Apply yourself

Two words that rang true. That stuck with me all day.

In the morning I listen to the radio announcers work their talents over the airwaves on the drive in to work. I listen to my colleagues when they converse with me in the hallway (when I all I want to do is get to my desk and put my bags down so it doesn't look like I've just arrived at 9 am). I listen and listen and listen. In one ear, out the other.

Not a lot sticks. I have days where people's lips move and I nod, but don't really pay attention until importance strikes a chord and I have to plug in and politely ask for a rephrase of the question. But today I was talking to one of my work cycle buddies about triathlons. Lets call him Lance.

Lance did the last Gatorade triathlon of the season 750m/20k ride/5k run yesterday. What was impressive was that it was his first triathlon, and he hadn't swum for 6 months. What trumped that effort tho, was the story of Lance's mate who almost drowned (figuratively) in a mini-triathlon, then 1 year later went on to do an Ironman in Busselton 3.8k swim/180k ride/42.2k run. So thats all it took. 1 year. Ironman.

What got the cogs in my head ticking was when Lance asked if I wanted to do it. Instantly I was thinking YES!! Thats when the cogs went into overdrive, and the over-analysis part of my frontal lobes took over.
"Wait..... I was thinking of doing the Melbourne marathon, and that in itself means pounding endless miles of concrete to build the training base."
Lance nods like he has an answer but doesn't want to tell me yet.
I keep going. "A marathon is just one third of the ironman. You also have to swim and ride. That means you would have to train three times as much"
Lance does another half nod in agreeance, "Every day".
And then the magic sticky words gracefully resonated out into the world.
"All you have to do is to really apply yourself."

I would not imagine these to be climatic words. But those words rung through my head like the piercing pitch of a freshly hit giant triangle in the school choir big band.

"Just apply yourself". "Everyday".

Homebound and driving later in the evening, I was running through ideas on how to apply things. Like cooking or fishing. I can read all the recipes I can handle, that will keep my cooking ability ticking along, but the only thing that can help me become a better cook, is by actually cooking.

Application. Everyday.

The cycle then is kept interesting when I then get to play the detective game to solve the inevitable roadblock which allows me to add another feather to my cap (and eventually reach top chef status, or "liberation").

Not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. Best summed up by the following quote, which I will end with and use as the quote of the day.

"Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation"
(old Tibetan saying)

(personal translation: You can understand every aspect of cooking by reading recipes and watching Ramsay or Blumental. But it's not until you've put things into practice that you realize what works for you and what does not.

And it is not until you've been through all the infinte motions and lessons, that you will uncover whatever it is you are truely looking for. And it is then, you will have achieved your liberation.

Apply yourself! Everyday.