Almost-Birthday Refelction Ride

Moments I have the most clarity are those in which i'm pounding pavement, swimming sides to side, or spinning thses legs. In those moments it almost feels like i'm narrating my life (like the movie Stranger than Fiction?!?). Its in these moments when all the craziness that engulfs life sometimes, fades into the background and the soothing sound of my wheels sets the tone for the perfect writer's office.

On this last ride of 28, I've complied a list of 10 Things I've learned throughout my life, but have been throughly studied and reconfirmed in the last couple years:

1. Never get comfortable.  The moment you do, that's when you lose: your position in a race, your chance, the deadline, a relationship, or your true self. Keep chasing! Keep working!

2. The world is an empty canvas waiting for you to create your next masterpiece. You just need to make time to create, if not that canvas will remain empty.

3.  Though no one is irreplaceable, some people change you in ways you would have never believed if you would have been warned/told. Be thankful for the changes that are improving you as a person! Cherish the lessons learned and shake off the rest.

4. It's okay to be super busy, eventually life will slow down when it needs to, but for now-LIVE all that comes at you.

5. Things are constantly changing and evolving! To hope that they stay the same is to live in an "innocent" world. Instead hope that you change and evolve at a pace that is challenging but that allows you to keep up!

6.  We are all training for a reason, to run to something or away from something. But both are equally as motivational and necessary to get us out of bed in the morning and across the next finishline.

7. Having high expectations will lead you to be let down often. Having low expectations will lead to an unfulfilling life.  Having expectations that are just right, a miracle: so start praying, lol. But seriously, work on your expectations. Side note: Don't expect others to make you happy; that's your responsibility.)

8. Things don't happen TO YOU, in one way or another your thoughts or choices brought you to that junction/situation. To think that life just happened and you are the victim, is to think that you have no say In how it will turn out- not true! Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it. Sometimes events happen to give you the opportunity to prove yourself! Take it!!

9. Trust is the hardest thing to earn and most valuable trait to keep in any relationship. Be a person of your word no matter how silly it may sound at times or seemingly impossible it may be at others. (Working on this one).

10. Always expect the unexpected! It was the name of my family blog that started about 5 1/2 years ago. Continues to be as true then as it is today. It ties together #7, #5, and #1
I've reached the end of my solo trainer pre-birthday ride so Happy almost-birthday to me.
Here's to celebrating life! I have 1 year left to accomplish all the things I had planned to so before 30... Better get up early tomorrow9 if I plan on checking off all those things off my list in the next 365 days.