Be Brave, Be You!

No way its June 2015! No way! Time flies they say, but this MBA journey has happened at warp speed! The formal part is over! Done. Four big things left to tick off, and then this part of my life will be truly over. Wow!

I have had the bookmark below in my life for years. It has been a mantra for me along my journey of life. It reminds me that life is to be lived and enjoyed. This MBA journey has been filled with moments dancing, flying, soaring, and joy! But there have also been fleeting moments of difficulty that have made the enjoyable times even more memorable.

Time flies when you are having fun!

So much has happened on this MBA programme since my last blog, that I simply cannot choose one incident on which to focus. But I'll start with the latest craze: 'white and gold' or 'black and blue.' My daughter and I saw white and gold; my husband saw black and blue. Is this for real? Is it a hoax? Are we simply being manipulated into thinking that we are seeing the same thing in two different ways? Are some people seeing green and red? Does this reflect how people who sit in the same class will interpret a different experience; some see it as the best lectures they ever had and others as the worst teaching experience in their long lives as learners.?White and gold, black and blue. And what about the fence sitters? What is their contribution to all of this? Do they see it as all hogwash, time-wasting or intriguing fun? Hmmm.....So back to the MBA journey....we are past the half way mark....six courses completed; many sessions of careers and personal development. Assignments turned in. Grades about to be released...after all it is about an academic pursuit in the business world. And I am quite comfortable in interpreting my MBA journey in this way...an academic journey into the world of business! It has been very enlightening and thought provoking, but the greatest learning is really coming from the stories that my classmates tell about their experiences around the world. 17 different nationalities in a class of 24: amazing!!! No wonder we see the world can be seen as 'white and gold' or 'back and blue.' 

The Four Agreements

Time is moving so quickly on this MBA journey! Two courses down, two more started. Lots of life reminders and life lessons being learnt along the way. I recently came across the statements above and they provide useful guidelines on how people should interact with each other on their various life journeys. I have tried to live by these guidelines, but the reminder is timely. 

Breathing space....

So far, this MBA programme has been full on. I have not worked full-time since December 2011, so I am really feeling drained by the long hours of sitting, In fact, I have never had an existence like this before. My days have always been broken up into more dynamic chunks. So I was glad for some space this week, at the aptly named Geenlands (Green lands indeed) campus of HBS. What a difference from the more urban Whiteknights campus. And so I began to think about how important it is to deliberately build breathing spaces into our lives. I have been fortunate to have many breathing spaces in my career....breaks that were not planned, yet resulted in significant growth.  They have been wonderful and have given me the opportunity to step back, and engage fully with who I am becoming.

The Personal Development class provided space for relaxed, deep, cleansing and refreshing breaths. But one activity also made me think about the last breath that I will inevitably take. What will be the question that I may ask of myself in that final moment? I may ask myself, did I live a purposeful life? Did I enjoy my life? How will the world ever know I was here? What will be my legacy? I intend to use the breaths that I have to ensure that I can answer all of these questions in a way that will bring a huge smile to my face in that last breath. Until then, the MBA journey continues.....

Living my life as I dreamt it!

Last week, a noble son of Trinidad and Tobago passed away and his son captured his last moments on earth in a wonderful piece. I share the link below. Geoffrey Holder was a wonderful dancer and choreographer. He lived his life's passion and he died doing his life's passion. He was put on this world to dance and dance he did until his last breath, The story struck me and me me think to what extent am I, and others around me, living our passion? I am! I love where I find myself now...back being a student after completing a doctorate. Who could have ever thought? Someone said to me today, he never heard of anyone who had attained the highest academic qualification going back to school. Yet here I am, and I am not alone. You see, my passion is learning, and teaching, and learning some more. I teach best by keeping myself in learner mode. And being a student when you know the other side although sometimes challenging, is most enjoyable. I can feel myself growing. I am not standing still. So like Geoffrey, I will do my own dance, in my own time, in my own life, just as I dreamt it.


 http://www.npr.org/2014/10/09/354529748/this-impromptu-dance-geoffrey-holders-son-tells-one-more-story?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social

Equality or Equity?

One of my students brought this cartoon to my attention and I find it very useful to use to explore the concepts of equality and equity. 

Just too old.

I learned today that the operating system on my computer (Mac OS X 10.6.8) is too old to connect  to the university's wi-fi system. After two hours of trying, the IT assistant could not connect my computer. Thank goodness for my iPad-mini. But this event made me think...am I too old for this? Are there some university experiences that I cannot connect with because of my age and experience? I mean I have been there done this so many times before, but here I am again. What am I missing out on?