Doing triathlons and races this year has been a good thing. This is the first year that I’ve truly systematically trained, and I’ve learned a lot about myself and personal fitness.

However, it’s important to note that activities don’t provide meaning to my life. Activities are more of an expression of a purpose. The journey of personal fitness has been about pursuing health and athletic potential. Positive things, but there is still room to tie them to a greater meaning since they have more or less personal goals that only matter to myself.

I did one race this year where I raised money for a mission project in the Amazon. Next year I want to tie all my races, or as many as possible, into the mission/fundraising purpose.

When all is said and done, no one cares how many miles I’ve logged in training, what I’ve had to overcome personally, how many races I’ve done, or where I placed in those races (this year I placed 3rd in a 5k and won my age group in a sprint triathlon).

What will give my recreation meaning both now and in heaven is how I used it to benefit other people. (This is, of course, aside from the blessing of the positive physical impact on my body and mind through healthful living).

Let’s check to see that our goals include the benefiting of others, and not just ourselves.