TIME – The Essence of Life.

“As people grow older, many find that TIME is the essence of life; not money or things. This is what I believe many open water swimmers and adventurists of all types discover early in life. This is why they relish life in such a profound way versus others who are primarily motivated by incomes and possessions. What I do in my life is so much different than what I possess in this life – many people sadly do not understand that until it is too late.” -Steven Munatones, ‘Oceans Seven’ creator

I received these phenomenal words of wisdom via an email today from a friend, and I thought it made for an excellent life quote. Honestly, I feel the greatest gift endurance sport has given me is the ability to appreciate life in a way most people will never understand. Distance running, cycling or swimming has taught me a lot about myself, and I know I learned this by being alone for many hours while training. Think about it. When was the last time you were in a solitary environment for 12-hours, and thought about life, and what you want to accomplish? Exercise releases endorphins; multiply these positive emotions during extreme distance, mix with accomplishment, passion for sport, intense surroundings etc. proves to generate euphoric satisfaction that leaves the athlete feeling more like a god than a mortal. Let me tell you something, it is quite an incredible sensation.

In regards to the terrible tragedy over the weekend at the Boston Marathon, I honestly broke down a little while watching the coverage over the national news this morning. I could not get my visual of an 8-year old boy cheering his father to the finish line when a heinous act separated their lives forever. I kept thinking about the father; exhausted from running and looking forward to seeing his little boy at the finish line smiling, only to find him no longer in his life. His body exhausted, and now just crushed with what he found – it is difficult to harbor the anger I feel at this moment for those responsible; I could only imagine how the family feels. May God bless and watch over you during this time. Everything happens for a reason in this world, as if it was not for my foot injury twarting my 2010 Boston Marathon, I never would have begun the journey to swim the English Channel. It is hard to think about the experiences I have had the past three years, and the incredible friends I have met never happening if I did not injure myself running…

We are all guided in life by what makes us happy; sadly some are unable, or unwilling to ‘see the light’ and continue to create and make the same mistakes over and over. While none of us are perfect (I have failed so many times) perhaps the best thing we can do everyday is ask ourselves, “Am I happy with my life?” If the honest answer is yes, then continue to live it the best way you can. If the honest answer is no, then perhaps you need to evaluate the decisions you have made, and continue to make which do not lead you down the right path. Are you where you want to be? If not, then what steps are you willing to push yourself through in order to achieve the happiness you desire? It’s pretty simple; are you taking temporary fixes to get you through the days, or are you establishing a path which eventually will get you to where you want to be?

While we cannot predict our future, there is one thing you can count on. Right now, at this moment while you are reading this, you have a choice. You are able to make a change which can make you stronger and more successful in the life you have. In the end, it is your choice, and your decision to want to help yourself. Give your ONE life the best shot – sometimes the right decision is not always the easiest one, but in the end, you will be very glad you did.

TIME is the essence of life. Realize it before it is too late…