Yesterday morning I got myself out of a nice warm bed at 4:30 AM, drove to nearby Standley Lake which has a nice little trail system around it, and stepped out of my nice warm jeep.
Not sure what hit me first, the icy cold blast of wind, the freezing temperature, the darkness or the snow being stirred up by the wind. On top of that it was hill repeat day. It's exactly like it sounds, in this case 24 x running down and then up a hill, with a half mile warmup and cooldown it totalls about 5 miles. But these were not "easy" miles. I'm fortunate enough that having run in two Colorado winters at this point I have the appropriate gear to keep me relatively warm and the micro spikes to attach to my running shoes that makes it "easier" to run up and down snowy hills. But I knew that none of that would make this run much easier.
Then I remembered what I do have control over: MY ATTITUDE! All my life experiences have shown that the more challenging something is the greater the reward, physically and more importantly in mental fortitude. If you want to be happier get out the door and challenge yourself. Might seem counterintuitive but it's not. As the wind whipped and the snow crunched underfoot, as I huffed and puffed my way up and down the hill I was full of gratitude. Grateful I have a body that will do this. Grateful I live in a beautiful (albeit cold) place. Grateful that I am alive today. Grateful that people, myself included, with a "growth mindset" can change and not be stuck in bad (or terrible) habits or addictions.
I'm grateful and excited for a new year. Excited to challenge myself physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and relationally. I'm tired of saying "hope you have a great day (or year", I'm going to start saying "Make it a great day" because that's what I believe. Even on days where nothing is going "my way" I can still make it a great day by being of service to others, doing the next right thing, and choosing gratitude.
So, MAKE it a great day!
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