This past July, my three brothers completed an Ironman Triathlon, which consisted of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, ending with a full marathon (26.2 miles). Being a spectator of this event was truly remarkable. Seeing all the amazing and outstanding athletes come in left me speechless, and to see three of my brothers come in!
This type of race, like many others, involves huge mental fortitude. For this particular race, athletes were physically using their bodies for eight to fifteen hours. That is a very long time; and as they say, your mind tends to give up way before your body does. So, in terms of training for this race, the athletes had to train their minds to be able to successfully finish. Let’s think about this for a second… If people can train their minds to finish an Ironman Triathlon, we should be able to train our minds in order to feel happy and peaceful, right? Of course!
It is a simple concept, but many people tend to make it difficult (as it’s not always easy!). Some days it is easier to think happy thoughts and stay positive than others. That is completely normal. You must have heard the expression, “keep it simple.” Well, it is true. Happiness comes from the inside, as does a feeling of freedom and peace. It does not come from a car, money, or a pair of shoes. As The Secret has pointed out, good thoughts generate good feelings, and bad thoughts generate bad feelings. When we feel a negative emotion, it is an indication that we need to stop our train of thought and hop on a different train, one that makes us feel better.
The type of mindset that I am writing about also includes envisioning what you want for yourself. My brothers had to be able to envision themselves completing an Ironman way before they did the actual race. This goes for anything in life. If you can see yourself doing something, then you absolutely can!
Unfortunately, the opposite it also true. If you can’t see yourself having the body you want or having your dream job, chances are you won’t. All in all, take what the amazing Ironman athletes taught me: Use your mind to create endless positive possibilities in your life. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to feel free and at ease. You deserve all the things you desire. Continuously put your mind in the right place, and the world is yours. Who has time for anything negative, anyway?
Published August 8, 2012 at 3:26 PM
About Ashley Rau
I am a high school teacher from Long Island, New York. My passions are health, fitness, mind, body and soul. I am an aspiring self-help and inspirational writer. My goal is to inspire young adults to lead positive and healthy lifestyles.
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Twitter: @ashleyrrau