Self-Actualization and Empty Stadiums
During my motivational talks, I often stress the importance of self-actualization, maximizing who we are not for external gain but for internal satisfaction. Over my 17-year swimming career I certainly tried to win medals and would not have turned down a Speedo sponsorship deal. But I felt that achieving personal best times and improving myself […]
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Heavy Lifting
Mick Jaggar and the Rolling Stones proposed that, “We can’t always get what we want… but we get what we need”. I see this as a positive assessment of reality. Since the onset of Covid19, everyone has taken hits. Plans and populations have been decimated as circumstances beyond our control shaped our lives. Economies and […]
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Surfing Through Limitations
I see surfing as an analogy for life. I paddle into the chaotic white-water made by in-coming waves in order to get beyond the impact zone. Once outside I wait for the right wave and once chosen, I paddle like crazy to catch the wave (I’m on a foam boogie board so its harder and […]
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Artist-in-Residence
Backpacking alone overland by bus and train through China, Tibet, Nepal, India and Pakistan for 16 months with a total monthly spend of $100 was possible in the 1980’s. Noodles and naan were inexpensive and sleeping in train or bus stations was free. Carving a line through Asia, I managed to do a lot with […]
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Isolation
One year ago this week, I stopped moving beyond my neighborhood, and mostly beyond my bedroom- something that hasn’t happened to me in 40 years. It has been a year of changes, of highs and lows, and stillness. Perhaps the hardest part has been allowing myself to be okay with doing less. Accepting that this […]
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Seeking Satisfaction
As a child, swimming and painting were fun activities, which inadvertently strengthened my body and spirit. At 18, I began seriously competing in the Paralympics and when I was 24, I moved from California to Taiwan to study Chinese arts. Swimming had massive benefits including a healthy body and mind, international travel and self-confidence from […]
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Feathered Friends and Enemies
Since my teens, I have observed birds. I’m attracted to all kinds of birds from eagles to swallows. Throughout my life birds have been messengers, reminding me of more ethereal or intuitive perspectives on life. Maybe it’s in embracing their point of view; flying fearlessly, undeterred, watching the world below, which gives me some solace, […]
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Rebooting in my Backyard
It’s not a mystery but to stay grounded and happy, each of us needs to take care of our mental, physical and emotional well-being. For me, at a minimum, it is essential that I spend time painting, swimming, writing, hiking and/or biking. When I practice these activities, like meditating, the practice builds up positive internal […]
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The Little Engine that Could
As a boy navigating the challenges of polio, sometimes life sucked. Why couldn’t I effortlessly run around like my friends? Why did heavy metal braces and crutches encumber me? I felt God had short-changed me. Sometimes I would cry myself to sleep at night. But on other nights, Mom would read me a book called, […]
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Discretionary Energy
Four large spotted wood owls nest in a rain-tree along my running path. Two adults and two offspring. The adults sit patiently at dusk; resting and gathering the strength needed for the night’s hunt. The offspring jump and flit from branch to branch perhaps unconcerned or unaware of what is needed for the challenges ahead. […]
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