In a world of instant everything our attention span and patience levels are continuing to dissipate. We are constantly racing from one thing to another so much so that mult-tasking has become a norm as there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done. It is clear that speeds stock has risen and time is one of our most precious resources. Life now more than ever seems like race…but where is the finish line? If we get there will we be happy with who & where we are?
I was reminded of this when training and running my 1st marathon. In a literal race it is natural to want to finish as fast as possible. I recall runners constantly asking me: What’s your time goal? I was clear that my goal was to finish and slow and steady would be the way. I had to reorient myself to not worry about my time, people passing me or allow any negative competitive energy enter into my thoughts, more important was how I felt. Essentially it was about running my own race. This rings true not only in my running but also how I approach life.
The “race” of life is personal. Run your own race, not one that is imposed on you by deceptive external elements.
Many people I spoke to who had run marathons told me stories of how painful the experience was. Personally, I really enjoyed my experience and was able to get into a flow state. It didn’t hurt that the course was predominately along the beautiful coast of Maui.Marathon running like most things in life is a mental game. Whether you think you can or you think you cant you are right. In the highly recommended book Born to Run, the author talks about the 1 consistent element of the vast majority of world class runners…they smile while running. You should have seen me race day I had a grin from ear to ear...
Run your own race AND enjoy the process, if not what’s the point?
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