I just completed the 100 Day Dash and racked up over one million steps! My employer sponsors this event each year. This experience got me thinking about the power of perseverance. Today I’d like to share my story with you to illustrate the role perseverance plays in any successful endeavor, even with the task of moving through grief and loss.
According to Merriam-Webster perseverance by definition is: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness
I’ve been an athlete all my life and as a health and wellness coach I value health and well-being. When I turned 50 and experienced 'the change’ I found it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise and eating right have become even more essential.
I’ve had a couple of challenges on my health journey the past few months. This past March I got bit by a dog on my left calf and was unable to exercise for several weeks. When it was just about healed, I got a bad case of poison ivy and was put on steroids, so exercise was out of the question for another couple of weeks.
When I finally got the green light to exercise, the 100 Day Dash, which started in April, was well underway. The end of May I started jogging in the early morning with my two dogs, Taiji and Ella. Initially, my dogs and the Dash were my primary motivation for getting up early and out the door by 6:30-7am.
Gradually my step count increased as my stamina improved. At first I only reached 8-9K steps/day. Eventually I stayed consistent with over 10K/day, and for 43 days in a row I was able to achieve over 12K steps! Now, to me, that’s pretty impressive. But I coach a woman who is about 10 years older than I, and she has over 370 consecutive days of over 10K steps. Talk about an inspiration! She provided the ‘kick in the butt’ I needed to stay the course. If she could do it, I could, too.
Don’t get me wrong. There were times I didn’t think I’d meet the goal my Garmin set for me. Each time I reached the goal (10K/day, then 11K/day and now the goal is set for over 12K/day) my Garmin upped the ante!
Success breeds confidence, and with each day of ‘goal met’ under my belt my confidence not only increased but my ability to strategize took on an informed nature. ‘Get those steps in early in the day as often as possible’ became my mantra. One day I reached 11K by 11am! I was amazed at what I had accomplished. I held a picture of a ‘movie day’ in my mind, having a relaxing afternoon on that rainy Sunday. The thought of not having those steps hanging over my head provided the motivation. I finished that day with over 13K steps!
Ok. You can see that I’m blown away by the power of perseverance and how it helped me reach over one million steps in the past 100 days, most of which came in the past 42 days.
‘Kathy. What does this have to do with moving through grief and loss?’, you may ask.
Persistence may help you find the courage and inner strength to move through the painful feelings and experiences following loss. You will build resiliency as you move closer to acceptance of what is, fueled by knowing and trusting that peace of mind is on the other side of grief.
I am looking forward to your Share on this topic of perseverance:
To Comment, just click the blue Comment on the page or see the field below. If you prefer to share just your first name, that works!
Until next time, be kind, persevere and Shine Your Light!
According to Merriam-Webster perseverance by definition is: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness
I’ve been an athlete all my life and as a health and wellness coach I value health and well-being. When I turned 50 and experienced 'the change’ I found it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise and eating right have become even more essential.
I’ve had a couple of challenges on my health journey the past few months. This past March I got bit by a dog on my left calf and was unable to exercise for several weeks. When it was just about healed, I got a bad case of poison ivy and was put on steroids, so exercise was out of the question for another couple of weeks.
When I finally got the green light to exercise, the 100 Day Dash, which started in April, was well underway. The end of May I started jogging in the early morning with my two dogs, Taiji and Ella. Initially, my dogs and the Dash were my primary motivation for getting up early and out the door by 6:30-7am.
Gradually my step count increased as my stamina improved. At first I only reached 8-9K steps/day. Eventually I stayed consistent with over 10K/day, and for 43 days in a row I was able to achieve over 12K steps! Now, to me, that’s pretty impressive. But I coach a woman who is about 10 years older than I, and she has over 370 consecutive days of over 10K steps. Talk about an inspiration! She provided the ‘kick in the butt’ I needed to stay the course. If she could do it, I could, too.
Don’t get me wrong. There were times I didn’t think I’d meet the goal my Garmin set for me. Each time I reached the goal (10K/day, then 11K/day and now the goal is set for over 12K/day) my Garmin upped the ante!
Success breeds confidence, and with each day of ‘goal met’ under my belt my confidence not only increased but my ability to strategize took on an informed nature. ‘Get those steps in early in the day as often as possible’ became my mantra. One day I reached 11K by 11am! I was amazed at what I had accomplished. I held a picture of a ‘movie day’ in my mind, having a relaxing afternoon on that rainy Sunday. The thought of not having those steps hanging over my head provided the motivation. I finished that day with over 13K steps!
Ok. You can see that I’m blown away by the power of perseverance and how it helped me reach over one million steps in the past 100 days, most of which came in the past 42 days.
‘Kathy. What does this have to do with moving through grief and loss?’, you may ask.
Persistence may help you find the courage and inner strength to move through the painful feelings and experiences following loss. You will build resiliency as you move closer to acceptance of what is, fueled by knowing and trusting that peace of mind is on the other side of grief.
I am looking forward to your Share on this topic of perseverance:
- When have you used your inner strength of perseverance to complete something worthwhile?
- What thoughts, actions or support was needed in order to persevere?
- How can perseverance assist you now, with whatever you are dealing with?
To Comment, just click the blue Comment on the page or see the field below. If you prefer to share just your first name, that works!
Until next time, be kind, persevere and Shine Your Light!
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