Today as I went for my morning cardio exercise at a nearby field, the cold was beyond that of Iceland. But nonetheless, I activated the beast in me and decided to see how far my legs would manage to take me. After a couple of rounds, I thought the world was nearing its end before I got a chance to own the corporate ladder. My heart was literary pumping out of my chest, but I still kept going despite the atmospheric conditions and the fact that my body was trying to tap out of the race. After 20 mins of intense jogging, some elderly men with stomach’s huge enough to host a full goat arrived and joined me in the track. They took their time and were gradually making progress (definitely not the same rounds as me). They couldn’t take long strides like me since they were not blessed with length but they let their vision of being physically fit drive them through their exercise. After two rounds with them in the field, a silent thought dared me to over-lap them as many times as I could. No doubt my long legs managed to surpass them but after 7 rounds of intense activity, I couldn’t maintain the heat and eventually stopped. Walking back home became a tug of war but I pictured myself as a soldier and one thing about soldiers is that even though they are wounded, they don’t stop to mourn the ulcers they have got – they keep moving.

Life is known as the biggest marathon we are all signed up for by God, its long but only those bold enough to endure the pain reach the finished line. The beauty about the race is, there’s a prize for every participant. One of the biggest mistakes we make is to let our pride control us. When we see someone progressing at a dawdling rate, we can’t feel happy for them- instead, we try to sprint as fast as possible to prove to them that we are better than them. One thing people have forgotten is that in a marathon, short sprints will only give you minimal gratification. Yes, you will feel the delight of being ahead of others but the delight will eventually end when you notice you can’t maintain your new set pace. There is a Kiswahili proverb that says, “Haraka haraka haina Baraka” which can be translated into “there is no blessing in rushing”. Chinua Achebe also said it well, when one wants to reach a place fast, let them go alone but if they want to go far, let them go together with people. There is strength in togetherness, because together everyone achieves more. Please inscribe it in your brain that this marathon is not about reaching the finished line first, it’s all about completing it while holding another person’s hand. We need to hang our pride on a big Bamboo tree and focus on the beauty of the race.

The choice is now yours to make……….!!!!!!!!!!!!