What Do You Do When The Dream Changes The Mission?
What do you do when your faced with the end of a lifelong dream?
Good afternoon family. I hope you’ll forgive me for this delayed piece. I’ve been inundated with so much admin, as I launch a few important things that really matter to me.
What have I been up to?
1. I opened up my book club to new members!
Welcoming over 35 new members to a space I’ve been carefully curated for the last few years. This has been exciting, mostly because the Gospel is going to be shared to even more people, as we double down on Christ centred reads and also, the community of course.
2. I registered a new business!
One of my goals this year was to double down on my brand Chuks.INC and really build something that I think could last. A few days ago, I took a few steps to take it to another level by making it official after 6 months + of Building. This is a huge win as this opens up more opportunities to do more specifically in the realm of funding and support.
3. I’m launching a new Masterclass series
Say hello to + Friends.
No this isn’t something that’s online, but It’s something I aim to do country to country & city to city, inviting a few people to join me live on set, as I create. This will be a space for creatives, photographers and storytellers not only to learn the practical sides of storytelling, but also the bridge between the planning, execution and impact. It will also be a great opportunity to meet new people, and further, connect with what may one day become a life-changing relationship.
If this sounds appealing to you (or a friend) then pls drop a few details into this interest form and you’ll be sure to know the first steps when we make things happen.
The first stop hopefully is Canada
*hint hint*
Anyways I write all that not to brag, but to showcase a few things that are now happening, that I never saw possible at the time.
This brings us nicely to today’s write up. So if you’re new here, then kick back and get into it. Oh, and welcome to 5 More Mins with me- Josiah Hyacinth.
If you asked 16 year old me, what he would be in the next 5 years, I’m certain he would tell you about how he would be a professional athlete zooming across the world representing his country in the 200-metre sprint, maybe even attending his first Olympics with a podium qualifying time. Yes, the 16-year-old me, would have never imagined a life outside the sport.
I remember being this age, and one day changing my name to Mr200m on social media so that people can become accustomed to seeing what I would one day become. I remember the moment when I was distinctively thinking about it in depth. It went a little like this—
“..Josiah do it! Imagine if you medal at the Olympics and get to do your speech. Naaaa, deep how mad it would be if you could tell them how you knew that this would happen? Imagine how great a story it would be!”
When I changed all my handles to @mr200m_ I could never imagine that it would later one day represent a brand that people would see as representational for community, creativity and I guess art. Never would I—at that moment, have imagined that anyone would see me as anything more than a runner on the track — A young Bolt (that’s what I dreamt of too lool)
I remember the day I had to decide to give up the sport. It wasn’t actually too long ago, but It was just after lockdown had eased up. We had gone months back to back training from track to track and park to park just to facilitate a good training programme. At this point, I had just got signed to an agency —doing content full time, Joined a tech company in a senior role and also became notable in my art, whether photography or wider storytelling. In many ways than one, I had become established in the things I had started as mere hobbies in university, so I ultimately had more things tug at my time.
I had struggled with getting back into a good regime during university— This was around 2017 & 2018 as I would have had to travel to another city to train after long days of lectures. This period was when the 200m brand was taking off on YouTube, so my time was now distributing across creating the explosively growing content and the opportunities that came with it. So university became a world of travelling, events, mentorship and leadership. I had become something to people, I had to quickly become responsible and eventually became a voice to many— things that I’m utterly grateful for to this day. Nonetheless, at that immediate moment in time, a lot of my decisions were still centred around the hope that these things will allow me to one day have enough money to train with the best, with the most ease.
The short of the story, as most of you know— I don’t even run anymore.
but I’m still an athlete pls (he will never die!)
Dissonance.
It’s funny when I think about how the dream created this whole reality that I never even saw coming. I often think about how much of a failure I felt like. Specifically when life got busies and I stopped running. It was even tougher as returned to the sport, worked hard to only get miles below where I used to be and ultimately became demotivated and overall unable to commit to its demands. Truly I felt like I failed that young dreamer. It was tough to admit to myself that that dream as intense as once was, was the very driver to this new life mission.
In reflection, I didn’t fail, in fact the patterns that that young dreamer chose to submit to, are the patterns of life that still rule my life today.
There is no wasted moment on earth!
Back to that moment where I had to decide if I should give up the spot…
This was no less than 6 months ago. I sat with my boy Anthony, expressing a few frustrations and he put it simply.
“You being at a top place in your career is equivalent to some of the guys in the sport who have trained years. If you feel like you cannot give up what you have built because it’s just that important a priority to you right now, then keep your focus there, there’s always time”
Anthony is a teammate and brother of mine, who actually got me into the sport. We’ve been teammates since the ages of 14 or so, and with his journey where he relocated, left and reintegrated into the sport felt hopeful. He more than anyone knows the cost I had to make, as he had made it before, so it was great to be advised by someone who had gone through it.
That conversation left me feeling a little less uncertain about myself, most importantly I was left with this reflection— Just let go.
Once a thought would have tormented me, a thought which in the dreamers’ world would’ve been like a rusty dagger to the chest— suddenly, just like a new pair of lungs. I had rediscovered what it was like to breathe again.
As I write this, I’m reminded of Proverbs 18:16 — Your gifts will make room for you, and bring you before great men, and Romans 12:6— where ever so simply it makes clear the fact (or truth) that we are given gifts, and in every diligence, should use them.
The truth is I always knew I had a gift to be excellent in anything I did, be it football, basketball, Athletics and Now Creating, but in reflection, I realise that I was far to focus on the perfect narrative— My own story.
Now 24, I realise more greater than mine, is the reality that I’m in his story—God’s story. From a life goal to make an impact in the sport, I realised that God had also given me that ability, but it transcended how I dreamt it would be, so I had to let go.
So what do you do when the dream changes the mission?
Well, be willing!
There is a world that I’ve only just discovered— One that I would have never experienced if I didn’t submit myself to the discipline of the moment. I’ve learnt in all this that life is but a journey, one that you must be willing to move along with.
One can only hold on tightly for so long.
So I write this for that person who might be scared of what comes at the end of a lifelong dream.
Who knows, but I’m certain there can only be more life!
Best wishes
J.H
Here’s a quote that often gives me comfort in the decisions of life.
God’s gift to us is the ability, and our gift to him is our availability.
Onwards and upwards alwaysss
Congrats on registering the business bro! Wishing you all the best