Buy a poppy
see a movie
visit with family
have a picnic

Fly the flag
off from work
read a book
take a nap

Go for a drive
taste some wine
pass by veterans cemetery
honor their sacrifice

Last night we watched the Oscar award winning documentary, “Man on Wire.” The story of Frenchman, Philippe Petit who on August  7, 1974 managed to tightrope the 200′ expanse between the Twin Towers on an illegally rigged wire. But that was most probably the easy part for Philippe. The shear determination, daring, planning, practicing and breaking of the rules to accomplish such a feat was to me the most remarkable thing about his accomplishment.

At the end of the film Philippe summarized what it was all about for him:
“To me, it is so simple that life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion, to refuse to take yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge; and then you are going to live your life on the tightrope.”

How much larger, how much more successful would our lives be if we refused to settle? What if we lived our lives on the edge? Broke more rules. Looked at every moment of every day as a challenge to improve? What if we committed to an impossible goal and poured each minute of every day, every week, month and year to accomplish it?

Then, we are going to live on the tightrope.

Last Saturday we said goodbye to our Zephyr (a 1998 SeaRay 250 Sundancer). It was the right thing to do at the right time. But it was really hard. Zephyr was the boat of my dreams. We bought it new almost 11 years ago when we lived on Lake Minnetonka in Mound, Minnesota.

Zephyr on Lake Superior

We enjoyed 7 great boating seasons on the lake, Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. We even took it up to Madeline Island and the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior a couple of times. Where on one occasion had a frightening excursion back from Devil’s Island when, in stormy conditions and 6-8 foot swells asked (for the first time ever) passengers to put on their life jackets. My greatest birthday was my 50th when Trisha and family members took me on a mystery adventure that ended perfectly – with a cruise across the lake for dinner with friends and family aboard our Zephyr. We also took it on Trisha’s 5oth birthday weekend celebration up Minnesota’s North Shore to Blue Fin Bay Lodge. We took a spectacular picture of the Split Rock Lighthouse (see photo box). When I took a new job in the San Francisco Bay Area with Nextel we even had it transported out to California with us, and enjoyed a few more years with it exploring the Delta, San Francisco Bay and the Napa River.

Talk about “living large!” Being on-board the Zephyr (meaning: gentle west wind) made our spirits soar. It was our refuge from pressures and the source of some of the greatest thrills and fun we’ve had over the past 11 years. It was where we played. And where we relaxed, where we escaped. It was make-believe come true. And now it’s gone.

Gone to a young man named Tyson. When Tyson and girlfriend, Kelly first came to look at Zephyr he was wearing a U.S. Navy cap. We talked briefly about our experiences in the Navy, and he told me about how he had dreamt of owning a boat like this for as long as he could remember. How he had been researching boats and been on this mission to find his boat. I liked him right off the bat. What better buyer to come courting for our boat’s love and affection but someone who is as passionate as we, and knows a great boat when he sees it! Aye, Zephyr is in good hands. And so is Tyson and Kelly. Zephyr will raise their spirits, take them on exhilarating adventures and bring them many warm and gentle breezes. He’s learning to get her up on plane, to trim her level and skim atop the waves…to listen to the gentle slap of the water gurgling against her hull lulling you to sleep in the cabin down below. Just beginning to live large.

Greg's last time on Zephyr

It’s not the end of the story for Zephyr – or us. We’re still into breezes and living large. Maybe it’s time for an RV trip. Or travel to some new spot where the adventure continues and renews our spirits. For now, we’ll just be a little sad; and glad for a man named Tyson, his girlfriend Kelly, and a boat we call Zephyr.

It’s not because running makes me happy at the very moment I’m running. Next time you pass by a runner, look at them. Are they grinning from ear to ear? Probably not. I am happy, very happy once I’ve finished the run! Or, when I’ve escaped things like the killer bunny in the video to the right – run away, run away!

Sometimes I get the runner’s high – a sense of euphoria that you could run forever and never tire. But most of the time its an effort. It’s hard.  But there are reasons I run and come back to run another day. Here are some of them.

1. I think and get new ideas when I run.
Running gets me away from my computer and crackberry. It limits my intake to music, a podcast or just nothing at all except my dogs ahead and my surroundings. It’s a great place to be, to relax, and think. A couple of days ago I got an idea for the theme of a program our Kiwanis club is putting on next month: “A Celebration of Service.” I then began to think of all the things we could do during the program to make the concept of community service come alive to those in attendance. I got the idea for this blog and the direction I wanted to take my business while on a run. I seem to get some of my best ideas while running, away from my office. Robin Sharma in the book, The Greatness Guide says, “Creativity comes when you are relaxed, happy and enjoying the moment.” So, whether you run, spin, step, make music, walk or just sit on a beach somewhere; try to just relax and enjoy the moment you’re in. And, by all means don’t feel guilty about taking time away from your grind. See if you don’t get some exciting new ideas to think about.

2. I run for my life.
I should also add, I run because I can. If I couldn’t run I’d probably do spin, go for long walks, or do some other form of strenuous enough exercise that would improve my health and reduce my chance of an early exit. So often we hear and are confronted with the truth that the most important thing we could have is our health. It’s true. And once you realize it and come to grips with your own mortality, you get a little more serious about a healthier lifestyle. Having a cholesterol issue and being a diabetic trying to delay taking on the diabetes pills means I am literally running for my life. I’ve got some vices for sure, I believe in a balance. But, I’m really into living and experiencing as much time ahead with my wife, kids and grand kids as I can.

3. I run for a sense of accomplishment.
I’ve been running for about 15 years and one of the things that keeps me going is to record and track my progress. I challenge myself. I make a game out of it. At one point I bought the heart rate monitor watch with the speed and distance thingy. It was the Google Analytics of running performance measurement. I’m not that serious of a runner any more. I like to run and compete against myself. I’ll track my time, distance, average heart rate, calories burned, my weight, basic stuff like that. Put it in a spreadsheet measure and compare with some goals I’ve set for myself. And, what I’ve found is it keeps you accountable. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. It shows you’re making progress – or not. The point is to write it down. Put on your schedule that which you know will bring about life enhancing benefits. Then, record your results, track your progress. Build a habit of accomplishment.

You may have figured out by now that it’s not just about running. Running is just the tool, the means to an end. It’s about positive change. It’s about breaking out of the routine factory that’s smothering your creativity and into the wonder of discovering  new ideas. It’s about finding a way to improve your life, and as you do realize meaningful achievements.

What are you running for?

Maddy & Hunter

I like to run when the temp is 58 – 63, sunny with a zephyr wind at my back. My dogs on the other hand don’t care if it’s cold or rainy, windy or calm. They love to run no matter what. They run hard with their tongues hanging out gasping for breath against the strain the leash puts on their collars – as I hang on for dear life. They run with their hearts, not with the weather. I think I’ll try that.

In advertisements we see photos of product with the disclaimer: “Image shown not to actual size.” The real deal is larger, better, greater (or, in the case of this photo – smaller!)  I too am not to my actual size. What you see is what you get today. But I’m working on getting to a potentially greater size of me that is more productive, more successful and more satisfied with making a difference in the world around me. Are you on this journey too?

In any journey to greatness there are two viewpoints at play. On the one side are the realities of the moment, defined by our current experience and circumstances. But on the other lie unlimited potential fueled by the wonder of our imagination and the courage of our actions.

Being satisfied with the present but wanting something more is a good thing. All too often though we give in, we settle. Our focus becomes myopic, our thinking shallow; if we take any time to think at all. When I was a teenager learning to drive I asked my Dad why I was having such trouble keeping the car from swerving back and forth. “Maybe you’re not looking far enough ahead,” was his reply. And, sure enough, once I lifted my gaze from the patch of road immediately in front of me to the road up ahead, the car stayed centered in the lane and I stopped my erratic swerving.

Consider taking your eyes off your immediate circumstances. Look up ahead, see further down the line, gaze into the future, imagine and see what more you could become. And believe there’s a greater size of you ahead.

I’m reading “The Greatness Guide” by Robin Sharma. In it he points out, “the life that you see this very moment isn’t necessarily the life of your future.” There’s a bigger and greater size life ahead, for me, for you. Here are some of the steps to greatness I’m learning to make:

1. Forward Thinking. Larry Fitzgerald, the outstanding Arizona Cardinal’s wide receiver recently said in a SI article just before the Super Bowl, “It’s not the time to reflect…the Cardinals signed me to play well, and I just feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” Larry wasn’t thinking about his 9 catch, 152 yard, 3 touchdown performances in the championship game against the Eagles. He was thinking ahead to the next game, the next opportunity. What if we thought more about the future and realized everything that has led up to this point was for future greatness? What if we thought and believed and “saw” ourselves being happier, more fulfilled, yes greater than now? Robert Allen said, “The future you see is the future you get.” I can see myself more fit and 25lbs lighter. I see my income much higher, my relationship with my wife much deeper, the positive feelings customers experience having worked with me much greater. My vision is rising and my thinking is moving forward.

2. Planned Actions. It’s not enough to take the time to think rightly, to set goals and visualize greatness. Thinking must turn into planned actions. Actions that can and will translate into extraordinary and remarkable results. At first I was dumbfounded when Capt. Chesley Sullenberger who saved the lives of 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549 said, “I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained to do.” Simply doing a job? You kidding me? You’re a freakin’ hero. But then it sunk in. Capt. Sullenberger was only able to do something great and remarkable because of all of the training, planning and emergency simulation exercises he had undertaken. I’ll bet Sully had a schedule full of continuous training relating to the very similar situation he found himself in on January 15, 2009. I’m in my mid 50’s and run 3 miles, 3 times a week, not bad. But, how am I going to lose those 25lbs if I don’t step it up and plan to do more (and eat less)? If I value a deepened relationship with my wife but don’t put her at the top of my schedule – how’s that going to happen? And, if I don’t take measures to nurture my client relationships how will I know their needs and be able to meet them more effectively?

I know it’s a cliché, but I do believe life is a journey and not an event. Each positive thought and every productive inch of action is important. What positive, new thoughts and fresh thinking do you need to engage in? Then, how will you act, what will you put on your calendar tomorrow to become the next size of you, to reach for your next summit of greatness?

Photo source: Ilona Dharjha’s flickr