Last night, I attended an inspirational speakers fundraising night organised by the founders of my local running group for their Relay for Life team. The speakers included two people who have run the Mt. Everest Marathon, A local guy Brandon, who has gradually lost his sight over the years but has recently gotten back into running again, Dani, who ran 7 marathons, in 7 days in 7 states to raise money for Bravehearts, Allirra who ran the New York Marathon as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project, and Tristen Miller of Run Like Crazy fame.
Hearing all of these people speak was incredible! They all had stories of overcoming adversity and personal hardship to get to where they are now. They've all achieved amazing things and are inspiring people around them to do the same.
The thing is though - it also got me wishing that I could be the same. That I could be that kind of person. It made me wonder, what is different about these people that they are able to do this. Why can't I do it? What haven't I done it? Why have I let so many of my goals and dreams pass by over the years?
The evening finished quite late, and I was dreading the thought of having to get up at 5am the next morning to do the 10km - It's so ridiculous that I was thinking like that after everything I'd just heard, but sure enough, I was thinking about how tired I would be, how I was worried about my calf injury and how I wish I didn't have to do it. Then sure enough, as I was getting into the car, my foot slipped into a stormwater drain, I rolled my ankle and landed on the ground!! I hurt, a lot!! The universe had provided me with my excuse.
It got me thinking about the power of the mind to create our reality. Whether or not you believe in things like the "Law of Attraction", you can't deny that the way we think has a powerful affect on the way we feel and they way we live our lives. It makes all of the difference between achieving and giving up.
It dawned on me - that "special" ingredient that the speakers have that I don't - It's self belief and a driving force.
Tristen and Dani both spoke about not letting other people define for them what they can and can't do. Brandon spoke about the responsibility we have to others to repay the belief they have in us. One of Allirra's driving forces is to make a positive change in her local community.
I had that driving force and self belief when I was younger. I left home at 16 and moved in with my boyfriend - the people closest to me told me that I was throwing my life away, that I would get pregnant and that would be it - my life would be over. Instead, I finished my VCE, got into my university degree of choice, finished uni with excellent marks and got a job and the independence that was so important to me.
I felt some of that driving force when I started this blog a year ago - it's always been the dream that this would lead me in the direction of helping, encouraging, inspiring and motivating other women like me to gain peace with their bodies and with food - but I lost that drive somewhere along the way. I started feeling like I wasn't special enough.
If last night showed me anything - it's that we are all capable of great things - but we have to watch our minds - the dialogue going on in there will be the difference between success and failure.
I'll finish with that great quote from Henry Ford which also came up last night -
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