I received this email from a dear friend this morning.  She could not have picked a more perfect time.

I was having one of those mornings where you lose sight of the moment and your focus expands to the finish line of your tasks at hand.

Thank you for shaking my state of mind and bringing it back to enjoying and cherishing the present moment of the journey.

Enjoy your day, find the love and joy in what you are doing at the moment, take time to breathe for a moment, smile and laugh.

Below is the powerful email that was just sent to me.

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Hi Fred,

Came across this today…it was thought provoking and reminding me of your way of living…

hope you have a GREAT weekend =).

“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”   Shira Tehrani

Life is a funny thing. It’s an ever-going marathon, yet no one knows where his or her finish line is. We just keep running and running, hoping we still have a long way to go. We do whatever we can to prolong the run, but sometimes despite our best efforts, the marathon is cut short. So many of us are only concerned about the distance we are traveling, we lose focus of what’s going on during the run. And this is the important part, so take advantage. Stretch some personal boundaries, work outside of your comfort zone, try something new. There will be bumps along the road, shortcuts, and paths that lead into dead ends. These are all parts of the journey; how you deal with them will determine where you go in life. Remember, we don’t always determine the distance, but we can determine the path.

————

I can now see why they say the Apple Triathlon is the most respected Olympic Distance triathlon in all of Canada, where even our  world class OLYMPIC Athletes come to race at this event. Simon Whitfield, kyle Jones, Paul Tichelarr, Lauren Groves, Kathy Tremblay.

Karina Clark, 3 time world champion triathlete, said it best “Of the 30+ races I have done, including 3 World Championships, Kelowna remains my absolute favorite.  The volunteers are second to none. They are all helpful, friendly, and just super!”

I have spent the last decade going from one kind of event to another.  This by far was one of the most impressive events I have experienced.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this event from all points of view, as a volunteer, exposure to the amazing organizers and as a competitor.  From the beginning to the end, the joyful experience will stay with me for all time.

From the first time I met Mike Hassard, one of the main volunteers, he was a true example of what it mean to be of service to all those that crosses his path.

Through Mike I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Montgomery, the president of the Apple Triathlon.  With over 846 volunteers, 20+ races, sight of 5000 spectators, 1600 racers, Richard at no point, through the organization of the event or at the event it self, lost his well mannered and relaxed demeanor.  With a million things to keep organized that weekend, he still took the time to give me some guidance on my race at the event.  (Don’t let this grey haired man fool you, he is a true triathlete competitor at heart.)

All that being said, if anyone has raced in the Okanagan then they have heard the name Randy Sparrow.  Randy is the living legend known as the Race Director.  Randy has the ability to keep all the above organized and making the event run like a well oiled machine.

Even Greg Peters from Tri-Canada mentiond a note about Randy: “You continue to do a fantastic job, and I have no idea how you can keep so much information about the event in your head and recall it so quickly.”

Triathletes are a unique group of people, they have tapped into their internal drive to push their limits, to study their bodies peak performance, to commit when others only talk, but what truly makes them special is their desire to help others succeed.

In my last half of the run, I was cramped and had lost too much salt leading to spasms in my legs.  A competitor running beside me not only took the time to guide me from his years of experience but also helped me dig deep within myself and pacing me to the finish line.

The amazing staff from Kelowna Cycle who always take the time to guide me and share little secrets with me for race day preparation, thanks Tannille, and their encouraging words “just go do it and have fun”, thanks Mike.

One of my favorite moments was my first race ever.  I had never set up a transition area before.  As I was obviously fumbling my way through it an amazing girl came over and said “I can help you with this, both my parents are triathletes.”  Yes, she was 11 years old and shared the secrets she had learned from her parents.  I think she even passed me that day at the races.

I would like to take the time to thank all the volunteers, organizers, directors, sponsors and racers for showing me not only the love for this sport but also why the Apple Triathlon is the most respected in all of Canada.

Looking forward to experiencing the Penticton Ironman Canada this weekend.  Good luck to all the racers.

Fred Sarkari

This man has more courage in his heart in these 3 minutes than most of us do in a lifetime.

There are times when we hit the ground so hard that we wonder if we will ever have the courage to get back up again.  After watching this 3 minute video, I cannot wait to fall once again just so I can get back up and live.

Look around you, truly look with all your heart and soul, and know that no matter what our situation or circumstance in life is – we are truly blessed.

Hold on to your precious moments, tell your spouse how much you truly appreciate them, hold your children tight and whisper in their ears your love for them, touch the hearts and souls of all those that cross your path and most importantly look in the mirror and know you are special and you have within you greatness that is just waiting to be reveled into this world.

We are capable of so much more.

I was taking a break having a coffee and reading a book at Good Earth in beautiful Kelowna.

That is where I saw a sight that put a tear in my eye.

A mother telling her child about the importance of always taking the time to look pretty before you walk out of the house.

Imagine the difference in the child

if she was taught the importance of always

trusting and believing in herself

before leaving the house.

We all face those times where we doubt ourselves, our image onto others or just who we are trying to be and grow into.

Everywhere you turn you see images and opinions of what society concludes as beautiful and worthy.

Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?

Looked at who you really are as a person and an individual?  Do not just take a glance, what you are wearing, your hair style, the color of your skin or your fake tan.  Truly look at YOU.  Look at the reflection in the mirror long enough till you see within yourself and than ask yourself who you see.

I know most will role their eyes at this task, but I tell you this.  The ones that come up with any reason why they are not going to do it all comes down to the one main and real reason why not?

We are scared to know who we truly are

There is no hype clothing, hair style, look, color, what you drive, where you live or your chosen profession that can put value to your soul.

Stare at yourself in the mirror and just know that you are beautiful just the way you were created.  There is no end to your beauty in your eyes and those that cross your path when you start believing in yourself.

Live YOUR life to the fullest.

Live YOUR life for YOU and not others.

Fred sarkari

]]> http://mentalsidewalk.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/the-image-looked-at-me-and-said-you-are-beautiful-the-way-you-are/feed/ 6 fredsarkari http://mentalsidewalk.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/the-foundation-of-a-powerful-presentation/ http://mentalsidewalk.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/the-foundation-of-a-powerful-presentation/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:50:23 +0000 fredsarkari http://mentalsidewalk.wordpress.com/?p=418 ]]>

“Present with the passion of a child and your audience will transform them selves

from their seats to the playground.”

Fred Sarkari

(Coming Soon)

Just like with any successful communication, when you deliver a presentation you should keep two variables in mind:

• First, what is the message that you as a speaker are trying to relay?

• Second, does your message relate to the audience?

The goal of presenting should always be to communicate information in a way that connects with your audience. Your presentation should not just engage an audience verbally and visually, but more importantly emotionally as well.

Two critical aspects every presenter should never lose sight of:

1. Best way for an audience to learn is to link the message to an emotion.

2. People will never forget how you make them feel.

Any one can become a powerful presenter if they understand the key components of successful presentations and how to implement them based on their individual style.

Fred Sarkari

I had the opportunity to travel around the world in 3 days, living and feeling the  7 Wonders of The World.

What did you do this weekend? he he

An hour ago I just finished having a conversation with a friend of mine about the 7 Wonders of the World.  She was trying to remember what they were as one of her dreams is to visit them all in her life time.

How did I manage to see the 7 Wonders in just 3 days?

When she was going through the list I could not help but to notice that my mind kept journeying to a different list.

We have these great dreams of seeing parts of the world, experiencing events, achieving goals, creating financial success…

In doing so, how easily we lose sight of the true 7 Wonders of the World.

I remember a child, when asked the same question answered by stating that the 7 Wonders of the world are:

1. To See

Do we take the time to see the beauty around us?  Or are we so focused on reaching the next moment in life?  This Long-Weekend I took in the beauty of the lake and the mountains while relaxing on the boat.   When you stare at the lake long enough  you can see every drop of water.

2. To Hear

Going for a run, I remember just opening my mind to what ever wanted to come in.  In time all the noise of the world had deafened and all I could hear are the beautiful sounds of the birds.

3. To Touch

Our skin is the largest organ in the body.  I was fortunate enough to spend time with close friends.  A genuine hug from your friends can last a life time within you.

4. To Taste

Well those that know me, know I saver every bite of food, dance during every chew.  I do not eat for the sake to eating I eat cause I love to taste and experience the food.  Nothing better than a barbeque with close friends.

5. To Feel

We feel something every second of the day.  Unfortunately most people are not aware of those moments.  They only stop to feel when it is an intense emotion.  Being aware of all the moments during the weekend reminded me of all the great emotions that we go through on a daily basis.

6. To Laugh

The best way to stay young is to laugh, laugh more and than laugh even more.

7. To Love

If more people had the courage to love and be loved this world would be a different place.

I want to thank all those that helped me experience the 7 Wonders of The World this long-weekend.  Most people spend a life time traveling the world in order to experience them, meanwhile they are right in our own backyards.

Cherish the moments

Fred Sarkari

We are all in the state of struggle.  Struggle to learn, to become aware, revolt, find who we are, what is our purpose?

We are at times intelligent with our words that we not only give the perception that we have all the answers but more so we start believing the lie that we do.

As soon as our state of mind comes to believe such a lie, we have at that critical moment, stopped learning and growing as a person.

Do you know what it means to be aware? To learn?

The only time we are learning is when our minds are innocently open, aware, to the moments in life that face us at that point in time.

I have been asked many times, “who is your mentor your guru in life?”

There is no one teacher or guru that we learn from.  Once we put another person in that category, we have shut our minds to the greatest teacher in life; life moments them selves.

The greatest teachers in life are the birds, plants, the smile of a persons face, the laughter of a child, the pain of a loved one, the sadness of a stranger.

If you make life your teacher than you will always be in a state of constant learning.

I ask you this, what experiences in life has given you the greatest awareness and learning?

Fred sarkari

JAMES LARTER

March 4th 1976 – July 6 2009

The times I had the pleasure of meeting James it was evident that he was a gift to all those that were in his life.

RIP James, your spirit will live within all of us.

Statement by John Larter, father of James Larter

“My family and I stand in the centre of that dark nightmare that all of us with children have hidden in the back of our minds. It is even more painful than I feared. Our beautiful son was our very heartbeat and breath. We stood around his bed in the hospital where he was laying covered in knife wounds and slashes, too many stitches to number. There were tubes attached to him everywhere bringing him blood and helping him to breathe and cling to life. His 12-year-old daughter was kneeling on a chair beside him with her head resting on his broad shoulder. Her tears had soaked his hospital gown and made a perfect circle where she lay. In that safe and familiar place on her dad’s shoulder she somehow fell asleep. It was then we turned off the respirator, watched our son’s face turn pale as he slipped away from us while his little girl slept. As I stood there, I thought, if the young man who did this to my son and her daddy could stand alongside me and watch all this unfold, he would be so ashamed that the knife would fall from his hand and he would never use one again. And I would gladly forgive him.”

A day does not go by where we are not in conflict with two of the most powerful influencers in our life.  Every decision we make is influenced at some level by these two living “Organs”.

I was recently asked a very critical question:

“So which is more important to pay attention too your heart or head?”

We make decisions in life based on our ‘heads’ we make choices in life based on our hearts.

Decisions can be logically explained by anyone whether they are in that situation or not.

Choices made from the heart cannot always be logically explained nor make sense in most cases – they are just there to embrace.

As much as I believe great things come to those who wait. The other side, which I believe in more important but not necessarily lived by as much by most:

Great things are lost for those who do not embrace what is in their hearts at that moment in time – those are choices made from the heart.

Those are choices that have a high element of fear and a high price to pay.  In most cases that high price is not monetary but more so a way of life.  A person willing to swim against the current of normality and willing to let go the security in order to chase a dream.

You hear a lot of people say, I know deep inside I am meant for more.  I am different, there is a deep rooted purpose in my life that I can feel inside of me.

Let me clarify the obvious.  Every single person on this earth belongs within the above sentence.  The choices that we make at that point in time will determine what we will be saying and living years down the road.

These choices are not easy to make, if they were than everyone would be living their dreams instead of living vicariously through others.

That is why we as humans rely on decisions instead of living our life through heart felt choices.

There will always be a reason why we cannot, always.  You only need one reason to grasp on to that dream and never let go.

Start chasing your dreams, your passions in life.  Be willing to put it all on stake, be willing to lose it all in life for that one chance of living your legacy.

I would love to hear from people that have payed a price towards their dream.   Also ones that are paying a price as we speak.

Remember when you started chasing your dream, you were looking for anything or anyone to encourage you.  Your story, even if its one line, will touch the hearts of many reading this post.

Fred Sarkari

Oh my god! Can it get any more confusing?  Eat this, don’t eat that, carb’s give you energy but they shoot your insulin level up, meat is bad for you, meat is good for you, eat eggs, eggs are bad for you.  What the (*&%^&^*)*(, no wonder people fall off the “eating well” wagon.

This fast paced world we have created along with all the fast foods on every block makes it very easy to indulge in our cravings.  

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight – at least 300 million of them clinically obese.  

Those that have ever started in the path of eating healthy know that we start with enough enthusiasm that can move an army of people around us.  And most, within a week go back to their old habits of eating.  

Main Reason: We are confused with all the clutter of information making it too difficult to follow through. 

A few days ago I ate what I thought was healthy for me.  Next thing I knew the walk from the kitchen to my bedroom felt like I ran a marathon and 1.5 hours later I woke up from my sleep.   The food I ate was healthy but what I did not realize is that my body did not just want healthy food it needed the right combination of foods. 

I called my good friend Andrea Thatcher from BodySenseWelleness.ca, an expert in nutrition and fitness.

—

I asked Andrea, “Why did I feel like I wanted to fall a sleep after a healthy meal?”  Here was her response:

When we eat protien foods, carbohydrate foods and fat foods that are not in the correct ratio for our own body and our activity level, the body will send messages to teach us not to do that again.  We often don’t pay attention to these messages, and disregard them because we are told certain foods are healthy for us. We continue to eat what we are told is healthy for us, and continue to receive these negative messages from the body  These signals will come in the form of food cravings, headaches, anxiety, feeling tired or lethargic, feeling full but still hungry, feeling jittery, or feeling mentally slow to name a few.
 
It is best to pay attention to what your body is telling you as your body simply does not lie, or tell jokes or try to fool you. It is sending these messages to encourage you to stop doing what is causing harm – even if you have been told these foods are healthy.  For example, some will have negative responses to meat, others will have a positive response. It is unrealistic to suggest that all meat is all bad for all people all the time. 
 
When you eat in the right ratio you are left feeling happy, with no cravings, clear mental focus, good energy levels and will last comforatably for 2-4 hours between eating. 

—

Wow! makes so much sense.  At times we do makes things too complicated in our lives.  Most of us know what foods are over all considered good.  

The most important question to ask yourself is:  How does it make you feel?

I suggest everyone to do what Andrea put me through, a metabolic testing.  It tells you what kinds of food your body favors.  Are you more of a Carb or a Protein person.

Keep 2 things in mind as you start this journey.

1. How did it make me feel?

2. Test test test test – see how you respond to different foods and combinations of it. Keep your mind open as you are unique just like your DNA. One of a kind – so the only real way to know is to try it out and refine for the next time.

Stay healthy

Fred Sarkari