Chronicles of a Late Bloomer

…it’s the struggle.

I’ve always been a geek for the Olympics. I cry at the commercials — little boys jumping clumsily into the pool and all trying to reach their goal when, wait! There are the boys now, grown up, and reaching their goal! I love the lofty ideals, the brotherhood of man, and the struggle against odds.

Before the opening ceremonies started, NBC ran a montage of U.S. olympians repeating, over and over again: “It’s not the triumph, it’s the struggle.”

I feel like I finally understand this kind of thinking. For the first time in my life, I am doing my utter best (and succeeding, somewhat) at enjoying the struggle. I’m no longer trying to barrel at full tilt toward my end goal. I’m setting and achieving small goals. I’m giving myself permission and leeway with bobbles and fluctuations. Most importantly, I’m moving, with determination, in the right direction.

It’s not the triumph, it’s the struggle that shapes you. That makes you. That tests you and refines you.