On Perception - Drew Ginn (Tue 01 May 2007)

Den lille Havfrue (*) - The Little Mermaid - Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Drew Ginn (*) writes On Perception (*):

It’s a fine line between success (*) and failure (*). In fact I could even argue that they are one in the same. That really the difference between experiences (*) that we judge as successful or as failure comes down to our perception (*).

via G get t THe g GLIDE R riGht (*) by Drew Ginn (*).

Just over seven years ago since Drew's posted this one. Could relate to it from the paddling point of view and it would take some time to fully understand all of what he was saying back then. Experiences (*) bring a lot to what you learn (*) and retain. Miss his blog posts (*) now, though he does post (*) on twitter a bit.

Perception - Colin Pantall (Tue 10 May 2016)

trees / water / reflection - Wilpena (Tue 12 Apr 2016)

Colin Pantall on Perception:

To open the doors of perception we need to go beyond this world. Which is not easy because it is familiar to us and provides a foundation for us. But if you really want to step beyond this world, all you have to do is step – and you are out.

via Photography Always Shows What We Already Think We Know by Colin Pantall.

Change [Inspiration] by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2010)

Change by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2007) ..

[..] Other influences have been other athletes and crews.

Some of the major shifts in perception I have experienced have come about from observing what others do.

At a critical point two athletes stood out to me more than even the guys like the Oarsome Foursome.

Richard Wearne and Rob Walker raced the pair for Australia in 1994 and 1995.

Through their performances in those years they brought the idea and the possibility of being able to mix it at the highest level in to sharp focus.

The reason for this was that when I came into the sport the likes of the Oarsome Foursome were already established and they commanded attention.

In the season of 94 I was an U23 athlete just starting out and during out domestic season I had the chance to race against Richard and Rob in small boats.

At the time they were not together in the pair but I can still remember vividly when they became selected as the pair and went on to race at the World and win the bronze medal.

I thought, wow look at what those guys did that was amazing, and I was racing against them here in Australia.

It blew my mind to think that they were that good.

To compete in the way they did and to challenge the best in the World in the pair was something that triggered inside me a sense of possibility.

I heard many stories about how they went from selection into training and how they changed from domestic athletes into international competitors.

They weren’t big like Redgrave and co. They weren’t as laid back and considered as talented like the Oarsome Foursome.

They were races and found a harmony in the boat that enabled them to fly in the pair. They took on the challenge and performed.

It showed the way for a new generation to follow. They bridged the gap that had formed behind the four.

What’s amazing was how after they broke through so many other athletes started to believe they could do it to.

The gap had finally been crossed. [..]

Another part (2nd of 3) from a Favourite Blog Post titled Change by Drew Ginn (11 Jun 2007).

The point of this is that we can be inspired and motivated by others (ignition as Dan Coyle calls it in the Talent Code). A few people have helped me Believe and have inspired me to achieve things I would never have considered possible.

I hope that others might also Believe that anything is possible if we believe and take up the challenges before us

Senior Mixed 500m Final - Prague/Day 4 - 29 Aug 2009

Video: Senior Mixed 500m Final - Prague/Day 4 - 29 Aug 2009

Premier Mixed 500m Final - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010
Premier Mixed 500m Final - Pacific Dragons - Lane 2 - Macau/China - Sat 31 Jul 2010

Learning ..

Hidden in one of Drew Ginn's recent Blog Posts is this little piece on pushing yourself, motivation, challenges and learning - something I have done a lot of over the last 8-9 months. Thought I would pull it out here so that I can remember this great little piece of writing. Here it is:

[..] I learned to ride my rhythm, to find my own groove and to sit on the knife edge with fatigue, discomfort and sweat surrounding, penetrating and leaving me. At no stage was it intense like a rowing race or a super burst of effort. It was an experience in sustaining a level of force which body and mind was saying, 'BACK OFF'.

Like some sinister and shadowy creator holding an emotional gun to my head. Tempting as it might have been I had committed to the 7 days and on the last to having a great ride with heaps of challenge.

You could say I learned what I have learned before and now I have been reminded of it again.

Stretching and challenging is healthy. It requires us to keep pushing and to keep seeking motivation for why we would continue on. Why I asked my self on more than one occasion during the 7 days. Even as I spent the day at back home yesterday I was still asking why.

Placing your self in a challenging situation forces the questions to be asked.

I did this by going to Tassie to train with a good friend.

To train in a way which would force the questions to come thick and fast and they did and with each and every moment which one appeared I toiled and churned it around to cultivate and see what I would learn about self, others and the World I am in.

Again I say why? To learn is the only answer which I could find. To Learn, but why? It gives life.

Maybe. It brings clarity. Not always. It energises, YES, but it can also be draining.

Why then would I do any of this? Why would you? To be challenged is something which for sometime now I have said is a reason for my motivation. Maybe challenge is not enough.

Challenge without the acknowledgment of the learning required and needed is only one side of the coin. What happens if every time we toss it and it only ever landed on the challenge side.

We might assume that is all there is. Every stage, moment, event, session, day, hour and minute if challenged we might eventually find little else but a sense of seeking something which never ends.

Flipping the coin, the moment, experience and our perception can bring light to the other side or even sides. Maybe less a coin and more a cube it is with multiple sides and perspectives. A cube like RUBIX which starts out perfect with all colours separated on each side.

Then with everyday the play, the games, and events acting to jumble the cube until we finally realise it is rearranged.

How we feel about that becomes essential and what we do with it becomes simple a challenge. From this rearranged state we might begin to work to find the form or the essence of this box or cube. Learning to work with it in what ever state jumble or un-jumbled becomes important I think. Living with and learning from it. The challenge of it, the frustration and the joy.

So there it is I have gone away for 7 days of challenge which was more about learning than anything else.

Orange Bike - Toulouse - Fri 25 Sep 2009

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 Perception - Size and Space - Makoto Tanijiri / Dwell (Sun 07 Aug 2012)

Floor Plans - Alexandria (Wed 24 Oct 2012)
Japanese Architect Makoto Tanijiri (*) talks about the standard dimensions and relative proportions of architectural elements (*):

People experience a space to be much bigger if they cannot figure out the exact size of it.

via House in Fukawa (*). Seems obvious once it is said and you take a look at the Fukawa House (*)

Alexandria Concept Model - Kerry McGrath (*) - Alexandria (May 2012)