“Anything is possible.”   

       – Eliud Kipchoge

Before I had even laced up my sneakers on Saturday for a happy turtle-paced jog, Eliud Kipchoge had run an entire marathon in less than two hours. Afterward, he noted, “Together, when we run, we can make this world a beautiful world.”

The achievement is clearly stunning, and Kipchoge is rightly heralded as the hero of the tale. If you look at the image as he crosses the finish line, though, what is striking is the huge group of teammates springing along behind him, cheering and waving. Forty-one pacers took turns surrounding Kipchoge through the race, along with a host of coaches and planners and spectators.

Our narratives easily veer towards the heroic, and it’s inspiring when they do. But look around the heroes, and there’s always a huge supporting team. The rows of engineers at Mission Control, the staffers on the campaign bus, the orchestra members behind the soloist… world-class on their own merits, yet not the headliners.

It’s easy to want to be a hero, and it’s also easy to want to be a modest contributor. But to give your all, to be one of the greatest on the planet in your chosen endeavor, and to still be willing to be in a supporting role… that is tougher. It is the difference between glory and honor.

Dear ones, this is the question. Regardless of glory, what is worthy of our honor?

Anything may be possible.

Together we can make this world a beautiful world.