Running The Race

A race is a competitive exercise or a situation in which individuals or groups compete to be first to achieve a particular objective or reward.  In running the Race of Life, some might have the opinion that there is already enough competition in the world without deliberately adding more to it, while others believe there is not enough.  I believe it is more beneficial to compete with and position ourselves to earn the reward of being the best that we can be.  Are you better today than you were last year?  In the areas of health, career, communication, even spiritual growth, how do you evaluate yourself or measure accountability?  

Oftentimes if we are not competing or focusing on a prize directly in front of us, we tend to drift aimlessly from one thing to another. Sometimes we lose interest in any further pursuit toward reaching a goal, and just stop in our tracks.  We fail to realize that life itself dictates all sorts of mandates for us to follow; we simply go along with the program or abide by the rules.  We don’t challenge the 12 years of education, or its equivalent, required by the law; parents just abide by this set-in place governmental mandate.  I’m not against this, but only pointing out that we run races all the time unwittingly or without any resistance.  Twelve years of school is a comprehensive vision for the future. We do what it takes to complete the mission,  focusing on the prize, which is arriving at our wonderful senior year and achieving the reward of graduation. This is an example of how to be disciplined enough to do what it takes to compete mostly with our individual selves; it demonstrates the routine known as training for the future.  This training incorporates the development of social skills, learning how to fit in with others, and gaining friendships with classmates who are racing toward the same finish line.

When you arrive and accomplish the goal for which you were striving, there is yet another goal, another race that will lead to college and even greater aspirations. Without realizing it, or having thought about it, a condensed version of running the race of life has been attained.  Now it is time to be the best you can be throughout life, be a person of excellence in all that you do!

There is a wonderful quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that says, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” Another one of his quotes says, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”  Remember there is always a race, it is up to you whether you decide to participate in the race or remain on the side lines.

·         Have a vision

·         Know what is takes to qualify

·         Focus on the prize

·         Get training

·         Be disciplined to do what it takes

·         Know and realize others are going toward that same finish line

Are you at the starting line, on the side-line, or at the finish line?  Even if you have mastered something, you are never really at the finish line; that is like being perfect or having reached perfection.  You may never reach perfection, but you can come close to it.  Never cease to work toward that end!

RUN YOUR RACE!

Justifiable

Joann