Eight (8) Principles for Finding the Fountain of Youth -Part 18

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."– Vincent Lombardi

This information is continued from yesterday’s blog regarding sleep and dreams.  A brief quiz to take, consider and perhaps give insight to your sleep disturbance.

Answer either yes or no to the following 10 questions:

1. I have disturbing dreams at least once a week.

2. I often wake up because of bad dreams.

3.  As I go to sleep, I feel like I am falling or being paralyzed.

4. My nightmares are caused by stress about work or relationships.

5.  I get anxious before bedtime; because I think I might have a nightmare.

6.  I have the same terrible nightmares repeatedly.

7.  I remember the fear during bad dreams, but not all the specific details.

8.  During nightmares, I experience not only anxiety but also anger or shame.

9. When I remember a bad dream, I dwell on it the next day.

10.  My spouse or partner tells me I have night terrors that I do not remember.

  The answers will be given on a later blog.

Eight(8) Psychological Principles for Finding the Fountain of Youth-Part 18

I was extremely tired (suffering) at this point, and incorporated*mindfulness (meditation, concentration) which is our Psychological concept # 8 at that time. I knew I was tired and I did not attempt to deny or distort that fact. Keeping in the present, identifying what I was feeling was paramount. I knew I was supposed to be tired. Running was hard work. I focused inward and paid attention to my breathing- I imagined air going in and out of my nostrils (inhaling- exhaling), I paid attention and scanned my entire body for tightness from head to foot, I focused and identified my suffering, I turned to my thoughts to confront any negativity, and I became more and more relaxed which was a key. Turning the focus inward on self, assists with acknowledging suffering, being mentally tough, being in the here and now thus using the capacity for willpower muscles to keep me going, not stopping. I also made sure that I ate and had glucose to fuel my brain. Thank goodness my sweat glands were working under these extreme conditions that helped keep me cooler.


At the Michigan Bluff aid station some 55 miles (a record) into the run, I sat down for the first time, changed into a dry shirt, chatted with crew briefly and quickly headed down the trail again.




To be continued: