When Opportunity Knocks

Sometimes opportunities come when you least expect them. Sometimes they come from where you least expect them. Whatever the source, whenever or however they come, you have to be ready. Ready to accept them, accept the challenge and be ready to possibly get out of your comfort zone. No one ever made it farther in life without embracing opportunities. Sure they might be scary, but it’s worth it if you’re strong enough.

That’s how we moved to Texas almost 7 years ago. There was an opportunity and we took it:

• YES it was out of our comfort zone.

• YES it meant getting into new career fields.

• YES it meant leaving things behind for the unknown.

• YES it meant being open to the possibilities of what was next.

BUT with all of that, we did it. Two small children, two dogs and a full moving truck later, we made it. All jokes aside, I think it has been really good for me. I have grown a lot in the last 7 years both personally and professionally. I can say that because now I am in a profession that has a lot of growth potential. I am no longer aimless in jobs that won’t go anywhere productive long term.

So a move to Texas was the opportunity I needed to jumpstart my non-existent career. Was it the opportunity I needed in other parts of my life? Only time will tell. There are things that I have done here that I would think I would have still done if I was in KC. Obviously though, besides the career, the biggest opportunity has been the friendships and relationships I have made along the way. Now my personal network is bigger and broader than ever.

“Too often, the opportunity knocks, but by the time you push back the chain, push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar alarm, it’s too late.” — Rita Coolidge

What is Wood Badge?

So the other day I posted about LEGACY. I mentioned that the word has been on my mind lately since I came back from Philmont Leadership Challenge (PLC). I will tell you more about that but first I have to mention the precursor to PLC: Wood Badge. What is Wood Badge? It’s so many things wrapped together in a straight forward, easy to digest way. There is nothing that you can’t get from reading a few books. HA. If you know anything about Wood Badge, I bet you smiled at that statement.

Wood Badge is so many things it’s difficult to explain. I might as well try. Wood Badge is corporate level leadership training through the guise of Scouting. It not only addresses challenges in Scouting, but in life as well. It teaches you about yourself, how to communicate with others, how to motivate others and how to delegate, for starters.

WOOD BADGE TEACHINGS: (just to name a few)

• Drive, Vision, Mission and Values

• Know Yourself

• Communicate Effectively

• Manage Conversations

• Coach and Mentor

• Inspire the Heart

See, just those topics alone: aren’t those worthwhile skills for everyone? Knowing your Drive, Vision, Mission and Values. Sound familiar? Knowing Yourself. Isn’t that a good skill for everyone? Communicate Effectively. Tell me that couldn’t be usefull in whatever position you hold. See, those things are just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t explain it all, you just have to do it. It’s worth the price of admission, and then some, but only if you’re strong enough and ready for it.

“Invest in yourself. You get OUT what you put IN.” — Emily Ley

That quote couldn’t be more true. If you go into Wood Badge with an open mind, you will get so much more out of it. I went because a few people told me I should. (One of those legacy people. One that I can’t say no to, who has shaped my life in so many ways. One of those people that everything I do in Scouting now has her hands all over it.) I really had no idea what I was getting into. An extra few nights camping? I’m in.

Really though, one of the few experiences I’ve had that I can say is life changing. How I interact with people, how I see things, all changed because of not only this class, but the people as well. It’s hard to make friends when you become an adult, but Scouting helps makes that a little easier.

Do yourself a favor. If you are in Scouts, sign up for Wood Badge. If you aren’t in Scouts, sign up for someething similar. You, and those you interact with, will be glad you did.

Legacy

Some time ago I was on a Scouting Leadership trip (PLC) and we were discussing the term of legacy, among other things. I went into the week not really knowing much about what we were going to be doing. The agenda of the week was purposely kept a secret. Not in a bad way, but just to make sure that we went in with an open mind. That I did. I went in thinking one thing, and came out thinking an entirely different thing (or two).

LEGACY is defined by Merriam-Webster as: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.

That definintion has new meaning to me now. While at PLC I realized what legacy really is. It means that we ALL have been helped by someone along the way. Whether it’s a parent, a coach, a mentor, a teacher, etc. As the Beatles once said: “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”. (With a Little Help from My Friends) None of us have gotten where we are without a little help from our friends. In some cases, it has been a lot of help. That’s ok.

Being at Philmont, away from my friends (making new ones along the way) it hit me. I have been helped along the way, particularly in my Scouting journey. There have been people who have really influnced the path I have taken. Some of them are still influencing my decisions today. I have a hard time saying no when they “suggest” that I should do something. They know who they are and they know how important they are to me. There are also people who have come into my life, who are no longer here. It’s those people that I really started thinking about at PLC. Some of them, never got the chance to do things that I have done. Yeah, realizing that hit me hard. It came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. I broke down in front of complete strangers. I’d known them for a few days and we had bonded a bit, but trust me, they were strangers and it was weird to be that vulnerable. That’s why they say PLC is “changing lives”.

My legacy is building on the legacy of those who helped me. My legacy is not what I can teach others and pass on to them. It’s what we can teach them. It’s what we can pass along? It’s our collective experiences that will shape and mold the next generation. We can only do our best to teach them that everyone is connected: the past, the present and the future. Everything we do, particularly in Scouting but in life as well, is for us, them, and everyone.

"The power of youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people.” — Kailash Satyarthi

Leadership

When I think of Leadership, I can’t help but think of the Key and Peele skit. It’s about the adventures of a substitute teacher. Chances are pretty good that you’ve seen it. It’s pretty funny. Anyways, at one point the students are talking about the ‘clubs’ they are in at the school. One of them says she is in the “Future Leaders of America Club”. He asks how she knows she’s going to be a leader, in the future? Needless to say it makes me laugh.

No one really knows if they are going to be a leader or not. Sure you can learn to be a manager, but it’s harder to become a leader. You can learn, but it’s also within you. Usually, it’s not something that you decide either. Someone else has to decide that they agree with you enough that they want to join you. That they want to follow you. That they want you as their leader. Same as you didn’t decide to become a leader, you don’t get to decide if you aren’t one anymore either.

Don’t set out with the intention to be a leader. Set out with the intention of doing the right thing. Lead by example. People will notice. People will follow. It may take awhile, but consistently showing up for others, over and over, and doing it with authenticity and integrity, will get you noticed.

“A leader's job is not to do the work for others, it's to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.” — Simon Sinek

I would say that I am a leader and I have been now for awhile. Notice I didn’t say if I was a good leader or not. Notice I didn’t say what I am a leader of (men, women, adults, youth). Within Scouting, I have been a leader several times. I was a Den Leader when my son started. Right there in the title, I was told what I was and showed it to everyone else. I was in charge.

“Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you to stop what you're doing and listen.” — Ron Burgundy

That’s how I felt sometimes. People looked at me as a Den Leader and just waited to hear what I had to say. I said do this, they did it. (youth and parents alike). Is that really being a leader though? Or is that just being in charge and being a manager? Speaking of being a manager, that’s kind of what I am now. I moved into the position of CubMaster this time last year. Now I am “in charge” of the Den Leaders. I make sure that they have what they need. But I try to do more than that. I try to lead them. I try to share my vision, my experiences with them. I like to get their input, and work together. I want them to know where I’m coming from, and where I want us to head, together. Only time will tell how it goes.

Nature First

I recently came across this organization after listening to a podcast. It could have been a photography podcast OR a business one. I really can’t remember where I heard about them, just that the mission and the organization spoke to me. Spoke to me as a photographer AND as an outdoorsman.

Straight from their website, here is their mission:

“Nature First promotes the protection and preservation of the world’s natural and wild places through inspiring, educating, and uniting everyone making photographs and videos in nature; empowering them to be ambassadors of the natural world.”

If you go camping or hiking you’ve probably heard of LEAVE NO TRACE.

If you’re part of Scouting now or in the past, chances are good that you have heard of the OUTDOOR CODE:

As an American, I will do my best to -

Be clean in my outdoor manners.

Be careful with fire.

Be considerate in the outdoors.

Be conservation minded.

Either way, Nature First takes those ideas and expands on them. They are committed to not only ensuring the conservation of the environment, but also of the photographer. It’s not just protecting the environment, it’s also about giving other photographers the same experiences. As a photographer, we don’t always think about the impact we are making on others. When we find a cool place to photograph, we have one of two thoughts run through our heads: I have to tell everyone where this is OR I can’t tell anyone where this is (it has to be my little secret). If we take the latter, we are doing it selfishly, but it’s actually the right thing to do, in spirit. Not because we want it all to ourselves, but because we need to preserve it for others. If someone else happens to stumble upon a location that’s fine. But if everyone knows about it, soon enough it will get destroyed, or close enough that it gets shut down for future generations. Nobody wants that.

That’s just one example. See the rest of their principles here: Nature First

Regardless of your outdoor enthusiasm level, whether you are a weekend warrior or a “once a year glamper” (yes I said Glamper) we can all agree on one thing: there is only one Earth and we need to do what we can to protect it. This isn’t a political statement or an introduction to a debate about climate change. At the core of it we are all humans and we can all agree that if we don’t protect the environment from, and for, each other, one day there will be very little of it left and what is left will look very different. That will be a sad day for us all. When you go out, do your part: pay attention, think about what you are doing, be a good human.

“I want to be a good human being.” — Jeremy Renner

Calling ALL Nature Lovers and Outdoors Enthusiasts

“You can make positive deposits in your own economy everyday by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.” — Zig Ziglar

Let’s focus on that first part for a minute: reading. (or in my case, audiobooks)

Books you should read if you are a nature lover or an outdoor enthusiast or at the very least, want to read a good story and escape your reality for a little bit. Here are my top 5 books at the moment. I haven’t read a lot but of what I have so far, these are the ones I really like. In no particular order:

• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

• The Forest Unseen by David George Haskell

• Walden by Henry David Thoreau

• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

• Leave only Footprints by Conor Knighton

“You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.” — Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

I’ve heard this quote, but I never really thought about it until lately. For the last decade plus (geez that makes me feel old) or so, I have been listening to audiobooks as much as I can. I’ve always listened to simply pass the time or to hear an interesting story. I never really chose them to “better myself”. I chose them because the covers or the subjects looked interesting. Business, military, history, biographies, psychology, personal growth, whatever. I never really took notes or got into deep discussions or thoughts about the books. Here over the last few years though, that has changed. I have been a little more intentional. Now I am picking books with a purpose. I’m trying to get better. I have found myself listening to a few things multiple times and taking notes.

It’s about whatever speaks to you. Find a subject, find a specific author, pick one book. It really doesn’t matter, as long as you are doing it. Read or listen to it, embrace and understand it, and keep going. If you can’t learn at least one thing or get at least one insight or new habit out of a book, I’m not sure it was worth it.