Sat, 24 May 2025 04:46:41 -0500WeeblyThu, 29 Oct 2015 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.lifeclickscoaching.com/wind-beneath-our-wings/october-29th-2015​Two weeks ago my amazing 43 year old sister-in-law participated in and completed her first Iron Man race in Baltimore, Maryland.  In case you are wondering, an Iron Man race consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon all performed consecutively.  As one who considers herself a "non-athlete," I marveled at even the idea that we could request something this strenuous from our mere mortal bodies! What could possibly possess her to take this on?   But I watched for nearly a year as she tirelessly trained and worked...trading weekends with her family for long bike rides and swim lessons, sacrificing sleep for early morning runs, adjusting her food intake readying her body for the task ahead.  Just days before she was to board the plane to take her to Baltimore the race was cancelled due to the hurricane threat to the east coast.  But she didn't quit!  Something fueled her.   She rose to the challenge, extended her training, and completed the race a few weeks later.  I use the word complete very loosely, as she not only finished, but came in 10th in her age bracket and just under the 10th percentile compared to all athletes who completed the race.  Simply amazing.  

It was only after her event that I learned that there was more than just a desire to challenge herself and stretch her athleticism that fueled her through this incredible accomplishment. Although I knew that my sister-in-law tragically lost a brother several years ago, I did not know that they had a shared love of running and just before his death he was signed up to do his own Iron Man race.  Aha...her race was rooted in something so much deeper than what initially showed itself. My sister-in-law ran the race for honor, and that got me to thinking....

What's underneath the things we do?  Are we tapped in to the values that drive us?  Most importantly, if we connected those values clearly, would it change the attitude with which we approach things?  For instance, if instead of complaining about fitting in that extra soccer game that unexpectedly appeared on the schedule, we focused on our desire to be a “tapped in” mom; instead of obsessing about the process of losing 10 pounds, we connected to our desire for wellness; instead of resenting the less than perfect job, we were grateful for our sense of commitment to providing for our families…you get the picture….how would it influence our daily lives?  Would the gentle reminder that we are indeed serving our values make us more present to everyday, and not so everyday, experiences?

I invite you to take a look over the next few weeks at what’s underneath the things you do.  Challenge yourself to connect those actions to values that make up your personal foundation.  If you make the connection, notice if your attention to the value versus the action results in any shift for you.  Finally, take note of those things you cannot connect to a core value.  What does that reveal?

​I look forward to hearing about your experience!]]>