What would you prefer to do? Stand on the side lines and watch the game or jump in and be a part of it?
I know my answer is pretty obvious however, just to reiterate, I would always prefer to jump right in than to be a passive observer. The other week I had a once in a life time opportunity and I am so glad that I was able to participate!
The stars just happened to align and put me in the right place at the right time. I was in the USA and it happened to be at the same time as the worlds oldest marathon, the Boston Marathon. This was the 121st running of the event and through a combination of luck and old fashioned elbow grease, I was able to qualify and get to the start line of this incredible event. In flat out honesty I knew I wasn’t there to break records and although I would have loved to set a personal best time, I did not think that was likely. However, most importantly I wanted to soak up the atmosphere and the environment that is Boston.
If you want to read more about the race by all means, read the race report however, the gist of this blog is because I believe that the experience of participating or doing is so much greater than that of observing.
I believe that we at Transitions Chiropractic are here to help you live life with no limits. I’d like to think that we are doing this by providing and inspiring possibility. Certainly we are all unique however, we all have our greatness too. Once set limits can be hard to break. I am sure we have all heard the story about the grasshoppers that were placed in a glass that was sealed with a lid- initially the grasshoppers jumped and jumped trying to escape. After a while they realised escape was impossible so they stopped jumping. The problem here was once the lid was removed they still weren’t trying to jump.
What can you do to help you get your jump back?
Here are a few simple tricks to help you continue to try not just to push the boundaries of what is possible, but to keep participating and loving what you do, whether its running a race, playing with the grandkids or just being able to physically keep up with the demands of work:
1. Set achievable goals– Something that you can break down into sizeable chunks. You don’t have to nail it first go, but you need to have some plan of how to get where you want to go.
2. Be persistent– As the old song went, 2 steps forward, one step back. It’s still progress. Don’t be too discouraged about an apparent backwards step. As Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed 1000 times trying to make a lightbulb, I have just found 1000 ways it wouldn’t work.”
3. Seek help– Everyone needs a compassionate or helping hand. If you feel as though it is your body that is holding you back, chiropractic or massage could really help get you back on track.
4. Jump in– Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect wave or the ideal conditions. Sometimes it’s best if you can just let go of the hesitancy, even if your not feeling quite right, give it a crack. Hopefully you’’ll pleasantly surprise yourself.
So this week, whether its playing soccer with your mates or going tumbling with the kids on the grass, what experience are you not going to let go by? Personally I’m going to jump right in to Ironman Australia and soak up as much of the race atmosphere and environment as possible. Have a great week and enjoy living the most out of this life, because who knows what is next…..