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6 I The Best Online Education System in the world
Finish Line
Rolando P. Nagtalon Jr.
Class of 2002, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
B. S. Industrial Engineering
I have never consider myself an athlete, though I have joined some sports activities in past. I was a volleyball
and badminton player from elementary to college but never have I competed for some sort of nationals or
anything that goes higher than the campus courts. Nevertheless, I have always known that athletes always put
half of their life in their vocation in order to make a good fight in the end.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get the crown of glory, to get proud
of. They beat their body and make it slave. They exert time and effort to reach for the strength that they need.
They work out to be fit enough. They eat just the right amount of food. They sacrifice and kill their cravings.
They discipline their body and mind and stay on focus. They prepare their selves for the good fight.
They do not run like any man running aimlessly. They do not fight like a man beating the air. They’ve got a goal,
a purpose, something to look forward to. A visible and lucid target is the reason for finishing the game. They
may stumble during the fight. They may fall down sometimes. But one thing is more important; it is finishing
the game and winning it. It doesn’t matter how many time they got side tracked for as long as they know that
what they will get in the end is worth it, they’ll never give up. They will finish the game.
I guess, people should start being like an athlete now. We should start aiming for something that’s worth it. We
should learn how to work it out. We should be ready to face the consequences and win over them. We should
never give up.
There are two reasons that I found really important; reasons why we should not give up. One is that the pain is
just temporary. The muscles may sore for a little while and give you body aches but at the end of the day, you’ll
get the nice shape that you have always wanted. You may have deprived yourself from the less likely and
nutritious food but in the end, you’ll get healthier. Pain were not made to accompany you in your whole
existence, they are like part of the test to push you harder to pursue. Second is that God’s faithfulness remains
forever, to infinity and beyond, so, you do not have to worry. So, just focus yourself on what you are doing and
strive for it. You’ll get into it; after all, you have already suffered for it.
Keep going! According to Justin Bieber, “Never say never,” and you can say, “I have fought a good fight and
finished the race.”
Question for discussion:
1. What attitude can we connect to perseverance?
2. Is being an athlete difficult?
3. What are your plans for yourself in the future?
4. What are you doing to reach them?
5. What are the sacrifices you’ve done to finish what you’ve started?