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2606, 2012

Pay the bucket list forward II

By Jeremy Rolleston|2012-06-26T09:00:50+00:00June 26th, 2012|Dare to Dream, Uncategorized|1 Comment

I love writing this blog as I at my core I love inspiring others. And in doing so I challenge and encourage myself to take control of my own life, to dream, to have the guts to follow those dreams and passions, to be authentic and purpose driven and to create the life I really want to live.

One of my most popular blogs has been when I wrote my bucket list. And it has inspired others to write theirs. Remember Ness’s – 30 things before 30 !!! And then Alicias bucket list. Well here’s another very incredible woman and her bucket list. I’ll let her tell you in her own words. Over to you Emma Mullings (connect with her at www.emmamullings.com).

“We have all heard of a bucket list – the things you want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’. What a charming expression that is.

When Rollo first asked me last year if I had a bucket list I answered ‘yes’ very sheepishly, (and automatically regretted admitting to it). You see I did have a bucket list, which I had only recently created. I hadn’t told ANYONE about it because the bucket list was written out of a place of deep depression. It was literally a bucket list of things I wanted to try and do in the next few months, as I felt that was all I had left to live, my will and fight to overcome was at an all time low. How someone can think like that is a whole different blog delving into the intricacies of depression. Ironically enough though as I started to do these things written on this ‘bucket list’ I started to get my joy back.

So here is my initial bucket list, keeping in mind I was thinking short term– written August/September last year (2011)

See a show at the Opera House – yes I went OPRAH but technically it was on the steps outside, I really wanted to see a show IN the Opera House.
Do an acting course – and be stretched as an actor
Act in a short film
Be the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been
Run a half marathon
Do a writing course
Start writing my book
Do an accent course
Sing more
Play my guitar more
Teach Hosannah and Jeremiah how to sing and dance (my kids, they were age 1 and 9 months at the time, I’m not really sure what I was thinking)
Box in a professional women’s competition

So in the next few months it’s safe to say I went wild with extra-curricular activities (as wild as 2 toddlers and a job will allow). I saw India Arie at the Opera House; I did two acting courses and yes stretched myself to the point of nailing a screaming, crying scene. I felt like I could have won an Academy Award for that effort. I shot a short film and loved the character. I did the American accent course, why? I’m still not sure, but practicing yelling at my husband “with heightened emotion” in an American accent was somehow quite entertaining for everyone. I started writing my book, and in doing so was able to finally articulate the message I felt God has put on my heart for women. I ran the City 2 Surf (14km), the 8km Classic, and am running a half marathon in September. I am the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been in my life. I officially have a six pack which I never thought was possible on my body, especially after being stretched with two babies. I now try to always sing in the shower, something I’ve never done. Still working on that one. My guitar still gets a bit lonely, but I’ve explained to it that my other two children require food, nurture and attention to live and it can wait until the next season. I have taught Hosannah and Jeremiah freedom in music. Sing anything, do any move, you are perfect just the way you are, you are FREE to enjoy creativity. In wanting to be a good example of “Freedom” to my daughter, I can now shamelessly dance around out of time to any song in public without fear of what man thinks. It’s awesome. I looked into the boxing comp but as I do a regular presenting segment on Channel 10, I couldn’t find a time where it was going to ok to potentially get my nose broken, so my outlet for that is doing a regular boxing class at the gym. My husband is very relieved. I did a writing course, which I loved, and then did an Advanced Diploma in Journalism via correspondence– something that was meant to take at least a year (I gave myself 2 years). I finished it in 4 months with straight A’s.

At the end of the day, putting things on paper is powerful, “write the vision and make it clear”; it works both ways, for the negative and positive. I have always been a big believer in the power of words. Our family home is decorated in declarations of Faith and Love. Sometimes in the journey of life we have nothing “real” we can grasp, but we always have the power to put pen to paper and “write the vision”. And we can write WHATEVER we want, no matter how wild and out of reach it may seem in the natural. That in itself is powerful. I can honestly say almost a year later I am in a better place mentally. Ironically enough I found the joy in life again by completing a list I had written for my death.”

A Final Thought
Remember, who cares if tick off everything on your bucket list. It isn’t a shopping list !!!
It’s about the journey and what life you’ll lead as you look to do some of the things on your bucket list.
After all, remember, 20 years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you DIDN’T do than by the things you did !!!

2905, 2012

Controlling my wild mind and stopping the weeds from growing

By Jeremy Rolleston|2012-05-29T09:00:35+00:00May 29th, 2012|mental toughness, Uncategorized|0 Comments

It always amazes me how quickly our body and mind tend back to the old ways. It’s like a garden that you work hard on to get to look beautiful. You spend all that time and effort getting rid of the weeds and then the moment you leave it those damn weeds start to grow again and before long, if you leave it, you have a wild overgrown garden again.

For me that’s the same as my body and mind.

Over the years I have received lots of comments from people saying they wish they had half the will power, determination and dedication that I have. But when they say it, I know that that may be the case right then (say in the middle of training and preparing for the Olympics). But I know how easily I tend back to just like everyone else. Making excuses. Running through the list of why I should not do something – like “I’m too tired”, “I’ll just work extra hard tomorrow”, “I couldn’t be bothered”, “Eating this won’t effect me that much”, etc! The weeds grow back pretty quickly !!!

Excuses are a human tendency. That little voice is always there. And it will never go away. No matter what people say or perceive or the comments that I’ve had – I know we’re all the same. Your mind is a wild animal unless you learn to control your thoughts. The weeds will always grow. So unfortunately there is no easy fix. You need to choose to overrule these thoughts.

Your mind can take you as far as you want to go in life or you can decided to limit your existence and waste all of your potential. You choose. To transform yourself inside and out is painful. Straight up. But the pain of change is only temporary, where the pain of staying where you are, drowning in unhappiness, lasts a lifetime.

So here’s some thoughts on controlling your wild mind and not letting the weeds grow !

1. You need a dream or goal – If you do not have something in life that you are working towards, you’re dead! So find that dream. Find that thing you want to do. You may have forgotten about it or considered it impossible. I have proof that if you decide to go after something with everything you’ve got, envisioning success in every moment, regardless of what you see or feel in the natural – you can achieve anything! After all , what is an Aussie boy who lives at Manly doing competing in the snow and ice in bobsleigh in the Olympics. And hopefully there is lots of inspiration throughout this blog to get you moving along this path.

2. It always starts with a decision – In the moment that you have the opportunity to either decide to do something that brings you closer to your goal or to decide to make 10,000 excuses why you should avoid the choice that you know you should make, tell yourself to shut up and win that moment. As you increase the moments that you win as opposed to giving in, eventually you will wake up a different person.

3. Become aware of your thinking – become aware of the excuses running through your brain and the self-talk inside your head.

4. One brick at a time – Once you’re aware of your thinking you can practice overruling them. You can’t just snap your fingers and change your way of thinking, you need to start small and practice on little things. Day by day. Decision by decision. Building up your mental toughness one brick at a time. It’s like doing a little bit of gardening every day !

4. Some practical tips – Here’s some tips from a past blog on HOW to conquer that little voice

So good luck. I believe in you!

Rollo

2802, 2012

Cool Runnings – the sequel …

By Jeremy Rolleston|2012-02-28T09:00:38+00:00February 28th, 2012|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Well I knew the day would come one day and I couldn’t bring myself to even say the word until recently, but I have decided to RETIRE. I’ve even let people know and sent an email to the Olympic Committee.

I eagerly watched the results during World Championships this week and one part of me yearned to be there, but if I truly look inside, I know I don’t have the hunger that it takes to do all the things you need to do and make the sacrifices you need to make … to keep going … and go for my 3rd Olympics.

I have peace about it. It has been a good ride. I travelled to places I never thought I’d go. I’ve met people I never thought I’d meet. I competed at two Olympic Games – something that I always dreamed of but never knew if it would be possible. I’ve learnt to love winter. To drive on German autobahns. To drive in the snow. To put snow chains on in a hurry. To dress in minus 25. To say hello in a number of different languages. To squat 272kgs and so on and so on. It’s been a good ride. Fulls of ups and downs. Full of frustration and politics and agendas. But full of satisfaction and pride and fulfillment.

So here are some photos that remind me of the good times. Goodbye bobsleigh. You will always have a place in my heart and I will definitely miss you !

2012, 2011

Silent night, holy night

By Jeremy Rolleston|2019-03-22T09:39:33+00:00December 20th, 2011|Miscellaneous, Uncategorized|0 Comments

So can you believe Christmas is nearly upon us again. I know I sound like my parents, but last year seems like yesterday. As we consider Christmas this year I thought I’d introduce my first song to the blog – my favourite Christmas carol – Silent Night.

For me though, this song is far more than a beautiful voice and great imagery. It speaks of a holy night long ago in Bethlehem when a young couple, May and Joseph, trusted their father in heaven and saw the fulfillment of what had been foretold and prophesied hundreds of years before. It speaks of the birth of a king in a stable. The rest of his life we know from history.

And that same baby, Jesus, is in fact what CHRISTmas is all about. And that same baby born in that manger changed my own life around nearly 25 years ago …

2601, 2011

Skippy the bush Kangaroo ! !

By Jeremy Rolleston|2011-01-26T11:00:12+00:00January 26th, 2011|Miscellaneous, Uncategorized|1 Comment

Today is Australia Day and we celebrate everything Australian.

And today I am an official Ambassador for Australia Day – an honour I gladly and whole-heartedly accept. I am truly and proudly Australian !

Today in Camden’s celebrations in the south-west of Sydney I will be giving a speech on what it means to be Australian. So I thought I’d tell you some of the things that being an Aussie means to me. No order. just thoughts on Australia Day.

Sun and beaches. Skippy the bush Kangaroo hat’s that skip … ? Jumping under the sprinkler as kids. Icypoles. Ovaltines. Voilet Crumble. Stubborn and proud people. A peaceful country. Long summer afternoons. A sunburnt country. Driza-bones. The Man from Snowy River and amazing horsemen surviving in the bush, droving, catching brumbies. Kangaroos. Koalas. Platypus. Wombats. Bilby. Emus. Crocodiles. Many venomous snakes. Sharks. Red dirt. Uluru. Beautiful black smiling faces of the traditional people of our land – the Aborigines. A young country. A country more capable than people may know (as people saw during the Sydney Olympics). great sportspeople and a strong and successful sporting heritage. A great mix between the traditions of England and the Commonwealth and the conveniences of the US, without being too much of either way. Friendly, easy going and happy go lucky people. Mateship. People like Aussies around the world. What you see is what you get. Uncomplicated people. Musk sticks and mixed lollies at the milkbar. Multi-cultural country. We hate politicians. Drought. Paul Hogan. Cricket and Aussie Rules. Surf life-saving. Farmers doing it tough yet they are in many ways the salt of the earth and the backbone of this country. The Opera House and beautitful Sydney Harbour. Fire works on New Years Eve off the Sydney Harbour bridge. The sound of lawnmovers during summer. Suntan cream and endlessly applying it. Vegemite. The boxing kangaroo. Lamingtons. Green cordial. We call them mountains but by any other countries standards they are hills. Driving a long way to the snow and hoping there is even snow. Lots of long plane trips to get anywhere. Flying in to Sydney – nothing beats that view. Amazing gorges in the the Northern Territory – waterfalls and waterholes. Swimming and splashing in waterholes and pools and dams and bores around the country. A convict heritage – of prisoners in a penal colony doing hard labour and forging a new life in an unknown hard land. The great southern land – and we like being so far away.

Ahhh – Australia. My home. Happy Australia Day