Recently I came across a video circulating on FaceBook. I watched it after is was recommended by a friend and it moved me to tears. It also got me to thinking. I realized that this man, Derek Redmond, during this moment in his life, represented so much more than an athlete to all those people in the stands. He became an inspiration even though he lost the race and came in last. What is it that causes us to applaud a man who comes in last during a race?
This clip has a dozen or so videos associated with it on You-tube. It has so many aspects highlighted. His perseverance and determination, the love of his father, the agony of defeat and the respect of the human race. The video represents it all. The part that stuck out for me was a bit different from those other characteristics.
I was moved most by the power of choice that Derek represented. Olympic athletes spend years of their lives investing in their sport. They put their bodies through rigorous physical routines to sculpt them and perfect their physical performances. They train mentally, the invest $1000's of dollars every year in trainers, supplements, food and equipment. The dedication it takes to be an Olympic athlete is amazing. Each and every athlete has one goal on his mind. Winning!
Not second place or third place but first place. No athlete goes into a game thinking, "If I can come in 5th, I'll be happy" Winning is a very important goal. The desire to win and the love of the game motivates athletes and keeps them going through all the hours of training and practice.
What I loved about Derek Redmond was his ability to choose a perspective, to shift his goal, to change his race. Life often throws us unexpected twists or turns. People all over experience bumps in the road on the way toward their goals. A number of goals that we set, we don't reach the way we thought we would. We either get there in a longer period of time, or it costs more, or we have multiple unforeseen set-backs. What I love about this video is that Derek Redmond had a goal to win this race. He wanted to win, was ready to win, was expected to win and then tragedy struck. His goal became unreachable. The opportunity to quit or walk away was there but instead he
immediately set a new goal. He created a different race for himself.
He shifted his perspective of what it meant to win in that moment. Winning meant getting across the finish line, even if he was in last place.
Our ability to accomplish the goals that we set is one aspect of what makes us successful in life. I do believe however that our ability to reassess where we are at in the race and create new goals in the face of adversity is even more powerful. Adversity is in everyone's life, but it's what you choose to do with it that determines how you win your race. Will you see yourself as a failure? Will you quite and claim victim-hood? Will you walk off the field and try again next year? Or....will you immediately create a realistic new goal and walk off the field a winner. Derek Redmond walked off the field a winner because he chose a new goal in the face of adversity. He continued to move forward, to challenge himself, to walk through pain, to cross the finish line.
We can't always control the road-blocks that come our way, but we all have a choice on what we do with them. We all have a choice on how we finish the race. Remember to create doable goals and then DO them. When something comes up that slows you down or gets in your way, immediately create another doable goal and DO it! Nothing caries a person farther than the motivation of success...even if that success looks different than what it did when we originally set our goal.
