IT'S YOUR RACE -- DO IT YOUR WAY

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The place overflowed with customers so I made to leave but Thor motioned for me to wait and pointed towards the corner table. The customer there was just leaving as she gathered up her books. As soon as she was out the door, Thor went to clean up and prepare the table for me. And before I could speak, Thor said

“A hot cup of cappuccino and a slice of apple pie, right?”

I grinned with amusement quite pleased that he hadn’t forgotten because I really hadn’t been here for some months. I then leaned back comfortably in my seat and while waiting for my famous duo I looked around to see if I might see a friend in the crowd. It’s not impossible to stumble among friends at the mall or coffee shop. -happened several times to me. A small group of corporate men in boring ties occupied a table to my right. Four young attractive ladies filled up the table to my left. And facing me were two men in tennis garb with their rackets lying on the floor under the table beside their Adidas sports bags. Without meaning to, I gathered snippets of conversation which trailed to my table and reached my innocent ears.

“He’s president of the company at 37! I’m going to rake in promotions and get there at 30, you’ll see. I’ll build my own connections now and fast to beat him at his game.”

“Oh but she’s smart, well-dressed, and sexy. Mark is going to fall for her, that’s for sure. But she’s going to be yesterday’s fashion when she sees me!”

Couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It’s all about this mad-mad race against someone or something. But noting down their serious faces and the resolute tone of their voices, they were undoubtedly serious.

But.....

Why must the lifestyle of a neighbor down the street be the gauge for one’s effort in his own? Can a person be truly happy with choices which only echo somebody else's?

It's possible that the persons referred to by the groups above may have deserved to be what they have become and what they have acquired. Perhaps they earned it by sheer hard work, brilliant planning, diligence, and self-improvement. On the other hand, it may also be that their good fortune were acquired in not so pleasant a manner. There's always a story somewhere there.

So what is this telling us? It’s simply this - do things your way. Never mind the guy next door (or in the next cubicle) who apparently is doing things his way too. He’s actually running his own race.

You are your own benchmark, standard, yardstick, motive, incentive, stimulus, purpose, point of reference, or whatever else it's called. Everything that you want to achieve or hope to become one day begins with you, continues with you, and finishes with you. It’s not some John Doe or Jane Doe who will provide these for you or decide the pace at which you should run the race. This is YOUR race, not theirs. YOU are in it, not them. And YOU are your own reason for running it. Work for a better you.

If you must compete -- compete with yourself! ..... And watch your dreams come true quicker. Good luck and blessings!