My momentum began in August when I gave a talk to 75 business people in Kettering, Northamptonshire. It was a great night, fantastic energy and a well executed surprise; fortunately the night was filmed and part of it will be available online soon. As a result of that night good energy seemed to build and September was a month of great activity, busier times and much vigour. In the middle of September my martial arts teacher, Richard Bustillo, came over from the USA. Richard has been in martial arts for 60 years and I always feel a boost when I spend time with him. A weekend away in a hotel helped as did the great company and camaraderie of the crowd we were with. It was also interesting to me how my enthusiasm for teaching was also boosted. Interspersed with all this was a presentation on communication and another talk, this time in Norwich.
As I look back at September I have to say it's been the best month of the year, despite some personal issues and a blip in my training programme. Overall, it was great. The sunshine at the end was an extra boost. A reminder that rain will follow, but we'll always remember the high temperatures of a hot autumn. Did anyone else find the trees changing colour with their leaves odd on such hot days? Or the fact that the sun has been going down so quickly in the evening slightly concerning? Dark follows light and light follows dark. We know this to be true and yet still we procrastinate, we waste time; we blame external forces for our demise. Another thing I've done this month is get tidy and organised. For someone like me this is a real challenge. I am naturally a messy person and to be tidy requires work. The point is that the reward of being tidy has made me put in the work. Now it feels good. It's just keeping the discipline up.
As you look back over the summer months what have you decided to throw away? What have you decided to keep? Have any of you decided to bring back stuff from the past? Things like old friends or music or watching old dvd's. In the 6 months until we see anything like these temperatures again what have you decided to do? I'm intrigued, totally by my future. A year ago I made a decision that didn't work out at all, so my 6 months from October 2010 until April 2011 were tough emotionally, I'm hoping for an easier trip this year. What I've learnt in the 12 months since the decision last year I couldn't have learnt without those experiences so i guess I am now a wiser man, but sometimes that wisdom takes it's own fee. As I write this (near midnight) I know it's time for bed and to attack and enjoy another new day tomorrow. The trick, of course, is to learn to absorb and experience. To quote one of my favourite phrases 'Research your own experience, absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own creation'. The first line is the most important as without that you can never know what is useful or useless. And such is life. Research, take risks, find love, take the hits, move on and face another day. Bye, bye fair summer; you were an unusual beast.