Where to find true inspiration!
The London Marathon was Sunday, April 26th and I was lucky enough to be in London on that weekend, between speaking events.
I was out doing what I do with downtime, in any city that I am travelling in… walking (which by the way I find to be the best way to see and learn a city – you immerse yourself in the culture and find some amazing things along the way). When, I came across the London Marathon route at mile 25 of the marathon. So I stopped to watch.
I have run my share of marathons in the past, however, I have never actually watched one as a spectator. It’s funny, I ran so many marathons but I have never really stopped to think about the determination it takes to finish the entire 42-kilometer (26.2 mile) course.
On this day though, I was one of 750,000 spectators that lined the course of the marathon; cheering on the courageous 38,000 runners. They were in all shapes and sizes. Some running at near world-record paces, some plodding along at a rate just above a walk. Each and every one though were warriors. Each with their own purpose and reason for being there.
The last mile of a marathon is gruelling. It requires strength way beyond the physical. It requires a level of determination deeper than most people can imagine. It requires an inspiration so strong to simply put one foot in front of the other and then, repeat. I saw that pure, true inspiration on the faces of every runner that past by me. With every runner that went by, I grew more inspired by their desire to finish what they had started. It was magical.
As a leader, we are faced numerous times with situations that require us to be all that we can be for customers and other team members. Often, there is no one there to congratulate us on a job well done. It is in those times though that I will always remember the looks on the faces of the marathoners running the last mile. Despite the crowd cheering them with a deafening enthusiasm, they didn’t need it. Their motivation was finishing what they started.
I witnessed true inspiration. It was incredible. The next time I think I am in a situation were I feel completely drained of energy and only want to quit, I will think of the will to finish I saw pass me 38,000 times at mile 25.
Robert Murray is an Author, Global Speaker and Business Strategist. You can find Robert’s books on heart based leadership here. For further advice, ideas and inspiration on leadership, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
