Category Archives: Graduate-Students

Student Ambassadors Develop Their Employability Skills

Congratulations to the Monash University Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences students who participated in the 2011 Ambassador program. It was a pleasure to work with you all and it is a delight to be able to publish this ebook that highlights your community projects.

Folks these projects have produced a genuine win-win for everyone involved. The students win by having a practical opportunity to develop and enhance their leadership and employability skills, the university wins by having such wonderful Ambassadors engaging with the community and the community wins by having the students provide access to information about university life.

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Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com

The Thankful List

For many people around the world we have just finished giving and receiving gifts. Of course upon receiving gifts we have given thanks in appreciation of what we have just received.

A day later it is worth slowing down and reflecting on all the things for which we are thankful.

The Dalai Lama has shared that western people, despite their wealth spend most of their life suffering. The suffering comes from wanting something they don’t have and not appreciating what they do have.

The Festive Season often results in people receiving some of the things they have wanted. Unfortunately it is not long before western people then want something different, or better than they currently have. So the suffering starts again! It is for this reason that this time of year provides an opportunity to stop, reflect and to consider all the things for which you are thankful.

The act of writing your list seems to make it real. As you write down each item you automatically reflect on why you are thankful for that item.

To create your Thankful List I encourage you to be as specific as possible. Think of all the things from all aspects of your life for which you are thankful. For example name the people for which you are thankful.

You will be amazed at both the length of your list and what you have included on it. Interestingly, it is a list that, once started, seems to keep growing.

Once started, place your list where you can see it regularly. You’ll be amazed at the tension in your life that is reduced from running your eye over your list on a regular basis.

What’s on your Thankful List?

Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com

Free Group-Work Course for University Students

Many university students have recently re-commenced their studies. In this context this short online course (that includes no homework!) is perfect timing to ensure that you make the most of this semester.

Students report that university group-work is one of their most dreaded experiences at university. Yet employers highly value university group-work because it is where students have to learn how to work with different people, just like in the ‘real world’.

This free two week introductory course will ensure that you give your university groups the best chance to achieve the success you desire. You will also learn how to ask some critical questions that will help your team to be successful. These questions are not unique to student groups – which is why they are so useful to master while you are a student!

Click here for more information.

Please share your experiences of putting the lessons from the course into practice.

This course includes access to a free ebook titled Teamwork For University Students.

Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com

Being told “You’re crazy!” is a good thing!

Have you ever been told that you are crazy for doing what you are doing?

I have. Plenty of times. In fact I’ve had it said to me so many times now I see it as a good thing!

I recall when I first decided to enrol in a post-graduate university program as a part time student, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to become the senior coach of a local football team, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to study part time at the masters level at university, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to form my own business with my business partner, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to run my first marathon, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to write my first book, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When I decided to write an ebook and give it away for free, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

When Michelle and I announced that we had our fifth child on the way, people said, “You’re definitely crazy!!”.

When I decided to run a marathon four weeks after having had my appendix removed, yes, you got it, people said, “You’re crazy!”.

This list could go on and on. But it wouldn’t be fair to keep going because I think you understand the message.

I don’t know why people say that you are crazy when you tell them that you are doing something that they can’t see themselves doing, even if they really wanted to do it.

I do know that I have enough evidence to see that statement as a positive. In fact, if people weren’t telling me that I’m crazy then I suspect that I wouldn’t be striving hard enough to create the life that I desire.

You see the only reason that I have done all of the things listed above is that each of those little achievements contribute to me living the life that I desire.

As a simple example the reason why I run marathons is so that I can be healthy and fit for my family. Also I am so busy that if I did not have something as big as a marathon to train for, I might not do any training. It is the very fact that a marathon is what it is that makes me prioritise the time to train. But again my real reason is even bigger than that. I want to be an example of health and fitness for my children, so that I can physically do whatever I want to do with and/or for them.

My eldest son plays both Under 10 and Under 11 Australian Rules Football for our local club. Recently the umpire did not arrive for the start of the U11 game. Fathers were approached to pick up the whistle. They declined. “I can’t do it, I’m not fit enough.” is what I heard them say. I even overheard one father say, “Someone else will do it”.

I raised my hand. “I’ll do it.”

The simple mathematics of the situation was that if someone did not step up to umpire, the game would not happen and the children, including my son, would miss out on a game of football. That’s not an outcome that I want.

I knew that I was fit enough to do it and I also felt confident enough that I knew enough rules to do a reasonable job.

After the game my son thanked me as did many of the other children and their parents. Again, many of them said, “Thankfully you raised your hand because I could never have done that. I’m not fit enough.”

For me, for as much as I can control I never want the statement, “I couldn’t do that because I ‘m not fit enough” to come out of my mouth and stop me from helping out my children. Michelle and I also talk a lot with our children about the importance of showing initiative. Well, I can’t just talk about it, I have to show it too!

I never got up that morning expecting to umpire a game of football. Wearing a shirt, jumper and jeans I was clearly not dressed to umpire. But I didn’t let that stop me either. Who cares if people laughed at how I was dressed or looked or if they thought I was crazy! The important thing was that I was out there having a crack and helping the boys have a game of football.

I can’t even begin to tell you the benefits of having completed each of my post-graduate degrees. Once again  the important outcome has been that I have been able to live more of the life that I (and my family) desire.

I’m not sharing this story because I want accolades. Rather I am sharing it because it is an example of the benefit of taking the time to work on my health and fitness. You never know when opportunities like the one I have described above can pop up, and personally I want to be able to seize them. It is part of the future that I desire and an example of living out my purpose for being healthy and fit.

So, what are your examples of when people have told you that you are crazy?

What have been the benefits of not listening to those people?

Please share your examples with us.

Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com

What sayings guide you on a day to day basis?

Sayings can be very powerful and act as a guide for our lives. Two Australian sayings that I find very powerful and very useful for helping me to live my life are:

  1. ‘Get fair dinkum’; and
  2. ‘Have a crack!’.

‘Get fair dinkum’ means that you need to be honest with yourself. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that everything is okay if it isn’t, and don’t go thinking everything is terrible if it isn’t. Appraise both the good and the bad and most of all, be honest!

This enables you to be honest with others, an important trait for building relationships.

‘Have a crack’ means, ‘to have a go’ or ‘to take action.’ People often miss out on achieving what they want in life because they are afraid of what might go wrong. The saying, ‘have a crack!’ reminds me to focus on what I want to achieve, and to go for it! Usually the worst thing that could happen from having a crack is nowhere near as bad as not being prepared to give yourself a chance of creating whatever it is that you want.

So, get fair dinkum and have a crack!

What sayings guide your life?

Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com

What Really Matters! Volume 2, No 1, 2010 ebook

What Really Matters! Volume 2, Number 1, 2010 is now available to be downloaded as a gift to you.

This ebook is a collection of selected articles from January 1st 2010 through to March 31st 2010.

I am confident that you will enjoy it and find it to be a useful resource for quickly accessing articles for your personal & professional development.

Please feel free to provide any feedback about the ebook.

You can download the free ebook here.

Gary Ryan enables individuals, teams and organisations to matter.
Visit Gary at http://garyryans.com