Change. I’ve been thinking about it… a lot. On an everyday level, I look at the world we live in now and how quickly things are changing around us. On a personal level, I am watching my parents, now in their mid-eighties, having to leave their home of 50-odd years to move into an assisted living facility. Everything around them is changing their health, their environment, their friends. And, as I find us reversing roles -me the parent, they the children- I have been thinking about what it means to accept change.

Human beings by nature resist change. Remember the first day of summer camp -terrified, calling in tears, begging your parents to bring you home? But of course, two days later, as you sit happy and prune-ey fingered in the swimming pool with your newly found BFFs, you don’t even think to call home at all.

Why is going from the known to the unknown so frightening to us? It shouldn’t be. The truth is we are changing minute-by-minute with each breath, each movement, each thought. Who we are today is not who we were yesterday and certainly not who were last year or ten years ago. The cycle of change is part of the cycle of life.

Easy to say, but harder to accept when potential life changes are staring you in the face! There will always be an element of sadness. But, if we can take a moment, meditate on the situation, step away from the knee jerk reaction and genuinely listen to our heart and our collective experiences with change, we can learn to see it as something positive.

Life is a series of events. And embracing change will ultimately allow us to experience these events with more joy, more grace and more peace. And, just as important, it will allow us to see the possibilities in each situation so that we can make the best choices as we face life’s challenges. I don’t recall who said it, but I think this may be my new philosophy . . .

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what is for what could be.”

Oh, by the way, I’m told that my parents, after a week of disorientation and asking when they could “go home,” are at the moment sitting happily with their newly found friends, participating in a sing-a-long. Just like the days of being a kid who’s having a blast at camp, my dad didn’t even think to call…

This week’s post is by guest blogger, Lynnette Barkley.

I’m just back from an extended stay in Dublin. I was scheduled to be there for a two-day site inspection. I ended up there for nine days. The Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash was responsible. Who knew an unpronounceable volcano tucked away in Iceland could have such an impact?

I was certainly looking forward to the Ireland visit. I just like to travel on my own terms. I’m a planner both professionally and by nature, so I need my lists, my agendas, my timelines. However, there was no chance of that happening this trip.

After the third day of spending hours on the phone trying to reschedule flights and make alternate plans, it finally sunk in that there really are some things that you just can’t control. So, instead of relentlessly trying to determine how to get OUT of Dublin, I decided it was time to just get IN to Dublin.

Granted, I was due in Shanghai for another site inspection. And then Raleigh for an afternoon of presentations -both of which I have to reschedule- but the time I was essentially forced to take in Dublin was invaluable.

Primarily because I got to spend that time with my clients. Not just running around looking at venues, but time just being together. Developing a solid program requires time. Time to see a lot of different options. Time to really beat up all the choices. Time to simply talk to your clients about what matters to them. The volcano gave me the gift of time I didn’t realize I needed.

Unlike many travelers, I was fortunate. I was with people I like. I was staying at The Merrion hotel. And it was sunny. In Ireland!

The staff at The Merrion took great care of us — and most of them knew me by name on day two. Tommy, the doorman always had a smile (and a twinkle in his eye) and Sean, the concierge, is the most patient person I’ve ever met. He knows every great restaurant from casual to fancy and doesn’t mind when you ask the same questions over and over again.

Dublin is a great city. It’s walkable, friendly and a fine mix of charming and gritty. No one says “Top of the Mornin” but you can have a Guinness at the local pub (FOLEY’S was our pub of choice), enjoy fantastic fish and chips (check out THE CELLAR BAR) and shop till you drop (GRAFTON and HENRY STREETS among others).

The city has wonderful venues (which I can personally attest to as I’ve now seen most of them) and is a terrific option for a global meeting or incentive trip. The new convention center is a gem and the airport is just a short ride to the heart of town. And, if you find yourself there with clients who care about the success of their program as much as my clients do, then you really have found the luck of the Irish.

Life is a series of events and sometimes you just have to tear up the list and go whichever way the wind blows. In my case it just happened to be the direction of volcanic ash…

We get to work with many of the top pharma companies and being part of their meetings has exposed me to fascinating scientific information. Much of it I don’t understand. But sitting in those meetings has inspired me to develop my own theory of genetics.

I’m talking about the event gene. Like all genes, you are either born with it or not. You might be able to surround yourself with people who have the gene and then acquire some of the behaviors of those people (nature vs. nurture theory, etc.), but I’m sticking to my premise that you either got it or you ain’t.

I believe the event gene creates the following attributes:

* freakish passion for details

* overwhelming desire to serve people

* uncontrollable urges to wow groups of other humans

* an obsessive devotion to list making

* a joyous willingness to schlep things

* a physical anomaly that allows you to be on your feet for days on end

If you have the gene, consider yourself blessed. You’ll find yourself at the top of your industry. It is your natural progression. You don’t have a choice. You were born for this. Others in your industry will envy you — because while they are working hard to try to have that “thing” that makes you great — you will just be you.

Life is a series of events. And our genes help us fit in where we belong. I hope your genes provide a good “fit” for you.

My favorite event is usually the one I’m working on at the moment. We’ve had a very busy January — here are some highlights:

We launched extremely cool, Samsung LED TVs at the CES show in Las Vegas. These screens are less than the width of a pencil! The week after we designed and produced the LG Mobile Worldcup in New York City, a competition that had 26 contestants from 13 countries vying to be the fastest texters in the world.  And the week after that…we helped one of our top clients launch their new brand across 9 global sites… simultaneously!

Teams from 13 countries compete to become the world's fastest texters.

So, needless to say, we’ve covered a lot of territory in this whirlwind kick off to 2010. I’m grateful for that, especially when I think back to just a year ago when we were making tough decisions about weathering the storm of 2009.   Thanks to our incredible clients for trusting BKA with these events.

Last night, in typical BKA fashion, the entire team gathered to celebrate January with frosty margaritas and Mexican food.

Special thanks to our friends at BizBash for the great coverage of these events. Click here to check out the stories and see some more images:

LG Mobile Worldcup

Samsung CES 2010 Press Conference

He had a smile that lit up a room, an impeccable wardrobe, an infectious laugh. He was well traveled, hard working and incredibly charming.

When I heard that he was 50 — I was stunned. He looked much younger and had the energy of someone half his age.

When I heard of his sudden passing — I was even more stunned.

I had just seen him. We caught up at a wonderful industry event that Doyle Hotels hosted. Thomas was there — lighting up the room, charming his colleagues, letting us hear his magical laugh.

We talked about getting together. We wanted to find a weekend where we both weren’t working so that he could come visit us upstate.

But being perpetually busy New Yorkers with hectic travel schedules — it didn’t happen.

I will miss his Swedish accent and the way I could make him laugh with my extremely limited Swedish vocabulary.

I was honored that we got to work together.

I wish I got to know him better.

Life is a series of events and for those of us that plan them, we end up with few free evenings and weekends for social time. If you are reading this blog, please take a moment to plan an “event” with someone you’d like to spend more time with. Get a date in the calendar.

Let them hear your laughter and see your smile.

Good night Thomas Gran.