“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Skydiving - A Story of That First Step In Faith

A daring adventure, this was.  Let me tell you the story.  My wife would be celebrating her birthday.  What to get her?  A skydiving lesson!  Was this something I wanted to do, she asked after receiving her gift (in the form of a certificate to be scheduled at a later date)?  Well, I wasn’t sure.  It involved something I’d never done before, it involved heights (scary!), and it seemed so black or white - your parachute opens or it doesn’t (you can imagine the picture in my head…).

Her adventurous side convinced me to do it.  And what a great experience!  We would be jumping tandem - an experienced jumper would be attached to us and control the parachute.  Training was minimal - we were shown the proper way to step out of a moving plane.  Step out of a moving airplane - in the air - were we nuts!  And then it was time to go up.  Going up, it started to sink in.  What was I getting myself into?  How could I turn around and skip this?  It was an old plane, and even the pilot had a parachute - what did this mean?  There were lots of questions going through my head.  And a pit in the bottom of my stomach.

And then we reached the altitude we needed to be at for our jump.  Can you recall moments in your life that stand out for some reason?  Maybe a scary moment, or an exciting moment.  Well, the time had come.  The door to the plane was opened.  And I was told to start moving toward the open door.  I was then clipped in with our skydiving instructor.  And there I was, 10,000 feet in the air, looking out the open door of a moving airplane - and hanging on for dear life!  This  became a moment I’ll never forget.  The fear of taking that next step.  Of having faith in taking that next step.  The one that would take me from the comfort and certainty of the airplane, out into the day sky, and gravity, and whatever else might happen from this high distance.  Thoughts rushed through my head.  The pit in the bottom of my stomach grew larger.  The instructor with me told me it was time to step out onto the wing.  Fear!  Fear of not knowing what would come next.  Fear of something new.  The biggest step of my life (at least, at that moment, it seemed that way).  It was time.  And then, I stepped out.  And just like that, we were free-falling toward earth.  And what an exhilarating feeling it was!  The rush through the sky, the loudness of pushing through the air!  The sheer speeds we reached!  The freedom of the open sky - incredible!  And then we opened up the parachute.  Instantly we went from a loud rush through the sky to quiet and calm.  And I looked around.  And noticed the world beneath me.  From a free-fall to controlled movement.  Family on the ground, waving to me.  Peace.  A feeling of joy in the world.  And we glided in for a perfect landing.

I had taken that leap - scary as it was.  And the experience was like nothing I’d experienced before.  And it was liberating.  And I felt like I could do anything I wanted to do at that moment.

Taking the Leap

Skydiving.  This became much more than just the rush of jumping out of an airplane.  This became a moment that I have looked back on many times.  Skydiving became a lesson I could use at times when fear would try to overtake my thoughts.  Sometimes, we don’t kow what’s going to happen when we take that next step in our lives.  Will we crash?  Be ridiculed?  Fail miserably?  Succeed and not know how to handle it?  Sometimes we just don’t know.  No matter how much preparation we have put in.

You’ve studied your options, you’ve prepared, you’ve crossed your t’s and dotted your i’s.  But the next step takes you into the unknown.  If you feel confident in where you’re going, but just not what the next step will be like - I encourage you to take that leap.  You may not see where that step is going to take you, or what’s up around the next corner.  But, if this is something you really want, take the chance.  You may fail.  But have you not also failed if you want something and don’t take the chance to get it.  And you may succeed, success beyond your wildest dreams.  But you will never know, if you don’t take some of those steps, if you don’t leap with faith in yourself.

It can be a real test of your faith.  Do you believe in yourself and what your going after?  Jump!  Take a chance!  Fail miserably, if that’s the case.  And then, get back up and do it again.  In the end, you will be much more fulfilled in your life, knowing that you lived it on your terms.  That you tried boldly the things which set your heart on fire.  And that, that is success in life.

photo credit: late night movie

Note: This is a guest post from Zen to Fitness.  Zen to Fitness has a passion for fitness and living a simple life - along with reading, writing, and travel.  About six months ago, he began eating an improved diet of whole foods, while also adding more exercise - and he has seen great results from this.

Keeping Fit While Traveling

Fitness and Nutrition while on Holiday/Traveling is harder than we come to expect.  Staying in shape during these times can be a test of will and dedication.  I have picked up the following tips that helped me keep in shape during my busiest periods:

• Eat a light breakfast or fast if you do not exercise that morning. Usually I will get up and get going picking up a black coffee en route followed by some fresh fruit/nuts and cold water. This normally keeps me full until midday time if I haven’t exercised. Plus it keeps me mentally sharp and feeling light.  If I do exercise that morning I will have a more substantial breakfast around 1 hour after the workout - something along the lines of some eggs/bacon and fruit or a high fiber breakfast like yogurt, nuts and berries.
• Improvise with your workouts.  Go for short runs with sprints and jumping squats mixed in, do pull-ups in playgrounds and do loads of pushups (put some books in a backpack to add weight to these).  Use your suitcase as a weight.  Keep your workouts short and intense and play as much as you can.
• Want a $10 (or less) gym?  Buy a used backpack.  Now do 3sets of 10 reps of pushups, pullups, lunges (up a hill), 1 legged squats.  Add weight to the backpack to increase your resistance.  No excuse not to workout, adjust weights as needed….and if you really want some fun, hold the weighted backpack over your head while you lunge up a hill (disclaimer - my version of fun may be different from yours).
• Try to explore by renting a bike or going for a jog if your in a new city.
• Don’t get too tied up with what you eat!  Often our eating is a little less controlled.  We need to socialize and that may mean eating pizza, ice cream, cake whatever.  Just try to eat wholesome foods 80% of the time and eat what life throws at you for the other 20%.  I usually find after an evening of bad eating my will to eat well and exercise is far stronger.
• Enjoy the fresh Local things. I always find that when traveling, the best foods are always things like the local fruits and vegetables, or cheeses - so enjoy these things.  They are great for you and may be something you won’t be able to get again at home.
• If you have a big dinner with drinks, etc and over indulge - go for a quick run fasted in the morning.  This will help flush the toxins out of your body and burn up last nights food.  Morning is a great time to exercise while traveling, as it leaves you with the rest of the day to do what you want.
• Remember to keep your brain fit.  When traveling you have less distractions and more time to read.

Finally, enjoy the journey, have fun, try new things, and keep fit.  At times it will seem hard to go for a workout or run, but you will always feel better afterwards.

“When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid” ~ Audre Lorde

The Olympics.  Athletes who have taken the love of their respective sport to their highest level.

Power.  Dedication.  Commitment.  Resolve.  Words that describe these athletes who compete in the Olympics.  They have taken the ideals of what the Olympics stand for and made it a part of their life.

• The balanced development of the body, will and mind
• The joy found in effort
• The educational value of being a good role model
• Respect for universal ethics including tolerance, generosity, unity, friendship, non-discrimination and respect for others

Today I’ll be talking about the first bullet point - the balanced effort of the body, will, and mind.  The picture above is from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  It’s a fitting picture in that it describes what these athletes must possess in order to have the strength they need to compete in the Olympics - Strength of Body, Strength of Mind, Strength of Spirit.

Strength of Body: The athletes competing in the Summer games have spent many years training their bodies in their respective sport.  This has taken dedication and commitment to their body through proper physical training and nutrition.  They don’t only exercise when it’s convenient or have a few extra snacks every day.  It’s continuous taking care of their bodies in every physical sense, including the training that is required for their sport.  Our Takeaway: Our body is the one body we have to work with during our lives here on earth.  And you have choices.  How do you treat your body?  Do you feed it junk, or high quality foods?  Do you keep it in good physical shape, or do you let it deteriorate?  Choices.  And, you can make small steps in the right direction here.  Our bodies are amazing things, and even small changes can do wonders for how we feel.  If this is an area you’re lacking in, start small and make positive changes in the right direction.

Strength of Mind: Our minds are powerful things.  For athletes training for the Olympics, they need to understand their sport in every detail.  This requires learning the many intricacies of it.  And on top of that, many of these athletes are also still young and in school.  But even those who have finished formalized school still continue to learn new things.  A sharp mind is necessary when playing their sport.  Our Takeaway: Are you learning new things?  The world is filled with so many wondrous opportunities for learning.  Books.  Classes.  Cultures.  Who knows what you might discover about yourself in the process.

Strength of Spirit: Essentially, this is the soul of a person.  It’s what we all have deep-down, that thing which really drives us forward when we nothing else will.   For the athletes competing in the Olympics, it’s what they give when they just can’t give anymore.  Somewhere, they find the will to push a little harder.  They push themselves to practice a little longer.  They keep on when others have stopped.  Because they know that is what it takes to make it to the Olympics and have a chance to compete with the best in the world.  Our Takeaway: Deep down, you all have this strength of spirit.  What you need to do to really use it to it’s fullest, is to find the thing which you love and are passionate about.  Take, for instance, a parent-child relationship.  It’s not uncommon to hear of parents doing extraordinary feats to protect their children.  This is strength of spirit at work.  They know with all their heart how important that child is to them, no matter the circumstance.  Now, think of your life.  Have you found that thing, personally, which you are passionate about?  What sets your heart on fire?  That’s where you’ll find the strength of spirit alive in you.

Conclusion

Olympic Strength:  The athletes competing at the Summer Games in Beijing possess this and the qualities that make it up:  Strength of body, strength of mind, and strength of spirit.

Olympic Strength:  You possess it too. It’s there in all of us, waiting to be discovered.  Seek out what you love, and Olympic strength can be yours!

photo credit: James Jordan

“Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.” ~ Karen Ravn

photo credit: Sveden

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.  If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. ” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Over the weekend, I spent a little time maintaining my bike.  I filled the tires with air, check the chain, checked the brakes, and made sure all the bolts were tight.  Yesterday, I rode it for the first time after my minor maintenance job to it.  What happened?  It was the easiest and fastest ride I’ve had all summer!  This wasn’t because the wind was in my favor.  This wasn’t because I was riding a course that was more downhill than usual.  This wasn’t because I was more physically prepared to ride.  No, this was simply because I had taken time to maintain the bike.

Our cars should have oil changes every 3,000 miles.  Our furnace should have a yearly checkup.  Our kids should have yearly physicals at the doctor.

So, we maintain our cars, our houses, our kids.  But how do we maintain ourselves?

Physical Maintenance

Exercise: We should exercise on a regular basis.  This includes both cardio vascular type activities (running, biking, interval training, walking, jump rope, etc.) and strength training (weight training, resistance exercises, etc.).  Not going into much detail here, we should have a mix of the two for the most efficient fat loss and muscle building activity.

Nutrition: Proper nutrition is a very important part of our physical maintenance.  We should be getting a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats.  Included in this should be lots of fruits and vegetables.  And we should also look at how much we are eating.  Keep portion sizes small.  Know what you are eating.  Don’t overstuff yourself.  On the other hand, don’t be too restrictive in the number of calories you are eating as well.  Just like overeating, under eating is a downward spiral you want to avoid as well.

Mental Maintenance

Just as important as our physical maintenance is our mental maintenance.  How do we remain sharp, focused, and create the life we desire?

This one is not as easy to define.  The key is that we need to do something.  What that something is for you will really depend upon what works for you.

First off, it is important to do some regular, daily or weekly mental maintenance.  This could include some sort of meditation or quiet time each day to collect your thoughts and plan your day.  Or taking time to read a book.  Or going out for an evening run (physically this is good, but it can also be a mental maintenance activity as well) - and clearing your mind after a long day.  Maybe it’s playing a game with family members.  Or whatever it is that gives you some time to clear your mind and re-focus.  Think of these as regular activities that are done fairly often (up to several times a week).

On top of that, it is also important to do some more thorough mental maintenance.  This would be less often - think about an annual checkup with your doctor.  This can come in many forms, the key is to do something.  And write it down.  What you write down you are more likely to accomplish.  This could be called your goals list, your New Year’s resolutions, your “Things To Do Before You Die” list.  Note that I’m not personally a big fan of New Year’s resolutions since they usually tend to be quickly thought out and also quickly forgotten.  But if it works for you, then that’s what you should do.  What you want is something that helps you define who you are and who you want to be.  This helps to give your life direction.  Otherwise, we become controlled by forces outside of our control, instead of choosing the directions we want to go.

This is not to say that any of this is easy to do, or even more so, easy to accomplish.  All of this takes time and real introspection into who you are.  And we have to decide, is it worth the effort to  understand ourselves better.  I hope the answer is yes.  Yes, that we want to lead our lives the way we desire.  Yes, that we want to choose the paths we go down.  Yes, that we want to be successful in our terms.  Yes, that we want to create a great life!

Conclusion

We maintain “things” we have in our life so they’ll continue to perform optimally.  What’s also important, in fact, more important, is that we maintain ourselves - both physically and mentally.  Through a combination of proper physical and mental maintenance, we can lead the lives of abundance and joy we desire.

photo credit: Pandiyan

“The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” ~ Robert Frost

5K Race Report

Race:  Saturday morning, 8:30 AM.  Local state park.  Small event.

Saturday morning started with beautiful weather for running.  Temperatures in the upper 60’s.  Our whole family was running the race.  There were maybe 150 people entered in the race.  We’ve run this race the last four years.

The thing is, we know this course.  Unlike the first year.  We know, the first half of the course is mostly uphill.  And just when you think you’re done…another hill!  It’s a fun run for me, because it’s a trail run.  Usually I run on the road, so getting out into the woods to run is a fun change of scenery and pace.

And this year was no different.  The hills came.  The hills continued.  And we ran.  And some of us walked parts.  And we all finished.  Hot.  Smelly.  Exhausted.  Inspired.

In our family, I finished second.  I ran the whole race.  My oldest son (13) had finished a couple of minutes before me, and … he walked a couple of the hills.  I guess I didn’t run all that fast!  Shortly after, everyone else in my family came in.

What’s interesting about this race, is that is is partially sponsored by a local micro brewery.  So, at 9 AM in the morning, there’s a half-barrel of beer.  This seemed weird to me the first year we did this.  Now…I like it!  Everyone else (in my family) likes the fact that they have doorprizes they draw for after the run.  We came home with a case of soda and several golf balls.

Due to technical difficulties at the event, they did not have a printout of the times - that’s ok.  My (our) time was nothing to write about (hey, what am I doing then???).  I finished, and that was success for me!

Lesson in All Of This

So, the lesson to be had from this:  Some battles are uphill battles.  And in those battles we face, we have the choice to stop on continue on.  And when we continue on, victory is ours.  Maybe it’s not a first place award.  Maybe it’s not fame or fortune.  But, in conquering the uphill battles, the victory we achieve is a personal one.  It is ours, we have earned it.  Completion has come through our hard work and perseverance.  These are victories that last.  We come out better for having completed the task at hand.

When we’re faced with difficult situations, the personal victories we’ve faced during some of the uphill battles life has thrown at us will make us better prepared to face these new challenges.  So, when the next uphill battle comes into your life, if it’s one you really want…continue on.  The victory, whatever that is for you, is waiting!

photo credit: cuellar

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we took so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us.” ~ Helen Keller

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” ~ Tony Robbins

Simple fun.  Sometimes it’s the best kind of fun.  The video above is from our recent rafting trip.  We had a sand beach, a calm river, an inflatable raft, and a couple of buckets.  We ended up with a homemade waterslide into the river.  Kids were kids.  Adults were kids.  River guides were kids.  What a fun way to cool off after being outside in the heat all day!

Sometimes life gets hectic and complicated.  And sometimes, life ends up not being much fun when this happens.  Then, maybe we plan fun things to do.  Maybe a visit to a waterpark, or a night out at the bars, or a trip to the zoo, or ??.  And that’s all good (and fun).  But we can also make our own fun.  We don’t always have to look outside of what we already have to bring the fun back into our lives.

One time a couple of years ago, we made an obstacle course in our backyard.  Some ball, some rope, a couple of 2×4’s, some water.  In the end, we had an afternoon of fun, and many memories that will last for a long time.

What kind of simple fun things can you do?  Be creative.  Try things (maybe they’ll be fun, maybe not).  If it doesn’t work out, ditch it and move on to something else.  Use the things you already have to create your own fun!

“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.” ~ Isaac Newton

Life’s a beach.  What does that conjure up in your head?  Is it a play on words for “Life’s a bi***”, or is it something quite opposite - that life really is like a beach.

After just returning from vacation, where we spent several days camping on beaches, stopping for lunch on beaches, and warming up on beaches - this metaphor on life came into my head.

And I say that life IS like a beach.  Something about a nice sand beach is very relaxing.  Think about a walk on the beach.  Or a campfire at the beach.  Or just resting at the beach.  Relaxing and calming.

A beach can also be fun.  Think about sand volleyball at the beach.  Or swimming at the beach.  Or building sand castles at the beach.  All fun activities.

A beach can also be stormy.  Think about watching a storm coming in from the ocean.  Or waves crashing against the shore.

Life is a beach.  Sometimes calming, sometimes fun, and sometimes stormy.  Life is what we make it.  Some circumstances we can’t control, just like a beach can’t stop a storm from coming in.  A beach is what we make it to be.  Do we want fun - then play more games at the beach.  Do we want more calm - more walks along the beach.  And that’s how life is also.  We can choose what we desire for our life.  Sure, some things are not within our control.  But those that are, we can choose to do what we want.

What do you choose?  What lies undiscovered ahead for you?  On the beach of your life, what do you want it to look like?

photo credit: jasonEscapist

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children … to leave the world a better place … to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If my ship sails from sight, it doesn’t mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends.” ~ John Enoch Powell

Our family vacation has come to an end.  We have arrived back home.  It has been a great journey together as a family to spend time out amongst nature, and away from the worries of daily life.  Being out on a river, in the middle of Idaho, really was being disconnected from the real world.  No cell phones.  No computers.  No houses.  No roads.  Just the river.  And our boat mates.  And our river guides.  And the occassional other boat. A few animals.  Nothing else.

It’s amazing how bright the stars are in the absence of the normal lights we have everyday from the cities we live by.  What an awesome view of the world to look into the night sky, surrounded by literally millions of stars, and really experience the vastness of this universe we are part of!

We have survived on the river!  But this is just part of our journey that continues as we go through life.  The river of life goes on, and we are thankful for the opportunity we’ve had as a family to spend this time together with each other.  This has been an experience we’ll always remember, and a family memory we’ll always have!

“At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.” ~ Plato

I have watched this video several times, and it continues to be a powerful example of what love is all about.  Watch it and be inspired!

photo credit: paper by design

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” ~ Zig Ziglar

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

For inspiration, watch this short video by Nike about Lance Armstrong.  It’s a great example of what commitment is all about.

photo credit: MichaelMeiser

“The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t’ is you.  And you don’t have to listen” ~ Nike

Swim.  Bike.  Run.

Why would I ever attempt that?  I’m not a good swimmer.  I can’t run.  And I rarely bike.

That was me five years ago.  Since then I have competed in three triathlons, improving each year.  Five years ago, I was overweight and unhappy.  I began running first.  Well, actually walking.  But that did lead to running.  As I slowly began to get into better physical shape, I also began biking more.  Soon I heard about a sport I had really never thought much of - triathlon.  And I thougth, what a great way to give me a goal to work toward.  For the next three years, I competed in one triathlon each year.  And each year brought new knowledge, not only of the sport of triathlon, but knowledge of myself as well.

The First Year

The first year I competed, I came in well-prepared for the run.  I assumed biking would be easy since I’ve known how to do that since I was five years old.  And the swim, well…I’ve had swim lessons (a long time ago).  It was a tough morning, but I finished the race (near last overall).  What I learned was:

• Not all bikes are created equal.  I could bike, but using a mountain bike in a road race puts you at a woeful disadvantage.  Life lesson: We need to understand the environment we are in, so that we have the right tools for the task at hand.  It’s easy to assume we know what a particular situation will entail, but proper preparation can make all the difference.
• Swim lessons years ago don’t really cut it.  I swore I was going to drown on the 1/4 mile swim.  The back float saved me!  Life lesson: We need training, even on areas we think we know because we’ve done them sometime in our past.  Keeping our skills up is critical to be successful in whatever we choose to do.

The Second Year

The second year I learned some things from the year prior.  I purchased a road bike, one designed for the type of race I would compete in.  And I went swimming regularly at an area pool.  I made marked improvements in my times.  What I learned was:

• The right bike makes a big difference.  My bike time improved by quite a bit.  Life lesson: The right equipment for the task at hand makes things much easier.
• Swimming practice helped considerably.  I didn’t feel like I would drown, and my time was cut almost in half.  Life lesson: Practicing your skills is what makes you get better at what you do.
• Making improvements feels great.  It felt really good to improve upon the year before, and in all three events.  Life lesson: Putting in the time on whatever it is you want to get better at will make you better for that event.  The people who succeed in life are those who are busting themselves to get better instead of wasting their time on non-productive activities.  What you see as the finished product is only the icing on the cake.  A lot of effort has went into building that cake up.

The Third Year

The third year, I became complacent.  I ran less during the year.  I swam only a couple of times.  Instead I concentrated on the bike.  It’s the longest event, and I thought if I could make a big improvement there, it would carry me through the other areas.  While I finished with my best time overall, both my swim time and run time went up from the previous year.  And the swim was very tough again.  What I learned was:

• You’ve got to keep at it.  I thought my swim especially would be fine since it had went pretty well the year before.  No.  And the run was just plain tough.  Life lesson: Skills don’t stay current if you don’t use them.  Practice, practice, practice.  Whatever it is you want to accomplish.
• Doing something a lot makes it easier.  I was getting really pretty good on the bike, and that was fully due to the amount of time I was putting in.  Life lesson: If you want to be great at some thing, you’ve got to put the time into it.

One of the great things with triathlon is that it is really three sports wrapped into one.  Isn’t this like life?  Aren’t we usually pulled in multiple directions, with many things going on.  How we manage that is key to how successful we’ll be.  And, like triathlon, success is defined by each individual.  For some it’s to win.  For others, it’s to finish.  And that’s how it is in our lives too.  We’re all at different parts of our journey, and only we individually can define what success means to us.  And go out and achieve it.

Here’s to your success in life!