Strive! Strive on!

Today it is going to be almost like a personal diary; lighthearted and mundane; no serious discussions on God of the Bible or His nature. Yes, we need a break, don’t we?

Today in the pool I almost achieved my target – to swim 20 laps (one up and one down) within 40 minutes. The pool is quite small, 17 meters by 7 meters. Still it used to take me almost 45 minutes to swim 15 laps, for I stop and rest at both the ends to catch my breath. This year I have been swimming on and off since April, but only 15 laps, leisurely in 45 minutes, with lot of chatting, enjoying and resting in between.

Suddenly a few weeks back I woke up, because the season is going to end soon, for Bangalore turns cold by November beginning. Thereafter it will be impossible for me to enter the water, because the water will be so cold that my lungs almost close and I choke. The indication that the cold is unbearable is when the coconut oil I keep at home becomes solid. That means it is below 17 degrees centigrade and not possible for me to swim. The pools in Bangalore are not heated, you see.

Almost in a panic I strove hard to catch up, for towards the end of the season, in the previous years, I always end up doing 20 laps but in 60 minutes. I resolved to do not just 20 laps but at reduced timings. I reduced my resting time at one end so that I can do one lap without resting. This brought the timing from 45 minutes to 30 minutes for 15 laps within 2 weeks. Then last week, I increased the laps from 15 to 18 and then this Monday to 20. Again very gradually but working hard at it. Still, last few days I was able to do 20 laps only in 47 minutes. Day before I did it in 45 minutes and yesterday 42 minutes and today voila, in 40 minutes! I achieved my goal!

When I was mentioning this to my friend, she was not very impressed but was very dismissal at the least. Her point was why I should be striving so hard at this age in my life, for I am definitely not going to compete in any Olympic games! Well, I am definitely not going to compete in any competition, let alone Olympics. But the matter of achievement need not necessarily be so huge. Even a small improvement in timing and in the laps covered is a huge achievement for me. It is the striving that counts. Striving to improve one’s performance, even if by a small degree gives you immense satisfaction. It is a pleasure of improving, competing with one’s own capacity, to do what you once thought were impossible.

Another interesting point, you may like to note. I used to take rest at both the ends of the pool to catch up with breath, because I used to really pant and heave. I used to be asthmatic once and though now it is fully under control, I always imagined that my asthmatic lungs needed that type of rest. Suddenly when I wanted to improve my timing and cut down resting at one end, I discovered that my lungs were able to do that! How come? Was it only in my mind or was it sheer grace of God? Could be both! What I am trying to point out is that when we determine to do a thing and put our heart and mind to do that, the body cooperates and we do it. That is another pleasure of achievement.

The lesson of it all is we need to set targets for ourselves, set goals to achieve, even if it is a small measure only and go ahead, strive, strive and achieve it. There is pleasure in such achievements. For the students, for working young adults, working mothers, home-bound women, superannuating senior citizens and elderly people, for everyone this golden rule applies. Age is no bar, so also sex or the activity itself! Strive, strive and strive on! Nothing is impossible to achieve.

I will close with a quote from the Bible, which is my favorite too. Paul the Apostle writes in Philippians 4:13,

    “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”

Isn’t that fabulous! We can do all things in life, with the strength with which Christ strengthens us.

Set your goal high and strive on, for sky is the limit.

And God keep you blessed.