You Set The Pace

To this day, I can't hear the Notre Dame fight song without thinking of my high school Latin teacher. He was an eccentric and creative teacher, often using elaborate props and playing the banjo to help us learn and recall Roman history and Latin declensions.  He was also incredibly inspiring and always thought we could do more and be better than we thought of ourselves.  

About 12 years after I graduated, the school had a celebration in his honor and students from decades past came to celebrate him. He was thrilled to hear about all of our accomplishments and successes and at one point he looked at me and said, "Don't forget, You set the pace". I have thought about that many times over the years and wondered what he really meant. 

The 30 year old me assumed he meant that I was to be the one out in front, leading the pack and setting the fastest and toughest pace for others to follow and keep up. And maybe he did mean that. But now that I am 47, I wonder if he didn't mean something else. I wonder if he meant that I shouldn't let others tell me in what direction or how fast I should go - that success is not exclusively defined by taking the expected path, or even staying in the current path.  Maybe he was just trying to help me find the courage to take control, trust myself, and not apologize.