The Heart of the Champion
I recently watched the movie Secretariat. It’s one of those movies that stays with you long after the end. Even though some of the screenplay is fictional and sensationalized, it still served as a celebration of Life — as expressed in a great horse.
After the movie, I went to YouTube and watched footage of the actual race. As I watched Secretariat race to the finish, I wondered… what made the horse run?
Some would say he had heart – the heart of a champion.
He still holds the track record at Belmont – 2:24 over 1.5 miles – the fastest time in history on a dirt track. And even though we knew at the outset of the movie, that this horse would win the triple crown, it still caused me to sit on the edge of my seat – rooting for him and celebrating his victory.
Why are we so moved by a story like Secretariat? Somehow we want to believe that he feels what we feel, that he knows how awesome his win is. Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t know, but in perceiving his big heart, we respond with ours.
But what is heart?
Isn’t it more than bravery, courage, strength and speed?
The heart connects us to that intangible something that we sense behind the scenes of life.
Our heart is more than an organ – it is our emotional reservoir – from which we connect to others and express ourselves.
When my grandson says “I love you Nana” there is a tug in my heart, and when my husband brings me flowers, there is a lift, and when my son drives away after his visit there is a pull.
Every day, thoughts and emotions tug, pull, impress and lift our hearts.
We connect with and feel life in our heart; we express and experience life based on how we feel there.
No matter what the circumstances, we act and react by how we feel…. by whether our heart is attuned or closed.
We give a heart full of love to another and hope it won’t be broken.
We feel joy, sorrow, elation and bliss – in our heart.
We feel our hearts soar and our hearts break.
We feel excitement over our dreams, and pain if they are not attained. And as we feel with our hearts, we can be swayed by our thoughts and beliefs.
Sometimes we lose heart. We can shut down and live in depression without realizing it. When this happens, we may no longer reach out to loved ones and find it hard to care about anything – living on autopilot and just going through the motions.
To be pulled from these depths, takes strength.
Gratitude can start the healing process as we give thanks for even the smallest comforts.
Meditative prayer can help in the healing, as we meditate on a phrase, such as “God is Love”.
Writing in a journal can help in the healing, as we first write about all that we think is wrong or bothering us. As that clears away, love flows in.
As we feel the stirring in our hearts, love helps raise us into a higher state of being.
That lightness of being is our true state. It is the state we innately know, that we sense in others and desire for ourselves.
As long as we can take a breath, we can connect to that spark, that essence of which we are.
Heart is more than what is felt in these skin and bones.
As spiritual beings, our connection to Source inspires us.
By turning inward to the intuitive knowing that is in us, we realize that we are not alone.
Secretariat is more than the story of a great horse, he is also his owner’s – Penny Tweedy Chenery’s – dream come to life. Secretariat gave the essence full rein – allowing us to witness its joyful expression.
That joyous something – that essence – brings meaning, elation and purpose to life.
We can sense that essence – that connection when we celebrate the heart of a champion.
As we celebrate a life, the very essence, the spark of all life is expressed. As we bear witness to that spark, we celebrate the Life Source of everything seen and unseen.
Rejoice, be grateful and celebrate. Feel the joy of allowing the spiritual essence to express more Life through you – for yours is the heart of a champion!
*Resources about Secretariat:
