My first visit to the Grand Canyon was early October 2001, a reflective time to be visiting a national treasure during a period of national mourning. I remember thinking that it was impossible for something so big to be so quiet, as though the rocks were observing their own solemnity.
Robyn GreenspanPosted by David Beauregard
08/03 @ 10:41 AM
08/03 @ 10:41 AM
I have just returned from my "grand canyon"; St Michaels Maryland. St Michaels, located on the Miles River along the Eastern Chesapeake Bay is an historic community, a sailing community and a place where I am able to open my mind to the vast potential I have as a career executive, a husband, a father and citizen. I return home open to all possibilities. I am able to sort through the "noise" that distracts me and see more clearly my aspirations and the path I have taken to achieve my personal and career goals. After having restructured and sold a company, of which I was CEO; I am seeking another corporate leadership opportunity.
I travel to St Michaels several times a year as a way to renew myself and as a way to make sure that my actions and aspirations align for all areas of my life.
I travel to St Michaels several times a year as a way to renew myself and as a way to make sure that my actions and aspirations align for all areas of my life.
Posted by Raif Hijab
08/02 @ 01:16 PM
08/02 @ 01:16 PM
Robyn,
Your comments on vacation in the US are dead on. Most important is the last bullet: "How hard it is to catch up when returning." Companies in the US do not schedule relief for the worker taking a vacation. Work is simply bunched up to be dealt with ASAP upon return. Any benefit from the vacation is cancelled by the accumulated work load. Bottom line: Companies in the US do not give vacations. They merely allow employees to rearrange their schedule for accomplishing a full 365-day a year work load.
As to your first question, I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation in Costa Rica last year, although my wife did not cotton to "roughing it".
Your comments on vacation in the US are dead on. Most important is the last bullet: "How hard it is to catch up when returning." Companies in the US do not schedule relief for the worker taking a vacation. Work is simply bunched up to be dealt with ASAP upon return. Any benefit from the vacation is cancelled by the accumulated work load. Bottom line: Companies in the US do not give vacations. They merely allow employees to rearrange their schedule for accomplishing a full 365-day a year work load.
As to your first question, I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation in Costa Rica last year, although my wife did not cotton to "roughing it".
Posted by Hans Jørgen Klein @ Denmark
08/02 @ 05:27 AM
08/02 @ 05:27 AM
It is very important that you find you own Grand Canyon and also focus on what is important in life and to you -right here, right now.
Life is a lifelong education, and you should stay openminded for new impressions, new ideas or new opportunities. You get some changes in life, but sometimes as TJ, you should not wait but grab them yourself
I stopped playing music (guitar, drums, piano) some 25 years ago, and thought I never start again. Now my father passed away, and I have set a goal that I want to be able to play his floor bass that I inherited. Well, back to (music) school again.
Well, that was my 5ct
Life is a lifelong education, and you should stay openminded for new impressions, new ideas or new opportunities. You get some changes in life, but sometimes as TJ, you should not wait but grab them yourself
I stopped playing music (guitar, drums, piano) some 25 years ago, and thought I never start again. Now my father passed away, and I have set a goal that I want to be able to play his floor bass that I inherited. Well, back to (music) school again.
Well, that was my 5ct
Posted by Robyn Greenspan
08/01 @ 02:40 PM
08/01 @ 02:40 PM
TJ,
You shared some very inspirational messages and I am hopeful your positive way of looking at things will bring you toward new and exciting experiences.
Thank you for reminding me about what's important today.
Robyn
You shared some very inspirational messages and I am hopeful your positive way of looking at things will bring you toward new and exciting experiences.
Thank you for reminding me about what's important today.
Robyn
Posted by Tim "TJ" Kendrick
08/01 @ 12:53 PM
08/01 @ 12:53 PM
I CLICKED ON WHAT YOU GET OUT OF A VACATION & THIS PAGE CAME UP WITH THIS BOX SO I WROTE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE DISCOVERING THIS WAS A COMMENT BOX FOR YOUR ARTICLE ABOVE... BUT I WROTE IT AND YOU CAN POST IT HERE OR IN ANOTHER MORE APPROPRIATE AREA...
VEGAS BABY...!!!
What happens there stays there... So they say...
But you do bring back the Energy and Excitement of Vegas with you...!!!!
It is a 24/7 town... I lived and worked there for 10 years... 1990 to 2000...
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T TAKE VACATIONS:
After working two shift... 60-80 weeks as Construction Manager on many Multi Million dollar projects, Burn Out had set in...!!!
EMBRACE CHANGE:
In 2000, I got the opportunity to go to the Caribbean and work to re-build the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis, in the West Indies... Nevis is the sister island to St. Christopher or St. Kitts as it is commonly known... I had a six month contract that lasted 10 months... Everyone else on the project couldn't wait to get off this little rock and back to "Civilization"...
TAKE TIME TO RELAX AND REFLECT ON YOUR LIFE:
Me, after 10 years in Vegas didn't want to leave... I had met my current wife and if I stayed 2 more months I was able to file my tax return as a non resident alien and got all of my Federal Income Tax returned to me due to the exemption allowed for working outside of the US...
So I retired for 6 months and enjoyed the sun, beach, my wife's company and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis... The hours spent in self retirement were great but the pay sucked... So back to work I went doing miscellaneous construction projects for expatriates that owned property and hotels on Nevis...
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES:
In 2003 I was fortunate to find employment as Director of Engineering and Construction at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine... The school had recently been purchased by De Vry Inc. and they were expanding the campus and enrollment... Did that for 3 years then met the owner of the St. Kitts Marriott Resort property playing Texas Hold'em and asked him out to dinner...
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX:
Who invites a billionaire to dinner...??? Most people are looking for what they can get from them... He responded by inviting my wife and I to dinner with his family... During dinner he offered me a job and within 4 months I was doing Construction Management for him at the Marriott Resort and other properties he owned on the island...
THE UNEXPECTED CAN HAPPEN:
The "Economic Downturn" resulted in my layoff in January 2009... When I was called in to a meeting with the owner to discuss, what I thought was my annual bonus, I was given 3 weeks notice... No Bonus... No Job...!!!
KEEP ON TRUCKIN' :
Fighting depression, from lack of employment and that almighty paycheck, and lack of self worth due to being unable to provide for yourself and your family... Going from just over a 6 figure income to low 5 figures can be crushing to one's ego and causes many financial hardships...!!!
But I continued to find small remodeling projects to help get by...
WHEN IN DOUBT... SIMPLIFY...!!! :
We had purchased two very small homes, one on St. Kitts (700 S.F.), and another on Nevis (1300 S.F.) and we were struggling to pay both mortgages even though they were under $2K per month for both... So we were very fortunate to find someone that bought both properties and we were able to pay off both mortgages and our credit line... And walk away with some cash in our pockets...!!!
GET HELP FROM OTHERS:
We kept our families posted with our progress at all times and asked for their prayers and any assistance they could provide... The prayers came and my oldest sister and brother-in-law told us to come home and they would try to help us get through these challenging times... So we packed some clothes and personal items and flew back to California with our recently found island puppy, Baby.
MAKE IT GREAT...!!! :
We are still recovering... We lived in a 31 foot RV for about 8 months and loved it... I worked doing Commercial Tenant Improvement work for a friend from High School... Still no job and my wife had to go back to Nevis to help out her parents who are in their 80's... One month after leaving she called and told me she wasn't coming back and asked me not to call or email her... So after more depressing depression I was pulled back to life by the Love and support of my family... I am Blessed with 3 sisters and 4 brothers who are my Best Friends...!!! My mom will be eligible for Sainthood soon... My dad, who taught me construction from the age of 4, past away in 1982... I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO MAKE IT GREAT...!!! BECAUSE 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU...
SO I NEED TO BACK TO VEGAS SOON...!!! to relax, enjoy the shows and get energized again to Keep on Truckin'...!!!
SORRY for the Long Winded Story... but once I got goin' I couldn't stop... Great Therapy...!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION & ENCOURAGEMENT.!!
ALL THE BEST...!!!
TJ Kendrick
VEGAS BABY...!!!
What happens there stays there... So they say...
But you do bring back the Energy and Excitement of Vegas with you...!!!!
It is a 24/7 town... I lived and worked there for 10 years... 1990 to 2000...
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T TAKE VACATIONS:
After working two shift... 60-80 weeks as Construction Manager on many Multi Million dollar projects, Burn Out had set in...!!!
EMBRACE CHANGE:
In 2000, I got the opportunity to go to the Caribbean and work to re-build the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis, in the West Indies... Nevis is the sister island to St. Christopher or St. Kitts as it is commonly known... I had a six month contract that lasted 10 months... Everyone else on the project couldn't wait to get off this little rock and back to "Civilization"...
TAKE TIME TO RELAX AND REFLECT ON YOUR LIFE:
Me, after 10 years in Vegas didn't want to leave... I had met my current wife and if I stayed 2 more months I was able to file my tax return as a non resident alien and got all of my Federal Income Tax returned to me due to the exemption allowed for working outside of the US...
So I retired for 6 months and enjoyed the sun, beach, my wife's company and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis... The hours spent in self retirement were great but the pay sucked... So back to work I went doing miscellaneous construction projects for expatriates that owned property and hotels on Nevis...
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES:
In 2003 I was fortunate to find employment as Director of Engineering and Construction at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine... The school had recently been purchased by De Vry Inc. and they were expanding the campus and enrollment... Did that for 3 years then met the owner of the St. Kitts Marriott Resort property playing Texas Hold'em and asked him out to dinner...
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX:
Who invites a billionaire to dinner...??? Most people are looking for what they can get from them... He responded by inviting my wife and I to dinner with his family... During dinner he offered me a job and within 4 months I was doing Construction Management for him at the Marriott Resort and other properties he owned on the island...
THE UNEXPECTED CAN HAPPEN:
The "Economic Downturn" resulted in my layoff in January 2009... When I was called in to a meeting with the owner to discuss, what I thought was my annual bonus, I was given 3 weeks notice... No Bonus... No Job...!!!
KEEP ON TRUCKIN' :
Fighting depression, from lack of employment and that almighty paycheck, and lack of self worth due to being unable to provide for yourself and your family... Going from just over a 6 figure income to low 5 figures can be crushing to one's ego and causes many financial hardships...!!!
But I continued to find small remodeling projects to help get by...
WHEN IN DOUBT... SIMPLIFY...!!! :
We had purchased two very small homes, one on St. Kitts (700 S.F.), and another on Nevis (1300 S.F.) and we were struggling to pay both mortgages even though they were under $2K per month for both... So we were very fortunate to find someone that bought both properties and we were able to pay off both mortgages and our credit line... And walk away with some cash in our pockets...!!!
GET HELP FROM OTHERS:
We kept our families posted with our progress at all times and asked for their prayers and any assistance they could provide... The prayers came and my oldest sister and brother-in-law told us to come home and they would try to help us get through these challenging times... So we packed some clothes and personal items and flew back to California with our recently found island puppy, Baby.
MAKE IT GREAT...!!! :
We are still recovering... We lived in a 31 foot RV for about 8 months and loved it... I worked doing Commercial Tenant Improvement work for a friend from High School... Still no job and my wife had to go back to Nevis to help out her parents who are in their 80's... One month after leaving she called and told me she wasn't coming back and asked me not to call or email her... So after more depressing depression I was pulled back to life by the Love and support of my family... I am Blessed with 3 sisters and 4 brothers who are my Best Friends...!!! My mom will be eligible for Sainthood soon... My dad, who taught me construction from the age of 4, past away in 1982... I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO MAKE IT GREAT...!!! BECAUSE 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU...
SO I NEED TO BACK TO VEGAS SOON...!!! to relax, enjoy the shows and get energized again to Keep on Truckin'...!!!
SORRY for the Long Winded Story... but once I got goin' I couldn't stop... Great Therapy...!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION & ENCOURAGEMENT.!!
ALL THE BEST...!!!
TJ Kendrick
Posted by Roosevelt Calloway
08/01 @ 10:21 AM
08/01 @ 10:21 AM
Dear Ms. Greendspan, Thank you for the above article, "Find Your Grand Canyon". The part that inspired me is about being part of something big. Being a part of something big for me is family:immediate,siblings, nieces,nephews, etc. During my working years I didn't pay enough attention to my children growing years. Now, I have grand children, my nieces and nephews have children. Again, thank you for the article.
Posted by Robyn Greenspan
07/21 @ 09:41 AM
07/21 @ 09:41 AM
Thank you for the kind comments. The challenge most of us face is staying inspired under florescent lighting and staring at monitors all day, thus underscoring the importance of loving the work, the mission, the people.
Posted by Tessa Marquis
07/18 @ 12:35 PM
07/18 @ 12:35 PM
Wonderful. You really brought me through and into your experiential moments.
For the past few years I have avoided most photos on trips for being in the moment and letting myself "be here now". I really enjoyed being "with you then"...
For the past few years I have avoided most photos on trips for being in the moment and letting myself "be here now". I really enjoyed being "with you then"...
Posted by Lori Evans Ermi
07/18 @ 09:51 AM
07/18 @ 09:51 AM
Great article and framework!
Posted by Danielle Hawthorne
07/18 @ 09:18 AM
07/18 @ 09:18 AM
An inspiring article that really resonated with my mission of being a part of something bigger than myself on a daily basis. Thanks for sharing your insights.
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Lessons learned from and about six-figure leadership and executive career management
