Beyond Motivation: The Mindset of Discipline | Ashraf Qurtam | TEDxMEU

The Catalyst for Personal Change

• On June 23, 2019, at approximately 11:03 PM, a realization occurred while watching a news report at home in Haifa that prompted a significant personal shift. 0s
• The catalyst for this change was overhearing a conversation between children regarding their father's weight, which was 105 kilograms at a height of 1.70 meters. 15s
• Carrying approximately 35 kilograms of excess weight for nearly 30 years created a personal conflict, as the individual worked professionally as a mental coach teaching others about willpower, discipline, and goal achievement. 30s
• There was a sense of hypocrisy in teaching others how to succeed while failing to manage personal health, leading to a realization that previous claims of being comfortable and happy with the situation were self-deception. 45s
• Hearing a daughter express fear for her father's health served as a turning point, forcing an acknowledgment of an internal voice that had been previously ignored. 1m0s

Initial Fitness Struggles

• At age 45, with no athletic shoes since high school, the decision was made to begin exercising immediately, starting around 12:15 AM. 1m15s
• The initial attempt at running was physically difficult, characterized by shortness of breath and knee pain, as there was no prior experience running even 100 meters. 1m30s
• Motivation to continue the exercise was maintained by focusing on the children's expressed fear for their father's well-being. 1m45s
• The first exercise session lasted approximately one hour, and the routine was repeated the following morning. 2m0s

Applying Professional Coaching Principles

• The individual began a personal fitness journey by purchasing athletic shoes and exercising daily, which led to a noticeable change in how their children perceived them. 0s
• Observing pride in their children's eyes served as a significant motivator, even though the individual initially struggled with the physical demands of the routine. 0s
• After approximately two to three weeks of inconsistent progress and physical discomfort, the individual decided to apply the professional training principles they had taught others for nearly 20 years. 25s
• The individual, who was the first professional coach in Palestine, noted that the term "coach" was so unfamiliar at the start of their career that people often asked which sports team they coached. 35s

The Burning Ships Strategy

• To overcome the difficulty of maintaining the new exercise habit, the individual decided to implement a strategy from military history known as "burning your ships." 55s
• The "burning your ships" concept originated 500 years ago when military leaders destroyed their own vessels upon reaching enemy territory to ensure their soldiers had no choice but to fight and win. 55s
• Despite not being active on social media, the individual used their Instagram account to publicly commit to their fitness goal, a move they had previously only recommended to others. 1m10s
• The individual recorded a video message for their followers, explaining that they were exercising for their own benefit and requesting accountability to help turn the activity into a permanent habit. 1m25s
• Based on their professional training experience, the individual identified a 21-day period as the necessary timeframe to establish a new habit. 1m40s

The 21-Day Public Challenge

• A commitment was made to engage in physical exercise daily for a period of 21 days, with the intention of documenting the progress publicly 0s.
• A public challenge was issued to followers, inviting them to criticize and call out the commitment if even a single day of exercise was missed 12s.
• On the 17th day of the challenge, the commitment was tested when attendance at a wedding involving heavy, traditional food consumption made maintaining a healthy diet impossible 35s.
• Upon returning home at 3:00 AM with only two hours remaining to complete the daily exercise, there was a strong temptation to perform the workout merely for the sake of appearances rather than genuine effort 52s.

Overcoming Obstacles and Strengthening Commitment

• While at the beach in Haifa to film the required exercise, a blind man was observed performing a rigorous workout routine with his own equipment 1m8s.
• Witnessing the blind man's dedication served as a turning point, leading to a public admission that the initial intention had been to perform the exercise insincerely 1m25s.
• Following this realization, the commitment to the 21-day challenge was strengthened, resulting in increased productivity and effort for the remainder of the period 1m38s.

Establishing the 5 AM Routine

• While organizing a collection of books in an office, a book by international coach Robin Sharma titled "The 5 AM Club" was discovered 1m45s.
• The book suggests that individuals who wake up at 5:00 AM can utilize that hour effectively by dedicating twenty minutes to spiritual practices, such as prayer, and twenty minutes to writing 2m0s.
• A commitment was made to establish a new habit of exercising at 5:00 a.m. daily, starting with walks along the beach in Haifa. 0s
• The initial motivation for the early morning routine was personal, as the individual walked alone and felt that no one was watching. 15s

The Birth of a Movement

• After a few days, the individual began sharing the experience via live streams, eventually attracting an audience of 100 to 150 viewers who would wait for the morning sessions. 25s
• It was noted that both those who support and those who dislike an individual will monitor their progress. 35s
• The individual reported positive physical and respiratory improvements after maintaining the habit for 21 days. 45s
• A viewer commented on the live stream suggesting that the individual would eventually quit once the weather became rainy. 55s
• In response to the criticism, the individual spontaneously declared that they would never let the sun rise before them. 1m5s
• The phrase "I will not let the sun rise before me" was adopted as a new personal motto for the following day. 1m25s

Expansion of the Running Initiative

• The day after adopting the motto, a follower reached out to ask if they could join the morning run. 1m35s
• The initiative grew from a solo effort to a group activity, with the first group photo featuring four people, including the individual. 1m45s
• The movement expanded as more people began to join, with participants documenting their involvement on social media under the theme of rising before the sun. 1m55s
• Approximately 70 university students from the University of Haifa gathered at the beach in Haifa to join in a run, wearing shirts that featured the slogan "The sun will not rise before me." 0s
• The students were followers of social media content and expressed a desire to participate in the running activity. 0s
• Despite weighing nearly 100 kilograms at the time, the initiative inspired others to join, with participants gifting an XXL shirt to wear during the run. 0s

Regional and International Growth

• A group of women from Sakhnin requested permission to form their own local group under the same "The sun will not rise before me" banner to run in their area. 0s
• Following the formation of the Sakhnin group, other towns in the region, including Arraba, Deir Hanna, Nazareth, and Ramallah, began requesting to establish their own local running groups. 0s
• The movement expanded rapidly, with hundreds of messages arriving from various locations such as Nazareth, Ramallah, and Hebron, indicating a widespread desire to participate. 0s
• A television channel in Jordan contacted the organizer to report on the "The sun will not rise before me" movement, noting that a group in Amman was planning to run from the Second Circle. 0s
• The movement continued to grow internationally, with requests coming from people in Lebanon, Qatar, and Dubai who wanted to organize similar running groups. 0s
• The initiative, which began as a personal goal to make children proud, transformed into a collective movement characterized by hope and shared achievement across the Arab world. 0s
• By 2019, the movement had gained significant momentum, with hundreds of people gathering at the beach in Haifa to participate in the runs. 0s

Community Engagement and Wristband Distribution

• An individual offered financial support to a social project despite being unable to participate in physical running activities due to health limitations. 0s
• The project organizers declined the monetary donation, clarifying that the initiative was a social project rather than a commercial one. 5s
• To utilize the offered funds, the organizers produced wristbands inscribed with the phrase "The sun will not rise before me." 12s
• The wristbands were distributed to participants in Haifa, which led to increased engagement and community involvement in the project. 20s
• A school principal requested to involve her students in the initiative, resulting in the distribution of boxes of wristbands to schools. 28s
• Students from across the Palestinian interior began participating in early morning exercise routines as part of the movement. 35s
• Media outlets began covering the initiative, leading to widespread visibility and growth as the movement spread from one location to another. 42s

The Encounter in the Golan Heights

• Residents of the Golan Heights invited the project organizers to visit, noting the difficulty of traveling three hours to Haifa. 52s
• Upon arriving in the village of Mas'ade in the Golan Heights at dawn, the organizers were met by approximately 2,000 people from four Syrian villages who were waiting in the street. 1m5s
• During the walk, a young child named Iyad stayed close to the organizer until he became tired and requested assistance. 1m20s
• The child explained that he was accompanied by his mother, who had left to retrieve their car but had been delayed. 1m35s
• Young volunteers carried Iyad for the remainder of the walk until they reached the destination at sunrise. 1m42s
• Upon arrival, the crowd became emotional and began to cry, prompting the organizer to ask for an explanation regarding the reaction. 1m48s
• It was revealed that the child, Iyad, was suffering from cancer. 1m55s

Eyal's Legacy of Hope

• Doctors initially gave Eyal a very poor prognosis following a brain surgery, suggesting he had only a few days to live 0s.
• Despite the medical outlook, Eyal maintained a positive mindset, telling his mother that he would be fine and continuing to participate in activities like running and exercising 15s.
• Eyal lived for three years after his initial diagnosis, a period during which he engaged in projects that provided hope to others 35s.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, a visit to a Druze village to offer condolences revealed that the entire community had been waiting to meet Eyal’s mother, highlighting the impact Eyal’s story had on others 50s.
• The importance of believing in one's actions is emphasized as a key factor in how Eyal navigated his final years 1m10s.

A Final Farewell

• An event organized at the beach in Haifa was intended to bring people together, with hundreds of groups having formed during the period leading up to it 1m25s.
• On the morning of the event, a massive traffic jam occurred near the speaker's home, initially leading to the assumption that a road accident had taken place 1m45s.
• Upon arriving at the beach, it was discovered that the six-kilometer traffic congestion was caused by approximately 10,000 people who had gathered to pay their respects and bid farewell to Eyal 2m15s.

Reflections on Authenticity and Discipline

• The speaker began their journey alone with the primary goal of serving as a positive role model for their daughter, Shahd 0s.
• The initiative gained unexpected momentum and spread across various regions, including Palestine, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and the Gulf, creating a significant impact 0s.
• The widespread engagement is attributed to the speaker's willingness to be vulnerable and transparent about their own weaknesses, rather than projecting an image of perfection 15s.
• People are drawn to the speaker not because of their name, but because they demonstrate authenticity by practicing the principles they teach to others 25s.
• The speaker emphasizes that individuals are more influenced by observing someone who lives out their stated values than by merely listening to instructions or lectures 30s.
• The speaker views this path as one divinely ordained, reflecting on a conversation with their daughter, Shahd, who expressed concern for their well-being 38s.
• For the past seven years, the speaker has committed to a specific personal discipline, which involves rising before the sun 50s.
• This commitment is framed as a promise made to God and to the audience, representing a significant and cherished aspect of the speaker's life 55s.