It’s 5 a.m. and my day has just begun. In a haze of Tick Tock videos, checklists and news for the day, I yawn through it, trying to wake up. I seem to convince myself to wake up, but once I am I, it seems everything in me wants to crawl back to the warm blankets of my bed. I WILL go to the gym today, I declare in my head. Nothing is going to stop this force, I am bound and determined to get there. I glance at the scale next to the toilet, smirking at the very thought of stepping on it’s face. With all of my hard work, that scale seems to still sit on a throne of lies, and it ALWAYS ruins my day. SO I give it the middle finger, slip on my running clothes, tie up the hair in a pony tail (shrugging at the grey starting to show on top), and down a bottle of water. Soon I am in my car, after a hello to my cat, and off to the gym.

I have my favorite treadmill you know, it has to be by the front door (I like the cool air coming in). Once I check in, I am always looking to see if it is open. Always laughing in my head, one big party up there, I think “What are you going to do if someone is ON your treadmill? Suggest a duel? A throw down of water bottles?” I hope for the best, and compain to myself when it’s taken.

No matter which one I get on, as I am sweating with every step, trying not to die and convincing myself that this is TRULY good for my health…I also observe. I watch, I lurk, I pay attention. And as I am fighting for everything I have to stay on and keep going, I am quietly cheering another stranger on.  I see you, whoever you are, get on the machine with confidence and strength. After several minutes of running, I see the pain in your eyes, I see the hope diminishing because reality has set in.  What you thought would be easy, is hard. Not just hard on your body, but it is all a mind game. How fast will you go? How long? How far will you run today? The questions set in, messing with your confidence game.

I watch as you slow down, how you long to stop, and just be done. You want to give up and just end this charade of health for the day and go back to your Candy Crush. Who would know? Nobody is sitting there timing you, making sure your head and heart match what you promised yourself that morning. The accountability is scary because it is all on YOU. Only you can take one more step, go one more minute, one more mile. Only you can convince yourself that this IS worth it, that your future self will celebrate you in ways you could never imagine.

The sweat pouring off now, you are minutes from your goal. The finish line so close, you can feel crossing it in your head. I see you finish strong, the accomplishment shining through your smile. The cool down walk, red cheeks and all. I see you a lot at the gym, so much of myself I see in you, and today I fist bumped you and said “Great job.” You were so happy to be acknowledged, I could just tell it wasn’t an easy workout for you. It made me believe that I can make a difference every day by just being kind, but also by just being me. 

RAISE, RAISE, RAISE each other up, whenever and wherever you can. The smallest thing that is said, could make the biggest impact. It’s critically important that we encourage each other, because while we are busy working on ourselves and lifting others up, there is no room for negativity. To the girl on the treadmill, I see you, I saw you, and I will continue to encourage you and others.

****Side note, thanks to EVERYONE who have donated to my hard work. This is what I do for a living, and it is a passion for me, so tossing me a couple bucks below helps me SO MUCH with everything needed. If you can’t, please consider subscribing to the blog, LIKING the blog post, and sharing any content you enjoy– it helps me out SOOOO much! I love being able to bring you all these amazing places so that YOU can do them as well. I work mostly on donations so thanks again.

Published by Amy Joy

Inspiring adventure and joy, one day at a time. View all posts by Amy Joy