Original Source: I ❤ to run on Facebook, hit this Link.
One thing I realised being amongst other decathletes is how amazingly self motivated we all are.
Recently at a training session, another decathlete and myself was joining a Pole Vault session when the pole vault coach did not turn up. I noticed how the both of us just got on with it, acknowledged that the coach will not be here tonight, took out the poles and went ahead with our own drills and got other bits of our session in. No bitching, no whining, just get on with it.
Whilst on the other hand, the pole vaulters in that group seemed quite disappointed, had a long discussion amongst each other and eventually after half an hour they did take out the poles and did some drills.
I think as a decathlete you realise that time is at a premium, because training for 10 events you’re always short of time. There’s only that many days in a week and that many hours you can put in before you’re physically exhausted.
I’ve once discussed this with another national athlete from Singapore and I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re all so self-motivated because if we weren’t, then we obviously wouldn’t still be here.
To push this hard for that long, you have to be. Any logical and sane person would have quit long ago because the odds just don’t make sense. There are much easier and quicker ways to be ‘successful’ in the eyes of society.
To still be here you have develop a belief in something more than your eyes can see, because if not, you’ll either quit or go crazy.
And that’s what I appreciate the most about what this journey has done to help me grow as a person. Because as much as it helped me develop my body, it made me grow my mind.
So I’ll leave you with a quote video from the master, Bruce Lee. I hope his wisdom will help grow you as it has helped to grow me.
A Singaporean Decathlete 
Hi Bro! Hope Decemeber is getting to a great start for you! I would like to leave you something I came across and thought immediately about you:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
– Teddy Roosevelt (from his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910)
Keep moving forward, always, and see you when I see you!
Nicolas
Hey bro, thanks a lot as always for the quote! Really appreciate it.
Things are going great so far and I’m just focusing on giving my best and making small progress forwards on a day by day basis. Sometimes there’s no point to think too much about the big picture because it’s too big to comprehend. This year I’m really just living the moment and enjoying the ride as they say, and so far so good.
I should be back around the CNY period, hope to see you then!
YS