Motivational Quotes

A friend of mine posted a quote on FaceBook...

"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells "CAN'T", but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper "can".  And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are."

I wanted to see who said it so I Googled...and found a real gem of a website: http://www.tonystocker.com/misc/motivational.html.  In fact, I LOVE this site so much I'm not only book-marking, I'm going to put the link right on my computer's desktop.  There are so many great quotes on there I'm a little overwhelmed!

The reason motivational quotes are so inspiring is because they resonate with something inside of us.  The words my friend posted on FaceBook spoke to something deep within me that has been fighting to get out...something that is breaking the surface--that still small, but ever growing, voice that whispers "can".

I've been telling everyone I'm coaching, the biggest challenge to running is not your body-it's your mind.  I have come to believe the people who run well are the ones who have learned to listen to their bodies, not the chatter in their heads.  I haven't met a runner yet who doesn't have the chatter. I think the difference is where the chatter comes from.  For many of us, it's internal, but for some it's external.  How we overcome the chatter is the same...doing "it" anyway.

Eric Charette (siriusultrarunner.blogspot.com) says this:

I'm just an ordinary person with average abilities striving to do extraordinary things and through hard work, every day I get a little closer and if by sharing my experiences with you, it enriches your life, then my work is complete.

Check out his latest blog entry on his experience attempting to run the Delano Park 50 Mile race.  He  says, "We all have our own personal kryptonite and mine lies above my shoulders."  I think that's true of most people....but some people either have stronger kryptonite in their heads, or they just haven't strengthened enough to overcome the effects.  I believe, since none of us are Superman, we CAN certainly overcome the effects of kryptonite.

I started to say I am not saying people can do anything at all...but the more I think about it, the more I disagree with my own initial thought.  Here's the thing-no matter what the obstacle is, there is someone out there who has overcome it.  People with NO LEGS run.  Okay....there's a guy with only half an arm (ONLY half an arm, the other one is completely missing) who competes in triathlons.  He placed 674/728 in his second tri--and he was the only physically challenged athlete in the race.  This video is interesting, although a little long...if you can't watch it all, skip ahead to 3:50 and then again to 5:15.




When I see things like this, I can't help but think...if he can do it, I can certainly do it.  The thing is, it's not his body that stronger (although it is), it's his will, his determination, that far exceeds my own.  One of the differences between Hector Picard and myself is that my first thought earlier was to say although I can do some things, I CAN'T do "anything", Hector would say, "I'm going to figure out how I CAN do anything." 

The quote, changed to suit my own needs:

My biggest challenge isn't someone else, or even my body. It's voice inside me that yells "CAN'T".  I won't listen.  I'll just push harder until I hear another voice whisper "can".  I am discovering the person I thought I was is no match for the one I really am.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D