Run Shared = Fun Shared

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One year ago today I posted on my blog about my second running of the Cinco de Mayo 10K/5K event in Tucson. I’m not sure why I looked at my post from last year, but after reading it I knew I wanted to write about today’s experience, my third entry of this race venue on this first day of May, 2016.

Much like 2015, the New Year 2016 found me busily occupied with family caretaking duties until late March with little time to run except 1 or 2 days a week. During the month of April I was able to return to some regular training, but I knew it would be at least another month before I could be race ready for the summer season. However, it was during this time of refreshed training when I realized that several of my personal training clients desired to improve their aerobic conditioning. Wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to challenge them to enter the Cinco de Mayo 5K event and join me in walking the course?

Well, in short order we had a team of 7 individuals willing to put their best two feet forward for a race in which they would only have 3 weeks to train. While this is not how I usually prepare my clients to train for a race event, the urgency of the looming 5K certainly provided us all with an extra dose of focus and purpose for our aerobic training in the days leading up to today.

Now imagine my delight, and theirs too, when we discovered that two of our team members placed in their age groups this morning! Had I run today’s race, I would likely have placed too, but what I discovered was something even more valuable than another personal age group achievement: A joy shared, is a joy doubled.

What I cherish most about today’s event as it relates to all the days which have passed in this crazy busy Spring of 2016, is the tiny role I had in helping these fun-ready ladies reach and exceed their goals on race day today. Cheers and high-fives to all of Team Oracle!

 

Don’t Ever Stop

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It’s what I’m always saying…show up for your life every day; don’t ever stop striving towards your calling…

 If we don’t exercise our bodies, then our muscles begin to constrict. And if we don’t exercise our minds, then our attitudes begin to constrict. Nothing constricts our life experiences like the constriction of our thoughts. It limits our possibilities, and it limits our joy. Marianne Williamson

What is your calling? Perhaps you think you have no special talent or passion or drive to do anything extra-ordinary. Such thinking does not release you from showing up. If you have breath and are vertical, then you have purpose. If you aren’t sure what your purpose is, then you may want to consider keeping a journal of all the things you do in a day or want to do in a day.

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional and mental states. Carol Welch

Living your life on purpose, with purpose, simply requires a willingness to embrace each day with our eyes, ears, arms and heart wide open to the unfurling adventure of TODAY!

If you don’t ever stop singing, your voice stays in shape. It’s like the marathon runner. You’ve got to run, run, run to stay in shape. Sammy Hagar

Just Practice

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As  a personal trainer I often admonish my clients to put their mind into their muscles when they engage in strength training activities. It is my fervent belief that we train our muscles best when we practice putting our mind on feeling what our muscles are doing throughout each exercise repetition.

The energy of the mind is the essence of life. Aristotle

When it comes to strength, muscles or otherwise, I believe our mind is our most potent, powerful agent and ally for change in our physical body and in our life. What we think  (believe) has the potential to germinate the seeds of well-being or dis-ease. With every thought, with every belief, we grow ourselves stronger, larger. It’s just that simple.  If you want to get better at anything, then your betterment is determinant upon your practice of doing.

Your brain reflects the way that you think throughout your life. You kind of shape it by your thoughts and your behaviors. If you play violin for eight hours a day, then the parts of the brain responsible for helping you to play the violin will get larger. If you’re thinking stressful thoughts for the whole day then those parts of the brain are going to get larger and other parts of the brain will deteriorate. Jo Marchant

Your brain is like a muscle that responds (grows) by the thoughts you put into it from your mind. Your mind is superior to your brain. Your mind (your soul, your personality, your will) feeds and directs your physical brain. Conscious and subconscious thoughts  bathe your brain with input (thought for food…food for thought) 24/7. Check your thought diet! Are you consciously or unconsciously feeding your brain junk food? Junk thoughts?

If you think you are in danger, your brain sets into motion your fight or flight response. Your breathing respirations increase as does your blood pressure; all systems are on high alert, ready for action. Conversely, if you think you are in safety, your parasympathetic pathways are engaged, and your body is calmed, your breathing is slower and deeper and your blood pressure returns to normal. Your brain needs your mind to direct its resources in accordance to your body’s needs. Your mind drives your body. Have you checked whose in charge lately?

The mind is willing, but the body is weak.

Whatever virtue, trait or ability you want to improve or enlarge in your life, you must only do one thing: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. This is so simple. This is why I am often fond of saying, “less is more”. It only takes one thought, one act of your will, to put into motion a healthier, happier life. You decide. So please do not be careless about what you think because it will effect what you practice.

 

Job Security

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This one minute (foreign) video needs no translation. It humorously illustrates what happens in our lives when we engage in good works on behalf of others. It is a story as old as time and yet it was the script across the final scene that struck a chord of truth for me: “Doing good requires energy.”

Indeed, doing good is hard work. It requires selflessness and abundant stores of patient endurance. Doing one good act a day is easy for most of us to accomplish. We seldom give a second thought to committing good little deeds in any given day. And some days are easier than others for us to DO GOOD. But string a bunch of good deeds together, one after the other…day after day…month after month…well…we could grow old from shear weariness.

But what are we to do if we find ourselves in a situation like the young man in the video? And surely we will, because in this world, we will never have in and of ourselves enough energy or strength to carry others safely across from one side to the other. Unless? Unless what? Unless we realize that our true source of energy is other worldly; it does not reside in or originate from our physical body.

What I mean is this: we are frail in our humanity; our bodies have reserves which must be refreshed and renewed every day. And if we’re not careful when we commit ourselves to doing good, we may run ourselves down to permanent exhaustion if we work as though we are the only one who can do the good work.

So this is the chord that struck me in the video: we cannot do all the good that needs to be done on our own, in our own energy, with our own strength. Because there is no end to the amount of good work which needs to be done, we must tap into a source of energy that cannot be diminished or diluted by our taking from it. I believe we all have access to this never depleted energy resource. But it is not to be engaged within the natural or physical realm but rather through the spiritual  realm, in the unseen reality of the working universe.

I believe that our Source for Energy comes from the Creator of all things. The One who made the universe; the One who made our bodies. It is through the portal of the Divine through which we access our source of limitless, never-ending energy for good works; from this Fount we are able to do ‘all things’…even the impossible task of finishing every good work set before us! The only requirement is that we ASK to be filled when we have emptied ourselves on behalf of others.

So this is the little lesson I learned anew after watching (and re-watching) this sweet, comical little ‘exercise’ video today. Indeed, Doing Good Requires Energy, and in today’s market, job security in good works is a certainty. Thankfully, we also have access to the energy reserves we need to complete our good work!

Your Personal Mission Statement 2016!

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Tomorrow we welcome the New Year’s arrival with open arms and expectant hearts…Greetings 2016! If you have been following the Personal Mission Statement (PMS) blogs since December 1st, then hopefully you have done your introspective research and writing and are now ready to finalize the first draft of your 2016 PMS.

Today’s blog will conclude this series but before it does, I will include some sample statements so you can see that no two statements are alike. The beauty of drafting your PMS is that it uniquely reflects what is of most import and value to you…it is very PERSONAL and will not look like anyone else’s PMS, unless, of course you want it to.

Lastly, I would like to suggest you consider your PMS document as a statement in flux. The PMS you write for 2016 is written on parchment, not stone. It will serve you best when you allow it to be a living record, and its detail or simplicity is completely up to you. Over time, you may revise and update your PMS to reflect the natural ebb and flow of your life’s ever changing experiences. You are the author of this life-embracing, purpose-focused statement! For once, it’s safe to say that your PMS really is all  about you how you plan on living your ‘one wild and precious life’!

Sample 1 PMS: My mission is to act as an instrument of positive change in my family, my work and my community. I will utilize all of the talents that God has given me and will participate in all aspects of my life with energy, purpose and gratitude. I will utilize my talents in strategy and administration to ensure that my home is loving and calm, my workplace is productive and positive and my community is responsive and growing. Through this focus I will give more than I take and will provide a positive role model for my children, family and community.

Sample 2 PMS: My mission is to be a thankful, appreciative person. I will use my words with utmost care and, I will love others in sincerity and authenticity…in word, in deed, and in the feelings of my heart. I will live my life with child like wonder and humility. I will be always a learner; always a creator and delighter of beautiful things. I will live my life in love; not in fear; I will live in the realm of ‘all things are possible’ because of the One who has given Life to me.

Sample 3 PMS: My mission in life is to have my own family. I need to remember that what I do now in my life will affect them. Because of this, I try my best to do the right things that will benefit my future. I would someday like to have a large farm with horses where I can help handicapped children. I’d like to work with animals, maybe be a veterinarian. Mostly, I want to have time for my family. So today, I will study hard and stay away from things which may hinder or sidetrack my dream from happening.

Personal Mission Statement…Know Your Purpose

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You have been given a most important assignment. If you are reading this post, you are breathing; and if you are breathing, then you have something very important to do. And just in case no one ever told you this, there is no one else ~ alive and breathing ~ who can perform this assignment for you. Because there is no one else, nor will there ever be, anyone else created just like you. You are uniquely qualified to do this one thing: Live YOUR Life…on Purpose…with Purpose…and with great PASSION!

DEFINITION:PASSION, a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything; the object of such a fondness or desire.

Does the above statement about living a passionate life frighten you or inspire you? Perhaps it can and should do both…because we have been given a great trust, to live our lives. And our passion, your passion, is the guiding light which will aide you in putting on the final touches to your Personal Mission Statement (PMS).

With this third step towards preparing your PMS, you will have one more opportunity to mine the treasure trove of your life for clues. As you consider what drives your life, consider where you live your life (in your body, in your spirit, in your personality, in your relationships) and consider what is most meaningful to you? You will now need to identify (write down) those goals, ideals, and/or aptitudes which resemble what you want to achieve or accomplish with the life you have been given.

These things which you identify as important help you chart the road map for your journey toward meaning and purpose. This step in the process of crafting your PMS may at first seem overwhelming and daunting, but I would like to propose it need not be so. Our purpose, the answer to our life’s meaning, is very simple…and I believe the answer is the same for each one of us.

Realize that this is my opinion, my belief, but this is what drives my life: our purpose (mission) is to do that which we were created to do: to Live in Love. We were created from Love, by Love, for Love. When we live in love,  we operate in a realm of abundance. Our energies (physical and emotional) know no bounds; we are connected to life force and life source when we live and move in Love.

Simple…isn’t it? And yet, we make it so hard. The world awaits…your world awaits…for you to color it; to form it; to beautify the corner you live in…this is your area of influence…this is your canvas to adorn. This step in crafting your PMS may require you to dig a little deeper into the soil of your one and only life, but it is no more difficult than writing down your loves. After this step, you will be ready to draft your PMS using the notes and lists you have made from your previous introspections and investigations.

In my next and last post about your PMS, I will share some sample mission statements with you. It is my hope that this series and this topic will  inspire you to craft your PMS, and your life, with your very own, one-of-a-kind perspective and Life Force. You will never inhabit this time or place in history again; I hope, and the world hopes, you will make the most of your one wild and precious life!

Your Personal Mission Statement…The End View

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Now that you have taken the first step towards preparing your Personal Mission Statement (PMS), the second step in planning your PMS is to look ahead, to your future. The first step asked you to consider those in your life whom you admire; those whose lives, abilities, ideals or passions resonated strongly with you. Your list might include descriptive qualities about these people like: compassionate, fearless, creative, forgiving, industrious, etc. Whatever your list contains realize this: it is a window into your soul. These are qualities or values that ‘ping’ you. These characteristics have captured your attention because they are important to you. These things are pointing you in the direction of your life’s purpose and mission. They are guiding you to your potential, to your passions.

Now for the second step in preparing your PMS ~ shift your focus to your distant future, and consider this: How do you want to be remembered? If you were to peek into your 90th birthday party celebration, who would be in that room with you celebrating your life? What kinds of things would these people say about how you lived? About what you mean to them? About what you taught them? What will the outstanding features of your years contain? In other words, what will your legacy be? You will no doubt hold many roles in 90 years of living. So whether you plan to leave a legacy or not, know this: you will leave a legacy, and you get to choose what it will become.

Please think about your legacy, because you are writing it everyday.
Gary Vaynerchuk

Once again, you will need to have pen and paper handy as you spend some time in the days ahead pondering these things for yourself. Remember the purpose of a PMS is to help you think deeply about your life, so that you may clarify and identify those things you value, what kind of person you want to become, and how you desire to accomplish these things. 

Additionally, when you make the effort to write these items down on paper, you are strongly imprinting and impressing your values, goals and aspirations upon your mind. In essence, you are making a ‘hard copy’
document which may be revisited time and again so your mission is always at the forefront of your vision.

There is much for you to think and write about in this coming week. I trust you will enjoy this process as you write down your days…because your life is your very own Work of Art.  And you are the only one who is uniquely qualified to make it a Master Piece!

Your Personal Mission Statement…First Step

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Last week I posted a blog which I hoped would inspire you, my reader, to engage the coming new year with full-on focus and purpose…to make 2016 the year you craft your very own Personal Mission Statement (PMS).

Today’s blog is the first step in drafting your PMS, and it is relatively simple. It may be something like treasure hunting for you. Just make sure you have pen and paper at hand and prepare yourself to wander into the misty wonder-land of your heart, soul and mind. Are you ready? Then get set…to think about people you know (past or present, living or dead) whom you admire.

It does not matter whether you are personally acquainted with these folks. They many be historical figures from the very distant past of whom you have read, or they may be modern day leaders within the domains of  business, politics, entertainment, or athletics. And do not forget to consider the individuals with whom you have closest contact…those within your family, social and work environments.

Regardless of how you know these people, only include on your pad of paper those whom you admire. Then, and this is most important, consider what qualities of these individual’s lives ping you. What caught your attention, your admiration. Examine their lives. Then, jot these qualities down on your paper. These are clues into what you value in your own heart, in your own life. List these qualities in detail.

Give yourself the time and luxury to thoughtfully consider the lives of these folks, their attributes, their ambitions, their abilities…all those things of theirs which you admire. Your writing these things down will serve as your PMS repository. Give yourself permission to take some careful, reflective energies as you engage this process, and enjoy this most important first step in crafting your PMS.

 

It’s Not Too Soon

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Ready or not, today is the first day of the last month of 2015! For some, this may come as a welcome relief…the end of a long, hard year is almost over. For others, perhaps, the year has gone by too fast, leaving much undone on the ever present to-do list. Either way, I just wanted to take a moment to remind you and myself, that we still have time…before we say good bye to the old year and welcome the new.

Here’s the gist of my blog today: one month from now, we’ll be ringing in the new…hello 2016! Hello New Year’s resolution, right? I know, I know, this is so not going to happen. And I get that, because I don’t like New Year’s resolutions either. They are over done, over rated and their typical life span is shorter than that of the ordinary house fly. So with that said, I just wanted to give us a nudge to consider a better way…in regards to making our next year one of our best…a year of living  which we can attend; on purpose; with intention and attention.

You may be wondering what I propose, so here’s the deal. What I am proposing is that you (we) consider preparing a Personal Mission Statement or PMS for short. Yes, a mission statement!

Now I know some of you are going to balk and say that only big business and corporations and agencies with donor dollars at stake have mission statements. And I agree…you are right about that, however, preparing your own PMS has its benefits. For instance, a thoughtful preparation can help you learn more about yourself; it can also provide you an opportunity to imagine and discover who you are, what you believe, what you value, what you want to do or create with your life, and how you will achieve those desired outcomes. Yes, and here’s the greatest benefit of all: you get to decide what you want your life to look like; and hopefully you’ll decide it will reflect the real you! It is your life after all, and it is the only one you have to live, so why not live it on purpose?

If you are intrigued or maybe even put off by the idea of creating your own PMS, you are in good company. This task is not something that can be accomplished over night or say, in the life time of an ordinary household fly. Yes, you’ll actually have some planning, thinking, and dreaming to do; and then after you spend some time wondering how you would actually describe your life and how you would plan on living it, you’ll then have some writing to do.

Well, what do you think? We have one month before we wave, good-bye to 2015. Are you on board to quash the resolution racket and make 2016 the most lived-in year of your life? If so, follow along with me as I toss some ideas and guidelines out on this blog in the days and weeks to come. There are so many good resources on line (and in your library and bookstores too), and all of these resources will provide more than enough substance to guide us through this most important and perhaps life changing or enhancing activity: creating and drafting our very own PMS.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to fitness. You have to make an investment and stay committed. Lifelong changes are a series of daily commitments strung together. You must recommit every day and stick with it for the long haul. Exercise is work, and sweat is the sign that you are working. (The Athlete’s Way ~ Christopher Bergland)

The Long View & Baby Steps

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