Spring-Being Agile

As a writer, I depend on information. As a business owner and manager, I appreciate systems, and as a stylist, I welcome education.  Every year Eufora International, our preferred product line of hair care and color in our salon, produces a conference guaranteed to inform, teach systems and educate. Twenty years ago, the product line and the concept of educating the stylist to educate the client came into my salon life. Their products and technical advanced trainings in cutting, color formulation, and styling are designed to continually spring us ahead into our profession and to assist us in giving the clients informed options of using organically based products. 

This year’s conference intention “Become what you imagine” was presented by key note speaker, Erik Wahl, internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. On stage, Erik’s keynote experience created a dynamic multidimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk. His brand message: Disruption is the new normal and businesses must embrace creativity in a wholesale fashion, or risk being left behind, did not fall on deaf ears. Whether a business owner or worker in any industry, or a retired person, the message was clear; be agile and use disruption to your advantage. More than ever before, disruption has become a normal occurrence.  Because we are connected globally and informed instantly as to the goings on, we can’t help but feel pulled into the world tussle. Although our computers (including our phones) are meant to organize and make life easier, we do spend time in disorder, a bit of fear, and catching up. Erik Wahl urged us to not resist the disruption but to be creative in ways to live beyond interruption and plug back in and create a better life. 

​How do we then keep imagining a better life? We do it by remaining agile. The word agile brought to mind flexibility and the ability to begin anew. The spring time is always a reminder of starting a new year filled with imagined possibilities. And speaking of happiness, have you noticed the surplus of articles, videos, and books on the subject of how to be happy. According to author Dennis Prager in his book, Happiness is a Serous Problem, he states, happiness is a decision we can make. He tells a story about his young nephew whose life was dramatically altered when hit by a car leaving him disabled and unable to pursue his athletic and musical talents. Through persistence and making the decision to be happy, he gained insight and wisdom and eventually became a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, which he loves. Prager goes on to write, “The fact is most of the bad situations we can encounter do have some good that we can extract. Or if there is no good to extract, turn it good.”
 
The information garnered from Erik Wahl’s presentation on disruption and risk being a part of a creative life is valuable. Dennis Prager’s view that happiness is a decision we can make, is a reminder of our need to set systems to continually reconnect with our ability to be open to good. The gratitude I feel for Eufora International for their  commitment to continual education and teaching us to be agile in our industry is priceless.