It's a bitch. No doubt about it.
If you've ever tried to reach the finish line after running a long, difficult race, that last stretch before you cross it is by far the hardest part. Persistence and determination are essential to reaching the end. The question is - do you have it and how much do you want it - especially when comes to that final stretch?
Everywhere you look there are those who've fallen to the wayside. The landscape is littered with those who broke under the pressure and lay sprawling on your path - victims of overwhelming odds who gave up and have fallen right before they reached the goal. If you look behind you all you'll see are the defeated and spent -writhing in exhaustion and disappointment - never crossing the finish line and wishing they had one more chance.
If you look to your right or to your left, those who run with you are just as tired as you are but you know the "secret to victory" and they don't. You actually believe you're going to win. More than that - You know it.
Why is that?
Because you've trained for this your whole life. You've run thousands of mini marathons in preparation, and you've invested everything you've got into winning this race. You've faced more opposition than Hillary Clinton, taken more hits than Mohammed Ali, weathered more scorn than Tammy Faye Baker and hit the dirt (face first) more times than not, which means that no matter what comes against you, there's no doubt in your mind - this time you're going to win.
As you visualize crossing the finish line in your mind and the tickertape begins to fly, a sudden realization, like a bolt of lightning, hits you - and it sends you flying over the finish line.
As the reporters gather around you with flashbulbs going off in your face, the question they all want answered is "How did you do it this time?" and "What happened there at the end?"
Your answer?
"I suddenly realized I was just running against myself."
Silence.
That's maybe not the answer they were expecting.
Maybe neither were you.
In every race we run in life, the only people we run against are really lesser versions of ourselves. The ones who say the wrong things at the wrong time, make mistakes, forget to be grateful, gossip about others, wallow in self-pity, give up, act selfish, judge others, get lazy, take themselves too seriously, forget to pray, find fault, dwell on the past, have negative mindsets, forget to laugh, are self-righteous, blind to the needs of others, are impatient, have not forgiven, abuse themselves, cut people off, insist on their own way, survive the day rather than enjoy it, point out fault in others, refuse to cry. . . and so on.
The only way we'll ever win the race is to let go of all those failures, to break free of every mistake we made in the past and by focusing on what we could be - visualizing ourselves as the winner - as the best version of ourselves - the one we were meant to be all along.
It's a little miracle we like to call "finding your wings."
Today, if you are on the home stretch and finding it hard to see the finish line, let alone see yourself crossing it, take heart. The fact that you've made it this far means you've come a long way already and victory is just around the corner. Keep going! Keep believing and above all - know this - the only one who can prevent you from winning is you - a lesser version of you.
If you keep your heart and mind focused on the best version of yourself - the one God created you to be, and you let go of the lesser, pretty soon you'll be crossing that finish line - and, because of your little victory, others will learn how to win their races - just by watching you.
Cheering you on,
RiMi
