There are really no words to summarize this trip, let alone my experience with Oakley Women. Since becoming an ambassador for Oakley Women in June 2011, I welcomed a new family into my life. It is without question that the other 9 INSPIRING ambassadors, as well as myself, have been given a lot of great swag to try out and to provide feedback.
As a long-time Oakley sunglass wearer, I have to admit that Oakley Women has really changed the way that I live. It's far beyond free sunglasses and cute apparel. I suppose Karel started this journey in helping me find balance in both life and sport but Oakley Women has introduced me to an entirely new way to think about how we choose to live our life.
Arriving on Wed evening, I did not experience the first two days of this week-long conference. But I sure did hear about it all!! From Lance Armstrong being the "surprise" guest on Tuesday and a dinner + party at the Playboy mansion, Oakley really knows how to find the right balance between learning and fun. So, perhaps there might be a bit more "fun" in the after hours, but surrounding myself with over 900 PROUD and PASSIONATE Oakley individuals, from ALL over the world, has inspired me to continue living my life to the fullest. Thankfully, I have Oakley Women to help me perform beautifully with my choice to live an active lifestyle. For if you take away the 5-Ironman finishes, a Boston Marathon finish and my coaching business, I am still a strong, energetic woman who loves to be active. It is without question that surrounding myself with people who embrace the brand and the philosophy of Oakley, is exactly the Refresher that I need to continue living my life with balance. For it is through consistent exercise and an appreciation of the food that I put into my body, that I can really use my body to LIVE the life that I have always wanted to live.
This morning I heard one of the most amazing talks of my life. Keith Yamashita (with SYPARTNERS.COM) gave the most motivating, inspiring and thought-provoking talk and I couldn't help but take notes.
The purpose of his talk was on the topic of Humility. This is one of the 5 pillars of Oakley's new campaign and according to Mr Yamashita "We achieve remarkable things not out of arrogance, but out of humility. To bring our full aspiration, hopes, and talents to our life's work, we must first have the courage to be humbly ourselves."
As an athlete and health and fitness professional, I found this talk to be captivating. Having someone tell me "you must be humble on and off the field...especially when no one is paying attention" spoke mountains to me. For humility is who you are, all the time. Mr Yamashita said "You do the hard work so that others can succeed". So powerful.
We all know that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. But humility doesn't make you a better person. Take away titles and biases and it is only your character and ability to empathize and that will really make the biggest difference.
One quote that I couldn't help but stick into the back of my brain was that "we don't train for mistakes. We always train to succeed". I found this to be very true when I competed in the Ironman World Championships this year in Kona, Hawaii. I had done everything possible to succeed and I had not prepared myself for "mistakes". It took me almost 10 miles on the 26.2 mile run, with painful GI distress secondary to swallowing the pacific ocean, to recognize that my "unplanned" situation did not have to be viewed as an unsuccessful attempt at my 2nd Ironman World Championships.
"We can all be liberated from expectations that we aren't going to win." Regardless of our expectations going into a new journey, such as diet and exercise, we must always "try again, even if you can't win. It's not who you have been or what you have done in the past but who you are now and the ability to try again".
According to Steve Jobs, "even in the darkest periods, comes the most remarkable work."
So, as I get myself ready for the evening fair-well Global party at the Nokia Club with a private concert by Cobra Starship, I will leave you with this...
Are you humble enough to accept that you are not perfect and that you never have to be? But, you must never give up on living the life you choose to live.
Do you have humility to achieve something remarkable because you truly believe in yourself to succeed?
Thank you Oakley Women for everything. Really, everything.
As a long-time Oakley sunglass wearer, I have to admit that Oakley Women has really changed the way that I live. It's far beyond free sunglasses and cute apparel. I suppose Karel started this journey in helping me find balance in both life and sport but Oakley Women has introduced me to an entirely new way to think about how we choose to live our life.
Arriving on Wed evening, I did not experience the first two days of this week-long conference. But I sure did hear about it all!! From Lance Armstrong being the "surprise" guest on Tuesday and a dinner + party at the Playboy mansion, Oakley really knows how to find the right balance between learning and fun. So, perhaps there might be a bit more "fun" in the after hours, but surrounding myself with over 900 PROUD and PASSIONATE Oakley individuals, from ALL over the world, has inspired me to continue living my life to the fullest. Thankfully, I have Oakley Women to help me perform beautifully with my choice to live an active lifestyle. For if you take away the 5-Ironman finishes, a Boston Marathon finish and my coaching business, I am still a strong, energetic woman who loves to be active. It is without question that surrounding myself with people who embrace the brand and the philosophy of Oakley, is exactly the Refresher that I need to continue living my life with balance. For it is through consistent exercise and an appreciation of the food that I put into my body, that I can really use my body to LIVE the life that I have always wanted to live.
This morning I heard one of the most amazing talks of my life. Keith Yamashita (with SYPARTNERS.COM) gave the most motivating, inspiring and thought-provoking talk and I couldn't help but take notes.
The purpose of his talk was on the topic of Humility. This is one of the 5 pillars of Oakley's new campaign and according to Mr Yamashita "We achieve remarkable things not out of arrogance, but out of humility. To bring our full aspiration, hopes, and talents to our life's work, we must first have the courage to be humbly ourselves."
As an athlete and health and fitness professional, I found this talk to be captivating. Having someone tell me "you must be humble on and off the field...especially when no one is paying attention" spoke mountains to me. For humility is who you are, all the time. Mr Yamashita said "You do the hard work so that others can succeed". So powerful.
We all know that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. But humility doesn't make you a better person. Take away titles and biases and it is only your character and ability to empathize and that will really make the biggest difference.
One quote that I couldn't help but stick into the back of my brain was that "we don't train for mistakes. We always train to succeed". I found this to be very true when I competed in the Ironman World Championships this year in Kona, Hawaii. I had done everything possible to succeed and I had not prepared myself for "mistakes". It took me almost 10 miles on the 26.2 mile run, with painful GI distress secondary to swallowing the pacific ocean, to recognize that my "unplanned" situation did not have to be viewed as an unsuccessful attempt at my 2nd Ironman World Championships.
"We can all be liberated from expectations that we aren't going to win." Regardless of our expectations going into a new journey, such as diet and exercise, we must always "try again, even if you can't win. It's not who you have been or what you have done in the past but who you are now and the ability to try again".
According to Steve Jobs, "even in the darkest periods, comes the most remarkable work."
So, as I get myself ready for the evening fair-well Global party at the Nokia Club with a private concert by Cobra Starship, I will leave you with this...
Are you humble enough to accept that you are not perfect and that you never have to be? But, you must never give up on living the life you choose to live.
Do you have humility to achieve something remarkable because you truly believe in yourself to succeed?
Thank you Oakley Women for everything. Really, everything.
