They Say It Can't Be Done

The pundits love to speak out in times like these. I have chosen to enter Race Across America on a 2 person team. Many say I can't do it, shouldn't do it, I won't make it because I have never done an 8 man RAAM, won't be able to train enough, to name just a few of the comments.

All my life I have proved the critics wrong. I was told I would never make the high school varsity track team. I lettered 3 years in a row. "They" said I would never be good enough to compete at the collegiate level. I earned all-conference honors 3 years in a row. "They" said I would never break 3 hours in my first marathon. I ran 2:31. "They" said I would not improve on that time at Boston as it is a tough course (and it is). I ran 2:29, finishing 12 seconds in front of the first woman.

"They" said I would never pull off opening and operating a high-priced assisted living community in Sacramento. We set company and industry records on our way to the bank. "They" even said, way back when, that I could never get 300 college students to come to a Christian-oriented meeting on a Friday night in a college town. Um, they were wrong...again. Oh, and then there were those who told me I was a fool to try to go to grad school when I had 3 small children. They were correct on one part - I was a fool. But, I did graduate...with honors.

So, will I really be able to complete a 2 person RAAM? Of course, there are no guarantees. I mean, I "only" have to ride 1500 miles in about 8 days, about 185 miles every 24 hours. Yikes!

But none of what the pundits say really matters. There is a sign above my desk that says, "What people think of me is none of my business." What other people think is relatively easy to deal with - it is what I believe that is the tough one. Am I good enough? Have I trained enough? Do I know what I'm doing?

Every single day I face situations where I am up against the limits of my knowledge and experience. What do I do? Pick up the phone and ask someone. Attend a class. Read a book on the subject. Becoming a better and stronger cyclist is pretty simple. I go ride my bike.

Of course, I have NO idea how long I will live. I do have a choice to live my life with intention - with purpose, clarity and with a mission. It's no mystery that people who choose to live for something are the ones who get noticed...and criticized.

Just take a look at history. Nobody talks about those who chose to do nothing.

Rolling On,