Category: Writing Therapy

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Transient Thursday

She took a trip deep inside her. She didn’t pack much for this day trip. She wasn’t staying long… her past asked her to sit, pull up a chair, and stay awhile.

She smiled softly with an all knowing that the overthinkers, the overwhelmers, the doubters, all the cunning games of her mind would soon enter the room for a visit too.

She allowed them all to sit and one by one she gave them an opportunity to pitch their deal of opportunity to her… if she chose to stay.

As she got up to leave they spoke quickly and desperately, asking why she was leaving so soon.

“I’m a transient guest today,” she answered.

“I respect what you have taught me. I acknowledge the things I cannot change, and I will never give up and allow you to hijack the contentedness that I cultivated from the cracks of light that you barely let in.”

My past is impermanent, my presence is joy, and my future is whatever I want it to be… and so is yours.

Know that the places we must visit from time to time are necessary. That sometimes to “become” we must “unbecome” first. That the dark places deep within us are often softer, and kinder than we think.

The greatest of your strengths are often built from the aftermath. Settle for nothing less than what brings you warmth, brilliance, and passion.

“Shut the door on your way out,” the past screamed… and with her eyes she spoke:

“Think twice about inviting me next time… good day.”

Stay in Touch with Suzanne

Thank you for supporting my writing and running endeavors at RunBeforeyouFly.com. I’m Suzanne Swanson and I’d love for us to keep in touch!

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Whispers in the Hall.

They whispered down the hall at her. She could hear all the chatter. The “she’ll never be’s” and the “she wishes she was”.

She didn’t fit in. She didn’t know how. She was lost. She was lonely… she was afraid.

She questioned, she stood, she begged, she knelt… she waited… until her purpose was born.

To all those things that constantly try to break me, stop me, persuade me, and derail me…

You ain’t never seen what a little Irish, a little pavement, and a whole lot of belief that my creator knew how my journey would change lives can do.

You can stay stuck or you can fly… either way is painful, and not without sacrifice.

Which legacy do you choose to leave?

#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY

#Christmaskicks #wecanallmakeadifference

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Timeless Tuesday

So you get up today and you say to yourself… ah S*#%, it’s just another Tuesday. You think about all the crap you did or didn’t do right yesterday. You punish yourself for the failed efforts of both personal and professional goals.

You let the television, the false promises of society, and the stigmas that have been branded into us for years take the lead role in your play of life.

I didn’t want to face reality. I didn’t want to stop guzzling whisky, I didn’t want to eat kale and superfoods. I wanted pity… I wanted comfort food, and I wanted to hide in my deep dark abyss of self loathing.

Get up… get dressed…. and get out of your own way. It’s not “just another Tuesday.”

Today can be the day of renewal, of starting over if you must, of making a list of crap you’re not tolerating and sticking to it.

Today is a day of uprooting all the nonsense, of reaching out for help, and finally putting you first.

Take special care today to forgive yourself. Know you are given grace each morning, and that small steps of determination will always win over large leaps of fear and uncertainty.

“Beautiful girl, you can do hard things.”

You’re damn right I can…#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY

#tuesdays #yesyouabsolutelycan


Journaling Course is Here!

Heads up for those interested in journaling for self-therapy, setting positive goals and welcoming an attitude of gratitude to ease stress and improve health overall.

We have a Peaceful Holiday Season journaling challenge all packed up and ready to deliver to you via email.

We’d love to have you on board for our illuminating writing discovery series. 

Learn more about this journaling challenge and sign up for the course here.

Know a Friend Who Would Love Suzanne’s Blog and Inspirational Group of Runners and Writers? Pass Them the Link to RunBeforeYouFly.com.

Receive inspiration via email from Suzanne. Sign up using the link!

Thank you for supporting my writing and running endeavors at RunBeforeyouFly.com. I’m Suzanne Swanson and I’d love for us to keep in touch! 

Receive updates via email when you sign up here.

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Seasons of Change

The snow flurries hit my vest. My fingertips are frozen, the wind whips across the bare skin on the back of my neck. And just like that, I am running into another season of change.

It’s natural for us to want things to stay steady. We get complacent. We get comfy-cozy in our steady-paced, uninterrupted lives.

We don’t like change, we un-invite ideas of challenge, and we settle for what happens to us, within us, without really fighting for what makes us feel alive, and worthy.

When the cold snap of life hits, the precipitation flies, and adaptiveness sets in… remember a few things.

Seasons of change bring elements of transformation. Awaken to the new day not just with a tolerance to accept what it brings you… but with a silent preparedness that you are here to dream big, take charge, and live a peace-filled life.

Invite the season in. Sit down with it, let your goals be known. And when it tries to pull you back, or divert you to unrest… zip up your armor and remind it just who you are.

#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY #seasonsofchange #wecandobetter

Journal Your Way to Insight, Happiness and Healing!

Journaling course is ready for you to explore!

Love to write? Ready to try journaling as form of self therapy? At Run Before You Fly, we’re inspired toward continued self betterment.

Join us for a group journaling adventure! We have an illuminating writing course for you to benefit from.

Journal solo. Share with trusted friends. Or, consult with Suzanne for a coaching session. It’s up to you.

Don’t miss discounted pricing on the new “Journal Your Way to a Peaceful Holiday Season.” This is a mini course that Suzanne and Dina are offering to our email list and Facebook group members!

We’ll have more courses coming in the new year. Sign up for our list to be notified of future writing workshop and course launches. 

-Suzanne and Dina

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When it’s Hard to be Thankful.

So much of what of what I write about comes from the experiences, trials, and uneasy places I have visited within myself since I was a little girl.

We are constantly being told be grateful, be thankful, count your blessings etc.

But what if you feel that life makes it impossible to do so?

I can promise you that life will always bring trials and experiences of unfathomable circumstances. I know in my own self-discovery that many painful days where I begged for answers of clarity… have always ended with “Be still… have faith… and find a way to seek thankfulness… even still.”

Blessings come in all forms. And even in the times where we think they are not present… seek to find something exhibited in your day… guiding you to simplicity and contentment.

As we enter this Thanksgiving holiday, let us all remember that some of us will face challenges of unknown severity.

One of us will we be faced with difficult family dynamics. One of us will shake with anxiety of not picking up a drink.

One of us will feel alone, afraid or not worthy of receiving grace. One of us will have just awoke from years of self inflicted wounds. One of us will still feel the unbearable pain of the absence of a loved one who is gone.

Be kind to yourself, and allow for adjustments. Search for the thankfulness in simply showing up for yourself… with a willingness to try, and to want better.

Blue skies are a gift to be thankful for. A warm smile is a gift to be thankful for. A text saying “I’m here for you…” is a reason to be thankful.

Be thankful… even still.

#seekgratefulness #RUNBEFOREYOUFLY #evenstill

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Transformation

Transformation is a continuous remodeling of the self.

For me to continue to gain self love, and move with an energized spirit… I know the work is never done.

The open road this morning makes me feel alive. It’s a space where all the cares, ideas, and negativity dripped on me from the day before can be pounded away with each release of my foot.

How good does it feel… when we can move with fluidity… all the while showing toxic people, damaging thoughts, and dream squashers that our joy, our drive and belief in the goodness of others and ourselves will continue to triumph?

It feels damn good…

Continue to transform today. Get up and get after it. There’s work to be done!

#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY #empowerment

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Face It.

To be a front runner in our personal lives requires us to lead with an open heart, display a willingness to be consistent, and have the courage to face our monsters hiding in the closet.

As I reflect back on the slideshow of my life, often times it seems surreal. The moments when I retrace and pace the steps of how I got to this place, in this very moment, seem translucent.

My years of active addiction and being overweight ingrained feelings of shame, driving the markers of failure deeper. I denied my inner cry for help.

For years I tried to hide the whiskey on my breath. I wept in silence, I gulped processed food in silence… and I hated myself out loud.

I don’t know what you’re facing today… but I do know this. Perhaps today is the day you must descend down in order to rise up to a better tomorrow.

Sit or lie with whatever it is, until you have comfortably declared that it will no longer control you. And remember: just as the autumn leaves must fall to face their destiny… even on the ground, their beauty is magnificent.

Today does not have to be radical nor does it have to be complicated. We are all worthy of moving at our own pace. Today is about understanding that as we grow inward and in faith, it gets harder to fake what we won’t be.

Make an advanced choice to put your truth in front of your impression.

We start slow. We start by admittance. Ask yourself… what do I need to face today? Maybe it’s been hidden for years, or maybe the prints are still fresh.

Move through today with grace and strength. Life is waiting for you.

RUNBEFOREYOUFLY #faceitfriday #runningsavedmylife

Stay in Touch with Suzanne

Thank you for supporting my writing and running endeavors at RunBeforeyouFly.com. I’m Suzanne Swanson and I’d love for us to keep in touch!

Receive updates via email when you sign up here.

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Thankful Thursday

With the season of Thanksgiving approaching, I know our minds are busy with all the upcoming festivities that it brings.

We make lists, plan our meals, and dust off the “good dishes” for their once a year place setting, and we rush through the craziness.

Today I challenge you to slow down, and think about one thing you are thankful for.

If it’s a person, call them and tell them.

If it’s a place that keeps your heart alive, and your soul happy… take your mind or your physical self there. Simply relish how this place settles all the madness in you.

Thankfulness can be hard if we let unkempt thoughts, the manipulative actions of others, and leftover pain or grief stay simmering on the back burner.

Today I am thankful for the gift of my words; and how, to me personally, it is a God-given gift bestowed on me.

I’m thankful to carefully place the words of my head to your hearts for healing, with a desire to change the world.

“The best time to be thankful… is always”

I would love for you to leave a comment about what you are thankful for today.

#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY

#thankfulthursday

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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Run Before You Fly.

She stood raw in front of the mirror, shaking from the sicknesses inside her. She was tired. Her head pounded as the liquid poison was trying to escape her cells. Her eyes red… barely open from puffiness of crying herself to sleep, begging for anything or anyone to save her from herself.

“You can’t reason with us,” her demons spoke up quickly. “You’re lost, you’re fat, you’re a drunk, and you will never be loved.”

She looked at her sneakers that had settled where she last kicked them in the corner of her room… laces twisted, so bright and beautiful. She turned around, paused… and then turned her head back to the corner.

No, she thought… I’m delusional.

She looked again and the inner voice of those shoes said… and she heard:

“We love you, we believe in you. Give us a chance.”

She untangled the laces, slipped them on her feet like Cinderella… feeling a tad nauseous, and with the room spinning… she opened her door.

With newfound hope in her heart… she turned back to the mirror and whispered:

“You’re wrong, demons… keep your eyes on my feet, keep your hands to yourself… ’cause we’re about to set out and change this world.”

Take yourself to the next level today. Go higher and soar. Take in only that which brings you love, peace, strength, and light. I believe in you.

-Suzanne Swanson

#RUNBEFOREYOUFLY #transformationtuesday #dunkindonutskicks #rocketfuelincup

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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Run With Our Pack. NEW FB Group and Page

I would like to welcome everyone who recently signed up for our mailings or joined our Facebook group, Run Before You Fly. These past few days have been a whirlwind of sorts. One minute I was still daydreaming about a blog, a name, a Facebook group of my own. Then, boom, just like that we hit go… and here we are. 🤎

The Run Before You Fly blog will be the place I keep my writings, musings, ponderings of life, love, struggle and happiness. Some have asked to receive a daily dose of runner’s inspiration from my pen to your heart… for that, I recommend signing up for my email list.

Our Facebook group will serve as a safe space to share our personal victories and losses, influence and inspire each other. We can post about and celebrate our talents, what lights us up, areas where we need help, and all the beautiful chaos life gives us.

Our group will not be a place to criticize, be better than, insult or put anyone down. I won’t tolerate that. Open discussion is fine, and while we may not agree on every topic or everyone’s ideas or thoughts… there is always a respectful way to have a conversation.

Sometimes I still stumble out of bed… hit the coffee pot, put my workout clothes on and tie my sneakers. I grumble, I stay stuck sometimes in my old ways of thinking. Self doubt… shame… and guilt try to infiltrate their way into my brain. Dark places can inspire us to be better, stronger, and wiser.

Commitment… perseverance… gratitude… these are all things that, during my active years of eating too much, drinking too much and overthinking, I thought were not possible for me. I’m here to tell you… yes, this and more is possible. You can achieve good things, and restore yourself to health.

Whatever you struggle with… food? Substance? Gambling? Trauma? PTSD? Depression? …know that you can recover. Your story helps the next person, so never be afraid to tell it.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know why I am on this journey yet. But I do know this.

I am hopeful. I am strong… and I am grateful.

Feel safe here. Share, and together let’s inspire each other to change the world 🌍.

Join Our Pack! “Run Before You Fly”.

Join the Run Before You Fly Facebook Group– for running motivation, staying accountable, being healthy, setting goals, offering support to one another, and breathing life into our dreams!

To receive daily inspiration via email, sign up here. Please add us to your Safe Senders list so that my message to you won’t get lost in spam by accident!