Ever tried to run and keep up with everyone in a marathon? Well, that is what I tried to do during the Stanchart marathon in Nairobi, Kenya. I was convinced that I was going to keep up with the likes of INEOS runner Eliud Kipchoge.
My determination was to make it, even if it meant being a few minutes behind these great legends. Unfortunately, a few seconds into the race, I realized that the “making it” was just in my head and had to accept that the only way to complete the race was if I ran, walked, or crawled at my own pace.
These legends had done it for so many years and followed a certain lifestyle, a strict diet, invested time and resources, and the only thing that I, their competitor had invested in was getting there on time. We were all running the same race but for different reasons. I had to finally accept that I was running for fun and had to eventually run at my pace, kept to my lane, and finally completed the race in 7 hours.
This race was a great reminder of how we try to fit in as we try to do this thing called life: Wanting to work for Fortune 500 companies, living in a mansion, getting married, having kids, or having a bank account like Warren Buffet. The pressures of fitting in depending on our social context can be quite overwhelming. So what were the lessons that I learned on that day?
- Stay in your lane, we are all gifted differently. You have your own unique abilities, strengths, and resources
- There is some loss of identity when trying to be like other people. If I am in a race just to fit in, guess how much pressure and stress I put on myself? Too much, and it eventually impacts my own health.
- Be a learner during the process but mold it into your own gifting.
- It taught me the importance of investing and being disciplined in my goals.
- Learn who your pacesetters are. Learn what they bring to the table and for how long they will stick around. The people who started the race with me were my buddies. They encouraged, waited for me, and held my hand till the end of the race. People might be in your life for a purpose and season. Learn what they bring to the table and what purpose you serve in theirs.
I might have not come out with the millions that the legends had won but my big win was finishing the race. It was a great joy to be at the end of the finish line, I had made it. That was a great lesson for me that I may not be where I thought I should be or society thinks I should be but I kept to my goal.
Unfortunately in a world that is always running fast, there is some pressure to fit into certain societal expectations and that comes with added stress. Stay in your lane but keep running.