The elderly lady shuffled down the aisle with her walker at what appeared to be a painfully slow pace. She had to be in pain or uncomfortable at best. But you couldn’t tell it from her face. She inched forward with a look of peaceful determination. The walker was not a hindrance, but rather a useful aid in her new reality.
The old man slowly pushed the mower in front of the rental property he owns. He has to be at least 80. He was straining. It was almost too much for him. I considered walking over to help him, but I knew he would turn me down. He was determined to complete the job he had started.
Another lady who is 80, if she’s a day, comes to the gym every morning, also using a walker. Her companion (I don’t know if it’s her husband, a friend or whatever) removes it from her vehicle and puts it back, at least on this day. But every day, she uses that walker to make her way to the treadmill, where she parks it on the floor behind her. Using the side rails, she steps up on the treadmill, turns it on and begins her morning exercise regimen.
I’m no spring chicken. If you’ve read my blogs, you know I recently turned 65. But in the world of the people I’ve just mentioned, I’m a pretty young man. And I’m thankful to the Lord that I feel like a young man. I’ve been blessed with incredibly good health and I pray that it continues. My body is stronger than the elderly gentleman or the two elderly ladies. But they have something that I pray I will have when I reach their ages. They have determination.
I like how the Collins English Dictionary defines determination. It reads as follows: “Determination is the quality that you show when you have decided to do something and you will not let anything stop you.” Let’s go with that as our working definition. Some would say that is a definition for stubbornness, and that’s probably true. There is likely a link between a person who is determined and a person who is stubborn. In the old days, folks also referred to it as “grit”.
I’ve noticed that everyone is determined around the first of January each year. I’ve addressed that in previous blogs. It is a time of making resolutions and setting goals. How many times have I heard and how many times have I said, “this year, I’m determined to …” (you finish the sentence). Gyms that are full in January and early February give witness to this newfound determination. However, March and April expose the lack of a real determination. As time passes, resolutions are forgotten, or set aside. Goals, which require too much effort, are pushed so far down on the priority list until they no longer even appear on our radar, let alone out to-do list. I’ve been guilty of this and likely you have as well.
Why are some people more determined than others? Why do some people finish what they start and why do some seem to never finish? Why do some seem to never start? Those are good questions. And like most of my questions, I don’t have a provable answer. My wife will assure that I always have an opinion, and I do. I have opinions on this matter as well, but I have chosen to keep most of those to myself. I can’t prove them, and I’m trying to increase our reading audience, not decrease it!
But I think part of it is that we think things are easier for some people. We attribute too much to talent and not enough to hard work and commitment. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that we are talented in different areas and the areas where I want to excel are not always the areas where things seem to come naturally. But I’m also convinced that I’m guilty of seeing people excel and thinking its more about talent than about hard work and determination. But if I’m honest, that’s simply not true.
I’ve seen, and you have too, many people who were extremely gifted athletically, musically, or in other ways, fall flat on their faces and never achieve their potential. I’ve seen others rise far above what was expected of them by others. Why? I’m not sure of all the reasons, but I’m pretty sure one of them is the level of determination.
Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t for one minute doubt that some have had greater opportunities than others. But not everyone with a great opportunity is successful. And some who don’t have those same opportunities achieve high levels of success by any measure. Again, I’m convinced that determination is the key.
I’ve finally given up my dream of playing major league baseball for the Dodgers. It’s not going to happen. I’ve also accepted the reality that I am not going to run a marathon in less than three hours. But along with this reality, I’ve come to realize that there are many things I can still accomplish. For example, I can still complete a half-marathon and likely a marathon if I decide to set that as a goal. I can still visit the places on my goal list if I plan for it and follow through. I can still become a better public speaker and teach and preach a better sermon when I have the opportunity. I can still improve the quality of my work and complete the goals we have set for our office. If I have the determination to do so.
Also, by the Lord’s grace, I can become that more positive person that I want to be. I can leave a better legacy for my family by leading in attitude and example. I can complete the goal of getting rid of “things” in my home that we don’t need and giving them away or disposing of a lot of “stuff” so my kids won’t have to one day. (We’re reading a lot about “minimalism” and see a lot of merit in it.) And while I may not play for the Dodgers, I can still work to keep my body as strong as possible and throw the baseball in my back yard with my grandchildren. Oh, and this is the year I enjoy the Dodgers and not stress over them. Just sayin’.
Now all of these may seem like small things in someone’s world. But in my world, they’re huge. And my world is the one I live in. And while our bodies and minds won’t allow us to do everything we want to do, we can do something. As someone once said, “Don’t let large goals keep you from enjoying small successes.”
Will I accomplish these goals? I plan to. Certainly there are circumstances and events that could make it impossible. God is ultimately in control. But we can’t live life based on what might happen. We can only live life as it is given to us. We can’t live someone else’s life either. So the challenge for me is how well I will live my life. Will what’s left of my life be characterized by lack of effort, by giving up, by throwing in the towel? Or will others look at me and say, “That guy may be getting older, but he’s sure determined!” I pray that the latter is what will be said about me. And even if I don’t have as much success as I might desire, that it will not be due to a lack of determination. And I’m wishing the same for you.