Challenges. Every day, everyone faces some kind of challenge. From the most lazy point of view, “Can I get out of bed today”, to “Making it to work on time”, to also “Making sure my children are taking care of”, and “Making sure we have enough money”, and then with work, “Making sure we get this project done on time” to “Making sure we are under budget”, to things you might do in life, “Try to run 5 miles today” and “Do the half marathon” and also things like “Don’t eat the whole carton of ice cream” and “Stop smoking” and the list goes on and on. You get it, there are an infinite number of challenges in life, no matter what you do or who you are.
It is what you do when faced with them that defines you.
What can you do? Well, you can walk (or run) away from challenges. It is the easy thing to do really. Just give up, walk away, go on to something easier, don’t get out of bed, don’t finish that project, light up the cig.
Or, you can step up to the challenge. You can take the mountain of problems facing you (don’t worry – everyone else has their own mountain) and you look at it as opportunity. Start figuring out how to make things easier, change processes, get things done and keep a level head, always looking ahead to the progression of what you are doing and how it will make things easier for yourself going forward.
There aren’t many challenges that can’t be stepped up to, and worked on, and overcome. Ask any survivor, or anyone that was ever told “no, you can’t do that”, or “it can’t be done”.
In the face of hard work and adversity, the people that rise to the challenge to get things done and still handle themselves are the ones that move forward. The ones that run away, sure they will continue on a path, but they missed something. That big mountain of opportunity to take and do something with.
One of my favorite movies is “Prefontaine“. Pre was an awesome runner. In the movie, he wants to run the one mile so bad, it is all he can think about. Being the one mile champion, having the best time, etc etc.
Before season starts, the coach, Bill Bowerman (of Nike fame – played greatly by R. Lee Ermey) – says something like, “Pre, you are never going to be the best miler, but you could OWN the three mile, make it your race“.
Yes, that is the quote. “Make it your race”. Being a huge runner in my heyday, I love that quote. Take your opportunity that is staring you in the face, even though it may be tough, you might not like it or it doesn’t seem like something you want to do, and make it your race. Make it yours. OWN it. Be awesome at it. Show everyone that you can do it, and make a pile of problems into your golden opportunity.
Make it your race.
Steve Novoselac's Blog 