As we traverse up our life’s mountain, we need to wear sturdy running shoes in order to handle our unexpected life bumps and boulders.  

How we get up our mountain is our choice. We can run/sprint 24/7 to the finish line, or, we can jog or walk. Just because we see people in constant motion running, up the mountain as hard as they can to reach the summit, doesn’t mean we have to follow the same course. Running flat out isn’t efficient. I just finished reading, The Hard Parts: A Memoire of Courage and Triumph by Paralympian Ukrainian American gold-medalist Oksana Masters. At one point in her memoir, Oksana’s coach said something to the effect that the race is better won when one comes from love, not anger. We have all heard of the tortoise and the hare story, right? Maybe it’s okay for us to jog! We’d still get there, wouldn’t we?  

Yep, and probably with less stress and drama trauma!  

I’m sure you have had, like I have had, parents, teachers, employers, or coaches of one type or another who have wanted you to run the race their way. They’re older, wiser, or more experienced, right? 

What if they aren’t? 

No one knows the best path up your mountain except you. Your journey is yours, and yours alone. What works for one person doesn’t work for everyone. I think we have all heard of this concept before.  

Throughout my life, I’ve run up various paths doing what others have advised. Some have been right, others, not so much. At the end of the day, they did the best they could to guide me. Yet, being sighted, they didn’t know how to walk the path being blind. Obvious to me, I use different tools than they, do to climb my mountain, such as using a guide dog or a cane or writing with the assistance of a screen reader known as Jaws on my computer. Not to mention, there’s 70% unemployment in the blind community. Overcoming that boulder has been difficult for me. 

Now, at 72 years of age, I’m learning how to jog up my mountain. I do not have to run. There’s no hurry. When I get there is when I get there.   

Jogging for me means, writing. Yes, I am gifted with playing piano, singing, and speaking; however, I love, and dare I say, I have to write each and every day. There’s writing in my journal, answering endless emails, preparing lion’s agendas, and, more importantly to you and others, books.  

I’ve already self-published my memoir:  

Soaring into Greatness: a Blind Woman’s Vision to Live her Dreams and Fly.   

Soon to be published will be a workbook, working title: 

Soaring into Greatness: How to Live an Unstoppable, Unforgettable, Unbelievable Life 

After that, a sequel to my memoir: 

Unstoppable: a Blind Senior Woman’s Vision to Live her Dreams and fly  

Then, a series including all my blogs, then a series regarding guide dogs, and the last one on my current plate will be one regarding blindness and how we relate to others. 

This may look like I’m running full speed ahead; however, let me assure you, I’m jogging. I’m giving myself permission to relax. I’m putting my running shoes on and figuring out the path as I go! 

Though the path may get challenging, you must always keep your shoes on. Never take them off. That’s never an option. You can walk slowly, and sometimes, you can even walk backward for a while. However, no matter the circumstances, the path, or the struggle, you must keep your running shoes on!!! In this way, you will change the way you see and change the way you live.