Do you ever have one of those moments of just absolute clarity? Where whatever obstacle or goal that you are working towards seems to come together and make sense? Well I had one last weekend and it changed my thinking for the better!
I am currently training to run the Eau Claire Marathon. This will be my second marathon, and training thus far is going very well. The first time I trained for a marathon, I avoided hills because I despise hills! This year, I have tried to incorporate them into my training a little more often. I keep telling myself that there are hills on the course, so I better be able to run them. I still hate them, but they help me work towards my goal.
You are probably wondering what the heck this has to do with my “moment of clarity” right? Well last weekend I was running up north near my in-laws lake house. I knew there was an incredibly steep and incredibly long hill on my course. I kept telling myself that I have to get to the top, but once I am at the top, I can stop and catch my breath.
When I got to the top of this hill (I promise, it’s an insane hill), I paused my watch, and just took a moment to breath. At this point, I looked out over the vast countryside and realized how absolutely gorgeous the scenery was. I realized that if I would not have chosen to do the hard thing, I would not have had this amazing and beautiful reward. The picture below does not even do the view justice!
I realized that this could be applied to so many different things in life. You have to go through difficult and hard things, to come out stronger in the end. The beautiful part of life is the reward you get for all of the hard work you put in. Whether you are a runner or not, this concept applies to everything! Want a clean beautiful home? You have to work for it. Want your dream body, or a more clean diet? You have to work for it. The point is that no one can do the work for you except for you. You can be your best cheerleader or worst enemy. So get out there and start climbing those hills. I promise, the view from the top will be worth it!