As I was driving home this evening, I was listening to the BBC's World Update being transmitted by the ABC's News Radio; in particular, a segment on the coming 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London. What struck me, as it has before when considering elite athletes, is the hard work and dedication which goes into their sports - you can argue about the ethics of their decision (as I have - and as I personally contemplated when I was younger, given my relative local successes in sailing [1]), but you cannot argue that they put a massive amount of intelligently directed effort into bettering their performances.
Now, in many circles I move in, it is fairly fashionable to "bash" (that's a bit harsher than the reality: "be dismissive of" is more accurate) sports people, who - in, some cases, by their own admission - are not much for spirituality or political pursuits. (There are exceptions: for instance, the former Richmond player Brendan Gale has a good reputation on inclusion; the former Melbourne player Jim Stynes has done quite a bit for kids wellbeing [although the organisation he is associated with [the "Reach Foundation"] seem to be reluctant to acknowledge LGBTIQ issues - based on the lack of response to correspondence I've sent to them], and former cricketer Steve Waugh has worked to improve situations in India [e.g. a leper children's colony, "Udayan", in Calcutta.)
Probably worst of all is the macho culture around race car drivers - but you do have to (in my opinion) give credit where it is due, and acknowledge that many of these drivers do have courage. They may not have courage when they start, being, perhaps, blinded by the view of some youth that they are invincible, but after a few prangs, they know what they're in for, and yet they still give it their all - and that includes physical training as well as practising, in many cases.
I started writing this post a long time ago, when I read about the work that football player Nathan Buckley did (before he retired) when training. My reaction was, at that time, if psychic/spiritual people showed 10% of his dedication, they would do exceptionally well - as, in fact, those I know who do make such an effort do, in fact, do :)
As an example of this, consider Charmaine Wilson, who I wrote about in my post Reading and registers.
By being open minded, it is possible to find inspiration and ideas in a wide range of places.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
Notes:
Tags: commitment, cross-fertilisation (ideas), courage, training, dedication
First published: Tuesday 27th July, 2010
Last edited: Tuesday 27th July, 2010
Now, in many circles I move in, it is fairly fashionable to "bash" (that's a bit harsher than the reality: "be dismissive of" is more accurate) sports people, who - in, some cases, by their own admission - are not much for spirituality or political pursuits. (There are exceptions: for instance, the former Richmond player Brendan Gale has a good reputation on inclusion; the former Melbourne player Jim Stynes has done quite a bit for kids wellbeing [although the organisation he is associated with [the "Reach Foundation"] seem to be reluctant to acknowledge LGBTIQ issues - based on the lack of response to correspondence I've sent to them], and former cricketer Steve Waugh has worked to improve situations in India [e.g. a leper children's colony, "Udayan", in Calcutta.)
Probably worst of all is the macho culture around race car drivers - but you do have to (in my opinion) give credit where it is due, and acknowledge that many of these drivers do have courage. They may not have courage when they start, being, perhaps, blinded by the view of some youth that they are invincible, but after a few prangs, they know what they're in for, and yet they still give it their all - and that includes physical training as well as practising, in many cases.
I started writing this post a long time ago, when I read about the work that football player Nathan Buckley did (before he retired) when training. My reaction was, at that time, if psychic/spiritual people showed 10% of his dedication, they would do exceptionally well - as, in fact, those I know who do make such an effort do, in fact, do :)
As an example of this, consider Charmaine Wilson, who I wrote about in my post Reading and registers.
By being open minded, it is possible to find inspiration and ideas in a wide range of places.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
Notes:
- I chose not to pursue competitive sports because of the time, energy and commitment required, but I do value and advocate for exercise, team pursuits and getting out into the natural world - which are things that some sports can help with. I am also VERY aware of the potential mental-emotional benefits which potentially can come from being physically active. In my case, sailing kept me alive in my teenage years - it gave me a way to cope with the travails of being trans. If, however, I had not been successful at sailing, that may not have been as rewarding - which leads me to the downside of some sports, particularly for younger people, who may be, for instance, given a hard time by peers or parents.
Tags: commitment, cross-fertilisation (ideas), courage, training, dedication
First published: Tuesday 27th July, 2010
Last edited: Tuesday 27th July, 2010
