Life is a marathon, not a race!

Soukeïna Rose
Apr 23, 2020
5 min read

Updated: Apr 27, 2020

This must be one of the most important lessons I have learned, and it is still a challenge for me to fully live according to this truth, but I am definitely trying! I mean, we all have many goals we set for ourselves to achieve our ambitions, and it is actually very wise to plan things ahead. Yet, these goals and ambitions can sometimes hit me all at once and become a source of discouragement during the stressful seasons of life. Understanding that "just because I cannot do everything does not mean I cannot do anything" helped me to considerably change my outlook on life!

In this article, I will share how this new perspective has become a powerful asset for me. It is helping me to overcome multiple hardships, and even makes me appreciate the challenges that life brings! I hope that as we reflect on this topic together, you will be able to find new ways to grow, persevere, and successfully achieve the goals you have set for yourself!

"Just because I cannot do everything does not mean I cannot do anything!"

It may seem obvious, but honestly, when you are in the midst of a stressful situation, reasoning becomes more challenging! Haven't you experienced this moment when you feel so confident going to an exam you have studied for, you sit down thinking that everything will go smoothly, and then you stumble on a few questions that put you in panic mode... "Oh my goodness, when did we EVER see that in class... I'm going to fail this test!". Or when you arrive well prepared for a job interview, and the manager asks you this random question you didn't see coming, and you're already thinking, "well, I guess it's time to look for another job." The good thing is that the situation is rarely as bad as it seems! I realized that whenever I experienced this kind of stress, it was because of the pressure I had put on myself by trying to control everything or achieve too many things all at once. If you can relate to this, prioritizing is a must, my friend! Yet, to prioritize effectively, it is important to know yourself!

We will probably have to learn continuously about ourselves until we leave this world, but that is so exciting! As we grow up, our perception of life changes, our passions, and talents evolve just like our relationships, and our goals. It is essential to regularly take some personal time to evaluate our own hearts, minds, health, and our purposes... Who or what matters the most to me? What are my deepest desires in life? What makes me truly happy?

As I mentioned in my first article, I wanted to be a pediatrician when I was a little girl. But what I didn't say is that I also wanted to be an actress, a singer, a dancer, and a writer. I wanted to travel around the world, take care of the planet and of people, get married and have a beautiful God-loving family... and I am pretty sure the list does not stop here! I mean, haven't we all been there as kids? But, at one point, we have to choose... Realistically, no one is good at everything, but that's ok! And usually, accomplishing our biggest ambitions in life also requires some sacrifices along the way. We just have to do our best not to compromise the things we deeply care about over the things that society imposes on us. Trying to please or impress others in everything we do, will only lead us to miss so many opportunities to grow and do something incredible with the talents, skills, and personality we have. On top of it, we cannot please everybody, and even if we could, we would turn out to be the saddest people in the world!

So the more I get to know myself, the easier it is to set my own priorities and not compromise on my main values! It helps me to set gradual and realistic goals for myself instead of trying to prove my worth to the people around me. It gives me a path with a purpose and a destination, which allows me to stay focus and stand back up again when I fall. The beauty of it is that I meet many inspiring souls along the way who are also running the marathon of life!

Why a marathon and not a race then? Well, I was recently told that living life as a race is like trying to cross the finish line as fast as possible to be first in a world where we are more than seven billion people. Moreover, the finish line is always moving because our goals are constantly changing! So, it is a pretty exhausting way to live our life, we could never be completely at rest or feel fulfilled because the competition never ends and our targets are not permanent. It is also a very lonely experience. How many of us get hurt or hurt others because our only focus is to "finish the race"? And when we actually cross this line we have put in our mind for so long, we realize that it is not enough... "I am still longing for something else, so there must be something better than this!"... Well, yes, there is! But to find it, it will require us to improve our vision and change our focus.

Now, I don't know how that change looks like for you... but I know that for me, that switch only happened when I found my identity as a child of God! It is only then that I understood that most of the things I was desperately running towards were already freely given to me! Of course, I still have to plan things, set goals, study, work hard on some projects, and I am planning to live a good life like everybody else... So, I still have to run! But, I get to enjoy the run because it is not a race anymore, it is a marathon! I get to appreciate and learn so much from the people and the things that come, whether good or bad. I have found real peace and security that never leaves, and I have experienced total freedom from the constant oppression our world can bring! I have a "faith it till I make it" mindset now!

Last but not least, find you some quality people to keep you accountable and to support you in your journey! I believe that we were not made to live this life alone, because it can get pretty tough! We need one another and, by experience, running with someone by your side is so much easier and pleasant than running alone! And when I talk about quality people, I am not talking about the friends that always encourage you to do the things you know you are not supposed to do! I am talking about friends who will love you enough to tell you the truth, even when it is hard to hear! They will motivate you when you are at your lowest and help you to remember the goals you have set for yourself. They will see the potential you have to accomplish great things in life, will affirm you for that, and will not let you turn away from it!