by Doug Strickel
Our daughter, Hope, graduated this past quarter from Louisiana Tech. As part of that process, I thought about what commencement message I would share with her. It’s a life lesson message wrapped around a family 5K run when we were living in the Memphis area.
As we walked to the starting line with hundreds of other runners, I asked what our plans were for the race. Hope just looked at me and said, “Win.” I overheard some guys talking about a long steep hill during mile two and thought we needed a real plan and not just an aspirational goal.
As the race started, Hope and I ran together for the first mile. Pam was behind us, running at her pace, taking in all the house designs, and counting the circle driveways in the neighborhoods we ran through. At the one-mile mark, Hope decided our pace was too slow and sped up leaving me behind.
Sure enough, about halfway into mile two, I came to a fork in the road and was guided to stay to the left up a long, steep hill. It was a huge challenge as the hill seemed to just go on forever. Many runners were walking as the hill got the best of them. I finally made it to the top, and the course leveled out and then started a steady downhill descent.
As I rounded a curve with about a quarter of a mile to go, I could see Hope off to my left walking and visibly upset. I stopped running and went over to check on her.
I explained to Hope that we aren’t going back up the hill, but rather we are now going to veer to the right toward the finish line. When she realized the new direction, she immediately took off and left me again.
The moment Hope realized that she didn’t have to run up that hill again, she immediately transferred energy to her legs and began running at a fast pace again. The energy was there all the time. Her mind had shut her body down because of the negative thoughts.
Life Lesson: We all need a plan.
It’s fine to have aspirational goals to accomplish but without a plan, those goals are just dreams. I see this approach all too often and not just with individuals. Organizations are very adept in talking about what they want to achieve, accomplish, or acquire, but very few know “why”, and many have no idea “how”.
The plan doesn’t have to be completely figured out, but you need to identify the next steps to execute.
Life Lesson: There are times in life that we need to sacrifice our goals for others
It’s so easy to get caught up in pursuing our goals, seeking our own desires in life, and missing the people and needs right in front of us. If you want to experience a momentary sense of accomplishment, achieve a personal goal. If you want to experience lasting fulfillment, help someone else achieve their goal!
Life Lesson: Don’t be defeated by the past
Hope saw that long, steep hill that caused her so much pain and couldn’t get her focus off it. She had already run it but was so fixated on having to do it again that she failed to see the proper course in front of her. Her past was defeating her future.
We need to learn from the past and be stronger because of what we have overcome, but not let past failures, struggles, or tough times defeat the future before us. We all need to keep our heads up and look optimistically toward the future based on what we have overcome.
Life Lesson: Don’t listen to every thought
Not every thought that enters our mind is true. Two of my favorite chapters in the New Testament are Romans 12 and Philippians 4. They both talk about the importance of renewing our mind, thinking about positive thoughts, and training our mind to focus above our circumstances. Be careful what you choose to believe! I have found it helpful to talk to myself but not to listen to myself.
Life Lesson: Just keep moving; the finish line may be closer than you think
When Hope had stopped and essentially gave up looking up that hill, she was about a quarter mile from the finish line but didn’t know it. We could hear the music at the finish line, but she wasn’t listening.
Regardless of the challenge you are facing, the key is to just keep taking the next step. You never know how close you are to resolving the matter. Just keep reaching out to heal that relationship. Keep writing, reading, working out, going to work, practicing, and selling. You never know when that next attempt will be the breakthrough you are looking for in your pursuits!
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