A few faves from 2025 🎇
Carrying this onward…
Tag: Motivation
Explore motivational insights and inspiration. Discover posts that ignite personal growth, resilience, and the drive to succeed.
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All I Wanted For Christmas Was A 5K PR
A year ago, I would’ve laughed at that sentence.
Not because I didn’t want it—but because it felt so far out of reach.
Now? It’s just what happens when I show up.
Day after day. Quietly. Consistently. Huge thanks to my guy Chris Henry for jumping in last minute and setting the pace. Having someone beside you who believes in the effort makes all the difference. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out the year.
And for the first time in over a year… I’m not registered for a single race. We’ll see how long that lasts. 😅
For now, I’m just letting the work speak for itself.
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Wilmington Historic Half: The Same Streets, A New Stride
This time last year, I was standing in Wilmington having just finished my first 10K. It felt big then. It felt like something to hold on to.
A year later, I came back and ran those same streets again—but this time I followed the course all the way to 13.1.
When I started this year, the goal was simple: run a half marathon. Somehow, it turned into two. Myrtle Beach in March was my first, and I crossed that finish line at a 2:19—proud to have done the thing. Wilmington in December told a very different story. I finished in 1:55–and I felt like I completely different runner.
A 25-minute difference doesn’t come from luck. It comes from showing up consistently and learning to trust the process instead of fighting it. Somewhere along the way, I stopped forcing the pace and started flowing with it. My stride feels natural now. It shows in my cardio fitness and vO2 max.
I’m not the same runner I was a year ago. And that’s the part that matters most. Progress doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it just waits patiently for you to come back and show up stronger, steadier, and ready.
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Fall Pickleball League Recap: Finding My Rhythm
Every season tells a story.
This fall, mine was about rhythm. The kind that comes from showing up each week and never quite knowing who you’ll be standing beside. I played in both sessions of the City of Greenville Parks & Recreation 3.5 Men’s Doubles Ladder Pickleball League, each one lasting four weeks. With no set partners, every match was a fresh opportunity, presenting numerous micro-decisions to be made right on the court.
The first session came together easily. I started to recognize familiar faces and patterns, finding my footing with whoever I happened to be paired with. I found that if I just locked in on my serve and return placement, the rest of the rally fell right into place. Each point instilled more and more confidence. By the end of those four weeks, I had worked my way into a silver medal finish.
The second session felt a little different. The competition got tighter. The points got longer. And I had to learn how to adapt faster, reading new partners and finding ways to connect on the fly. Some days everything clicked, and others it didn’t. But even when the results didn’t go my way, I left feeling sharper and more grounded. I had a rhythm that I had never felt before. That session ended with a bronze medal and a reminder that progress doesn’t always look like winning on the scoreboard.
That’s what I love about pickleball. It teaches patience and awareness. It forces you to adjust, to reset, to keep learning. You can’t fake chemistry, and you can’t control every point. And you certainly can’t control your doubles partner! What you can do is focus on what you can control, play your game with calm confidence, communicate effectively, and trust that something good will come from the effort.
Two sessions. Two medals. A season of growth.
Here’s to showing up again. See you next season, City of GVL Pickleball!
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Finding Joy On The Court
I found joy.
Last year, I left my full-time agency job. Let’s be honest… it drained me more than it grew me. Without anything lined up, letting go was scary… but necessary. I didn’t know what would fill the space.
Today, that space is filled with things that light me up. I’ve been able to challenge myself in ways I never thought possible. This morning, the challenge was on the pickleball court. And the joy was found in the journey.
It wasn’t easy. It was a grind.
There were some tough losses. Horrendous points.
There was even a moment I lost my cool out of frustration and threw my paddle into the net (I later apologized to my opponent—it was completely uncalled for).
But that’s why you keep fighting.
You don’t let one bad point—or one bad call—dictate the whole game. Or in my case, the whole day.
Sometimes you have to take the L on the chin and come back swinging.
Sometimes… you pickle the next game. 🙂↕️
Today, I found a way to come back and win the bronze medal.
Couldn’t have done it without my Bread & Butter Invader paddle and the FREAKY TACK grip from UDrippin.
Love the feel!!!Big congrats to my competitors Judd (gold) and Doug (silver)—incredible players and even better sports. I want to be like them when I grow up.
And huge thanks to The City of Greenville Parks & Recreation for another competitive ladder league. We’ll see you in the fall!
This isn’t just about medals.
It’s about making space for what matters.
It’s about finding joy again.
Love the feel!!!
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