The Wonder of Being Human

Celebrating humanity, achievement and the extraordinary possibility of discovering who we are.

The alarm goes off. 5:30 am. Sunday morning.

It's Melbourne Marathon Day.

And the next generation is taking up the legacy.

My daughter and son-in-law are both running today. Both chasing personal bests.

By 6:33 am, we're on the road, and I'm getting ready to watch the front runners come through in the early stages of the marathon.

And I find myself welling up. It's not sadness. It's not even just pride. It's something much bigger. I'm moved by the sheer wonder of being human.

There's something about a marathon

Thousands of people, each with their own story. Their own reasons for being there. Their own hopes, fears, expectations and dreams. Some are chasing a personal best. Some are running their first marathon. Others are returning after injury, illness or circumstances that once made the idea of running 42.2 kilometres seem impossible.

And here they are. Showing up. Willing to find out what's possible.

There's something extraordinary about witnessing that collective expression of humanity. Not just the elite runners whose speed and endurance leave us in awe, but the everyday people who have made a decision to attempt something that will ask more of them than they may have ever asked of themselves before.

And I find that deeply moving.

New York, 2015

My last marathon was New York in 2015.

Five years earlier, I'd broken my leg.

So when I crossed that finish line, arms raised, smiling from somewhere deep within me, it was an extraordinary moment.

I had done it.

42.2 kilometres.

And yes, the achievement mattered. The training, the commitment, the discipline, the determination. All of it. That medal meant something. But so did what I'd discovered about myself along the way. Because something happens during a marathon that is difficult to explain until you've experienced it. There are moments when your body is tired, your mind starts negotiating and the distance still ahead feels enormous. You find yourself at the edges of what you believe is possible. And somehow, you keep going. Sometimes confidently. Sometimes painfully. Sometimes one small step at a time.

And what once seemed impossible begins to become real. Not because you've read about it. Not because someone has told you that you can. But because you're doing it. You're experiencing your own possibility.

What we discover through the doing

I've been reflecting on what moved me so deeply on this morning. Was it the achievement? Or was it what people discover about themselves through the experience? And I realised it's both.

We don't need to diminish achievement to celebrate self-discovery. They're beautifully connected. Sometimes we discover who we are through what we dare to do. There's a resilience that builds when we undertake something that stretches us beyond the familiar. And it's not simply about enduring difficulty or pushing through discomfort. It's about expanding our understanding of ourselves.

We discover capacities we didn't know we had. We learn how we respond when things don't go to plan. We experience moments of doubt, determination, vulnerability and courage. And sometimes we surprise ourselves.

That knowing becomes part of us. It doesn't mean we'll never doubt ourselves again, or that every challenge will be overcome. But we have a new reference point. Something we once wondered whether we could do has become something we've experienced.

And that changes the conversation we have with ourselves.

The legacy continues

Today I'm not running.

I'm watching.

My daughter and son-in-law are out there creating their own experiences, chasing their own goals and discovering their own possibilities.

And there's something particularly special about that. Because legacy isn't necessarily about following in someone else's footsteps. It's about the freedom to create your own. To be willing to try. To explore your own edges. To discover what you're capable of. Their marathon isn't my marathon. Their achievements and discoveries will belong entirely to them.

And I get to witness it. To cheer them on. To celebrate what they achieve and everything they discover along the way.

What a privilege.

The wonder of being human

I've spent much of my life exploring awareness, transformation and human potential.

But on this morning, I wasn't thinking about any of that. I wasn't teaching, coaching or trying to make meaning of an experience. I was simply present.

Watching people run.

And feeling an overwhelming appreciation for humanity. For our willingness to attempt extraordinary things. For our capacity to surprise ourselves. For the courage it takes to begin something without knowing exactly how it will unfold. For the determination, joy, vulnerability and connection that emerge when people come together around a shared experience. And for those extraordinary moments when something we once thought impossible becomes real.

Not everyone will achieve the time they hoped for today. Not everyone will have the race they imagined. But every person out there has a story. And every story matters. Perhaps that's what brought tears to my eyes on this morning.

The recognition that there's so much more to being human than what we already know about ourselves.

There's always something more to explore. Something more to experience. Something more to discover. And sometimes all it takes is the willingness to begin.

The wonder of being human isn't just what we're capable of doing. It's who we discover ourselves to be through the doing.

And today, as my daughter and son-in-law run their own race, I'm celebrating both.

The achievement.

The discovery.

The legacy.

And the extraordinary possibility of being alive.

❤️

Maria Davis | Maria Heals