Trick or Treat for UNICEF

Laura and I are doing an Online Course on Living and Working on Purpose through the Modern Elder Academy.

The Course exercises ask one to remember past times when they were purposefully contributing to a cause or community.

This exercise reminded me of this 2009 blog where I wrote about Trick or Treat for UNICEF when I was ten.

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

It’s Saturday, October 24, 2009, and I’m creating a new PowerPoint and assignments for Breakthrough! – How To Breakthrough “The Plateauing Out Syndrome”!

I’ve got my hands full this week with creating a second PowerPoint, the second entitled There Is Nothing New! – How To Use Old Ideas In “The New Normal.”

I am also preparing the marketing material for the;

• Clear Your Roadblocks One-Day Workshop 
• Clear Your Roadblocks Coaching GYM Program
• Modifications for the Private Web Site we are building … and have it done by Friday, October 30, 2009.

All this is in advance of four speaking presentations next week in Windsor, Toronto, and Kelowna.

So what will I do for my Blogs this week is t6o share my personal experience of having taken myself through the assignments for Breakthrough! – How To Breakthrough “The Plateauing Out Syndrome”! What is that expression, don’t ask anyone to do anything that you are not willing to do your self?

Assignments for Breakthrough! – How To Breakthrough “The Plateauing Out Syndrome”!

Action Step 1 – Write a Story in as much detail as possible about when you were challenged and how you did whatever it took to succeed.

When I was ten, I went to St. Mary’s Catholic School, where nuns and regular teachers taught me.

Before Halloween, the school gave out Trick or Treat for UNICEF collection boxes with the idea that children could collect both their candies and money for UNICEF.

As I reflect on my 10-year-old mind, I had caring and empathy for others less fortunate than me and wanted to help.

I told my friends Heinz and Werner about the Trick or Treat for UNICEF collection boxes. and we thought that the UNICEF collection might interfere with the full pillow case haul of candy we had planned to do from Trick or Treating from 5:30pm – 10:00pm at night. In those days one could roam the streets unattended. 

What to do?

Halloween was on a Wednesday that year, so we collected for UNICEF the Saturday afternoon before.

I walked down the middle of the street, and Heinz and Werner did the door knocking on the left and right of the street and brought the money and put it in the collection box, and I would have to run up to the door the odd time to validate our collection by showing the Trick or Treat for UNICEF collection box. There was the odd, old geezer that wanted a Trick, so I did the singing;

Halloween, Halloween

Witches, bats

Old black cats

Strangest night of all the year

That is the best I can do; I can’t remember the password to my e-mail let alone a Halloween song.

We ended the day at the candy store. I made a corporate decision that we should reward ourselves with a pop and candy bar because we had done such a great job.

So Thursday morning rolled along, the day after Halloween, and I was at the front of the school before the bell rang and there were kids there with their UNICEF collection boxes, and I observed kids ask each other, “what did you collect for UNICEF?”

The reports were $8.32, $1.15, and $11.65.

I kept my number to myself as I wasn’t into making a show.

We handed our UNICEF collection boxes to our teachers and settled into the day’s lessons.

I had my head down into whatever I was doing, and I heard a knock on the door; “where is Simon Reilly” I heard Sister Superior say. Sister Superior was the principal of the school, and all the class sat at attention with me thinking, about what I had done to draw this much attention.

“Simon Reilly, come up here to the front of the class”! “Do you know what you have done?! Do you know what you have done?” I heard as I made my way to the front.

“This is unheard of! You have collected $118.72! Nobody has ever done anything like this before. This is amazing! How did you do it?”

I shared my Tom Sayer / entrepreneurial story.

The next thing I knew, I was whisked off to the newspaper by Mrs. Blackwell, my teacher, whose husband Bob Blackwell was the photographer for The Chilliwack Progress, to get my picture taken for a story. I remember having a bad hair day, and Mrs. Blackwell had a comb and wet it in a puddle and combed my hair for the picture.

A few weeks later, I received a letter of thanks from UNICEF in New York

That was when I was unconsciously acting upon the inherent values that have served me most of my life especially when I took the time to wake up to them as I am doing right now.

I am in the midst of writing a series of actions steps for a new PowerPoint that I am writing entitled; Breakthrough! – How To Breakthrough “The Plateauing Out Syndrome”! Some call it The Plateau Syndrome.

Action Step 1 – Write a Story in as much detail as possible about when you were challenged and how you did whatever it took to succeed.

Action Step 2 – Review the following list of Values and write down the Values that your actions were based on.

Action Step 3 – Review the following list of Positive Feelings and write down the Positive Feelings on which your actions were based.

Action Step 4 – Review your Story, Values, and Positive Feelings, and write down the Positive Beliefs that your actions were based.

Action Step 5 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs, and Identify Your Strengths and Talents.

Action Step 6 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs and Identify Your Strengths and Talents and from this picture of yourself, from this place of what you are saying to yourself, and from this feeling … Imagine that it is December 31, 2010, as you look at all areas of your business and personal lives, ask yourself;

• What did you accomplish?

• What goals did you set and achieve?

• What made you happy?

Why did I start with the story?

Some coaches talk about you getting back in touch with your Vision. To the lay person, you might as well be speaking Klingon.

Before one can get to a Vision, one has to re-associate with their Values, which are the DNA of the Vision and the Purpose & Mission.

Your Values will also help you reignite your Positive Feelings and Beliefs and Identify Your Strengths and Talents and your Vision and Goals in the future.

I identified this list of Values back in 1997 … the time that I chose not to produce events for other coaches and speakers … it was time for me to realize my Values of;

• Attraction, Currency/Energy, Encouragement, Partnering/People, Professionalism/Quality/Service, Sense/Wisdom, Teaching, Understanding/Empathy, and Venture

For fun, I am taking myself through the same exercise I will ask the audience to complete when I deliver this presentation.

As I look back from the perspective of the UNICEF Story, I am looking at a list of hundreds of Values that I use in the Coaching Work that I do with my clients. What were my Values way back in 1965?

• Accomplish, Adventure, Assemble, Assist, Attract, Best, Bond, Cause, Collect, Compassion, Connect, Contact, Deliver, Devote, Discover, Engage, Engineer, Enhance, Enliven, Enthuse, Explore, Foster, Gather, Honor, Impact, Implement, Improve, Inspire, Launch, Learn, Manifest, Move, Organize, Persuade, Produce, Promote, Quest, Relate, Renew, Serve, Triumph and Volunteer

Given that time is of the essence as I have a PowerPoint deadline, I am going to come back to refining this list on another day and go onto;

Action Step 3 – Review the following list of Positive Feelings ( I have a list of hundreds of Positive Feelings that I give to my Coaching Clients ) and write down the Positive Feelings on that your actions were based.

• Alive, Carefree, Delighted, Eager, Enthusiastic, Excited, Fascinated, Fulfilled, Grateful, Happy, Inspired, Intrigued, Involved, Optimistic, Peaceful, Quiet, Sensitive, Touched, Trusting, and Wonderful

As I am writing this PowerPoint, the assignment is working for me because memories are coming back of the earlier accomplishments that I had when I was challenged when I did whatever it took to succeed;

• Rolling a transport truck on the Hope-Princeton Highway and getting out and driving another one within 48 hours

• Selling 27 house orders of window screens on a Saturday in January

• Being the first salesperson in the company to break $1,000,000 in sales

• Purchasing my first home with no down payment with 90 days to raise it

• Receiving a sales award for number one in sales of The Unlimited Power Video Workshop when I co-owned the Anthony Robbins Franchise

There are loads of them, and not to forget being single for several years and taking the time to write down the qualities of the woman I wanted to attract and did … my loving wife, Laura.

These stories will set the stage and connect you with;

Action Step 4 – Review your Story, Values, and Positive Feelings, and write down the Positive Beliefs that your actions were based.

• I am dedicated

• I have conviction

• I create results for anything that I am committed to doing

As you can see, I started with “ I “ beliefs, and I will revisit this with beliefs about; business, clients, health, people, knowledge, money, opportunity, family, friends, products, sales, speaking, spirit, strength, systems, talent, team, and writing

From here, this lays a strong foundation for;

Action Step 5 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs, and Identify Your Strengths and Talents.

Action Step 6 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs and Identify Your Strengths and Talents from this picture of yourself, from this place of what you are saying to yourself, and from this feeling … Imagine that it is December 31, 2010, as you look at all areas of your business and personal lives, ask yourself;

• What did you accomplish?

• What goals did you set and achieve?

• What made you happy?

The Clear Your Roadblocks One Day Workshop – coming in January 2010

Action Step 1 – Write a Story with as much detail as possible about when you were challenged and how you did whatever it took to succeed.

Action Step 2 – Review the following list of Values and write down the Values that your actions were based on.

Action Step 3 – Review the following list of Positive Feelings and write down the Positive Feelings on which your actions were based.

Action Step 4 – Review your Story, Values, and Positive Feelings, and write down the Positive Beliefs that your actions were based.

Action Step 5 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs, and Identify Your Strengths and Talents.

Action Step 6 – Review your Story, Values, Positive Feelings, and Positive Beliefs and Identify Your Strengths and Talents and from this picture of yourself, from this place of what you are saying to yourself, and from this feeling … Imagine that it is December 31, 2010, as you look at all areas of your business and personal lives, ask yourself;

Action Step 7 – Values & Behaviors Assessment – ID Strengths & Areas To Strengthen

Action Step 8 – Write Challenging Story – When You Did Not Succeed

Action Step 9 – ID Emotions

Action Step 10 – ID Unmet Needs

Action Step 11 – ID Limiting Beliefs

Action Step 12 – Clear Emotions, Unmet Needs, Limiting Beliefs

Action Step 13 – Set 90 Day Goals & Affirm Them – Set Up Action & Attraction