You've seen those movies too, right? Ransoms, pay-offs, robberies, safety deposit stashes, that kind of thing. I'm always intrigued as to how much space that amount of money takes up. What does a hundred grand look like? In singles? In twenties? In hundreds? A duffel bag? A suitcase? What does a large sum of money really look like?Well, this past weekend, I got to look a quarter of a million dollars, right in the eye. Literally. And I have to say, there are few things more beautiful.
$250,000.00. That's the goal of a group of almost 100 Team in Training members in Long Beach alone. And they'll do it to. 100 extraordinary people with shared, extraordinary goals. And this 250 grand comes is all denominations. Shorter, taller; older, younger; heavier, lighter; blond, brunette, and dark hair; all races, creeds, and abilities. $250k never looked so good!
I was facilitating a short clinic for them on the mental aspects of running. We talked about what it takes to keep the mind focused and clear—in short, how to use it as a tool to empower marathon level running as opposed to being used by it and experiencing fear and negativity. Thanks to the generosity of Robert Foster at I Live Inspired, I was able to plug them into my inspirational channels for runners and walkers for free—they'll get individual, daily motivational messages to their phones as part of their training at no charge.
100 people, the vast majority or whom will be running or walking their first marathon. Are they doing it for weight loss? Increased fitness? Bragging rights? To test themselves? Partly, for sure. But that is not what will keep them on track with their training and fundraising goals. Not when the going gets tough, which, somewhere along the line, it will. It's part of the journey.
Time and again, people ask me, "How can I stay on track with my fitness goals more consistently?" I ask, "Imagine you have already attained your goal. You are that fit, right now. Do you see that? OK. Now—what will you do with that level of fitness?"
The answers vary, but they all get pretty personal pretty quickly:
- I'd be able to run with my son a little. He's training for college track. I'd love to run with him occasionally and share in that.
- I'd pick up my granddaughter and swing her around in circles and hear her giggle.
- I'd feel strong enough to take my grandfather out in his wheelchair and we'd spend the day at Huntington Gardens.
- I'd be able to hold my head high, knowing I was caring for myself.
- I'd have the energy to really spend time with my family/volunteer/start my dream business
- I'd raise money for . . .
THESE are the things that will keep you on track. Commitments that involve serving others. That are founded in giving, sharing, and caring. That's where the fuel is to feed the engine of commitment.
The Team in Training organization knows that. And 360,000 participants have raised $850 million dollars doing it while completing marathons, 100-mile bike rides, and triathlons. It's a system that is proven over and over again.
Neale Donald Walsch once said, "Discover that your life has nothing to do with you, and it will becomes your more than ever." Team in Training is that vision made manifest.
Create a vision and live into it. If you want to learn more practical ways to do that, read the step by step approaches in my book.
Create a vision. Use your run to build it, energize it, and make it real.
Happy trails!
