Transcriber: Guilherme Alves dos Santos Reviewer: Anna Sobota
I want you to raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten up in the morning
and decided to go for a 2.4 mile swim
and then, biked 112 miles
and why not throw in a 26.2 mile run?
I’m talking about an Ironman.
Well, for some strange reason at the end of 2019, I did.
Now, the question to ask here is why?
Why did I decide to sign up for an Ironman?
Why are we as humans so goal-oriented?
Why do we have such ambitions?
For me, it all started off as a goal,
an audacious milestone of what I am physically and mentally capable of.
But somewhere along the way,
amid the two date changes and the extended 38 weeks of training,
it became more, much more.
The pursuit of Ironman fitness was inspiring and empowering.
At the time, I didn’t know when or even where I’d endure this challenge.
But the race itself, which was the end goal,
had become a mere byproduct of this newfound pursuit, triathlon.
To be clear, I have yet to run an Ironman.
And yet I am an Ironman.
You see on the dusty streets of Cairo, where I lived at the time,
I began to learn that pursuing a state of being could be more satisfying
than accomplishing any goal or milestone.
The type of pursuit I'm referring to cannot be confined to goals
or milestones such as running a race or graduating from college.
Those who embody this concept are the amateur serial marathoner
or the 55 year old student with seven university degrees and counting.
They each are engaged in a pursuit for the sake of pursuit.
Race medals and graduation tassels may adorn their walls or shelves,
but these are merely physical manifestations
of a meaningful personal pursuit.
Dr. Brian Little, Cambridge Research Professor,
has studied this topic extensively, stating, quote,
“Research has confirmed that the quality of life is enhanced
when people are engaged in meaningful projects that they regard
as meaningful, manageable, not unduly stressful
and supported by others,”
end quote.
He goes on to discuss other foundational, self-defining projects, noting, quote,
“Human flourishing is contingent
upon the sustainable pursuit of core projects,”
end quote.
Sustainable pursuit.
I’m not here to talk about training for an Ironman, I’m not.
It just happened to be the vehicle through which I received this epiphany
that being engaged in a meaningful cause or pursuit
is the pinnacle of human existence.
We each yearn to progress, to create, to become.
And yet the widely accepted path to this end is task and goal oriented.
The focus is on completion rather than pursuing,
on checking off rather than delving in,
on climbing high rather than enjoying the view.
Now I recognize that tasks and goals are essential to human existence.
In fact, civilization requires that we master the art of completion
completing degrees, completing tasks, completing promises.
However, I am giving voice to the equally essential role
of meaningful personal pursuit.
Because this is not required by society.
How much more engaged could we become?
How much more could we complete?
How much more compelling would our goals be if we gave space
to meaningful personal pursuit?
Had I not had the meaningful pursuit of Ironman,
I would not have known it possible for me to swim more than 95 miles,
bike over 2 500 miles, and run in excess of 700 miles,
all within 38 weeks.
So I say to the writer who has yet to publish a book,
your pursuit of writing alone has qualified you as a writer.
I say to the musician who has yet to perform in public, you are a musician.
And I say to each of you who are engaged in a meaningful personal pursuit,
congratulations, you are living.