Do Or Do Not, There Is No Try!

I was mulling over  yesterdays blog on "Suffering" and the mental side of racing [more on that in particular tomorrow] when I drifted through some linear thinking, to wit: whether it be leaving the warmth of our bed to hit a cold run, facing the prospect of a tough day at work or getting up each day to face the world - whatever - where do we find the inspiration to not quit. And that got me thinking of the dreaded "dark zone" I talked about yesterday - which in turn led to more cerebral drifting: dark zone, Dark Side, Darth Vadar, Star Wars, Yoda...

Man, I am rippin' the segues this week...

So, my sister, an aspiring runner, asked me recently how I continue to motivate myself; how do I get out there, every day, rain, snow, sun - whatever - and train?

Sometimes even the most successful of athletes need to be inspired to go further and to remind themselves (ourselves!) of the goals that we have set.  Hopefully this reply inspires you all as well.

"Why do you do what you do?"

I find that when I am tired and depleted of todays strength and am at a momentary loss in understanding what I am doing and why I look for inspiration to renew my vigor. My inspiration comes in many forms of art and acts of kindness both simple and great, but one thing I do know is that I am inspired by humanity & this thing we call love. I am inspired by those that inspire hope in all. As I finish watching the movie "Invictus" I am amazed at the iron will and perseverance of Nelson Mandela a man imprisoned for so many years yet he held strong throughout one day at a time.

Yet I should not be amazed.  What Mandela has shown all of us is that the power of truth, the belief in mankind and the understanding that man's capability to grow and change the world are beyond what so many of us imagine. His never-ending pursuit to right the wrongs was met by years and years of defeat, yet he did not give up. For Mandela, spending nearly 3 decades in prison was but a drop of time compared to the eternity of equality that it would bring for his fellow man.

So I ask each one of us can we say the same of our character in our defeats? Have we truly been defeated? Are we not willing to dig deeper into our recesses to continue the fight? Is our explanation for doing what we do strong enough to carry us forth? If not, I ask you to search your heart and soul for a more true explanation for what you do or to find a new mission that meets up with your capacity as a human being to create positive change. Have we exasperated the depths of our wills, the capacity of our minds and the vastness of our hearts?

I think the answer would be a resounding "No" when comparing what we have gone through to that of Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and so many of the nameless that have lived and died everyday for these universal truths. I think we all have a much greater capacity to move mountains than we could ever imagine. We have the ability every day to be a positive or negative influence on our fellow man and on the world it all comes down to choice. A team of rugby players inspired a nation of millions by showing how they bonded together for victory. How many do you inspire?  I believe it is many more than you think and so many more than you will ever personally know. Each time you do this act you do this gift that has been given to you in one way or another you inspire. It is your choice as to how well you use this gift and how far you believe you can take it.

Time (going faster and slower), age (either too young or too old), experience (too much or not enough), talent (a blessing or a curse) are just a few of these limits that we place on ourselves in this sport. However, these barriers are broken every year by someone that decided they wanted to do more.  Do you want to do more? Do you want to achieve more for yourself and for others? Can you free yourself of this mind-forged prison so that you can clearly see what can be in store in the future if you make it happen in your mind today?

We all can.  We just need to understand what holds us back and keeps us from doing it. It is often a lack of clarity in our vision and a lack of belief in our hearts. These are both conscious road blocks that we can break free of with resolve and fortitude. Meditate, pray, reflect, increase your personal awareness or do whatever it is you know how to do to free your mind. If you are scared and need help in this quest that is a normal reaction. Do not be ashamed as we all are afraid at some time or other of what may come from success and failure. We will never know unless we try, so let's stop wasting time worrying about it until we get there.

Take a look at those that have inspired you with strength and courage to go on. Study them, listen to them, watch them and learn from them. They are all around you. I have had many to inspire me in both moments of loss and glory and they have shown me the way to even greater heights. These individuals mold my work daily, challenge my mind constantly and continue to help me understand what we really can accomplish when we invest fully into what we do. At times I think that we cannot reach far enough, but from what I have seen by those I admire the most, I know that we can go even further. 

See ya on the roads...

Peace out

Johnny Boy