055: Our One Year Anniversary Episode! Tying Running and Health Into a Fun and Family-Centered Life: Lessons from Disney and Our First Year
Sep 27, 2018
This episode marks the one year anniversary of the podcast, and it has been amazing. When we first started it was a little scary to think we would put this out to the world and people would actually want to listen. Now, as we approach 27000 downloads around the world, we wanted to look back at some major lessons for life and running.
This past weekend we also took a family trip to Disney World. One of the best characteristics of Disney is that it is constantly growing and looking to improve. As they keep building, the walls of the construction area often contain a picture of Walt Disney and one of his inspiration quotes. We thought it would be interesting to look at the lessons of life and running through the lens of our Disney trip.
The first lesson is based on a few quotes. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney was a dreamer and a visionary, but he certainly did not spend all of his time dreaming. He spent most of his time intensely pursuing those dreams. When you have a dream and other suggest that it is a little crazy or far-fetched, you are the only one who can understand whether it is attainable. You control how hard you are willing to work toward that goal. The steps may not be huge, and it will not be a direct path from start to finish, but consistently working toward a goal will get you incredible places. As Disney said in one of Angie’s favorites, “Never forget it started with a little mouse.” There is a lot of greatness to be done in the world, why can’t you be the one doing the great things?
Second, we move to a galaxy far, far away and gain some lessons from Jedi Master Yoda. While the quotes are amazing, the message is clear through all of the movies, and the Jedi training that our little ones went through on our trip. Fear and anger lead to the dark side. One of the biggest fears that people have is a fear of the unknown. There is zero assurance that things will go smoothly when you try something new, whether in parenting, business, podcasting, or running. However, it is only when you open yourself up to the possibility of failure that you can reach your potential. In a very telling moment of Jedi training, tiny Yoda lifts a huge spaceship and Luke Skywalker says “I don’t believe it.” Yoda sadly sighs and responds “And that is why you failed.” We must have enough belief in ourselves and our preparation to take a leap of faith and risk failing.
Third, with a couple of long car rides, staying at a hotel, and spending a long day in an amusement park, it is safe to say we did not have our normal schedule. The lesson here is that even in odd situations, healthy eating is possible, it just requires some planning. One of the biggest needs for healthy eating is to surround yourself with many healthy options. Rather than roll into the car ride and park with some granola bars and fingers crossed, we brought snacks like nuts, cheese slices with multigrain crackers, veggies and hummus, hardboiled eggs, and Angie’s wonderful sweet potato cookies. Yes, is was a bit of a heavy cooler to carry around, but the food options were plentiful all day long.
Also, exercising on vacation is possible if it matters to you. It takes some careful planning and prioritizing, especially when both parents are trying to fit in workouts and not wake up the kids with a loud hotel door, but it can work. At the same time, compromising to the situation around you is also needed. Pay attention to your overall health which includes sleep. You may need to shorten or adjust the intensity of the workout planned for that day. This may even happen mid-run as mine did, when I decided that my body had spent enough time on the treadmill after a whole day on my feet around the park.
The last lesson is a major one for life. Sometimes it is not only ok, but absolutely necessary to just step back and enjoy what is happening. Trying to tie running and healthy eating into a busy life (not so subtle plug for the new artwork) can start to feel overwhelming at times. It’s ok if it does not always work out perfectly. When the kids ask for ice cream at 5:30 and you know that’s going to mess up dinner, step back and see that the joy on their faces is worth the lack of vegetables. When the kids are still bouncing off the walls two hours after bedtime, just smile and know that they are making memories of a trip that will last for years to come. You hear a lot of people talk about finding the right balance in life, but there is never a true balance, there is a time for focus and a time to relax. Enjoy both and enjoy your life.
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