Success Tip From Yachting - Try To Fix The Problem Yourself
At 28, Ellen MacArthur is a world record holder. In 2005, she broke the speed record for sailing solo non stop around the world.
As a reward and to recognize her great achievement, she was made a Dame, the equivalent of receiving a Knighthood. Like a true 'knight', she is already looking round for her next challenge.
Recently, I saw some of the video diary that Ellen MacArthur had kept during her record breaking solo voyage round the world.
The videos showed clearly how she had overcome fear and fatigue to achieve her dreams. They showed her sheer determination in the face of adversity.
Her honest and emotional reaction to adversity and her courage in overcoming it unites people behind her. She was constantly supported on the voyage by emails and phone calls and then had an overwhelming reception when she arrived home.
Years of preparation had gone into the trip before she even reached the start line.
She made good progress at first but there were bad omens on day six. Her main generator was using too much oil. She spent days trying to make it work properly.
In the process, she burned herself and electrocuted herself in the over heated generator room. This was the closest she got to calling off her trip.
Eventually she sat down and thought: Is there anything else I can do? There was no engineer available.
Eventually,the thought came to her that the generator is air cooled. It needed cold air to keep going. She found a way to use a hose to get cold air to the generator and it worked.
She had solved her problem on her own because she had to and no one else was available except Neptune himself and he is not always helpful.
There was no let up. One problem after another showed up. As soon as she had fixed the generator the weather turned bad.
She then reached the southern ocean. This was already a great achievement but this is the most perilous ocean on the planet. Ellen was again pushed to breaking point.
The wind was unstable. Large hailstones and snow rained down on her and the yacht. She commented: "These are the worst conditions I have ever sailed in. The last three days have been hell."
She reached the end of her tether many times. She described how she felt:
"You can't deal with anything else. You can't. But you have to. No one can help you. There is no one there. You are on your own. No one can help you. Being scared at sea is pointless. Panicking does not help. No one will answer your calls. There is no one there."
Christmas day came when she was 11,000 miles from home in very rough seas. Her best Christmas present was getting out the other side of the bad weather. She rang her family but was unable to talk for very long.
By day 49, she felt she had gone beyond endurance. However she was now past the half way mark. At one point she gashed her head. She told her video diary: "I am so, so tired. I am absolutely exhausted. Sleep deprivation is torture".
Every day, it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. One problem followed another. The track on the main mast was damaged. Guess who had to fix that.
"Everytime I try to sleep, I wake up sweating and like I've been in a fight."
She then headed north for the equator. She gave Neptune a gift (her necklace) as tradition demanded. But Neptune did not appear to appreciate the gift. The wind dropped slowing her down.
Eventually, however, she crossed the finish line after 71 days at sea. She had broken the record by about a day and a half. A flotilla of small boats welcomed her and escorted her into port. She was overwhelmed and elated:
"The support really did make a difference. Nothing can prepare you for that sort of reception."
What impressed me most in her account was her realization that she had to solve her own problems. This made her dig deep and solve them.
Maybe we all need to try harder to solve our own problems before we get on the phone for help. We could surprise ourselves.
Even if we can easily get help, it is worth having a go first ourselves. We may well succeed on our own and this will build our confidence in our own powers. Even if we don't succeed we will learn more when help arrives.
We will understand the problem more clearly and, therefore, understand and appreciate the solution far more.
If Ellen MacArthur managed to get round the world on her own in a state of exhaustion and fear, we can probably manage to fix one or two of our own problems without immediately calling for help.
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.
They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"
The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php
The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.
 Google News Updated : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:51:23 GMT UPDATE 1-Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic - Reuters Reuters - MIAMI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Nana, the 14th of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean islands, the US National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters: Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic Tropical Storm Nana Forms Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:29:57 GMT Palin talks economic worries in Appalachian Ohio - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AP) - Sarah Palin told voters in southeastern Ohio on Sunday that she and running mate John McCain would bring jobs back to this economically depressed piece of Appalachia. John McCain and Sarah Palin try new tactics US-POLITICS Summary Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:11:58 GMT Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB - FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com - by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Falcons missed chances in red zone Bears rally late, fall to Falcons on last-second FG Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:14:27 GMT First Second-Generation Astronaut, Richard Garriott, Launched Into ... - AHN
AHN - Vienna, VA (AHN)-Space Adventures, Ltd, a company that provides space missions to the global community, announced that client Richard Garriott and his crew successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space ... Video: Raw Video: US space tourist begins journey US game designer blasts into space with DNA cargo Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:28:36 GMT Mighty Chihuahuas Eclipse DiCaprio and Crowe in Test of Star Power - New York Times New York Times - By BROOKS BARNES LOS ANGELES - This is how far movie stars have fallen in their ability to pull audiences into theaters, at least when the story revolves around Iraq and the messiness of the Middle East: A picture about talking dogs, “Beverly Hills ... Dogs rule: 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' No. 1 again 'Chihuahua' fetches $17.5M, remains top movie dog Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:18:44 GMT Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Cancer survivor shares her story - Naples Daily News
Naples Daily News - By LIANE SMITH (Contact) She felt pain in her breasts. One of her aunt’s died in February from breast cancer. Another aunt, in her 60s now, has battled it on and off for more than a dozen years. Pink And Purple Join To Help Women Breast Cancer Awareness Month Should Be Prevention Month! Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:31:44 GMT Tigers still seeking QB to turn season around - SportingNews.com
SportingNews.com - AP Sports Wri AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- The Auburn Tigers didn't figure they'd be in this position: Unranked, desperately trying to salvage a once-promising season and still seeking a quarterback solution seven games into the season. Tuberville And Tigers Trying To Regroup A Pig Sooie Shocker in Auburn Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:13:08 GMT Make Money Online |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... As the pioneers of aviation took to the air (not... Read More People often think that there is a creative type. This... Read More "How'd they do that?" I asked myself time and time... Read More We don't need to understand quantum physics entirely in order... Read More What determines your destiny? What predisposes your choices?It is your... Read More Leaders, consultants and managers must be competent in at least... Read More The world is now changing again, it appears. The logical... Read More Have you ever watched a TV program where the supporting... Read More Although you may not currently be a student, learning is... Read More Here's a subject that we don't normally think of when... Read More Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can... Read More It is that time of year again. Yuletide?Christmas in the... Read More What would you say to yourself if when faced with... Read More Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he revolutionized the... Read More Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More An enterprising person is one who comes across a pile... Read More "Nothing is accidental ... use everything." -- Keith JohnstoneEven the... Read More Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More The thought that every great thing that has ever happened,... Read More Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More The relative ease of i) generating good ideas and ii)... Read More The mind is an infinite wonder. It has the fantastic... Read More Most of us know we should take more risks. But... Read More Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Adsense
websites
What Dreams Will Come!
Creativity and Innovation Management - Special People?
Howd They Do That?
Its A Quantum Thing
How An Idea Can Lift You
Managing Creativity and Innovation, Part 2 of 2
The Pendulum Swings Right - A Major Shift is Happening Inside Our Brains
Make Ideas Your (& Their) Own: Persuade Yourself and Others
Accelerate Your Learning
Use Your Intuition As a Valuable Tool for Change
Intuition Power In Three Steps
Befriend Your Budget, This Yuletide and Always
Mother Of Invention Or Dummy? You Decide!
Business Innovation ? Confidence in People
Thousands of Failures, but Thousands of Patents
Business Innovation ? Radical and Disruptive Innovation
Creating Opportunity
Improve Your Business Dealings with Improvisation
Innovation Management ? Ideas From The Most Embarrassing Experiences Of Life
Let the Seeds Grow
Knowledge Gains in Innovation
Creativity and Innovation Management - Good Ideas Part 2
The Hidden Superpowers Of Your Mind
12 Tips for Taking Smart, Calculated Risks
Business Innovation ? the Creative Process
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Business Innovation ? Radical and Disruptive Innovation
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Change Is a Skill Development Learning Process
Change, like almost every other life experience, is a learning... Read More
Fire Evacuation Drill with a Difference
I had been given the task to organize a fire... Read More
How An Idea Can Lift You
What determines your destiny? What predisposes your choices?It is your... Read More
Creativity Management ? Theres Nothing New Under the Sun
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The Pendulum Swings Right - A Major Shift is Happening Inside Our Brains
The world is now changing again, it appears. The logical... Read More
Life ? The Teacher
You've probably heard the phrase "repetition is the mother of... Read More
Intuition Power In Three Steps
Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can... Read More
Innovation Management: Trying Out New Ideas
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Business Innovation ? the Creative Process
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Humankinds Greatest Inventions
There are a number of amazing inventions that have been... Read More
Knowledge Gains in Innovation
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity and Innovation Management ? Fast Feedback
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Cumulative Gains in Innovation
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Innovation Management ? Testing Ideas
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Business Innovation ? Confidence through Competence
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity and Innovation Management - Teach, Coach, Learn
Coaching, training or learning about creativity and innovation involves mastery... Read More
12 Tips for Taking Smart, Calculated Risks
Most of us know we should take more risks. But... Read More
Opportunity: Could You Be Colour-blind?
Do you consider your vision perfect? You may never have... Read More
Innovation
Innovation, in a business context, is generally thought of as... Read More
Innovation Management ? Ideas From The Most Embarrassing Experiences Of Life
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Business Innovation ? the Value of Being Obvious
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Harness the Power of Skill Sets and Mindsets
When you have a problem, sometimes you need a new... Read More
Starving for Intimacy
Some are seeking love in a bottle. Others look for... Read More
The Subtle Secret Of Transformation
Great men and women succeed moment by moment, step by... Read More
Innovation |