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Patch
So today I had the pleasure of riding with Adam. Great guy. Arguably one of the strongest and most consistent rider amongst the group.
Adam is one of those guys who is very aware of his surroundings. He's constantly taking other people into consideration whenever anything happens on the tour.
He also listens to good music and drinks too much coffee(thanks in part to Mike handing out free Starbucks VIA).
We had several good conversations this morning. We talked about how we got here, where we want to go, what we want to do, and past failures. We talked about taking risks, people who live safe lives, and of course...girls.
One of the things that stood out to me was our conversation about obstacles.
I was telling Adam that I've noticed when it comes to overcoming obstacles, there are basically two types of people...
those that see obstacles,
and those that see past the obstacles to the opportunities and goals beyond them
For some people, chasing a dream or pursuing a new interest is out of their reach because all they see are the problems that could occur along the way. They focus so long on the obstacles that the problems become just that....obstacles.
Not being able or willing to see past the problems keeps a lot of people achieving what they're capable of.
In the movie Patch Adams there is a scene where Patch, played by Robin Williams, is in a mental hospital. Another patient is constantly coming up to him, holding up four fingers, and asking Patch how many fingers does he see. Patch always says four, and of course the old man screams that he's wrong and crazy.
This goes on for a while.
Finally, Patch corners the old man one day and asks him what the answer is. At first the old man won't tell Patch. He wants him to figure it out.
Then the old man takes Patch's hand and holds up his four fingers.
Old man: "How many fingers do you see?"
Patch: "Four"
Old man: "Your focusing on the problem. Stop focusing on the problem. Look past the problem."
Right then Patch looks through his fingers and sees eight fingers.
The old man smiles and winks.
If you focus too long on the problem, it will always be a problem. We must stop viewing the obstacles we face as obstacles and start looking past them to the opportunities that await us.
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-control.
Adam continuously looks through the problems of this trip. I'm proud of him.
Adam is one of those guys who is very aware of his surroundings. He's constantly taking other people into consideration whenever anything happens on the tour.
He also listens to good music and drinks too much coffee(thanks in part to Mike handing out free Starbucks VIA).
We had several good conversations this morning. We talked about how we got here, where we want to go, what we want to do, and past failures. We talked about taking risks, people who live safe lives, and of course...girls.
One of the things that stood out to me was our conversation about obstacles.
I was telling Adam that I've noticed when it comes to overcoming obstacles, there are basically two types of people...
those that see obstacles,
and those that see past the obstacles to the opportunities and goals beyond them
For some people, chasing a dream or pursuing a new interest is out of their reach because all they see are the problems that could occur along the way. They focus so long on the obstacles that the problems become just that....obstacles.
Not being able or willing to see past the problems keeps a lot of people achieving what they're capable of.
In the movie Patch Adams there is a scene where Patch, played by Robin Williams, is in a mental hospital. Another patient is constantly coming up to him, holding up four fingers, and asking Patch how many fingers does he see. Patch always says four, and of course the old man screams that he's wrong and crazy.
This goes on for a while.
Finally, Patch corners the old man one day and asks him what the answer is. At first the old man won't tell Patch. He wants him to figure it out.
Then the old man takes Patch's hand and holds up his four fingers.
Old man: "How many fingers do you see?"
Patch: "Four"
Old man: "Your focusing on the problem. Stop focusing on the problem. Look past the problem."
Right then Patch looks through his fingers and sees eight fingers.
The old man smiles and winks.
If you focus too long on the problem, it will always be a problem. We must stop viewing the obstacles we face as obstacles and start looking past them to the opportunities that await us.
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-control.
Adam continuously looks through the problems of this trip. I'm proud of him.
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Comment by Cora Hicks on June 30, 2010 at 11:29am -
Awesome! I am too guilty of this too often. For me, this year is about not worrying about the obstacles (the conflict in our stories, as Don Miller would say) and going for what is on my heart. Thank you for helping us think about the idea from this angle. I'm enjoying keeping up with both the Ride:Well teams and praying for all of you.
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