Life lessons I've learned from NASCAR

Lessons I've learned as a NASCAR fan, and writer. I believe everyone could benefit from these lessons in their day to day lives.

In the past two years, I've grown fonder of the wonderful world of auto-sports. I've learned a lot this year, and I feel closer to the sport then I've ever felt to anything I've done in my past. Sure, I'm still a fitness enthusiast and I still feel passionate about working out, yoga, running and all things exercise related. As a fitness competitor, I learned a lot about myself, commitment, hard work, self-motivation, self-discipline, and self-respect. These lessons have helped me in many ways in my life, but the lessons I've learned just being a committed NASCAR writer, and fan, are more valuable than I expected, I’d like to share these with you.
 I mean it from the bottom of my heart, everyone can learn from this.

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.
In a race, drivers qualify for their starting position. Although it's awesome to start the race on the pole, there is no guarantee that you'll finish first. Although starting up front is beneficial, and you may have an advantage to staying up front, sometimes starting in the lead takes a lot more energy. You can get caught up in wrecks; you can even blow an engine. 
In life, starting on top does not always guarantee finishing on top. Sometimes, you need to work for what you have and if you're always running in first, not passing drivers, or working to move ahead, what lessons are you really learning?
The historical Championship win by Tony Stewart is proof that working to make it to the top is sweet. He had nothing to lose from his starting point. At the beginning of the Chase season (also known as the ‘play off’ season for you non-NASCAR fans), he didn’t believe he deserved to be in the Chase, and told media he was taking someone's chance to win the title. From that point on, Stewart went on to win back to back races, he won four before the season finale and then, he won the last race to tie the points, and because he won the other 4 races, he won the Cup title. Had he wallowed in misery about his lousy season and the fact that he started the Chase behind the other 12 drivers he would’ve lost. Instead, he took what he had and ran with it, finishing in a spot most thought was unrealistic.
Carl Edwards was the points leader for 21 weeks in a row, and he finished his season in second place because he only won one race.
Lesson to be learned: Don't always assume those ahead of you will always finish ahead of you. Don't let that stop you from finishing first in your own life.

It's not over, until it's over.
I learned this while covering the race in the media during the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, North Carolina. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was finally up front, and so was Kasey Kahne. It was an exciting re-start, two drivers looking to break losing streaks, and then Kahne runs out gas on the first turn. Earnhardt Jr. pulls ahead and leads the race, until he runs out of gas on the final turns, and Kevin Harvick passes him for the win. Kahne and Earnhardt fans were heartbroken.
There are other incidences that I could write about. On the same day of the above mentioned race, during the IZOD INDY series race at the Indy 500 in Indianapolis, another driver sponsored by the National Guard (Earnhardt Jr. is sponsored by the National Guard) was leading the race and aiming for the win. He was a rookie, and he'd win a historical race, the 100 year anniversary, but on the last turn he made a bold move to pass the trailing driver, as he did this, he crashed his car, and lost the race. 
Ten years ago, on the final lap, legendary driver, Dale Earnhardt (Senior) was in third and was protecting his team, his son, and a driver named Micheal Waltrip, it would've been 1-2-3 finish for Dale Earnhardt, Inc in the Daytona 500, but Earnhardt was involved in a crash that ended his life. 

Those three incidences prove, no matter what you do, it’s not over until it’s over. Mistakes can be made along the way.
In life, don’t give up on a bad start to your day and assume it’ll end bad. Good things are always ahead, just like sometimes, bad things can happen on a good day.


If all else fails in your life, help someone less fortunate than you. It’ll make you a better person to help someone who may not have the chances and luck you do have.