Girls+Engineering=Fun

To all the inspiringly brilliant, 

knock-your-socks-off-creative 

girls out there... 

This one's for you!

Watch Video Here: Engineering Toys for Girls

Innovating Sustainability

If you like cars, are intrigued by the evolution of potentially disruptive technologies, or are always looking for ways to be more ecologically aware (or all three!), this article from Popular Mechanics about the first 3D printed car, the Urbee 2, is worth a read.  

It's a great story of collaboration, dedication, passionate pursuits and innovation.  Interesting gems are littered throughout, like this quote from Jim Kor, founder of Kor Ecologic:

"...designing for sustainability can arguably be stated to be humanity’s biggest and most important challenge of the coming century. It’s something we absolutely need to get right.” 

Innovating with sustainability at the core.  Well, that pretty much sums it up.  And since every little bit counts - from recycling daily to producing an entirely new automobile - the possibilities are endless. 

Where will you start?

Passionate Pursuits

Just read Tim Brown's post on LinkedIn about SuperJam.  

It's a fun, give-back story, and Mr. Brown's closing thought that "simple ideas, pursued with passion, can result in sweetly successful business" is super-inspiring food for thought.   

What took my thinking to the next level though, surprisingly enough, is the comment from Christopher Fun (yes, sometimes those comments do produce a gem).

Mr. Fun writes, " 'Simple ideas pursued with passion can result in sweetly successful business'...Question is how many pursue their work with passion v only be passionate about the results[?]"  

Hmmm...Passionate Pursuit for the Pure Pursuit of Passion.  Now that is some sweet food for thought (incredibly unoriginal pun intended).

Gratitude Attitude

This great post by Jeff Weiner, CEO at LinkedIn, is all about the high return on investment (ROI) of a simple, free, accessible management tool in business: gratitude.

I'll take Jeff's suggestion a step (or three) further - gratitude just might be the highest ROI tool in life.

Consider for a moment your home and the people you share it with.  Now think about all the little things we do for and with each other in that shared space: cooking, housekeeping, laundry, yard care, car maintenance - the list goes on an on.  Now consider the one simple thing that can turn those little chores into messages of love and respect.  Yep, you nailed it: gratitude.  

Saying thanks feels so good, but receiving thanks feels even better.  So, for the next week or so, I challenge each of us to cultivate a theme of gratitude at home: the simple act of showing sincere appreciation to each other for all the little things we do.  The benefits will seep into our workplaces, our civic engagements, our passions...

I'm betting we find that the ROI of this little tool blows us all away. 

A Long Way to Go

OK Inspiring Girls, 

Time to put your influence to work!  This Yahoo story is yet another confirmation:  we have a long way to go in helping our culture understand the detrimental messages we "unintentionally" send our youth - not to mention the critical importance of consequential thinking and empathetic decision-making. 

Tie those shoes well.  We're in for an ultra marathon. 

Sexist Back-to-School Shirt Pulled From Shelves

Another day, another T-shirt controversy. The latest wardrobe malfunction comes courtesy of the Children's Place. The kids' clothing company sparked widespread Internet backlash this week after eagle-eyed consumers spotted a shirt that they felt trivialized girls' academic accomplishments. The kid-size tee showed a checklist of "my best subjects" with checks in the boxes next to shopping, music, and dancing — leaving the box next to math blank. The shirt's kicker: "Well nobody's perfect." Get it? After nearly 3,000 outraged comments on the company's Facebook page, along with a barrage of angry tweets, the company issued an apology and pulled the product. The battle may be over, but the war on scandalous T-shirts never ends.  Check out some of the most controversial shirts to hit the market and stir the pot over the past few months.—Lauren Tuck, Shine Staff

The Children's Place 'Best Subjects' T-Shirt

As mentioned above, this week, the Children's Place faced intense social media backlash, as people accused the retailer of promoting sexism. "Guess what? You offended everyone with a brain! Can you explain what your intent was, if not to insult the intelligence of girls and women around the world?" wrote one of the thousands of commenters on the company's Facebook page. On Monday, the retailer pulled the shirt from its shelves in response to the outcry. "It has come to our attention that some of you view our Best Subjects T-shirt as insensitive towards girls and women," read its statement. "This was not our intent. There are countless women in all walks of life who excel in math, including our very own CEO." Still, by Wednesday, the Children's Place continued to face consumer backlash. "I am so disappointed by this shirt and ANY shirt from ANY company that furthers stereotypes like this," wrote one fuming customer on Facebook. "I am glad that the shirt was removed, but honestly who ever thought it was a good idea? Especially from a company with a female CEO."

Toothy Milestone

It's official:  our no-longer-so-little girl (she turned six not quite two months ago) lost her first tooth last night!  It's been loose "since she was five" and she was adamant that it must come out on its own.  A pasta dinner finally did the trick.  And boy those baby teeth are tiny!

She was more excited to go to bed last night than she has been all summer, diligently placing her tooth in the Tooth Pillow her grandma made.  We'll see when she wakes up this morning if the Tooth Fairy made a visit.  

I have a feeling that kicking off our week with a big, thankfully painless milestone on Sunday evening bodes well.  It could be a kicker (much like Luji's pronouncement that her two top teeth might come out on the same day, which judging by the looseness-factor could literally be any time). 

Here's to wishing you a week with at least one milestone - no matter how small. 

........................................

Update:  The Tooth Fairy has apparently adjusted for inflation since we were kids: she left a $1 bill for that tiny little tooth.  When I asked if she would save it or spend it, Luji's answer was "keep it."  Followed by, "It's funny that we celebrate the 1 because we need to really celebrate what it means - so we should celebrate the dollar instead!"  

Ah, financial (and life) advice from a six-year-old.  Can't beat that milestone.

Charging Forth

Charles Fisher, builder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, once said, "It takes courage to make history.  Who will charge forth today?"

Mr. Fisher's inquiry reflects a theme rolling through my own thoughts, and many of the questions posed to me lately... 

...How do we move past our uneasiness, step out of our comfort zone, and transform dull to delicious?  

...How do we embrace the unknown to move toward the place we are meant to be?

...How do we make our own history?

My best answer?   Perhaps staying true to our individual SASIs and remaining open to the courageous beauty of our journey IS the destination.  

After all, history is a work in progress.  

July Night

Summer. Desert. Sunset.

Introspective. Open-hearted. Adventurous.

Pink...purple...blue...the sky transitions. The sun sets. The stars are in motion preparing to welcome a new dawn.  

What will it bring?

Yoga. Business.

Good morning Inspiring Girls & Guys!

Simply have to share this article: The Yoga of Busines - CBS MoneyWatch

It's a fantastic way to think about how what we do outside of work - how we nurture our souls, cultivate our SASIs, and take care of our bodies and minds - impacts the work we do.   

It also doesn't hurt that yoga plays a similar role for me and that I can't imagine my life without it.

Please join me in unrolling your mat.

Enjoy!

girls, soccer & leadership

Over the last two days, I've had the pleasure of talking about leadership with 60+ high school girls from California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah.  When I was invited last winter to conduct a "leadership seminar" at Southern Utah University's Girls Soccer Camp, my gut (and mouth) said "YES!" even though my head was asking, "High school girls...are you sure they will relate to what you have to say?"

As usual, I am glad my intuition did the talking.  These girls are thoughtful, empathetic, and extremely bright.  When asked to describe a recent situation from which they drew a leadership take-away, the list was chock full of relevant, spot-on leadership insights. 

Suffice it to say, if the majority of our future female leaders think, share, and interact as thoughtfully, analytically, and empathetically as these young women do, we are in good hands.  

Yes, I too have felt a collective sigh building.  And I now think it's safe to let it out. 

Ahhhhh...

Take a Sip from the Commencement Cup

Over coffee this morning, I came across a post about eight inspirational take-aways from commencement speeches.  It reminds me (as I am seduced of late by the temptation to settle into the status quo and stop pushing so hard to forge my own path) that striving to create, and trying to make a difference in this world, is worth the effort.   

The speakers' advice, in a nutshell, is listed below.  Don't bypass the original post though, it is worth the read - and you absolutely deserve to take a few minutes for some personal inspiration....


(1) Persevere.
Have bold, innovative ideas...keep trying to disrupt the status quo and usher in a better way. 

(2) Be a Kirk rather than a Spock. 
In pursuing business success, do not neglect the emotional side of life.
  
(3) Venture out of your comfort zone (regularly)
Make bold bets and focus on what you love. "Not a single successful person ... has ever done great things because they played it safe."

(4) Stay curious.
"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." -Chinese proverb

(5) Value human connections.
Meet others, network and connect not for the sake of having a network, but because it inspires us to do something, to take action and to make a difference in the world.

(6) Join in the dance of uncertainty.
Uncertainty compels us to unfold our power.  "Uncertainty means that the future is yours to shape, with the force of your will, the force of your intellect and the force of your compassion."

(7) Redefine success.
"There will be plenty of signposts along your path directing you to make money and climb up the ladder, there will be very few signposts reminding you to stay connected to the essence of who you are, to take care of yourself, to reach out to others."

(8) Make the world a better place.
"At the end of your days when you look back...it's about what you created, about what you did to make the world a slightly better place because you were here."

Not Just a Girl...No Doubt!

Hello Inspiring Girls!  

So, I just came across this fantastically inspirational post by Jaime Moore.  The images are, of course, lovely, but it's Jaime's reasons for choosing to do this that grabbed my heart - and head! - especially as the mom of beautiful five-year-old Luji.  

Here is what Jaime has to say about the photographs....see the full post, complete with photos and quotes from these brilliantly unique women at Jaime Moore Photography.

not just a girl…..

05.09.13

So my amazing daughter, Emma,  turned 5 last month, and I had been searching everywhere for new-creative inspiration for her 5yr pictures. I noticed quite a pattern of so many young girls dressing up as beautiful Disney Princesses, no matter where I looked 95% of the “ideas” were the “How to’s” of  how to dress your little girl like a Disney Princess. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Disney Princesses, from their beautiful dresses, perfect hair, gorgeous voices and  most with ideal love stories in the mix you can’t help but become entranced with the characters. But it got me thinking, they’re just characters, a writers tale of a princess (most before 1998)…an unrealistic fantasy for most girls (Yay Kate Middleton!).
It started me thinking about all the REAL women for my daughter to know about and look up too, REAL women who without ever meeting Emma have changed her life for the better. My daughter wasn’t born into royalty, but she was born into a country where she can now vote, become a doctor, a pilot, an astronaut, or even President if she wants and that’s what REALLY matters. I wanted her to know the value of these amazing women who had gone against everything so she can now have everything. We chose 5 women (five amazing and strong women), as it was her 5th birthday but there are thousands of unbelievable women (and girls) who have beat the odds and fought (and still fight) for their equal rights all over the world……..so let’s set aside the Barbie Dolls and the Disney Princesses for just a moment, and let’s show our girls the REAL women they can be.

Summer Snow Globe

Since my personal leap into the arena of daring greatly, I've found myself over and over reflecting on the powerful, inspirational energy created when women come together with genuine intent, and share their light.

My most notable reflection on this point came at 2 AM last Saturday morning as I sat on our boat at Lake Powell under a pitch black sky blazing with the brilliance of a zillion stars.  The moon had yet to rise, and the 360 degree view, from horizon to horizon and as high as I could imagine, was mesmerizing.  Sandstone cliffs were dimly lit in the distance, the sound of gently rippling water tickled the night, and I was all alone in the conscious silence of this heavenly place. 

I felt like a tiny creature looking up from the base of a summer snow globe. 

Ahhhh....breathe....

Breathe in the powerful light of so many individuals coming together....feel it....absorb it....remember it....

Immense, natural, brilliant.  

Just like SASI.  

The coming together of sparkling individuals to create a palpable power; sharing it; reflecting it; being it.

I realized in that moment that defining and living our SASI is important for us as independent, powerful women, yes; but the importance is magnified thousands of times over when we stop to consider (and allow ourselves to be a part of and touched by) the coming together of so many individually sparkling beings.  

So in the spirit of IGE and SASI, I invite you to continue to step into the arena with me and help harness the power of our individual SASIs. Together, we will light our beloved globe with our collective brilliance.

Define Your SASI - Oh So SASI !

On April 26-27, I spent the weekend at stunning Zion National Park with a group of amazing women who rocked the world with their powerful honestly, sincerity, and willingness to share some pretty personal stuff in the name of Defining their SASI.   

To each of you - for allowing the rest of us to bask in your unique brilliance and share in your journey - thank you.  To those who could not be there this time, here are some comments from our inaugural participants...I hope they will inspire you to join us at a future retreat.  It will be my distinct pleasure to welcome you!

• "I didn't know going into it what I needed to get out of it, and was surprised and impressed with the process to discover and define my SASI."

• "Thank you for the retreat. It was really powerful for me." 

• "It was fun to make new friends who are also growing and trying to make sense of our world."

• "You don't charge enough!"  

• "This is an incredibly valuable process and approach. I learned a lot about myself."

• "Well organized, thoughtful, and timely." 

• "It's great to formulate my purpose in a fun, easy to remember way."

• "You are inspiring. Thank you!"

• "I'll definitely be back."

Stay tuned for details on our next date and location, and thanks to this first group of Inspiring Girls/SASI women for sharing your awesome sparkle!

On Dolphins and Dreams

REPOSTED FROM Utah Women and Eduction Initiative Blog

When I was 10, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I wanted to study whales and swim with dolphins. I knew it would require getting a college degree, and while I did not fully understand what that meant (no one in my family had gone to college), the idea was cemented that college was the path to the work I wanted to do. 

My marine biology dream was put on the shelf a couple years later because, at the ripe old age of 12, I decided that since I did not live by the ocean, being a marine biologist was not a realistic possibility.  And while my logic for not pursuing that dream was flawed, looking back I realize my commitment to going to college was cemented.  What I could not have anticipated at the time though, was just how much I would gain from my college education.  It was so much more than a necessary step down a career path.

A college education is not simply a means to an end.  It is part of our individual evolution, and what we get out of it is personal and unique to us.  Consider this:

In college:

•  We choose, often for the first time, what we will study. 

•  We are introduced to new ideas, different perspectives, and challenging situations that require us to analyze how we feel about certain issues, and why.

•  We get to practice integrating new concepts and unfamiliar approaches with familiar ideals in a safe environment where learning is what is expected of us.

•  We develop tools to cope with these challenges, and to continue to grow into them as time goes on.

This daily practice of integrating what we learn - from professors in class, from new friends with diverse backgrounds, and from the extracurricular activities we choose to be a part of - into our personal and professional choices, impacts our future decision-making capability in immeasurable ways.

Like so many others, I approached college as the first step to building a career. Thankfully, though, I also embraced my college education as more than a means to an end.  The critical thinking, concept integration and decision making skills I put to the test in college have helped me every day since in my quest to be my best self: as a woman, a mother, a partner, a successful professional, and a life-long learner. 

Unlike that naive 12-year-old girl who put her dream of swimming with the dolphins on the shelf for what, at the time seemed an insurmountable obstacle, I now know how to consider, analyze, and make the best choices for myself and those I care about.  And I have my college education to thank for it.  

Define Your SASI - REGISTER TODAY!

Hello Inspiring Girls and Guys!

I am thrilled to announce that Q3's first event is scheduled, the amazing venue is booked, and registration is open!  

Define Your SASI - A Women's Leadership Retreat will take place at the Cable Mountain Lodge in Springdale, Utah, on April 26-27, 2013.

Inspiring women will come together against the inspiring backdrop of Zion Canyon to explore what is absolutely most important for each of us to live a full, soulful life. And we will use what we learn - about ourselves and from each other - to define a very personal version of "SASI."  

Learn more about "SASI" and the retreat at q3international.com. And please, share the event info with every woman you know. The more amazing females with diverse interests, backgrounds, professions and experiences who join us, the better!  Several of the original inspiring girls are already committed and we can't wait to welcome you as well! 

If you would like to receive the PDF flyer to share with your family, friends, and professional network, please leave a comment here or email me at shirlayne@q3international.com.

Register today and we'll see you in Springdale in April!

Family Day 2013!

Last year at this time, I posted Threads of Family in tribute to our amazing family and the friends who have become family over the years.  

Today marks our Sixth Family Day, and that insightful, attentive 8 1/2 month old little girl is a bustling, book-loving, violin-playing kindergartner.  It's hard to believe we have been "3 Quayles" for five years already. Amazing!

While our family grew officially by one on that February day in Nanchang five years ago, Luji's spirit and wise old soul have brought us so much more.  So many have come together  all because of this this one little girl!  Our family has grown in ways we could not have possibly imagined before, and we are so glad you are each a beautiful part of it.

In the spirit of celebrating five years with this inspiring, sweet, smart, kind, thoughtful, fun, beautiful, amazing child who has forever changed our lives, and brought us unending joy and laughter, please join us in a big, warm, extended family hug!

Thank you for sharing this extraordinary adventure - and Family Day - with us!  

Love, 
3 Quayles 

Dare Greatly

Happy Sunday, Inspiring Girls and Guys.

There is a new book in my life. I learned about it at the International Leadership Association annual conference in Denver last fall when I heard Dr. Brene Brown speak. I came home, bought her book, and have "finished" it more times than I can count over the last few months.  It's called Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. I'm reading a couple of books right now but this is the one I keep coming back to because each time I pick it up, I absorb some new insight about a current situation, future plan, or recent action/reaction that sheds light on my personal path to living a soulful life.

It's a book perfectly timed for me. Perhaps it is for you, too. If you have a chance to read it - and I hope you do! - please share the pieces that inspire you with all of us.  On the highest level, Daring Greatly has driven home for me the bare naked fact that having the courage to pursue my dreams really just comes down to being, and believing, in me.  And sometimes that is the most intense kind of vulnerability.  

The quote by Theodore Roosevelt that inspired the book's title is worth sharing. It's written on our chalkboard at home with some of my other favorite quotes, and has become the theme for the way I wish to approach the million and one cool things on my radar - for 2013 and beyond. I hope the quote, and the book if you read it, inspires you, too, to dare greatly!

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."
                                                                                      - Theodore Roosevelt

Brilliance

Around the world people are celebrating the arrival of a new year (except, of course, in China where the year of the snake rings in on February 10!) with hope, enthusiasm, a renewed sense of love and wishes for peace. What is it about reaching milestones like this that allow a collective "ah" to wash away all that was not accomplished in the past, celebrate what was, and move into the future with vigor and joy?  Every year it's the same, over and over for millennia, collectively.  

Powerful stuff.

Billions of engines create that power. Those very wishes for something better that we each launch at the birth of a year matter.  The energy they create matters. We start full of energy to see through our new hopes and plans. True, our energetic intentions may fade a bit as the year progresses - the type of fuel required may change - but the boost we receive from that initial thrust of high-powered change makes its mark.

At the beginning of 2012, as we settled into our new desert home, my engine was going strong. But my world was changing. I traded in my revered yoga studio for an inspiring desert landscape, and added a new fuel to my commitment to live a soulful life. The brilliant resolution?  Complete 12 runs in 2012. Looking back, I am proud of setting this goal, even though I realize its brilliance was more in line with the shining light at the end of a long tunnel than a disruptively intelligent idea. 

This is how it went: 

February: two runs.  March: one run.  April: one run.  May: one run. June-December:    zero runs.  

Zero runs. Where is the brilliance in that?  The most honest answer I can offer is that, after completing not quite half of my planned goal, I had to admit to myself that running is simply not a soulful experience for me. It does not bring me joy and peace.  It was not how I wished to spend my time.

Bummer. And in the end, brilliant.

By June, we were boating a lot, and it was hot. Realizing I needed to I make a fuel change, I put my running resolution to bed. Jeff found a little workout online that could be done almost anywhere, including in the small space of our air-conditioned living room and on the beach at Lake Powell. So we started doing this little ditty three times each week, and to my surprise, it filled my soulful needs on levels I didn't even realize needed filling! The exercise was great. But the togetherness made it fun! It was fun watching Luji doing her version of the moves right there with us. It was inspiring hearing Jeff cheer me on when my legs were ready to give out. And it was fun watching my hot hubby working hard along with me. We now aim to do this little ditty five days per week, together as much as possible. Brilliant. 

And now I find myself coming full circle...ready to make some soulful decisions about how to harness this profound, new year energy bubbling inside me. Interestingly, I find pieces of it pulling me back to my roots: to one of the original feeders of my soul. Yoga. This year of transition and growth brought a lapse in my practice. I'm ready to bring it back, to welcome a renewed commitment and embrace its powerful flow. To experience the deeply rewarding "ahhh" that accompanies the soul-filling hard work and discipline it requires. Yes. I can almost feel it now.

I wonder what your resolutions at this natural time of transition might be?  What brilliance does your soul desire?  What might this powerful energy mean for you in the year to come?  
Whatever it is, embrace it. Allow it to flow.  

Let time reveal its brilliance.

Little Packages

Leadership opportunities sometimes come in the smallest packages. And those packages are often not wrapped up nice and neat.  

Perhaps that little box with no bow is the way we respond to our child when faced with an issue we just don't want to deal with at that moment.  Maybe it's a must-have discussion with our spouse, or a work situation or encounter with a friend that feels awkward or off for some reason. Or maybe there is no box: the issue seems too small to need one at all... until you consider it closer and realize the opportunity this little issue presents is massive.  

Sometimes, the package is a creative thought or inspiring quote - something that, at the time it hits you, is simply too powerful to fit inside any box.

With a new year upon us, and wishes for health, happiness and prosperity coming to our family from friends around the world, a quote by Seth Godin struck me, and stuck with me, after I read it last night. Perhaps it stuck because the last year for us was all about embracing discomfort (leaving an institution I love and selling a business that have clothed and fed our family for 18 years, moving to a new town, helping open a new school, writing a bit more, following my passion and launching Q3 (!), sending Luji off to kindergarten)...and the opportunities that have and are developing as a result.  It's been an uncomfortable journey on many levels, but the leadership lessons - at home, in work and in my relationships - make it absolutely worth it.

In his book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Godin writes, "Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead. This scarcity makes leadership valuable...It's uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers.  It's uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail.  It's uncomfortable to challenge the status quo. It's uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.  When you identify the discomfort, you've found the place where a leader is needed.  If you're not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it's almost certain you're not reaching your potential as a leader."

Absorbing this message made me wonder: why do some of us choose to embrace the discomfort of leadership every day, while others choose to avoid it all together?  Do some intentionally (though perhaps unconsciously) seek out uncomfortable situations for their inherent leadership potential as we proceed down our personal leadership paths?  If we do, why?  For the hope of making things better and the rush we get when we do? Is it always healthy to embrace discomfort?  Does opportunity and growth follow the majority of the time?  Why do those who choose to embark on journeys of personal growth and change embrace the discomfort of doing so?  Why is 'resisting the urge to settle' such a  'comfortable' thing for some to do?

What are the implications of the answers to these questions for our families, communities, schools?  What about global economies, our environment and health? 

A new year is all about hope, and change, and growth. It is my hope that leadership will become a bit less scarce. That more of us will be willing to actively embrace the discomfort of challenging the status quo and resisting the urge to settle. That we will each continue our work towards reaching our fullest potential as inspiring leaders and forge a path to making things better. 

It's true that this will require vulnerability and risk, but they are two little packages absolutely worth opening.