After ten days of running, I took this morning off. My dog was happy as she got to go for a half-hour walk at 6 AM. The skies look gray today. Can't be sunny all the time, I suppose. And while my stomach is now feeling better, the skies look how my attitude was yesterday as I slogged through ten miles at a relatively high temperature for October and my stomach was in knots for reasons that remain a mystery to me.
Most of my reading recently has been for stuff directly related to work. Yesterday, I had a chance to finish a book my 17 year old had picked up for me for Father's Day. It was a book about Steve Prefontaine. He was an amazing American runner in the early 1970's who died a tragic death in 1975. The last chapter of the book began with a quote from him, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
That is a profound statement. He made it, I presume, mostly about running. However, it applies to so much. I have been given many gifts. Sometimes I feel like I have lived up to the call to give my best. Sometimes, I know I have fallen short.
As I look ahead, I want to focus on what the book that I have referred to many times in the forty days suggests (the book being The Answer to How is Yes). It suggests focusing on what matters most.
If I focus on what matters most and giving my all--what more could I ask for.
What I struggle with is that a lot of things matter. So sometimes choosing what matters most is a real challenge.
In addition, the people in my life around me don't always agree with me on what matters most.
So there will need to be tradeoffs.
There will need to be compromises.
But experience suggests that following the road to better to a place in which I am clear about what I think matters most and giving my all to what matters most will be fulfilling for me.
Then, I have to try to create an environment where each person around me can give what they feel is their all to what matters most and the world should be a happier place for all.
Of course, a final reflection for this morning is that I also have to realize that in the same way that I ask others to allow me to choose my focus and define giving my best, I have to allow that in others as well.
Most of my reading recently has been for stuff directly related to work. Yesterday, I had a chance to finish a book my 17 year old had picked up for me for Father's Day. It was a book about Steve Prefontaine. He was an amazing American runner in the early 1970's who died a tragic death in 1975. The last chapter of the book began with a quote from him, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
That is a profound statement. He made it, I presume, mostly about running. However, it applies to so much. I have been given many gifts. Sometimes I feel like I have lived up to the call to give my best. Sometimes, I know I have fallen short.
As I look ahead, I want to focus on what the book that I have referred to many times in the forty days suggests (the book being The Answer to How is Yes). It suggests focusing on what matters most.
If I focus on what matters most and giving my all--what more could I ask for.
What I struggle with is that a lot of things matter. So sometimes choosing what matters most is a real challenge.
In addition, the people in my life around me don't always agree with me on what matters most.
So there will need to be tradeoffs.
There will need to be compromises.
But experience suggests that following the road to better to a place in which I am clear about what I think matters most and giving my all to what matters most will be fulfilling for me.
Then, I have to try to create an environment where each person around me can give what they feel is their all to what matters most and the world should be a happier place for all.
Of course, a final reflection for this morning is that I also have to realize that in the same way that I ask others to allow me to choose my focus and define giving my best, I have to allow that in others as well.
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