Everybody says that we run at our own pace— that life is not a race. The founder of KFC was at his 60’s when he became successful; Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors of the 20th century got expelled from school; Bill Gates, one of the richest man alive is a college dropout and the list goes on.

Life is not a race? I don’t think so.

We all need something.

We need a degree, we need a job, we need money. It is undeniable that one should treat life as a race. A race that tests ourselves, challenges us and betters us. It is about reaching the finish line rather than who will cross it first.

As a college student, the race that I am willing to fight for is one where there is a predetermined winner and loser— myself. It is just a matter of time when to get it so I can be ready to fight for it.

One time, I was listening to the speech of an alumnus of San Beda University who is also a CPA board passer. He shared that he failed one of his subjects and that it is okay to fail because what matters is whether we give up or not. Let that failure fuel you, he said.

But in reality, it will never be okay to fail. Nobody wants to go through pain, or worse, find out that the pain is not worth it.

You only have yourself to look after you, so once you get the chance, grab it. Run with it and work for it. After all, life is a race.

And yes, we can run at our own pace. But, how long will it take? Maybe only for a moment or it won’t come at all. Perhaps, the reason is because we make our limitations as an excuse for not working hard enough to achieve something.

I have a lot on my plate. I need to chase my dreams, I want to be my parents’ pride, I want to look at myself in the future and see if I was able to run and make it in life, or did I leave the race and settled to another one? No one can tell, but one thing is for sure. You tell it. And if you still don’t think that life is not a race, then sure, prove it.