Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-crossing-the-finish-line-10313671/
What does it mean to ‘finish triumphantly’? Is it accomplishing whatever needs to be done first? Or is it the feeling of complete fulfillment after having done something right, despite not beating the finish line ahead?
Many people think that life is a race. It can be interpreted differently, especially for the ones living in a fast-paced lifestyle where everything they do has to be done on a specific timeline, or else they’re going to be left behind. Others see the race as a walk in the park, taking their sweet time to gather energy before giving it all when they’re near the end. Life is not a simple game where every action we take doesn’t have long-term consequences.
Laying the Groundwork
Being alive is a moment where we get the chance to shape who we are and how we want to shape our future. From Childhood to Christhood, it will constantly be a struggle to find our way through the endless line of fellow racers with different end goals.
Not all of us have the same starting line, and it’s not always that we can hear the pistol signaling the start, so it is up to us to lay it all down. We need to be aware of the foundation we are building in our steps so that it becomes clearer where we stand in the future. And since we are racers with an unsure starting point, we have all the liberty to create our path to run on. Most importantly, life may be a race, but it is not an avenue to prove our superficial abilities to everyone else. Being too busy fishing for others’ approval will slow us down and hinder our progress during the race.
Gaining the Momentum
The unique part of being a person who is part of the race called life is that we run for the unknown future ahead of us. Yes, we may not know what lies beyond our line of sight. But if we look at it, the idea of not knowing what is out there makes the run worthwhile and exhilarating. Some people may think they’re better off quitting and dead on their tracks. It takes a strong mind and heart to persevere and maintain that momentum gained during the starting line.
It doesn’t matter where we stumble and fall because that doesn’t warrant any disqualification from the race of life. There may be hecklers on the side, trying to distract us with hurtful words and actions, but this is nothing to a warrior running towards a future they created for themselves – towards a destiny that only they can change. We run not because of the desire to obtain our objectives. We run because we have already got what we need.
How We Should Run
So then, how are we supposed to power through the race set before us if we all start and end differently?
We need to take a look at how we started first. Many of us might think this life is a race where we only have to secure our win and never look back. That is not entirely the case. The point of running this race is to act like a good sport and not bring others down or leave them hanging. We should run with utter perseverance without wasting time or being indifferent to others who need a helping hand. This race is a collective effort to impact each other’s lives and run in such a way that others feel like winning.
Take strength from each other and be a resting point for people who have been running and enduring for far too long. To live in such a way helps us strive for a better goal since we aren’t bound to our self-interests. But in a way, we shouldn’t get too caught up in the affairs of others that we neglect our own pace and well-being. We can’t afford to throw away everything we’ve built around ourselves, but we can’t turn a blind eye to others struggling in the race. Find a balance to be both and succeed in running towards the finish line since we can only do this once, and there will be no starting over.
