Sofa to Comrades
Working tirelessly without seeing any progress?
Have you been working tirelessly without seeing any progress, all your efforts yielding no results? Are you drowning in frustration feeling stuck? I trust that this message of hope will encourage you or someone you might know.
Running is not really a passion of mine. Let me rephrase; pointless running without a purpose is no passion of mine. I like running while playing tennis or while playing touch rugby. Even running after a ball when playing cricket. Definitely not running just for the sake of running :)
Some run for the purpose to get fit or loose weight. I am sure you will agree with me that running the Comrades marathon is a complete different level of running and not for everyone. It would require some drastic training and preparation.
Imagine you are as crazy as I am and you decide to join me in preparation to run the Comrades, and we start tomorrow …
On day one we are super motivated. We have new running shoes and decide we will take it easy; running only 5 km on our first day. We barely make 2 km and cannot walk the next day. Our motivation wasn’t enough to get us to 5 km since we have not run long distance in the last 5 years. After 3 weeks has past, we finally recovered with our motivation just reaching an appropriate level. This time we decide to take it slow and only run 2 km. It went a little better, however we are still sore the following day and muscle recovery were a lot quicker. Now we are wiser and have a more realistic goal and time schedule. Soon we are comfortably running 10 km and making positive strides towards 15 km. Sadly, you twisted your ankle and I picked up a nasty virus, with both of us out for 6 weeks. Here we go again …
I am sure you can imagine that no one can simply go from hardly ever running, sitting on the sofa, to instantly running the 87 km Comrades. You might pick up injuries for life.
If you don’t have a solid reason why you want to run the Comrades marathon, you will never have the motivation to get through the hardships along the journey. The same principle applies to life.
Doing what you love and knowing your purpose will give you the motivation to endure hardships.
““Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.” And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”” — Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 NLT
“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life — this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” — Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 NLT
Mr Beast, the famous YouTuber, took 14 years to get him to over 400 million subscribers today …
It was nearly 15 years between the time that David was anointed king and actually became king. David killed Goliath, was banished by Saul, hid in the desert, lived on the run, forced out of the nation, and fought many battles.
Joseph was sold by his brothers, falsely accused of rape, imprisoned before he became ruler of Egypt, only second to Pharaoh. This took approximately 13 years of hardships.
It takes 12 years of school to prepare children for adulthood.
But not everything takes a decade or more. Lauren, @LaurenJumps went from never using a skipping rope to being famous in 3 years. She still has her very first videos on YouTube. She started during the covid pandemic. Pursue your God given purpose today, taking God with you along the way.
Your hardships and battles are not for nothing. Take heart and know this; you will get through this, battle ready and fit, ready for your purpose.
The greater your goal or calling, the greater the hardships and tough preparation required to get you there. So take courage as God prepare you for His amazing purpose, custom build for your life.
Here is a link to a free course that will help guide you to find your purpose in life if you don’t know or are unsure of your calling. Simply put; you can know where you fit in God’s puzzle.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” — Psalms 139:16-17 NLT
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” — Romans 8:28 NLT
#HaveHope #HoldOn #BeStrong
About the Creator
Dose of Hope
The moment a person’s hope disappears, defeat is imminent. Solid hope is our biggest weapon against the challenges we face in life. Our tests in life becomes testimonies that can bring hope to those facing trouble.
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The Habit Nobody Applauded
When people talk about success, they love to talk about big moments. The first million. The viral video. The lucky break. But nobody talks about the quiet years. This story is about one of those quiet years. Ayaan was not born poor, but he was not comfortable either. His life sat in that dangerous middle place where dreams exist but resources don’t. Every morning, he woke up with the same heavy feeling in his chest — not fear, not sadness — just uncertainty. He worked a regular job. Long hours. Average pay. Endless routine. Wake up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. At night, when the city slowed down, Ayaan would scroll on his phone, watching people online talk about success, habits, discipline, and freedom. Everyone sounded confident. Everyone had answers. Ayaan had questions. One night, he came across a simple sentence that stayed in his mind: “Your life is a reflection of your daily habits.” It didn’t sound magical. It didn’t promise fast money. But it felt… true. So he decided to try something small. No big plans. No announcements. No motivation speeches. Just one rule: Every single day, one hour, same time, no excuses. He didn’t even know exactly where this habit would take him. Some days he studied skills. Some days he learned about money. Some days he practiced writing. Other days he just failed and felt confused. But the hour was non-negotiable. The first week was easy. The second week was uncomfortable. The third week was painful. His mind resisted. His body resisted. His friends mocked him. “Why are you acting like a monk?” “You think one hour will change your life?” “Relax, enjoy life.” Ayaan smiled and said nothing. Because explaining discipline to undisciplined people is a waste of energy. After two months, nothing had changed externally. Same salary. Same problems. Same stress. And that’s where most people quit. Ayaan almost did. One night, he sat on his bed, tired, frustrated, asking himself, “What’s the point?” But then he realized something powerful: The habit was no longer about results. It was about identity. He was no longer someone who wanted to improve. He was someone who showed up daily. That realization changed everything. Months passed. The habit began reshaping his thinking. He noticed patterns others ignored. He learned how money actually flows. He understood how skills compound. He became sharper — not louder, not arrogant — just sharper. Still, no applause. No one noticed his consistency. No one celebrated his discipline. No one cared. And that was the blessing. Because habits grow best in silence. One year later, something unexpected happened. An opportunity appeared — small, unimpressive to outsiders. A short project. Low pay. High effort. Old Ayaan would have ignored it. New Ayaan saw leverage. He accepted it, delivered beyond expectations, and learned from the process. That led to another project. Then another. Not fast. Not viral. But real. Slowly, money started behaving differently around him. It no longer escaped instantly. It stayed. It grew. It multiplied. His confidence changed — not the loud type — the quiet kind that comes from competence. People who once laughed now asked questions. “How did you do it?” “What changed?” “What’s your secret?” Ayaan gave them the honest answer: “I didn’t change my life. I changed what I did daily.” Some listened. Most didn’t. Because habits sound boring to people addicted to shortcuts. Years later, Ayaan sat at a better desk, in a better room, with a calmer mind. He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t a motivational speaker. He was free. And freedom didn’t come from luck. It came from a habit nobody applauded. That’s the truth about habits: They don’t impress people early. They don’t give quick rewards. They don’t feel exciting. But they build a version of you that money respects. And once you become that person, money stops running away. Final Truth (Perfect for Ending Voice-Over) If you’re waiting for motivation, you’ll wait forever. If you’re waiting for support, you’ll quit early. But if you build one habit and protect it like your life depends on it — one day, your life will prove that it did.
By Siraj khan3 days ago in Motivation
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