Thursday, May 30, 2013

Elephants and Self-imposed Limits


Elephants and Self-imposed Limits

My household has BrightHouse Cable.
Way too many channels for the adult male.

The other night I was flipping through the channels.
And I came across a show, a documentary you might call it, about elephants.

In India they use elephants for manual labor.
In this story it explained how they trained the elephants-
Or rather how they restrained them when they weren't working.

The elephant handlers came up with the idea to "program" the elephants
while they are still very young.
By "program" I mean, by setting self-imposed limits into their thinking.

When the elephants are still small, weighing around 150 pounds, they were tied up with a very heavy rope.
All day long, the elephants tried to get rid of it.
They whined, tugged at it and some of them even try to chew it.

They never broke free.
Finally, the elephants gave up, the fight over.

From that moment on, the elephants believed that there was absolutely no chance to get rid of the rope.
They accepted the "fact" that the rope limited them.

Belief in place, the elephant handlers were able to restrain them with small ropes.
Even as adults, weighing 8,000 pounds and more, they never attempted to break free because they "knew" they had no chance.

The elephant's limits were not real, but existed only in their minds.

Without insulting everyone's intelligence, you know where this is going.

With negative beliefs and boundaries existing in our own minds we are unable
to set and reach higher goals,
to be as successful as we can be,
to live our lives to the fullest,
to fulfill our true dreams.

We always have the inner strength; the personal power to change everything in our life for the better.

So, never give up!
Never act like an elephant!

Take Care,
Coach Curley

Friday, May 24, 2013

Eagles and Graduation


Eagles and Graduation:
A Tribute to our Seniors and Their Parents

I found out an very interesting fact about America's bird.
The fact pertains to how eagle mothers build their nests.

Eagles and nests... 'what's up?' you might ask.
With graduation fast approaching, bear with me.

Those who have studied the eagle found that
the "expecting" mother eagle begins building her nest
with all kinds of prickly and sharp things:
Briars,
Jagged sticks, and other sharp objects.
These pointed and prickly objects are laid down first.

Next, the mother eagle fills this foreboding place
with the softest things she can find.  
Articles like wool, Feathers, and fur from her kills.

This changes the nest into a place that is not only desirable,
but also inviting.
Here the babies grow in a very comfortable environment.

At the proper time, the mother reverses the process.
She begins to stir up the nest exposing the sharp items
with which the nest began.

She throws the wool, feathers and fur to the wind.
Thereby making the nest not so friendly a place to be.  

After a short period of time, the babies,
now mature enough to leave,
cannot stand the discomfort of the nest any longer-
Simply wanting to be anywhere else.

This is the mother's way of forcing her babies to maturity.
She knows that if they do not get out on their own,
experiencing life, and learning to feed and care for themselves,
they will have no future.

With this thought I sympathize, empathize and admire
the parents of this year's seniors.
May our babies sore to their highest potential.

Congrats Seniors and Take Care,

Coach Curley

GRADUATION

G o for it.
R each for the stars.
A ccept compliments.
D are all your dreams.
U ncover new talents.
A nticipate great things.
T ake chances along the way.
I magine the possibilities.
O pen new doors.
N ever stop believing.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Derby and Momentum


The Derby and Momentum


I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky.
Having only visited on occasion since I left for college in 1982
I never took notice of the many majestic hills.

I had the chance to visit the ole' stomping grounds last weekend for the Kentucky Derby: the most exciting two minutes in sport.

While visiting I ventured out with my wife, an excellent runner,
and my sister, a triatlete that has twice competed in the Hawaiian Ironman.

Each morning prior to the day's activities  
We took off with no direction or milege in mind.
Quickly, I realized that walking in my childhood home town
has its ups and downs, literally.

During the 45 minute excursions I found myself acutely aware of any horizontal plane. 
The only consistent flat surfaces I spied

was the water at the lake, and my sister's flat-feet as
she pointed out specific landmarks and historical homes.

15 minutes into our journeys, I looked forward to every downhill.
Each one giving me a little extra push as I encountered the next uphill.
I liken that feeling to the way a 18-wheeler must feel
traveling through Colorado or parts of Tennessee.
Speed ever increasing on the downhill, and maintaining
that speed partway up the next hill.

It's called momentum.
I think life is like that.
The more momentum one builds, the farther you'll go.
And the easier it will be when the uphills come along.

I ask you, are you climbing that next uphill
from a dead standstill?
Or are you building momentum?

Take Care,
Coach Curley