Girls on the Run

http://www.girlsontherun.org/

I spent the last 10 weeks of the school year volunteering with a program called 'Girls on the Run' that promotes self-esteem, self-confidence, health, fitness, and fun.  I was lucky enough to work with ten 3rd-5th grade girls two times a week.  We played silly games, learned a lot about about running and how to make healthy choices in the foods we eat and in the way we choose to exercise.  We also practiced running each day.  It was amazing to watch the girls grow and develop.  I loved watching their confidence levels increase and new friendships develop.  As fun as it was to watch them improve with their running, it was even more rewarding to watch them become more empowered as individuals; to see their value and worth and uniqueness for who they are as something to be proud of!  That was what meant the most for me.  The program ended with a 5K run to celebrate all of the girls' hard work.  I was so proud of all of them for all that they had accomplished.

It was during the 5K run that I was ale to allow myself to think back to where I was a year ago...and then 2 years ago.  Two years ago I was just beginning to get started on my fitness journey and I didn't even know it at the time, and a year ago I was trying to talk myself into running my 1st 5K.  It's crazy to think about all the things that can be accomplished in a year.  There have been times within the last year that I have gotten frustrated and other times that I have felt that I was completely 'stuck', but when I allowed myself to take a step back a really look at my life...I was able to realize that I really wasn't stuck as much as I have turned and headed in a slightly different direction.  It was still leading me to where I wanted to go, just in a different way...and along that way I have found that I enjoy running and a few other things I never would have known I liked.

I'm so thankful that the path my life seems to follow is never the straight, flat, paved one, but instead the one filled with all the twists and turns and hills.  It makes it so much more exciting!

"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal."  ~ E. Joseph Cossman

This quote is one that I continually find myself coming back to when I have something in my life...whether it is a goal or an obstacle...that is causing me to feel out of balance.  I know that in life I have new goals that I'm setting all the time.  I also have obstacles that tend to creep in on me.  The thing that I've discovered over the last few years is that if I focus on the obstacles, then I lose sight of the progress that I'm making toward achieving the goals that I have set for myself.


Last weekend I ran my first 10K and it was AMAZING.  A year ago I was doubting my ability to complete a 5K and now, sitting on the other side of completing a 10K, I have learn so much about myself.  I now know that I can do whatever it is that I set my mind to.  That might seem a little simplistic, but it has taken me over 30 years to truly be able to say that I fully know and believe that statement...and how empowering it can be.


There have been times over the last year that I have found myself unmotivated and frustrated about the lack of progress I felt I was making in my fitness journey, but as I run my 10K all I could think about was all of the other people that I was running with and how each and every one of them had their own story.  Some of them were young.  Some of them were older.  Some of them were battling illnesses and choosing to celebrate by focusing on what their bodies could do for them.  Other were instilling the love for running in their children, or helping a friend or family member reach a goal of their own.  Over 2500 unique and individual stories...and I was a part of it all.  


It was an absolutely indescribable feeling that left me feeling more whole and thankful that I could have ever imagined.


Is there something in your life that feels bigger than you?    Choose today to refocus your eyes.  Instead of looking at the obstacles, begin to focus on the end goal...with commitment and a belief in your own ability, you just might be amazed at what you can accomplish!