Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Run with your mind!

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I read an article where the author, Prakash Iyer, narrates an interesting story told to him by a retired Brigadier.

The Brigadier was an engineer who had joined the army.  Unlike his peers, he was one of the few not from the National Defence Academy, and therefore did not have the usual physical training they were used to.  One of his first tests of endurance was to run a distance of ten miles. While the rest were doing it with relative ease, he was struggling and after a while he was close to giving up, when he heard his Commanding Officer shout out - Come on , young man, up till now you have been running with your legs.  Now run with your mind!  The words didn't just work that one time, it remained with him for the rest of his life.

The article appeared in a Career magazine. To stress the point that success in life is not just by talent and physical ability.  Now, why do I need to read one of those?  Maybe I don't, not at this stage, where I have no career change to make.  But I still like to browse through them. They are quite inspiring.  And I believe if something works well at the office, it will work at home too.

While the article was meant to inspire the young to seek bigger avenues in life and not give up in their struggle, I have decided to apply it to my now present obsession of getting my weight back on track. Over the last 30 years, I have gained over 10 kgs.  So many factors, marriage, children, middle age, and a growing sweet tooth.  But the last three kgs beyond the 10 kilos had me on full alert.

My younger one, who normally would have been sprawled on the sofa in the living room was energetic when home  on a short holiday.  It had to with the kick-boxing classes that she was attending. And she took me under her control.  I will teach you some warm-up exercises, she said. As far as I was concerned 'warm- up' meant something one does to 'warm-up' right? Some up and down neck movements, some shoulder and arm exercises.  I was all ready to start.

Like everything else, the word had taken a new meaning.  There was some running, some kicking, stretches, toe-touches, crunches..... and all for a fixed time duration that seemed to stretch to eternity.  It helped, the diwali sweets did not push the needle of the weighing scale to the right anymore. It was static.  That was some achievement.

I am still at it... increasing the number slowly and after I read the article I push myself to do those extra few crunches.  And the needle on the scale is slowly tilting to the left!

.. it helps to run with your mind.

*(image source - Profimedia.com)
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