Voice of Truth II: Run Your Race!

In my previous article, I talked of the two voices: one urging me to write and another urging me to wait. Seeing as you're reading this, it means that the voice urging me to write must have won. :)

What allows someone starting out on a journey to have the courage to write about it?

First, it is the understanding that we are all on the journey - on the journey of life. More importantly in this case, it is the understanding that we are at different stages within the journey. There are some ahead and others behind. Those ahead are not better or more important, they are just ahead.

This may be best illustrated by the powerful words of Max Erhmann in Desiderata

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enough said.

Second is the understanding that we do not draw our worth from material possessions or achievements such as business or career success. In the words of the United State's Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self evident, 

that all men are created equal 

and are endowed by their Creator 

with certain unalienable rights...

This implies that our intrinsic worth as human beings is not dependent on our achievements but is inherent upon birth. Though business or career success may bring a sense of accomplishment and with it money (which of course affords us many privileges we would miss in it's absence), we should always be conscious of the fact that there is more to life; and our sense of worth should be intact in spite of our achievements and acquisitions.

In the comedy film Head of State, Mays Gilliam finds himself thrust into the race for the White House. Assuming the election was already lost to the sitting Vice President, Mays Gilliam's party picked him as a likable but unwinnable party for the sole reason of improving their chances in the next presidential election. He wasn't chosen to win. However, against all odds, Gilliam begins to rise in the polls and as with most election campaigns, the opponents start mudslinging. Gilliam is tempted to reiterate but receives this very sound advice that I think should define the attitude of every entrepreneur:

"Have you ever been to a horse race?... The horses wear blinders. They don't even see each other. They just run their race. So don't worry about [them]. JUST RUN YOUR RACE!



Without a doubt, comparison breeds competition. Competition has been touted to have it's advantages in the world of business. It may therefore come across as a little hard or confusing to claim that one not need be competitive to succeed. But this is my persuasion - that I don't need to compare myself with others - I just need to work at excelling at what I do. As a business, we don't need to be overly concerned about competition - we just need to clearly define our promise and be true in keeping it. The pressure to grow as a person or business should not come from the outside, straining to be like others. It should come from within, seeking to be the best me there can be. I just need to run my race.