Our Pilgrimage is Not a Race

Our Pilgrimage is Not a Race January 31, 2013

 

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Our pilgrimage is not a race.

There are some similarities. Planning and preparation are important. Breathing is essential. We train and practice each day. Each step has lessons to teach us. Sometimes we develop a rhythm or find the zone.

There are very significant differences.

Our pilgrimage is neither a marathon nor a sprint. It is not a competition with anyone else or even with our own best effort. Our pilgrimage is not about improving our technique, winning a medal, or proving anything to anyone. It is not even about receiving a new shirt.

Pilgrimage is longer than the longest race.

Runners in a race are all headed in the same direction, toward the same goal. The point of a race is to complete the course as quickly as you can. You get the best equipment you can, train and prepare, and push yourself to run as fast as you can. You work as hard as you can to earn the best result you can, to be the fastest, to win.

Our pilgrimage is not about gaining speed over a distance toward a goal.

The point of our pilgrimage is to be aware on the journey. We are not focused on getting a good start or arriving at a finish line.

Pilgrimage is not about earning a result. Pilgrimage is about learning, being open to the lessons of each step.

Pilgrimage is about becoming. The journey shows us our true selves in new depth, and we share ourselves with the people we meet who are on journeys of their own. We gain experience and insight, not speed. We share the wisdom we have gathered, and we inspire each other to continue.

Where is your pilgrimage taking you today?

What lessons are there for you in your next step?

[Image by  Ed Yourdon]


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