Thursday, May 30, 2013

Some People Just Don't Have It - continued

After reading my first blog post a lovely person reminded me about how important encouragement from others is to our journey and progress and good-naturedly mentioned that maybe my hubby needs a little practice in the area of encouragement. I just wanted to clarify that my husband has been very encouraging along this road and I am so used to his encouragement and pep talks that his TRUTH made me do a double take. In thinking about this I was thankful that he spoke the truth to me. It does me no good for a loved one to coddle me with encouragement when they KNOW darn well that I am not pushing myself to be my best. It reminds me of the verse in Ephesians 4:15 ~ "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ."
The truth spoken in love that betters me is sweeter then encouragement that leaves me chasing my tail :) 
Tonight I met my husband again for a run after work with a different mindset - ready to push and give a little more, and it was good. "I have that push, I have that push..." 
I am so blessed to have encouraging partners & family in my life and if you reallllllly love me, tell me the truth...in love of course. 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Some People Just Don't Have it

My husband and I met after work to go for a "run". We've both been up since 5am and at work all day and needless to say - I'm not feeling it. We stretch and start on our way, a jog. I tell my husband to go ahead and run his pace and he sets off ahead of me. I do 2, 13 minute slow miles and about a half mile walking. When I meet my husband at the end of the path we walk together to cool down and I begin to complain and whine about how loooonnnng I've been trying to run, how I've kept at it and I'm still not making progress, still not running longer, still not running stronger, blah, blah, blah - this is my usual self evaluation to which he should then say "you're doing great" (or at least "you're doing fine") some kind of pep talk, but in place of this type of singsong encouragement he says "some people just don't have it, some people just don't have that "push". For a split second I was hurt that he would say that, he knew it and started to back-peddle on the comment  but I realized he was right - I certainly haven't been acting like I "have it", I certainly don't push myself. I don't like to feel pain in my joints, I don't like breathing heavy and being sweaty - In the moment, I don't like it at all. But after, when it's said and done and I've pushed myself it feels great! and I haven't had that feeling in quite a long time... I do just enough to appear active, just enough to not feel like a quitter. If I'm not pushing myself for more I think I am already a quitter. I have that PUSH! I DO! I have heard people say that they repeat a mantra to themselves while they run, for encouragement & rhythm like: "I think I can, I think I can..."  Mine may just have to be "I have that push, I have that push..." cause I realllllly want to run & see progress to prove to myself that I have IT! 
Are you pushing yourself to your goals, or doing just enough to get by?
Do you have a mantra you use that keeps you going?