They call it the “Beast of the East“, a triathlon in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, created and managed by the Wicklow Triathlon Club (see www.wicklowtri.com). As a member of the club I was helping with the event in my favourite way – playing the bagpipes as the swimmers entered the cold and choppy waters of Lough Dan Co. Wicklow.

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It was over an hour before the last person finished the swim and I managed to keep the bagpipes blowing for most of it, although I’m sure it was way tougher for the swimmers to keep their lungs going!

Once all the swimmers were out I went up the road to help with marshalling the event.

By the time I got to a good place to help, many of the triathletes were already beginning to zoom in on their bikes and then zoom out again for the run.

While I was helping to marshall cyclists, runners and some cars on a small hilly country road, I noticed a young boy waiting to support his Dad.  Accompanying him were his Grandparents, his Mother and siblings. The young boy wondered where his Dad was but with a smile of enthusiasm he waited patiently.

His Dad eventually appeared and was coming last. He slowly (and painfully I’m sure) jogged up this hilly country road in his bright orange t-shirt. Yet to my surprise, this Dad, after completing a very tough 1.5K swim, a 40K very hilly bike ride and just beginning a very tough 10K run stopped for a moment and kissed one of his children. He then headed off over the hills to continue his run, in last place. The young boy sat on a grass verge by the side of the road and continued to wait.

While the young boy waited he told us how his Dad had won a medal in another triathlon and completed a 20k run before! The pride he felt for his Dad was evident all across his beaming smile as he told us about his Dads previous accomplishments. However it was a long wait for his Dad and most people had dispersed before there was any sign of him arriving back from the run.

The Grandparents and Mother decided to go on to the finish to wait and see their “son-in-law finish the race”. The young boy, now left alone, continued to wait proudly on the grass verge for his Dad.

Eventually his Dad did show up and by then everyone else was well finished. However when this young boy saw his Dad coming both their faces beamed with delight! The young boy got up from the grass verge and ran with his Dad that last few hundred meters.

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When everyone who was still around at the finish saw these two great champions running that last few hundred meters they responded with clapping, cheering and roars of support all the way to the finish. It was brilliant! It was for me the highlight of the event!

It really didn’t matter where this man came in the triathlon because in the eyes of this young boy, his son, and many who watched including myself, this man and his son will always be winners!

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Photos by Andrew Cummins – www.AndrewCummins.com

Unhappy with how your life is going then learn how to pursue

your passions and dreams –   the next Dare to Dream online Course

Begins September 21 2010

Click here to receive early notification and watch inspirational videos

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Related Links:

www.WicklowTri.com

Triathlon Can Dad

Outsider Magazine article

53 Degrees North Article

Iron Man Champion – Aged 74

Why did I put this on the Be Inspired blog? Because it’s a great song, a great video and can inspire you deeply. Enjoy!

Seán M Kelly

“The more positive you are the quicker whatever you’re looking for will come about” – Seán M Kelly

What does it mean to have a purpose in your career/life? It means that there is some underlying driving reason which inspires and motivates you to do what you do and to be who you are being? Without a purpose we often just drift from one part of our life to another, sometimes wondering are we of any value to anyone? When we decide on a purpose we have a guiding light for the decisions we make and the direction we want to go in.

Here are some life purpose statements I’ve across across over the years which I thought were really good:

1. To raise the mental literacy of the world by 10% – Tony Buzan

2. The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly - Mohandas Gandhi

3. To inspire people to live their dreams – guess who?

4. To leave the world a better place than I found it – unknown

So what can you do? Decide on a purpose for at least the next twelve months. Pick one that feels passionate. One that serves others. One that energises you. A very important point is that the greater the joy you feel about your purpose the better it will work and the more fulfillment you will feel.

So invest a bit of time in creating your purpose this week and notice the difference it makes to your motivation and passion during daily activities.

May your most fulfilling dreams continue to come true,

Enjoy!

Sean M Kelly

PS: Remember the Dare to Dream online course starts June 22 – click below for more details and registration:

www.DaretoDreamCourse.com

In 2003 I sat overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It’s a remarkable place with palpable energy and consumed in ancient history, a history which imprisons many to a limited and violent past.

I had come to a meeting of a Peace Movement which aimed to unite people of all religions, all cultures and denominations. Every Friday morning this group sits over looking the western wall to simply demonstrate  ”being peaceful”. Anyone is welcome to join them.

As we sat, sometimes talking, sometimes playing music, sometimes being silent the sun light up the whole space. At one point one of the Founders of this organisation, an Israeli Jew spoke about the teneths of the organistion. He said “The first teneth we operate from is – that we don’t know. We don’t know the answers. You see most of the conflict in this world is brought about by everyone thinking they “know” and then fighting over it! So we decided we don’t know”

What a fantastic way of being, I thought. It’s a bit like the Buddhists when they talk about “beginners mind”. With such an attitude it opens us up to a new way of being, a way that is free from our limited past. It opens us up to creating a new world, a world where we truly love and care for each other no matter what our differences are.

Last week as we all know there was more violence in the Middle East, 9 people were killed on board a ship bringing aid to the Gaza strip. Another ship called the Rachel Corrie went from Ireland. It too never made it to the Gaza and its passengers were sent back to their respective countries.

Just after I was in Israel in 2003, I heard about Rachel Corrie (1979 -2003) and what happened to her. It was absolutely unbelievable to be honest. She was mowed down by an Israeli army bulldozer trying to stop a Palestinians house being destroyed (a pharmacist, accountant, their wives, and five young children).

Well as the teneth of the peace movement I visited in Isreal said “we don’t know”, I don’t know the answer to the conflict either but I do know like we all know, that violence creates more violence and imprisons future generations to a man made hell on earth. And no matter how strong any nation is with its weapons, I don’t believe there are any people in the world who want to live in fear. And no amount of weapons will ever get rid of fear, only love will get rid of fear!

We must learn to see that underneath our external definitions of what we are, we are the same. And we belong to one group and that group is called humanity! And again no matter how much weaponry we have we still have to learn to live with each other and to love one another. If we don’t we continue to imprison future generations to our limited and violent past. Let’s set them free instead!

As I thought about Rachel Corrie again in the last week I found a video of her when she was in 5th grade. Like many who have gone before, she too has a message worth listening too.

Also see

http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

Ok so you think you’re old and have given up on some of your dreams! Well when I read about this amazing 74 year old lady, Harriott Anderson from a friend of mine Jenny Brice I felt a new surge of energy for all that is possible in this life!

In summary Harriott has completed 18 Ironman Triathlons (consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26 miles 385 yards, 42.195 km) run). She’s currently training for the next Ironman in Kona, Hawaii in October 2010! What an inspiration!

Below is an interview with Hariott and part of a blog article about her written by Kathleen Jensen

Be Inspired by this amazing IronLady!!!

The following excerpt is written by Kathleen Jensen and was originally published on www.athleta.net

When Harriet Anderson crossed the finish line at Kona — the Ford Ironman World Championship — in October 2009, there were a few reasons she stood out. At 74 years of age, she was the oldest female competitor to complete the race. At 11:53 p.m. she finished, just seven minutes before the cutoff. And the reason she’d taken longer than usual? The arm taped to her side was a clue. She’d broken her clavicle at mile 80 of the bike ride when another cyclist bumped into her. Did that deter Harriet? No. She picked herself up, finished the next 32 miles on the bike, and promptly walked the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon.

Meet Harriet, the Women’s 70-74 Ironman World Champion.

THE JOURNEY BEYOND

What makes a person push and endure beyond barriers? There’s not one noticeable moment in her history that would make someone think that Harriet was destined to be an Ironman champion in her 70’s, and that’s the beauty of her story. Harriet grew up in Los Gatos and spent the summers with her sister on the beach in Santa Cruz. In college she spent a summer in Yosemite hiking long distances without stopping. “The guys I was hiking with were impressed that I just kept going,” says Harriet. “I guess I was just born with the endurance gene.” She married Gary 50 years ago—they celebrated their golden anniversary this month—and raised two kids.

As a school nurse Harriet understood the value of good health. When their kids left home, a friend encouraged Harriet and Gary to join an exercise class at Canada College. “We met three times a week and focused on strength training and running,” explains Harriet. Then someone suggested a 10k race. Which she did. And then a half marathon. She did that too. In 1986 she decided to tackle the Honolulu Marathon.

THE PATH TO IRONMAN

This path of racing one distance and then doing longer races is familiar to most athletes who get hooked on racing. Triathlon caught Harriet’s eye, but she wasn’t a strong swimmer. So she joined a master’s swim club at the community center and then tried her hand at a couple of sprint distance (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run) triathlons. That went well and she had fun, so when some friends planned to do the Wildflower Long Course distance race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) in May 1989, she signed up too.

Wildflower is well-known as a fun race with a super challenging half Ironman course, not generally forgiving for first timers. And yet 53-year-old Harriet won …

Click here to Read on

Enjoy

Sean M Kelly

Related Posts

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Get Back Up

Against All odds

Life’s worth Fighting for

Here are two poems from a fantastic Irish poet called Roibeard Mc Elroy. The first poem “Bel’s fires” celebrates ‘Bealtaine’ or May day and the second poem celebrates the beauty of the bee. Two brilliantly written poems. Roibeard writes many poems, prose and musings about places he visits in Ireland.  To see more of his work go to his blogs at

http://meltthecelt-insightsofachameleon.blogspot.com/

www.myspace.com/roibpoeticaceltica

“Bel’s fires”:

Bel’s fires were pure penitents
in the season of festivals
Bel’s fires were pure penitents
in the harvest of restive tribals
Bel’s fires were sylvan towers
to light the pilgrim’s paths
Bel’s fires were blushing bowers
the Gael’s redemptive baths
Bels’ blazes were spectral spires
summer’s seed a-living oasis
Bealtaine’s blazes were fertile pyres
in the offerings of Celtic gnosis
Bel’s fires were spirit guides
where nature’s cycle is clannish
Mayday burned as reaping scythes
in the corn, Spring’s shadows banish
Bel’s fires pruned ploughshares
love dancing their season’s change!
Bel’s fires sparkled as a new dawn
capping mystery’s mountain range
Bel’s blazes were souls sun drawn
as Messengers of new ages
Bealtaine’s flames the great freeborn
Oh mirth! Summertime now rages!!

Happy Bealtaine/Mayday, my friends!

Roibeard

“The Swan song of the bee?”:

The beauty of the bee
is the output of its hive
as a shepherd of all botany
in craftmanship it does strive!
The heart song of its litany
augments the genus alive;
artist o’ nature’s epiphany
in labyrinths builds its destiny -
the comb & wax, in sharing thrive!

Sweet Ambrosia and Nectar
pollinating bud, petal, blossom;
in cell-like choirs, the elector,
of biology – sweet apple blossom!
Like a pure prospector
in the harvest of golden honey
with goddess/ queen, cosmic connector,
of sweet fruits, climes sunny!
Oh noble bee benevolent
a servant of its craft
where man is vexed malevolent
oft groomed the scion to its graft!

Oh great bee of the pyramid
the pyramid of the Helix:
in the flora, shrub, once amid,
the rose bush, the blooming matrix,
where now art thou hid?
Yet again man’s monstrous machine
your sweet honeycomb undid;
who’ll carve the replica and figurine
if another species has been….?

Again to read more of  Roibeard’s work go to his blogs at:

http://meltthecelt-insightsofachameleon.blogspot.com/

and

www.myspace.com/roibpoeticaceltica

The next Dare to Dream online course will begin in early June 2010. To receive details and an early invitation just email info@seanmkelly.com

Enjoy the video!

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

- W H Murray (1913 – 1996)

When I was a child my Father would bring me to the Easter parade in Dublin, Ireland. Now I was pretty small at the time and the crowds were massive – I was a small boy holding my fathers hand for dear life, looking up at frightening human giants all around me. I never remember seeing any of the parade as we never managed to get to the front row! Luckily though I could still hear the parade as its sounds filled the streets.

What I heard was a sound that moved every cell of my body, that touched every part of me. A sound that inspired me and made me feel like a giant in my small boys body. It was the unique sound of the bagpipes.

As the years passed the Easter parade was stopped and I rarely heard the sound of the bagpipes. Life got busy and serious and childhood dreams were left behind. But they never died!

About twenty years later I had a dream of learning to play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes for my wedding. I had no idea how I would learn it and it was only three months to our wedding! Then I heard there was a bagpiper at the hotel we were getting married in. So I wondered? I wondered would he teach me? Another part of me said he’d probably tell me to “Get lost! There’s no way you’d learn it in three months”. Would I call him?

Well I decided to make that call and he was so open to helping me it was fantastic. And three months later unbeknownst to most people at our wedding, including my very surprised wife, I walked in after the meal playing amazing grace on the bagpipes!

Not longer after our wedding I wondered again? What if I called my bagpiper friend and asked him could I join his band? Now another part of me said “Sean, you’re too old now, get serious and forget it!“. Luckily enough I didn’t listen to that limiting voice, made the call and joined the band. For the next number of years I travelled twice a week, an hour each way and learnt the bagpipes and enjoyed myself to the hilt!

In 1999 my Father died from cancer.  As I watched my Fathers life ebbing away, it reminded me of my own mortality and I made a commitment to nourish my love of music a lot more before it was too late.

One day I sat in a cafe and wondered could I actually get paid for performing and doing what I truly love? As I contemplated this I heard a lady in the cafe say to another lady “and did they play bagpipes at the wedding?” This was the last sign I needed from the universe.

That afternoon I put an advert for playing bagpipes at weddings on an Irish weddings website. And within a couple of months I had my first paid professional music gig. From that moment on I would never again believe that you can’t get paid for doing what you love! You can!

Since then I’ve performed in many countries around the world with bagpipes and guitar, in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, New York, Washington State, Hawaii, San Francisco, Chicago, Peru (in Machu Pichu & at 4,200m high), Israel, Palestine, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, France  and Luxembourg. I’ve had the honour of piping for thousands of people from all walks of life from the rich and famous, to some who live under curfew, to some of the worlds poorest people.

Now suppose I never made that call to ask someone to teach me bagpipes? Suppose I decided to believe I was too old? Or hadn’t enough money? Or the time wasn’t right yet? Or I was too young? Or some other limiting belief. None of the above would have happened and I dread to think how much joy, happiness and absolutely unbelievable fantastic  experiences I would have missed out on. Maybe even more importantly how many peoples lives would I not have been able to touch with the music,  just like mine was as I held my Fathers hand in those crowded Dublin streets filled with bagpipe music from the Easter parade.

Have I played “bum notes” along the way, you bet I have! But it’s better than playing no notes at all! And as the famous psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970) said

“Don’t die with your music still in you”

Make that call! Your Dreams can come true!

Sean M Kelly

PS: Remember this is the last week you can vote to help my book “A Pipers Tales – Celtic Wisdom to Nourish the Soul” get to the next round of the Next Top Spiritual Author competition. Just click this link www.aPipersTales.com Your vote is greatly appreciated.

Related Posts

A Pipers Tales

Awaken Your Dreams and Touch Peoples Hearts

Does Visualisation work?

How will you die?

Keep moving forward

The Pipes, the Pipes are calling! So please go to www.aPipersTales.com and give this book your vote for Round 2 of the Next Top Spiritual Author. Thanks a million!

The competition is for a publishing deal with Hampton Roads, a main stream publisher in the USA. To get to the next round I WILL NEED YOUR VOTE before June 28th!

Have a look at the following video and if you feel it’s a book which benefits its readers and should be in mainstream circulation, please give it your vote by clicking on the link below it. Thanks a million!

Click here to Vote to have this book published