Inspire, Lead, and Succeed by GIVING BACK!

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more."

~Anthony Robbins

I want to thank all of my friends, clients, business associates and potential clients for supporting my journey for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Thank you so much!

Thanks to you I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of CAD 5,000.00 and without you none of this would have been possible. 

http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/karin.lindner

As a member of "Steve's Cyclepaths" team, I am proud to say that collectively our team of 150 individuals raised CAD 455,565.96. 

This weekend was certainly an emotional experience for me, especially since the whole journey started with the main purpose of supporting one of my best friends who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. However, I am glad to report that the cancer was caught early and the prognosis is excellent. 

This 2-day event was not only a great athletic, emotional, and mental challenge but it also made me realize just how many people really are affected by this debilitating disease. All the cancer survivors had yellow flags on their bikes and they are proud to show that they won their battle against cancer. If this doesn't give you goosebumps, I don't know what will. 

I am aware that not all of you are willing and ready to cycle more than 215 km in one weekend to demonstrate the strength and willpower to do everything it takes to conquer cancer. However, I believe the amazing lesson learned by participating in such an event is that it doesn't matter how you give back to the community as long as you do and that EVERYBODY should feel obliged to give back in one way or the other. 

Please don't be so consumed by living your life so that you forget to support others and/or worthy causes that deserve your attention.

So what are some of the things you can do?

• Donate money to a good cause
• Offer some of your services for free
• Participate in fundraising events
• Organize fundraising events
• Engage in some volunteer work
• Help friends and strangers with your advice
• Sign up as big brother or big sister
• Become a member of world vision
• Offer random acts of kindness to the people around you

I believe from the bottom of my heart that it does not matter what you do but I am convinced that when you give with sincerity, you will also receive. 

I am certainly glad that I participated in this journey and I can only encourage each of you to add an event like this to your bucket list.

You won't regret it, I promise!

Life is a Marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself

Please take a look at my contest speech at the Toastmasters International Speaking Competition!

It is my goal to become the best possible speaker I can be to serve and inspire my audience around the world!

Our Next FREE Workshop is at the Richmond Hill Central Library on June 8, 2010

We have scheduled our next workshop "Layoff During Difficult Times - The End or a New Beginning?" to give back to our community.

Did you lose your job?
Are you fearful and stuck, looking for guidance?
Are you ready to be pro-active and make a plan for your life?
Do you need help identifying and setting your goals?
Do you want a confidence boost and create more self-awareness?
Do you know someone who lost their job recently?
Do you want to move forward and find the right job for YOU?
Are you thinking about self-employment?

We can help! We provide a supportive and positive learning environment and empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. It is all about taking action and taking 100 % responsibility for your life and for your results!

Sometimes it's tough to stay positive considering all the fears and insecurities we have to deal with. However, we have learned from own experience that attitude is everything and it is our goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

Come and join us! It's time to sign up.....

Our commitment to you is to give you positive energy, a lot of new ideas and a fantastic workshop without any investment for you, except your time. If you give us your commitment to participate, please do not let anything prevent you from attending. It will be well worth your time and effort.

This attitude alone will separate you from others who are looking a job. I firmly believe, how you do anything is how you do everything!

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible."
- Rich Devos

When? June 8, 2010 from 6 pm - 8.30 pm
Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)

Manufacturing Excellence - Why Mindset Matters!

A mindset is a set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviours, choices, or tools. it is also sometimes described as "groupthink", or a "paradigm". Please consider my unconventional insights.....

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with HOPE!

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

~ Oscar Wilde

I have seen so many discouraged, disgruntled, and frustrated people over the past year and a half that I really started to ask myself: "What's missing the most?"

I believe it's the hope of a better tomorrow.

All of us noticed an immense lack of leadership during these difficult times. Anyone can lead when things are going well but when we stumbled into this economic downturn, many managers did not know how to deal with this new and unknown situation. For many of them it was unknown and never experienced territory.

So what does hope have to do with it?

If you are a realist or maybe a pessimist, it may be very difficult for you to grasp this concept because hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to certain events in one's life. Hope is the assured expectation that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

Do you think it's important for a leader to be able to communicate hope or is this something that won't bring any real value in the business world? 

If the creation of hope is only a lie, what about all the visionary leaders of the past like Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi and so many others, who all had the ability to encourage their followers to believe in a better tomorrow?

Can it be that many people have lost the ability of painting a better picture?

Is it because we can't or is it because we don't want to?

Is it because we can't see what's possible or is it because we have lost the ability to see what's possible?

Just imagine....

What would it be like if you and I could change the bad image manufacturing has at the moment?

What would it be like to feel pride when our kids choose to work in manufacturing?

What would it be like to have North American labels on our products?

What would it be like to work in an environment of high motivation and morale?

What would it be like to be encouraged to participate in the company's success?

What would it be like to work for the same goal and embrace our differences?

What would it be like to work in an environment of employee excellence where people strive to be their best?

Isn't it all perception? Making manufacturing fun and exciting is in our hands. We have to live the dream. 

Who is to say that we can't encourage hope and make it happen?

Does hope mean something or does it mean nothing?

I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Manufacturing Excellence - Work-Life Balance - Mission Impossible?

Work-life balance is an indicator of your overall health. Yet it seems that almost everyone has too much to do and not enough time to get things done. Many responsibilities are constantly competing for our time and energy. In order to achieve work-life balance it has to become one of your priorities! See how!

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!

If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all.  

- Joey Adams

Those of you who know me know that I am a firm believer in physical activity and for those of you who don't know me, I AM a firm believer in physical activity.

I don't think many people realize how important it is to integrate exercise into their lifestyle. It is about consistency and self-discipline. You have to do it all the time! You can't just work out once every two months and expect a change. You can't just start working out in April and expect to have the perfect body by the summer. Unfortunately that's not how it works....

If people tell me that they don't have time to exercise, it makes me smile. Excuses, excuses, excuses..... You find time for EVERYTHING in your life if it is important enough because then you will make it a priority. People have time to watch TV, to go to the coffee shop, to go out for dinner, to sit on the patio with a beer but there is no time to work out? Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong, these are all things I love to do as well but it is a matter of prioritizing your weekly activities and exercise has to be a part of it. If you don't make time for exercise, eventually you will have to make time for diseases. It is crucial to look after yourself. When you look in the mirror what do you see?

I want to be very clear, it is certainly not about having the perfect slim and muscular body we see all the time in these high gloss magazines. However, it is about feeling good about yourself, feeling strong and healthy. I know people who are slim but this does not mean that they are fit.... Fit means walking up the stairs without breathing heavily, fit means having good energy to get through the day, and fit means having a good immune system. 

It is my goal to encourage YOU to get moving! 

Why?

• Exercise improves brain power for problem solving if you work out 2 or 3 times a week
• Exercise creates endorphins with the side effect of happiness
• Exercise will boost your immune system
• Exercise will not only change your body but also your body image
• Exercise will increase your energy level
• Exercise will help you to conquer negativity
• Exercise will increase your creativity (jogging for the brain)
• Exercise will teach you that you can be in control of everything you do
• If you exercise, you will inspire the people around you to get started

Don't you think these are all good reasons to improve not only your personal life but also your work life?

How?

• Choose 3 days (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday) a week and work out religiously on these days - morning, lunchtime or evening, whatever fits your schedule best. 
• Make a plan and set your personal fitness goals - i.e. a 5 k run, losing 10 pounds, lowering your cholesterol level.... Whatever you choose - make it SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely)
• Find a training buddy! If you don't know anyone, join the Running Room or Running Free, a Tennis Club, an Outdoor Club for hiking, cycling, etc. - maybe it is time for you to find new friends?
• Start TODAY and not tomorrow - ready, set, go!!!

For me there is no doubt in my mind that body and mind are connected. It is important to understand how mental and physical fitness impact each other. Get serious about your workout and experience how your energy level, creativity and well-being will immediately improve.

Do it for yourself, do it for your family, and do it to inspire, lead and succeed!