Have you ever seen the movie “The Last Samurai”? I love the movie for many reasons but one of my favorite parts of the movie is when the lead Samurai warrior is dying on the battlefield with cherry blossoms gently floating down in the lush green countryside background and he looks into the sky and says “perfect.” For this Samurai warrior, he had lived his life to the fullest and fulfilled his personal destiny and this was a perfect way for him to end his journey.
For me, running to Rock Lake is such an experience, not in that I die at the end, but in the sense that it is me being me, doing what I was created to do and where I was created to do it. I get lost in the run, and though I experience pain, it is just a backdrop to this perfect experience that totally encompasses who I am. I am sure you too can think of an experience in your life where you get to be fully you, engaged in what you were created to do, where you were created to do it, and life is “perfect.” I have other times when there is no better word to describe the experience than “perfect,” like when I am having a heartfelt conversation with my wife, when I am out at night looking up into the Mammoth sky, awestruck by the blazing stars and talking to God, when I have spiritual experiences in races like the Olympic Trials or Houston Half Marathon, when I am in church worshiping with others, when I am running on a beautiful single-track trail overlooking the mountains, or when I am sitting on top of a mountain peak after spending hours mustering the will and energy to get to the top. For me, these “perfect” moments in life make life truly special and they rejuvenate my spirit. They are life.
Ryan blogs on COMPETITOR
Photo courtesy of kolesarm
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