Category: Finding Your Purpose

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Can We Do Better?

I look at this triad that stares back at me and still to this day am unsure of its unfolding. I peer into the eyes of that little girl named Suzanne. 

Dreams of a 7-year-old are quite simple… the fairytales of my princess room seemed so life-like and doable. The genuineness to travel to space, meet my celebrity crush, and care for my baby doll as if her literal life depended on it, kept me smiling and full of life.

The adult years slapped me in the face with a darkness I wasn’t prepared for. The unforeseen devil in the bottle of whiskey, the lies of processed shit food, being overweight, and the hidden agenda of my mind… were to continually taunt me, shame me, and unravel every little good thing I wanted to believe about myself.

Today you will find me on solid ground, but with dreams that soar, and a heart that’s been mended. This didn’t come without tough lessons, steadfast trust, and a pair of sneakers. Those worn out treads have carried me miles and miles.

Running gave me purpose. It befriended me at my lowest, and has taken me to my highest. It never sways, it never says…”‘no you can’t”, it’s not partial to day or night, it doesn’t care what I look like, or what I wear. It just shows up when I need it… and guides me one step at a time. It listens without judgement, and it believes in me.

Running helped me break the chains, and fight for a new existence. It instructed me to do better. We all have crap in our mental closets. We stuff it away, we drink it down, we purge it up… over and over. 

What if we just do better? Don’t wait until tomorrow. Don’t excuse yourself to repeating patterns. Do better. Do something. Do it until you see that 7-year-old’s innocence again… and when you see her, tell her she was right. You can be anything your heart desires. The end.

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It is Well with My Soul.

Good morning. Fuel your soul today with only things that march you further in your quest for better days and change. As you exit your door, take a stand on your life.

What are you sacrificing to get there? What toxic BS are you trashing? And who are you bringing? These choices for this day will all have a hand in carving out who you long to be.

  1. Good morning attitude ☑️
  2. Wellness journal to keep track ☑️
  3. Bottle full of water ☑️
  4. Smile☑️
  5. Is up to you…?☑️

Power up today. Grace is new. The page is turned. Yesterday is over. Tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. THE POWER OF NOW is right here. Put the pen in your hand and start writing your story. Run. Inspire. Fly. Amen.

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Serendipity

It is true what they say… that in years to come, the dynamics of your home will change.

This morning, the house is eerily quiet. The kids are grown and out of the house, and as loved ones have passed on… the flood of golden memories flashes through my mind of “how it used to be.”

My heart was broken this morning as this was the first Christmas my beautiful Oreo boy wasn’t heading up the charge to see if Santa brought him his doggie bones… wagging his tail excitedly.

It’s a damp, foggy, drizzly, gray morning here in the Northeast. The kind of day you wish you didn’t have a circadian rhythm that has had you up since 4… but nevertheless, I rise.

So I head out to do the thing that I know will make me feel alive. I lace those sneakers, let the cold drizzle hit my face, and set out to leave it all on the pavement. The pavement who knows the interior of my heart so well, and always has the unspoken answers, or the subtle way of showing me… “it is well with my soul.”

At the top of the hill, I approach a sudden reflection of such beautiful color and shimmer so bright it almost blinds me. I stop for a moment of think of the mess swirled together. It’s a mixture of oils, waters, light beams and refraction… just like life. Even with our chaos, and change, with its messiness, and shortfalls, with our deep heartaches or branded memories, serendipity always shows up at the greatest moments of need to teach us magic, and joy still exist… even on a foggy, dismal day.

As I turn the corner to finish the last leg home, I hear the echo of my father’s favorite song… “and I think to myself… what a wonderful world.”

Merry Christmas to all my beautiful friends and family. Find the serendipity today. It always shows up when you need it most.

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The Eve

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.

Merry Christmas Blessings to all.

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Let it Go.

She is a balance of raw strength and sudden weakness. She is a blend of deep seriousness, and a soft silliness.

She’s a space of deep darkness, yet with a light that draws others near.

As we gather within ourselves and prepare for another year, it’s time to release… time to purge. It’s time to clean out our closets of emotional clutter, and make room for nothing less that what heals us… what makes us well, and what radiates joy.

We all have “the things”… the imperfect relationships, the memory that holds us captive, the looking in the mirror sideways 100 times praying for just one day of actually liking ourselves.

We all pray silently for change. We dislike the cards dealt to us, but we continue to let others play our hand.

Look out into the unknown. See all the beautiful things that surround you. Release it there. Toss it away, and breathe new life into your purpose.

Emotional freedom is not free. It cost everything you have been through, everything both tragic, and lovely… but you are not required to re-up its subscription.

The greatest measure of courage is to release the past… forgive the poisonous people who do not expect it, and cultivate the new place where your beauty, your sense of freedom, and your dear life are claiming their power. Their strongholds have worn out their welcome… it’s you-time.

Onward, Loves…

Copyright Suzanne Swanson and Run Before You Fly. All rights reserved worldwide.

Join Us for the Peaceful Holidays Journaling Challenge

We love to write, and are pleased to bring you this simple, peaceful journaling challenge.

Thank you to those who have joined us for the Journal Your Way to a Peaceful Holiday Season 6-Day Writing Challenge!

Wanted to share a kind testimonial submitted by one of our participants:



“…This is very well put together. I appreciate the effort Dina and Suzanne are putting into this and so very glad I signed up.

Day 2 was really good for me and I felt I was really able to express myself. I look forward to the days ahead. Happy journaling to those that are doing so!”

-Melinda Sparks Ardoin

Holidays are busy for everyone. We hope that for the days leading up to Christmas you are able to bring it all together, and really engage in and enjoy the most precious parts.

Our journaling challenge can help you relax into the spirit of the season and there is no pressure, obligation or judgment.

Learn more and sign up here

Merry almost Christmas!
🤶🎄🎅♥️⛄🦌

Suzanne and Dina of Run Before You Fly

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Once Upon a Writer’s Dream…

Once a upon a time… this crazy girl from a little farm town had a dream. A dream of telling, sharing, and using her personal story to help others overcome their personal struggles and travel down a road to their own personal greatness.

She dreamed of using her words to describe and tell her tale of how alcohol nearly broke her, food addiction shamed her, and low self-worth almost crippled her into further darkness.

She found a love of running. She found joy. And she finally found a way to feel completely loved and open to endless possibilities.

As I type this my heart is full. The tears of happiness to see my blog name, and my Facebook support group that is filled with beautiful people come alive with my logo is unreal to me.

I am so grateful to my nephews, George Yurkovitch, and Jacob Scully. To George for putting my ideas to paper with his amazing artistic talent… and to Jacob for making it come to life with his graphic design talent.

This logo is deeply personal. It’s a beautiful reflection of how this girl crushed her demons, and ran through all the broken pieces to reach her destiny.

I am forever grateful for all of my friends and family who have supported my journey… dream your biggest dreams…don’t let this world tell you you can’t… and never forget: “YOU MUST RUN BEFORE YOU FLY.”

#thislogoisthebomb #RUNBEFOREYOUFLY

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Keep Running

What can you do today that sets you apart from typical crap we face… especially on a Monday!?

Keep Running is such a great mantra for me. It can be delineated in so many areas of life.

There are never-ending reasons life gives us to bow our heads quietly and feel defeat.

We get easily annoyed by traffic, people, overthinking, the stress of our work.

Stuck in our home life, our addictions, our shortcomings and struggles… we simply forget to keep going.

Perseverance, practice, and promise give us hope and a reason to always believe that what we do matters… integrity matters… the dreams and aspirations that live inside you matter…

Take today… this day, Monday, as a chance not to stop and start over, not to sit with deep regret, not to judge yourself for what you did or didn’t do… but simply to keep going…

Keep Running.

You will be amazed at how much love this universe has for you.

You will be overjoyed when you watch the seasons of your being blossom into vivid greatness.

Whatever tries to halt your progress today… turn your head, root your feet and just “keep running.” ☀️

I am so overjoyed to announce that along with my blog page, I now have a safe space to share, inspire, love, and grow!

Run Before You Fly Private Facebook Group with Suzanne Swanson is open to all who wish to continue to share their experiences, love of running, and battles of life, with each other. Together we are better 💛.

#mindsetiseverything #keeprunning #hopedealer

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What If?

WHAT IF WEDNESDAY‼️

So today is Wednesday. Some of us will wake up with same mindset that has stolen our joy for years. We will complain. We will start our day with the weight of all the stress we will face today. We will let fear cripple us.

We will scroll through social media… compare ourselves to others, wish we were somewhere different, or think of ways that we could mirror someone else’s life.

I am guilty of it, too. I have had too many Wednesdays where I start my day feeling low, tired, and with a feeling of complete failure.

What if today… we drop all our excuses? What if today is the day you decide to wake up happy on purpose?

What if today is the day you stop letting fear keep you from trying new things and becoming great?

What if today we step out of our comfort zones and take a step toward greatness?

What if today we say yes to treating our bodies how they should be treated?

We make life hard sometimes. We allow others and ourselves to rob the self-worth we all deserve. Start today… and just begin.

What if today is the day we change our life?

Together we can. Amen. ❤️

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Unpack It.

What are you carrying around with you today? My journey has taught me that the load I was carrying was far too heavy.

The things I packed in my heart and my bag of life weighed me down, made me lose my footing, and were starving me of vital peace and happiness.

“Running saved my life” is a very true statement. But so did learning to unpack my bag, look at its contents and steadily decide what I was keeping and what I was discarding.

We carry so much around that only hinders our progress and our purpose. We let toxic people infiltrate. We let naysayers impose an opinion we didn’t ask for, and we let societal nonsense halt the true path of what our creator intended for us.

Today, pack your bag with only the items that will aid you to rise. Leave room for only the things that bring joy and hope. The obstacles, the trials, the demons, the indecency of others, they no longer fit.

Leave space for love. Leave space for dreams, and lift your new packed bag of life with a smile and an all knowing that this bag is taking you places… 🧡

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.

Sign up to hear from Suzanne via email here.

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Revolution.

To achieve greatness we must take every sour thing that has tried to dim our light and revolt.

We must take every lie we were taught to believe and turn it into truth.

We must relentlessly and repetitively find our purpose and make it known why we were destined to be granted a spin on this earth.

Being overweight is hard. Being unhealthy is hard. Being angry, defeated, and without joy is hard.

Staying sober can be hard, staying motivated is hard. Discipline is hard. The choice is ours… we choose our hard.

Effort counts… consistency counts… our will counts. Wake up and cut the anvils. Be your own mayday and let’s show this world… that we are not just talkers … 

We are World Changers.

Run Before You Fly Private Facebook Group is open to all who wish to continue to share their experiences, love of running, and battles of life, with each other. Together we are better.