Zero Regrets
I received some really good Christmas gifts this year, but one really touched me. The book Zero Regrets
Be Greater Than Yesterday, by Apolo Ohno. Thanks, mom it is awesome.
The book talks about the journey Apolo took in life, well still is, aren't we all. I couldn't read the book fast enough. I have always loved the Olympics and watch both the summer and winter Olympics when they are on. I thought this was going to be a book about how driven and competitive Apolo is-just like another favorite Olympian of mine Michael Phelps. I was wrong the book is about and taught me so much more.
Journeys are happy, sad, filled with blood and sweat. Sometimes it involves massive amounts of exercise and sometimes it does not. Pizza or little food at all, it just depends where you are on your journey and what your journey entails. This is only part of Apolo's journey, what is yours?
The title of the book tells it all. Zero regrets.. It is not just about living your life with zero regrets, it is more about living everyday with zero regrets. When you find yourself doing something, don't do it half way, give 100% so you will have zero regrets. With speed skating and being an Olympian, we immediately assume it takes a lot of work, time and commitment to become the best. This assumption is correct. What we may not assume, is that every action, every step can be lived out in such a manner that there are no regrets in the end. Apolo provides insight into how he lives with zero regrets. With some speed skating races lasting only 40-45 seconds and Olympic games coming around only every 4 years, there is a lot of time between that 40-45 second race. Get it?
Every second he breaths, sleeps, works, exercises, eats, meditates, thinks, cries, smiles is a step toward that 40 second race. He chooses to live every second in a manner giving his 100%, so that after that 45 second race he leaves the ice with Zero Regrets. He lives is life with Zero Regrets and taught me that anything is possible if you really want it. You have to ask yourself what it is you want, really know that you want it, then with 100% passion work towards it.
Leg press 1980 pounds, run on a treadmill 850-900 miles, burning 6,000-7,000 calories a day, a body weight of 145 pounds and body fat of ~2%. Zero regrets, that is exactly what Apolo did. He became a lean, skating, mentally present machine and went on to become the most decorated American Winter Olympian of all time. It all came down to him deciding he not only wanted but needed to give 100% to "whatever it was" he chose to do.
What about you? A mailman, chief, doctor, lawyer, accountant, mom, dad, student. How would it feel to know that you honestly gave it 100% with zero regrets? Could you look back and say, yes, I have zero regrets?
I am working on it.
Thank you Apolo, for giving us such an honest, personal and soul bearing look into what zero regrets looks like.
Be Greater Than Yesterday, by Apolo Ohno. Thanks, mom it is awesome.
The book talks about the journey Apolo took in life, well still is, aren't we all. I couldn't read the book fast enough. I have always loved the Olympics and watch both the summer and winter Olympics when they are on. I thought this was going to be a book about how driven and competitive Apolo is-just like another favorite Olympian of mine Michael Phelps. I was wrong the book is about and taught me so much more.
Journeys are happy, sad, filled with blood and sweat. Sometimes it involves massive amounts of exercise and sometimes it does not. Pizza or little food at all, it just depends where you are on your journey and what your journey entails. This is only part of Apolo's journey, what is yours?
The title of the book tells it all. Zero regrets.. It is not just about living your life with zero regrets, it is more about living everyday with zero regrets. When you find yourself doing something, don't do it half way, give 100% so you will have zero regrets. With speed skating and being an Olympian, we immediately assume it takes a lot of work, time and commitment to become the best. This assumption is correct. What we may not assume, is that every action, every step can be lived out in such a manner that there are no regrets in the end. Apolo provides insight into how he lives with zero regrets. With some speed skating races lasting only 40-45 seconds and Olympic games coming around only every 4 years, there is a lot of time between that 40-45 second race. Get it?
Every second he breaths, sleeps, works, exercises, eats, meditates, thinks, cries, smiles is a step toward that 40 second race. He chooses to live every second in a manner giving his 100%, so that after that 45 second race he leaves the ice with Zero Regrets. He lives is life with Zero Regrets and taught me that anything is possible if you really want it. You have to ask yourself what it is you want, really know that you want it, then with 100% passion work towards it.
Leg press 1980 pounds, run on a treadmill 850-900 miles, burning 6,000-7,000 calories a day, a body weight of 145 pounds and body fat of ~2%. Zero regrets, that is exactly what Apolo did. He became a lean, skating, mentally present machine and went on to become the most decorated American Winter Olympian of all time. It all came down to him deciding he not only wanted but needed to give 100% to "whatever it was" he chose to do.
What about you? A mailman, chief, doctor, lawyer, accountant, mom, dad, student. How would it feel to know that you honestly gave it 100% with zero regrets? Could you look back and say, yes, I have zero regrets?
I am working on it.
Thank you Apolo, for giving us such an honest, personal and soul bearing look into what zero regrets looks like.
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