Why is it so easy for us to show up for our family and friends, but not ourselves? Why do we not see the value in investing our time and energy in showing up for ourselves and following through on the dreams, promises and goals that we had long ago?
The good news is, it’s never too late to show up for yourself. “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” So, if I’m here, there is still time.
This blog is my journey of me showing up for myself, really showing up for the first time. We can be aware of our shortcomings and see the areas in which we need to grow, but until we “GET IT,” it’s futile. We must get it in our OWN way and in our OWN time. Well, this is MY time, and I am ready.
Isn’t it funny the things that can inspire us? I mean if you really think about it, the most random things can be the spark that ignites a flame. I remember as a child, watching President Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural Special. The show opened with Shirley MacLaine singing, “It’s Not Where You Start, It’s Where You Finish”, from the musical, Seesaw.
The producers re-wrote the lyrics to highlight President Carter’s humble beginnings, as peanut farmer to becoming, President of the United States. The song’s tag line was, “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, and you’re gonna finish on top!” These words were repeated over and over in the song. So much so, that it was ingrained in my memory. It struck a chord of “hope” and “resilience” in me, and the words have often been a source of encouragement when I’ve felt temporarily defeated. That is key for me. I may feel discouraged, defeated, you fill in the blank, but it’s TEMPORARY. I remind myself, “you’re still here, you have much to do, and I encourage myself to finish the work! President Carter’s story truly inspired me. He went from peanut farmer to leader of the free world! Throughout my life that chorus has rung in my head and heart, “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish!”
When I think of the words, “start” and “finish”, it’s natural to think of a race. We all have our own racecourse. It started when we came out of the womb, and we will finish the race someday. But how will we finish? I strive to finish stronger that I started. As I began to reflect on what that means, I had an analogy of how one must be physically fit to run a race. Specific muscles need to be strengthened. One of the most important being the CORE. The core keeps you balanced, upright, and reduces wobbling. A strong core helps your hips, pelvis, and back work together and you use less energy.
How can I apply this to my goals and dreams?
I must strengthen the core muscles needed for a long-distance mental race. THE MIND IS EVERYTHING! It’s the core muscle that we must constantly build up to reach our goals and realize our full potential.
What are we using to nourish our mind? What are we feeding it?
I must strengthen my core with, hope, faith, scripture, and positive words. Words are so important! I try to not use words like, “I can’t” or “I’m not”. I use words such as, “I am”, “I will, “, and “I have”. Just as it’s important to have a healthy food diet when we are training for a race, we must have a healthy mental diet of “encouragement”. When I slack off in my food diet and exercise, some of my progress is lost, and as a result my muscles are weakened. When words of doubt and fear creep in, it diminishes my strength. That is when I must go to my “mental gym” and resume my mental core exercises and diet to bolster my confidence and determination.
I read that the core is especially important for long distance runners. Core strength provides the ability to recover from trips, falls, and helps avoid injuries, as well as helping to resist gravity pulling you down to the ground. Think about it, when we use our core, and our chest is upright, our breathing is better, and we have more energy. Therefore, using our mental core, by speaking words of hope, faith, and belief, is like oxygen to our lungs, which enhances our breathing. I don’t know about you, but I can always use more energy!
So, I encourage you to join me in going to the mental gym to strengthen the mental core muscles, enabling us to finish our race, achieving our goals and dreams. Remember, “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish!” FINISH STRONG!
Hope fully ever after…
How do we talk to ourselves?
Becoming aware of our words and the feelings that these words generate are key... a lot of times this process happens automatically and we end up feeling defeated with little to no motivation... we got to set time to listen to our own voice...
Thank you, Hope! Wise words once again. Love, Millie
Yes! Yes! Our brain believes whatever we tell it, so we should tell it biblical truth! In Him, we can!
Our mind is a powerful tool. We all need tune-ups to continue our journey. Like you, Hope, I want to finish well. Your advice resonates well. I’ll take it and put into practice. Thanks