FOCUS ON THE STEP IN FRONT OF YOU
I’m excited. Lance Armstrong, a hero of mine, is again competing in the Tour de France. His book, It’s not about the Bike. is one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read.
Throughout the years, I’ve been an avid mountain bike enthusiast. When I’m on the trails, I’m reminded of the freedom that I often experienced in my youth. When I saw my young friend Bobby, )I’m like a big brother to him) at the health food store we talked about going on a mountain bike ride. I used to ride on the mountain quite regularly…Lately I haven’t been as consistent, so I had some reservation about going on this ride. We did go a few days later. The few days prior to the ride I thought about which trail to take and the difficulty of each one.
I knew that no matter what trail we took I would be out of my comfort zone. Here we were and I looked at the top of the trail and wondered if this was too difficult for me. I glanced at the steepness of the incline somewhere in the 25-30 degree range.
In the past when trying to climb these more difficult trails I felt tired before I even began. Off we went. I was determined to make this day different. I had been experimenting with a new approach.
Once I looked at where I was headed my focus was on what was immediately in front of me. When I just looked at the one or two yards ahead I didn’t think about the steepness. So that’s what I did. One step at a time. Gradually we approached the top. I wasn’t tired and felt excited about what my next challenge was going to be.
And that’s the way it is with our lives. When we have a project that needs to be done we think about it in its entirety. We think about the difficulty and sometimes the task seems daunting. When we change the inquiry from “can I do it” to “what’s the next step” our life becomes not only manageable but easy and fun. So I ask you….What’s your next step?
JOURNEY ON
MARK
Mark Susnow’s life has been an unfolding journey of discovery. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. Whether coaching one-on-one, speaking to groups, or leading a retreat, he shares his message that regardless of our life’s circumstances, we can find more joy and meaning in our life. He is a sought after speaker and coauthor along with Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy and other experts in the book 101 Great Ways to Improve your Life. Mark’s new book, Dancing on the River…Finding Joy and Meaning in the Midst of Change will be released in early 2010. mark@inspirepossibility.com 415.453.5016