I am nothing like the girl I was 3 years ago. As I reflect back on my life (so far), I noticed that my biggest accomplishments and happiest moments were from 2011 onward.
Well, that’s odd. Why 2011?
After much reflection, there was only ONE thing that separated my old self to my new self:
My mental attitude.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that if I really wanted to be successful in anything, I needed to change my very core: what I was thinking. I’ve always heard of those cliché sayings like “You need to believe in yourself!” or “You have to think like a winner!” and brushed them off as being dumb, but they have a lot of truth in them.
Why do you expect to be successful in anything if you constantly think you’re going to fail? I purged myself from all negativity and surrounded myself with nothing but people and things that would help me become a better person. A new Vivian was reborn.
Of course, I had my critics. Many people (especially those older than me) told me I was foolish to flush my mind of all negativity. They said I was naïve. They told me I didn’t know anything about the real world. “Life isn’t always roses,” they would tell me, “You’re going to be in for a rude awakening when you get older.”
But I didn’t listen (I was never the type of person to listen to those I disagreed with anyways. Just ask my parents).
Sure, I knew that life isn’t always going to be happy and fun all the time. I’ve had my share of upsetting, sad, and stressful experiences too. But I believe that life is what you make of it. You can either let the negativity control you or you can be in control of it. It’s not what happens to you that matters—it’s how you react to it that counts.
Since my life revamp in 2011, I’ve won Miss Texas United America after people told me I would never win, graduated with top honors from college when people accused me of being a dumb sorority girl, completed a half marathon when people said I was fat and out of shape, and much more. If I had listened to my critics throughout my entire life, would I been able to achieve those things?
Absolutely not.
Completing a half marathon was something that tremendously changed my life (if you haven’t read it, read my previous post about running here: http://www.mscareergirl.com/2013/03/06/my-journey-to-the-impossible/) Because I had lived my entire life thinking that completing a half marathon was comparable to being able to grow wings and fly, once I crossed the finish line, nothing was ever the same to me again. It really reinforced the notion that success originates in the mind.
I started to run a lot more and really enjoyed it. What happened next is similar to a domino effect: my friends and family noticed, they started running too, they began to sign up for races, they began to love running, they began to push their running limits, and then that “push” spilled over to the other areas of their life.
The cherry on top? At one point in their lives, they, too, thought running a certain distance (5k, 15k, half marathon, etc.) was impossible, just like me. One of the greatest things I’ve been able to witness is seeing the people who have always doubted themselves cross the finish line. It’s like watching that person setting themselves free after spending years in their own personal imprisonment.
I didn’t realize how much my actions would impact those around me. The positive outcomes prompted me to think on a larger scale and perhaps reach out to even more people. I wanted people to experience what I was able to experience with running. After much thought and deliberation, I decided to jump into the world of blogging/social media and created The Daily Runner to help motivate and inspire new and seasoned runners all around the world to push their limits, focus on positivity, ignore the critics, and reach their goals.
From now on, my columns at Ms. Career Girl will be geared towards Fitness and Wellness. Because of my fitness background (I’m a certified fitness instructor) Nicole and I have decided to add this into the mix. Get ready to be happier and healthier, gals!
With the help of social media master-mind and Ms. Career Girl’s own, Nicole, I have high hopes that The Daily Runner will turn into something big and inspire people daily to become better, physically and mentally. That’s The Daily Runner’s purpose and tagline, after all:
We’re here to help you push your limits. We’re here to help you awaken the runner within.
Visit The Daily Runner’s website at www.thedailyrunnerpage.com
Connect with us on Twitter: @dailyrunnerpage
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedailyrunnerpage
