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Lane 8 Optimism

What can we learn from defeat, loss, failure?

Many things to be sure. But only if we try hard to learn from setback. And only if we listen. And only if we then try again.

Are you listening? And I don’t mean, “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening”.

I mean, are you the kind of person that will pick yourself up after you fall?

Are you the type of person that finds a million ways to stay motivated?

You see, getting motivated is one thing. What makes winners is staying motivated.

Oh wait, you want to tell me something, right?

Okay, go ahead.

“Jeff, you don’t understand, my life is hard. It’s very difficult.”

Here’s a Christmas gift for you, and it is given with the most hopeful and sincere intent – “No one has it easy. Period. End of story.”

This may scare some people off, and I would hate to see that happen, but I can’t allow myself to make excuses.

How can I teach our son (9), that it’s okay to make excuses?

Pain In The

Have you ever had something really important or “big” in your life, a long-time dream perhaps, where you where getting close to the end of your journey?

And you were so close you could see the glorious end in sight, but then the unthinkable happened.

How did you deal with it? Did it work out for you?

Where you forced to compromise? Or maybe (gasp), quit?

Pain in the as foot.

Pain in my left foot. Still.

It plagued me during the August Master’s Track & Field World Championships. In fact, it has bothered me all year.

In the Spring, it seemed to be a dominant topic at Lane 8.

By June however, I pretty much had stopped writing about the pain, but not because it went away.

Eventually, I had to suck it up and do what needed to be done to make it happen.

In Finland, it didn’t turn out the way I had dreamed, but that’s the beautiful lesson – nothing turns out the way we dream.

It’s either better or worse, but never the same.

Lane 8 Hypocrite

Maybe. Maybe not.

On January 5, 2009 my Family Physician wrote a script for a routine colonoscopy, since this is the year I turned 50.

Well, here we are, almost January, 2010 – a year later. No colonoscopy. Not even scheduled yet.

How in the hell can that happen?

Simple. You already know, don’t you? We get busy. Distracted. Paralyzed – with the fear of making a commitment.

So, please know I ain’t perfect. Big dreamer? Absolutely. Perfect? No way.

But if you look at the batting average, it represents a decent overall “practice what you preach” reality.

How’s your batting average?

Masters Track?

Yes, Masters Track.

What do you do to stay motivated to reach and maintain your health goals?

Master’s athletes are defined as people over 30 years old.

There are other sports that have Masters competitions too. The thought of trying something completely out of my comfort zone actually seems possible – at a future time, of course.

Why?

Because the whole point of the competition, to me, is simply to find ways to stay motivated. When things get boring, I get less motivated.

This is a deadly place to be, literally.

Someday. maybe swimming. Or perhaps I’ll try Filed events, like the Discus, Shot Put, or, heaven forbid, the Pole Vault.

Whatever it takes. That’s one of the secrets to staying healthier. I figure everybody knows this, but it never hurts to say important things over and over.

Does it?

The Obvious is Invisible

Because we see it every time we visit Lane 8, we don’t see it any more.

The tag line.

Huh?

The tag line beneath the title, Lane 8, at the very top (header) of this page”

“If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.”

As soon as I start taking the most important things for granted, I lose. Are ya with me?