This has been a week of many inspirations:

• My friend Lori reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States
• Millions of people from every race and culture gathered together in Washington D.C. in a spirit of hope
• I spoke with a woman who went from weighing 527 pounds to running marathons
• I saw a lone bald eagle flying along the Boise River this morning

Always on the lookout, I find inspiration everyday in extraordinary people and experiences. It can be something as heroic as losing over 350 pounds or as simple as seeing an eagle.

I had an extraordinary run this morning. The run itself was a regular weekday progression run, but I came up with an idea while running that could potentially have a profound impact on myself and others. (More on that later.)

In any case, if we look for and expect good things to happen, they will. So be on the lookout for inspiration, and – guaranteed – you WILL BE inspired!

I got out a little later than usual for my morning run today, but when I headed out, I decided that my purpose today was to be open to nature. I left the ipod at home and as I ran along, I listened to the rushing water and the sounds of the birds.

My schedule called for some speed intervals after a nice 2-mile warmup. As I rounded a curve on the Greenbelt along the Boise River – still in my easy and comfortable warmup – I saw 2 bald eagles standing on some rocks by the water’s edge. I stopped for just a moment to watch them just before they flew off.

I was still so thrilled to see them, and as I rounded another curve, there they were sitting in a tree beside the river. I watched them for a minute more before I continued on my run. I felt a new sense of energy and ran my intervals strong and fast. When I turned around to head back, one of the eagles was still in the same spot I had passed 15 minutes earlier.

As this was nature’s gift to me today, I said a silent word of gratitude for being part of their world today.

It’s been said so much that many people just sort of shrug and say, “Yeah, whatever.” But it is one maxim that I think cannot be overstated: “Have a attitude of gratitude.” We should celebrate “Thanks-giving” everyday.

I was overcome with a feeling of gratitude on my morning run today. What a week this has been. My daughter had her 2nd baby yesterday – November 24 – a precious little girl named Colette Soleil. Colette is strong and healthy, Mama Michelle is feeling great, Daddy Chuck is about as proud as can be, and Aunt Kelly is coming to town to welcome the new arrival. And, I am now a 2-time granny. How cool is that?

As I was running, I thought about all the things that I have to be thankful for, not the least of which is how lucky I am to be able to run along the beautiful Boise River path.

We all have challenges in our lives, but chances are that we have things to be grateful for as well. Many times, we focus on the things that are not going well for us because we are trying to find solutions. But remember: What you think about expands. So, my suggestion – especially this week as we officially celebrate Thanks-giving – is to spend some time focusing on all the things that are going right. When you do, you will attract more good things into your life.

Have a happy day giving thanks!

My parents were philosophers. Not philosophers in the traditional sense of the word but probably in the same way that many of your parents were also. But we didn’t appreciate their wisdom until we got older when we realized that their simple teachings formed our values.

One of the things that my mama used to say was, “Everywhere you go, people are as nice to you as you are to them.” I’ve followed that value my whole life, and I hope that I’ve passed it on to my own kids. I have found this principle to be true everywhere I’ve ever been. (more…)

Everywhere you look, someone is talking about the “Law of Attraction.” Although the principles are ancient ideas, lots of people are discovering it for the first time. It’s actually exciting to observe the paradigm shift of such large numbers of people.

Last spring, I joined a local running group. When I first moved here, I was training for a marathon and following a pretty strict schedule. I wasn’t sure that my training would lend itself to group runs since I had to hit specific times in all my runs, including my long run – which is usually the run that groups run together. So, I waited to join a group, but I thought about it and planned to find the right fit. (more…)