Run Your Own Race

A friend shared this with me (below) and I thought it was so good I just had to share it too! It made me think about the following...What does "run your own race" mean to you? To me it means being truly who you are without worrying about anyone else. You are you and nobody else. Your goals are yours and belong to only you. So many times I have found myself competing with others - worried about how fast I'm going and trying to beat everyone else. I've learned that competition is good except when it interferes with you actually accomplishing your goals! So what is your roadblock keeping you from being your best? On the track, on the job, at home and everywhere in between. RUN YOUR OWN RACE!!!

Written by Kristin Armstrong (former wife of Lance Armstrong) written in 'Heart of my Heart: 365 Reflections on the Magnitude and Meaning of Motherhood

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you." Galatians 5:7-8

'I have a ceramic tile in my office that says, "Run your own race." It is leaning against a photograph of me, smiling huge, after crossing the finish line of a thirty-one mile trail race. If you think I'm one of those crazy talented athletes, think again. I am just like you. I never thought I could do anything like that race. At one point, I couldn't even run three miles. My endurance was built up by experiences over time, not by any special gift.

The "Run your own race" quote is precious to me. Anytime I start to pay too much attention to people around me (particularly in a running race), I lose confidence and lost heart. I get distracted. I go faster than my pace to try to match someone else's, and I don't have what I need to make it to the finish. That thirty-one mile race was different. I looked at it like a journey, not a race. My mind was set on crossing the line, not on my watch, and I had a list of all the reasons why I simply would not give up.

Don't let other people cut in on you and break your stride. Don't try to match anyone else's pace; their goals might not be the same as yours. Stay focused on your own race. Pay attention to where you are and how you are doing; don't waste time and energy looking at everyone else, making incorrect and unproductive comparisons. Our children need to learn this vital lesson as early as possible so they can run the race marked out for them."