"Action " by Adam S

     How many times have you heard other people say “I’m gonna do [blank]” or “I want to [blank]” or even “I should start [blank]” ? Now, how many times have you said these same actions that you desire to do either to yourself or some other person but just end up forgetting about them or not doing them? Now, how many times have you somehow came back to these lingering desires and yet again, yearned to do them once more but then fail to do so? Don’t worry, everyone experiences this, and not just once, but multiple times every single day.
     According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the definition for “action” is “an act of will”. After pondering on this, I had a small laugh at an ironic statement of one of the largest associations and businesses in the world. Nike’s trademark “Just Do It” has inspired many people over its implication to a crowd of single-minded consumers, but we overlook what it takes to “Just Do It”. In order to do something, we must first form a thought, an idea, or something that we can form a foundation upon. This we must write or jot down on a piece of paper or a notebook or somewhere where it can be read again, and not just lost in our stream of consciousness ready for the next thought to speed in like a jet ski and be gone as fast as it came, leaving only waves and ripples of what could have been, but wasn’t. But once we throw down the anchor of this want or desire, only more thoughts can appear and ride in as small as paper boats or as grand as cargo ships, all contributing to the one thought that started it all. This is called motivation, and the more ideas that are written form greater perspectives almost to the point to where you can picture yourself accomplishing your goals or achieving your wants.
    Last Sunday, I attended a church because my parents are searching for a new one after leaving a previous one. I was then forced to attend a youth service with my two younger sisters. After worship that consisted of many melodious songs, we were then separated into different groups based on gender and grade. Moments later, I associated my being with those similar to these previously stated attributes in which a circular shape formed and a youth leader commenced with his briefing. The service’s lesson concerned itself with what you are going to do now and how it will affect your later. This being the case, much of the service focused on the steps one would need to take to achieve their “later”. At the end of the briefing, the counselor in my group had us write down one goal or desire we wanted to complete that week, and what we would do to get there. Following his instructions, I proceeded to write down “Qualify for CIF Finals this Friday in Cross Country” and wrote down steps consisting of keeping nutrition balanced, stretching and training properly, not getting injured, and to run hard. Later that Friday morning, the top 15 runners out of each heat, or group, qualified for CIF Finals, and even harder, I was in the fastest Division 1 heat. The results? 8th out of 137, which meant I was moving on.
   Now, what almost every person will see from now on is my performance this day and the labeling as follows, but what they did not see was how in order to “Just Qualify”, it took an initial thought, adding more onto it about how it would be carried out, and actually following through no matter how tough it is. No one cannot just do something unless it is “Just Winning the Lottery.” Just like how every day following up to this race I ran and ran, said no to sweets and the wonderful fast food we all love, paid attention to how I felt and most importantly how my legs felt, it takes work and discipline, because once that motivation that lasts for only a short period of time, the only thing that’s gonna keep a person going is discipline, or continuing to do a beneficial thing even when you don’t see immediate results or just plain out don’t want to do it. So, the definition of an action is not only what happens, but the whole process of how it was made to happen: Starting with a thought, jotting it down, adding steps, and executing through

work. Now don’t let the “work” part drive you away, because “an act of will” is a desire, and working towards a desire that you would love to see yourself accomplish in the future, whether it be a week or a year from now, will soon seem nothing like useless effort, but life-changing exertion which is also the definition of passion.


Sources:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/ http://www.finishedresults.com/