ON FLEXIBILITY...

When I am inflexible and rigid, I set myself up for defeat and misery. When I yield, I am in harmony with success and happiness. Rigidity causes tension and stress which obstruct your potential. In what way can you demonstrate the virtue of YIELDING today? WHat examples of rigidity do I exhibit in my behavior each day? How can I change these patterns and free myself for more harmony and success in my life? 

SHANG SHAN

In Chinese, the expression Shang Shan suggests ascending to the mountaintop in order to escape the chaos and pressures below in daily life. The summit provides a sanctuary, a natural,sacred space of peace, calm, relaxation and therefore clarity of thought. I have run up many mountains and now realize why... I need to get away from the stress and craziness of life. I also have noticed that when I do these awesome runs on trails to the peak, I have been able to write chapters for my books in my head or even get ideas for writing new books, solving personal problems, answering questions and getting clear on paths I must take for a deeper, richer life. And, I haven't even talked about the physical benefits of strenuous mountain exercise. The nice part of being on top of the summit is how it gives you perspective, like an eagle flying above, on all that matters in your life. It is a way for me to achieve harmony, balance, peace and happiness in the moment perched atop of my world. The mountain is calling. It's why I am so attracted to my home in Colorado.

BUMBLE BEES CAN'T FLY

Did you know that the bumble bee, according to scientific researchers, can NOT fly. They determined that it is too fat, too slow, too heavy, not fast enough to get lift to fly. Its wings do not flap fast enough to help get off the ground. Yet we all have seen the bumble bee fly. right?  Why? Because no one ever told them they couldn't fly. And they fly 763 miles a dat for their entire life which is a mere 7 weeks. They seem to have something inside that allows them to believe "they can" and they do. We all have this certain something and it's called BELIEF. There is a 91 year old man who hikes 25 miles a day. When asked " how can you do that? ", he replies " no one ever told me I couldn't". Beliefs are limits to be examined then transcended, said the famous dolphin researcher John Lilly. Or in the words of G.B. Shaw, " dream things that never were and ask 'why not?' ".  How are you limiting yourself today? What can you do to challenge those limits?

SUCCESS IS 99% FAILURE

Someone once told me that "SUCCESS IS 99% FAILURE". I believe this to be true. All failures, setbacks, errors and mistakes are our greatest teachers, mentors, guides that enable us to learn then forge ahead. Several of my books have been rejected for publication numerous times and each time I learned from the publisher what I needed to know to make it a better book. These learning experiences made me the writer that I am today as I begin to write my 12th book. I like to tell my athletes that they are working with someone who is a failure... and proud of it. They laugh but get the point.  Embrace failure for what it is. Remember that the arrow that hits the bullseye is the result of 100 misses. 

DON'T LET FEAR STOP YOU

Are you wanting to take a risk in your life that could potentially create more abundance, joy and happiness? Yet, your fear blocks all your efforts to move forward. You are waiting for some assurance or guarantee before you take the leap. We are talking about a leap of faith and without that, nothing seems to move forward in life. I am a risk taker. I assess the conditions and if the worst-case scenario is manageable I go ahead and jump. I keep in mind, the words of the famous author, Ray Bradbury who says that when you want to move forward in your life, you must take a risk. He reminds us that when you are at the edge of a cliff, "jump and build your wings on the way down". I appears that most people I know will stand on that edge and wait for wings to be built. If you jump before that, you will have others come to your rescue, doors will open where they didn't open before, doors will appear where there weren't even doors previously, answers will come to you, the right people will come into your life and opportunity will present itself. At worst, you will land on your feet, learn from the experience and begin the process again. I love the acronym for fear: F.E.A.R. = False evidence appearing real. 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

 There are many who seem to want to master their EXTERNAL world through more education, more competition, more training, more reading,  more,more,more. I notice that my work is to understand and master my INNER world through observation, connection with others and reading what life has to offer me through work, family, friends and being alone on a run, bike, hike or simply watching the sun set from my back deck. There are different ways to "fill up our tanks". I prefer the latter approach. This is contrary to the way I was raised as a child yet it is the way I raise my children. What is most important is to be in nature, embrace its lessons, follow your heart ( what your inner voice says), and do what you love. Choose places to live... truly live... that fit skin tight over your spirit... if at all possible. Your external environment will nurture and aid your spirit. It directly impacts your daily mood and outlook on life, on other people, your work, your creativity, your energy ( physical and spiritual and mental) and your relationship with yourself. Choose friends who function on this level as well and avoid at all coast, the emotional vampires who simply such your spirit dry. These are thoughts that I play with daily. I have learned these concepts from many, many mistakes and years of struggle. We all have choice and with that, have the freedom to create a life worth living. DO & BE what is NATURAL even if it is not natural for you right now. What I believe is natural is: health and well being, abundance, joy, happiness, struggle, pain and bliss ( what we experience on the Hero's journey... up and down is natural). More later! 

JOYFUL LIVING:


As life continues it's flow into the uncertain future, I wish to be patient. This requires not a suffering but a willingness to immerse myself in the natural flow of life regardless of its pace,speed,direction and not be waiting for things to happen. The natural flow means that life assumes its own form and shape, not necessarily mine. Things occur not when we think they should but when they suppose to, when the time is right. Having said all that, what I notice after several decades of this extraordinary life is that  sports,cooking, exercise, eating well, writing, meditating, stimulating conversation, music and love have this transformational capacity to create much JOY. Together they create a marriage of Yin and Yang, East and West, Science and Mysticism, all a manifestation of the DIVINE. Why do we get so busy chasing the ephemeral, external rewards that cause frustration and disappointment and dis-ease. The Chinese word for busy, when translated into English , means " the killing of the heart".