Archives for October 2015

This past weekend, our neighbors held a Halloween block party. It was fun to see all the neighborhood kids dressed as princesses, prisoners, and werewolves, but even more interesting to hear the stories that went into costume development, and the reactions of the kids as they previewed what their friends would be wearing for Halloween.

“My son is so excited about Star Wars that he just had to be a storm trooper this year,” said one mom as her four-year-old kept smacking my ankles with his light saber. “We had to go to four stores to get a light saber that actually lit up,” she added, looking a little exhausted at the idea. Since I don’t have kids, Halloween is usually a pretty stress-free affair for me – I can either choose to be home to give out candy, or not. But in talking to this mom, I realized the stakes can be significantly higher for parents who have to help choose – and procure – the “perfect” costume to ensure their kids feel happy and confident on the big night. Decisions on what treats to give must be equally stressful!

My neighbor’s costume ordeal reminded me of the recent TEDxMileHigh talk by mindfulness educator, Kristen Race at the “Ideas at Play” event in September, entitled Generation Stress: From Surviving to Thriving. A mother of three and a self-described “perfectionist,” Race told the story of her sixth-grade daughter, who HAD to have a chandelier (yes, really!) for her locker at school this year (because, you know, everyone else was getting them…).

Race, who teaches mindfulness to both adults and children to help them cope with stress, said research shows that recognizing positive experiences for two weeks can help stressed-out people can significantly lower depression and burnout, increase happiness, improve sleep and create a better work/life balance. Reframing challenges and performing small acts of kindness also help as stress reducers.

Race plays a game with her own kids called “Rose, Bud, Thorn,” in which they talk about a good experience they had that day (the rose), a mistake they learned from (the thorn), and an act of kindness they performed (the bud). The entire process takes just a few minutes, she says, but the benefits are immeasurable. “Rose, Bud, Thorn” enables her family become mindful of positive experiences, and helps restore calm after a hectic day.

As Halloween approaches, stressed-out parents may want to take fifteen minutes and watch Kristen Race’s inspirational talk. After all, modern living, Race says, is an extreme sport. I guess that would make Halloween just one of the competition fields!

How will you stay stress-free this Halloween?

My name is Woody, I’m a filmmaker and Denver Native. I’ve spent most of my life in Colorado, except for various trips, projects and travels that have taken me across the United States and abroad — I’m constantly surprised by the quality of creation in far less lauded cities.

Really this came about through a shift in my own personal philosophy. Theres a quote by Tim Ferriss that struck a chord with me “The success of your life can be determined by the number of difficult conversations you’re willing to have.”  When I started making a conscious effort to have those difficult conversations things changed for the better for me. Eventually I realized that the conversation around Denver lacked the same truth and sincerity that had improved my interactions with friends and family. So I felt compelled to facilitate that conversation within Denver.

Everyone I approached to take part in the film, from independent creatives, to companies and organizations all echoed the sentiment that they see an abundance of mediocre work being accepted here in Denver. However, I’ve never seen this concept discussed publicly, so I created this film as a catalyst for conversation about where Denver is at right now.

Also, I think there’s an aspect of achievement by osmosis that happens in Denver. You commonly hear that Denver is great in so many ways that it’s easy to think that by being here and being a part of this community you’re automatically a couple levels higher than where you are actually. The grit and determination that were synonymous with Denver when it was a little known prairie town isn’t as prevalent today.

Ultimately I believe that anyone in Denver right now has an incredible opportunity to establish themselves on the ground floor of a wonderful city that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.  I’d like to personally challenge the makers, creators, and entrepreneurs of Denver to step up and do great work — to keep Denver on the fast track to being an incredible city that can go toe to toe with any other major American city.

I’d love to hear your feedback, let me know what your thoughts are on Denver and the film. You can reach me here.