Running With Vision: MindsetSample

Hills

I learned to run hills in San Francisco where you can’t go 2 feet without running into one. I used to hate them, but after running on them for years, it became the thing I grew most confident in. When I ran races back in Oklahoma, anytime there was a hill, I would think, “This is where I pass people!” Even now, 6 years after moving back to Oklahoma, when running hills is more of a rarity, that confident hills mindset I’d trained is still with me. As soon as I get to a hill, because of the years of reinforcement, my mind immediately goes into that same mindset of, “This is where I pass people!” I go extra hard all the way up the hill and when I reach the top, go back to a more relaxed pace I had been running prior to the hill. 

Our minds are powerful. We believe what we think. Where do your thoughts drift to? Are they positive or negative? If they’re negative, how can you change your wording to start telling yourself a different story? What’s one area you can focus on that can become your hills? An area that might be your biggest obstacle that can turn into your biggest advantage. Search for a scripture or come up with a positive statement you can say every time you hit that obstacle. As you continue to repeat those words to yourself, I believe your mindset will change and as you start believing that statement, you’ll start to see your actions reflecting your mindset.