“Yes you can!” “Great work!” “Keep going!” “You are doing great!
This is a small snapshot of the encouragement that I received, from complete strangers, while running my first 5k at Disney back in November of 2016.
Let me begin by sharing with you that I. AM. NOT. A. RUNNER. Not in the least. I did not train for the race and I did not exercise or prepare in anyway. Yet, I managed to finish the 5k in just over 34 minutes. Yes, part of that decent finish could be attributed to my history as an athlete in my younger years. However, the main motivator for me was the people cheering me on. And let’s face the truth, knowing that camera guys were around snapping photos helped too. Who wants to be the runner that gets a picture taken of them walking and looking winded? Surely, not me.
The kindness, support and encouragement that I received from the other runners and the crowd was so surprising and inspiring. Imagine if you could have that inspiration following you around in your everyday life.
What if in those challenging everyday moments, a stranger yelled to you from a distance “You got this. You are doing awesome! Keep it up!” What if in a moment of pure exhaustion a thoughtful bystander offered you a cup of water and a granola bar. What if, at the end of the day, in a moment where you are about to “lose it,” in front of your children, I come up to you, grab your hand and hold it and walk with you until you are able to calm down.
If everyday real-life was like a Disney race, the world would be a better place. Its time that we stop judging those around us who are just trying to make it through the same rat-race as us in the only way they know how. It is time that we stop looking at those around us as our competitors. It is time that we make sure that we make every effort to be supportive and encouraging of those around us.
Remember that every act of kindness has the capability to grow and transform the spirit of the person on the receiving end of your kind gesture. You have the power to give them strength . Isn’t that amazing?
Who will you give strength to today?
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