Tag: Professional Speaker

Lane 8 Motivational Flashback

Last weekend, I met with a great friend I’ve known for over a decade. He’s really smart and asks the best questions. Plus, he’s a great listener.

Long story short:  While I was sharing the story on my 1982 cross-country bicycle trip, he came to a realization, and so did I.

When I said cross-country, the original intent was from one coast to the other. But for a variety of good reasons, it didn’t happen the way it was envisioned.

And for a moment, it started to feel like maybe I was misrepresenting the truth, and I questioned myself.

In summary, Derrick Redmond, an Olympic 400 meter runner, may tell people he ran in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but that may not be the “truth”.  You owe it to yourself to watch this, and then ask and answer the question that follows:

So, did Derrick Redmond run in the Olympics?

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, Finland.  Yesterday, my wife and I were talking about the upcoming trip.  We agreed our current plan is the right one.

The day before, my son (nine) and I were talking about it too.  I told him, “I need to figure out how to not throw up or pee my pants before the race”.

He replied, “Huh”?

I said, “Seriously, I’m gonna be so nervous.  I have to figure out a way to deal with that or I’ll truly be faced with unwanted circumstances”.

In 25 days, I fly to Helsinki for the 2009 Master’s Track & Field World Championships, 400 meters, 50-54 age group.

I told my son, I won’t be running with people from Central Florida, or even the whole state.  Not the Southeastern United States. Not the entire US.  Not North America or even the western hemisphere.

The entire world.

Until I found myself on this “stage”, and I’ve been a lot of stages as a professional speaker, I had no idea what it meant to be world-class.

What I’ve found is there is a monumental difference between dreaming about it, and actually going up against the world’s best.

I hope this inspires you to try harder, or differently, than you have in the past.  If you do, you will experience more, and live with less regret.

This will make you a better person in so many ways.   Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂