This past Monday, Labor day, I went with my family to accept a challenge given by my nephew. The challenge was to climb the stairs (125 one way) at Swallow Cliff in one of the suburbs of Chicago.
My nephew asked each of us a question. He ask who barely worked out, those he gave the goal of climbing the stairs at least two times. He then asked for the grouped that worked out some times, that group he gave the goal of completing 4. The last group he gave the goal of 6, then he changed it to going for at least 10 (I accepted the 6).
The first lesson is we have to always assess where we are before we can begin to make changes. For example, a person that was accustomed to working out would not really be meeting a challenge by only doing 2 rounds, where someone that doesn't workout at all is challenged. The first lesson is be willing to press yourself a little further. Whether this is in your health pursuits or your spiritual pursuits. Don't get comfortable where you are, continue to seek to grow.
The second lesson came when I got to the base of the stairs. When I looked up, the thought of completing 6 rounds seemed impossible. However I heard God's Spirit say to me, look at the step right in front of you and then shift your eyes to the next one before you step. Also the people were all over the stairs and inf you focused on anyone person, you could get confused. So I focused only on the steps and not the people. Before I knew it I was in a grove and it was if I was the only one on the stairs. When I got to top for the first time, I was amazed at how quickly I was able to get there. The lesson I learned was we can have a vision (the big picture of climbing to the top of the 125 stairway) but in order to complete the vision, we have to take things one step at a time. When we don't focus on what everyone else is doing, we don't get distracted and lessen the possibilities of a mis-steps. Whether your goal is to lose 10 pounds or finish a class, it will take you focusing on your goal, but taking the step-by-step process to accomplish the big picture. Furthermore, you and I can't focus on what others are doing because they can cause us to drift after them instead of staying focused on what you called us to accomplish.
The third lesson I learned came when I had finished the first 4 climbs. I felt myself getting a little tired. I got to the top and some of the people in my group had completed their goal of doing 2 or 3 rounds, and the temptation came that I could go back down with them and wait for the others to finish. But I remember saying that's good but I've got to finish 6. I didn't focus on the 4 I had already done, I focused on the 2 others I needed to complete.
Sometimes we can get distracted by others success and say, that's good enough. However, what's good enough for someone else can't be how we make our decisions. Also, it is good to be excited about what you have accomplished, but again we can't stay comfortable there. Yes, I was able to make the 4 rounds, but I couldn't rest until I had completed the entire challenge. I learned as I continued that I had some strength I didn't realize I had. That's what happens when we challenge ourselves. When we press ourselves to do more than we thought we could do, we find we have more strength than we thought we did.
When I finished the challenge I felt excited about it. Now this is the final lesson. It is now a few days later and I still can fill in my leg muscles the work I did. I can tell I've worked out these muscles. The key to keeping my legs from becoming really sore, I had to keep working them out, stretching them out and using the muscle so it wouldn't lock up, so to speak. It's the same with everything in our lives. Don't let the fact that you accomplished a task be the end of the process, but the beginning of the next challenge. Otherwise you'll find yourself getting "stiff". If you've lost 10 pounds, or changed your eating habits, or accomplished a stair challenge, then what will be the next thing you accomplish? Everyday wake up with something you want to accomplish. What goals are you setting for your day? Then don't let anything stop you from accomplishing your goal. Go and climb your stairs!
My nephew asked each of us a question. He ask who barely worked out, those he gave the goal of climbing the stairs at least two times. He then asked for the grouped that worked out some times, that group he gave the goal of completing 4. The last group he gave the goal of 6, then he changed it to going for at least 10 (I accepted the 6).
The first lesson is we have to always assess where we are before we can begin to make changes. For example, a person that was accustomed to working out would not really be meeting a challenge by only doing 2 rounds, where someone that doesn't workout at all is challenged. The first lesson is be willing to press yourself a little further. Whether this is in your health pursuits or your spiritual pursuits. Don't get comfortable where you are, continue to seek to grow.
The second lesson came when I got to the base of the stairs. When I looked up, the thought of completing 6 rounds seemed impossible. However I heard God's Spirit say to me, look at the step right in front of you and then shift your eyes to the next one before you step. Also the people were all over the stairs and inf you focused on anyone person, you could get confused. So I focused only on the steps and not the people. Before I knew it I was in a grove and it was if I was the only one on the stairs. When I got to top for the first time, I was amazed at how quickly I was able to get there. The lesson I learned was we can have a vision (the big picture of climbing to the top of the 125 stairway) but in order to complete the vision, we have to take things one step at a time. When we don't focus on what everyone else is doing, we don't get distracted and lessen the possibilities of a mis-steps. Whether your goal is to lose 10 pounds or finish a class, it will take you focusing on your goal, but taking the step-by-step process to accomplish the big picture. Furthermore, you and I can't focus on what others are doing because they can cause us to drift after them instead of staying focused on what you called us to accomplish.
The third lesson I learned came when I had finished the first 4 climbs. I felt myself getting a little tired. I got to the top and some of the people in my group had completed their goal of doing 2 or 3 rounds, and the temptation came that I could go back down with them and wait for the others to finish. But I remember saying that's good but I've got to finish 6. I didn't focus on the 4 I had already done, I focused on the 2 others I needed to complete.
Sometimes we can get distracted by others success and say, that's good enough. However, what's good enough for someone else can't be how we make our decisions. Also, it is good to be excited about what you have accomplished, but again we can't stay comfortable there. Yes, I was able to make the 4 rounds, but I couldn't rest until I had completed the entire challenge. I learned as I continued that I had some strength I didn't realize I had. That's what happens when we challenge ourselves. When we press ourselves to do more than we thought we could do, we find we have more strength than we thought we did.
When I finished the challenge I felt excited about it. Now this is the final lesson. It is now a few days later and I still can fill in my leg muscles the work I did. I can tell I've worked out these muscles. The key to keeping my legs from becoming really sore, I had to keep working them out, stretching them out and using the muscle so it wouldn't lock up, so to speak. It's the same with everything in our lives. Don't let the fact that you accomplished a task be the end of the process, but the beginning of the next challenge. Otherwise you'll find yourself getting "stiff". If you've lost 10 pounds, or changed your eating habits, or accomplished a stair challenge, then what will be the next thing you accomplish? Everyday wake up with something you want to accomplish. What goals are you setting for your day? Then don't let anything stop you from accomplishing your goal. Go and climb your stairs!
