By Dr. Jason Carthen
I was really not sure why the searing pain was rushing down my leg and quite frankly, by that point, it really did not matter because the rest of my body was aching as well.
Place One Foot in Front of the Other
I was competing in a 26.2 marathon and after mile 22 all of my normative perspectives on the race and “life in general” had changed. As a matter of fact, I was really wondering why I had signed up to do that race! I was convinced of two things as I continued to run and place one foot in front of the other, (1) I was pushing myself beyond my known limits and (2) I would be better after the experience.
Improve in Certain Aspects
You see, I did not know what to expect running my first full marathon, but the experience would tell me a great deal about myself and my ability to persevere amidst trials and adversity. As leaders and followers, when was the last time, we pushed our known limits or asked ourselves if we are trying to improve in certain aspects of our personal and professional lives on a daily basis?
Push Your Known Limits
Now, I am in no way suggesting that you should go out and run 26.2 miles to push your known limits! However, I am suggesting the discipline of personal improvement that will stretch you and provide benchmarks along your professional and personal journey. This discipline will allow you to never become complacent and potentially be rendered obsolete. One of the things that I found over the years through my research is that we have a tendency as human beings to get into the habit of doing things by rote. Instead, I want to encourage you today to push past your known limits and see where you may be able to grow in certain areas. You will not know what you are capable of unless you do something that you have never done before.
Please leave a comment or post on my Facebook Page and let me know the last time you pushed your known limits. Thanks for your ongoing support!
