Day 36: Bare With It

Last night, I had a great opportunity to speak to the Cougar Varsity Basketball Team. Sitting before these incredible athletes, I paused to think of what were the common threads of great people working together.

1) ALWAYS COMPETE
Running you compete against yourself, then others. Regardless, competition is the tool to leverage the best out of you. Whether I am playing a child's card game or trying to get the Pole Position off of RED LIGHT, I am full throttle. I never want to be someone else without first looking my own standard.

2) BE RESPECTFUL
Often, the circumstances of life bring people into our midst that are like a dripping faucet. I wish I could say I am always respectful. I seek to maintain civility, but often I fail. I may not be overt, but internally, I am battling to respect those that, in my mind, should know better. Respect yourself, respect running, goals, dreams, and respect others. When people verbally vomit on your vision, like a tough hill ahead, drive on. Smile, respect, and move through it.

3) CREATE COMMUNITY
My community are the people who I spend the most time with. Each day, I choose who I spend my limited discretionary time with. Submerge yourself into a community that celebrates you, not merely tolerates you. Seek a circle of influence of people who will tell you the truth, but do so with loving kindness. Allow hope-filled, honor-speaking, humble hearted people to saturate your limited time. To spend you time chasing gnats at the picnic who only seek to high-jack you into feast of carefree timelessness- move on... Walk On.


When these three start to wobble and I feel the life being sucked out of me...this song finds away to my playlist....




And if the daylight seems like its a long way off...

Run On,

jas

LYRICS TO THE ABOVE

Sip your coffee and listen and read

And love, it's not the easy thing
The only baggage, that you can bring
Not the easy thing, the only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can't leave behind

And if the darkness is to keep us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
And if your glass heart should crack
Before the second you turn back
Oh no, be strong

Oh, oh, walk on, walk on
What you got, they can't steal it
No, they can't even feel it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight

You're packin' a suitcase for a place, none of us has been
A place that has to be believed, to be seen
You could have flown away, a singin' bird in an open cage
Who will only fly, only fly for freedom

Oh, oh, walk on, walk on
What you got, you can't deny it
Can't sell it or buy it
[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/u/u2-lyrics/walk-on-lyrics.html .]
Walk on, walk on
You stay safe tonight

And I know it aches
How your heart, it breaks
You can only take so much

Walk on, walk on

Home, hard to know what it is
If you never had one
Home, I can't say where it is
But I know I'm going
Home, that's where the heart is

And I know it aches
And your heart, it breaks
You can only take so much

Walk on

Leave it behind
You've got to leave it behind

All that you fashion, all that you make
All that you build, all that you break
All that you measure, all that you feel
All this you can leave behind

All that you reason, all that you care
(It's only time and I'll never fill up all my mind)
All that you sense, all that you scheme
All you dress up, and all that you see
All you create, all that you wreck
All that you hate