Have you ever had a song play on rewind throughout the day? Well, I hadn’t…not until yesterday. Many times we hear that we should always push our boundaries so that we know what we are truly capable of. Well, it’s true! Just know that today’s article is not in the style of H.I.K.E but it’s in the style of grATTITUDE…HOWEVER, it will be short and to the point. Here goes.
I would like to believe that at some point, we have all heard the tale of the hare and tortoise. Well, I finally learnt the lesson from the tale…and yes, better late than never! This is what happened. As you read, please visualize the tortoise…slow…steady…moving…!
In the spirit of ‘trying new things’ and ‘testing my physical limits’, I did a half marathon and happily learnt a few things;
Success starts in the mind. My goal was the medal and I persevered through physical discomfort because of that goal. The magic of tunnel vision!
Your body will test you thoroughly! But your mind will carry you through the day. This brought to mind Victor Frankl who survived the Nazi concentration camps. (Go ahead and read his books – you will not be sorry).
You must learn to enjoy your own company. At some point as the run wore on, the participants began spacing out based on their speeds. This is where I found myself in the company of myself and my thoughts. It happened to be the day where I didn’t have my playlist jammed in my ears…you can imagine the thoughts! And the temptations to cheat and call an uber!
The sweetness of success lies in the journey that allows you to grow yourself to become the person that will enjoy the goal. I can tell you for sure, as I clung to the medal, I loved the physical feeling of having overcome the run. If I had cheated as I was earlier tempted to, the guilt wouldn’t have allowed me to celebrate.
At this point, let me bring in the song I mentioned before. I will go the distance – Michael Bolton. “I will find my way if I can be strong, I know every mile would be worth my while. When I go the distance, I’ll be right where I belong”. This song kept me going. This song made me smile at the memory of watching my closest friends grow, succeed and achieve their goals. This song made me smile, knowing I had a friend cheering me on at the finish line! I was the tortoise…and I loved it!
As promised, I have kept it short!
“Keep growing, keep glowing, keep going and keep soaring!”
― Germany Kent