December 7th, 2020, marks the 4 year anniversary of me leaving on my mission. Later this week will be the 2 year anniversary of me coming home from my mission. I have a lot of thoughts about it, and it seems really fast and really slow at the same time. One of my many thoughts about it is that time will keep going whether or not you use it, and that thought inspired me to write this poem.
The title, Slay a Dragon Every Day, comes from a line I heard in a zone conference on my mission. I thought it was a regularly used phrase, but apparently not. I think it ought to be, though.
Slay a Dragon Every Day
It was the first competition of the Marching Band season.
This was my senior year, I was ready to march
The best I ever had, and play the best I’d ever played.
I marched onto that field, and 10 minutes later I marched off, sweatier and out of breath.
I thought about what I’d just done.
I hadn’t marched or played or performed any better than I usually had,
But I also hadn’t marched or played or performed any worse.
In fact, I had done just as well as every day I had practiced.
I thought about that for a while.
If I had practiced with more intensity, I would have performed that way.
If I had given 110% every day on the practice field,
That’s what I would have left behind on the performance field.
I guess that’s why the saying goes
“Slay a dragon every day.”
We each get the same amount of time,
If we spend it fighting metaphorical orcs or goblins,
We may get something out of it.
But if we slay a dragon every day,
Or at least mount the hill to fight one,
We’re living up to all that we could be,
And not settling for less than giving
110% every day.
I love this. I also think it is important to remember that 110% looks different every day. My best on a day where everything seems to be going well is definitely different on days where everything seems to be going not so great!