Running a marathon in cowboy boots

The other night, I had a dream that I had to run a marathon. Except I wasn’t allowed to train at all, and I had to wear cowboy boots. The route wasn’t marked, so I just had to start running and look for signs for when to turn. 

So, I started to run in my cowboy boots and said to myself “the only thing I have is my mindset. I’m going to have to do all 26.2 miles with my mindset.” (Even in my dreams, I’m a life coach!). I made it to (unmarked) mile 15 before I woke up. 

I laughed with relief when I realized what a ridiculous dream it was, but metaphor was very apparent to me. 

Life is that unmarked marathon. Sometimes life throws us a real curve ball, and we have to start running, with no preparation, in the wrong shoes. 

We have no control over our circumstances. We can only control our thoughts ABOUT them. You could choose: 

“Of COURSE I’m the one who has to wear the cowboy boots, while everyone else gets to train and wear running shoes.” 

Or 

“I can’t do this. I won’t do this. I’ll resist every step of the way. I’ll dig my (cowboy boot) heels in and refuse to try.” 

Or 

“I bet I can do this if I try. It’s less than ideal, but let’s give it a go and see what happens. I can always adjust if I need to.” 

Why not choose the one that serves you best?