What is Your “Why?”
I know you all are still getting to know me, but I am a student-athlete who competes at a Division 1 school. At the beginning of summer when cross country training started, my coach asked the question of WHY I run. She wanted to get my mind jogging (lol) in order to go back to the very foundation and roots of my love for the sport.
I responded with a few things. First, I run to glorify God and Jesus, who gave me this gift. I want to give it all back to them so that others may see them through me. Next, I run for my family, who have been alongside me on my running journey. Without them, I would not be where I am today. They have been my greatest cheerleaders and supporters ever since I fell in love with this sport from an early age. I also run for my closest friends and teammates. These are the people who see me at my best and at my worst. They push me when I need to be pushed, they laugh with me, and they help me in the midst of my struggles. I run for my coaches and my program. They have given me the opportunity to run for my school, and I will always represent it to the best of my ability. Lastly, I run to push myself beyond what I thought possible and also for the sheer joy of it. This sport has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I am able to carry with me. It makes me happy.
So, where am I going with all this? Well, when my Coach asked me this, it made me apply the big WHY question to all aspects of my life. Why do I love photography? Why do I love poetry? Why do I love the field of communications? It made me think: don’t just do something just to do it. As a friend of mine used to say, do it with rigor and intention. Put your whole heart into it, and you will be amazed at how far that can bring you. This life is fleeting. One relevant verse that came to mind was James 4:14 says, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Make your life count. Look to the Lord continually and figure out what glorifies Him and what brings you joy. He will help you answer your WHY. It is such a worthwhile task. It made me love running even more, and it refreshed my mind as I entered a long summer of training. It then poured over into other areas of my life.
So, I challenge you this week. Take out a journal and think of the most important things in your life. Perhaps, it is faith, family, friends, job, etc. Take some time to write and think through about each one. I think it could help you as much as it helped me.
