Run happy: The power of positivity in everyday life

It’s a typical rainy August Sunday morning; each humidity soaked step bringing me further from the house and closer to the ominous gray clouds rolling in on the horizon. As usual with a lazy wet Sunday only a few cars pass by, leaving me in silence with the sound of my shoes trying their best to grip wet pavement, and raindrops dislodging from their temporary home on the oak leaves high above. My legs, achy from too many days off, beg me to go back home and turn on the tv. Too bad, legs, this is too much fun. 🙂 Happy Sunday Runday!!

Recently, I have been taking a free class on resume building and interview skills at a local church, in the hope that learning more about these skills will help me in boosting my career. I am now armed with a new resume, and just as importantly a renewed sense of confidence and positivity. Positivity is so important in every aspect of life, from running happy to attacking the day with a positive attitude. Granted, not everything will go your way all the time, nor is that expectation a realistic one. I’ve learned the hard way not to let another’s negativity and bad attitude affect my own attitude, or my actions. It’s one of the toughest things I’ve ever learned how to do, but one of the most rewarding.
Remaining positive while training for competition is one of the most helpful tools in your toolbox. When I practice anything with a good attitude and a sense of fun, I want to keep going, and suddenly my mistakes or slow times become less of a hindrance and more of a kicking off point. At bmx nationals I’ve seen parents yell at their kids for what they consider a poor performance, forgetting why they started in the first place. I’ve seen this happen in many different sports. Reality check. The chances are beyond slim that their kid will have a sports career, and getting slimmer by the second, as I have seen so many burn out. It’s not fun to them anymore, it’s their entire life, and it becomes a chore. 

We all get down every now and then, and if we are lucky, we have wonderful friends who are there to talk to us and pick us back up. I am lucky to say I have that. But constantly negative people? Or people who want to be in your company because of how they can benefit? No, thank you. I don’t like to be around that, do you? I’ve distanced myself from the negative Nancy’s, and have never felt better. No eternal suck-fest bringing me down. No black hole preaching impossibilities that I will eventually drink the Kool Aid and also buy into. Consider it a spring cleaning of the soul. 

I believe in the power of positivity- sometimes it is a warm glow around me and sometimes it’s a life raft, but it’s definitely something I’m never letting go of. Sometimes it can be the only thing we have, so let’s use it! The world is full of such amazing things and places and opportunities, and I stopped listening a long time ago to people who liked to dictate what I was and wasn’t capable of. As someone born with a physical dissability, I grew up being taught that “can’t” is not a word to believe in. Because of that, I can ride a bmx bike like a crazy woman and run fast with a happy soul! Sometimes choosing to NOT listen is as important as being a good listener. 

So how do you attack they day with a great attitude? Believe in it. Wake up every morning and tell yourself what you love about yourself, or your family, or friends, or day. There is always someone who has it a whole lot worse that we do and is a whole lot happier about what they do have. Brand names and money don’t make my soul happy- I’m happy because I choose to be. I’m positive about my career. I believe that hard work pays off, maybe not in the way that is planned, but it does pay off. Things are wonderful, they will work out, and I choose happiness regardless. I choose to wake up every day and live my journey with a smile, and perhaps some light scarcasm, because who doesn’t love light scarcasm. 😉 

So lace up those running shoes, do those sprints, pedal so fast your legs burn, get out there and talk to people, cheer on and support a friend or a loved one. Do whatever you need to do, and do it with a happy soul.

Some ducks out along the way