The Spirit of Achievement – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

The flame (we cannot see, but) that lives in us

Photo by Cullan Smith on Unsplash

I dedicate this post to everyone directly and indirectly affected by Hurricane Eta, with my solidarity for my beloved Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. I carry these three countries in my heart, and I know the spirit of achievement is alive in them despite the circumstances. The best is yet to come.

The year is heading toward the end of a cycle and the start of a new chapter in our lives, 2021. The 2020 we’ve been living through should make us reconsider what we can control, and especially what we can’t. Beneath every goal we set lies a flame that has to stay lit whatever the circumstances: the spirit of achievement.

In earlier posts I’ve written about the importance and power of goals, plans and purpose. The spirit of achievement is the flame that stays lit. It binds body and mind together in the face of any challenge, and once we’ve recognized it in time, the ups and downs of the race, or of life, will have their place without deciding whether we keep going.

Challenges as significant as the ones we’ve lived through so far give us the right moment to put things in perspective and look at them through the lens of opportunity. The hardest moments of life are when opportunities to move forward are most plentiful.

On the uphill stretch, fatigue becomes unbearable and our energy runs out. That’s when every thought comes rushing in, when we believe there’s no room for anything more and that this may be our last chance to see our dreams come true. And then, from one moment to the next, circumstances change, the slope eases, and without even trying we cross the finish line, or simply realize we left it behind long ago.

It’s hard to find or see that flame inside us, the one that gives us light in the dark and, above all, the breath to keep going. That’s how we human beings are. Deep down we know we have the tools, and life itself has given us an unlimited supply of resources to face everything on our shoulders. It’s also in our nature to keep lifting the veils that stop us from seeing them, and even more in our hands to keep remembering everything we’ve achieved.

In this final stretch of the year, I invite you to become aware of the spirit of achievement we all carry inside. That’s exactly what the past is for: to see how many times we’ve made it, and to use those experiences as a source of learning and wisdom. The spirit of achievement is born in the future, in the ability we hold in our hands today to imagine where we’d like to be.

Life is a continuum of many things. Where does your spirit of achievement live every time you set out to do something?

Warm regards,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week’s VELA:

• What I was Watching: The importance of education in the age of individualism. This BBVA series of interviews and Q&As is rich in knowledge and lessons, and this video captivated me. Among the many things I do professionally today, I’m a university professor. I always wanted to teach, and life has let me reach many students in many ways. I think students and teachers alike should watch this video.
• What I was Listening to: Muscle spasms. Last week I had a muscle spasm that even put me in the hospital. The pain was intense and I needed physical therapy. What stands out in this video are the factors that can cause one and the importance of being aware of them, especially when they all come together and trigger a major spasm.
• What I was Reading: Hamlet. A great work, one of the best, and it arrived at exactly the right moment. It’s one of the books on my reading and rereading list for this year. What a character Prince Hamlet is. I’ve enjoyed every line, and in a way it has given me back my breath and my desire to reconnect with theater, poetry and the novel.
• What I was Learning: How to get through the workday when you feel overwhelmed. A very good article on procrastination. I highly recommend reading it.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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