Have you ever had one of those days where you're plugging along and then someone tells you a story that shocks you out of your sleep walking?? An eye opening story that shifts your perspective to look at what you have been focusing on? Then you realize that you haven't really been paying attention to much around you just focusing on your issues of the days? Last week I was privileged to be at a conference of Global Leaders, CEO's from around the world, gathered together in Denver, Colorado to network, learn and grow. There were some incredible speakers, and some who canceled for political reasons. I was happily engaged in learning and meeting new presidents of companies when a couple of conversations and one presentation slapped me out of my sleep walking.
I was slapped back into reality about what is going on around the world. The media has become so biased for one side or another and we watch as our political leaders talk about all of our conflicts here in America, you just become numb to the news. Then, out of the haze of American life, I heard an African woman singing an African Song and though I don't speak a bit of her language I could tell the song was very painful for her. When the song ended and she began to tell her story, I felt like a complete idiot. The quick version of her story-her and her husband along with there five children were arrested and thrown into a prison camp. The charge against them was being from the wrong tribe! That's it, being from the wrong freaking tribe!! She went on to tell us that she was pregnant with twins at the time. Her husband was killed while in the camp and she was left in a small cell with her 5 children getting only what they were given to eat and it wasn't much. The soldiers also came around to torture and rape those locked into these cells. Then came the birth of her twins, inside the cell, no one to help, no supplies, just a dirty concrete floor and trying to shield her other children from the events. Somehow she managed to survive 16 months in this death camp before being rescued. The horrors this lady has seen and survived are unimaginable, but, she now lives here in America where her mission is to help others in Africa avoid her fate by opening peoples eyes. She received a standing ovation for her courage. I am gratiful to her for having the strength and courage to stand up in front of a large group and relive this heart renching story.
As I tried to make sense of the story and her strength, I came to three conclusions.
1. We need to keep our eyes and ears wide open and get involved and help in any way we can.
2. We need to be grateful EVERYDAY that we live in America, Canada, Europe and the rest of the Western World. We need to be thankful for the fighting men and women who protect us from these kinds of travesties.
3. We need to stop making excuses for not achieving anything we want. In the western world the only thing that stands between us and living an extraordinary life is ourselves!! We don't have to worry about someone arresting us and throwing us into a torture and death camp because we are a different race! We just might be insulted by someone that is not educated about us. We don't have to worry about where the next meal comes from!
So, what does this have to do with sports training, you ask?? It is quite simple, the next time you feel that practice is too hard or that you 'don't really feel like working out', your tired or you give up on your dream without giving it everything you have...I want you to remember Rosa, in the cell with her children. Remember that we are living in the most amazing country in the world where we are allowed to even contemplate such thoughts. You see in America we can still dream big and if you want it bad enough and you are willing to work hard enough for long enough you can accomplish anything. There are millions of people around the world who would gladly trade places with you. So drop the excuses, justifications, reasons, stories and go out and accomplish great things! As Abraham Lincoln said "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Just wanted to give you a little perspective.
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