Have you ever had an idea pop into your head that you just couldn’t let go? Both of my boys do it all the time but they don’t yet have the maturity to just think about it; they live it, eat it, sleep it and talk about it every waking moment that they can. It drives me crazy.
Little Ironman, only 6, is consumed with Batman and Star Wars; both are constantly on his mind. Honestly, I don’t know how he has managed to learn anything at school this year. Teachers love him because he is so quiet and well-behaved. Sure, while the other kids are counting shoes by two’s, he is probably counting the groups of Storm Troopers as they prepare to battle.
Older but very similar, Skipper constantly thinks about music – piano, singing, choir, performances – all day long. When he gets home, Skipper heads straight to the piano (unless, of course, he needs the bathroom first); at night, he often can’t fall to sleep because he is excited about music. Skipper he has the same kind of pre-occupied thoughts that his little brother does, the only real difference being Skipper has earned recognition and praise for his talents from dozens of people.
Last week, I learned that we have 70 000 thoughts in one day; of these, 96 to 97% of them are the same from one day to the next. This explains my sons’ behaviours; one is a walking Star Wars Encyclopedia and the other is a talented musician. They live their thoughts and their thoughts become a part of who they are.
In the same way, I am consumed by my thoughts – about chasing my running dreams. For me, setting goals is simple. To achieve them, I have to constantly keep them in mind. I have to plan my runs around work and the boys, as well as organize family activities around nights I train with the TOC group. My meals to complement my training – to make sure that I have found the time to eat at work (some days, it can be easy to forget) and am properly fueled before I run; some “boy” meals are prepared ahead so that Dave can easily feed them (but we also have a box of Kraft Dinner on hand, just in case…). When I don’t keep running on my mind and in my plans, things simply don’t happen the way they should have.
This spring, I have time goals which are within grasp and I am determined to achieve them. By keeping my thoughts and living them, I feel confident that I will reach my goals.
With almost 70 000 thoughts being the same from one day to the next, the message is simple: change your thoughts and you will change your life. Then, live your thoughts, and your dreams will become a reality.
