On Saturday I cut my cycle short. After 5 hours battling my bike into the wind and through gusts in a 50 km/h south easter wind, I had just had enough. But while I cycled I saw the parallels with South Africa at the moment.
2008 is South Africa's bleakest year since 'hope' was released with Nelson Mandela in 1994. Since then, and through growing pains, optimism has grown alongside our economy. But last year things started changing; we started the year with petrol, diesel, gas and water shortages (because Thabo didn't plan). And this year we have electricity shortages (because Thabo didn't plan) and we have run out of ethical, moral, intelligent and patriotic leadership (because Thabo didn't plan.....there's a pattern here!?) ....and so, with justification, there's a gloom, not seen for a while, hanging over the country.
My point is this - Rudyard Kipling wrote a widely revered poem called ' If ' :
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs......
......
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
The wind was blowing when I left home, I knew what I was in for, I could have done what most people did and stayed in bed, but I got in a 5 hour ride - and parts of it were great - so my point is.....it's very easy to get bogged down in the mass negative thinking that abounds in South Africa at present, but focus on your own life, your own goals, stay positive, avoid the negative......and around you things will change and get better.......
And guess what......after 'that ride' in 'that 50km/h storm', 'that thought, 'that' mindset.....
....the next day the weather was perfect.....
(check "website & blog links >>" for the full poem)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
WOW !!!!
WOW !!! I am amazed ! When I first told my brother Andrew that I was entering IronMan, he got really enthusiastic about me doing it and told me "when you've done an IronMan, you can do anything!" Andrew was the first IronMan that I told of my goal.
Since then I have seen face, after face, after face, absolutely light up when I mention my IronMan entry to someone who has already completed an IronMan.....everybody, without exception, says that it was the best thing they have ever done!
I heard this from Avron today "your life changes after IronMan".
I think I now need to move to the next step and ask these people 'why, was it so great?.......' ....answers to follow......
Since then I have seen face, after face, after face, absolutely light up when I mention my IronMan entry to someone who has already completed an IronMan.....everybody, without exception, says that it was the best thing they have ever done!
I heard this from Avron today "your life changes after IronMan".
I think I now need to move to the next step and ask these people 'why, was it so great?.......' ....answers to follow......
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
look for small victories 2
As I said in my "look for small victories" blog, we often forget to break big projects down into smaller steps..... well, I had to remind myself of that again!
I got injured (see blog "If he was not so fit, he would have died") and I also could not train because I was in pain. I was busy thinking through my frustration, and when would I eventually be 100% again and able to train again without pain and was starting to feel quite low, when I remembered "look for small victories".
I reminded myself to take one day at a time, push to the most of what I can do on that day, pat myself on the back for the progress over the day before...... and keep looking for positive renforcement.... just that thinking immediately lifted my spirits!
I got injured (see blog "If he was not so fit, he would have died") and I also could not train because I was in pain. I was busy thinking through my frustration, and when would I eventually be 100% again and able to train again without pain and was starting to feel quite low, when I remembered "look for small victories".
I reminded myself to take one day at a time, push to the most of what I can do on that day, pat myself on the back for the progress over the day before...... and keep looking for positive renforcement.... just that thinking immediately lifted my spirits!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
"If he was not so fit, he would have died"
Have you ever heard a story about someone who was in a car wreck or other accident, where the doctor has apparently said "if he was not so fit, he would have died". I have heard it a number of times, and my thought at the time was, "well great for him", and "that's interesting".
Last week I had the 'opportunity' to experience this for myself. My brother warned me against riding in organized bike races while training for IronMan, but I must have been so excited about IronMan, that I did not hear him. So here I was riding in an organized bike race, and having a really nice ride, when some complete idiot decided to push through our group and a gap that simply was not there...... this selfish, stupid attempt to improve his ride time, took about 10 people onto the tar at nearly 40km/h, three of us where quite badly injured. Sliding across the tar in lycra is a sport that I don't think is going to catch on in a big way! Fortunately I had no broken bones.
I am a complete natural medicine convert, not having taken any pharmaceutical drugs since September 2000, so I am quite in tune with how my body is feeling. Sorry for the graphics here but during this week, I have watched in awe as my fit body fought hard to repair itself . Although I had no infections, I woke repeatedly during the night to find myself in pools of sweat, even if I fell aleep with an ice pack in place! One night was so bad, that I eventually slept on a towel! Obviously I took all the correct herbs for swelling, bruising and grazes, but to have experienced, how my body worked this week, really was a privilege for me...... 6 days later and I am back in the pool swimming.
I know that the average man of my age that had had that fall, would have been off work and still suffering 4 weeks later.
I am once again, absolutely amazed at what wonderful functioning creations our bodies are. I have worked hard to redress all the past asthma, cold & flu and 'health' drugs that I have taken over the years to the point that I understand the effects of the food I eat, I understand (mostly) how to fix myself before an ailment gets bad - I know how much better I feel for doing that .... I think its very sad that so many people have not experienced how healthy they could feel....
Care for your body and what you put in it, you do not fully understand all the implications....
Last week I had the 'opportunity' to experience this for myself. My brother warned me against riding in organized bike races while training for IronMan, but I must have been so excited about IronMan, that I did not hear him. So here I was riding in an organized bike race, and having a really nice ride, when some complete idiot decided to push through our group and a gap that simply was not there...... this selfish, stupid attempt to improve his ride time, took about 10 people onto the tar at nearly 40km/h, three of us where quite badly injured. Sliding across the tar in lycra is a sport that I don't think is going to catch on in a big way! Fortunately I had no broken bones.
I am a complete natural medicine convert, not having taken any pharmaceutical drugs since September 2000, so I am quite in tune with how my body is feeling. Sorry for the graphics here but during this week, I have watched in awe as my fit body fought hard to repair itself . Although I had no infections, I woke repeatedly during the night to find myself in pools of sweat, even if I fell aleep with an ice pack in place! One night was so bad, that I eventually slept on a towel! Obviously I took all the correct herbs for swelling, bruising and grazes, but to have experienced, how my body worked this week, really was a privilege for me...... 6 days later and I am back in the pool swimming.
I know that the average man of my age that had had that fall, would have been off work and still suffering 4 weeks later.
I am once again, absolutely amazed at what wonderful functioning creations our bodies are. I have worked hard to redress all the past asthma, cold & flu and 'health' drugs that I have taken over the years to the point that I understand the effects of the food I eat, I understand (mostly) how to fix myself before an ailment gets bad - I know how much better I feel for doing that .... I think its very sad that so many people have not experienced how healthy they could feel....
Care for your body and what you put in it, you do not fully understand all the implications....
Look for small victories.
I think one of the mistakes that we all make from time to time, is to become slowed by the large size or enormity of the challenge of what we are tryng to do.
We need to remember to break the whole task down into a number of small manageable steps that stretch us a little and give us a sense of achievement after each. Some people refer to this technique as "baby steps" but I think that expression is not positive enough. If you think of yourself as taking baby steps, don't you feel compromised, 'reduced', defensive and slogging?
I read a book by an ultra-distance lady runner; she said that she never ran a 100 mile race, she always ran a mile race, 100 times
When I cycle a long hill, I now only look 10 or 20 meters ahead of me and just focus on that distance. By the time I am halfway up, I am mentally strong because I have had many good 10m sections. In the past, at the bottom of the hill, I would say to myself, "heres the hill, find a rhythm and keep going"....and my results sucked! I don't know if everyone seemed to pass me or if they actually did! I was trying to do too much, in one big step, without any positive reinforcement along the way.... wrong strategy!
Now, I find a point about 10m or 20m away, say to myself, "focus on that tree", just before I reach it, I look for a new point (never another competitor because they keep moving!), I feel good at each point reached.....then when I do reach a point where I don't feel good, I now have enough smaller victories to offset the negativity of feeling bad at that particular point. I now have belief that my energy will come back..... and it always does!
I am not saying this mindset can overcome poor ability, but it does keep you functionning at the top of 'where you're at'. I climb much better than I used to, I pass many people, I am happier on the climbs and I have energy going over the top.... same me, just better 'mental management'.
Apply this thinking to any big task and see what a difference it makes....
We need to remember to break the whole task down into a number of small manageable steps that stretch us a little and give us a sense of achievement after each. Some people refer to this technique as "baby steps" but I think that expression is not positive enough. If you think of yourself as taking baby steps, don't you feel compromised, 'reduced', defensive and slogging?
I read a book by an ultra-distance lady runner; she said that she never ran a 100 mile race, she always ran a mile race, 100 times
When I cycle a long hill, I now only look 10 or 20 meters ahead of me and just focus on that distance. By the time I am halfway up, I am mentally strong because I have had many good 10m sections. In the past, at the bottom of the hill, I would say to myself, "heres the hill, find a rhythm and keep going"....and my results sucked! I don't know if everyone seemed to pass me or if they actually did! I was trying to do too much, in one big step, without any positive reinforcement along the way.... wrong strategy!
Now, I find a point about 10m or 20m away, say to myself, "focus on that tree", just before I reach it, I look for a new point (never another competitor because they keep moving!), I feel good at each point reached.....then when I do reach a point where I don't feel good, I now have enough smaller victories to offset the negativity of feeling bad at that particular point. I now have belief that my energy will come back..... and it always does!
I am not saying this mindset can overcome poor ability, but it does keep you functionning at the top of 'where you're at'. I climb much better than I used to, I pass many people, I am happier on the climbs and I have energy going over the top.... same me, just better 'mental management'.
Apply this thinking to any big task and see what a difference it makes....
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"In The Zone"
I now fully understand why I have this blog; I would love someone to inspire someone to do something that they have always wanted to do, but never committed to doing it, but mainly the blog is for me! I am so focussed, enthusiastic, committed that I want this recorded for me to refer back to when I am working toward my next goal! (see "Lifes untaught Secret" post)
This blog is a type of photograph of me being "In The Zone".
For those of you that don't know what "In The Zone" means; its a state of extreme focus, enthusiasm, excitement, 'everything can be overcome' mindset. Its tunnel vision in a positive, uplifting exciting way. It's something that you can only fully understand when you experience it for yourself.....and I highly recommend it!
To enter "The Zone" all you need is to find something that you would really love to do or finish, then you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will do it and when you will do it. Start working toward your goal and as you progress and you start overcoming challenges, your spirits will lift and you will be able to see yourself doing the thing you are aiming at....keep going....suddenly you will become aware only the important things are important and you will realise that you are "In The Zone".....and you will smile with the greatest satisfaction....
Good luck friend....
This blog is a type of photograph of me being "In The Zone".
For those of you that don't know what "In The Zone" means; its a state of extreme focus, enthusiasm, excitement, 'everything can be overcome' mindset. Its tunnel vision in a positive, uplifting exciting way. It's something that you can only fully understand when you experience it for yourself.....and I highly recommend it!
To enter "The Zone" all you need is to find something that you would really love to do or finish, then you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will do it and when you will do it. Start working toward your goal and as you progress and you start overcoming challenges, your spirits will lift and you will be able to see yourself doing the thing you are aiming at....keep going....suddenly you will become aware only the important things are important and you will realise that you are "In The Zone".....and you will smile with the greatest satisfaction....
Good luck friend....
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