NoOrdinary Eyitemi
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

THIS RACE CALLED LIFE

As a Christian I’ve often heard the phrase “ The race is not to the swift”, but I did not quite understand until recently.

I’ve heard and read of people who appeared to have had it all, a good life, great job, great kids, dream home and so on only to get to the end of the line and discover they had been barking up the wrong tree all along.

The world we live in today is governed by a lot implied rules or codes. For example, in my culture, people begin to raise their noses when a woman fails to get married in her 20’s, or a couple fails to have children a few years after being married.

You’re expected to start school at a certain age and be out at another; join the job market at one and retire once your sun begins to set.

The knowledge of all these timelines and deadlines pushes us on a daily bases. We rise, we grind, we hustle, we move, we strive, we run, all in the bid to catch up, meet up or be in sync.

The problem I have with living life like this is that we worry so much & put a lot of our energies into the race than the prize.

What are we running for or towards ? What do we hope the achieve at the end of it all?

Is the prize at the end what we’re really after?

Imagine yourself as an athlete who participated and won a marathon only to arrive at the finish line unsure what the reward is. Imagine for a moment you ran the race hoping to get a sizeable cash prize as a reward only to have a garland of flowers placed around your neck in appreciation. 😱😱

Imagine the disappointment! 😥

All that energy, all that effort, all that time invested for nothing….. That exactly is how most people go through life and how many will feel when they arrive at that finish line. For me, the prize represents our “why”; the reason we do what we do, the motive behind our motivation.

It’s amazing the amount of clarity and how significantly our lives can change when we are able to answer the “why” question.

Why are you taking that job?

Why do you want that MBA?

Why do you want to get married now and not a little later, or later and not now?

The only way the answers to these questions would make any positive and significant changes to your life is if they are borne out a genuine conversation with your inner self and not a reflection of some societal mirror.

The Truth like I have come to discover is that:

it’s never about how fast, but how well,

It’s never about our speed, but the direction we’re headed,

It’s not about the clock, it’s about the compass.

Going through life with the compass mindset improves the quality of the lives we live, reflects in the decision we take( even though a lot of people would hardly understand it) and stands as the impetus behind the choices we make.

The race is not to the swift is pretty much clearer to me now. It talks about the race of life. And it doesn’t matter how fast you set out or how far ahead you are, just make sure you’re on the right path, headed in the right direction.

Having a clear direction as to where you’re headed removes any element of comparison or unhealthy competition, puts you at ease knowing that you are where you’re supposed to be when you ought to, and eliminates the burden of trying to live up to societal expectations.

We will walk through this life only once, and we have just one opportunity to do things right. Once the compass of your life is set, then you can engage life at full throttle knowing what to expect at the end of the line.

These write up is a part of the “no ordinary conversations” I have with myself. I hope they inspire you like they did me.

NoOrdinary Eyitemi

Written by

Blogger & Personal Growth Enthusiast. Proud CU Alumna 🦅 On IG as @noordinaryconversations & FB: Eyitemi Adebowale