On the other hand, the inspired job seekers … make connections. They reach out and connect with the companies they admire even if there is no job posting. They make connections between their past work and the role they want to fill. They connect the dots of their past experience and how relates to their passions. Most of all they connect with people, not just to get the job but because they want to form real relationships.

Most of us have tried both methods. I did in my recent job search as well.

In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to go online and apply, but it’s more important than ever to truly reach out and connect.

Sounds impossible I know.  I haven’t tried doing it either.

But maybe sometimes, it’s worth working on a problem that hasn’t been solved before.  Sure it’s risky, but the reward is also exponentially bigger if it actually works.

The safest thing you can do is pick a path that everyone would choose  But maybe greatness starts, by choosing a path that is the scariest.  Changing up the problem.  Turning the reality backwards.  Trying something that nobody else would.

Just a thought.

I also get the chance to start over at work.  I recently resigned from my old law firm  last week, and I’m about to walk out my front door to start a new job in less than one hour (I’ll post on my new role separately).

Sometimes, fresh starts are just what we need.  A chance to try something else, to reinvent yourself, to start working on something new.

But fresh starts don’t always have to be big.  Every day with a colleague, a friend, a spouse, a customer… it can be like starting over as well.   Think about it — it never helps to hold grudges or to focus too much on yesterday’s successes.  It’s better to start the day with new goals, new ideas, and new energies spent delighting those most important to you.

It was true in the NBA conference finals.  The OKC Thunder were up 3 to 1, but just lost the series to the Golden State Warriors who started each following game like it was a new series.

It’s also true in our workouts — yesterday’s 6 minute mile pace has no bearing on how fast we’ll run today; whether or not we held handstand at yoga yesterday has little impact on if we can hold it today.  You have to come out, be present and focus all over again.

If you are in a situation where you can’t get a new start … you might think about whether or not the situation is a good fit for you.  In the end, a chance to start over is always a chance to work toward something great.

There are a lot of reasons why it never makes sense to abstain from voting.

From the legal angle, if you don’t vote, then you aren’t thinking enough about the issues. The policies at stake are not only important, but they impact you profoundly.  If you consider the rules and policies of healthcare, education reform and unemployment a little more, you’d know just how much your voice mattered.

From the business side, I’d say this is a serious marketing problem. Not just from the candidates but from state government too.  How can you not exercise your most fundamental right to vote, to have a say, and to take part in shaping our most important economic issues.

If you don’t vote because you’re confused, then that doesn’t make sense.  There’s enough information out there to get more informed quickly and make a choice.

If you don’t vote because you think your state is already determined, then you might want to think again.  Because if everyone felt that exact way, then the numbers could swing in either direction very quickly. It’s the voters paradox. More importantly, the margin of victory in your district could still be a factor in the momentum any candidate gets during the election.

If you don’t vote because you don’t have the time, then make the time. I’m busy too, but spending a few minutes to register and vote is well worth the time.

If you don’t vote because you don’t like the game of politics, I understand, but don’t agree.  Half of the “game” of politics is a ploy by the news channels to get more eyeballs and make more money.  Another part is paid TV ads trying to get their party an advantage over the other.  But nothing unexpected given what’s at stake in two weeks.

The good thing about voting is this.

1. Voting is free. Or the price of a stamp if you mail your ballot in.
2. You can vote from anywhere, and send in an absentee ballot if need be.
3. You can take part in the outcome.
4. You can help shape the next four years of our nation (or of your local geography in other elections)
5. You can join the other thousands of people that will be doing the same.
6. You can influence other people in your community to vote.
7. You can exercise a right that people have fought and died for.
8. You can get smart about the issues.
9. You can take a stand for what you believe in.
10. You can get started learning and have a stronger voice next time.

The candidates are different. So are their policies, motivations and stories.

Every single person, in every state, city, district and county should absolutely exercise their right and privilege to choose.

In short, please vote.

In general, the legal market is heating up.  Lots of my friends have gotten calls from recruiters.  More corporate roles than litigation roles but in general many people I know are being solicited.

I didn’t leave my firm due to a random call since I had a recruiter friend I’d know for a bit.  But I did go through the process and I decided to join the firm in a pretty niche role, unlike many of the other opportunities for  young lawyers.

In general, I came here to support the growth of two brand new groups (with primary support for one group initially).  A borrower’s side finance group and a technology transactions group.

For the former, I help represent companies and entrepreneurs in lending and other types of financing transactions.  More often than not these are high-growth portfolio companies of Private Equity firms, but in general the types of companies are pretty broad.  We help them negotiate agreements with the banks who make the loans as well as help explain and document the entire process of the transaction.

For the latter group, the work stream is more general but the industry is more specific.  In general, I help represent 1) technology companies in a full range of activities, including raising money, exit, IP, general matters and also 2) non-tech companies who undertake certain tech-based activities such as licensing, joint venture agreements, etc.  3) Finally we also help represent investors in those companies, which could be angel or venture investors.

I’ve been on a few projects and deals thus far, and everything has gone smoothly.  One lesson I’ve learned for a second time now, is that it does take time to get fully integrated, like it would anywhere. I’ve had a few interesting things going already but I know there is a whole lot more to come over the next year.  Once a few interesting things start popping up, I’ll do my best to share any lessons learned along the way.

One thing I like about the role (and sought out) is that I am part of a small team, since I really just work with the one person in each group.  In a big firm it can be easy to get lost, so I purposely sought out working with micro-teams.  The benefits here are very clear – a smaller heirarchy, few people you rely on, easier to have discussions, and more speed and innovation than you could have in a big team.  This means that work can happen faster, feedback can be better and communication with the client can be more seamless.  It’s also good because there’s more alignment with workstream and scheduling leading to greater happiness of the team members.

My one piece of advice to anyone reading, is to seek that out.  Ever smaller teams where each person has ever more responsibility.

Stay tuned to hear how things go!  I am excited for the new beginning.

Daunting?  In retrospect, absolutely.  But I never thought about it in the moment.  I learned to take it one day at a time.

At a studio? Almost entirely. But I did come to see the value in home practice as well.

Which studio?  Core Power was my home studio.  But I branched out quite a bit as well.

Hot yoga? Most classes were hot and above 90 degrees, but I didnâ€t focus on Bikram style.

How long were your classes?  Studio classes ranged from 60 to 90 minutes. I typically spent 90 minutes for home practice.

By yourself? Yes and no.  I went to the studio by myself a lot.  However, when possible, I went with my friend Ruby.  Last spring, I went a with my Teacher Training “omies” (e.g. kind of like homies but in yoga terms) when I became a certified instructor.  During the 100 day Challenge, I went a lot with Leigh. And the last few months, I was lucky to find my amazing yoga partner B.  We yogz together just about every day and it’s usually the highlight of my day.

Does teaching count?  N/A.  I don’t teach a permanent class yet but I hope to soon.  But I did not include the community classes I taught or teacher trainings in my count.  As many of you know, being a student and being a teacher can present very different challenges and opportunities.

What did you take away?  A lot.  But here are the first thoughts that come to mind, without too much polish to keep it as real as possible.

For me, the 365 days wasnâ€t about setting any streaks or personal records.  In fact, I didnâ€t start day 1 with the intention of going for 364 more days.  I was just taking advantage of my free week.  I started with very different motivations.

Feeling Good.  The first was that doing yoga just felt really good. I remember that feeling from the very first class.  Iâ€d never worked so hard and felt great physically but also still had a sense of calmness and relaxation afterward.  This feeling did wonders when it was cold last winter and when my job felt stressful.  It was also just different than my normal routine.  After my first class with Maggie, I was immediately hooked.

Let’s Get Physical.  There was also the physical motivation.  At times, Iâ€ve wished my initial motivations were more profound, but I honestly just loved the workout, the stretches, the heat and the physicality.  A good sculpt class from folks like Conor at CPY is extremely physical.  And good vinyasa class has proven to be a far better workout than so many of my other activities.  I tend to get an  aerobic and strength training workout. I love working into poses.  And it can be so exciting when you finally nail inversions (thanks to Tricia for showing me what’s possible with inversions).

Looking Inside.  At some point a few months in, my internal motivations also kicked in.  I always love pushing myself, journeying into uncharted territories and trying out uncomfortable classes/poses to see how my body would respond.  In yoga, I found that I enjoyed the challenge of taking on classes and poses where I might fail (I really donâ€t like falling or failing so yoga helps me get better at this) and where I can push myself to see what I am made of.  Yes, physically but over time more mentally and spiritually.  In the process I became more comfortable with falling out of poses, getting tired and doing things incorrectly.  I still get embarrassed when I get tired and fall out of poses.  And I especially get embarrassed when falling out of inversions/handstands and instructors ask me if Iâ€m OK during the class (for some reason this always happens in Yaseminâ€s class), but I am learning to focus on the process as much as the outcome.  And I try to think about where my boundaries are (the ones Iâ€ve set mentally and the ones Iâ€ve imposed on myself when I am concerned about what people think).

The Resistance.   In the process, Iâ€ve found the opportunity to be more honest with myself about some of the fears I have and where my resistance lies.  The fears are some of the things I mentioned above – getting embarrassed when I get tired or fall.  And the  resistance is voice in the back of our heads reminding us of our boundaries.  Telling us to back off or that we canâ€t do it.  The one that makes us play it safe and care what everyone else thinks.  The power of the resistance has been clear throughout the entire 365.  In my first class when I was afraid someone would notice I hadn’t done yoga before.  Three months in became apparent to me when I pushed through classes to prove that I was athletic enough to get through anything.  A few months after that it was apparent when I wouldnâ€t try poses because I didnâ€t want others to see I couldnâ€t do it perfectly yet.  So instead, Iâ€d practice at home so nobody would see me fall.  And then the same thing happened with handstand. I didnâ€t try my first one until about 10 months in.   Even today, it happens with Feathered Peacock.  My shoulders are naturally tight, and so the pose still challenges me in ways that no other pose does so often times I wonâ€t try it in class.

And then again it happened on Day 366 when I decided to keep the streak going.  After an incredible practice on day 365, day 366 may have been the hardest day Iâ€ve had as a student.  I got tired and came to my knees 5 minutes into class, I left class to get water, and I had to take more than a few timeouts. The irony is that I felt great before the class, far better than the last few weeks.  Further, the classes in the days before were far more challenging.  So why did I get tired this class?   It was mental.  I listened to the voice that told me I was tired, even when I had more in me. That told me, I was finished after 365 so I didnâ€t have to get through class today. Sure we should all listen to our bodies in yoga, but I was listening to my head.  The challenge and opportunity with yoga then, is to quiet the resistance, which Iâ€ve gotten a lot better at since Day 1.  Itâ€s been a gift.

Patience.  Further to the point above, through the yoga postures, I am also learning to be more patient. You have to. Changes donâ€t usually happen right away. It takes time for change to settle in.  This is true for most things but especially when you practice yoga regularly. In the beginning, you see the physical changes rapidly and for me that was a great motivation to keep going. But later the changes starting happening much slower and it started taking far more time and dedication.  Unlike many sports (e.g. track, basketball or baseball) where you can measure results based on statistics and percentages, your yoga practice is more fluid and harder to measure.  One day your body might feel great and you land a handstand but the next day you might not be as open and you might struggle with basic postures.  Iâ€ve had no choice but to be patient and trust the process.  To be patient and OK with where my edge might be on any given day. The good news is, that patience and calmness has had a way of seeping into other things.  For me and most people I talk to it helps with our jobs; our reactions with family members; interactions with significant others and yoga partners.  I havenâ€t always been naturally patient but the last 365 days have done wonders for me and for that I am truly grateful.

Creating space.  In many cases though, the things above were the easy part. Creating space was often the hard part. At first, making time to travel to the studio after a day of stressful work, sacrificing the time to do other things (including my blog), getting up at 5am to go to 6am classes, carrying around a full bag of clothing during winters felt impossible.   But at some point, I realized that the hardest part is making up my mind. I remember when I did 100 days of yoga in 2013.  The first 75 days were difficult. I scrambled to the studio most days, barely made it into class and still forgot my towel most of the time. But by day 76 everything was exactly the opposite. It was a lot harder to not go to class. To miss how good I felt. To mess up my routine.  All because I committed to making space for it.

The idea of creating space also made its way into my personal life. When you donâ€t create space to find a new job, a true job search gets delayed. When you doesnâ€t carve out time to call their parents, you look back only to find you didnâ€t call nearly as much as you should have. And when someone doesnâ€t create enough space for relationships, things usually donâ€t work out either.  For me, I committed to all of the above and committing to doing things every day did wonders.

The Power of Everyday.  Iâ€ve been doing a lot of research about the power of once a day.  A past teammate and hero once said it best, that if you commit to doing something simple one time each day, at the end of the year you’ll turn your molehill into a mountain.  Donâ€t get me wrong,everyday for 365 days is lot and itâ€s almost 20 times more than the 21 days they say it take to create a habit. But in some many areas of my life, Iâ€ve seen that I didnâ€t achieve my goals when I couldnâ€t commit to every day.  Checking Facebook less.  Calling friends more. Cleaning out my email Inbox.  In part because I never created new habits.  But what I found over the past 365 days is that the discipline to do the hard work everyday (especially when you donâ€t want to) was the most relevant part. It adds up. One day at a time, one failed handstand at a time, and one drip of sweat at a time.

In the end, I think that creating space to do yoga every day has been a gift.  One that has helped refine the way I think and act, in all the ways I mentioned above.  I also feel better than I ever have physically.  I focus more on how I feel that what others think about me.  I feel lighter than ever and have a better yoga partner than ever.  All reasons why I kept going after 365.

So on Day 366 and beyond, I am going to dedicate the next part of my journey to helping others.  Help them try yoga for the first time, find their consistent practice and/or take yoga off the mat.  Iâ€ll be doing so as a student now, but hopefully as a teacher in the near future.

Thanks to all of those who were part of the journey.  I am grateful and canâ€t wait to see what all of you do next.

“Find the light, spread the light, be the light.”

Namasteâ€

Jeremy

Thousand applied to be part of the project (bit.ly/1a8FfZM) and just more than a dozen of us spent two weeks together in New York.

We built things, connected, failed and practiced being generous with the end goal of changing everything.  We created a beautiful business model, designed a platform, launched a minimum viable product and most importantly learned a lot from one of the foremost business gurus in the world.

Reflecting back from a 10,000 foot view, here are a few of the takeaways that stick with me a year later.

1.  Kindness.  Seth is one of the smartest people I’d ever met.  And just as importantly one of the kindest people Iâ€ve ever met.  Seth not only gave us complete accessibility to him and his house and office, but also spent full days with us the entire time.  He cooked us meals, shared his ideas, invited busy friends of his to come connect with us, gave us all the resources we could ever ask for and genuinely connected with us.

2.  Create art.  This project, like all of Seth’s projects are art.  They are used to create change and with the hopes of doing something that matters. Not to make money.

3.  Have a point of view.  Seth pushed each and every one of us to stand up and taken a stand.  In the end, it became very clear that it’s far more important to sustain an argument than it is to write and memorize facts.  And to do that in front of people whose opinions you care about.

4.  Stop hiding and ship.  Most of us spend a lot of time hiding.  Not sending out our work, not sharing our ideas and afraid to put stuff out into the world.  This is the resistance.  Seth encouraged us to stop hiding and to “ship”.  To show our work, get feedback, share and connect with others.  All 3,000 of your Facebook friends will still like you no matter how it turns out.

5.  Find the critical path.  According to Seth, “The longest string of dependent, non-compressible tasks is the critical path.” Every complicated project has it; a lot of people working on many elements, some of which are dependent on others.  The critical path is the most important variable which many things depend on. Focus on that!

6. Focus on the hard part.  Ask yourself, What’s hard? Why are you stuck? What’s in the way of where you are now and where you want to go?  And talk about it openly and honestly. Then leap forward.

7.  Rush early, not late.  It’s better to set aggressive deadlines early.  To change, change again and change again when you’re starting out. It’s cheaper that way.  The cost of changing is lower.  And it’s better for your peace of mind.

8.  Shun the skeptics.  There are a lot of people who won’t believe in your idea no matter what.  They’ll encourage you to give up or do something that’s safe.  The best way to deal with skeptics is to ignore them.  And for the thoughtful generous skeptics, the best thing to do is to understand their point of view, explore why they believe what they believe, and then decide what you want to do.

9.  Go. Go. Go.  Get to work. Make things that matter. Make a difference.  It won’t happen if you don’t start now.

Here is a video recap on the final day with tidbits from the team members (from http://vimeo.com/72428593).

Between meetings at work, where one meeting ends at 10AM and the next one begins at 10AM and you find yourself rushing from one meeting to the next, without any time to prepare.

When a project at work fails.  And you have to tell your boss what happened before starting on the next one.

When you lose your job and you have to find a new one, with limited time and money on your hands.

And in yoga, when itâ€s halfway through class, and the tough postures are starting.  The instructor calls out one tough pose, then another, then another.  Meanwhile, you’re exhausted and can’t imagine being graceful for one more second.

In life, we often get wrapped up in these endpoints.  We want to get deeper into poses, do well on our presentations, ace our interviews, move on to the next project, or get funding four our company.  And we tend to focus so much on the endpoints that we forget the importance of the process.  Of what we can learn from our experiences.  What we can take with us.  And how gracefully we can move between the endpoints.

Sure, periods of transition always carry with them a fear of the unknown.  But they also provide opportunity.  To do something you’ve never done before.  To find comfort trying something you’ve never tried before.  To learn.  To find balance and composure.  To fail gracefully and refocus your compass and radar to get closer to the right path.

Every big innovation that’s ever existed at some point hadn’t been done before.  Almost every best-seller came after 5 books that never made it big.  And almost every great yoga instructor spent time playing with awkward transitions.   But the people who found success failed often, focused more on the process than the outcome and learned to have grace when transitioning.

So it would seem to me grace during difficult and awkward transitions is one very important step to success.

Just a thought.

My friend and former MBA Kellogg classmate Angela Cain spearheaded the activity, which took place on Saturday, July 12 at 9-11am.  She organized it through the MLT Atlanta Chapter and the event was located at the Open Hand Campus in Atlanta, GA 30324.

Our activity was to make pantry bags for homebound seniors and undeserved individuals struggling with chronic, critical or terminal illnesses.  Open Hand is one of the largest providers of home-delivered, medically-appropriate meals and nutrition care centers.

For more information on the organization, you can visit Open Hand at www.projectopenhand.org.

Thanks to MLT and Open Hand for all your good work.  And to all my readers, it’s always great to give a few hours of your week to give back in any way possible.

A couple weeks ago,  I learned that

First off, a big thank you to Nora and Quiana, the two ladies who nominated me.  I love the support I received from New Leaders Council on this one.

After learning that I was selected, I sat down with the editors of Chicago to do a quick interview at a local restaurant in the River North neighborhoodfrom what I did in Chicago, my community activities, my job, what types of singles I was most interested in and of course, how I do yoga every single day.  They boiled my information down into a short profile and the mixed video with a few of the other singles (3-4 mins).

Last Friday, we also had the annual fundraiser! Previously the event has raised over $100K for patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and this event proved no different.  The Chicago History Museum was packed, and we had special VIPs from NBC and Northwestern to honor Chicago Magazineâ€s to Singles.

Like I always say, there’snothing better than being in great company while enjoying a glass of wine.  Although maybe just one thing, doing that  while raising money for a great cause on the first day of summer in Chicago.  See below for the online links.

Online profile - http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2014/Chicago-Singles/

Video (bottom of the page) – http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2014/Chicago-Singles/

Thank you Chicago for choosing me.

We kicked off the session discussing Josh’s background as well as the reading.  To prep for ourdiscussion, I sent a few articles to the group in advance of the session.

1. Mckinsey study:  Closing the Talent Gap

2. New Schools study:  Principal Effectiveness

The discussion around talent in the education space is always hot topic.  On one hand everyone knows about the importance of having great teachers and inspiring leaders in the education space.  After all, strong leaders can often change everything for students, especially those on the cusp.  Students who don’t have enough resources at home.  Students who might be behind a grade or two.  And students who need someone to ignite the fire within them.

That said, the incentives to enter the education space, especially as a teacher aren’t always great.  Not only is the pay lower than a majority of other fields, but the prestige is also lower.  Furthermore, the work can be hard and grueling and at times it feels like you can’t have an impact if you’re in a big school sytem.

On the other hand, we can look to countries like Finland that have figured out the dilemma.  Countries who attract and retain the most promising people to enter into teaching programs.   Countries that not only pay them well but also provide them with a platform to make change.  One program that does that in the US is Teach for America.  They recruit the best and the brightest undergrads to teach in underserved schools but the program’s main criticism is that the teachers rarely stay in the field and in the profession.  We addressed that and much more in our discussion with Josh.

Thanks to people like Josh, who are working on these issues not just in Chicago but beyond Chicago as well.  And Josh/TFA, thanks again for supporting the RTD program.

We kicked off the session discussing how we would be placing the Fellows next year before Sarah got to the room.  To prep for that discussion, I sent a few articles to the group in advance of the session, including these below discussing college persistence and OneGoal’s most recent success.

Article 1: Chicago Tribune 
Article 2: The Atlantic 

Sarah came in right as we finished up.  And she led the discussion for the next 90 minutes.

The discussion around college persistence among low income students is always a good one.  The discussion tends to go something like this.  On the positive side, going to college is an extremely important option for low income students.  Historically, going to college has been the best way to change the trajectory of the lives of first generation students.  It gives students access to things they’ve never seen before.   It prepares students to succeed professionally and live a more fulfilling life.  And it provides them with a more legitimate chance to compete in our ever changing but ever more unequal economy.

On the other hand, many people think that this is easier said than done. That low income students facing larger hurdles when trying to get to college. That money may be better spent in early education if you want to maximize the statistical impact. And that the value of college is changing; that a college degree is no longer a clear predictor of success.  These are all tough questions; but also questions that Sarah fielded and the fellows discussed.

Thanks to people like Sarah and my friend Jeff Nelson (founder of OneGoal) who are working on these issues not just in Chicago but beyond Chicago as well.  And thanks again for supporting the RTD program.

As a side note, please consider attending OneGoal’s Gala on May 6, 2014.  I plan to be there.

There are more than 5 Billion people in the world. Now, imagine each one of them participates in a mandatory lottery. Imagine that printed on each ticket were the circumstances that would dictate the rest of each personâ€s life. And imagine these were the numbers on the ticket:

• Race
• Sex
• Birthplace
• Government
• Parent names, income and jobs
• IQ (normal distribution)
• Weight, height, hair color, etc.
• Personality traits
• Health risks

First, if you are reading this blog post online right now, itâ€s likely that you had a pretty good ticket.

Further, if you practice yoga at a studio here in the US, the same thing is probably true.

But if you think about the entire world, the probability of you drawing a “good” ticket would seem improbable. The chance of you being born in a city US, with an average IQ, normal income, good health, good parents is 1 in a billion. Let alone having internet, attending college and belonging to a yoga studio.

When you look at it this way, practicing gratitude becomes way more obvious. And while it isnâ€t something Iâ€m always good at, it has proven me to be one of the most extraordinary ways of living a better life. Helping me to not just be content but also to be more generous to everyone around me.

So I am going to dedicate the next part of the 100 days to being grateful. And I hope a few others will join me. Let us spread gratitude for the generous ticket weâ€ve been offered. Let us be grateful for the time and space to practice yoga. And let our light shine so others can do the same.

Namaste!

Isnâ€t CrossFit a better workout? Why do you like that Teacher X? Why would you do yoga for 100 days straight?

As though I only do yoga for the physical workout.  And little did they know that Teacher X happens to be one of my favorites (and a Yogi 1oo participant).

The discussion about Common Core is always a good one no matter what side of the fence you sit on.  We kicked off the session discussing the Pros and Cons before the speakers got to the room to get the discussion going.  To prep for that discussion, I sent a few articles to the group in advance of the session, including these below:

New York Times article on the common core

The Atlantic article  on the Schoolmaster

USA Today Article on Bill Gates  and the Myths of the common core

The debate goes something like this:

On the positive side, the Common Core standards will allow states to know how they are doing.  They can compare standardized test scores against other states, increase the standards and rigor in the classroom.  This means that the student should be better prepared for college and likewise, it means that over time all states will theoretically have the same level or rigor, so if a student moves to a new city, county or state, the level of education elsewhere will be simillar.

On the other hand, many people think that this is easier said than done. That the execution is not only difficult but perhaps impossible.  Not only will the standard be a tough adjustment for students but also for the teachers initially.  It is not the way many teachers are used to teaching and now they are being asked to change their style and content and get evaluated on it.  Likewise it’s also not the level of learning students have been asked to do for the past three decades.  Moreover, there is not a good plan in place for students with special needs and the standards don’t do much to account for different starting points of students.

On the other hand, some people remained optimistic, understanding these challenges are similar to those that come with running any school, and making change in the education space.  They realize that there is a lot of work to be done, and increasing standards of learning is one step we need to get there, among others.

We talked about all of these hard topics and more in our session last night with Melinda and Melissa. Thanks to programs like Revive the Dream  and Education Matters we hope to continue to help spread ideas about the issues equip up and coming leaders to solve these education issues over time.

Thanks to Melinda and Melissa for coming to speak to our Fellows.

* Below is a photo of Melissa Zaikos speaking to the group about her time at CPS and her role as CEO at Intrinsic Schools

* Below is a photo Melinda Spooner speaking to the group about her role as Executive Director of the Achievement Network in Chicago.

We saw so much energy from people in the first week.  From those making use of home practice, to others drudging through the snow, to one of our Yogis practicing in Canada and another practicing on the road at the airport!

Here are some photos from the week!

Lisa (and her puppy) practicing in the light!

Liz doing Acroyoga at home

Dominika (our most prolific blogger so far) showing that the snow cannot stop her!

Christine’s Home Space Away from Home

Darrah practicing with a few friends

Andrea excited to get started on Day 1.

Michelle practicing at DFW. Very nice!

Leigh, Hector and Vivian having some acro-fun on Day 7

Carla practicing on Day 1.  We found you!

Maggie defying gravity

Kim doing yoga … or flying.

Mariel showing us what is possible on day 101. Well maybe for you.

More to come later!

Original post here on our YOGA 100 BLOG

I think about some of my other attempts to do things that may not have gone so well. The failed attempt to floss every day. Check Facebook less. Or call friends more often. The reason they don’t work is that I didnâ€t change habits.

But committing to doing things up front does wonders. I recently did my first 100 days of yoga at the end of 2013.  Within a week of starting, I knew I wouldnâ€t be giving it up anytime soon and committed to it. The first 75 days were really hard. I scrambled to the studio most days, barely made it into class and still forgot my towel half the time. But by day 76 everything was exactly the opposite. It was a lot harder to not go to class. To miss how good I felt. To mess up my routine. And after taking just a single day off, I went 50 more days in a row leading up to this challenge. All because I committed up front.

In the end, I learned that you donâ€t all of a sudden get new habits, you build them. One day at a time. One asana at a time. One drip of sweat at a time.

The yoga isn’t the hard part (especially for the amazing Yogiâ€s participating here), it’s the commitment. Making time. Going once a day.

Drip, drip, drip.

When the economy went south a few years ago, the first thing to do is think of yourself first. How do you get a job out of grad school? How will you pay back your loans? When you have a bad day at work, many people take it out on the people they run into, or close themselves off until they get home.

But it turns out that now more than ever we are rewarded for being generous.  Generous not just with your money, but with your time, your ideas,  your talent and the products you create.

Taking time to respond to someone who needs your help.  Talking to them about your job, your industry or your school.  Taking time to ask questions rather than talk about yourself. To not just listen but hear their story and show empathy.  Taking time to help someone open a door, or let someone pass you in line when they are in a hurry.

It turns out that when you do these things naturally (not for a reward) people will gravitate to you.  And they’ll do it quickly.

In today’s internet driven world, this is even easier, since we are more “connected” to people, but as a result more “disconnected” than ever.  Giving someone the gift of your time and attention will help you stand out, help create a real connection, make people feel more human and give you the potential to make more change than ever.

So why not give it a try?   Invite someone to an event you’re hosting as a special guest.  Share information on a new project you’re working on that might delight them. Create a community of people in your town to come together and find change.  Listen to more people’s stories.  Hold the door open for someone.

It doesn’t always matter what you do, but sometimes the smallest things sometimes make the biggest difference.  So start small. Today is a perfect day for small acts of generosity

Just a thought.

The office isn’t Costa Rica, and it’s also not the beach.  But instead it’s getting out of the office.  Stepping away from emails. Being out in the country. Being away from the hustle and bustle and instead being at the beach and the mountains.

In those places, it’s like having my own office. More time to think and write. Spending time  with the best company. Having the best views and the best time to think. And of course having time to meditate and do more yoga.

Instead of writing emails to clients, I wrote blog posts, scribbled in my journal, and took photos. I caught up with friends and did yoga in the sunlight.  And in the end I felt renewed and had more ideas than ever.  I even started the blog for Yoga 100 (and now have a lot more participants) and managed to come back to happier … all while having an experience I won’t forget.

In short, we are often very productive at work and at home. But sometimes, it’s good to change things up and find your secret office. Sometimes you can get more done than ever, all in just a few hours, and spend the rest of the time enjoying the trip.

Just a thought.

(This is a view from my office in Costa Rica)

I hear people talk about these questions all the time. And often times, I like to bring up the topics in my small group sessions I do.  Often times, I’ll share my experiences with them and one of them is from my recent time of doing 100 days of yoga.

Over the past few weeks I’ve shared the experience. And the response has been better than expected.   So we’ve created a project for people to do the same thing in 2014,  to complete 100 days of yoga and meditation and find change for themselves.

We have a blog.  It’s totally free to read and share.

It took a lot to get here. A lot of yoga,  a lot of making time, and a lot of conversations about it.  So I encourage you to take a few minutes to check it out after we get started on 2/1.  And perhaps consider joining.

http://yogi100.wordpress.com/blog/