The World's Greatest Last-Place Finisher

Traditionally, the last competitive event of the summer Olympics is the men's marathon. At the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, the marathon had been over for more than two hours. The journalists were finishing their stories and the TV people were breaking down their equipment.
Into the stadium hobbled a lone runner. He ran around the track, crossed the finished line, and got down on his hands and knees and kissed the ground. The journalists, sensing a great story, surrounded him.
All of a sudden someone yelled out, "Who are you?"
"My name is John Stephen Akhwari"
"Where are you from?"
"I am from the country of Tanzania."
"The race has been over for more than two hours. Why are you still running?"
"My country sent me 10,000 miles to run in the Olympic marathon. They did not send me 10,000 miles to start the race - they sent me 10,000 miles TO FINISH THE RACE."

Don't Procrastinate

Did you know that IDEA, the International Health and Fitness organization, released a statistic that found 75% of people who exercise are not getting the results they want? But out of the 25% of people who are getting results, 90% of them are working with a Personal Trainer. Here's a story that I've adapted from one of the stories of Dr. Rob Gilbert, one of the most motivating individuals and the best Sports Psychologists of our day.

On the wall of a runners' store in Princeton is an Adidas poster..."Sweat, pain, and exhaustion are all temporary - finishing Boston is forever."
This poster refers to the Boston Marathon. Even if you're not a runner, this poster refers to you as well because you're in a marathon too. Achieving your health and fitness goals is a marathon - not a sprint.
Whether it's an athletic marathon or a personal marathon, there are two things you have to do to cross the finish line:Number one is start.Number two is continue.
Sounds simple... but it's not that easy. As a matter of fact, according to a fitness industry survey, only 75 percent of individuals on an exercise program are getting the results they want.
Start: It's the start that stops most people. Most people plan on getting started. They hope to get started. They want to get started. But they never get started. Why? Because they procrastinate. Procrastination is a killer. Procrastination is getting ready to get ready. The secret is that you don't have to feel like getting started - you just have to start. Don't wait until you feel like doing it... just do it and then you'll feel like it! So today start walking, work out at the fitness center, plan your meals, cook a healthy dinner, go to bed early- whether you feel like it or not.
Continue: In other words, "Keep on keeping on." Why do so many people fail to continue once they get started? The number one reason for quitting for marathon runners is pain and exhaustion. The number one reason individuals stop exercising is discouragement. In the long run, it hurts more to quit than to continue.
Question: How do you fight discouragement?Answer: With success.
Let me explain... Nothing succeeds like success. When you actually start seeing results, your whole world changes. Results change attitudes. When you actually start seeing results, weight loss, increased energy, more definition, better attitude, better mood - these results are powerful motivators. Nothing succeeds like success.
Start. Continue. Cross the finish line! The tassel is worth the hassle.