I love these mornings… the kind when you know the air is breezy. No sounds except the birds… there is nowhere to be at this second.
Yesterday’s mascara smeared on my face because I fell asleep reading… just me and God out here. I take for granted so many things sometimes. I get consumed about crap that’s ridiculous.
This morning I’m only thinking of all the wonderful moments… of how lucky I am, and how truly good life has been to me.
I sip my coffee, tie my laces… and go.
Simple = Serenity. Less = More. Contentment = Joy. That. Is. All. .
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Boundless living is scary. It means waking up early, it means demanding a peaceful mindset.
It means turning the negative chatter off in your head. It means sacrifice when it’s necessary, and doing the work when there is every reason to quit.
It means shaping your future when the cards are stacked against you. It means trying harder. It means tasting your tears, dressing the battle wounds, and starting over every damn day if necessary.
It means moving the vertical structures that are stacked high between you and what your dreams and goals are. It means trusting others and others trusting you. It means building what you want, even when it seems impossible.
From once a broken and lost soul, addicted and miserable… to now the love of endurance running, hiking mountain tops… to writing my heart every day in my blog, to falling into a side hustle I love.
Make no mistake. It’s not by luck or coincidence. It’s not by chance or by happenstance… it’s by determination and challenge… it’s by hope and faith, and by imagination and grace…
All along you were blooming… Today is a good to settle for nothing less that what sparks your soul.
I know waking up and seeking joy on purpose isn’t always easy. Obstacles are thrown at you all day. Meteor showers of other people’s crap will rain down upon you and make you question if your path is right or crooked.
You will never have control over others’ opinions, ideas, or thoughts… the solution is to create your own. Do what works best for you. Seek out blessings, harvest joy and happiness, and work to become your greatest self.
The world wants you to compete. It wants you to swim in waters of fear. It wants to slowly inflict hate, and it wants you to carry burdens that have already been lifted from you.
Today… find joy in the simple. Find one thing that makes you smile. Do one kind thing today for someone, and above all wake up and be present for yourself.
Drink more water. Put something good in your body, and give thanks for what it carries you through.
It’s a beautiful, abnormally warm morning here in the Northeast. My legs move as I ask them to, my heart beats fast, and my lungs gracefully take me around all the turns and hills of these roads and my life. It’s simple today.
Wake up and pour yourself a cup of gratefulness. Drink it down and go!
Need More Peace? Write Your Way to Christmas Calm. The Holidays can feel like you’re going non-stop. But the introvert in you is screaming… no, actually whispering politely, hoping to be heard.
Seek the simplicity of life. Stop and admire God’s awestruck beauty. Give special thanks to all who have set roadblocks… and those who have lifted them.
Practice what you preach. Make your bed. Make peace with yourself. Tell toxic people they’re un-invited, and set the table of your life with only those who bring you hope, goodness, and insight.
It’s never too late to start over. You’re not a lost cause. You have a gift. Use it. Be still, be alert, and be ready. Life is waiting for you.
My road has taught me something so valuable. That I matter, my ways of being matter, and you matter. The view finder of this road this morning was a gift. Find yours… and know it was meant to teach you… period. The end.
Heading out to be in nature. Nature is the one place where we can be ourselves. There are no time constraints, no phones ringing, no emails. It is a place where we can set aside just for moment in time all the things that weigh us down.
It is here where I appreciate what my creator has given me. Nature offers me hope for my future, and steadies my faith in this crazy world.
Above all… I set out on this 10-mile hike with gratitude. I am here for a purpose. Whether it be big or small, I am making a difference in the lives of beautiful people. I choose who I am in this moment.
Never underestimate the depths of your words, the intense power of a smile, and how a little kindness can become someone’s first stepping stone of healing.
The climb in any journey is filled with uneven pavement, unexplored trails and pathways, and unexplained moments of both sorrow and joy.
I can’t stay stuck or complacent. I must wake each day hungry for change, thirsty to arrive at the doormat of peace, and eager to be a leader not a follower.
Seek to move mountains. Train to fulfill your greatest potential.
Do not settle for anything less than what brings you victory.
The summit of life reveals beauty and satisfaction… but it’s the climb that tells our tale of both resilience and determination. 🖤
The essence of who I am begins with my why. Why do I fight so hard to try and change lives? Why do I fight so hard to stay committed to my health and wellness?
The Run to Change Lives family has been a warm and friendly place to share all our journeys, our sorrows, and our victories. It has been pivotal in me sharing my story, and offering hope to all those who are lost.
People ask me all the time, “WHY DO YOU RUN?”
I run when life is suffocating me, and the open pavement provides strength and air to breathe.
I run to pray for all of those who reach out to me for guidance… for those who feel as if their life has nothing left to offer.
I run in times of confusion, when I’m stuck and torn between the strings of my heart verses the soundness of my brain.
I run to dream. I hear the Boston Marathon crowd in my head.
I envision the spectators, I can feel the course, and close my eyes and feel the victory of this accomplishment.
I run to see God’s beauty and all the things that daily I take for granted.
I run to hear nature, and for a moment in time… just simply be in awe of how our earth spins, and that I get to be a part of it.
Back from a well rested time at the beach. With so much going on in this crazy world, how wonderful it felt to “almost feel normal” again.
Nostalgia flooded my mind all throughout the week as the smell of Coppertone, French fries, seagulls, and kids laughing brought me to a happy place of memories as a child growing up with beach vacations.
I realize as I get older earthly material things mean less and less to me… and the time spent with my family and good friends is priceless. Life is truly flying by quickly, and now more than ever the present moment is where I must try like hell to allow myself to stay in.
I also became more aware that I am typically very hard on myself, but also that I am uniquely me… that what I do matters, and that where I have been and where I am going tell my tale of just what I am made of.
Today I woke up in my little hometown, back on my country roads, with my familiar surroundings, and a renewed sense of why I do what I do.
I know where I have been, I know where I am going…
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
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Did you ever stop to think how scary it can be to have your visibility dimmed or hidden? One minute you can see the road ahead, the next you’re following your gut, keeping the faith that you will sway gently with curves, relying on familiarity, and trusting that with each step… although foggy, you will get to your destination?
This morning’s run started out very dark, misty. Visibility was poor. I run these roads every day, I know them like the back of my hand… yet when our visibility is stripped… things appear different, even feel different.
I thought about faith on this run, and how sometimes we simply must trust. We have to believe in something greater… something better… something wonderful. Knowing that if we are just patient enough, the path will be lit and the view is incredible.
The last half of this run, the sun crept up over the horizon. The pavement was suddenly clearly marked, and the view between the trees was breathtaking.
Life can have poor visibility. We can for a moment be in dark places… but in these moments, hug the corners, rely on something bigger and greater, and have faith that your path will light.
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