My Dad

In regards to leadership, my dad is one of the greatest family leaders I have ever known.
 Today, my dad turns 70, and we had a blast celebrating his life.
We gathered up old friends from his lifetime and family came together, and we managed to pull of the surprise of showing dad how much we love him.
  My dad is an amazing man. And my dad is a picture of leadership in many ways.
 
 Dad is a quiet leader. He doesn't command respect, he has earned it through his work ethics and his honest efforts in all he does. Dad doesn't want or ask for attention, or even lead hundreds of people. But his leadership has taught one, who has taught another, and the trickle effect is so large, he has touched hundreds of lives over his adult years.  His leadership has a quality about it that is rarely found.
 Dad was first a farmer, running a business and leading our family through the years by providing with solid hard work, which had no breaks. When the pigs were being born in the middle of the night, dad was up, out in the barn, taking care of them. When winter hit and temperatures were below zero, dad put on more layers to feed the animals. When summer burned heat through most people's skin, dad was out in his jeans, on the hay wagon throwing bales, never complaining.  I have always admired my dad's work ethics. He never quits. Dad now has an excavation business, and let me tell you, you'd never know he is 70 years old if I didn't tell you. He's in the trenches as much as the young hired help. He lifts heavy machinery and has callouses on his hands from his daily work with his hands. If you ask dad what a sick day is, he'd likely say, "A what?" because he works through it all. He taught me the value of earning my dollars through honesty and hard work.
  Dad always provided for our family. Earnings were meager many days, but my dad always found a way. He never asked for money. If he had to work more jobs, he did. A story was told about him at his party that went something like this- in his younger days, he went into the bank for a loan to get a car. (at that time, he shared a car with his 2 brothers, which was really not ideal). The bank was a farmer's bank and when asked what he needed a loan for, and he said a car, they told him they only gave loans for buying cattle. The next day dad went into the bank again and said he needed a loan to buy cattle. And they gave him the loan. He always found a way. He never quit. He may have been discouraged at times, but he rarely let that show. And because he was so faithful to God in all he did, and always gave back to God, even when there was nothing to give, God always provided in return.
He taught me how to handle money because of all the years i watched him wisely use his.
   Dad has endured much loss, but never allowed that to prevent him from moving forward. He lost his twin brother and younger brother in one day in a farming accident. He lost a son. He lost his parents. And in recent years, he lost his wife. I only could hope to have the faith my dad has displayed in those times. Yes, he hurt. But he always held onto his faith and believed God was good and had a plan. I certainly have not handled my grief as elegantly as dad has. And he has had way more to grieve.  His strength is admirable. His faith unshakable.
  Dad leads by example. Not by commanding or demanding, but by being alongside his people. The list could go on with what I could say about my dad. The bottom line is, I am so thankful for my dad, and his example of love and leadership to me. What he has taught me has helped shape who I am today. The things I used to make fun of my dad for regularly (like falling asleep on the couch, or telling dumb jokes, or his old fashioned sayings) I now find myself doing the exact same things.
 My mom used to shake her head and say "Oh brother, you two" because we were so much alike.
But if I had to be compared to anyone, or said i was like someone, I could not be prouder than to be like my dad.

  The first time we have all been together since mom's funeral. L-R, Stephen, Becky, Dad, me, Tim

My dad. :) 

Leadership

Monday typically brings around my fitness blog, but about the only thought I have to say in regards to fitness today is that when I did my Saturday morning run, I realized that while "pounding the pavement" is one way to sort through my thoughts, the other way is  "pounding the keys". Meaning, letting the thoughts flow through the tips of my fingers to the pages of my blogs.
 I really am just one voice among millions who blog. You could choose any blog to read. I appreciate those of you who stick with me through mine. I am really no expert on any one subject matter, I just have a lot of thoughts which I push out onto virtual paper as the lessons I am learning through this journey of life. Many bloggers out there have expertise in one area and write about that. My blog? I try to be as real as you can find, whether the thoughts are relevant to one topic or not (and most often, they are not... )
  What's on my mind most this week is leadership. I can't really explain why that topic keeps penetrating my thought process, but as it does, I find the way to work through that is to write. Some thoughts remain in my mind, or quietly shared in the comfort of a chair over a cup of coffee with a best friend.
 The topic of leadership stands true to be one on which I am no expert. However, I have been thinking about what makes a leader a leader. I have served under several different bosses, all of whom have had different styles. I have learned much from being under various personalities. But I believe each person who is a leader has a unique style. I observe husbands and fathers who lead their families in different manners. I have read books about leadership.  No one formula to becoming and being a leader exists; it looks different in each personality.
 There is optimism and Pessimism in leaders. There are dictators and there are teachers. There are quiet leaders, who bring up more leaders by their powerful examples. And there are loud leaders, who demand respect and want the attention, and gain it, but not always in the most positive ways. Leadership has no one great definition.
 I do not think leadership can be forced. And I feel that to be a leader, you must first be a learner- willing to admit to wrongs and not knowing it all, but celebrating those on the team who do contribute to those moments, and allowing the more knowledgable one to have the moment.
  There are born leaders, and there are leaders who rise up through time.
 When I worked at Starbucks, I started out very timid. And in my head, I would say "I'm not a leader." And yet through time there, I rose up to become a shift supervisor. When I was a shift supervisor at Starbucks, and I wanted to continue to grow and "move up", I was told I needed to be more assertive. And yet, when I tried to do that in ways I'd seen other leaders within the company do it,  I learned different styles of leadership existed. Because the reality is, that moment  I attempted to  to get what needed done accomplished, it landed me in a spot of needing to apologize and correct the formula. I found out The way I lead through my experiences there looked very different from the other managers styles. But, in time, I gained respect because of how I led, not because I copied another leader's style.
 In my life, I have been under some great leaders, or I have had the opportunity to be immersed in the culture of watching other great leaders. I'll recall some of those experiences this week, since that is the topic on my mind. My dad is one of the great leaders I have watched. Some of my bosses have been. And as a  once barista inside a fast growing company, I had the opportunity to experience different personalities of leaders. The greatest book of leadership, the Bible, is full of great leaders, as well as stories of those who were not.
  Being a leader looks different in every environment.

The Little Moments

The saying has been said this week,  "March came in roaring like a lion" , with several inches of snow and a few more days of bitter cold. But, I am going to keep hanging on to Spring being just around the corner! (next week's forecast with 50s sounds like pure heaven after all this mess!) Spring is beginning to line up with busy days for me already, but, perhaps that can/will be a good thing.
 I have to continue to take a moment each day to reflect on the little moments through the day. When life gets busy, that becomes all the more important. I look forward to Fridays even, not just because it's Friday (TGIF, right?) but also because this is always a morning blog good for my heart to hold onto and end my work week.  Without further ado, here are some of my little moments from the week:
 - As a previous barista for years, I would see off and on a customer do a kind act by buying the drink for the person in front of them. I always loved those moments, where I got to deliver the news to the customer- 'your drink is taken care of today'. But this week, I was that person who was given that act of kindness. As I dug through my change purse, pulling out my nickels to pay for my drink,  the woman behind me, whom I did not know and probably never will, told the barista she was buying my drink. I smiled and nearly cried all at once. It was the kindest pick me up. You see, it's truly the little moments that matter....
  - Laughter is so good for the soul. I so LOVE to laugh. (who doesn't??) Yesterday, I laughed so hard with my friend over the dumbest things, that I had tears in my eyes and my sides hurt. To try to even explain why we were laughing would make no sense to anyone, but no matter, it felt great.
   - I had an unexpected visit from a childhood friend yesterday. The kind of friend who you can always just pick up with at any time.
       - my "little" brother, who stands many inches above me these days. It's wonderful to have a sibling who understands me, encourages me, and pushes me in the right way all the time, even if we only get to talk every now and then. It's helpful to have a brother who understands the military world I work in (far better than even I understand it) because he's lived it. And great to have a brother who supports me in all my endeavors. And just as exciting, who is coming in this weekend! That has been enough to lend me excitement for the entire week.
   -Surprises. I love them. I love to get a surprise, I suppose, but really, I love to give them the most. The planning and unfolding of it adds to good little moments for the week (more on this next week)
    - While my training has been shy of what I'd like it to be, I am very much looking forward to a new race on my horizon at the end of this month, which will run through the beautiful horse parks and areas of Kentucky. I not only get to run a new race, but I get to promote ours (Air Force Marathon) at the same time. Bonus for me :)
      -  God's provision. No matter what the circumstances, I love to see God provide. For my needs. For others' needs. When things seem most sparse, He always provides a way. I've watched this all my life, but every now and then there is a potent reminder of it again. I am grateful He meets all my needs.

    TGIF, my friends. May you enjoy all of your little moments, one day at a time.

Mindset and Motivation

As I sat and thought about what to bring you on this monday blog post about fitness, I thought to myself I really am the last person qualified to be writing about this topic. I am not an expert, by any means. I simply tell my story about my running journey. That far from qualifies me as a fitness guru. Many I know, who are far more educated, are more qualified to be speaking or writing about this topic than myself. 

 February was a really, really, (did I say really?) tough training month for me. But, I have learned much through that time, and much of training is about the journey. In reflecting on my February "Monday fitness" posts, I realized that much of what I wrote was for me, as much as it was for my readers. Which brings me to my thoughts today.

  I feel like I am finding my groove with fitness again. Saturday I did a long run again. (Okay, it was only 5 miles, but considering what February was, that was a good track to being in the long distance once again...) That particular run, though slow, felt amazing. The sun was out and 25 degrees felt like 55 compared to recent temperatures. I chose a different route, and though the scenery was boring, my feet finding a groove on a different roadway made a difference. I could feel myself pulling out of the slump of the rough month of training. I also shifted my mindset dramatically over the last week with my eating habits. Part of training, after all, is eating right, too. I don't always do this well, but I have realized my body needed that change. Many don't realize what eating the right foods can do for both body and mind. I struggle with this- I like my sweets and my potato chips very much. It's not to say I have to give those up completely,  I just needed to adjust the consumption. These 2 efforts combined make a phenomenal difference. Do you know what both of these boil down to? 

 

The mindset and the motivation. 

The mindset is the one aspect I can control. Only I can do this. I can allow myself to give up or I can push myself to keep going. And while I never quit on myself through the wintery month of February, the mind played a large part of the challenge. Yes, there were health factors in there as well, but I teetered between the lines of quitting and keep on going for many days.  The mind plays a huge part of that. After all, the mind is the one that will play the tricks of "Get out of bed" or "Sleep in" . Or "Eat that cookie" or "Eat that orange."  The mind tells me I am good enough or I am a failure. It's an endless battle the tricks the mind can play on us, but it comes down to which part of that battle will I let win? The lying part of my mind, which never leaves me feeling better, is done being the winner. I will choose to keep winning and being a winner, simply by continuing to fight for my goals and runs and healthier me. 

   The motivation is a different story. Motivation looks different to every person. For some, they run for the victory of receiving a medal. Others are motivated by a number on the scale. Still others are motivated by people around them. My motivation is a different color and a different shape all the time. Each person has to figure out their own motivation. For a little bit, my motivation was a time goal. And to be honest, that time goal still remains in the back of my mind. But, I have never been a watch fan, I really prefer to enjoy the run. Training with a time goal as my motivator brought challenges which caught me off guard. So, the motivator this time around (at this point in the game) come around to a couple different specifics. Sometimes, a friend motivates me. That would be the case at this point. Not a training buddy, but a friend also changing the mindset and bettering themselves, albeit in a different manner, has helped me see if they can do it, so can I, so I need to get out of my head and back into the game. Perhaps we motivate each other, but I'd be more inclined this time around to say that I have been the one motivated in this case by their determination, whether they know it or not. And I am grateful for it. The secondary motivator that comes around with that is just to keep working on me. I lost a little bit of that the last month, but as I train, and fuel myself with better foods and more exercise, I find my happy place more often than not. And the more I do that, the better I feel. No, those 2 things are not what makes me me, but they certainly contribute to a better mindset, and a better mindset makes me a better me. 

  See how the mindset and the motivation tie together and in essence, keep the training going? And the training (or goal setting/exercise) helps me continue to be a better me. 

  Goodbye, February. You taught me much, but I will not miss you. Hello, March, I welcome you with open arms and a determined mindset.  And look out... my races come in April.... 

   Mindset and Motivation are in place and I'm not quitting. I'm continuing to work on me. Physcially, emotionally and spiritually. And yes, the mindset and motivation tie into all of those as well. 

 

What I Learned In February

Why is it that the shortest month of the year seems like the longest??? It could be because of the ridiculous record breaking low temperatures we have endured, or the few snow storms that have blown through our town.
  But in light of this month which has lasted forever, I have been looking forward to writing this particular blog. February has brought me many teaching lessons. Some are quite silly, and others have been so deep for me, I will not be able to put them into proper wording, but I will try.
 So, my friends, here is a little bit about February lessons learned:

1. I like to paint.  We got to go to one of those wine and canvass nights, and honestly, I had a lot of fun painting. I'm really not much of an artist, but I enjoyed being creative. I outlined my daisy (one of them) in brown, and at first I said to myself, " Flower petals are not outlined in brown..." but then I decided, who cares? That's what painting is about... being creative.  I had a blast. I would like to go back sometime to a studio and just paint.

2. Tea is not so bad.  The Doctor ordered me to lessen my coffee intake. Sometimes I can blow off what a dr. says, but this time, I needed to listen, at least for a while. And so far, I think her reasonings were valid. So I will continue to obey with my one cup a day. That being said, I  never liked tea. But, I love a hot drink, so I have been experimenting with different kinds, and I am discovering tea is not so bad after all. It'll never be the same as a cup of coffee, but I give it some credit.

3. I like my hair growing out.  For years, I have had short hair. I kind of did because of being in food service and it needing to be off my shoulders, but in all honesty, I did it more because I said long hair did not look good on me or work for me. But, I have a job now where I can wear my hair however I want, so I am giving it a shot. And honestly, I like it. Also, I have come a very long way in not letting the opinions of others rule me. I am not a stylist, so it's not fancy (and when I try, I remember why I need a stylist) but I love being able to wear it down, feel the wind blow through it, or pull it back in a ponytail. Who knew??

4. I struggle with self control.  So, I never would have thought this or admitted it before. However, I like to be real, so let me be real for a moment. Self control can apply to many areas of life, and I have discovered in this very long month, that I wrestle with it. (In reflection I kind of say, "duh, Rachael!") I actually struggle with it in  many areas. The cool thing, though, about recognizing this, is that I can now work on fixing it. I am actively aware when I reach for some comfort food that that is a lack of self control. Or...giving up all my many cups of coffee a day (though a struggle) boils down to self control. And so the list goes on. What I say, where I go, who I spend time with, what I eat, how I spend my money....I can be full of self control at times, but the reality is, this is a daily struggle for me. But, with God by my side, I am steadily working on this.

5. Having Winter days Makes me Appreciate the Approaching Spring ones.  This isn't really a new lesson, but it's been a refreshed lesson. I have strived to be thankful for the forced rest and the bitter cold days, but my heart is longing for warm days, short sleeves, flip flops and outdoor runs without a million (ok that's exaggerating, but you get my point) layers. But in so longing for those days to arrive, I have learned the parallel of needing bad days to appreciate good, winter to appreciate spring and so on.

6. I have comedy movies I go to to watch on dreary/boring/sad kind of days.  This is a new discovery for me that I do this. But I found myself, more than once, requesting to watch a certain flick. I love to laugh. and I have discovered a couple movies which bring this about every time. I laugh in all the same places, even when I know they are coming. But it feels so good! Those 2 movies currently are Blended with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore and The Proposal  with Sandra Bullock and ?? (i've really never been great with knowing who is in what).

 This month has taught me much. Many lessons which are hard to put into words. If you are in my every day life, you've likely watched me be a little more quiet. Just like the trees roots which go deep and soak in the snow for growing the trunks and new buds to come forth, I believe February has been doing the same for me. I am excited to see what March will bring, for my life, for growth, and Lord knows I am excited to see colors and warmth again.

  What did you learn this month???

The Little Moments

TGIF, my friends!
  The last days of February are here, and I must say I am grateful for that. Tomorrow I will bring you my "What I learned this month" blog. For today, I want to share my little moments from the week.
 In the midst of wintery days, it becomes easy to complain about the cold and yuck outside. I have to make a conscious effort some days to not fall into this trap myself.  This was a really good week for me, though, and I am thankful for the many blessings in my life.

 - Stepping out and doing a different activity. Last weekend, I got to do a "sip and paint" night. A night where we went out, had wine and painted. I laughed and just had a lot of fun stepping outside of my normal activities, expressing the creative side of me.
   - Scarves, hats and gloves. Seems like a silly thing for which to be thankful, but I know many out there do not have those, so I am grateful for those items that keep me warm.
     - Old photos. This probably isn't the first (or last) time I will smile over looking through old photos. I am grateful for those moments captured in time. As I looked through some old photos with my dad, I enjoyed listening to his stories and learning new things about him.
         - Birds chirping. Yesterday, I dressed myself warmly and stepped out the door for a run. (I could no longer do the treadmill) Yes, it was cold, but I went without music, and as I finished my last quarter mile, I heard a beautiful sound: birds chirping. That made me smile pretty big. Regardless of it being true or not, I choose to believe this means spring is on the way.
   - A friend who knows how to bring the best out of me, included, but not limited to, listening to my woes and helping me see how that weakness can become a strength. Or rather, how it can become an opportunity for God to shine through me
   - The smell of coffee and the enjoyment that first long sip in the morning brings me. I have been directed to only have one cup a day, which is a huge adjustment for me,but I have learned how much I took these things for granted. I now savor every single drop of my one cup.
      - Crockpot meals.
         - An unexpected card dropped on my desk this week. I love those moments. Those are the kind that last in my mind and heart for many days.
    - Laughter. The sound of it is like music. The feel of it is pure joy. And the lasting effects of it bring memories lifting a smile to my face any time I recall the moment. I love to laugh. And to see others laugh.

      I am glad it is Friday, as I am sure all of you are as well.... Tell me about your little moments this week. I would love to hear!

Don't Quit

When you feel like quitting, think about why you started... this applies to all areas of life.
    Today, it applies to running.

Let's get real here on this blog post. For a few moments, if you will allow me, I am not going to sugar coat, pretend or fluff up the words. I'm going to be raw and real. (I'd like to say I am that way all the time, but probably I fluff up the words at times to try to encourage myself as much as my readers).

 I feel like quitting. The weather is bad, I've battled some health issues, and I have lost a lot of ground, which leaves me feeling really discouraged lately at the end of my runs. I am far from making the mark of what I wanted to accomplish in my spring races and to be quite honest, I have felt like quitting the last few days.  Today, my treadmill (or "dread"mill, as I prefer to call it) run was absolutely horrible. I felt like a turtle, and when I hit a couple of miles into it and needed to slow down because I knew my heart rate was too high, I thought "Man, this is trouble." Not trouble because of my heart rate, but trouble because I really didn't want to keep going.  For pity sake, I wasn't even going that fast. How did I get to a place of feeling out of shape, when I have never really stopped running?
 Winter training is hard, make no mistake. But I have done it before, and I knew this.  I love to run, and I haven't lost the enjoyment of running, but today (ok, the last few days) was one of those days I really felt like quitting. I wanted to cry at the end of the run- and not the "I feel so good about this run" kind of cry.  I felt discouraged, defeated, and a far cry from the way I felt in my runs a few months ago.
  So I had to remember why I started, Why I love running and wanted to start it in the first place.

I started with a dream, which became a goal.
   The dream of reaching a time goal, if you want to say it that way, But really the dream has more to do with becoming a better me.
 I started not because I wanted to lose weight, but simply because I feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually when I run.
   I started because I am a goal setter, and running has helped me reach many of those goals.
 I started because when I began running several years ago, for the first time in my life, I realized I could do things I'd previously said "I'll never be able to....."  And running lent me a whole new perspective.

 So, today, when I felt like quitting and throwing in the towel, I had to think and remember why I began.
   I am not a quitter. 

So, tough runs and all, I will keep going. I'll be up again early tomorrow, probably on the "dread"mill. I may or may not make the time goal I want. But honestly, it's not all about that. I have heard some say that if they can't do it all the way, 100%, it's not worth doing at all. I say, it's not worth giving up. I set the goal. I started the dream. I am going to finish it out, even if it looks different now than when I started. The outcome may be totally different than what I set out for it to be, but that doesn't mean I'm giving it less. In fact, in the midst of the winter, health problems, lost momentum and all, those pathetic treadmill runs may just be 100% of me at that time. So, I am not quitting. I am remembering why I started.
   Before you quit, think about why you started.
 Smile. ( Or cry if you need to) And keep going with it. It's worth it.