Focus on the Positives

This morning when I woke up, I felt 100 times better than I have been feeling lately.

I have been  pretty melancholic the last few days about Saturday's race and the way my season has gone and just some other complications in life... And I tend to over think everything, so I just have been dwelling on all of these negative thoughts.

And I realized that I was allowing myself to become hopeless, which I never usually do.

But this blog is called running on hope, right? 

So here are some things that give me hope. And some wonderful things that happened the last couple of days that I should have been focusing on instead of my doubts. 

1. I have some truly amazing people in my life that have been so encouraging to me over the last couple of days. I'm blown away by how loved I am.

2. I never, ever want to forget how blessed I am. I have been through a lot with running, and the fact that I am even here able to run for a collegiate cross country team is such a blessing!!!

3. Yesterday, at practice, my coach had us all make posters and cut out quotes from magazines and do goal setting. It sounds cheesy, but I'm so glad he did it. It really helped us all to refocus our goals for this season... for championships. And he gave me a magazine article on the mental aspect of running that he saved just for me. He's such a great coach. 

4. Despite Saturday's bad race, it truly was a wonderful day. My mom and dad and my brother and his wife all came to cheer me on (it was a local meet, finally!) My brother and his wife had never seen me run before. 

Then I got to go home for the first time since school started, and we spent the rest of the day together. 

Getting Pumpkin Spiced Lattes... the first one of the season!!!

And going to the movies....

And eating crepes at this delicious crepe restaurant. It made me miss France!!!

5. I get to see my best friend this weekend when I race in Portland!!!

6. Someone gave me a coffee gift card yesterday. Someone else sent me $50 in the mail just to bless me. And my brother and sister in law gave me money and treated me to lunch this weekend (they are wonderful). 

7. Last night I got to drink tea and eat dark chocolate and watch the Gossip Girl season premiere with a friend. And it was much needed. 

8. The King of the Universe loves me. I never want to forget that... or take it for granted. How amazing is it that he wants to talk to us all day long and is interested in every detail of our lives and truly cares and wants to bless us? 

You guys… life really is wonderful. There are so many beautiful, positive things that we miss if we dwell on the negatives.And I’m excited to race this weekend. Because I love running. And I love life. And I’m not about to give up hope.