Is It A Race Or Marathon?

Is it a race or marathon? I often ponder about this question. On the surface it looks like a race but in substance it is a marathon, is the conclusion I derive. Yes. I am talking about our lives. When I see avarice experienced, the lightning speed at which one moves in life to grab the opportunities to accumulate wealth, the display of frenetic excitement or energy one demonstrate when ahead of others and when one frantically run towards the goal line missing to experience the sweetness of life that one should encounter. One misses experiencing life and love by running like in a race towards material goals. In a race towards such goal, we often look back how far the others have progressed and if we encounter pain or suffering, we get disappointed.

It is our endurance to meet the series of challenges with right attitude, sustained behavior, great character and rigorous discipline for a longer duration that defines life than the speed at which we experience success and a short duration in which we accumulate material possession. How we achieve things in life is much more important than what we achieve. Even if one achieves material possession in a short duration, maintaining, leave alone growing, requires significant skills.

If we ever meet those who practice and regularly participate in marathon, they will tell you that their experience of practicing, building the mental and physical strength to withstand the duration of the marathon, how they felt while practicing and participating in the marathon, how they are being cheered by those who watch the marathon and how they are encouraged by the fellow participants are all important memorable experiences and not who came first in the marathon. The sheer practicing and participation gives an enormous joy and promotes the will power to participate again and again.

The participants don’t care about the suffering along the way but focus on the goal to last the entire duration of the marathon. The marathon participants prove one can do great things if one does it out of love for others. Most of the marathoners participate to contribute for a good cause and when the goal is for the common good, their determination increases manifold. They overcome the struggle with the support of those who cheer for them. They don’t do it because it is easy but because it is hard and more one struggled over and over, their determination becomes stronger. They realize that there are no shortcuts.

Life is not about winning ahead of anyone and it is about being there for each other. We are not here to compare but to encourage each other. The only competition is our own inspiration to be better tomorrow than what we are today. We often run against sustained winds of our own emotions of hopelessness and lack of self-confidence that relentlessly pursue to knock us down. Every failure we experience in life is a stepping stone for a bright future that is in store for us. We gain experience which is invaluable out of every challenge we face in life. The experiences we gain out of our failure makes us stronger whereas the sense of pride of achieving something, unless viewed with equanimity, might weaken our pursuit of growth and personal development.

The “first thing first” said Steven Covey in his book, “Seven habits of highly effective people”. Let us make one step at a time in life. Let us do actions with a lot of discipline, deep sense of commitments and with great love. The obstacles we encounter are to be dealt with not as a hindrance but as a step towards our goal. The successes we face will have to be met with same mindset of learning something from them than a sense of pride. When the ants store food for the rainy season, they make a collective effort to roll up their sleeves to move huge mountain of food to their home with rigor and discipline. It is such a pleasant experience to watch it. The quality of life one leads is more valuable than the results achieved in life.

 

Hi Rihana,

Thank you for your first response to this snippet and for your appreciation of this snippet. I am so happy you listed a few sentences as quotes worth noting. Hopefully, your charm as a thread bumper works for this snippet as well. No matter what happens here, that Watson remains with you.

Viswa

 

Dear Pavithra,

Thank you for posting your response along with the sentence you liked in this snippet. Instead of classifying people as winners and losers, it is better to have them as collaborators mutually helping each other. One can't win or lose them all.

Viswa

 

Sindmani,

Thank you for your kind comment. I feel humbled.

Viswa

 

Dear Balajee,

There is a subtle difference between what it is now and what it should be. I was narrating what it should be and you are saying what it is now. How long one can last in a race? Eventually, one had to lose some. Without collaboration and mutual help, the world will cease to exist. Whether one believes in God or not, one can't function without the help of others.

Viswa