What are you waiting for?

“Nothing worth having comes easy”! Someone really smart must have said this years ago!

Sometimes we run away from challenges or see life’s down times as a reason to quit. Last week I came across the video of  Alysia Montano an 8 month pregnant athlete who despite all odds ran a competitive 800meters race. Alysia, who came 5th at the London 2012 Olympics, after ensuring that running had no health implications for her or her baby, received a standing ovation at the end of the race.

I found Alysia’s perspective very inspirational. No excuses, no ifs or maybe’s. She just went for it and although she didn’t walk away a winner she says “More than anything, I wanted to be here, and I’m feeling that fire and that desire to be on the track and to race…i view this as a celebration”.

She knew she had no chance of winning or running at her best during the race but emphasizes that wasn’t the point. She wanted to take part for the joy of racing. On her blog she says ” think of the Journey… Remember the process, and think about the person you have become in the process”. As you get older, it’s easy to put importance on things that really don’t matter and then succumb to that pressure; so I don’t like to get myself wrapped up by talking about competitive goals too much.

I hope we all (myself included) can borrow from Alysia today. Stop thinking of the reasons why we cant and just do regardless of what the world says or doesn’t say. Let’s become the masters of our own lives, shift our perspective and enjoy the process of living. Alysia isn’t the first mum-to-be to run a race and definitely wont be the last, but her story reminds us that taking part, regardless of the seeming challenges, is just as important as winning.  So what are you waiting for…..Let’s celebrate life and living….