In sickness and in health!
Last couple of days, I’ve been sick. And I hate it. I know its a byproduct of Painathlon as I said before. I went into this event with sinus infection and I’m pretty sure I have bronchitis right now. Tried to see a doctor with ad hoc with a queue of patients a mile long.
I found a quote that sums up how I feel about sport generally and about people who just talk about their dreams.
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
It was cited in the film ’The World’s Fastest Indian’ and I’d recommend you watch it for a really uplifting experience. The main character Bert has a lot of great quotes and famously talks of pursuing your dreams that you should ‘do it before you’re gone because if you don’t by the time you get around to doing it you’ll be gone’.
It doesn’t matter what your dream is. There are plenty of books written about people following their dreams. But what is it that you want to do? Have you stopped to think about whether you actually have a dream. I’m sure you do. Be the person that has the courage to actually ‘enter the arena’. People will surprise you with their support and you’ll gain strength in turn from this.
Right now, we are 10 days away from the City to Surf half marathon and I’m as sick as a dog. But I’ll battle to get well and compete if I can.
Carpe Deum folks. Don’t just think about doing it. Plan for it, train for it, prepare….and hell, just do it!!
CHRISTO