Once Inspired

Archive for September, 2009

This is a very short story with a fairly significant moral. Enjoy it.

“Mom, can I ask you some questions?”

“Sure son. Is there something bothering you?”

“Why do camels have humps?”

“Well son, we are desert animals. We need our humps to store water. We are known to go for days without water in the desert.”

“Okay, but then why are our legs long and thin and feet big and round?”

“You see son, our legs and feet are made especially for walking for days in the soft sand of the desert.”

“I see. One last question though mother.”

“Sure son.”

“Why the hell are we in the zoo then?”

Good Monday to you. I thought I’d start the week off with a wonderful story about a young South African who had a planet named after him. Here’s how it goes.

“I was Chairperson of the Anglo American Open Scholarship Panel for many years. Because we offered not only basic university fees but also a generous living allowance plus an overseas trip, it was like auditioning for Idols.

We got an unbelievable response every year which involved some of the most intelligent matric students in South Africa. Last year in January, we interviewed the brightest of them all – a young man called Siyabulela Xuza. He hails from Umtata in the Eastern Cape and was awarded an Academic Scholarship to St John’s College – a top private school in Johannesburg – from Grade 8.

What is it that motivates us? What is the basic fundamental of all motivation? Everyone seeks freedom in some form or another. And although absolute freedom is not possible, our struggle to achieve the ideal is the basis of our motivation. That is what motivates us here on earth. There is however an unconscious motivation, one which involves us returning to our source. For now though, I will be referring to the conscious form.

The motivation to be successful is something that I’m sure everyone strives toward. However I fear that some people do not know the true meaning of success. Perhaps my dad can help you with that. “Success is not measured by the thickness of the wallet but rather by the fullness of the heart.” – Anton Muhl. Learn it.

Right so Reach for a Dream is going all out for this one. You should come. I’d love to meet you.

Click on the image for full-screen view

No doubt, the current economic situation is inconvenient for all of us. With reduced spending and everyone trying to cut costs, how is anyone supposed to make any money? Well if you can’t convince the consumer to spend, you can certainly place yourself ahead of your competitors so that when spending is on the cards the consumer will come to you first.

If everyone is saving more than they are spending, what does that mean for the economy? It’s certainly not all sunshine and hay. That’s precisely why it is up to you to ensure that you are a credible company that the consumer can trust. In these desperate times people will only buy from a credible company.

There seem to be so many new runners out there. So many people I speak to are going to do their first 10km run or are trying to get fit and using running as a means to do so. So if you are going to run why not try go faster? Here’s a few tips on doing just that.

Enjoy.

STEP BY STEP

1. Make a commitment to train at least four days a week.

2. Gradually build a base of conversational pace running (a pace at which you can talk). Increase your pace no more than 10% a week. Make every fourth week an easy recovery week. Alternate between longer and shorter runs.

Many Triathletes struggle with the swim leg which is probably the most technical. So I fugured I’d find you something that can help you. It also gives you something to do over the weekend.

As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, what should I concentrate on? So, I came up with a top ten list of steps to improving your swim for a triathlon. These aren’t necessarily in any order, but should go a long way in helping you achieve your goals, whether you are a beginner or trying to go pro.

So it’s nearly time for 11global to hit South Africa again. Sun City sees the 11global Racing League, an international triathlon series, on the first of November.

11global Sun City is a hot and hilly affair, arguably one of Africa’s toughest Olympic distance triathlons.

There is however a common misconception amongst the South African public that 11global is for elite athletes. Offering age-group and relay team racing this is certainly not the case. If you can’t make the full thing get some mates to join you in an international racing experience.

Stevie Wonder and Tiger Woods are in a bar. Tiger  turns to Stevie and says, ‘How’s the singing career going?’

Stevie replies, ‘Not too bad. How’s the golf?’

Woods replies, ‘Not too bad, I’ve had some problems with my swing, but I think I’ve got that right, now.

Stevie says, ‘I always find that when my swing goes wrong, I need to stop playing for a while and not think about it, hen, the next time I play, it seems to be all right.’

Tiger says, ‘You play GOLF?’

Stevie says, ‘Yes, I’ve been playing for years’.

Tiger says, ‘But — you’re blind! How can you play golf if you can’t see?’

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80′s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.