Checking In on Ourselves

How is everyone doing? I like to ask that question first because even though you can't physically or verbally respond to me at the moment, it still forces you to answer that question for yourself. It is always good to stop every so often and answer that question for ourselves. This simple act allows us to check in ourselves. I believe that is a good thing and something that we all should probably do more often.

"The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start!" This quote comes from Nora Haefele in the book "The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal, PhD". Nora has competed in over 200 running events and has 85 marathons under her belt. As Nora says "I'm not the fastest. Usually I'm alone on the course within 5 minutes". Nora typically finishes at or near the bottom in every race. But what is truly unique about Nora is that she did not get started doing race or working out in general until her mid fifties. Nora is not 62 years young and still kicking ass!

The reason I used Nora and her quote is that sometimes I don't think we celebrate that a lot of us have found the courage to start and the courage to keep on going. We cross numerous finishing lines, only to find another starting line so that we can find that courage to start once again. These past two weekends I got to witness that kind of courage. The pure happiness and joy that only movement and collective movement can bring to people's lives. The kind of happiness and joy that fuels that courage to start. I got to be a part of Adam Gaskins' first marathon ever. I got to be a part of Tyler Dowler's first marathon relay and 10 mile Tough Mudder. I got to be a part of Mike Shantery's first 10 mile Tough Mudder. I got to witness Julie Fields' 20 mile Mamath March through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. All these people found the courage to start and all of them now want to keep on feeling that courage, that happiness and that joy that only movement and collective movement can bring.