Perhaps this means the less dedicated people fall by the wayside and only the committed ones remain on the road in that last decisive effort.
But I have a different take on it. It is not others who are out of the way in that last mile, it is YOU that is out of the way. The many yous who stood in the way of running, or biking, or working, or loving, whatever you put your true effort into.
Think of the process of arriving at the extra mile. I will use the example of running since that is what I do. I first have to decide to get dressed to run. I have the traffic in my head of what to wear, if it will be too light or too heavy for the weather. I have mind traffic saying it’s cold out, maybe raining, maybe sleeting, maybe 100 degrees, who knows. I have to make my way through that traffic until I decide, yes I am going to go run.
Then I have to drive to where my group meets and I have real traffic to contend with. But also worries about if I will be tight, fatigued, sore. If the route will be hard hills, long and windy, dark and filled with potholes. A lot of traffic in my mind. I wonder how I will do, if I will keep up with the group, if they will be talkative, silent, helpful, oblivious, or demanding. Who will be there, who will not.
Then I start running. In fact my legs do feel sluggish, my lower back does feel tight, I am very cold, I am making my way through the ifs, ands and buts of traffic in my mind. I make my way through the physical traffic. I make my way through the social traffic.
Finally, after a while (a minute for some, 3 hours for others, doesn’t matter), I am at my final mile. My mind is clear, my pain and fear and worries and distractions…my ‘traffic’ is gone. I am free. I am running free. I am at peace and I am fulfilled.
That mile never, EVER exists except at the very end. Run towards that mile in all you do and you will be happier and and more free than you have been able to imagine so far.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” Roger Staubach, 1942-not dead yet, American football player with the Dallas Cowboys.
