Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please - lessons in motivation from the Barmy Army

I have a confession to make. I am a dual citizen of England and Australia and I DON'T watch the cricket. To be honest the Ashes series has all but passed me by... sorta kinda knew it was on, but couldn't tell you who was winning, where they were playing or who was in the teams these days. I know - there will be gasps of horror I'm sure...

So you can imagine my amusement when we went to our "local" and encountered the BARMY ARMY. Oh my goodness, groping room only.

There are several things though that crossed our minds as we inched our way out of the crowds to find somewhere just a little less noisy for a drink before dinner.

The motivation.

The biggest thing for me is the motivation by the supporters. Can you imagine how much it would cost them to fly to Australia, and then fly around Australia so they could see every game. Add in the cost for tickets, accommodation, food and as I mentioned in the subject line of this post - alcohol and probably lots of it. It's not that they were rowdy - just lots of them and lots of people in a confined space means lots of noise.

So - the planning, the preparation, ensuring they had enough money and holiday time saved - just so they could watch "cricket"

Phenomenal.

We could learn a thing or two from the Barmy Army. And thinking about I suppose that is where the term "fan" comes from, yes "FANATIC"

I have several things I am fanatical about - well as a Virgo what do you expect!!!

• Cleaning and putting things into their proper places... Did I tell you I am also a practicing Librarian as well as Virgoan? :-)
• Motivation and motivating - what works, what doesn't, why should that work for me and not for you, why should it work today and not yesterday
• People watching and asking questions - I love being nosy... I love learning what makes people tick
• Personal and professional development - ask anyone who knows me, I'm always reading something, going to events and finding new ways of doing things
• Health and fitness - I just need more time to do everything I want to do :-)
• Writing - I love writing - I always have at least one notebook with me, several pens and now my netbook - I am always writing - I love it. And
• Helping people, sometimes without them even knowing about it. Every year I donate several hundred dollars to a community in Tanzania - long story and it starts a couple of years back, but colleagues visited this community - on holiday and discovered there was a group of people sponsoring children through high school, providing them with books, tuition fees and money for clothes. It goes directly to the organisation - there is no middle people involved... so no admin fees as with organisations such as Oxfam and World Vision etc...every dollar I send gets used for something that benefits the community. Last year I paid a very small sum of money to restore the eyesight of one of the children. Cost to me US$100 - to her, priceless. I don't know what they will spend the money on this year - but I do know it will be put to very good use.
  
  And then the day before yesterday a message came through Facebook - a woman had been dumped into a care facility by her son, he had sold her farm and possessions informed the staff he didn't want updates, told them where to bury her when the time came and no he wasn't going to pay the funeral costs. Heartless - but the plea wasn't for money or goods per se, Ruth - the lady sits in her wheelchair knitting socks and slippers for other people - and could anyone spare a couple of dollars to buy and send a ball of wool so she can continue to help others less fortunate than her. Needless to say there is a parcel of wool and other goodies on the way.

What are you fanatical about? What would you go out of your "normal" way to do - and nothing and I do mean nothing is going to get in the way of doing it?

2 things please

1. If anyone would like the address of the lady so you can send a ball or two of wool, please email me and I will give it to you. She doesn't know this is going to happen, and the lady who told us her story is going to get some photographs (when she can get through the snow) so I can share those too.
2. Spend some time over the next couple of days - weekends are a great time to do this - write down what you are fanatical about ... and ask - how can I incorporate this energy, drive and enthusiasm into achieving my goals.

With many thoughts

Elle