WOW! TWENTY FREAKIN 18 HUH?
This year has been a WILD one filled with challenges, transitions, opportunities for growth, moments of DEEEEEP inner reflection, change and epiphanies…like…TOO MANY epiphanies in 1 year : )
While in this whirlwind of internal expansion I had the opportunity to wind down the year with two of my favorite types offerings.
Patrick Sheehan, LMHC and myself after our presentation for WCC’s SALT
Last Friday, I had the distinct honor of co-presenting a Stress Management and Mindfulness professional development alongside one of my favorite people Patrick Sheehan, LMHC. Patrick and I had a Batman and Robin (only let’s be real, BOTH of us were BATMAN) opportunity to offer stress reduction and mindfulness tools/info during one of Westchester Community College’s SALT (Strategic Administration and Leadership Team) professional development experiences. SALT members are at the highest levels of this AMAZING and visionary community college’s leadership team and meet once a month to discuss how they can more strategically and efficiently enhance the work they do while also discussing how they can take innovative tools and methods back to their respective staff’s.
During our time with SALT we discussed the importance of living a life guided by true inner purpose, the realities of stress, how to more efficiently hit the brakes within our day to day experiences, the value of self-awareness, and even collectively practiced a few mindfulness, breathing and power posing techniques. Patrick and I both had an awesome time and loved the chats/emails our presentation inspired afterwards. Quoting one of the individuals I spoke with after the presentation… “It’s time to put [the] phone away and be more intentionally present for my family and work”.
A few of the 20 or so students within WCC’s Commit to Change Program
Two hours later, I got to wrap up this Fall 2018’s Commit to Change Leadership Series! This 12 week program, developed by the visionary mind of Tiago Machado (WCC’s Director of Student Involvement) and based on the social change model of leadership offers members of this…program an opportunity to learn about and use leadership skills that are already within the individual though often remain unknown or untapped, work with peers to develop positive social change at Westchester Community College and its surrounding community as a whole while bonding and becoming close friends with members of their cohort. Lastly, given their work and leadership development they even get the opportunity to apply for and attend the highly prestigious Clinton Global Initiative University…(modified and taken from the WCC website).
It was an absolute and total joy to work with these students. We discussed how to more effectively be open to and receive feedback, how to utilize it (even when one disagrees with it) the value of both mindful and purposeful leadership, and what to do when the vision doesn’t pan out as planned.
Both of the above experiences filled me up with so much joy and energy that I took some time to further reflect on my own life purpose and how I can further utilize my current experiences so as to more intentionally align myself with my life’s work. Since then, I’ve been envisioning a number of shifts and look forward to putting them into place within the upcoming weeks.
Stay Tuned and if I’m not back here before then, hug some family and friends, take a moment or two for gratitude and enjoy the holidays ahead of us!
Juan-Carlos 