Chase Your Dreams and Finish Strong

I’ve always been more of a sprinter than a long-distance runner. Racing out of the gate with only one thought in my head, I must win. The world blurs as the wind brushes across my face and dances through my hair. Locking my eyes on the horizon, I focus on the open field before me and ignore the remaining stragglers who can’t keep up.  There was a time when I was the fastest, when even the loftiest dreams were within my reach. I think sometimes the ignorance of youth keeps us reaching for those dreams. Our inexperience protects us from the fear of failure enabling us to blindly chase the impossible and occasionally catch it.

I’m not sure when it happens, but as we race through this life, through the gauntlet of hurt; the sprint suddenly becomes a marathon. I suppose the hardships of life hit each of us at different times and in different seasons. Inevitably, we become winded and slow our pace. We look back to the dreams we’ve chased, and slowly see the impossible for what it is: something that will never be. It’s easy to look back and see our fruitless pursuits as a waist of our energy and time, but don’t be fooled by that hopeless illusion. Failure is more than a necessity of life; it is the hands that mold us into who we are. Our broken dreams become a part of us; they shape us into who we become.

With each passing year, I find the soft grass beneath my feet further from my gaze, not because I grow taller, but because with each unexpected tumble it becomes more difficult to recover. Pain has become my travel companion; the one friend I can always count on; the friend I can’t avoid. Emotional, physical, exhausting pain bombards me with loss and hurt. I slowly realize that I’m no longer running to win the race set before me; I’m only running to bring my journey to an end. And if I let him, Depression throws his arm over my shoulder and weighs me down.

But failing to chase our dreams is the greatest travesty of all. When we fail to reach for the impossible, we succeed in failing. It is the chasing of dreams that make the journey worthwhile. Whether we realize it or not, we are not alone. A silent brother leads us along the path, often unnoticed.  At times, he’s way out front cheering us on. Sometimes he’s only inches away, reaching out a helping hand. But no matter where you find him, follow his beckon call. Throw your open arms around him and let Hope carry you all the way in, because your success rests in the hope of never giving up. Don’t let the hurdles of life keep you from finishing the race, and finishing strong.