Thursday, August 14, 2008

... on the Epiphany trail

... with a steady and determined focus towards a point ...

Recently, I posed that when Thomas Hearns lost his fight with sugar Ray Leonard, that it was a signal for me that I would be Nikolai Telsa in life ... which is something that I am actually cool with, provided that my 'Edison' is someone that enjoys working with me and has the appreciation for what we are doing together.

This is how I came up with my 'Audience of One' concept.  Alone, I care about what I think ... if I am on stage, I only care about what one person thinks ...

Anywho, I picked up the College Football issue of Sports Illustrated, with THE Ohio State Buckeyes on the cover ... the regional covers make sense from a business standpoint, but doesn't it diminish the impact of being on the cover?  I mean, it says that only the people in your neighborhood cares about whatever it is you are doing.

Haven't read too much of it, but two stories, a short profile on Laryn Williams, a sprinter for the US was very good, and it spoke of a documentary that ran on PBS about Clay/Ali leading up to his first fight with Sonny Liston.

The sprinter was asked about her community service, of which I am thinking she does her fair share of.  She said that essentially it was an easy choice for her, as when she was coming up, and needed money to travel to compete, someone was always coming thru for her.

I thought about that, and wondered if there was anyone like that in my life?  Simple answer is yes.  Problem is, the 'help' didn't come as I envisioned it ... but it came.  Just as 'mysterious' as the ways may have been, the help wwould have been more effective if I had done more on my end.

That is why I don't carry too many regrets.  You have to work WITH the Angels (well, can't come up with another device to express what I feel) in your life that are there to HELP YOU.  If you don, well ...

Being focused on Nebraska (the place) means a long term commitment.  Stuff will happen that will grow to be distractions.  So I remind myself that I didn't start my clock until May of this year and that I gave myself 18 - 24 months to make it happen ...

... also, if Nebraska (the person) wasn't going to be around for at least 6 months after I am in country, that would be a serious detriment to that plan.  I say '6 months', because she has her own non-Mark plans, and if I don't get out there when it is convenient to her schedule ...

SECOND PLACE ...

... is the first loser.  Tunnel vision is how I am viewing things right now, because trying to juggle this and that (as if this and that were related) will end up making things more complicated that it has to be.

Reading about Ali made me think of a story I read about him in high school.  Seems he wanted to do an important English paper on the Muslim faith ... and in Louisville in the early 50's, this was not well received.  Word got up to the principal of the high school, who was a strict academic, but had a weakness for Clay. 

He called a faulty meeting, and essentially said that the teacher was going to take and grade his paper ... and that if anyone didn't like it, he wwould sign his diploma and say he had educated Ali himself!

Also, he told the staff that if anyone thought that this young man, who wwould one day earn in one night more than all of us put together make in a year, wwould reach that height with it being said that he was the principal of the high school that didn't graduate him ... they were crazy!

... angels ... you never know where and who they are ... but if you are really staying true to yourself, they are there to help you along!

... which is what happens.  It happened to me today, on aday I did not want to go out, did not think I could get anything accomplished, yet here I sit, ready to ride home, with the heavy lifting done ...

... cool beans!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark, you made me smile again. I loved what you wrote about working WITH the angels in your life! I'm glad you encountered one today! :)

Beth

Anonymous said...

Hmm, you have my curiosity about what plans Nebraska may have that could interfere with your plans?

Anonymous said...

So many times we "expect" the celestials to do for us what we won't do for ourselves or we want to "help".  You are wise to acknowledge that the help was there, perhaps not in the way you wanted, but certainly provided what you needed.  Take care...
xoxo ~myra

Anonymous said...

that was a neat story about Ali and the principal supporting what he wanted to write for his English paper; I think there are lots of "angels" among us helping people along in their different quests; glad you encountered one today :)

betty

Anonymous said...

i always say you are braver then me .  i think the longest bus ride i would take to wager whether my heart would get stomped on or not would be the mich ave bus going downtown.

Anonymous said...

I'm willing to bet you've been an angel to onne or more people in your life.  You're due to get one on your side anytime now.

hug,
Russ