There is something special about the start of a race. the air is filled with excitement + possibility. music is playing and my body is blissfully unaware of the soreness that will lie ahead.
During my training, i never timed myself. my only goal: Enjoy the Race.
Yet as soon as i crossed the start line, something flipped.
My mind went straight to the pacers signs.
2:30, 2:15, 2:00
I willed my body to pass each one.
A fellow racer passed me. Hell no. I passed them back.
I could feel my body push back as if to say, "Hey Sheri, um, whatcha doing?"
Yet for the first 3 miles, I stubbornly ignored.
And then finally, a voice popped into my head.
Run your own race.
This phrase became my repeated mantra for the next 10 miles.
Each time i got distracted by someone else's progress, I reminded myself to stick to my own goal: enjoyment, peace, persistence.
This was my personal definition of success.
We do this often in life, yes?
We rate how we are doing in our lives against what we perceive in others.
Someone else has it figured it. They look happier. They are going faster. They are more successful.
Yet, our sole responsibility is our own path.
And aligning that path with what matters most to us.
And authentically defining success and courageously taking one next step.
In the words of Michelle Obama, "Success isn't about how your life looks to others. It's about how it feels to you."
The race felt good friends. like, "I can't sit properly for a day or two" good. But still really good.
Post race, I am spending time today reflecting on what "run your own race" means for the broader scope of my career and life.
Excitement + possibility are in the air.
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