Blindfolds to help you see…

blindfolded-running-kid-400x300

For reasons I have struggled with all week,
what I am about to share has left me divided.
There are two major points that have had a
tug-of-war with my head and neither has won.
What they have done, however is leave shrapnel :)

Now.
You know that nagging little voice in your head
that every so often actually has some really
good advice that when we’re not ignoring it ?
Yeah that one.
Mine is telling me to share this anyway.

So, to whomever I have unknowingly kept this from -
my apologies for the delay… Here you go !

Aaaahhhhhhhhh…

For those who might not be watching this, I just managed
to angle the space heater so that it’s blowing hot air
onto my cold toes. And apparently
I found it noteworthy.
:)

Which leads me to this, whose only relevance
will be that it, too is noteworthy.

I just watched a young football player
crawl on his hands and feet (NOT knees)
100 yards – with a 160lb kid on his back.
And he did it blindfolded -
believing all the while that he could
only go and was only going 30 yards.
(note: you MUST see the movie “Facing the Giants)

So what is it that you carry;
what burdens or baggage do you have
that keeps you from going the distance ?

Yep – you better believe I’m jumping in with
both feet on this one, so either run with me
or sit on the sidelines and hope
someone else calls you in the game.

As I’m sitting here I cannot think of a single
person who does not have at least one thing that
is holding them back in some way in their Life.
So can we just assume that this may just apply
to you as well as it does to me and continue ?
I feel like I should throw that out there early
so that we’re all on an even playing field.

And for those of you sitting on the fence about this,
just humor me. We’ll both feel better about it later.

Good.

So, If I took away some of your burdens,
do you think you could go further in
whatever endeavors you choose to pursue?

What if I removed some of the baggage in your Life
that has constantly held you back from going after
something that you’ve really – really wanted.

There’s a good chance you might just dig in your heels
and give it your best shot, huh ? Come on – be honest :)

But… no. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to
get rid of your “baggage”. So many people hold onto
that so tight you’d think it was going to earn them
a medal of honour ! So keep it -
I’m sure it’s great conversation.

Now, back to this great endeavor of yours.

Maybe…
Maybe if I brought it nearer.
Perhaps if it was just a bit closer to you -
within a far more reasonable distance,
now THAT would surely make a difference !

Let me throw something out there
that may twist some popular thinking.

Take your eyes off the goal.

And remember – I’m only talking to those of you
who cannot move forward another foot, another inch;
and your destination – your goal – is simply beyond reach.

Stop looking at the goal.

I say this because when I’m looking down the field,
there’s the goal – waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down there -
and then I see all the grass in between.
I see all the grass, the markings;
all the “stuff” that isn’t the goal.

All the stuff
that isn’t the goal.

Showing me how far I have to go.

Because here’s what I’ve observed.
You’re going to get going and before long distractions
will deter your focus, and you’ll become consumed by
how far you have to go and how hard it’s getting.

And you’ll stop at just about as far
as you believed you could go.

Let me throw this example out there.
Back in high school track I was at a meet,
and it was taking place at a rival high school.
The track was an inside track – shorter and unfamiliar.
I was not the fastest runner on our team.
At some point there was a kind of a trial run,
and long story short I chose to keep up with
a couple of runners from the other school.
It never dawned on me that these were their best.
All I know was that I kept up with them -
and it took everything I had to do it.
Guess what I found out later in the week?
My time for that run (1/2 mile) was better
than the fastest recorded for our school.
I had broken our school record in the 1/2 mile !
Of course, you’ll never find it in the history books,
because it was not an actual race – only a trial run.

Why is this story relevant?
Because I was essentially blindfolded.
I didn’t see the usual markers to know that
I should be pacing myself on the first
2 laps, picking up the pace on the 3rd,
then pouring it on the 4th.
I couldn’t see the runners on our team
who had always been “faster” than I -
because this time they were behind me.

I couldn’t see the things that would usually
tell me how fast and how far I could go.

Remember that.

If you do not see those things that
would tell you how far you can go
you will go much further than
you believe yourself capable.

You’ll not spend your time & energies
looking at all of that stuff
that are not your goals.

And those things that seem
so far away and out of reach
will soon be closer than you think.

And as odd as it sounds,
sometimes it takes
having a blindfold on
to see the goal…

ReachingForTheGoal