The Race

The race is not given to the swift, but to the one who endures. (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

Perseverance, persistence, tenacity and resilience are traits you gain. You are not born with a sense of grit or stubbornness. You gain them through experience. You gain them from success. And above all, you gain them from failure.

Throughout life, you will encounter success, failure, beauty and chaos. You will witness miracles and you will live through catastrophes. This medley of great and horrible experiences defines the qualities you will pick up on the way. Moments unravel with neither a script nor a structure. Unable to control your environment, your surroundings or the people that will impact a specific situation, you have the duty to live through the moment itself. You must see it through. Only after will you have time to assess the situation. Only after will you come to conclusions. Only after will you pick up on gratefulness or bitterness, kindness or evil, humility or pride. Sometimes living and learning during the journey will open your eyes to certain realities but it is only after you step away from the situation   you will truly understand what has come out of your experience.

You must not rush through the aftermath and assess too quickly. Sometimes you live certain experiences, witness certain moments and meet specific people with no meaning at that point and time; yet they all change your life when you least expect it. That, itself, is one of life’s best feelings. Sprinting through the finish line will leave you winded and your mind blurred causing you to miss the big picture. Enduring a few more miles with your body feeling every step along the way will allow you to truly understand the process and enjoy the finish line.

Gain perseverance, gain persistence, gain tenacity and gain resilience. At the end of a race, you gain a time, a medal, or a prize. At the end of an experience, you make memories, acquire skills and above all you gain traits that make you, well you.