Carl Dixon remains one of Canada’s stellar singers and musicians. A recording artist since the 1980’s he fronted and played with some of Canada’s most iconic bands including ‘The Guess Who’, ‘Coney Hatch’ and ‘April Wine’.
Carl was critically injured in a car accident in Australia. His world was blindsided in the span of two seconds in 2008. Torn apart and trapped in the car wreck, with 52 injuries, his chances of survival were rated nil by his rescuers. Somehow he lived but he didn’t just survive – he now thrives.
“A crisis like the one I experienced offers endless opportunities for learning and growth, if you keep your spirit strong. That’s how my S.T.A.R.T. philosophy was born; going through the worst patch and refusing to surrender, but instead digging down deep and paying attention” S.T.A.R.T. is Stop-Think-Accept-Renew-Thank.
Carl shares his insight and analysis of how he let go of the past and built a future as he got on with life. “After a major life event things are not SUPPOSED to be the same. You’re different now and must recognize what has changed and how to adapt.” He likens it to a filter – things fall away that are no longer a good fit. How do you choose what to let go and what to take with you?
The resources for survival and “thrival” are within us and around us. Carl Dixon’s now on a mission to share his lessons learned, of resilience and of rising above, acquired in the face of seeming no-hope. He conitinues to give many musical performances each year.
Carl lives in the woodland wilds of Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
S.T.A.R.T. came to Carl after the tempest of his biggest test had calmed, but it describes the course he followed before he had a name for it. Knocked down? Need a plan for getting back up off the floor? The 5 steps of Stop, Think, Accept, Renew, & Thank apply to any setback or abrupt change. He describes how each step is important and must follow in sequence to help us begin again.
“Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals character”.
Setbacks are no fun and we usually don’t expect them. Our best-laid plans can collapse and Now What? Resilience. Bouncing back. Getting up off the mat when it looks like you’re down for the count. Resilience begins within, and it starts with love; loving yourself enough to find the will to make an effort; feeling you are worth the effort. Reconnect with the things that give your life meaning. Here’s where you find the motivation to be strong in the face of adversity.
Any team begins with an idea. Somebody has an idea they want to achieve. What IS the team? What is it for? What does it want to do? What’s the goal? Do you feel like part of a team? You’re in one whether you know it or not, albeit an undeclared one, just by virtue of being a member of society. Teams have membership requirements. Succeeding within a team takes more than joining a great team; you also need to be a great team member. What are you bringing to the team? Teamwork = partnership.
Perseverance is like the long-haul trucker compared to the short-haul city driver that is Resilience. If Resilience is required in bursts, Perseverance is applied constantly and vigilantly. Perseverance is the Sustained Effort, the habit of applying effort in the areas that will move you forward. How do you create and sustain Perseverance? Get a Powerful Goal that keeps the engine humming no matter what this world throws at you. Add a powerful thought like “No Fear, No Weakness” to keep you on track, and Perseverance is unstoppable.
Motivation is an “inside job”. It comes from our thoughts and our values. Whatever we currently value most highly will be our primary motivator. People are social creatures. A primary motivator that we draw on in life is our place in the group, be it family, workplace, community, society, or some sub-group of these. Carl shows how motivation can be drawn from our cherished connections and brought to bear on the tasks at hand. We can change indifference to urgency through finding our meaningful reason to try. As Carl shares, a compelling motivator is not letting others down, even when the question is as basic as one’s own existence.
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