Why the World Needs to Believe...
Originally written on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 1:51am
...in dreams, fairy tales, make-believe, fantasies, wishes, super heroes, and above all...inspiration.
Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?
“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” – Albert Einstein
As I continue to live my life, I feel there is so much that I have experienced. So much I have loved, lost, cherished, sacrificed, achieved…lived. There are so many things in fact that I find it immensely humorous when I compare those experiences to the innumerable occurrences that I will never know solely because of the finite period of time allotted for what we call life. Yet when I do make that comparison it puts into perspective for me just how contradictory our lives as human beings truly are.
“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I used to worry about everything in my life. From my appearance and money to my car and clothing. From the worry of saying something offensive to a stranger or by expressing my feelings too soon to someone I cared for. Most of these things may sound trivial, but thinking back to any number of situations in my past this mindset dominated my life. Fear. Fear is what controlled my life for all those years. Nothing more than fear. It was fear that rooted my feet to the ground and kept me from walking the unknown path. It was fear that kept my lips sealed from speaking those words that now can never be said. It was fear…nothing more than fear, and it was killing me…one inch, one moment at a time.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
No longer. I feel it is very difficult trying to express it. Life has become so simple. No. That’s not right. Life was always simple. I just chose not to see it that way. The transition came and went without much fanfare, as moments like these usually do. There was no divine messenger, no orchestrated music in the background or awe-filling light from above. I honestly don’t even think I can point to the exact moment where this transformation truly occurred. Much of it has to do with self-awareness. The realization that life, in whatever form we choose to shape it, is always precious. I could have died yesterday, I may die tomorrow, but today I am alive, and for me not to take advantage of that fact would be a waste.
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan
This new philosophy on life revolves around revering all of life’s possibilities. About living life one day at a time. One moment at a time. Realizing that there really is no such thing as an ordinary moment. Carpe Diem…Memento mori. How then do I seize the elusive day Horace wrote of so many centuries ago…by remembering that there is only one true certainty in all of life: it ends. Mortality: one of the greatest lamentations of human beings while at the same time one of our most precious gifts.
Inspiration
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
I do not know about the rest of the world, but I do know how important inspiration is to my life. That uplifting swell deep within my soul that empowers me to do anything, literally anything I can possibly imagine. I truly believe that everyone needs that in their lives. Some people find it in the love they have for another. Others in their deep-rooted belief in God or religion. For me…it’s super-heroes. Fantasy, fiction…make-believe. It’s the imaginary that is anything but the ordinary. It is my imagination that allows me to be anything but ordinary. I sincerely feel that human potential is only limited by the restraints we place on our reality.
“Run towards your fears. Embrace them. On the other side of your greatest fears lives your greatest life.” – Robin Sharma
I worked on this written piece throughout the week while I have been sick with mononucleosis and strep throat. I do not remember the last time my body has suffered an illness this debilitating. For the first time in my admittedly brief span of racing and training I felt compelled to stay in bed and rest, and not to race. It is impossible for me to ever fully express how irksome and irritating that surrender is.
On This Day
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
Fast-forward four weeks later. Everyone I know told me not to go. Everyone, including my doctor, mother, friends, their mothers, coworkers, students…yeah pretty much everyone told me not to compete in the IronMan. They told me I was stubborn, psychotic, that I could have a relapse with the mono or possibly die from a ruptured spleen. They told me it was not worth the risk, that there are plenty of other IronMan competitions and races for me to participate in…and they were right. I could have seriously hurt myself. I could have been too ill to finish. I could have lost consciousness from fatigue and physical exertion. I could have died.
“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
But not this day. On this day I would fight. On this day I would overcome. On this day I faced my fears, I faced the doubt. On this day I faced the endless hunger, the debilitating illness. On this day I embraced the pain, overcame the emptiness. On this day I outlasted the fatigue. On this day I faced the elements and the terrain, from the rain and choppy currents to the battering winds and bitter cold. On this day I covered the 140.6 miles, and beat the seventeen hour clock. A fourteen hour struggle that pitted me against each one of these challenging obstacles from before the sun rose until after the sun set on the 20th of October in the year 2007. Throughout the endless hours of training, the countless miles swimming, biking and running, I never gave up the hope that I would meet my goals. Not that I could, but that I would. The attitude, the conviction makes all the difference in my mind. I have become something greater than I was. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has yet to be written, but today…On this day, I am an IronMan.
The Timeline
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke
On March 10, 2007 I competed in and finished my first triathlon ever. It was a sprint race, consisting of a quarter-mile swim, a 10 mile bike ride and a 5k run. By the end, I thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion. Despite the fact that I had run my only two marathons in the three weeks prior to this event, I could already tell that triathlons were something I loved and wanted to continue to do. So with less than two weeks of swimming and cycling under my belt, I decided to take on something greater. Two months and ten days later I competed in and finished the ½ IronMan in Orlando, Florida. Six hours from start to finish and I thought it would never end. I was so drained at the end of the race that I needed to have an IV placed in my arm at the medical tent to replenish the missing electrolytes in my body.
"The nerve that does not relax, the thought that will not wander, the purpose that never waivers - these are the masters of victory."
After a week’s respite and a trip to Texas I resumed my training. I dedicated myself to becoming better. I pushed the limits of my endurance to levels that had previously been far out of reach. Five months after my ½ IronMan, to the day, I finish my first full IronMan. In addition to that, where I was completely healthy leading up to the half, I completed the full while still suffering from my bout with mono and a depleted immune system. Unlike the half, where I needed medical attention to fully recover from the race, I was able to walk off the effects of the Full IronMan. I was completely exhausted to be sure, physically depleted…but mentally alert and fully capable of performing regular activities. Just over seven months from my first sprint triathlon to finishing my first IronMan. And I have not yet begun pushing myself to the limit.
Acknowledgments and Dedication
“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” – Souza
I had so much time to think while I was competing in the IronMan. So many inspirational thoughts and moments crossing my mind…it was the only way to keep myself entertained. I had planned on writing about them here, but most of them are gone and I feel they will be better saved for another occasion. I met so many nice people and had such a wonderful experience throughout the IronMan. These past two or three months have really taught me to be understanding. For a good portion of the time leading up to the race I was thinking about who I was going to dedicate this race to. There really is no question. My mother has taken care of me from the day I was born, and she continues to take care of me…even if she doesn’t always think my decisions are right. My illness would have been so much worse without her willing to pick up medicine, cook for me, and take care of me when I was literally bed-ridden. Without her I would be lost, and I can never begin to repay the debt I owe her for everything she has done for me in my life. And so I dedicate this seemingly never-ending feat of endurance to the person who has matched my accomplishment a dozen times over in the love and care they have given me. I love you mom.
...in dreams, fairy tales, make-believe, fantasies, wishes, super heroes, and above all...inspiration.
Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?
“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” – Albert Einstein
As I continue to live my life, I feel there is so much that I have experienced. So much I have loved, lost, cherished, sacrificed, achieved…lived. There are so many things in fact that I find it immensely humorous when I compare those experiences to the innumerable occurrences that I will never know solely because of the finite period of time allotted for what we call life. Yet when I do make that comparison it puts into perspective for me just how contradictory our lives as human beings truly are.
“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I used to worry about everything in my life. From my appearance and money to my car and clothing. From the worry of saying something offensive to a stranger or by expressing my feelings too soon to someone I cared for. Most of these things may sound trivial, but thinking back to any number of situations in my past this mindset dominated my life. Fear. Fear is what controlled my life for all those years. Nothing more than fear. It was fear that rooted my feet to the ground and kept me from walking the unknown path. It was fear that kept my lips sealed from speaking those words that now can never be said. It was fear…nothing more than fear, and it was killing me…one inch, one moment at a time.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
No longer. I feel it is very difficult trying to express it. Life has become so simple. No. That’s not right. Life was always simple. I just chose not to see it that way. The transition came and went without much fanfare, as moments like these usually do. There was no divine messenger, no orchestrated music in the background or awe-filling light from above. I honestly don’t even think I can point to the exact moment where this transformation truly occurred. Much of it has to do with self-awareness. The realization that life, in whatever form we choose to shape it, is always precious. I could have died yesterday, I may die tomorrow, but today I am alive, and for me not to take advantage of that fact would be a waste.
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan
This new philosophy on life revolves around revering all of life’s possibilities. About living life one day at a time. One moment at a time. Realizing that there really is no such thing as an ordinary moment. Carpe Diem…Memento mori. How then do I seize the elusive day Horace wrote of so many centuries ago…by remembering that there is only one true certainty in all of life: it ends. Mortality: one of the greatest lamentations of human beings while at the same time one of our most precious gifts.
Inspiration
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
I do not know about the rest of the world, but I do know how important inspiration is to my life. That uplifting swell deep within my soul that empowers me to do anything, literally anything I can possibly imagine. I truly believe that everyone needs that in their lives. Some people find it in the love they have for another. Others in their deep-rooted belief in God or religion. For me…it’s super-heroes. Fantasy, fiction…make-believe. It’s the imaginary that is anything but the ordinary. It is my imagination that allows me to be anything but ordinary. I sincerely feel that human potential is only limited by the restraints we place on our reality.
“Run towards your fears. Embrace them. On the other side of your greatest fears lives your greatest life.” – Robin Sharma
I worked on this written piece throughout the week while I have been sick with mononucleosis and strep throat. I do not remember the last time my body has suffered an illness this debilitating. For the first time in my admittedly brief span of racing and training I felt compelled to stay in bed and rest, and not to race. It is impossible for me to ever fully express how irksome and irritating that surrender is.
On This Day
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
Fast-forward four weeks later. Everyone I know told me not to go. Everyone, including my doctor, mother, friends, their mothers, coworkers, students…yeah pretty much everyone told me not to compete in the IronMan. They told me I was stubborn, psychotic, that I could have a relapse with the mono or possibly die from a ruptured spleen. They told me it was not worth the risk, that there are plenty of other IronMan competitions and races for me to participate in…and they were right. I could have seriously hurt myself. I could have been too ill to finish. I could have lost consciousness from fatigue and physical exertion. I could have died.
“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
But not this day. On this day I would fight. On this day I would overcome. On this day I faced my fears, I faced the doubt. On this day I faced the endless hunger, the debilitating illness. On this day I embraced the pain, overcame the emptiness. On this day I outlasted the fatigue. On this day I faced the elements and the terrain, from the rain and choppy currents to the battering winds and bitter cold. On this day I covered the 140.6 miles, and beat the seventeen hour clock. A fourteen hour struggle that pitted me against each one of these challenging obstacles from before the sun rose until after the sun set on the 20th of October in the year 2007. Throughout the endless hours of training, the countless miles swimming, biking and running, I never gave up the hope that I would meet my goals. Not that I could, but that I would. The attitude, the conviction makes all the difference in my mind. I have become something greater than I was. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has yet to be written, but today…On this day, I am an IronMan.
The Timeline
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke
On March 10, 2007 I competed in and finished my first triathlon ever. It was a sprint race, consisting of a quarter-mile swim, a 10 mile bike ride and a 5k run. By the end, I thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion. Despite the fact that I had run my only two marathons in the three weeks prior to this event, I could already tell that triathlons were something I loved and wanted to continue to do. So with less than two weeks of swimming and cycling under my belt, I decided to take on something greater. Two months and ten days later I competed in and finished the ½ IronMan in Orlando, Florida. Six hours from start to finish and I thought it would never end. I was so drained at the end of the race that I needed to have an IV placed in my arm at the medical tent to replenish the missing electrolytes in my body.
"The nerve that does not relax, the thought that will not wander, the purpose that never waivers - these are the masters of victory."
After a week’s respite and a trip to Texas I resumed my training. I dedicated myself to becoming better. I pushed the limits of my endurance to levels that had previously been far out of reach. Five months after my ½ IronMan, to the day, I finish my first full IronMan. In addition to that, where I was completely healthy leading up to the half, I completed the full while still suffering from my bout with mono and a depleted immune system. Unlike the half, where I needed medical attention to fully recover from the race, I was able to walk off the effects of the Full IronMan. I was completely exhausted to be sure, physically depleted…but mentally alert and fully capable of performing regular activities. Just over seven months from my first sprint triathlon to finishing my first IronMan. And I have not yet begun pushing myself to the limit.
Acknowledgments and Dedication
“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” – Souza
I had so much time to think while I was competing in the IronMan. So many inspirational thoughts and moments crossing my mind…it was the only way to keep myself entertained. I had planned on writing about them here, but most of them are gone and I feel they will be better saved for another occasion. I met so many nice people and had such a wonderful experience throughout the IronMan. These past two or three months have really taught me to be understanding. For a good portion of the time leading up to the race I was thinking about who I was going to dedicate this race to. There really is no question. My mother has taken care of me from the day I was born, and she continues to take care of me…even if she doesn’t always think my decisions are right. My illness would have been so much worse without her willing to pick up medicine, cook for me, and take care of me when I was literally bed-ridden. Without her I would be lost, and I can never begin to repay the debt I owe her for everything she has done for me in my life. And so I dedicate this seemingly never-ending feat of endurance to the person who has matched my accomplishment a dozen times over in the love and care they have given me. I love you mom.
posted by Marcos Redondo - Running For Hope at
8:09 PM
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