Mindfulness

Happy Sacred Sunday!

I was browsing through my phone’s camera roll yesterday when I stumbled upon this picture.

There I was alongside David Altshuler, who joined me in the last miles of the Miami Marathon, to nudge me toward the finish line. David, Tim Daniels, and Bruce Turkel may never know just how much their act of service and solidarity meant to me that day.

Staring at that picture, a flood of memories overwhelmed me, and it dawned on me that it’s been a decade since I started running.

My journey began with an invitation from my friend Betsy to train for a half-marathon, even though I wasn’t a runner.

Little did I know that the decision to say “yes” to my friend would be one of the most pivotal decisions of my life.

Just recently, I shared Tony Robbins’ quote about how we overestimate what we can do in a year, but underestimate what we could do in 10.

That decision to train for a half-marathon enabled me over the last decade to:

• Run a full marathon.
• Embrace my identity as an athlete.
• Process the grief of losing my father.
• Write a book.
• Change careers.
• Build financial security.
• Strengthen my marriage.
• Navigate through the pandemic.
• Support my children in pursuing their dreams—like accompanying my son to South Korea for two months for an acting gig during COVID .

How was running the catalyst for these profound changes?

Training for a marathon forces you to face pain and push past it; go beyond what you thought you were capable of; keep going, even when you fall and get hurt; and build a support network into your life.

Rigorous training of any kind requires you to tap into your resilience, delay gratification, and manage your emotions. It’ll make you get clear on your priorities and organize your life around them.

It requires discipline and focus to keep going.

Each run, though it felt like just another penny in the jar, contributed to a wealth of experiences that shaped who I am today.

Consider your own “penny jar.” What small actions have added up to significant changes in your life?

Though I’ve since traded running for different challenges, the lessons remain.

That’s why seeing that picture with David hit me so hard—because I did not know then where I’d be today.

The worst years of my life, 2014 to 2015, taught me that resilience, hope, and living with intention could lead to a future beyond my imagination.

Here I am, 10 years older, feeling younger, stronger, and more hopeful than ever.

Today I laced up my worn running shoes, popped in my airpods to tune into the Pandora station I used to listen to in my marathon-training days, and headed out for the first 3-mile run I’ve done in a long time.

This run, challenging yet familiar, felt like a declaration of a new start, and readiness to embrace whatever the next decade holds—a reminder that we’re always in training for the next chapter, even if we don’t yet know what it will bring.

As I embark on this next “10-year marathon,” I invite you to reflect on the milestones that have shaped your journey and to embrace the endless possibilities of your own path ahead.

Let’s step into the future together and start training for whatever comes our way.