Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.  Aristotle

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.  Friedrich Nietzsche

…and it is with this final quote that I begin to update you on my journey.  The road along my journey to freedom hasn’t gone exactly as planned.  But then again, not all roads are smoothly paved as we might prefer.  Some are dirt and gravel, clay and sand.  Others have pot holes, speed bumps and construction cones.  Some roads are well lit, while others are dark with no clear path in sight. 

I pledged 3 goals to attain by March 20, one each for Mind, Body and Spirit.  

Mind                                                                                                                                                                         While I am happy to report that my TV watching has lessened, it is still getting far too much play!  So, in an effort to make my goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound), I decided I needed to specify how I plan to meet my goals and ensure that they were measurable at the end of my 22-week journey.  It is now 5:30 PM and I have yet to turn on the “one-eyed demon.”  Yay!  I do, however, plan to watch 1 hour of DWTS (that’s Dancing With The Starts, for you laymen).  

In regard to the book reading, I recently finished The Shack by William P. Young.  I’m not a huge fiction buff, but this book is amazing.  Amazing in its imagery and imagination.  Amazing in its power to captivate the senses and pursue the heart of its readers.  Amazing to get to know God in a more tangible way.  Bravo, William Young…bravo!

Body                                                                                                                                                         Oh boy, where do I begin…  3 pounds lost and only 2 days of exercise in the last two weeks!  I suppose that’s better than nothing, but not nearly where I want to be.  My initial reaction to this perceived failure was disappointment and embarrassment, but then I was quickly reminded of something I read in Scott Reall’s book, Journey to Freedom. 

In it, Reall discusses the concept of Training vs. Trying:                                                               “Training vs. trying is the key to success.  ‘…There is an immense difference between training to something and trying to do something.’ When we try to change and do not succeed, we tend to give up after a few attempts. But when we train to do something, we set our minds on learning. No matter how many times we fail, we see ourselves as being one step closer to succeeding.  Trying is the raw use of willpower, nothing more. Training is learning the life skills needed for long-term change.” 

An aspiring Olympian gymnast (my favorite Olympic sport!) doesn’t give up after falling off of the balance beam or missing her landing.  She gets up, digs her hands and heels in the sand and tries again…and again…and again.  She tries until her body is perfectly aligned on the beam she’s able to ‘stick’ her landing.  She is training to become a gold medalist, not trying.  She understands that trying will only take her as far as the road is paved.  But when she begins to train, however, she goes beyond the smooth pavement and ventures into the rocky terrain of dirt and rocks, sand and clay.  She expects to have a few bad days, she expects the road to be long and arduous, she expects that she might want to quit.  Of course she never does because in the end, she expects to win.  

Spirit                                                                                                                                                                        I look forward to my first meditation tonight.  I am standing on the heels of expectation as I wait to hear what God will say, where He will lead…  Don’t worry; I will record every minute of the journey.  And if He allows, I might even share a bit of it with you. 

In the end…                                                                                                                                      I am training to become the best that I can possibly be: mind, body, and spirit.  I expect to run into a few roadblocks every now and then.  But my resolve is too strong to quit.  Mark my words and feel free to quote me, “I will win.”

I am reminded of Kerri Strug at the 1996 Olympics.  Two American gymnasts all fell flat on their butts after their vault routine, which put them behind Russia and in jeopardy of the Gold medal.  Kerri Strug was the final gymnast to vault when the unthinkable happened – she fell on her landing (which was very uncharacteristic for her).  She arose from the mat limping, clearly hurt.  She had a choice to throw in the towel and concede defeat or push past her pain to attempt her second vault.  Kerri chose the latter.  She performed at almost perfect vault, after which she fell to the mat in pain.  Although she suffered a fractured ankle and several torn ligaments, the pain wasn’t fit to be compared to the promise. 

She had trained herself to become an Olympic Gold medalist, and in the end, that’s exactly what she received.  What about you?

We’re 3feet away from Gold¹…keep digging!

Humbly,

Kandyce                                                                                                                                                  Chief Gold Digger

¹ Lechter, S.L. & Reid, G.S. (2009).  Three Feet from Gold.  New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.