You can still run your race
How many times have your heard people give reasons on why they couldn’t run their race? In fact, many people quit their race before it even starts. And their excuses are numerous: They couldn’t get there on time--they couldn’t find their shoes--they weren’t feeling well--no one was helping them--the weather was bad--they couldn’t afford to--and on and on.
Of course it’s not smart to run a race if you’re not ready or prepared, but in the race of life, there hardly ever is a perfect time to start a race. Sometimes you have to just get on the starting line and go when the gun fires. In fact, many people who forge their way into a race often get stronger as the race proceeds. If you want to run a race bad enough, you can run it.
Jim Thorpe, whom many consider to be the greatest athlete who ever lived, was never going to let anyone or anything stop him. On the morning of his races during the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, he woke up and discovered someone had stolen his running shoes. With very little time and no one to assist him, he pilfered through garbage cans in nearby apartment buildings until he found two separate shoes. Both were low-cut--one being an actual shoe while the other was a moccasin. He had to wear an extra sock with the moccasin to make it fit tighter on his foot. Despite his equipment disadvantage, Jim won two gold medals in track and field that day.
Jim Thorpe is a perfect example and
reminder that you don’t have to resign
to excuses that have held you back. He
could have dropped out with an excuse
but he didn’t. He did what he had to do,
ran his races, and won! 
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Many people will often tell you if you feel life isn’t fair to “get in line.” But I say rather than get in line to “get in gear” and do something about it. Whatever you woke up with this morning: stolen shoes, ill health, failed relationships, failed business, etc, don’t let it stop you from running your race. You can experience more in life if you get over the excuses and get on with living. You can have reasons or you can have results, but you can’t have both.
This is not to say that a life event
won’t stop you in your tracks from time
to time and cause great grief--it happens
to everyone. It’s what you do after
you’ve been knocked to your knees that
matters. Get up, dust yourself off, and
get back at it.
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In the movie Rocky Balboa, Rocky made the following statement to his son (there’s great wisdom in this statement):
“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”
If you don’t feel prepared to run your race, figure out why not and take action to rectify it. You have to accept personal responsibility for being where you are today and deal with the consequences of any decisions you’ve made in the past. Learn from your experiences and make a plan moving forward so future outcomes turn out much better.
In life, whatever race you want to run, you can run it. If you’ve started a race, finish it. When you finish it, find another race to run and run it.
~ The End ~
