[ericmcer]

"I'm glad I chose mediocrity, but how am I to say what reward might have come with the other? None of my children will be great either, except perhaps Tom. He's suffering over the choosing right now. It's a painful thing to watch."

- East of Eden

That whole book is filled with passages about the exact conflict this article is addressing.

Regarding the article: Life is sprinting sometimes, other times its crawling and sometimes you might just be sitting still. That is just how it goes, it will definitely not be a marathon or any other consistent or predictable metaphor.

[feynman69]

Wow, I've had that book on my to-read list for as long as I can remember. I guess I should read it.