Glorious opportunity - they have no shoes

I was feeling tired, as in not properly awake yet, when I started my run this morning, and thought that I'd probably cut my run back from the 2 miles I've done for the past few days.

However, I pushed away any negative thoughts and just concentrated on my physical feelings, my breathing and my surroundings.

Within minutes I was coming up with ideas for a possible taster workshop that I've been invited to propose for a local business forum, and I also wrote, in my head, my 60-second pitch for tomorrow morning's breakfast networking meeting.

As a result I was inspired to push on and run two and a half miles, then couldn't wait to get back and make a note of my new ideas.

One of the things I remembered was the story of the 2 marketing scouts sent to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,

SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES

The other writes back triumphantly,

GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES

Amazing what a difference one's outlook can make.

Good vibrations

Another two-miler this morning.

The autumn leaves are just beautiful at the moment.

This morning my mind went back to my thoughts of connection from my weekend run and how quantum physicists now tell us that everything on the planet is made up of vibrating energy. I know, fairly deep stuff for 7.00am plodding along a path.

Anyway, if we are indeed all vibrating energy, that does explain how someone in a good mood or a bad mood can change the energy of a room as soon as they walk in, without even opening their mouth.

What this means to me and my value of connection, is that it's not actually what I do that creates connection with others, but who I am actually being. Being energised, inspired, excited, loving, compassionate, interested can't fail to create some sort of connection.

And as a byproduct, I also stand a good chance of doing things that come from that positive way of being that will help the connection even more.

If I'm trying to promote my business, which will work best?

A desperate attempt to win a person over as a new customer, communicating that desperation energy, or an energised, inspired, compassionate and interested desire to connect with that other person, purely for the joy of connecting?

Wow, what a great way to start my day this morning!

I'm not on my own!

I ran a two-miler this morning, as I enter my 11th month of my original one-month experiment, and an excellent 5K on both Saturday and Sunday.

Both of my weekend runs were great because I somehow managed to engage my creative part of my brain on both days.

One of the thoughts that I had was that although connection is one of my five key values, and I know that I really enjoy making a difference with others, I'm really not very good at asking others to help or make a difference to me.

This was actually quite a thunderbolt.

I do love the fact that I can learn something really fundamental about myself at any time.

This realisation was also a real eye opener when I came to look at my own life circumstances.

How many times have I gently explained to a client that being a success doesn't mean you have to do it all on your own, and that almost all successful people have a support team behind or beside them?

I wonder what difference that might make to my life?

Day 300 - the habit's ingrained

My 300th consecutive day of running at least a mile completed.

It feels fantastic. Although the days are drawing in and the temperature has been dropping, it's great to still be out there.

It's my daily dose of physicality and movement, which I have realised over the years are so important for me to be the best I can be.

I read an article earlier this week saying that it takes an average of 66 days of repeating a desired practice to turn it into a habit. I do seem to have created that habit.

Anyway, the question I asked myself on my run this morning was "What will make today a great day?" The answer I came up with was to honour my values of fun, adventure, connection, movement and expression.

I'm off to have a great day now.

Right tools for the job

It's been a while since I've posted an entry. Still running, with 294 consecutive days under my belt, just lacking the spark to write about it.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my run this morning. It was really cold with the first ground frost of the season. But although it was the coldest run of the week, I'd retrieved my thermal tops and woolly hat from the attic yesterday, which really made a difference.

There's definitely such a thing as the right tools for the job, and this morning I had them!

I met a young lady who served me coffee this morning, who apparently goes running every single morning at 4.30 am for an hour. I was really impressed and inspired.

It was great meeting someone who is doing something similar to me, only earlier and further, and who lives and runs within a mile or so of my house.

Hats off to you (woolly ones right now) Sabina!