Achieve goals by pressing on

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…” – Philippians 3:12-14

In life, there is often a bigger picture. One that can get lost in the everyday. And yet the two are connected. The bigger picture only gets painted one brush stroke at a time. In our lives, the bigger goal is only achieved by the small often daily acts that enable us to achieve it. Part of pressing on is recognising who we are and where we are. The words from Philippians above acknowledge that, as do Rockefeller’s words below.

“I have spoken of the necessity of being frank and honest with oneself about one’s own affairs: many people assume that they can get away from the truth by avoiding thinking about it, but the natural law is inevitable, and the sooner it is recognized, the better.”

The question that John D. Rockefeller leaves for us in this quote is whether or not we are truth tellers to ourselves. We might, with some skill and no little dissembling, tell untruths to others. But I think that we can also tell untruths to ourselves. We ought not to tell untruths to ourselves or others. In the eyes of Rockefeller, the truth will catch up with us even if we seek to persuade ourselves otherwise.

And we ought to press on, because in the words of CS Lewis, we have little choice, or the choice we have is worse than to press on. As Lewis says,

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.”

This week has been a fabulous and full week. We have celebrated 100 days of Kindergarten, we have heard wonderful music from Primary and Secondary students, Drama Trial HSC performances have been completed, Music Trial HSC performances have been rehearsed, major works including the Society and Culture PIP have been submitted. And in the midst of it all, and at the heart of it all, learning. Learning, on stage, in class, performing, watching, playing, on the field and on the court. Here’s to more weeks full of challenges and joy, laughter and learning, friends and fun, hardship and help.

Tim Watson
Principal