Te Aroha!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 324 Tuesday 29/03/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, Easter has to be one of my favourite times of year I reckon.Lets face it holidays combined with toasted hot cross buns dripping in butter,marshmallow and chocolate is a pretty unbeatable combo!

Once again we were spoilt with great weather,great neighbours and our great anytime together is holiday time location.Yes we are lucky and will always be grateful, grounded,and Upbeat with our lot!

Fletcher reckons;the Easter bunny is a good dude and Easter egg hunting is fun but once the thrill is over it is just as exciting to give rather than receive!So he promptly ensured all our neighbours received gifts from his personal chocolate stash!!....good little bunny!!

Thanks for the feedback last week after my surreal ride to and through the emergency ward!I am happy to report that normal transmission at normal frequencies has resumed albeit a little gingerly and more aware of ones mortality.Funny how events such as last weekend have a profound effect on you and those around you. It would be fair to say this was more than a wake up call in so many ways and one that has not been lost on me!

Bullet proof attitudes,vests and Super Hero outfits are no good to anyone if their heart stops beating, something I have been lucky enough to be reminded again!!

I hope you had a cool time relaxing with family and friends this Easter……………Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon chocolate being bad for dogs is merely a myth although Easter roast lamb bones were an acceptable substitute!

 

 

“A Nations culture resides in the hearts and in the souls of its people.”Mahatma Ghandhi

 

I attended an environmental summit on a Marae recently.

It was an extra special experience for me and a good lesson on the importance of protocol, manners and culture.

For those of you who are not aware you don’t just rock up and onto a Marae. You must be officially welcomed  and you in turn must respond to that welcome.

In this instance we were taught an official ‘Te Aroha’ or response (complete with sign language actions) to the welcome prior to entering the Whare or meeting house.

The other thing that is strictly adhered to is the removal of footwear prior to entering the Whare.

On being seated we were again officially welcomed with a stirring speech and a traditional song to which we stood and responded with the Te Aroha we had been taught.

We were then officially introduced to the leaders of the Marae which included a hongi with  each!

All this took place prior to any summit agenda business and lasted approximately thirty minutes.

I enjoyed the formality and was swept away by the spiritual power of the surroundings. The intricate carvings and weaving all telling the cultural story of the people.

It turned out the Whare is located not more than 200m from where the first Maori landed in the area a fact that itself made me catch my breath as I tried to contemplate the huge significance.

This event highlighted the importance for me of understanding and observing the culture of a group or an organisation. In this instance the Marae was located in the grounds of the Carrington Unitec. Unitec Management and staff have embraced and supported the cultural importance of the local iwi and actively celebrate and adopt their origins as that of the Unitec itself. To this end all new students are welcomed on to the Marae and receive a cultural induction before setting foot on Campus or in lecture theatres proper each year.

I was blown away and left with a sense of connection in a way to this culture. Imagine if we all defined our own business culture in such a formal and appreciative way…we could you know!!

 

“We are our cultures and traditions.If there is not culture and tradition we are no one.” Tamerlan Kuzgov

"Status 3'!!!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 323 Monday 21/03/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, by crikey,all hell broke loose at 48 Saturday night as yours truly suddently felt seriously unwell.My resident rescue emergency wife swung into auto pilot and prompted by my deterioration to a ‘status 3’ soon had a colleague, the local First Response and an Ambulance on the scene.Picture the orange and red flashing lights outside our shack and you have the most exciting Saturday night the neighbours have had for years!! Seriously I couldn’t have been in better hands as I was whisked away for a noisy and eventful night under observation in the Emergency Department before being allowed to escape(thankfully)albeit full of needle and chest hair holes(ouch)the next day!

Bit scary for us all but better to be safe than sorry especially with my cardiac history.I am blessed to live with and close to experienced experts who are used to keeping calm heads in such times!!

Fletcher (who slept through the drama)reckons;why does he have to be on his best behaviour for n the impending Easter Bunny visit when clearly we can just go to the Supermarket or Department Store and buy as many as we like?? Hmmmmm smarter than the average rabbit that kid!!

Speaking of rescues and drama,Christine was diverted to an accident last week on SH16.She had Fletcher in the car so they attended together which was pretty exciting for the brigades newest recruit!So what do we take from all this?....I reckon there are a couple of key things;

If you don’t know basic first aid then you should do a course so you are ready to help if needed!

Know who to call if you need help and never delay to ask for it…..Ok Clinton !!!!

I feel lucky and grateful,the perfect mindset from which to launch another successful ‘Upbeat’ week’, hope you are feeling good about it too,have a huge one……………Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon it was a pretty elaborate excuse not to walk them!!

 

 

“Develop a passion for learning and you will never cease to grow.” Anthony J D’Angelo.

 

We have all heard the media banging on about the number of immigrants moving to Auckland.

I agree with the media focus on the lack of planning related to housing and infrastructure in Auckland to accommodate the large numbers however there is also another side…..

It is the multicultural diversity and the human side.I know there is a diverse mix of immigrants because I now mentor some of them.

The thing I have noted previously is the hunger and passion they have for learning and improvement.

I am particularly focused on assisting them to speak better english as their second language which assists me to work with them to develop and improve their overall skills.

Both these key areas revolve around a common central ‘better more effective communication’ theme.

The win/win buzz for me is not only seeing these people benefit and grow but that I grow too!!

There is nothing better for a mentor or a teacher to feel appreciated and listened to and to then see their words of advice acted out resulting in success for their ‘mentees’.

Conversely nothing disappoints more than providing a platform of opportunity for a mentee to have it abused or arrogantly taken for granted resulting in failure.

I have and will continue to experience both as a mentor and will be stronger for these experiences.

Accepting that for some (Gen X/Y !!) it takes longer for the penny to drop is hard but a sad reality!

So back to the immigrants, I believe if the City gets its planning and infrastructure right then the rich cultural immigrant mix currently streaming in eager and passionate to learn will do well in Auckland.

New Zealand can only benefit and be  enhanced by the introduction of so many ‘Upbeat’ people eager to learn, work hard,and integrate as current/future generations of New Zealanders!

 

“In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.” Phil Collins.

100 minus 1

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 322 Monday 14/03/16

 

 

 

 

 

 Hi It was our 2nd wedding anniversary last week and I am luckier than most blokes not only because I married Christine but because it is easy to remember!You see, sadly MH370 went missing on our wedding day so when authorities annually update what ever happened to this airlliner I know our anniversary is approaching….a bit morbid but at least I should never forget the date March 8^th 2014. Aucklands finest floral arrangement (proof attached)was sent with love and my favourite sentence from my wedding vows borrowed from our old and dear friend Pooh Bear………

“If you live to be 100 I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live a day without you”.

Two years on and going strong,living testamony to the old adage….’if at first you don’t succeed,try,try and try again.

Fletcher reckons;he is glad we both tried again because he is also living testamony to the benefits to be gained from soul mates eventually discovering each other….the perfect child…hmm yeah right!

Updating on the Harry Jones front he has continued to make a strong recovery from his op and is looking forward to many more beach walks and golf ball hunting expeditions! 91 is the the new 71!!

We had cool catch ups this week with family and friends as we March (excuse the pun) on relentlessly to Easter!!....dont mention the ruggers and we are all good, hope you are too and looking forward to another exciting week ahead ……………Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon Pooh Bear is overrated and they have plenty of quotes better than his for wedding vows!....also good to have the Harold dog back on deck!!

 

“You shouldn’t be looking for people slipping up, you should be looking for all the good things people do and praising those.” Richard Branson

 

 How do you know if you are doing a good job?

Some of us are lucky enough to get recognition for a job well done although sadly not often enough!

Others get tapped on the shoulder from recruiters headhunting top candidates for other companies which serves as the ultimate compliment for a job well done.

Sometimes customers will express their gratitude to us and satisfaction for our service quality.

Then there are our colleagues and peers who will seek our mentorship, guidance and/or advice.

The other key indicator for me is to gauge how much I love what I do to measure my success. I reckon if we genuinely love what we do we will be successful and not consider we ‘work’ at all!

All these things indirectly tell us how we are going but how do we really know how we are going?

I reckon the only way we can ever know is NOT by waiting for the above examples to hopefully occur but by continually asking for feedback.

The late Martin Crowe used to go into the dressing room of opposition teams after a test match to find out as much as he could about how he was going and more importantly about how to get better!

The sad reality is that unless we make the effort to ask we will always be second guessing what people think and feel about how we are are really doing and how we can improve?

So if you are like me then you need to ask the question more often so you know how you are going and then what you need to do to be better.

This will allow you to register,recognise and celebrate success whilst identifying areas in which you need further training and improvement and being able to do something about it.

This will also allow you to decide if you need to make changes to ensure you are doing something you love to do and get plenty of recognition for.So don’t you be left wondering or second guessing…….

How do you know if you are doing a good job?

 

“Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone,don’t keep it a secret.”

Mary Kay Ash