ATHLETIC LIFE 2

Do not be surprised if you are being referred to as an athlete, even if you have never been on a track, because you are already on a track which is LIFE and you are an athlete running a race which is life itself.

If you haven’t read the part one of “Athletic Life” please take a pause and go do that now and then come back to read this when you are done. It’s the latest post before this.

So moving on, another kind of race that illustrates life as a race is the short distance races (100, 200 and probably 400). These kinds of races are quite different from marathon. The way a short distance runner trains is different from the ways a long distance runner trains, the rules guiding them are different, so they don’t try to compete or copy each other but they understand their race and run it as it should be run.

You and your friend may have the same kind of aspiration or dream and your friend achieves his in less than a year while you achieve yours in two years. Don’t you ever start thinking you are a failure because your friend made it before you, all you have to understand is you are both on a track but running different races, he’s got his to run and you’ve got yours, he probably understood how to go about that dream than you did. So, instead of trying to be a copycat and get ahead of yourself cos you envy your friend, get on with understanding how to run your own race.

Now you are on the same track and he gets to the finish line before you, which makes you either 2nd, 3rd or even last, doesn’t that make you a failure? The answer is No, it doesn’t. Let me ask: Haven’t you ever seen a situation where a person who became 5th in a race or competition becomes prominent than the first? Let’s take the reality show “Big brother” as an example. The show is a winner takes it all show, now using the just concluded edition as an example, I think Soma, the first housemate to be evicted is quite prominent right now than Efe, the winner of the show (just my opinion, don’t eat me up yet…lol).

Soma left the show and became a prominent brand’s ambassador, he got featured in more than one song, got a show on a tv station. He was able to get all these because he built for himself a niche and brand before he left the house and that sold him out and gave him a platform. I’m not saying Efe didn’t do same but hey, this is not a Big brother article, so let’s move on, shall we?

The fact that you didn’t emerge as the first to achieve your goal amongst your friends doesn’t make you a failure, what makes you a failure is you thinking you are a failure and staying where your thought places you and refusing to brace up. Why not just focus on your strength and build a castle on that strength of yours, change your style of running if that is what it takes, celebrate yourself for taking a step to start that race.

Everyone cannot win a race, true, but know that you are a winner for first of all taking the bold step to start your race. Know your race, don’t run on another person’s track, you can take a cue from those who ran the race before you but don’t ever forget to maintain your own track and run your race.

Know your speed and get better, athletes don’t just run one race all their lives, they run several races and they win some and loose some, that is why they are never losers. There is always a room for improvement. If you lag behind and fail in this particular goal, there is always another opportunity to run another race, time for you to understand what went wrong in the first race and time for you to get up and run another one with the right pace and right mindset.

You could be on a relay race track, you need to understand that the fact that you are not shining yet is simply because the baton has not been transferred to you yet, why not be patient and wait for your turn. Be calm and study the environment and pay attention to your predecessor’s pace (the person passing the baton to you) and live a leading life for your successor to look up to (the person you are handing the baton over to).

You must however understand that the fact that there are different types of races doesn’t mean you may never find yourself running all of them, this is when you need to be vigilant and smart, know when what you need are the rules guiding marathon and know when what is in play is the 100m race. Don’t get confused, just be patient, wise and smart.

The most beautiful part about life being a race which makes it different from the conventional race is that you are your very own referee, you are the one to decide when your race starts, so the whistle is in your hand, if you haven’t blown it yet, what exactly are you waiting for, why not get on with it?

Life is a race, always remember that it is your race and nobody’s. Identify your race and run it and when it comes to moving on to another, take your chances and be your best.

You are a winner as long as you take the challenge and never stop pushing forward.