Every race is won with determination, focus and endurance. The race which very competitive with prize is won through perseverance with your whole hearts kept on the race. Your attention would be obtaining the first position not even second position. So you run with all your zeal and momentum, irrespective of what happens on your way, unless you finish the race. The race will mean to you as valuable jewellery, that will sustain you through your lifetime in this World. In that case, even if friends come around you to go out play games, you tell them that you are focused of your training toward the race. That's very good preparation to undertake a good race. So, Apostle Paul said something in the book of II Timothy here:
2 Timothy 2:5(NIV)
"Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules."
This is very true, that in this life, no battle is won in silver platter. No valuable thing is achieved very easily, at least there should some little suffering, some loss of energy and sweat. Unless you fully engage yourself in whatever you focus to do before you can achieve proper result. For those who even win greater things very easily are just some luck on their side or being favored. Most of the good result from activities we embark on are our own toil. We have to make a conscious effort, strive and keep focused on several times before we get the result that we want. At times we can fail in the cause of undertaking this race, but we never give up, we keep trying before we get the desire result. Our lives are races that we are taking, in as much as we keep focusing, there are more chances of winning. In every race, there are challenges, but we need to hold onto our breath, endure till the last whistle is brown for you to claim your crown.
There are many of us that still hold onto "I can't win Spirit." That's a bad faith we should curb it from our lives, since it normally kills our dreams of succeeding in life. Rougher races are achieved with hopes and determinations. No one is borne with a silver spoon in his mouth, but we live to strive and achieve all the valuable things that nature has buried into the Earth. There are many out there who were first have chances of becoming successful, but they threw them away. Those people might think that their lives are destined to be so. But in actual fact destiny can changed with great determination and focus. There are many people who have turned their lives round, they started from the scratch, virtually with nothing to till the soil. But today, they are counted among the riches and prominent people in this World.
Many people are watch dogs and spectators in our lives. They have stayed back to see what you can do in this lives, though they will not do it or push, so they want you to be like them always remaining at where they are. The moment you give up or side with them, you are caught in their trap. They are rather with messes to your life, observing what your life is going to be in future. Just teach them that you can do it.
Hebrews 12:1NIV
'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."