Hi, I'm Victor.

After the events of the last few months, my head has been swirling and my newsfeed has been dizzying.

So I started writing a few very clear, common-sense things that could help me re-center. Good and simple truths about democracy, community, and country. I think I’ve taken our freedoms for granted and one way to change that is by wrestling with the issues with pen and paper (and keyboard). I ventured into some tricky territory, spaces that I’m still navigating, but here’s where I am so far:

I believe…

If you have a different sexual orientation than me, you deserve just as much love as anyone else. In abundance.

If you are of a different race or color or from a different socioeconomic background, we still have more uniting us than dividing us.

Someone being from the Middle East does not mean they are a terrorist. I know this well.

I believe women deserve respect. And so much more than respect. Equal pay. Equal rights. Equal everything.

If you’ve done something wrong, you deserve a second chance. If you keep doing things wrong, I want you to get help.

I believe if you’re a child from any part of any city of any size, I think you should have access to the same, quality education as a child from any other family in your city. And it should be great. Which means we need to invest heavily in our teachers and their success. Not just money, but our time. A family’s goal should not just be to afford education, but to be involved in one another’s learning and development.

If you are my neighbor, I think we’re better as allies than enemies. One of our greatest contributions to this world is exemplifying how to coexist, despite our differences.

If a bully kicks someone while they’re down, we should do something. We may not be able to fight everyone’s fight, but we can rally our friends and inventions to be helpful when others are in need.

The earth is changing, and not for the better. A lot of that is because we take too much from it. We need to be thoughtful about what we use and how much of it we use or else it will stop giving. We are smart enough to create new ways of reusing, sharing, and even giving back to the earth. Doing so will ensure a longer and happier life for our kids and their kids. This means changing our habits and definitions of success. That seems impossible. But if we do this together, it will be easier and it will be worth it.

If you’ve earned a lot of money because you worked really hard for it, you shouldn’t be targeted to give it away. That should be up to you. But sharing a planet, a country, and a community comes at a cost, for all of us. If we consume less and give a little more, more of us can be more healthy and cared for. That’s good for you, me, and everyone around us, too.

The rules surrounding governance are complex. But I believe we shouldn’t pass those complexities down to the people they are meant to serve. Our most delightful and helpful technology and designs should be pointed at helping all people navigate basic needs.

The job market is changing. An expensive four-year degree gained in a classroom is losing its relevance and seeding generations with more debt than anyone can or should handle. We need to create more bridges into the marketplace through internships and apprenticeships earlier in higher education. Those experiences ought to be a frequent and fully accredited part of education. Educating people is about more than just vocation. It means guiding students to think, to question, to appreciate beauty, to understand history, embrace difference, and be comfortable with ambiguity. Education should prepare people for jobs, absolutely, but also for living thoughtful, empathic, fully human lives.

And society is moving and progressing too fast for us to simply cram all of our education into our younger years. Learning is not a product, it is a practice that ought to be directed by the learner and celebrated by society as a whole.

Things like democracy, country, and freedom are complex. The past few weeks and months have proved that. Each of us needs to wrestle with those topics on our own and with our communities. Or else we will get swept away by party, religion, or a figurehead and, in turn, never understand or or strengthen our own beliefs. That’s when democracy begins to crumble and fear and hate rise – when we have no foundation in basic truths that ought to be fundamental to democracy.

So when does freedom come under fire? What is worth fighting for? Which belief is preference and which ones help a country create a place for people to live happy, meaningful lives?

Find the time to recenter yourself around a few truths that you believe. Find people who are doing the same. Meet them. Disagree with them. Decide what’s foundational to democracy and freedom…and celebrate those things. And when you differ, remember what unites you.

– Victor

Ps: Special thanks to Dane Johnson & Michael Lawrence for helping me edit this piece, and more importantly, discuss these topics with me.

Sometimes, it’s just not right.

But because you have it, you want to keep it.

It serves a purpose. And replacing it means starting again.

You’d have to…

Sell
Move
Leave
Draw
Design
Explain
Return
Email
Call
Build
Invest

And after all of that, it might not be any better. It could be a huge waste of time and resources.

But if you know it’s not right, deep down. If you feel it in your bones. If your thoughts continuously veer to how it could be better…

Let it go.

With time you may find something better. Or you may stumble on the very same thing again with fresh eyes and see it as just right.

But even if you never replace it, you’ll be better off knowing you took the first step. The hardest step.

You learned to listen.
To yourself.

Taking a break can feel like too much work.

You have to prepare, plan, communicate, and try to put all of your worries aside. Sometimes, it seems easier to not take breaks.

But deep down, you know that’s not healthy.

Taking breaks is like anything else – you need to practice in order to get really good at it.

Last year, I began learning to take breaks. Short ones. Long ones. Breaks from specific things. And then sought to come back with greater vigor and focus.

Most recently, I’m coming off of a break from social media for the month of December. And as I gear back into writing-mode, here are a few things I hope to remember from the final days of 2016:
___

+ Books & Authors are great mentors. Reading is on a short list of things that ought to be part of every day.

+ On that note, reading poetry challenges the way you think and write. I hope to learn how to say more with less.

+ Two years ago, in December 2015, I needed the help of a friend who changed my social media passwords for me to make the break from social media happen. This year, I did it on my own. It felt good realizing that I have the willpower to say “no” to things that I think I want. In fact, growing your “no-muscle” is more important today than ever. I wonder if focus will be the rarest commodity of the 21st century.

+ Happiness is wanting what you have. And a lot of what’s online causes you to look longingly at what you don’t have. You need to counter those voices with a lot of time in reflection and gratitude.

+ Facebook/Instagram REALLY misses you when you don’t login for a while. By the end of the month, I was receiving daily communication about what was happening online without me. It was a reminder that we are the ones they need, not the other way around.

+ If you run yourself ragged, you can’t weather life’s storms. As you know, my father lost his fight with Pancreatic Cancer on December 6th. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever encountered. I’m still having trouble processing the loss and all that it means for my family and I (seriously…I have a dozen half-written posts…and then I just get stuck). During the weeks that followed, I was completely spent. If I hadn’t planned for taking periodic breaks throughout the year to get to that point AND planned for a December break away from my rhythms, there would have been a looming cloud of work and obligations. And I wouldn’t have been as present with family and friends.

____

For now, it’s time to run again. I’ll share more about the path ahead in the coming weeks. Several of you shared wonderfully helpful feedback at the end of November. That was really insightful as I consider ways to support you and your work from my corner of the world. Thank you.

And for today, more than resolutions or projects or tasks or even Leaps, my only question to you is, “When is your next break?

Plan it. You’ll be glad you did.

See you next week,
Victor
Ps: A dear friend of mine, Sam Rosen, has begun this same practice of writing every Wednesday. You can read his first Wednesday Words here. If you’re interested in writing every Wednesday with us, just reply with a link to where you post. I’d love to follow along.

Hey, I just wanted to say thanks.

2016 has been a roller coaster, and this little outlet to write about life, learning, and the making of Ei has been a simple way to stay connected to remarkable friends and acquaintances from around the world.

I’m really grateful to be doing this work with and for you. Thank you.

And, now for a little break…

Each December, I take a pause from writing and social media. It gives me a chance to clear my head and plan for the coming year. And it gives you one less message to read during the crazy season.

But before I go, could you share where you are in your life through this short survey? It’ll only take a few minutes, I’ll keep responses entirely confidential, and you can remain anonymous if you choose. This is just a simple way for me to learn more about you and explore how to create more helpful things in the coming months.

So, enjoy December with family and friends. I’ll see you next year.

Your Wednesday Writer,
Victor

Take me to the “Where I’m at” survey.

I’m currently on a road trip with two hilarious and delightful people, looking for things to do in Cheyenne as we pass through. The three of us love Thanksgiving as much as the next high-metabolism-home-cooked-meal-eating-young-adults.

But we agree that there is a sense of collective national trepidation walking into Thanksgiving conversations. Kids are worried about traveling home. Parents are worried about extended family members making outlandish claims. And everyone just wants to make it through the rest of this week without any relational casualties.

Wherever you stand on the issues, chances are you need other things to fill the time besides discussions about politics and the state of our future. So, Miranda, Jay, and I have created a short list of topics that aren’t quite as heavy or contentious – all of which has been compiled and delivered from the back seat of a light gray, 2012 Honda CRV while driving along Highway 55.

Thanksgiving Topics:
What should Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year have been? 2016 was Post-Truth.

What’s going to happen in the next season of Stranger Things?

How about the next season of West World?

Why did Kanye West cancel his world tour?

Would you have applied for Mars One?

Re-watch the Cubs World Series…especially Game 6 and 7.

Mannequin Challenge youtube videos.

Discuss which podcast are you listening to right now? If you’re listening to political podcasts, move on.

Google everyone who was just given a Medal of Freedom by Obama. Inspiring.

Teach everyone at the table how to Dab.

_____________________________

Whatever happens, don’t forget to simply share how grateful you are for the people and moments you hold most dear. Relationships are the most powerful engines for change. Be good to those closest to you and that goodness will spread.

Thanks for being good to me.

Happy Thanksgiving.

From the back seat,
Victor

Because of the nature of my work at Experience Institute, I spend a lot of my days around people who have to navigate an array of decisions. They want to grow in their career, learn new skills and mindsets, or change something important in their life. In other words, there’s a lot of:

“OMG WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?!?!”  

And thanks to the internet, everyone is comparing their life to someone else’s. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) used to just be a phrase used when missing an event. Now it feels like something used for life as a whole.

Ugh…I wish I would have gone to that Coldplay Concert.
vs
Ugh…I wish I would have become an Engineer.

If you’re facing any type of decision, here’s a short list of things that may be helpful:

1. Trust your gut.

I know it seems ridiculous to turn to your stomach for a big decision, but it’s a great place to start. It’s not like your brain that’s trying to process a gazillion things all at once. Your gut relies on intuition. It takes all of your subconscious experiences and, when faced with a fork in a road, gives you a simple yes or no.

Is that too simple for you? Alright, fine. Keep reading.

2. Play out the scenarios quickly.

Take yourself through each decision, all the way to the very best possible ends. Write or draw them so you can see them in one glance.

Next, imagine a big magic button appearing next to you. Pressing that button would fast forward to one of those ends without any of the pain or challenge of getting there. Which decision would you choose?

Go with that one.

Sure, that perfect ending may not happen, and it certainly won’t happen without overcoming grand challenges along the way, but if that’s what your subconscious mind is thinking about, you’ll start steering towards that end once you make that decision. Even if you don’t reach the perfect conclusion, you’ll be on the right path.

Still stuck? Awesome. Let’s keep going.

3. Research.

This is a more advanced version of the previous route. Instead of you playing out all of the scenarios, find a few people you admire who’ve had to make a similar decision. What did they do? If anything has been published about their stories – articles, biographies, videos, etc – devour them.

You’ll never be in the exact position as someone else, so you can’t transfer everything perfectly. But you’ll find similarities that may help you make your decision.

4. Look inward.

Think through the last time(s) you’ve faced a similar decision. What did you do? Were you happy with the outcome? What would you have changed? Take time to reflect and write about your past experiences. Compare those moments to your current situation and let them help you navigate your tricky situation.

Another way to look inward is to lean on a few close family members, friends, or colleagues. Take them out to coffee and share what you’re thinking. Ask them for their perspective. And be sure to give them the brutal, honest facts. I’ve known too many people who use conversations with others as a way to validate a pre-made decision. If you have someone who truly wants the best for you, be open and let them into the entire situation.

5. Advise a friend.

Sometimes, these things are way too emotional. And emotions can cloud your judgement. So give  the decision to a friend and remove yourself from the situation. If you were in the role of an advisor, what would you say?

6. Exercise, Eat, Sleep

These are three very good decisions. Not only should you be doing these regularly, but doing them amidst times of uncertainty will give you clarity of mind. And the momentum of doing a few simple, good things will help carry you in the right direction.

In fact, if you haven’t done these three things recently, you probably shouldn’t decide anything important at all.

7. Flip a coin three times.

Because if you’ve gotten to this point, one flip won’t be enough to satisfy you.

Just pick something and go all in. You’ll be ok.

Really. The secret with most good decisions is that they have little to do with external factors. They’re dependent on YOU and how you move ahead. If you work hard, stay positive, stay empathetic towards others, take care of yourself, and put yourself around others who do the same, you’ll be fine no matter what you choose.

The worst thing you can do is make a decision and then second-guess yourself from the moment you make it. That constant, nagging question of “What if?” is the thief of all joy, happiness, and sanity. The only way to put that to rest, is to stop looking back, and go all-in with the decision you’ve made for a period of time. You can always revisit it later. That’s normal. But after you make it, put it to rest for a while and go full steam ahead.

Overtime, you’ll get better with making decisions. You’ll become more wise, patient, and confident in your ability to make the best out of any situation.

So keep going. And if you need a coin to flip, I got you.

Victor

PS: This list is by no means comprehensive. If you have something you think I should add, send me a note on the internet. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ll be able to find me.

I took another left turn. Everything looked the same, farmland for as far as the eye could see.

The sun was setting.

I was looking for a street sign with a mix of numbers and letters. But signage wasn’t a priority in this little community.

Another left turn. I felt like I was driving in circles.

Night had officially fallen.

The event was supposed to start in thirty minutes and I was supposed to be on stage shortly after. I wanted to drive faster, but I had to do the opposite.

Then cell phone reception dropped. No GPS. I drove with two hands on the wheel, as if I was trying to feel my way through the night.

I was so lost.

I happened upon a sleepy little gas station. Two pumps. One bathroom. And a gray-haired attendant. He could tell I wasn’t from the area.

I explained the place I was looking for. He had heard of it!

We shared a quick laugh about how hard it is to navigate these roads.

He gave me my bottle of water on the house, along with a map where he’d handwritten my directions.

Within twenty minutes, I saw the gleaming lights and heard chattering voices.

I’d made it.

Being lost always comes before finding your way. There’s no telling how long it will last, but move slowly – pause if needed, take care of yourself, be surprisingly kind to others…and keep going.

At one point or another, everyone questions if what they’re doing is right or good.

Whether you’re selling cigarette ads or raising funds for an orphanage, you have to decide why that matters to you. Maybe selling those ads affords you a life that can support a good family and you believe family is most important. Or raising funds for the orphanage leads to better lives for those kids, and you believe every child deserves a chance at a good life.

What you believe about your world, your work, and yourself will determine what you do and how long you do it. Your beliefs push you through challenges and help you navigate countless decisions.

In the words of Lin Manuel Miranda from his musical about Alexander Hamilton: If you stand for nothing, what’ll you fall for?

A couple of years ago, the Ei team and I wrote the seven beliefs below. Doing so helped us frame this grand and nebulous world of education and experience. They drive our work, our relationships, and they keep us centered on the days when things go awry.

Here they are:

1. Experience is for everyone.

This type of learning is not limited to certain ages, socioeconomic classes, or seasons of time. Experience is for anyone, anywhere. It is the great leveler of society, excluding no one and understood by everyone.

2. Experience is transformative.

One of the most powerful ways to learn is by doing – by placing ourselves in the situations and with the people who are aiming to solve real world challenges.

3. Experience can be designed.

Learning through experience is not accidental, it’s intentional. Rather than choosing a major, experience begs us to choose missions that are sparked by reflection and rooted in goals.

4. Experience necessitates risk.

Many of life’s transformative lessons come from being in a new situation – where you don’t know the right answer or there isn’t a right answer. Those are the places where you’ve taken a leap over the unknown and are aiming for a better place. You have to have faith in yourself and the things that moved you to take that leap.

5. Experience requires reflection.

We don’t only learn by doing. Reflection is the fruit of action – it’s what we take away after planting that nourishes us and those around us. Our ability to examine where we’ve been shapes our ability to see where we might go.

6. Experience supports story.

Our actions set the stage for the compelling stories we share with friends, family, peers, and heroes. Those stories define our future relationships, careers, and perspectives on the world and ourselves. If we take the time to craft and tell them well, they lead to our very best places.

7. Experience is better together.

Community multiplies the lessons we learn. With every new set of eyes, our experiences become exponentially more meaningful, both personally and to those around us.

These are a few things that have been guiding us at Ei, but if you want to geek out about both the history and future of experience and learning, check out this summary from Deloitte, this article from Harvard Business Review, or John Dewey’s classic text on Experience and Education.

How about you?

If you had to list all of your beliefs, what would they include?

Try writing everything that comes to mind. Anything goes. Then start narrowing them down to the top 5-10 beliefs. Sit with them for a while. Post them somewhere visible. Talk about them with your team and friends. See how they stick.

And when you come to the point in your journey where you’re not sure which way to go, let them guide you.

On Thursday, one of my colleagues and I received an interesting invitation.

We flew to Bend Oregon to present at the annual Bend Design Conference. The gathering ended on Friday, but we decided to stay until Sunday morning so we could enjoy Fall in the Pacific Northwest. We asked around for advice on what we should do while in town.

One of the conference organizers, Cassondra, happened to be an Expert Mountain Biker. She and her husband own one of the town’s premier bike shops.

“Would you like to go mountain biking on Saturday? We’ll take care of everything for you. I really think you’ll love it.”

At first, we were unsure. There were a slew options for our short time in Bend. Mountain Biking sounded interesting, but we had no experience and no idea what to expect. But after a little research we learned that a local trail complex, Phil’s Trail, includes some of the best trails in the country and it was only 20 minutes away. It would have been foolish for us not to go.

“We’re in.”

On Saturday, we stopped by Sunnyside Sports to pick up our gear – top of the line Mountain Bikes and helmets. Mike, Cassondra’s husband and the shop’s co-owner, suggested  the best route for us to take in the Phil’s Trail Complex: Ben’s Trail + Lower Whoops. Since we didn’t have a truck, we had to ride from town to get up to Phil’s. That was more challenging than we’d be expected. We were tired before we even began the actual trails. Still, we couldn’t wait to begin.

We caught Ben’s trail, and quickly found ourselves facing steep climbs, hairpin turns, jagged rocks, and narrow pathways between trees. With each new obstacle we learned how and when to shift and how to trust our tires in tricky situations. It was nice that it had rained the day before. The dirt was perfect: tacky and tight so there was no dust. Mountain bikers call it Hero Dirt…because you ride like a hero.

The last bit of that half was especially steep. It was the section directly before Lower Whoops. We kept panting and breathing hard. At times, I could tell Aaron was really struggling, and vice versa. In those moments, we paused, drank some water, peered at the amazing forest, marveled at the moment we were sharing, high-fived, and kept riding. Though the ride was arduous, our spirits were buoyed by the beauty of the terrain and the overall wonder of the experience.

Lower Whoops

At the end of Ben’s Trail is the famous Lower Whoops descent. It’s entirely downhill and full of jumps, table tops, turns, and challenging situations. We were advised to lower our seats, stand on our pedals, lean back, and hold the brakes. I listened to most of that, except for the last part.

What happened next changed my life.

As I began the trail, I realized I was entering the mouth of a monster. I was about to be swallowed by the mountain. The jumps were some of the most most aggressive things I’d ever experienced. Several times, I mishandled a landing and thought I was going to flip or face-plant into a tree. Every time I made it past a jump or a turn, I was faced with two options:

• a) Be grateful I made it through the challenge and then slow waaaay down.
• b) Be grateful I made it through the challenge. Think through what worked. Try the next iteration on the next jump.

I went with “b.”

Aaron popped out shortly after me. He’d felt the same incredible rush and was glad to have to made it through in one piece.

I’d wanted to try it again, but it seemed crazy. The trail was way above my skill-level and I was exhausted from the day. But when someone offered to take me and my bike back to the top in their truck, I couldn’t resist.

Before my second descent, I remember considering the same options as before: Be grateful & slow down/stop? Or go for it?

There’s something powerful about that moment – choosing to re-face something that scares you. In the words of Nic Lamb, a world-champion Big Wave Surfer,

“Pushing through is courage. Pulling back is regret.”

I did it again, this time with more confidence. There were a few hiccups, but I made it to the bottom, fairly unscathed and challenged by the speed, views, and thrill of the ride.

Wherever you are, there will be times when you travel through challenging and uncertain situations. If you make it through in one piece, maybe you should just be grateful and move on – never to look back.

Or maybe, you should try it again.

PS: Here’s a video of Lower of Whoops taken by another rider: https://youtu.be/bdlJJWHnAR4

Good news today. But in order for you to understand how good, I need to catch you up to speed…

The Problem:
For the past century, this is how we’ve seen learning:

We cram most of our organized, formative years of learning into the beginning of our lives. Then we’re supposed to go do great work. Forever.

This is almost as ludicrous as me suggesting that you should only exercise until your early twenties and then never work out again. Though some of you may have done that, it’s not advised.

This style of learning for the ielts preparation lessons in KL has gravely impacted higher ed and society as a whole:

• Students lose focus on why they’re in college and how they’ll actually use their degree; which is one of the factors leading to a near-50% dropout rate among college students.
• College is wildly expensive and any opportunity to work or leave campus is seen as extracurricular. Not only does that make working and earning money more difficult, there’s little opportunity to engage the world in an accredited manner – leaving students with massive debt and little direction after school. The benefits of studying abroad are huge so it is worth it to look for the opportunity.
• Students leave college only to realize they’ve prepared for the wrong career. In fact, only about a quarter of graduates work in a field that was directly related to their major.

I know all of education could use an overhaul in one way or another, but Higher Education seems especially ripe for re-imagination. It’s our last time in the system before we’re supposed to be ready for the rest of our lives. It seems important that we continue to improve that system in creative and compelling ways.

Here’s an idea…
In 2013/2014, we spent time with our friends at Stanford’s d.school as part of their Stanford 2025 project. That project along with the groundbreaking SUES Report helped us to think about ways students can leave campus to travel, work, research, and study with the blessing and support of the campus. They call it Looping, we call it Leaping, but it’s the same idea: college shouldn’t just consist of primarily classroom learning crammed into four years.

Students ought to have time and space to design a season away from campus and engage the world as part of their degree. This would help students gain greater clarity for their next steps, build their body of work at a younger age, bring those experiences and lessons back to campus, and set the foundation for thinking about learning as a lifelong practice.

With that in mind, last Spring…

We started building a second program. Our 12-month graduate program focuses on three apprenticeships in a year (Fall, Spring & Summer) while taking a full suite of courses. But, what if we truncated that program into 3 months so students could leave campus to study, work, travel, and earn a full semester of credit?

Ei’s Leap Semester is just one version of the Looping idea. And thanks to our partners at Sage Corps who help navigate all of the ins & outs of international work placements, we can bring together the best parts of internships and study abroad into one, awesome semester. Now, we need to partner with colleges and universities.

Good news on a long journey…

The idea of actually partnering with colleges seems lofty. We’re told there’s too much red tape, bureaucracy, and too many decision makers.

However, all of this caught the attention of the Office of the Provost at Columbia College in Chicago. The effort we’d made to bolster our curriculum gave them enough of a prototype to share our program with their Business & Entrepreneurship Department. Their team was able to review our curriculum, meet with our partners at Sage, vet our entire idea, and create a partnership for Ei to launch a Leap Semester as a fully accredited program for Columbia students. Columbia College is even going to offer a full 12-credit transcript to any student from another school who participates in the program (ie: they’re acting as our School of Record)…meaning anyone, from any school, can participate this Spring.

In the future…

Obviously, all of this is just one version of the idea with one school. We’re exploring ways to create “Leap Years” for colleges to offer as an option for incoming students who want to take a year between High School & College. Or we may invite universities to bring all of their experiential offerings under one roof at their institutions so students can better design their undergraduate education through experiences that the campus offers. The list goes on…

What about us older folk?

I’ll write more about that next week. Stay tuned.

For today, know that colleges are interested in innovation, and companies are interested in exploring how to create more seats at the table for “Leapers.” It won’t happen over night, but things are shifting for the better. And I think that’s good news…for all of us.

Keep Leaping,
Victor

PS: Yesterday, we launched applications for the Spring Cohort Columbia College students. The invitation went to 8,000 students and we already have our first applications. If you know someone who should take their Spring Semester to join us, from any university, you can nominate them here: www.leapsemester.com/nominate. Together, we’ll build a great cohort of stellar college students.