Image by phogel via Flickr

I was on the final leg of my third workout of the morning. It was a perfect summer morning and as I pulled up to a red light on my bike I exhaled into a smile. Another rider pulled up beside me. He was over 6 feet tall, muscular and clearly a far more experienced rider than me. We chatted about the day and the beautiful weather until the light changed. As we said our ‘’good days’ in one fluid motion he was nearly a block ahead of me. Without even thinking, I gave chase. I ignored my already weary legs, dug down and began pedaling faster than I ever had (I only took up riding again two months ago). The world around me became a blur as I focused on one thing – catching my opponent.

I did catch up two lights later. This time I came to my senses and my destination and did not give chase when the light changed. I admit, I have a bit of a competitive streak (it’s why I hate the gym, I always want to be the last one standing on the treadmill) but it’s mostly harmless. As I replayed the ride, I realized that trying to keep pace with a more experienced, faster rider had allowed me to push through to a new level. In my quest to keep up with a stronger opponent I had forgotten “my place” and simply rode like the wind.

In the days following my wild ride, I rode faster and harder, because I knew I could. My confidence soared right along with the numbers on my heart rate monitor. I had a new base thanks to my competitor.

People that are better than you are, whether it’s in sports or business, are an essential part of your own growth. If we surround ourselves with people on or below our level we may never know our own capabilities. Challenge yourself to explore your own limits by competing with someone you know is faster, stronger and smarter than you. You may not beat them but you are guaranteed to up your own game.

In business and life, there is never a lack of opponents. While I am not suggesting that we constantly pursue world domination, it is healthy to challenge yourself to compete at a higher level. It is easy to become complacent with our success, especially if we are the top dog in the puppy store. But, it is so satisfying when we push a little harder and discover that we are capable of even more.

Who is stronger, better, faster than you in your industry or job? How can you compete with them in a way that makes you better?

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Having grown up and lived on the West Coast for most of my life, I was never far from the Pacific Ocean.  Stress, overwhelm, fear, and heartache were always soothed by time spent with the ocean air blowing across my face and the calming sound of the lapping waves. Unlike so many others across the globe water was available to nourish my body and my mind.  Without clean water, there is risk of disease and even death. Nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean water. I was shocked to learn:

• African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink.
• Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.
• Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa.

“Filthy water cannot be washed.”–African Proverb

While clean water is a scarcity for some, over-industrialized countries suffer from over consumption:

• Did you know that it takes 24 liters of water to produce one single hamburger?
• It takes half a liter of water to charge an iPhone which means 40 million liters of water to charge the iPhones of the more than 80 million active iPhone users.
• It has been said that women have to try on 20 pairs of jeans before finding the right fit. Those jeans however are more than a serious investment of your time, each pair takes 6,813 liters of water to produce.

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to witness the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners. The rescue effort has been a model of crisis management. The government took swift action and called on international expertise. People came together without a political or personal agenda but united with one single purpose – to free the trapped miners. Today we have the opportunity to play a part in our own miracle. Today we can speak with a single voice and help bring clean water to those in need.

What you can do:

The official charity of Age of Conversation 3 is charity:water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.. Charity Water is also one of the participating partners for Blog Action Day. Today, we’d like to make a major splash on the Amazon charts and raise money for charity:water.

1. Buy the Book and send others to buy the book. If you work in an agency, get your agency to purchase multiple copies and give them out as year end gifts. This is the #1 call to action, because this is where we want to see the most impact. NOTE: Please buy 1 copy at a time because Amazon counts bulk orders once, and please use these affiliate links, which will help us in tracking sales. Remember, all the proceeds from the book sales and referrals will go to charity water:
   • Kindle Version
   • Paperback Version
   • Hardcover Version

Together, we CAN make a difference.

This post is a contribution to Blog Action Day 2010. Were you aware of the lack of clean water for so many people? What does water mean to you?

Related articles

• Blog Action Day – and the Age of Conversation (servantofchaos.com)
• Why people of faith should care about clean water? (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
• Join The Bum Rush For Blog Action Day (smallbusinessmavericks.com)

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Dynamic flow with breath is a mantra in the practice of certain types of yoga. I often hear it as I quiet my mind and focus on breath and movement during practice. It came to me today while reading and the words” let it go” seemed to leap from the page. Let it go – words that I had said often lately to myself and others.  Words that encouraged letting go of the old self, of old wounds and even old victories that kept me stuck in the past unable to fully embrace and enjoy the here and now.  I am not new to yoga but somehow today it was as if scattered pieces of a puzzle magically assembled into a picture that I fully saw and the magnitude of the whole made me gasp with the weighty revelation.

Breath is crucial to yoga practice, you inhale to create space and you exhale to let go, and go deeper. Breath and movement, a dynamic stillness that is active yet calm.  It is no wonder that the yin yang of this practice allows us to experience our whole selves in such remarkable ways.

When the pose is challenging the inhale brings energy preparing you to flow with the exhale. The human tendency is to clinch and tighten in difficult moments but yoga teaches you to breathe into the tightness, to direct your breath where it is needed, release and gently push a little deeper. As you exhale the fear, doubt and self defeating poisons to your soul, you flow a little deeper, and stretch a little farther. If you attempted to hold your breath or inhale to go deeper you would hinder your movement.

Life challenges can cause us to inhale at the wrong moments. We receive a frightening diagnosis, lose a job, hit a speed bump in our business and we hold our breath. Giving into the process seems counterintuitive. The last thing we want in times of challenge or crisis is to go toward what causes us pain. We groan at the discomfort unwilling to believe that we can embrace the discomfort and push past it to release.

Yet, without the free flow of oxygen we hinder exactly what we are trying to gain – forward movement. Our vision becomes truncated and we tighten the field and constrict our muscles rather than breathing and going just a bit farther. We hold in self-limiting thoughts, we rationalize away the possibility of more movement and we hurt even more because as we hold it all in we groan and create more resistance.

When we inhale to gain strength and exhale into the flow of life we become elongated and more flexible. We become better and stronger because we have learned to breathe in and out, to adjust to the pacing, relax our jaw at the right moment and to give ourselves over to dynamic flow. We learn the art of steely stillness, an intensely focused quiet that is both still and active.

I have been told that yoga is referred to as “yoga practice” because you are always progressing and getting better, never arriving at one final victory. Isn’t this true of life as well? The trick is remembering to breathe and go with rather than against the flow. And thankfully, we have many opportunities to progress with practice.

How’s your breath today? Do you hold your breath or let go when faced with challenge?

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