“Jog On. No One’s Comin”

A few years ago a friend of mine used this term to describe how he kept moving forward through major adversity he was experiencing in his life. Together we belly laughed over the phrase and its meaning.

He didn’t mean it like it sounds, that he had no one to support him on that journey. Personal and professional support is key to getting through the tough stuff. He meant, it’s just one foot in front of the other, the only way through is through and the only one who can do that is you.

So, “Jog On Cos No One’s Comin!” has stuck with me. And I laugh loud each time I use it. It makes me feel good about simply having to show up and do the work.

Have you ever heard of the Cliffy Shuffle?

It’s a beautiful and inspiring Australian story and this article tells you all about it. PLUS I have 3 simple things to help you to jog on through adversity. Why? Because your life has beautiful purpose AND you can do this!

The Cliffy Shuffle – An Unlikely Competitor

Cliff Young is a legend. He was a 61 year old farmer, who won Australia’s toughest race.

Between 1983 – 1991,  Australia hosted an 875-kilometer endurance race from Sydney to Melbourne. It was considered among the world’s most grueling ultra-marathons. The race took five days to complete and was normally only attempted by world-class athletes who trained especially for the event.

… “In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone’s shock, Cliff wasn’t a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners.

The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff. They told him, “You’re crazy, there’s no way you can finish this race.” To which he replied, “Yes I can. See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn’t afford horses or tractors, and the whole time I was growing up, whenever the storms would roll in, I’d have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 sheep on 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I’d always catch them. I believe I can run this race.”

When the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind. The crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn’t even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. Many even feared for the old farmer’s safety.

The Tortoise and the Hare

All of the professional athletes knew that it took about 5 days to finish the race. In order to compete, one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining 6 hours. The thing is, Cliff Young didn’t know that!

When the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, he had continued jogging all night.

Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone’s disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

Cliff kept running. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young, world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record.

When Cliff was awarded the winning prize of $10,000, he said he didn’t know there was a prize and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, an act that endeared him to all of Australia. Cliff Young passed away in 2003 at age 81″ … story by  www.elitefeet.com/the-legend-of-cliff-young

There is so MUCH to learn from Cliffy and this story!

Here are my 3 simple steps to help you to jog on through any adversity that I have picked up from Cliffy …

STEP 1: Simply jog on by believing you can

Your mind is an incredible power. Use it!

STEP 2: Simply jog on by popping one foot in front of the other

Just keep going. Moment by moment. Step by step. Don’t measure the steps, simply step them in a forward direction.

STEP 3: Simply jog on by being gracious

You are who you are. You are where you are. And that is AOK! Accept where YOU are at with Grace and move gently move forward.

Which part of our Cliff’s story resonated most with you and why? 

Once you’ve had a chance to read, we’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment below and let us know. Your sharing might help someone else to move forward.

Thank you so much for being here and for adding your perspective. Please share this post with someone you love, because it might help them to jog on too … Hxx

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash