Yesterday I watched Pip Hare on TV…
On Sunday, 50-year-old sailor Pip will start in the Vendée Globe, a single-handed, non-stop, non-assisted, round-the-world sailing race. Setting off from the west coast of France, she’ll sail roughly 45,000 kilometres around the globe.
She’s aiming to become the first woman ever to complete the race twice. Having completed the race in 2020 she’s confident that this time she can finish in the top 10.
Pip: ‘To be alone for three months, to push a boat hard all around the world… when you’re dealing with mother nature you can’t be complacent, I don’t want to think I know it all… I’m ready for new challenges…’
Pip’s not looking for an easy life. Her courage, determination and tenacity show single-minded strength.
God to Joshua: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
Pip: ‘If I’m not performing as well as I hoped, I don’t want to be overwhelmed by this feeling that I’m letting myself down and letting everyone else down… the only answer to that is just to keep trying, keep trying and keep trying.’
Many folks feel they’ve let themselves down; they’re a disappointment to their friends and families. Their best is never good enough.
St Paul: ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.’
Pip: ‘You just don’t know what’s going to happen to you out there, so you have to have multiple definitions of success. One of them is… to give everything I’ve got, to walk away from that race, knowing that I took every opportunity and I have no regrets.’
Elderly St Paul: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’
I pray that, with God’s help, I will have the courage, strength and determination to keep trying, give it everything I’ve got, and have no regrets.
malcolmsmusings.org 
I like the JB Phillips version from 2 Corinthians. “We may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!”
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Me too, Bryan. I thought of that as I wrote it. It’s like the ‘wobbly men’ we used to have.
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How about as a motto for the day: âI shall be a good wobbly man (/person?) todayâ?
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This is an amazing solo endeavor by Pip. May god be with her on her journey around the globe. Wow! 🙂
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I hadn’t heard about her before yesterday, Nancy. She certainly seems to be a remarkable woman.
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This piece is both comfort and challenge in the same story. It’s helpful to learn how Pip doesn’t hyper-focus on a negative perception of herself, or worry too much about what others think. Instead, she just keeps trying and trying and trying. I also appreciate her “multiple definitions of success” mindset. My work days at school rarely unfold as I’ve scheduled or envisioned them. It’s helpful to remember that success is negotiable; setting the bar too high, only leads to despondency.
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Me too, David. I like the idea of setting a target – and then reviewing and being grateful for the target that’s been hit – even if it’s not the one aimed for to start with.
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