Taking Stock October: +5 Life Lessons from Eliud Kipchoge!

Hello there happy people! 😀 What a grand time to be alive and witness the making of History by Eliud Kipchoge, ay?!

As we Take Stock today, we also pause to reflect on the lessons we can borrow from Eliud’s incredible life…

 

But first… a confession! Honestly, I’ve been struggling with writing this Taking Stock Post… You know, there are days when writing comes easily, but on other days- not so much.

I needed to find an authentic source of inspiration… Enter Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to ever run a Sub-2-Hour Marathon. 🙂

Did he not prove that ‘No Human is Limited’ only a few days ago? Oh, how quickly I forget!

And so this post is for me, as much as it is for you. 🙂

Because a few days, weeks, months and years from now, I want to remember… I hope that we can come back to this post, and be reminded of that exact moment, when Eliud Kipchoge won against all odds.

 

5 Life Lessons from Eliud Kipchoge!

 

I don’t know where the limits are, but I want to go there ~Eliud Kipchoge

 

When it hurts, Tap into Your Inner Smile

You might recall that during the race, the commentators were quite keen on Eliud’s facial expressions…

Apparently, you’ll know that it’s getting really tough when Eliud Kipchoge has a smile on his face. Wow! Can you imagine smiling when your body is burning with pain, and all your muscles are screaming for you to stop?

Over time, Eliud has mastered the art of thinking positively even when it gets tough. It’s like a culmination of the many months of training playing out in his mind.

Life may not always be perfect, but we can choose to smile and press on. 🙂

 

Run Your Own Race…

Imagine taking on a challenge in front of the entire world… It can be intimidating right?

For many of us, the idea of failing with an audience watching, might stop us from trying at all…

Faced with a massive audience, naysayers and the chances of failing big, Eliud Kipchoge still took on the challenge. His dream and purpose were crystal clear to him.

 

Fun Fact: One of his friends once told Eliud that he would die before anyone broke the 2 hour marathon record… Well Eliud proved him wrong.

 

To Eliud, it wasn’t about the accolades but proving to himself that it could be done, because he believed it. He was running his own race.

Are you living up to your highest potential, or holding back because of others…? #foodforthought 🙂

 

Play the long game

Truth be told, we got a front-row seat into the greatest 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds of Eliud Kipchoge’s life, and it was super inspiring!

However, we don’t have the benefit of ‘viewing’ the entirety of his life, to date… We missed the early mornings, late nights and the immense hard work it’s taken to train his body and mind to make that amazing moment possible…

To get to where he is today, I bet you that Eliud had to play the long game.

I can attest to feeling frustrated when things don’t work out, and feeling tempted to give up… The question is- are we willing to play the long game, and persevere through the process?

In life, career and relationships, the results may not be immediately clear, but it will be worth it if we consistently put in the work.

 

My greatest lesson from running, is dedication and being patient~ Eliud Kipchoge

 

Choose Your Tribe Wisely

One of my favourite pictures from the Marathon is right before the finish line, with Eliud’s Pace Makers cheering him on at the back…

And during his first interview after the race, Eliud did not hesitate to acknowledge his Pace Makers’ contribution.

Eliud Kipchoge says that ‘Sports is a mutual interest’, attributing a huge chunk of his successful athletics’ career to great teamwork.

 

In life, you can’t bring everyone with you to the ‘finish line’, so to speak. But with the right team, you will get there. 🙂

 

Fun Fact: Apparently, Scientists laughed off Eliud’s dream, claiming that the first time anyone could ever complete a marathon in under 2 hours would in be 2075…

 

No Human Is Limited!

It would be a crime not to put this one down… The greatest lesson we’ve learned from Eliud Kipchoge is that ‘No human is limited’.

I hope that we’ll take this attitude into any situation that life throws at us.

 

Thank you Eliud for living your life with such courage and determination, and for restoring hope that anything is possible.

 

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Taking Stock October…

 

Buying: Boots maybe? Because this weather is the perfect cover to indulge my love for boots!

 

Craving:  My mother’s mukimo. It is hands down the best mukimo you will ever taste! Ask my friends. Lol. 😀

 

Cooking: More. Progress!

 

Drinking: Lemon water.

 

Enjoying: Falling asleep and waking up to rain on most nights. Don’t you just love the sound of rain? 🙂

 

Feeling: Inspired to work on a collaboration project… I still don’t know what that is yet, but praying it becomes clear, and takes shape over the next few months.

 

Learning: To let go of the past and relish the present moment.

 

Listening: To an episode of the Accidental Creative Podcast:  ‘Aligning What You Think, Do & Say’ with Ron Tite.

 

Making: My 2020 Travel bucket-list in advance, by faith!

 

Missing: My family. Can’t wait to hangout soon! 🙂

 

Noticing: How some of my goals have fallen into place… And also how I am completely off the mark on others, and it’s okay.

 

Playing:  Daily challenges on this App I discovered called Peak. They describe it as a ‘mobile gym for your brain’.

It features a set of brain training games, so you can choose to work on memory, language skills, etc.

 

Reading: Wangari Maathai’s Unbowed. Yes, still haven’t finished it!

What books are you currently reading?

 

Wanting: To reduce my salt and sugar intake. Sigh. 🙁 Why is sugar so sweet and salt so tasty in food?

 

Thinking: About Pumzika Bay in Watamu. Someone take me back… 😀

 

 

Watching: Reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S on Netflix and TED talks on YouTube.

Fun Tip:

Look up this TED Talk on YouTube: An Introvert’s Guide To Social Freedom, by Kaspars Breidaks.

 

Wishing: For a Moment Tele 58mm Lens to take my phone photography to the next level!

 

Working: On finishing 2019 well. 🙂

 

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Thank you for reading! 😀 Did you enjoy this post? What lessons have you learned from Eliud Kipchoge? I would love to hear from you, leave a comment down below.

 

P.S.. Share this post with your friends and family, via the share buttons below. 🙂

 

 

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