Life is about to get hard. that's a gift.

​I had coffee with my friend Tiffany yesterday. We talked about our upcoming Richmond Marathon. I told her this is one of the least prepared for races I've ever attempted to run. And believe me, no one knows how to NOT prepare for a race like me.

I told her, though - I think I like it that way. I like knowing just how hard it is going to be. Maybe because there's an undeniable correlation in my life; the harder something is, the more I learn from it.

I guess that is why over time, 'hard' has become less intimidating. In fact - there is something inviting and exciting about hard.

Nothing has held me back more in life than the easy way out. Nothing has been more misleading in my life than the path of least resistance. Nothing has found more joy at my expense in life than pain - the pain always waiting at the end of that path of least resistance taunting me - 'you didn't really thing you could escape me, did you?

It's a great place to get in life - not just knowing you can not escape pain - but discovering that pain is our friend. Pain always comes on the other side of something hard. Hard gets our undivided attention; easy tricks us into believing there's no reason to pay attention at all.

I told Tiffany yesterday, I already know what is coming in this race. It will be much sooner than mile 20 when I will hit a wall. When I will be wondering what on earth I'm doing out there. When my mind and my body will be begging me to quit. When fear will want to hijack the day.

But fear IS NOT going to hijack my day. It's not going to steal my chance to learn and to grow and to discover what the latest version of hard in my life has to offer. Because truth be told, I've had a lot of versions of hard in my life.

And at some point, every version of hard in my life became a gift to my life.

It's Monday. I'm here to tell you - don't wonder if something hard is coming your way this week - it is. Celebrate knowing that. Celebrate being wise enough to understand that hard isn't something to fear - but something to welcome.

Because at some point - no matter how hard it is - you will discover THAT hardship made you better. It made you better in some way no other hardship could.

It surely made you better than the easy way out ever could have.

Hard is coming this week.

Bring it.....