Seth’s World View

“You cannot cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” – R. Tagore

Editorial:
I’m halfway through my marathon training. Last week I logged 40 miles. This week I’ll run about half that. Friday it was 60 degrees, today I awoke to snow on the ground. Every day is new, different, but in other ways, like every other day. There are new opportunities and challenges, depending on your point of view. I should be running tonight, instead I’m recording songs for my website and writing, reading. It’s all part of the marathon I live.

Current Events:
I suppose the biggest news this month is my company, National Technological University, finally merged. We are now a division of Sylvan Learning Systems, based in Baltimore, MD.
Chad and I drove around for 7 hours to buy our plane tickets for the marathon in April. All plans are set to fly out to San Jose, CA on the 26th, run the 28th, and return the 20th. I’m kindof excited about it. Having never run more than 3 miles before last year, I am now going for the ultimate challenge, and I will finish the race (in lots of pain of course).
My old roommate Ryan (from Messiah College) and I finally got together last Sunday. We both have lived in Colorado for a few years, just haven’t connected till now. Was good to see ya bro!

Reflections:
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The proceeding quote is from the book, “Dune”. When I was young, my mom always had me say 2 Timothy 1:7 when I was afraid: “For God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and a sound mind.” Truth does wonders for a person’s life. My current battle is with leadership and perception. After running into so many roadblocks after college, and after coming to Colorado, God has opened many doors for me to walk through. I am in a position to do many things, to follow many dreams. What held me back previously was not others though, ultimately it was myself. There are many ways I’ve grown as a person, and in my faith in God, but life is still challenging (as it always will be).

Perhaps, though, I could follow the path of least resistance, enjoy life so to speak, relax. It’s tempting, especially right now when I feel like I’m on the verge of failure. Past experience keeps me going though, barely. If failure has taught me anything, it’s that giving up is the only way to fail, and that kind of failure is the wrong path to tread. So I keep going, and going, running forward. A marathon takes a lot of training and preparation. More than anything, though, it’s reminded me that perseverance is the key. There will be pain, keep going. I’ll run out of breath, keep going. I may fall, get back up and keep going.

Fear of failure, fear of people, and just plain fear are powerful enemies. They are powerful only because they appear so though, because in reality, most fear is a lie blown out of proportion. So what if I fail? So what if I’m rejected? Easy to say right now, but really, so what? These are the fears I have to face, looking them squarely in the eye, and seeing them for what they are.

One can live not to fail, or live passionately. Most of the time, I choose the former by default. At times I’ll take huge risks (except with girls of course), and then feel like crumbling under the weight of my dreams. I see the future many times (possibilities), and believe in what can be, and that I can help make it happen. It’s naïve, but it’s the way of the dreamer. As Woodrow Wilson said, “We are not here to merely make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this errand.” So, I choose the way that brings struggle and pain, knowing that in the end, it’s the only way to really live. “To escape criticism: do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard