CURRENT

3-10-2010

This is me right now… a computer snapshot of me hunkered down, healing, recovering from a weeks worth of fever and flu. The juxtaposition from this time last week is pretty dramatic. I have been on a tremendously productive training regime for the past 5 weeks, preparing for another Paralympic Cycling Camp in April. Life has been fairly simple with this pursuit; Go to the gym, ride the bike, eat good food, work on work stuff…Sleep….Repeat, six days a week. All was going well until a dirty little flu bug crept in and caught me way off guard. I am now riding the lull in the wave of life, rebounding once again. No worries though, I have been fighting the good fight for a long time now, battling over the years a wide array of secondary complications that arise as a result of my spinal cord injury. My true savior though, is my “Toots” she has a way of helping me get through the tuff times, right at my side, orchestrating an environment best for my healing and recovery. I would be in the hospital right now for sure, if it weren’t for her innate ability to sense in me, predict, and prepare cautious courses of action. So now, all I can do is rest, let the infection clear and once again rebuild my body. You know what though, its not so much about fighting anymore, im not resisting like I once did. I feel more peaceful, less scared and more confident in the process of life… It is what it is… Perfect!

12-31-2009

New Years Eve… In reflection I ponder the events of the past year. Curiously my mind wanders through the mountainous terrain of experience and emotion that has led me to this point… At this time last year I was riding the momentum-high of our 2nd successful “Rise Above” cross-country bicycle tour, with hopes but ambiguity of where the tour was to go next. Instead of crossing the country again and intimately sharing with people our process of recovery, I was gifted an amazing opportunity to begin Olympic cycling training with elite athletes and coaching staff. Albeit an incredible opportunity for me personally, I still felt a sense of obligation to continue the Rise Above Tour and was tormented by the decision to halt the tour for 2009. In addition to pausing the tour, the development of C.O.R.E. was not progressing to my expectations due to the economic climate and other factors, all of which pained me even more emotionally and eventually physically. I did find joy however through new friendships, new love, and hard work, pursuing progression both in myself and in others. In all, 2009 has been a very revealing and transformative year for me. I have observed myself in a way that I have not in the past and I am now taking on new challenges with a calm sense of faith and strength, knowing that I am traveling a path I create, detached from expectation, but boldly confident in my vision and a successful outcome. May the New Year bring happiness and prosperity to all and thank you for enriching my life with your shared Time and Love- Aaron

11-04-09
What does it take to become a champion? Is there a secret formula for success within any goal or discipline? Are their laws or guidelines to which we follow on our path to greatness? Is it simply our MIND, the ephemeral essence of who we are, our conscious awareness of ourselves… The voice inside our head? Or is it actually our BRAIN, the 7 pound, grey, gelatinous organ that controls every aspect of being human. The extraordinary brain with all of its capacity and ability to obtain, retain and process the conscious and sub-conscious experience. I believe it is both Mind and Brain, recognized and thought of as separate entities. It is recognizing with the mind (our awareness) the electro-chemical mechanics of the thinking brain and guiding its connections… Or thoughts. In laymen’s terms, FOCUS your intentions. Just like the Law of Attraction, we can manifest our dreams through focused willed intent. This all brings us back to the first question… What does it take? Well, I am in the process of discovering a complete combination of success for my good friend Josh Hansen, so right now I don’t know. But I do know that Josh is one of today’s most talented and skilled motocross racers, with numerous accolades to his name and next year he has full intentions of winning a Supercross Championship title. Josh called on me to assist with his training program, riding development and overall mental preparation. I have known Josh for over 15 years and so I understand his personality, behaviors and habits, all of which go against the traditional grain of past Supercross successors. This does NOT mean Josh cannot consistently win and reach his goals and expectations. What Josh represents is a well-rounded human being with LOTS of life experience beyond a motorcycle. This is all very beneficial to his overall success on the track. All we have to do is slow down, step back, listen and look at the BIG picture, recognizing ALL aspects of life, and consider every part as an opportunity to grow and learn, becoming better, stronger, faster and smarter so that when the gate drops on the starting line, Josh is composed and confident every time.

11-24-09

1st Noble Truth… Life is suffering. 2nd Noble Truth… Attachment is the root of all suffering. 3rd Noble Truth… End attachment, end suffering.
So what does this mean? Well to me it means that all life suffers in some form or another, either physically, psychologically or emotionally due to life with-out. A tree suffers without water, sun or soil, an animal, left to fend in an ever eroding environment of human development. And of course people, who have lost love, loved ones or their way in life, suffer greatly. So why induce more suffering? Because within suffering comes great knowledge, from experience, gaining wisdom through application with hopes of ultimately letting go of the attachment that binds the heart, mind or soul to an absolute. The tree will bend to reach sunlight, the animal will forage to new territory and we the people will hopefully learn from pain and evolve to a new understanding and behavior.
Self Induced Suffering… On my terms, is what I like to call it. In life we have this illusion of control, but we are actually so very out of control in the universe. So to consciously progress my ability to adapt and live with more personal control, responsibility and without prolonged suffering, I practice suffering. Sounds contradictory I know, but the physical pain I feel and go through on the bicycle, in the gym or just the effects of my injury force me to evaluate and address my commitment, strengths, and weaknesses. I knowingly involve myself emotionally with someone who is at a much different stage in life, so that I may learn from them and understand my behaviors and destructive patterns, to better communicate and ultimately grow as a man, partner and friend. The psychological benefits far out weigh the temporary pain I put myself through. But what about the fun? The fun comes on the flip-side, the balance. I can only know and recognize the simple joys and pleasures in life after having known and continually know a dark, more difficult side. Like right now…. Lately I have been suffering more than usual but I am naturally embracing the process and am slowly finding a calm, bright sense of peace and blissfulness that comforts my heart, mind and soul.