5 Seconds before the finish line

There it is. The finish line. The bright yellow ribbon glitters in the sunlight as we speed towards it. If you have ever run any type of race whether that be a 100m sprint or a marathon, at this point you are exhausted. You know you are only one or two steps away from making it, finishing. But what if the stands are empty? There’s no one racing with you? No referee to take your time? No one to see how your feet burn on the rubber of the racetrack? There’s no one to cheer you on? No trophy to contend for?

This is what a blog challenge like the one I’ve been writing this month feels like. Or attempting to draft a fifty thousand word novel, in one month. Many things in life feel like that. 5 Seconds before the finishing line you look in front of you and wonder. What am I doing this for? Who would notice if I simply sat down and gave up? Why am I beating myself up? Is this really worth losing sleep over?

Blog or writing challenges may not seem like such a big deal. After all, many bloggers write posts every day as a matter of habit. But, many of those bloggers earn some kind of benefit from their blogs. They have monetized them. Or they sell something which they can advertise on their blogs. But what about us? What about the ones who have a free wordpress.com blog or the Google version blogspot.com?

It’s the final countdown, but we’re not heading for Venus quite yet.

It doesn’t really matter the scenario. Sometimes we embark on some kind of project and then end up wondering, “what am I getting out of this?” It does not need to be a project. It could be a life choice, a job, a diet, a simple quest to smile at strangers.

What am I getting out of this? How will this benefit me? What’s in it for me?

Here’s the thing, even if your answers are any of the following:

• I now have bragging rights.
• I have proven to myself I can do it.
• I got a couple of likes on my Social Media.
• I have something to talk about.
• I have become a better version of myself

Or even if your answer is something as self-less as:

• I made someone smile
• I fed 50 hungry children and can now sleep better at night

If you are asking, “what do I get out of this”, your formula is flawed. You are asking the wrong question.

#MayItBeOfBenifit

This is my final post for the blogging challenge I embarked upon at the start of the month. I could have reviewed my posts for the second half of the month. But instead, I leave you with this open-ended post. What do you think is the right question?

About the Author

Sarina often sat on the peaks of the dunes of Southern Africa watching the ocean tide drift in. A daydreamer, often dreaming up stories for lands somewhere over the rainbow. She is a mother, a wife, a blogger and an overall creative spirit. Above all, she is a human being.

Find her here:

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