Have you ever looked around and recognized how many Opportunities for Success we have in this world? There are so many things that can be done or completed that would be recognized as success. These can be community volunteer acts, career goals, family and relationship goals or personal fitness goals, etc. However you look at it there are so many things that we can accomplish in our lifetimes if we want to. I have decided that this really kind of explains my philosophy and my outlook on all the 'random goals' I set for myself. Looking back I have always been this way. My goals have been focused on athletics and on education/career. Those who have mentored me in my life have said two things, "you are too hard on yourself" and "you don't need to push so hard all of the time". I think I am just wired this way, and besides if I wasn't pushing so hard would I have accomplished all I have up to this point in my life? Probably not, I may have just decided to settle for complacency. The odd thing is each accomplishment leads me to believe I can do more and do better. I think the momentum to this way of thinking came from graduate school. For one, graduate school can really test your abilities - especially in the program I was in and for two, it was a point in my life where I had just picked up and moved across the country on my own to pursue a new adventure. Wow! Looking back I am not even sure how I did that on my own! This has lead me on a journey to set totally random goals for myself. Each goal I accomplish that is new proves to me my mental capacity.

Here's the interesting "flip side" to this perspective. Some people see the world as offering many Opportunities for Failure. They may not outwardly recognize this but they feel this way inside and therefore don't attempt to accomplish things. I find myself seeing things this way when I am scared or unsure of myself. Each time I push beyond these feelings of reservation I find that I grow beyond what I could imagine and am grateful for the experience. There are times along all journey's that I feel this way, but the more I overcome them the less frequent they come up.

For me the "physical goals" I set for myself are the ones that aren't necessarily physical. Yes, they are "athletic" but it is more mental than physical. Anyone who doesn't see that has a very limited perception. I think it is a gift to see beyond the carrot of a "time" or "looking good in a bikini". I am grateful I see the other perks to these type of goals. I don't know how long I will be able to set these types of goals for myself but as long I as I can I will enjoy being able to do these types of things. I hope to never limit myself in what I can accomplish by questioning my mental capacity. TJ tells me I have the strongest "mentals" (this is a TJ phrase) of anyone he knows.

Here are a few things I have accomplished that I see as significant to my life:
*Graduate School
*Running marathons
*Climbed several Rocky Mountain "14ers"
*Run a High Altitude Race (at 10,000 feet)
*Completed a Figure Contest

Here are a few things I would like to accomplish:
*Run THE Boston Marathon (working on this now)
*Complete an Ironman Triathalon
*Write a book (starting to outline this now)
*Open my own business (still have yet to decide what this will be completely)

Of course these goals don't include my entire life and the list isn't comphrensive but it does feel good to look back and forward and see the excitement my life has had. I am just very grateful that GOD has given me the abilities and opportunities to make these things happen and I am thankful for my perspective every day, it is a healthy, positive and balanced perspective I am grateful for.