Kay doesn't fuel fire. Whenever Kay was in midst of a conflict that didn't involve her and that she didn't feel able to impact, she walked away. "No point messing with my joy when I don't have to!" No picnic. Make no mistake, dear reader. The environment here was not all joy and light. Kay was faced daily with death, and dying, with imminent amputations, sickness, and terminal illness. Joy was a choice. One she had to keep choosing every moment.

THE AWAKENING

After about 6 weeks after Kay decided to choose joy, people started coming to her with their problems and concerns. Kay didn't try to fix any of their problems. She listened hard and suggested things they could do to resolve or reduce them. She helped them find ways to make healthy choices like she was doing. "The next time you feel yourself about to blow up at someone, take a nice long deep breath, tell yourself that you're choosing joy today, and ask yourself, 'How can I do this differently?" Kay never took sides. When people came to her blaming others for their upsets. She just listened and made suggestions on how they could think or act differently. More and more people began dropping into Kay's office on a regular basis. "I don't want to sound conceited here, but it seemed like people wanted what I had...'joy.' I helped them choose it themselves. I kept telling them, 'Stop bickering. Remember to breath, then choose joy.' We even made a poster that said, 'Remember to breath.' People loved it." "The Director was one of worst attackers. Once I built a little more trust with her, she was in my office sharing her problems. One day I asked, 'Are your really getting what you want by yelling at everyone?' She finally was able to see that it simply brought down staff and modeled poor behavior for them." "She promised me one day to not yell for entire day and hasn't done so publicly for six weeks. She now takes issues with individuals privately into her office and handles them in a civil tone."

TODAY?

"Today things are about 60% better. I look forward to going to work. People are more pleasant. They still come in now and again, but atmosphere is good enough now to start real work of making this organization hum. People are now more solution-oriented rather than blame-oriented. Now that people don't have to be so concerned with defending themselves, there's more energy available to focus on solutions and processes that will make life better for everyone." KAY'S TIPS FOR CHANGE.

- New choices yield new results. Kay was amazed at how little effort can yield such a huge change. Choosing joy is simply a decision. I just decided that I'm here to have best day I can have and be as productive as I can be, and have joy in my heart. - Sometimes most positive thing you can do is to leave an organization. I've helped a couple people make decision to leave this place. If it takes too much from you over time, at some point, you have to realize you can't affect this place without losing your joy.

- Find your passion and choose mastery in your work 100% of time. Find a place for yourself that holds passion for you, a place that has space for your joy. - Be a steward of trust. You can have bad days, and you can be frustrated, but don't lash out at others, just own it and let people know what's going on with you so they don't take it personally. - Joy is not simply a smile on your face everyday. It doesn't necessarily equate to happiness, though it may lead there. It's being true to everyone, especially yourself. - Empower people to solve their problems and to make different, more effective choices. - Consciously model functional behavior. - Chose to lead yourself. Ask what you can do in your little piece of world. Develop options for yourself so your survival isn't at stake if you have to leave an organization. - Know that anyone taking on a new behavior in a system changes system.

About Author: Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, access their creativity, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Subscribe to his free weekly ezine at www.MasterFacilitatorJournal.com.

Another factor keeping some adults away from snowboarding may be reputation for wildness on slopes that snowboarders have. That probably comes from fact that when equipment was first invented, it was technologically primitive, with little ability to steer or stop. That’s how snowboarding got its image as an extreme sport and snowboarders got their reputation as outlaws of snow. Now snowboards have evolved technologically into precision devices that can turn and stop easily, when operated under control.

With older snowboarders hitting slopes, culture of injury and pain has outlived it’s origins. Adults don’t equate injuries with status. People who start riding as adults want to stay upright and uninjured. Some skiers switch over because it seems like more fun and less stress on knees. Again, goal is to stay whole!

I learned by trial, error and luck how to avoid injury. In fact, a fine young gentleman working at guest services desk on Whistler Mountain (B.C.) offered to let me borrow his Rollerblade wrist guards and knee pads, one day when I was learning, and I was hooked on safety and comfort from that moment.

Don’t make two biggest mistakes new snowboarders often make when you do decide to take up this wonderful sport. To be safe, comfortable, and happy, you MUST

1. Take a lesson given by a professional your first time out. and 2. You MUST wear padding, on your knees, butt, and wrists.

Come now, why try to reinvent wheel? If you want to learn to snowboard, then a snowboard lesson with a trained instructor will teach you IMPORTANT basic snowboarding skills that you will use every day for rest of your riding life.

So learn them right, right from start. Forget about teaching yourself how to get on and off a lift safely on a board. This is what teachers are for.

And padding is a must because falling is an inevitable part of learning process. You WILL fall at first. But if you are padded properly, you will not have to hurt yourself. And don’t chuck padding once you have mastered basics. You will need it when you progress to jumping and tricks!