A new dream and a single step

You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. -C.S. Lewis




When I run, I dream.  When I run, I set new goals. I love that about running. It keeps me going and fires me up in a good way. I get excited when I run because I feel a new sense of passion.
  Not ever run is a fantastic one, and not every run feels awesome. But most runs remind me of what I have in me, the things of which I am capable, and that tends to set new goals and dreams soaring. I love that about running.
   I am 9 days out from my half marathon....you know...the one where I might die! (lol) This race will be likely my toughest one I've ever run.
    My first half marathon was hard because I'd never done one; I literally did not know if I could finish it.
      The half marathon I ran 3 weeks after mom died was hard because I was so emotional and drained and had not spent months training as I should have because I was spending time with mom.
  The marathon I ran in 2012 was way more challenging than I could've dreamed because, well, 26.2 miles is a very long distance.
   Each race I have run has been different; some have had extreme challenges, and some have been more easy. Some I have run to help a friend reach a goal. Some races I have run to reach one of my own goals.
  I have been asked at times why I have to run a race. Why can't I just be content to go out and run?
Until you've done it, that's a hard concept to understand. But there is something defining about going out and finishing a race. Accomplishing a new goal. Setting  a new dream.
   My race coming up is a personal one for me. A time to prove some things to myself about who I am. I have been on that type of a journey the last couple of months.
    Maya Angelou said "Every journey begins with a single step."  I could not agree more.
Life, and its journey is all about taking another step. When I feel I cannot carry on anymore, take another step. When I am so tired I want to collapse, take another step. Each step will carry me further in my journey. Every journey begins with a single step. Every marathon, every race, every day life, begins with moving forward one more step at a time. Sometimes my feet feel heavier than lead, but it's one more step closer to a victory.
 I don't have to be first place. In fact, if I come in last place, I am ok with that, because I am doing it. I am going one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. And I will finish. I will finish this race in life and i will finish my half marathon, and along the way, discover a new victory which comes at a much needed time.
 I am not too old to be setting new goals and dreaming new dreams, as C.S. Lewis said. There are new goals and new dreams beginning to brim within my heart. Running brings those about much of the time. I love that about my runs. And as I take one step at a time, I am getting closer to those goals and dreams. Some of them are simple: finish the race, make it through the valley, draw closer to God. some of them are more complex: make a difference in others' lives, fix my bad habits, put on a successful 5K, become a writer. But all of them are worth dreaming. All of them are worth taking one more step.
 No, you don't have to be a runner to dream or set goals or keep moving forward. That's my thing, though. It's a part of me. A part I am glad to have discovered along the way.
 Today I set out on a rain run. The air is chilly, but not so cold as it has been all winter. The rain smells so fresh and wonderful. And the damp air feels good on my skin. And I dream as I run...
 Thank you C.S. Lewis for reminding me it's ok to dream and set goals. And thank you Maya Angelou for reminding me that it's a single step that begins my journey each day.....
   I leave you with the lyrics to this song that played through my headset today, the lyrics resonating with my heart and even a bit with the taking a single step thought process...

"Take Another Step"

Well the band was playing, the flags were waving
And there you were
In the middle of a sunny day parade
The crowds were cheering, the sky was clear
Not a worry in the world
Marching on sure and steady, strong and straight
Take another step and another step and another step

Then the lightning flashed the thunder crashed
And suddenly
It began to rain and everybody ran
Then the sky went black as midnight
And you couldn’t see
Paralyzed by what you just can’t understand
And now here you are
You’re afraid to move
You don’t know where to go
You don’t know what to do

Take another step, take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step, take another step
Trust God and take another step
And another step and another step
Take another step and another step and another step

We walk by faith and not by sight we know it’s true
We say it and sing it and love the way it sounds
But none of us can even begin to truly understand
What it really means ‘til all the lights go out
And there we are nothing to hold on to
But the promises God’s made to me and you

Take another step, take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step, take another step
Trust God and take another step

If there’s an ocean in front of you
You know what you’ve gotta do
Take another step and another step
Maybe He’ll turn the water into land
And maybe He’ll take your hand and say
Let’s take a walk on the waves
Will you trust Me either way
And take another step
Take another step

Take another step
Take another step
Trust God and take another step
Take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step
Take another step
Trust God and take another step
And another step and another step
Take another step and another step and another step
Take another step and another step and another step
Take another step and another step and another step

So, I encourage you today....dream a new dream, set a new goal, and take another single step to begin your journey. I am. Will you join me?