Dear PB Readers,

Have you ever completed a learning experience only to realize just how little you actually knew? This past week I was a part of a two day event called COACHES IN THE CAPITAL. The objective was to help educate the coaching profession on how political / financial decisions are made in Ottawa and to also help educate our three hundred and one National Members of Parliament on what coaches actually do. Day one was a full education on how lobbying actually works. How do smart organizations get favourable decisions done in Canada's National Capital? "You don't have any corpses," said one of the wise MP's. While anti-tobacco lobbyists have deceased cancer patients, sport is basically a great story without any evil foe on the other side of the table. Virtually every MP agreed that sport was healthy & positive for community values, helps create future leaders, and leads to increased tourism for our regions and country.

Recent data suggests that 21% of all non-profit organizations in Canada are related to sport (nearly 34,000 sport and recreation organizations). 28% of all volunteering in Canada is related to sport and physical activity (nearly 2 million of Canada's 5.3 million volunteers are involved because of sport). Sport is in every community in our nation from the Cornerbrook Newfoundland's World Cup Triathlon to a downtown Toronto inner-city basketball league. Our collective group of coaches met with representatives of the Liberal, Bloc, and the New Conservative Parties. While the three groups cannot agree on much, they all agreed on the importance of sport and an active Canadian population. Our group of motivated coaches was able to have lunch in the main restaurant on Parliament Hill and was witness to the antics of our nation's politicians during question period. While we are continuing to formulate our long-term strategies of working with the government, one key strategy was evident: There are 301 parliamentary districts in Canada. You (we) all need to drop a note to our local Member of Parliament to let them know how important it is that they invest a small amount of money in Sport and Recreation. The coaching profession is asking for less then 1% of government spending to be consistently invested in this most important sector. A tiny investment in coaching and recreation can lead to massive long-term savings in the medical/health of our country. A small investment in sport and recreation can lead to savings in the judicial system (keeping kids active means less time to get involved in negative behaviour). A small investment in coaches means thousands of kid's lives they can positively impact at very crucial development times.

As our nation's top coaches headed back to the airport for the flight home the attitude was extremely positive. Like the fisherman who has taught their children how to fish, our coaches left Ottawa with the newfound skills to eventually make a difference in government policy. Those of you who care about sport, recreation and wellness should take 30 seconds to call or email your local MP and tell them you are interested in them putting pressure on the Prime Minister to invest in the future of our nation's kids and coaches. The small investment will leave a long-term benefit. Each one of you can make a small but measurable difference. We were told that less then 5 emails or letters on the same topic to one MP makes them take notice of an issue. Identify 3-4 of your local neighbours and have them email or call as well!

Welcome to the many new readers of our 227th consecutive PB Update. Our goal each week is to be a reminder of what is possible. When our minds hear positive stories of what is possible it makes us realize we have more within us as well. When our minds hear positive stories we realize what is possible when a kind heart wants to make a difference. Please continue making your contributions as well as sign up your family, friends and co-workers at barrie@personalbest.ca. Keep checking out our website at www.personalbest.ca. Have a great week.

FEB 14TH PB HIGHLIGHTS

* C.J. WALKER QUOTE ON MAKING OPPORTUNTIES COUNT
* THE FARMER
* LESS STRESS - LESS INJURIES (BY SHELDON PERSAD)
* P.B. EMAIL OF THE WEEK
* GARRETT MAGILL A LOCAL COACH MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE
* GEARS RIDE FOR CHARITY MAKES A RECORD SUCCESS
* UPCOMING EVENTS TO KEEP IN MIND

C.J. WALKER QUOTE ON MAKING OPPORTUNITY

"Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come, you have to get up and make them."

THE FARMER AND THE DONKEY

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up next time life tosses dirt on you!

LESS STRESS - LESS INJURIES

An interesting area of study is the topic of stress. Today, in our society a common response to the question "how are you feeling?" is often, "I am stressed." At times, stress can be more debilitating than we care to admit. We often do not take time to listen to our bodies. We go to work when we feel a cold coming on, we say yes to tasks when we should say no, and we exercise when taking the day off would be a better option. A study conducted at the University of Toronto in conjunction with the Canadian Olympic Association looked at the effects of a stress management program on injuries and stress levels (Kerr & Goss, 1996). Athletes who participated in a stress management program decreased their injury rate score compared to athletes that did not participate in the program. Further study also suggests that individuals under great stress tend to be more prone to suffering acute injuries (Williams & Andersen, 1998). Based on this information, it might not come as a surprise to you that you twisted your ankle on a lunchtime run when you had the pile of paper work on your desk in your mind.

For the most part, study of the relationship between stress and injuries requires further investigation. What is noteworthy, however, is the fact that we should all strive for balance. Listen to our bodies, come to grips with the fact that saying "no" is not a bad thing, and as my business partner Barrie says quite well, "at times we have to rest as hard as we train."

Sheldon Persad is a senior partner in Personal Best and is one of Canada's most sought after speakers and lecturers in strength and injury prevention. Sheldon can be reached at sheldon@personalbest.ca.

PB EMAIL OF THE WEEK

Hi Barrie, I have been blessed with a job that I LOVE. As a Massage Therapist that travels with sports teams & teaches internationally, I feel very fortunate and satisfied to be able to do what I do. You too have been blessed to be able to do what you love. My question is for the person who just never seems to be able to find their job satisfaction. It is so easy for us (yes, including myself) to sit back and say, "ya just gotta move on if you don't LOVE your job!" because we love what we do and can't possibly imagine it any other way.

My brother-in-law has never been able to find "his job", the one that gets him excited to get out of bed and out the door in the morning. He is constantly unhappy with whatever job he takes and seems to complain and be miserable about it a great deal of the time. Even after my sister supported him while he started up his own business, his supposed "dream job", just before their first child was born (they lost their shirts), he was still not happy. He tends to change his job every 1-3 years. My question is this, at what point do you just choose to FIND happiness in what you do and just STOP complaining? Nobody is going to love what they do EVERY hour of EVERY day, but at what point do you say you need an attitude adjustment and just learn to enjoy what you do? Maybe if you don't love your job the answer isn't always to change your job, but maybe to CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE! Especially when one is becoming a serial job hater! J.

EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Most of us at some point in time have been in a job (or had a close family member) in a position they didn't fully enjoy. While nobody should be continually taken advantage of, I encourage my athletes to stay in unpleasant jobs to learn new experiences. How to master strategies of working with difficult people. How to learn stress management skills on the job. Some difficult jobs offer people a chance to learn skills and take on responsibilities (even if they are under paid for this service) which they can later transfer into higher paying jobs in the future. Our reader's brother-in-law does likely lack the proper attitude required to be successful in most things in life (school, job, personal fitness and likely relationships). One of the reasons many companies go after coaches and athletes for their organization is because they have a proven track record of bringing a positive attitude to difficult situations.

A LOCAL COACH MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Garrett Magill is a coach that goes beyond the call of duty. Not only does the 25 year old do a fantastic job of coaching young teenagers in the GTA, he has personally helped finance a supper and fun Casino Night to fundraise for these great young kids. If you are interested in a fun night with a great cause, Garrett is running a supper/social Sat Feb 26th in Brampton. 100% of the proceeds are going to young Canadian teenaged athletes who are lucky to have a coach as caring as 25 year old Garrett Magill. Tickets are $45.00 pp and includes a great supper, dance, and casino. If you are interested in a fun night and an important cause contact Garrett directly for tickets at triathlete_gmagill@hotmail.com

GEARS RIDE FOR CHARITY A SMASHING SUCCESS

Six years ago, a great little cycling shop in Mississauga decided to create a 24 hour indoor spinning fund-raiser for local charities. The first year Kevin Wallace and his Gear's Store-mates struggled in a small venue but their energy was contagious. Six years later they have created one of the largest fundraises in Canada. Two thousand athletes were involved this past weekend helping take the cumulative total over a million dollars for the Betty Wallace Women's Health Centre. To see more details of this great success go to www.Gears24HourSpin.com. Congrats to all those involved in this amazing charity.

UPCOMING EVENTS TO KEEP IN MIND

* Friday Feb 25th, Aquafina Talk on Hypnotism and Phobias details at www.c3online.ca
* Sat Feb 26th MEGA TRAINING DAY IN BOLTON at www.c3online.ca
* Fri - Sun March 4-6th Toronto International Bike Show
* PB March Break Training Camp in Florida www.personalbest.ca

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON'S LIFE!