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"The Bannister Effect" is the phenomenon of one person showing others that it can be done and, thus, prompting others to believe and achieve.27 Dec 2017 The Bannister Effect - LinkedIn When Roger Bannister (23 March 1929 – 3 March 2018) broke running records back in 1954 , at the age of 26 , did he think that his name would become synonymous with
 Roger BannisterFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister CH CBE FRCP (23 March 1929 – 3 March 2018) was a British middle-distance athlete and neurologist who ran the first sub-4-minute mile. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and finished in fourth place. This achievement strengthened his resolve to become the first athlete to finish the mile run in under four minutes. He accomplished this feat on 6 May 1954 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, with Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher providing the pacing. When the announcer, Norris McWhirter, declared "The time was three...", the cheers of the crowd drowned out Bannister's exact time, which was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. He had attained this record with minimal training, while practising as a junior doctor. Bannister's record lasted just 46 days. Bannister went on to become a neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, before retiring in 1993. As I read and explore the concept of “ The Bannister Effect” I see two opposing views. One that elevates Roger Bannister to a running hero , the other that attributes the previous “stagnation” of 10 years in the 4-mile running record to WWII and the preoccupation of the world to more serious matters at the time, as well the modernization of training after the 1950’s.
Even if we adopt the more conversative and practical approach, I’m all for the underlying “limitless belief” principle behind the “Bannister” message . Our beliefs influence what we attempt or choose not to attempt and there lies that winning millisecond. “I’m going to Bannister my maths exam next week” “Covid Pandemic restrictions ? Bannister that with the internet and working from home ” “Let’s get fit and Bannister the treadmill over the next four weeks” …. So what are YOU planning to bannister today ?
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 (Japanese) Kin = golden tsugi = joinery It means, literally, ‘to join with gold’. In Zen aesthetics, the broken pieces of an accidentally-smashed pot should be carefully picked up, reassembled and then glued together with lacquer inflected with a very luxuriant gold powder. There should be no attempt to disguise the damage, the point is to render the fault-lines beautiful and strong. The precious veins of gold are there to emphasize that breaks have a philosophically-rich merit all of their own. In addition to serving as an aesthetic principle, Kintsugi has long represented prevalent philosophical ideas. Namely, the practice is related to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which calls for seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect. KINTSUGI IN MY LIFE  Embracing Imperfection , Respecting chinks and scars , Valuing the red herring , Savouring unique experiences , Looking behind flaws to discover beauty , Shattered fragments tell inspiring stories. Battle scarred and worn , they have endured and won. The very act of repair is therapeutic and a reflection of love. Repair gives hope and borders on the divine. Repair heralds in the journey of healing. The intention to fix , keep , retain as opposed to discard or trade in for newer and better. Its humbling to see old school values coming back as we begin to heal the earth. Dad’s famous line of “Waste not , want not” reverberates. That was his frugal family motto. Not very well received by the trendy teenager then , but imbibed by the semi centennial now. Old is gold. You need a base of gold to hold a rock-solid diamond or precious stone in a beautiful jewellery setting. We are unable to rewind the movie of life. But we can cherish what we have and move forward with increased wisdom. Kintsugi in relationships and marriages. Here’s to our 35th . In celebration of our love, our challenges , our weaknesses , the uniqueness of our journey together . Anthem Leonard Cohen Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in (( Click this link to listen to an inspiring song by Leonard Cohen )) anthem.html "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places" - Ernest Hemingway 26-October-2021 Related concept - WABI SABI
Extracted from a strange email to Romeo on Wabi Sabi concept in interiors and paintings. What is wabi-sabi? In Japanese, wabi-sabi (わび さび/侘寂) means to get rid of the unnecessary and to pursue the essence of nature. It is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic, a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. A beauty of things modest and humble. Accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay in which everything has beauty. Wabi(侘び) originally referred to the loneliness of living in nature, remote from society, which is a low-key decoration and appearance. While Sabi(寂び) means “lonely” or “withering”, its reference to an old style. Enthusiasm Noun Intense and eager enjoyment , interest or approval. “ his zest and enthusiasm for life is a grace in itself” “ enthusiasm is a magnet for good” “enthusiasm can turn shelling peas into an art and work into a hobby” "time spent in one's inspira-zone refuels enthusiasm" ((inspirazone.html)) Ah Enthusiam …. Elusive some days without really knowing why. Harder to muster up the tally-ho attitude as we get older and knocked around. An extract below from Earl Prevette (1895-1960) - How to turn your Ability into Cash. He says it well. “What is enthusiasm? Enthusiasm comes from two Greek words--"En," which means "in," and "theos," which means "God"--"in God." To be inspired or possessed by God. It is a strong feeling on behalf of a cause or a situation. An ardent and imaginative zeal or interest that flames with action. Enthusiasm is that feeling within , that inspires and prompts one to act without thought of reward. It is that inspiring, vitalizing, propelling power that takes possession of an individual and causes him to lose himself in that which he is doing. It is the most powerful form of energy that one can generate. The influence of enthusiasm on the human mind and body is as demonstrable as that of breathing. Its results can be measured in terms of increased physical vitality, greater intellectual buoyancy, moral stamina, and a deeper understanding of the realities underlying all human action. Enthusiasm lights up the whole human consciousness, floods every cell with energy, puts sparkle in the eye, and scintillates the entire personality. How to generate enthusiasm
For all his toughness , hard exterior and seriousness , I do associate my late dad with “enthusiasm” . He was self-driven and forged ahead , often alone. I admire those who retain enthusiasm well into their twilight years , particularly when they have suffered a deep personal loss and find themselves alone . What grit it must take to wake up each day and soldier through it . My deepest respect to many such silent heroes around ! List THREE simple things that fire up your enthusiasm , and spend 15 minutes daily doing these. Enjoy yourself , and others will enjoy you more. Satisfy your creative needs first and the day's irritants will seem that much lighter. An enjoyable TED on INTENTIONAL ENTHUSIASM , 9 minutes only ! Retronym Noun A retronym is a newer name for an existing thing that differentiates the original form/version from a more recent one. It is thus a word or phrase created to avoid confusion between two types, whereas previously (before there was more than one type), no clarification was required. The term retronym, a neologism composed of the combining forms retro- (from Latin retro , "before") + -nym (from Greek ónoma, “name”), was coined by Frank Mankiewicz around 1980 Advances in technology are often responsible for the coinage of retronyms. For example, the term "acoustic guitar" was coined with the advent of electric guitars; analog watches were renamed to distinguish them from digital watches once the latter were invented. A nostalgic journey to 50-plussers since we have lived through these changes, and chuckle as we have to specify what we now mean. Fun examples – can you contribute some more ? Analog watch Film camera Desktop computer Brick-and-mortar store Electric guitar Conventional oven Silent movie Paperback book Manual toothbrush Birth mother Snail mail Time stamps ( Gen Z's might not even know what postage stamps are !!! ) |
