The Great Wall and how to Overcome It!

It was widely believed that no human being could run the mile in less than four minutes. The best time was 4 minutes, 1.4 seconds, set in 1945. The record stood strong for several years, and both medical exerts and athletes were unanimous in the view that the four minute barrier could not be broken. “Not possible”, they said. In fact, it was believed that the 4 minute mile was physically impossible, that it could not be beaten without causing significant physical damage to the athlete’s body. And this was commonly accepted as fact.

Then, on 6th May 1954, Roger Bannister did the impossible. At a windy athletic meet in London, England, Roger ran the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, shattering the four minute barrier. John Landy - Roger's rival and an accomplished runner - had until then a personal best time of 4 minutes 1.5 seconds. In fact, after running a mile in under 4 minutes and 2 seconds three times, John said that the four minute barrier was "like a wall". Amazingly 56 days after Bannister conquered the four-minute-mile barrier, John Landy, broke Bannister’s record and ran the mile in 3 minutes 57.9 seconds.

So what happened? Did the human body suddenly get stronger? Was it new technology improving running shoes? Did Bannister have a special training method? None of these really. The reality was... The four minute mile was a psychological barrier more than anything else!

To further prove the point, by the end of 1957, sixteen other runners had run the mile in less than four minutes. What Roger did was prove that the barrier or “wall” was not a physiological one, It was just a mental one. What Roger Bannister did on that windy day was not merely set a new world record; oh no, it was much more historically important than that. He demonstrated that overcoming mental barriers is the key to delivering breakthrough and historical personal performances--performances that affect more than just ourselves. Through overcoming our own limitations we empower others toward success.

The power of your mind is incredible. Your “limiting beliefs” or “mental barriers” are profoundly more powerful than physical or accepted facts. You see the mind cannot distinguish between imagined and real. We all have our beliefs about what we can achieve - and what we can't. And our success is limited by those barriers. Even our effort is often restricted by those barriers. We don't try - because we see those barriers. To our mind it is like driving towards a road closed sign. It already is making other plans, devising another route.

What are you thinking about? What is holding you back? Change your thinking to change your results. What mindsets do you have that are getting in your way? What self limiting beliefs have you accepted as fact, physically impossible?

What is your “Four Minute Mile Barrier”?

Opportunity! Probe the limiting beliefs, mental barriers (like the 4 minute mile), or negative attitudes that you are keeping in your mind. Awareness is the first step to shattering that barrier.

· Write them down.

· Change the “I can’t” to “I will”.

· Stop thinking impossibilities and Start believing in possibilities

· Decide to break through your mental barriers.

The choice is yours. Make the decision and take the action!

A while back I got this sent to me as an email. It is worthwhile to share.
The original email gave Charles Schultz of "Peanuts" fame credit for this. Upon further investigation, I found that only the ending quote is from Schultz.

You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just read it straight through, and
you’ll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember yesterday's headliners.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields, but the applause dies…Awards tarnish…Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz.

See how you do on this one:

1. List three teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult times.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a five people who have made you feel appreciated and special!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. List 3 books that have had an impact on you.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia."
(Charles Schultz)

Now take a moment to consider the reverse of this. The impact you leave on this world, on your community, in your heart, is not about how much money you make, the fame you found, nor the accolades to received. It is about the relationships and people.

You are not an island.

My coaching is all about creating action in your lives. Go get connected. Go connect. Decide now to take action to connect with another person. Write a letter, call someone to meet for lunch, attend a community meeting. Do this with the intention of the other person. Love is a powerful emotion.

Are you ready to invest in yourself for 2009?

2 Day Coach Training on January 24th and 25th.

I will be conducting the first 2 Day Intensive Coach Certification Class for Northern Colorado this month. I still have spots available.

Are you interested in becoming a Life Coach or an Executive Coach? If so, the Certified Coaches Federation offers a two-day certification course which will give you the title of Certified Coach Practitioner™. Included in the course tuition, is a full twelve-months of support via our Continuing Education program. Our program gives you the tools, methods and business techniques to immediately apply what you easily learn in this experiencial training.

Our students tend to be experts and professionals in another field. We have trained as coaches: doctors, lawyers, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, corporate managers, corporate facilitators, corporate trainers, business owners, yoga instructors, massage therapists, nurse practitioners, real estate agents, holistic practitioners, travel agents, astrologers, sports coaches, authors, certified financial planners, science of mind practitioners, salespeople, organizational consultants, venture capitalists, teachers, nutritionists, project managers, professors and active coaches who wanted certification.

So if you are ready to help others make 2009 their best year and you are ready to invest in yourself, contact me today.

I'll be speaking to World Financial Group associates in Fort Collins on January 8th. I will be putting to life the last post I had on here. I will report back how it goes.

Also I am new to twitter and will be posting my own ramblings on there also and I welcome followers. Here are a few of what I have going on in 2009, share with me what you have going on. In most of the presentations I do I point out that the presentations are interactive. That means it requires audience participation to get the full experience. This is true with this blog also, it is interactive. It only is successful when you participate.