A young high school student was running around the track while several coaches were meeting on the sidelines. As he passed, he shouted that he would be the greatest hurdler of the whole school. The coaches didn’t pay much attention to him, but as they broke up the meeting, one of the coaches went over to him and asked why he thought he would be the greatest hurdler of the school. The boy said he had a secret. The coach asked him what the secret was and the boy leaned close and whispered, “Don’t think about the hurdle, go for the tape.”

You know, I wonder how many times we would be more successful if we didn’t let the obstacles control our actions, but instead keep our eyes on the goal. How many times have we given up because we didn’t see the obstacle as a stepping stone to the prize? Rarely are our dreams handed to us without some work on our part. You never know which obstacle will be the last one before the goal.

I remember when I worked at Purolator Products and our NASCAR driver, Derek Cope, won the Daytona 500 after Dale Earnhardt had a flat tire in the last lap. Some people minimized the win by saying that he wouldn’t have won if Dale hadn’t gotten the flat tire. However, I like to point out that he had to be in second place to be in a position to take over first.

I hope you will find inspiration to keep running this year.

Tim Russert was a model of a leader who is all about serving others. A client of mine said there are people who are about “here I am” and others who are about “there you are.” I think Tim Russert was a “there you are” person. It made him so endearing to others because he truly was interested in them.

My grandfather was a humble farmer in a small town in mid-America. He was quiet, gentle, loving, hardworking, and generous. He knew everyone and always had a helpful energy in the Masons, Lions Club, or local Farmers group. I am still awed by the fact that when he died at the age of 90, people stood in line for hours at the funeral home to say goodbye to him and they finally had to shut the door.

Perhaps if more people thought less about themselves than about others, we might have a more positive world. Perhaps it doesn’t require being famous.