Wendy Tippets

Next fall, when you see Geese heading South for the Winter, flying along in V formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:  as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.  By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.

When the Head Goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs with people or with geese flying South.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What do we say when we honk from behind?

Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection.  They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies.  Only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If We Have The Sense Of A Goose, We Will Stand By Each Other Like That.

Our trainers, nutritionist teachers and co-challengers is a must.

Like geese we can all help each others thrust!

So we may not have it all together but together we have it all.

Like the geese lets aim for the sky, and by helping each other we can all fly high!

I’ll push and pull.

I’ll push aside the things that aren’t good for me.

I’ll pull my body to exercise and give me energy.

I’m really worried about my weight.

I’ll loose some weight and be feeling great.

Hello world I’m still here its true.

This challenge has shown me what I have to do.

I love the program it makes me stop and think.

How much better I’ll look and feel if my body would shrink!

When I think of my progress in the 100 day heart challenge I think of a story about Florence Chadwick. 

When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog.  Her body was numb.  She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours.

Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.  Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.  On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense she could hardly see her support boats.  Sharks cruised toward her lone figure, only to be driven away by rifle shots.  Against the frigid grip of the sea, she struggled on - hour after hour - while millions watched on national television.

Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement.  They told her it wasn’t much further.  But all she could see was fog.  They urged her not to quit.  She never had…until then.  With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.  Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it.”  It was fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her.  It was the fog.  She was unable to see her goal.

Two months later, she tried again.  This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind.  She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it!  Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing the men’s record by two hours!

I haven’t been loosing alot of weight since the challenge started and I was getting discouraged.  Half way through the challenge my trainer gave me another test to see if my percentage of body fat had changed.  Hooray!  It had gone down some.  Wow! it was like a shot in the arm.  It gave me the encouragement I needed to continue on. I have learned that you have to hang in there and be patient.  It looks like better nutrition choices and exercising does pay off after all.

I have never been very good on focusing on myself before.  I am really glad that I was picked to be a participant in the 100 day challenge because it has motivated me to exercise.  When I first started two nervous hands clutched the sides of the treadmill as it moved slow and steady.  Today my arms swing freely to a much faster pace. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

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