Feeding your Soul
When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon - do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.
Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.
Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithaca means.
- Constantine P. Cavafy
May your journey be a long one…
My father was an immigrant who cherished being an American citizen. As he set out for America from his homeland, Greece, he kept his favorite poem, Ithaka by C.P. Cavafy, in his wallet and kept it there for the duration of his life. His grandson read this poem at his funeral, as my father requested.
The poem is about not hurrying your journey. The journey is life. It’s about appreciating every aspect and stage of life, the beauty as well as the tribulations that you encounter. The poem warns that there will be some difficult moments in life, but that you should not fear and keep moving forward. Finally, the reader is encouraged to refrain from hurrying her or his journey of life. In the end, if life hasn’t worked out the way you desire, it is important to remember that it was the journey and not the destination that matters.
Applying this poem and its underlying meaning to your fitness journey, it’s important to remember that you should appreciate the entire journey, including the ups and downs of whatever fitness goals you may have. I have seen so many people hurry the journey, rush their goals, and frantically try to get to a certain strength, weight, etc… Those are the people that either burn out or are chronically disappointed and oftentimes, injured because of the push without any regard to enjoying their present self. They are so concerned with the final product, that they fail to appreciate all the great twists and turns of their fitness road.
I have also encountered people that move slower in attaining their fitness goals. Those are the people that roll slow and steady. They understand the gains and the setbacks and appreciate and learn from both. In my opinion, those are the happier, realistic and appreciative people and they remain focused. They are also the ones that stay on the path of fitness for the long haul. I am one of those people. My belief is that it makes for a better relationship with movement, fitness and your overall physical and mental health.
