My First Triathlon Journey: From Rookie to Ironman

31 Jul

As we left off yesterday, getting started is the key to success. If you never start, then there is no finish. Fortunately, after procrastinating for some time I signed up for my first ever triathlon event. It was a Sprint Triathlon, which consisted of a 0.3-mile swim, 13-mile bike, and a 3.1-mile run in Sarasota, Florida.

Now that I was signed up and committed, financially and by announcing the news to my friends there was no turning back. I could swim pretty well so I was not concerned about the swim and because I ran quite often and road my trail bike about 10 miles a few times a week, my confidence was somewhat elevated. That would be short lived once the race started.

So, here I was a few weeks out from race day, and I had no idea about what I was about to get myself into. For one, my preparation consisted of a five-mile run twice a week, and a 10-mile bike ride twice a week. No swimming, eating whatever I wanted, and poor hydration. This would prove to be a learning experience and that was about the extent of it.

On race day, I and another buddy of mine headed out to Sarasota, Florida at 3am to make sure we arrived in time to complete check in, look over the swim course and place our bikes in the racks for the race. I forgot to mention we both rented bikes to use during the race with little time familiarizing ourselves with them. Just another rookie mistake. The bikes fit neither of us as far as sit height or handlebar position. This too would prove to be interesting and an experience.

When the race started, we hit the water for the swim by age group. Just let me say my physic looked nothing like many of the athlete’s, who I was racing against. Needless to say, I was a little intimidated, until I looked into the crowd of guys, I would be swimming with and considered myself middle of the road in physical appearance. Still, I knew I would be working on my physic as soon as I got back home, diet and exercise.

Well, the race started and I finished the swim middle of the pack. I then hurried to retrieve my bike and off I went. The bike course was a little hilly at times, but remember these are hills in Southwest, Florida, which means nobody else even noticed what I call hills. Another words, I wasn’t even 7 miles in and I was getting tired. Actually, as I neared the end of the bike course one of the volunteers asked me if I was ok. I must have looked exhausted, but I responded I was ok and made my way to the run course.

Once on the run course, I began to run and was passed by this lady who was extremely large. I tried to catch her but there was no way. I couldn’t believe it! For those watching, they must have gotten some delight as she passed me, and I attempted to catch her. Anyway, I did complete the run, or should I say the walk and run, thus completing my first triathlon event.

Realizing if I wanted to compete and complete another event my preparation, training, hydration, and diet were going to need to improve. I’m glad I got started, because you have to start somewhere. I jumped in and never looked back to where I eventually completed Ironman Wisconsin, and I must say what an adventure! There was a cost to pay, like time, not being understood when I chose training over going out with friends, eating differently, and my self-esteem improving race after race. Remember to always count the cost for any dream or endeavor because it will cost you something.

In closing, the life of a triathlete shaped my life from the beginning to even today. There were ups and downs, mountains and challenges, victories and defeats but they were worth it, but at times very costly. A horrific bike accident while training followed by cancer was tough but there is just something about being an Ironman! You become a believer, in yourself, others, and God. “You believe all things are possible to them who believe.” So, was it worth it? You better belief it, the disaster in my life lead to physical, emotional, spiritual, and economic growth.

Hope you find some encouragement from reading this post…. and go for your dream…. Start now!

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Overcoming Perfectionism: The Key to Getting Started

29 Jul

Getting started is essential to accomplishing any goal, project, or life purpose. Easier said than done, right? However, once you start continued momentum, will be what gets you to the finish line. But let’s examine the obstacles to starting. before we accelerate into momentum because most of us either never start or have to continue restarting time after time.

First there is worry, then comes overthinking, followed by excuses, then perfectionism kicks in, and finally self-criticism. What a vicious cycle. Subconsciously, we are sabotaging what we really want and desire for our lives and the lives of our families. This cycle leads to extreme self-depreciation making it harder and harder to start any goal or reach out for any dream we may have. If this describes you, no worries, all things are possible by changing what we say, how we think, and what we believe.

You know, this reminds me of me! What a mess I used to be but maybe sharing another story about my triathlon journey will help someone. Like a lot of people, the foundation of what I thought about myself was poor and boy did it need some work. I mean a total rebuild. A portion of that rebuild dealt with just getting started on a dream or goal. However, I was such a perfectionist, that I would abandon my dream or goal before ever starting due to “perfectionary paralysis” which occurs because of the desire for flawlessness, which leads to inaction, or the complete dismissal of the task at hand.

I had many dreams and one of them was to complete a Ironman. I had watched them on TV and would tell myself maybe one day. I had all the excuses though, like when would I have time to train in swimming, biking, and running, how would I register, would my wife support the endeavor, and the excuses just keep rolling in my thoughts and off my tongue. But you know, I started working out, riding my bike, and running just to lose weight because if I were to register for a triathlon, I wanted to look the part.

My perfectionism kicked in and kept me from registering. I just didn’t think I was ready or had lost enough weight. I just kept putting off my dream. I also didn’t want to show up with a trail bike when others were riding low profile racing bikes. Oh, and another thing my training was spiritic. Excuse after excuse. I needed to make a decision if I truly wanted to complete an Ironman event one day.

I finally did it, got started, jumped in with both feet, I was going to be an Ironman one day! Tomorrow, I’ll share my first triathlon and how it helped rebuild the foundation of my life.

In closing, here are some quotes about getting started:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started” Mark Twain”

“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started” Dawson Trotman

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” Walt Disney

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Never Give Up: Inspiring Quotes for Your Journey

22 Jul

Leanne Hainsby-Alldis, a peloton instructor said, “You don’t have to have it all figured out, but don’t give up. Slow if you need to, but don’t give up.” Leanne is so right! When I was training for Ironman Wisconsin, a number of years ago, I had very little figured out. Yes, I could swim, ride a bike, and run, but that was about it. I knew little to nothing about hydration, nutrition, or the course itself. However, there was one thing, yes one thing that allowed me to complete the course and that was I was not going to give up. I was determined to complete the course in the allotted time and I did! Was it hard? Yes, but when I crossed the finish line, they called my name over the loudspeaker and declared I was in fact an Ironman. I have the shirt and the medal that sits in my office today.

I shared that story today because it’s an important one for me to remember and for you to understand, that quitting should not be an option no matter what circumstances come your way. You have a dream and a passion for something, and you need to push forward, determined to never quit and you will cross your finish line.

Here’s some more quotes that will encourage you:

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Earl Nightingale

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Henry Ford

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” Bob Marley

“Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” Steve Martin

And in closing, ” “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 success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau

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Quotes to Inspire You: Keep Going When Times Are Tough

21 Jul

The power of never giving up or quitting is a building block that will lead to accomplishing your wildest dreams. The tenacity to stand on this building block will rally your innermost strength and help you stay anchored and focused on what matters. Whatever you do, once you decide on what you want and start, never look back and never quit. Hopefully these quotes will make a difference in your day and future.

“You can win a lot in life just by being the last one to give up.” Jame Clear

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” Banksy

“The moment you give up, is the moment you let someone else win.” Kobe Bryant

“There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.” Seneca

“Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” Swami Vivekananda

“Your biggest competitive advantage is never quitting.” Dan Go

And in closing, “Tonight we cry, we despair, and fear. Tomorrow, we get back at work trying to build the world we want.” Sam Altman

NEVER GIVE UP!

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Ignite Your Goals: Take Action Now

20 Jul

Life is moving very fast, which means we all must, “get after it!” (a quote by Jocko Willink). None of us have the time for procrastination. These times are for people ready to launch! If you’re not familiar with Jocko Willink, look him up. Search for his podcast, books, or businesses. His example, teachings, stories and strategies will ignite all of us for these specific times.

So, the question remains, do you have a dream, a goal, an objective settled in your mind? Are you willing to throw your heart over the bar, to burn all ships, to give it your all, today? If so, start by writing down your dream, your goal, your objective. That which you would love to do to help, or that would help others in this life. State your dreams, goals and your objective. Do it today, not tomorrow. Time waits for no one, not even you. In putting your dreams, goals, and objective on paper, you have just taken the first step towards fulfilling your purpose in life.

Quotes about taking action:

“The worst thing you can do is nothing.” Terry Pratchett

“If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.” Tony Robbins

“Being willing is not enough. We must do.” Leonardo da Vinci

“Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not words. Trust movement.” Alfred Adler

“As I grow older, I pay less attention what men say. I just watch what they do.” Andrew Carnegie

“Well done is better than well said.” Benjamin Franklin

After reading these quotes and realizing how fast time is slipping away. Take action! Once you have started the process by putting your dream, goals and objective on paper. The following day and every day thereafter do something that moves you to the completion of your purpose.

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Achieve Your Dreams Through Faith and Commitment

17 Jul

The process to success begins with a dream, a vision, a destination. It encompasses desire, commitment, and tenacity. Fulfilling you most desired ambition in life will require the use of the most powerful force and that is spiritual force. Spiritual force entails faith, belief, positive thinking, faith in life, faith in other people, faith in oneself, and faith in God. The word of God teaches us that, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible…” This centers around expecting the best instead of the worst. Which means that you put all of you, your whole heart into what you truly want to accomplish.

Norman Vincent Peele in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking” said, “…whatever you are doing, give it all you’ve got. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives life his all.”

Jim Rohn said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Another quote by Norman Vincent Peele said, “Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.”

John Maxwell said, “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading.”

Helen Keller said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

Did you know that the word hope means having a confident expectation of a positive outcome. It’s more than a mere wish, it involves faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Once you’ve settled in your heart your dream, vision, and destination for your life, put faith into action. Believe that all things are possible, believe in people, yourself, life, and positive thinking. Get the ball rolling, invest in yourself (body, soul, and spirit) by reading good books, and education like seminars, podcast, ted talks, anything that will help you develop into the person that will fulfill your greatest dream!

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Revive Your Dreams: The Key to Future Success

16 Jul

The power of a dream… Many have forgotten how to dream. Growing up through adolescence as children we all had powerful imaginations. We all would dream of someday being a doctor, lawyer, policeman, fireman, soldier, etc. We would dream of having more and being more. Maybe of being the wealthiest person in the world. But no matter, we all dreamed of something or becoming someone. The reality of those dreams seamed to fade as we got older. Some dreams were stolen by others, circumstances, or maybe unbelief. But no matter, a dream can become renewed, it can become ignited again, or it can be a brand-new dream. What’s important is that we dream again!

Below are a few quotes that hopefully create in all of us the will to dream again. For without a dream, a vision of what we desire in life, we will remain stagnant. But having a dream starts the engine that could lead us to what our imaginations have wanted for us all along. Having a dream is where it all begins and is most powerful.

“Your dream is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-down horse ridden into the ground.” Langston Hughes

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

“Shoot for the sky, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Les Brown

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” Harriet Tubman

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can achieve it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward

“Dare to dream.” unknown

Hopefully these quotes encourage us all to believe in our dreams, pursue them with courage, and then turn our dreams into reality through action. For our dreams are powerful and are the launch pad for our future success!

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Daily Quotes for Motivation and Strength

15 Jul

The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English defines encouragement as: The act or encouraging; incitement to action or to practice. Hopefully these quotes will help you personally and professionally excel today!

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

“You don’t have to have it all figured out, but don’t give up. Slow if you need to, but don’t give up.” Leanne Hainsby-Alidis

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Benjamin Franklin

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” Arnol Schwarzenegger

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Gandhi

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (the words of Jesus)

May God richly bless you today!

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Finding Love Beyond Religion: A Bigger Truth

13 Jul

Mention RELIGION as a means to an end and people lose their minds. The reason is quite simple because RELIGION cannot solve mankind’s problems. RELIGION is man’s attempt to control another. It’s also man’s attempt to reach a Holy God through one’s behavior and neither end well.

There are around 4200 different religions in the world today. Amazing as that is, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Roman Catholicism and Judaism make the world news more than any others. But there is a commonality amongst all religions and that is behavior modification, control, a belief in a higher power, stories, teachings, and moral and ethical instructions, and some form of worship. It all sounds pretty good, but its man’s attempt to control another and or anyone who differs with them, along with being good enough to be excepted by the Higher Power into the afterlife.

Now, is religion a good thing? It depends on one’s perspective. Within the confines of each religion the answer would be yes because it gives a society a guide on how people should live and get along within the religion. However, when one religion attempts to impose their religious views on another, angst takes root with the fallout leading to fundamental disagreements, and even volatility.

So, is there truly an answer to man’s dilemma? Sure, there is! Let’s just look at the dilemma from the premise of 4200 different god’s over 4200 different religions. What a mess! Each god vying for position to be the number one God of all religions. There would be so much confusion and debate. All these religions believe they’re the answer to the world. But the answer is not found in a religion, for all religion is based on one’s self-righteousness. The do good, get good premise. Religion in and of itself is man controlling another man through rules and vain philosophies, which takes people captive, steals, kills and eventually destroys them.

Think about your own religion for a moment. I mean really and honestly think! Does the god of your religion love you unconditionally? Does he offer you a permanent solution for your bad behavior, other than some form of punishment or even death? Is he kind, full of mercy and forgiveness? Is he compassionate? Can you say, “my god really loves me”? He loves me so much that he would give his own life for me? Would my god adopt me as one of his own and call me his child and his friend? I’m sure you could think of many more questions and if so, ask them and think on them. Then ask yourself, is there truly a god of love, is he even real? Then ask the God of Love to reveal himself to you, if and only if you are looking for truth! For you see, the God of Love is longing for you to call on Him. He wants you to know the Truth so you can be set free from religion, and He is not a God who lies!

He is a God who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus, himself said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”. He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father (God) but through me”.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with the God of Love, you must first understand that everyone who has ever lived has been separated from him because of sin and the consequence of sin is death. However, Jesus, God’s son, died on the cross for us taking the penalty and punishment for our sin. He was then raised from the grave, from death itself on the third day, after paying our debt for our sin, so that anyone who repented of their sin and believed in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For whosever calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For by grace are you save through faith, it is a gift of God lest any man should boast.

Receive God’s gift of everlasting life and become a child of His, inheriting the salvation He offers and promised!

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3 Essential Responsibilities of Effective Leadership

27 Feb

If you’re in leadership in any way, shape or form, regardless of position, be it CEO, midlevel manager, overseer of a project, or parent. You will want to reread, review, and meditate on what you are about to read. It’s my humble opinion from holding numerous and various leadership roles and positions there are three core responsibilities of any leadership role.

Leadership is defined as an action of leading a group of people. In writing about this subject or topic, the information could go on for pages. But my intent is to drill down to what really matters, the core responsibilities of leadership and what leaders need to know and to put into practice to be highly successful in their leadership role. There are three areas, once mastered that will create winning teams, develop other leaders along the way, build a culture of integrity, and create an incredible environment for continued success. However, you must remember as a leader being anything other than an exemplary example to the people you lead in these three areas is non-negotiable.

I’m going to take for granted that as a leader the end goal has already been created either for you or by you and thus, you are at a point of implementation or maybe somewhere in between the beginning or the end. No matter, these three areas of the core responsibilities are but a framework to be studied in more detail and expanded upon at your leisure. The more of an understanding you have of each will lead to greater success. Let’s get started!

First, understand that in order to be effective in leading, you must know and I mean know the people you are leading. Their strengths, weaknesses, personalities, hopes, dreams, hardships at home and in life, children, etc. Knowing the people you lead thoroughly really matters and being fair and just with each will create loyalty, trust, and a culture of caring for one another. This and this alone will lay the foundation for all things related to the success.

To begin with you must create belief in what you and your team are pursuing. If a positive expectation of a desired outcome is not encapsulated in belief, struggle and frustration are imminent. To be clear, creating belief can be challenging especially with the different personalities you are leading, so preparation is a must, which includes:

  1. The motivation for the goal… the team or company must understand the why. Why the goal and what will it mean for them, the target objective, and the future upon completion.
  2. Information and evidence that the goal matters.
  3. The goal resonates with those involved. There should be evidence presented arousing curiosity and belief.
  4. Overcoming and acknowledging the skepticism. Challenge the doubt. Address the issues with solution and answers that promote success.
  5. Creating a culture of belief by reinforcing your belief.

Next, there must be a confident expectation of a positive outcome. This expectation must consistently be feed to build confidence through:

  1. Stories… like the great adage says, “Facts tell but stories sale”. Always be prepared with stories that motivate, inspire, are positive, overcome doubts, are easily remembered, and that assurances a positive outcome.
  2. Goals that are realistic but challenging
  3. Managing the difficulties that arise, step by step, minus the trepidation.
  4. Celebrating the small victories along the way.
  5. WORDS… WORDS MATTER! There’s an old proverb that says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”. So, watch what is being said, from your mouth and the mouth of others. Words can either build up or tear down. If the words being spoken are not reenforcing a confident expectation of a positive outcome, you’re hindering your possibilities for success. ALWAYS be positive in your words, the stories told, and the difficulties that may arise.

Last and the final core responsibility, A FLURISHING CULTURE, which is consistent reveals itself through:

  1. Transparency… nothing should be kept from the team or group. To do so would create a negative environment. One of gossip, innuendos, weak relationships, and reduced trust. There must be transparency to build trust, relationships, and improve all aspects of the culture.
  2. Patience in reaching the intended goal, and with one another.
  3. Kindness toward one another.
  4. Not demanding its own way.
  5. Not letting jealousy, boastfulness, pride, or being rude dominate.
  6. Never giving up, losing belief, or sight of the confident expectation of a positive outcome.
  7. Enduring to the end, no matter the circumstances encountered.

A Leader that incorporates these three core responsibilities into their style of leadership. Along with complete preparation for each of these responsibilities and the actions required, will increase their opportunities for success. When implemented, a confident expectation of a positive outcome is assured.

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