Hi!

I just returned from a fantastic course called Train-the-Trainer. In this course, we spent over 60 hours (in 4.5 days) learning how to provide continual value to our workshop participants and how to use accelerated learning techniques so that people actually learn quickly and get this, remember what they learned!

Because I like to put to use what I learned, I am offering you a FREE 1.5 hour workshop called "Me First, Guilt Free: Tools and Techniques to Care for Yourself." No gimmicks or hidden agendas, just a FREE workshop. I am not trying to "get one over on you" or trick you in any way. This is a genuine workshop packed full of useful tools and techniques. My gift to you.

One workshop will be in Chilliwack and one workshop will be in Vancouver. The workshops will be in January 2010, from 1900-2030 on one evening during the week.

Everyone is invited. Bring your friends, family, neighbours, anyone who you think this FREE workshop would benefit.

I have one request - please email me if you are interested. I need to have a certain amount of people thinking about attending before I go ahead and make all the arrangements. Just email me and write either "Chilliwack" or "Vancouver" and that will give me approximate numbers.

Please accept my gift to you!

Barb Langlois

Contact Me

Article ~

"There's nothing greater in the world than when
somebody on the team does something good,
and everybody gathers around to pat him on the back."
~ Billy Martin

Standing Ovation

by Barb Langlois

I just returned from attending a 4.5 day intensive course called Train-the-Trainer. We spent over 60 hours learning, practicing, giving and getting feedback on how to continually provide value to our workshop participants. One thing we had to do (I guess we didn’t have to, if we really didn’t want to) was participate in “Outrageous Night.” Outrageous Night was intended to help us, as trainers, get out of our comfort zone and do something that we wouldn’t normally do on stage. Have you ever done something like that? No, me either.

Well here was our outrageous act - we had to pick a song, get up on stage and sing it, in front of everyone. Not only that, we had to wear an “outrageous costume” to go with the song! Each person had to sing for one and a half minutes. If you stopped singing or kind of mumbled the words, the music stopped and you had to sing ACAPPELLA! Let me tell you it was the longest one and half minutes of my life. My sister has led me to believe I’m tone deaf, so carrying a tune is not something I believe I know how to do and my dad always said “if you can’t sing Good, sing Loud!” I’m sure you get the picture. I was HORRIBLE!

Now, what I really want to share with you is what the hardest part of this whole outrageous act was. It wasn’t finding a costume, picking a song or even standing in the bright spotlight of the stage, singing. While each of those things had their own degree of difficulty, the most difficult part came at the end of the singing. You see, we had to stand at the front of the stage with our arms out stretched and receive a 10-15 second standing ovation. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

I know, for me, this was really hard to do – to take in all the clapping, cheering and hootin’ and hollerin.’ It wasn’t that I was this great singer (that was clear to everyone there), rather the ovation was that I actually got up and did an outrageous act! I grew! Wow! When my turn was over, I went and watched the rest of the people from the front row. Here’s what I saw – people way out of their comfort zone trying to sing on stage, but then literally shaking as they tried to hold back tears, as they stood at the front of the stage to receive their standing ovation. Many, many people backed away from the standing ovation (meaning they backed up on stage or tried to walk away). Some people tried to stop the ovation with their hands, but then the ovation just got louder and longer. As I watched person after person do essentially the same thing (just a quick comment that a few people easily received the ovation) it occurred to me that this is how we often show up in life.

Have you ever deflected appreciation or acknowledgment? Made a comment like “oh, it’s nothing,” “it only took a minute,” “It’s no big deal?” Have you ever walked away while people are still clapping for you? Have you ever turned down someone offering to pay for your coffee, lunch or treat? I don’t know about you, but I do that sometimes. It’s something I’m working on changing because as we learn to accept appreciation and acknowledgment for what we do or say, it validates our presence in the world. It fills us up and allows us to give even more. It also says “I made a difference and someone noticed. Thank you.”

The other part of the equation is: have you ever been the person giving the appreciation or acknowledgment and the person you’re giving it to, refuses to accept it? Doesn’t that feel horrible? We actually rob other people of their gifts to us when we refuse to accept their appreciation or acknowledgment.

I know I’ve written about giving appreciation before, but I was impacted so greatly at “Outrageous Night” that I believe it warrants more attention.

Here’s what I would like to suggest:

Acknowledgment and appreciation are wonderful gifts to receive. If you are on the receiving end, I challenge you to openly accept what is freely being given to you. If you are the giver, I challenge you to give whole heartedly and to give often.

In my opinion, we all deserve a standing ovation. Have you received yours today?

Barb's Signature

Barb Langlois RN BSN MSN
Speaker and Seminar Leader
(1) 604.819.1888
www.BarbLanglois.com

e-Mail me at: barb@barblanglois.com

P.S.
I’m offering you a FREE 1 ½ hour workshop called “Me First, Guilt Free: Tools and Techniques to Care for Yourself.” No gimmicks or hidden agendas, just a free workshop. My gift to you. Don’t worry – no outrageous acts or challenges involved.

P.S.S.
I’m planning on doing one workshop in Chilliwack and one workshop in Vancouver. The workshops will be in January 2010, from 1900-2030 on one evening during the week.

P.S.S.S.
Here is my one request – please email me if you are interested (or even slightly considering coming). I need to have a certain amount of people thinking about attending before I go ahead and make all the arrangements. Just email and write either “Chilliwack” or “Vancouver” and that will give me approximate numbers.

P.S.S.S.S.
Bring your friends, family, anyone who you think would benefit from this free workshop.

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