A Most Precious Gift

I traveled 6.5 miles on my treadmill this morning. I ran, I walked, I jogged. But I mostly ran. I finished at 5.5 miles, went upstairs and changed a stinky diaper, and realized I had one more mile in me. I was too close to 10K to quit.

I love the metric system. You travel further and weigh less. That just rocks.

For much of my life, I would have imagined 6.5 miles to be outside of my reach for one session of treadmill therapy. My body is stronger now than it has been in some time. Physically stronger, and mentally stronger too. I'm convinced that the real roadblocks for most people who want to run long distances are mental ones, not physical ones.

And isn't that the way for most of us in other areas of life? Sometimes we truly do our very best and fall short. But more often, we shortchange ourselves. We procrastinate, or we are too hard on ourselves. We give up too soon, or we give up what we want most for what we want now. We lack discipline and faith. These are mental and spiritual issues.

Today I am 31. And the gift I give myself this year, is that of faith in my ability to be who my Heavenly Father would want me to be. The woman that I want to be.

The woman who seeks her Heavenly Father each day in prayer and scripture study. Who waits upon His answers and follows inspiration.

The woman whose home is organized enough for the household to run smoothly. Who builds a sanctuary of comfort, peace, and love and draws others in to share it.

The woman who spends her time on the things of greatest value. Who learns to say no to anything that isn't.

The woman who treats her body with respect and great care.

The woman who appreciates and adores her incredible husband, and who nurtures and openly adores her amazing children.

The woman of optimism in the face of darkness. Whose faith in Jesus Christ is firm and steadfast.

The woman of mercy to others, and to herself--full of patience whenever she is reminded that she can't realize her potential all at once.

The woman who creates a legacy of faith and love through a series of small and simple everyday actions.

So here's to a year's worth of personal growth. May I be one year better when I reach 32.

And if you need a little inspiration to realize some of what you can do, try this beautiful two minute clip, and let it move you to action in some small way.