My friend Steve Wilson was an NFL ref from 1995 to 2010. (This is him in
the photo: #29.) He and his wife, Terri, now live in Tucson, Ariz. He sent
me these thoughts last week and granted me permission to share them
with you.
Go for the Gold and Live Life With No Regrets
This is Jim Thorpe. If you’ll look closely at the photo, you’ll notice he’s
wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn’t a fashion statement. It
was the 1912 Olympics—and Jim, a Native American from
Oklahoma—represented the U.S. in track and field.
His shoes were stolen on the morning of his competitions. After
searching for a while, he happened to find two mis-matched shoes in the
garbage. That’s the pair Jim is wearing in the photo. The shoes didn’t even
fit him—one was so big, he had to find an extra sock. But while wearing
these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day. This is a perfect reminder
that you don’t have to resign to the excuses that have held you back.
Maybe life hasn’t been fair to you. Whatever you woke up with this
morning . . . failed relationships, poor health, a struggling business or even
stolen shoes . . . don’t let your obstacles stop you from running your race.
You can experience more in life if you’ll get over the excuses and get on
with living. You can have reasons—or you can have results—but you
can’t have both.
Friends, let’s strive to live life to the fullest. The apostle Paul tells us to run
our race with purpose (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27) no matter what obstacles
are in our paths. May we encourage each other to go for the gold as we
live life with no regrets.
