Last night I posted this picture on my instagram:
...then I started wondering...why are runners (like me) so obsessed/excited about our medals? Do we use them to imagine ourselves on the podium at the Olympics? Are they Brazilian power crystals in disguise? Wait...are runners and their medals really any different from other people with other stuff?
I have a diploma on my wall...
I have a couple of dated golfballs in my office...
I have a deer head hanging in my living room...
I have a wedding ring on my finger...
There are moments in all our lives, some big, others huge, that we would like to hold onto. Since we can't stop the clock we just take things with us... like the kid still wearing that church camp bracelet in February...and this can be crazy-empowering or wicked crippling and that all depends on your motivation.
If you're holding onto things from your past because you see that times past were great and you are worried that things may never be that good again, you're slowly killing yourself. But if you hold onto things as reminders of the amazing trajectory that your life possesses and of the excitement of knowing that the next level of greatness is right around the corner then that's a horse of a different color (kinda like my medal).
We don't always hold on to physical stuff, either...our emotional souvenirs can be just as empowering or debilitating. I think one of those is called "motivation" and the other is called "baggage."
So what have you recently held onto? Why did you grab a hold? Take stock of the souvenirs lining your proverbial shelves and see if you can discern a pattern...do these things excite you or depress you? Be intentional about the markers you set up in your mind and in your soul and make sure they push you forward rather than hold you back.
As far as this medal is concerned... I'm REALLY looking forward to running a half-marathon in 1:56:17.
Good stuff brother. When I go on vacations, I can become obsessed with finding souvenirs to keep as reminders of the trip. Sometimes it seems like I spend more time looking for reminders of a trip than I do actually enjoying the experience! As you say, it's not the mementos themselves, it's how we respond. One of our family traditions is to get a Christmas ornament when we visit a new place. Each year when we decorate our tree, it brings me joy to see the reminders of fun trips we have taken. However, as somone who has struggled with depression, I often put way too much emphasis on a vacation as an escape from what I saw as the drudgery and mundaneness of every day life. In those cases, my dwelling on momentos was not healthy. Thank the Lord that I am much better these days and I look forward to the new opportunities and blessings God has in store for me!
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