Proud - Heather Small - London 2012 (YouTube)

Proud (*) - Heather Small (*) - London 2012 [Youtube (*)]
Proud Lyrics

I look into the window of my mind
Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind
I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I'm on my way
Can't stop me now
And you can do the same (yeah)

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
It's never too late to try
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Still so many answers I don't know (there are so many answers)
Realize that to question is how we grow (to question is to grow)
So I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I'm on my way
Can't stop me now
You can do the same (yeah)

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
It's never too late to try
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud?

(yeah) We need a change (Yeah)
Do it today (yeah)
I can feel my spirit rising
(change, yeah) We need a change (yeah)
So do it today (yeah)
'Cause I can see a clear horizon

What have you done today to make you feel proud? (to make you feel proud)
(let me hear ya X3)So what have you done today to make you feel proud?
(yeah)'Cause you could be so many people
Just make that break for freedom
So what have you done today to make you feel proud?

Was the Official Theme Song for the successful London 2012 Olympic Bid back in 2005.

Freedom, Light and Photography - Catherine Opie (Mon 20 Jun 2016)

red, white and black - Vivid 2016 - Sydney Opera House (Sat 18 Jun 2016)

Catherine Opie on Freedom:

I can pretty much do whatever I want, because I’ve always understood what light and photography do together

via An inconvenient vision by Anne Marie Burke.

A Heart of Bronze, A Heart of Stone - Tim Winton / Intelligent Life Magazine (May/June 2015)

Bella [1] - Fremantle (Sun 19 Apr 2015)

Tim Winton on Humane and Heart:

there was a quality to it I later recognised as humane. I didn’t just take shelter from it; I took heart.

via SPURNED NO LONGER by Tim Winton.

And so she was and so I did.

[1] Bella - Inscription "The freedom to be who you are and to enjoy what is!" - Sculpture by Greg James.

Enjoy Life - Bronnie Ware (Sun 05 Apr 2015)

Pacific Dragons Mixed Orange - Penrith (Sat 04 Apr 2015

Bronnie Ware on Life

Change is constant. We make it easiest on ourselves by accepting that fact. Our ability in letting go of the need for control, giving up the insistence that things have to be a certain way, is a courageous gift of freedom.

It is also a gift of love and gratitude. By surrendering to life, accepting that change is a natural part of the flow, we learn to appreciate the moment for what it is.[..]

Life really is such a short and precious gift. It can also change unexpectedly in one tiny moment. So please, love yourself enough to commit to enjoying your life. Make decisions that support your happiness – your genuine, heartfelt happiness.

via Enjoy Life by Bronnie Ware.

On Change - Kirk Tuck (Tue 29 Aug 2013)

Untilted - Lisbon (Wed 14 Aug 2013)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes On Change (*):

the first step to freedom (*) is to throw off the resistance (*) to change (*). [..]

Change (*) is inevitable and fighting (*) it is the first step to failure (*).

via The graying of traditional photography and why everything is getting re-invented in a form we don't understand. (*) by Kirk Tuck (*).Untilted - Lisbon (Wed 14 Aug 2013)

On Destiny - Chris Horner - Twisted Spoke (Sat 14 Sep 2013)

Bike - GHT / Freedom 2.0 - Madrid (Sat 10 Aug 2013)
Chris Horner (*) talks On Destiny (* | w):

I don’t need any time for this to sink in, I’ve had lots of time to think about it and what this accomplishment would be like, [..] I’ve had lots of time to think about how much I suffered (*) to get here, and the feelings (*) I have now will last a lifetime (*).

via Horner king of Angliru and winner of Vuelta (*) by Twisted Spoke (*).

Congrats to Chris Horner (*) who rolls into Madrid tonight to become the oldest rider to win a modern Grand Tour Cycling Event.

For someone who has assisted so many great riders over the years, he must have known that winning feeling, to stand on the top level of the Podium and to hear his National Anthem, to be the one to receive the accolades.

Everyone at that level in their sport dreams about it and now Chris will be fortunate enough to live it, tonight and for the rest of his life. For one who has pretty much done it his way for most of his career, congrats and enjoy the moment.

What is Mindfulness?

What is Mindfulness?

• Nonconceptual - Mindfulness is awareness without absorption in our thought process.
  
  We are aware of what we are experiencing during the race, rather than distracted by thoughts.



• Present-centered - Mindfulness is always in the present moment. Thoughts about our experience are one step removed from the present moment.
  
  Thoughts from the past or in the future are unhelpful for performance. We are best served being absorbed in the present moment, present stroke, present feeling.



• Nonjudgemental - Awareness cannot occur freely if we would like our experience to be other than it is.
  
  Pain, and distractions are not judged as good, bad, or overwhelming, but just acknowledged without removing your focus from your paddling.



• Intentional - Mindfulness always includes an intention to direct attention somewhere. Returning attention to the present moment gives mindfulness continuity over time.
  
  Your attention will wander, continually bringing it back develops the ability to maintain focus.



• Participant observation - Mindfulness is not detached witnessing. It is experiencing the mind and body more intimately.
  
  Brings you more in touch with the feel of the water and how you are paddling.



• Nonverbal - The experience of mindfulness cannot be captured in words, because awareness is always investigating subtler levels of perception.
  
  Mindfulness involves feeling and experiencing rather than putting things into words or judging what you are feeling.



• Liberating - Every moment of mindful awareness provides freedom from conditioned suffering.
  
  'Conditioned suffering' is a harsh term for unhelpful thought processes that may invoke unnecessary fear, sadness, anger or undermine confidence.

Taken from Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, Germer, Siegel and Fulton, with words in italics added.

Just found this amongst my Sydney 2007 emails. Will find appropriate credit for the paddling tips.

Frozen - Water - Perisher Valley (Wed 27 Jun 2001)

On Writing - Max Sebald / Richard Skinner (Mon 14 Jan 2013)

Signs - Hvar (Wed 31 Jul 2013)
Richard Skinner (*) writes On Writing (*):

A tight structural form opens possibilities. Take a pattern, an established model or sub-genre, and write to it. In writing, limitation (*) gives freedom (*).

via Max Sebald's Writing Tips (*) by Richard Skinner (*) [via Conscientious Redux (*)].