Success is a Marathon

Imagine you are standing among 22,000 people. It is 6 o’clock in the morning and you are waiting for a starting gun to fire so you can run 26.2 miles. On June 4, 2006, that is where I was and for me it was a dream come true. Two years and four months earlier I was twenty-five and sitting on a hospital bed. Upon reaching down to tie my shoes, I could not remember how. The week before I had slipped into a semi-coma after cancer spread to my brain.

Not only could I not tie my shoes but also had to re-learn how to walk. Through that experience, I discovered three principles of success. They helped me conquer cancer and run a marathon. You can use these same principles in your life to overcome challenges, and achieve greater success personally as well as professionally.

Visualize Your Victory
A timeless truth says, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” What is your vision for your life? What do you want to do, be, and have? The first step is to be able to see your vision in your mind’s eye. Just as I laid in the hospital bed, picturing myself running a marathon, you must do the same for your vision. Once you can do that, it becomes a definite major purpose. This moves the vision from your mind to the physical world.

Take Action
Will Rogers said, “Even if you are on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there.” How do you run a marathon? One-step at a time. In order to fulfill your vision you have to take action every single day. It does not matter how small it is. The key is to do something everyday that moves you closer to your vision. This builds momentum. Think back to science class and inertia. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest, while objects in motion stay in motion.

Check Your Attitude
According to Charles Swindoll, “The single most significant decision we can make on a day to day basis is our choice of attitude.” In order to complete a marathon I had to have the belief it was possible. Daily I had to check the negative self-talk and the self-defeating inner dialogue. The little voice that says it is impossible. Once you have the attitude that your vision is possible, you will take the necessary action.

Success like a marathon is an endurance event. It does not happen overnight but is a series of action steps progressing to a worthwhile goal. Crossing the finish line was one of the greatest victories in my life. Through Visualizing your Victory, Taking Action, and Checking your Attitude you will be able to cross the finish lines in your life.