Life can change course in a moment. Each of us has had experiences where the path we were on suddenly diverged and led us to a place we never would have imagined. Sometimes, we choose to take a different road. Other times, the new path seems to happen by chance. We are thrusted into a seemingly unbearable situation only to emerge with enlightenment and strength. Some experiences alter our path only slightly, while others rock our worlds to the extent that life will never be the same.
I have never believed in coincidence. Every person that has blessed my life's course and every dreadful or euphoric experience I have had was given to me to guide me along this journey, to teach, and to help me understand that I must choose to be more than my circumstances are dictating. We may all use our past or present circumstances as excuses to not succeed, but those that build in themselves a burning desire to live life less ordinary, to test their limits and discover their maximum potential are the ones that will live with strength that cannot be broken.
"You must allow yourself to succeed." I have incredible friends. And by the grace of God, one of my dearest friends shared that wisdom with me today. What you do not know is that I have an incredible fear of failure. Not of anyone's standards but my own. I have fiercely high standards for myself, and as long as I meet these standards - be it running or otherwise, then I have not failed. I have always thought of success as an untouchable dream. I allowed my circumstances to determine which walls could be broken down and which must increasingly be reinforced. My dreams of success have been guarded because for so long they were out of reach. A year ago I had one specific life altering moment that shattered so many constricting walls and instilled in me unbreakable strength. Identifying our faults, and owning them, are what gives way to rebuilding into the best version of ourselves we could possibly become. Overthrow your mediocrity, purge your flaws, refine your strengths, and rebuild yourself to match your own highest standards.
"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."
-Henri J.M. Nouwen
