Know No Boundaries

Resolutions

Well Now. We have just about arrived at the point every year where everyone begins to look back on the year's events & reflect upon what direction that they want to go in the coming year. Have we achieved any of the goals that we set for ourselves or have we once again, allowed circumstances to dictate what we do or do not achieve?

If you are like me, it is probably a bit of both. I have achieved some of my goals while others were pushed aside by "life"; things & circumstances that seemly are out of our control.

Maybe the problem is not life's circumstances. All of this STUFF that seems to side track us happens to all of us yet there are still those who seem to achieve all that they set out to accomplish.

Is this because they are better than us? I say NO. Is this because they have set goals that are easy to achieve? Here I also say NO. Is it because they are not as busy as we are? Once again, I dsay NO.

I believe that the reasons are multifaceted. One reason may be the fact that we do not give much thought to WHAT it is that we actually want to achieve & have not quantified it in terms of something that can be measured. Wanting to loose weight is very easy as we can all looks a pound without much effort if loosing weight had been our goal. I suspect however that we had more weight in mind. How much weight & by when? Wanting to loose 15 pounds by a fixed date gives you something to shoot for & a way to measure your progress & achievement.

We MUST also be passionate about what we want. As humans, we buy, do, consume & like everything based upon emotion. Passion is one of the strongest emotions that exists. This applies to everything from chocolate to selecting a suregon. We must "like" that person or thing (emotion again). We analyze how they/it makes us feel.

With enough passion, we can do practically anything. Just look around or read - passion has been the driving force behind most of what amazes us daily; the blind climber who summits Mount Everest, the bi-amputee who completes a marathon, the laid off worker in their late 60's who starts their own company, . . . .

I say that with the start of 2012, YOU find some quite time, reflect what it is that you are passionate about, write it down in quantifiable & measurable terms and at the stroke of midnight - - GO FOR IT and DO NOT LOOK BACK!

Do not think of failure as failure is not trying & trying again, but not trying at a

1-1-E

Do ONE random act of kindness for at least ONE person EVERY day. (1-1-E)

Can you imagine what our world would be like if we all practiced this? We were all taught the power of compound interest as it applies to our financial wealth but how about applying this to the "interest" that we have in other people!

If we do ONE random act of kindness to ONE person EVERY day & that person in turn does it & so on, we gain the same compounding affect however the wealth built is not a financial windfall, but an emotional & societal windfall unlike you have ever seen.

Once the "interest" that we have in others is compounded day after day, out cities, our states & our countries WILL be changed forever.

You do the math.

Now GO DO IT (1-1-E)

Still Planning to Break Boundaries

Okay, I already know that there are times when events just "happen" & they take us by surprise. It is for these reasons, we need to have the mindset of a boundary breaker. We need to know in our heart of hearts, that we WILL persevere, we WILL become, we WILL be all that God has planned for us. This is no easy task as we are often hit by situations n& circumstances that we do not feel we can overcome. This is NOT TRUE. We CAN overcome all obstacles. Look around you my friend & you will see countless people who have overcome tremendous obstacles that they did not allow to be a boundary. Older people who are once again looking for work are starting their own businesses, blind people are climbing mountains, people who have lost loved ones due to a tragedy are starting foundations to bring awareness to countless causes, people who have lost or had been born with a physical challenge are running marathons & achieving their dreams.

WHY you might ask? If you ask any one of them, they would tell you that there was no other option. Overcoming their situation was a given & a choice long made deep inside their psyche, inside the deepest recesses of their hearts.

Know No Boundaries is no different in our approach to life & to how we are going to approach 2012 in our efforts to bring awareness to this & to raise money. Our main point is not only to talk the talk about breaking boundaries, but to walk the walk. To actually break our own boundaries in life & in response to the "stuff" that happens to all of us.

Here at Know No Boundaries, we not only encourage people to break through these limiting boundaries. but we try to set examples in our lives, & mentor or council them to do likewise.

We will be digging deep this fall and winter to find the perfect boundaries to break come 2012.

Do you have any suggestions?

And as always, we break our outer boundaries from within.

How far does one push?

When things get tough (& they ALWAYS DO), how far does one really push? When we are faced by what seems to be a "boundary" against which we are determined to break through; at what point is it fruitless & does not really have to do with our innate capacity to break through? When does it make sense to make a wise choice when there is nothing to prove (to others AND to ourselves)?

Well such was the case in this year's Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd. Our intention - to successfully complete our 2nd 100 mile run. Often times, even the best laid plans need to be flexibile. Everything was in place, fully stocked supplies ; a ready crew (thanks Skip); pacers for the second loop (Mitch Drummond) as well as the final loop (Tom Wozencraft). It was a well designed course. For us 100 milers, it consisted of a 8 mile out & back (thanks to our race director, he threw in an extra mile - Thanks Ken) followed by (3) 31 mile (50K) loops.

After the typical per-race jitters, we were off on our journey.

At the top of the first out & back, we found Mitch serving up waffles for hungry runners. (BTW - did I say "top"? Listed as "rolling hills" & a fast course this was the first of many, many hills.

As the day unfolded, the nature of the course began to sink in.

Rolling Hills - NOT! Gravel - NOT!

The course was beautiful. Scenic country vistas along the Illinois River, lakes & ponds (& an occasional dog).

It was the surrounding beauty that helped take my mind off of the grueling course.

After the first loop, I was joined by Mitch as my pacer only to find out that Tom had car problems & would not be able to make it to pace me for my 3rd & final loop (bummer!).

As the sun went down, Mitch & I ran through the night. It is amazing what one talks about when you are out in the country running for hours on end. Things from chicken farming to the fact that I w graduated High School with his wife.

Bathtub Rock was beautiful the first loop but seemed a bit more treacherous at night when I was tired & sore. I DID NOT want a bath at that moment.

The end of the second loop was rough. Hips hurt, knees hurt feet h . . . well, my feet were actually fine.

We came into the Start/Finish around 7 AM in fairly good shape. Mitch had completed his first 50K & with my little 8 mile out & back at the start, I had made 70 miles. Doing the math, we determined that my 3rd & final loop to complete my 100 miler WAS NOT going to happen. I would have had to pull an 8 hour loop - - NOT!

Here is where the "pushing" part comes in. I had no doubt that I cold make a 3rd loop but NOT in 8 hours. It was the wisdom that I had not left anything on the table, made my best effort & pulled a 70 miler.

I was happy (although a bit disappointed & wiped out) as this time, the course won.

Watch out though as Know No Boundaries WILL beat this next time. (May even have revenge this year!)

Blessings to all.

American Red Cross Tornado Benefit Concert

Know No Boundaries together with the Gentlemen's Association of Oklahoma volunteered at a benefit concert held by the American Red Cross in efforts to help tornado victims in rural Oklahoma & Joplin, MO.

The Blazer Band played a Beatles tribute along with many classic rock & roll songs.The concert was held at the famous Cain's Ballroom in downtown Tulsa, OK. Along with the benefit concert, the American Red Cross held both a Live as well as a Silent Auction the proceeds of which went 100% to aid the tornado victims.

The Gentlemen's Association of Oklahoma donated a signed & numbered limited edition print taken by the infamous Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mack. The print went for $450.00 & was the highest bid item of the evening.

Plenty of people were there enjoying great music as well as bidding on many good items.

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