Keep going

The year was 1983. In Australia, the long-distance foot race from Sydney to Melbourne was about to begin, covering 875 kilometers - more than 500 miles! About 150 world-class athletes had entered, for what was planned as a six-day event. So race officials were startled when a 61-year-old man approached and handed them his entry form.

His name was Cliff Young, and his "racing attire" included overalls and galoshes over his work boots.

At first, they refused to let him enter. So he explained that he'd grown up on a 2,000-acre farm, with thousands of sheep. His family could afford neither horses nor tractors so, when the storms came, his job was to round up the sheep. Sometimes, he said, it would take two or three days of running.

Finally, they let Cliff enter, and the race began. The others quickly left him way behind, shuffling along in his galoshes. But he didn't know the plan included stopping each night to rest, so he kept going.

By the fifth day, he had caught them all, won the race, and became a national hero. He continued to compete in long-distance races until well up in his seventies. He was an inspiration to millions and a great encourager of younger runners.

In his honor and memory, in 2004, the year after his death at age 81, the organizers of the race where he first gained fame permanently changed its name to the Cliff Young Australian Six Day Race.

What was the key to Cliff Young's success? It goes by various names: determination, perseverance, persistence, tenacity. It means keeping one's eye fixed steadfastly on a goal, and not stopping, no matter the difficulties or the obstacles, until that goal is achieved.

This is just one of many stories in our book, The Best of Success...A Treasury of Inspiration. In it, author Bob Kelly and I partnered to research the 25 common traits of successful people.

Bob shares my love of quotations. He began building a library of quotations in 1982, than now numbers 425 published volumes. The Best of Success captures some of those quotes, along with inspirational stories and award-winning photographs. It is an inspirational coffee table book that you'll treasure forever.

Periodically, I get this in my email trying to get me to buy the book.  Every time I see it, I seem to get something different out of what is said.  Cliff Young had his own style.  He didn't fit in with the other racers.  He didn't follow their plan.  He is considered a success since he won the race but would they include them in their book if he lost that race?  I am starting to learn that success means different things to different people.  I am working at loosing weight right now.  As long as I am loosing weight I am winning, right?  Or is the win in being more aware of how I treat my body?  Is the win in putting my health first?  What is it that I am trying to win any way?  I think this is why I never felt a desire to buy the book.  I was raised by a narcissistic mother and an enabling father.  I tried for years to meet their standard of success.  I learned really early on that when I climb the ladder of success I need to make sure it is leaning against the right building.  Nobody would have heard of Cliff Young if he stayed on his sheep ranch and rounded up sheep.  He took his skills he learned from this harsh arena and applied it to a standard that others viewed as success.  In my estimation, he was a success before he won the race.  I think one of the difficult things for survivors of narcissistic parents is to define what success is in the first place.  Is success walking away from the drama and cruelty we experienced growing up?  Is success finding a meaning in life that doesn't involve comparing ourselves to someone else?  Is success in what we produce or how we live?  My mother could mark off on her list all the things she accomplished but she couldn't nurture her daughters, was her accomplishments a success or just a substitute for what she couldn't do?  My summer is almost half over and many of the things I planned to do are unaccomplished but I am reviewing my progress in MyFitnessPad.com and see the over all drop in food consumption, increase in exercise, and improvement in my health.  Now, I am starting some of the projects I planned to do and I am excited and much happier than I am about the dieting.  I do feel a sense of accomplishment that I have my blood pressure back in the very healthy range.  I am delighted to be able to wear my anklets again.  I am happy with my ability to complete the easier exercise videos.  I am planning on building my strength to be able to do the Bob Harper videos.  After 2 years of dancing with my daughter's class I can now do most of the exercises.  I remember starting out and I couldn't touch my toes.  Now I can hook my finger around my toes after stretching out.  I still experience aches and pains when doing something new but that is true for everyone.  I may not appear to be a success to someone else but I am learning the value of keep going.  My success is getting up again and again and again.  My success is recognizing unhealthy upbringing and seeking counseling to learn a different way to live my life.  My success is in my own happiness.  My success is moving my ladder of success to my own standards of good enough.  Success is set by me and I am enough and I will keep going.