New start...

I don't like to say "Lent," because to be honest I don't know anything about lent other than freshman year of college learning the girls in the dorms gave up beer, chocolate, or late-night only to break "lent" 10 days into it. So, I'm going to simply enforce a "new start." I read a verse today that caught me off guard and got me thinking:

"Make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love" 2 Peter 1:5

The idea of supplementing your faith is humbling. I do a lot of things surface level. I "get by." Why? I think it is a lack of faith in myself, more now in new surroundings than ever. I have excuses for every venture possible, put off things to do tomorrow instead, and find time to waste three hours of my day on the internet. Yes, you read that correctly...three hours. If I feel like I might be challenged, or questioned, I usually avoid. That's not me! What's gotten into me. I let the weather, sometimes the language, and most often my thoughts defeat me. This is not my usual nature, and somethings gotta give.

"Self-control with endurance." I have a race in 5 weeks, a 1/2 marathon. More than I have ever run. And I've never raced. Yet I can make excuses not to run on training days if it's raining or bitter cold. What? Why? I'm a fighter, I love competition. I hate that I rely on adrenaline to complete something. Why not for myself?

So, with all of this being said...my "new start" is NO EXCUSES. My inner thoughts are being demoted, and I'm going to start attacking life...expecting MORE. There is no excuse for not making the best of every day, no excuse for avoiding life because of rain, or trying new cafes for fear of eating alone, or avoiding confrontation because of the language barrier. I will tackle each obstacle as best as I can, and have no regrets. Each day is done when I go to sleep, and I want to know that I did all I could. No excuses.

Please feel free to hold me accountable, I need it. Especially in training in the TERRIBLE weather lately!!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us…And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Nelson Mandela