Christmas 2011

Thank You

To all the wonderful members who made 2011 an exciting one at Freedom Fitness PLUS - Thank You!  We wanted to take this opportunity to:

1)       Wish you a fun Christmas time with friends, family, and loved ones.

2)       Wish you get all the rest you need these holidays to start 2012 with gusto!

3)       Inform you of a few important things.

Membership Offers

Lots of people have been asking, “How do memberships to Freedom Fitness PLUS work and how much are they?

1)                   Full Memberships (Kickboxing Group Fitness and 24/7 Gym)

Student/Beneficiary            $40.00 per month

Adult                                     $75.00 per month

2)                   Kickboxing Group Fitness or 24/7 Gym Only

Adult                                     $55.00 per month

Note 1: 24/7 Gym Memberships require the purchase of an electronic key for $25.00. Replacement for key loss or damage is at the member’s cost.

Note 2: When accessing the gym after Rawene Centre hours members are not permitted to access the Rawene Centre through the toilets.  Doing so will set off the alarms in the Rawene Centre zone which will result in a security call out.  Charges for these will be passed on to the key holder.

3)                   Group or Club Offer

Do you have a social, community group, or club you hang out with?  Why not come and talk to us about a special group membership arrangement?  We are always happy to welcome new groups of people.

Also, if you are involved in a community group, why not invite them to do a fundraiser here at the gym?  This is how it works.

Let’s say you are an active member at your local kindy.  Why not let them know that they can invite all of the parents to kickboxing for a one-off at no charge?  They can charge a fund-raising fee for their kindy for each participant.  We get new people to a calls and the kindy raises some funds.

4)                   Upgrade today

Hey kick boxers, do you know we have a 24/7 cardio and fitness gym?  All you need to do is purchase a key (for $25.00), pay the difference in membership rate (a full Membership instead of just the Kickboxing Membership rate) and you are in! 

Hey 24/7 gymers, do you know we have a Kickboxing fitness timetable?  This will work your cardio system as well as all three muscle fibre types.  If you are keen on getting results in the gym this can help you immensely!   All you need to do is pay the difference in membership rate (a full Membership instead of just the Kickboxing Membership rate) and you are in! 

But wait, it’s Christmas time so we have a special upgrade offer between now and Christmas Day!  Upgrade your membership before then and we will halve the upgrade rate from $20.00 per month to $10.00 per month.  So instead of $75.00 per month for a full Membership you only pay $65.00 per month for the next year.    

5)                   Off Shore Membership

Do you live south of the bridge and travel out of your way to get to Freedom?

If you do then, between now and Christmas Day, we will Upgrade your Membership at no extra charge.  That means you can get full Kickboxing and 24/7 Gym Membership for $55.00 per month, plus the $25.00 key charge if you need one.  This is only available to those who do not live on the North Shore and only until Christmas Day – so hurry!

6)                   One Month Unlimited Kickboxing Classes for $19.99

Kikcboxing Fitness Classes work the cardio system and all three muscle fibre types.  You get the complete workout.  You can purchase (for a friend or family member) one voucher for one month's worth of awesome Kickboxing fitness training at Freedom Fitness PLUS for less than $20.00!  The voucher has a redemption life of three months from the date of purchase.  This offer is only available until Christmas Morning, 25 December 2011.

7)                   Buchan Memberships

This is when an adult, (could be a Mum, a Dad, an Uncle, an Aunt, a Godfather, a Godmother, or just a kindly neighbour), can join Freedom Fitness PLUS at the rates mentioned here above and bring a youth along at no additional charge.  There is a condition with regards to the age of the youth though.

If the youth is over 16 years of age then admission to the 24/7 gym is fine.  If the youth is between the ages of 10 and 15 then they may attend the Kickboxing Group Exercise classes only.  The only exception is if Personal Training with a REPS Registered PT like Scottie is engaged to supervise in-gym activity.   The idea of these memberships is to provide an opportunity for youth and adults to form a working relationship together.  So, in essence, we would expect the adult to attend the gym with the youth most of the time.  In the case of youth aged 10 to 13 an adult must be present in the Kickboxing Group Exercise Classes at all times.

Our Vision for 2012

What is Freedom Fitness PLUS all about?  You can read about our vision for Freedom here http://www.freedomfitness.co.nz/OurVision.aspx and it is also depicted in detail on the block wall inside the gym in brightly coloured chalk.  Our vision reflects the community spirit at Freedom Fitness PLUS.  Not all community interests are well funded so we rely on our membership to finance much of what we do.  Members’ initials are also shown on the block wall inside the gym in brightly coloured chalk to show our thanks for their support.  We wish to offer members the chance to personify their own initials on that wall. 

Christmas BBQ

On Thursday, 22 December, after Scottie’s Kickboxing session there will be a gym BBQ.  We will provide sausages with onions, mustard, sauce, buttered bread, and non-alcoholic beverages.  Folks are welcome to bring a plate to share with salad or desert thereon and something else to drink if they wish.   It is on this occasion members will be invited to personalise their initials in chalk (i.e. graffiti style) on the gym wall.  Please RSVP your intention to attend:

Text or Cellphone – 021 176 4266

Landline – 09 282 3169

Email – freedomfitnessbirkenhead@gmail.com

 

CHC500 Challenge

The CHC500 is when we perform 500 kickboxing kicks in succession to raise funds for Christchurch.  Before we do the kicks we need to do a couple of things:

Get sponsorship from family and friends.  Get a sponsorship form here http://www.freedomfitness.co.nz/SpecialEvents.aspx

Train.  You will want to come to as many kickboxing fitness group training sessions as you can between now and the event.

The CHC500 event will occur before the BBQ on Thursday, December 22, 2011.

Learning Advisory

Freedom Fitness PLUS, in association with Te Kura (NZ School of Correspondence), is proud to be hosting and delivering a Te Kura Learning Advisory out of Freedom Fitness PLUS.  This is when students of Te Kura get face to face time with qualified teachers as they study towards NCEA Unit Standard Credits.  They also receive a sponsored gym membership.  We plan to be putting on supporting events such as skateboarding, media (movie-making), music, fitness, and drama sessions so that students get a full range of activities made available to them.  For students 17 and under the whole thing is at no charge.  A small fee will apply per study course for older students.  Please let us know about any youth you are aware of who could benefit from this programme. 

Bruce’s Corner

Bruce’s Corner is a full length feature film about a boxer being made at Freedom Fitness PLUS by Film Director, gym member, and media graduate, Adrian Frencken.  Shooting starts the second week of 2012 (from 8 January).  We are looking for anyone (though particularly youth) who are at a loose end (Hello?  It will be the last few weeks of the school holidays so of course there will be plenty of those) and who want to learn all about how movies are shot or who want to actually be in a movie. 

Part of the funding for the project will come from You Tube advertising work Adrian can put together.  The days where all one needs to do, in order to attract business success, is to throw money at television and magazine advertising, are long gone.  With the advent and development of web based marketing strategies such as social media growing your business easily, cheaply, and effectively is all about how creative you can be with your advertising.  Adrian brings the creativity required and posts the results on your own You Tube channel to generate more customers for less money.  Find out more here http://www.freedomfitness.co.nz/BrucesCorner.aspx

Youth on Track

Youth on Track is an organisation that provides mentoring services to local youth.  We are in the process of setting a satellite of YOT up in our gym.  More news to come as developments come to light.

Christmas Hours

The final kickboxing group fitness class for 2011 will be Thursday December 22, 2011. 

The first kickboxing group fitness class for 2012 will be Monday January 9, 2012 but only Scottie's classes will be running initially.  Dave's classes cannot re-commence until his return from holiday in the final week of January 2012.

If kickboxing members wish to access the 24/7 gym between Thursday December 22, 2011 and Monday January 9, 2012 as well as during Dave's holiday absence we can issue a key to the 24/7 gym (at a cost of $25.00) that will provide 24/7 access throughout the holiday period.

Communication

Telephone 09 282 3169

Cell (call or text) 021 176 4266

Email freedomfitnessbirkenhead@gmail.com

Website www.freedomfitness.co.nz

Blogspot http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/

(note: this newsletter is shown in its complete entirety on our blog)

It's Time for NZ Youth to Shine... but how?

      The Plan:

Youth Shining in New Zealand

1)      Relationship – Become relevant.  No rapport = nil score.  Include networks, family, peers

2)      Consultation – Find out what the client wants, how they want it, and deliver it – just that way

3)      Literacy - Basic facts and skill development (NCEA English and Maths)

4)      Creativity – Nobody can build a house without a plan.  Same with a life.  Creativity is the key to planning

5)      Gaps in generational perspectives – Promoting empathy

6)      Choosing the right career (or finding purpose) – Try before you buy

7)      Approaching things from a mature perspective – Playing the game in its entirety

8)      Integration – Building community

9)      The student becomes the Teacher – Building competency and capacity

Project Target Group

-          Children and Youth 12-17

-          Young persons 18-30

How did we identify the need for our approach?

-          Co-operating with CYF

-          Working with at-risk youth

-          Speaking with and listening to community gatherings of groups concerned with education, employment and other current issues affecting youth

-          Speaking with and listening to local business people

-          Researching generation differences in perspectives and making some sense of where current approaches can be improved for greater effectiveness

Have we consulted with others?

(So far) there are (potentially) 21 partners in this project.  That number is expected to grow.  This project has been developed over the last 18 months.  In that time many aspects of these ideas have been tried and tested.  Most of these partners are directly involved in the local community so that we have the benefit of feedback from just about every level (from youth, to community organisations, to educators, and businesses, even our local MP).

What is our motivation for setting up this service/project?

Patriotism, fatherhood, a passion for and belief in youth, love of community, an ego driven need to prove that a problem from one angle is an opportunity from another, an inner conviction that we must be people who contribute positively and in an accountable fashion, and an unshakable belief that politicians and Government agencies cannot fix our communities without the participation of the communities themselves.

What skills/experience do we bring to the project?

Business (Sales, Marketing, Management – in NZ and International), mentoring, empathy, discipline, international perspectives, an awareness of and understanding of generational perspectives, planning, organisation, and execution.

Are we an approved provider to CYFS?

Undergoing this project currently.

How will the project be delivered?

Face to face, using various in-group and one-on-one formats, out of the Rawene Centre, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead.

What model or theory of service effectiveness will your project be based on?

Empathy.  Empathy for all of the things the stake holders are looking for.  The stake holders are:

-          The client

-          The community (as represented by individuals and organisations like the Salvation Army)

-          Local businesses

-          Education providers

-          Government agencies

We have allowed for full reviews to be conducted so we can improve the programme further as we go.

Other information

How can we get young people in NZ to believe more in themselves?

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-is-our-plan-for-working-with-youth.html

How do we approach youth mentoring?

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-do-we-approach-youth-mentoring.html

Step 1 – Relationship

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-1-relationship.html

Step 2 – Consultation

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-2-consultation.html

Step 3 – Literacy

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-3-literacy.html

Step 4 – Developing Creativity

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-4-developing-creativity.html

Step 5 – Gaps in generational perspectives

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-5-bridging-gaps-between.html

Step 6 – Finding Purpose

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-6-finding-purpose.html

Step 7 – Gaining a mature perspective

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-7-approaching-things-from-mature.html

Step 8 – Building community

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/step-8-building-community.html

Step 9 – Teach

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-happens-when-student-becomes.html

How does “Time to Shine” work?

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-does-time-to-shine-programme-work.html

Who are our partner prospects for the delivery of “Time to Shine”?

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/our-programme-partner-prospects.html

Our Business Network

http://www.bni.co.nz/chapter_details.asp?chap_id=14227

Proposed Timeline

http://freedomfitnessplus.blogspot.com/2011/10/proposed-timeline.html

Enquiries to http://www.freedomfitness.co.nz/Contact.aspx

Want to get the NCEA credits that you missed at school - and get a sponsored gym membership?

Three Thursdays of Fun
Freedom Fitness PLUS, Rawene Community Centre, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead on Thursday 17 and Thursday 24 November, also Thursday 1 December at 12pm http://www.freedomfitness.co.nz/
 Kickboxing, skating and bmx demonstrations, plus tour of gym facilities
 Meet our Kiwisport Coordinator and sign up for your ‘free’ Kiwisport concession card* for 2012  Meet youth mentors and life coaches
 Meet your Liaison Teacher
 "Design your Day" - mentors will facilitate group brainstorming  Lunch provided Great way to end the school year … see you there!! RSVP to: Susan Ramsay *entitles you to weekly kickboxing classes, attendance at all advisories and use of weights gym for 1 hour per week throughout 2012. Invitation to all Te Kura students and their supervisors living in the: Birkenhead,
Birkdale, Beachhaven, Glenfield and Northcote areas to join us for: Three Thursdays of Fun Freedom Fitness PLUS, Rawene Community Centre, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead on Thursday 17 and Thursday 24 November, also Thursday 1 December at 12pm www.freedomfitness.co.nz (09) 3021788
0274809753
Or email: susan.ramsay@tekura.school.nz sessions around what activities YOU want to be doing while studying with Te Kura in 2012

Proposed Timeline

Mid-November 2011 – a key stake-holder’s meeting 12.00noon – 2.00pm 17^th, another meeting one week later and a third meeting one week after that

Early December – commence the programme except the NCEA Learning Advisory

Feb 2012 – First term of the NCEA Learning Advisory and the three month Youth Shining in New Zealand programme begins

Consultation

In addition to our potential delivery partners, this proposed programme was prepared with the valuable insight of:

-          Many local youth

-          Many local businesses, some owned by people in their early 20’s.  These people are all constantly in touch with local youth

-          Many organisations (listed) with experience handling youth and a plethora of human conditions including mental health, health, and business success

Our programme partner prospects

List of participants and their purpose within the programme:

NZ School of Correspondence, www.tekura.school.nz – To deliver NCEA unit standards training.

Wanaga, www.daenis.co.nz  – To support learning, goal setting, and financial literacy.

Learn Here, www.learnhere.co.nz – To provide a business insight and computer training.

Freedom Fitness PLUS, www.freedomfitness.co.nz  – Extending current work with at-risk youth by creating and facilitating this full programme.  Several emails and letters of support for our work with at-risk youth are attached.

Salvation Army Glenfield – An organisation our students can support as they learn the art of philanthropy.

Chefs for Compassion, http://www.chefsforcompassion.com/  – Teaching the art of philanthropy through the preparation and service of food.

Parents Inc, http://www.parentsinc.org.nz/cms/ – Delivering a parenting course to the caregivers/adults/parents of programme participants.

Kaleidomedia, http://www.kaleidomedia.co.nz/  – A media company owned and run by a local 24 year old.  This company will facilitate media experience and give a company perspective to programme participants as seen through the eyes of the 24 year old owner.

Arcadia Skin Care, http://www.facebook.com/ArcadiaSkinCare – Health advice from a qualified Naturopath.  Another business perspective in terms of running a lifestyle business.

Musetude, http://www.musetude.com/ – Releasing the creative genius within programme participants through music.  Using their methods this organisation can release sufficient genius/mind power to teach two years of classical music study in just two weeks.

Toi Ora, http://www.toiora.org.nz/ – An art space in Grey Lynn currently working with referrals from DHB’s.  Wants to expand into youth work and will deliver the art, music, and drama aspects of the programme.

Four Letters, http://www.fourletters.co.nz/ – A local Birkenhead skate shop owned and operated by a 24 year old.  This business is like a magnet, attracting hoards youth as young as years of age and up to mid-twenties.  Liam, the owner, will deliver perspectives on creativity, business, and responsibility, with a complete understanding for what it is like growing up as a teenager in Birkenhead.

Organic Planting – This activity will be provided by a couple of different groups in possession of youth work experience all over the world.  They bring to the programme creative, inter-generational, career, and maturity perspectives.

Peter Taylor, http://www.speakers.co.nz/petertaylor.html – Peter is an equestrian athlete with international experience at the top of his game.  A unique circumstance irrevocably changed Tailors life. While at the Barcelona Olympics, he was unknowingly infected with a rare parasite from a sand fly bite. The illness, Visceral Leishmaniasis Donnovanni, usually kills by destroying the bone marrow within twenty months. Peter remains the only person living in the world now in his tenth year of infection and fulfilling a hard regime of chemotherapy. His ability to continue repeated rounds of treatment have made him a medical pioneer, completing 900 doses.

Now partially blind and severely deaf from the effects of the treatment, Peter brings a refreshing personal perspective to dealing with change and motivation.  The only thing that keeps this viscous disease under control is those monthly doses of intense chemo-therapy and it always makes Peter extremely sick for one week each and every month.  For the other three weeks Peter carries out amazing and inspiring works, which helps him to add to the hundreds (maybe thousands) of intriguingly motivational stories to tell.  He also performs on stage delivering his message of courage, hope, and encouragement.  Peter is the only person I know in the world in possession of every right to ask of his audience one very important question - “So, what’s YOUR excuse?”  If there are others out there, I just have not met them yet.

Jesse’s Superfood, http://www.facebook.com/jessessuperfood – Jesse is a chef with a young baby suffering from severe lactose intolerance and gluten allergy.  She uses her cullinary knowledge to create amazing super-foods a mother with such a baby can use whilst breast-feeding.  Another advantage eating these super-foods is the additional health benefits they deliver.  It is not easy to substitute white flour with buckwheat.  Jesse has employed a deep understanding of how to prepare food with a vivid imagination of what ingredients can be used in place of the harmful ones.  She runs a business that supplies the superfoods she makes to mothers who want healthier babies.  She can provide knowledge of food preparation and a business perspective.

Elias Kenaris, http://www.eliaskanaris.com/ – A Leadership Coach and Business Mentor.  Elias has worked all over the world running some very large company divisions for companies like Gen-i.  He specialises in helping people develop their leadership and influence potential.

Colleen Sluiter, www.bigbusinessinsight.com – A Business Coach specialising in Marketing.  As an owner of several businesses and an immigrant from South Africa Colleen brings an internation understanding and perspective to the programme.

Steve Boardman, http://waspsecurity.co.nz/ – Still in his 20’s and without a single formal qualification Steve owns and operates one of the most professional, honest, and competent security businesses around.  Another one who brings it all to the table, and he is young enough to remember what being a teenager was like.

Rawene Centre, http://www.rawenecentre.org.nz/ – This is the landlord for Freedom Fitness PLUS and the provider of the location where this programme will be run.

Youth On Track, http://youthontrack.org.nz/ – The brainchild of a 19 year old who had been through it all.  You name it, it probably happened to him as he was growing up.  He shared his desire to help others with 59 year old Pete, and Youth On Track was conceived.  Some months and a whole lot of work later, this organisation is completing a number of registration processes, has a full board of trustees, and a patron, Christina Stroud of www.christinastroud.com  Christina deals with P addiction and has reported a 97% success rate.  The Government run alcohol and drug addiction programmes report a much more modest claim with regards to success, reportedly hovering in a single digit percentage figure.

The Flat FM, http://www.flatfm.co.nz/ – Owned by Anthony from Kaleidomedia, The Flat FM is another success story.  The radio station has three transmitters – one in Birkenhead, Hamilton, and Whangarei.  With over 8,000 listeners aged between 10 and 25 years of age (they also stream online) these guys bring some fantastic perspectives to the programme, not to mention an affordable way to reach our target market for this programme.  The aim is to be running a radio show as part of this programme.

BNI (Business Networks International) Harbour View http://www.bni.co.nz/chapter_details.asp?chap_id=14227 – An important part of the programme providing a large proportion of the business networks we will involve to give youth different forms of work experience.

Interesting people who have shown a high level of interest in appearing as guests on the radio show intended to be associated with this programme:

Mark Knoff Thomas – Runs the city office of Kelly Services, http://www.kellyservices.co.nz/NZ/Contact-Us/Branches/Auckand-CBD/    Mark is passionate about employment opportunities and career paths for youth.

Peter Grace – Has spent 20 years working with families dealing with experience of mental illness.  http://www.sfauckland.org.nz/SUPPORT/Our+Team/Waitemata.html

Kerry Atma – Works with Essentially Men.  http://essentiallymen.net/index.html 

Many of the providers outlined in the programme.

In addition we will be working closely with a large contingency of community networks including the local Community Co-ordinators and schools.  We have already been in discussions with career advisors from Glenfield College and other relevant organisations, although we are yet to see where these will lead.

How does the "Time to Shine" programme work?

How does our programme, “Time to Shine”, work?

By taking groups of local youth and their parents through a 3/6/12 month programme covering all of the above.  At the end of the first three months it is envisaged participants who have enrolled will be committed to finishing the education being delivered by the NZ Correspondence School and Wananga in the gym throughout 2012, as well as staying on at the gym for fitness and connection. 

Step 9 - What happens when the student becomes the teacher?

9.  Teach

There is no doubt about it, you only get a real grasp on an idea that is worked and played with.  And ultimate understanding comes from teaching it.  We want youth who come through the shining programme to consider (officially) teaching these ideas to the next group whilst they (un-officially) teach them to their peers in conversation.  Youth who successfully complete the programme will be invited to consider serving as a mentor.

We like the idea of reading to youth in residence.  Perhaps our mentors can do something like that.

Step 8 - Building community

8.            Integration

Freedom Fitness PLUS is a community minded service provider that employs health and fitness as a tool to assist youth to lead and achieve.  We have a good membership base that can provide plenty of encouragement and support long after the programme has concluded.  Adult/Youth gym memberships contribute heavily to the affordability of family and community centred health and fitness.  Staff and members enjoy fulfilling a quasi-mentorship role with other members/gym users, younger or older.  Because we are based in the Rawene Centre, 33 Rawene Road, Birkenhead, there is ample space for additional community activities to be planned beyond just gym membership.

Step 7 - Approaching things from a mature perspective

7.  Developing Maturity – a pathway to satisfaction

Corey L. M. Keyes, was contemplating the ‘modern’ view of health and well-being.  Of course, the typical measures of health and well-being are designed to operate somewhat like a light switch.  It is either on, or off.  You are rich, or poor.   You are well, or sick.  You are in, or out, of control in your life.

But, as we understand it, Corey L. M. Keyes conclusive observation went a little something like this.  Life is just not like that.  Everything can be measured in degrees.  A person can experience mental un-wellness today, and feel perfectly functional and fine the next.  A person can be very wealthy yet experience depression.  An un-well person of modest means can be incredibly inspiring.

It seems Corey L. M. Keyes reasoned that a truly objective conclusion on the ‘wellness’ of an individual calls for shades of grey, from many perspectives, before a ‘line’ can be drawn that accurately describes the condition of their life.  There is one measure, which is in the process of being adopted worldwide, that can be used for this purpose.  Are you:

-          Flourishing, or

-          Languishing?

How can one person seem to have everything to live for yet be miserable (languishing)?  And how can one person facing near crippling hardship be inspiring (flourishing)?  In layman terms, Corey L. M. Keyes hypothesised that if a person has seven life “ducks in a row” then, regardless of anything else in their life, they will flourish.  The fewer ducks they have lined up, the greater the chance they will languish.  Here are those itemised “ducks”:

a)      Are you giving? – You need to understand that you don’t have to be a billionaire like Bill Gates to be a philanthropist.  Once you realise this fact, you are liberated from the chains of the imagined financial barriers to philanthropy (which also offers countless opportunities for personal and professional development too).

b)      Are you connected? – Genuinely connecting with others is a sure-fire way to help an individual release their gifting into the world.  No one person can do everything alone.  We are just not built that way.  We are built to work in teams, each individual maximising the whole by contributing with their unique gifts.  Sadly, whilst technology promises better connectivity it is often delivered at such a level that is not real or genuine connection (ask anyone who has 600 friends on their Facebook page but only so they can achieve better scores whilst playing online games, or ask someone with a Twitter account boasting “25,000 followers”).  Whilst sometimes social media is a very powerful connectivity tool (there probably are people out there with 25,000 genuine followers on their Twitter account but these will be the exception rather than the rule) other (more old fashioned) networking strategies still have their value on the basis that the connection is genuine.  For example, everyone in a concert seeing their favourite musicians are arguably better connected than many Facebook and Twitter connections.  Most of us would be satisfied with a one on one or small group face to face.  The skills that produce real connections in these scenarios are still important.

c)       Do you take notice? – I heard of a wealthy guy once who was utterly depressed.  I cannot remember the exact figures but the story went something like this.  He was depressed because he had only made $2 million in income that year and he was sure he should have made at least $2.5 million.  True story.  It sounds like a cliché but it is important to “smell the roses” that are growing in your garden.  By all means (if you can) attend to any that are struggling and maybe try to solve whatever the issue is, but don’t completely ignore the fact that you have some terrific roses growing.  Another aspect to this is being mindful.  To stop reacting to life and live the life you want instead.  This is (of course) linked to creativity.  Ways to be mindfully creative (by quietening the un-helpful logical, emotional, and reptilian fight or flight noise often constantly heard in the mind – thus opening up one’s creative resources) are to meditate, pray, reflect, play music, paint, read, write, fish, walk, and certain other forms of exercise.  You can use whatever quiets the mind for this purpose.

d)      Are you active? – The body is its own drug lab.  When you exercise it creates an enormous amount of ‘feel good’ chemicals.  These are completely legal and FREE of charge to use!  As previously mentioned, this is one method to open the creative mind in order to get an individual out of the reactionary rat race approach to life and begin to plan the life one actually wants to live. 

e)      Are you still learning? – You cannot do any of this stuff properly if you are ignorant.  And we are all ignorant.  Keep learning.  Keep making distinctions.  With ubiquitous access to the internet and books (both available free of charge from most New Zealand libraries) ignorance in a subject of importance to you is a choice.  As for literacy issues, many public schools will allow enrolments from just about anyone, free of charge.  I know a lady in her 70’s who went back to High School for three years and brushed up on her French alongside a whole lot of teenagers and she had a ball doing it - for FREE!

f)       Are you grounded? – actually, the International List to ensure someone is flourishing ends with the items listed above.  “f” and “g” were deemed out of reach for some people in some countries.  But being connected with earth, nature, plants, and organic life are considered an important part of being able to develop a flourishing mind-set and attitude.  In New Zealand, there is no excuse not to do this.

g)      Are you eating well? – again, off the International List because some people in the world just have no way of controlling their diet.  Not so in New Zealand.  Anyone can grow a veggie patch or plant an apple tree. 

It is true youth have many advantages, including the ability to use technology with astonishing aptitude.  But this has come at the cost of many of the items listed above from “a” to “g”.  So, although highly talented and very clever, some youth have a world view that does not completely serve them. 

Step 6 - Finding Purpose

6.  Job Choice (or purpose)

Also important is to ensure the youth concerned is satisfied that their choice of employment (or purpose – not every inspirational purpose involves getting a job) can bring them what they want in life, even if only for now.  Otherwise… let’s say a member of New Zealand’s youth figures out what their dream job is (or embarks upon a mission of purpose), gets "in the door”, only to discover they hate it and want to do something else.  In speaking with many youth it is apparent that some feel their only chance to “try before you buy” is to sign up for something at University that contains work placement during the first year.  Most courses can be around the $8,000.00 mark for the first year (more, or less).  That is an expensive fee to pay just to find you hate a vocation.

Our idea is to employ our growing network of enthusiastic business owners who will help youth get a taste of their industry without cost.  In return our network get's first chance to get a glimpse of new talent.  It is hoped that youth will start to make our network a part of their own so they can continue to benefit from their relationship with the business owner or manager beyond the duration of the programme.

Step 5 - Bridging the gaps between generational perspectives

5.  Bridging Gaps Between Generational Perspectives

Another problem faced by today’s youth is a feeling of un-importance for what was once held sacred and an emphasis on things once considered frivolous.  An example?  An older cafe owner employs a young person to wait tables.  The youth is able to text his friends, check his Facebook page (via his cell phone), and provide excellent service to customers - simultaneously.   Somehow the youth, because of their affinity with and ability to employ various forms of technological leverage, has the capacity for incredible output levels in less time than the cafe owner can imagine.  The cafe owner is operating on outdated perspectives about time and output possibilities and so can start to resent the youth on the basis that they cannot possibly be getting the work done whilst doing so much multi-tasking – even if they are getting the work done.  Even if the cafe owner considered themselves dextrously adept with cell phone technology they would still probably struggle with the multi-tasking (were they to attempt to emulate the youth) and customer service would suffer so the café owner is against such behaviour.  That is why most cafe owners in this position would reprimand their employee (and probably watch the youth walk out the door, never to return).  But our particular cafe owner quickly gets over his employees apparent lack of focus when he begins to understand the youth is delivering exemplary service and that happy customers are complimenting the youth as well as returning more regularly than in the past.  But what the owner can’t get over is the fact that the youth places more emphasis on socialising the night before a busy Saturday morning  than he does coming into work on his business’s busiest day of the week.  The youth, for his part, does not live to work and is adamant he won’t be giving up his regular Friday night plans with friends for his boss.

There is a void in perspective between youth and business owners in terms of certain expectations.  But, with the right amount of understanding, these voids can be bridged.  And it is vitally important this happens ASAP, so that opportunities are not lost to un-necessary feelings of frustration.

Oh, and it has been suggested to me in the past couple of days that the ability to multi-task (in the brain) does not actually exist.  Now the experts seem to think that "apparent" multi-tasking is actually the brain switching from task to task rapidly and that it is extremely in-efficient.  I never really believed that multi-tasking was possible other than in appearance (as several things can be happenning physically at the same time whilst actually the brain is operating only on one task at a time).