I prefer to dance.

Sit Still. Stop moving. Don't talk in the classroom. Do your homework. You are too smart for that artsy stuff. You have to go to Uni. Get a Diploma. Get a Job. Get Promoted. Get a House. Get a Family. Get a Pension Fund. Retire.

I always preferred to dance at live. Or write poetry. Or listen to Music. Or go running. Or Travel. Or read fantasy books. Or eat good food. Or learn a language.

Apparently the first way is the way to get to happiness. So I keep being told time after time.

Can you see it????

I prefer to dance at live. And teach others to dance at live. To their music. At their own rhythm. Making their own moves!

To me that's not a path or way to happiness or success. It is living happiness in the moment.

Every Day. Dancing to your heart's content.

Can you feel that????

Listen!! Can you hear that????

 I hear a Bodhrán and a Kalimba and a Ukelele play a tune. Must dash!

There's dancing to be done.

Miles with Smiles,

Patte xxxx

Being your self is flippin' hard but so flippin' worth it.

This is going to come as a surprise to many. I have been a people pleaser my entire life. Always trying to accommodate others. Always putting myself second. Never saying what I really think just in case.

It's the environment we live in. We are told that you need to compromise to make it. That you will only get there if you don't upset to many people. That you have to wear a tie and suit to the office. That your ideas need to fit in with the bigger picture. That the needs of the community supersede the needs of the individual.

That you should have a house. That you need a holiday because you need to take a break from time to time. That you need this handbag, that car, follow this team.

Everything is working fine as long as it is from within a controlled environment.

Deep down I always knew what I wanted. And so do you. I always just wanted to be me. Just be myself with all my flaws, brilliance, rough edges and diamond ideas. I actually wrote it down as an 18 year old. It was written in my native language: 'Ik wil doen wat ik wil, wanneer ik wil, waar ik wil en met wie ik wil.' 'I want to do what I want, when I want, where I want and with who I want'.

It has taken me until my 50th to realise the full impact of that statement. Oh, I have been coming nearer and nearer to understanding it in the last 5 years. But now it's quite simply my life mantra and I don't give a fiddler's if you like it. ;)

Saying that, it is not easy. I am constantly being told I'm doing the wrong thing. I'm being told to come back to the fold. I'm listening to this and all I hear is people who want to do what I do but haven't found the way yet.

I run marathons for the love of running. I will run whatever distances and races I want, when I want, where I want and with who I want.

I will professionally help other people, companies and organisations to live and work contributing to others lives and doing so intentionally. I will work at what I want, with who I want, when I want, where I want.

Simples, not easy, yet so flippin' worth it.

Does it work? Does it what? It works brilliantly when you do it thoroughly.

Check my running story. As soon as I stopped listening to all the people who told me that what I was trying to do was crazy, I started to be surrounded by people already doing it. I have now ran 36 marathons, 19 of which in the last 14 Months. What I want, when I want, where I want and with who I want.

Simples, not easy, yet so flippin' worth it.

Miles with Smiles!!

Patte xxxxx

What if nobody competed anymore? - Killeigh Marathon report.

Gradually, I'm loosing interest in competition. At every level. Be it sports or business, arts or food. Anything really. Gradually. The ego still roars it's bellowing voice in echo through the willing and accepting mind.

The mind that yearns for the days when life was a simple us against them world. You win or you lose. Munster are Heineken Champions. I won a client over a competitor after a tense few days of pitching. Ireland won best country in Europe to do business in.

Simple really. One crowd of temporarily happy people. One or more crowds of unhappy and disheartened people. One wins, the others lose. Temporarily happy because in all of the examples above that feeling doesn't last. Munster lost the next Heineken Cup, I lost a client to a competitor soon after and in an article in Forbes in December 2015 Ireland had slipped to 4th behind Denmark, New Zealand and Norway!

So in the end everybody loses and all wins are temporary.

Give yourself some time to think about that! Nearly everyone who competes will lose more often than win.

What if we decided to stop competing? To just do what we do out of the sheer love of doing it and for the betterment of the world we live in. Everything we do, we either do for our own pleasure or to make other people's lives better.

Just think about that for a brief moment until the ego kicks back in.

I started thinking about that when attending Marathon Club Ireland (MCI) races. MCI run Marathon distance races all over Ireland for its 350 or so members and anyone else who wants to come along. We meet in car parks, school halls, road sides, forests or post offices. :)

We give each other cheers, high fives and hugs and run a Marathon at our own speeds. When finished we give each other more hugs and cheers and have tea, soup, biscuits, cake and the odd nip of Tullamore Dew together and go back home.

These races are Full Marathon distance races, 26.2 miles. And nobody individual wins. There is no prize for first, second or third. You are given your time and nearly nobody will even ask you for it. It is just for you. We do it out of love. And for quite a few also to get to 100 Marathons in their lifetime.

We have a wheelchair assisted running team in the group, Team Kerr. We take turns to assist the team to make the distance each time. We are helping to promote inclusion at other running events so more people of all abilities can experience the joy and benefits of running.

No competition and yet everyone is happy most of the time. I am wondering if we could bring more of that to other aspects in life.

And that is why, gradually, I'm losing interest in competition. Because happiness is more important to me than winning!

Personally I ran Marathon number 36 this weekend in Killeigh, County Offaly. It was an MCI event. So it had all the above mentioned goodness. I stayed with Brenda and Shane from the Club the night before and received a wonderful welcome from them, thanks most sincerely to both!!

On Saturday morning at 8am we gathered outside the school hall in Killeigh for the race briefing and off we went in what was persistent and sometimes heavy rain for the whole duration, on an interesting country course that is best described as undulating with one or two smaller hills.

I ran the first 2 laps with Catherine, laps 3 & 4 on my own and laps 5 & 6 with Paula. I really enjoyed the chats either end and the mindfulness of the solitary 2 laps equally. Paula and myself agreed to run the Directors Race in Tralee together on March 11th. We have similar pace and she is great company.

At the end of lap 5 with Paula having a great run. (Thanks Mary Mockett for picture)

 



When we finished we got a race medal (everyone gets the same one), homemade soup, tea, sandwiches and biscuits and loads of hugs. We chatted for a while and each went their way. Until the next Marathon. Which for most is next week or the week after. Out of pure love. With no competition but our own.

Running for the love of it without competition yet with a big smile. (Thanks Mary Mockett for picture)

 

What if nobody competed anymore? The ego is getting a battering here.

What if nobody competed anymore?

I'm thinking about it. Are you?

Miles with smiles, Patte xxx

Are you sure that is the right thing to do?

I keep being asked this question so many times I started wondering...........

and asking lots of questions of my own................



Is this the right thing to do?

Am I taking too many risks?

Is thinking completely different from most people wise?

Is doing more and more of what you love doing economically feasible?

Am I good enough?

Am I strong enough?

Will this wreck my health?

Can I sustain this?


And that's just a snapshot. And trying to answer them was mind numbing.

Until one more question popped into my head. It was a question I could answer easily. So now when someone asks me if I'm sure this is the right thing to do for me I answer them with this question:



What is it you would like to do if you had the courage?



I'm off to run Marathon number 3 in Killeigh, County Offaly tomorrow morning. Number 3 in 2016. Number 36 on my Marathon CV.

Next weekend myself and a friend, John Madigan are giving our first full day seminar on a Life of Meaning and Happiness in Ennis, County Clare!

Because we can, because we love it. And yes, because it is good for us.

What are you going to do this weekend that you love and is good for you?

Miles with Smiles,

Patte xxxx

Tickets and details for the seminar on https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/its-up-to-you-a-life-of-happiness-and-meaning-tickets-21669803967

What was I thinking??!!

This Intentional Living stuff is having side effects. My life seems to be revolving around doing more and more of the things I love doing most. In the Real World. This means I have less and less time for the other stuff. The stuff I merely tolerate or even the stuff I dislike doing. Eventually most of these things will disappear.

In 'real terms' in the last week that means I've started to literally say NO to fear. NO to doing things purely for money as this is giving into the fear of not having enough. The fear that I have to do things I don't like in order to survive. All this does is take me away from what I do best and allows me to be more useful and contribute to other's lives.

So I have started to say NO to the fear I'm not good enough. NO to the fear I might not make it. NO to the fear that somehow I need to measure myself against others. NO to the fear that others have the power of judgment over me.

And that means saying YES to possibilities. YES to opportunities. YES to the things I am passionate about. YES to being me more. YES to being fully me. 100%. In the NOW. YES!

Removing fears by simply defining what you love doing and then starting to do those things bit by bit. Just being me more.

Personally that means giving more seminars, workshops, motivational talks and training sessions. In other words, talk more :) I have a Seminar in 12 days in Ennis, 2 training days in April and May, a speaking engagement in April and a Seminar in April. I can and will do a lot more than that.

Also I intend to travel more! After weekends in West Cork and the Dingle Peninsula I'm off to Offaly next weekend, Clare the weekend after, then a running 2 days in UL and 3 days in Tralee mid March.

Running wise I'm doing 4 more marathons in February and March including my first Back to Back or 2 Marathons in 2 consecutive days before my First Ultra Marathon in April in Connemara.

Doing more and more of what you love gives you less time for all the other stuff.

What was I thinking before? There was a lot more 'I have to' in my life. That is being replaced with 'I want to' and 'I get to'.

Does that sound like a lifestyle choice you might be interested in?

Message me on Patrick Mercie, Forward 2 Success or Patrick Mercie Motivational Speaker on Facebook, @patrickmercie or @ForwardSuccess on Twitter or Patrick Mercie on LinkedIn.

What am I thinking? I'm not thinking right now. I am too busy doing!

Miles with Smiles!! Living intentionally!

Patte xxx

Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon race report - Love, Magic, Rathbarry Post Office and inclusion.

We got battered by driving rain. We were bruised by hailstones. We were saved by Breda, the postmistress with the mostest in Rathbarry. We were resurrected with Tea, Coffee, Jaffa Cakes and Love. We were a band of 17 sisters and brothers thoroughly enjoying each others company and bonding over one desire: #inclusion

Beautiful West Cork #inclusion with Team Kerr, MCI & Team Dog!!

The Post Office in Rathbarry at Mile 11.5 were we were resurrected by Breda's heart warming Tea, Coffee and Jaffa Cakes.

We were overcome with emotion at the welcome we received from marshals and volunteers who stayed out for hours in sometimes unmerciful weather just to help us to keep going. Thanks from the bottom of our replenished hearts to all of you. We were looking for money for tea from bewildered strangers whose cars we stopped in the middle of West Cork. We were in total awe of the amazing scenes of natural beauty on the West Cork coastline and the raw gorgeousness of Inchydoney.

Inclusion at it's best pushing Aaron Kerr up one of the many hills.

 

We owe thanks to Team Kerr and Team Noah for giving us the privilege and honour to play a small part towards the inclusion of wheelchair assisted running teams in races across Ireland and the world. You will hear me talk about this more as I need your help to secure funding for this. I have been really privileged to have rolled and run with Team Kerr, Team Hoyt and now also Team Noah and this is one more way I can contribute to running.

We had great fun and camaraderie the whole way around. 17 souls forever bonded.

To see the pure joy on Aaron Kerr's face as we raced 26.2 miles through West Cork and pushed his wheelchair up some fairly steep hills is enough to feed anybody's soul. Let's drive for more #inclusion !!!

Most of you will know of my love for Cork City. I have also fallen in love with West Cork. Places like Courtmacsherry, Clonakilty, Timoleague, Innishannon, Rathbarry etc... Magic happens there. Magic for the soul, magic for the heart, magic for the mind!

When you do the things you love most that love gives back. As it did yet again this weekend. Endurance running is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle. It is full of personal stories, personal journeys with incredible transformations. It is love, respect, inclusion, togetherness, toughness, power, humility, greatness and contribution. This is why I love running Marathons. And am committed to it for as long as I can to go as far as I can and contribute to the sport as much as I can.

 The bling was wonderful too. Notice the Belgian flag on one of the medals!

 Team pic after the finish!

Forever in love with Clonakilty!

Thanks to Marathon Club Ireland for being the absolutely most amazing Club I have ever been part of. There is nothing we can't do as long as we do it together!

Finally a huge, huge, huge thank you to Bob Hilliard, Ia Hilliard, Mark Hilliard and all at Clon Crew. Ye are totally awesome people! Thanks for everything you do to make us feel special and to welcome us. See ye again on December 3rd for Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon VII!

Mark Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon on December 3rd on your calendar and join us!

 

As for my next race, number 36 should be March 5th at the University of Limerick for the MCI Back to Back weekend there. There might be a change in plan though. If there is you'll find out soon enough!

Miles with all inclusive smiles!!!
Patte XXX

Milford 10K and the realisation everything is easier when you stop chasing.

I took 2 days off from running and 3 days from what I do. My body and mind needed a wee break. I filled the time mostly with other things I love and that are good for me. On Friday I was collecting my new passport in Dublin so I took the train. I love travel and people and the train does both very well.

I love reading so I did that too. The book I am reading is 'Once a Runner', a novel by John L. Parker Junior about a man's quest to become a Champion Miler. It is an excellent book that reads easily and I'm doing well not to return to it right now and finish it before any more work gets done. I recommend it to anyone with even a vague interest in running.

I meditated and allowed space to be with myself. Those of you that know me might be surprised to hear my favourite moments are spent in silence with just myself doing absolutely nothing but be. I did that too.

And my body and mind reacted to all this lovely stuff. It let me know that I was once again chasing stuff. I was chasing ideas, chasing being right, chasing what others are doing, chasing miles, chasing recognition.

So that's why I needed a break. Not because I was tired, because I was not being me.

Strange how that happens. I suppose the world around me wants me to do all this. We are constantly being reminded we do not have enough, or not the right things, or the right way of thinking. I was reminded off this when I saw an ad on TV where a middle aged man beams a smile of pure contentment after buying car insurance on his smartphone. Fake is the new real.

And it affects everyone.

I'm grand now. I am aware this will keep happening. I am also aware what I want to do with life right now and how I want to do it for now.

I'll try to stop chasing as much as I can, just being will do. Just being me even more. And hopefully I can inspire others to be themselves a bit more. And stop chasing worthless crap all the time. Or even worse other people's approval. Or living life through others.

When I stop chasing all becomes easier. That's how I ended up clocking 238 miles of running in January. I had no total in mind. Just run as much as I can, for as long as I can, as far as I can, as long as I love it. That's the intention.

I took part in the Milford 10K on the beautiful grounds of the University of Limerick yesterday. All proceeds go to Milford Care Centre, read more about this excellent service here https://www.milfordcarecentre.ie/

It was a wet and windy morning so I decided to warm up and warm down by running the 4.25 or so miles from home to the start and back. I thoroughly enjoyed running this. There was 1,700 people taking part and the atmosphere was great. I met with a bunch of running pals who regularly do 10K's and that was great too. As mentioned the grounds of UL are gorgeous and that contributed equally to a great Sunday afternoon.

The next race is on Saturday. A full Marathon with the wonderful people of Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon in gorgeous West Cork and my buddies of Marathon Club Ireland and hopefully Team Kerr. More about this on Friday!

In the mean time take some time this week to be just you. You might like it!

Miles with Smiles,

Patte xxxx