The race
Run your race. That is what Filly heard many times. Meaning whatever comes along, it is part of the path to be conquered. Filly’s son was about to run a hundred mile race, in altitude over ten thousand feet. The things that he was going to be challenged with, would require mental and physical fortitude. To prepare for such a race had required dedication, stamina and conviction. Those were things that counted in a race. and because he had prepared himself for many years, he would conquer.
When a person had trained, then the expectation of success was not just within reach, it could be counted on. But what if a person did not have to run a hundred miles. In altitude. Did that mean they did not have to train? What if “the race” a person was running, was just to take care of kids? Or go to work? Or finish school? Or help family members? Or forgive?
Filly knew that the race that a person runs is individual, and though it can take many different forms it still requires stamina, more of a mental than a physical stamina. Yet the training demanded, is similar and is still done. Not taking the easy way out, when no one will know, strengthens a person and helps them in the race of life in general, not just in a literal race.
Not taking the easy way out, in life, can also sometimes mean confronting a person with concrete evidence about themselves that helps them make better decisions, evidence that can sometimes be difficult or uncomfortable to convey.
But when the person running the race has not been given accurate information about the course, or accurate feedback about their own training, then they cannot navigate as well. Family members, friends and loved ones, who give accurate feedback, have a sometimes difficult but meaningful role to play. And racing can be made more difficult or less difficult depending on the baggage the racer ends up carrying. Truthful feedback removes excess baggage. The less unnecessary baggage, the better.
Feedback that is given “for manipulation of facts” in order to create a specific outcome, is not usually truthful. That was why media “feedback” about political “races” is not worthy of public attention and should not be given a platform. Society gratefully had recently learned to see the truth of how political candidates are either creating new sources of good for the country economically or in contrast, are redistributing existing assets to others, including dispersing local assets to foreigners and even adversaries. The economic welfare of a country is measured in GNP. And GNP thrives in a free market economy, not in a socialist government.
Filly looked up featherweight. It was a term inspired by a google doodle that she had seen. For a horse, a featherweight meant that the weight of the rider and saddle and gear combined, were under 160 pounds. So a featherweight horse, could only carry the lightest weight in a fair race. And that would be nice, Filly thought, if everything that happened in “the race” called life, was fair. And government “power” might seem to be too big of a burden for a little horse to take on. It might seem unfair to have to battle something like government, that was created to help citizens live law abiding happy successful lives. The constitution still worked, but it had been sidelined and had to be reestablished. But to take on the government was to take on Goliath. And Filly was just one little featherweight. And it did not seem fair. The thought could be discouraging. Perhaps seem impossible.
But Filly had also read the story of Black Beauty. She had seen the movie of War Horse. Both stories were about exceptional horses that were dealt a seemingly unfair hand and got loaded down, when they should have been featherweights, because they were small and delicate. But because of the training done, all was not lost. Even a featherweight horse, like Filly, could rise to the occasion and pull a plow, then lead an army, and finally win a war. The training could be initiated beginning with positive mental fortitude, and could be built over time until it resulted in an attitude of complete confidence.
How is it possible to overcome any seeming limitations of size, weakness, gender, color or creed? Filly knew that by refusing to “see” limitations and instead, choosing to believe in the absolute possibility of good, at the end of the race, was how the race was won.
Filly knew that her steadfast belief in the certainty of good, was fundamental to her ability to assume great burdens without failing or falling behind. Like the story of David and Goliath, understanding the power of good is a spiritual conviction. For herself. For her son. For all her family and all her friends. That they could each, like her, run their race, no matter how big the rider, and even could win BECAUSE of the rider.
By supporting each other, and listening to good, they had done the work necessary to mold themselves to the potters wheel. They had refined out all the impurities and heavy qualities that weighed down and slowed down progress in the race. A mental attitude of complete reliance on the power of good, was the primary thing that could take heavy burdens and makes these burdens feel like featherweights. That was what Filly knew.
In the movie Ben Hur, all the horses were race horses and were a team. They were all exceptional horses. And in her family, all the members were also like racehorses, exceptional in every regard. And in contrast, the racers who were cheating, like in the movie, using illegal means, were ordinary, and only ended up destroying themselves. The winning horses ran their race having trained …not looking back, not stopping, not giving up… not giving in to mediocrity or a victim mentality.
Because running their race was their purpose, and their training had all been done to bring them to this point, they knew they could realize their potential. If the thoughts and mental focus of mind, that belongs to each individual, is like having “real estate” or land, that is navigated in a race, is very helpful to know and understand the lay of the “land” or a mental focus that acknowledges good.
“this land is mine, God gave this land to me
This brave an ancient land to me
And when the morning sun, reveal her hills and plain
then I see a land where children can run free.
So take my hand and walk this land with me
And walk this lovely land with me.
With the help of God I know I can be strong.”