BREAKING THE BARRIERS

by Richard Quek

This is the story of the four-minute mile. For thousand
of years, people held the belief that it was impossible
for a human being to run the mile in less than four
minutes. In ancient Egypt it was said that they
released lions to chase after slaves in order to break
the four-minute mile. These attempts too proved to be
futile. The best time ever recorded was 4:06, and there
was no way the barrier would be broken. Scientists,
doctors and experts declared that there was no way, a
man could run a mile under four minutes. They said that
if any person should try, “His heart will jump right
out of his body”. This negative belief continued until
a man by the name of Roger Bannister decided not to
believe in the experts, and others. Roger Bannister
believed in himself. He went through a systematic
training program and in 1954 he ran the mile in less
than four minutes. Thus the barrier was finally broken,
and within one year later, 37 other runners also broke
it.


SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

Roger Bannister, chose not to believe in others, but to
believe in himself. He had to change his own belief
about the possibility of the four-minute mile. He got
into shape physically and mentally. He actually
visualized himself breaking the four-minute barrier,
since no one had ever done it before. The greatest
aspect of his breakthrough was what it did for others.
If Roger Bannister can do it, so can we!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE

"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."