by JERI XIE
There are many races in life we just got to run. Most races in our life are actually intangible. Whether it is about getting a degree, embarking a new job, given a new work assignment, working towards a dateline, entering into parenthood, etc., these are races that we might felt we are running. We don’t see ourselves running physically, but the racings happen in our mind.
Every time I feel that I am running a race, the story Rabbit & Turtle Race-> would come into my mind. You most probably heard of this famous childhood story too. The moral of the story is quite clear – slow and steadily win the race.
Here are 3 more keys to this story that we should look at and learn from:
- Check Your Self Limiting Belief –
Let’s imagine you are Turtle…
- What are the self-sabotaging negative thoughts and feelings that will stop you from running the race?
o Turtle: “I’m never going to win Rabbit. He got such a long strong leg! We all know he is going to win!”
- What type of thoughts and feelings I should have that would help me to win this race?
o Turtle: “I’m not going to allow those negative thoughts to stop me from racing! I may be slow, but I’m still going to complete the race no matter what!”
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
Do you realize something?
By overcoming your self-limiting belief, you have already won your first race. That courage that he took to challenge his own ability (despite the situations that appear unfavorable and deemed to be a losing race) is that first race he had won against himself.
- Run A Purposeful Race –
Now, imagine you are Rabbit.
- Why is this race important to you?
o Rabbit: “Well… I just want to prove that Turtle is slower than me!”
In life, we have too many races everyday to run that no one knows of better than you do. Every race needs energy. Reserves your precious energy and spend it on purposeful races is important. Pick your race wisely; pick a purposeful race. Quit running races just to validate yourself, gain acceptance or please someone else. Some races are not worth running for, but a waste of energy and time.
“Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at your best.” ~ David McKay
Questions you should ask yourself to check whether this is a purposeful race:
- What is the reward you will gain from this race?
- Is this race part of your life goal?
- What would it benefit you in the long run?
- Don’t Get Distracted – Just like the Rabbit, in life there will be distractions in the midst of our race. The over confidence over himself, the sight of him winning in great distance in comparison to Turtle, that tree, the hot weather condition and his body’s sensation “calling out” to him to take a rest (which end up to be a nap) – all these are distractions that made the Rabbit lose sight of his own race. Distractions tamper us from giving and being our personal best in our races of our daily lives.
Are you often caught in procrastination? Are you constantly looking for approval? Are you always comparing yourself to a neighbor, co-worker, friend or even your own relative? Do you try to out-perform them?
Don’t let distractions get into you.
Don’t let it disempower you.
Don’t let it get into the way that would distract you from conquering the finishing line of your own race.
“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday” ~Author Unknown
Remember each person has a race unique to himself or herself. Run your own race. You need not be a genius to achieve success in life. Stay focus on yourself – focus on your strength, do things in your own way, at your own pace that would bring forth a better you from who you are yesterday.
Examine yourself: What are the races in your life now? Have you start running? Are they purposeful? Are there any distractions?
You don’t have to face the races alone. If you need, talk to a Coach.
Author Profile:
Jeri Xie
Founder of KOZENN (http://kozenn.com)
Principal Business HR Consultant | Trainer | ICF – PCC
Connect with Jeri through LinkedIn @ https://sg.linkedin.com/in/jerixie
