A couple thoughts the night before 50...

I've run one marathon... my first, and probably my only. To ensure the degree of difficulty, it was a trail marathon; complete with hills and valleys, and lots of rocks and roots to stumble on. (As a matter of fact, I full-on face planted twice). But the thing I remember most? The start.

I was extremely nervous and stressed leading up to the beginning of the run. I hadn't trained as I should and had never run an endurance race prior. OK, this is humbling, but the truth is when the starting gun went off... I was in the porta-john. Yep, nerves got the best of me. There I was when I heard the starting gun fire! When I emerged everyone was gone. I mean ghost town! The back of the pack had already rounded a corner and was out of site.

So there I was, nervous, not properly trained, unsure of myself, and now completely alone and a quarter mile behind the last person in the pack. Now, I was not running the marathon to win. I didn't have a goal time in mind. Truth be told, I walked as much as I ran, and my only goal was to finish standing up. And finish I did. I passed many people on my way and nearly sprinted the final three miles; finally stopping to walk the last 20 yards because our CEO (an avid ultra marathoner) said no one walks across the finish. Yes I'm a smart-ass.

And yet, it's not the finish line that sticks out in my memory. It was the beginning - being in the john at the starting gun. That is no way to start.

In a couple hours I'm 50. You can say, "It's just a number." OK, but it's a significant number. Who knows where the finish line is - for any of us. Sure, I thought some things would be different and others more settled by this point. But I'm looking at 50 as a NEW STARTING LINE. And this time I've trained! This time I'm ready. And I'm not in the metaphorical porta-john!!!

So hold the pistol high. Pull the trigger. My shoes are tied, I have my too-short little running shorts on. I'm ready to run. And this time I'm running to win!

For now...
D

p = m • v (mutnemoMomentum)

mo·men·tum

 noun \mō-ˈmen-təm, mə-\

: the strength or force that something has when it is moving

: the strength or force that allows something to continue or     to grow stronger or faster as time passes

:  strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events

Momentum... 

That is a great word. It seems to me a powerful word. There are components of momentum that lie beneath the surface and are fundamentally necessary. Without movement, there is no momentum. And without motivation, there is no movement. So, motivation produces movement and movement produces momentum. I hate letting the twists out of the bag too early, but here's one... Momentum can go either way! We can be motivated to movement in a negative or positive direction., and thus pick up momentum that destroys or builds... mutnemoMomentum! (Get it?). Oh, by the way... IT'S YOUR CHOICE!

I wrote a little about locker room speeches a while back. I didn't mean to diminish the importance of a moving get-fired-up speech, just to put them in context. I've heard both good and bad ones. Who can forget Bluto's (John Belushi) rousing pep-talk to his Delta brothers? "What? Over? Did you say, 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!..." (As a leader and Senior Pastor, I delivered many fiery "Bluto" speeches, only to lead the charge out the door with no one coming behind! If you are not tracking with me right now, you REALLY need to get to Redbox immediately and rent Animal House!!!)

As locker room speeches go, Kurt Russell's rendition of Herb Brooks' speech to Team USA in the movie Miracle takes the cake. 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, NY; Team USA is about to take the ice in a monumental David and Goliath battle with the juggernaut Soviet team, The Soviets hadn't been beaten in a decade and only once in 20 years. (Please read that last line again!). Team USA is made up of a bunch of college kids with very little to no international experience, and the weight of a hurting and hopeful nation sits heavily on their backs. Oh yeah... Team USA is phenomenally talented and beginning to believe it! Team USA is gaining momentum.

Coach Brooks walks into the dead silent locker room. The air is syrupy-thick with nerves, tension and excitement. He begins: "Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here tonight boys. That's what you've earned here tonight... Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world! You were born to be hockey players; every on of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time... this is your time... NOW GO OUT THERE AND TAKE IT! (If I could skate and if it weren't 90 degrees in OKC right now, I'd be body-checking some little figure skater into the boards before this posts!)

In the cycle of Motivation... Movement... Momentum... each component is crucial and needs to be continually addressed, evaluated and empowered. Am I Focused on the right things? Am I headed in the direction of my MAIN THING(s)? Am I picking up steam, or am I, for some reason, slowing? Evaluate, adjust, move.

(Coming up in future posts: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation - and some powerful stuff from Daniel Pink and Tony Robbins)

I am not a good boat driver. It freaks me out when I have factors like current, waves, wind and other boats; especially when trying to idle up to a dock or slip. At speed, I'm fine. We've all heard it said that you cannot steer a ship that is not moving. I read a couple theories on what could have been done to keep the Titanic from sinking; and thus avoid the catastrophic loss of life. First Officer William Murdoch apparently did two things that worked against one another. He reversed the engines and tried to steer away from the iceberg. I read that if he had reversed the engines and hit the iceberg head on, the collision would have been more violent, but the ship would have survived the impact. I like the second theory even better because it self-servingly fits my theme. If Murdoch had kept the forward momentum - the titanic was at near max speed at the time - and turned hard away, then back and around (hard to port then starboard) the iceberg may have been avoided all together. (Two notes: (1) To the nautically challenged: Port = left; Starboard = right; I had to look it up! and; (2) The famous "Hard-a-starboard" order from Titanic's helm was based on the fact that at the time steering orders referred to the direction of the stern and not the bow. Again, Google is my friend).

OK... enough with the history lesson, what about Jack and Rose? Whoops, different subject all together. Here's the point... MOMENTUM ACCENTUATES THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADJUSTMENT!  

At times I can sit motionless... stagnant, worrying about potential future course adjustments; all the while allowing the winds of circumstance to blow me ever closer to the jagged rocks!

So here's my challenge (to me - you can join if you'd like): MOVE! Incredible things can happen!!!

For now,
D