Something that Mia mentioned earlier really made me think today. I owe an awful lot to AustinFIT and my 10:30 marathon training group from last year, the SockMonkeys. Had I been doing this on my own, there’s no way I would have had the guts to add distance the way that I did a year ago. I mean, I went from not being able to complete a 5K in last August to doing an 8 mile run around Central Park in October, just six weeks afterwards. Wow. And you know what the secret was? They kept telling me that I could do this crazy thing, and I let myself believe them.

I’ve mentioned it before, but its worth repeating. We are all, each and every one of us, capable of so much more than we think we are. In all sorts of ways - from the couch potato who could run a marathon, to the class dunce who could wind up with a PhD. The first, and hardest, step is believing that we can do it, and having the faith to get out there and try. The second hardest is admitting that while we probably could figure everything out ourselves, that very little in this world is a product of inate skill and an awful lot comes from learning and practicing. The third hardest - maybe even the second - is admitting that yes you’re afraid, but you’re going to do it (whatever it is) anyway, damn it.

Once you’ve got those three things down, you can do damn near anything. Afraid of heights? Go skydiving. Fat slob? Run a marathon. Social wallflower? Learn to dance and take center stage for a song. Stage fright? Speak before thousands. You may not always live up to your dreams the first time, but you will almost always live down to your fears. So think positive! You can do it - all you have to do is believe, train, and let yourself excel!

Popularity: 1%