04 Dec

Posted at 21:51h in Blog
Melanie

A new friend from the flight to Halifax

It is with great pleasure that I can announce I’ve met the friendliest people in Halifax since arriving just over 24 hours ago.

I have come here to attend the CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers) National Convention.

The meeting of great people actually began while on the flight to Halifax from Calgary. I’ve NEVER seen so many people – who did not necessarily know each other before – have conversations on a plane.

I thought that it must have had something to do with the place where I was headed. I was correct.

Although I had arranged for a cousin to meet me in Halifax, I chose to take the bus downtown. This was in part because of the friendly person who I’d just met on the plane, Melanie (pictured above). She was heading downtown as well and could not stop talking about how great Halifax is and how much she missed it while visiting her boyfriend in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We spoke briefly on the plane and it was as if we’d known each other already for some time. Once downtown we walked a short distance to the beautiful hotel where she works and I was introduced to a number of her colleagues. I felt like some kind of celebrety.

Two If By Sea

Two If By Sea Cafe Halifax

Now that I was fully awake, I decided to get some work done and asked where a good place to do so was. This took me to the “Two If By Sea Cafe” nearby. There I met a young fellow, Paul who struck up a conversation with me. (In my life experience it’s usually the other way around). We chatted about entrepreneurship as he himself is a small business owner and about Canada’s identity. His company is called, “Great White North Leather“.

I then got zipped in a taxi – driven by a cousin who I’d not seen in 20 years – up to the family house to be spoiled with great food, rest and conversation for the evening. What a treat.

Since being back in town today I’ve continued to meet more and more great people and it’s as if the entire town is charmed. It may very well be.

It is my wish that people who visit from all across Canada for this convention take notice of this friendliness and use it as a learning opportunity. It is an opportunity for us to let our guard down and to talk to more people.  I believe that it’s this friendliness and these conversations that really create possibilities.

Just last week I was enjoying a meal in Calgary and I got to chatting with my waitress about how it is that people connect. She commented, “It’s all about those connections isn’t it”. I remembered the statement, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” and this line of thought popped into my head. Further than that,

“It’s not who you know, but who you talk to”, that matters the most.

This enables individuals to take control of their experience and to create their own possibilities. As it ties in beautifully with my message about the power of unexpected connections, I’ll be sharing this concept more often.

There’s plenty more I could write now, but I’ve got to head out and meet some more people. Below is a piece that Global TV did with Convention Chairs Halina St. James and Ravi Tangri, CSP.

The 2015 CAPS Convention has begun, and I’m ready for the possibilities that we are going to create together, because we believe.

CAPS Convention

And if you know of anyone who would be interested in a Thailand Creativity Camp in April, could you send them my way? Thank you!

24 Nov

Posted at 13:24h in Blog

I won’t try to water this down.

This 8 day trip to Thailand will positively change the

lives of those who show up for it.

That’s not because of the beautiful setting, the yoga, the meditation, or the creativity workshops. It’s because of how the people who are called to this trip will enhance each other’s lives through face-to-face conversations.

When you bring a group of people together to have an experience, the experience is always more about the people with whom you share that time, than the place itself.

So I feel that my role with this trip is as the facilitator who creates the space for magic to happen.

If you are looking for an opportunity to spend some time with a group of inspired people who want to have an amazing trip, learn some things along the way as well as make fantastic new connections, you should consider the Thailand Creativity Camp.

You can contact me directly by email or phone if you’d like to have a conversation about it. Tony@iOnTheBall.ca +1 587 897 7529.

Thank you,

Tony Esteves

 

22 Nov

Posted at 23:26h in Blog

I have found that all of the video trainings that I’ve seen on YouTube are dry and boring. Informative, yes. Fun, no. So I’ve added a wee bit of Irish to this introductory video on editing using iMovie on the iPad. Almost all of these instructions are interchangeable while editing on the iPhone. 

Today’s lesson:

  • Starting a new Project
  • Adding video to the Project
  • Cutting the video

21 Nov

Posted at 01:11h in Play, Yoga

On my final day in Vancouver this week, I took some time to visit a circus school called, Circus West. This is a very fun place. You can bounce off of just about every surface and there are helpful people there to keep you safe and to share their knowledge.

So on this day, I learned how to do my first backflip. Here’s a short video on what that looked like.

While on the flight home the next day I got speaking with the gentleman sitting next to me. We got into a discussion about how important it is for people to actually TALK to one another nowadays and he told me this,

“You know Tony, when you get a little introspective, you can see how just about everything important that we do in our lives starts with a conversation”.

No kidding! I completely agreed. Thank you Dwayne for this inspiration. I asked him for permission to use this comment and have done so in 3 presentations since then.

Keep talking to people, keep playing, and keep connecting.

21 Nov

Posted at 00:59h in Le Cirque de la Nuit

Here is a look at what our adventure in Whistler looked like. Over 20 performers spent over 25 hours on the Bass Bus to get there. And when it was time, we were ready.

 

Part of this video includes the poetic story of how I was introduced to juggling back in 1998 in Whistler by a good friend, Jon Stromberg. I thought that it was wonderful how I now found myself performing with a professional circus using that skill that was taught to me so many years ago.

Thank you Jon. It’s had such a profound impact on my life. What a gift.

 

13 Nov

Posted at 15:41h in Le Cirque de la Nuit

Le Cirque de la Nuit arrives to Whistler in the Bass Bus.

This was a mega-road trip if I’ve ever had one! Due to the the winter conditions we arrived to Whistler about 6 hours later than planned. In total, we spent 27 hours on the Bass Bus. Today turned into a crafter noon.

There are worse places to be stuck I have to admit. We had a lot of fun. Fortunately, we got a lot of work done as well. On this day there were people updating their social media campaigns, video editing, creating name tags, sewing costumes, doing makeup and everything in between.

This is the circus life and I love it.

12 Nov

Posted at 17:23h in Le Cirque de la Nuit

Well here we go! This was some of what we experienced on Day 1 of our road trip from Calgary to Whistler.

We stopped in Kamloops for the night just about 8 hours behind schedule due to the winter conditions.
But that didn’t stop the fun. There was dancing, performing, laughter and dining along the way.
All of the over 25 performers and production crew (including the very important props / decorations / support vehicle in tow) agree that this in a once in a lifetime experience.
It is such a privilege to be a part of such a professional group of passionate individuals – from all different backgrounds – brining this circus performance to life.

This trip has been put together in collaboration with Bass Bus and Le Cirque de la Nuit out of Calgary, Alberta.

On November 13th, we will stage the show, “Veradeasi”. Hope to see you there. 

 

11 Nov

Posted at 00:26h in Mindfulness, Mountains, Tony's Tips Videos

I believe that rest is a wonderful thing. But I also believe that when we are in heightened states and are inspired, we are capable of forgetting the fact that we are tired. On this beautiful hike on October 1st, 2015 I got to climb to the top of Fortress Mountain with a good friend. The elevation gain was a little over 1000 m and the views were stunning.

Consider the next time that you are in the midst of a passion project that you just allow yourself to Forget Your Fatigue.

06 Nov

Posted at 00:46h in 30 Day Challenges, Mindfulness, Yoga

This concludes the most challenging and rewarding 30 day challenge I’ve ever taken on.

Last Friday evening I completed my 29th day of meditation with the regular guided chakra meditation that I often listen to on YouTube. It did the trick to help me relax at a time when I was’t feeling particularily relaxed.

Tonight I attended my 7th yoga class in 2 weeks. To some people that may not be a lot of yoga, but for me it is. It’s been wonderful. I’ve learned from several instructors. Some of the classes that I’ve taken have been very meditative. Tonight was one of them.

The initial instructor could not be there so about 5 minutes paFortress Mountain Hikest the hour, another instructor stepped in to lead the class. This class had a focus on opening up the hips which is an area that can be quite tight for me.

What was so great about this class was how she guided us so gracefully through the practice and allowed each of us to stretch and hold the poses in a relaxed manner. There was no pushing or real pain or major discomfort. Almost the entire class felt so good for my body, and of course for my mind.

Taking the time this past month to do 30 days of meditation has been a real gift to myself. I thought about that during my yoga practice tonight. I felt that by taking the time out of my busy day to be with my body and to stretch and breathe and relax that I was in fact giving myself a gift. A gift that I’ve long deserved and long denied myself of.

I’ve enjoyed yoga in my life on and off for more than 2 years but for some reason have only brought it into

Photo by Russell Thomas

Photo by Russell Thomas

my life on a regular basis in the past couple of weeks. I can’t help but see the correlation with all of the meditating. I’m ok with the fact that this challenge took more than 30 days to complete.

So other than having a much more consistent sense of calmness; than seeing some explosive developments in my business; than feeling healthy and more peaceful and feeling physically stronger, I believe that this challenging, “30 Days of Meditation” challenge has rewarded me with my formal introduction to yoga.

I’d say that’s a pretty good result from this 30 day challenge.