Have you ever tried to accomplish something that was really challenging and half way thru it you just wanted to give up and quit?! If you aren't raising your hand, then you are lying to yourself.
FFF Diva Mo's 1st 1/2 San Jose Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon Race in 2009,
For more info: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-jose
I remember when I did my first 1/2 marathon with my sister Leilani in 2009. It was the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. It was pretty warm weather for a Fall day in the South Bay. I had just completed 13.0 miles with my sister and only had 0.1 miles left to go and I would be done. Right when I hit mile 13 my body and my mind just lost it and I started walking off the running course. My sister started screaming at me:
Leilani: "Ate Maureen (older sister in Tagalog, yup busting out the Filipino culture for you, LOL) what are you doing?! We have 0.1 miles left and you're quitting now?"
Me: "I am so mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. I am done."
Leilani: "Sure, on mile 4 you could have quit. At mile 9 you could have quit too. But for goodness sakes you already DID 13 miles! Let's cross the line together! Here I know, I got an idea..."
30 seconds later my sister rounded up 5 women from a Running Divas Club to swarm behind me and my sister to help enourage us and push us over the line. My sister is seriously my best cheerleader and my biggest fan. If it wasn't for her I seriously without a doubt would have quit. Why?! Because my inner quitting voice was getting the best of me. Luckily I had my sister and 5 other extrordinary strangers supporting me, but what happens if you are by yourself and your inner quitting voice is getting too loud. What do you do then?!
Well personally my strategy is to pretend that a gorgeous & beautiful gospel girl trio is following me to provide the diva soundtrack to my life. MUSIC in my ears or in my soul help to quiet my inner quitter voice. Think of it as a mental distraction. Other ways to quiet your inner quitting voice would be turning those negative thoughts into positive ones. For example:
Inner quitter voice: "I can't finish. 3 miles is too much!"
Positive spin to kill the quitter voice: "I can do this! It's only 3 miles. When I am done I'll feel really good about it. Just one more mile..."
Key phrase to avoid: I CAN'T.
Here's some perspective from my favorite website Tiny Buddha: www.tinybuddha.com
Tiny Wisdom: On Insurmountable Obstacles
Apr 11, 2011 12:26 am | Lori Deschene
I recently saw the movie Soul Surfer about Bethany Hamilton, the professional surfer who lost an arm in a shark attack in 2003 when she was just 13 years old. This would be difficult for anyone, but especially someone so young.
Bethany lost 60% of her blood that day, and after turning down a lifelike but non-functional prosthetic arm, soon realized she had to relearn almost everything.
What kept her going was knowing she didn’t lose everything. Lots of things were different, but lots of things were still possible. Because of that belief, Bethany has continued to compete in national surf championships while traveling all over the world to help other people dealing with adversity.
As someone with a lifelong phobia of sharks, I can’t say for certain I’d get back in the water after an attack that took a limb. But I know that when everything seems challenging and nothing makes sense, it’s tremendously helpful to remember that possibility starts with the strength and courage to recognize it.
If you’re dealing with an obstacle that seems insurmountable, remember that things are rarely what they seem. This can be your undoing–or it can be a reminder that you’re stronger than you realize and can do a lot more than you think.
The question is: Are you ready to stop dwelling and start doing?
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South Bay Dualthon 2011 with FFF Diva Mo and Mia supporting our friend Karen
MO-tivational Monday!
One of my FAVORITE websites is www.active.com. On their Facebook fan page they have a great thing they do on Mondays. They ask their FB fans to share what they did as a healthy activity over the weekend to help motivate each other on the activity end of their healthier lifestyle spectrum. Win status.
For example: FFF Diva Mo's Motivational Monday Sharing
On Saturday I went to the free community preview at Operation Boot Camp. I miss my OBC family! It was great to have someone yelling at me (I mean encouraging me) to squat lower and run faster around the parking lot island. Most of all I missed sharing stories and laughing with my friends while we sweat from activity. After camp I ran some extra mileage. Total mileage: 3.2 miles. Good times!
So to adopt active.com's awesome MOtivational Monday sharings: What did YOU do this past weekend that was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome! I'd love to hear back from all of you!
Dedicated to health,
FFF Diva Mo
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