Sunday Story…Say what you Mean

And mean what you say is an aphorism I heard a long, long time ago. The problem is sometimes the words I say and what those same words mean to the listener may not be the same. So although I meant what I said what you interpreted my words to mean is not what I meant at all.

For example…

“He’s really smart.” It may not mean he’s well educated.

“She’s very talented.” It may not indicate what her skill level is.

“They are rich.” It may not mean they are successful.

 

Knowing how I mean the words I use is of critical importance to understanding one another. My job as a communicator is to make sure my listener understands without confusion what it is I mean by what I am saying. If I leave the interpretation up to my listener it may happen that the message I sent gets misinterpreted.

 

Many years ago telegrams were a common way to send a message quickly and directly to someone. You paid by the word so you had to be terse and succinct. You could not leave anything to chance in your message. You cut out any and all fluff and got right to the point. These days we have the luxury of beating around the bush trying to get our message out.

 

Remember…message sent is not message received.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story...The Big Picture

Is where we find our why. Why are you playing the game you are playing? Why do you do what you do? What is your raison d'etre? This is where our strategy lies. This is our vision...the big picture.

Unfortunately, the how is where we get caught up. The day-to-day slog drags us down and clouds our vision. The how we win this inning, this moment can often preclude moving toward our end goal.

The answer to the urgent issue may not be the answer that leads us to complete the important thing. This is the difference between strategy and tactics. My tactics are the immediate answer. My strategy is the long game. In too many cases losing sight of the overall goal results in short-term wins and then ending up on the short end of the stick when it is all over.

When starting your tactics first ask the question...will this serve my strategy and how? Sometimes going slow is the only way to go fast.

It does me no good to win the battle and lose the war.

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…It works

 Until it doesn’t. Over the year I have heard so many times…”I know what I have to do to (fill in the blank…lose weight, get fit, be stronger.)” And undoubtedly they were correct. It worked once upon a time. It might work again. But the fact is if you know what to do and you aren’t doing it maybe you don’t really know what to do.

 

Doubling down on a bad strategy is not the way to move forward. As a matter of fact, it is a recipe for making things worse. Insisting that the results will be different this time is one definition of insanity. Continuing on will almost guarantee an even worse outcome.

 

When new information is presented to you are you open-minded enough to take it in and adjust your strategy? Can you take the new information and fashion it into a new way of doing old things?

 

New information happens a lot in our world. The knowledge base is doubling ever faster now. Once upon a time, we believed the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. We even condemned scholars who insisted otherwise. Now we know the earth isn’t flat and we adjust our strategies accordingly.

 

Isn’t it possible there are new ways to get fit/eat for health/get stronger? The search for knowledge is a constant and never-ending journey.

 

You can always go back if it doesn’t work!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Self Made

The question I have been getting lately is how long…how long will it take me to get back in shape? How long will it take to get the weight off? How long until I am ready to???

 

No one is happy with the answer. The answer is another question…how long did it take to get where you are now? Your current state is a reflection of all the decisions you made and the actions you took up to this point.

 

You can change your attitude on a dime. You can decide to look, be, do different. But until you actually step up and begin nothing is going to happen. And then you must do it again and again and again. Consistency is the key to lasting change.

 

You can’t eat healthy for one day. I know that feels unfair but it is true. One workout won’t make you fit. You will need dedication to the process to effect a change. The change will occur but only if you stay on the course.

 

Look we all want a magic pill. That one thing that will create the change you are seeking. I get it. I want one too. I want the one meal, the one exercise, the one workout, or the one supplement that will magically give me the body, the shape, the metabolism, the money, or the relationship I want.

 

Here is the answer…show up day in and day out…eat right, work hard, be better in all aspects. If it isn’t good enough try again, do it differently do it better but…

 

Just Do it.

 

 

Sunday Story…Independence

Is a lie. When you were younger you couldn’t wait to be free. Free from your parents’ rules and restrictions. Free from the expectations of the small people and places you grew up around. Free to explore and spread your nascent wings and fly whenever and wherever you wanted.

 

How’s that working now? How free are we really? And what is freedom? Let’s be honest…we are all actively participating in a constant trade-off of freedom vs. something else, be it security, love, money, or attention.

 

But we can never be free from the natural laws…gravity still rules, you still grow older and transform into some other form, strong foundations make strong buildings, moral compasses continue to point out right and wrong.

 

The only place where freedom truly rings is the freedom you have to choose your attitude. You can choose to be angry, you can choose to be a victim, you can choose to believe in the highest and best, you can ask yourself to approach the world with wonder.

 

One person’s freedom is another’s prison.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412