I’m sitting here sweating up a storm after a “pole walking” training session, happy to be on my fitness program again after 3 challenges that set me back for a month!  I feel lucky to have the helpful people around me, the ideas, and the fortitude to work through every challenge, so far!

Aging makes me realize that, poetically, “a single flame will go out, but you can’t put out a fire!”  I feel inspired, and actually obligated by my promise to life, to see how big of a fire I can create before my flame goes out.  This Olympic Torch Relay is a great symbol of that for me.  So I am conjuring up ways to involve as many people as I can to “carry the flame” on my segment of the cross Canada relay. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and comments on this point…

I read a study a few years ago (I’ll try to find it again to quote the source).  Researchers did two studies, one of a male and one of a female.  They showed mixed male/female audiences a profile of a male (of a female) in which the researchers could manipulate every dimension of the anatomy such as shoulder width, breast size, neck length, leg length, etc.  The researchers were able to find out what the audience subconsciously thought each change meant.

THIS IS REALLY AMAZING AND MOTIVATING TO ME:

Both men and women associated A SLIM WAIST IN A MAN with how financially well off he was!  Slim waist = rich.

Both men and women associated WAIST MEASUREMENT IN A WOMAN with age.  Fat waist = older. 

IF THAT DOESN’T MOTIVATE YOU TO GET OFF THE COUCH AND EXERCISE, you do not have the power of vanity in you!

Lots of times we are asked to create something that we haven’t seen yet.  How do you do that? For most people a picture is worth 1000 words.   But how do you create the picture before you have seen the picture?  Maybe you can help me…

I am teaching two groups of middle school children to play the Game in The Amazing Challenge.  They have never seen the game played before.  Although the game is simple, the step-by-step instructions are clear and they are approximating the behaviour, they are stuck. 

How do you demonstrate how to play with courage and adventure?  How do you show  play with calm abandon?  How do you picture trusting the other players to learn? What vision shows that sometimes being too careful can block success?  How can you see that sometimes you need to risk making errors to succeed?   

How can I show them what being calm in the middle of the storm looks like?  How can I show them that trusting the other player’s capability and challenging him, even if  at first he make mistakes, is kinder than patronizing them.  Of course children don’t know what patronizing means.  They are trying to be careful and considerate and not cause the other person to fail.  But in this approach, they prevent the other players from succeeding!  

The beauty of  The Amazing Challenge is that the Game requires  we ramp up the pace, let people be challenged, and trust that everyone will learn.  Each player is instructed to do his own simple job well and  and make it easy for the other players to succeed.    Now we just need to do this at a break-neck speed.    That’s where it gets really Amazing!!!  This is where calm in the middle of the storm is required.  This is where the brain must operate out of the Play Brain and performance becomes easy and amazing.   

How can this be illustrated?  What can I do to get these kids to take a risk, and jump into the unknown…..to experience it first hand? 

Unfortunately, I can’t bring in an excellent demo team to model the behaviour at this time.  What to do…..?

Help!

“It is no use saying ‘We are doing our best’.     You have got to succeed at doing what is necessary.”

How would my life change if I believed the following?

When I think that SOMEONE orSOMETHING is making me FAIL…..that’s when I know…..I just haven’t yet learned HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING.

I am an outside instructor for a group of youth who are on a program to get back on track.  I love working with them because I learn so much!  These kids want to move forward in their lives, but see people, situations and things as barriers to their success.   These particular kids have had a lifetime of tough experiences already.  However as long as I allow them to continue thinking that their situation gives them an “excuse” in life, I am failing them.

It is much easier to let an excuse sit you on the sidelines, but this plan never gets you to success.  On one hand you want to succeed and on the other hand you want to hold onto the people, situations and things as valid excuses not to participate.  You are giving the power and control to the excuses.  The excuses have taken you out of action.  That is not the method to succeed in life! 

People sometimes think I am harsh or unfeeling when I say, “I don’t care what your excuses are.  You excuse is not the point!”

What is the point? 

It’s not what you’ve got that counts.  It’s what you do in spite of what you’ve got, that counts. 

HERE’S A NEW WAY OF THINKING:  When I think that someone or something is making me fail, that’s when I KNOW….THAT I JUST HAVEN’T LEARNED YET……..HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING!

Just imagine this:  What stands in the way of your biggest dream when you figure out how to be successful in spite of everything?  NOTHING!  NOTHING!!!

Some would say that the people, situations, and things that hold you back are the “red herring”.  The “red herring” is put into the game to throw you off the path of the real truth.  I have to observe that the “red herring” has been VERY effective and thrown many people in many situations off track for a long time.  So long that for some the “red herring” has become a habit or a way of life. As a result, many people believe that their excuses are valid and give them an excuse to stop trying, stop participating, to give up.  

What if you changed the way you think?  What if you said, “This person, situation or thing seems to be stopping me.  Wow!  I just haven’t learned, yet, how to succeed in spite of it.”

That’s an empowering way to think!  People who think that way become UNSTOPPABLE on the road to success.

Your thoughts…?

Linda Schaumleffel is an Olympic athlete (1976 rowing), dynamic speaker, and gifted teacher.  She empowers people who strive for improvement through speaking & delivering customized programs. She is a pioneer of Brain Fitness. For a free report visit www.powerbrainfitness.com

Saint Theresa’s Prayer

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.  Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

Linda Schaumleffel is an Olympic athlete (1976 rowing), dynamic speaker, and gifted teacher.  She empowers people who strive for improvement through speaking & delivering customized programs. She is a pioneer of Brain Fitness. For a free report visit www.powerbrainfitness.com

Trust in the Power of Pursuit

This is one of my favourite passages on the planet.  Written by Price Pritchett from his book called “The Quantum Leap Strategy”, the piece describes the philosophy I follow.  The way Mr. Pritchett writes is eloquent in its simplicity.  Be inspired to move…

“Mobility—pursuit—is a key factor in the quantum leap strategy.  You will definitely benefit from positive thinking, but sooner or later you’re going to have to take positive action.

Make it sooner.

You don’t have to know everything you’ll need to do all along the way in achieving your quantum leap.  In fact, you probably can’t know at the outset.  But you can figure out something to do.  Just get in motion.

Movement educates you.  The action keeps you learning.  Pursuit teaches you what works and what doesn’t.

Doing nothing, except passively wishing for what you want, doesn’t generate enough new data.  And obviously, doing nothing except hoping and wanting will not put you any closer to your objective.

Pursuit, on the other hand, produces progress.  That builds momentum.  Pursuit impowers you, and generates a steady stream of critically valuable information you couldn’t obtain any other way.  So if you want to be more powerful, take action.  If you want a quicker learning curve, trust in the power of pursuit. 

Pursuit, of course, can take various forms.  Be relentless, and weave each of these into your behavior pattern. 

Quantum leap.  The very term implies action.  Pursue your goal and you will breather life into your dream.”  

by Price Pritchett  

“The world behaves differently when I take action to go after what I want.”

Source: you2 by Price Pritchett

“Until I test the limits to what I can achieve, I won’t really know how well I can do.”

Source: you2 by Price Pritchett

“Act as if success is certain.”

Source: you2 by Price Pritchett

Thanks to Price Pritchett for inspiring and motivating me! 

Linda Schaumleffel is an Olympic athlete (1976 rowing), dynamic speaker, and gifted teacher.  She empowers people who strive for improvement through speaking & delivering customized programs. She is a pioneer of Brain Fitness. For a free report visit www.powerbrainfitness.com

THE 3 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW TO SAVE YOUR BRAIN FROM SLOW DECLINE

There is tremendous excitement in the air about brain fitness.  And here is why:  the more everyone wants to extend the years of work and play, the more everyone needs to know how to keep the brain working well.  And more than ever, building a hedge against dementia has become an essential now that it is possible to live a long, long life.

However, when you are starting out, wondering how to build brain fitness can seem like an uphill climb.  With so much information (and misinformation) out there, how can you be sure even your first choices will deliver the results you want?

Is it OK with you if I save you months of false starts and frustrations?

Good!  I have discovered three things everyone who wants better brain fitness must know to insure they get off to an absolutely stellar start with their program. 

First, get into action, any action.  Doing nothing except passively thinking about what you want, doesn’t do much good.  Just figure out something to do and get started.  Seriously, just pick anything and start!  You don’t have to know everything to start, just pick any program you think will help and begin.  Movement educates you.  Action dispels fear.  Every step you take builds courage, confidence and momentum.  Just get into action!

Now that you are in action, you can make better choices.  Most people think that brain fitness only requires brain exercises like crosswords and Sudoku.  When it comes to brain fitness include physical movement, balance, manual dexterity, and social stimulation.

Finally, persist daily!  Use it or lose it applies to the brain too!  Even if you think you are not doing the best activity, being in daily action is the secret.  The brain thrives on new learning, challenge, variety, and ACTION. 

I sure wish I had known these three absolutely crucial keys before I started out because it would have helped me get to where I wanted so much faster.  But now, you have the benefit of my hindsight! 

By implementing these three simple but powerful ideas you will be able to improve your brain performance now and build a hedge against dementia, starting today! 

Linda Schaumleffel is an Olympic athlete (1976 rowing), dynamic speaker, and gifted teacher.  She empowers people who strive for improvement through speaking & delivering customized programs. She is a pioneer of Brain Fitness. For a free report visit www.powerbrainfitness.com

BUILD MOTIVATION WITH THESE 3 STUNNINGLY SIMPLE STEPS

STEP ONE:  Do you know when to stop?  Do you know how much is enough?  Especially with brain injury and age related brain fitness decline, overwhelm defeats motivation every time.  Do you get overwhelmed? 

Okay, here is the solution.  Decide exactly how much you are going to do and how you are going to measure it.  For example, if you are going to do some gardening or walking, decide on 20 minutes.  Then set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes.  When the bell rings, stop. 

Now, when you know you can stop after 20 minutes, do you feel more encouraged?  It’s just 20 minutes!  Feeling like you can do it creates the MOTIVATION WHEEL.  This is step one.

Know when to stop.  Decide on how much you are going to do.  When the timer rings, stop.

COACHING TIP:  If you still don’t feel like doing it, cut your effort/time in half and try again.  Keep cutting the effort/time in half until you it’s so easy that you laugh as you get into action!  For example:  20 minutes too much?  Set timer for 10 minutes. Just get that motivation wheel moving!

STEP TWO:  Do you count your effort like coins of gold?  Do you easily forget what you did yesterday or last week?  When you look at your effort today, you kill motivation by thinking that 20 minutes will do no good.  EVERY STEP, no matter how small, COUNTS!

The solution is to get fun stickers.  Put a sticker on your calendar or chart every time you put in your measured amount of effort from step one.

Now count the stickers on your calendar like they were coins of gold!  Congratulate yourself because your stack of golden effort is growing.  Fall in love with growing your stack of gold. 

When you count and congratulate yourself daily for growing that stack of golden effort, you are CREATING MOMENTUM.  Momentum means that your wheel is picking up speed.  When you create momentum, motivation isn’t an issue.

Stack your effort.  Count it like coins of gold.  Create momentum.

STEP THREE:  Do you know exactly how far you have travelled?  Everyone knows where they want to go.  Motivation is often killed when you look forward at the distance left to travel to your goal.  It seems so far…impossible! 

However, when you look back to SEE HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME that is a powerful motivator.  Dwell on the facts of what you have done. 

This is where a BEFORE TEST is so important.  Many people ignore creating a before test because they are embarrassed by this information.  Stop what you are doing, and take those appropriate measurements right now.  Take a photo of your weedy garden or unpainted room, stand on that scale, wrap the tape around your waist, time the minutes it takes to walk to the mall.  You need that BEFORE DATA.  Put it in the drawer. 

Now every month, take the same measurements, pull the BEFORE DATA out of the drawer, and celebrate how far you have come.  SEEING PROOF OF SUCCESS KEEPS THAT WHEEL ROLLING for another month.  Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. 

Keep records so you can’t forget.  Review monthly how your stack of effort is changing your data.  Dwell on your proof of success.  Remember, every step, no matter how small, counts.

WHEN YOU USE THESE 3 STUNNINGLY SIMPLE STEPS YOUR MOTIVATION WILL GROW INTO YOUR POWERFUL ALLY.  Soon you will be leaping buildings in a single stride!  Celebrate.

Linda Schaumleffel is an Olympic athlete (1976 rowing), dynamic speaker, and gifted teacher.  She empowers people who strive to improve through speaking & delivering customized programs. She is a pioneer of Brain Fitness. For a free report visit www.powerbrainfitness.com