Click image for remarkable story about a 102-year old cyclist, as he beats his previous 1-hr cycling record. Thanks for the link, Rory.
NOTE: the Training Diary was cluttering up my blog, so it will be moved to a separate page - will provide link soon.
Hi folks, welcome!
The art of persuasion is truly an art, but there seem to be some underlying rules (that largely escape me).
I really loved working in Geneva, Switzerland, where I went to learn French and it ended up taking me into my career in Toxicology.
One day I was Paris, negotiating a contract in French (one of my dream things to do) for my company in Geneva, Switzerland, when the person I was negotiating with, Mme …, said, “Docteur Morgan, la diplomacie n’est pas votre affair” (Diplomacy is not my strength). I’ll never forget the way she said it, and she was right. That said, I would like to persuade more people to get in shape before it’s too late, especially if they are recovering from a major health challenge.
The other day I was attempting to negotiate with a truculent teenager, by force of will, and I was getting nowhere. Then Deb said, “Why don’t you try to explain how he’s hurting your feelings, making you feel unappreciated and disrespected.” I replied, “He’s just pissing me off, is what he’s doing.” Yes, said Deb, “That’s because he’s making you feel unappreciated, which you’ll realize later (I did, a few days later).”
I enjoy my daily latte at Johnny’s in Carrboro.
I followed Deb’s advice, and it worked like a charm. I thought about this during a conversation I had with an interesting young man in Johnny’s today. He had a sticker on his computer, which said, “War is only good for business.” I commented that I agreed, generally, with this statement. We then got into a conversation that led to my saying that I was born during World War II, which surprised him. He thought I was in my late 50s, (except for my white hair, he said). One thing led to another, and then he told me that his Mom and Dad were a 10 years younger than me. His Mom is in good shape, but his Dad refuses to exercise, and it shows, as his health is deteriorating. My companion wondered if I could find a way to encourage his Dad to work out.
Maybe the actions of others could be a motivating inspiration.
This is an old problem, as you really can’t change anyone against their will, but with the right approach you might just have some influence on their behavior.
Here are the options as I see it, for his Mom to say to his Dad, as she has expressed a desire to do more active things with her husband:
Carrot: you’ll feel great after you work out; you’ll look more attractive; you’ll feel stronger; you’ll live longer; we’ll be able to go hiking (kayaking, rock climbing; whatever..) together again; like we did years ago; I know our doctor would like you to exercise a little; other guys (like FitOldDog) do it; …
Stick: do you want to die before our grandchildren grow up; you’re starting to look very fat; I feel bad about you becoming so unhealthy; I worry you’re going to have a heart attack any day now; OR the nuclear option, I’ll leave you if you don’t (though you’d better be ready to carry through on this one).
See, la diplomacie n’est pas mon affair!!! I was never all that good at French, either, but I sure had a great time trying.
Isn’t that what life’s all about? Trying! Now it’s time for me to try to learn the art of diplomacy.
Cheers,
FitOldDog
Important Note: These posts do not provide medical advice. You should always consult your physician before undertaking or significantly modifying an exercise program.
Copyright © 2010 Kevin T. Morgan aka FitOldDog, Old Dogs in Training, LLC.
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