As you know, I've the used the term "DASH" as not only an acronym for Determination, Attitude, Success and Happiness but also as a metaphor for running the race of life. And while this metaphor is an interesting way to look at life, it can be misleading.

And while this metaphor is useful, I've come to realize that it isn't entirely accurate. In fact, it's slightly misleading. In a typical race, the goal is to finish as quickly as possible. In fact, the first person to cross the finish line is the declared the winner and receives all of the accolades and prizes. After all, when was the last time you saw the 8th place finisher on the front of a Wheaties box?

However, in the race of life, the finish line isn't the beginning of the celebration; it's the end - death. Therefore, we certainly don't want to be in a hurry to get to the end. Instead, we should be leisurely strolling through the race, stopping from time to time to smell the roses and enjoy the sights.

Yet, very few of us live life in this fashion. Instead, most of us seem to be caught up in the concept of finishing the race as soon as possible. We mistakenly believe that once we've finished the race, we can sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of our labors. For example, we think that, once the kids go off to college, that the race of parenthood is over and now, we can focus all of our attention on ourselves. Or we think that once we retire, the race of productivity is over and now, we can spend our days basking in the sun.

Keep Running Your Race (Part II)

Well, this simply isn't how life works. We all must continue running the race everyday of our lives. If we're parents, we don't stop becoming parents once our children are grown. We still must worry about them, advise them and in many cases, support them; financially or otherwise. The same thing goes for retirement. Sure, you may retire from your job or your profession but you don't get to retire from making productive use of your skills, talents and experience.

In my coaching practice, I often come across people who are just learning this truth. After the first few weeks or months of retirement, they begin to wonder: "Is this the 'fun time' I've been dreaming about for the last 40 years?" They simply can't understand why they're getting bored and restless when they should be living the "good life."

What they fail to realize is the good life is facing the hurdles of life and overcoming them. The good life is finding a way to make a unique contribution to the planet with the skills and talents that only you possess. The good life is running your race.

This is important for all of us to keep in mind, regardless of our position on the track, so that we make sure not to hurriedly race to the end without enjoying the process. All too often, we grit our teeth and try to just "make it" through the various stages of the race. We think, one day, we'll reach the finish line and then we can begin to enjoy ourselves. Well, trust me. We're all going to reach the finish line for sure, but it won't be the start of the party; it will be the end of it.

The only time we have to party is during the race. Therefore, we must make time to laugh, love and celebrate now. If we wait until the race is over, we will have waited too late.