GIVE OUR 100% the very first time!
I would like to share, an interesting story, a well-wisher opted to equip me with. He said, “Let’s play a game, lean on a wall and reach up to the highest point you can, draw a line at the highest point”, and I drew it. He then said, try once more, “Can u reach higher”, I tried and succeeded, all happy and satisfied, thinking I have achieved even better, and drew another line a little above the first one, and this continued, until I could draw almost 4 other lines all one above the other. I was happy thinking, I am doing better every time, and guess what, to my utter surprise, what my friend told me, he very lightly mentioned, “ Sheetal, couldn’t your first line have been the topmost line”, and I was surprised at myself, and was put into deep thoughts, Why do we not GIVE OUR HUNDRED percent the very first time?
AND SUDDENLY YOU KNOW, IT’S TIME TO START SOMETHING NEW, AND TRUST THE MAGIC OF NEW BEGINNINGS:
Our regular meetings at Starbucks café, we were discussing the idea very dear to me, Entrepreneurship curriculum for kids, we just discussed what each one was good at and reliving our memories, as nostalgia took over. And then it was my turn, where proudly I spoke about the past laurels and the cupboard full of medals and trophies that adorned the home; the count of certificates just grew as my mother had so neatly kept them till date. That is when Madhukar just commented, “Sheetal, when you hold such a beautiful and strong past, why don’t you start training kids the athletic way?
This again gave me food for thought.
Why did this not strike me earlier? I have lived the life of a sportsperson all along, a big thank you to my parents for the same, how could I give up?
WE ARE IN A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT…RUN AT YOUR OWN PACE
That is when I realized, this thirst for running was finding shape within me, Marathon, is what struck me, I decided to run that extra mile, train under the sun, odd hours, socialize, kids on the block, a family to hang on to, my workshops kept me busy, all this and a lot more to do, YET, I found time to run for myself. Had to train alone too, trust me, it’s not as easy as you think, But something was burning inside me, That little voice at the back of my mind always reminded me, I had to collaborate
EVERYTHING IS A TEAM SPORT..
The same holds true for building a business. Collaborating with a group of like-minded people pushes me to the next level — especially if they’re “fitter” and more “athletic” than I am when it comes to business.
Get a peer group and meet other founders. Talk about your struggles, share your war stories and get their feedback. Learn from them and always be brutally honest about your own experiences. Help them whenever you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help. They will be there for you because they understand what you are going through.
I told the tortoise within me, join the race to make earth a better place, It doesn’t matter at what pace you run, what matters is that you run, as THE MARATHON is not about winning a race, it’s about completing it. What goes on in the making of an athlete, is a never give up attitude, and the urge to complete it.
KEEP RUNNING- IT’S NOT OVER
I didn’t stop when I was tired; I stopped when I was done. There we crossed the finish line, all cheeks red with a burning desire to start again for the next one.
What was more beautiful here was that I had inspired my friend to join me in this too.
-Article by Sheetal Mehta