Stop chasing cheese

I respect my limits and persevere with urgency, not haste

I am getting older and have noticed that sometimes when I am playing sports my mind moves more quickly than my body has the ability to respond. In those moments I realize that if I keep pushing beyond my physical limits I am more likely to get sustain an injury, or at the least embarrass myself.

I do not want to curb the passion or desire I have to pursue my goals, but I do need to recognize the necessity to be patient with myself.  My journey can only be traveled one step at a time, one day at a time, and it is marked by perseverance not speed.  I may find moments when what I need is to just slow down, breathe, and be gentle with myself.  If I run faster than I have strength I may find myself tripping and falling face down in the dirt. 

I am reminded of an annual tradition in Gloucester England where a giant wheel of cheese is rolled down a hill.  Participants chase after it as gravity quickly creates a momentum beyond their bodies abilities to control.  The event quickly becomes a jumble of flailing limbs and  bodies careening off one another. Catching the cheese becomes secondary to the vain attempts to stay upright and avoid major injuries as they crash down the hill.