– by Kelly Parker
Who are you when the lights turn off and there is no longer an audience to watch the symphony that is your life? You are the conductor and the critic; it is up to you to choose the possibly perilous path. Do you take the harrowing high road, or do you choose the easy way and travel the low road? Are you satisfied with second best or are you always searching for that next test? Remember in all this to take time to rest. In your hunt for that runner’s high and sense of ultimate satisfaction do you remember to breathe? Or do you stretch yourself so thin you pass the point of no return and snap? I know when I’m too far gone and I’m leading myself into an inescapable trap, searching for the impossible. Don’t be afraid to let that dream destroy you- set new goals, become more ambitious, but don’t forget to recap. Remember where you started and question: when the lights turn off and the day is over, is my flame of ambition still burning? When I think about those initial dreams of running and teaching, do I still feel a sense of yearning? If so, keep learning and keep that inner fire burning. Happiness is music to a conductor’s ears.
