Moving On

Having goals and dreams gives everyone something to strive for in life. An optimist would say you have to do whatever it takes to achieve those. A realist would say there is a time and a place to say the heck with it. How and when you do this is the difference between giving up and moving on. 

Giving up is done when the going gets tough. Quitters choose to give up. It is a conscious choice. 

Moving on is different. Moving on is what you do when you have exhausted all other options, when there are external factors that are stopping your accomplishment. Maybe it's a raise you've been holding out for, dreaming of making the big bucks. Or that guy you've been chasing for years, hoping some day, he'll suddenly realize he is madly in love with you. There are some things you can't make happen. You just have to accept it, move on, and look for new goals, new achievements. 

There is a whole world of opportunity out there just waiting for you. Don't get stuck in a rut because there is one thing you can't get. If you spend your whole life focusing on what you can't have, you will miss the beauty in what you do have.

Move on...to brighter pastures and a fantastic future.

The Journey

People often say it's not about the destination, but the journey to get there. 
We tend to become focused on where we are going, we completely miss everything it takes to get there. The journey is what makes life special, what makes the destination and what makes that accomplishment worth it. 
After you accomplish something big - whether it was graduation, a fundraiser, a marathon, whatever it is - there seems to be a let down. Almost a disappointment that the event is over. So much work went in to it and then - BAM - it's done. I've felt this experience so many times. But, reflecting back, if you focus on just the accomplishment, all of the work that went in to it gets put by the wayside and it feels like your big achievement meant nothing. The fact of the matter is, when you look at it in this light, there is little to be proud of. But when you look at the big picture, at EVERYTHING it took to get to where you are, then that is something to be proud of.
I often think of the thousands of miles I've put on chasing race cars around the country. Driving through the night so we can get to the next track and have time to rest before we race - then pack it all up and do it again. Passing tons of beautiful places and thinking to myself "Wow, that would be an AMAZING picture" as we flew by, not taking the five minutes to stop the truck, jump out, and take that picture. When we get home, so tired from the hustle and bustle, what is there to show of that last adventure? A few fuel receipts, a lot of fast food, and some good times at the race track. But what about everything in between? That's what I miss now. 
It reminds me of Garth Brooks' song, "Pushing Up Daisies"...There's two dates in time that they'll carve on your stone and everyone knows what they mean what's more important is the time that is known in that little dash there in between...
Maybe we would get a lot more out of life if we didn't have a destination? If we just focused on going...somewhere...anywhere. Enjoy what you're doing while working towards where you are going. Don't forget the journey.

Challenge Yourself

What kind of a person are you? Are you the one who takes the easy road or the one who blazes their own path? My dad always says "if you have a hard job, give it to a lazy man and he'll find an easy way to do it." Some may call that ingenuity. But if you don't embrace every challenge that comes your way, then what are you living for? You are cheating yourself out of an experience. Maybe it's not always going to be wonderful. Maybe you're going to sweat, cry, bleed, hurt. But you will be a better - stronger - person for taking on that challenge.
People run from challenges for fear of failure, fear of change, fear of fear. But fear can be overcome. Fear is a bar you set to allow yourself an easy way out. It's an excuse to not do something. People I admire are those who will try something they are terrified of. Push forward regardless of self-limitations. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they don't. But they stepped up to the challenge. They challenged fear.
Here is my challenge for you:
Along with setting goals for 2011, challenge yourself. Whether it's a 100-day burpee challenge, an eight-week paleo challenge, or a challenge to read 12 books, do it. Whatever it is. Succeed. Fail. Just don't take the easy road out. 
Embrace your fear. Run past your limits. Challenge yourself.

How Far?

Everyone and everything has limitations. An engine will only turn so many RPMs. A dishwasher will only clean so many dishes. And a person will only push themselves so much. No one can do it all, but they can do all they can. The question you need to ask yourself is: How far will you go? 

How far would you go to tell someone you loved them? Drive across the street? Across the state? Across the country? How long would you wait? And what happens if they don't return the sentiment? Then what? 

People live every day with the decision of how far. Some people go until they get uncomfortable, then quit. Some go until it gets hard. But a few - very few - go until they can go no farther. They have either succeeded, exhausted all options, or their goals have changed over the course of the chase.

It seems a common theme these days where people just accept the things they are handed but don't fight for what they really want. Don't accept life as it is. There are so many better and brighter things out there for you. You don't get to watch the most amazing sunrise over the mountains from your couch - you have to climb to the highest peak. So get out there. Fight for what you want. Go far.