Reconnecting with Passion and Preparing the Mind for the Road Ahead.
Back on the bike, in a manner of speaking… Well, it’s Easter. It’s a time of transition as we move into the colder months here in Melbourne. It has been a very quiet month on the blog mainly because I’ve started teaching again, back in Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. I’m loving it. … Read more
A New Approach
In just over a week I’m riding the first of a series of rides in the Netti Challenge series. First up is the Marysville Lake Mt Challenge. There are a few course options, but my mate who signed me up put us in for the longest one, 160km. Only the long course includes tackling the … Read more
Turning Lead into Gold
Periodically, out of the blue, I question what I’m doing, whether it’s my work, a thesis, or in this case riding. One of these times was last Wednesday night and I was trying to remind myself why I ride. It was odd really, feeling temporarily disconnected. Of course I know it’s good for my body … Read more
Finding the Edge
A week without riding. Last year this would have been nothing out of the ordinary but this is only the third week this year; one after a nasty fall, and two due to the seasonal virus that’s going around Melbourne. This morning, on day 7 of this cold I thought I’d be up for a … Read more
The Road to Success: Being Prepared for the Challenges and Finding the Jewel of Compassion
Perspective is everything. We create unreasonable and unrealistic expectations for our own lives and those of others and this can really distort the perspective we bring to life. As much as we can, we try to block out the difficulties and setbacks. This shouldn’t be happening! Why is this happening to me? We normally treat … Read more
The Winning Mind: Keeping the Ups and Downs of Life in Perspective
Perhaps this post would be more accurately entitled ‘Getting the Ups and Downs of Life in Perspective, because that’s the real challenge we face so often. It’s so incredibly easy to get caught up in the dramas of daily life, the stresses of work, money, relationships – you name it – that we lose sight … Read more
Healing the Wounds of the Past: Coming to Terms with our Shadow
In many of the great myths and epics, including virtually every example from the world of Hollywood and comics, the hero has an ongoing confrontation with a figure who represents their opposite – often dark, destructive, violent elements – think of Dracula, who embodies all that suppressed desire of Jonathan Harker. There’s also Darth Vadar. During his training … Read more
Awakening to the Hero Within You: the Moment of Change
Most of the time I stress the long-term processes of transformation; the journey, the quest of the hero. It’s a model that reflects the nature of life and our need to respond, learn, and adapt to the ups and downs and to ultimately come to terms with the nature of life and death. When we’re … Read more
The Beauty of Chance
Chance is a lovely thing. There’s nothing quite like truly random exploring. As a student, I used to regularly find all kinds of gems not by just looking in the places where the books I wanted were meant to be, but by roaming, pouring through the overflow shelves, and the trolleys of books waiting to … Read more
When Conditions are Right True Value and Potential are Recognised
This week I’ve been doing some research into oil painting and its historical development. Most accounts start in the 15th century with the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck who blended pigments with drying oils and various other substances like wax and crushed bone. After that it steadily took off until it became virtually synonymous with … Read more
