I find when I am in the middle of teaching my children a life lesson that, the clarity and simplicity of the example I am using is sometimes so clear, the message comes back and hits me squarely between the eyes.

On Saturday, Matthew completed his first ever kids triathlon - The Monster Triathlon, in Keller Texas.  It was a twenty-five meter swim, a one mile bike ride, and a one mile run.  The distances might only seem mildly impressive until you realize, when Matthew started training for the triathlon this summer, that he didn't know how to ride a bike or swim.

By 8:30 a.m. the whole thing was over and we were back in our car driving home.  Matthew settled back into his seat and announced, "Doing a triathlon isn't as much hard work as I thought."

Instinctively I replied, "That's because the majority of hard work you did, you did before today."

The triathlon didn't seem hard because you: swam the full length of our pool every day for the whole summer; paid frequent trips to our gym's indoor pool to get used to the distance and the lanes; made lots and lots and lots of trips to Parr Park in the blazing heat to learn and then to practice riding your bike; were curious and asked Dad lots of questions about what you could expect; and told yourself you could, even though Saturday morning you quietly whispered in my ear that you were having second thoughts about the swim.

I reminded you there would be a life guard on duty, but reassured you that your preparation was floatation enough.

Unfortunately, most people rely more on life guards than they do on their own hard work.  They miss a deadline and are sure someone will jump in to save the day.  They don't prepare for an exam and then either cheat or request an extension.  Even bankruptcy and foreclosure are escapes.

In Matthew's case, as is the case with most people who shine, the hardest work is not done on the day you collect your medal.  The hardest work is most often done in the days leading up to the event.

Tell us.  What are you gearing up for?  Are you in the middle of your hardest work now or are you counting on a life guard to be standing close by?  Visit us in the Community Forum labeled, Today's Post and tell us.

Shining off until tomorrow...