I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times. But they can fulfill their own potential.
Bill BowermanRead
If someone says, 'Hey, I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?' ignore him! What the hell difference does it make?.... The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles.
Interpretation
Focus on personal achievement rather than comparing yourself to others.
This quote emphasizes the importance of individual journey and personal growth over the act of measuring oneself against others. Bill Bowerman suggests that one’s worth is not determined by how much or how far one has achieved in comparison to others, but rather by the personal commitment and magic that one brings to their endeavors.
In practice
Using this quote during a motivational speech at a running club meeting to encourage members to focus on their own progress.
I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times. But they can fulfill their own potential.
Being productive gives people a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that loafing never can.
Don't keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone and following one after the other like a flock of sheep. Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods.
All that is impossible remains to be accomplished.
No matter what your mission is, have some notion in your head. Forget the model, whether it's government or nonprofit or profit. Ask yourself the more important question: Is my mission improving the world? Are you sure about it? Seek to disconfirm that all the time. And if you can, change your mission.
THE GREATEST RISK IN LIFE IS TO WAIT FOR AND DEPEND UPON OTHERS FOR YOUR OWN SECURITY.
Don't spend your precious time asking "Why isn't the world a better place?" It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is "How can I make it better?" To that there is an answer.
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