Reflections on Costa Rica and Adventures Ahead

As my time in Costa Rica comes to an end, I feel inspired to share a bit about the character of the country. Though there are lots of great things to say about Costa Rica, for me it was the good-natured people and their sense of connection to nature and wildlife that made this a particularly memorable trip.

The People - In all my interactions, the people were friendly, warm, and extremely helpful.  The country seems to have a common understanding of the importance of tourism to their economy and livelihood, and as a result they will often go out of their way to help tourists (in the country-side as well as the cities).  It was not surprising to read that Costa Rica ranked number one for the second year in a row on the New Economics Foundation's Happy Planet Index.  Interestingly, the 2012 survey placed a greater emphasis on environmental concerns, which leads to the next positive aspect of Costa Rican society: the sense of connection with nature.

Connection with nature - Costa Ricans, or Ticos, use the expression Pura Vida (pure life) constantly (as a greeting, as a thanks, etc.) and this epitomizes how their close connection to the natural world.  As with their understanding of the importance of tourism, Costa Ricans know that the vast majority of tourists come to see wildlife and the bounty natural beauty that the country has to offer.  Costa Rica contains no less than 5% of the world's total biodiversity and an impressive 26% of its land area has been set aside for conservation.

Related to the progressive conservation policies is a general appreciation for the amazing wildlife and creatures that inhabit the different ecosystems throughout the country.  I was ecstatic when I read that just a few days ago the President of Costa Rica announced a ban on shark finning, which had been a tarnish on Costa Rica's good environmental reputation (http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/News-Briefs/Costa-Rica-bans-shark-finning_Wednesday-October-10-2012).   On a more micro-level, many households seem to contain pets that have been rescued and you see less animals living on the streets than in other Central American countries.

In short, it was the warm-hearted nature of the people and the strong sense of almost ingrained environmentalism that made exploring Costa Rica such an enjoyable experience.

Adventures Ahead - tomorrow I head for Grenada which is at the Southern end of the Grenadines in the Southeastern Caribbean Sea.  There I will meet Captain and Artist Doug Hazelton and his wife Bethanne and step aboard their beautiful ship Sindbad for 8 weeks sailing through the Caribbean Sea.  Lot's more to come as I go along!

They move so slowly that they have their own types of fungi and moths living on them...true story

Now then...where to find a spot to stretch out

Up close and personal with a Tarantula...not a Halloween decoration

Can't help but think of Jurassic Park every time I see iguanas

Island off of Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Pacific Coast

Costa Rica - La Pura Vida

Hola amigos!  It has been far too long since the last post but I have come to realize that if I am not on the move, constantly inspired by new locations, my inclination to write quickly evaporates like the morning dew on the eucalyptus trees here in Costa Rica (poetry for the day).

On September 20, Jane and I departed for Costa Rica with a plan to see as much of the country as possible before she starts a Fellowship program with Kiva (www.kiva.org) for the next few months.

You will not hear a good word spoken about the sprawling capital, San Jose, nor find a positive statement about this place in written text in any language. I would love to offer evidence to balance the negative image of this city but having only spent a couple days here, nothing is coming to mind.

Little time was spent in San Jose before heading north west to the Guanacaste region, famous for its cowboys and agricultural way of life.  Near Liberia, one of the main cities, is the Parque Nactionale Rincon de la Vieja, home to impressive volcanoes.  Though the volcano could not be accessed due to activity, hiking through the forest was spectacular; culminating in a hidden waterfall and lagoon which made for some good swimming.

Way past rain jackets at this point!

More pressure than the Commando 450 (the reference is for all the Seinfeld fans)

Next was Tamarindo, a charming surfer town on the Pacific coast that necesitated staying a few extra days. The morning of the first day was spent surfing and the afternoon involved being entertained by a family of howler monkeys and other creatures along a river tour of the wildlife refuge. I've always stressed the importance of balance in life.

Way too much fun...

A black spiny tailed iguana snapping up a small crab a few feet from the boat

Heading back east now to the famous cloud forests (rain forests that exist at an elevation between 500 and 3,500 metres - in this case, trade winds from the Caribbean get pushed up by the mountains creating constant clouds and percipitation) of Monteverde.  The hiking was incredible, including a night hike that revealed lots of creatures/insects that thrive in the forest at night (as well as in the cheaper hostel rooms).  The night walk revealed a giant tarantula, poisionous viper snake, three-toed sloth, racoons, sleeping birds, leaf-cutter ants, beetles, giant stick bugs and lots more.

So...who is the winner of the camouflage contest?

So far Costa Rica has been wonderful, paritcularly the people who are very open and friendly with a natural laidbackness that exemplifies the common greeting here (which is indeed a way of life: Pura Vida).

Sunset over the Pacific in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Before signing off, I should mention that all the pictures in this post are made more special by the fact that my (well built and waterproof) camera was actually dropped in the ocean by our surf instructor, Luis, when the lesh got caught on the camera and ripped it out of his hand.  We searched the traslucent Pacific waters seemingly in vane, dragging our feet for any sign of it.  Just as I resigned myself to having lost the camera and all picutures, Luis exclaimed 'I've got it' as a wave crashed over his head.  Somehow, he emerged with the camera in hand.  Needless to say, it made the day.

Career Focus: The Social Intrapreneur

The term 'social entrepreneur' seems to have caught fire lately, reflecting entrepreneurs with a social or environmental cause at the core of their venture. From Blake Mycoskie's one-for-one model with TOMS Shoes (which donates a pair for every pair purchased) to Tom Skazy's Terracycle (which sells fertilizer and other products made from over 60 waste streams), few would argue that social entrepreneurs are making a real difference, often filling a gap where larger organizations have failed to act (or created the problem in the first place!).

But what about the legions of socially minded people who work within large, established organizations (and thus by definition are not social entrepreneurs) and seek to be a force for positive social change? Enter the 'social intrapreneur', defined as:

1) Someone who works inside major corporations or organizations to develop and promote practical solutions to social or environmental challenges where progress is currently stalled by market failures;
2) Someone who applies the principles of social entrepreneurship inside a major organization; 
3) One characterized by an ‘insider-outsider’mindset and approach.

A field guide available for free from SustainAbility discusses the concept of the social intrapreneur in-depth and provides examples from across the corporate world. Simply put, intrapreneurship involves "the exercise of entrepreneurial skills and approaches within a company or other large organization". More specifically, social intrapreneurs seek to better align societal needs and business value. Initiatives like Accentures Development Partnerships (develops innovative, cross-sectoral solutions to global challenges) or Microsofts Unlimited Potential (delivers relevant, accessible, and affordable technology to 'the next 5 billion people' around the world) are being led by social intrapreneurs working within these large organizations that operate according to a bottomline.

Though many successful examples were cited, the article is careful to note the serious constraints faced by those seeking to shift company resources towards a greater social good, such as accessing capital, gaining the support of senior leadership, and getting recognition for success.

As the field guide is for 'corporate changemakers', all the examples examined were from large, well-resourced, multinational corporations (e.g. Nike, Vodaphone, Citi, BP, etc.). This immediately caused me to question whether the same potential exists for social intrapreneurs seeking to drive change within:
- smaller companies with less resources; or
- that other world of large organizations that don't operate according to a bottomline, the public sector.

It would be interesting to see a comparison of experiences of social intrapreneurs amongst a more varied selection of organizations, as no doubt the two types mentioned above would pose a different, and arguably more salient, set of constraints.

Nonetheless there is great potential for social intrapreneurs, especially as businesses increasingly realize the limitations of a business model built purely on profit maximization.

If you work within a large organization and spend at least part of your time trying to address a larger social issue, or know someone who does, than this guide is worth a read.

Disclaimer: I am not a social intrapreneur and I still believe the greatest prospect to drive change is by starting something of your own. As Reed Paget, co-founder of Belu Water puts it in the article:

“As an entrepreneur, I have the freedom to pursue an individual and/or environmental mission — unconstrained by the needs of an existing organization.”

Sources:

'The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Change Makers' available at: http://www.sustainability.com/library/the-social-intrapreneur?path=library/the-social-intrapreneurs#.UCwIwqBmM_8

'Forbes' List of the Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs' available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/helencoster/2011/11/30/forbes-list-of-the-top-30-social-entrepreneurs/

Career Focus: Lifestyle over Position

Many of us spend a lot of time and energy thinking about our careers and taking on different jobs in the search for meaningful employment, which for people in their twenties is defined as work which provides them with:

1) A connection to the people and the world they serve;
2) A connection to their internal values and passions; and
3) Work which both challenges and engages them (Source: 'How to Make Money and Change the World')

For me, an even simpler equation for 'meaning employment' is doing what you like to do (i.e. skills) for something you believe in (i.e. values).  Connect the skills you enjoy using (e.g. public speaking, creative writing, painting, etc.), and are consequently good at, to a cause, movement, or system that you believe in (e.g. helping children with disabilities, building a sustainable society, saving wildlife, etc.), and you've got it made. Many of us have one side of the equation or the other, but it is rare (though worth pursuing!) to have both.

Much of the conversation about careers/jobs/the future seems to focus on the position: what organization do you want to work for? what positions are they hiring for? who are the leaders in your field and what positions do they hold? In a world that canonizes experts, it can be difficult for a generalist to come up a list of specific positions within specific organizations to apply for.

So, rather than starting with trying to nail down specific positions you may be interested in, why not focus on the type of lifestyle you want to live and let the potential positions stem from that?  Paint the broad strokes of how you see yourself living in the future.  For example, perhaps you see yourself living in different parts of the world throughout the year or working three days a week and spending the other days hiking in the Alps (it helps if you live close by), or organizing expeditions with your children and friends to volunteer in different parts of the world once a year.  In short, rather than focusing on where you want to work, think also about how you want to live.


There are many good ways to start the process: keep a weekly journal with thoughts about the lifestyle you are living and what you would change, collect pictures or images symbolic of the type of lifestyle you want to create for yourself, and meet and surround yourself with people living the type of life you think you may want.

Of course at some point it will be necessary to zoom in on a specific position you will go for, whether it is CEO of your own start-up or a computer programmer for a large firm, but the point is not to focus on position to the exclusion of lifestyle.

Moments in Nature

Whether travelling or at home, often my favourite moments (and those that are most memorable) are spent in nature.  Nature in this sense does not necessarily refer to the expansive, rugged, wild areas unspoiled by humans that few have seen except in a National Geographic magazine - in part because such true wilderness is increasingly rare: according to one study, 83% of the planet's ice-free land surface is now influenced by humans in some way or another.  However, most of us are able to immerse ourselves under a tree canopy or beside a lake within a relatively short distance from where we live, and we should do this, as often as possible.

Homo Sapiens have done an excellent job of  building ourselves out and away from nature, almost as if we exist in our own separate sphere where we can operate independently of the natural world.  Writer Richard Louv coined the term 'nature-deficit disorder' in a 2005 book to describe the decoupling between humans and our natural habitat.  Earlier this year, Timothy Egan wrote about this concept for the New York Times, listing the various health complications in our modern society that have been linked to a lack of exercise and time outside and explaining:

...there is an obvious solution — just outside the window. For most of human history, people chased things or were chased themselves. They turned dirt over and planted seeds and saplings. They took in Vitamin D from the sun, and learned to tell a crow from a raven (ravens are larger; crows have a more nasal call; so say the birders). And then, in less than a generation’s time, millions of people completely decoupled themselves from nature.   

I won't go into the myriad health issues that plague us as a result of this withdrawal from the natural world, but I do encourage everyone to seek out your own special moments in nature so that you can feel the connection to a bigger system.  Whether you are on a holiday or at home in the back garden, taking this time can be energizing, revitalizing, or calming...really whatever you need it to be to help find balance in an otherwise hectic world.

Here are a few pictures that remind me of the importance of these moments from recent travels:

Arches National Park, Utah, U.S.A.

Kayaking in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, B.C.

Camping under the moonlight in Lac du Possion Blanc, Quebec

Caterpillar close-up in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Sources:

• Lynas, Mark. 2011.  'The God Species: Saving the Planet in the Age of Humans'. The National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
• Egan, Timothy. 2012. 'Nature Deficit Disorder'. New York Times Online (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/nature-deficit-disorder/)
• Louv, Richard. 2005. "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder". Algonquin Books.

From the Rockies to Vancouver Island

On June 4, 2012 my Dad and I met in Calgary for a 12+ day trip through the Rockies and over to Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island to kayak one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

One of the amazing things about taking serious time away from work is the freedom and ability to actualize trips with family and friends that would otherwise remain distant dreams, to be discussed as a future possibility year after year.

For quite sometime, my Dad, Richard, and I had been discussing doing a big trip together - something outdoorsy and adventurous as we both share a love for nature, albeit from different approaches of how best to sleep in nature (i.e., the Chateau Lake Louise vs. MEC's Wanderer tent).

On June 4 we met in Calgary, AB for the "short" drive to Canmore.  Calgary has changed so much in the past few years that our Garmin GPS device landed us in the parking lot of a rather nice golf course instead of the TransCanada #1 Highway to go west.  A lesson learned in not over-relying on technology.

The next day we arrived at Lake Louise and hiked up to the Lake Agnes Tea House (which luckily was open), before returning for a round of Caesars at the Chateau Lake Louise.

(Chateau Lake Louise)

The drive to Vancouver was interrupted by a mudslide that closed a major section of the TransCanada Highway, forcing us to backtrack and take the longer northern route through Jasper.  Not such a hardship when I consider that we saw black bears, big-horn sheep, and deer along the way.

(The appropriately named Big-horn sheep)

It was a scenic drive the rest of the way to Vancouver, then ferry to Nanaimo, and finally another 3 hours driving on to Tofino, Vancouver Island - famous for its surfing - where we embarked on the real purpose of the trip: 4 days kayaking Clayoquot Sound.

We joined our guide Liam and Dean and Shauna from Calgary, and as a group covered over 65km by kayak around Meares Island in the Clayoquot Sound region. You may have heard of Clayoquot Sound in the context of the opposition to logging in the 1990s that drew major attention to the region (note the battle is not over and the area is under constant threat from different forms of development).

First Nations have inhabited the area for thousands of years and it is truly remarkable: forests thick with giant Western redcedars and the great Douglas Fir, innumerable inlets and mudflats, great birds (like Osprey and bald eagles) with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains in the distance.

(Group shot using the auto-pic function and the advanced Nalgene water bottle tripod)

The last few days of the trip we spent in Campbell River (famous for its Salmon fishing), Victoria (famous for its high retiree to non-retiree ratio - which is what attracted me to it :), and spending time with family and friends in Vancouver (famous for...I don't know...being the coolest place ever). The West Coast is pure magic.

Though the most exciting part of the trip was the kayaking, what I will remember the most is the fantastic chats we had along the way; driving in the car, waiting for a ferry, or avoiding getting up and out of warm sleeping bags in the tent. We both agreed that life is too short not to make the most out of every opportunity there is to have fun and connect with family.  I'm already looking into kayak trips for next year, which my brothers have made clear they would like to be a part of!  

(Plenty of time for pictures when your not actually catching fish)

For those of you who like to visualize places on a map, you can check out a google map with all the places mentioned: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid= 207108962984417257908.0004c2d8efa20e882dc7f

On Richard Branson's "Losing My Virginity"

I recently finished reading Richard Branson's action-packed biography Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way.  Prior to reading this book, I had of course heard of Branson (now Sir Richard) and the Virgin label, but knew very little about how the Virgin group had evolved and the incredible adventures Richard Branson had along the way, both personal and professional.

Branson's story resonated with me and his approach and outlook to life validated many of the core beliefs I hold and for this reason, I thought it worthwhile to share the key lessons I took from this book that at times had me jumping up shouting "yes I totally understand" or "that is so true!".

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained - this is the motto Branson's parents impressed upon him from a young age and it became a cornerstone of his approach to life, from new business ventures to record-setting balloon adventures. For example, Virgin took a massive risk when it entered the airline industry with the launch of Virgin Atlantic, going up against the powerful and well established British Airways. As you read his story, it seems that Branson and Virgin as a whole tended to overcome one challenge or risk by upping the stakes and taking an even bigger risk.

Being a risk-taker doesn't mean acting recklessly without thought of consequence.  Branson correctly notes that "if you are a risk taker, then the art is to protect the downside" (p. 427). But it does mean you need to be willing to step into the unknown and be confident enough in your own capacities to face what awaits on the otherside.

There is no formula for Virgin's success - good on him for saying this! He explains part way through that there really was no magic formula for Virgin that can be copied. 

This is the core of the message of Peter Block's book The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters, which emphasizes the importance of taking action on what you believe is important (rather than trying to copy other peoples approaches).  This sentiment is further echoed by Umair Haque in a blog posting for the Harvard Business Review, who states:

In our messy muggle world, there are no magic formulas. So, while many of you have been asking me for a roadmap to prosperity — and I've tried to offer a blueprint of a better kind of business — it might be that, despite what late-night infomercials and endless banner ads suggest, there's probably no framework you can pick up off the shelf, pay a few bucks for, do a little dance around, and (voila!) prosper. The plain fact is that great achievement, deep fulfillment, lasting relationships, or any other aspects of an unquenchably, relentlessly well lived life aren't formulaically executable or neatly quantifiable. First and foremost, they're searingly, and deeply personally, meaningful. The inconvenient truth is: you'll probably have to not just blaze your own trail — you'll also probably have to plot your own map for own journey (Source: (http://hbr.org/hbrg-main/resources/html/marketing/partner_center.html)).

I have seen 'paralysis by analysis' over and over again: there is always one more book to read, one more report to wait for, or something else to know about a subject.  At some point you just need to go for it...whatever that 'it' is.

Fun and adventure are important -  fun and adventure were at the core of everything Branson did (and continues to do).  He said he wouldn't even entertain a business idea unless there was an element of fun.  Life is too short to do it any other way.  It's not like we can alot the first thirty years of our professional lives to 'work', then bet on a few good years of retirement to "have fun" - that's just crazy!  How can you even know what fun is if you spend X number of years doing something you are not passionate about?

Social/environmental causes - particularly towards the later part, after many of the Virgin companies were well established, Branson began putting his energy and resources towards tackling some of the most difficult and intactable issues we face, from HIV/AIDS to climate change to the declining populations of Africa's great mammels. Branson understood that he is connected to the world and the planet and is therefore part of a broader system and as such, the companies he created have a responsibility to operate in the most sustainable way possible.

His outlook on life and boundless energy are inspiring, and he ends with: "...whatever the future holds, I am as excited and curious about it as I have ever been. It is that curiousity and sense of adventure about the unknown with all its challenges that drives me." Well said Sir Richard!

Note: If your thinking of picking up a copy of this book, consider getting it from http://www.betterworldbooks.com/