Running Life In Lane 8

So this totally happened today. I was leaving a day of work absolutely exhausted and thankfully I got out at a decent time since I was the Admission/Discharge nurse. As I was pulling out of the parking garage, I turned the corner and ran into this…..a lone, lost Dansko! You know, the shoes that you pay 120$ for and you hate for the first 3 weeks wearing, but then you love them forever after? Yah, this lone Dansko was sitting in the road like a lost turtle, waiting for someone to run it over rescue it! My guess is that either someone had a TERRIBLE day and ran out of the hospital after report like a bat outta hell, losing a shoe, or some other nurse was running late to the time clock and her shoe fell out of her bag from all of the marathon sprinting! Regardless of how it happen, I took one for the team, yall! I put on my hazards, got beeped at for doing so, saved the Dansko, and moved it to the side in a safe place in hopes that Nurserella will find it later! Thank you, thank you…..you  can write my hospital for my valiant efforts and team-playing approach later!

The Significance of Lane 8

I thought I would share this story because a. it seriously cracks me up and b. it leads in to the awesome message I want to share. A message about running. No, not running to the time clock or running out of the hospital. I actually want to share a message about a South African Runner, Wayde van Niekerk, who won the gold medal in the men’s 400 meter race in the 2016 Rio Olympic games. The reason this win was so significant was because he won the Gold Medal in Lane 8. Let me tell you about Lane 8. Lane 8 is the outside lane. It’s the most undesirable lane to have to run in. The lane that actually starts you “in front” of everyone, having no one to compare yourself to while running. This makes it difficult because you have to have enough mental and physical strength to pace yourself appropriately and be able to go “hard” without seeing your competition. This lane is also not typically a “winning lane” because the corners are wider and they can cause you to lose speed and momentum with the wide turns. It’s just not easy to win in this lane, and it takes a well rounded athlete to win; mind, body, and strength.

The reason I share this story is because against all odds, this young athlete not only won the Gold Medal in Lane 8, but he broke a world record. He did the not-so-doable. I was SO inspired by this story, because comparing myself to other’s successes and situations is a natural weakness for many. I always tend to base my feelings about a situation or something in my life on how someone else is doing in that same area.

1.That’s totally not healthy for you.

2.You have no clue what someone elses story is REALLY like. 

This may apply to You….

In nursing school, you might be that student just making it with C’s, and comparing yourself to those people who post pics of all of their free time adventures and dominate with the A’s in the books. You can’t compare.

As a new grad, you might be watching all of your friends get the interviews and offers at their first choice hospitals and jobs, while you struggle to just get a call back. You can’t compare.

As an experienced nurse, you see all of the promotions and new roles being offered to the people around you, wondering why you haven’t been asked or given opportunity. You can’t compare.

You might even be a seasoned nurse wanting to to do something more, and watching nurses breeze through NP school, wondering “why is it so hard for me?” You Can’t compare.

Do Everything As If You Were Running In Lane 8

Whether its targeting your career goals or dodging your health goals, this “mindset” applies to it all!  Everything that we do in life, EVERYTHING, we need to do it like we are running in Lane 8. We have to prepare ourselves mentally, spiritually, and physically to succeed on our own. Running life in Lane 8 is driven by passion. Running life in lane 8 equips you for future trials. Running life in lane 8 allows you to be the BEST version of yourself and gives you the opportunity to prove to yourself that you are capable of anything and everything that you put your mind to. Your success is not based on anyone else’s. Your success is measured by your own training and desire to WIN on YOUR own, with no external influence.

As I watched Wayde van Niekerk pace himself, without any other runners in sight and having the mental and physical strength to power through that long race and succeeding without another runner ever being in sight, I was completely inspired! His focus, his strength, and his drive blew my mind. This man won because HE wanted it for him, and not because he wanted to one-up or find motive from someone else’s success. I think healthy competition is good, but my point is that you have it in you to do whatever you want to achieve in life, regardless of the successes of others.

So whether you’re running into the hospital late for work, or you’re an athlete running in the Olympic games, “run” life as if you were in Lane 8. It’s not always the easiest lane, but its the one that is going to prepare and equip you for true, future success. When you “win” in Lane 8, you’ve won more than just a race.

Your Heart Is Mine,

Kelsey