I don’t have to mention that 2020 has been an incredible year. You can take that any way you’d like. Fear, isolation, loneliness, or challenge, determination, strengthening. Which set of words did you choose? Maybe all of them. I still talk to the runners that I coach and other friends who are fitness junkies. A lot are having trouble with motivation right now. I can help. You have to believe you will get what you want. Here’s how.

The point is our brain can go in any direction. With that, it can cause illness or it can help you be the best person you have ever been. If you worry 24/7 about catching Covid-19, or somebody you care for deeply getting sick, it can make you sick. If you don’t let this pandemic control your life totally, it can lead to a stronger mental outlook on life.

Even before the pandemic, the past couple of years have been like a roller coaster, especially up until about 10 months ago. I was in great running shape, had my weight down to the lowest it had been in quite a few years, and was getting race times like I had 10 years ago. Then I let my guard down and I was mentally down and out. I recovered in September of 2019. I read a lot and one thing I learned and forgot about was how a simple brain exercise changes your perception of life and creates happiness.

If upon awakening each morning and think of three things that you are grateful for, after a couple of weeks you will become happy. It works better for me when I journal them. The next exercise is how you look at life personally and what you expect will happen to you in the future. For example, if you think everyone is out to get you and bad things always happen to you, guess what, bad things will happen to you. If you dream that you will be the best runner you can be and you will have positive things happen to you, guess what, you will have good things happen to you. The key is truly believing it.

I can’t tell you how much the shift in my life has been. I went from feeling alone, depressed, constantly getting injured, to running well, meeting awesome, positive people that I love being around, and having things go my way. I’ve never felt this happy, at peace, and secure. All while this pandemic is going on. My thoughts are creating a positive energy that is attracting positive things to occur for me. Not everything happens perfectly, but because my mind is thinking positive when things don’t seem right, I am able to adjust the outlook and change the perception of what is happening from a bad thing to a good thing.

Here’s another example of that. I was stuck behind a huge farm equipment vehicle on a two lane road when I really wanted to get to where I was going as quickly as possible. The old me would have had a meltdown and caused me to be frustrated and possibly ruin the meeting I was headed to. I realized that I can’t change what just happened and so I turned up the music in my car and started thinking about good things. As I was cruising along I looked off to the side of the road and I noticed a trail I hadn’t ever seen before. I’m always looking for new place to run so I looked it up when I got home and now I have yet another cool place to run. I never would have noticed that trail at 55 miles per hour.

Example two. I have always wanted to learn how to kayak. It just fits my love of outdoors and being on or near water. I also had been looking for a bike to be able to ride with my son, friends, and cross train. As far as kayaking I never had the opportunity to do it. It’s not something that you want to learn alone. My son lives 2 miles from a huge state park with a lake that is perfect for kayaking. I kept telling myself someday I’m going to get out there. I met someone a couple of months ago who belongs to a kayak club. She invited me to join the club and I had no idea how I was going to find a kayak during a pandemic when no one had them in stock. I did research and found a place I could rent one. Next problem, how to transport it on a car that is not set up for carrying anything fitness related. I found two pieces of foam and a couple of straps that I could secure it to the roof of my car. It was stressful but I pulled it off. I had the time of my life with the kayak club. I actually went back to a local kayak dealer a couple days later and they happened to get a shipment and had one left that was perfect for a beginner. So I bought it.

Now for the bike. Having been thrilled to death with the kayak situation I had been on a waiting list for over two months for a bike. So it worked for the kayak so I researched other bike shops around here and saw that there was one on my way to where I was headed. I stopped and asked the store salesperson if by chance there were any available bikes. He said they just got a shipment in but all but one were sold already. So I asked to put my name on the waiting list there, told him what model I was looking for and the size I needed. He stopped, looked at me, and said we might have that exact one in that exact size. The one not sold from his shipment. He said that he was building the bikes that came in and if that was indeed the one not sold he would call me. I finished what I was doing later that day and headed home. As soon as I got home my phone rang. It was the bike shop. They had my bike. So I went over and bought it. So now I have the two things I’ve been longing for, and got them both in two days.

My mind was in such a positive frame because of the kayaking day with good people, that I was releasing positive energy. That energy just attracted more positive things to come into my life. The day after I bought the bike I took it for a test ride. I ended up doing 11 miles, not too shabby for a first bike ride in probably 30 years. When I got home I checked my mailbox and there was a card from a good friend that I haven’t been able to see since Christmas. It was just a hi, how are you, I miss you, and thank you for your friendship card. Who does that anymore? It was awesome to feel loved.

Do you believe yet? If you re-frame your mind into being grateful for the things in your life, and take advantage of today, and make every day an opportunity of a life time, I promise your life will change for the good. You start seeing good everywhere instead of viruses, mean people, hate. That still exists but not in my world. Turn your life around and run your best race! This virus situation in the world will end. So when it does, be one that is already happy and on top of the world. It all starts with being grateful for what you have today! If you’re reading this I am grateful that you are in my life right now.