Choosing not to enter the race

I have started running again; it’s that time of year when we’re supposed to commit to being better versions of ourselves. How long will my New Year’s resolution last this year? I have one of those apps on my phone which tells me how well I’m doing. I saw a funny cartoon of two runners looking at their running apps and talking about how quickly they ran, what their heart rate was, and one asked the other if he enjoyed the run. The friend looked at his phone app, then answered, “it doesn’t’ say”!

Growth is one of the characteristics that defines all life. Improving at things can be one of life’s real joys, but I wonder if we let things get out of hand sometimes. The constant pressure to get a personal best in our recreation, to upgrade our tools and toys, and continually grow our work and businesses can put a huge amount of pressure on us. If we are not careful, we can get into an unhealthy competition with ourselves and those around us. Some of the things which brings us the most joy are not things we can win at. I can’t get a personal best in reading to my daughter at bedtime, can I? Can I win at chuckling to a funny comment I overhear while eating ice cream by the river? What does success look like during coffee with a friend? Put like that, those questions seem bonkers, but why do I get that nagging feeling that I am not enough, or that I’m not winning at life?

Someone once said that the problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat! In St Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” I don’t for one minute believe that he was saying that everything around us is evil and that we need to become monks and nuns; but there are some unhelpful mindsets in our culture which I find exhausting and leave me feeling inadequate. Perhaps this year, I need to reframe my thinking. I need to reconsider which areas of life do I need to improve on, and which to be content with. If I choose to be good enough or not upgrade, I may find more capacity to be present with my work and play. I may also have more margins of time and money to spend on what really matters in life, like those I love.

And so, may we find we have enough for all our needs this year. May we also find greater peace and contentment, so that we can give our energy to what is really meaningful in life. May you have a very blessed year!