At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday, the difference between a good decision and a bad decision was put on display for the world to see, all because of what two people decided to throw.
Kim Mickle threw a javelin on an open field which speared into the ground and won her a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Laith Samardali threw plastic bottles into the crowd after going into a rage when his brother lost his boxing bout. One of those bottles hit a child, he was charged with aggravated assault and is now in Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison.
Not knowing either of these people, I can't cast aspersions about their propensity to make good decisions, but the difference between both decisions seems obvious...thinking. One throw was a well thought out decision over a lot of years, where the thrower had thought deeply about how to make sure she was in the right state to make sure she got the result she was after. The other thrower made a snap decision in a fit of rage where it seems there was no thought about the possible repurcussions of his actions.
Not everybody can think about their actions over years on their way to Commonwealth Games medals, but everybody can take a deep breath before they act - no matter how angry they are - give a few seconds thought, and ask themselves "Is what I'm about to do a good idea?" If the answer is "no", then you can put down the plastic bottle, calmly walk away, and fly home proud of the fact that your brother is a commonwealth games athlete.
Thursday 31 July 2014
Monday 28 July 2014
123-"No big deals" can change lives
People often think little things they do are "nothing", but a text message my girlfriend sent to a friend, and a commitment to catch up from my sister proved that things one person waves away as too small to worry about can bring ridiculous happiness to someone else.
My girlfriend, Angela sent a text message to a friend, Gloria yesterday thanking her for a favour Gloria had done recently, and after reading it out to me to check it made sense before she sent it, I told my girlfriend it was beautiful. She looked a bit confused as to why I thought a simple "thank you" message was beautiful when she thought it was "nothing," and the answer was: repetition. One simple "thank you" message is nice, but not really any big deal, but when someone does it, and MEANS it time after time, it makes those on the receiving end happy.
The other piece of proof that small actions can have a huge effect on a persons life came when my sister said today that she would come for dinner with me tomorrow night after a work function. If you were to tell anyone excitedly that you were having dinner with your sister they'd probably just say "So?" But again, it's when that simple action is repeated over and over again that it goes from "nothing" to "something" - a text message saying thanks, going out for dinner with your family, baking some muffins, dropping in randomly to say hello, leaving a bunch of flowers for someone you love in their room or lending someone a razor are all pretty small things to GIVE, but they can be extraordinarily big to RECEIVE.
One good decision is lovely, but three in row make it a habit, so next time you think what you're doing is "no big deal," keep in mind that you might be bringing somebody ridiculous happiness
My girlfriend, Angela sent a text message to a friend, Gloria yesterday thanking her for a favour Gloria had done recently, and after reading it out to me to check it made sense before she sent it, I told my girlfriend it was beautiful. She looked a bit confused as to why I thought a simple "thank you" message was beautiful when she thought it was "nothing," and the answer was: repetition. One simple "thank you" message is nice, but not really any big deal, but when someone does it, and MEANS it time after time, it makes those on the receiving end happy.
The other piece of proof that small actions can have a huge effect on a persons life came when my sister said today that she would come for dinner with me tomorrow night after a work function. If you were to tell anyone excitedly that you were having dinner with your sister they'd probably just say "So?" But again, it's when that simple action is repeated over and over again that it goes from "nothing" to "something" - a text message saying thanks, going out for dinner with your family, baking some muffins, dropping in randomly to say hello, leaving a bunch of flowers for someone you love in their room or lending someone a razor are all pretty small things to GIVE, but they can be extraordinarily big to RECEIVE.
One good decision is lovely, but three in row make it a habit, so next time you think what you're doing is "no big deal," keep in mind that you might be bringing somebody ridiculous happiness
Thursday 17 July 2014
122-Diabetic Russian Roulette
***BEFORE I START WRITING THIS BLOG, I CHECKED MY BSL 90 SECONDS AGO AND IT WAS 5.2 - I'VE HAD A BIG CONTAINER OF RICE AND 2 MUESLI BARS (ONE WAS A "THANK-YOU" BAR ASH!) - I'M NOT SWEARING, I'M NOT RUNNING ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC - MY LIPS ARE A BIT TINGLY, BUT I'M IN TOTAL CONTROL.
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Diabetes sucks.
Dealing with a stroke that nearly killed me has been easier than dealing with diabetes recently, and I'm over it. Every time I recover after being revived by paramedics or given an injection of Glucagen by my girlfriend, I tell everyone that I'm still in control and it's just the arrogance that comes with 20 years of good control that's caused my recent form slump, and while that's still true, today the straw broke the camels back.
I went for my lunch break with a largish slice of lasagna and a solid container of rice, but when you are trying to work out how much insulin you need to counter the carbohydrates you're about to eat, "largish" and "solid" aren't accurate measures of portions, so like I've done too often over the last 12 months, I just guessed how much carbohydrate was in my lunch, and once again, I got it wrong.
As I was finishing the last of my rice after already destroying the lasagna, I started to feel the way only a diabetic having a hypo can feel - a bit tingly, my stomach felt light, and I was getting a bit vague. Realising what was happening, I went straight to the 7-11 and grabbed a couple of muesli bars, which brought my sugars back to the 5.2 I was at the start of this blog.
"So how do I regain control of this thing?" I found myself asking once I was aware of what was going on at lunchtime, and the answer is pretty clear - my control was at it's best when I was at peak fitness due to footy, and I was having standard, predictable, accurately measurable portions at each meal - so I figure I have 2 options: One is to do another pre-season at Pennant Hills, do hill sprints in my spare time and do beep tests after work - I'm still carrying a tight gluteus maximus from the Penno Old Boys game nearly a month ago though - so I'm not too keen on that option. The other option is to STOP GUESSING! Surely it's not that difficult having a sandwich and having the prescribed dose of insulin, rather than having huge serves of lasagna and rice and HOPING you guess the right amount if insulin.
Diabetes does suck, but it is entirely managable - I just need to pull my head in and "get it right."
Post script: My BSL is now 10.0 - the delayed response of all those carbs is sinking in!
--------------
Diabetes sucks.
Dealing with a stroke that nearly killed me has been easier than dealing with diabetes recently, and I'm over it. Every time I recover after being revived by paramedics or given an injection of Glucagen by my girlfriend, I tell everyone that I'm still in control and it's just the arrogance that comes with 20 years of good control that's caused my recent form slump, and while that's still true, today the straw broke the camels back.
I went for my lunch break with a largish slice of lasagna and a solid container of rice, but when you are trying to work out how much insulin you need to counter the carbohydrates you're about to eat, "largish" and "solid" aren't accurate measures of portions, so like I've done too often over the last 12 months, I just guessed how much carbohydrate was in my lunch, and once again, I got it wrong.
As I was finishing the last of my rice after already destroying the lasagna, I started to feel the way only a diabetic having a hypo can feel - a bit tingly, my stomach felt light, and I was getting a bit vague. Realising what was happening, I went straight to the 7-11 and grabbed a couple of muesli bars, which brought my sugars back to the 5.2 I was at the start of this blog.
"So how do I regain control of this thing?" I found myself asking once I was aware of what was going on at lunchtime, and the answer is pretty clear - my control was at it's best when I was at peak fitness due to footy, and I was having standard, predictable, accurately measurable portions at each meal - so I figure I have 2 options: One is to do another pre-season at Pennant Hills, do hill sprints in my spare time and do beep tests after work - I'm still carrying a tight gluteus maximus from the Penno Old Boys game nearly a month ago though - so I'm not too keen on that option. The other option is to STOP GUESSING! Surely it's not that difficult having a sandwich and having the prescribed dose of insulin, rather than having huge serves of lasagna and rice and HOPING you guess the right amount if insulin.
Diabetes does suck, but it is entirely managable - I just need to pull my head in and "get it right."
Post script: My BSL is now 10.0 - the delayed response of all those carbs is sinking in!
Wednesday 16 July 2014
121-I want to help you give something a crack
If you find yourself saying to...yourself at the end of a day in the office "I wish I had just tried that thing," or "I wonder if I would have been any good at that thing I always wanted to try," I think I can help.
Trying something new doesn't have to mean a life changing career change, it can just be doing something you've always wanted to give a crack.
The “Oh Well Forum” at barnabyhowarth.com.au is open for business and looking to put people who regret not trying “something” in touch with people who can provide that “something”, so post your desire and the “Oh Well Forum” community will find someone who can help you give it a crack.
It's time to turn those thoughts about regretting not trying something to being excited about finally giving something a crack.
120 - Congratulations Lenny Hayes - the footballer AND the man
As a team mate of Lenny Hayes in junior Sydney football, every weekend crowds oohed and aahed at Lenny the footballer as he smoothly sidesteped his way around half the opposition on his way to kicking a goal, but what stood out for me was how he would shake hands with opposition players before and after the game. So on his announcement of his retirement from AFL football - congratulations Lenny for a stellar football career, but also for being a REALLY good bloke.
I was 9 years old when I first played footy with Lenny at the Pennant Hills Junior AFL Club, and I remember him walking up to his opponent before the game, looking him in the eye, holding out his hand and saying "good luck mate" before shaking the kids hand. At the end of the game, Lenny looked around the field for the same kid, saw him down the other end, ran over to him, shook his hand again and said "Good game mate." Lenny had just had about 40 touches and kicked 5 goals, so it was probably a bit easier to be gracious in victory.
So it was no surprise that when St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt was asked about Lenny's legacy at St Kilda, he was as complimentary of Lenny Hayes the man as he was about Lenny Hayes the footballer. Riewold said about Lenny:
"He's just the ultimate teammate, the ultimate player and ... off the field he's the nicest, best guy and most fiercely loyal guy that you would ever meet," he said. "Of all the people I've ever met in football, he's the best person and the best player as well."
At the announcement of his retirement just short of playing his 300th game for St Kilda, a lot of people in the room wore "I (heart) Lenny" commemorative T-shirts, which didn't fit with his modest request to limit fanfare.
"I asked the club if this could be fairly low-key, and it didn't really turn out that way, did it?" Lenny said.
I was 9 years old when I first played footy with Lenny at the Pennant Hills Junior AFL Club, and I remember him walking up to his opponent before the game, looking him in the eye, holding out his hand and saying "good luck mate" before shaking the kids hand. At the end of the game, Lenny looked around the field for the same kid, saw him down the other end, ran over to him, shook his hand again and said "Good game mate." Lenny had just had about 40 touches and kicked 5 goals, so it was probably a bit easier to be gracious in victory.
So it was no surprise that when St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt was asked about Lenny's legacy at St Kilda, he was as complimentary of Lenny Hayes the man as he was about Lenny Hayes the footballer. Riewold said about Lenny:
"He's just the ultimate teammate, the ultimate player and ... off the field he's the nicest, best guy and most fiercely loyal guy that you would ever meet," he said. "Of all the people I've ever met in football, he's the best person and the best player as well."
At the announcement of his retirement just short of playing his 300th game for St Kilda, a lot of people in the room wore "I (heart) Lenny" commemorative T-shirts, which didn't fit with his modest request to limit fanfare.
"I asked the club if this could be fairly low-key, and it didn't really turn out that way, did it?" Lenny said.
Lenny's modesty is one of the main reasons thousands of Australians (heart) him, so while basking in the attention and the constant messages of adulation his retirement brings, I hope that when he gets a quiet second he acknowledges that he is a really good man.
Well done Lenny.
Saturday 12 July 2014
119-Missed it by that much
When Scott Donaldson was winched to a helicopter less than 100 kilometers short of becoming the first person to kayak the Tasman solo, he proved that giving it a crack and not reaching your goal is better than not giving it a crack at all.
Donaldson had been at sea for over 3 months after leaving Coffs Harbour in Australia in his kayak - his second attempt to cross the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand - but after a broken harness, a dead radio battery, chest and facial injuries, and gale-force winds that were pushing him back towards Australia, he decided to jump in the water and board the rescue helicopter, despite being able to see Mt Taranaki, a landmark that signalled what would have made a successful voyage, in the distance.
Most people would say that Donaldson "failed," but what he said after he made it back to the mainland of New Zealand reinforces the words of AFL Hall of Fame player and coach Ron Barassi when he said:
"There's no disgace in failing. The only disgrace is if you only half try, or three quartes try, or 99 percent try."
Donaldson had battled wind and rain and braved the cold and crashing waves, and even though he didn't make it to where he was trying to get to, Donaldson said he was confident he
‘‘left it all out there.’’
Despite looking disappointed when he faced the media after a shave and a hot shower, he also looked happier giving it a 100% crack and missing out than giving it a 90% crack and "succeeding."
Donaldson had been at sea for over 3 months after leaving Coffs Harbour in Australia in his kayak - his second attempt to cross the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand - but after a broken harness, a dead radio battery, chest and facial injuries, and gale-force winds that were pushing him back towards Australia, he decided to jump in the water and board the rescue helicopter, despite being able to see Mt Taranaki, a landmark that signalled what would have made a successful voyage, in the distance.
Most people would say that Donaldson "failed," but what he said after he made it back to the mainland of New Zealand reinforces the words of AFL Hall of Fame player and coach Ron Barassi when he said:
"There's no disgace in failing. The only disgrace is if you only half try, or three quartes try, or 99 percent try."
Donaldson had battled wind and rain and braved the cold and crashing waves, and even though he didn't make it to where he was trying to get to, Donaldson said he was confident he
‘‘left it all out there.’’
Despite looking disappointed when he faced the media after a shave and a hot shower, he also looked happier giving it a 100% crack and missing out than giving it a 90% crack and "succeeding."
Monday 7 July 2014
118-Hayes & McVeigh wouldn't have been drafted without Howarth, according to Bolton
Sometimes focusing on the game plan and letting the result take care of itself is scary-steps you take in 1988 might not bear fruit until 2014, but after some comments from Sydney Swans premiership player Craig Bolton at the Pennant Hills Demons sportsmans lunch last week, that's exactly what happened.
I hope this blog doesn't make me sound like a tool who's full of himself, it's more because I was pretty chuffed and wanted to share it. My ex NSW/ACT RAMS teammate Bolton told the crowd that "if it wasn't for people like Barnaby at Penno pushing Lenny Hayes and Mark McVeigh to be better players when they were younger, they never would have been drafted. "
I wasn't at the lunch so I didn't hear the comments first hand, but when I heard them I felt like Martin Short in The Three Amigos talking to the children of Santa Pulco, I just sat back and went:
"Uuuhhh"
We quite often get put off doing things because we might not see a result straight away, but hearing those comments made me realise that the things we do TODAY are having an effect on the people around us whether we realise it or not. So if something comes along to try and knock you off your chosen path and tries to force you to abandon your game plan, stand up to it and keep moving forwards. It may take 26 years, but if you are 100% committed to your game plan, the result will fall your way.
I hope this blog doesn't make me sound like a tool who's full of himself, it's more because I was pretty chuffed and wanted to share it. My ex NSW/ACT RAMS teammate Bolton told the crowd that "if it wasn't for people like Barnaby at Penno pushing Lenny Hayes and Mark McVeigh to be better players when they were younger, they never would have been drafted. "
I wasn't at the lunch so I didn't hear the comments first hand, but when I heard them I felt like Martin Short in The Three Amigos talking to the children of Santa Pulco, I just sat back and went:
"Uuuhhh"
We quite often get put off doing things because we might not see a result straight away, but hearing those comments made me realise that the things we do TODAY are having an effect on the people around us whether we realise it or not. So if something comes along to try and knock you off your chosen path and tries to force you to abandon your game plan, stand up to it and keep moving forwards. It may take 26 years, but if you are 100% committed to your game plan, the result will fall your way.
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