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Delight 6: Be My Eyes

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin 0 Comment

It’s only happened about 4-5 times over the last 2 years but whenever I get a call from Be My Eyes it immediately brings a smile to my face.

If you’re not familiar, Be My Eyes is an app for those with visual impairment. If they are in a situation where they need someone to assist them, they use the app and a stranger answers the call and helps them. I’ve been able to help someone with a thermostat in a hotel, reading the label on a can and last night helping a colour-blind nurse pick out her outfit. (Actually, I passed the phone to my wife as she would be a better helper. If you saw my pants collection, you’d agree.)

I’m not saving the world or curing a disease. I realize it’s the tiniest bit of human kindness. It’s a simple lift for me and while I am hopefully helping someone else out, I think it does more for me than the caller. The internet has provided society with a mixed bag of good and evil to be sure but when it creates opportunities for us to be more human in these little, surprising and previously unthinkable ways, … Read the rest

Delight 5: The Intentional, Unintentional Nap

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin, Personal 0 Comment

Occasionally I meet someone who doesn’t nap and who doesn’t find value or delight in them. I don’t really get these folks. Ever since my public declaration of naps, (I have no way to prove this but I take credit for the #napchat hashtag), people continue to send me research and findings around the merits of naps. I don’t need convincing.

One of my favourite kinds of naps is on weekend afternoons while watching sports. Usually, it’s football or golf but golf is preferred mostly because the announcers talk quietly anyway. I like the idea of drifting off to sleep without trying or planning. That makes it feel like it’s more of a gift or a happy accident. While that can happen, I don’t want to leave such a delightful thing to chance. I want it to feel serendipitous but in reality, it’s totally planned although I work to make it seem like it just sort of happened.

Here’s how it’s done. You turn the volume down and wait for an opportune moment. With football, I like the 2nd quarter. If it’s golf, I start when the final group is on about the 7th hole. If it’s a really

… Read the rest

Delight 4: Her Little Voice

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, joy, linkedin, Personal 0 Comment

The easy thing about my Delight Project is that I have the two cutest grandchildren ever. I could simply share a video or picture of them and know that it brings me delight and likely you too. The challenge is I have to be specific which makes it a bit harder. But make no mistake, I will be sharing my delights that feature my two babies.

Listening to toddlers grow their vocabulary might be the most precious thing I love about children. Mispronouncing words and improper grammar are cute. It’s always strange to think of the things that children do and know that we would be appalled or just feel sad for adults who portray these traits. Yet with children, observing this childish behaviour is truly delightful.

Harriet’s voice is enchanting. When she plays she morphs in and out of characters at a moment’s notice. From “I’m the Momma” to “Now I’m Peppa” to “Ina be Hay-it” (I’m going to be Harriet), she changes her voice and begins to use the posture and voice of her character. This soft voice of the Momma is my favourite. It’s soothing, comforting and slightly condescending. It’s the best. In this clip, she puts … Read the rest

Delight 3: Kaleb Rashad and his Icebreaker

Posted by Dean Shareski on in ALP, Conferences, delight, facebook, gratitude, linkedin 0 Comment

Part of the new series on delight.

Many people, including myself, have an aversion to the icebreaker. Too often it’s a somewhat disingenuous activity assuming that random people have a desire to connect with other strangers in a confined space when in reality they had no intention of doing anything other than listening to a presentation or at most working with people they already know.

You’ve probably been in that room where it’s just awkward. If you lean towards introversion, these experiences can be painful. If the speaker engages in a long setup of the activity, you either get up to use the restroom or pretend you have an urgent phone call and leave the room. (Confession, I’ve done both)

But when one of the goals of a meeting or gathering is to build community, then it can actually make sense and if done well provide purpose and context to the upcoming work or learning. At this point, it’s not an icebreaker but a learning activity.

I’m currently involved in coaching 4 school divisions in Virginia as a part of a larger initiative called VaLIN or Virginia is for Learners Innovation Network. This is year 2 and we kicked … Read the rest

Delight 2: Spring Tease

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin 0 Comment

There’s no way to measure this but I believe those of us living on the prairies of North America have a deeper appreciation for spring and summer. When you endure -30 temperatures for a significant portion of the year, the hope of warmer weather keeps you going.

In fact, there may be a conspiracy to make sure we keep that hope.

To be fair, this has not been a particularly harsh winter but today was one of those days that prove spring is coming. Temperatures jumped up into double digits Celsius (50F for those living in backwards places who haven’t yet converted to the worldwide standard temperature format)

I don’t know how our bodies interpret this temperature in March as glorious and warm when if it was like this in September or May we may consider it chilly. It doesn’t matter. What I know is that while I’m not seeing tulips coming up yet or leaves on trees bud, you do see people ditching their coats and a few overzealous teenagers in shorts. I saw someone out hitting golf balls and kids riding their bikes. And in the true spirit of spring, I was sent out to get DQ Blizzards. … Read the rest