Tour de France

Sometimes a Tour de Force, sometimes a Tour de Farce but this year apart from some more drug revelations a tour of uncertainty until the very end with several contenders vying for the famed yellow jersey

Nearly three weeks in the saddle

One might not follow cycling in fact most don't

However if you watched some of the stages, as each day's race is called, then you can learn something about endurance, will power, stamina, tactics and team work

Amazing fitness, strength of character and perseverance

And so much more on public display

As with many other sports technique is important

As are many other aspects including team planning, strategies and timing

However it is often the psychological aspects that determine the outcome

Those little signs that give one an edge over the others

What makes one man freeze or crumple and another rise up and prevail?

Maybe something in our childhood

Genetics maybe

Training can help

But usually it is that something inside an individual that will not lie down, will not give in

Stubbornness, no it is more than that

Obsession, no for this is what they do for a living

A special character perhaps

No matter It does give an insight into the degree to which one can control one's emotions

Emotions that get in the way of so many people's attempts to succeed

Emotions that haunt our performance in so many areas of life

Prevailing over these emotions is one of the battles of life

The starting point as with so many other things in life is to ask yourself

Do my emotions rule me or do I rule them?

Do my emotions in fact dominate me?

Have I ever really thought about how they pop up and block me?

Probably not in these terms

Make time to learn about how and where your emotions get in your way

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Block you, stop you

This investment in time and attention will more than repay itself because learning about one of the major powers in our life is always worthwhile

And once you have begun to consciously understand how emotions rule then of course the next step is to figure out how to control them

And this brings you to your major life battle, which is to locate, understand and fight your life fears

And yes every human has fears

And yes fears are what get in your way in so many things

Fears are at the root of so much of our emotional behaviour

Maybe those riders in the Tour de France are just finding a way to channel their fears

Maybe many things but the real point is that you get out of life what you are prepared to fight for

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And the fight for mastery of yourself is the really tough one

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The Tour de France obliges the riders to face themselves in some ways

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However we all have to face ourselves at some point whatever we do

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No exceptions

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Nature does not grant exceptions

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Have you started yet?

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Have you?