I can do hard things.
March 10, 2020
I stole the title of this post from Julie van Amerongen’s book with the same title. That book is about Julie’s journey running long distances every single day. Her title so inspired me that I’ve been thinking about it all day long. Seriously all day.
Because. I can do hard things.
I’ve lived six decades and I can say with 100% certainty that I really can do hard things.
I’ve written about this before but I knew at a very, very young age that I didn’t want an ordinary life. Hard to explain really but I was terrified of just existing. I wanted adventure and laughter and joy and wild crazy “wake up with excitement” days.
I’ve gotten that life and then some.
And like all of us, I’ve also done some really hard things. While some of these things I would not wish on anyone, I’ve come to realize that you can’t be alive without hard things swirling around you. They’re a part of life as much as the good stuff. Things like loss and grief and health issues and disappointment hit us all at some point.
These hard things put chips in our armor but they also bring gifts. They straighten our spine and make our words fewer and wiser and much, much kinder.
This morning on Facebook a memory popped up from three years ago. It was a happy memory of a surprise birthday party I threw for someone I loved dearly. In that little batch of photos, I was full of joy and surrounded by great friends. And never in 100 million years would I have guessed in those simple captured moments what lay ahead.
Seeing those photos tugged at my heart in a way — but they did something else even more impactful. They reminded me that anything is possible. And that to me is what it means to live an extraordinary life. To hold the idea that the road ahead is full of adventure and excitement you can’t even dream of is exactly what makes me wake up with wild crazy excitement for the day.
Every single day.
In those three years since those Facebook memories, I’ve sold my business and I’m starting several new adventures. I’ve learned to LOVE, LOVE getting physically stronger. I’ve been surprised by the sweet love of strangers and family and dear friends. I’ve met some remarkable people. I’ve seen suns rise and set that left me awestruck with their enormous beauty. Life is full of magic and wonderful surprises. If you don’t believe it, scroll through your phone’s photos and remember what you didn’t know when they were taken. Walk with sureness and know… You can do hard things.
Life is full of magic. And those little blue flowers on the sides of roads in the Spring…
OX, Robbin
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