A good friend of mine dropped off a running shirt the other day, the logo (Train Hard, Finish Strong) a reminder that so much of a good, sustained effort in life can be quickly forgotten and compromised by a weak, going-through-the-motions, put it in neutral finish. Every single time I race, I push myself to give all I have at the end, often times collapsing across the finish line knowing that there was simply no more I could have given. More than any other reason, I do this so that I will never look back with regret or excuses (shoulda, coulda, woulda). In competition, I want my legacy to be that I trained hard and always finished strong. Over 25 years and several hundred races, I have never DNF'd (Did Not Finish). There may come a day when that happens, but it'll be because I was taken away in an ambulance. I just have too much pride not to finish what I've started, and to finish in such a way that my legacy is about what I did and how I did it. The company for whom I work, Volvo Construction Equipment, is moving operations from Asheville, NC to Shippensburg, PA, next summer. Within the week, people will need to commit to staying here in Asheville (and leaving VCE) or moving up to PA and remaining employed. A majority of folks will elect to stay put, for so many different personal reasons. Most who elect to stay here will remain through to the end, and all will have a choice. Will we finish our time here modeling those same values and behaviors (Energy, Passion, Commitment) which made us unique and respected within this industry, values and behaviors which are admired and appreciated by our fellow co-workers, customers, and community members? Will we give every thing we have to the very end, knowing that our Company's legacy and our own individual legacies are at stake? I Believe we will. And I Believe that someday people will look back at the way we handled our remaining days here as a model for grace and professionalism. Finish strong. We've worked too hard to to be remembered for anything less.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith"
2 Timothy 4:7
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