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Posted by Josh on July 13th, 2010

First day at the beach yesterday… warm weather & fresh water = good times! It’s a bit late in the season to be claiming it’s the first day of summer; however, the late start has complemented my full-on work/training schedule quite nicely.

The latest rush of activity started in Abbotsford, with a presentation for Fix Auto — sharing some of my Paralympic moments and reminding them of the power of community. From there I went to Vancouver to visit friends at GF Strong… the key rehab center for many traumatic injuries and my old stomping grounds.

Next stop, Whistler, for a dry-land training/fitness-testing camp with the Canadian ski team. I’m happy with my personal results and stoked with the new team dynamics, and, of course, with my personal training plan for the summer.

My favorite part about being in Whistler in the summer: everyone else is there as well (at least, the lion’s share of the ski world). Between training sessions, I went flying with an old ski buddy who thought it would be fun to get his pilot’s license. Big thanks, BUSH, for taking me on an amazing sunset flight over Howe Sound and Tantalus range near Squamish!

I also met up with Mike Douglas, the godfather of the ski world, to scheme up some ideas for the upcoming season. I’m super stoked to be working with Douglas. Here’s some of what he does.

After a week of living the dream in Whistler, I went back home to Vernon to do a few presentations and appearances over the Canada Day long weekend. Canada Day was a blast, with several thousand people getting together at the local park to celebrate the greatest place on earth! Throw in a couple of charity golf tournaments and a few media events and there you have my long weekend.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of discussing — at great length — the pragmatics of empowerment and the limitless potential we all share with an old school buddy of mine, Dr. Thomas Ristimaki. We’re all the same in the sense that we have potential beyond measure, should we choose to embrace it and allow it to shine.

I leave you with this quote:

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

(Marianne Williamson, spiritual activist and author)