Ran for your life

Ran for your life. If it is the last thing that you do, ran for your life!!!

 With every step that you pound on the road, your life will smile with you and your heart will not only be healthier, it will work with you to make you stronger, fitter and younger.

 Your legs will ache initially, but eventually, they will form a firm support for your body. You will walk with the assured stance of those whose back is straight. Your shoulders will announce to the world that you are here to stay.

 Your lungs will grow in capacity. Every breath that you take will infuse your system with adequate oxygen. You will learn how to take deep and long breaths that will envelope your being with life.

 As your heart pulsates with life giving blood, she will dance with health. Her happiness will cause all your veins to spring into life. That rush of blood will clear your whole body. Your system will form an interrupted network of a life giving force.

 If for some reason, your indiscipline in life led you to acquire a stomach extension that is wrongly associated with wealth, running will gently nudge that outgrowth back into shape. The fat will not stand a chance against the overwhelming heat that is as a result a heated body.

 Every time you complete a running session, you will have overcome a mental roadblock. You can carry that lesson to your day to day life and before you know it, you will be conquering every obstacle on your path.

 The discipline of running consistently and aiming for a particular goal is one that you can use in every part of your life. You can be a better husband, wife, lover, father, mother, worker et al. Exercise in general and running in particular is rumoured to be the most effective aphrodisiac known to man.

 Your digestive system will grow in ability. She will effectively absorb all the nutrients that you need to sustain an optimum body. She will expel, with ease, all the impurities that can cause your body to slow down to a sudden halt.

 Every time you ran, you have your “me time” You are on your own. You can use that time to listen to the uplifting sounds in your brain. You can use it to discipline your mind to focus on the task at hand. You can use it to ruminate over a particular issue in your life. You can use that time to listen to audio books. You can use that time to generate positive energy.

 Either way you look at it, running is a good form of exercise to adopt. It is the kind of habit that will be of benefit to you now and when you reach the evening of your life.

Go get yourself a pair of running shoes. Lace up and ran for your life.

Take care of yourself

Jim Rohn, in one of his numerous inspirational news letters, points out that the key to helping others is to help yourself first. The echo in those words speaks to the need of taking care of the most important asset that we own: ourselves

We must have an effective strategy to live a long, long life and to contribute to this earth so that we leave it a better place than we found it.

We must aim to be an asset to all those around and about us, so that we are pleasant company as opposed to being a huge burden around their necks.

We must stand guard to the gate of our minds. All negative thoughts should be discarded the moment they make themselves known. Negativity aids the development of stress which in turn comes along with all sorts of darkness.

We should expose our minds to uplifting reading. We should be around people who lift us up as opposed to tearing us down. We should avoid relationships that are toxic in every sense of the word.

We should take care of our emotional health.  Engaging in positive mental conversation is a sure way to handle life in all its twists and turns.

Listening to good music that soothes the soul will lift our mood. Reading the Bible will lift our hearts to the heavens. Empathy will guide us onto the path of those we relate to. Love will open our hearts to our passions.

We should be responsible for all that we do. You are the only person who is answerable to your thoughts, action and habits. If what you are doing is contributing to the toxic cloud over you, it is better that you change it before you are overwhelmed by it.

We should take care of our bodies. Your body is a first rate machine and it therefore requires first rate fuel.

Eat right. Exercise daily; we should endeavour to be the fittest person that we know. Have adequate rest. Drink 2 ½ liters of water every day, if you are a woman and 3 ½ liters if you are a man. Your body will thank you and perform at a peak level for a longer time.

With all these things in place, sickness will be a thing of the past. We will energetically perform to the beat of our passionate drums. We will dance to the tunes of our grand children.

In our ripe old age, we will be an asset to ourselves and most importantly, to those around us.

Start today. Take care of yourself.

Burn your boats!!!

You have to go as far back as 207 BC and the 1520's to appreciate the value of taking a decisive step to achieve complete control over a particular set of circumstances.

It involves stepping into the dark; not knowing where you are going, but trusting your gut that there is something better out there; that the prevailing situation pales in comparison to what is deep in the belly of the darkness. That the raging fire in you will shed a bright light into the path that will lead to your dream.

In the China of 207 BC during the great battle of Julu, Xiang's army advanced towards Julu and he sent Ying Bu and Zhongli Mo to lead the 20,000 strong vanguard army to cross the river and attack the Qin forces led by Zhang Ham, while he followed behind with the remaining majority of the troops. In a decision which has become legendary in Chinese history, after crossing the river, Xiang ordered his men to sink their boats and destroy all but three days worth of rations, in order to force his men to choose between prevailing against overwhelming odds within three days or die trapped before the walls of the city with no supplies or hope of escape. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Chu forces scored a great victory after nine engagements, defeating the 300,000 strong Qin army.

Hernando Cortes the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in the 1520s was a very ambitious and colourful character. After landing on the eastern coast of Mexico, he realised that in front of him was a massive and very wealthy native empire. Behind him in Cuba was an angry governor, disgrace, and possible imprisonment.  Cortes decided that he would march inland with his Spaniards and conquer the Aztec Empire, which had a million or more inhabitants with a reputation for cruelty and human sacrifice. He decided that the best way to enforce absolute unity under his command and make sure that no one could desert or stay behind was to burn his ships, which he did. After that no one had any other choice. They would conquer together or die together. There was no other option. Incredible as it seems Cortes won his gamble and conquered the Aztecs. Xiang and Cortes offer us priceless lessons; we have to take risks. Of course, calculated  risks are better,but what if you do not have the luxury of calculating the odds that may be overwhelmingly stacked against you? Do you move on or do you freeze at your station in life with the unfortunate attitude that there is nothing that you can do? Martin Luther King Jr. urges us to take the first step in faith. You do not have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. That is all it takes. Gather the critical mass of anger that will propel you away from this situation. Put your foot forward and let the next one follow. Before you know it, you will be distances away from this situation that is bottling your very soul. Each step that you direct forward will be a testament of your unfailing belief in yourself, your abilities, and in your God. Circumstances need not shackle you. Do not be a prisoner. Unlock yourself. It is good to fear. It is even better to acknowledge the fear, look it in the eye and challenge it to do its worst. That fear will dissipate. As Xiang and Cortes did, you must burn your boats. Move forward with laser beam focus and you will attain your goal. Do not entertain the prospect of failure. Think success. Think of your dreams. Think of a better life that is reaching out to you. Waiting to embrace you. It is Napoleon Hill who cements this idea in ways I can only dream of: Every person who wins an undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win-essential to success. BURN YOUR BOATS!!!