“We got turned down, we failed, had setbacks, had to start over a lot of times. But we kept going at it. In anybody’s case that’s always the distinguishing factor.”
– Nipsey Hussle
The Marathon Continues: The mantra coined by Nipsey Hussle which became the total embodiment of resilience and the need to set new goals as one achieves personal growth.
The Marathon Continues…
It’s a simple statement, but a crucial one to me and many others. And it must stay at the top of mind while in pursuit of your goals.
How poetic it is to think of Life as a Sport?
Watching the NBA playoffs really put me back into an athlete’s frame of mind.
I am grateful that I participated in athletics in my youth. I believe sports in many ways are a representation of life.
Sports teaches you so many things – how to lead, how to cooperate within a group for a common goal, how to deal with adversity, how to harness the mind/body connection, how to be competitive and push yourself past your perceived limits.
Sports and real life are similar in that there will be many challenges, ups and downs.
You can see how this separates different athletes. There are the athletes that point their fingers at others for their own failure and then there are athletes that internalize the failure, look within to assess the weaknesses in their game and take measures to improve.
In other words, they held themselves accountable and put in the work to become better instead of making excuses.
So, in life, the question is not whether you will succeed or fail. The question becomes, “What will you do when you do fail?”
That is when we face a pivotal moment. When you fail, will you look at others to blame or will you look within and identify what you need to improve?
How can you become better?
That is an important question because, if you can learn the lesson, there truly is no failure.
At that point, failure becomes a teacher instead of an impediment.
In this microwave and Insta-gratification culture, it can become easy to believe that success should happen effortlessly and that, if success doesn’t happen exactly when you want or when someone else believes it should, that your dream is not meant to be realized.
The reality is that before you can succeed at something, you must first fail and maybe fail multiple times at it. But that is the difference between those who accomplish and those who do not accomplish: one quit before reaching the goal and the other did not quit. Simple.
You may not reach your goal as fast as you’d wish.
Is your mind and body conditioned to endure the road that stretches before you?
One of my marathons revolves around the novel I am writing.
Imagine putting in all the work required to write a novel – research, formatting, character and plot development, world building, reading and breaking down books in multiple genres. Finishing the novel. Then re-writing it FOUR more times as a result of the editing process. All the while, holding down a 9-5 and being a full-time parent.
No easy or quick path for me, but my passion is part of my purpose and I am dedicated to it. No need to microwave it out, only to finish and produce quality work.
The Marathon Continues…
Nipsey Hussle’s music became the soundtrack to my life.
His words were uplifting and insightful. His lyrics spoke to my soul.
The invaluable insights in his songs include lessons I learned before I heard his music, but at some point along the way, became muted amidst the noise of life.
Nipsey’s ability to vividly share his journey through his music not only inspired us, but reinvigorated many of us that had become caught up in the hamster wheel of life. For many of us, The Marathon provides the soundtrack to our journey.
Nipsey’s legacy and energy lives on in the people he touched.
Through his music, it wasn’t so much about what I learned as it was about what he placed in my spirit. Knowledge alone will not motivate, but when something becomes a part of your core being, it creates passion and passion will drive you.
With that, I leave you with the gems Nipsey placed in my heart.
Be mindful of self-limiting beliefs.
Let no one define what success is for you.
Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do just because they can’t do it.
Dreams have no expiration date.
It doesn’t matter how long it takes, just never quit. Cross that finish line.
Resilience is required in a Marathon.
You must have the ability to persevere despite challenges.
You can’t fold the minute something doesn’t go your way.
Never stop being a student.
Learning is a continuous cycle. Always be thirsty for knowledge. Always know that you are not finished.
The elders would say “God ain’t finished with me yet.”
God is not finished with you either, so continue to do the work. You must continue to learn about this world. You must continue to learn about yourself.
Piece together the lessons from every failure to crack the code.
Failure is inevitable, but not the end. Through it all, find ways to improve.
Stay at your edge.
Commitment will eventually lead you to success, but don’t get complacent there.
Once you reach your goal, create new ones. Challenge yourself again.
Failure is not a deterrent.
Stay on course or course correct, but never stop walking your path.
The Marathon Continues…
Ronaldo Gilley 