My husband told me once some years ago, this is not a direct quote, that I quit everything I start. It was not a wholly true statement, neither was it wholly un-true. The thing is; what he said has stuck. What we say to one another sticks doesn’t it? He was right, I did not finish college, I had my reasons but they were not really the best reasons. I had started a career that was a horrible fit and I quit. I had several different jobs and lots of un-done projects. Still have lots of un-done projects by the way. That should be on my goals list as well, just not this one. This not a statement that should be true about me any more, I don’t want it to be.

Sometimes quitting is a good thing. Quitting smoking, quitting drinking, quitting a job that is totally wrong to pursue one that is totally right. Those are not quitting times though, those are starting times. Starting the new things that are better, healthier, give you strength, set you on the right path. So though my husband was right, he was also wrong. Sometimes I quit the wrong to start the right.

There have also been some things that I committed to completely that I followed through with convention and confidence even in the face of criticism and opposition. Those things, quitting was never an option, and barely even a consideration. Determination, conviction and commitment were key to the follow through.

So to start a journey and then complete it I personally have to have a conviction. Not a sense that I am right or should do this but a soul level purpose to what I am doing. When I have that, the commitment is a result of the conviction, but it is determination that pulls me through the obstacles. Each of these I have come to realize are birthed in Hope for me.

Hope is a product of faith. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Heb.11:1 This is probably one of my favorite verses in my whole life. Hope dreams of another side to something and faith believes it is there.

Faith means I commit to this journey blog with conviction. Trusting it is something that I am doing with purpose. I will complete it with a determination borne of the hope that something GOD will come of it. It doesn’t have to be anything more than a deepening of my relationship with Jesus. That is actually enough.

I should end this one right here but I have to get to the accountability part. You see one of the things I have learned about myself over the years is I must have accountability to follow through and grow. When I share with someone things I need to do or want to do and then I am far more likely to actually do them than if I do not do this. We are all that way, still there is a big part of me that does not want to disappoint people or let them down. It is easier to let myself down than someone else.

All kinds of psychology behind this we can all analyse in depth I am sure, but for today, how about we just acknowledge it. Lets put it to use working for us (me) instead of working against us (me). (My English teachers would NOT be proud of the switch from first to 3rd person.) I want to put to use the fact that if I commit to somethings in this blog and then give progress updates, I might actually accomplish somethings I have truly been wanting to do for a long time now.

One of my bucket list goals is to run 6 – 5K’s in one year and 4 – 10K’s and then a half marathon by the summer after I turn 50. I have a bigger goal in mind for a bit down the line (summer after 55) but I am not fully pre-pared to share that one yet. Bottom line is I have about 20 months to build up to this half marathon.

First step in this commitment to myself is I have to get into shape, I am after all counting up to 50, I would like these to be healthy and quality years. So I joined a gym 5 months ago, hired a trainer 2 months ago, and have worked out 10 times. Not a roaring start. But I am not quitting!

I am taking it to the next level. I am meeting this week with a clinic that helps put you on a healthy track, working with you and your body to develop good food habits, along with an exercise program to help you get fit. I will post a link here in the future for anyone who would be interested. I am also telling you my tattered journey so that each week as I journal I also post progress reports. I should include a before picture too shouldn’t I? I will do that when I meet with the clinic.

I want to do this with conviction, commitment, determination and actually follow through. I don’t want this blog and this life I have been blessed with be one of the things in my pile of un-done projects. The lives God gives us should never be in a pile of un-done projects. I would like to honor him by ‘running this race to win’ – not the marathon by the way 🙂 – but the commitment to a goal, the conviction that he has a purpose and the determination to follow through with what he has given me to do. Even if it is something as simple as this. I don’t want quitting to be part of my life, beginning yes, but not quitting. After all isn’t the whole point of this blog to learn how to finish the race? I am going to finish the race!

Teresa – a traveler –