Yes, YOU Can!!

Lately, I've seen a lot of inspiration spreading about and I love it! I love being able to encourage friends and family. I love being a cheerleader. I love sharing ideas and successes and working together to overcome obstacles. Sometimes, there might be something you want to do but you don't think you can make it happen. I've got a message for you. You can.

Maybe you want to run a 5K or 10K or just around the block. Maybe you want to eat more fruits and veggies. Maybe you want to find a job. Maybe you want to change careers. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you want to have a family. Maybe you want to travel. Maybe you want to take up a new hobby. Maybe you want to reconnect with old friends. Maybe you want to try new foods. Maybe you want to give to someone. Maybe you want to reach out. Here's the deal. You can. Open yourself up to the many possibilities out there. It might not happen in the exact way you expect it to happen. But if you're open to the possibilities, if you're listening and feeling and considering the options... If there is one thing I've learned in the past year... one thing I've seen demonstrated beyond my expectations in the past months... one thing that I've experienced in my lifetime... it's that the biggest thing that stops me, is me. I'm my greatest hurdle. If I take a hit and it knocks me down and I refuse to get back up, that's my choosing. And some hits take longer to recover from, for sure. I hit a hurdle on aproject yesterday- one near and dear to my heart, my passion. But it isn't going to stop me. Instead, it's a message that part of my plan wasn't right. My focus wasn't exactly right and the project just has to move. It will still happen, it will still impact lives, it will still help people. But perhaps this project was intended to help me stretch beyond my comfort zone and reach into a group I've never been part of. Perhaps this is going to end up strengthening groups I didn't anticipate. The cool thing is that you never know what all the consequences might possibly be.

A hurdle is just a hurdle. An obstacle is just an obstacle. Anything put in your path can either be deconstructed or it's a tool to redirect your path. A friend came to me last night. She wants to join our fitness group at church but is concerned about all of the medical exceptions that she has. Because of some previous medical history, there is a significant list of what she's not allowed to do and she's felt frustrated because it's basically everything she used to do- long walks, jog, jumping. We talked for a little bit about these hurdles, these obstacles. She wants to participate in the Lenten Challenge that is spreading in our church- 40 miles, in any format, in 40 days. Walk, run, bike, elliptical. Find a way to challenge yourself with it. She wants to participate but doesn't think she can- limitations, hurdles, obstacles. But we found a way. Something she hadn't considered (stationary bike) but that she's excited to do.

So if you're facing a challenge right now and it feels like you can't possibly overcome, keep in mind that it might not be something you have to conquer. Maybe you need to side step or back up and take a different turn. Maybe you need to go off the path a bit- create a new path. If you know in your heart that this is something you need to do...