Are You Up for the Challenge??

Katey completing the Rock and Run for Mental Health

My only true goal in completing to the Rock and Run for Mental Health on Saturday was to finish the race.  I simply wanted to keep running.  It didn’t have to be fast.  It didn’t have to be perfect.  But I wanted to keep running.  

I focused on my breathe, on the trees, on the path.  I counted…in, 2, 3, out, 2, 3… and set little goals along the way.  “Just make it another quarter mile”.  “You can make it to the turn around point without stopping”, I’d say to myself.  Setting short achievable goals to make the larger task of running the whole 5k easier. 

“You’ve already been running for 20 minutes? You can do another 10! You’re basically 2/3 of the way there!!”.  I silently cheered myself on along the way and AUDIBLY cheered on other people along the path. “You’re doing great!!”

I gave high fives and shouts of gratitude to the people volunteering along the way.  I yelled to other runners, “Way to go! You’ve got this!”.

Nathan (in the orange shirt) doubled back after he completed the race to cheer me on to the finish line.

And I had other people shouting for me, too.  Cheering me on and telling me I could do it! “You’ve got this Katey! You’re almost there!”.

Together we all made it to the finish line!  We did it. My final time was just over 30 minutes.  A time I was incredibly proud of.  I did what I set out to achieve and I was proud. I AM proud.

Crossing the finish line.

So, what if… What if we all used that same mentality in other parts of our lives?

What if we took all of our challenges or larger goals and broke them down into small pieces?  What if we cheered on the people around us who were trying to do similar things? What if we used the tools we had learned (like intentionally breathing) throughout the journey? What if we talked positively to ourselves throughout the process? What if we thanked the people who were cheering us on? What if we tracked our progress and celebrated our victories?  What if, at the end, we acknowledged that we were proud of ourselves.  What if… 

My friend Rob who has encouraged me to be a better version of myself and overcome fears/challenges. Thank you Rob for encouraging me always and for suggesting I run this race!! <3

The Rock and Run for Mental Health was an important race for me. Much like the run itself, getting to a better place with my mental health has felt like a challenge. It’s felt like a distance run that I wasn’t sure I was up for. It was a challenge I didn’t know if I would complete.

BUT, by breaking it down into small bits, taking one tiny step at a time, tracking my progress, cheering on my peers tackling the same challenges, and by setting very small achievable goals, I’ve made it to a place that feels like a finish line.  I’ve completed the challenge.  And I’m not stopping here.

Mental health is a never ending journey and a space where I will always be working & continuing to grow.  But right now, I’m celebrating the place I’ve come to.  I’m celebrating where I’m at.

I’ve spent two and a half years working every single day

to inch out of a very dark place.  And I’ve made it.

I’ve made it to a much happier, healthier, joy-filled space. 

Are you up for the challenge? 

Let’s find a time to talk!
<3 Katey