A Lesson in Being Positive

So I've had a couple of days to think about (and heal from) the 3 Day Walk and it's been hitting me just how negative I was getting about the whole thing. I was starting to get discouraged about the lack of results in my fundraising efforts, my inability to successfully get training into my schedule, and the fear of the unknown in regards to the whole event was really starting to wear on me. At one point, I nearly gave up on the whole thing.

But this was a great lesson for me. Even people like me who work very hard to be positive and get others to be positive in their own lives have those moments where it's just plain easier to be negative. So as all of this has been swirling around in my brain, I've also thought about all the things that helped me get positive again.

One of the biggest factors was my mom. She is another very positive person and knowing she was doing it with me motivated me to move forward with it. Another piece that helped tremendously were my donors. They gave me money towards my goal and I felt like I would be letting them down if I didn't go through with it. There's also the concept of "One Thing at a Time." When you look at something as a whole, it can become too much. So, breaking it down into smaller pieces makes life so much easier.

And most definitely my natural stubbornness to drive on pushed me forward as well. This carried me through the entire weekend, especially when the sweep vans (vans that drove back and forth and picked up walkers who couldn't carry on) were looking awfully tempting. That's not to say that those who needed the vans failed in any way. They showed up, which is truly one of the toughest things to do.

So, as I have ruminated over all of these things, it's proven to be a great lesson in getting positive even in overwhelming situations. When all of these things worked together to keep going forward, I am now amazed at how I look at myself differently now. It's empowering to face a tough situation and know you got through it, one step at a time.