It’s a windy day, the grey clouds hovering all over the sky have hidden the sun behind. It’s neither warm nor cold, and with the breeze, it has become what one would call a great day to be outdoors. It’s a fortunate day for the spectators at the F1 racing arena, for they can stand up in their seats and flaunt their favorite caps while enjoying a hot dog. It’s not such a fortunate day for the racers themselves though, for the wind is not always their friend and the concern of rainfall is something that would make their car tires very upset.
Through the sound of the wind and the chatter in the stands, he walked out into the stadium to find this car polished and ready for the race. There was no sun, but the red paint still shone and was testimony to the fact that this was no ordinary car. It was the car that never ended up even second in any race. No matter how challenging the race, with this car, he had always pulled through. And it led him to believe that nothing, nothing was impossible.
He watched his car as the last tire was being replaced and smiled as the last nut bolt was tightened. He zipped up his jacket and pulled out his hand gloves, as he put them on, he gently ran in fingers on the car top. With his helmet in his hand, he sat on the driving seat. Through the chatter in the stadium, he could still distinctly hear people cheer him on. He put on this helmet and as he held the steering, he felt a current of energy buzzing through him. He shut the glass on his helmet, for it was time for the race to begin and he was ready.
He started the engines and as the bullet was fired in the air, he zoomed past the starting line, taking the lead. This was a race consisting of a hundred laps, which made it a marathon more than a sprint and taking an early lead in such races can exhaust the car. Racers would often like to test their speedometer limits towards the last ten or so laps. But this was no ordinary racer, as he took the lead, the audience got to their feet and cheered him on. If they could see through his helmet, they’d see a smile starting to form on his face. To him, it was almost like the other cars didn’t even exist. And as time went by, people had seen ninety-nine laps completed with the same red car in the lead.
However, at the hundredth lap, something strange happened. At the end of that lap, there was supposed to be a finish line, marking end of the race. As he was anticipating getting there, his smile got broader and his eyes lit up. But to his surprise, as he got to the end of the lap, there was no such marking. Shocked as he was, he wondered if there had been a miscalculation. His eyes now filled with worry and his mouth getting dry, he hit the accelerator even harder and prepared for another lap. Hoping that this time, he would see the finish line. But as he drew closer, his worry began to increase, as this time again, there was no finish line. Now frustrated, he took off his helmet, and looked around to see the other cars. But there were none. As he looked at the stands, he could see people getting up and preparing to leave. Not being able to comprehend what was going on, he hit the steering in anger and cursed. Where are all the other cars, he wondered. Where they even there in the beginning? Did they finish the race and he did not? As these thoughts began to play on his mind, there was a rumbling sound and within seconds, it began to rain. Agitated by this, he set on the track again, speeding through a now empty stadium, not being able to realize that the race had no end. Despite the heavy rain, he didn’t slow down, his speed and determination were both at maximum, but as he completed lap after lap, there was still no finish line…
A winner attitude and determination are great, but many of us like the racer believe that with these, we can win any race. But not all races are for us, not all races are to be won, sometimes we just need to release the accelerator, slow down, and accept that there is no finish line. For when we run the right race, with an attitude that is like the red car, the finish line will always appear.
