"I ran my first half marathon when I was twenty-seven. My pace was a little over twelve minutes per mile, and I was among the last finishers, but I didn't care. I finished 13.1 miles on foot! I felt like a rock star. Thirty years (and many, many races of varying lengths) later, this last May I ran a half marathon I participate in every year."
"Here's the thing: life, like marathons, isn't always about speeding up, getting better, or winning. It's about showing up, staying present, and enjoying the ride-even if you're at the back of the pack chatting away with the other slow people, enjoying the scenery. Slow, steady, and stubborn-that's me. Improvement is celebrated in our culture. We want more-faster, richer, smarter. And don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan of excellence in lots of areas of my life."
A runner maintained a roughly 12-minute-per-mile half marathon pace from age twenty-seven to thirty years later, finishing a recent race in 1:38. The runner emphasizes showing up, staying present, and enjoying the experience rather than focusing solely on speed or winning. The piece values slow, steady persistence and accepts loving activities without achieving excellence. Consistency benefits creative pursuits, hobbies, and self-care even when measurable improvement is absent. Cultural pressure for continual improvement can lead people to abandon activities or roles they love; one client left a beloved job for status and is now unhappy in the new role.
Read at Psychology Today
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