A new measuring stick

for midlife growth and success

Welcome to a new week!

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Miami where my husband and I met up with a friend to run the Miami Half Marathon. Such a fabulous experience! Can’t wait to share some of the highlights and lessons learned with you.

You ready?

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YOLO

I think I shared last week that while I’ve run multiple marathons and lots of half marathons, they have all been in my backyard - all within a 20-mile radius. The idea of traveling for an event - just doesn’t sound fun to me. I much prefer to sleep in my own bed the night before, eat my home-cooked food, and run in my own environment.

But, when this invitation came along, we decided - Why not! ‘You only live once,’ as they say.

We knew we would be all trained up because we ran in the Carlsbad Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago. My biggest concern - beyond just the reality of traveling and messing up our routine - was the heat and humidity. I don’t run well in heat and humidity is a rarity in San Diego, so I had no idea how I would deal with that. But, we decided we didn’t need to run fast, just have fun. So - why not give it a try?

Plus, my husband had never been to Miami and this was the perfect excuse to say yes to a little vacation time.

I am SO glad we said yes and made it happen! It was a fantastic trip. The weather was amazing. We spent most of our time in Miami Beach where we explored the ‘island’ by bus, boat, paddle board, bike, and by foot. It was non-stop outdoor adventures - my favorite kind of vacation. Couldn’t have been better!

On race day, it was warm and humid as expected. Luckily, the 6 am start time gave us some time without the sun. When we crossed the starting line, I set our pace about a minute slower than our normal time. And, we just chugged along for 13.1 beautiful miles. Wow!

The miles went by so quickly and before we knew it, we were at mile 10. Drenched in sweat, but feeling good. So, we picked up our pace and knocked out the last 3 miles.

While it was definitely my slowest finish time, I was so proud at the end because I felt so good. I had managed my energy and hydration well - despite the humidity and heat. (And, also the crowd, which was insane!) Bottomline - It was a huge accomplishment for me.

My goal from the beginning was not to BEAT my best time, but to HAVE the best time. To have FUN. And, we did! Before, during and after the big event.

In the process, I learned I am capable of a lot more than I thought! All kinds of things I didn’t know about myself!

It was exactly 10 years ago that I started training for my first marathon. At 46, I had never run more than 3 miles. I was always fascinated with the idea that people could run 26.2 miles. I couldn’t even conceive of it. Today, at 56, I can run 13.1 miles in heat, and humidity, after sleeping in a hotel and eating out for two days beforehand in a different time zone - and have fun doing it! AMAZING!

It’s kind of crazy. Every time I think I’ve done my personal best, I realize there is more in there. Makes me wonder what kind of personal best I’ll be experiencing 10 years from now.

I share all of this with you because sometimes at this stage of life, we act like it’s ‘too late’ or we don’t push ourselves beyond what we know we can do. We don’t leave our comfort zone very often. We think we know what success looks like and we don’t want to do anything that would pull the rug of success out from under us.

I could have easily said no to this trip or this event for a lot of very logical reasons - but look what I would have missed.

This past week reminded me:

I am capable of more than I give myself credit for - especially when I let FUN lead the way.

The same is true for all of us.

As we age, I think it’s important that we keep pursuing the things we enjoy or want to try, but we might need a different measuring stick.

What if success was driven by fun, rather than ‘best’. Curious instead of definitive. Growth mindset versus closed mindset.

What doors would we open up for ourselves? What connections might we make? What new possibilities would reveal themselves?

It’s kind of fun to think about, isn’t it?

All of this has me thinking about what ways I can use FUN as my measuring stick in life - in my work, family, fitness, finances, and health.

Where am I selling myself short simply by not allowing a little discomfort in the door?

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YOUR MISSION:

This week, I invite you to look at your measuring sticks. What if the only gauge was FUN? How could you bring a little more fun into the things you have to do this week? And, what might you discover about yourself with fun as the driver of success?

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RESOURCES:

READ: The Importance of Fun | Creative Healing

READ: How Having Fun Makes you Healthier and Smarter | Outside

READ: Why Fun is Key to Happiness as We Age | Next Avenue

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IN SUMMARY:

My husband and I are always looking for ways to make our everyday a little bit more fun. Sometimes it’s good music while cooking dinner. Maybe it’s a silly hat while out running. Maybe it’s riding our bike instead of driving somewhere. Sometimes it requires some creativity, but most of the time, it really only requires a choice - the decision to let something BE fun. Even the not-so-fun stuff. (Especially the not-so-fun stuff).

Until now, I had never really thought about how FUN ties into growth. I’m excited to play around with that whole idea a bit more this week. Hope you’ll join me!

See you next week?

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Learn more about me on my website or follow me on Instagram @itMayBeMenopause

Karen Friend Smith
Certified Health Coach & Environmental Health Specialist
Specializing in Perimenopause & Menopause 

karen@itmaybemenopause.com
www.itMayBeMenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause