What’s your 1:59?

Here’s your weekly shot of tips, nuggets and pearls.

Despite a morning meditation practice that sets me up for the day, the minute I “switch on” I’m constantly at the mercy of distraction. Checking my phone for texts, emails, updates, indeed any form of notification feels as addictive as the smoking habit I originally gave up for meditation!

What I’m reading

Which is why I’m delighted to read Ryan Holiday’s latest book Stillness is the Key.  It’s essence is to be steady while the world spins around you. So, if you’re looking to declutter your mind, find a path to inner peace, calm and slow down to charge up, you may find this book is for you.

What I’m practising

R A I N is an elegant and incredibly powerful tool for practising mindfulness and compassion: I’ve turned to this mediation whenever I’ve felt resistance to let go and trust in my life. Just as you wouldn’t expect to have a dream physique from 1 session in the gym, work with this process over time and rest in that space of greater awareness.

• Recognise what is happening (roots of understanding)
• Allow life to be just as it is (grounds of love)
• Investigate with gentle attention (deepens understanding)
• Nurture (awakens love)

Meditation: The RAIN of Compassion (35.54 min) – A guided meditation by Tara Brach

Inspiring quote that inspires me

When was the last time you ran a 100 meters? As in literally sprinted as fast as your legs would go and crossed the line knowing you couldn’t have run any faster? I bet you wouldn’t be able to do 2 sprints back to back without your legs turning to jelly and your lungs busting for air.

Now imagine putting yourself in the shoes of Eliud Kipchoge. To break the mark of 1:59 and cover a total of 26.2 miles, he had to run 100m in 17.08 seconds 422 times in a row at a speed of 21.1kph (13.1 mph). It pushes the limits of human achievement to the levels of incredulity.

In the moment of celebration, Kipchoge’s coach Patrick Sang summed it up beautifully:

“He has inspired all of us and shown that we can stretch the limits in our life. For the sport, it is a challenge to other young athletes that they can perform better than they think. For humanity, it shows you can move to another level. History has been made. It’s unbelievable.”

Moments like this remind me of why I went into coaching. “To help ordinary people achieve the extraordinary. To do things they haven’t done before.”

What’s your 1:59 challenge?

Do you need some help with that?