Eddie Pinero

Being that the options here are either hold it gently in your arms or allow the damn thing to devour you.

Then there are seasons of mountain tops, peaks, finish lines.

In my experience, these tend to be fleeting.

But the years have shown that they're more validation than anything else.

The idea went from a quote on my wall to one of the more important things I've come to realize.

We don't do hard things because of trophies.

That line of thinking is actually inverted.

The trophies remind us that we did the hard thing.

The climb is why we do it.

The pain reminds us that we can overcome.

Footsteps in the face of doubt are proof that we're stronger than whatever the devil is whispering on that particular day.

It feels good to win.

It feels good to be rewarded for blazing trails few would dare to venture down.

but that feeling is a placeholder, in many ways a mirage.

Picture someone spinning a basketball on their finger.

The trophy is that brief millisecond where you spin the ball with your other hand to keep it moving.

It says, hey, you're doing something hard.

Don't let these seasons deceive you.

Your purpose is what fills your heart and lifts your soul.

The view just reminds you not to let go of whatever your purpose is.