INCLINE STALL

Many years ago, I learned to drive a manual transmission car.  It was a learning experience for me...and I'm sure just an "experience" for those driving with me!  The LAST place I wanted to find myself stopped was going up a street with a steep incline...really ANY incline. There's that fine line of letting out the clutch as you give it the proper amount of acceleration...usually I would let out the clutch too fast and...you got it, INCLINE STALL!

I have this great treadmill for my running.  My preference is to run outside, but I don't like running in the dark or ice or snow, etc....so I have a treadmill for these times.  Recently, I went to go for an indoor run on the treadmill and the display read back to me, "Incline Stall." No movement....nothing.  Shut down and going nowhere (I'll be having a service appointment soon!).

Have you ever found yourself "stalled out" in life?  INCLINE STALL.  Yesterday, we talked about keeping our eyes fixed in front of us.  But what happens when you "hit the wall?" What happens when everything is NOT awesome?

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 12:2, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (New Living Translation)  How can we do this?  By continually looking at the Bible and see what He says about you.  This will help to re-shape how you see yourself.

During your BEST YEAR YET, you might find yourself feeling lost...stalled...not knowing which way to turn or go.  At times like these, look to Him and you'll have that proper amount of letting go of yourself and acceleration of your purpose, His will for your life, and you'll be just fine with the "uphills" in front of you.  

MILE 21

A year ago, this weekend, the Cheerleader and I were in Fort Smith, AR where I was going to begin my "2016 BEST YEAR YET" of marathon running at the Fort Smith Marathon.  As you might have read previously, I had set a goal to run 4 full marathons in 2016, and this was the first of the four.

Training for this race hadn't been ideal due to snow and other weather related issues that we deal with in Nebraska from November to February (and beyond).  I did feel I had enough of a running "base" under me, just coming off of the 2015 New York City Marathon on November 1st.  My training for Fort Smith started almost immediately after we returned from New York.

The weather was forecasted to be about 40 degrees with possible rain.  The day of the race it was a bit colder than 40 and it was "misty" on and off for the whole race.  The Cheerleader was right there at the start clanging her monster cowbell and it was a great start.  Just like in life, it is so good to have others that are there to cheer you on and for you to do the same for them.  I saw her again around Mile 8 with a much needed kiss and some gatorade.  This race didn't have consistent hydration stations so this quick stop was a welcomed refreshment.  

In this "race of life" we need to make sure that we are "hydrating" and "nourishing" ourselves, Spirit-Soul-Body, so that we don't "hit the wall" as it is usually with runners in a marathon.  

"THE WALL".....it's out there and sometimes you can train like no other and fuel properly and STILL "hit the wall!"  This "wall" usually comes (everyone is different) anywhere from mile 16 to mile 21ish.  This day, I was feeling pretty good and didn't feel as if I would hit it.  

Usually when running a marathon, when I hit the 20 mile mark, I tell myself, "well, that was a good 20 mile warm up, now it's time to start this 10k race!"  This race was no exception!  You might think I'm "goofy" to say this, but I do it to keep myself mentally "in" for the next 6.2 miles!  Do you encourage yourself with words of truth, or is your "self-speak" fill with "you can't....you won't....why even try?"

Me at the 20 Mile Sign

I took the above "selfie" and sent it to Chris telling her where I was and that the race was going good and I would see her in a little over an hour, at the finish.  Well, as I approached Mile 21, there she was ringing that awesome cowbell!  What a GREAT surprise.  

MILE 21....5.2 miles from the finish....BUT, in this race, on this road you could see that for then next 2 miles I would be running uphill, not necessarily something you would choose to do after 21 miles of running.  Something special about Mile 21 though:  There was a water tower in the distance that you could see the top of.  When I stopped to hug and kiss the Cheerleader at Mile 21 and seeing the incline, a guy standing there said, "Just focus on the water tower...it's 2 miles away, but after you reach it, it's all downhill from there!"  Now, "downhill" at this point is not bad, but very good.

You might be "running" through your BEST YEAR YET right now and have come up to an "incline".....KEEP YOUR EYES FOCUSED FORWARD!  DON'T STOP....YOU.CAN.DO.IT!  In the Bible, in Matthew 7, verses 24-27, Jesus talks about two sets of people,one who have "built a house" or their lives with a foundation that is on solid ground and the other is one has built their life or life's foundation on sand.  The wise vs. the unwise.  You will see that the storms of life come to both, but it is those who have a solid foundation, by listening, trusting and following what Jesus said, they will "weather the storm!"

Just keep "running" this BEST YEAR YET, and you will get to the "opening" in YOUR race and it will be downhill (in a good way) from there. 

GO THE DISTANCE

I have run 7 full marathons.  That is 26.2 miles each marathon....with hundreds of training miles in each training cycle.  My PR (personal record) is 4:25:43 (yep....down to the hundredths), which I ran in the Omaha Marathon in the fall of 2014 and my slowest is 6:05:46 which was at the Chicago Marathon October of 2016.  I'm not telling you this to shine a light on me or what I have done in running.  My slowest is BY FAR my most accomplished of them all.  "Most accomplished?" you might say.  YEP, MOST.ACCOMPLISHED!

The Omaha Marathon where I have run my fastest to date was marathon #2 for me.  And each one after that, I trained and tried to beat that time falling WAY short each time.  I was disciplined in my training, eating, fueling during the race, but still couldn't come close to the 4:25:43.  A year ago this weekend I ran in Ft. Smith, Arkansas (Marathon #4) and I ran a 5:08:12, but I was so pleased and here's why:  I realized that each time I go out to run a marathon, I do not know what the conditions, that day will be.  The weather; the layout of the course; how I'm feeling; etc.  All these things, mostly uncontrollable by me, play a HUGE part in the outcome of the marathon.  

As Steve Prefontaine said in the quote above, success is not in how far you got, but in how far you have come.  We can define SUCCESS so many ways, but in reality, it's is how YOU see the success. 

When you see other successful people, don't just copy them (where what they wear; drive what they drive; eat what they eat; etc), but instead STUDY them.  What did they do to become successful.  There is a quote, by Vince Lombardi, that says, "The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there."  Emulate the PROCESS, not the person.  Be AUTHENTICALLY YOU!  Success leaves clues, so find those clues and make your own success.

As we journey through our BEST YEAR YET, let's find those clues in others that will help us as we continue down our path!

By the way, the 6:05:46 I ran in Chicago....I DIDN'T train for this one like the others due to a serious health issue I had that pretty much put a stop to my training right after it started.  I had surgery on August 1st and although my longest training run leading up to Chicago was only a bit over 9 miles, I was determined to start and finish that race.  I could have tapped out and nobody would have though any less of me....except for me.  

Whatever....WHATEVER you have in front of you as an obstacle, you can overcome it....you just have to make a choice.  You've started....so let's make sure you finish!  YOU.CAN.DO.IT!  GO THE DISTANCE!

LEAD WITH YOUR GIFT

What are you really good at?  What moves you to ACTION?  Yesterday I mentioned about the saying I heard, many years ago, "there are two great days in a person's life: the day they were born, and the day they discovered WHY!" 

Maybe your "WHY" or your "GIFT" is:

Cooking

Teaching

Singing

Cleaning 

Hospitality

Encouraging 

Preaching

Speaking 

....and on and on!

Whatever "that" is....if you want to make an IMPACT....if you want be successful, LEAD WITH YOUR GIFT!

Now, you can define "success" in many ways (that's a blog for another day), but if you want it, you must not bury your talents/gift in order to attain it.  "Let YOUR light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

In our journey and discovery of our BEST YEAR YET, Let today be the #2 GREAT DAY for you!

DATES AND A DASH

About 6 years ago, my Cheerleader and I were in Hawaii celebrating our 25th Anniversary.  While there, we connected with a friend, who is from Hawaii, and he and his wife gave us a GREAT tour that goes beyond what the "normal" tourist gets.  

One such place was this old church, but before we entered the church, we walked around the cemetery that was on the same grounds.  There were grave stones dating WAY back, 150+ years or so.  The inscriptions on most talked about LOYALTY, KINDNESS, GIVING and other traits of CHARACTER.  Some lived long lives, others, not so long...but just those few words, on their head stone, described the IMPACT that was made.

All of us have a "start" date.  Those that have gone on also have an "end" date, like those that you can see in any cemetery.  Sandwiched in-between these 2 dates is a "DASH."

The "DASH" represents your life, the number of days and years.  But it is more than just an accumulation of days that you lived, but more importantly HOW you LIVED.  Remember, your BEST YEAR YET is made up of days, one at a time and how your LIVED out each day.  What type of IMPACT you made or will make.  Question for today: Are you maximizing your DASH?  I see, even in my own life, that I want the days to pass quickly so that I can get to another day.  For example, when planning for a trip.  You count the days down and usually look past each day looking for the day when the trip will start.  But what about all the days leading up to departure date?  Are you bypassing wonderful opportunities to fill those days with your BEST YEAR YET?  

Mark Twain once said, "There are two great days in a person's life:  The day they were born, and the day they discovered WHY!"  If you are reading this, you are half way there.  Maybe you have discovered your "WHY"...your purpose.  Seek what you were put on earth to do....and then pursue that with everything you have!  THAT is maximizing your DASH....making the most of your DASH.

Let's not just go through life to arrive at death's door safely.  Let's live our DASH by design and not default!  Doing this on a daily basis will help each of us to have our BEST YEAR YET!

EYES FORWARD

Today is YOUR day!  

I thought I would do something different today and START the day with a BEST YEAR YET post.  I, like many of you, have a lot of FaceBook friends.  Each day as I sip on some warm lemon water (GREAT way to get the body "woke up" after being dormant over night), I check FaceBook to see who has a birthday.  I usually end my encouragement to them with some like, "MAKE today day 1 of your BEST YEAR YET!"

Did you realize that today is DAY 1 of the REST OF YOUR LIFE?  It's DAY 1 of the BEST OF YOUR LIFE....if you choose it!  Don't get me wrong, I KNOW that you'll be faced with challenges...whether they come today or days down the road...they'll come.  It's how we act or react to the challenges that will continue to help shape us.  

In the Bible, in the Gospel of Luke, the 9th chapter, 62 verse, Jesus talked about this very same idea.  His instruction/encouragement to them, as well as to us, is to not be bound or defined by what has happened "behind" you and me, but to keep our hand to the plow and eyes forward!

I don't know about you, but I can come up with a bunch of excuses, based on my past, as to why I can't move forward....or why I feel I have the "right" or justification to act a certain (negative) way.  The truth...my response is ALWAYS my responsibility!  I.HAVE.TO.OWN.IT!  
So, TODAY, I'm making a conscience effort to MAKE it a great day...my choice...which is one more day in my BEST YEAR YET!

You GET to choose how this day will be for you.  Choose to MAKE it DAY 1 of your BEST YEAR YET!!

YOU INSPIRE ME!

I saw you.  You were walking in front of me the day before the race.  I saw you pass me during the race.  I saw you in the finish area. It's obvious that you do not see yourself as disabled.  YOU INSPIRE ME!

I saw you run by my house a year ago...struggling to put one foot in front of the other.  I saw you throughout the year as it seemed we ran similar paths.  Each time I saw you, you appeared to be getting better...stronger.  I just saw you yesterday...owning the street on your run like you were born to do this.  YOU INSPIRE ME!

I saw you.  You might have wondered why you were doing this?  Thinking, "are people looking at me because I'm big...slow...young...old?  YOU INSPIRE ME!

I saw you.  You started the race and I know you finished it, because later that day I saw the Finisher's Medal around your neck.  YOU INSPIRE ME!

I read about you.  The book talked about the best in the world and those who were were just like me...people with a dream.  I read about your struggles and celebrate the victories with you.  YOU INSPIRE ME!

When I am spending time on long miles and I'm struggling with the heat, or the pain in my legs or lungs...maybe it's my hydration or lack of it...I think of YOU and I press on to the finish.  YOU INSPIRE ME!


WHO INSPIRES YOU?  Tell them!

ps - How is your BEST YEAR YET journey coming?  Comment below or drop me a line and let me know.