Johnny week 19

What great week…. my Franklin focus was the virtue enthusiasm…. What a good time for this to be my focus….Last Monday I began teaching a new intake course ( first timers) for the Canadian Coast Guard Rescue Specialist training…a customized first aid training course that prepares for the inevitable variables that doing first aid treatments on the water will bring. We focus on strong first aid skills, adaptability, ingenuity, and staying focused on the overall objective, get people to where they need to go, regardless of the obstacles….I must say, my passion and enthusiasm were on display this week. I love my job, and have gained much experience in real world situations that seemingly throw the book out the window… Being forced to stay focused, adjust on the fly and meet the objective, is something I can honestly say I am very good at….I have a genuine excitement about the times I was challenged to my limits and succeeded. I know from actual comments that my students are comforted and inspired by my crazy stories. I explained where I screwed up, and how those lessons stuck with me forever…. I explained when and why I broke certain rules, in order to best achieve the overall objective. I explained how the basic approach, of the primary survey, memorized and applied every single time, in the same order, will always keep you from making mistakes ( major ones) … Serious first aid scenarios are very stressful and nerve racking…I know it takes many years before you can roll up on any situation, and feel confident you know what to do… my students are gaining confidence, and enthusiasm as every day goes by. We drill and re drill the basics, I add new elements and complications that force them to think, and adapt, and overcome, force them to keep moving forward keeping the universal objectives in mind…. throughout this course (MKE), I realize how much my job exercises many of the principles of the course…. when in the field, my job is literally to help people… to go when no one else will, to be their hero… now I am training future hero’s, giving them the positive, confident mental attitude they need, so that they can tackle any adverse situation, using their knowledge skills, and resources to do their absolute best with what they are handed…. To never give up or get stuck, but rather to regroup, reset, and persist….I am honored to be in this position, and take my role very seriously, but I love making the course fun, and empowering, with this approach people learn so much more effectively in my observations… rather than a high pressure military approach…I am always amazed at how much I learn about myself daily , and I have really been enjoying observing myself be inspired, and be inspiring…. No I have not been prefect on all my MKE chores every week, but once again I am inspired… like my students, I need to get out of my comfort zone, and embrace my challenges, they always lead to the most profound lessons that become engrained in you… it was a great week, our class is working as a team, we all have strong PMA ‘s, 2 more weeks to go, these kids are going to be first aid rock stars…. and I will have helped them get there….Cool!

Once again….HAPPY!