Ten Days

Ten days, the running portion of the Awake My Sole journey will be coming to an end.  A routine of running, speaking, resting, meeting new people and discovering Iowa towns will come to an end.

Yes, a bittersweet feeling:  a feeling of achievement and accomplishment in finishing this yearlong journey across the state of Iowa, while at the same time a sadness and mourning in thinking the end of this journey is near.

A reminder while running to each Iowa town

Honestly, I always dreamt the journey would come to an end, but never actually thought I would be here.  At the beginning, a year seemed like such a long period of time, but with less than two weeks till the finish, it seems like such a short period of time.

So much has happened and yet so much has remained the same.

Time moves forward, and I am looking forward to what's next, especially with the Awake My Sole journey.  Already in the process of thinking and praying for what's to come.  Maybe someone else will take on the AMS journey across the state, or perhaps a relay, or writing a book of the journey, or perhaps a speaking tour across the state with other motivational speakers.

Who knows?

I do know that finishing this journey well is equally as important as when I started, as well as the planning stage, and for whatever comes next.

Many people have asked, "Do you still enjoy running and speaking?"

My answer, "Yes, I do."

Some days on the journey were really tough, and some weeks of speaking were overwhelming, but at the same time there were some days that were excellent and I felt the "runner's high" as I ran to the next town, or connecting well with the group of people I got to speak to.

Overall, this journey has been a story of risk.  In the risky and unknown having to truly rely on the Creator and others for my needs to be met, while at the same time planning and preparing in a way that brings a joy and meaningfulness.

My story is not your story, my journey is not your journey, but we are both writing a story with our life.

Ten days, the Awake My Sole journey comes to an end, however it's not THE END, but truly the beginning.  The beginning of what?  Not sure, but preparing and planning for whatever does come, while at the same time enjoying the moment.

Ten days.  Yesterday it was Eleven, tomorrow it will be Nine, together, whatever journey we may be on, let's live in a way in which each day of the journey we live well.  Some days wont be the best, and some days will be super rad; allow us to embrace them, because the bigger picture is a healthy balance of both.

Ten days....

Scheduling REST into our busy lives

Charley resting after a long day of running from Iowa City to Grinnell.

Everyone needs rest, including Charley.  Life comes at us fast, and if we don't schedule "restful moments" into our schedules, we'll get burned out (or get sick).

Definition of Rest: "To refresh oneself, as by sleeping, lying down, or relaxing" and "Refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion of labor."  

Before setting off on the AMS journey, this is how Jim chose where he would be running-to & speaking-in.  Rocks and a Iowa Map.   

In preparing for the yearlong Awake My Sole journey across the state of Iowa, wisdom suggested incorporating "restful moments" into the journey.  We wanted to make sure to get good rest, especially with pursuing such a labor intense occupation over a long period of time.

Jim was hosted in Bellevue Iowa this summer.  He got to REST in a old Volkswagon bus for a week.  This was his most unique resting quarters.  "No journey across the state of Iowa is complete without staying in a VW bus."       

Restful moments offer us a time to reset our inner compass, to reflect, to dream, to pray, to enjoy some quiet time, to enjoy the simple things of life.

Jim grabbing a cup of coffee at Toad's Coffee Shop in Spencer Iowa during his scheduled rest week.  

Scheduled restful moments in the Awake My Sole journey include:  

• Every Tuesday morning, after a long running day, Jim rests by sleeping in.
• Every Fifth week, after running and speaking for four weeks, Jim takes a week of rest.  He sleeps in, disconnects from social media, and tries to participate in activities he enjoys, like going for walks or reading books.

When was the last time you were able to rest?

Are you getting enough "restful moments" in your life?

A Friendly Suggestion: Grab your calendar and block out a morning, day, weekend OR week for a "restful moment. 

During this upcoming "REST WEEK" for Awake My Sole, we hope to spend some quality time discerning the NEXT STEPS of AMS...