Second Wind

I don't understand why people are disgruntled when they don't win all the time. On one hand, I am surrounded by groaning, gasping people who claim they have no time to do all the things they need to do. On the other hand, they are dismayed by not being Number One all the time.

The solution comes from distance running. In a long-distance race, you cannot go flat out and expect to win. Rather, you keep a reasonable pace, play it strategically and occasionally tactically. You can be a few strides behind the leader, being second or even third or fourth at every bend, slowly sucking the momentum from your competitor. When you finally raise your pace and blast past the leader, having conserved energy since you gained your second wind, it gives you a great feeling.

And what if you don't? To me, only losers say there are no prizes for second place. Of course there are. Or there would only be one person left standing in every competition. It appalls me, this stupidity of primacy. Rather, accept your strengths, your weaknesses, your talents. Do what you can and call on your innermost life of the spirit to fill in whatever gaps remain. And the rest is in the hands of God. For the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but time and chance happen to them all.