Keeping promises to ourselves, by Chandra Marshall

Team GritChicks team member and GritChicks Community Blogger Chandra Marshall on keeping the promises we make to ourselves:

Hi, I’m Chandra and I’m a promise keeper. Like capital letter PROMISE KEEPER!

I believe in keeping my word and following through with what I promise others. But more

importantly, I uphold every promise I make to myself.

I wasn’t always so hellbent on keeping my word to yself. I have ditched many New Year’s resolutions by January 31.

But all that changed when I committed to run a marathon.

“ME, a marathon, never in a million years” became “ME, a marathon, Girl You Have So Much Work to Do!”

You see, I’m what some would call a late bloomer. I didn’t start running until my late 30s. And I only started running to lose the dreaded baby weight. It was all fun and games for many years until my running partner betrayed me and signed up for a marathon. How could she do that? Is she crazy? Who runs over 3 miles and lives to tell about it! Certainly, I couldn’t do that. Or could I?

I watched her from afar like a gorilla in the bush. She ran in the cold. She ran in the heat. And she ran in the rain. She followed her plan, ran her race and “voila” she was a marathoner.

I realized after a lot of back and forth in my head, like A LOT, that I wanted that “voila” too. So I made a promise to myself that I too would train for a marathon.

I followed a few steps that changed how I saw myself and put me on a path of

PROMISE KEEPER:

First, I hired a running coach. I needed help to get to where I was trying to go. I needed a guide who wouldn’t see me as I saw myself but saw my POTENTIAL.

Next, I not only said my goal out loud, I told a friend, family, then I recorded a video about my goal on Instagram for the world to see. No need to do the last part. But it sure made me focus on what was needed to achieve the goal.

Lastly, I did the work. The “voila” was my why. When it rained and I had to run, I remembered my “voila”. When I was exhausted and it was dark outside, I remembered my “voila”.

Take a moment to remember your “voila!”

We are certainly more than moms, wives, girlfriends, aunts, caregivers, employees, etc. We have purpose and wants and desires too. Let me encourage you to make and keep EVERY promise you make to yourself, because you are worth it.

“Voila” moments are hard fought, emotional and take time and a lot of effort. But man

are they worth it. Those moments are who we are at our core, and so worth keeping every

promise to ourselves to get there!

Others are watching and you will encourage them to keep the promises they make to themselves. Life is beautiful like that!

For more inspiration and daily smiles, you can find Chandra on Instagram @Fit4joy