Global Unity
We can unite humanity.
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Create a vision of what that world looks like.
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Figure out how to get from here to there
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Implement
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RadicalXChange 2020
I had one of the most wonderful weekends in recent memory. RadicalXChange, a growing movement/community introducing and testing innovations around everything from economy and currency to voting and democracy to ownership and governance to art and storytelling.
The opening talk was by the digital minister of Taiwan, Audrey Tang who shared the mind-blowing, heartwarming, imagination-sparking successes the people and government of Taiwan are having in working together. The government is leveraging technology to really let people’s voices be heard and taking immediate action to keep people safe and informed – while using humour. It’s a shining example not only of what’s possible with today’s technology, but of what’s possible when a government adopts the spirit of a parent or a nurturer, nourishing, rearing and truly caring for its people. I encourage you to watch her session here.
What a way to start! The event had panels, talks and interviews running 24 hours/day on multiple channels, each of them featuring someone on the cutting edge of thought and progress in their field. Everyone had some deeply thought out insight, perspective or action and all felt present open-hearted and openminded, offering something impactful. The founder, Glen Weyl wrote Radical Markets introducing, highlighting and combining innovative new mechanisms […]
Canada Shines At 2018 JJIF World Championships in Sweden
What a pleasure it was to join Team Canada this weekend as assistant coach while they competed in the JJIF world championships in Malmo, Sweden. Two of my students earned their spot on the team, including some of the best competitive Jiu-Jitsu athletes in Canada:
Estefan Joseph of Lin Martial Arts in Markham
Alison Tremblay and Jessica McNeill of Alpha MMA near Ottawa
Janine Mutton and Kevin Wheeler of Action Reaction in North York, Toronto.
Ashten Sawitzky of Primal MMA in Toronto
Vicky Hoang, Nathan Dos Santos, Shakeel Sammady and Michael Sheehan of Toronto BJJ
Stevie Yap of World Champion Martial Arts in Peterborough
Carl Fagnant of Gyme Le Locale in East Montreal
Andrew Buckley of Cavalo BJJ Canada in Keswick
And my students Denis Beenen and Rodrigo Goncales of OpenMat MMA in Toronto.
It was a world-class event on many levels. It had a feel akin to the of professionalism of World Class/olympic judo tournaments.
There were teams from Abu Dhabi, Sweden, Brazil, France, Belguim, Kazakstan Jordan, Israel, Thailand, Korea, Poland, Russia, Montenegro, Spain, Italy, Greece, Moldova, Slovenia, Hungary, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Colombia, Denmark, Mexico and Bahrain. It was every nation’s best vs Canada’s.
Team Canada shined.
While we know we have good talent locally, there’s something special about seeing the world’s talent […]
#10 Mental Jiu-Jitsu: Turning Problems into Questions
#9 Loss Transmutation
#8 Adaptability: Flow With The Go
Jiu-jitsu is unimaginably empowering. You learn techniques that allow you to completely dominate a larger person or easily escape what looks like a desperate position.
As you gain confidence in a technique you may be tempted to “insist.” Go to use it, it doesn’t work, you try to force it. This is a waste of energy.
Jiu-jitsu teaches that when one door closes, another opens. As your opponent stops your first technique, they inevitably leave an opening for another. Rather than insist on forcing something that isn’t working, adapt. Be willing to change directions.
Passionate about providing a place where women could access the incredible empowerment jiu-jitsu offers, I had my heart set on having a massively successful women’s jiu-jitsu school nearly 15 years ago. Even today with the growing popularity of mixed martial arts, that would be tough. Being willing to change plans and offer co-ed classes was what enabled me to not only survive, but thrive.
Have you ever tried to force a strategy after the circumstances for which it was designed had changed? Are you doing this now? What other ways or opportunities have you not considered? How can you adapt to best take advantage of your current situation?
#7 Fight, Flight, or Third Option Thinking
Typically, we are taught that there are two responses to conflict: fight or flight. The Art of War teaches us that there is a third option: planning ahead.
For defending oneself, training jiu-jitsu is that third option.
Finding oneself in a physical confrontation would surely trigger a panic response in most people, causing them to either freeze or run (flight) or engage with unskilled ferocity (fight). By training jiu-jitsu, we prepare ourselves for those situations so that if they arise, we are much more likely to be able to maintain control of ourselves and our situation. It’s contingency planning.
Years ago we had a flood that caused $30,000 in damages and almost shut us down.
How could we have prepared for this? When revenue and cash flow were strong, spending was too. Had we practiced operating on a more disciplined budget, that situation would not have had the same impact.
What are the unwanted situations you as an entrepreneur need to be ready to handle and what can you do to prepare for them effectively? What would you do if suddenly you lost your key client or employee? What plans can you map out to prepare for these unwanted scenarios?