Joyful Jubilant Learning

I Learn From You

I wrote this a couple of years ago, but it captures the essence of digital-dave-learning...I learn from you.

The Yellow Brick Road

....Another Six Degrees of Blogging Adventure.

Today's journey will be magical, mystical and liberating.  First, I need to instill a thought about our preferred method of travel and then quickly instill a more dominant one.

Do you remember how Dorothy returned to Kansas?  Ok, hold that thought.  Because I can no more wear women's apparel than drink a glass of battery acid, we must overlay the visual of soft, worn and comfortable red leather cowboy boots onto the screen.  Whew!  I feel much better.

Other than early Clint Eastwood movies, no movie has touched my heart over the years more than The Wizard of Oz.  It has provided so many personal metaphors and has been such a source of inspiration that, "Oz is the Yellow Brick Road," became the mantra for the journey of my life.  So, come along with Toto, Dorothy and I and lets explore the Yellow Brick Road.

Man on the Silver Mountain by Rainbow is playing on our iPod as we click our boot heels three times. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Fog lifts from the yellow cobblestone and a gentleman appears.  "Welcome to the Nest!" Tony Clark greets us with warm enthusiasm.  He then asks, "Why Settle for Just One Path?" This question and the ensuing conversation captures my attention and holds me spellbound.  Toto's ears perk.  I thought I was the only person in the world who could not zero in on a clear understanding of passion and work!!  Toto nods.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ronnie James Dio belts out Catch The Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow... on the iPod as Chris Cree talks about work and passion.  "I’ve been doing quite a bit of introspection these days. It’s not that I’m narcissistic or anything. I just keep hearing folks say over and over again that you will be most successful career wise if you work where your passion is." Yep brother, I hear that too!  Chris mentions that we should check out another Chris.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

A bit further down the road and we meet Chris Johnston from Chris's Blog.  Chris relays the question, "Is this job for the money or does it give them fulfillment in life?" Chris is actually referring to Noah  Kagan's post at Okdork.com, The Paycheck vs. The Life. The discussion that follows this post is quite lively.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

..." Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill..."  more iPod, more Rainbow, more Yellow Brick Road.  ..."Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universitartus Committiartum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby...change directions."  We can do that in cyberspace, really, we can. I can't seem to continue via links with the passion/work discussion so I throw out a few sandbags and change course.  Chris tells us about Elli and Elli tells us about freedom and inspiration.  Elli gazes down at Toto and then back at us, "you guys need to see Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools." I'm thinking that Dorothy has seen it all but she humors me.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ritchie B jams on Cold Hearted Woman as we read Kevin's post - Consensus Web Filters.  Kevin, who was the founding executive editor of Wired has a very interesting site and it is well worth spending some time exploring.  The connection to Wired magazine strikes a chord of ironee today.  I just started reading Chris Anderson's The Long Tail this morning.  Chris is the editor in chief of Wired.  Toto notices my expression and barks, "you're not in Kansas anymore David."  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

The three of us swirl round in circles through cyberspace.  Cows, barns and flying monkeys pass us by.  (Didn't those flying monkeys creep you out?)  The iPod is gone but music begins to fill the cloudscape.  Jimi Hendrix picks a few strings as Judy Garland eases into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Dorothy smiles.  Tota barks.  I cry. Judy and Jimi are beautiful man.  My soul lifts as we descend.  We are back on The Yellow Brick Road, right where it intersects with Rt. 66.  Christine Kane stands there holding her guitar.  She looks at Dorothy eyes wide open. They start to talk.  I start to walk down the Road.  Toto follows me.

Jimi...Judy?

"Somewhere over the rainbow
  Way up high,
  There's a land that I heard of
  Once in a lullaby.  

Somewhere over the rainbow
  Skies are blue,
  And the dreams that you dare to dream
  Really do come true.

  Someday I'll wish upon a star

  And wake up where the clouds are far
  Behind me.
  Where troubles melt like lemon drops
  Away above the chimney tops
  That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

  Bluebirds fly.
  Birds fly over the rainbow.
  Why then, oh why can't I?

  If happy little bluebirds fly

  Beyond the rainbow
  Why, oh why can't I?"

Dave Rothacker

....Another Six Degrees of Blogging Adventure.

Today's journey will be magical, mystical and liberating.  First, I need to instill a thought about our preferred method of travel and then quickly instill a more dominant one.

Do you remember how Dorothy returned to Kansas?  Ok, hold that thought.  Because I can no more wear women's apparel than drink a glass of battery acid, we must overlay the visual of soft, worn and comfortable red leather cowboy boots onto the screen.  Whew!  I feel much better.

Other than early Clint Eastwood movies, no movie has touched my heart over the years more than The Wizard of Oz.  It has provided so many personal metaphors and has been such a source of inspiration that, "Oz is the Yellow Brick Road," became the mantra for the journey of my life.  So, come along with Toto, Dorothy and I and lets explore the Yellow Brick Road.

Man on the Silver Mountain by Rainbow is playing on our iPod as we click our boot heels three times. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Fog lifts from the yellow cobblestone and a gentleman appears.  "Welcome to the Nest!" Tony Clark greets us with warm enthusiasm.  He then asks, "Why Settle for Just One Path?" This question and the ensuing conversation captures my attention and holds me spellbound.  Toto's ears perk.  I thought I was the only person in the world who could not zero in on a clear understanding of passion and work!!  Toto nods.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ronnie James Dio belts out Catch The Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow... on the iPod as Chris Cree talks about work and passion.  "I’ve been doing quite a bit of introspection these days. It’s not that I’m narcissistic or anything. I just keep hearing folks say over and over again that you will be most successful career wise if you work where your passion is." Yep brother, I hear that too!  Chris mentions that we should check out another Chris.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

A bit further down the road and we meet Chris Johnston from Chris's Blog.  Chris relays the question, "Is this job for the money or does it give them fulfillment in life?" Chris is actually referring to Noah  Kagan's post at Okdork.com, The Paycheck vs. The Life. The discussion that follows this post is quite lively.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

..." Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill..."  more iPod, more Rainbow, more Yellow Brick Road.  ..."Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universitartus Committiartum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby...change directions."  We can do that in cyberspace, really, we can. I can't seem to continue via links with the passion/work discussion so I throw out a few sandbags and change course.  Chris tells us about Elli and Elli tells us about freedom and inspiration.  Elli gazes down at Toto and then back at us, "you guys need to see Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools." I'm thinking that Dorothy has seen it all but she humors me.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ritchie B jams on Cold Hearted Woman as we read Kevin's post - Consensus Web Filters.  Kevin, who was the founding executive editor of Wired has a very interesting site and it is well worth spending some time exploring.  The connection to Wired magazine strikes a chord of ironee today.  I just started reading Chris Anderson's The Long Tail this morning.  Chris is the editor in chief of Wired.  Toto notices my expression and barks, "you're not in Kansas anymore David."  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

The three of us swirl round in circles through cyberspace.  Cows, barns and flying monkeys pass us by.  (Didn't those flying monkeys creep you out?)  The iPod is gone but music begins to fill the cloudscape.  Jimi Hendrix picks a few strings as Judy Garland eases into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Dorothy smiles.  Tota barks.  I cry. Judy and Jimi are beautiful man.  My soul lifts as we descend.  We are back on The Yellow Brick Road, right where it intersects with Rt. 66.  Christine Kane stands there holding her guitar.  She looks at Dorothy eyes wide open. They start to talk.  I start to walk down the Road.  Toto follows me.

Jimi...Judy?

"Somewhere over the rainbow
  Way up high,
  There's a land that I heard of
  Once in a lullaby.  

Somewhere over the rainbow
  Skies are blue,
  And the dreams that you dare to dream
  Really do come true.

  Someday I'll wish upon a star

  And wake up where the clouds are far
  Behind me.
  Where troubles melt like lemon drops
  Away above the chimney tops
  That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

  Bluebirds fly.
  Birds fly over the rainbow.
  Why then, oh why can't I?

  If happy little bluebirds fly

  Beyond the rainbow
  Why, oh why can't I?"

Dave Rothacker

We are the Digital World -- Rapid Fire Learning for April

Digital technology has had an enormous impact on my life.

The year the Hollandale Christian School (K-8) got their first computer remains etched in my mind. I remember how it made me feel to sit in front of that monitor--I was smitten.

At that tender age, I discovered a medium which would allow me to safely explore who I was and finally--about 20 years later--I began that journey.

Today, global connectivity is at an all time high and our definition of collaboration, ownership, community and  'how impersonal the web is' are constantly being redrawn. The sun doesn't set without someone reaching out to another human being through evolving channels to once again change the game.

These things have such a profound effect on my life I've struggled with how to share them with you. I struggle because I think many people miss the fact that we are everything we create. We are the digital machine. We learn and grow through our creations and go on to create more. There is no separation.

• The Youtube Video above is about Web 2.0 and how we are a part of it. We are the 'machine', we teach the machine and we learn from it.

I think this puts a great deal of the communities, interactivity and collaboration into an entirely new perspective. It's no longer about how authentic a conversation is--the question is, how will it change and redefine the future? OR will it at all?

I don't know about you but it excites me to think about the innovations we will see in all areas of the online conversation-space.

• Tod Machover and Dan Ellsey @ TED - Machover of MIT's Media Lab is devoted to extending musical expression for everyone (Guitar Hero came from his group). Ellsey plays his "My Eagle Song" in piece that underscores music's ability to heal, to communicate, and to inspire.

Dan has cerebral palsy and watching him play the music he composed himself, through his own expression via digital software absolutely floored me. Not only did this create a paradigm shift within me, it creates a way for individuals like Dan to explore themselves. I was moved to tears while watching his performance.

• Learning to Engage - Rosa's article is spot on, in regards to learning how to engage in online communities and answer the question "Why Bother?".

While many consider digital communities OR the web as a whole to be the seed of separation when it comes to close contact with other humans--I see it differently. Conversing with people via Telnet on text-based worlds gave an isolated individual (me) a safe means of opening up.

By learning to engage online, I found ways to engage my fellow man in the physical world.

• My beloved iPod - When we consider the theme Digital Learning, most of us will immediately think of the web and its expanding usefulness. While I'm quite fond of these things, digital learning can include the tools we use throughout our days away from the computer and/or web access.

A little over two years ago, I made a choice which would redefine my life--if I made the choice to stick with it. My iPod was a critical part of my motivation, inspiration and learning through upbeat music, seminars and audio books.

When I felt my mood sinking...
When I needed to relax and focus on what I wanted to draw into my life...
When I carved the learning necessary to grow and become a successful and happy person...

My iPod was there.

• Twitter : StumbleUpon : My Private Classroom - Three websites, all of them powerful.

The funny thing is I've been a member of Twitter and StumbleUpon for well over a year. But for whatever reason, I didn't get engaged right off the bat. Now Twitter and StumbleUpon are a big part of the marketing I do (Still getting the hang of Twitter but loving it :: Instant Messaging on Steroids!).

MPC is a community on Ning, created to give real marketing training to real people. It is a gathering of people from all walks of life, varied levels of expertise for the purpose of  helping each other excel, grow and become successful. My kind of MasterMind Group. :)

There has never been a better time to be alive. The means to share, collaborate, learn and grow are at our finger tips with the click of a button. Learning is in our blood. We all carve and need growth--whether we've come to recognize it or not.

As with anything else, the digital superhighway and toys we cherish are what we make them. We can use them to withdraw OR they can be a means for making the world a better place.

The question is, what digital tools do you use and are you engaging the community behind it? OR better yet, are you allowing them to teach you the lessons available so you might grow?

Do they make you better? If not, why bother?

[Update:] This article was prepared--all I had to do was hit publish, when a spot of digital learning came along. Yesterday, I faced a road block (sharing my voice online) and took part in a Voice Thread conversation. Now I'm in search of ways to use Voice Thread and/or other forms of audio and video on my blog. Another step taken and lesson learned. :)

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Tim Draayer discovered the joy of reclaiming one's destiny two years ago. Today he is an entrepreneur, networker and personal growth evangelist. He writes about all these things on his blog, Network Marketing Journey.

Connected Learning

In keeping with this month’s theme, I was originally going to write about all the great places I go online to learn new things – kind of a blogroll of learning resources.  I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach and write about a couple of tools I use to learn things I can truly leverage.  A subtle distinction, perhaps, but it’s one that is important to me.

Connections

There are a ton of social networks around and I’m very reluctant to jump into them because I am concerned about the time investment.  However, in my work (creating and managing alliances between my company and other companies), it’s important to have at least some online networking tools in my toolkit.

The two I use most frequently are LinkedIn and Plaxo.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business-oriented network that helps me understand how I am connected (or could connect) to others who might be useful in my alliances work.  I work in the computer software industry, and it seems a lot of the people I know have moved into some pretty cool places that are relevant to my current role.  LinkedIn makes it very easy to re-establish contact with them, get introductions, forge new alliances, and so forth.  I’ve also been able to help a number of my old friends in their missions by introducing them to other people I know.  The cool thing (for me, at least, is that I have a long list of contacts that I truly know and trust (it’s not a numbers game or popularity contest for me).  Sure, I know some of them better than others, but that’s no different from offline friends, is it?

LinkedIn also has some other good features, like letting you know when other people you may have worked with in the past have joined LinkedIn (it compares their work history with yours to suggest people you may know so you can connect with them).  You can also see how many people have been viewing your profile recently, and what job title & company they hold - this is useful for me to see which other companies may be interested in my company.

Plaxo

Plaxo is a service that integrates with Outlook (and other things too, but I’m an Outlook user) to help keep my address book up-to-date.  This has been one of the most unexpectedly valuable tools I’ve adopted. 

You see, I’m not just a Plaxo user; I’m a Plaxo member.  This means I am automatically connected to other Plaxo members simply by adding them to my address book – Plaxo makes the connection automatically.  And, once we’re connected, anytime a Plaxo member updates their contact info, company, phone numbers, etc. my Outlook address book is automagically updated.  In the nomadic world we live in, this has been a huge time saver.

But that’s only the beginning.  Plaxo has another awesome feature I really like:  if any of your contacts puts their birthday into their contact record, you’ll automatically receive a notification about a week prior to let you know their birthday is coming up.  Then, you can use another feature of Plaxo to send them an online birthday card (very fast, and only a few clicks). 

The e-card aspect of Plaxo has been very cool for me.  I use this feature to let people know I’m thinking of them (you can send other types of cards, as well), and this has awakened quite a few dormant relationships in the past few years – it’s a good excuse to reconnect.

The other awesome feature I really like about Plaxo is something they call “Plaxo Pulse” which is kind of an RSS feed of what’s happening in my Plaxo network.  For example, I get notified when people post blog entries, when they put pictures on Flickr!, when they change jobs, when they upload a new profile photo, etc.  Again – very good for feeling more connected with the people I know.

If you’re looking to change how you learn about others and up-level your online connectedness, these are a couple of tools I highly recommend.  LinkedIn is free, and Plaxo has both free and fee-based options available.

---

Oh - and speaking of birthdays: 

Today is Rosa Say's birthday!  Rosa is the awesome lady that had the initial vision and passion to create this Joyful Jubilant Learning community.  She is a lighthouse for me, and really has a way of bringing out the best in people (including me).

And speaking of connections, Rosa has been another online resource for me to expand my connections.  I have met people all over the world through Rosa's "blog connections" and personal introductions, and she has led me to more learning watering holes than just about anyone.

So join me in wishing Rosa a happy birthday.  She is one of the special ones.

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About the author: Dwayne Melançon is the author of Genuine Curiosity, where he is always on the lookout for new things to learn.

Low-Digit Score for Digital Learning

Hearing the words “digital learning” make me feel a little jittery and shuddery.  For me, they grate on my psyche, like the screech of fingernails or errant chalk on a blackboard grates on our ears.

There!  I’ve given myself away in the first paragraph.  Even my analogies are old-fashioned, and definitely non-digital.  (Hey all you teachers out there, do you still use blackboards and chalk?)

Avoiding Risky Behaviour
My financial planner dubs me “risk averse”.  I don’t think he meant it as a compliment!  With digital learning, it’s not so much that I’m “risk averse”, as just a bit slower than most of my colleagues here on Joyful Jubilant Learning.  To put it kindly, I’d estimate my score on the Digital Learning Scale is in the lower digits range.

When this topic was mooted, I sighed, knowing that I had a couple of choices. 

1. Try something new and pretend I’d enthusiastically “learned” yet another digital skill to keep up with the Jones’ (or in this case the Rosa’s, Tim’s, Steve’s, David's, Joanna’s, Karen’s etc)
2. Take my usual path into digital learning and be subdued and moderate and DOWNRIGHT BORING.

Excuse me, your honour ...
Let me step up to defend myself here.  After all, Outrageous Extraverts don’t really like to be seen as boring.

In my circle of friends, (the ones in Australia not the blogosphere) people are constantly admiring of my computer skills, online discoveries, trips into the world of websites blogging and social networking, and forums. To some people, I'm an early-adopter.  So clearly this is all a matter of degree.

Of course, there are some exceptions to this admiration.  There’s my hubby SweetP, the mathematician who weaves spells with numbers and computers that I couldn't even try to fathom.  Oh and of course Lovable Geek.  My son the IT manager is pretty scathing about his mother’s digital failings. 

To them I’m a bit sluggish, forever paddling in the shallows instead of getting out there where the water runs fast, dangerous, and exciting.

Take my hand...
So come with me into MY world of digital learning, where gentle paddling is just fine.

• Let’s start with something simple.  I have three Blogs and write as a regular contributor on several more.  Here on JJL, even that’s a bit sub-normal.
• I long ago realised that using good old Google Docs is by far the easiest method to prepare, collaborate, edit and share your writing.  That's how Karen Wallace and I wrote our book from opposite ends of the country.  It’s not fancy, but it does the job.
• The urgent need to find out information on my family history before all the oldies “kick the bucket” has had me hunting for good basic genealogy software.  I found PAF.  By sheer force of will, I figured it out, taught my sister, and crammed it with all the information we have.  The fun started when I uploaded it onto a few genealogy sites and started making connections with distant relatives and digging deep into the Irish heritage that surrounds us.
• Having tried Facebook and felt like I was being conned every time I was “poked”, I’ve left that to Lovable Geek and all his “friends”.  Give me a chat over the phone, or a glass of wine with a friend any day.
• Speaking of chatting brings me to something I am getting very intrigued by – Voicethread.  Joanna Young has brought it to us here at JJL, and Karen Wallace has followed over at Calm Space.  For the moment, I’m dipping my toe in the water with comments, but I know I’m hooked enough, and can see great value in this engaging and much more humanly-digital technology.
• Despite what I’ve told you, I’m a notorious Gadget Queen so I’m not necessarily averse to change or digital tools.  I adore my toys like my Palm PDA, Nokia mobile, Olympus camera, Canon scanner, IRiver mp3 player etc.

Let's find the root of the problem
I think my problems with digital technology stem from overwhelm.  The sheer paralysis that accompanies so much choice makes this poor, indecisive Libran completely overwhelmed.  So, I like to be a follower in the digital world, and listen to the leader’s sage advice on what paths might prove useful.

Much as I hate to be out of step, (and boring as it might be) I’ll happily stick to my low-digit Digital Learning Score.  I’d much rather keep learning at a pace that suits an Outrageous Extravert.  After all, by definition I’d rather be out there talking and learning by osmosis, rather than by research.  That’s just a bit too methodical and scientific for my liking.

Oh good grief, that’s another thought that might bring on the shudders!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The digitally archaic Chris Owen of Pink Apple is an Aussie-based Relationship Specialist and blogger who shares the Secrets to Successful Relating.  Her humourous style brings many readers to her blogs Take A Bite and Apple Tart.

Together with Karen Wallace she has also co-authored Save Our Xmas Sanity a pre-Christmas Must-Have for all frazzled women!

Talking Story and a JJL Twitter Soiree

Okay, I cannot write about talking story in a short post.

It’s Saturday: You’ve got some time, right?

Got a tweet from the ever-traveling Starbucker yesterday:

“@rosasay, I gather you are liking this Twitter thing - that makes two of us!”

Yes, I’ve become all a-Twitter too. I do like it. I’ve begun to think of Twitter as the digital, global way to “talk story.” For me, Twitter-lingo “tweets” are like pidgin; the local vernacular (more slang) of the islands.

First “talking story” (Then I’ll get to the JJL Twitter Soiree)

Talking story is a big part of the local Hawai‘i culture. At its purest form, to talk story is to shoot the breeze with someone because you have some laid-back, easy-going, relaxing time to do nothing but swap stories with each other about everything that is personal but light and joyful with you. You talk with someone like you have known them forever; you are direct and to the point, no posturing or pretense, and asking questions freely, but never crossing that line of intimacy that even the best of friends would never cross without invitation. You don’t need much context in way of introduction; you just jump in and talk to someone just because they are there smiling at you, and you have this positive expectancy that aloha lives and breathes within them. What more do you need to know?

There is so much in life that is happily light-hearted, and that’s what talking story celebrates. The less serious the better; talking story is best when there is tons of smiling, laughter and kidding around about stuff that is pure nonsense. You laugh with each other, and at the silliness and yes, even the stupidity of life. Then, when the talking story is over, it is over. Goodbyes are said with hugs and aloha. No promises made, no commitments to be honored, no follow-up calendared (unless it’s for a party somewhere) —you just go merrily on your way again as carefree as a mynah bird.

Talking story happens in the workplace too; there it’s kind of a warm-up exercise that opens people up for when they need to roll up their sleeves and get into more serious matters. However you don’t get into those serious matters of work that will surely mix personal and professional into a people-pungent stew-and-rice mixed plate (come on now, it’s to be expected after all), unless you have a talking story relationship with all those people first, one that has been built on aloha.

Then there is the talking story of community, which is kind of an ebb and flow of everything, depending on what kind of neighborhood or community it is… sort of like JJL: Lots of ebbing and flowing (and honking), lots of talking story, lots of aloha-built relationships, lots of people passing on virtual “streets” we call comment conversations, and now, voice threads!

So what were we talking about? (You tend to lose your place a lot in talking story and just keep going…) Oh yeah, Twitter!

About a week before April started I began to deliberate in earnest about our JJL theme-to-come of digital learning, wondering what I’d write about when it came to be my turn to pitch in for the month. There are several digital tools I use on a regular basis (truth is, I am geeking out more and more these days), but I wanted to really concentrate on the learning part over and above the digital part, so I wondered what I could jump into that would be new for me: What could I share with you having just a mere beginning of some learning?

I was ripe for the Twitter-picking

I was in the mood for some experimenting.

That might have been part of the reason, but in every talk story I’m likely to have about it, I will probably blame my Twitter leap on my friend Todd Storch (and thinking of Todd always brings such great stories to mind for me). Todd and I had become blog-buddies, and when he stopped blogging I made sure I always reached out to him one sure-fire way: on his birthday. (I like celebrating birthdays.) Todd would answer my email, and I’d look at his signature in the hope he’d fired up his blog again. This year, there was only one line under his name, and it said:

Follow me at Twitter: http://twitter.com/ktoddstorch

I sent my first tweet as his birthday present. Now my Twitter anniversary will be the same day as Todd’s birthday; March 28th.

So here I am, about two weeks and 120 tweets later. You’ll find blog posts all over the place by people more articulate about it than I am as to the reasons why. I’ve already told you my biggest reason; it’s like a global version of talking story, and I LOVE talking story.

I think Twitter is one of those things you have to jump in and just try to “get it.” So, to follow Todd’s lead…

Follow me at Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosasay

Try it: Just like we’ve been trying the Voice Thread with Joanna.

Here’s the JJL Twitter Soiree part

If you’re around, let’s have a JJL Twitter Soiree this weekend! Go to http://twitter.com and set up your account – it’s easy, and you JJLers are smart!

Jump in and tweet a message, and get a bunch of us JJLers to follow you: We’ll talk story.

“Following” is a way of connecting up; if you are not yet on Twitter you might be familiar with following from Tumblr or another micro-blogging lifestream app (I LOVE my tumblr… another talk story another day). The whole concept of following people with these newer social media apps is fascinating to me, and I wish there was a way to add following to all of my blogs too (not just Twitter folk, but ALL readers): Any true techie out there know if it can be done? Leah? Adam?
 

Your friends follow you —“friends” being people you know— but readers you don’t yet know follow you too; the way I look at it, it takes blog-lurking to a higher place. Followers you don’t personally know yet are kind of telling you “I’m lurking, but since it is so one-click easy to tell you I’m lurking, I will… I don’t even mind that you’ll be able to see my avatar and short bio stuff too.”

But again, to tweet, is to talk story! When you tweet, you are saying, “Hey there! I have a minute to talk story: Do you?”

If I am not yet following you on Twitter, as one of your tweets (your update-messages), type this in so I can find you there, and will know you’ve decided to JJL Soiree too:

Aloha! A JJL tweet to @rosasay, @________________
fill in the blank using as many other JJLer addresses as you can fit into those first 140 characters.

I was not the earliest adopter! To find more JJL Twitterers, just move your curser over the avatars you will see on my page – you will recognize the names and faces.

If you are already there and I have missed you, tweet me! Let’s talk story.

Just one thing: This will post when I'm asleep as so many of you start your day in earlier time zones than I do, but not to worry, I'll catch up with you in the morning.

And I am sure the other JJLers will be welcoming you too... there are some things I am pretty sure of :)

As Karen said, we Reach out and touch somebody... learning the high-touch way

As Steve said,

“JJL is a glorious place for making connections! One of the best tools anyone can get for free!”

Twitter (In Plain English) from The Common Craft Show.
Love how Lee LeFever does these: Less than 3 minutes to watch it.

If you have more Twitter tips for all of us, add them to the comments (told you I am just a two-week tweeter too), or give us your own Follow me at Twitter message!

Why are you tweeting, hmm?

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Post author Rosa Say is the author of Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawaii's Universal Values to the Art of Business, and she currently writes for Managing with Aloha Coaching, Value your Month, Value your Life.

For all of Rosa's writing aggregated in just one place, visit her Tumblr, Ho‘ohana Aloha.

This picture is the avatar you will find for Rosa on Twitter. Tweet to you soon!

Viva la Difference!

After so many books in our Love Affair during March, we turn to links and digital learning. I have already written here about my Input-Process-Output (IPO) covering many of the tools I use. The tool set has not changed a whole lot since that time. Many of the links have been referenced in other posts this week, and those that weren't may still come as the month progresses.

I'd rather spend a few minutes touching on some of the ideas raised in the posts this week and especially what Voice Thread is doing for us. By the way, if you have not had a chance to listen and experience Voice Thread, please allow yourself some time to go and do that. I'll wait. Don't worry. I'll be here when you get back.

How was that?

I am at a loss for words. Yes, me. The one who always can come up with 2 cents. I am having trouble typing as there are tears in my eyes. Yes, really. All in happiness, joy and jubilation of course.

Karen wrote: "The tools are only as good as the connection."

JJL is one major tool. Look at the connections being made!

Joanna asked: "What difference does voice make?"

There is a statistic in the support industry about communications. As I recall 60-65% comes from body language, 20-25% from tone of the voice, and only 10-15% from the actual words being communicated. No wonder folks misinterpret what we write! No wonder our voice makes a big difference!

For me, voice brings us closer. The printed word can travel outside the body. Once printed it really can take on a life of its own. The spoken word comes from the body and until recently, stayed close to the body. You needed to be within hearing distance, 6-8 feet for a normal voice. Longer for a shouted voice.

Technologies like the phone, the iPod, and now Voice Thread let us extend our voices. The phone is great for direct one-to-one dialog. But alas our time zones and our other daily commitments interfere with making connections. The iPod or MP3 player is good for the captured voice (or music) to listen to on our schedule, almost anywhere. Voice Thread goes one step further, it allows for direct feedback. We are no longer limited to the written coment. We can add our voice.

On our time, we can join in the conversation. We can create a story.

We can each enjoy the experience of our accents, our points of view, our passions, more so than the written word would allow.

Bring on the April showers! I am ready.

I have heard voices! but these are the good kind!

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cents exploring the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together, they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. His sherku and other poetry can be found at quiet poet. More information about his current home town of Franklin, MA can be found at Franklin Matters

Confessions About a Cuppa

Each night, a little after our dinner, and usually as we settle down to relax, SweetP (Love of my Life) makes us both a cup of tea/coffee.  It’s a nightly ritual, the kind of ritual that happens in many homes. maybe even yours.

I enjoy the cuppa.  I like being waited on.  It gives me a break.  Now,  I must confess that most nights, I barely notice it happening.  But, I certainly take for granted that it will. 

It’s a gesture of love on SweetP’s part.  However, I don’t especially feel “Loved” for receiving it.  If I’m honest, it's a gesture that rolls off me, like water off a duck’s back! (Hmm, I’m definitely portraying myself badly here!)

However if, over our cuppa, SweetP began a conversation, then that would be entirely different.  If he was sharing with me his feelings about his boss’ management style, or asking for my opinions on a family dilemma, then I’d feel cherished and extraordinarily special.

Why?  Because to me, quality conversations are my life’s breath!  Acts of service, like the night-time cuppa, don’t refuel my “love tank”, but a quality conversation will have me feeling loved in seconds!

This isn’t about gratitude, or lack of it.  This is about a crystal clear, laser-directed, message of love.

Getting the Message Across

If I want to ensure that SweetP knows how much I love him, and take the shortest path to helping fill his love tank, then I just need to sit next to him on the couch, put my head on his shoulder, and hold his hand or stroke his arm!

How did I make those discoveries? 

By reading a book – Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.

Even SweetP, a man who reads about one book every 3 or 4 years, has whipped through this book, chuckled at the stories, and said “WOW” a few times.

What’s the Point?

“Love Languages” I hear you dubiously muttering!  “What’s the point?”

Perhaps we should try looking at this from another angle.

How do you feel when you travel to a country which speaks a different language to your own?  Many people in that situation can eventually feel alone and a bit isolated.

Imagine being in that country and having a crisis happen, (eg getting sick or losing your passport)?  THAT’S downright frightening! When you’re desperate, the sound of someone speaking your native tongue is like a gift from the gods, and relief washes over you.

Chapman has a simple premise.  Just like we all have a dominant speaking language, we also all have a primary love language.  That language is the shortest route to a heart-nurturing sense of feeling loved.  Armed with the conviction that we really are loved and lovable, relief washes over us.

And in times of crisis when we most need the support of our partner, that message needs to be delivered crystal clear and hitting the target with laser-like precision.

Let’s Get on With Lerrvvin’

There is no question that for humans, feeling loved is a primary human NEED.  It’s a need only marginally less important to us than food and shelter.

So I figured that sharing with you a book about love might just build your emotional intelligence and the pleasure in your life!  After all if you need love, you might as well get as much as you can!

This is one of those books that has stood the test of time.  Written back in 1992, Chapman explores a surprisingly simple and extraordinarily effective premise.  The quick real-life-stories (and don’t we always relate best to them?) help the reader identify their own love language and that of their partner.

This book never seems to go out of print, and it’s in every local library.  When you ask around, many people have read it or at least heard of it!  Why?  Because it gets talked about and persistently requested.  That says something!  This is no esoteric, psychology book, this is simply teaching a really useful skill!

While it could be perceived as a bit “daggy” *(uncool), it’s a book with a simple message, an easy style, and excellent word-of-mouth referral history! 

So Who’s the Book For?

This is for building relationships with ANYONE.

While the book is aimed at couples, once you can recognize the five languages, this is SO applicable across any medium to long term relationships.  So, your kids, your friends and family, your work colleagues, all of them could benefit from your new knowledge.  It’s real gold!

Why Bother?

We all do things for our partners, or people we care about, to show our affection.  But if they don’t perceive our gestures as loving then, despite our best efforts and endless reassurances, their love tank can end up out of fuel.  Just like your car without fuel grinds to a noisy halt, so too can our relationship end up going nowhere!

Most couples have different primary love languages.  So, if we don’t bother to learn our partner’s love language and insist on following our natural inclination to express love in our OWN language then, love will likely shrivel and die.

If you value your relationship then I reckon it’s worth spending some time on this book!  It has definitely got long-term and tangible benefits.

Virtually every couple I work with in my Relationship Coaching practice is advised to go and read this book!  I have yet to find someone who doesn’t have some kind of “aha” moment and new understanding of their relationship from reading it.

I suspect it’s no accident that the book has spawned a whole series of Five Languages.  There are versions for Teens, for Men, for Women, for Singles, for Families and now most recently the Five Languages of Apology.  That’s next on my Reading List.

* If you've never heard the word "daggy" before, then you need to spend some time with a few Aussies!  A true "dag" is an unpleasant bit of leftover "stuff" stuck in the sheep's wool near it's backside.  (Need we say more?)  However being a dag in modern Aussie idiom is to be quaintly and appealingly naive, old-fashioned, and definitely uncool!

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Chris Owen of Pink Apple is an Aussie-based Relationship Specialist and blogger who shares the Secrets to Successful Relating.  Her humourous style brings many readers to her blogs Take A Bite and Apple Tart.

Together with Karen Wallace she has also co-authored Save Our Xmas Sanity a pre-Christmas Must-Have for all frazzled women!

Three Cups of Tea

I''m really excited that this year I've chosen to review a book that works for Joyful Jubilant Learning on multiple levels.

First, I'm always looking for true stories of how an individual or team can take declare a new possibility, especially an imaginable but seemingly impossible "possibility", and out of their passion and commitment making that seeming impossibility a reality.  Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time By Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin is that kind of story.

In 1993, not quite 15 years ago, Greg Mortenson was working as a nurse in San Fransisco to finance his passion for mountain climbing.  On a failed expedition to the world's second highest mountain, K2, Mortenson deliriously takes a wrong turn on the path down and finds himself taken in and cared for by the villagers of Korphe.  During his recuperation, he asks to visit the village school, only to find the students out in the open, practicing lessons on their own while awaiting the return of the teacher they shared with another village.  Mortenson's heart opens, and he promises he will return to Korphe and build a school.

As of the date this story was published, along with what the book characterizes as "one of the most underqualified and overachieving staffs of any charitable organization on earth," Mortenson had built fifty-three schools in some of the most remote and politically unstable parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The schools Mortenson's Central Asia Institute builds educate girls along with boys, and offer a secular education to compete with the madrassa, the schools sponsored by religious extremists in the region.  Talk about a way that education can change the world!

And the book works on another level, as we see Greg Mortenson himself challenged to learn and grow thanks to what the people of these villages have to teach him. The book takes its title from an incident in which Mortenson is supervising the construction of that first school in Korphe and apparently behaving like a bull in a china shop.  The  village headman asks Mortenson to accompany him on a walk.  He then strips the American of his tools, locks them in a cabinet, and sits him down to a cup of butter tea.  Haji Ali explains that Mortenson is driving everyone crazy.  He warns him that to succeed in Baltistan, Mortenson must learn to respect their ways.  "Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea.  We may be uneducated.  But we are not stupid.  We have lived and survived here for a long time."

I found this a wonderful lesson.  As newcomers to a place on the planet, or as a manager new to a team or company, the key to our success will be to respect and learn from others.  What we think we know may not be the knowledge that our goal requires.

Last but not least, I recommend this book to you because thanks to the writer David Oliver Relin, Three Cups of Tea is non-fiction that reads with the pacing and drama of a great novel. I can pretty much promise that by the end of this book, you will find yourself understanding why Relin confesses to having lost his journalistic objectivity.  Like him, I found myself wanting to see Greg Mortenson succeed, and wondering what I can be doing to make my world a better place.

Beth Robinson

Gratitude: I Won't Learn Less

I am reading What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith.  I first learned of Marshall from his columns in Fast Company.  His writing was (is) just so down to earth real, in spite of his intellectuality, the myriad of little consonants that follow his name (which to his credit he does not wall paper his book with), and the fact that he coaches the most alien of species known to man; CEO's.

In his book, Marshall lists twenty habits that are a barrier to getting you there.  Habit # 17 is Failing to express gratitude.  He uses a few brilliant examples to explain the emotion-numbing effect of not saying thank you.  Here is the one that caught my attention:

My friend Chris Cappy, an expert in executive learning, has a saying that put this into perspective for me.  No matter what someone tells him, he accepts it by reminding himself, "I won't learn less."  What that means is when somebody makes a suggestion or gives you ideas, you're either going to learn more or learn nothing.  But you're not going to learn less.  Hearing people out does not make you dumber.  So, thank them for trying to help.

Four simple words to remember.  Four simple words that when said to one's self and followed by a thank you, will make the other person feel a bit more special.

Dave

www.daverothacker.com

Honk! Honk!

Honk_Honk_71215, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Last Saturday provided an opportunity that I could not pass up. A Vee of geese passed over the house and I had my camera handy.

This group is amazing. Each taking the lead in turn, just like the "Lessons of the Geese"

I wish you all a great holiday period!

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cent views on life from Franklin, MA. He explores the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. He has also resumed running and he podcasts tips and coaching advice at Passionate Runner.

Help give mine back to me this Christmas?

Our family is experimenting with tweaking our Christmas traditions this year, thus far with terrific results.

Ma‘alahi Mele

I’d kicked it off by talking to them about a Hawaiian concept I have become very enamored of; Ma‘alahi, contentment within simplicity and ease, or to use an English expression, happily living a holiday where “less is more.”

My children are now young adults, still in college and without children of their own (we can wait!) and so to start our Ma‘alahi Mele (mele means ‘merry’) we’ve cut way back on the gift-giving this year, trading wrapped boxes of more ‘stuff’ for Faith, Family, Friendship and Food experiences instead – quite wonderful! Joanna has her P’s; we have our F’s!

I’ve been thrilled with how the entire family got on board with the idea, even after my son and husband realized I’d still get thank you cards for us to write for those experiences shared with others too :) We all loved not needing to do any obligatory gift shopping —it saved heaps of time, and best of all, it cut out sooo much stress!

We had plenty to do: Aggressive household cleaning became part of our holiday revamping this year because we are selling a family property on O‘ahu and had to clean it out completely over the past week. You’d think that would be a big bummer for the holiday as we all started our vacations, but donation visits to the Hawai‘i Food Bank, Goodwill, the Salvation Army and an O‘ahu shelter for the homeless proved to be so satisfying. When we arrived home three days ago I expected that we’d all gratefully rejoice that the deep clean was done, instead surprised with the exact opposite: Each and every one of us now sees our own home in a new light, and our holiday clutter-busting has continued in this unspoken agreement of “one down, one to go!” Dealing with stuff that is just sitting around can sure release a ton of energy.

A new tradition: Re-gifting our stuff

These Ma‘alahi Mele activities resulted in a gift-giving idea I thought I’d share with you.

Even though we remain happily committed to our no-gift-buying decision, we put up a Christmas tree as usual, mostly wanting to savor the ornament collection we’ve grown over the years. As I got ready for bed late Friday evening I stepped behind the tree to turn off the lights and found a wrapped gift there addressed to me from my daughter. I asked her “what gives?” and she replied that when cleaning her room she found a book I’d lent to her several years ago to read. She knew it had been one of my favorites, and thought that I’d enjoy rediscovering it again for myself on Christmas morning. I’ve given her many of my books to read over the years, and so I have no idea which one it is… such a mystery, and such sweet anticipation; Tuesday morning can’t come soon enough for me!

So this weekend, we are a family on an “experience gifting” mission: We are all silently, stealthily ‘shopping’ in our own home, giving each other a new appreciation for some old stuff! Following my daughter’s lead, we are wrapping up once-favorite, but forgotten things we believe had once been very much loved by our intended receivers. If we do notice that something is missing from a shelf or corner we are playing along with the game and not saying so (though there IS some hinting and hoping it is under the tree and not in a donation box or the trash!)

To look under our tree at this moment is to realize just how many blessings we have had over the years, for the gifts are steadily piling up now. Incredible.

What could you re-gift to someone in your family, pulling their old treasures from the lonely land of the forgotten?

~ Rosa Say, JJL Contributor, and author of Managing with Aloha Coaching.

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This is a contribution to our JJL theme this month, Learning to Give, and Learning to Receive.

Fill your stocking with some holiday cheer: Subscribe to Joyful Jubilant Learning so you don’t miss hearing from the rest of our contributing authors!

The Season of Giving (and Receiving)

(hint: it's not about

I can't believe it - December is already  here! For those who don't know, my birthday is December 2nd, and one of the things that's always been difficult for me is to receive gifts from people. Yes, you might think that being born in December I could "double up" on the holidays, but actually, it's actually been very hard for me to receive what others want to give to me.

Lately I've been looking deep inside myself to see why I'm bad at receiving. Is it because I don't see myself as worthy of receiving a valuable gift? Is it because as a child I broke more than my share of good things? Is it because I'm afraid I'll never repay the gift someone has given me?

I realized I've got receiving ALL WRONG: receiving is NOT about me. It's all about the giver. The giver is GIVING ME a gift, and, out of respect and love for the other person, I should accept and appreciate that gift.

Don't believe me? Think about how YOU feel when you give someone an unexpected gift. No, not those folks that tell you exactly what type of tube socks they want for Christmas. Those folks who you have to pay attention to buy for, and that are appreciate for the gifts you give them. Doesn't that feel GREAT to give someone that gift, especially if you know you can't ever repay them?

See, it's about the giver, NOT the receiver. And now that I realize that, I am much more open to receiving gifts; gifts of help, gifts of thanks, gifts of love, and yes, even gifts for my birthday. My wonderful wife got me a nice cologne set and a wonderful music CD, and all I could say this year, instead of "Take it back, we can't afford it." or "I don't need that. Thanks anyway." was a very simple "Thank you."

To all of you reading this, where ever you are, I say thank you.

Thank you for sharing your learning with me.

Thank you for sharing your feedback with me.

Thank you for sharing YOU with me. It means the world to me!

[Phil Gerbyshak writes management and productivity articles, as well as personal development articles, in a variety of locations. He is an expert in building community, and is working hard to be as good at receiving as he is at giving.]

Networking: All about giving

Last night Tim Sanders eloquently (and maybe inadvertently) addressed our December theme of Learning to Give and Learning to Receive at his blog:   

Networking [...] is a relationship builder and should be looked at as a gift that you give others with no expectations of being repaid -- not a way of getting ahead.

To  network, then, the key is to be of equal or greater social value than your networking subject.

I'm heading off to a meeting at my local Chamber of Commerce, and I'm wondering what gifts I can give someone at the meeting.  Maybe an idea or word of encouragement that comes at the right time ?  Maybe an introduction to a friend or colleague that can be of service. 

Tonight I have a Millionaire Real Estate Investors workshop - my goal is to give everyone the gift of education regarding financial freedom. 

If I stand in front of the crowd and think about having to give a one and a half hour speech, I could get nervous - and then I wouldn't perform at my best.  If I stand up there excited to contribute to these people, to be able to share a message which I know they need to hear, I will be at my best, and I'll be my best for them.

If you started spontaneously giving gifts to people - contributing significant value to their lives without expecting anything in return - what would 2008 be like? Pretty amazing I bet.

Professor Ben asks:

What gifts can you give today ?

Learning to let go perfection and allow others to lend a hand

Rosa has laid down the gauntlet once more, challenging us on Learning to Give and Learning to Receive.

I've just finished writing on Celebration in the December issue of The Calm Space, and I'm thinking about my own life, my family, my Christmas celebration this year and all that I have to do before I can sit back and relax on December 25.

This year, the month of December and in particular, our Christmas Day celebrations will present me with a personal challenge. You see, we've invited the whole family again this year for December 25th. Usually, that's not such a big deal. I love having my home filled with family - both sets of Grandparents, siblings, nephews and nieces all make the day special and memorable.

Last year we hosted Christmas and it went so well that hubby and I decided in early October that we'd go for a repeat performance this year. Everyone was invited. All accepted, with thanks. Our home is large enough that we can hold the gathering inside in case the day is a scorcher (as they are wont to be here in Brisbane in December) - and the air conditioning always works flat out to keep everyone cool.

So what's the problem?

Since that invitation, we have agreed to bring the scheduled replacement of the floorcoverings in our home forward from the new year to next week. Followed closely by the painting of the entire inside of the house in the week before Christmas (don't ask, I don't want to talk about it!).

It has really become a domino avalanche - one thing leads to another, which leads to yet another. And I am already pulling full wattage on my levels of calm and control...

All furniture and house contents are in the process of being stacked in our garage. The process of laying a timber floor requires the concrete floor to be levelled first. I write this from my desk, which is sitting in the middle of my office, as all the skirting boards in the house were removed on Saturday.

I'm not going to go into all the gory details of the renovation... but suffice to say the disruption is enormous (more than I envisaged, of course) and there is still Christmas at the end of the month.

For me, this month is turning out to be about learning to ask for help, and to receive that help graciously and without guilt. I've never been good at that - much better at offering and supplying help to others.

My learning will be about making a list of food, drink, labour and assistance required - both during the renovation and for Christmas Day. Then making requests.

And I do see that if we all pull together, and I make enough requests, I'll still be sane enough to enjoy the turkey, ham and plum pudding in the cool of my own home. Or elsewhere.

There is a lot of guilt around receiving when I am the one that is so good at giving!  I am hoping that reminding myself (constantly) that Christmas isn't about perfection, but about love, will make all the difference.

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Karen Wallace is the one of the Christmas Calm Angels, co-author with fellow JJLer Chris Owen of Save Our Sanity: The Christmas Calm Manual. She is learning to let go of perfection in many areas of her life and to accept that others actually do want to lend her a helping hand every now and again.

Special Birthday Greetings

In case you were not aware, today is a special day. Phil Gerbyshak and I share this day as our birthday. How cool is it that two folks, meeting and connecting through the wonderful world of the web, share the same birthday!

He is off making it great as usual. Add to his day with a birthday greeting!

I am off to get in a good run (during which I'll do some leaping),

then cover some family activities (during which I hope to do some laughing),

and then I should be back online later today to provide some updates (during which I'll do some learning).

Make it a great day!

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cent views on life from Franklin, MA. He explores the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. He has also resumed running and he podcasts tips and coaching advice at Passionate Runner.

Learn to give a D30M: 30 Conversations in 30 Days

Can we talk?

Curt Rosengren, author of The M.A.P. Maker has a fabulous idea, and I’m jumping on his bandwagon with an MWA twist. Curt started a 30-day experiment last week Monday, explaining;

People can be a huge source of energy and inspiration for me. Talking to people, hearing their stories, listening to their ideas, bouncing my ideas out there and listening to others' perspectives.  It all leaves me feeling amped up and juicy.

And yet, as a solo self-employed guy, I often find myself sitting isolated in my cave, hunkered down over my computer and convincing myself that the e-mail exchange I just had really was a meaningful human interaction.

I frequently resolve to reach out and connect with more people, but that typically only lasts for a conversation or two before the inertia of isolation overtakes me again. To change that, I decided I needed to turn it into a challenge.

My solution? 30 conversations in 30 days with people I've never actually spoken with (as in voice) before. No particular agenda to the conversations – just seeing what I learn, how I’m inspired, and what new ideas pop up.

Curt’s M.A.P. stands for Crafting a Life of Meaning, Abundance & Passion. My MWA stands for Managing with Aloha and at its heart, Aloha is about revealing our abundance and passion for life. The word I use to connect action to Aloha is Ho‘ohana (on-purpose work), for that ho‘o prefix means to make something happen —to make aloha happen. So as you might imagine, I adore Curt’s initiative, and I wrote to him;

I agree Curt, I love your idea! I have long talked to folks about something I call the Daily Five Minutes, a workplace practice we use in Managing with Aloha to bring better quality to the everyday conversations we have within the workplace. At first, people give me a bit of push-back, saying, “but Rosa, we talk to each other every day!” but going through the motions and “same ‘old- same ‘old” does creep in to their familiarity, and soon they love the D5M for the way it changes things up, and freshens their connections with each other.

Your campaign is a fabulous way for us to freshen up our D5M too, enlarging our normal relationship circles. You’ll have my email address with this comment; may I get on your call list? Send me a time that’s best for you and I’ll call - Let’s talk!

Why am I posting about this here?

Look for the Daily Five Minutes in Managing with Aloha, and you will find it in my chapter on ‘Ike loa, “to know well,” the Hawaiian value of learning, for I believe we learn best from the beauty within other people. We enjoy learning in the company of other people, and if we need more practice at that, the conversation-reinvention of the D5M is a great place to start.

The beauty of the D5M in the workplace, is that once you get it going, it truly does take only 5 minutes, and that “I’m just too busy now” resistance melts away. When people know there is a 5-minute agreement, they plan for it and stick to it with the objective of respecting each other’s time.

Now Curt’s experiment, is “30 conversations in 30 days with people I've never actually spoken with (as in voice) before.” Therefore, my twist is calling it the D30M, as in Daily 30 Minutes, because I think we’ll need a bit more time!

So what do you say? Don’t be surprised if you hear from me soon!

Are you a JJL reader I have not talked to yet? Want to talk story for about a half hour tops in the next 30 days? If you want to get on my call list, comment here or send me a note with your first and second choice on a time I can call you. If you are on Skype, I can call you that way too.

Then, think about starting your own Reconnection Revolution to Rehumanize the Blogosphere, or just to learn in the Hawaiian way of ‘Ike loa, with D30M and your Aloha. As Curt coaches,

The common thread with all the people that I'm talking to seems to be that each of them, in their own way, is working to make a positive impact on the world around them. I have long thought that a key ingredient in maximizing the potential for positive change is that human connection. People start talking, building relationships, exchanging ideas, even finding ways to collaborate. Next thing you know – hey presto! – the positive potential has just grown exponentially.

Come join the Reconnection Revolution and give yourself a 5 in 5 challenge. Or 10 in 10. Or 30 in 30. You never know what seeds you might plant.

~ Rosa Say, JJL Contributor, and author of Managing with Aloha Coaching.

Update: 1 down, 29 to go! Just spoke with Priscilla for the first time :)

Rapid Fire Learning - 5 for October

Rapid Fire Learning is here again this month of October.  I was tempted to look back over the year that this group has been joyfully and jubilantly learning together but I would not have been able to limit myself to just 5 things. So here goes:

1 - Learning and Play go together. I am and have been intrigued by the relationships between learning and play. I found a new quote when reading Scott Berkun's book The Myths of Innovation

"Like the child in the park, creativity is intertwined with the ability to see ideas as fluid, free things. Ideas come, they go, and that's OK; to an open mind, ideas are everywhere (something I'll prove momentarily). It's the willingness to explore, experiment, and play, to invest energy, hit a dead end, and then chase a new direction that allows minds to find good ideas. All of our notions of play, and its freedoms from formal judgement, are inexplicably linked to finding good ideas."

Reminds me that I need to allocate time to play. Do you make time for play?

2 - "Make a Difference" is really a year round event. The Center for Public Education has a nice flyer for use in local elections, particularly for school board candidates. The "All in Favor" flyer can be adjusted from a school committee focus to a town council focus to almost any position. It has some key tips to frame the discussion on what you would be looking for in a candidate.