Life is but a Marathon...

A butterfly with broken wings will still take flight and live life to its fullest. Can we do that? (Photo taken in Sentosa Butterfly Sanctuary)

Ten Marathons in 7 Continents in 70 Days -- this was exactly what Dr William Tan did - a feat that most able-bodied man can’t even do. But Dr Tan, a polio victim paralysed from waist did, setting a guiness book of record in the process.

I'm really honoured to hear him speak at a conference today. A man, who could not walk since aged 2, overcame all odds -- both mental and physical obstacles -- to complete numerous marathons, raise millions for charity and get a medical degree after facing rejections for 21 years.

I am truly inspired by this great man who likened life to be a marathon. And he gave some tips on how we can develop a marathon mentality and win the race:

1. Having a lifelong goal and always keeping sight of it. That's not all. We must develop a strategy to achieve this goal.
2. Having a desire to win that must come from within.
3. While we should set stretch goals, there must be little goals to encourage us along as we work towards achieving the main goal. (This is what I do when I do my 7.5km run - I set short term targets and give myself a pat with each 1.5km that I complete.)
4. We should not wait for things to happen but make it happen.
5. Ability to think creatively will stand us a cut above others. This was what Dr Tan did when he raced the Antarctical Marathon - he fixed skis beneath his racing wheelchair - a first in the world!
6. We should build on our strengths. Dr Tan could not use his legs but he maximised the full use of his brain and arms. Therefore it's up to us to discover our talents and interests in life and develop them to the fullest potential.
7. We must look after ourselves and preserve our body. And we should pace our life, not sprint, for this is a marathon. Else, we will burnout too quickly (this one I must keep reminding myself because I tend to want to do too much).
8. Physical disability is visible. But the bigger disability is one that cannot be seen - one of the heart and mind. Therefore, what's critical is overcoming the fear of failure, or rejection and so on in our hearts and minds. Then we can move towards winning the battle and achieving our goal in life.

Hearing his story, I'm a bit ashamed of myself... especially when I remember the times when I nearly gave up on life... While I've overcome all these and I generally have a positive outlook in life now, Dr Tan's story has inspired and moved me.

If you think you are suffering and there's no light in sight at the end of the tunnel, read about what this man has done. Unfortunately, it is impossible to put a 4-hour talk on paper so I've found some links with more stories on him and I hope he'll inspire you.

http://www.nus.edu.sg/centennial/alumniawards/wt.htm
http://www.singapore-citydirectory.com/news_detail.aspx?news_id=7
http://jovialjoey.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_jovialjoey_archive.html