Cory Dobson’s Post

Life is like a run towards the unknown... 🔥 Each person's life has its own unique, context-specific meaning. Being grateful for the small things we have is more important than being unhappy about the many things we don't have. Time passes quickly, and when everything fades, the golden moments in the film of life pass quickly, leaving only memories. When we don't know the value of our own lives, we live by the priorities of others rather than our own. Life is the meaning you give it... The meaning you give to your life, your actions, your career, your job, your future, your present time, your friends, etc. depends on you... The purpose of life is to live before leaving...

As we head into another sunny, hot Kelowna long weekend, I find myself reflecting on what I am grateful for. In my role, it's tempting to focus daily on what isn't working and what I need to do about it. Today, I realize that I have spent most of my week in that headspace and am coming up for air! Just a few things I am thankful for today: 1. A meaningful role in a growing company, located in one of the most desireable cities in Canada. 2. My health and an able body that allows me to do what I love doing. 3. The opportunity to learn and grow. 4. A morning conversation with someone who challenges me, cares for me, listens and contributes to my growth. 5. A network of smart, kind people who help make the business and personal sides of life fun! 6. The ability to continue to do what we do at Traine in spite of headwinds, changes and challenges. 7. A team of extremely capable direct reports who are smarter than me, push us forward and keep me on my toes. 8. Freedom and the opportunity to succeed in what I choose to do. 9. Long weekends that enable me to recharge. 10. My LinkedIn feed that consistently provides inspiration and learning!

Grateful for the Journey 🌍🙏🏽😊 Travelling around the globe for the last 2 months, stepping foot in 10 countries, doing what I love, and meeting amazing people has been such a blessing. Each new place and person has taught me so much and added something special to my journey. From quiet sunsets on distant shores to lively conversations with strangers, these experiences have truly been priceless. What I’ve realized is that when you align with what you really want, incredible things start to happen. It’s like the universe gives you a little insight in the right direction, opening doors and creating opportunities. When you follow your intuition, that positive energy just seems to flow naturally. But let’s be real – figuring out what you want and where you’re headed isn’t always easy. It’s important to take the time to reflect on where you are and where you want to go. It’s okay to take it slow, to pause and think things through. Sometimes the best insights come when you’re not rushing. Here’s to being grateful for the journey, wherever it may lead. Let’s chase our passions, embrace the unknown, and remember to appreciate every moment along the way. Life has a funny way of surprising us when we least expect it. Sending good vibes to you all. Keep dreaming, keep exploring, and keep being you. 🚀

How can I live a more fulfilling life despite all my professional achievements?   How can I worry less about my future despite my great job?   How can I create less stress in my daily life and avoid and heal my physical and psychological issues?   These questions were asked me by a bunch of clients recently with all the same profile. High achievers, strong curriculum, elite education and high-level positions.   What do they have in common? Despite all the success and achievements, they still feel that there is something more to explore to create a fulfilling life and enjoy it the fullest in each area, climbing the professional and social ladder AND creating strong and beautiful relationships on the outside and feeling at peace, creating serenity.   This is the work and this is what we do when people decide to take the ownership of their life, when they stop complaining without changing anything or exploring new ways of being, when they choose what’s best for them with humility and commitment beyond the limited framework of what they already know…

Two years in Australia: the best decision of my life. In October 2022, I boldly quit my job to embark on a gap year, aiming to step out of my comfort zone and reflect on my life decisions. I chose Australia for its English-speaking environment and cultural diversity, ensuring it was far from home to promote independence and resilience. My goal was to broaden my perspective on global issues and embrace new ways of thinking. In Australia, I encountered numerous situations that I never could have anticipated. I learned to navigate uncertainty on a level I never imagined. Suddenly, I found myself alone on the other side of the world, where my social status, education, or background held no significance. I had to build a new life from scratch, surrounded by people that had little in common with me. However, it was from these individuals that I gleaned the most valuable lessons. During that time, I embraced a variety of roles—from waitressing and warehouse work to gardening and housekeeping. These experiences revealed my determination to do whatever it took to achieve my goals and my drive to excel in each position. Working in such diverse jobs allowed me to enhance my customer service and communication skills in a culturally rich environment. I learned the importance of adapting to different needs and managing stress while maintaining an empathetic attitude and a strong commitment to teamwork. This journey provided me with valuable challenges and significant opportunities for both personal and professional growth. The most significant benefit of this experience has been the opportunity to enhance my self-awareness and self-confidence, while gaining clarity regarding my goals and aspirations. Looking back, I’m certain that this has been the best decision I could have ever made. Honestly, I encourage everyone to have a similar experience.

〰 Personal & professional update: I'm back & open to work 〰 𝟭𝟲 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆. 𝟭𝟲 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘄𝗮, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱  𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺). 𝟭 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 I started drafting this post at a café in Bali before boarding a plane back to Copenhagen. And just like that 𝟯.𝟱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 came to an end that had taken me from 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. A personal dream that had been years in the making. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝟮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 to finish this post, as I've slowly transitioned from ocean-focused living to a more land-based existence: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴, 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴 & 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 (𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰)?  There isn't a single story, but there is/was a clear driver that fuelled my decision to step away from my full-time job as Peacebuilding Adviser & leave the well-trodden path for a bit: 🌏 𝘛𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 - 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 🌊𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘪𝘥. Re-energised & regenerated, I am now digesting the many insights from the open road & getting ready for a new work/life chapter. What that will look like, remains to be seen. For now, I can say: I'm back ☺️ And to all of you heading on a well-deserved summer break, I say: 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗷𝗼𝘆. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲. (And if sea turtles are involved - say hi to my buddies)

Recently I was on a work trip to another state, and I had an experience that taught me a valuable life lesson. A driver was assigned to transport me from the hotel to the event venue, and on the first day, we missed our way. We spent over an hour trying to locate the venue as we were both clueless about the correct route. After several wrong turns and stopping to ask for direction, we eventually found the place. As I was about to alight, the driver jokingly said, 'to miss road na to know road.' The following day, when the driver picked me up, our journey to the venue was remarkably different. In less than 30 minutes, we reached our destination smoothly. Reflecting on this contrast, I found a parallel to life's journey. Often, we make mistakes and take wrong turns in life and while this can be discouraging and lead to setbacks, in the grand scheme of things, it provides an opportunity to learn and discover the right path. These experiences contribute to our growth and resilience. Just as the driver and I learned from our initial confusion, navigating through wrong turns in life equips us with a better understanding of the correct paths to take. Whenever you take a wrong turn, don’t beat yourself so much. Keep trying to locate the right path because to miss road na to know road. Happy New Year!

I always feel thankful at work and life, no matter how challenging it may be. Practicing gratitude and mindful living has brought me tremendous benefits while working and living in Australia. I appreciate all the people I meet and any difficult circumstances that come along the journey. Whenever things get harder or more difficult, I always find something to be grateful for, which can be something as simple as: 1. I am thankful to have a job so that I can support my family back home and buy books for my cousins. 2. I am thankful for my colleagues because they always support and help me, enabling me to complete my work. 3. I am thankful for the challenges I face at work because they show me that I still have lots to learn and room to improve myself. 4. I am thankful for the mistakes I make and the difficult situations I encounter because they allow me to practice compassion, loving kindness, and understanding toward myself and others. 5. I am thankful for the laptop, the internet, and the office space that enable me to work and contribute to the company. Even when the worst things happen and pressure arises, I am thankful because those difficulties help me grow, learn, and become a better person.I strongly believe that everything gets better as long as we do not give up on ourselves and try our best, even with small things. Life is beautiful as it is, and challenges only make it more colorful, like a rainbow. When you are facing challenges, find something you can be grateful for. When we change the way we look at things, things change. "What challenges have you faced, and what are you grateful for from those challenges?" #Gratefulheart #Mindfulliving #Gratefulmindet #Mentalhealthawareness

Embracing the spirit of continuous improvement and personal growth is paramount, not only in our careers but also in our personal lives. I was recently reminded of this enduring truth when I revisited a simple activity from my childhood: jump roping. What began as a nostalgic pastime has now evolved into a cornerstone of my fitness routine, all thanks to the inspiration provided by my fiancé. A few months ago, on a whim, I picked up a jump rope to see if I could still conjure the agility and rhythm of my younger self. It was more challenging than I expected, yet with practice, determination, and the agile example set by my fiancé — who, nearing his sixties, can skip with impressive speed and stamina — I persevered. His dedication and skill spurred me on, motivating me to refine my technique and integrate this delightful exercise into our shared workout regimen. Beyond the physical benefits we've enjoyed, this journey has been a profound reminder of the rewards that come from stepping outside our comfort zones. Whether it's revisiting long-forgotten hobbies or exploring new avenues for growth, there's immense value in breaking through the complacency that often defines our daily routines. I urge everyone within my professional network to consider this: seize the opportunities presented to you, no matter how small they may seem. Challenge yourself to rediscover 'old things' or embrace entirely new experiences. Maintain consistency in your efforts, for every step forward, regardless of its size, is a crucial component in the tapestry of your overarching aspirations. Pursue your greatness with conviction and never shy away from the chance to grow, both personally and professionally. #stepoutofyourcomfortzone #greatnessawaits #consistencyiskey #believeinyourself

While in the office, I occasionally listen to Joel Osteen's sermons. I find them really inspirational. In today's sermon, he was preaching about Enjoying the Journey. He said that most people are waiting to enjoy their lives when they reach their destination, but he encouraged us to enjoy the journey towards our destiny. The key message is to always maintain a positive mindset. There is power in a positive mind, as it can attract goodness. For example, if you are currently in a small school and are waiting to get a job at an international school, thinking positively can make you happier in your current role. Similarly, if you are hoping to secure a teaching job abroad, a positive attitude can lead to greater happiness, even before you reach that destination. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being grateful for where we are in life, rather than constantly waiting for the next milestone. A person somewhere may be envying the position you are currently in, even if you feel it is not ideal. By appreciating the journey and not just the destination, we can find more joy and fulfillment along the way.