Dusting off a few Dreams

I am often finding inspiration and encouragement in unexpected places throughout my days.

Yesterday I received an email from a running friend.  He and his wife are people I admire a lot.  Don't take that last sentence lightly because I do not admire many people.

I find inspiration in others.  I see examples of how to do certain things in others.  I received motivation from people around me but rarely do I admire someone else.

I typically feel that I am capable of similar accomplishments if I were given the same opportunities.

Let's be clear, I do not feel that I would win the Nobel Peace Prize if given the opportunity.  I am talking about people of a certain character who share the same interests that I do.

This friend sent me an email unknowingly at just the right time.

It was filled with positivity and encouragement.

I'll share the final sentence with you.

"So how about your dreams? Dust a few of them off and bring them out in 2011!! This is the year!!!"

As regular readers you will know that I am hopeful to make the leap from 50ks to a 50 miler this year.  I have registered for two trail 50ks in March.  My plan had been to use those two relatively close races as a gauge of my ability to make that leap perhaps in the fall.

This email has created a fire in me that I had lost over the past few months of entrapment.

I have allow other people and their opinions and judgments to direct how I have handled my winter running.

Sometimes it's hard not to do that.

Allow others to influence my behavior.

But after this email I am reminded that not all influences are negative ones.

I have already thanked my friend for the much needed "you got this girl" email.

So I do not type this to thank him again, I don't think he reads anyway.

I do type this so that you, faithful readers will be reminded that you never know what kind of impact you might have on someone by doing just the smallest of kind gestures.

So send that email, make that call, write that thank you, go for that visit, or invite someone to run because you never know just what an impact you might have.