Who Is Your Cheerleader?

Scott White | December 19, 2023

I stepped to the line as the rain came down and the wind blew. I glanced at my wrist and made sure my watch was ready when the starting gun fired. Was I ready for this? What could I expect? It was five years since I raced. The doubts ticked through my mind.

The gun went off last weekend and I shot out at the front of the pack in a half marathon. The first mile was too fast. Rookie mistake from not having raced in years. I had a goal time and my pace at the one-mile marker was a minute below what I was targeting. Not good.

By mile two I started to filter out the noise in my head and settled into my pace. I was soaked and focused on the road ahead. Mile three came with some doubts. I was already feeling early fatigue and had a long way to go. As that little voice in my head started yelling negative thoughts a car flew by me and I heard, GO SCOTT! I smiled and watched as the car drove away.

I made the turn at mile four and it was hill. It appeared to be Mt. Everest. I was tired and doubting and starting to feel real discomfort. Then, I heard it again. GO SCOTT!! I saw my wife and daughter standing soaked on the side of the road yelling and jumping as I climbed the hill. I recall smiling and yelling back something that started with a F and ended with “…ing hill!!!”

Miles five and six were a blur. I went from discomfort to pain as the rain picked up and the doubts grew stronger. But as I reached mile seven, there they were again. GO SCOTT!!!! I pointed, smiled and yelled back, “I got this!”

By mile ten I pushed back the demons in my head and thought about my cheerleaders. They were running around in the rain inspiring me. Their job was to motivate and support, and my job was to finish. Who had the harder job? Who had the greater impact?

It was a long and challenging day on the course. I crossed the finish line and threw my arms in the air as I saw my wife and daughter still cheering. I hit my goal time, but it was painful. I had doubts as I climbed more hills than I expected and became waterlogged early in the race. But as my daughter and wife chased me around the course, I smiled and realized how lucky I was. I did not face this challenge alone. I had a team who believed in me and supported me. They were there for me and that inspired each painful and saturated step.

One of the core principles of LITSG is that we Can’t Make it Alone. We need social interactions, a community, supporters, coaches, and friends. We find happiness and success by building and nurturing relationships. Who is your cheerleader? Who are you a cheerleader for? How many cheerleaders do you have? How many people can you be a cheerleader for?

The LITSG Journey of 2023

What a year it was. Thank you to all my cheerleaders for making my LITSG Journey so amazing. In 2023 we accomplished so much together:

  • Released the hard cover, soft cover, and audio version of The Life is Too Short Guy
  • Became an Amazon #1 Bestseller
  • Recognized With Five Book Awards
    • Literary Titan
    • The Eric Hoffer Award
    • The BookFest Award
    • The Firebird Award
    • Indie Book Awards Finalist
  • Appeared on 60 podcasts globally
  • Appeared on 20 radio stations
  • Appeared on 18 television stations
  • Delivered keynote speeches and workshops at conferences, companies, and schools

Most importantly, countless smiles and positive impacts around the world. The most amazing part of the journey has been the notes, emails, calls, and texts I receive. People who have said they smile more, talk to strangers more, take chances more, and enjoy life more. This heartwarming text came across last week:

You’ve written something here that is truly inspiring. I appreciate YOU and the fact that you took the time to share this philosophy with others. Know you are having an impact on the lives of many. You’ve definitely made an impact in my life.

LITSG changed the world in a small way in 2023 and I look forward to having a much bigger impact in 2024!

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Regards,

Scott