You’ve Got This!
I spent yesterday as a spectator at the New York City Marathon cheering on our son-in-law and 50,000 other inspiring people who made the proactive choice to run 26.2 miles. I was swept up in the most incredible wave of collective encouragement, camaraderie and outpouring of upbeat energy. There were those of us frantically tracking our runner on the marathon app and jockeying for front row barricade leaning positions so we could wave our signs, take a fleeting photo and scream encouragement and love to our person who blew by us in a blur. We were joined by thousands of marathon revelers who used this as an occasion to be part of something larger than themselves. It was a festival of joy that was exactly what I needed.
It was like the entire city decided to take a collective pause for the day and decide to all be united. The level of enthusiasm with which family and friends lifted their runner up for the 5 seconds they ran by just makes me smile while writing this. It wasn’t just “hey man, you’ve got this.” It was an infusion of ecstatic excitement and boundless encouragement that was beamed directly into the lucky runner and all of those running nearby. Watching groups of friends go literally out their minds screaming love and support for their buddy was completely infectious. The determination and focus that was evident on the faces of these heroic people who took on this challenge was quite simply inspirational.
What struck me the most was how supportive everyone was for the 49,999 runners they didn’t know. Runners ran by lifting their hands up and down begging us to cheer energy into them and we did with gusto. There were countless runners who were grimacing in pain while still running at a good clip and those who were hobbling on cramping legs determined to cross the finish line no matter how much pain they were in. We saw runners throwing up while never slowing down and a runner who had to ask a spectator to hold him up while his legs stopped seizing. It was those people who we cheered for the loudest. Thousands of ‘You’ve got this, You can do this, we’re so proud of you, you’re a rockstar”.
Why can’t life always be like this. Imagine if we all collectively cheered for one another and lifted each other up with words of encouragement just because we can. Whether we know the person or not, we choose to infuse positive energy into them. Let’s for a minute consider treating life as a marathon. One in which we strive to get better and better, and we surround ourselves with a community of people who believe in our worth and lift us up. We practice regularly to build stamina, perseverance, resilience….and kindness. Where we find “running” partners and coaches who help us be our best selves. And when it’s our time, we are cheered across the finish line of life with arms raised overhead filled with the joy and exhilaration that comes from knowing we lived a life well lived.
