Don't Worry...Be Happy........

wor·ry (wûr'ē, wŭr'ē) v., wor·ried (wûr'ēd, wŭr'-), wor·ry·ing, wor·ries (wûr'ēz, wŭr'-).
v.intr.
To feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled.
To pull or tear at something with or as if with the teeth.
To proceed doggedly in the face of difficulty or hardship; struggle: worried along at the problem.

I've always considered triathletes very fortunate. We are healthy, affable, gregarious and typically financially sound. Most triathletes I know are successful in life outside of the sport. They are successful business owners, employees, husbands, wives, parents and community leaders. Regardless of our skill level, every triathlete should be thankful we have the time, financial resources and support system which allows us to compete.

In the past month I've spoken with a number of you on a myriad of topics. A number of you have a lot of "stuff" going on at work, home and with extended family and friends. As triathletes we have become adept to problem solving and juggling different priorities. There are many carry over skills from our sport and life. The mental capacity to endure the demands which are placed on us during training and competition are applicable to many issues we face during our daily lives.

During our conversations I've heard a lot of you use the phrase "I'm worried about......." you worry about being slow, about your race 6 months from now, that you are gaining weight, etc". My wife tells me I worry too much. I find that funny because I think she worries too much. I've come to the conclusion that we are a community of worriers.

The mental approach we take to life, training and racing is critical to the overall accomplishment of our goals. I used to listen to a radio DJ in Chicago by the name of Steve Dahl. Dahl is famous for the infamous "Disco Demolition" debacle at Comisky Park in the late 70's. Dahl has a GED, is grossly over weight and generally a disgusting guy, but he was funny on the radio when you were stuck in Chicago traffic for hours on end. During his radio show he would always remind his listeners "it's going to be alright, I don't know how or why but everything happens for a reason and you need to let life just run it's course.. Everything will be just fine..............". It didn't matter what the issue was or who was involved, he used to have this care free attitude that life just worked out and all the worrying in the world doesn't do any good. He was a High School drop out, over weight yet he lived in a wealthy neighborhood in the suburbs of Chicago. He would proudly display for all to hear that he just believed things would happen in his best interest. He had a mental imagine that the end result would always be favorable.

As you approach Thanksgiving, take the time to write down all the things in this world you have to be grateful for. The fact that you are able to compete and can afford this expensive hobby speaks volumes. I'm serious, sit down and write down why you compete and why it is important to you? What are you trying to gain by training and racing and where does triathlon fit into your life goals?

Write down the word "worry" on a piece of paper, read it out loud then crumple it up and throw it away. Every time you catch yourself saying "the word", stop and remember what is really important. If you want to loose weight, swim faster, run faster, bike faster then take action which allows you to attain your goal. I've never asked an athlete post race "So how did you do it? How did you have that great race? and have them reply " Well Pete, you see.. Every day, all day long and even at night while I'm supposed to be sleeping I worry. I worried about being fat, slow, out of shape and miserable and because I worried so much my mind made me thin, fast and the outcome today proved that worry does help".. In fact, the response I usually get post race is "I'm not sure why I worried so much last week, everything turned out just fine, I wish I hadn't used up so much of my mental energy worrying about something that never happened."

Think about all the negative energy you burn when you are worried. Your mind is actively working towards a negative outcome. The mind tends to manifest what it is thinking about. This doesn't mean we can "will" our way to be the best athlete in the world. It does mean that we have a much better chance of success with positive mental thoughts than negative beliefs. Since we are in control of our belief system this shift in behavior shouldn't be difficult. It only takes dedication, perseverance and commitment to a desired outcome, qualities every triathlete possesses.

In the famous words of Bob Marely

Don't worry, be happy.In every life we have some trouble. But when you worry you make it double