Sage Words Of a Cake Walker

You never know when something is going to hit you.

Last night, we attended the annual school fair. For the past 8 years, we've participated in the Cake Walk (yes, that game where you stand on numbers in a circle -- numbers made from duct tape and stuck to grody carpet squares -- and walk around the circle to music. The music stops. A number is drawn, and if you're the lucky duck on that number, you get a homemade, donated cake). Some of us join in the game because it is traditional but are not heavily invested (myself and Pit Crew #3). Others purposely participate fueled by hope (Pit Crew #2). Others -- Leader of the Crew, Aaron -- go for it hard core.

Yes, there are people out there who take on the Cake Walk as a personal challenge to hit the jackpot early and often.

In just two rounds of Cake Walking last night, Aaron won. Two rounds, 6 total participation tickets, 1 cake. In 8 years, I have never won. Every year, we note that Aaron always comes home with a cake. Always. Those who have also been to this fair for the past 8 years assume he's going to win, it's just a matter of "when".

Pit Crew #2 kept at it and won, too!
Now, that's commitment!

I was laughing when he won so fast and asked him, "How is it that you always win?!" His response: "You gotta commit to your craft!"

Now, that's just profound.

As I ran this morning, I thought long and hard about this very concept (in betwen verses of "Video Killed the Radio Star" going through my head). It's true, Aaron is commited to winning the Cake Walk every year. A fellow fair goer even noted, "Aaron always wins because Aaron is always out there trying." And, isn't that really the key to everything?

This was particularly profound for me this morning. I thought a lot about how far I've come in my running venture ... I've gone from not being able to run .3 of a mile (yes, I measured) to finishing 13. Of course, that came in stages. Many stages. And, every stage represents a commitment. Not a commitment to win, but a commitment to give it everything I have. Even though in each stage I have an outcome in mind, the outcome isn't what gets the majority of my attention. It's the process along the way that deserves the time and energy. In making that my focus, I know I'm controlling everything I can and understanding that the ultimate outcome is, well, kind of secondary. (By and large, the outcome tends to reflect the effort, too; accepting that helps keep the pressure of a particular outcome at bay ...)

Dr. Phil had this in his Life Strategies daily calendar a number of
years ago. It lives on our refrigerator. I think it's funny that for as
simple as the concept is, it's relating it to a Cake Walk that drove
home the clarity!

Of course, I have goals, and I intend to hit them, but I've come to learn that focusing too hard on the goal without truly embracing the process to get there is totally putting the cart before the horse. At least it is for me.

I know this line of thought can't directly and precisely translate into every situation we encounter nor am I trying to make it so. But, it did make me take pause to think about how it works for me in my world. That line of thinking is what got me from .3 to 13, and those are numbers with which I can't argue.

Two pennies this morning also made me take pause, by the way, just a different kind of pause. Cha- and ching! (Elly has even different kinds of paws ...)

Group photo!

Is there something you've always pondered attempting but haven't because it seems too far out of reach? Maybe the words of our resident Cake Walker hold the key! Enjoy the day; tomorrow is Rest Day!