We can't change our lives without changing our days

​Back in 2018, I interviewed my friend Solomon just prior to him completing his longest run ever at that time: The Pine Creek 100K. Yesterday, a little over 4 years later, he finished a race that was over 320K - or 200 miles.

The last couple of years, Solomon has become a best friend. It's a friendship rooted in him showing up for me at a time in my life when I really needed someone to show up.

And he's kept showing up.

If I think about it, the greatest impact he brings to my life is all about the power found in today. The power to recognize that if we keep changing our days, one day that will come to look like a changed life.

We too often ignore that in our pursuit to change our lives. Maybe out of hopelessness. Or maybe it's out of wanting to believe that life can somehow magically change without intentionally doing the hard work of changing every day.

In that interview, I asked Solomon a question I find myself still asking him some days: why? Why keep getting up and running. Why keep pushing yourself to run further.

And further.

Why four years ago were we talking about running what seemed like an unbelievable distance, and now this morning we're talking about running a distance that seems nothing short of impossible in my world.

His answer: "consistency."

He said he'd never been consistent at anything in his life. Not as a father or a husband or in friendships or in jobs. He said he'd begun to wonder if he even had it in him to be consistent at anything. And then along came running.

He said from the earliest days of his running journey he knew it was going to be distance and not speed that motivated him. Because with distance, he'd always have to keep getting up - every day - and pushing himself a little further if he had any hopes of discovering just how far he could go.

He knew he'd never get that answer without consistency.

Today he'll tell you that he still struggles to be consistent in all the areas of his life he longs to be consistent in. Who doesn't? But he'll tell you he's more consistent than he's ever been. And he no longer wonders if he has consistency in him.

Because 11 years he started running. One mile at a time. One day at a time. And today he knows he can run 200 miles.

I know him well enough to know 200 miles isn't the answer to the question 'how far can I go?" No - I know he's already starting to wonder, if I stay consistent, if I keep making the most of each day, just how far can I REALLY go?

As for me, I am once again reminded that in a life that has me longing for many changes, I know those changes aren't going to come by waiting out the days of my life. They are only going to come by CHANGING the days of my life.

One day at a time.

Every day.

Consistently.

Well done brother. Thanks for reminding us all of the power of today.