I actually am starting to enjoy Mondays. I used to dread them, but now it is usually the one day a week I have off so I look forward to relaxing and catching up. Today will be filled with lots of cleaning.
I always use my Monday post to summarize what I’m using for motivation this week. It usually ends up being a jumbled mess of my thoughts, but it’s therapeutic so bear with me.
Besides thinking about what I wrote about yesterday, this week I’ve been thinking a lot about creating your own future.
I have a whole world ahead of me. The possibilities are endless. Nobody is stuck where they are today – you can make the decision to change your life at any time.
Sounds simple right? It is. I used to not get that. I used to think I had to do what was expected of me. I had to do things the way that everyone else does it. You can make your own path. You can determine your future, and it can be anything you love! Of course, there are times in our lives where we have to do things that aren’t exactly what we imagined (i.e. working the jobs I am right now) but if they are getting us to where we want to be then that’s all that matters.
I know this isn’t forever and I am slowly figuring out what I want out of my life.
I think we get too focused on what has happened to us in the past. We focus on the times life has brought us down and we think that we can’t move past that. Our past is just that – in the past. What happened doesn’t matter anymore because the future is completely up to you.
Wes and I had a long conversation while pool running Friday about what I wanted to do. I was throwing out ideas and fun places/areas I’d like to work in. To me they seemed completely crazy, but they weren’t. They were something that interested me, motivated me and who is to say I can’t do that.
I have no idea what the future will hold but I know I’m ready to find something I love. I don’t want to do something to get us through anymore, I want to find something that I’m passionate about. I’m determined to make that happen.
Sometimes you just have to let go and make the most of the chances you have in life.
You know I always have to tie back these posts to running right? Well here goes.
This quote really spoke to me because as you know when you start back into running it can be really hard at first. Your body has to readapt to the pressure and you have to build back something that you once had.
I keep focusing on the fact that it doesn’t matter about the mistakes I made in the past with my running or how hard it is now. All that matters is that I’m doing the right things now and focusing on what is ahead in the future. I look forward to racing again, strengthening my body and make my running dreams come true.
People will always doubt you. You will even doubt yourself from time to time, but if you really want something and you focus on taking the small steps to get there you can and will achieve anything you put your mind to.
We often forget it’s not easy. You have to work. You have to put in a lot of time and effort and sometimes do things that most people don’t do. You will get crazy looks or people that don’t understand why. It comes down to knowing what you have to do and being determined and focused enough to make it happen.
Wes and I have always gotten a lot of those people who don’t get us. We are both very addicted and love running (Wes even more so than me), we both work very hard right now and sometimes turn down current opportunities to make something of us in the future. People don’t get that.
A lot of people (like many of my friends and family) take their early and mid-20’s to do whatever they want to do. They travel, spend a lot of money and do whatever they feel like. I think that’s great, but we have another plan. Medical school changed our plans a little. We took this time to work as hard as we can. We don’t spend a lot of money, we spend a lot of Friday and Saturday nights in and have taken one real vacation in 3 years.
The reason? We have big plans for the future. We want to be able to put ourselves in a position later on when we have a family and when we actually have the time to enjoy those things. It’s not that we don’t enjoy what we have now. We do. We just do it in a different way.
The point: do what works for you, work hard and chase after any dream that is important to you. Some may not understand and that’s okay, it’s yours to understand not theirs.
Now that I’ve got all my thoughts out there, I’ll finish with this.
Never stop learning. I read articles, books and anything I can find not only on running but on careers, blogging, marriage etc. I always look try to increase my knowledge and read others opinions about important topics in my life. To me it’s fun and it encourages always growing in some area of my life.
Tell me…
Have you ever took a leap of faith to follow a dream?
What is something you’ve always wanted to do/achieve in life?
[Tweet “Working Towards Your Dreams {Motivation Monday} via @LovingOnTheRun #runchat #vegrunchat #run #fitfluential”]
“Decide what to be, and go be it”
This quote is very relevant to me because at this point in my life, I am fresh out of college and determining where I want to be in terms of my career
I know the feeling! I am not right out of college but I am still trying to find what I want in my career. Good luck in your search JoJo! 🙂
Great post! I’m so excited to watch you figure out what it is that you do want and make progress towards it! As you know, I’m all about taking huge leaps of faith and following what you really want to do. In two months, it’s already been full of ups and downs, but I am SO grateful for the opportunity and loving every day!
Once again I think you really hit on an important thing, and I can feel the pressure and judgment you feel (either verbalized or internalized) from others about how you are doing things. I will remind you that there are only two people you need to justify anything to … and neither of them are your parents, siblings, relatives or friends or people on the internet. 🙂
Since my kids are in high school, this is very much what I talk to them about … there is the saying that kids are expected to make life altering choices of direction at the same time they need to ask permission and get a pass to go to the bathroom!
I am not always enamored with some motivational saying, because they often seem to portray that all things are possible to all people. In the real world, that simply isn’t true – we all have aptitudes and limitations. But those messages really aren’t trying to tell the 4’11” person that they’ll be the star center for the Celtics!
The important thing is to find your passion and follow it with all of your heart.
I have to say I have learned so much through all that has happened. Everyone will have their opinions, and there is nothing I can do about that. The key is I am doing what works for myself and for my relationship and at the end of the day that is really all that matters!
I remember being in high school it is a tough time because you are definitely in that “in between” stage where you are expected to make your own decisions but still required to ask permission to do just about everything! It’s tough.
I love that – I am aiming to find my passion and follow it! I am determined. Life isn’t getting any longer and it’s time I did this for me!
I was absolutely miserable working in finance for a while, until I figured out what I really wanted to do. I really took a chance and decided that I wanted to use my passion for blogging/seo/web design/etc to turn into a new career because I knew I was good at it. I taught myself just enough to get a job in it and now my resume is exploding with experience!!! I’m learning SO much and I am SO happy I got out of a terrible career I KNEW KNEW KNEW just wasn’t for me!! Life is too short to be unhappy!!!
That is so awesome Sarah! I may be emailing you shortly to learn a bit more 🙂 There is nothing better than following your dreams and passions!
I REALLY like the wish for/work for quote. Might even make it onto a sticky note in my office. 😉 I so admire your running etc! Can’t wait to work out again in the next few weeks. 🙂
Great post and I wholeheartedly support you! I’ve been seeing this grand idea more and more in the last year or so– that you can literally do anything you want with your life. it’s just a matter of whether you think you can. (and whether you want to). sometimes i feel “selfish” for doing my own thing and not necessarily pulling my friends along with me, but the truth is, your dream is YOUR dream. you don’t need to share that dream with everyone. you can always help people, but you don’t need to move along with everyone else. you can run a different path and still be a good friend and wonderful soul. if you have a vision, then that is a great gift that should be acted on. true friends will (eventually) understand.
So true Eva!! Thank you 🙂
Love your motivation mondays! great idea to start off the week and turn monday into a day to look forward to instead of dread. You make me want to go for a run…i need that. thankyou. Visting via SITS Spring Fling Group 11
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 Another round of motivation monday will come up tomorrow afternoon!