Commitment Fobia

I came across this poster the other day and my initial reaction was I can't do that.

"Oh, there's a camel in the room" says Ricardo.  I am training for an Ironman and my water intake is at about 20oz per day, max. On weekends, it's more, but that's when I am riding 150km+.

But when I drink (and this statement is not limited to water), I drink.  I mean chug like I haven't had water in days.

So I saw the poster and thought, I can't do that. Why?  Because I have a little pink note on my desk at school that says, "hydrate." I have said it again and again ... "I need to drink more water."

And I haven't.  

So naturally, I feel like because I have failed at this goal time-and-time again, that I will fail again. 

But so what if I do?  Will I be any worse off.  No.  But I am stifled by the words "commitment." 

Does it make me a flake or a hypocrite if I don't "commit" again?

And then I come back to a simple truth.

No, it just makes me dehydrated. 

Throwing a glass back now.

Happy hydrating.

The Bucket list that took me 13 years to Complete (complete making)

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It's the last day of 2012 and I have been sleeping on this list for 13 years.  I am excited about this, so excited that I went out and bought Huck Finn last week.  Who knew the little guy was such a trouble maker.  Enjoy this list, steal the ideas as I did (#65) and  happiest of adventures to ALL. 

In no order of importance:

1.    Participate in the IM World Championships

2.    Be part of a team that raises $1,000,000 for a charity

3.    Complete a 3 day adventure race

4.    Publish an amazing book that speaks from my heart but doesn’t bounce around like my head

5.    Participate in the XTERRA World Championships

6.    Watch the Olympics live

7.    Participate in Escape from Alcatraz triathlon

8.    Watch a live birth - can be my own (April 17, 2015)

9.    Attend Burning Man Festival

10. Be the keynote speaker at a conference

11. Run the Great Wall of China marathon

12. Master a pole-dancing routine

13. Start my own company and take holidays that are out of the school calendar

14. Buy a house in Canada and call it “home”

15. Get rid of the remaining grudges that hold me back

16. Visit the Grand Canyon – and ride mountain bike there

17. Knit something – and give it away

18. Watch every movie that has won an Academy Award for Best Picture.

19. Discover my life’s purpose

20. Open a Swiss bank account

21. See a platypus

22. Ride a camel in the Sahara desert

23. Own a house by a lake (could be married to #16 – or not)

24. Spend a week at a silent retreat

25. Ride a/my bike on all 7 continents (N. America, S. America, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Antarctica)

26. Cross a country on a bicycle

27. Climb one of the worlds seven summits

28. Visit Redwood National Park

29. Fly on a trapeze and dismount with a full back flip

30. Hang my own painting in my home - Done December, 2014 - The bike, the zebra and the Buddha

31.

32. Sleep in an Ice Hotel

33. Buy a round-the-world ticket

34. Pay for a strangers groceries

35. Write myself a letter and read it in 10 years

36. Read the Bible

37. Read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

38. Give Blood

39. Do a fire walk

40. Participate in SEVA Safari for Africa Yoga Project or finish my ambassadorship

41. Be on a game show

42. Golf 18 holes without picking my ball up

43. Run a sub 45 minute 10k

44. Change a car tire

45. Drink wine in Italy with my Colombian crew

46. Buy a car

47.  Become 100% debt free

48. Attend Tony Robbins seminar and make a connection with the man himself

49. Learn to cook my mom’s Yorkshire pudding - close enough - Summer of 2014

50. Learn to bake my mom’s butter tarts

51. Ride in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti

52. Travel by jeep for at least three months in Africa

53. Cook something featured on “The F Word”

54. Teach a yoga class pre-triathlon (preferably pre-Ironman)

55. Master a second language. (None of this 1.6 proficiency BS)

56.  DO A PRESS HANDSTAND

57. Meet Chrissie Wellington and tell her how fabulous she is

58. Do headstand on SUP  … even better, a press handstand - November, 2013

59. Fill an auditorium of people for a yoga class

60. Help build a house for someone other than myself

61. Live in Colorado for at least 6 months

62. Organize a family picture with all of my brothers/sisters/in-laws/nieces and nephews and dad (I think that’s close to 50 people)

63. Make boxed card sets with my mothers artwork

64. Learn the words to the Mexican National Anthem

65. Say YES to someone and have it change his or her life. (Originally from Steph Corker http://stephcorker.com/bucket-list/)

66. Assist at a yoga conference or teacher training

67. Develop a new position for myself called Director of Teacher Wellness

68. Work from wherever, whenever but always be available

69.  Plan and pay for a sister trip to wherever

70. Inspire at least 25 people to try a tri (Leslie, Lauren, Martha, Kristen, Carol, Ron, Rachel, Torrey, Daniel, Martha, Brooke, Trent)

71. Write down 3 things I am grateful every day for a month

72. Make a commercial

73. Be a better communicator

74. Organize a lifetime of photos

75. Publish another article for MindBodyGreen (January, 2013) Click here to read.

76. Learn to play the guitar (again)

77. Make jam or Bailey’s (or both) as Christmas gifts

78. Publish a story for Ironman.com or Triathlete Magazine. 

79. Own a Vespa

80. Complete another meaningful fund raising challenge with Christine Martin

81. Become a Baptiste Certified Yoga Instructor

82. Stop procrastinating (be clear about my priorities)

83. Eat clean for a month

84. Achieve my ideal triathlon weight (I ate 5 chocolates for breakfast yesterday)

85.  Speak to over 1000 people (at the same time)

86. Skateboard down Reforma on a Sunday in Mexico

87. Learn a complete tango choreography with my Ricky P.

88. Throw a surprise party - December 2014

89. Meet up with Val Drake for a glass of wine

90. Race an Ironman with my niece Rachael

91. Volunteer in a disaster relief

92. Take a train across Russia

93. Help build a school

94. Visit the east coast of Canada

95. Hang my stained glass ornaments from childhood on a Christmas tree

96. Host thanksgiving dinner at my home in Canada

97. Create a team of amazing, robust, open-minded power houses and work together on lighting up the world

98. Spend at least a week living off the grid

99. See Riverdance

100.               Visit the Ancient Wonders in Egypt

101.              Donate my hair to locks for love   (July 2013) Click here to read.

Resetting

Since May of 2011 I have been working with four primary values in mind; health, passion, adventure and authenticity.  I’ve managed to fumble my way through the year with a ton of adventure, I’ve been in the best shape of my life (“been in”), I have lived with a vision of what provides the wind in my sails and I have taken off many masks. 

Have I mastered what it means to live these values? No way.  But they are going to have to take the back seat for a bit. 

I am sitting in Oakville, freshly painted toenails, bags packed and I will fly back to Mexico early tomorrow morning.  I have been putting off this post for a week, mostly because I have felt ill-inspired and digging for words was frustrating when there was so many other things to do on the computer (look for land, cottages, an apartment in Mexico, watch Youtube videos, edit photos, Facebook and read news such as who wins this season of the Bachelorette). 

It’s that time again.

P R E S S     T O     R E S E T

This week I was on my way to meet a friend for a bike ride.  As the 18-wheelers cruised at my side, I found myself reeling about my goals and what I want this upcoming year to look like. 

I had considered kyboshing (my favourite word) the ride.  But I am so glad I didn’t.   I just wasn't  feeling motivated … to do one of the things I love the most in the whole world, ride my bike.  Weird.  But like I said, I am so glad I didn’t kybosh it.  While shoulder checking and hammering down on the pedals, three new values seeped into my head.  

Dedication: I will focus on being more dedicated this year, namely to my yoga practice that has yet to become an honest practice.  YET. 

Contribution:  Because I can.

Inspiration:  To be of and to create.

I look forward to the year ahead.  To keeping the wind in my sails and to honing in on what it is that I really have to offer. 

Photo taken from AYP Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/africayogaproject