A few months after my late wife's death, in honor of her and to raise money to combat MS, I ran with Team MS ("Strides Against MS") the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like that. Preceding the actual event, I trained for a few months. During the training, I ran 21 miles twice, but never actually ran the two 26.2 mile (marathon length) runs suggested in the training. As a result of this, I began the marathon event not knowing if I could actually complete the whole thing. I did all of this on purpose. To me, it was a spiritual thing. I’d heard people talk about “the wall,” but I’d never experienced it, and I wanted this one event to be the first time that I’d actually experienced that which I’d only heard other people talk about. I wanted to do something that would require more from me than I thought I had. Brenda had fought valiantly in life, and I, in a way, wanted to honor that fight by placing myself smack-dab in the middle of a situation that, to complete, would force me to push far beyond my previously experienced limits.
The results exceeded my wildest of imaginations.
I hit the wall at about 23 miles. When that happened, my running became the most mindful thing I’d ever done to that point. My purpose in life with each stride became just that: each stride. My whole body ached; I was exhausted and spent, but my entire being was dedicated to each stride. To EACH stride. To THIS stride. Left…right…left…right. This was probably the first time in my life that I’d actually done something while remaining totally present in what I was doing. There was nothing else…just “this” stride. No hopes…no fears…no wishes…no regrets…just me expressed honestly in each stride. This ever present stride.
The results exceeded my wildest of imaginations.
I hit the wall at about 23 miles. When that happened, my running became the most mindful thing I’d ever done to that point. My purpose in life with each stride became just that: each stride. My whole body ached; I was exhausted and spent, but my entire being was dedicated to each stride. To EACH stride. To THIS stride. Left…right…left…right. This was probably the first time in my life that I’d actually done something while remaining totally present in what I was doing. There was nothing else…just “this” stride. No hopes…no fears…no wishes…no regrets…just me expressed honestly in each stride. This ever present stride.
I share the above, because I know what it feels like to be “mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.” Perhaps you're right there in that place yourself and feel ready to throw in the towel. With everything that's within me, I want to urge you to not give up. The victory or breakthrough that you've been working toward and hoping for may be just around the corner. Hang in there, my friends. It's coming. Often, things get really tough just before the breakthrough comes. Again, hang in there.
Also, I would like to offer that your breakthrough may, in fact, be more of a “break with” than a "breakthrough." Perhaps, it will be a "break with" an element of your past that has held on oh so tightly. Or, on a more global level, a "break with" the cocoon of your birth into the awakened life. Again, with all that's within me, I want to urge you to tie yourself in and to just hang in there a little while longer. It's coming--whatever IT might be. Believe that it's coming. But acknowledge, also, that it's not here yet. While it can be a fabulously wonderful thing to visualize the future joy that will arise from victory, I want to urge you, also, to stay with where you are. As tasty as you think the the finish line might be, stay with where you are. Again, tie yourself in to right where you are, and let yourself taste--perhaps even savor?--the present moment, for there really is nothing else. Yes, there will be a future, and I wish for that future to be this huge magnet that pulls you ever onward, but...in reality, there is no yesterday, and there is no tomorrow. Neither exist in your experience. The only place in time that exists right now is right now. So...hang in there, keep going, and stay in the now. And, listen, too, to the cheers from those who’ve gone on before you...the ancients who comprise, as Hebrews indicates, a great cloud of witnesses. Can you hear them? Open the ears of your spirit, my friends, and give them a listen. You may be surprised at how much energy such a thing can provide.
Before I go, I would like, if it be possible, to encourage you a little with a dream I had several years ago, for I feel that it is, in many ways, for all of us. For those of you who already know of this dream, bear with me, okay?
Alright...here it is...
About a month after my wife's death (about four months before the aforementioned marathon event), I was in the Dominican Republic, and I had a dream. In my dream, I was in a stadium, and I was down on the field stretching and limbering up in preparation for a race that I was about to begin. Hundreds of thousands of people were in the stands. In my vision, I saw my wife, Brenda, walking toward me. I stopped for a moment and just watched silently as she walked up to me. Before I could say anything, she was standing right there in front of me. I will never forget her words: “Dave, I just want you to know that I’ll be up in the stands cheering you on. And when you get to the finish line, I’ll be right there waiting for you.”
Also, I would like to offer that your breakthrough may, in fact, be more of a “break with” than a "breakthrough." Perhaps, it will be a "break with" an element of your past that has held on oh so tightly. Or, on a more global level, a "break with" the cocoon of your birth into the awakened life. Again, with all that's within me, I want to urge you to tie yourself in and to just hang in there a little while longer. It's coming--whatever IT might be. Believe that it's coming. But acknowledge, also, that it's not here yet. While it can be a fabulously wonderful thing to visualize the future joy that will arise from victory, I want to urge you, also, to stay with where you are. As tasty as you think the the finish line might be, stay with where you are. Again, tie yourself in to right where you are, and let yourself taste--perhaps even savor?--the present moment, for there really is nothing else. Yes, there will be a future, and I wish for that future to be this huge magnet that pulls you ever onward, but...in reality, there is no yesterday, and there is no tomorrow. Neither exist in your experience. The only place in time that exists right now is right now. So...hang in there, keep going, and stay in the now. And, listen, too, to the cheers from those who’ve gone on before you...the ancients who comprise, as Hebrews indicates, a great cloud of witnesses. Can you hear them? Open the ears of your spirit, my friends, and give them a listen. You may be surprised at how much energy such a thing can provide.
Before I go, I would like, if it be possible, to encourage you a little with a dream I had several years ago, for I feel that it is, in many ways, for all of us. For those of you who already know of this dream, bear with me, okay?
Alright...here it is...
About a month after my wife's death (about four months before the aforementioned marathon event), I was in the Dominican Republic, and I had a dream. In my dream, I was in a stadium, and I was down on the field stretching and limbering up in preparation for a race that I was about to begin. Hundreds of thousands of people were in the stands. In my vision, I saw my wife, Brenda, walking toward me. I stopped for a moment and just watched silently as she walked up to me. Before I could say anything, she was standing right there in front of me. I will never forget her words: “Dave, I just want you to know that I’ll be up in the stands cheering you on. And when you get to the finish line, I’ll be right there waiting for you.”
Stride to win, my friends, because you already have. The winning is really not found at the finish line. Rather, I believe it’s discovered in each conscious stride we take...where our whole being is put into that very stride--the stride of the moment...of THIS moment. Right here, right now.
Happiness is the step…not just the journey, my friends. Take heart, for many are cheering you on, and the cheers are completely genuine because every single one of them is coming from someone who's experienced similar things to what you've experienced...similar things to that which you're experiencing right now. We all have at least one thing in common with each other, and that's this. we’re all human. And it’s good--ALL good!! If I'm mistaken (and I know I'm not!), God said that in the first chapter of Genesis.
Something to practice...
Happiness is the step…not just the journey, my friends. Take heart, for many are cheering you on, and the cheers are completely genuine because every single one of them is coming from someone who's experienced similar things to what you've experienced...similar things to that which you're experiencing right now. We all have at least one thing in common with each other, and that's this. we’re all human. And it’s good--ALL good!! If I'm mistaken (and I know I'm not!), God said that in the first chapter of Genesis.
Something to practice...
Sometimes, not unlike everyone else, my mind fills up and, quite insidiously, wanders all over the place doing whatever it can to keep me from focusing on the present moment. So...in preparation for (and during!) such times, I have a practice of asking myself three questions about the moment and then answering them exactly as I have decided beforehand to answer them. Provided below is what I ask and how I answer myself. I've found this practice to be EXTREMELY helpful. I hope you do, too.
God bless you,
God bless you,
Bling
The questions...
The questions...
Where are you, Dave? HERE.
What time is it? NOW.
What are you? THIS MOMENT.
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