Daryl Wood's Blog

After weeks of planning we finally took our three week vacation to Canada’s East Coast. We saw amazing places like The Lost Villages Museum, Hopewell Rocks (pictured), The Bay of Fundy, The Bluenose in Lunenburg, wild lupines, lobster boats unloading, long stretches of beautiful sandy beaches, the Cape George lighthouse, the world’s longest covered bridge, a stunning garden of dozens of unique sculptures, Shediac’s giant lobster, the LaHave Bakery and so many other spectacular Ocean vistas.

We visited and were hosted by loving family and friends who embraced us warmly and shared happy times with us. And we ate delicious Maritime meals including seafood that can only be appreciated when freshly caught in local waters.

And the trip ended in Ottawa where I spent two days with an awesome team of dedicated staff learning the ins and outs of The Empowerment Dynamic to better manage drama in their workplace. Perfect conclusion of a busy, fun, exciting and adventurous road trip.

So why is it that every conversation I have had reflecting on our epic journey has had a disproportionate amount of time spent talking about the out of control wildfires. Yes, they impacted our trip. Yes, it was frightening to be so close and see water bombers overhead. Yes, it was heart wrenching to the see the strain on the faces of our hosts and their local community. I have such deep respect and admiration for the thousands of workers and volunteers who tirelessly fought back against multiple raging infernos.

And I’ve noticed how easy I slipped into the drama of the moment, that there was an obvious imbalance in the sharing of stories that could have given a better overview of our experience. Out of control wildfires are very dramatic and deserve attention. I recognized how I was sensationalizing this relatively minor aspect of our trip. Of course we would be asked about the fires (and we always were) but there was so much more to the story. So now I want a ‘do over’.

I teach people the First Vital Question in the TED* work is ‘Where are you putting your focus?” Drama is so seductive. It got attention and reaction. There was suspense and intrigue. It was real and raw. And it hijacked the opportunity (especially during our daughter’s visit) to highlight some of the fantastic places we visited and very special people we enjoyed.

I can make lots of excuses (some of which are valid) for my behaviour. I was VERY tired and my self-care had been seriously lacking. And the truth is also that drama is seductive. It was so easy for me to jump on the bandwagon of drama that built anxiety and heightened emotional reactions. Admittedly, I can’t teach the TED* work without living it. So here I am, ready for the next person to ask ‘How was your trip?” They will hear about the many, many things that worked well and all the precious memories we made. AND how humbled we were by the people who courageously faced life threatening challenges.

Pay attention to the impulse to be seduced by drama. You have a choice.