Mentality is where the success is. I will teach the kids how to

When Eliud Kipchoge declared, “Mentality is where the success is. I will teach the kids how to think in a positive way,” he was not merely speaking as a runner, but as a sage of the modern age. For he who has conquered the marathon knows that victory is not won by the legs alone, but by the unseen force of the mind. His words carry the echo of eternal wisdom: that the battlefield of life is first fought in thought, and only then in deed. The mentality we carry becomes the compass that directs our destiny.

The ancients, too, knew this secret. In the writings of Epictetus, the slave turned philosopher, we are told that a man’s freedom lies not in his external condition, but in the mastery of his own mind. Chains can bind the body, storms can batter the flesh, but no power on earth can enslave the mind that has been taught to think nobly. Kipchoge’s wisdom flows from this same well: success is not an accident of chance or mere strength of body, but the fruit of a mind trained to endure, to hope, and to rise again.

Consider Kipchoge himself, who in 2019 ran the marathon in under two hours — a feat once thought impossible, a barrier unbreakable. This triumph was not the result of muscle alone; countless runners had trained as hard. It was his mentality, his unshakable belief that no human is limited, that carried him across the line of history. And now, in humility, he turns not inward to his own glory but outward, saying: I will teach the children how to think. He knows that the greatest gift he can pass on is not speed, but mindset.

History gives us further proof. When Thomas Edison failed thousands of times in his quest to create the light bulb, he declared, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” His invention was born not of genius alone but of relentless positive thinking, of a mentality that refused despair. Without this spirit, the nights of the world might still have remained unlit. Edison and Kipchoge both teach us that the flame of the mind is the true torch of progress.

The heart of Kipchoge’s teaching is this: the mind is the seed, and life is its harvest. Plant thoughts of failure, and your steps will falter. Plant thoughts of courage, and your feet will carry you across mountains. To train the young in positive mentality is to arm them with weapons no enemy can seize, to give them treasures no thief can steal. This is why he turns his attention to the next generation — for in teaching children how to think, he secures not only their future, but the future of humanity itself.

The lesson for us is clear: if you wish for success, begin by mastering your mind. Do not wait for favorable winds or perfect conditions. Cultivate within yourself a spirit that sees possibility where others see limits, that endures when others surrender, that rejoices even in the struggle. Your mentality is the soil from which your destiny grows.

In practice, this means watching carefully the thoughts you feed yourself. Replace despair with hope, replace complaint with gratitude, replace doubt with determination. Surround yourself with those who speak encouragement, and become one who speaks it to others. Teach children not only how to work with their hands, but how to think in a positive way, so that their inner strength may never wither.

Thus let us remember Kipchoge’s words: mentality is where the success is. The body may grow weary, the world may resist, but the mind trained in positivity will always prevail. Carry this wisdom with you, and you too shall run the race of life with endurance, crossing the finish line not only victorious, but radiant with joy.