Guns and Bullets – 122 Days Left

I will be honest. Although I have had some successes in my life, I have never really pushed myself. I have always taken the easy way out. I have taken some risks, but behind each one was a very wide and easy to reach escape hatch. I have done things that required me to step out of my comfort zone, but I always knew that if it really got uncomfortable, I always had a nice warm and cozy place to retreat to.

When I first started my 365 commitment, my goal was to get myself focused on what was the absolute most important things in my life. As I progressed throughout last year, I started to realize that if I really wanted to aspire to greater heights I was going to have to push myself harder than I have ever done.  I had to take this new inspiration rationally. My normal reaction is to jump in guns blazing and hope for the best. That may work out in a Hollywood depiction of the old west, it just does not work in real life. In real life, you run out of bullets real quick.

So my new strategy was to push myself to new limits, but to do so incrementally. Establish a pattern, slow at first, small achievable steps. Focused on building the pattern first, then the times of heroism could come later. Perhaps when I jump in guns blazing next time, I will be a little more prepared. So here I am this morning, just finishing a long run in the Las Vegas desert. Getting myself ready to run a marathon, but more importantly, confirming to myself that I can do greater things, I can push myself to greater heights once I light the match and give myself no escape path. The marathon really is not that significant, but the next 4 decades of my life are.

What am I really capable of? What are you capable of? What can we accomplish together? I used to think I could find magic bullet that would make me a better sales person, a better leader. Well, I found it. It is not a bullet at all, it is a long slow pull on  a bottle of fine brewed commitment. So no epic gun battles in this story, or special bullets that solve my problems it is the reality of changing my life one day at a time with perseverance and hard work. So I am fully convinced that if we all can work on personal commitments and improvements the rest of our life, our performance in our work, our financial, spiritual, mental, and physical health will all improve.  That is the western that I want to produce.

So as I woke early and faced a long hard run in the cold desert landscape, I got into a rhythm. The miles melted off easily, and I no longer was thinking about the space in front of me. I looked forward into the future and saw a destination worth striving for. I could see the glimmer of Jupiter, Arcturus, and the Moon all in conjunction hovering over the horizon as the sun began to rise. I thought, you know, pushing myself hard is not that bad once I get used to it. Guess I will see what challenges tomorrow brings. As for now partners, tomorrow morning we RIDE AT DAWN.

Guy Reams
365 Alumni
122 Days Left to 1st Marathon