Hot Topic Friday: Feb. 28

Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 28 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: From Sitting on the Zamboni to Stardom in Net

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What It’s About: Imagine going through a kidney transplant, lying in the hospital and thinking, “one day I will play in the NHL and be the star of the game. Then, I will be an overnight celebrity and appear on all the big talk shows.” Well, that’s exactly what happened to David Ayres. You’ve probably heard the story. The Carolina Hurricanes were down both goalies due to injury. So in that case, the home team Toronto Maple Leafs were responsible for supplying a backup goalkeeper. And who might that be? The AHL’s Toronto Marlies’ zamboni driver, naturally. And you guessed it, that person is Mr. Ayres himself. He suited up in goalie gear during the second period, and stopped eight out of 10 shots on goal, helping the Canes win and earning prestige as the star of the game. Since then he’s been on a celebrity tour, and the zamboni is going to have an empty seat until the buzz quiets down for its number one driver.

Why It’s Important: Very few of us will enjoy a big, David Ayres type event. However, ALL of us have wonderful, unexpected experiences in front of us. The moment is waiting for us to arrive. There will be one or more of those days where we wonder how the heck that happened, in the best possible way. It’s important to be open to those experiences. It’s about being hopeful, abundant, and willing to get in the arena, rather than choosing the sidelines. I’m sure there were moments when Ayres was lying in a hospital bed, and the future felt bleak. However, he was both fortunate and determined to move forward. He was an all star far before playing in that NHL game.

One Millennial Response: I think an overlooked part of the story is, Ayres clearly had long aspirations of a career as a hockey player. When health prevented this dream from becoming a reality, he chose a career path that would put him on the ice anyways as a zamboni driver. That’s cool, too. A position that still keeps him involved and surrounded with his ultimate environment. When one goal becomes unattainable, it reminds us to keep looking for the adjacent options that still keep us in the same realm.

Hot Topic 2: An Amputee Becomes a Dancer?

Source: New York Times.

What It’s About: The story of Donald Lee is quite ordinary in a lot of ways, except for the fact that he’s a bilateral amputee who has chosen to make dance his passion. The article outlines a day in his life. It also highlights another example of someone who chose to get in the arena rather than stay on the sidelines. Lee, who lost parts of his legs after a car accident more than 20 years ago, dances with and without his wheelchair for the Heidi Latsky Dance Company. That’s a prestigious, NYC-based dance company that employs performers with conditions like Lee’s. His daily world is full of the mundane, much like for all of us. Yet his story makes us stop to say, “wait a minute, this guy could have chosen a different, less constructive path.”

Why It’s Important: Everyone of us probably has a reason to sit back. Yet, some of us choose to seek heat and get fully involved. We get in the mud. We approach edges where we are uncomfortable. We love to learn and are disappointed by failure, but we shake it off. The David Ayres and Donald Lee stories remind and encourage us to just suit up, put the gear on, tend goal and dance.

One Millennial Response: While there’s no shortage of these inspirational stories of overcoming immense physical obstacles, there’s still a bunch of people who have intense apprehension that can be arguably more debilitating than these bodily limitations. So how do they really help? Well, I like to think that if every Shark Week we learn of another courageous surfer who dives right back into the ocean after an attack, we need to keep compiling these motivational tales to help us overcome those mental blocks that may constantly bite us, but are merely mythical monsters.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation.

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Bread & Butter Pinot Noir [Ed. Note: Personally tried this recently, highly enjoyable].

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

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“Only you can take inner freedom away from yourself, or give it to yourself. Nobody else can.” - Michael A. Singer.

Bye for now!

— Lorne Rubis

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My latest Lead In podcast.

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Season 3 of Culture Cast.

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Happy Friday! Here are my Feb. 28 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: From Sitting on the Zamboni to Stardom in Net

Hot Topic 2: An Amputee Becomes a Dancer?

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