Monday Motivation: If Life Hands You Color, Run With It

The Color Run. How can you not be happy after being splashed in bright colors?

On Sunday, July 15, I will be running The Color Run 5k in St. Paul, Minn. For those of you who do not know, The Color Run is a 5K run not about being the fastest runner, but rather about being the happiest participant despite any flaws you may think you have. And, more importantly, it’s about getting bathed in the colors as you run or walk the course.

So, the question is, what makes you happy? Friends? Family? Work? Reading? Coffee? You get the point, but what ever it is, go do it more often.

Often times we know exactly what it is that makes us happy but our heads complicate situations. Don’t over think your happiness. Don’t complicate it. It’s simple. Everyone has something to be happy about. Decide what you are happy about, or what you wake up every day with a passion to do. Now, go do it. Simple.

Stop judging yourself by the definition of what everyone else thinks you should be. Live for you. Be happy. Build your own path of happiness and enjoy the journey because, after all, you are worth it.

If you don’t want to be happy for yourself, then who else would want to be happy for you?

As you ponder that question, let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes, “Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy, too.”

Smile.

Monday Motivation: You Choose Your Outlook

Your outlook is dependent upon how you define a situation — plain and simple. Is it an opportunity? Or, it is a problem? Will it determine who you are? Or, will you determine who you are going to be?

This past weekend I had a conversation with an acquaintance of mine who had recently interviewed for a full-time job position. Now let me fill you in, this full-time position is the difference between her working one job and her working two part-time jobs. During the conversation she said, “If I don’t get this job, I’m going to be so unhappy.”

From that moment forward, all she could think about was her unhappiness and it effected her mood for the entire night.

Growing up, I played softball and the coaches always said, “You strike out seven out of 10 times.” I risked failure every time I stepped into the batter’s box. But, let me tell you, hitting the ball three out of ten times is absolutely worth it.

Why are those three hits worth the risk of failure?

Because you had the courage to dust your cleats off, step back into the batter’s box and attempt again. Because you didn’t back down. Because you learned from your last attempt and made the necessary adjustments for success. Because it teaches you about persistence. And because, most importantly, you learn your own strength.

When you risk everything — when you put yourself out there — you might fail, but opening yourself up to the possibility of success — to the possibility of greatness —  is worth it.

One moment does not define who you are. How you define that moment — that attempt at greatness — and continue to move forward despite rejection and failure will determine your path to greatness.

It’s the difference between hurdles and barriers. You can overcome one, while the other stops you from traveling to the place you want to go.

As the image reads, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me?”

Make sure you ask the right question.

What can I do to be better? How can I improve? How can I be better than the person I was yesterday?