“Sixty seconds left,” she yelled! Sweat dripping down my face, but all I heard was the sound of heavy breathing and running feet all around me, as I entered into one of the longest minutes of my life #DramaticQueen. I had completely zoned out and wanted to quit, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop. “Keep going Vonne; you can do this,” I internally told myself in order to not give up. “Thirty seconds left! You can do anything for thirty seconds! Don’t stop, run it all the way through to the end,” she yelled again. “Come on girl, you’re almost there, you better not stop,” I kept telling myself. “Joggers and runners - run it down in 3, 2, 1.” And just like that, it was finally over. I'm not a runner, so this was pretty intense to me. I had just completed a 12 minute run-for-distance challenge, and the only thing that kept me going was my mind.
The human mind is powerful. I know we know that, but I don’t think we truly understand its capabilities. We underestimate our thoughts and abilities to achieve what we’ve set out to accomplish. It was endurance day at the gym, so I already mentally prepped myself for a workout that would probably require some sort of longevity. The key phrase there is “mentally prepped.”
In order to gain endurance, you have to flex your mental muscle. Once the mind is trained to believe that it can do anything, your physical body has no other choice but to align with that thought process. Essentially, our thoughts control our lives - how we operate in our careers, interact with others, reach our goals, etc. It’s actually quite fascinating to think back on all of the hard times you’ve encountered and how you’re still standing. One of the reasons is because you probably constantly told yourself that you would make it through that tough time – this won’t last always. You subconsciously conditioned your mind that better was ahead, that pain – either emotional or physical – would soon be released. An act of constant faith to continue pressing forward.
Whatever trial or test you’re currently facing – whether if it’s for a week, a month, a couple of years or 12 minutes; you can, and you will make it through - if you get your mind right. This week, don’t sit in your pity-party, but train your thought patterns to focus on the goodness ahead. Run it all the way through to the end. It’s painful at first, but well worth the outcome if you don't give up. When you start to feel weary, remember this verse:
“And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).”
Sending love and positive vibes your way! Yvonne Camille