Tag Archive Motivation

Tomorrow, May 16th 2019, I’m driving from New York City to Colorado, to climb my first 14er. All being well weather wise, I’m hoping to get to the summit of Mount Elbert, which at 14,439 feet, is the highest peak in Colorado. It’s the highest, but by no means the most difficult, hence it’s popularity as a first 14er. The drive alone should be interesting; a 3,800 mile round trip, retracing much of the route I used while cycling across America in 2016. As for Mount Elbert itself, that part represents something of a step into the unknown. Thats where the adventure challenge kicks in.

The drive from New York City to Leadville, CO.

The Colorado 14er’s

There are 58 mountain peaks in Colorado at over 14,000 feet elevation. Collectively, they are referred to as The 14er’s, and the adventure challenge of climbing them all has become something of an obsession to many. I don’t know how many I’ll end up climbing in the long term (some are technical and dangerous), but I’ll start with Elbert and take it from there.

Why Solo Adventure Challenges?

A solo adventure challenge into the wilderness conjures up therapeutic benefits which are difficult to explain. Maybe because we are far removed from the noise and stress of our regular lives, we are forced to look at ourselves, and the beauty of nature around us. There is a feeling of oneness with the world, especially in the mountains. I prefer to go solo, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I love the beautiful silence when high altitude hiking. Secondly, I like to be focused. Taking on a solo adventure challenge, negates the need for nagging thoughts of keeping up with or impressing others. Instead, it’s a journey of self-discovery, of learning and of self-leadership.

The main reason I like to go solo on an adventure challenge is because I think if I want to achieve something, I should be the one to put in the hard work. My Inca Trail adventure challenge in December 2018 for example, was a lot of fun, but it bothered me that I had a guide, and had to rely on porters to carry my tent. That didn’t sit well with me, and definitely took away from the feeling of accomplishment when I finally reached Machu Picchu. I prefer the feeling that I am relying on myself, and that I have to motivate and encourage myself. That way, I know if I make progress, it’s because I worked hard for it. Conversely, if I get sluggish or feel like quitting, then I know there is something I need to work on.

Solo Adventures and Mindfulness

The principles that drive self-motivation and self-leadership on solo adventures are as applicable in our careers and lives in general. They form the basis of the mindfulness and motivation workshops I deliver. Mindfulness is essentially focused attention on the present. Being in the present moment means we can focus on the specific task at hand at any given moment. We are able to shut out the unnecessary negative thoughts. On a mountain, as with riding across America, hiking the Inca Trail or on any other adventure challenge, we don’t need to complete the entire challenge all at once. Our best performance comes when we focus on completing a task one moment at a time. One step at a time. One tiny piece at a time. Often, while discouraged, looking at the enormity of the overall challenge can trigger negative and stressful thoughts, which ironically further hinder our progress. Mindfulness in the wilderness is a beautiful thing, but also an amazing way to understand ourselves, and what drives us forward in our careers and lives.

Mindful motivation and leadership is as applicable in the office as it is on a solo adventure. Focused attention improves performance, increases confidence and reduces stress. 

Adventure Dedicated to…

Previously, I used an adventure to fundraise for a charity. Thats not something I will be doing again. Money does not solve all problems.

Despite sharing an enormous amount of personal experience and emotion about adventure challenges on this blog, I haven’t as yet touched on the important core reasons for doing what I do. That will come later. My book, which has the working title Falling Up will hopefully go to print in late 2019 or early 2020. The philosophy behind falling up is essentially a lesson in self help, self-motivation and the power of mindful positivity.

Not having direction or focus can happen to any of us, at any time. Despite how it may feel, we are not alone, and we are not a lost cause. In fact, we can not only come back from our downs, but turn our downs into ups. There is no more solid foundation on which to build from than rock bottom. The greatest adventure challenge we can embark on is awareness and improvement of self, and it starts with mindfulness and meditation.

We all experience hardship or suffering at some point. It is temporary, it is not our reality, and there is a way through it. Life can deal us tough hands. It can happen because of depression or anxiety, following an accident, while grieving, from the despair of addiction, from relationship problems or from body related self-conscious issues such as weight etc. Sometimes it can simply happen by trying to keep up with the pace and expectation of life itself.

To anyone affected by any of those issues, I hope that by going on adventure challenges, and sharing my experiences, I can be of some small help in showing that there is a greater perspective. It IS possible to regroup, recover and refocus; and when we do, we can achieve things far beyond what we ever thought possible. I’m going up this mountain as much for you as I am for me.

Why Awareness is so Important

Living (or existing) without self awareness is akin to gambling. It is like going all in on a poker hand when you have not even looked at your cards. Living this way can make life seem chaotic. Self-Awareness is important because it gives us the power to more accurately determine what we are able to achieve, based on how and where we are at any given time. We make better choices because we know ourselves better. Our choices are better ones, and so self awareness boosts confidence in our own abilities. These are the fundamental building blocks of motivation.

Awareness and Motivation

We are all inspired. Some are inspired to do something, or buy something so that they can compete with others. Some take on huge challenges to fill the void. But those who first get to know themselves before looking for inspiration are at an advantage. Awareness of self when working towards a goal offers clear benefits. We know that we want what it is that we are working towards. We know that whatever else happens that is beyond our control, we won’t quit because of self-doubt. We won’t give up because we get half way through and come to realize that we don’t want to achieve the goal. We will keep going until we have achieved what we set out to achieve.

Self-Awareness and Self-Doubt

Everybody has them. Negative thoughts can appear from nowhere. They can certainly take a lot longer to pass than they do to appear. Whether it is for self-motivation to complete a task, or for inner-peace, it is virtually impossible to give our best if we entertain negative thoughts. What defines us depends entirely upon how well we bat those negative thoughts away. Being aware and using mindfulness brings us back into the present moment, where the negative thoughts are deprived of the fuel they need.

Self-Awareness and The Watcher

When practicing any sort of self-development, we will encounter obstacles. Perhaps days when we are not at our best. Being able to observe our thoughts, and how those thoughts determine our moods, and how those moods restrict our performance is a powerful tool to have to call upon. This ability to watch our own thoughts and actions is referred to as being the observer, or the watcher. Learning to self-critique in this way allows us to understand ourselves better, and from there we can give a much better account of ourselves. Guru Eckhart Tolle describes this ability to self observe as employing the powers of ‘the silent watcher.’

“Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain.”

Analogy for Awareness

To help us better understand how awareness can help us, think of it as being like the GPS system in a car navigation system. The screen on the dashboard, the maps it displays and the address we enter as our destination, are all of little use unless we first pinpoint where we are. Practicing self-awareness techniques such as mindfulness helps us to ping the satellites and determine where we are in our physical and emotional world. Once we have our true starting position, we are much better equipped to set out to achieve our destinations and goals.

As I cycled on The Katy Trail in Missouri, approximately two thirds of the way into the charity challenge of riding across America and Ireland; a new mantra came to mind: See the good in everyone – especially yourself. Thinking about that sentence, and all that it entails, gave me increased awareness of my motivation. From that point onwards, I picked up the pace and put myself in a position where I was able to reach New York City on my target date of August 14th 2016.

I had a beautifully peaceful and spiritual experience overlooking this Missouri River sunset – by connecting with my motivation

Later that same day, I crossed the great Missouri River. I stopped and stared in awe at the amazing sunset. That led to several minutes of beautiful quiet time, reflection and meditation. When eating my supper later still, I wondered if I would have even noticed that sunset and had that peaceful spiritual moment on the bridge, had I not been thinking about my new mantra. Having the conviction to hold true to a genuine motivation cuts out a lot of stressful and unnecessary thoughts, and opens the door for newer, more beautiful emotions and experiences. You can be self confident without being cocky. When you are sure of your motivation, you can see the world from a different perspective.

When I announced that I was doing Trans Atlantic Cycle to raise funds and awareness for The Irish Cancer Society, I didn’t give too much background, or explain my motivation for doing such an epic challenge. Despite some people telling me that I wouldn’t do it, I shouldn’t do it or that I couldn’t do it; I am doing it. My motivation is strong – because it came from within. I knew that I could do it – one day at a time.

For a long number of years, I bent over backwards to seek approval from others; probably because I doubted myself so much. Sometimes we are our own worst critics. Self doubt is a ball and chain that we must cast off. I was once dependent upon others to grant me happiness and contentment. I was willing to do things that were detrimental to my own wellbeing and peace of mind, in the pursuit of winning approval from others. I now see that for the folly that it was.

Two years ago I fell from an electric bicycle. The injuries were very painful, and the trauma was a heavy burden to bear. I slipped into self-pity which compounded things. It took a long time to find treatment, but I was eventually referred to Philip O’Rourke. During my sessions with Philip, I realized that I had to face my fear and get back on a bicycle. To do this, I had to look deep within myself, and start to build from the bottom up. When I eventually felt better, we discussed the possibility of doing a cycle to celebrate the fact that I was well again. A case of, “hair of the dog that bit you”. I started to think about doing a charity fundraiser. Philip is a cancer survivor, and had been given invaluable help by The Irish Cancer Society during his recovery. It seemed fitting that I should help the charity that helped the man who helped me. It completes a nice little circle of giving.

Cycling alone across America is by no means a decision that you come to lightly. I weighed it up. And then it occurred to me: there are thousands of poor souls in Ireland who are fighting cancer, or grieving a loved one, who would jump on a bike in a heart beat if only it would make things better. The realization that I was blessed and fortunate enough to have recovered from my accident was enough to inspire me to take on Trans Atlantic Cycle. It is a tiny challenge compared to what many others have to face.

When I realized that I could experience peace and serenity by counting the blessings that I have instead of lamenting the things that I don’t have, my view of life changed. Isn’t it funny that when we pledge to help others (instead of trying to impress them), that we actually find peace and contentment ourselves? And when we concentrate only on our own material needs, we oft times encounter discontent and unhappiness? And so, armed with this attitude and motivation, on June 14th 2016, against all the odds, I was standing at the pier in San Francisco with my trusteed Peggy, about to set off alone across the United States of America. I was happy, at peace with what lay ahead, and confident that I would have the conviction to complete what I set out to do.

I meditate every day while cycling. And afterwards I make a point of counting my blessings. Most days, the first blessing that comes to mind is that I have my health, and that I was able to get up out of bed and face another day. In the past, I focused on negatives. Now I count my blessings, and the gratitude that this brings always gives me a good head start to the day.

I passed this poignant sign outside a a presbyterian church in rural Illinois. Such a powerful message.

I have faced many obstacles during Trans Atlantic Cycle. The Sierra Nevada’s came very early and were too much for my legs. It took three attempts to make it over Echo Summit. I was exhausted and had to rest for two days at South Lake Tahoe. The heat in Nevada caused all sorts of issues. I was dehydrated and had diarrhea in Utah. I was gasping in the thin air near the top of Monarch Pass, the 11,300 foot summit where I scaled The Rockies. I fell coming out of The Rockies. I was faced off by a mountain lion in Montrose, Colorado. I had to ask the police for assistance when it looked like I couldn’t find a place to stay late in the evening in Sacramento. I have had countless tough days. But one thing has been constant: my motivation to do this.

I believe that Trans Atlantic Cycle is 75% mental and 25% physical. I believe that if your mental attitude and motivation are right, you can overcome any obstacle to achieve your goal. There is always a way.

Brooklyn Bridge and Freedom Tower in New York City. Both of these were difficult projects, but when completed they signify growth, freedom, movement and a bright future. I thought that was a very symbolic thought as I entered Manhattan.

I am writing this as I rest up in New York City, before moving on to Ireland, where I will ride from Letterkenny to Dublin, to the offices of The Irish Cancer Society. I am thinking about a few lines from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘IF’:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;

If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

Regardless of whether or not I complete Trans Atlantic Cycle, I hope that I am showing that even from the darkest place, you can find the light of hope. When I was asked to dig deep to find the will to face my fears and get back on a bicycle, I inadvertently found so much more, locked away inside. I am so much stronger than I thought I was. I have goodness within me. I discovered those things by finding silence and calmness through meditation. I learned to be able to give myself a pat on the back instead of flailing myself for no good reason based on what other people might think of me.

Trans Atlantic Cycle has been an amazing journey and adventure. It has been the most spiritual time in my life. I have seen the world from many different perspectives. Perspective is my favorite word. It is the first step in The Paris Method. Getting grounded and finding out about yourself in an unbiased way is a complete revelation.

No matter how fragile you may feel initially, you can build strong motivation to achieve your goals by using fundamental positives as the first building blocks. Rock bottom is the best place from which to build any strong foundation. A little over a year ago, I barely had the motivation to go out to the local shop. Now, I have cycled over three and a half thousand miles across America on my own.

I am not too sure what lies ahead – although I have an idea of what my future will be like. For now, I am returning to that silent, spiritual place which I get to by practicing The Paris Method, and whatever I discover about myself there, I know that it will be genuine, true and in my own best interests regardless of how others see it. I have learned to see the good in people – especially myself. I have been turning a negative experience (my bicycle fall) in to a positive outcome (raising funds and awareness for The Irish Cancer Society). But most of all, I have learned how to find peace. For years I searched frantically for it. I looked for it in other people, through vacations, in material possessions, inside bottles (thats a whole other story), and in many more ways and places. And all the while, it was there with me all the time, deep inside of me. I just had to figure out how to find it, and believe in it.

People have asked me if I prayed during my journey. I most certainly did. But I wasn’t praying for my needs, I was saying wordless prayers of gratitude for being given the time, the health and the energy to do what I am doing. I can honestly say that I breathed in every last drop of what my journey across the United States of America had to offer me. It was and is, a life-changing experience.

Thanks for reading. I hope that Trans Atlantic Cycle is the start of a spiritual adventure of continued personal growth, and I hope that I can continue to do a little bit to help others – instead of trying to impress them. That is my motivation going forward.