Fake nails, custom decals and taking risks

Sometimes I wonder why things are the way they are. Actually, I wonder this frequently, about many things. For example, why do Starbucks go by tall, grande, and venti when the rest of the world seems to do just fine with small, medium and large? Or, why do people wear fake nails when the second you put them on your functional abilities decrease significantly. Today I even wondered why I sent my boss an email about the “promotion meetings”, when I clearly meant our “probation meetings.” Minor detail, I guess. Even as i got out of my car this evening, I wondered why I managed to find a Sunfire with custom decals flaming on the sides of the doors.

I would love to know why Starbucks name their sizes the way they do, the functional ability of fake nails, the reason why I made such an outrageous spelling error to my boss, and why my car is so noticeable in comparison to the rest of the vehicles on the road.

Or, maybe I wouldn’t?

Here’s a thought. In the first years of Starbucks, I’m sure they questioned why they were about to embark on a risky road of uncertainty. I’m sure they were worried that the public wouldn’t be receptive of this change; however, they did it anyways. And then there are fake nails. Sure, sometimes your ability is compromised, however maybe it is that one thing that your ‘evening outfit’ needs to just top it all off. Then comes the email. You’re probably wondering how something good could come out of that. Let’s just say the word “promotion” planted a seed. And then my car! In the beginning I questioned the custom decals; however I took a chance on the car because it had been good for the previous owner, so maybe it could be just the same for me.

Now, look at where Starbucks is. They are a huge franchise, with incredible success. I guess the unique naming of the sizes wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Or, the fake nails. I currently have some on now, and I can’t seem to stop staring at my hands because they look so lovely! There’s not too much wrong with a boost of self esteem, in my opinion. And then there is my spelling error to my boss. Well, let’s just say that i have an interview on Monday for a permanent position. Lastly, my car! To put it frankly, i have put money into oil changes and that is about all. Can’t complain too much about that.

What am I trying to say? Take a chance. Do something that you are unsure about. You never know how it may turn out.

Posted by Becky Molly, ACTIVATE 2010 volunteer

When all you see are No Parking signs, don’t give up

Picture this. You’re driving around a parking lot, where there are no empty spots, until out of the corner of your eye you see a vacant space where you will surely fit in. Normally you hate parallel parking, but it looks like you have no choice. After manoeuvring your car into the space, you feel satisfied with yourself.

But then you look up and see it. Suddenly all your hard work is erased and you’re back to square one. Directly beside your passenger door is a sign that says No Parking. Tow Away Zone. Great, now where will you park? You circle the parking lot for what seems like hours, but nothing is becoming available to you. You’re convinced the world is against you.

There are going to be moments when you’re trying to make a positive change in your community and the only signs that seem to appear are the No Parking. Tow Away Zone. It can be so discouraging. I can remember so many times where I was attempting to do good, but nothing but bad was presenting itself.

Here’s an example. After only two weeks of being back at home after eight months of being away at school, I was hoping on a plane to move to Ontario. I had decided where I needed to be for the summer was in Paisley, Ontario working at a camp for intellectually challenged adults. However, instead of landing in Ontario with welcome banners and balloons to greet me, it was one emotional struggle after the next. One week into my stay all I wanted to do was hop on a plane back to BC. I was trying to make a difference, but the world wanted nothing of it.

You’re back in the car. You drive around that parking lot for what seems like hours, and you know what? A spot became available eventually. It might have taken longer than you expected, but it came nonetheless. The same can be said about my move to Ontario. In the beginning it didn’t seem like things were going to get better, but they did. In fact, my summer spent in Ontario has had such a huge impact on my life up to date, and I don’t know where I would be without my experience at that camp.

What am I trying to tell you? Be persistent.

There are going to be moments in your life when you are convinced that the only spots left are tow away zones, but hang in there. Continue to focus on your goal, and reassure yourself of the importance that goal has to you. Eventually your persistence is going to pay off, after all “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” (Dale Carnegie)

Posted by Becky Molly

Rêveurs du Canada: Kara Zakrzewski, athlète de volley-ball de plage

La plupart des gens, quand ils pensent à du sable, pensent à se détendre sur une plage ensoleillée. Pour Kara Zakrzewski cependant, le sable n’est pas un endroit pour se relaxer. Pour elle, le sable est la fondation sur laquelle ses rêves olympiques sont construits.

Zakrzewski, qui habite à Mississauga, a commencé à jouer au volley-ball de plage en 1997, pour maintenir sa forme physique pour le volleyball intérieur. Rapidement, elle est tombée en amour avec le volley-ball de plage. En particulier, elle dit qu’elle aimait « l’athlétisme de jouer à chaque tour ».

En 2006, Zakrzewski gagne le Championnat canadien de volley-ball de plage, une de ses plus grandes réalisations professionnelles. Depuis, elle travaille fort pour se qualifier pour les Jeux olympiques d’été de 2012.

Réaliser ses rêves est important pour Zakrzewski. Depuis les huit dernières années, elle fait des présentations de motivation avec l’Équipe Esteem. Elle inspire les jeunes à la suivre sa philosophie Dream Bigg: « Croyez; Inspirez-vous-même; Identifiez un objectif; et Allez-y! » Zakrzewski est d’avis que lorsque vous suivez ces principes, « vous pouvez réussir à quoi que ce soit dans la vie. »

Malheureusement, le financement présente un obstacle énorme à la réalisation des rêves - que ce soit dans les sports, la musique, ou à l’école - pour beaucoup de ces jeunes. Zakrzewksi le sait trop bien. Il y a beaucoup des coûts associés au fait d’être une athlète, pour l’entraînement, les compétitions et les voyages. Zakrzewski a donc essayé d’obtenir 12 000$ en douze jours en décembre dernier pour appuyer ses rêves olympiques en 2012. Avec l’appui de ses amis, de sa famille, de sa communauté, et des sociétés commanditaires, elle a recueilli 10 000$.

Bien que Zakrzewski regrette que la collecte de fonds prenne du temps qu’elle pourrait passer en entraînement, elle aime passer du temps à inspirer les jeunes. « Si je peux parler à l’enfant qui deviendra le prochain premier ministre, c’est bien plus important que d’aller aux Jeux olympiques», explique-t-elle. Comme le rêve de chaque athlète est de participer aux Jeux olympiques, cette philosophie en dit beaucoup sur la différence que Zakrzewski fait au Canada.

Pour en savoir plus sur Kara Zakrzewski et son programme Dream Bigg, veuillez visitez son site web.

Connaissez-vous un canadien ou une canadienne avec un grand rêve? Nommez-le ou la pour notre prochain profil Rêveurs du Canada. Envoyez un email à Ranita à rmanocha (arrobase) alumni (point) uwo (point) ca.

Partagé par Ranita Manocha

Canadian Dreamers: Kara Zakrzewski, Beach Volleyball Player

When most people think about sand, they think about lazing around on a sunny beach. For 30-year-old Mississauga native Kara Zakrzewski, however, sand is no place for slacking off. It’s the stuff Olympic dreams are built on.

Zakrzewski first started playing beach volleyball in 1997, as a way to stay in shape for indoor volleyball. She quickly fell in love with playing on the sand, however; particularly, she recalls, with the “athleticism demanded from being involved in every play.” The fact that diving for the ball was a little less painful also made the decision easier.

In 2006, Zakrzewski won the Canadian Beach Volleyball National Championship, one of her biggest professional accomplishments. Since then, she has been working hard towards qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.

Chasing dreams is important to Zakrzewski. As an eight-year motivational speaker with the Esteem Team, she spends a lot of time inspiring youth to follow her Dream Bigg philosophy: “Believe; Inspire yourself; Goal set; and Go for it!” Zakrzewski believes that when you follow these basic fundamentals, “you can succeed at anything in life!”

Unfortunately, finances present a huge barrier to achieving dreams – whether in sports, music, or school – for many of these youth. Zakrzewksi knows this firsthand. There are significant costs associated with being a competitive athlete, such as coaching, training, competing, and travelling. Thus in order to support her 2012 Olympic dreams, Zakrzewski attempted to raise $12 000 in 12 days last December. With the support of friends, family, community, and corporate sponsors, Zakrzewski raised an incredible $10 000.

Although Zakrzewski regrets that raising money takes time away from training, she loves spending time inspiring youth. “If I can talk to the kid who becomes the next prime minister, that’s far bigger than going to the Olympics,” she explains. When every athlete’s dream is to compete at the Olympics, that says a lot about the difference Zakrzewski is making in Canada.

To learn more about Kara Zakrzewski and the Dream Bigg program, visit Kara’s website.

Know a Canadian with a big dream? Nominate him or her for our next Canadian Dreamer profile by contacting Ranita at rmanocha (at) alumni (dot) uwo (dot) ca.

Posted by Ranita Manocha

Attending ACTIVATE: my perseverance paid off

I was walking into Law class, discussing the ACTIVATE application with a friend of mine. As I sat down a girl behind me was curious to know what we were talking about. I explained to her what it was about, and she said that she was going to go home and apply that night. I didn’t dwell on it too much at the time and continued on with my day.

A few weeks later, she came up to me and said that her references were contacted. I was a little taken back because I knew mine hadn’t been contacted. A few days after that she excitedly came up to me at school and said she was accepted for the conference! Soon she was in the town newspaper and was getting a lot of attention due to this amazing accomplishment. I was so disappointed. I started wondering if I hadn’t told her about the conference, would I have been the Port Alberni girl they picked instead?

I remember the day she came back from the conference. My first question was, “what are you going to do for your ACTIVATE in Action plan!?” She didn’t seem as excited as I was. I didn’t understand! All I wanted was an opportunity to learn more, and I didn’t get that. It was so frustrating to see everyone take my chance away from me. Or, so I thought. I continued on with my life, went to university, and made a name for myself at Dalhousie University.

One day I was checking my email and noticed an email from ACTIVATE. It was encouraging me to apply for the 2009 conference. The disappointment that I felt from getting “rejected” definitely came back, but an emotion far stronger took over. Passion. Drive. Motivation. An urge to promote physical activity in the lives of youth. I spent my day on the application and clicked “Submit”. Although I didn’t know if I was going to get accepted, I knew I couldn’t give up. The ACTIVATE conference promotes the idea of pursuing dreams and overcoming adversity to do so, and I was doing just that.

And it paid off.

On a freezing day in Halifax, Nova Scotia I opened my email to see “Congratulations, you have been selected for the ACTIVATE 2009 Conference.”

Don’t give up on your dreams. If you want something bad enough, it’s worth fighting for. I may have not have been chosen the first time around, but I can tell you, it was well worth the wait.

Posted by Becky Molly

Becky was a delegate at the ACTIVATE 2009 National Youth Leadership Conference and was selected as a volunteer for the ACTIVATE 2010 conference.

ACTIVATE experience, Part 2

Learn more about Braeden Jones’ experience with the ACTIVATE National Youth Leadership Conference in 2009!

For more information on ACTIVATE.

Visit our YouTube channel.

Posted by Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

ACTIVATE experience, Part 1

In this video blog entry, Braeden Jones describes his experience at the ACTIVATE National Youth Leadership Conference in 2009. He talks about the skills that he learned, the meaningful friendships that he made and the difference that his participation made in his life.

Visit Motivate Canada’s YouTube Channel for more!

Posted by Eleonore Fournier-Tombs

There’s a sport for everyone

When I was young, my grandmother had this book of poetry. It was an old, tattered English textbook; not a big, heavy tome, but a small hardcover book somewhere in size between the third and fourth Harry Potters. We would assemble in the living room on a cold, dark wintery afternoon, and wait for her to read to us. The way she read, even the most energetic brats (an accurate description for most of us) would sit in silent awe; it was a skill that she had cultivated over her many years of reading to her children and students.

She would look out at us, her assembled grandchildren sitting haphazardly around her arm chair, and she would ask: “Who should I read for first?” We’d all chorus, “Me! Me!” and she would invariably tell us with practiced patience, “Not to worry, there’s a poem for everyone.” And there always was.

A shrewd car salesman will tell you that there’s a car for everyone, a responsible guidance counselor will tell you that there’s a career for everyone, and Disney will tell you there’s a true love for everyone.

That’s how I feel about sport.

If you don’t like to run, there’s a sport out there for you. If you (like me) suffer from a terminal lack of coordination, it doesn’t mean that you can’t play sports. If you are short (me), if you are slow (also me), if you are told that you will never be a natural athlete (me), there is still a sport for you.

The challenge is finding your sport.

It shouldn’t matter what your body type is, what your natural abilities are, or where you come from. Sport exists is such variety that everyone should have the opportunity to be active.

The first step in activation should be education, letting everyone know that there is an opportunity to participate, have fun, and stay active in sport no matter your age or ability level. More options need to be presented to young people, to work against the misconception of: all-star athlete or nothing at all. The broad and beautiful spectrum of sport should be presented and supported to promote activity, to support young people in cultivating a healthy lifestyle, and to craft an all-encompassing attitude toward sport where no-one is left along the sidelines, falsely believing that there is no place on the active team for them.

There really is a sport for everyone, and knowing that is the first step.

Posted by Mychal Martin

Mychal attended the ACTIVATE Conference in 2004.

She lives in Calgary, Alberta and believes that without hardship, one has no measure of courage, determination, strength and will.

Shaking Things Up: A How-To Guide for Dreamers

If you’re reading this blog, you probably have some great ideas about changing the world. But thinking about all the “things that need changing” in our schools, cities, and global community can seem pretty daunting.

In 2007, I received funding through the ACTIVATE in Action program to run a conference for high school students of all physical abilities. In the span of just 10 weeks, my team of youth volunteers and I created “Shake Things Up!”

Here are some of the lessons I learned from the experience. I hope that they help you get your own projects off the ground, because if there’s one thing we as young people are good at, it’s shaking things up!

1) Pick ONE THING that you’re passionate about… Whether it’s starting an intramural program at school or fighting poverty, pick one thing that you really – I mean deep-down-in-your-bones-REALLY – want to do. This will help you focus your thoughts and actions when making your dream a reality.

2) …then write stuff down. Try to articulate exactly WHAT it is that you want to change, and HOW you plan to go about changing it. What you write at this point probably won’t be your most enlightening work; it probably won’t even look like what you ultimately end up doing! But writing your ideas down will again give you a clearer focus.

3) Find a SCUBA buddy. For safety reasons, even professional SCUBA divers dive in pairs. So stay safe: find someone else who shares your passion and can help get your idea off the ground. Your buddy (who hopefully works in your field of interest) can help you brainstorm, network, and troubleshoot your way into making your project a success.

4) Just ask. You will be blown away at the number of people willing to help you out. In just one month, our volunteer team secured support from 16 sport and healthy living organizations, recruited a Paralympic athlete to come in and speak, had a school donate gym and conference facilities, and got a lawyer to help us out with our liability forms. The worst that could happen is that people say no. Which still leaves you with 6 billion other potential yes’.

5) Be like the Gumbi. No matter how much you are your “buddies” prepare for your project, things will not go as planned. Don’t freak out. Just be flexible – like those amazing Gumbi Dolls – and do the best you can to adapt to the situation. Remember that your project does not have to be perfect; even small changes can have far-reaching effects.

Special thanks to the Future Leaders of Ontario and Orphanage Outreach for the analogies in #3 and #5, respectively. This article was based on “Creating Change at Home”, a presentation Ranita gave at the 2007 ACTIVATE Conference.

Posted by Ranita Manocha

Ranita participated in ACTIVATE 2004, 2006, and 2007 and ran one of the first ACTIVATE in Action projects. She is currently studying medicine at UBC and dreams about improving the field of Rehabilitation Medicine.