Skip to main content

Forward


There is a book I love, To Be a Runner, by Martin Dugard. In the book, he described one of his life mottos, Keep Pushing...Always. He wrote,

"It is a pursuit of that best possible version of ourselves, refusing to accept mediocrity, and waking up each day full of hope instead of fear. It’s having courage, taking a risk, staying focused on the important things in life. And it’s remembering that courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to press forward despite your fears" (152).

When I was a teenager, my family traveled to a family resort on a small lake in Bellaire, Michigan. The weeks spent in Bellaire were some of the best weeks of my teenage life. We spent time with the same families year after year and participated in a variety of water sports. We even ate dinner together. The resort was similar to summer camp, but this was for families. The resort had a long-standing tradition of allowing vacationers to swim back across the lake (1.5 miles). It was a daunting task. I was determined to do it, and a few of us jumped into the water, with youthful confidence, that we would make it. I remember my dad and mom (they were in a boat) asking if I wanted to stop. My mom told me later that she knew there was no way I would quit, and that was exactly what concerned her. Honestly, I already felt the fatigue, and I knew it was going to be difficult. However, to me, there was only one option, keep going. I alternated strokes every few minutes, steadily moving forward. The swim felt like an eternity. The shoreline never seemed to get closer. But, there was no way I would quit. I absolutely had to make it. Honestly, I can’t remember a whole lot about completing the swim. I was too tired to remember setting my feet on the sand. I do remember hearing people cheer, but I was so light-headed I could not walk straight. I had done it. This was probably 20 years ago, but it is still a vivid memory of a time I kept pushing myself.

Although it was just a swim, these kinds of life events show us the best version of ourselves despite all odds. It truly gives us the courage to get out of bed filled with hope and to know that we can handle more than we give ourselves credit for. It allows us to see that we can face tragedies, and we can keep putting one foot in front of the other. Martin Dugard went on to write,

“No matter how hard the pace or how high the hill, you will endure. Every struggle comes to an end if you just keep pushing forward” (94).


We press on.

Comments

  1. Rama JanamanchiSeptember 19, 2018 at 12:41 PM

    Your determination is really inspirational. It's an example of why we need to dream big and then give our all towards achieving that dream.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 24, 2018 at 11:54 AM

    i love to book to how people jucie before they now you

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mastering Your Fear

Over winter break, I read an article by Brandon Webb titled, “How to Master Your Fear Like a Navy Seal.” He began by discussing a situation in combat in which soldiers were literally facing down an enemy in a stressful situation. Of course, while I found it interesting, I figured it only applied to life-threatening or truly terrifying situations. However, as I continued reading, I began to see many applications in my life. Fear can come in many forms: it can come when faced with a life or death situation or it can come in the form of crippling anxiety, stress, depression, and worry. I find myself ruled by the fear of the latter set of circumstances. The article discusses how to control the inner monologue of our minds to not be ruled by fear but to use it in a positive way. Webb writes, “Whatever it is, you’ll deal with it in its time and place. Meanwhile, don’t let it swim around inside your head!” He also noted that our body language can give away our fear if we let it. In other...
1 comment
Read more

Finding Positivity in the World Around Us

In my quest to find positivity and kindness in the world, I have had to be more intentional about paying attention to the inspiring stories in the news. The stories are there, but you have to look carefully. In the past two weeks, I have come across two stories in the news which have helped boost my spirits about the power of positive and generous people. They were both about people that don’t have to choose the attitude that they have. Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry could just as easily escape back into their money, notoriety, and blissful life. They could pridefully view past successes and find discontent in aging. But, they don’t. Both have a different but compelling and admirable story. Michael Phelps spent the better part of two decades dominating the swimming world, winning 23 gold medals and setting countless world records. Karen Crouse of the New York Times caught up with Phelps recently to discuss the loss of a couple of world records he had lost. Instead of feeling ...
Post a Comment
Read more

It Takes a Community

I gave my class the following prompt this week: Is it better to say the right thing or do the right thing? Or, in other words, do actions speak louder than words? Many times during our class discussions students have brought up that it is so hard to be kind and do the right thing sometimes. However, they do not give themselves enough credit. The field trip last Friday illustrated this beautifully. Last Friday, all of the seniors took a trip to Lorain County Community College for some climbing, high ropes, and team building. There were nerves, fear of heights (including yours truly), and excitement to get out of the classroom. Some students were literally shaking at the thought of climbing to high heights in front of their peers. Some resisted participation at first. Even I was not eager to give it a go. However, something magical began to happen as the students were taking on the various challenges. They began to cheer for, encourage, and motivate each other to higher heights. You coul...
6 comments
Read more