Watching the 2016 Olympics Games inspired me to think differently about life. There are many different metaphors equated to life, but none resonates quite as well as the comparison made between life and a marathon. A marathon is 26.2 miles. That is almost as long as my commute to work every day. The drive from one city to another seems long at times, so I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to run that far. Even marathon runners acknowledge that the distance is great. Here are examples of how to put the marathon distance in perspective.
Pride is 
not something someone else can give to you. It is a feeling that one must create for him or herself. Contrary to popular opinion, being proud is not a negative attribute. Both of these athletes had a difficult time running their races. Both had to experience other runners passing them. They just were not physically capable to keep up with those runners. Sometimes you might also feel that others are passing you by and that you can’t keep up with the pace of others. Depression is certainly able to make one feel this way. But that did not stop these marathon runners. For Mathibelle, he finished 47 minutes after the gold medalist. As for Andersen-Schiess, she barely even crossed the finished line due to dehydration and fatigue. But they were determined. Can you imagine all the hours they spent preparing? I can imagine that when they stepped to the starting line, they felt as if they were prepared enough for the race. They must have been proud of all of the hard work they put into the preparation process. They could not predict any of the obstacles that they would face personally, but I’m sure they prepared for the possibility of every scenario. The pride in the preparation process created a sense of determination that would not allow them to quit. They put the time in, and finishing the race was the only way to show others what before the race, only they themselves knew, and that is: “I’m not going to quit”. And they didn’t. By finishing, Mathibelle was able to show others in his country that it is possible to complete an Olympic marathon. And women all around the world stood to their feet and cheered for Andersen-Schiess as she inspired little girls everywhere. Likewise, you should not let obstacles sideline you. You might be behind. But you are not finished, so you can’t quit. You might get to a destination later in life than others, but that is totally fine. To quote Queen Bey, “keep running cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.”
For me, I’m proud of my daughters. Everything I do is for them. They inspire me to want to do better. I am proud of them, but I also want them to be proud of me. What are you proud of? What brings you a sense of self-esteem and self-respect? Pride can come from your family, your job, helping others, creating, surviving a tragedy, or conquering an illness. There are many areas in which you can have pride. But once you find at least one area in your life that you can be proud to share with others, you will find that nothing can change how you move forward in life. That very thing will push you, and also help to shape your choices and the path you travel on life’s journey. This is because the sense of self -worth that area touches is powerful enough to not only impact you but others as well. Here’s what, you might not have all of the answers but you do know one thing, and that is you can’t let yourself quit. You have to keep going. Find strength from the people cheering from the sidelines. And most importantly always know there is a support team ready to assist in case of an emergency (I Press On is here for you). We can do this! Let’s press on together!