Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Question: Mr Tyson, can you rank top 3 heavy weight boxer of all time please?

Answer: Ali is undisputed number 1 of all time.

Question: Who is number 2 and 3?

Answer: After number 1, rest just don't matter! 

We Are The Champions

Well, where shall I start?

It's been a summer of absolute triumph for my first love, sport. In fact, in this case I'm really talking about British sport. It's been amazing. The London Olympics and Paralympics were simply epic. Residing outside of the UK these days, I was  determined to be part of the story. So flew back for a week of the Olympics and couldn't help but be inspired by the occasion. Men and women, as ordinary as the rest of us, doing extraordinary things. Who knows what the legacy will be for future generations. For me, it's made a mark now.

I know that I won't ever compete at the highest level of sporting endeavour but the discipline, focus and passion that these great people showed was simply amazingly powerful and inspirational. I felt as proud as I've ever been to be born in this royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle. Team GB set a wonderful example. And Andy Murray's victory in the US Open was the icing on the cake for a Great British Summer.

I don't tend to talk about this kind of thing in what still is a warm and fuzzy-thinking kind of blog. But I realise now that a sense of belonging and this appreciation of effort and achievement, sporting in this case, are really part of what I connect with deep down. I don't need to over-analyse, over-think or over-engineer my world.  Sometimes it's the simple things in life that count.

Gold

A long time ago and far, far away I wanted to be an athlete. An Olympic one at that. It was my first ambition in life. Was it ever likely? Well, at the age of 6 years old I most certainly thought it was. Back then you could dream big because you were allowed to and, more importantly, you allowed yourself to. All things were possible. Unfortunately, circumstances and life in general made sure it was never a realistic proposition. I guess I was never going to be fast enough, able to go high enough, or be strong enough - that's how I figured it as the years wore on. But such piddling details have never detracted from my eternal love of the greatest show on earth, the Olympic Games. And this time around it’s only right for me to return to London, the town of my birth, to celebrate its moment in the sun. So I’m jumping on a plane this week to soak up the atmosphere. I can’t wait.

Keeping with the Olympics vibe, my friends at Inner Space released a charming 'Thought of The Day' the other day:

Life is a sport. Are you a spectator, a coach or a player? The spectator sits outside the game, airs opinions and cheers the game with enthusiasm and passion. The coach is also outside the game, but has a significant role in empowering and supporting the player. The player is in the game, focused on the now, focused on the results and on improving their game. Take part in the game and know when to be a spectator, a coach or a player.

Ride On Time

Riding a bike. At 79. For some odd reason that was one of the first things that jumped out at me when I read about the recent passing of Steven Covey, inspirational speaker/self-help guru/motivational leader. Engaged in life until the end, unfortunately, Covey never recovered from a cycling accident he'd had just a few months ago. I guess you could say he went with all guns blazing. His "Seven Habits of Highly People" is a landmark book I've mentioned before in this blog and something I sometimes turn to for inspiration. I highly recommend it.


By a twist a fate, another notable 79-year old passed away on the same day - Barton Biggs, one of the leading investment gurus of our time. He was best know for accurately predicting the economic rise of China and the bursting of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s. 


Covey and Biggs, in my view, were two men of brilliant minds, leaving legacies and many followers across the world. But on a personal level, they kind of reflect two parts of me - one's world was more closely connected to what I do; one’s world was more closely connected to what I am. As a day job, I work in finance - not in the rarefied world of high investment finance like Biggs, but still broadly in that space. It's what I do and it pays the bills. Covey's world, however, touches on many areas of my existence. I've been into personal development, life coaching et al for many years, and I continually look to apply new principles that I've learned. Yes, Covey's work did bridge more business-related areas such as management principles, but ultimately for me he was about helping you find direction in life and making sure you did something with it.


It may be too simplified but, personally, Biggs' world represents making a living, Covey's represents making a life. Riding a bike. At 79. Says it all really. Either way, their deaths have helped re-focus my own thoughts on what is important to me. A fond farewell to both of you.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

It's that time of year again. Wimbledon. Two weeks of the finest tennis you'll see anywhere on the planet, at the mercy of the Great British summer and overpriced strawberries and cream. 

I would never say that I was a officiando of the sport, but having grown up not a million miles away from the tournament I've always got wrapped up in the whole fortnight.

It was never hard to be inspired by some of the many greats that walked the hallowed turf on Centre Court: Becker, Williams, McEnroe, Navratilova, Sampras, Graf, Agassi, Evert, Borg and on and on we go. 

So it's no surprise that Britain's obsession with finding its next Wimbledon singles winner, akin to the second coming of a messiah, is about to go into overdrive. Andy Murray, the dour-faced but steely-determined world number 4, is pitted in the men's final against one of the greatest players that has ever walked this earth, Roger Federer. 

Of course, this is flag-waving tabloid heaven. St George against the Dragon (albeit Murray is Scottish and not English), immovable object against irresistible force, the Dunkirk spirit of backs against the wall stuff. And all in what's been packaged as a glorious year for the UK - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (Britain's last singles winner, Virginia Wade, was in the Silver Jubilee year); the London Olympics; and the opening of the Shard, the tallest skyscraper in Western Europe and a symbol of renewed national belief.

I may be a bit of a" lapsed Brit" these days, insofar as I haven't lived there for much of the last decade, but none of the symbolism escapes me. But turning to Murray the man, I found it really interesting reading a piece he wrote prior to his semi final. He said how he likes to chat with other athletes, especially individual athletes, because the mindset is similar to that of tennis players. 

Boxing was a particular area of interest, as they are so strong mentally, work extremely hard and ultimately put themselves in danger if they're not focused. But they are also like the rest of us, albeit able to switch it on when it counts. Mike Tyson, for example, has said he has "often walked to the ring petrified he might lose, but as soon as he stepped in there he thought nobody could beat him, he felt invincible."

I guess the reason this has resonated with me is because we forget sometimes how very human great sportsmen and sportswomen are. They can be determined, they can be focused, they can be nervous, they can be angry, they can lose the plot. They can be like you or I. 

There is nothing wrong as such with the "yes, we can" type platitudes but for me realising that people that we put on a pedestal are, deep down, no different to the rest of us is a very big thing for me. Get the mindset, the focus and application right, and you too can go places.

And on Sunday, may the best man called Murray win...

Safe From Harm

Last week I met up with my financial advisor for a periodic review of my portfolio. There were times in the past that booking a meeting with the guy felt akin to a visit to the dentist. There are some things in life you just prefer to put off as long as you can. Call it denial. Call it the ego of not wanting to hear the advice of someone with a far better insight than yourself. Admittedly, an earlier advisor I had proved to be way too  'sales pitch' and too little 'advice' that was relevant for me. But my current one seems to be happy to discuss, listen to my thoughts and give his input in return.

So when he started talking about life insurance and critical health cover I was slightly put out at first. I don't have any dependants, I've a bit of money saved, and my gym and kung fu memberships get a good workout. I'm okay, was my angle. But before I dismissed it all out of hand, I paused. I paused because I had a realisation. As much as we all like to think we're indestructible, we all have a 'best before' date. The occasional ache or pain that I've picked up in the gym, or simply from getting out of bed, tends to last a bit longer than they did a decade or two ago. I also didn't order the grey hair and receding hairline. The weight doesn't disappear as easily as it used to either. 

In a weird way, this isn't about whether or not I take out the insurance (and I'm still debating the pros and cons). It's more a realisation that time waits for no man. Sometimes you've just got to adapt with the times. I'm not the kid any more that my head tries to convince me I should be. I need to live with this and adjust as necessary. Equally, I may not be that youthful, energetic, bright-eyed innocent any longer, but the essence of that being must not be ignored even if the shell around it is showing a bit of wear and tear.

Stop

I had a bit of a revelation a few weeks ago. Many years ago I absolutely loved psychoanalysing myself. Well, maybe "loved" isn't quite the word. Rather, I just couldn't stop doing it. "Why am I this...Why do I do that"-kind of nonsense. Some of it was revelationary, some of it was just plain bad. Bad, bad, bad. None of it was really about the finer points in my personality. No, this period of self abuse, for want of a better phrase, was all about why I had messed up and why I would continue messing up.

I'm guessing this went on for years, going by some old diary entries I've tracked down. I can't remember when I stopped. But one day, I just did. Or rather, I no longer drifted to the darkest depths of my self criticism, but instead skated on the surface.

Anyway, my recent revelation was all about how my analysis of the self differs between then and now. Back then it was so very much coming from a space of doubt, of blame, of dislike. And while I do have those moments of "woe is me" I'm most definitely coming more from a position of acceptance and love. I know I mess up - but now I more often than not throw in "but don't we all". And I'm glad I do.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

I've been so busy being busy that it's been a while since I've played with my blog. Looking for inspiration after some time away, I thought I'd fall back on today's daily email inspiration sent to me by my old friends at Inner Space:

“I need... more of... a new... How much time, energy and money are you spending trying to satisfy the "need"?

Do you need everything you think you really "need"? If the need isn't adding to your purpose in life, put it on hold.

Be satisfied with what you have and accept that you have enough!”