Challenge Yourself

Should we never update new articles again... Andy drowned.

Earlier this year, the kiddo students and Andy signed up for the Challenge Taiwan Triathlon in Taitung and were supposed to participate in April. Thanks to... ahem... Due to the pandemic, the event was postponed to the 15th of November, which is in 5 days. During this time, 3 out of 5 students have withdrawn from the event because of their parents' sudden fear or reason. Andy's wife did the same but she never practiced once; there isn't much to lose but some money. It's okay. She doesn't read articles here!

OK, Andy works out, goes jogging, goes biking casually. What's the challenge here? Well...

He DOES NOT SWIM. The first time he swam in the pool was in the Navy where he was forced to learn. The second time was during college when he had to swim to graduate. Then never. Yes, for many ordinary people out there, swimming 1.5K isn't that challenging, even the kids may do it with training. So here it is. The challenge is to self-train something he hates, fears but still go despite the result.

---

The world we live in now is one where everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to say something even when they don't know what it is. As a result, there's a lot of noise and we can't hear one another. In the past, we could listen to teachers, trainers, mentors, or even just the news. It seems that even those people are confused more often than not. Hence, we ought to learn how to listen, and first and foremost, to ourselves.

What do we need? We need a job to make money to get the things we want. What do we want? We want something that we don't have. What do we have? We have what we need already. Funny, isn't it? If you have found contentment in life, that's great. Challenging yourself doesn't mean that you're not satisfied or wanting more; it is the constant pursuit of bettering ourselves that makes us who we are, no matter the outcome. However, chances are that you haven't found contentment. In that case, self-evaluation is the key to making a difference. Surviving is not challenging. You are better than that.

Look at your life and listen to your heart. What are you doing every day? Work, sleep, weekend, and repeat? That's really okay because we got to eat and feed the family. Just don't forget that "life is short" but memories live on. We may perish tomorrow but our deeds last forever, which is one of the reasons for this blog, to prove that we lived.

---

The most difficult part of the challenge is before it happens, the preparation, self-discipline, and mentality. First of all, your training involves whether you feel like it on the day or not. Then you have to check your work schedule. Finally, does the pool open, or is the weather okay for jogging or biking? Before you realize it, some weeks have gone by!

We don't know what will happen next. All we could do is set a goal, challenge ourselves, and have fun. It is indeed easier said than done. Not even Andy could face this Friday completely peacefully. The event is Sunday but he has to have his first long, night drive on Friday first. Fingers crossed!

#selfreflect