I'm still managing to run without my head torch so far, even though I'm heading out about 45 minutes before official sunrise these mornings. It's a little on the gloomy side but visibility is still there, but that may change any day.
What has changed, and has added a definite extra spring to my step is that I became a grandfather on Sunday. Gorgeous little Amelie was born to Toby and B after a challenging 36 hours for them.
I have seen Amelie twice now and I managed to have a cuddle with her last night for the first time. Just wonderful!
What has this got to do with running you may ask?
Apart from the extra spring in my step I mentioned earlier, I feel even more lucky to be out there running every morning as a grandfather. I do feel truly blessed.
I'm also aware that my own father missed out on becoming a grandfather by six weeks. He knew he was going to be one but he didn't quite last until the momentous occasion.
I should celebrate by entering another marathon or something equally challenging.
I feel immensely proud to be a grandfather, and prouder still to be a running grandfather!
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Thursday 18 November 2010
The children know
I've let two weeks slip by again since my last blog entry.
As I count the number of days left to complete my year of running a mile every day, and tallying my total number of consecutive days, I'm also wondering if this will be the day when I will become a grandfather.
It's all very exciting.
I do love small children. They are perfect examples of what it's like to live in the present moment. No regrets or embarrasment of things that they wished they hadn't done, and no worries or concerns about the future, whether they will make a mistake or get hurt.
And the funny thing is that we were all like that when we were little.
If that is the case, which it plainly is, then there is nothing new for us to learn about being present to our every experience of life rather than wasting our time regretting and worrying.
If there's nothing new to learn, surely it must be easy to release the accumulated and non-productive skills of regretting and worrying.
What would be left is the joy and excitement of each new experience, which every moment clearly is.
As I count the number of days left to complete my year of running a mile every day, and tallying my total number of consecutive days, I'm also wondering if this will be the day when I will become a grandfather.
It's all very exciting.
I do love small children. They are perfect examples of what it's like to live in the present moment. No regrets or embarrasment of things that they wished they hadn't done, and no worries or concerns about the future, whether they will make a mistake or get hurt.
And the funny thing is that we were all like that when we were little.
If that is the case, which it plainly is, then there is nothing new for us to learn about being present to our every experience of life rather than wasting our time regretting and worrying.
If there's nothing new to learn, surely it must be easy to release the accumulated and non-productive skills of regretting and worrying.
What would be left is the joy and excitement of each new experience, which every moment clearly is.
Thursday 4 November 2010
Glorious opportunity - they have no shoes
I was feeling tired, as in not properly awake yet, when I started my run this morning, and thought that I'd probably cut my run back from the 2 miles I've done for the past few days.
However, I pushed away any negative thoughts and just concentrated on my physical feelings, my breathing and my surroundings.
Within minutes I was coming up with ideas for a possible taster workshop that I've been invited to propose for a local business forum, and I also wrote, in my head, my 60-second pitch for tomorrow morning's breakfast networking meeting.
As a result I was inspired to push on and run two and a half miles, then couldn't wait to get back and make a note of my new ideas.
One of the things I remembered was the story of the 2 marketing scouts sent to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES
The other writes back triumphantly,
GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES
Amazing what a difference one's outlook can make.
However, I pushed away any negative thoughts and just concentrated on my physical feelings, my breathing and my surroundings.
Within minutes I was coming up with ideas for a possible taster workshop that I've been invited to propose for a local business forum, and I also wrote, in my head, my 60-second pitch for tomorrow morning's breakfast networking meeting.
As a result I was inspired to push on and run two and a half miles, then couldn't wait to get back and make a note of my new ideas.
One of the things I remembered was the story of the 2 marketing scouts sent to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES
The other writes back triumphantly,
GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES
Amazing what a difference one's outlook can make.
Tuesday 2 November 2010
Good vibrations
Another two-miler this morning.
The autumn leaves are just beautiful at the moment.
This morning my mind went back to my thoughts of connection from my weekend run and how quantum physicists now tell us that everything on the planet is made up of vibrating energy. I know, fairly deep stuff for 7.00am plodding along a path.
Anyway, if we are indeed all vibrating energy, that does explain how someone in a good mood or a bad mood can change the energy of a room as soon as they walk in, without even opening their mouth.
What this means to me and my value of connection, is that it's not actually what I do that creates connection with others, but who I am actually being. Being energised, inspired, excited, loving, compassionate, interested can't fail to create some sort of connection.
And as a byproduct, I also stand a good chance of doing things that come from that positive way of being that will help the connection even more.
If I'm trying to promote my business, which will work best?
A desperate attempt to win a person over as a new customer, communicating that desperation energy, or an energised, inspired, compassionate and interested desire to connect with that other person, purely for the joy of connecting?
Wow, what a great way to start my day this morning!
The autumn leaves are just beautiful at the moment.
This morning my mind went back to my thoughts of connection from my weekend run and how quantum physicists now tell us that everything on the planet is made up of vibrating energy. I know, fairly deep stuff for 7.00am plodding along a path.
Anyway, if we are indeed all vibrating energy, that does explain how someone in a good mood or a bad mood can change the energy of a room as soon as they walk in, without even opening their mouth.
What this means to me and my value of connection, is that it's not actually what I do that creates connection with others, but who I am actually being. Being energised, inspired, excited, loving, compassionate, interested can't fail to create some sort of connection.
And as a byproduct, I also stand a good chance of doing things that come from that positive way of being that will help the connection even more.
If I'm trying to promote my business, which will work best?
A desperate attempt to win a person over as a new customer, communicating that desperation energy, or an energised, inspired, compassionate and interested desire to connect with that other person, purely for the joy of connecting?
Wow, what a great way to start my day this morning!
Monday 1 November 2010
I'm not on my own!
I ran a two-miler this morning, as I enter my 11th month of my original one-month experiment, and an excellent 5K on both Saturday and Sunday.
Both of my weekend runs were great because I somehow managed to engage my creative part of my brain on both days.
One of the thoughts that I had was that although connection is one of my five key values, and I know that I really enjoy making a difference with others, I'm really not very good at asking others to help or make a difference to me.
This was actually quite a thunderbolt.
I do love the fact that I can learn something really fundamental about myself at any time.
This realisation was also a real eye opener when I came to look at my own life circumstances.
How many times have I gently explained to a client that being a success doesn't mean you have to do it all on your own, and that almost all successful people have a support team behind or beside them?
I wonder what difference that might make to my life?
Both of my weekend runs were great because I somehow managed to engage my creative part of my brain on both days.
One of the thoughts that I had was that although connection is one of my five key values, and I know that I really enjoy making a difference with others, I'm really not very good at asking others to help or make a difference to me.
This was actually quite a thunderbolt.
I do love the fact that I can learn something really fundamental about myself at any time.
This realisation was also a real eye opener when I came to look at my own life circumstances.
How many times have I gently explained to a client that being a success doesn't mean you have to do it all on your own, and that almost all successful people have a support team behind or beside them?
I wonder what difference that might make to my life?
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