Someone New

Below are a few lines from Celeste Ng's novel Everything I Never told You:

'People decide what you're like before they even get to know you.' She eyed him, suddenly fierce. 'Kind of like you did with me. They think they know all about you. Except you're never who they think you are.'

We all make judgements sometimes. We read into things. We assume. Deep down though, don't we want the truth? And don't we owe it to each other to give someone new the time and care to get to know him or her? I believe so.

A poem with content and format (haiku) inspired by recent readings, discoveries & a few fine friends...

Someone New

To you I promise

One hundred percent me, and

Welcome all of you.

To exercise

When switching it up is a good idea:  eat dinner first then go to the gym.

When switching it up is a bad idea:   elect Donald Trump to be the president.

Along with those jumping jacks and lunges, exercise your right to vote this year.

Jay-Z said it first. Can't knock the hustle.

I recently read an article posted by General Assembly, a computer programming school based in NYC that also has a large offering of online courses, live streams and resources. 

The title of the article is '5 historical figures who mastered the art of the hustle.' As a fan of the phrase 'can't knock the hustle,' coined by Jay-Z in his 1996 song, the title caught my eye and I continued reading.

Here I want to share the 5 people and the golden nugget I took from each person's hustle:

Grace Hopper, computer programmer & Navy Admiral

undaunted by social conventions and established rules

Thomas Edison, inventor

unafraid of failure

Henry Ford, engineer & entrepreneur

wasn't afraid of innovation

Estée Lauder, marketer & entrepreneur

relentless efforts

Walt Disney, cartoonist & entrepreneur

ferocious guardian of (his) brand

A reminder to be your true, genuine self and not let anyone knock your hustle :)

Your craft + your mission

What is your craft?

What is the unique skill or ability you possess or can develop? What are you able to produce more easily or of higher quality than the majority? 

Today I've witnessed over 200 Americans who can push their bodies to remarkable, even record-setting levels of distance running. From a film screening, I observed the creative skill of a film director who captured the realities of childhood illness and the complicated emotions that come with it. I had the joy of seeing a mother in action, one who rarely has a moment to herself and is thinking of her family every moment.

To see these examples of craft, I am grateful.

Now, what is your mission?

What greater purpose are you striving towards? Why do you put so much energy and care into your craft? What's your motivation?

Like tea and biscuits, bread and butter, craft and mission are best together.

No pressure to answer these questions; I'm still working on them myself, and confident it'll be beneficial.

Join the movement

For the first time in U.S. Olympic Team Trials history, the men's and women's marathons I'll be televised nationally, on NBC starting at 1PM ET. Considering the original Olympics in 776 BC were founded on running events, it's funny to think NBC is making history by broadcasting this event in 2016.

Regardless of the long wait, let's be excited for it! The CEO of USATF says, 'February 13 will be a great day for distance running in the United States.' In the same interview, he refers to distance running as 'one of this country's biggest cultural and athletic movements.'

That machine I talked about in yesterday's post, the human body--some of the most graceful, powerful, and impressive of them will be on the streets of LA on Saturday. Tune in and cheer them on; witness the human body performing at its absolute peak.

If you live in the northeast region of the U.S, Saturday is going to bring some of the coldest temperatures and highest wind chills. So hunker down and put the tube on NBC at 1pm. 

 

...then you can go for a run when the temps rise above 20 and really join the movement!

ps. cheer for the guy in orange. do your thing, Jonas.

Fuel the Machine

The human body is the most remarkable machine this earth, maybe even universe, will ever see. So it's important to maintain the machine and keep it well-fueled. That means exercise, rest, quiet time, lots of water, nutrients, good calories, and the occasional allowance of a guilty pleasure.

We often forget to prioritize our machine. Maybe we push it to too many limits. Maybe we are caring for other machines. Maybe we think our machine is beyond it's best days (ps this is not true).

Prioritize your machine. I'll admit, this blog post is nearly a reminder for myself.

Take the stairs. If it's less than a mile away, walk. Don't be afraid to take a day off from regular physical activity. Go ahead and take that hour to yourself. Walk over to the sink or water bubbler and fill up that bottle with more water...and then be sure to drink it! Cover your plate with beautiful, colorful fruits and vegetables--doesn't color make you happier?! And don't forget to treat yo self to that favorite dessert :)

Be a mountain climber

Whether we live at sea level or at 4,000 feet, there are mountains.

Challenges, tragedies. Confusion, stress. Depression, indecision. Negativity, neglect.

One foot in front of the other. One step at a time, at our own unique pace. Climbing is possible, always.

The view at the top, the new perspective, the clarity, the achievement, the hope--is worth it.

Be a mountain climber.

(mount saint elias)

A love/hate letter

Dear treadmill, 

Our relationship is complicated. I speak ill of you often. Instead of defending you, I join the gossip about you. Compared to the natural outdoors, you are boring. And you take up energy, which is not healthy. In fact, you actually harm the earth while I'm trying to stay healthy. It's a paradox of sorts. Just complicated, really...

Now, I must admit:  on cold mornings and evenings, complete with below freezing temps and icy sidewalks, you are mighty attractive. On tough days when I'm emotional or just not feeling a workout, you don't let me stop. Your belt keeps going, like the flat rubber version of Forrest Gump.

If you don't want to be my valentine this year, I'll understand. But please know, there is a little piece inside of me that loves you. (a little piece that only surfaces between December and March in the northeast region of the USA)

xoxo

Mary

Spread the red

In honor of the Chinese New Year and the celebration of the lunisolar calendar, let's try to spread the red (good fortune) today. It may be letting someone know you love them, holding the door for a stranger, making the extra effort to compromise, or, like many, spending time with family.

And while you are spreading some red, feel free to celebrate the intelligent, witty, playful people around you. It's their year--the year of the Monkey.

Change is the heartbeat of growth

New name, new format, new content!
When I started this blog a few years ago, I wanted to share my travels with friends and family. Through my Horvitz Fellowship and my job at SeriousFun Children's Network, I traveled to several new countries and a blog was the most efficient way to share my experiences with lots of people.

Over the past year, my posts have become less and less frequent, and 'new countries' are not a constant in my travels. I'm sure I could find something new to focus on in each country, on each trip. Instead, I've decided to re-structure my blogging all-together and blog as frequently as I log miles, which is nearly every day.

This new structure is inspired by the random thoughts, ideas, and bronze nuggets (certainly not golden!) that accumulate on my runs, and Seth Godin's daily post-blog--which I try to read each day...and you can, too, so long as you read mine!

No pressure to read each day--I'm merely hoping to share more food for thought by blogging each day. Get excited! Change is a-coming :)

Mary