Run Your Own Race

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…….” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Author: Ratifah Nassozi

Some people say that the best you can give a person between the age group of 20 – 28 is peace of mind, being in this age bracket I consent with it.

When we are young, we barely think about anything and some of the things that might stress us is sleeping on an empty stomach.

But the story changes as we grow up, we develop insecurities about ourselves, the people around us and what the future holds for us.

After finishing my high school, I was so excited about becoming an adult; joining university and becoming independent (trust me this comes with another load of responsibilities).

All my friends took different directions because we all had different aspirations and dreams while some of us didn't have anything in mind of what we would want to be, frankly speaking I belonged to the latter group.

I remembered what our teachers used to tell us, that no matter our proximity with each other, we would somehow separate after high school.

However, after some period of time, some had become actors and actresses, vixens and a few business owners, they were evidently progressing.

It dawned to me that they had their lives figured out with the exception of me (which wasn’t necessarily true).

When I joined university it all became a different story, many of my fellow age mates had a lot to show and brag about and what did I have? NOTHING!

It was an unpalatable truth that felt like a rock down my throat. I was hassled by what I would be; I badly wanted to have something that would make me proud of myself.

I guess at some point I saw myself on the losing side (I just hate saying the word LOOSER) until I learnt that am not actually defined by what I have attained in life, however what matters is how we live our lives for others and using what we’ve at hand to influence and impact other people’s lives.

We usually have different goals in life and before we relate and compare our speed with others let’s focus on the motives and goals we have.

Most of the young people are so stressed and impatient, trying to ascertain or predict how the race will end.

But how can we reach the finishing line without warming up first? And on top of that I believe everything has the right time as the bible says it.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…….” Ecclesiastes 3:1ff

You might be having similar anxiety but the only thing I can tell you is that the time you’ve stressed about what the future holds is enough and it’s natural to be ambitious and anxious however it’s high time you got the peace of mind you deserved, because you are entitled to it.

Yearning to be like the other person and attaining what they have at times ends up burying our own potentials and abilities.

If we all learnt that we are taking different journeys and courses, we naturally move at different paces, even aiming towards different directions then we won’t expect a tortoise to move at a snake’s pace in grass.

Albert Einstein once said “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid, therefore never compare yourself with others.

Trying to move at a rocket pace would drain you and at the end of the day all you’ve struggled for is nothing.

I believe that who achieves what doesn’t matter but what matters is how we use what we have achieved to impact other people’s lives.

Slow down and take a sip of water for refreshing that weary soul, believe in you and give you the peace of mind you deserve.

Do you ever feel the same way? In what way? Please share your experience in the comment section below.