Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog. Now let's get started by talking about how living life with the intent of having no regrets will motivate you to attempt things most people only dream about.
So let's look at what regret is first and why it can make for a very hard pillow. Regret, by definition, is a feeling of deep sadness or disappointment about something that a person did or did not do. And these are the feelings that can keep a person up at night with thoughts such as, "I wish I had done this or that" or "Why did I give up so soon?" But guess what? If you're reading this right now, I'm here to tell you that today is a new day and a new opportunity to start living the life you've been dreaming about! The life that will leave you saying, "Man that was quite a ride!"
But before I go any further, I want to share what inspired me to write about regret. Last Friday, a bubbly, vibrant, live-life-to-the-fullest-minded friend of mine was killed in a head-on collision. She was a 40-year-old beautiful mother of four that lived life with no regrets. Her unexpected death was both a reminder of how fragile and fleeting life is and that the things we do today will one day be our legacy. Think about that for a moment. How do you want to be remembered?
And speaking of regrets, legacies and the certainty that each one of us will die one day, let's take a look at the top five regrets hospice nurse, Bronnie Ware, said people had when they faced death and what we can do to avoid having those same regrets.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it."
What's one dream you have? Completing a marathon or a half? Perhaps it's just getting into shape? Maybe finishing college? What's holding you back? No more excuses! No matter how old you are or how old the dream is, make a list of three things that you must do to see that dream become a reality and then tackle number one. Don't let this be one of your regrets. You have the power to change the course of this! It's up to you to go after that dream!
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."
Find balance! Running is always a great thing to take up with your family if you haven't already. No matter how old your children are, training with them for a short or long race will leave you with memories that are far more precious than memories of any day at the office. I've run lots of races with my kids and I wouldn't trade those experiences for any amount of money and I won't hesitate to say that my kids wouldn't either. Listen to me on this... you will never ever ever regret time spent with your family. Especially as you get older and realize just how short life is.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."
Did you know that running can actually give you courage that will spill over into other areas of your life? It's true! It takes courage to join a group for the first time. It takes courage to step up to the start line of your first race and it takes courage to keep running! And each time you conquer a goal, your increased self-esteem and self-awareness go way up! And when that happens, you become bolder to change those things that might cause you to settle for a "mediocre existence." And you know what? I have rarely met a runner who carried bitterness and resentment in their heart? Why? Two reasons... they know negative thoughts affect their performance and so are more apt to find ways to rid themselves of those thoughts and running with a group helps a person sort out and deal with their feelings. There is strength in numbers for sure! And I can tell you from experience that running friends are way better than a counselor and way cheaper!
"Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."
This is what running is all about!!! Runners make time to be with their friends. They know more than most people that true friends are to be valued and treasured. Runners are like family, intertwining their lives together and becoming a much-needed support group. Runners know they need each other and make time to be together and they are friends for life!
"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."
Want to see what happiness looks like? Check out groups of runners. They are most always smiling. And it's not because running is easy, it's because they are with like-minded individuals that choose to be happy. They choose day after day to exchange the lows of negative emotions and poor health for the highs of endorphins and improved physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Running increases all those things!! Want to laugh properly and have silliness in your life again? Go run a marathon! I guarantee you will be laughing about the pain, the lost toenails, the dreaded chafing and the fact that you paid to do it and can't wait to do it again. That's what running does! It brings joy into a person's life in so many ways. And do you want to know something funny? I have never ever ever heard anyone say, "I sure regret having completed that marathon." It never happens! But I have heard people say on countless occasions, "I wish I could run" or "I wish I would have run when I had the chance."
So I leave you with three questions and ask you to answer them keeping in mind that you don't know when the time or day will come when you take your last breath. What's your greatest regret so far? What will you set out to achieve or change before you die? Most importantly, what will you do today to set that change in motion so that you can live intent on having no regrets? Hope to see you at the start line soon!!
Happy Running!!!
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