The Whistler

Do you remember when you learned how to whistle? Was it easy? Did you ever really get it? My son recently took on the skill of whistling. Or should I say, he has started to teach himself how to whistle. I’ve been watching the process and listening with much patience. He has a good approach. First he asked almost every adult he has contact with to tell him about when they learned to whistle. He listened to their stories and asked questions.

Then he started his whistling. He started privately, in his room. I was wondering what he was doing up there. He hadn’t reveled his new venture with us just yet. Once he was feeling a bit more confident in his skill he shared it with us, nonchalantly I must say. It was very cute. Then he just never stopped. He has been whistling for days, non stop.

The other day he started grilling his Dad about the technique he used. The lip positioning etc. Then he went off and tried some more. More whistling. I shared with him a story about how my Dad used to use this fancy whistle where he put two fingers in his mouth and he would whistle for us to come home. As kids we could hear his whistle for miles. Ryan was very pleased with this story. It was almost as if it delighted him that perhaps he was from a family of expert whistlers.

So why do I tell this story? Well he is the cutest, but I tell it because I have been learning from him. He has serious perseverance!

Let’s look at his approach

1. He decided he wanted to learn how to whistle
2. He gathered information from experts
3. He gave it a try.
4. He accepted his inadequacy and kept trying and practicing
5. He asked for feedback and found an icon to look up to
6. He kept practicing

Soon he will be an expert.

Wow all this from an 8 year old.

What’s his trick?

Well he WANTS to be a good whistler.

I am so inspired.

I’ve been running since last Fall. I started by using the Couch to 5 K program on my iPhone. It was hard at first and a bit embarrassing. I had good days, I had bad days. Days when I asked myself “why am I doing this”

Well I was doing it because I wanted to be a runner.

I don’t need to run a marathon. I just want to be able to run three miles when I want to. But that doesn’t just happen over night.

1. You have to decide that you WANT to do it (have a specific goal)
2. You have to work towards it. (start with small steps, get yourself some information. I liked the book Accidental Athlete)
3. You have to equipe yourself with the right tools and information. (good shoes and C25K iPhone is a great tool)
4. You have to struggle and keep with it (don’t give up after those painful days, get back out there. The good days always happen then you least expect it)
5. Find someone to inspire you (there is a woman at my gym, I call her the Gisele. She is so light on her feet and when she runs next to me on the treadmill I feel like I could run forever)
6. Challenge yourself when you get in a rut. Run a little further then you did before.
7. And just keep running

Then one day you realize you are running 2.25 miles three days a week without stopping and with consistent speed. Today I know I can run three miles. I haven’t done it yet but I am feeling like it is in me and one day soon I’m just going to go for it!

Now note. I didn’t run 5K in 9 weeks like the C25K iPhone app plans, but I am almost there.

I have perseverance, like the Whistler.