The Journey to my 100th Marathon
Wow! It has been such a long time since I have been here. My daily blog turned into nonexistence. It’s been an interesting few months. Up and Down like a roller coaster. The website, and this blog quickly went to the bottom of my list of things that needed to be done. So what does this have to do with the journey to my 100th? Well, in this journey, I have realized that life is about people. It’s about being there when someone needs you. This website wouldn’t be in existence without my good friend Chris McAllister and the program would have fallen apart if it weren’t for the dedicated coaches. I know that better than anyone. While I have been busy with other issues, they helped accomplish what I hoped would be accomplished after I came up with this whole concept. They have so much to be proud of. Look what they have done! People are excited and feel like they are part of something special. And not one of us is anymore famous than we were when we started this. Thank you Chris, Kathy, Angela, Linda, Terry, Rick, Dave, Jonathan, Denyse, Jill, Bob, Susan, Jeremy, Tim, Laura,Jody, Randy, Scott, Sean, Bill H., Tony, Jen, Bill M., Marilyn, Jim, Diane, Barb and everyone else who has touched my life with positive energy.
And as I look at our very first Miles That Matter team of coaches, participants and donors, I can honestly say we are successful in God’s eyes. God gives each one of us unique gifts, abilities and passions. How well we use those qualities to have an impact on the community around us determines how “successful” we really are.
The first 25 marathons in my life were difficult because I was doing them for all the wrong reasons. The last 74 have come very easy to me. Not making the Olympic Team was a blessing in disguise. At 28 years of age, I learned what God’s definition of success is. It’s significance! Significance doesn’t show up in world records that are set. It doesn’t show up on our resumes we create when trying to climb that corporate ladder. There is absolutely no significance in the trophies that are sitting in my basement collecting dust. It is what we do to make a difference in the lives of others. It is found in the hearts and lives of those we’ve come across who are some way better because of the way we lived.
The real significance behind my 100th marathon….I made a difference because you made a difference! I went to the starting line of each one of those marathons knowing the team was making the world a better place. We were using our God given talents and putting forth our best effort FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS!
People ask me all the time if I know how many miles I have put in over the past 30 years. I have never done the math or recorded the miles, so I can’t honestly answer that. But one thing is for sure…..they were MILES THAT MATTERED!
Finally, my wish for you today is simple. That your journey to 100 is as wonderful as my journey was and will continue to be.