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March 4, 2010 08:19:36
Posted By gregwagner
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Now that I have posted various clips from a few of my speeches I have given last year, I wanted to explain the speeches and where I want to take this speaking program.
My OSRAM Sylvania speech was my very first speech. It’s very important to me to show this speech because it’s not perfect, but it’s a good start. The president for the affinity group I spoke for wanted me to share my experience and hear about how I live my life. The only way to learn how to present yourself is by repeatedly speaking. Mistakes will be made, but I learned from them. It’s always important to remember where you started. That’s why I wanted to share some of this speech.
Children’s National Medical Center in DC is where I was operated on at 3 years old. The Children’s Hospital Foundation brings their donors to the hospital to give them tours and recognize them for their charity and dedication. They wanted me to share my story exclusively because I’m not a patient anymore—I’m a graduate. Those speeches focus on me because the foundation wanted me to hit on where I have gotten myself, to show the donors exactly what results from the money they give to the hospital. My speech standing behind the podium came first, and then I wanted to experiment and give my speech while walking around the room.
I’m constantly experimenting ways to develop my speech delivery. The most important thing to me as I hopefully make a career out of this is to utilize my story as a parallel. I want to focus on the hardships and limitations others deal with. What’s important is not my story, but the lessons I have learned in my life. How I live my life has dictated my accomplishments and, more importantly, my outlook.
The speeches I have done have been great because I have been able to define who I am. People know my story. Now that I have been speaking, I know where I want to take it. I hate motivational speakers who repeatedly praise themselves and put down the people they speak to.
My outlook with speaking is “I am you, you are me. I am no better than you. We are the same. You can accomplish anything I can and I can do the same.” Learning from each other is how we grow. When I started, people wanted to hear my story. I have a great story—it’s true. The reason is great is because of what I have learned, and utilizing those lessons to progress my life. That’s what I want to share. I want to learn from my audiences. When they hear me speak, I don’t want them hearing me praise my life. I want to share how I embrace my life and, in doing that, show them a new way to live their own.
I’ve done amazing things, but I’m not amazing. I’m simply living my life. I just live it fully. I know how incredible my life experiences have made me feel and I want everyone to be able to feel that way. Other survivors are accomplishing miraculous feats too. If I can get this program to a point where I can create a speaker circuit, where all of us can share the lessons and outlooks we live our life by, just imagine the impact we could have in helping others realize their potential and reaching towards it.
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March 4, 2010 08:19:36
Posted By gregwagner
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Determination is not about me. It is about uplifting people, advocating for equality and dreams and being a friend. Friends share, and friends listen—it’s interactive. This program will be interactive. It may not be at the start, but that’s where I want it to head. It’s not about me, it’s about helping everyone discover their ability, not to be better off, but to live life fully. There’s no one correct way to live. All our lives are different, which is why we need to learn from each other to live to our utmost potential.
All I hope is that I can be the spark to make that ultimate vision a reality. I’m choosing to start making that progress now. It’s going to take time to build it to exactly where I want, but each day will be better than the last. As long as constant progress is being made, I will continue to develop Determination to its own utmost potential.
My speeches, they aren’t perfect, but I constantly improve. That’s the only way progress and change is made. That’s how I want to make this world a better place, doing so one step at a time.
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March 3, 2010 06:47:02
Posted By gregwagner
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I ran 10.5 miles today. I’ve run for a longer period of time this year so far, but this is the longest distance I actually tracked. My legs were intact! The hills were tough, but hills will always be tough. They always have been. I can tell that I am getting stronger now because my recovery time after I have ascended the hill is almost back to where I was in peak training times of past years. I kept running on when I got to the top, while before I would stop and walk down the hill back to my house because I didn’t have the strength to run on.
My last set of hills were tough, but I was thinking about my newfound hero Jordan. (More of him to come later this week!)
I revamped my running playlist. I added in some songs I have heard while watching TV shows and deleted out songs reminding me of my past. The whole point of running this marathon is running towards the future I want to create. It’s pretty hard to do that when I’m letting my past weigh me down.
Sure, they’re only memories, but memories affect your mood. Why hold on to distressing memories? They may have been happy memories from my past, but at some point I have to move on and work towards my future. I can’t halt my own progress because I’m wrapped up in my past still.
I was tired of feeling run down. I kept trying to distract my mind, but there’s no way to distract your mind on a run. You zone out and you run. You can’t filter your thoughts as you run because it’s too exhausting. All my oxygen is being put forth in repeating my stride. Thoughts come naturally. They are also dictated by my playlist.
That’s why I started fresh with my Boston playlist—all new songs. Of course, I have the perennial must-haves including Rocky and, well…Rocky, but this is a new step for me. I’m working towards my life. There’s a reason why the people in my past aren’t in my present. I’m running towards an uncharted future, why not accompany it with a brand new soundtrack?
Running is a mental challenge, almost more so than a physical one. If you have the endurance, you can run all day. The reason you stop is because your mind gets exhausted. When your mind gets exhausted, it magnifies your physical fatigue. It took me some time to build my stamina back, but even after I successfully ran for 3 consecutive hours, part of me was still afraid to run longer than my 5.25-mile loop. It gets mentally exhausting to repeat your tracks. My trip to Florida finally put my mind where it needs to be.
I want to leave this place better than I found it. I’ve always tried to extend my desire to help as a way to fix my past and keep it in my present. Truth is, your past is just that for a reason. You learn from it. I have people who count on me and keep me in their lives every day. They’re whom I’m running for. They are my motivation to run.
Now, instead of thinking about the people who have already come in my life, I’m shifting my perspective towards everyone my efforts will expose me too. There’s so much untapped good yet to be done that I’m only limiting myself by holding on to past experiences that I have to admit have run their course. There’s more good to come, better good, unlimited good. That’s my newfound desire to run. Whenever my mind gets tired, I can think towards all the people I have yet to meet. It’s limitless; I don’t need to distract my mind because my future is what I dream it to be. My past, I can only manipulate in so many ways. But the future, that’s an endless inspiration now.
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March 2, 2010 12:07:01
Posted By gregwagner
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As amazing as running around Florida was, traveling is always a hassle. I have to find my cooler weather running clothes all over again, update my running playlist from music I heard while on vacation and figure out exactly where I put my headphones while traveling.
I was looking for my earbuds everywhere under the sun yesterday before heading out on a run. I couldn't find them, and I found a pair of functioning in-ear buds that could hold me over for a run. After I get in from my run, I see my Boston Marathon jacket that I wore at the Burrito Mile. That's when I remembered I put my earbuds in my jacket. I go into my room, dig through the pocket and there they are!
Today I decide to go out on my run. My earbuds aren't with my gloves. They aren't on my desk in my room. They aren't in the living room. That's when I remembered my jacket! I search the pocket. Huh...they aren't there! Where the hell did I put my earbuds?!
I didn't run long yesterday, but the headphones I used seemed to work fine. I grabbed them and ran out the door before it started to get any later. A couple miles in, I discovered why the buds I am wearing are the only other functioning pair in the house.
See, the headphones are those in-ear buds. They fit securely around my ear, but after a couple miles my eardrum started pounding a completely different tune in my left ear. I was planning on running 15 miles or so today. I finished just over 5 and my ear was throbbing. A 15-mile run would have destroyed that ear permanently. Ugh...
I finish my 5.25-mile loop, come back in the house and decide to hang up my marathon jacket in the closet. Before I do, I take out my wallet from the pocket. Lo and behold, under my wallet are my earbuds. Figures.
5.25 miles went pretty smoothly today. I definitely could have gone longer. Now that I have found my earbuds, I should be able to finish a 10.5-mile run easily tomorrow. Even though my goal was to run 15.75 mles today, I can find satisfaction that 5.25 miles no longer completely exhausts my body. We'll see how it goes when I run my loop twice.
The good thing is my ear is feeling better, I ran well and I found my earbuds. Tomorrow will be a good day full of running and training...if only I can remember where I put my earbuds after taking them out of my jacket.
I think I put them in my organizer in the living room...I hope.
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March 2, 2010 08:17:00
Posted By gregwagner
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