Cruise Control

I was waiting to see the next mile marker. It had to be close.

I was waiting for the turn around. It had to be close, too.

13.1 miles leaves a lot of opportunity for your mind to wander. Sometimes it takes you places that are energizing, but not always. Sometimes your thoughts can become your own worst enemy. And that’s where I was headed.

I knew that my race time was past the point of achieving a negative split. The miles were starting to feel longer, and the urge to check my watch was becoming more frequent.

I was needing to find my second wind. I still had over three miles to go. I was needing to get my mind right.

And then the woman patrolling the street said,

“You look like you’re on cruise control.”

That was it. Those were the words of encouragement that I so desperately needed to hear. It was a boost of adrenaline that allowed me to find my stride. All of a sudden, I forgot about the suffering. My mind was cleared of the negativity that was creeping into my thoughts. Instantaneously, I felt good.

I hadn’t felt like I was on cruise control, but she told me that it looked like I was. So I believed her.

One woman said one thing to encourage me. A stranger, nonetheless. She didn’t have to say anything, but she did. And that’s all it took. It changed my attitude, it changed my performance, it changed my outcome.

We have multiple opportunities to make this same type of difference in other people’s lives, daily. We never know when our words may break or make someone. Choose them wisely, and don’t ever pass-on an opportunity to offer words of encouragement. You might not know it, but it might be just what someone needs.