Is Your Perspective Your Power Or Your Prison?
It's time for a check-in.
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The last year has been difficult for most everyone. How many times back in March, April, and May of 2020 did you or someone you know say “2020 was supposed to be my year.” I felt that way, for sure. At the beginning of the pandemic, so many of us were mourning things that hadn’t happened yet. Things we had been plotting and planning. Things that we were looking forward to or hopeful for.
Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way. Cue the ending of my last relationship. I was shook. I felt as though the rug had been pulled out from under me. There were points during the time that him and I were together when I wondered if he was my person. I thought about what our life could look like. Where we could live. If we’d have children.
If you’re sensing a theme here, I’ll keep going. The same feelings occurred the last time I was really injured. Some intense discomfort in my hip caused me to dramatically shift my fitness routine (I wrote about this change for Runner’s World). I pressed “pause” on some big run-related plans. Just like with the pandemic and my personal life, I was so focused on what I wouldn’t be able to do.
It’s not that it’s not understandable, thinking about what was “supposed” to happen. However, I encourage you to ask yourself something: Can you flip your perspective? Instead of thinking about the negative things that will happen as a result of an unfortunate, unexpected predicament, focus on doors two and three.
Arguably, my inability to run at the beginning of the pandemic helped me within my business, freeing up time to create new ways to communicate with the Hurdle community (Hurdle Sessions and this newsletter) and finally sign up to take an Italian class. I certainly didn’t see all of this as opportunity back then. I wanted to punch something. (Well, many things.) But in retrospect, now I understand this concept more: There’s opportunity in the chaos — if you’re open to it.
I encourage you to ask yourself: What if you thought about how to make the most of the not-so-stellar? What if you let go of what you thought would happen and instead took reality into your own two hands. Perhaps, things could be better than you imagine down the line. Instead of being upset about the idea of what’s changing, focus on how to embrace the #hurdlemoment and zero in on the positive.
It’s not easy, sure.
But as Trent Shelton would say,
your perspective can either be your power or your prison.
Shout out to Hurdler Jen, who is dealing with a potential stress-fracture-and-subsequent-boot situation. She tagged me in #thelaceup yesterday, saying that she’s looking at this as an “opportunity.” That’s the spirit, Jen!
PROMPT: What’s one difficult #hurdlemoment you’ve approached with a positive perspective? How did that help you come out stronger on the other side?
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
DOWNLOAD: Goody Gifting
Meet the easiest way to give someone something, ever. As someone whose outward-facing love language is giving gifts, this is totally up my alley. What I dig about Goody is that you don’t need the recipient’s home address (or to pay upfront). Instead, plug in a person’s name and phone number, choose your gift, and you’re all set! Plus: The options here are curated really well, with a ton of great recommendations based on the occasion. (AKA, “thank you” or “love” or “congrats!”)
LISTEN: ”Planning Your Life for Success” on Mindset Mentor
I needed to hear this podcast episode this week. Lately, I feel like I’m on autopilot, so taking host Rob Dial’s advice to do an inventory of my day-to-day habits was really useful. He asks: Are the things you do regularly good for you or not? His advice is that we owe ourselves this awakening. Go through the process of realizing what you’ve been “asleep” to — the things you may be unconsciously doing throughout your day — and ask yourself if they are hurting or helping.
READ: “Opinion: A Boston Marathon for All Benefits the Running Community”
Shout out to Erin Strout for this opinion piece in Women’s Running. Recently, the Boston Athletic Association announced that 70,000 people will have the opportunity to register for a virtual edition of the race this year. The catch? Unlike the IRL Boston Marathon, no qualifying times required.
While I understand that some folks who’ve worked diligently to earn their spots in Boston (by running a qualifying time or raising thousands of dollars for charity) may feel some kind of way about this, ultimately I agree with a lot of the points Strout makes here. I also think that anyone who wants to run a virtual marathon in these crazy ~times~ should be allowed to run a virtual marathon — because, well, it’s just damn crazy (speaking from experience).
CHECK OUT: TOGETXER
This week, pro athletes Alex Morgan (listen to her episode of Hurdle), Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim teamed up to launch TOGETHXR, which they describe as a commerce and media company designed to elevate women’s voices, around but not exclusively within sports. One of their first spotlights focuses on Chantel Navarro, a 17-year-old national boxing champion known as “Chicanita” (yeah, boss). I’m amped on this, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
SIGN UP: Coa
I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under, but this new article from Fast Company popped up on my Twitter feed yesterday and I’m so interested in Coa, short for coalesce, the world’s first gym for mental fitness. Founded in 2019 and backed by Kevin Love, they’ve got live classes led by therapists, interactive exercises, and a supportive community.
Thanks to Goodr — maker of fun, fashionable, and functional sunglasses that everyone can afford — for sponsoring today’s newsletter.
Goodr makes awesome no-bounce, polarized sunglasses that are uber comfortable and super affordable, starting at just $25. They’ve got a style for every taste; I’m big on their Operation: Blackout, but they just released some new picks that are covered in tacos and pizza slices, so.
Get $10 off of your next purchase at goodr.com/hurdle by using the code “HURDLE10” at checkout. That’s right: For just $15 (!), you could have the perfect pair of sunnies for your next adventure, ASAP.
🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE: Alexi Pappas, Runner, Olympian, Actor & Author
Alexi has conquered a lot of hurdles her life, from navigating her mother’s suicide at a young age to battling depression herself after running for Greece at the 2016 Olympic games. It’s no wonder why her triumphant story has inspired so many, recently told within the pages of Pappas’ first book, Bravey. For episode 149, I chatted with the multi-hyphenate about everything from her upbringing in California to her mental health struggles. On the heels of a slew of press for the book, I made it a point to ask her what haven’t you been talking about? Her answers may surprise you.
🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE: #HURDLEMOMENT: Chef Dan Churchill Answers Your Plant-Based Diet Questions
I was super amped to chat about this popular topic with my friend Dan Churchill, a performance chef, host of The Epic Table podcast, and owner of Charley St. here in New York. On this episode, we dive into all of the plant-based diet questions, from the benefits and how to go about eating this way to exactly how plant-based fans get their protein and what a typical day of eating could look like. Plus: Dan talks about the benefits of seaweed, gushes over all things gut health, and I giggle at least 12 times about how he says different words with his heavy Australian accent.
Thanks to this week’s Hurdle sponsors, BLUBlox, Beam, Athletic Greens, and Baronfig! For a complete list of the show’s sponsors and some really great deals, check out the sponsors page, here.
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Another (weekly) Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next week