December 30, 2006
OF GOALS AND DREAMS … AND THINGS …
I had a vision. Take my Hawaiian shorts to run a marathon in Hawaii — for my dad, for life, for many reasons. I did. And I’m proud. Happy. But more than anything, I am somewhat in awe of the whole goal-setting process … how it works, if you really want it to. And how aimless and unfocussed life can be without articulating and actively striving for dreams.
Today I came across this quote on Scott Dunlap’s trail runner’s blog: “I get twitchy when I don’t have a race on the calendar. Even an upcoming 5k fun run seems to energize me with anticipation and put some spring in my step. But nothing matches the feeling of seeing a full calendar of new races and adventures for the next year. It does more than structure my training…on some deep level, it helps give my life meaning. It is proof that I’m making the choice to live in this world, instead of on this world. Each race is a guaranteed journey of spiritual and physical adventure.”
The ever-eloquent Scott nailed it for me. Whether it’s a race, or some other goal, once articulated it puts a special spring in your step, a reason for getting up each morning. A reason for taking the journey. It creates focus. It gives passion to life. And focus plus plenty of passion often makes magic, luck. It makes dreams come true.
With that in mind I’m setting down my list of personal goals for 2007 and beyond. I won’t burden you with them here :) … but my overall goal this year is to do whatever I choose to tackle with love, passion. Be it a chore, a relationship, a walk, preparing a meal … I want to be part of growth and the nurturing of things around me, and I believe passion is the creative spark of all that lives. Like Scott said, the idea is to be a part of this world. Live in it, not on it. And I want to give everything 100 per cent. All of the time. Above all, I want to keep a beginner’s mind, in the Zen sense, where everything is always possible and the barriers of hubris always distant. And I want to be true to myself. Against this, I will weigh all other goals. This will underpin them.
What about you? Do you plot — jot down a list of goals each year and check them off at year’s end? Or do you hate lists preferring to sail into the deliciously uncertain mists of the future? I know some people do. I used to abhor lists, too — until recently. Until I saw the power of what they could help me achieve, and to what distance (’scuse the pun) they could help me go.
Nuff said. Time to get on with it now … 2007 is just around the corner, and I have a new list to make ….
Posted by Loreth @ 12:01 am | THE RUNNING LIFE, THE WRITING LIFE
Meretta ~ American Title Finalist Says:
YOU GO, Girl! I know you can do whatever you set your mind to!
I’ve seen you accomplish so much in just the past two years through sheer determination and tenacious will. You set the bar high, not only for yourself, but those of us around you and in the end we are all better people for it.
Thank you!
And I love your marathon pictures. Did DD and DH jump to different parts to see you come through and cheer you on?
Loreth Says:
Aw shucks, Meretta ;). TY.
And nope, dd/dh did not get one — not one — photo of me running!!! They got other people’s heads. Or feet. Or some really nice shots of the road
:). Those pics were taken by the official race photographers. Dd and dh were at the 5am start though, bless their hearts. And waiting for me at the finish — where we promptly all lost each other again in the ensuing melee.
Toni Anderson Says:
Very nice pictures. How on earth did you find them if the were the official ones? Are they sent out?
Loreth Says:
Toni — most big races have official photogs who station people with cameras at several points along the route. They then work out who is who via race numbers, and send the individual racers a link to their specific pics (gleaned from the entrant’s email on the registration form) so that they can buy copies etc. You can usually also search the offical race photographers’ sites using a racer’s name or number, if you want to see pics of others.