THE RACE IS ON.

What kind of athlete, what kind of runner will begin to put on his kit, exercise his limbs, apply his balm, and stretch his muscles when the blast off shot has already being fired. I can’t believe any runner who values his race, knows the purpose of his race and wants to win will still be asking race officials questions about other contestants, who they are, their names, where they came from, their history, their backgrounds; their potentials and how wealthy they are when the race is already on.

Why would any racer start questioning the rules of the race, the direction of the race, the length of the race, the weather, the quality of officials, the integrity of organizers and  the authenticity of the reward when the race is already on?

How would any racer compete to win without a clear sense and knowledge of direction, destination, and tenacity required to run and win a marathon?

Unfortunately, this is how most of us are in life! Ladies and gentlemen, the race is on! The race of your life has long begun, just think of today’s date, how far we’ve come this year and how long we have left and by yourself evaluate how well you’ve competed in the race of this year.

More still, think of your life, your age, how long you’ve lived and how much energetic time you have left and judge for yourself if you’ve keenly participated in this race of life! Yes, you’re in the race of life.

A race is a contest, a competition for a reward not meant for all runners but the winners of the race. The world is a tournament arena, we’re all in the race of life, competing and contesting for the resources needed to thrive, survive and achieve greatness in this life.

The fact you’re participating does not mean you’re truly partaking. Being drawn to contest is different from getting involved in the contest. Are you running your race or you’re busy discussing, analyzing and reviewing the profile of other runners. You want to know their history, and their details, you’re checking out their lovely kit and coveting their lanes, and you wish you were running on their lane and wearing what their wearing, yes, you are, you want their kind of houses, their kind of cars, their kind of shoes, their kind of money, their kind of lifestyles, and every move you make and decision you take is based on what other runners in life have and are doing. Your mind is filled more with the thought about other racers and you hardly have time to focus and think about how to win your own race in flying colours.

Are you running your race or busy complaining about the terrane, the officials, the weather, the distance and how everything is not good enough for you to compete, yes, you are, your daily thoughts and lamentation is about the infrastructure, the policies, the government, the politics, ethnicity, tribalism, favoritism, inflation, foreign exchange, your industry, your employer, your salary, and how other marathons are easier and better organized – how other countries are superior and better organized.

Dear friend, the contest is not about the best critic of the race in terms of officials and organization, there are no medals or reward for the critics; the winners of the race are those who keep running despite the limitations, obstacles, challenges and even unfair play. To stop your race and criticize officials is to get disqualified, there is a time to run and a time to criticize, don’t mix up these timings, when you arrive a champion, your voice will be heard, run when you should be running, be wise.

The thrill and purpose of any race is to outdo other runners within similar constrains, limitations and timing. Your winning lies in handling challenges, limitations, obstacles and pressures better than other racers.  Even when the game appears unfair, win first, then your complaint will have credibility. Walking out on any game due to perceived cheating will get you disqualified and even penalized by the organizers, but when you win, they will listen to your petition.

To halt your race and pause your life based on perceived ethnic, tribal or social injustice weakens your position and power to influence and transform things ultimately, as you would lack the credibility champions naturally possess to enforce real change. If you complain as one who abandoned a game, it will be assumed it’s because you were losing and they’ll see you as a sore looser rather than a true advocate of improvement and genuine progress.

It’s okay to criticize and condemn what is wrong and unacceptable in the society, but not at the expense of your personal progress and success in life.

Ladies and gentlemen, this race of life is an opportunity to test your true potentials and capacities, hence the desire and thinking that the real potentials and opportunities in life should shrink and conform to your comfortable ability is flawed. Life will not shrink, life will not conform to suit you; you are the one to stretch. You should stretch your imaginations, stretch your skills, your capacities and knowledge so as to outdo others in this race of life.

As you run the race will sure get tougher and tougher, you hence must become stronger and stronger. Life does not spare or forgive losers in this game of life, life punishes its losers hence it is dangerous to opt out of this race.

If you’ve lost the essence, the value, the direction and value of the race, it’ll be wise to quickly do the following today:

1. REDEFINE AND CLARIFY YOUR DIRECTION IN LIFE. – Where are you going, how do you want to get there
2. REDEFINE YOUR DESTINATION – Where exactly is your destination? When will you stop running, at what age, at what time? Or you want to keep running till you die? When is your day of rest? When will you breast the tape?
3. STOP FEELING LIKE A VICTIM – In most games cheating is common, there’s hardly a fair game especially when opponents and officials are threatened by your potentials and possibilities. True champions are those that win games when officials are unfair to them. Endure hardship, don’t be emotional, stay focused and win.
4. ACQUIRE NEEDED RESOURCES – To win this game you need funding and people. Hard as it may, you must let go of all the nice people in your life leading you down the path of failure. You must connect with people who will push and inspire you to superlative success. Acquire needed material and human resource to finish your race well, strong and in one piece.
5. REDEEM THE TIME – Dear friend, you don’t have time. The older you get, the lower your energy, don’t start what you should have started at 30 at age 50, you’d struggle to do very well at it. It’s unwise to still be paying school fees at 70. And it’s perhaps much more difficult to start a business at 50. It’s never too late though, but being on time is of great advantage.

Ladies and gentlemen, the race is on, the time is running, others are competing with you for power, resources, relevance, affluence and freedom. If you don’t run well, if you don’t run to win, you’ll become a victim and a slave to vile and mean winners. Don’t let the selfish and insensitive become champions over you in life, to set yourself and your nation free, win your own race.