This morning’s run was hot and steamy. Air quality alert… 95 percent humidity. Fog densely covering the familiar greenery.
Yet it was one of those mornings where you feel connected and contented.
Passing the local farmer walking with his grandchildren, the friendly waves of my neighbors who see me out here daily, and familiar curvatures of my back roads… all give me a sense of belonging.
I hear the humming sound of the tractors… hear the sounds of nature and I can’t help but feel happy.
Today is a hot, cloudy, murky day… but even still… what a gift ❤
Something on my heart today is… you. The messages just this morning alone I have received… they come flooding in with words like “Help, I can’t, I’m drowning, I’m trying, I’m lost, I’m lonely, I’m fat, I’m done, this scares me”… the list goes on.
The darkness of each of us is real. Goals we don’t meet. Disappointing news at our door daily, failed diets, health problems, divorces, addictions, all the profound uncertainties that we know we can’t control… yet each day we give them an open invitation to burrow inside us…striking that all too familiar feeling of unrest and discord.
Waking up and doing something is victory. Drinking one less drink, smoking one less cigarette, moving your body two more inches than you did yesterday is victory.
Saying no is victory. Saying yes is victory. Trying to outrun all that weighs you down will tire you, and eat away at the goodness of your core.
Sit with whatever it is… let the tears sting, and the saltwater cleanse… move toward grace and possibility with ease rather than breathlessness.
Talk to your heart. Find out what it needs. When life saddens me, or pushes me into heightened awareness… the Scorpio in me wants to fight… the empath in me wants to cry… but the soul in me wants to run. My answers are always in the asphalt, and the open road.
Find where your answers come from. Let it in… hold it tight… and know that your words are not lost on a message board, they are not unread… they are here.
I hear you. I see you. I believe in you. Now let’s get going… there’s work to be done.
I find myself on this day feeling no sense of madness or rush. I awoke to a surprise dusting of snow making the “real feel” of this holiday just a little sweeter.
I don’t have all the things that money can buy. I don’t have millions in the bank, I don’t have a yacht or a boat, (I do, however, have enough sneakers to fit Southeast Asia)… but what I do have can not be measured in pounds, ounces, stones, dollars or cents.
I have a life that has been filled with many blessings. I have learned the hard way, I have climbed out, jumped in, clawed and fought. I have won some, lost many, but amidst my trials can not believe how very kind life has been to me.
I have a family that no matter what believes in unity, love, and tradition. When one hurts we all hurt. When one wins… we all win… which is rare… and beautiful.
I have a job doing what I love, and regardless of the ever changing face of the nursing profession, I have had true friends, and the opportunity to work with some of the most kind hearted doctors and nurses in this world.
I have had the chance to help the lost, the lonely, the sick, and the addicted… and I will never forget the valuable lessons in stigmas, humility, and understanding that they have taught me.
Today, I try to remember the true meaning of this Eve as I await to celebrate my Savior’s birth.
Presents and holiday traditions will commence. The tables will be set, fancy plates, and silver polished forks will gleam. While these things are lovely… may we all reflect on just how lucky we are to be here… even in these times of unsettlement and uncertainty. And may we never forget all the sacrifices of forefathers, our patriarchs and matriarchs who have taught us our traditions.
Today on this Eve I run for peace, for acceptance, for understanding, for your blessings and mine. For Hope, and for future, for our children, and their children… and but most of all… for love.
As the holidays draw closer with each passing day, most of us continue life as normal. We trim our trees, wrap gifts, bake cookies, and celebrate the true meaning of the season…
But what about those who are struggling? I want to talk about this because so many of us at this very moment are in a space of mental entrapment.
One of us on this very day wakes… and struggles with not taking a drink. One of us has lost a loved one, a pet, or is mourning someone who is still alive.
One of us is facing a job loss. A father is struggling to feed his family. A veteran is struggling to tie their own shoes.
A woman is closet eating in shame, and another is carefully applying makeup to hide the bruises.
Somewhere a child is feeling the brutal effects of a bully. The narcissist continues to gaslight, and still the world turns without a missed beat.
Feeling or creating joy through chaos and trial is tough. It’s a daily challenge to not let these things define us emotionally or physically. But all is not a lost cause…
Wake up and pray for someone even if you don’t know them.
Go visit a veteran. Smile, listen to their truths and tie their shoes if they need it.
Take a walk with a friend, and listen. Don’t assume, don’t judge, don’t react… just be the ears they are desperately trying to find.
Donate to your local women’s shelter. If they are there… believe me when I say… it took courage beyond measure to get there.
Send a card of encouragement to a friend, and cut the ties of those people, places, and things whose only agenda is derailing yours…
The greatest gift you can give yourself this year is the gift of helping someone.
Not everyone faces the same lot in life. I don’t know the reasons why… but I do know this. Kindness goes a long way. Small things add up to big things, and the sum of it all = greater human decency.
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Wishing you peace, comfort and joy this holiday season from Run Before You Fly.
Something about the wind comforts me. Not too much wind, or too cold wind, but a gentle wind that takes me to a place of peace.
As I stepped outside today, the wind greeted me. There was a familiar yet unfamiliar smell that takes me back to a place of nostalgia. It reminded me that I’m alive to feel all the things… the good, the bad, the comfortable, the uncomfortable.
The wind allows me to sway, it moves me with force… yet it eases up just enough until I gain my footing again and can continue to move.
We will always loose our footing. We get unsteady, we swerve, we stumble across places that both unearth feelings of deep questioning, yet serve our souls to accept grace and become better people.
Move about, sway from time to time, force yourself into those places of pondering. Realize just how miraculous this life is. Accept what your challenges are, and be determined that no matter what… when we practice, smile, and persist… we will find our balance.
Sundays for me represent my meaning of life. The quiet of the morning, the first sip of coffee, the alone time on the couch to really sit and think.
We see people’s lives on social media and we scroll. We ask, “Why can’t we have what they have?” “Why is she lucky?” “Why is he so successful?”
The truth is no one is without injury or suffering. Everyone has their deepest hurts, regrets, and shortcomings buried deep in their own pillows and closets of life.
It’s easy to get down in this current world situation. Society is a mess… full of racism, bigotry, hate, rebellion, censorship, riots, unpatriotic behaviors and the list goes on… we must align our actions to be as good as our intentions.
Today, I get to flip blueberry pancakes in a little farmhouse that I love. I get to run on roads whose school bus drove my kids to school. I woke up on a lumpy mattress that I wouldn’t change for the world, and share my coffee with someone who is a steady hand of kindness and goodness.
I don’t have a yacht, I don’t have a big bank account, and I don’t care… because what I do have is worth more than any zero on a check.
My life is messy, my brain is a chaotic mess half the time, but I am happy… I don’t need more or better. I don’t need fake or unrealistic.
God gives me just what I need… Every. Single. Day. Reflect on what your blessings are today… that is all.
#sunday #blessings #smilemore
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These last few days, I have let my mind wander. I answered the door to fear, and almost sat down to hear the usual sales pitch of doubt and self condemnation. It amazes me just how quickly our thoughts can rule our mindset if we let them.
This morning I was greeted by the most magnificent sunrise, a cool breeze, and my Dad so strong in my heart.
A song came to mind… and I hummed its beautiful lyrics. I was reminded about my strength, my fortitude, and the reason why I must practice what I preach.
No thing, no human, no thought can change this woman and her drive to do better.
🎼”I went up to the mountain Because you asked me to Up over the clouds To where the sky was blue I could see all around me Everywhere I could see all around me Everywhere Sometimes I feel like I’ve never been nothing but tired And I’ll be walking Till the day I expire Sometimes I lay down No more can I do But then I go on again Because you ask me to Some days I look down Afraid I will fall And though the sun shines I see nothing at all Then I hear your sweet voice, oh Oh, come and then go, come and then go Telling me softly You love me so” 🎼 Find your strength today, and remember you are loved. 💙
Once a year, the countdown on my calendar begins. I mark my beach vacation in a special color. I wait with anticipation to get to this place. A place of sweet summer smells, crashing waves, and miles of sand to toss my cares to.
The sea for me is cathartic. It amazes me. It’s gentle and sweet one minute, strong and powerful the next. It’s a place where I release all my worries. Reflect on where I have been, and pray for better days ahead.
This morning as I was running on the boardwalk, I watched the people. I see each of their faces. Some are young, some are battered, some are aged with wrinkles, some are sun-soaked, some smiling with excitement, some are deeply troubled with sadness.
I think about where they may have been in life, what their story is. Why has their journey led them to this place on this day?
I will be using this time to spend with my family, to stay off social media… as I do find that once in a while, I need to rest my mind from all of the world.
Disconnect back into myself, journal, work on my writing… and truly return to the days when being at the beach was a time worth waiting for.
Take time for yourself today. Hit the reset button, disconnect from everyone else’s crap, and focus on what is right in front of you.
Life is short… the beach is timeless, and a period of restructuring ourselves and quieting all outside noise is a must for continued spiritual growth.
Get up and get after life today. 💙. Amen.
#hopedealer #shuttingdownmymind
Follow along as Suzanne Swanson takes us through her transformation from addiction to athlete. Find support and healing in your own life! We’re sending Suzanne’s blog updates via email along with a daily dose of motivation. Don’t miss the next post… delivered straight to your inbox.
Every once in a while I take time to visit my porch. It’s a quiet place looking out into farm fields, the road I run every day, and the occasional passerby walking their dog.
This porch has tremendous meaning. It used to be the place where I would drink as much alcohol as I could, eat too much crap, and dwell in self-pity about how I wanted my world to change so badly. It was a place to contemplate how much I hated the choices I was making in my life.
My porch today takes on a much different meaning. I sit out here now so incredibly grateful for the lives I’ve touched, and those who have steadily helped me get here.
I log my running miles, reflect on my training, meditate and focus on the things that I aspire to be. I give thanks for the universe and God, and I appreciate everything spiritually.
I seek stillness, all while sober, healthy, and knowing that I can dream, be, and achieve anything I damn want to…
My porch was a place I used to dread visiting because I knew the sadness that was tear-stained on its wood.
Today my porch sees and witnesses a different me. The wood of its foundation is solid and strong, tough and weathered… just like the woman who sits there now and rejoices. She is me… and she is happy 🖤.
Follow along as Suzanne Swanson takes us through her transformation from addiction to athlete. Find support and healing in your own life! We’re sending Suzanne’s blog updates via email along with a daily dose of motivation. Don’t miss the next post… delivered straight to your inbox.
