I remember kneeling on the grass, the white line, hands trembling in front of me, my heart racing a million miles a millisecond in my chest, palms sweating, waiting for the start gun. The only goal was to look ahead and find a pace and a rhythm that would keep me in my lane and get me to the finish line, hopefully ahead of the others to win the medal but also score points for my team. Not looking left or right like a racehorse in my lane, I focused, determined and undistracted, my eyes fixed only on the finish line. Then those power words: On your mark, Get Ready and Go!! The sound of the gunshot fired my brain and body into a whole new level of action. The sudden burst of adrenaline as my feet left the start line; there was no turning back. My racing chest passionately pulled me, flying forward, pressing towards the finish line with straining muscles and breath. There was only one goal here: to win and score points for our team. My spirit was exhilarated at the possibility of winning while my legs trembled, darting forward, giving my very best effort. There was no holding back for us. We really did put it all out there with no barriers or limiting beliefs. We were young and fully believed anything was possible. There was no time to doubt, and even though we were nervous, the energy, cheering voices, and big buzz around us pushed us to our peak performance on the track. Our track and field days were unparalleled—mascots in coordinated colours and decorated costumes and banners, music pumped high, high-pitched cheering and war cries, teachers and coaches leading the charge, and official tables piled high with trophies. We knew the build-up to this day was to reap the rewards of all the hard work. Staying after school and arriving early, training on the weekend. Every effort counted toward this big day. The sports field was electric, and all our senses transcended our fears and came alive. The incentives were huge, and the whole community came out to watch us participate. it was a day that transformed our training into rewards and caused us to strive for more. Each house wanted to bring home the big win that would take the podium for 1st place and hold that trophy, screaming at the top of our lungs. So it started with the grand parade as we cheered Who are who are who are we? “We are, we are, can’t you see.” What are your colours and we would say our colours, “Red and White”, What do you want? “Trophy.” How do you take it? “ “Easy.” Then we would spell our house name that year; it was planets, so we screamed J U P I T E R! Jupiter! In a singular and collective voice, we set the stage for believing we could win.
There is something to be said about that gruelling self-development and purposeful, intentional coaching before, during, and after those races that kept us in the race, leaning in to better our outcomes and performances and push the limits of where we could go, even possibly setting new times and records. Personal coaching kept the goal in front of us and transformed our mindset to believe that anything is possible. How did we figure out what we wanted, or how did we get rid of self-doubt? I had the best life coaches near us. They were certified, trained, and invested to unlock our potential and were our biggest cheerleaders. It taught us how to push past our limitations and go past mediocrity and how to trust our potential, overcome obstacles, and conquer our fears. It taught us to find passion and purpose in everything we did, and even the practice became full of excitement and transformational energy that moved us forward to being better. That kind of competition was so healthy and necessary to raise the bar for our school to compete interprovincially and pursue national team selection as those barriers were broken.
The air was electric with excitement; bunting organized teams, and number tags were pinned to our shirts, preparing us to run. Stretching, jumping, and warming up as we were summoned to the starting line. Everything we did to this point was to mentally prepare us and engage us to run to the best of our ability. The 100-meter dash, then 200-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter dash, and the best of them all, the relay race that ended in the unbelievable crescendo of the day. I participated in many of these races. Hearing “READY, SET, GO!” was a huge deal, launching us into a surge of adrenaline. I could hear the voice of my coach on the side and rehearsed all that we practiced in training in my head. I could feel the burn racing down and around the track, moments where I felt my feet could stumble and give way, especially in the longer races, but I had to keep going, the cheering and the voice of my coach pulling me forward. There is always an opportunity to want to give up and quit and feel like others are pulling ahead and what is the point, but when you remember that your goal is for your own thriving as well as the collective triumph of the group, you quickly pull yourself together cast aside all shadow of doubt and move towards that finish line. Nothing beats the thrill of cutting through the finish line. It is incomparable. Winning first place, second, or third place —each brought its own exhilaration. Just those incredible team cries and the coaching of the track master was enough to keep going. Relay races were the height of all the fun. It took these races to a whole new level. No one ran these races without training. We put ourselves through the paces and trained whenever we found an opportunity. I am so thankful for the transformational leadership we had back then because it pushed us beyond our personal comfort and pain. They helped us overcome self doubt and brought transformational thinking that shifted us into a winning mindset. This coaching fostered much determination to be ready and not let your team down or fall over foolishly for not putting the time and effort into the techniques of running the best race possible. Running alone was one thing. Running in the team for the big win was another. We played hard as kids. I so wish more youth would get their feet on the ground, run, train, and even play to connect to even half the potential they think they have. So many give up before they even try. They quit with a little tiredness or just can’t seem to find the breath and pace to keep it going. Winning does require undistracted dedication, practice, and performance personally and collectively.
The heightened cheer in the stands was thick as each team frantically cheered their participants forward to victory. The absolute determination on the runners’ faces was unmistakable. The winning team’s chant and war cries reached a crescendo, and the community knew who won. Our rewards were our fresh cream doughnuts, goody bags with chips, and soda. Those who went on to win had their names announced on loudspeakers and were awarded trophies. I was the recipient of many of these trophies. We did not get awarded for merely participating but for winning. It was fun, challenging, and, I dare say, tested our grit and ability to reach for more. Parents came out in droves, uniting schools and the community and showcasing hard work and abilities. All in all, it was a day to remember and will always be etched in my memory as a time of preparation, training, readiness, and rewards. The wins did not come cheap or easy. There is a mentality out there that if it is too difficult, it is not worth it. The flip side is that if it is too easy, it may not be valued enough or found to be true.
Reflecting on these sports days and the sheer effort, training, and commitment, I cherish all the paces we were put through, and even though it was hard then, those have become my fondest memories and foundational mindset for all that is possible when we are willing to try. Overcoming obstacles and excuses, pity parties, and not feeling good enough was not an option. We participated in the training, and it gave us grit to run, not just for ourselves but eventually for the team. Overcoming pain and obstacles was part of the journey, and setting goals for finishing what I started kept me focused. Finding fulfillment in my life through these experiences was invaluable. As I prepare for new work and a new chapter, I realize the importance of practicing healthy habits and keeping my dreams alive, keeping my eyes on the prize and not letting limiting beliefs and circumstances define the outcomes but straining forward with my face and my heart fully present in my body as I show up with my spirit intact ready and set to Go! To move forward with meaning and purpose with an unshakeable resolve of faith and love for myself and others. Even though my knees are trembling from self-doubt or feelings of failure and uncertainty, I know instinctively that with the right voices in my head, with the right amount of coaching, I can literally overcome setbacks, disappointments and perceived limiting and wrong beliefs and cross the finish line. This could be a relationship, a career, a move, a change in life direction, a need for awareness and education, a group discovery and exploration of new ideas and possibilities. Whatever draws you here, we are all in this together, and at Visionary Pathways, we help you unveil those blocks, hurdles, and interruptions and help you discover new mindsets that will serve your dreams and goals moving forward. We could all use a coach, that outside voice that sees and hears and feels us and calls us out on that unleashed potential and the voice that gives us the courage to move forward no matter what is going on.
The Comrades Marathon in South Africa remains an inspiring race for me. The 86km gruelling concrete run symbolizes perseverance, camaraderie, and the conquering human spirit. It takes a lot of practice, coaching, and discipline to run this race. Thousands sign up, and the race completion shows the participants’ dedication, training, and hard-core engagement. Watching the end of the race was my favourite part, participants helping each other across the finish line, tired, bewildered, disoriented and a bit dehydrated, embodying the depth of our compassion and humanity. Some crawl, limp, hop and do whatever it takes to get across that finish line to achieve a sense of accomplishment. Some have gone back to help the struggling ones by carrying them on their backs and literally dragging them across the line.
In the race of life things can get challenging. You can lose motivation, become broken, discouraged, distracted and don’t feel like you have it in you to take it to the next level You might be so exhausted from giving it your all and not feeling like you can take another step, maybe you are stuck, and your legs are cramping, or you have a muscle spasm, something is just not working right in your body or your brain, and you feel like checking out because you can’t see your way forward. Things have become blurry, and you don’t seem to have the time or energy for the things you used to enjoy. The pain you have experienced can distort your ability to process thoughts or emotions or relationships well and can lead you away from a winning mindset. Maybe you are just feeling lost in meaning and purpose, disconnected from your vision and dreams, and lost the end goal’s plot. We all need encouragement and an outside voice and thinking that can help us clarify things and help us feel connected and present with what is keeping us stuck.
Finding a coach to help you can make a significant difference in maximizing your potential. Life’s race is about the journey, the support we give and receive, and the spirit of never giving up.
Here are some important rules for running your race:
• Find the perfect fit for you and your race, capabilities, and what you want to do.
• Start right and end well. Many start and don’t finish or don’t know how to finish what they start.
• Overcome trauma and other losses in the race. Explore ways to break the barriers that keep you stuck in old defeating patterns and cycles.
• Learn how to overcome mental health issues to run freely again. Running here is the metaphor we use to describe taking off limiting beliefs, shaking off setbacks, and embracing your best and boldest self, heart racing, knees knocking, and palms sweating as you choose to step forward.
Readiness is the mindset, setting is the strategy (eyes fixed on the goal), and going is the action that leads to transformation. When your mind is transformed, your body is renewed, and your spirit is awakened to all kinds of possibilities.
With proper training, diet, coaching, and community support, we begin to thrive with this incredible ability to do anything we set our minds to. No one starts that gruelling 86km having it all figured out, but as they follow the plan and take the steps, they ready themselves mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually to take it on. What are you wanting to take on? Listen to me as I stand in your corner cheering you along; hear my voice when I say those powerful words.
Ready, Set, Go! What stands before you as an impossibility? Who said it is unattainable? Get in position and wait for it. Just because something hasn’t been done does not mean it can’t be. Something is about to go off— The countdown is on. Don’t wait for the perfect moment -get ready, set your focus, and together, as your coach and thinking partner, we will create breakthroughs. Listen to your gut instinct as you come to the line, engage, and sign up to run your best race.
Where are you in the race? What do you want to see at the finish line? What is stopping you from achieving your highest this year? What is holding you back from seeing your dreams fulfilled? What is preventing you from experiencing the sheer joy of just lining up your opportunity to Get ready, Get set and go? If not now then when? There is no better time than NOW! The stage is set, and your face and feet are pointed forward. Let’s Go!
Ready, Set, Let’s GO! At visionary pathways, you can discover all you need to be and become that pure force of power to be recognized as You find great strategies to pull you forward. We are your cheerleaders to help you transform doubts into clear vision, limiting beliefs into breaking barriers and indecision into stable thoughts that cause you to Thrive in all you seek to achieve and accomplish to live a fulfilled and complete life. To Transcend your darkest fears, broken hopes and dreams and misaligned opportunities. The invitation is here to get back in the race, and whatever has thrown you off course, we are all one decision away from becoming the Best we can be for ourselves and collectively as groups, teams, and organizations. We owe it to ourselves and this next generation to give it our best shot. What are the possibilities if you took the chance to be ready, set your mind to win and dare to GO somewhere you have not imagined you could? Your life is a gift and a gold mine of opportunities waiting to be explored and uncovered for yourself, your family, your team, and your future. Let’s Go! It is time to transform your thinking, thrive in your abilities and transcend into new pathways of possibilities. Run your race unhindered and full of purpose and fulfillment fueled by all that is unleashed in you to bring you to your finish line. Ready Set! Go!