Chapter 300 - June 2022

Chasing…. 

So….300 chapters….oy!

Yes, I know a few are blank and most of those I have “mostly done” chapters for, I just got busy and did not finish and publish them. Don’t worry, it is on my to-do list…. however as this tri-centennial of updates beckons, I was hoping it would fall on something really cool and yet the freaking wicked first-hillclimb-event fell on 299 and so that went out the window. Doh!

This year has been a good one, Anna’s Silver Supra went quicker/faster than it ever has and we’re oh-so-close to snagging the stock twins record back. I was blessed to take SLJHMR to fight a mountain and also to play at COTA and both went well and lots of composites have been built and that skill shared/taught to others. *Much more importantly, the fam is doing good and key relationships are solid and growing. I’m blessed to mentor some folks who are still emerging into adulthood with all the mysteries and vague rules that (kindof) apply. It is not an easy path to navigate, and honestly we’re blessed that it IS difficult because going through hard times makes you appreciate the good times, and making bad decisions is a lesson in itself.

**Caution: Waxing philosophically ahead!!! ** But fundamentally, what are you chasing? With these 300 chapters you can see a glimpse into my racing life and an even smaller glimpse into my personal life. In my readings (and I read….a ton!) it seems like folks primarily chase achievement or fulfillment and sometimes those can be a singular path but in most cases I’m familiar with, they diverge a bit. 

Achievement is winning. The big slice of cake. That “1” trophy that goes on the mantle. Being at the tippy top of a pyramid where you get fresh air and the best view. Leading the pack. You have ACHIEVED. When it is hotly contested it is even more coveted as the rarity is increased. Achievement is awfully nice. You have TAKEN the win. You TOOK the overall fastest time. You TOOK home the big trophy. You climbed that mountain, you sailed that sea. If you websearch "Winning isn't Normal", you'll find a few short paragraphs that should resonate quite well inside. However...

Fulfillment….well, this is similar but completely different. It is still a scratch but it solves a very different and critical itch. I have taught both our kids some skills and that brings fulfillment. I have also taught folks new skills in a racecar, taught folks how to layup carbon and also learned things from my wife and kiddos. Quite often they teach me more than the other way around! Maybe it is a skill, maybe it is humbleness and humility, and maybe it is to be a part of the safe place in our lives. Each of those brought about fulfillment…sometimes it brings a minor knowing smile and other times I tear up because it has that much of an impact. It fulfills me.

I'm blessed to have a few shelves full of trophies and my name in some recordbooks, but I'll take the fulfillment over each and every one of them. Or all of them added together. Yes, it is THAT big of a deal.

I encourage you to gently examine your interactions. Don't diminish your achievements...they are all special and helped put you on a path. But embrace the fulfillment. Seek it out. It is the very oxygen that has sustained me for these decades and it is what drives me forward.

~Costas