“When we truly latch on to the fact that we are going to die at some point in time, we have more presence in this one. Reach beyond your grasp, have immortal finish lines, and turn your red light green because a roof is a man-made thing.”
― Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights
Never in my life would I have imagined I'd be quoting Matthew McConaughey, but this is why you never say never... 😅
As a lifelong productivity nerd and tech enthusiast, the idea of an "immortal finish line" stuck with me in a way that I didn't expect. When life is setup to be a series of goals and tasks to check off, what does it mean for there to be an "immortal finish line?"
At first glance, the concept seems quite daunting. After all, we know if nothing else that our mortality is a certainty, so to have finish lines that are immortal means we are playing a game that we can never win.
On the other hand, when given a moment to reflect, it occurred to me that this concept was not about some grandiose goal which one could never achieve. Instead, it's about the idea that the road of self-improvement is an ironclad and constant one.
After all, there is no such thing as:
- Finishing a task and having nothing left to do (you just might not be aware of what's next)
- Saving enough money that you never have to worry about money again (for most of us at least)
- Doing some workout that means you'll always be in your fittest and strongest self
The road to self-improvement is one that's paved with repetition and maintenance. To pretend otherwise is to neglect the very foundation that growth is built on.
One of the most best examples I can think of for this is the stretching and mobility work. While an inherently boring and seemingly "unnecessary" part of working out, it's scientifically proven that without proper stretching and mobility work, people are basically guaranteed to injure themselves at some point because with age our body being to deteriorate. And when you try to move in ways that your joints and muscles can't properly support, injury is all but certain.
At the end of the day, the key perspective I wanted to capture here is that the immortal finish line is something that is a promise of a unlimited potential and growth. It's just a matter of what level of effort you're willing to put into it. As Matthew McConaughey says at the end of the quote:
"Turn your red light green because a roof is a man-made thing.”
Happy Monday and hope you have a great week. 🙌
