Finding Myself to be More Than a Label – Track & Field

Picture of friend Sheyda (right) and I (left) waiting to audition for America’s Next Top Model for fun!

Ever since I started senior year of college I have been on a journey to find myself in relation to Track & Field. Lately I’ve been reading the book called A
New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. I’ve only read the first few chapters
but the book helped me realize that I am not just Track & Field.
I am so
much more and we all are so much more than we label ourselves as. The book
expresses how we as humans try to define and substitute the mystery of things
with our own label of understanding. For example every animal and plant on Earth
has a scientific name that describes its attributes. Therefore by only
acknowledging them by name we stop ourselves from really exploring the very
thing that makes these animals and plants phenomenal. Another example for us
females in the dating scene is we have labels such as player, nice guy, scrub, business
man etc. These words take so much of the mystery, dynamic, and uniqueness from
that person in our eyes and sometimes unbeknownst in their own eyes as well. I
say all of this to say that Track & Field used to be my label. It felt and
still feels like this predestined thing that has to work out in my future (as
if I could never part from it). I used to think that, although I was blessed
with many other gifts, running and jumping were the only things I should focus
on and give all of my energy to. Well in the past year God has brought me
through some things and forced me to explore interests other than Track and
Field. He let me know that it is okay to aspire to be a pro athlete but also
enjoy my life in the moment. I don’t need to sacrifice the things that give me
joy on a day to day basis for Track & Field because Track and Field is not
who I am. It is the talent God has blessed me with. So it only makes sense to
do it God’s way (not stress about it like its end all be all). To bring my point home, research Oprah’s success story. In some instances she
literally gave up on her dream not realizing that it  allowed God to work His magic in her life.
She mentally gave up on her dream but physically kept doing the things that
brought her joy from day to day that happened to line up with her aspirations. God
gives us aspirations to live a joyous life keeping them in mind but not to
define ourselves by them. Now that I’ve learned this and expressed this to you
all keep your eyes open for my next post which will be about where I am now
with Track & Field and the time(s) I gave up on Track & Field but God
came through at the last minute. I may also continue to tell you the rest of the things I have been labeled as my whole life (good or bad) and how detrimental labeling can be.

~Kassie Marque