Advice for Women – Entrepreneurship, Running and Joy

Pure and simple I am joyful at this moment and because I’m content I feel like sharing this positive energy with others because joy can be contagious. Whether it is the super sticky balmy air outside which envelopes me in warmth and makes me dream of Florida, the high I felt after running or simply thinking about seeing my oldest son in 11 days, joy has completely depleted my discontent and replaced it.

Yesterday I was reminded how tough life can be for people with cancer. I went to a three hour inspirational event to support a cause I love and felt myself getting more intense as the beautiful program went on. It had nothing to do with the performances, readings or actions of the producers but my feeling of sadness for all of the people I saw on the stage who have suffered through pain. Today I realize I was overwhelmed with the inability to help people tormented by a terminal disease which unfortunately also includes my stepmother who has Alzheimer’s disease.

I was also recently reminded of some very difficult times in my entrepreneurial life when others didn’t trust the person I was or my business. Since I have always believed actions speak louder than words, I pushed forward as confident as I could be with the knowledge that someday my actions would prove the honest person I am. When you come face to face with a couple people who have been your worst “cheerleader,” it reminds you that believing in yourself is the only way to live.

As usual a run with some of my favorite music on turned a sour conversation into bliss reminding me that if I step away from someone else’s criticism for only 30 minutes and do something specifically that brings me happiness, the negative slips away into thin air. Running today brought me back to memories of the 2017 Boston Marathon where I ran my longest run with Team 261Fearless. Getting rid of negativity and replacing it with positivity is one of the best reasons for running and why I will never give it up.