Mark Scruby on Memory and Emotions:
We are nothing more than the sum of memories. They are the basis of our emotions. We use them to mark out who we are and the journey we have taken in life; they inform how we behave in the present and the decisions we'll make in the future.via The Book: The Terrace House - Reimagined for the Australian Way of Life (page 155 Cloud Space).
If you believe, you are stronger and the light will shine on you.Risk - by getting to this point, we have all proved we are not averse to taking a risk or two. At this level, the stakes and emotions are heightened. There are risks all round as we step into the unknown to compete against the best in the world. We have control of many things and this is our focus, but there are others things which we don't, for as you see, I have learnt there is an underlying randomness to it all. This is where adaptability comes in, as we respond in a measured and considered way to the random events that are tossed our way and that which we may confront. Take nothing for granted, success is not attained easily. Often, time and persistence is required.
Being clear minded should be an important objective going into the Games [Championships]. Once again though, it is critical to feel focused and occupied and to avoid falling into the human tendency to start overanalyzing. It has been suggested that "nothing never happens"; in the absence of a constructive focus our minds sometimes start "over-thinking" or "over-perceiving."He concludes with the following:
- Enjoy the emotional spectrum that is part of life.
- Accept and experience feelings, let them go, and channel the energy into growth and effective responses.
- Respect the power and positive and negative significance of emotions on your system.
- Manage relationships and time so that you do not become emotionally drained at key times in your life, especially when working hard physically and mentally.
- Let go of irrational beliefs and perspectives.
- Reaffirm your mission, values, and perspective.
- Live. Never have to say, "I wish I would have ..."
An athlete should be confident in mental skills going into the Games [Championships]. Responses to stress and boredom should automatically be constructive, and time and relationship skills should be crisp and effective. Creative simulations, quality training sessions, and lead-up competitions can help ensure the rust is off attention and competitive skills during the countdown.
I would say to each of our Olympic athletes: Walk away knowing you gave it your best shot and exulted in the opportunity to test yourself in one of the most prestigious and emotional environments in the world. Accept that you can never totally control your emotions that is part of the challenge of being human. With emotional preparation, practice, and management we can often come closer to our situational potential.Definitely worth a read. Take from it what you can for your own mental preparation.
Compete with passion, perspective, and preparation and be all you can be as you pursue your Olympic destiny. I wish you physical prowess, a clear mind, and an unburdened heart. Citius, Altius, Fortius! [The Olympic Motto]
A warrior of light knows his own faults. But he also knows his qualities.from Paulo Coelho's - 'The Manual of the Warrior Light'.
Some of his companions complain all the time that'other people have more opportunities than we do'.Perhaps they are right, but a warrior does not allow himself to be paralysed by this; he tries to make the most of his virtues.
He knows that the gazelle's power lies in its strong legs. The power of the seagull lies in the accuracy with which it can spear a fish. He has learned that the reason the tiger does not fear the hyena is because he is aware of his own strength.
He tries to establish what he can truly rely on. And he always checks that he carries three things with him:faith, hope and love.If these three things are there, he does not hesitate to go forward.
preparation (*), connection (*) and release (*). It seems to me the simple cycle of what we do in the boat [/and Life in general]. [..]Drew then expands on the concept of release (*):
Release and get excited I like because no matter what happens we have the power (*) and capacity (*) to see (*) and respond (*) to our experiences (*) in a way that best serves us and those around us.And finally::
it is fascinating to think about how our mind set (*), emotions (*) and the manifestation play out physically.via What's on the RADAR (*) by Drew Ginn (*).
[..it's] what matters most and [..] learning (*) to keep it at the surface of awareness can have a huge impact on performance (*).
Rebecca Propst on Anger:
Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.via Fear of Anger and Avoidance of Conflict by Rebecca Propst.
Have learnt much about anger recently. Thought anger was a futile emotion, but it much more complex than that, as the above quote indicates. If it's there, it's generally there for a reason. It needs to be acknowledged, addressed and can't be harboured for longer than necessary. It takes great strength and emotional intelligence to confront and deal with.
I've been angry when I should not have been, and not angry when I should have been. And there have been many times when I was entitled to be angry.
The difficult emotions and actions around anger are something I've tried to avoid for a lifetime. When it was unavoidable, it usually resulted in a pent up and regretable response. So now knowing a little more helps. As I was told recently:
Know more, Do more, Be more
Doug Miller on a Moment and Eternity:
One of the most difficult parts of walking the early stages of cancer seems to be the waves of feelings, emotions, guilt, etc. that you feel. It is the strangest feeling. One moment you are having a normal conversation or doing simple daily tasks and SUDDENLY......WHAM you get hit by a wave of thoughts. [..]via Waves by Doug Miller.But at times this weight lifts. And for a moment there is a lightness of being. At times as you face your mortality there are moments where the importance rests solely in a single moment. The blueness of the sky, a breeze, the warmth of the sun, a laugh with a friend, the touch of a hand, these moments sometimes sharpen the focus of life. And at once time stands still pausing in the simplicity and perfection of that moment. Maybe that is how eternity feels.
Regrets of missed opportunities have plagued me, but also helped me greatly. I can lament a missed shot for a very long time, if I think it may have been epic. Those type of shots are far and few between.Having just returned from Matt's hometown of New York (*) and reading his story (*) inspired me to post the DGK series of photos (*) and explain what I was thinking as I took the photos. It is great when someone like Matt talks about and shares their photography insights as well as their own photographic trials and tribulations.
In order to spare myself the self inflicted torture which follows missing a potentially great photograph, I’ve learned three things from my mistakes.Fear and or embarrassment, has cost me a handful of images which I’m certain would have been very important to me. It’s hard to block out emotions sometimes, but if you want to be a “Nice Guy” and never upset a soul, you’ll be better off doing something else.
- Never leave home without your camera. Never do it!
- Always keep at least one extra roll of film, or these days an extra battery and CF card I suppose.
- Lastly, don’t hesitate when you see something fantastic.
For a Moment .. You think, you dream, you are inspired and you decide to go for the Team. You plan, you flex, you push, you pull, you metal, you shuffle, you kettle, you stand and paddle, and jump a few hurdles, and suddenly, you've made the Team, the first stage of a dream. You smile for a while, but you know it is only the first mile. You train, you strain, you pain, you drain, you gain, you laugh, you try, you cry, you learn, you create capacity and experiences, and build motion, connections and emotions for a Moment that seems so far off. You desire, you aspire, you perspire, time transpires and suddenly the Moment is there just in front of you, just there waiting for you to decide and respond as only you know how to. May you seize this Moment just ahead. It is just there .. waiting .. yes, just there. Where? It's there, just there, you know it. Grasp it with both hands. Fight for the inches, they are hard to find but they are there. And given an inch, take a mile, no mercy. What lies ahead is a mystery and shortly it will be history, to become your few threads in the rich tapestry that became before you. Be in and saviour this Moment, it is there waiting for you to move into and through, just like a door, to shape you and to become your memories with friends for a lifetime. Forever. As Jenny would say, "Don't Wonder 'What If?'". Go Australia!! Go the Auroras!!
my goal is always the same.
I just want to race my very best.
I want to cross the finish line knowing that I couldn’t have gone any faster.
I want to be sure my tank is totally empty, that I executed a perfect race with great, efficient technique and made all these thousands of kilometers in training worthwhile.
That’s why we train so hard, to make our bests even better.
