You have to go through the darkness, to make it to the light

Those exact words had come out of my mouth in a moment of pain and wanting to quit. When those words came out, it was if, it wasn't really me speaking. But more of a bolder version of who I was. Someone who was a fighter, and someone who was not giving up! 

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On my birthday this past year, I had written in my journal that I wanted to "do things that I've said that I've wanted to do for a long time. I want to run a half marathon, because I've downloaded a training schedule many times, but I have never done it." So I began my training and running every weekend. The long hours on Saturdays, the headaches from being dehydrated, and achy hips and knees were definitely felt. But race day came...

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That morning we woke up at the butt crack of not even dawn, and made our way to where the race was being held. The sun had not even rose yet, so it was quite chilly and dark. We heard the word "GO" and we were off. We immediately tried to pace ourselves, not too fast and not too slow, and found where we belonged in this long race. And that was how we started our run...unaware of the route, but confident and bold... running in the dark.

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Mile 9-10 it was starting to get rough, because at that point it became a mental game. In my head I immediately began to question myself. Could I actually do this? Even though I actually was doing it. Could I finish? Even though my back was screaming, and my knees were aching. At one point I mentioned to my friend Chelsea, that I needed to shut it up. And at that moment, at two miles out, those profound words came out of my mouth. "You have to go through the darkness, to make it to the light." As soon as I said those words, I thought wow...that was pretty profound, but they gave me momentum and pushed out the negative self talk.

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As we got closer and closer to the finish line, the sun was rising, reminding us that it would soon be over. And then before we knew it...it was over. Chelsea grabbed my hand, and pulled me across the finish line. There was something monumental about crossing off a goal, that we had both put on the back burner for so long. And we said that we were going to do it, pushed hard, and did it.

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You have to go through the darkness, to make it to the light. Oh, how we can apply that statement to so many things. In a literal sense, we started our race in the dark, and ended in the light. But taking it to a deeper level guys...what darkness are you having to push through right now? What are you having to run through right now that is painful and makes your bones ache? Can you see the light yet? Because let me tell you something...you have got to PUSH! You have to! There is no other choice. You cannot stop in the middle of the race, and remain in the dark guys. Because that sun is going to rise eventually. You have to keep moving to get there! 

We all have our dark moments, and most of the time we try to hide them. We are all in the darkness about something. Is it depression? What about confidence in your body? Are you going through abuse or a painful divorce? Is your heart broken from a spouse, or maybe from your kids? Can you not see past the bills? Is your family being torn apart? Are you comparing your life to what you see on social media? Do you have someone in your past that is trying to haunt your present? 

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Its time for you to stand up, and become a fighter! You are going to have to power through the darkness. Find your pace, and keep running. Don't you dare stop. Don't you dare fall down, and stay in the darkness. Don't you dare let that person do what they have always done. This race through the darkness is just a mind game. Play back. You are brave. You are strong. You will power yourself through this. You have a voice...clear your throat and speak up! If you are being wronged, put on your armor and BUCK UP! We were not made to cower down and crawl around on our hands and knees. No mam...you were made to stand tall, and were built to run this race. You will get closer and closer to the end. You will hear the crowd cheering for you, telling you to keep going, and don't stop. Grab someone by the hand and help pull them to the end of the race. You will cross the finish line, and you will appreciate that light so much more, because you fought yourself through it. 

You are a fighter. And soon you will be at your next race (in the dark) saying "Lets go. Bring it on!"