This post is from my newsletter "Claudia's Corner." You can get it by subscribing here: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/262763/75048650666935406/share
In the last year, I've been following people on Instagram that are doing big, hairy, audacious things.
Why?
Because, while my goals are minuscule on the scale of what these people have done, my goals are HUGE for me. As I see them try fail and succeed at the same time, I drag myself forward toward my goals. As I cheer for them, I am cheering for myself.
Who am I talking about?
Andy Donaldson
I saw Andy when he and a team of friends swam around Maui. The waves were incredibly high but they slogged it out day after day. You have to see it.
Last night (9/19), Andy swam around Manhattan starting at 2 am. His goal was to break the World Record time. While his time has to be certified, he was able to beat the world time.
Nathalie Pohl
Nathalie finished her last swim to complete the Oceans 7 by swimming from N. Ireland to Scotland (35 km in the Irish Sea)
Along with training, she published her first book. She's an incredible competitor. She's seen here with her coach after getting to Scotland.
She's now the only German woman who's completed the Oceans 7.
Noam Yaron
Noam's goal was to swim the farthest distance in the open water. His goal was to swim from Calvi to Monaco in the Mediterranean.
After two days and two nights, Noam was pulled from the water after 103 km because of bad weather.
He used this challenge to highlight the condition of the Mediterranean to raise funds for M3 (use your translate button, the page is in French) a clean up effort.
Because sleep remains a challenge for me, I was up last night watching Adam and up every night watching Noam. I saw most of Nathalie's swim. Nathalie was cheered on by swimming with her coach and a few others.
Everyone hallucinates after being in the ocean for a few hours. For Noam, he hallucinated that Andy and his team were swimming with him.
Just think of it – Noam was cheered on by the actions of another person, in another place and another time. Physicists call this "Quantum Entanglement." One particle is affected by the state of another particle a distance away.
In this way, Noam, Nathalie, and Andy cheer me on as I get in the pool, again; when I am back lifting weights, again; when I take on the next writing project, again; when simply believing that I can recover from 10 years of pain, drugs, and surgery.
So I ask you – what are your big, hairy, audacious goals?
Even the smallest goal – drink one less can of soda – if it's hard for you, then you can relate to Andy, Nathalie, and Noam.
Your hard goals matter. If you don't have any because pandemic, stress, money, life, politics, election, wars – then maybe YOU are the particle that needs a bit of inspiration.
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