Adaptations

In my perfect world, I would be further south, like Florida, or west, like California, or wonderful, like Hawaii .. but that’s not my story right now – I’m in Virginia, where Monday it sleeted, iced, and snowed, and I decided to go out for my 1st day of 10k training anyway.

I started out slow. And I still got faster with every mile.

Our bodies are incredible creations. We have the ability to adapt to all kinds of crazy things – like running a marathon, or a body building competition, or having a child!

That run on Monday morning reminded me of that. Why would we shy away from unfavorable circumstances? What is it we are fearing? The possibility of getting hurt? If we took that philosophy to the extreme, no one would do anything; life could not and would not exist!

Let’s go back to my crazy example. Running in sleet and ice. Stupid, I know! But smart, if you glean from it. Don’t fear the possibilities – I ran 3 miles in the sleet and at mile 3 I could have kept going! Nothing happened – I didn’t slip, I didn’t fall and I didn’t stumble. But it was cloudy, too! And the visibility conditions were not ideal! And what about Meg – she got hit by a car and didn’t live!

All these thoughts came parading themselves into my mind.

You are absolutely right. When fear like that comes on you, that you don’t think you should do something because of “x,” “y,” or “z” .. maybe you should then consider doing it anyway. I WILL run because she was running and I WON’T let fear into my life if I see it. I will search out challenges because they make me better.

Say that out loud with me. “I will search out challenges because they make me better.” Without challenge there is no change. If you don’t step out to see what the limit of possible is, then you won’t go very far. Without risk, there is no reward.

I challenge you to go out when the “roads are slick” — don’t be unintelligent here, that is figurative .. but maybe for you, it isn’t figurative. Don’t be fearful. Be smart, but not fearful. Don’t do things that would intentionally hurt yourself or others, but test your limits. Isn’t that what we used to do as kids?

I bet you, that if the world we live in had slick roads 100% of the time, we would all learn to adapt.