Reasonable vs Extraordinary

I have been sick since Sunday night but still, I went to work on Monday and left early to get some rest. I woke up on Tuesday and decided that I didn't want to miss our annual Holiday luncheon and white elephant game so I made myself get up despite not feeling 100%. I didn't do my daily run knowing my cough would get worse with the cold air at night. I woke up yesterday morning and felt like I got hit by a bus, my cough was so bad that drinking orange juice burned as it went down. I decided to do the right thing and stay home to rest up so I can fight this sickness and be done with it.

I woke up this morning and although I am still not feeling well, I felt so much better than yesterday I came into work. I was talking with a co-worker from Dallas and to my surprise, I told her that I wanted to be better by Saturday because I didn't want to miss running the 8 miles with the team.  WHAT!? Yes, that was me and no I was not taking medication! 2 months ago, there was no way you would've ever heard that statement coming from me. I was the teenager in jr. high and high school that made up excuses to avoid running! Go figure! I enjoy the Saturday runs with the team, we motivate each other and we are all there for the same reason!

So this afternoon I received my weekly coach's email from Kiley. Every week we get the week's logistics, what to expect and bits of useful information to help and motivate us for our training.  This week's email was AWESOME!  Below is an excerpt from the email: 

Reasonable vs Extraordinary
 
You are all incredible, selfless, exceptional people.  Below, see a little exploration on those with ability versus those who give that extra effort…

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
-Woody Allen
 
As coaches some people approach us and ask about “what it takes” for a person to complete endurance events.  I have been thinking about this long and hard for years now and here is what I’ve come up with…
 
Woody Allen’s quote above sums it up quite elegantly… truly, the toughest step in any training program is the first step out the front door.  It is the same with fundraising; the toughest part is mailing the letter(s), sending the email(s) and opening your mouth to ask people for help to save the lives of others.  Contrary to popular belief, the people who take that first step out the door (consistently) and open their hearts to ask for fundraising dollars are no different from anyone else.  Those who have succeeded on our teams over the past 5-years have rarely been blessed with more ability than those who have failed.  They simply made a choice to have their “reasons” take a backseat to the “needs” of those living life with blood-cancer.
 
 
ABILITY + REASON = REASONABILITY
Someone blessed with God-given talent is not halfway there.  You have likely heard the stories about someone who heard about a marathon two weeks before it happened, went for two-three training runs, and then completed the full marathon.  What you didn’t hear was that they had trouble walking normally for the better part of a month afterward.  That they may have completed the event in 4-hours, 30-minutes, but it was a selfish & foolish act filled with pride.  They did something for themselves, often to prove they could to someone less talented who had trained for months and months to get ready.  I’ve heard about these stories and it makes me sad.  Quite the same are the other athletes who have ability, who do sign up for a fundraising program and training program, yet never begin their fundraising.  They often drop out with a very casual, “oh well, I guess I was too busy this time around, maybe next time.”  They were not too busy.  They never make the choice, the decision to begin.  Too busy essentially means “not important enough to me”.  The lives of those suffering are not important to them?  I believe too much in the human spirit to accept that explanation.  It is too reasonable.  Reasonability kills dreams.  Reasonability suffocates that which a person wants most in life, the realization of a dream…
 
reasonability
Main Entry: rea·son·abil·i·ty
Pronunciation: "rEz-n&-'bi-l&-tE
Function: noun
 
1a: being in accordance with reason (comprehending or thinking in orderly rational ways)
1b: not extreme or excessive
 
 
ORDINARY + EXTRA EFFORT = EXTRAORDINARY
Take an ordinary human.  Add a dream.  Add the desire to do something for those less fortunate.  With hard work and a commitment to break themselves up and rebuild themselves into something they previously didn’t think was possible (what else do you call a dream?), you have someone performing an extraordinary act.  Ordinary plus a little extra (effort).  You are all extraordinary in our eyes…
 
extraordinary
Main Entry: ex·traor·di·nary
Pronunciation: ik-'stror-d&-"ner-E, "ek-str&-'or-
Function: adjective
1a: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary
1b: exceptional to a very marked extent
 
 
To sum things up, there is no “right time” or “perfect moment” to do anything you dream about in life.  You either seize what is in front of you and turn it into something exceptional, extraordinary and magical or you live a life confined by very rational, normal and logical reasons.
 
You are all on the precipice of something special.  The next 2+ months will not be easy, but what they will be is very rewarding, very worthwhile and when you see the looks on the faces of the families you have helped give hope, you will look back on any moment you thought of quitting and laugh.
 
Welcome to the life of your dreams, where you can be saving lives, one mile at a time…

I have never been more motivated to continue on this journey than I am now.  Every dollar, every mile and every drop of sweat will be worth it in the end! 

Thank you Coach Kiley for inspiring us!