One Little Ladybug

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up and it will." - Hope Floats 1998

That is one of my most favorite quotes. After yesterdays topic I've spent a good deal thinking and wondering and getting excited about sharing stories with you from my running friends. What I have learned so far is that some of them are:

• Shy
• Don't think they are anything special
• Haven't completed a race
• That nobody cares
• or haven't ran in a while

Perhaps, it seemed that I wanted to interview my friends and post their stories to give them their '15 minutes of fame', but that is not why and my blog is in no way near that popular. The truth is most women think very little of themselves and there are so many out there touching and impacting the lives of others. Yet, they sit back and think they don't matter. 

What on earth is wrong with them? I know most the time when you have impacted another's life you really don't know about it unless they personally tell you, but still - why think for one minute that you do not matter or that you are not special? We all are! We were all created for a reason...each reason being different. Otherwise we'd all be the same; like manufactured toy soldiers or something. 

We are not the same and we each have that little something special that we do unknowingly that touches the heart of another and for that reason right there we should always, always believe that we matter. 

When I sit down to write I do it first and foremost for myself because I love writing. I do not sit down to write looking for praise. Sure non-spam comments make my day, but I've done this long enough now to know that most the comments are spam haha. However, every once in a great while I receive an email or a comment that is not spam and that 1 comment tells me that whatever it was I said landed where it was suppose to. It gives me the HOPE that what I'm writing is touching somebody. 

You don't start out working out, running, lifting weights or whatever it is that you prefer thinking we are going to receive crazy amounts of praise for it. Yeah, we want people to tell us we are doing great, that we look good, ask how much weight we've lost and so on, but I promise you right here and now that is not the reason we started. If it is, then it won't last. 

The one true reason anyone starts something is for themselves. It sounds so selfish doesn't it? It's the truth. I didn't start going to the gym for someone else. I did it for me. Now, after awhile when you feel you've made progress and have something to share, you do and you do so in the HOPE that it helps someone else. It is just how we are wired.

Why do trainers train and coaches coach? Yes, it's their job and their passion, but they also want to help you, encourage you, to see you succeed...because guess what? YOU MATTER!!! You are more than just a pay check. If you do not succeed, neither do they - you realize that right? The best thing in your life just might possibly be passion & hope and I believe you find both those in trainers & coaches. They hope they'll impact you & they are passionate about helping you. 

When you've had a long lengthy heartfelt discussion with someone, you walk away hoping you made a difference, hoping you helped them feel better and most likely you will never know if you did. All you can do is HOPE.

I cannot offer someone no 15 minutes of fame, but I can offer to share their story if they let me. My reason is because I believe that out there somewhere is someone needing to hear that story. It is my HOPE that it reaches them. Stories are the most wonderful thing in the world and they were meant to be shared and learned from.

I want you to do something for me today. Imagine a ladybug has just landed next to you, the sun is shining and as you look at that little red bug with the black dots you smile. After a few moments it flutters off and lands next to someone else, who also looks down and smiles. It was just a little ladybug, flying around, stopping here and there and one by one making people smile. Just one little ladybug... 

Stop thinking that you are not special, 

that you do not matter or 

that your story is not worthy 

and give HOPE a chance to float up.