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Ah charisma! Such a beautiful euphonic sounding word. Say the word and observe how it tantalisingly softly slips and sings off the lips. Charisma.... But this hallowed word is reserved only and rightly so for the chosen few who have the power of charisma. These chosen few have something special about them and that certain something puts them head and shoulders above the rest of us But what is it? What is it that they have and we ain't? Charismatic people connect and engage on another level. A level where words and actions are morealess redundant. Operating on an unspoken level, a sub conscious level. A connection that reaches out to us, captivates us, enthrals and moves us on a myriad of levels and senses: emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual. You cannot bottle it. You cannot buy it and you most definitely cannot learn or be taught it, no matter how brilliant your leadership course. Charisma, no two ways about.You either got it or you ain't. So ...

Yes what exactly is brilliance? An often over used, over emphasised word used to describe almost anything and anyone these days. Be it a little move away from mediocrity, a tiny shift away from the steady state. Is that brilliance? Not in my book. Brilliance personified happened on the 4th August 2012. The venue, the London Olympic stadium. From seat 390 Block 106, I was witness to one 1 hour of sheer brilliance courtesy of  Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford. No matter how amazing the support team, how many hours of blood,  sweat and tears happen during training or at the dress rehersal, that one small window of intoxicating brilliance to perform at the very top comes but once in life time to many of us and perhaps never to even more of us. But step back into history and you will find other examples of brilliance. Acts of courage, acts of heroism, such as Rosa Parks who in December 1955 refused in to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama....

"They just couldn't believe that somebody would do all that running for no reason" Forrest Gump Don't you just get the urge to run, run, run runaway sometimes? Just like Forrest Gump, run for no reason. Just one foot in front of the other, breath, in and out and we are off. Round the block, round the town,  onto the M1,  up to Scotland and then just stop. I love the film, Forrest Gump. Clever, comic  with beautiful subtle undertones of pathos. Tom Hanks is a proper Actor. He does versitility. A chameleon that can change his persona for any role. An Oscar winning performance every time in my eyes. Anyway, back to running. I do little running nowadays. Unlike a few years ago when I entered a few  10k races. No training. Just turn up, down 2 gallon of Lucozade and run. Need of loo meant speed and so would not be last or a DNF. I do little running for sure, but in my mind I'm running. Running far far away.