Life is a marathon, not a sprint

Have you ever heard that saying? “Life is a marathon, not a sprint”? I think in the day and age of technology and social media, everybody’s life is really shoved in each other’s faces. And this is definitely something that can deem as intimidating and can even become discouraging at times, because we are constantly being shown people’s riches, achievements, new positions etc. I mean, you open Instagram and you see someone going on holiday, you open LinkedIn and someone has been promoted; and instead of being motivating, some of these things could become a discouraging factor. And it all comes down to our mindset; how do we view life? Is life a series of constant achievements or milestones? Is our success determined by what others are achieving? Are you supposed to have it all together by 30? These things may seem small, but the way we view life actively contributes to how we tackle it.  When you observe your life as a marathon and not a sprint, you become more focused on the process and not only the finish line. Instead of satisfying yourself with short-term goals and happiness, you start seeing things in long-term mode. A marathon is a very long race with several obstacles along the way. Life is the same. Marathons are not easy, if anything, I think that they are the hardest races to run. So is life. The training leading up to a marathon race is intense, brutal and exhausting. So is life. But overall, when the finish line is eventually reached, whether it took three hours or eight, the satisfaction and sheer pride that comes with completing a full marathon is unmatched. Running a marathon requires a strategy, devotion, willingness and balance. Unlike a sprint, a marathon doesn’t only test our endurance but it also challenges our mental toughness and ability to keep moving forward when it would be easier to just quit. It means constantly working on yourself, which is a long-term process and doesn’t happen overnight. It also means accepting that there might me faster runners than you, but that doesn’t necessarily stop you from finishing the race. There will be times when you will be the one leading and the others will try hard to follow your pace but then you might switch roles and they will be leading and you will be the one following. That’s completely normal. There will come times when you will feel like giving up but what makes a difference is choosing to keep moving forward no matter how hard it is at that moment. My dad likes to say, “The road to success isn’t a straight line.” Meaning, you will get on the road, and you will start moving towards your dreams and goals. But along the way you will meet hurdles, and potholes; things that will test you and try you. If you keep pushing and fighting despite those, you will get through them and no matter how damaged or how destroyed the road might be, eventually it leads you to your destination. So, don’t lose faith, don’t lose hope. It might be tough now, others might seem to be achieving more or doing more, but with perseverance and a fighting spirit, you will finish your marathon. Life is a marathon, not a sprint and in the end the race is only against yourself. n