Second Chance - Shinedown

I’d like to think that everyone deserves a second chance. A 'one-strike-and-you-are-out-policy' always feels harsh to me and if you’ve ever played board games with your children, no doubt you’ve endured many a second, third and many more chances more after that. 

I mean, if you make a mistake and you’ve acknowledged it, and learned from it, then what’s not to like? 

People always seem to give and receive second chances for their mistakes.

It’s part of human nature. However, the second chances I’m interested in are the ones that ‘Second-Lifers’ get as I call them. Being a ‘Second-Lifer’ myself I understand fully the notion of getting a ‘second chance’. 

A second chance of living life. 

In my world of coaching, I meet many ‘Second-Lifers’. Folk post serious illness, addiction or post traumatic incident even. They’re easy to spot as they are the ones making the most of their second opportunity. They are the people that known as being 'Inspirational' and 'Motivational'. I'm sure we all know people that constantly amaze us with their triumph over adversity stories. 

Now, you might well not be one of the above kinda people BUT you might well be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime, wasting your time on things that in the long run simply won't be worth it. You probably already know what they are but are too worried, ashamed or frightened to change.

Just take it from me that you don't need a life-threatening illness to make you rethink your future. Maybe you can give yourself a 'Second Chance' today?

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life - 2nd Chancer

Reward - Teardrop Explodes

'I love to express my reward'...

Coaching can be a super-rewarding career, reflected in the message above that I received from a client yesterday.

My own to path to this vocation came originally from running mega-distance marathons and ultramarathons and then personal training. I’ve used the mindset and knowledge accrued from these exploits to help people with extreme weight-loss and addiction. I’ve found that I can project this mindset to those wanting to make a personal difference.

However, where the real difference has developed since originally helping people to train for the Marathon des Sables back in 2006 which of course I still do, is that whatever anyone’s goal maybe, it’s actually coaching the whole person where the best results happen.

Health, Finance, Career, Relationship and Family are just a few of the topics that are discussed, deconstructed and reconstructed over the weeks and months.

Being accountable is the key to success. Being there for people in crisis 24/7 a must.

The above client came to me to lose weight. The nine kilogram weight-loss ticked the box - the confidence gained from our work together changed the world.

The client-satisfaction speaks for itself. My satisfaction as a Coach is  overwhelming.

Today l’ll have more one-to-ones and have the privilege of being allowed into many more lives. Where we will go together and what they will deliver, well who knows? But then that’s the joy of the job…

Where are you going - we could go together?

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 MDS - 1 Life - 1 Great Job

99 Red Balloons - Nena

'Floating in the summer sky'

Just because one of your balloons bursts, it doesn’t mean that the other ninety-nine have to follow suit. One of my ex-bosses stock sayings was ‘One Swallow doesn’t make a Summer’. Well I believe the opposite is true  - that one disappointment doesn’t mean everything else will go wrong.

It’s amazing how many peoples‘ worlds crumble over the simplest and minor thing not quite going to their plan.

As we all know from experience - shit usually happens. Things don’t go the way we want them to and rather than having a Plan B or the ability to adapt - folk simply give up.

And that's a big 'No-No' in my book...

If things are going wrong, take stock, work out the ‘whys’ and try again.

Giving up never works in the long run and remember you've always got ninety-nine more balloons to use.

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 MDS - 1 Life - 99 Red Balloons

Photograph - Def Leppard

'Gotta photograph, picture of'...

I was looking at a selection of photos that I’d used for my blogs over the past few years and wondered if I could use just six of them to define my life - with only one rule that they can’t contain people. To narrow it down to just six proved nearly impossible of course and the ones I’ve chosen here are pictures that seemed to stand out to me today.

The OS Map shows where I was born, very near to a sewage farm I noticed, and next to a Bridle Way, which I've been back and ran many times. 

Battersea Power station is pictured from the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album ‘Animals’ - the track Sheep accompanying many of my miles and thoughts since way back when.

 

The Moon Landings represented the future - a future that’s long past now as the digital age it spawned has accelerated time way beyond the Apollo 15 photo shown here. The Electric Moon Buggy was a mere $38m at the time btw.

 

Back down on Earth the cornfields are still a joy to me.  Emerging as a lush green and they soon all too soon become a straw yellow as Mother Nature’s clock turns the seasons of the year faster and faster it feels. A natural wonder.

 

A wonder of the modern world,  Al-Khazneh - the most elaborate temple in the ancient city of Petra carved out of the rock face in 1AD that I’ve been fortunate to visit five times in my desert escapades. A place I thought I’d never see in my earlier existence. 

 

An existence that was schooled in a half-timbered building recognised the world over as Shakespeare’s Schoolroom, that even now I feel privileged to have attended yet found hard to understand at the time. It did however shape the future person so I'm happy about that. 

 

To capture your world and your life and what’s important to you in six pictures is food for thought. Tomorrow I might change my mind and choose six very different pictures, which I might well do with a completely different rationale. I mean, it’s my world and my pictures.

I’d be interested in seeing how you see your world in your pictures. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have and please use PowerPoint to arrange them for you as I did here, it's really simple to do.

 

Have fun...

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life in 6 Pictures

Pump up the Volume - MAARS

It's one louder...

Pump UP the volume? Turn DOWN the volume more like! There’s far too much white noise in life I believe - what with interest rates soaring, activists upsetting folks daily routines and our wonderful politicians and celebrities being chased down and caught out over their indiscretions.

The most unlikely of these online so-called celebrity people have the loudest of voices over a wide spectrum of topics that they will never resolve - I just don’t listen.

Turning down the volume in general means you can actually hear your own thoughts and make you own decisions about what you want to do and what you are trying to achieve.

Sure, the world will keep on turning no matter what - however having some time in silence often helps clear and redirect your thoughts. Fighting other peoples' wars just isn't my style.

When was the last time you experienced total silence and heard yourself for once?

Maybe it’s time to Pump DOWN the volume?

1,161 Marathons  - 273 Ultras - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life

Life's what you make it - Talk Talk

The internet is full of ways of maximising one’s potential. The usual topics are:-

‘Time’ – (one of my favourite sermons) as everyone imho can spare at least an hour from their busy schedules to invest in their future. If you can't do that, you are seriously undervaluing yourself I believe. Living life to the full is the goal here and time as we all know is limited.

 

'Goals' - well who isn't goal driven eh? It's drilled into us at an early age and there's nothing better than planning, doing and analysing our progress. Measuring our own success, only breeds success I've found.

 

'Self-Care' - I spoke again today about my Heavy Drinker, Heavy Smoker, Heavy Person not reaching 80 theory to someone that just can't kick the dreaded nicotine. Giving up smoking is a real game changer and consistency is key here. 90-days of self-care can reverse a lot of the damage of an unhealthy smoking lifestyle. 

 

'A New Pastime' - It's good to go and try lots of new activities and seek out fresh friendship groups. There's something out there for everyone of any ability - the Coleman Coaching What's App is testament to this. You never know, you might come to enjoy it and even become really good at whatever you've chosen to spend your free time doing. I've witnessed many transformations. People saying they'd never do something only to go and make it THE most important part of their week.

 

'Reflection' - A time of personal honesty perhaps, where the real truth is considered and then acted upon. My 'Ambition' to 'Ability' model works a treat when one really wants to know if they are working towards their goal and a much brighter future.

 

Maybe the above topics are just there to try and get maximum value for money from whatever level of personal drive folk possess and invest. 

 

However, I want more than this. I want to make the most out of life for as long as I possibly can - sure I'll consider all of the above but I'll also think hard about the opportunities I've missed or messed up and learn from my mistakes as I want to wring the last drop out of my life, living the dream.

 

Are you maximising your potential?

 

1,161 Marathons - 273 ULTRAs - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life

The Song remains the Same - Led Zeppelin

Consistency is Key

It’s another one of my stock sayings. I mean, anyone can be 100% on the diet, off the booze and exercising like crazy for a day or two - however, consistency comes from doing it day after day, week after week, month after month. It's the hardest part of the 'Goal Equation'.

You see, sometimes the bar we set is simply too high. I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past. Better to do 7 x 5 milers than a couple of 10’s mixed in with recovery or CBA days in my experience.

It’s always better to think big picture and really consider what the long term goal really is. 

Living to 100+ is a good one. 

Doing what you can to make that happen is the starting point to a longer and more fruitful life - fact.

Heavy drinkers, smokers and people on the whole never realise this achievement with many missing out on 20 years’ of life that could’ve been worth living.

And before you say it, being consistent doesn’t have to be boring. Achieving is better than boozing and being waited on in my experience. And the more you can make your routine reflect your future plans the more fun you’ll have.

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life

Living in Luxury - Jethro Tull

£356,000 of Luxury Madness

When we think of luxury, it might conjure a luxury hotel, yacht or even a Rolls Royce. The true luxury I believe is ‘Time’.

I’ve written on countless occasions about the value of ‘Time’ and it’s a become a luxury that sometimes comes in the strangest of situations.

The Marathon des Sables provides an amazing time out for many from their busy worlds where there’s plenty of time to consider the world around them. No wonder so many people make huge life choices when they take stock of life in the sand.

I mean, when was the last occasion that you had ‘Time on your hands?’ A rather strange idiom but one I’m taking time out to consider today as I run to Penarth to view the ocean.

What luxury…

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 Marathon des Sables - 1 Life

Dreamer - Supertramp

‘Are you already living the dream?’ It’s a question I often ask and if you’ve worked with me, no doubt I’ve you’ve been asked it. You see, a lot of the time we find ourselves battling a daily war of addiction, relationships and finance and can only see life as a living nightmare.

Yet when you really think about living the dream, you might agree that up to 80% of what you have and what you experience is just right. Perfect in fact and just how you imagined it would be - but the 20% of a bad dream over shadows the positivity that ‘Living the Dream’ can bring.

Life isn’t perfect. It never will be no matter how hard you might try to make it. If you spend your whole life chasing that particular pot of gold, you might well be overlooking the fact that you’ve already hit the jackpot.

The dream is happening right now and if you can overlook or change the issues that are making your daily life a living nightmare - you’ll make the most of the dreamlike existence that life can bring.

I'm okay with what I'm dreaming...

What’s in your 80% dream today?

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 MDS - 1 Life

The Way of the World - Wishbone Ash

Every day we make a series of choices. Some good, some not so. Some important, some not so. However large or small, they determine our destiny. It sounds so dramatic - yet life can change in a mere moment. I always say, ‘a moment of madness can lead to a lifetime of sadness!’ (I like that one). YouTube is full of clips of people ‘Failing’ some with minor scratches, some with life-changing injuries. I saw a clip yesterday of a very experienced skydiver forgetting his parachute but remembered the camera as he enthusiastically left the aircraft. A moment where a simple choice led to catastrophic consequences. An instant choice, with an immediate effect. 

No, the choice that I’m interested in is more long term. Sure, making the choice is immediate however the effects will hopefully last a lifetime.

 

And as we enter the Summer Holiday period and its associated ‘Time Out’, it’s far too easy to let things slip mentally and physically until September. Sure, it’s a great excuse but my thoughts are that you could be seven weeks further along your journey to success, if you simply make the right choice today. I mean what’s stopping you?

 

I’m working with people that have made the right choice and are doing just that with great results. You just have to have to get into the right frame of mind and start – that’s the hardest part. Working with a Coach and also one that has a Group where you can share the ups and downs that you’ll encounter, makes making the right choices a whole lot simpler.

 

What’s stopping you from making the right choices today?

1,161 Marathons - 273 Ultras - 16 MDS - One Life - One Choice

One of these Days - The Pink Floyd

Leonard Sachs - Prognosticating the Future

‘The Good Old Days’ are happening right now…

We spend so much of our time wishing we were back in ‘The Good Old Days’. But I wonder which of ‘The Good Old Days’ we are thinking about here. Are they the late 60’s ones perhaps full of Flower Power and the Summer of Love – The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pre-Decimal Currency & Space Travel or the 70’s with its Strikes, Punk Rock and Margaret Thatcher? Or the stand-out days of the 80’s such as Live Aid Day (13^th July 1985) that you’ll relish if you watched it on TV or even better were lucky enough to be there - I mean, you will probably remember the acts.

 

Happy days - Good Days - The Good Old Days in fact

Anyway, moving on and as we headed towards the Millennium and the digital age, I’m not sure if anyone would have imagined just how much the next twenty years would change. How the big wide world could be accessed and lived through a 6.1” screen. And how everyone potentially has a voice and can live and identify as whatever they jolly-well like. It feels like there are far too many choices, far too many platforms and not enough time to live out the dream. 

 

Was it simpler in The Good Old Days?

 

Were we free in the 60’s? ‘Turn on, tune in and drop out’ – Timothy Leary coined the phrase in the late 60’s to describe his views on the world and humanity, the meaning of inner life and the LSD experience. I wonder how many people are still living the ‘Hippy Life’ or just remember those days and the freedom and liberation from the establishment they brought. 

 

I’m not sure the 70’s delivered the same vibe. Most things were brown as I remember. Cars, clothes, even bathroom suites which seemed to match the mood of a country caught up in strike action, power cuts and the three-day week. Yet the music of the 70’s that grew out of this period of change lives on today - the Prog Rock to Punk Rock transition provided a fantastic backdrop to a decade of major change where-by the early 80’s, we were ready to ‘Feed the World’ and begin to look at tackling HIV and global warming.

 

The 90’s were disappointing as I remember. I received my first text message and waited ages to dial-up and see a very underwhelming website in 1995 – It was so underwhelming. Google, Facebook and Twitter didn’t exist - an Apple-Mac cost the best part of £10k and had the memory of a gnat. But then the analogue world went digital, andthe new century has brought with it some massive changes. 

 

The biggest one perhaps is how much each and every one of us packs into the same 24 hours we’ve had ever since ‘the Good Old Days’ were around. I wonder if we will look back in another 30 years and reminisce about how much we loved emailing people and how Covid turned out to be a blessing as it gave us a forced time-out where we could take stock, stop and redirect our future.

 

Twenty-three years into a century that seemed like a lifetime away when I was a small boy, and I’m wondering how time literally flies by. Days, weeks and years flash by in a moment and before you know it, you think about The Good Old Days more and more. The missed opportunities. The things you should have done. The choices you should have made. The only thing is, those days have gone. 

 

However, today is here right here and right now and you have the choice to make it a ‘Good’ or a ‘Not So Good Old Day. What are you going to do about it?

1,159 Marathons - 271 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 16 MDS - One Life