"Today is not my best, it is not my limit, it is not even all of who I will become...I am not done yet."
~Marnee
Hi Everyone,
Have you ever decided the limits to your potential success based on your status today? I did. My husband came home from work beaming with pride...he was planning a fundraiser to benefit L'Arche. L'Arche is an international group that builds homes for people who have disabilities. Instantly, I offered to help in any way possible (thinking I could be a part of a committee, raise some money, or spread the news). Trevor had a different idea. This was our conversation:
Trevor - "I knew you would want to help so I signed you up to run in the race."
Marnee - "A race? Okay...I know I can do a 10km race since I did that last year."
Trevor - "That will work....just do that twice...then add on a couple more kilometers...its a 1/2 marathon...."
Marnee - (No words...just a puzzled, terrified, 'what-were-you-thinking' expression.)
A waterfall of fear, insecurities, and self-doubt flooded any reasonable thought processes that attempted to enter my mind. Every word spinning in my head reminded me that there was no possible way I could do this...I am not a marathon runner...I am more of bouncy walker.
The next morning, the whole family woke at the break of dawn to take my son to his first ever hockey lesson. Dreams of the next Wayne Gretzky..the next Sydney Crosby flooded my husband's hockey loving heart. At age three, Aiden already has the Canadian hockey genes and couldn't wait to hit the ice so he could SCORE! Well, he did hit the ice...again and again and again. Even with his teacher and his daddy on either side of him, Aiden spent more time swimming on the ice surface than he did skating on it. Watching him stand up again and again with no plans to give up, watching his determined smile, seeing him believe he was still on his way to something bigger than he was that day, I was overcome with emotion. It was an eureka moment. I get it now.
If any of us defined ourselves, our worth, or our potential for achievement based on our status on January first of each year, we would have no reason to strive. Dreaming would be futile. Effort would be a waste. Anything harder than what we can already do would be out of the question.
On Aiden's road to becoming a scoring hockey player, he will attend skating class multiple times each week. He will fall more than he glides. He will do this for months and years. He seems okay with that. It seems to be the obvious road to the first SCORE!
After class, I confirmed with Trevor that I will run in the fundraiser marathon and that I would become a person who has completed a 1/2 marathon. I have a couple months to hit the road...again and again and again before the big run day at the end of March. I will sweat, I will ache, I will cry...and I will do it.
In the picture above, you see Aiden and me coaching each other after his skate and after my practice run. Today is not our best, it is not our limit, it is not even all of who we will become...we are not done yet.
Promise that you will give yourself
the 1000th step,
the 1000th day,
the 1000th attempt
...then start with one.
RUN NAME: The Economical Insurance Group presents the Rogers Insurance Run for L'Arche
RUN DATE: Saturday, March 26, 2011
TIPS FOR MARNEE? Email marneeATtinyeye.com !
Take care,
Marnee Brick, MSc
Speech-Language Pathologist and Director of Speech Therapy
TinyEYE Therapy Services (Speech Therapy Telepractice)
Growing smiles, mending spirits, engaging children in their lives…
TinyEYE is the world’s preferred online speech therapy service provider for schools, agencies, and individuals who seek exceptional performance, revolutionary solutions, outstanding service, and student success!
