Friday, April 4, 2014

The Finish Line

What keeps you running on the treadmill instead of giving up and quitting?

I envision all the people I'm passing. All those who give up before they reach the finish line. I'm running towards my future. I'm running towards my vision of what 3 months will be for me, 6 months and even a year. I have goals. I have a plan. I am running to get ahead. Move forward. Become a better me. I do not quit. I am a fighter. And that's why I will finish. And when I'm done I will make a new plan & fight for new goals. The real question to ask yourself...

Are you going to fight or quit just before you reach the finish line?

A Truly Remarkable Place

As I pre-plan my trip for Thanksgiving week things seem pretty hectic. Everyone at work is busy trying to nicely wrap things up before the holiday. And after work we are all shopping for last minute items such as travel sized shampoos and holiday items. There is no time to stop and enjoy the journey. Not yet anyways.

I finally send out my last couple emails and off I go to finish packing at home. My suitcase is finally packed, to the max might I add, because I just HAVE to have an extra purse and my gym shoes. I might be able to get in a workout, right? I go to bed at somewhat of a decent hour and doze off to dreamland.

Alarm goes off at 3am than at 3:30am and finally at 3:40am in which I crawl out of bed hardly awake. Hustle and bustle to get dressed and ready to go. Still trying to wake up as I drive to the airport, check in with TSA, grab a cup of coffee and board the plane.

Now, all I can do is sit and wait. I'm completely helpless as I put my life in the pilots hands hoping we have a safe journey to our destination. Looking out the window at first I see nothing but the terminal and runway. We sit and taxi for awhile until it is our turn to take off. I quickly glance around at the people who surround me. Everyone seems to be pre-occupied. as they talk on their phones, send out last minute texts to family and friends or reading a magazine.

We finally get to the runway and begin takeoff. My favorite part! I look out my window and watch the plane lift up from the ground and descend into the sky. What do I see from my window? I no longer see the terminal or the runway but I see much more than I could have imagined. I see the beautiful mountains, I see the calm of the ocean and the beautiful skyline. It's amazing!! I want to share this moment so I look around at the people next to me but they are not looking. I look behind me but they are on their iPads. Oh I bet they people in front of me are seeing this! No. They are reading. Does anyone look out the window anymore? So instead, I enjoy this moment alone. I am thankful for this. To be able to see what a beautiful planet we live on. I am thankful for our oceans, our skyline, the sun hitting my face. All these things and more. How did we get so blessed? And why don't I enjoy nature more often? It's so peaceful and relaxing. I tend to forget what it's like to just look around me. Living in a city doesn't help. There is not much to look at other than buildings. And don't get me wrong I also enjoy the city life but there is something about the open scenary of true nature. It's a whole different level of beauty. And even though I'm stuck inside this stuffy airplane I can close my eyes and smell the fresh crisp air outside. I can not help but smile as I envision this. It's truly remarkable. What a beautiful thing it is to be living. To be awake! To be alive!