Welcome. Let me tell you a few insights into my mind. I was able to run the Deseret News Marathon on Pioneer Day in Utah - 7/24/13. It took me a while. 5 Hours 10 minutes. That may seem like a long time. It is. In fact it was long enough that I had trouble finding music on my ipod that I had not listened to. I had one real goal for this marathon.
Keep Moving.
Keep Going.
One foot in front of the other - don't stop.
Make progress.
I was not out to compete with the winner of the marathon and see if I could beat him. I was out to make myself better. To fend off the fatigue and the hurt and get to the next mile.
My epiphany?
All of your life is going to be like a marathon. All of your trials and tribulations are going to be like a marathon. All of your life can be measured in a length of time. Your life is going to be encapsulated and compartmentalized into your actions - and at the end of your life you will measure what your success will be. Some people measure success in their lives as the amount of cash you have on hand when the bell rings. Negative Ghost Rider - that pattern is full. You can't take money with you and success is measured by what you contributed to the world around you and not your assets left behind.
I digress.
So how is my life like a marathon? Marathons are hard. They are arduos events that tax your energy and your soul. They take your efforts and wring them out and thump on them and test how long your brittle frame will last. Marathons are like life. You don't know when the pearly gates will open and you will shuffle off of this mortal coil. That is not for you to know. All you need to know is that you are in the race. The difference is that in a Marathon you get mile markers that tell you where you are. Mile 13, Mile 18, Mile 23. You get those so that you can mark your pace and understand where you are. Life is a little bit different. You don't get the signs - you don't get the markers so you know that you can push it a little bit more, to measure how much is left in your tank. You don't get that measuring stick. There is no sign that says - "Hey you have 2 years left in your life, push it up and do some good here!"
Just as in life - just as in a marathon. You need to keep going. You may not know what the next turn brings - but you do know the length of the race. You have been given a definite beginning - because you are here - and you have been given a definite end - because someday you will punch the ticket and take the eternal ride.
I think that the Marathon and Life have a lot of similarities. Each one will beat you up in some way - but you need to have the resolve to step up your game and make the next step. Just keep moving and just make the effort. People who change the world show up. They show up because they want to make a difference.
That is what I felt like on the course. I knew how long the race was but I wanted to make a difference to me. I wanted to prove a point to myself that says "I will make it, and I will keep moving." On my desk I have a quote:
"I don't intend on walking through my life tentatively making a statement. I intend on making a definitive statement - to mash the objective, to leave no doubt as to where I was, or whether I was here. Mash it, make a statement."
I don't think my purpose on this orb is to pass through like a breeze. Me thinks that my purpose is to thunder down the side of the hill, gaining speed and direction, knocking down my goals and objectives and making my mark. I don't know if it is Mile 24 or Mile 5 but making the best of it is my job.
FMR
Keep Moving.
Keep Going.
One foot in front of the other - don't stop.
Make progress.
I was not out to compete with the winner of the marathon and see if I could beat him. I was out to make myself better. To fend off the fatigue and the hurt and get to the next mile.
My epiphany?
All of your life is going to be like a marathon. All of your trials and tribulations are going to be like a marathon. All of your life can be measured in a length of time. Your life is going to be encapsulated and compartmentalized into your actions - and at the end of your life you will measure what your success will be. Some people measure success in their lives as the amount of cash you have on hand when the bell rings. Negative Ghost Rider - that pattern is full. You can't take money with you and success is measured by what you contributed to the world around you and not your assets left behind.
I digress.
So how is my life like a marathon? Marathons are hard. They are arduos events that tax your energy and your soul. They take your efforts and wring them out and thump on them and test how long your brittle frame will last. Marathons are like life. You don't know when the pearly gates will open and you will shuffle off of this mortal coil. That is not for you to know. All you need to know is that you are in the race. The difference is that in a Marathon you get mile markers that tell you where you are. Mile 13, Mile 18, Mile 23. You get those so that you can mark your pace and understand where you are. Life is a little bit different. You don't get the signs - you don't get the markers so you know that you can push it a little bit more, to measure how much is left in your tank. You don't get that measuring stick. There is no sign that says - "Hey you have 2 years left in your life, push it up and do some good here!"
Just as in life - just as in a marathon. You need to keep going. You may not know what the next turn brings - but you do know the length of the race. You have been given a definite beginning - because you are here - and you have been given a definite end - because someday you will punch the ticket and take the eternal ride.
I think that the Marathon and Life have a lot of similarities. Each one will beat you up in some way - but you need to have the resolve to step up your game and make the next step. Just keep moving and just make the effort. People who change the world show up. They show up because they want to make a difference.
That is what I felt like on the course. I knew how long the race was but I wanted to make a difference to me. I wanted to prove a point to myself that says "I will make it, and I will keep moving." On my desk I have a quote:
"I don't intend on walking through my life tentatively making a statement. I intend on making a definitive statement - to mash the objective, to leave no doubt as to where I was, or whether I was here. Mash it, make a statement."
I don't think my purpose on this orb is to pass through like a breeze. Me thinks that my purpose is to thunder down the side of the hill, gaining speed and direction, knocking down my goals and objectives and making my mark. I don't know if it is Mile 24 or Mile 5 but making the best of it is my job.
FMR
