Marathon – A RACE of Life

I got back to the world of marathons after a gap of six years. I participated in the 10km category with many questions in my mind; will I be able to do it? What will my timing be? Am I fit enough to participate or am I just being emotional and impetuous about it? Well! I disregarded all the doubts that arose in mind and followed my heart. I did complete the marathon with a decent timing, a sense of accomplishment and lot of thoughts on how a marathon is akin to a RACE of life.

Hundreds running along with you but you are alone…

At the start line, there are hundreds who start the race with you in the wee hours of the morning, all looking bright, fit and eager to complete the run. Some start fast, some start slow, some decide to keep pace with their friends and run along while others decide to sprint past all to complete their run with a new high. As you proceed in the marathon, you release that you are amidst a lot of people all running towards one goal “the finish line” but yet you are alone, trying to complete your run, achieve your target and fulfil your dream. The person next to you could be a stranger whom you may want to turn into a competitor or a friend who runs along with you.

In the journey of corporate life, we all start exactly the same way, hundreds graduate to join the workforce every year with a hope to succeed. Some race faster than others to climb the corporate ladder, while others take time. We are often amidst a lot of colleagues all working towards the same of goal “Success” but the journey each takes is different. The pace of achieving success also differs from person to person. The meaning of success is also not the same just like in the marathon completing the run could be a success for one while achieving a better timing could be a measure of success for another or it could just be graduating to a higher category of the run for the third.

It’s the realisation which helps you enjoy the journey – The RACE of Life. The realisation that you are the master of your run you can define your success, your pace and have the power to improve yourself from your previous experience. There may be hundreds racing the corporate ladder with you, but your journey is unique, your journey is different from others’ as you are different from others. On the track or the pathway you may meet friends, competitors, colleagues who may impact your journey but at the end you are alone, running your own race to what you define as success.

The journey may have its ups and downs, towards the end fatigue may set in and the last stretch could be the most challenging, the temptation to give up could be high or the determination to reach the “The Finish Line” could be higher. The choices are only ours… it’s your Race of Life – a Marathon to Finish.