Run to Win (2)

Welcome to part 2 of this article. To read part 1, click this link.

In part 1, I used the story of the champion horse and the potential champion horse in a horse race competition, as narrated in Napoleon Hill and Williams Clemenstone’s Success Through Positive Mental Attitude, to buttress the fact that life is a race that we must run to win.

Here in this second part, we are going to discuss the nature of the race we are called upon to run. Life’s race can be likened to a marathon. Marathon is a long running race of about 42 kilometres or 26 miles. Unlike 100 metres dash which takes you seconds to complete, marathon takes minutes and hours to complete.

Consequently, it takes patience, endurance and perseverance to run the race. If you can sprint to complete the race, fine. But Marathon is not run with the speed of a jet, as one may get exhausted before one finishes the race.

Even marathon stars never dared sprint to finish the race; they run slowly and steadily to finish the race. And by so doing, they conserve their stamina and are able to keep running until they get to the finishing line.

How to Run Life’s  Race

Having compared life’s  race with marathon, let us discuss what we must know and do to finish life’s race successfully:

1.   Life’s Race is a Long Distance Race

Iike marathon, life’s race is a long-distanced race. What this implies is that success is not achieved overnight. No matter how smart, brilliant or intelligent you are, you cannot make it overnight. It takes time and more often, longer time than you contemplate.

The inordinate desire of some people to get rich quick has made them fall prey to unscrupulous persons. If your focus is on how you can finish life’s race overnight, you may end up never making it.

Forget about get-rich-quick scheme, forget about overnight success. To run life’s race and win, accept the fact that success may take longer time than you ever contemplated.         

2.   Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Since life’s race may take longer time than you expect, you don’t have to run faster than your shadow, as it is difficult if not impossible to do so. A sprinter who runs the marathon with the aim of finishing it within seconds will realize that it is impossible to do so. He will run out of stamina and end up not being able finish the race.

Similarly, in the race of life, you cannot finish it overnight.  An English proverb says: “There is no hurry in life.” for this reason, we should run life’s race slowly and steadily.

A slow-and-steady race requires patience, endurance and perseverance. The Bible says: “Let us run the race with patience the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1). 

Never let impatience rob you of your ability to make a dent on the universe. When it appears the distance is taking longer than you expected, never get discouraged. Don’t be too much in haste to complete life’s race. Exercise patience and keep running – slowly and steadily until you cross the finishing line.

3.   Life’s Race Requires Stamina

Life’s race requires stamina. Stamina simply means physical and mental strength. Stamina is a priceless resource that God has bestowed on us to enable us run life’s race. God will not set a race for us to run without giving us the stamina to finish it.

The reason life’s race appears difficult for us to run is not because we don’t have the stamina, but because of our unwillingness to develop our stamina.

Just as athletes engage in constant rigorous physical exercise to develop or build their stamina, we must get up and be serious about life. Get up, roll up your sleeves and work at anything you want to achieve. The more effort you put in, the greater the stamina you will build. Consequently, the higher your chances of success.

4.   Though a Competitive Race, Life’s Race Requires Being the Best You Can Be

Life’s race is no doubt competitive. You cannot afford to sit down and fold your arms when others are getting ahead. Everyone is running to win the race. You have to get on track and start running.

Our stamina, speed, mental and spiritual strength may differ, as it is reflected in our positions in life and lifestyle. Regardless of our positions in life, the fact is, we can work on ourselves, put in more effort and move ahead in life.

What is worthy of note is that in the race of life, you are called to be the best you can be. In his bestselling book, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do But All You Can Do Is Enough!, bestselling author and motivational coach, Art L. Williams  powerfully drives home the point that all we are called upon to do is all we can do, and when we do all we can do, that will be enough for us to excel in life. If we can sincerely do ALL we can do, we will run and win the race of life.

The bottom-line is: In life’s competitive race, our focus should be on doing the best we can and being the best we can.

5.   You Can Get Up Again and Run Life’s Race Anytime

In the race of life, there is ample opportunity to run and win. It is true that you may fall by the wayside; it is true that you may get discouraged and quit; it is true that you may run out of stamina, but it is also true that you can always get back on track and run again.

This is one aspect that distinguished life’s race from marathon or sprint run (short-distance race). You are never for any reason disqualified from running the race of life. When you are tired, you may stop to rest; no one will disqualify you. God will also no disqualify you. That you are alive is an indication that God is still giving you ample opportunities to get back on track and finish your race.

What matters most in life’s race is getting to the finishing line. The number of times you fall by the wayside is immaterial. What will make you a winner in life is getting up each time you fall by the wayside and running with every determination to win.

As Napoleon Hill, author of the famous motivational bestselling book,  Think and Grow Rich, said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

Will you be a winner or will you be a quitter? Make up your mind now that you will not only run life’s race, you will run to win by doing the best you can, accelerating slowly and steadily until you cross the finishing line - strong and victorious!

CFVL CLASSIFIED ADS  
CFVL RECOMMENDATIONS 

Here are some of our products that we highly recommend to all our readers. For a full list of our products, CLICK HERE  

SELF-EMPLOYMENT SECRET 1 – Discover the strategy of walking in financial freedom.

INFORMATION GOLDMINE! – Tap into the never ending goldmine of information!

PRINTING PROFITS! – Make fortunes from printing with little or no capital.  

MAKE FORTUNES FROM IMPORT! – Start with little capital without travelling overseas!  

WRITE ONLINE ARTICLES FOR MONEY! – Discover the secret of making money online writing articles.  

AFFILIATE MARKETING GOLDMINE! – Discover the success secret in affiliate product marketing! 

ONLINE PLATFORM FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS! – Discover how to leverage the internet to grow your professional practice.  

LUCRATIVE POULTRY BUSINESS SECRETS! – How to make huge income constantly from egg and broiler production.  

A-Z OF COPYWRITING! – Master the technique of copywriting and earn fat income constantly!

SUCCESS SECRET OF THE AGES! – Grab hold of the lessons contained in the ancient, life-changing parable of the pencil.  

Connect with Me on Facebook
www.facebook.com/centreforvictoriouslivingcfvl/  

Follow Me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/@cfvlblog