lululemon ambassadors are always up to amazing things. This October, Ted McDonald is taking a break from teaching yoga and promoting healthy living in Southern California to lead a life-changing trip to Ethiopia with Imagine1Day. The best part? There's an opportunity to be part of Ted's inspirational trip.

building schools & communities

Imagine1Day has a goal of bringing quality elementary school education to every child in Ethiopia. Most of us are familiar with the way in which Habitat for Humanity builds homes for communities in need. Rather than homes, Imagine1Day builds schools in small communities in Ethiopia. Imagine1Day spends three years working within each community to ensure that the programs can be sustainably maintained. They collaborate with the local communities and the Ethiopian government to train teachers and to teach families in the community to run profitable businesses. It's the educational equivalent of "give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime."

who's educating whom?

Ted, who's been leading yoga retreats for eight years, has set a vision for this trip to "create a better world". "It's amazing to go to places like this and to meet people who would never imagine to have the kind of infrastructure, amenities, technology and support that we have in the West. Meeting people like that, to me, is one of the greatest ways to open your heart." Ted thinks that the ripple effect will continue long after he gets back State-side (although the focus of Imagine1Day is to create education opportunities in Ethiopia, a large component of their work is dispelling misconceptions about Ethiopia). "If anyone has an interest in elevating their own lives and the lives of others," says Ted, "they should definitely come on this trip."

the trip in a nutshell

get involved

• Contact Imagine1Day & pack your bags. There are spots available on the trip.
  
• Meet some 'creatributors' and see how it all works.
• Help by doing something you love. Become a 'creatributor'.

If there is one thing I’m passionate about in life, it’s living the best one possible. Needless to say when I heard lululemon’s Director of Possibility, Susanne Conrad, and imagine1day were hosting an event open to all I was almost giddy with excitement. What kind of possibility would this event create in my life?

Going into the room that day, my goal was clear. I wanted to leave the day a better communicator than when I came in. But the truth behind that goal, was the communication I sought was very one way. How could I say what I wanted to say in a way that influenced others? So when Susanne started talking about stingy versus generous listening I smiled politely and waited for her to get to the good stuff. Then it clicked. This was the good stuff. I’m stingy, and if I want to be a great communicator I need to listen. Really listen. Not listen, assess whether or not I agreed with this person and then say something to make myself look good. Yep, I do it and I’m owning it. Sometimes the best thing a person can do for you is remind you of the obvious things you already knew. I needed to be reminded I can be stingy.

Looking back it’s laughable. What kind of effective communication goes only one way? Of course, I hated admitting to myself that I’m a stingy listener. Nobody likes to think of themselves as stingy (and I’m a generous tipper, even on sub-par service). Sometimes the best thing a person can do for you is to remind you of the obvious things you already knew.  The moment I owned who I was being as a listener, was the same moment I became the person I wanted to be. The kind of person who has the courage to recreate themselves, to own a mistake and to take themselves on and change that behavior. The kind of person who understands communication is a 2 way street, and the listening side is a four lane highway. So off I go to recreate myself.

Sheena recently took part in Livin' It Up led by Susanne Conrad and imagine1day in Vancouver where 100% of the tuition goes to building new schools in Ethiopia. This event is happening in Toronto May 1st and in New York May 2nd. For more information about Imagine1day visit their site here: http://www.imagine1day.org/