100m Dash or Marathon…which race are you running?

Our days get busy and time passes by.  Often times we feel like we are in a race against others, time and life.  We go through short bursts to try and catch up and at times we do it at the expense of the others around us.  Once it is over, we are ready to go again.  We are in a 100m dash.

It might help to try and think of things rather as a marathon and not a 100m dash.  Rather than trying to compete with each other, run life like a marathon and go out and appreciate the distance, time and situations.  There is also a way to change even this perspective.  One example I can give is that while working with the 2010 Olympic Bid Committee, we were trying to get the IOC to give the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games to Vancouver.  We were led by two giants, John Furlong and Jack Poole.  We worked unbelievable hours and dedicated to the cause we signed up for.  We were all running a marathon led by Jack and John; however, as the finish line got closer and the demands put upon us were even more significant, you looked up at the people ahead of you all running this marathon and saw both Jack and John in the front and working the hardest.  To keep us on track, John would get out in front and give a resounding speech and you suddenly realized that I could dig down deeper and give even more…we were all going to the finish line.

Interestingly enough though, I also saw this from a different perspective…instead of all of us running a collective marathon and to this goal, I realized that we were actually one person running a marathon and we all had a valuable contribution to win the 2010 Winter Olympics.  We were one person who was on a very direct and focused mission and we all needed to support each other so we could get to our goal.  Consider running a marathon with (not against) each other.  It is amazing what you will be able to accomplish.