Many years ago, I watched the end of a marathon on television long after the main runners had finished. There was one runner who was not far from the finish line but who kept falling and was dizzy and disoriented. He could not be helped, or he would be disqualified so it was fascinating and heart breaking to see this athlete so determined to reach the line, yet he kept falling over and looked defeated.

In the end a decision was made that he needed help and I can only imagine how disappointed he must have felt to get so close yet so far to the finishing line. I think to have prepared your mind and body for so long for such a race of endurance only to miss out within feet/metres of the finishing line would be so frustrating.

Many of us will never go in a marathon, but we have undertaken challenges big and small only to get so close to completing the task but for some reason we can not get over the finish line.

A friend of mine went back to university in her 50s and was doing well with her studies. In her final year she had a virus then became very depressed and even though she had only 2 units to finish her degree she was not able to. The university offered her extra time, but she lost hope and confidence in herself and gave up. Her friends and family kept encouraging her, but she told me she had given it her best effort and that was not good enough, so she decided to give up gracefully.

Everyone is different. Seeing the end so close would have inspired others to finish the degree even if it did take longer than planned.

It does not have to be a big challenge, it can be a small task that you were close to finishing but never did.

Have you ever got so close to finishing something but at the last minute you could not reach the line?

Or did you put in an enormous effort at the end and finish only to feel exhausted and sick for weeks later?

Leah

A Moodscope member