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Show Your Face to the Morning.

Some of us today will wake up with a sense of uncertainty.

We will walk down the hall with the same inner conflict we have every day since we can remember.

Some of us will wake up today hungover, ashamed and with a deep disgust within ourselves that we yet again let substance win over our truest longing for sobriety.

Some of us will wake up hiding the cookie package, crumpling the chip bag, hearing the screams of defeat echo that “you’ll always be fat and unhealthy.”

One of us will have woken up after standing up to a bully, deciding that today they will no longer have power over you.

One of us will have prayed for the first time ever… hoping for just one miracle teetering on the brink of a rock bottom.

One of us will wake up and draw the curtains open for the first time in a decade… unsure if the anxiety will let them outside for even just a minute.

One of us will need a friend today. One of us will have a huge victory, and of us will no doubt have a setback.

Whomever you are, wherever you are… draw the shades, let the light in, let the bad shit out. Own it, claim it, trust it, and move through it.

Rise on up… show your face to the morning.

Show up uninvited to all the places within you trying to hold you back. Today matters, and so do you 🌻.

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Choose Happy.

For those of you struggling to seek self-joy or self-empowerment… here goes it.

Our power within awakens each day with us. It is our thoughts that can destroy us. Choose happy on purpose. Choose balance.

Choose flexibility over rigidity. I remember asking myself… Why me?

I asked that question a thousand times… until I got still enough to really seek the answer. My struggles, my hurts, my lot in life was a tool. A tool to teach me grace, humility, strength, and freedom.

Negative people suck. Naysayers, manipulators, and evil doers are at every corner, every stop light, every open door we enter through. Greet them with a few things they can’t stand: contentment, happiness, and a heart full of joy☀️.

Challenges come, but be victorious in today. Clear your mind, have a little talk with your thoughts, and be better…

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Letter to a Narcissist.

Her awakening came not by chance, but by an inner voice that was calling her. She was desperate for change but stuck in a quicksand of past failures, deep hurts, and powerful addictions.

She cleared her throat, wiped a single tear off her cheek.

She saw the courage one day, it came to her in a flash. She knew in her heart of hearts the day had to come. She would have to seek justice for herself. So afraid and scared, she wrote the words that she knew would trigger an ending to the madness.

She wrote the words of freedom and liberation. She wrote the words that only a coward could read and twist to inflict more guilt and manipulation.

She was tired, she was exhausted. She was playing a game of chess she could never win because she is not skilled in sickness, and obsession.

She heard the words of what the Spirit told her to write… she backspaced, afraid. Then she re-wrote it.

“Relish in this day because this is the last day any of you will have control over me again. I am not afraid anymore.”

She knew these words within would end the game. Peace would come in the morning. Stand in your beliefs of good versus evil, be afraid of nothing, their guilt-infused words, the booze, and the food only have the power you give these things.

“Seek Me and forgive yourself… you are set free 🖤.”

My letter to a Narcissist, my addiction, and my unhealthy lifestyle ~

Set yourself free. Run to freedom, and allow peace to flow like a river…

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.

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Inner Badass

There is a neverending journey to my soul. Each section of my path teaches me something valuable to my foster my continued growth and repair.

Here’s what my journey has spoken so softly yet loud as a bell this past week… listen and your spirit will guide you ~

Seeking rest and solidity is a must for me. I struggle with this…. but to rest in His word… in my truths, and in my beliefs, isn’t just for show… it’s my life support.

Release any and all toxic bullshit from your life. This includes people, places, and things. People will try and attach all their baggage onto you. Cut the cord and seek out only those who amplify your well-being.

Never ever underestimate the power of your inner badass. Stop worrying about tomorrow and unwrap your hidden gifts. Share them.

Be kind, be good and ever so light… but be not fooled. Do not be fragile or persuaded… be strong and clothed in his strength. 💙

Seek your power today… Amen.

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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.

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The Road is Your Teacher

I look down my long beautiful county road this morning. It’s the same road I have run for years although today something is different…..my perspective.

This road has taught me so much about myself. It’s taught me patience when the answers won’t come fast enough, it’s taught me appreciation for the beautiful place I get to call home.

It’s taught me to value myself, and to always trust my gut. It’s taught me humbleness, and that no matter what there is purpose in each step on this pavement.

Your road is a teacher. Learn from it today….then take what you know and gift it to someone else. Someone is watching you… show them greatness 💛.

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Fortitude.

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. 💙

#hopedealer

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Mountain.

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. 🖤

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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.

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Unstoppable.

This week has been a week of deep thought, release and reproach. Forgiveness of myself is something I’m often reluctant to strive for.

As disciplined as I am, it’s easy for to me to be to set in my ways, too hard on myself, and too one-sided in many areas of thinking.

This week I set some new goals for myself.

I promised myself more journaling time. I challenged myself to see a difficult situation in a forgiving light instead of an angered one.

I enjoyed some foods I usually scold myself for having… I allowed myself to loosen the lid of the pressure cooker of life.

There are familiar places, smells, sounds, and landscapes that enter my mind often and take me back to a time of comfort, peace, and solace. This week I reminded myself that to get to this place, I need to paddle with the current… not against it.

Be the love… be unstoppable… be understanding… be available for all the things that make you happy.

Don’t get caught in the riptide. Do not go against the flow, but work with the current to get you upstream to the destination of your dreams…

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Rise, Phoenix, Rise.

This road before me challenges me today. It speaks to me. It tells me that I if I want to continue to rise like the Phoenix, I must remember a few key things…

My relationship with myself is one of the most important jobs I must continue to cultivate. I must never allow my happiness to depend on another person, place or thing. I am responsible for my creating my own inner joy.

The body war, image struggles, inner food choice fights, and mental sabotage are only a thought away from being used for good. I can change my thoughts and create behaviors that make me well, vibrant and full of life.

I’ll admit it: these past few days, some old feelings, and that familiar knock on the door of derailment have been loud….

BUT today this badass is up and ready. She allowed herself a minute… she comforted her soul, she accepted what was, and now she is ready to close the door, and RISE.

This picture of my road and the breathtaking view of what God created… reminds me that I am on a path to victory. RISE, PHOENIX, RISE 🔥