, this was the first real public unveiling of many of the ideas and cases that will be featured in the book.
This was the session’s synopsis in the program:
The Herd of Cats: Startups, Improv, and Disasters
The strange, fringe worlds of tech startups and improv comedy may offer some powerful insights for disaster managers (and vice versa). As cliche as it has become to say that the world is faster-paced and more unpredictable than ever before, many of us – individuals and groups alike – are still overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with this new normal. Whether it’s the massive disruption created by new technologies, the turbulent shifts in how interconnected politics and markets behave, or the severe impact of Black Swan events like “one-in-100-year” super-storms, it’s evident that our systems, enterprises, governments, organizations, and ourselves must find better ways to adapt. We are more sensitive to the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity that surrounds us. And we’re more vulnerable to the predictions, plans, tools, and hierarchies that remain entrenched in all facets of our lives. Much of what worked before simply doesn’t anymore, and we need to learn how to approach this new age with ingenuity, versatility, and resiliency. Fortunately, there’s a vanguard – a herd of cats – who have not only figured out how to endure uncertainty but how to thrive in it. Lean, Agile, Holacracy, APIs, Jobs-to-be-Done, Blue Ocean… “Yes, and”, Follow-Your-Foot, active listening, fluid leadership, play… In The Herd of Cats, Steve Hardy sheds light on the dynamic yet disparate worlds inhabited by entrepreneurs, improvisers, and disaster managers. Blend together the maxims of startup culture, the principles of an improv mindset, and the hard realities of disaster resilience, and what you’ll find is the very best approach to navigating the rapidly changing world around us. Hardy enthusiastically explores this fascinating inter-sectional space, profiling each area’s unique stories, philosophies, and best practices, while also illustrating their remarkable similarities and valuable cross-learning.
And here is a narrated video of the deck I presented:
It was an honour to be invited to speak at such a great event, and I am grateful for all of the positive feedback I received from delegates who attended it.
While packing for my recent move, I came across an old letter – undated and written well before being shared with me a year ago – from my dear mom. It’s lovely and philosophical and wise…
In life there is a transference of an energy that transcends the physical and takes residence in the deeper and higher facet’s of one’s being. The greatest of all is the power and energy that love possesses. It will extend to all who enter into your life and to the others who become part of your life’s circle. It is important to nurture and support this fragile relationship and respect it’s existence – with dignity and trust. And in doing so you will maintain the energy of love within your being on all levels.
When there are challenges, find comfort in the existence that the source is greater than the individual(s). Accept ownership and responsibility for what you have created (positive or negative), extend the benefit of doubt, and don’t be so arrogant or prideful that you are unable to say you are sorry. Communication is forever important – to dispel any misunderstandings, to enhance your world, and to eliminate the non-productive energies such as worry.
And remember, love is like standing naked in a lightning storm – prepare to duck once in a while.
I love you, mum. Happy Mother’s Day!