OLYMPIC FLAME

How do you feel about the Olympics? Are you excited about them or are you one of the naysayers who reckon we should have saved the money and all had 37p extra in our pockets? Obviously I'm in the former camp. Regular readers will know that I love sport and I absolutely love the Olympics. To me they represent everything that is wonderful about sport, not just in the sense of athletes reaching peak performance in front of millions but in the way that people from all over the world come together in the spirit of peace and unity.

It was therefore with a massive sense of pride that I have followed the story of the Olympic torch relay. I watched The One Show and saw it arrive on British soil and I'm not afraid to admit I had a lump in my throat. What an amazing honour for those selected to run with it, something that they will remember for the rest of their lives. I will certainly be going to see it come to my town in early July. We haven't had the games here for 64 years and unless it comes round more quickly next time, I won't see it again in my lifetime. It really will be history in the making.

Personally I was delighted to see Will.i.am carrying the flame in Taunton.

I know this caused controversy in some quarters but regular readers will know I've blogged about him before and about his extraordinary achievements. The games are all about celebrating achievement. Let's get behind them, let's show the world what Britain is all about. I'm lucky enough to live in what I consider to be the best country in the world and I'm hugely proud to be British. I'm urging you to join me. Support the Olympics in any way that you can. Stand up and be counted. Make these the greatest games ever and make 2012 a year the world will remember forever.

LIVE YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

When I was a kid I loved Jacques Cousteau, the french oceanographer, explorer and co-developer of the Aqua-Lung. His TV programmes about the underwater world were just amazing. I developed an interest in life under the sea and went on to keep marine fish, truly beautiful creatures. Well that was back in the 70's and those fish have long since departed to the great coral reef in the sky but Jacques has remained as one of those important figures who taught me about life and it's incredible diversity.

It was with great pleasure then that I came across this quote from him recently whilst reading The Breakthrough Experience by Dr John Demartini.

"When a man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself."


I love this quote. I love the enormity of it. I see it not just as a massive inspiration but as a call to action. Whilst we have breath in our body we have that opportunity. We all have things we can do, things we are good at, hidden talents. This calls for us to let them out and let them shine!

Have you ever felt that you are special in some way? Don't be afraid to answer yes to this question. Playing small doesn't serve anyone, least of all yourself. It's time to acknowledge that and do what you need to do to unleash the extraordinary you!

ANTICIPATION AND INSPIRATION!

So it's Friday again already and the week seems to have gone really quickly. I'm sat, as I usually am on a Friday morning, in the lounge of my health club, sippping a latte and tapping this out on my laptop. I don't need to get to the surgery quite so early on Fridays so I stop off here on the way in. It means I can take advantage of the free wi-fi here as the ancient browser at the surgery doesn't support the Blogger site.

I'm off up to London tomorrow to a workshop run by one of my very favourite coaches - Michael Neill. those of you who follow this blog will doubtless have heard mention of him before. He is excellent and his coaching approach has really inspired and influenced the way that I coach my own clients. He's a lovely guy too, I met him back in 2009 when I attended a course he was running.

Tomorrow's workshop is co-hosted by Robert Holden, whom I haven't met or heard speak before but I've just started reading one of his books. More of that in a later blog.

Knowing that I was going to this workshop tomorrow has been great as it's given me something to look forward to all week. I'm all for that, I like to set up a constant series of things like that, that I'm really looking forward to. They can be very small things but anticipating them, just knowing that I've got them to look forward to, really adds to my week. In this way I get to enjoy them all not once but three times:
   Once - when I'm looking forward to them - really visualising how it's going to be.
   Second time - when I'm there, really enjoying it in the present.
   Thirdly, afterwards; looking back, reflecting on what I most enjoyed, what I learned,who I met etc.

I'm still in touch with three of the people I met on the 2009 course and continue to be inspired by their work too. Coaching has taught me many things and one of the most important has been to be open to new experiences. Doctors in general tend to hold quite fixed views about certain areas and perhaps aren't quite as willing and open as some groups of people to listen to new concepts, new ways of thinking. Maybe it's the scientific background, I don't know, but with this in mind I'll be telling you next week all about the book I'm currently just finishing as it certain fits into the category of challenging conventional views of life!

So have a great weekend. Enjoy all that you have and keep your eye out for inspiration - it's all around you once you start to look.