Wednesday, November 27, 2013

be the inspiration you need in yourself ...

I am a runner ... i love being able to say that ... i am not the faster & i can't go the furthest but i am a runner. I love running, i love the feel of my muscles working, flying along the pavement, & i love how it clears my head. I find a sense of peace when i am out there & i do a lot of thinking. Not the bad kind of thinking just it's as if when running you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together with ease, push away the stuff that is irrelevant & find the answers to the mysteries of the world. Today's run was necessary except for the fact i had something to prove to myself, i have been gradually pushing my body a little more & seeing some great results & i love that. I had already gotten in back to back T25 before taking Jacob to nursery, & then my regular HIIT class but well its my birthday & i had something to prove to my "older" self. So i ran on tired legs & i can't lie the first mile kind of sucked but it felt good to be out there, a nice pace, not too cold ... & the rest!

So then i get thinking ... all kinds of things but i keep coming back to inspiration. As photographers the subject of inspiration comes up a lot. what inspires us? who inspires us? How do we find our way out of a rut? & the first thing that comes to mind is that i go out & shoot, a photo road trip or just 20 minutes at a favorite location. But today i moved away from photography & thought about all the incredible people in my life that inspire me. I wish i knew as a 23 year old that it wasn't the famous people who would be the ones who would have the biggest impact on my life. 

I feel bless in so many ways to have a wonderful husband, a beautiful son & a "job" that i love. But i also feel blessed by the friends who have come into my world & shown me so much. The come from every warp of life, though the majority are military or military spouses & the first thing i can say is they have this incredible strength, we're not talking physically but on another level. They are proof that you can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough at it. They inspire me to get up in the morning & put myself out there whether it's photographically or pushing myself at the gym. The people i love the most are spread across the world but they still inspire me with their own dreams, their own achievements & their drive. It doesn't matter if you are starting with nothing, it matters that you take the first step & having those people to help guide & show you the way makes a huge difference. & i have to say my running friends are often top of that list ... there is this no holds barred rule when out running, i can tell someone anything & i know they won't judge. Don't ask me why but it's better than therapy, it's the ultimate physical & mental release. 

But today i also realized something more important ... as much as you do need to surround yourself by inspirational people you need to inspire yourself. & i do ... i love at the person i am now, my body with all it's scars & well "curves" where i wish they wouldn't be & i am strong, i can run a half marathon, i can survive deployments & i can give birth. I could have said it out loud too as i pushed through that final quarter of a mile because i think we all need to. It's not about not needing to rely on others it's about finding the strength in yourself to move forward not alone but with being your own guide. 

I am sure many a person has said this & more cohesively but its something i wanted to share, something i wish my 23 year old self would have known that i am the inspiration i seek. 

& this is me ... all ... well sweaty after my run! 


Have a wonderful day everyone & look for inspiration in others & yourself. & don't forget to check out the sisterhood circle & their wonderful blogs, starting with that of Karrie