Four Little Words...

It's Friday...  Not my usual blog day but I wanted to leave myself a breadcrumb.  So many blogs are written because we made the commitment to show up once a week and put something down.  This is not one of those blogs.  Today I write this blog purely for myself to go back and read - daily if I need to.

Between the bright light of spring and a visit to the infamous "couch", my mind has been full of activity.  Some of this activity is good.  Some of it not so good.  On the most part, things are going fairly well.  I'm not where I want to be but in most areas, but I believe that I am headed in the right direction.  That is "good" thinking.  The doubts that I struggle with about just how far I can take my own journey are not "good" thinking.  Being realistic is a good thing.  If you are not living in reality, it is hard to face what needs to be taken care of effectively.  The doubts, though, are placing an anchor on my ability to progress.  This anchor has a relatively short chain and as the waves swell, I get pulled under the water instead of riding the wave.

So the past two days I have been practicing four little words.  I.  Can.  Do.  This. 

Yesterday I started what I will loosely call a learn to run - couch to 5km plan.  I set out with my furry training partner - who by the way seems confused with the whole jog then walk situation.

The first run interval hit.  I practiced my four little words.  I can do this?????  Wait a minute.  How many question marks were at the end of that statement.  Try it again.  I can do this??  Ok, that as a little better.

The second run interval hit.  There was still a question mark at the end of the sentence but I was working really hard to remove it.

The third run interval hit.  The statement was now a statement instead of a question but I still was not feeling it.

The fourth run interval hit.  Ok, maybe I really can do this.  I know more than four words but the belief was starting to settle in.

The end of the fifth interval.  I can do this!  Yup, I did it!  Then a nice long walk home.

 Now this run was not some massive accomplishment, that is unless you are me.  This was a run I had been putting off for a very long time.  Many excuses stood between me and this first run.  It was a major first step in a particular direction towards a particular goal.  Today I took another step towards this goal and did the same length of intervals but did seven instead of five.

The bright light of spring has got me moving.  The glory days of summer will be a test to keep the momentum going.  I have a decision to make come September.  I have a lot of work ahead of me.  I must cut the chain on that anchor because I want to see just where I can be at that time.  As each day goes by, I will keep practicing my four little words (with proper punctuation).

I can do this!