Internal Conflict: Are You Defending or Learning? (#105)

Awareness
Awareness
Internal Conflict: Are You Defending or Learning? (#105)
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β€œWhen there is no internal conflict there is no external competition.” – Roger Anthony
Those words helped me change my approach and my results.
It has allowed me to embrace the learning when I see someone performing better than I am: π’˜π’‰π’‚π’• 𝒂𝒓𝒆 π’•π’‰π’†π’š π’…π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 π’…π’π’Šπ’π’ˆ?

Last year, I was out cross-country skiing on one of my favorite runs called Heckman. It’s an expert run, and it has a very long, grinding climb.

On that day, I was heading up Heckman and way in the distance behind me I saw a couple of skiers.Β  As I continued to ski, I noticed that they were rapidly gaining on me – even though I was skiing as hard as I knew how to ski.

I was drenched in sweat, and I knew that it was only a matter of minutes before they passed me, so I thought:

β€œWell, I can’t out ski them so I might as well learn from them!”

I stopped and stood to the side, and I studied their technique, which was far more advanced than mine.Β 

They were exerting FAR less energy than I was AND they were WAY faster!

That moment forever changed the way that I skied, and I have been working on that technique ever since.Β  It has transformed me as a skier.Β 

I hate to admit this, but I know in my younger days (when I was ultra-competitive about everything!), I would have found a way to dismiss why they were faster.Β 

But I would have missed the learning.

Now, I just want to continue to get better.

It’s like Nelson Mandela said: β€œI never lose.Β  I either win or learn.” If you want to hear more on this, check out this short episode.Β 

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