While ‘sweating my prayers’ at the gym on Saturday morning, I happened to catch the tail end of a show called The Real Winning Edge. The program profiled young adult athletes who were also facing life challenges. It didn’t take long to grasp that what they were referring to…their spiritual faith was what helped them cross the finish line. Although the format is Christian in nature, the ‘testimony’ wasn’t exclusive to those of that orientation. It could have applied to anyone of any religious tradition.
I watched two segments; one an 18 year old dancer turned champion gymnast who had experienced injuries and bounced back, only to come up against an even more daunting challenge…the illness and subsequent death from cancer of her 13 year old sister. Her friends and family continue to bolster this talented young woman whose teamates view her as the one who cheers them up and gives them confidence to succeed while humbly accepting her own talents without overly flaunting them.
The second was a triathelete who was determined at age 12 to become the youngest person to win the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. He competed at age 18 and I missed the ending to determine his placement in the race. I was impressed by something this young man said about the commitment that it took to train. He made his goal so important that other distractions facing a typical college student, did not deter him from his cycling, swimming, running and weight lifting. He made a choice each time…did he want to keep the finish line in sight and prep for it or did he want to party? He most certainly was a well rounded kid who made time for family and friends.
I look at my own goals and intentions and admit that there are times when I do allow myself to veer off the path; usually out of fear of actually accomplishing what I set out to do. For instance, as I got closer to completing my book, I would find reasons to do something else instead of working on it. It wasn’t until I made a commitment to hire an editor and agreed to submit the manuscript to a publisher (where I am at this point in time), that my time and attention became more focused. This is helping me overcome my trepidation about taking the grand leap into my deepest dreams and desires; asking, “So, what if you really DO get to cross the finish line?” The rest is still unwritten:)
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