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While we journey through life, we have goals, dreams, milestones we want to achieve and all these makes life worth living. It’s a place in our minds we dream to be at, a place where we envision the perfect life, a place where we feel at rest. This hunger for achievement drives the momentum at which we go to get our dreams. It’s the progress we make, moreso the pace we take.
There was a time in my life I was down. I felt sad and gloomy, struggled to get up from my bed each morning and my days felt like a drag. I didn't feel this way over nothing. It was the persistent thought and recurring feeling of my current situation.
A little back story so you can understand better. I gained admission into the university in 2016, it was a provisional admission to study Agricultural Extension and Development. A course I didn't like but I already was one year behind, so I went for it.
After 2 years into the course, I decided to quit partially because I was almost flunking out but mostly because I wasn't interested in the course. So, I applied for a change of course and switched to Psychology. I love my decision but it implied that I had to start afresh, from 100 level. It was a tough decision but I had to take it. At this time, some of my friends from high school were graduates, some others were in their final years. I was really sad. It took a lot of courage to forge ahead and not get swept away into depression.
It was then it dawned on me that to each person, life is a race but not one you run to win a medal or trophy. Its a personal race and I needed to focus on myself. No matter the hurdles on the track, the setbacks and the times I felt weak, it was still my race and no one else would run it for me. I decided at that moment to not be distracted by others' successes. Don't get me wrong, I am happy and celebrate my friends' wins but in situations where I am yet to achieve same feat, I don't allow myself get overwhelmed with sad or discouraging thoughts. This has helped me to think positively and be happy even if the situation isn't so positive. To live slowly because I can't control everything that happens to me but more importantly to live purposely.
Why the rush if you have no destination?
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Oftentimes we make the mistake of measuring progress by how close we are to the finish line. The truth is Progress is how far we’ve come from the start. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, or the number of times you fall or get tired. Pick yourself and get back up.
If you can't fly run, if you can't run walk, if you can't walk crawl but by all means keep moving
-Martin Luther King Jr.
We make even graver mistakes by measuring it in comparison to others, forgetting that even though life is a race, it’s not by how far but by how well and this is measured in tandem with your own capabilities.
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Comparison, they say is the thief of joy. When you become fixated on other people's life, you lose control of yours. Its like running a race and looking at anothers' lane, you'll either fall or bump into another runner. Either ways you slow yourself down with unnecessary distractions.
Hence, we only axe away at our self confidence when we pit our successes against others. Belittling your efforts is a sure way to demotivate yourself and kill your self esteem.
Remember life is a highway and same rules apply; Over speeding kills.
Ask the tortoise and he would tell you how slow and steady won him the race.
In that regards, in our pursuit for progress, your pace matters over the place. You don’t want to be the rolling stone that gathers no moss.
Again, slow and steady wins the race.