Can’t Be A Prophet In Your Home Town Of Disney World

jeff noel’s head & camera, bottom center…Lahti, Finland 2009 Masters World Championships.

Literally no one you know wants to listen to your story. But leave town, and your story captivates all who have ears to listen. This is what makes the Internet so compelling.

America’s life-work balance expert. Few in Orlando believe it, but…

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Health Is Wealth

April! Isn’t Springtime wonderful? Spring fever. Spring break. Spring into action.

jeff noel needs to spring into book writing. If things work out as planned, you’ll find regular posts here, dedicated to “Health Is Wealth” – a saying Cheryl’s Grammy (94) used to always say.

I just can’t guarantee things will work out as planned.

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Did You Pee Your Pants?

Ever put yourself out there? Out there farther than you ever have? I know how you felt, you felt just like I describe at the end of this 37-second You Tube video:

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Do Your Best (Always)

If you looked back exactly one year ago, do you remember what you where doing and why?

Lane 8 archive from exactly one year ago today, while in Lahti, Finland representing the United States at the 2009 Masters World Championships:

Do your best.  How can anyone complain if they’ve done their best?

While it is quite tempting to want to be the best, for many, simply doing your best is gold-medal worthy.

What could be a sad thing for many dreams, is that people sell themselves short because they think winning a medal is the only measure of greatness.

Twice yesterday, I witnessed two athletes finish dreadfully last in their preliminary heats.  They received more applause than the winners.

Why?

You tell me.

Perhaps, because deep down inside of each of us, is a desire to try as hard as that person, but we don’t have the courage to risk that kind of “embarrassment”.

When people aren’t concerned about what others think, they can do extraordinary things.

For an adult who’s never been able to read, and they work desperately hard to try to – then one day they are able to read a kindergarten book.

Gold medal.

Ya with me?  Please don’t sell yourself short.  Do your best, no matter what others think.  This is what I tell myself everyday.

Carpe diem, jeff noel :)

Scroll down for today’s part II (Gold Medal)

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World Championship Type of Day?

A Wave Of Indescribable Feelings

A Wave Of Indescribable Feelings

Short and sweet, year ago today, in Lahti, Finland, I was pursuing a childhood dream to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.

Here’s what it felt like.

These stories are meant to trigger your memory of your childhood dreams and to summon your vivid imagination to see if there’s still hope.

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Finland Is The Same, But Different

Is That A Number 3 Meal?

Is That A Number 3 Meal?

One of the things you learn if you travel, is the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Everything is different.

And everything is the same.

Look Closely

Look Closely

Of course, there’s an exception to every rule.

Ski Jumping Is Serious Business

Ski Jumping Is Serious Business

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Lane 8 Vision From Finland

Celebrate Lahti, Finland Art

Celebrate Lahti, Finland Art

When I came home last night from visiting Epcot at Walt Disney World, my Google Alerts captured this entry for Lane 8, from Finland Travel Vacations.

Watching that video made me want to share this one, a new world record, also shot in Lahti, Finland at last year’s WMA World Championships.

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Lane 8 Digestive Health

Lunch in Finland

Lunch in Finland

When do we think about our long term outcomes – from the food choices we make this week?

Um, well, uh, like never.   Right?

Most of us can’t or don’t want to see that far, because it’s too much work. Or, we won’t give up today’s pleasure and convenience for tomorrow’s payoff – good digestive health.

Our son told me last Friday on the drive home from school that he had a “confession”. He doesn’t really like the bread (double fiber) we use to make his lunch sandwiches.

Grateful for the truth, but now what?

So last night on the way home from a doctor’s visit, I stopped to get some food items, including a different kind of bread, but with the same digestive goal – high fiber.

Blogging about health enhances accountability and increases motivation. Are you working on that too?

If not you, who?  If not today, when?  Seriously. Enjoy your lunch.

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So Then What Happened?

USA Team Jacket

USA Team Jacket

So the second week, I ran two mailboxes a day. Third week, three mailboxes a day.

Yes, many of you have heard this before.  Which is one of the secrets to excellent results – repetition.  Never get tired of doing the basic, common sense things.

Stories are critical to perpetuating past success and moving to even greater success. You already knew that right?

Eventually, the goals became impossible, but their pursuit was compelling.

What’s fascinating is how intense it was to rise to the level of representing the United States at the 2009 Master’s Track & Field World Championships, without anyone knowing.

Neighbors. Family. Work. Ten years. Ten years of dedicated, relentless effort.

Invisible to everyone around me. For a decade.

Now, neighbors know.  And Family knows. Yet to this day, most where I work have no idea.

And so the question today is this, “What is your impossible goal and will you persue it without any fanfare or glory, but just for the sake that it’s a noble goal?”

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World Record Holder Reveals Secret

Which One Set A New World Record?

Which One Set A New World Record?

Let’s shake it up a little bit today. You good with that?  Good. Let’s go back to this past summer.

Here’s the scene.  Early August, 2009.  Sunny, clear, 70 degrees.

Finland.

Master’s Track & Field 2009 World Championships. Men’s 400 meters, 70-74 year old age group.

Enter a German man.

Click here to see the secret this “old man” reveals about getting and staying healthy.

PS. If you are too busy to follow this and invest two more minutes, please go look in the mirror and say something like, “I really do want to get healthy and stay healthy, but I just really don’t want to work very hard at it.”

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