In 2004, I decided that I was going to complete the Marine Corp Marathon as it had been on my bucket list since Oprah completed it in 1994 (the power of Oprah!). For you non-marathoners, that’s 26.2 miles of running or in my case a walking/jogging combination. Now mind you, the only activities that I spent an extensive amount of time on was marathon TV watching. So, I decided that a marathon was something that I needed to do before I was called to the upper-room and I created a plan of action so that this endeavor would be successful. I connected with a group and trained weekly, I ate foods that would fuel me during my runs, and I practiced other self-care to make sure I was fit and healthy. As the day of the run approached, I felt good because I was maintaining my time and everything that I had done in preparation added to this confidence.
Beware, WORDS HAVE POWER!
On the day of the marathon, I had nervous jitters but still felt pretty good…until I got to the start line. Actually, I was at the end of the start line…so imagine about 17,000 people and I was standing behind 16,850 of them, give or take a few dozen. I was overwhelmed with nerves and I remember saying, “I just want to get to the finish line…and that’s exactly what happened; I barely made it to the finish line…while crying and spewing water from my belly. That morning before the run, I did not speak words to support my success such as “I am prepared, I am strong, or I will finish this marathon boldly”. I spoke anxiety and uncertainty. So why am I sharing this with you? You can set goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them, but if you allow doubt to distract you and diminish your confidence, you delay the satisfaction of getting the thing for which you are striving.
Remember, the power of life and death is in the tongue. You hold the power!
