Storm Before the Calm

           Good morning everyone. Great morning every…one? Fantastic morning? Maybe I should retract my politeness, and whether you feel forced, excited, or indifferent to why your gazing upon these words, just say, “Eh, just another morning.” Either way, you and I, we both understand what today entitles; maybe you’ve been waiting for it all week, month, or even year. Maybe you dread the fact that it’s today because you have past due bills piling up, made a promise you find you can’t keep, or maybe your beginning to realize the road you’ve taken isn’t the one you want to be on. No matter your thoughts on today, we are both here now, and we can share it together. So what’s on the agenda? What do you find staring you in the face today?

         Well for me, I am currently sitting in seat 10A(window seat, F yea!), on flight DL007, on a path I have never taken before. I am currently on my way to the toughest thing my mind and body has ever endured. In conjunction to this fact, it is my first real flight away from my new home and I have the pleasure of sitting next to a flight attendant that finds knitting and answering any of my airplane questions a joy. But besides all that jazz, this post is about the completely out of the blue, absolutely nuts, and very real, life altering decision that made me to schedule the flight I am currently on. You see, I completed my first marathon in January of this year and as I basked in this life achievement, I found myself lost in a downward lull. I didn’t know what was next for me, like my focus was lost and my mind was speaking a language I couldn’t translate. My heart searched for something to dedicate itself to but nothing matched the polarity that it was struggling to transmit. I felt like I stood alone, looking for a path that will challenge my limits. One that dared to knock me down until I'm  crawling and all the blood, sweat, and tears that I dripped, was all worth it. All this to cross the finish line just to have the satisfaction of saying, “I did it." That, my friends, is what my heart searched to endure. Until one day, a co-worker, my good friend, opened that vision for me and I couldn't let the opportunity pass.

             Now, it seems like a stretch to call myself an athlete, mainly because I don’t think of myself as one. No, I don’t want to live my life competing let alone constrict my already "healthy" diet. Instead, I want to take the opportunities that allow me to help myself, not just physically, but something much greater. To have the chance to inspire those around me, to show the average person sitting down reading a blog of a 20-something that it is possible to create meaning in your life. I don’t want to ramble on about how everyone is “special,” because that’s a load of crap, but I do believe that we are all born to take chances. A chance to make a difference in others lives, to make your mark, to push yourself to your absolute greatness and although it may be a moment for us, those moments can last a lifetime to others. I recently reached out to my family and closest friends of my fears, of failure of the challenges before me. I made myself vulnerable and very real as I opened myself to them. I was terrified, I am terrified, but with not just because of my chances of success, but because if I fail, I’ll fail to show those who don’t believe in themselves, that it is possible. I want to inspire people, let them know that the battleground is in your mind and you must believe to overcome. When you have that belief in your mind, it will become reality. I will pass that finish line. I will pass this storm. I will become an IronMan.

Food for thought: Expand your mental pallet:

         I recently came across two video’s on Youtube called, “Born in Darkness “ and “Hero” These two videos were my crutches during my training. I remember sitting on the curb, stopping on the trail, or taking a break from my swims when I felt as though I had nothing left, and gave them a listen. They brought me back, reminded me of the realities of challenges and how to face them. So today I won’t leave you with a quote or phrase but a chance to listen, to help you hear what I heard when I was in the depths of my thoughts of doubts and I found something inside me to keep going.

Links: (remember it’s not about the video, it’s about the message.)

Born in Darkness

Hero

Tag #Keepupwithme during my race on 10/26 to show me some love!