Determinature

For most of us, we have all created goals and plans for ourselves.  It sometimes starts when we are young when we start to plan our adult life with the "When I grow up..." statement.  

It is very rare, if ever, for the plans and avenue on how we plan to get there ever line up with actual reality.  When we have things happen to us that alter our plans, that does not mean that our goals and final result have to change.  We just have to be persistent enough to find another path to the finish line. 

When I first started my journey to get to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, I had my plans on how I was going to do it.  I was going to do different distance triathlons that would build me up until I got to Kona.  

When I realized that I either had to qualify, win the IM Lottery, or get invited to Kona, all my plans changed.  I cold have easily given up the dream right then.

Determinature

All living things on this earth have what it takes to succeed regardless if our paths are altered.  Sure, it may not be the way we expect, but sometimes the other path is more beautiful and meaningful.  Take for example the above referenced picture of a Gladiola.  Most Gladiolus grow straight up and down, but something happened to this particular plant early in the growth stages and altered it's path.  This "Anomaly" caused the plant to droop instead of growing straight up.  You would think that the Gladiola would just die off, but it was persistant.  I call this "Determinature". 

What was the result? Well the plant changed directions so it could still bloom and reach it's needed source of life, the Sun!

I don't care how many other perfect or straight Gladiolus we have in our garden, this one, to me, is the most beautiful because it has character and it's story is rich. 

This is how the Shawn's Ironman story has looked so far, but just just like Shawn had "Determinature" to survive his anomalies, I have "Determinature" to get to Kona to finally let this story bloom.  Sure our story has had it's ups and downs, but that just makes our stories and our journey more meaningful and rich.  Each day that we don't make it, we impact another family and another person is now aware. 

I hope we make it to Kona this year, but if we don't it is not going to break my heart.  It just means that the journey is still alive and becoming more beautiful!