Drink Down the Gratefulness

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!

#runningmotivation #runmorethanyourmouth #drinksomegratefulness



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.

Journal Your Way to a Peaceful Holiday Season with Our Simple, Emailed 6-Day Writing Course

Give Your Stressed Self the Gift of Comfort and Joy this Christmas Season.
One journaling exercise a day for 6 days.

No pressure. Course arrives by email. Try it on your own time… or hold it and settle in with some writing after the holidays!

Just write, think, breathe easy and enjoy.

Learn more and order the 6-day All is Calm journaling challenge here

Loved this message? Please share the Run Before You Fly blog with a friend. You can also welcome them to hear from us via email from this page.

Runner’s Mantra

When we stay in tune with our inner being, we recharge our power. Yoga and meditation are important for me as a runner to seek gratitude in my capabilities.

As a human being, these practices allow me to reset my focus. They set me back into the present moment and sketch a blueprint for my well-being and success.

I can easily get sucked back into conflicting thoughts. I can easily get drawn into a vortex of shit that promises success and elation but only delivers despair and destruction.

Today, seek what is good. Demand nothing but that which will fill you with happiness and promise.

Leave toxic crap where it belongs… and rise above the people and things you set you back. This leg of my journey always brings challenge… but this woman will always bring grit, and self-will.

Rise up today from wherever you are. Re-set. Re center. Re-focus, and then hold yourself.

Tell yourself you’re listening… you are trying… and that you are loved.

Join our safe space where we will 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.

Running, and My Why for Doing It.

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.

Finally: I RUN TO CHANGE LIVES. AMEN.

Wherever You Go, There You Are.

There is an old adage that says “Wherever you go, there you are.”

We cannot escape the truths within us. We cannot run from our disjointed problems or fears. We can only try to mute the demons that show up to destroy and derail every good amount of progress we make.

It took me years to realize, life isn’t perfect. The ebb and flow of our emotions can take a toll on us. Treat yourself and others with loving kindness as you move toward your transformation.

I love running, I love to push my body to limits that I know are crazy. I fight hard to balance my nutrition, and work tirelessly continue to walk the tightrope of this crazy ass society… BUT most importantly, I’ve learned to take a breath.

Stop and stare at wildflowers, look out onto the lake and appreciate its gentle stillness. Life is passing us by and will wait for no one.

Be diligent in your work. Be accountable to yourself as you embark on crushing your goals, but always remember “wherever you go, there you are.”

So learn to be willing to accept where you are, change what you can, and love who you are unfolding to become🖤.

#manifestmonday #runnersstories #unfoldinyourjourney

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.