When the Moment stops.

"It's your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determined how your life's story will develop." 

Dieter F Uchtdorf 

 I am a creature of routine. My mornings are my favorite part of the day. I am usually up by 6am, coffee in hand just minutes later and peacefully spending quiet time in the word. 

Structure is essential for my special brain; the ADHD is like a ping pong ball without it. Routine keeps me focused, grounded and a lil more prepared.

Last week, snow forced me to the gym as it has for the last several weeks truth be told. I usually love running in the mornings, that's my jam. Snow, ice, sub-zero temps had me heading to the gym. I had been running the track and the thought of doing it another day seemed daunting, I decided I would change it up and head on the dreadmill. 

I figured I could get through anything with a good playlist and a goal. 

10 miles on the dreadmill then 5 miles on the track. STICK to the PLAN. 

I started strong. A nice conversational pace. I thought I would increase the pace slightly over the ten miles to change it up a bit. The miles clicked by, the music was motivating and before I knew it,  I was more than halfway done and feeling positive I would finish in good spirits. 

Then suddenly the dreadmill came to a slow STOP. I was thrown off my game entirely. That rhythm was GONE, my headspace chaotic. I punched buttons, trying to fix it quickly, but frustration only made it worse. For a moment, I felt like QUITTING. The thought of giving up seemed easier than restarting especially with the time I had lost. 

After a few minutes but what felt like forever, I got the dreadmill moving again, but something was different. 

My legs felt heavier. 

My motivation had waned. 

Every step was harder than before. 

I found myself looking at the digit on the dreadmill like time was just standing still. 

That silly interruption I let derail me, and now it felt like the simple act of moving forward required more effort than I thought I was capable of. 

I had 3 miles left, none of them got any easier but it gave me space to reflect on "when the moments stop." 

WHEN THE MOMENT STOPS

I thought of how we have these moments in life we are just cruising through. We have a good rhythm going when suddenly the rug gets pulled out from underneath us. 

Our routine stops, our rhythm gets interrupted and its hard to wind back up again. 

When relationships stop.

When our jobs stop.

When our health stop.

When loved ones stop.

When our finances stop. 

It can feel unbearable, devastating, confusing, and sometimes the world seems impossible to move through. 

INTERUPTIONS

Interruptions in life-whether minor or monumental- trips us up and we can feel like we lost our momentum. 

They remind me of how fragile our plans are and how quickly things can change. It's in the moments, though, that we have a choice: do we let the interruption define me or do I CHOOSE to keep moving even if it looks different and even if it is more difficult? 

RESTARTING

Restarting that treadmill wasn't that simple. 

Similar to restarting after moments stop isn't easy.

 It can sometimes take COURAGE to keep running when your legs feel like lead, your stamina is sidelined, and my mind is trying to figure it all out.

It takes FAITH to keep going when your heart is heavy.

But it's in the struggle to move forward that we grow stronger. 

Each small step is a victory. 

Each attempt to RESTART is an act of resilience. 

RUNDOWN

When the Tm stopped last week, it wasn't the end of my run-it was a reminder of the perseverance I'm capable of. 

MOMENTS STOP.  But we don't have to. 

Take a BREATH. 

Practice the PAUSE. 

Give yourself some GRACE. 

Adjust your stride maybe in RUNNING and maybe in LIFE but don't stop moving. The rhythm may not feel the same right away and you may never get it back but with time you'll find a groove. And when you do, you'll realize your stronger for having endured the moment stopped. 

 

JAN 20-JAN 26

DISTANCE: 61miles

TERRAIN: Track, TM, Richfield Park, Indian Springs here and there.

CROSS TRAINING: bike

GO-TO'S: I usually make my own smoothies, but I keep these Chobani on hand when I am low on time. I am not a fan of protein bars until I found Barebells, 20G of protein and 0 added sugar in both products. 

"When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience. " Jaeda Dewalt

In Peace not Pieces, Anita