Day 59: 18.3 miles/1:11
“Eliminate the chatter and noise that distract you from your mission.”
I spent a couple hours yesterday cleaning my bike. The bike was getting dirty, the chain was a little gummy, and there were some rattles and creaks that were starting to bug me. There is nothing more distracting to me than squeaks and vibrations on my ride.
With a clean and finely tuned bike, today’s ride was blissfully quiet–nothing but the sound of the tires on the road and a little wind noise. It is simply the way a very early morning ride should be.
The same can be said about the negative and distracting chatter of others when it comes to our mission. Not everyone shares your passion to your commitment. Not everyone is aware of the importance of your maintaining focus as you work toward accomplishing your goals. And, not everyone is as energized by the mission as you are. It is this crowd that you need to learn to tune out of your daily activities. They are the ones that will interrupt your progress if you let them.
We simply do not have time to be distracted by those who do not share our commitment. These are the people who do not understand or embrace the challenge of establishing and working toward a goal. Or, they are the people who rather complain about what is than be accountable for changing or improving it. Or, those who would tell you that it can’t be done or doing it simply is not worth it. Or, they resent or fear the outcome of you being successful. Whatever it is, their distractions are not a needed aspect of your journey.
Fine tune your life. Clean up the grit and the grime and the clutter of those that would distract your from what is most important—your mission. Surround yourself with people who can embrace, engage, and support you. The only sound you need to hear on a daily basis is the sound of you making progress as you travel on your journey. Anything that is a negative distraction needs to be eliminated. Anything that brings energy, joy and peace needs to be embraced and enjoyed.
