The RACE ~ from the lens of a child!

I was in church the other day having some after service prayer meetings with a group of people. I was honestly tired and wasn't in the mood for the afternoon prayers and long talk so I took a good position behind and leaned against the wall so I could relax and gently say my prayers.

Even God knew fatigue had set in and the daughter of the father needed some food in her stomach and a bed to lay her aching body.

'Please sit down', the team lead said, as we dragged our chairs in circles.
Of course I still maintained my corner and threw a careless glance round the room down to the corridor where a number of little children where playing and making quite a noise.

I picked up my writing pad with no genuine intention of writing a thing!
'Oh Lord please let this woman be quick with her sermon' I muttered as I threw and crossed my legs under the chair with my head tilted sideways to the corner of the room in order to watch the playing children when suddenly one little girl caught my attention.

 She shouldn't  be more than 2 or 3 years old. She was so full of life and her dress was pretty and colorful. It reminded me of the purple sequined ball dress one of my uncles had bought for my sister and I during Christmas when we were little.
Oh! I wore that dress till it got so short and small.

I smiled and gazed at the little girl and five other older children  who were about doing the race game thing. That "running" game where the first person to touch the wall after running from one point to the other is declared winner. You remember right?

Yea.

So, I watched as they all bent down on a straight line and one of then screamed "on your mark, get set, go!"

They all ran, scatteredly of course and this little girl ran behind others. Then she fell! I almost jumped off my chair to pick her up. However, she frowned at her dirty clothes, got up, dusted her hands and continued running behind them.
I watched others touch the wall speedily with laughter as they ran back again to the point they started from.
While they were running back, my little girl was just approaching the wall.
She was obviously the last person to get there but she touched the wall and screamed with a big smile "I am a winner!"
Her scream made people turn at her direction. Some who didn't understand her race and struggle story signaled to her to be quiet as her noise was disturbing the meeting.

I couldn't help but smile at the happy little girl.

Lessons learnt:
1. If only we could see and think like the little girl. She didn't care if she was the last to get there. Infact she didn't even consider that in the first place. All she had in mind while running and aiming for, was the wall. She just wanted to finish the race and touch the wall. And hey! She didn't see anybody at the wall when she got there and so in her mind she won the race!

2. When she fell, she was hurt obviously but she was motivated by the other children she saw ahead of her. She got up and continued "her" race!
So, when life knocks you down. What motivates you? 
When others around seem to be ahead,and doing the same thing you are doing, What motivates you?

3. She wasn't blinded by unhealthy competition. Infact she was aware of other children but knew that the race was PERSONAL to her.
She had heard and took the best part of the instructions of the game, TOUCH THE WALL.
It didn't matter who touched it first. Lol!

4. Have a vision. Make it plain and clear that it might be 'easy' to run with it!

5. Celebrate your little wins and victories. Don't mind the 'naysayers', they will come around someday! 

My friend,

Forget about all that's happening,
have fun while you work hard at being the best you can be. Do what makes you happy and feel always like a winner!
Enjoy peaceful and noisy moments...You will learn alot from random situations that happens.

I sure learnt from this one and though I didn't get to listen to the woman preaching, but I think I certainly got the best lessons from the race.

Be bold, be happy and choose to be a winner always!

Xoxo
~ TA
Xoxo